"HIGH FLYIN' BIRD: The Verve Forecast Years" by RICHIE HAVENS (June 2004 USA Hip-O Select 2CD Set containing the albums "Mixed Bag", "Something Else Again" & "Richard P. Havens, 1983" Plus One Bonus Track) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…Let The River Rock You Like A Cradle..."

Although more famed as a superb interpreter of other people's great songs (Dylan and The Beatles in particular), Richie Havens was possessed (and still is) of one the most beautiful and expressive voices of the late Sixties. He also had a sincerity about the words he sang that moved audiences in their millions. 

This superb USA-Only June 2004 2CD compilation "High Flyin' Bird: The Verve Forecast Years" by RICHIE HAVEN on Hip-O Select B-000256902 (Barcode 602498624074) offers us 3 full albums (one a double) and a single from his stay at the Verve/Forecast label between 1967 and 1969. A tasty 39 Tracks of class and cool. Here's the breakdown...

Disc 1 (79:54 minutes):

1. High Flyin' Bird

2. I Can't Make It Anymore

3. Morning, Morning

4. Adam

5. Follow

6. Three Day Eternity

7. Sandy

8. Handsome Johnny

9. San Francisco Bay Blues

10. Just Lke A Woman

11. Eleanor Rigby

Tracks 1 to 11 are the entire album "Mixed Bag" released in February 1967 on Verve Forecast 3006 in the USA and in March 1968 on Verve SVLP 6008 in the UK (stereo version used)

Track 12 is "I've Gotta Go", the non-album A-side of a 7" single-only release issued in June 1967 in the USA on Verve 5039 

13. No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed

14. Inside Of Him

15. The Klan

16. Sugarplums

17. Don't Listen To Me

18. From The Prison

19. Maggie's Farm

20. Something Else Again

21. New City

Tracks 13 to 21 are all but the last song on the album "Something Else Again" released in February 1968 in the USA on Verve Forecast 3034 and on Verve SVLP 6005 in the UK (stereo version used)

Disc 2 (77:47 minutes):

Track 1 "Run Shaker Life" is the last track on the album "Something Else Again"

2. Stop Pulling And Pushing Me

3. For Heaven's Sake

4. Strawberry Fields Forever

5. What More Can I Say John?

6. I Pity The Poor Immigrant

7. Lady Madonna

8. Priests

9. Indian Rope Man

10. Cautiously

11. Just Above My Hobby Horse's Head

12. She's Leaving Home

13. Putting Out The Vibration, And Hoping It Comes Home

14. The Parable Of Ramon - Live

15. With A Little Help From My Friends - Live

16. Wear Your Love Like Heaven - Live

17. Run Shaker Life - Live

18. Do You Feel Good? - Live

Tracks 2 to 18 are the entire 2LP set "Richard P. Havens, 1983" released January 1969 on Verve Forecast 3034 [2] in the USA and released May 1969 on Verve SVLP 6014/5 in the UK (stereo version used)

(Tracks 14 to 18 are Side 4 of the double and were recorded live 12 July 1968 at the Santa Monica Civic Centre in Santa Monica, California)

The original master tapes have been 96k/24 bit remastered by SUHA GUR at Universal Mastering and the sound quality is exceptional - beautifully realized - warm and clean - really great stuff. The gatefold digipak is numbered in gold on the rear - a limited edition of 3000 - it houses a 24-page booklet with an essay by SCOTT SCHNIDER, pictures live photos, album sleeves and ends in a footnote from Havens himself. The booklet is nice, the gatefold digipak is ok - hardly worth writing home about - but what matters for me is the sound quality - and it's an absolute dream. The sweetness of the bass and acoustic guitars of the Gerald Merrick cover "Follow" is just one of many examples (lyrics are the title of this review) - warm and lovely - and for me justifies the now costly price of acquiring this set. The Instrumental "Something Else Again" is trippy Sitar heaven as is "Putting Out The Vibration, And Hoping It Comes Home". Even when "The Parable Of Ramon" begins - it's so quiet - you'd swear it was a studio with Tim Buckley goofing off on an acoustic riff. He sings his "favourite song in the Universe" - The Beatles "With A Little Help From My Friends" by simply miming the lyrics - and the intimacy of the gig takes off - the crowd enjoying the song and knowing the words. His version of Julie Driscoll's "Indian Rope Man" is cool while his Donovan's "Wear Your Love Like Heaven" is intimate and made new somehow by making it acoustic.

Havens put out an album in 2002 called "Wishing Well" - the opening two tracks "Handouts In The Rain" and "The Well" are stupendous - and almost exactly the same style as he used on these Verve recordings - a sort of soulful strumming. This lovely set of songs - starting in 1967 - is where that most mellow and moving of sounds began.

Another genuine gem of a release from Hip-O Select - highly recommended...

PS: collectors and lovers of Soul Music will know that Hip-O Select even when it was trading was something of a cult fave - now that the label is defunct - their issues (often of exclusive content like this one unavailable anywhere else, Rare Earth's catalogue is the the same) have become extortionate in cost. As of November 2019, Amazon UK doesn't even have 1 copy for sale. So try obvious auction sites like EBAY and DISCOGS... 

"Down By The Jetty" by DR. FEELGOOD (June 2006 EMI 'Collector's Edition' 2CD Edition - Peter Mew Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...They Did It Right..."

