"Jon Savage's 1968: The Year The World Burned" by VARIOUS (30 November 2018 UK Ace 2CD Compilation of Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Shadows On Stones..."

This is the fourth in a series by compiler and Music Lover Jon Savage (see list below) and like the others, it features an eclectic combo of 48 great, good, not-so-good but rare, overly familiar and downright bat-dung crazy moments - a 2CD aural journey aided and equally hampered by inclusions and exclusions (what can and can't be licensed). Let's get our pretty bits burned baby...

UK released Friday, 30 November 2018 (7 December 2018 in the USA) - "Jon Savage's 1968: The Year The World Burned" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Ace Records CDTOP2 1536 (Barcode 029667092821) offers 48-Tracks Remastered across 2CDs.

The beautifully laid out and fact-filled 28-page booklet sees Savage make a case in his own liner notes for every song and smartly he's included deep discography info for number nerds like me - the US and UK release dates and separate catalogue numbers for their respective 45s.

Disc 1 (71:53 minutes):

1. Honey Chile - Martha Reeves and The Vandellas

2. Sunshine Help Me - Spooky Tooth

3. How Does It Feel? - The Creation

4. Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) - The First Edition [with Kenny Rogers]

5. Dear Delilah - Grapefruit

6. Carpet Man - The 5th Dimension

7. Big Bird - Eddie Floyd

8. Tighten Up - Archie Bell and The Drells

9. Changes (TYGSTL) - The Ceyleib People

10. Everydays - Buffalo Springfield

11. Talkin' About The Good Times - The Pretty Things

12. Just For You - Dave Mason [of Traffic]

13. Danse A La Musique - The French Fries

14. Israelites - Desmond Dekker and The Aces

15. Why Does It Feel So Right (Doing Wrong) - The Shades Of Jade

16. Wonderboy - The Kinks

17. Gotta See Jane - R. Dean Taylor

18. Do You Know the Way To San Jose - Dionne Warwick

19. Classical Gas - Mason Williams

20. Your Mind And We Belong Together - Love

21. Dino's Song - Quicksilver Messenger Service

22. World In A Jug - Canned Heat

23. Lift Me - The Beau Brummels

24. The Snake - Al Wilson

Disc 2 (72:24 minutes):

1. Fire - The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown

2. Hard To Handle - Otis Redding

3. Eastern Organ - Brother Dan All Stars

4. People Got to Be Free - The Rascals

5. I Say A Little Prayer - Aretha Franklin

6. Piece Of My Heart - Big Brother and the Holding Company

7. Lord Of The Manor - The Everly Brothers

8. Lincoln County - Dave Davies [of The Kinks]

9. Omnibus - The Move

10. I'm In A Different World - The Four Tops

11. Say It Loud - I'm Black And I'm Proud (Part 1) - James Brown

12. Rain - Kak

13. A Song For Jeffrey - Jethro Tull

14. Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf

15. Freedom Train - James Carr

16. Smell Of Incense - The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band

17. Cloud Nine - The Temptations

18. Train To Nowhere - Savoy Brown

19. Everyday People - Sly and The Family Stone

20. I Got A Line On You - Spirit

21. Throwaway Street Puzzle - Fairport Convention

22. Crimson And Clover - Tommy James and The Shondells

23. Machines - Lothar and The Hand People

24. Kick Out The Jams (Preview Version) - MC5

Every entry has either a label repro - Aretha's "I Say A Little Prayer", The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown and his "Fire", Fairport Convention's rare B-side "Throwaway Street Puzzle" along with Big Brother & The Holding Company's cover of Erma Franklin's "Piece Of My Heart" all get either sheet music or Cash Box trade adverts and so on. Mastering is by long-time Ace associate NICK ROBBINS and the Audio depends greatly on the source - The First Edition (with Kenny Rogers) and their Psych take on Mickey Newbury's "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)", Spooky Tooth's plea for uplift on their "Sunshine Help Me" both sound kicking as does the fabulous Church Soul of "Freedom Train" by James Carr and the tear-down-the-ramparts Punk of MC5 delivering "Kick Out The Jams" (a Preview Version with "Brothers And Sisters" replacing the MFs). But the Canned Heat tune reflects their typically sloppy way of recording.

