“The Complete Reprise Recordings 1971-’73” by CRAZY HORSE featuring Nils Lofgren, Danny Whitten and Jack Nitzsche (2006 Warner Brothers/Rhino 2CD Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…I Can Tell From Your Eyes That You've Probably Been Crying Forever…"

UK released May 2006 - “The Complete Reprise Recordings 1971-’73” by CRAZY HORSE on Warner Brothers/Rhino 8122-70144-2 (Barcode 081227014421) contains the 1st two albums of Neil Young's backing band CRAZY HORSE along with some excellent session outtakes (it was originally released as "Scratchy" in the USA). Here's a detailed breakdown...

Disc 1 (79:52 minutes):

1. Gone Dead Train [Side 1]

2. Dance, Dance, Dance

3. Look At The Things

4. Beggars Day

5. I Don’t Want To Talk About It

6. Downtown [Side 2]

7. Carolay

8. Dirty, Dirty

9. Nobody

10. I’ll Get By

11. Crow Jane Lady

Tracks 1 to 11 are their debut album "Crazy Horse" issued on Reprise Records RS 6438 in the USA in February 1971 and Reprise RSLP 6438 in the UK in early 1972.

Six album tracks were issued as 7" singles:

1. "Downtown" b/w "Crow Jane Lady" on Reprise 1007 in the USA in March 1971

2. "Dance, Dance, Dance" b/w "Look At All The Things" on Reprise RS 23503 in the UK and Reprise 1025 in the USA in July 1971

3. "Dirty, Dirty" b/w " "Beggars Day" on Reprise 1046 in the USA in October 1971 

The Band for "Crazy Horse" was:

DANNY WHITTEN - Guitar, Lead & Backing Vocals

NILS LOFGREN - Lead Guitar, Background Vocals, Lead on "Beggars Day"

JACK NITZSCHE - Piano, Backing Vocals, Lead on "Crow Jane Lady"

BILLY TALBOT - Bass, Backing Vocals

RALPH MOLINA - Drums, Backing Vocals, Lead on "Dance, Dance, Dance"

RY COODER plays slide guitar on "Dirty, Dirty", "Crow Jane Lady" and "I Don't Want To Talk About It"

GIL GILBEAU plays Fiddle on "Dance, Dance, Dance"

12. Hit And Run

13. Try

14. One Thing I Love

15. Move

16. All Alone Now

17. All The Little Things

18. Fair Weather Friend [Side 2]

19. You Won’t Miss Me

20. Going Home

21. I Don’t Believe It

22. Kind Of Woman

23. One Sided Love

24. And She Won’t Even Blow Smoke In My Direction

Tracks 12 to 24 are their 2nd album "Loose" issued on Reprise MS 2059 in the USA in January 1972 and Reprise K 44171 in the UK. "All Alone Now" b/w "One Thing I Love" was issued as a lone 7" single on Warner Brothers K 14159 in the UK and 1075 in the USA in February 1972.

The Band for "Loose" was:

GEORGE WHITSELL - Vocals, Guitars & Conga

GREG LEROY - Vocals, Guitars

JOHN BLANTON - Vocals, Keyboards, Cello, Harmonica

BILLY TALBOT - Bass & Vocals

RALPH MOLINA - Drums & Percussion, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar

Disc 2 (40:15 minutes):

1. Dirty Dirty (Alternate Version)

2. Scratchy (Takes 1 to 3)

3. Dear Song Singer

4. Downtown(Unedited Long version)

5. Susie’s Song (Takes 1 to 5)

6. When You Dance You Can Really Love

7. Radio Spot

The above 7 tracks include 5 outtakes from the 1st album, a previously unreleased 1973 version of Neil Young's "When You Dance You Can Really Love" (off his 1970 "After The Gold Rush" album) and a 1971 Promo-Only Radio Spot advertising their debut LP.

The reason I've listed both band line-ups is because it goes a long way to explaining why the first album was so good and the follow up so mediocre. On their debut Crazy Horse had three mercurial song-writing talents in Whitten, Nitzsche and Lofgren and even gleaned exclusive song contributions from Neil Young on "Dance, Dance, Dance" and a co-write on "Downtown". The album was rock one minute, folk the next, soulful also in places - in fact you felt that anything could happen with the different styles and talent - a little like the first 2 CSNY albums - mixed up styles yet somehow all slotting together as one cohesive whole. Rod Stewart famously covered the beautiful "I Don't Want To Talk About It" in 1977 and made it a Number 1 (lyrics above), while Dan McCafferty's raspy vocals delivered a stunning rocking cover of Jack Nitzsche's "Gone Dead Train" for Nazareth in 1978. But with the departure of the three powerhouse players and writers, the 2nd LP had seven of its 14 songs written by newcomer Whitsell and came across as very ordinary country rock LP with little or none of its predecessor's flourish.

