"No Other" by GENE CLARK (2003 Warners 'Remastered & Expanded' CD Edition) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Time Can Only Heal Its Scars..." 

Missouri's Harold Eugene Clark has already had a huge career prior to his 6th album "No Other" - originally unleashed on a disinterested world in December 1974.

Stints as a young man with Bluegrass & Folk singers The New Christy Minstrels, co-founding The Byrds with Roger McGuinn and David Crosby (he famously penned "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better" and co-wrote the classic "Eight Miles High"), a solo album in 1967 with Country act The Gosdin Brothers, two Country-Rock LPs with Dillard and Clark in 1968 and 1969 on A&M Records all of which led finally toward two solo albums - 1971's "Gene Clark" (aka “White Light”) and 1972's "Roadmaster". Influential and well received all of them but none ever bothered the American Top 100. The problem with his 6th album "No Other" is that it’s probably his best record - a masterpiece many say - and the public missed out big time (it barely scraped No. 144 on the American LP charts).

Which brings us to this lovely 2003 Warners 'Expanded Edition' CD - a musical winner if ever there was one. Here are the Silver Phials...

UK released August 2003 - "No Other" by GENE CLARK on (WSM) Warner Strategic Marketing 8122 73701-2 (Barcode 081227370121) is an 'Remastered & Expanded Edition' CD offering the full 8-track 1974 album with seven Previously Unreleased Bonus Tracks. It plays out as follows (74:54 minutes):

1. Life's Greatest Fool

2. Silver Raven

3. No Other

4. Strength Of Strings

5. From A Silver Phial

6. Some Misunderstanding

7. The True One

8. Lady Of The North 

Tracks 1 to 8 are his 6th studio album "No Other" - released December 1974 in the USA on Asylum 7E-1016 and February 1975 in the UK on Asylum SYL 9020. 

Produced by THOMAS JEFFERSON KAYE - all songs by Gene Clark except "Lady Of The North" co-written with Doug Dillard (of Dillard and Clark and The Flying Burrito Brothers) and "Train Leaves Here This Morning" in the Bonus Tracks - co-write with Bernie Leadon of The Eagles (this song is on their 1972 "Eagles" debut album also on Asylum Records).

BONUS TRACKS (All Previously Unreleased):

9. Train Leaves Here This Morning

10. Life’s Greatest Fool (Alternate Version)

11. Silver Raven (Alternate Version)

12. No Other (Alternate Version)

13. From A Silver Phial (Alternate Version)

14. Some Misunderstanding (Alternate Version)

15. Lady Of The North (Alternate Version)

GENE CLARK - Guitar and Vocals on all songs

JERRY McGEE - Guitar on all songs 

DANNY KOOTCH - Guitar on "From A Silver Phial"

JESSE ED DAVIS - Guitar on "Life's Greatest Fool", "Silver Raven" and "From A Silver Phial"

STEVE BRUTON - Guitar on "Life's Greatest Fool" and "Some Misunderstanding"

BUZZY FEITEN - Guitar on "Strength Of Strings" and "Some Misunderstanding"

CHILL HILLMAN - Mandolin on "From A Silver Phial"

MICHAEL UTLEY - Keyboards on all songs

CRAIG DOERGE - Keyboards on "Strength Of Strings" and "Lady Of The North"

RICHARD GREENE - Violin on "Strength Of Strings", "Some Misunderstanding" and "Lady Of The North"

TED MACHELL - Cello on "Lady Of The North"

BILL CUOMO - Rheem Organ on "Some Misunderstanding" 

LEE SKLAR - Bass on all songs

RUSS KUNKEL - Drums on all songs except BUTCH TRUCKS on "The True One" and "No Other"

JOE LALA - Percussion on "No Other", "Life's Greatest Fool", "From A Silver Phial" and "The True One

RONNIE BARRON, CINDY BULLENS and CLAUDIA LENNEAR - Backing Vocals on "Life's Greatest Fool" and "Silver Raven"

VENETTA FIELDS, CLYDIE KING, SHIRLEY MATTHEWS and CARLENA WILLIAMS - Backing Vocals on "Life's Greatest Fool" and "Some Misunderstanding"

TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT (of The Eagles) - Backing Vocals on "Silver Raven", "No Other", "Strength Of Strings" and "From A Silver Phial"

Produced for release by RICK CONRAD - the 12-page booklet has new liner notes from JOHNNY ROGAN – Author of the acclaimed 1998 Byrds Biography "Timeless Flight Revisited". You also get lyrics to all the album songs – musician and recording credits – reissue details – a photo of Clark in his denim shirt and a rare 7" single European picture sleeve for "Life's Greatest Fool". They've even repro'd the photo that came with the rare insert which accompanied original vinyl LPs (I've only ever seen a few of these in my four decades of collecting). And of course there's those six 'Alternate Versions' of eight album tracks and the new demo for "Train Leaves Here This Morning" - a very musical collaboration with Bernie Leadon of the original Eagles line up.