There are moments listening to "The Year The World Burned" when you admire and even applaud Savage's savvy choices - the fantastically trippy Sitar of "Changes" by an acid-dropping bunch of yeah baby sessionmen called The Ceyleib People (the track was actually called an unpronounceable "Tygstl" on the album and re-titled for the 45 on Vault Records 940 in February of that year) or those tyre-burning compatriots over the way in France who had The French Fries (yes folks that was their name) sing a French language version of Sly & The Family Stone's "Dance To The Music" as "Danse A La Musique" (I can see those mini-skirts and thigh-high boots a-calling me home). Other goodies come in the genuine message song "People Got To Be Free" by those grooving Rascals - a number one smash in their native USA for five weeks that but a tune that meant diddly squat in the UK. There is the seriously great and completely forgotten "Lord Of The Manor" - a hugely unlikely Psychedelic piece from The Everly Brothers (yes folks the Eves did Psych, maybe just once mind you) tucked away on the B-side of "Milk Train" on Warner Brothers Seven Arts 7226 in August 1968.

But then you get the lightweight Pop of "Do You Know The Way To San Jose" and "Classical Gas" by Dionne Warwick and Mason Williams or the flanged Blues Rock and get-up-in-the-morning Reggae rally cry of "A Song For Jeffrey" and "Israelites" by Jethro Tull and Desmond Dekker - and you seriously wonder what any of these songs had to do with burning anything down. I can understand the inclusion of James Brown's "Say It Loud! I'm Black And I'm Proud" or "Cloud Nine" by The Temptations on the grounds of emerging ethnic pride sat uncomfortably alongside their cities and communities being flooded with the horrors of drug addiction. But songs like the funk of "Hard To Handle" or "Gotta See Jane" by Otis Redding and R. Dean Taylor leave me baffled or even the whimsy of "Wonderboy" by The Kinks and the girly Rock of "Omnibus" by The Move. If we actually want to show a 1968 world on the boil as opposed to the love-in that represented 1967 - what should be here of course is "Revolution" by The Beatles or "Jumping Jack Flash" by The Stones or even "Mrs. Robinson" by Simon & Garfunkel to reflect "The Graduate" film. And when I look at the UK and US Top 40 charts of 1968 – there were full of absolute Pop like Gary Puckett and The Union Gap giving us the optimism of "Young Girl", British cardigan crooner Des O'Connor getting his moment with his "I Pretend", The 1910 Bubblegum Company inflicting their "Simon Says" chant and loveliness/joie-de-vie personified in the Bond theme of "What A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong.

None of the above reflects 1968 society torching itself – but having said that I’ve been living with this 2018 twofer for some days now and I find myself returning to the fantastic "Rain" by the obscure Kak – a fuzzed-up guitar-groover B-side to "Everything’s Changing" on Epic Records in September or even the neck-jerking Reggae-Ska instrumental "Eastern Organ" by Brother Dan’s All Stars, the Byrds-pretty big-eyed wonder of "Smell Of Incense" by The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band or the sexy naughtiness of "Why Does It Feel So Right (Doing Wrong)" where The Shades Of Jade sound like a Motown act with a lady vocalist discovering illicit sex can be something else other than a heartbreak.

Discovery of the new, kids dismantling the old, high school guys and gals dipping in and dropping out, future dot.com execs on the hippy trail, cloud nine dandies disrespecting mama while other brothers die overseas in someone else's war - they're all in here. Will we ever see the like of those crazy swirling days again? Fifty years on and we are still referencing them.

With a knowing wink Al Wilson sings "...Take me in tender woman...in a curvature of silk...take me in for Heaven's sake...hissed the Snake..." in his warning moment at the end of Disc 1.

Try this Magic Carpet Ride and find out what tempted those impressionable lads and lassies over to the wayward side and why part of them (even now) is kinda glad they succumbed...