The compilation was produced by ANDY SAX, the 28-page booklet has great band photos by JOEL BERNSTEIN, a superlative essay by BARRY ALFONSO which features contributions from co-producer BRUCE BOTNICK and band members for both albums, Molina and Talbot. The remastering has been handled by long-time Rhino tape engineer DAN HERSCH and is typically great - warm and clear - better than the Warner Archives CD of the first album put out in 1994.

But the big surprise is the quality of the outtakes - "Dirty, Dirty" is an excellent alternate version, while "Scratchy" features Takes 1 to 3 and lasts nearly 12 minutes - and although the vocals are lost in the mix for a couple of takes, it's still a great listen. "Dear Song Singer" features Whitten on Lead vocals at first with Nils following - it's very pretty.  But the big one is the near eleven-minute unedited long version of "Downtown" which feels like a Neil Yong guitar workout - fabulous stuff. "Susie's Song" is Nils Lofgren at the piano unaccompanied and it's a peach too - like eavesdropping on the formation of a lovely melody. You could probably live without the one minute Radio Spot though...

So there you have it - a rather excellent reissue really and even if it is a bit pricey and that 2^nd album a tad patchy - it's highly recommended... 

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“The Band Played On” by BACK STREET CRAWLER. A Review of the 2004 USA-Only Wounded Bird CD (Reissue of a 1975 Album).

Free are part of my Series "SOUNDS GOOD: Exceptional CD Remasters 1970s Rock And Pop" Download Book available to buy on Amazon to either your PC or Mac (it will download the Kindle software to read the book for free to your toolbar). Click on the link below to go my Author's Page for this and other related publications:

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"...The Thing I Didn't Realise...Was The Price I'd Have To Pay..."

"The Band Played On" was issued in the UK in October 1975 on Atlantic K 50173 and Atco SD36-125 in the USA - this 2004 USA-only Wounded Bird label CD (WOU 125) is a bare-bones reissue of that long-forgotten Free/Paul Kossoff related album.

Typical of Wounded Bird releases, the inlay is a gatefold slip of paper which barely reproduces the albums credits - there's no added liner notes, no interviews, no history of the album, no outtakes, no demos...bugger all.

While there's no mention of master tapes or even a remaster, the sound quality is good throughout - not great - but good. Give it enough muscle on the volume control and you'll get a decent punch out of it.

Musically its very mid Seventies rock - some songs are great - some are mediocre. I love the slow blues of "It's A Long Way Down To The Top" with its prophetic lyrics (above) and Mike Montgomery's piano playing working off Koss's fantastic guitar work. The funkier rock tracks like "Jason Blue" and "Hoo Doo Woman" also remind me of "The Don Harrison Band" album (another 1975 LP on Atlantic) - a record that's a little Free meets a little Creedence meets a little Bad Co. Nice!

My personal fave is "Train Song" where Kossoff is ably supported by a great band - it funks along with Koss soloing away as only he could - so Free sounding...so funky...a criminally forgotten gem.

It's a shame WB didn't dig deeper and put up some bonus tracks, but as this is the only way you can get the album - I'd say it's still a worthy buy.

Docked a star for the less than stellar presentation though.

PS: the band's second album "2nd Street" from 1976 is also available on Wounded Bird (WOU 138) - it features John 'Rabbit' Bundrick on Keyboards with Terry Wilson-Slesser again on Lead Vocals

"Solid Air" by JOHN MARTYN - February 1972 Seventh Studio Album (May 2009 UK Universal/Island 2CD 'Deluxe Edition' Reissue and Remaster with Previously Unreleased Studio Outtakes and Live Versions - Paschal Byrne Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

 

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"…Easy Blues…"

Beloved by fans and constantly rediscovered by the listening public - John Martyn's 7th album for the mighty Island Records - the lovely and ethereal "Solid Air" (February 1972) - was always going to be a candidate for the 2CD DELUXE EDITION Series from Universal. 

 

In fact they would do "Live At Leeds" (1975), "One World" (1977) and "Grace And Danger" (1980) too. But Martyn's musical nod to Island Records Folk-Rock hero Nick Drake (the 'Solid Air' in the title) has always been the touchstone for fans. 

But few of us could have hoped that this 2009 2-Disc overhaul would turn out to be this good. I'm blown away - I really am. Let’s go down easy on the details...