The Feelgood’s original Lead Guitarist Wilko Johnson had always adored Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and especially their guitar player Mick Green. And tucked away on the B-side of their 1964 hit "Always & Forever" (HMV POP 1269) was an obscure cover version of a Piano Red song from 1962 on Okeh Records called "Doctor Feelgood" (Red's group was actually called Dr. Feelgood & The Interns). Wilko chose this apt name for his new rockin' band - and a kick ass British Rhythm 'n' Blues legend was born.

The line up for their 1975 debut was:

LEE BRILLEAUX on Lead Vocals and Harmonica

WILKO JOHNSON on Lead Guitar and Vocals

JOHN B. SPARKS on Bass

THE BIG FIGURE on Drums and Vocals (real name John Martin)

This June 2006 UK COLLECTORS EDITION of "Down By The Jetty" by DR. FEELGOOD on EMI 363 9512 (Barcode 094636395128) is a 2CD Remasters celebration of their explosive 1975 debut album "Down By The Jetty" - and is an absolute peach of a reissue - it really is. There's a lot on offer here so let's get to the dark-glasses and zoot-suit shuffle right away:

Disc 1 (56:33 minutes):

1. She Does It Right

2. Boom Boom

3. The More I Give

4. Roxette

5. One Weekend

6. That Ain't The Way To Behave

7. I Don't Mind

8. Twenty Yards Behind

9. Keep It Out Of Sight

10. All Through The City

11. Cheque Book

12. Oyeh!

13. Bonie Moronie/Tequila [Live]

Tracks 1 to 13 are the album "Down By The Jetty" issued in January 1975 on United Artists UAS 29727. It was deliberately recorded and issued in MONO. 11 of the 13 tracks are Wilko Johnson originals complimented by two covers - "Boom Boom" by John Lee Hooker and the Larry Williams and The Champs duo of "Bonie Moronie/Tequila" ("Bonie Moronie/Tequila" ends the album and was recorded live at Dingwalls in 1974 - some of the rest of that live set now turns up on Disc 2 - see below).

14. (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 - a Bobby Troup/Nat King Cole/Chuck Berry cover version and the non-album B-side to their debut 7" single in the UK "She Does It Right" issued November 1974 on United Artists UP 35760. The A-side opens Side 1 of the album.

15. I'm A Hog For You Baby [Studio Version, Mono]

16. Stupidity [Studio Version, Mono]

17. She Said Alright [Studio Version, Mono]

18. Oyeh! [Studio Version, Mono]

NOTES: Tracks 15 to 18 are Previously Unreleased MONO Studio Outtakes from the sessions. Tracks 15 and 16 later turned up on their third LP in 'live' form - the Number 1 album "Stupidity" issued in September 1976.

Disc 2 (76:23 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 12 (same as Disc 1) are the "Down By The Jetty" studio album issued for the first time in STEREO minus the last track - the duo of live covers.

13. I'm A Hog For You Baby [Stereo]

14. Stupidity [Stereo]

15. She Said Alright [Stereo]

16. Oyeh! (Earlier Version) [Stereo]

Tracks 13 to 16 are studio outtakes from the sessions in STEREO

17. Tore Down

18. Don't You Just Know It

19. My Babe

20. The More I Give

21. It's My Own Fault Darlin'

22. Bonie Moronie/Tequila

23. Rock Me Baby
NOTES: All 23 tracks on Disc 2 are Previously Unreleased. Tracks 17 to 23 were recorded live in Dingwalls in Camden Lock, London, 8 July 1974 - the same date as "Boney Moronie/Tequila (Live)" – the last track on the LP.

Recorded at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth in the Wye Valley of Wales in August 1974, "Jetty" was produced `live in the studio' by Vic Maile of The Who's "Live At Leeds" fame. The 2CDs are housed in a 4-way foldout digipak with an outer plastic wrap and the 12-page booklet has liner notes by WILL BIRCH, a repro of the United Artists press release and colour outtakes from the album cover sessions. There's also a brief interview with Wilko Johnson, Bob Geldof (the Rats were huge fans), track-by-track details, reissue credits etc. They abandoned the colour cover and eventually used photos on the front and back that deliberately aped the black and white pose and look of the MC5 album "Back In The USA" (the Feelgoods were big fans).

Remastered from the 1st generation tapes by PETER MEW at Abbey Road - the sound quality is FANTASTIC - everything you would have hoped for - really clean, muscular and live in your living room. Some of the stereo tracks do have a slightly lop-sided two-channel feel to them, but it's still a thrill to hear them in this form - their menace and almost punk excitement undiminished by decades. Megastore prices for the hard copy can be as high as £22, online it's about £15 and from iTunes at only £10 - the complete 2CD download is fabulous value for money.

To sum up - this is a great reissue of an album that thoroughly deserves the Deluxe Edition treatment. The Feelgoods are beloved in the UK and way beyond - and a version of the original British band is still gigging to this day - 40 years after the event. In 2014 original band founder-member Wilko Johnson blasted his way back into the charts and R’n’B hearts everywhere with his collaboration album “Going Back Home” fronted to blistering effect by The Who’s Roger Daltrey. There's talk of a second LP sometime in 2016...

In fact I once saw Frontman and Lead Singer Lee Brilleaux clacking his way down Berwick Street in Central London in 1989 in his steel-capped loafers and sharp suit looking like a mobster with a bit between his teeth. He was gone by so fast I hadn't time to stop him and tell him how much I loved him and every incarnation of the band since. It's a slight memory I know - but one I cherish.

The 'Feelgoods' sent shivers down my backbone...they did it right. Get this rocking sucker in your life as soon as is humanly possible. And God bless you mate wherever you may be...

For further knowledge/info - the book "Down By The Jetty" pictured below is recommended.


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