Titles in Jon Savage's Year Series are (2CD Compilations)

CDs:

1. Jon Savage's 1965: The Year The Sixties Ignited (26 January 2018 2CD set on Ace CDTOP2 1513 - Barcode 029667086028)

 

2. Jon Savage's 1966: The Year The Decade Exploded (30 October 2015 2CD set on Ace CDTOP2 1452 - Barcode 029667074223)

 

3. Jon Savage's 1967: The Year Pop Divided (31 March 2017 2CD set on Ace CDTOP2 1495 - Barcode 029667079525)

 

4. Jon Savage's 1968: The Year The World Burned (30 November 2018 2CD set on Ace CDTOP2 1536 - Barcode 029667092821)

 

5. Jon Savage's 1969-1971: Rock Dreams on 45 (25 October 2019 UK 2CD set on Ace CDTOP2 1559 - Barcode 029667096621)

 

6. Jon Savage's 1972-1976: All Our Times Have Come (26 March 2021 UK 2CD set on Ace CDTOP2 1594 - Barcode 029667101523)

7. Jon Savage's 1977-1979: Symbols Clashing Everywhere (28 January 2022 UK 2CD set on Ace CDTOP2 1610 - Barcode 029667104623)

8. Jon Savage's 1980-1982: The Art Of Things To Come (24 February 2023 UK Ace Records CDTOP2 1625 - Barcode 029667107921)

9. Jon Savage's 1983-1985: Welcome To Techno City (26 January 2024 UK Ace Records CDTOP2 1639 – Barcode 029667110020)

VINYL:

1. Jon Savage's 1965-1968: The High Sixties On 45 (June 2019 UK on Ace Records XXQLP2 060, 35-Track 2LP Set on Orange Vinyl in Stereo and Mono, Barcode 029667009515)

"For What It's Worth: The Complete Epic Recordings 1964-1968" by THE STAPLE SINGERS (October 2018 SoulMusic 3CD Box Set of Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review and over 184 More Are Available In My

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SOUL GALORE! 
 

60ts Soul, R'n'B, Mod, Northern Soul, New Breed and More
Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters  

Also Includes Harmony Soul, Rare Groove and Funk...
Just Click Below To Purchase for £6.95 (December 2021 Update)
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"...Freedom Songs..."

For a group with such staggering longevity, fame and beloved status amongst fans, contemporaries and everyone else in and outside of the music business for that matter - THE STAPLE SINGERS have had gapping CD sinkholes in their voluminous catalogue that have remained stubbornly unplugged. Until now that is...

The first part of their career proper on Riverside Records USA is roughly covered by the 4CD set "Four Classic Albums Plus Singles" issued 2016 on Real Gone Music RGMCD214 (Barcode 5036408180728) giving fans four full albums between 1961 and 1964 along with many non-album 45s. Their more famous Stax Records Soul and Funk period between 1968 and 1975 has had individual album releases galore as well as two whole remastered CDs devoted to it on the gorgeous-sounding "Faith & Grace" 4CD Book Set issued in 2015 (that beautiful looking book set came complete with a repro 7” single attached to the front and covered a wide range of output from 1953 to 1976 – see separate review). Which brings us to this - the fermenting-their-sound spaces in-between...

Issued by SoulMusic Records of the UK (a label imprint for the mucho respected Cherry Red) and offering up a huge six albums worth and more of Gospel, R&B and Soul across 3CDs – the 65-songs of 2018's "For What It's Worth..." gives three of their period LP platters their digital debut - "Pray On" (1965), "For What It's Worth" (1967) and "What The World Needs Now Is Love" (1968). There is also an airing for their only non-album B-side from the period "Power Of Love" - a flip to their thematically fitting cover of The Youngbloods everybody-love-each-other hit "Let's Get Together" in 1968 on Epic 5-10294. In short – this is a Staple fan's Christmas Cracker and I for one am so glad it's finally been realised. Here are the messages of love...