But the big news is a fabulous new Digiprep Remasters involving names associated with wads of quality CD reissues - ANDREW SANDOVAL (Kinks and Small Faces) and Rhino's long-standing Audio Engineer DAN HERSCH. This CD is a joy to listen too – all that classy instrumentation and that backing group talent brought to the fore. Great stuff...

It opens on a Country-Rock winner - "Life's Greatest Fool". Asylum UK threw out "Life's Greatest Fool" with the stunning "From A Silver Phial" on the flip-side as a lead off 45 in Blighty (Asylum AYM 540) where the album didn't arrive until early 1975 - but it didn't raise a ripple. It's very Eagles melody and jaunt complete with Jesse Ed Davis guitar solo may have been the wrong choice (the B-side was better). "Silver Raven" is beautiful - acoustic guitars softly caressing his vocals. It's bolstered up by the presence of the warm backing vocals of future Eagles man Timothy B. Schmidt and the gorgeous Claudia Lennear rumoured to have "Brown Sugar" by The Rolling Stones written about her. Things slow to a plinking keyboard intro for the title song "No Other" which then goes all Prog but it a very cool way.

Both "Strength Of Strings" and "From A Silver Phial" show the reach of his melodies with the sung-chants passages of "Strength Of Strings" (Jesse Ed Davis on slide) reminding me of David Crosby's "Song With No Words (Trees With No Leaves)" from his brilliant 1971 album "If I Could Only Remember My Name". While that's fab - I've always flipped for "From A Silver Phial" (Lyrics from it tile this review) - a properly gorgeous song with lyrics of longing like "...not to be a victim...falling in the darkened rain..." Timothy B. Schmidt once again adds that beautiful backing vocal as the piano, organ and guitar swirl. We enter into epic territory with the seven and half minute "Some Misunderstanding" - a badly timed lover's tiff that has escalated into something that must be put right - if only our Gene knew how. "The True One" is probably the most chipper of songs on the album and the most overtly Country. It ends on a lovely co-write with his old mucker Doug Dillard - "Lady Of The North".

One of the huge prizes on here is surely "Train Leaving Here This Morning" - a song that dates back to 1969's "The Fantastic Expedition Of Dillard & Clark" LP on A&M Records. But it became more celebrated as one of the undiscovered gems on the Eagles 1972 debut. What we get here is five-minutes of keyboards and guitars that isn't far off the Eagles take - what a find! The six 'Alternate Versions' have been described as 'Demo' versions but they're far more accomplished and filled out. The Dobro is accentuated on "Life's Greatest Fool" while the wall of Acoustic Guitars take a more prominent front stage for "Silver Raven". But my faves are "From A Silver Phial" and "Lady Of The North" - both beautiful - stripped back of those vocals with the piano and acoustics to the front. I'm amazed at how good they are...

Why did the album Gene Clark's "No Other" fail with such obvious quality on board? At that time - I recall late 1974 and early 1975 moving into bigger and more grandiose musical productions - LPs as event - LPs as concepts - the artwork padded out with two booklets and two posters. Or maybe this kind of tunesmith was ever so slightly corny for the time. Who bloody knows...

Whatever way you look at it - this 'Remastered & Expanded' CD reissue is currently less than six smackers from most online retailers. Now there's one crime I'll take any day of the week...

"Gee Whiz" by CARLA THOMAS - July 1961 US Debut Album on Atlantic Records in Mono and Stereo (2012 Japan/2013 Europe WEA CD Remaster Using The Stereo Mix - Three Tracks in Mono) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With 100s Of Others Is Available in my

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites

SOUL, FUNK and JAZZ FUSION On CD - Exception Remasters  

Just Click Below To Purchase for £3.95

Thousands and thousands of E-Pages
All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs
(No Cut and Paste Crap) 

"...The Masquerade Is Over..."

Part of the massive Japanese CD reissue campaign 'Atlantic 1000: R&B Best Collection' Series of CD reissues (see my online list - in excess of 250 titles) - this "Gee Whiz" CD by CARLA THOMAS is cheap at under six quid (the original 1961 American vinyl LPs are rare)

Originally released 7 November 2012 in Japan on Warner Brothers WPCR-25670 - this 'Euro' reissue oddly re-uses the Japanese packaging - but is a European pressed disc on WEA 8122-79704-3 (Barcode 081227970437) using the 2012 Japanese Remaster.