UK released May 2009 – "Solid Air: Deluxe Edition" by JOHN MARTYN on Universal/Island 531 793-3 (Barcode 600753179338) is a 2CD Reissue and Remaster and melts into the following…

Disc 1 (34:49 minutes):

1. Solid Air [Side 1]

2. Over The Hill

3. Don't Want To Know

4. I'd Rather Be The Devil

5. Go Down Easy [Side 2]

6. Dreams By The Sea

7. May You Never

8. The Man In The Station

9. The Easy Blues/Gentle Blues

Tracks 1 to 9 are the LP "Solid Air" issued 1 February 1973 on Island ILPS 9226 in the UK and Island SW-9325 in the USA (it didn't chart in either country). It was recorded in November and December of 1972 and engineered by JOHN WOOD. The original album had a gatefold sleeve and a famously designed 'hand through air' shot on the front cover by FABIO NICOLI. The gatefold digipak here recreates this artwork inside and out, has 'palm-tree' label CDs to reflect the original LP design and a 20-page booklet with passionate, informative and detailed liner notes by noted experts and friends JOHN HILLARBY and DARYL EASLEA. The booklet also features trade adverts, the master tapes box, lyrics to the songs, session details - it's superbly done. But the real fireworks lie in the beautiful audio transfer of the album on Disc 1 - and I'm thrilled to say - the staggering quality of the ‘Extras’ on Disc 2...

Disc 2 (80:22 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 9 are fully formed 'Alternate Takes' of all 9 album tracks on Disc 1 above and in that order - All PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

 

10. Keep On 

11. When It's Dark

12. In The Evening 

Tracks 10 to 12 are 3 song out-takes from the album sessions - PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

 

13. May You Never (Single Version)

Track 13 is the 1st version of "May You Never" issued as 7" single in the UK on Island WIP 6116 in November 1971. It's an entirely different version to the 'acoustic take' released on the "Solid Air" album (the song was famously covered by Eric Clapton on his "Slowhand" album of 1977). The 1971 single mix contains a full band with keyboards by John 'Rabbit' Bundrick and guitar work by Paul Kossoff of Free

 

14. The Easy Blues (Live)

15. May You Never (Live) 

16. I'd Rather Be The Devil (Live)

Tracks 14 to 16 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED Live Versions (no details supplied)

PASCHAL BYRNE at Audio Archiving in London has handled the 24-bit digital remaster and he's done a stunning job. Every track sounds alive, warm and in your face - but in a good way. Highlights include the truly gorgeous "Over The Hill" which has Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol of Fairport Convention playing an absolute blinder on Mandolin and Autoharp (respectively) - and every time - and I mean every time - it wells up a tear in my eye. Now it suddenly sounds huge with Byrne's remaster having brought its beauty out - a genuine wow if ever there was one.

While others love it - I've never liked his echo-plexed version of Skip James blues tune "Devil Got My Woman" which he renamed "I'd Rather Be The Devil". But if you do like it - you're in for a treat, because it sounds absolutely enormous here - I just always felt is was kind of out of place in a largely folky setting.  There is hiss at the beginning of Side 2's lovely opener "Go Down Easy", but Byrne's smartly not tried to process it out of the transfer - the result is that Danny Thompson's double-bass sounds like he is standing in the corner of your room. Tony Cox's fantastic sax work on the funky "Dreams By The Sea" is complimented by John "Rabbit" Bundrick's fabulous keyboard work - again astonishingly clear. The final three tracks still sound years ahead of their ambient time - and the remaster is beautiful too...

After the joy of Disc 1, I'd expected Disc 2 to be a let down - it isn't. The 'Alternate' takes are all lovely and something you'll play again rather that treat them as a curio you hear once – and never touch again. And as if that’s not enough - then you're hit with a genuine sensation - 3 Session out-takes never heard before - one of which is a showstopper - the eight and a half minute acoustic bliss of "When It's Dark". I played it in the shop the other day and two Euro customers came to the counter within minutes asking after the new "Nick Drake" recording! Fans will wonder how this peach has remained in the vaults all these years.

So there you have it - a great album beautifully transferred and extra tracks that actually deserve the word 'bonus'. I've enjoyed some superb issues in the Deluxe Edition series in the last few years (Whiskeytown's "Strangers Almanac", "Tighten Up" Volumes 1 and 2 and Free's "Fire And Water" - see reviews) - but this is something really special.

Buy it with confidence - and Rest in Peace you great big gorgeous Scottish beauty...