UK released Friday, 12 October 2018 (19 Oct 2018 in the USA) - "For What It's Worth: The Complete Epic Recordings 1964-1968" by THE STAPLE SINGERS on SoulMusic Records SMCR51758X (Barcode 5013929087507) offers six albums and one 7" single B-side (65 Tracks all in Mono except Tracks 11 to 21 on Disc 3) Remastered across 3CDs and plays out as follows: 

CD1 (67:12 minutes, 23 Tracks):

1. More Than A Hammer And Nail

2. He's Got The Whole World In His Hands

3. My Jesus Is All

4. This Train

5. Praying Time

6. Be Careful Of Stones That You Throw

7. Samson And Delilah

8. Nobody's Fault But Mine

9. Mary Don't You Weep

10. As An Eagle Stirreth Her Nest

11. Do Something For Yourself

12. Amen (From "Lillies Of The Field") - Tracks 1 to 12 are the album "Amen!" issued 1965 on Epic LN 26132 (Mono)

13. It's Been A Change

14. Waiting For My Child

15. How Great Thou Art

16. Wish I Had Answered

17. The Tramp On the Street

18. When Was Jesus Born?

19. Pray On

20. Glory, Glory Hallelujah!

21. The Lord's Prayer

22. Had No Room

23. John Brown - Tracks 13 to 23 are the album "Pray On" released 1966 on Epic LN 26237 (Mono)

CD2 (72:16 minutes, 21 Tracks):

1. Freedom Highway

2. What You Gonna Do

3. Take My Hand Precious Lord

4. When I'm Gone

5. Help Me Jesus

6. We Shall Overcome

7. When The Saints Go Marching In

8. The Funeral

9. Build On That Shore

10. Tell Heaven

11. He's All Right - Tracks 1 to 11 are the album "Freedom Highway: Live At Chicago's Nazareth Church" released 1965 on Epic LN 26163 (Mono)

12. Why? (Am I Treated So Bad)

13. King Of Kings

14. Step Aside

15. If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again

16. What Are They Doing? (In Heaven Today)

17. Will The Circle Be Unbroken?

18. I've Been Scorned

19. I'm Gonna Tell God (About My Troubles)

20. My Sweet Home

21. Move Along Train - Tracks 12 to 21 are the album "Why" released 1966 on Epic LN 26196 (Mono)

CD3 (60:52 minutes, 22 Tracks):

1. For What It's Worth

2. Father Let Me Ride

3. Deliver Me

4. He

5. If I Had A Hammer

6. Are You Sure

7. Wade In The Water

8. I'm The Light Of The World

9. Jacob's Ladder

10. Good News - Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "For What It's Worth" released 1967 on Epic LN 26332 (Mono)

11. What The World Needs Now Is Love

12. Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around

13. A Place In The Sun

14. I Wonder Why

15. Let That Liar Alone

16. Let's Get Together

17. Crying In The Chapel - Mavis Staples

18. Downward Road

19. A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall

20. Nothing Lasts Forever - Mavis Staples

21. People Get Ready - Tracks 11to 21 are the album "What The World Needs Now Is Love" released 1968 on Epic BN 26373 (Stereo)

22. Power of Love - (Mono Non-Album B-Side to "Let's Get Together", a US 45 released on Epic 5-10294 in February 1968)

The clamshell-box houses three singular card sleeves, the artwork to two albums on each with the discography details for both on the rear. A 16-page booklet with new BOB FISHER liner notes gives an excellent and in-depth history of the Staples transition period from all-out Gospel holy-rollers down at the local Baptist Church to Folk Revival festival faves singing Bob Dylan covers and Freedom Songs in a Soul and R&B way. There is even Blues here with Pops trademark warbling guitar and the SIMON MURPHY Remasters are excellent.

A joyful listen I never thought I'd ever hear – lovers of Gospel, Soul, Righteous R 'n' B and Right On Funk will find many goodies here to discover and enjoy. Dig in and spread the word I say…and well done to all at Soul Music for a top job done…

"Come And Stay With Me: The UK 45s 1964-1969" by MARIANNE FAITHFULL (October 2018 Ace Records CD Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Tomorrow's Calling..."

Now here's a tasty little peach and actually a little surprising it hasn't been catalogued before.

Marianne Faithfull had four albums with England’s Decca Records beginning with her self-titled "Marianne Faithfull" debut in May 1965 and finishing with "Loveinamist" in February 1967 (her LPs were on London Records in the USA and often with different track lists and sleeves – the "Go Away From My World" LP from December 1965 was exclusive to that country).

In-between that extraordinary British LP output and US variants also came the obligatory British 7" singles (10 of them) with non-album flips and a 4-Track EP also with exclusive content. And that's where this very cool Ace Records CD reissue comes in. Let's get to the little birds...

UK released Friday, 26 October 2018 (9 November 2018 in the USA) - "Come And Stay With Me: The UK 45s 1964-1969" by MARIANNE FAITHFULL on Ace Records CDTOP 1531 (Barcode 029667092029) is a 22-Track CD compilation of Remasters that plays out as follows (64:39 minutes):

1. As Tears Go By

2. Greensleeves

(Tracks 1 & 2 are the A&B-sides of her debut UK 7" single on Decca F 11923 released June 1964)

3. Blowin' In The Wind

4. House Of The Rising Sun

(Tracks 3 & 4 are the A&B-sides of her second UK 7" single on Decca F 12007 released October 1964)

5. Come And Stay With Me

6. What Have I Done Wrong

(Tracks 5 & 6 are the A&B-sides of her third UK 7" single on Decca F 12075 released February 1965)

7. This Little Bird

8. Morning Sun

(Tracks 7 & 8 are the A&B-sides of her fourth UK 7" single on Decca F 12162 released April 1965)

9. Go Away From My World

10. The Most Of What Is Least

11. Et Maintenant (What Now My Love?)

12. The Sha La La Song

(Tracks 9 to 12 are the A&B-sides of the 4-Track UK EP "Go Away From My World" on Decca DFE 8624 released May 1965)

13. Summer Nights

(Tracks 13 and 12 (of the EP) are the A&B-sides of her fifth UK 7" single on Decca 12193 released July 1965)

14. Yesterday

15. Oh Look Around You

(Tracks 14 and 15 are the A&B-sides of her sixth UK 7" single on Decca F 12268 released October 1965)

16. Tomorrow's Calling

17. That's Right Baby  

(Tracks 16 and 17 are the A&B-sides of her seventh UK 7" single on Decca F 12408 release May 1966)

18. Counting

19. I'd Like To Dial Your Number

(Tracks 18 and 19 are the A&B-sides of her eight UK 7" single on Decca F 12443 released July 1966)

20. Is This What I Get For Loving You?

(Tracks 20 and 16 are the A&B-sides of her ninth UK 7" single on Decca F 22524 released February 1967)

21. Something Better

22. Sister Morphine

(Tracks 21 and 22 are the A&B-sides of her tenth UK 7" single on Decca F 12889 released February 1969)

There's an advert inlay beneath the see-through CD tray called 'Birds Of A Feather' that shows five other CD compilations on Ace Records for hip and happening 60ts girlies and the 24-page booklet with new liner notes by KRIS NEEDS offers up the usual plethora of period memorabilia, label repros for those desirable Decca 45s and several full-page colour photos of the gorgeous ingénue. Complete with mastering from NICK ROBBINS (all tracks are MONO) and you're on a winner.

What gets you here is the quality of the releases - almost every couple of months in the initial flurry - from the teenage heartache whimsy of her Jagger/Richards-penned, Andrew Loog Oldham-produced debut "As Tears Go By" to the heavy, heavy drug-taking misery of "Sister Morphine" only a few years later (a co-write with Jagger and Richards and a tune The Stones would return to in 1971 with devastating effect on Side 2 of "Sticky Fingers"). The range of emotion is amazing and cool too to hear those four EP songs together at last.

Exclusive non-album songs include "Greensleeves" (Track 2), the A-side cover version of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind" (Track 3), "This Little Bird" and "Morning Sun" (Tracks 7 and 8), three songs of the four (Tracks 9, 10 and 12) from the "Go Away From My World" British EP - the other song "El Maintenant (What Now My Love?)" is on the "Loveinamist" album from 1967. Also exclusive is the British A-side "Summer Nights" (Track 13) that was only available at the time on the December 1965 US LP compilation "Go Away From My World" on London PS 452. The British A-side cover of the Beatles classic "Yesterday" was also exclusive at the time to the American "Go Away From My World" LP with its B-side "Oh Look Around You" being non-album in both countries (Tracks 14 and 15). And so on…

An exemplary release from Ace - but then again we've come to expect nothing less. Well done... 

"Bedside Manners Are Extra" by GREENSLADE (November 2018 Esoteric Recordings 'Expanded Edition' CD+DVD Reissue and Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With Over 310 Others Is Available In My

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PROG ROCK, PSYCH, AVANT GARDE...
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Exceptional CD Remasters

Covering 1967 to 1977 - It Also Focuses On

Fusion Rock, Acid Folk, Art Rock and Underground 

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"...Time To Dream..."

Whilst Thin Lizzy had its duel-guitar onslaught out front from 1974 onwards – British Prog Rockers GREENSLADE (who shared the musical landscape with the Lizzies around the same time) decided to forego guitars altogether and concentrate on two Keyboardists out front with a Bass Player/Singer and Drummer bringing up the rear.

The band had a huge musical history and pedigree that's worth elaborating on – leader and namesake Dave Greenslade cut his teeth with Chris Farlowe and The Fabulous Thunderbirds on their two Columbia Records albums in 1964 and 1966 only to then join up towards the end of that mercurial decade with Jon Hiseman and his fusion-art-rock outfit Colosseum. Greenslade contributed to their Vertigo Records debut "Valentyne Suite" (the label's November 1969 first LP on Vertigo VO 1), their second album "Those Who Are About To Die Salute You" on Fontana Records (also from 1969 - the band featuring Tony Reeves at this point) and their third record "Daughter Of Time" also on Vertigo Records in 1970 (Reeves had left but Chris Farlowe guested on some vocals). Dave is also on a final hurrah before the band disbanded with the 1971 live double "Colosseum Live". Second keyboardist Dave Lawson had done stints with Geno Washington and The Ram Jam Band, Avant Garde jazzers The Web for their third album "I Spider" in 1970 (issued on Polydor Records – the first two LPs were on Deram) who then morphed into the uber-cultish Samurai that issued a self-titled rarity in 1971 on the obscure Greenwich Gramophone Company Records label. Drummer Andrew McCulloch had bashed his kit for no less than King Crimson on their 1970 LP "Lizard" and later hit the tom toms for the revered CBS act Fields on their self-titled debut in 1971.

Formed in 1972 from the ashes/exits of/from all these other bands – the foursome supergroup GREENSLADE were also riding on the wave of Progressive Rock's growing popularity - a complicated musical force that had been storming both the UK and USA in those formative years of 1970, 1971 and 1972. After signing to the prestigious Warner Brothers label – their self-titled debut was released February 1973 complete with deriguere Roger Dean logo and suitably flashy gatefold artwork (script writing akin to the inner sleeve on Yes' "Close To The Edge"). The Greenslade four-handed-man logo was in fact thought up by Dave Greenslade (drawn by Dean) to reflect the two sets of hands playing the music out front.

The stage seemed set for success too. Those other Proggy giants Emerson, Lake & Palmer (also heavily leaning towards keyboards over guitars) had put their third platter "Trilogy" up at No. 2 in August 1972 on the UK LP charts and would do the same to "Brain Salad Surgery" in December 1973 on their own record label - Manticore Records. YES would put their triple-live "Yessongs" on the No. 7 spot in May of 1973 only to replace that with the four-sided double-album studio beastie that was "Tales From Topographic Oceans" in December - both hugely ambitious and highly unlikely Top Ten entries ("Tales From Topographic Oceans" went all the way to No. 1). In other words - 1973 was a massive year for Prog Rock both artistically and commercially.

I say all of this because despite the press giving our fine-feathered newcomers loads of coverage (six clippings from Melody Maker and NME adorn the 24-page booklet of their debut "Greenslade") and despite their obvious Progressive Rock appeal and backdrop - Greenslade weren't the commercial success they should have been. Of the four albums they did in their classic period between 1973 and 1975 - it was only their third and most sophisticated work "Spyglass Guest" from August 1974 that charted and even then at a lowly No. 34 for three weeks.

In many ways, Greenslade are a footnote in chart history now. That doesn't mean they aren't remembered with huge affection (they are) and on evidence of this exemplary and comprehensive reissue series from Cherry Red's 'Esoteric Recordings' - it's easy to hear why. This issue for their second platter originally issued late 1973 also comes with fab unreleased material – including rare visuals on Disc 2 now in the public domain at last. It's Time To Dream...here are the details…

UK released Friday, 30 November 2018 (7 December 2018 in the USA) - "Bedside Manners Are Extra" by GREENSLADE on Esoteric Recordings PECLEC 22654 (Barcode 5013929475441) is an 'Expanded Edition' 2-Disc Reissue (CD and DVD) offering a new remaster of their 1973 Second Album with Previously Unreleased BBC Audio and Video Bonuses on both discs and it plays out as follows:

Disc 1 CD (55:20 minutes):

1. Bedside Manners Are Extra [Side 1]

2. Pilgrim's Progress

3. Time To Dream

4. Drum Folk [Side 2]

5. Sunkissed You're Not

6. Chalk Hill

Tracks 1 to 6 are their second studio album "Bedside Manners Are Extra" - released November 1973 in the UK on Warner Brothers K 46259 (no US release). Produced by the four members of GREENSLADE (Engineered by Mike Bobak and Trevor White) - it didn’t chart USA.

BONUS TRACKS:

7. Time To Dream

8. Bedside Manners Are Extra

9. Pilgrim's Progress

BBC Radio One "Sounds Of The Seventies" Session recorded 31Oct 1973 (first broadcast 3 Dec 1973)

Disc 2 DVD (NTSC All Regions, 28 minutes - PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED material)

1. Drowning Man

2. Temple Song

3. Mélange

Tracks 1 to 3 are a 1973 Warner Brothers Promotional Film called "Greenslade"

4. Pilgrim's Progress

5. Bedside Manners Are Extra

Tracks 4 and 5 recorded 20 November 1973 for the BBC TV program "The Old Grey Whistle Test"

GREENSLADE was:

DAVE GREENSLADE – Organ, Fender Piano, Mellotron, Clavinet, Harmonium, ARP Synths, Glockenspiel

DAVE LAWSON – Acoustic Piano, Fender Piano, Clavinet, ARP Synths, Soprano Saxophones. Gong, Bell Tree and Lead Vocals

TONY REEVES – Bass Guitars

ANDREW McCULLOCH - Drums and Percussion

A 90s issue out of Germany on Warner Brothers with basic artwork, a 2006 Wounded Bird issue in the USA with not much better and a 2009 better shot in Japan on Arcangelo that at least had a Remaster and a SHM-CD in natty repro artwork have seen their second studio album have a potted CD reissue history. But here in 2018 the UK finally gives it a Deluxe Edition fans can enjoy and access easily.

The three-way fold out digipak is the generic packaging for all three of these Esoteric Recordings 2-Disc GREENSLADE reissues – each picture disc in this case reflecting the original cover artwork by ROGER DEAN (front cover for both CD and DVD). The inner flap has the fourhanded logo painting by Dean that became an emblem for the band (reflecting two sets of keyboard players) and the reproduction values of the gorgeous original gatefold artwork are seriously well done (front and rear) - this is a handsome looking reissue.

The 20-page booklet too (helmed by noted writer and musicologist MALCOLM DOME) comes with new interviews involving Dave Greenslade, singer Dave Lawson and input too from artist Roger Dean - whilst the whole thing is compiled, researched etc by resident Prog expert and label head honcho MARK POWELL. All the colour snaps of the four boys playing live that adorned the inner gatefold along with the lyrics in Roger Dean script that came with the original Warner Brothers inner gatefold are present and accounted for. There's discussion of the band’s progress from the March 1973 self-titled debut to the 2pm to midnight recording and mixing process in July with the LP hitting the shelves in November. On the 20th of that month Blighty got to see Greenslade on the taste-making Old Grey Whistle Test (along with Man, Bees Make Honey and Kilburn and The High Roads) and as DG explains they were still changing structures in the songs. In short the booklet is beautifully laid out - both looking and feeling substantial.

As a firm fan fave this Remaster of "Bedside Manners Are Extra" (a title apparently suggested by the keyboard player’s then girlfriend and later wife) is a HUGE improvement over what has gone before – another fabulously clean and substantive Remaster from BEN WISEMAN who along with Paschal Byrne is Esoteric's go-to tape guy. Like most I've had the two Rhino/Edsel reissues these last few years that covered their first four albums (I reviewed the "Spyglass Guest/Time And Tide" twofer they put out in May 2011) – and whilst they were good – the audio here is a morning mist lifted off a muddied lake. Rehearsed and prepared in advance (the band’s motto) – you can hear the tight rhythm section so clearly – especially Andrew McCulloch whose drums seem to hover just beside the duelling keyboard whizzes as if they were an integral part of the overall soundscape and not just a rhythmic backdrop (very King Crimson in fact). To the music...

The debut and second LPs both came in 1973 (February and November) and by the time the band hit the studio in July – they had a Sympatico sound, a well-rehearsed pre-recording routine (practice, practice) and a sophistication that comes roaring off "Bedside Manners Are Extra" – a self-produced album. Side 1 opens with dancing synths, a Fender Rhodes and a Mellotron – like a steeplechase on keyboards. But it's the audio that thrills – those delicate Andrew McCulloch taps on the high hats now so clear.

The all-regions near 28-minutes DVD offers five tracks - first up is an amazing find in a three-song promotional film made by Warner Brothers to promote the March 1973 self-titled debut album. It lasts sixteen and a half minutes and is seriously grainy to begin with but soon settles down (the boys playing in Pye Studios in London). There they are, accomplished and Prog grooving alongside their Orange Amps with their frizzy long hair and a 69 teeshirt. During "Mélange" Bassist Tony Reeves gets to show what he can do mimicking almost exactly what he played on the album track (great stuff). Second comes a twofer from November 1973 recorded for Bob Harris' taste-making show "The Old Grey Whistle Test" (Man, Bees Make Honey and Kilburn and The High Roads were featured that week). Immaculate looking and sounding great (restored footage), the keyboard spreads have expanded to all sides of the two Daves and the entire band’s playing is even more Sympatico that before – Greenslade sounding not unlike ELP letting rip. Amazing stuff to see after all these years...

To sum up - I've always loved the sophistication of "Bedside Manners…" and this five-star 2-Disc reissue of that 2nd album obscurity should make sure it gets the musical reappraisal it deserves. The packaging is great, the booklet informative and cool looking, the audio a big improvement on what went before and that second disc of unreleased footage, a no-filler winner. Cool.

No doubt the fourth platter from 1975 "Time And Tide" will follow soon after - possibly in 2019. Once again Esoteric Recordings have delivered big time. This is the version of "Bedside Manners Are Extra" to buy - nicely done boys...

GREENSLADE - 2-Disc 2018 Reissues from Esoteric Recordings of the UK:

1. "Greenslade" (February 1973 UK Debut) – reissue released 28 September 2018 on Esoteric Recordings PECLEC 22645 (Barcode 5013929474543) – 2CD Remaster with Seven Previously Unreleased BBC ‘In Concert’ performances on Disc 2 (recorded January and April 1973)

2. "Bedside Manners Are Extra" (November 1973 Second Album) – released 30 November 2018 on Esoteric Recordings PECLEC 22654 (Barcode 5013929475441) – CD & DVD Remaster with Three Previously Unreleased BBC Sessions after the album on CD1 (recorded October 1973) and a Three-Song In The Studio Warner Brothers Promotional Film Recorded 1973 for the debut album along with a further two-song slot on "The Old Grey Whistle Test" (November 1973) on the Region Free DVD

3. "Spyglass Guest" (August 1974 Third Album) – released 26 October 2018 on Esoteric Recordings PECLEC 22647 (Barcode 5013929474741) – 2CD Remaster with Eight Previously Unreleased BBC Radio Sessions on Disc 2 (recorded November 1974)