The '1000' in the title refers to their price code - each features a budget price tag of 952 Yen which (depending on exchange rates) is roughly $9 to $11 for US customers, £5.50 to £7.50 for UK buyers and 8 to 9.20 Euros for Europeans (with P&P added on of course). As of 2016 - roughly speaking they weigh in at about £10 sterling (or less) per title INCLUDING post - which is the cheapest I've seen quality Japanese CDs ever go for. Those reissued in Europe (like this one) often for half that.

And what's really enticing is that all issues feature 2012 and 2013 Digital Remastering (DSD) with many titles reissued that were long out of print (and due sonic upgrades) – or new to CD entirely. They come in standard jewel cases (NOT mini repro sleeves – nor SHMs) with an inner booklet containing the lyrics and description etc and an outer Obi strip. The CD label design will usually mimic the original release too.

1. Gee Whiz, Look At His Eyes

2. Dance With Me

3. A Lovely way To Spend An Evening

4. Your Love

5. Fools Fall In Love

6. To The Aisle

7. The Masquerade Is Over

8. A Love Of My Own

9. Promises

10. It Ain't Me

11. For You

12. The Love We Shared

Tracks 1 to 12 are the album "Gee Whiz" – released July 1961 in the USA on Atlantic 8057 (Mono) and Atlantic SD 8057 (Stereo) – the STEREO mix is used for this CD although Tracks 1, 9 and 11 are in Mono.

The 12-page booklet reproduces the front and rear artwork of the 1961 LP and has English lyrics to all the songs – some liner notes from 2012 in Japanese and little else. The Audio is great – really clear and punchy.

I wish I could say this is a long lost Soul gem – but the music is dreadfully twee in places – especially for a 60ts Soul LP on Atlantic Records. Corny versions of The Drifters "Dance With Me" and "Fools Fall in Love" are drowned in 'bop' backing singers and overdone syrupy strings. The three Mono cuts turn out to be 7" single versions of "Gee Whizz, Look At His Eyes", "Promises" and "For You" (the rest of the album is Stereo). The incessant crooner strings infect most of the songs - with the ballads "The Love We Shared" and "The Masquerade Is Over" coming out best of a bad bunch.

Cheap, sounds great and nice presentation - but you wish it could be decent Soul instead of teen angst dressed in ribbons and bows...

"Thunderball - Original Soundtrack Album" by JOHN BARRY (2003 EMI/Capitol CD – Doug Schwartz Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Mister Kiss Kiss...Bang Bang..."

When the entire James Bond musical catalogue turned up on remastered CD in 2003 - many fans got excited under their immaculately groomed tuxedos - quietly pawing their wallets in Soundtrack glee. I was one of those nerds and was/still am - giddily proud of it. I immediately ran out and purchased 1964's "Goldfinger", 1967's "You Only Live Twice" and 1971's "Diamonds Are Forever" - all so brilliantly scored by the mighty JOHN BARRY.

With those under my belt - I started hoovering up the rest of these brilliant discs - and 1965's "Thunderball" was the next obvious purchase. Also laden with a heap of primo previously unreleased material made available for the first time here (most of it better than what was released) - it's all remastered to perfection by DOUG SCHWARTZ at Mulholland Music from original tapes (79 minutes playing time). Bit of a no brainer really. Here are the jet packs...

UK released March 2003 (February 2003 in the USA) - "Thunderball (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" by JOHN BARRY on EMI Capitol 00724358058925 (Barcode 724358058925) breaks down as follows (79:06 minutes):

1. Thunderball – Main Title (Vocal Tom Jones)

2. Chateau Flight

3. The Spa

4. Switching The Body

5. The Bomb

6. Café Martinique

7. Thunderball [Side 2]

8. Death of Fiona

9. Bond Below Disco Volante

10. Search For Vulcan

11. 007

12. Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Tracks 1 to 12 are the album "Thunderball: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" - released December 1965 in the UK on United Artists ULP 1110 (Mono) and United Artists SULP 1171 (Stereo) and in the USA on United Artists UAL 4132 (Mono) and United Artists UAS 5132(Stereo). The Stereo mix is used throughout.

PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED BONUS TRACKS:

13. Gunbarrel/Traction Table/Gassing The Plane/Car Chase

14. Bond Meets Domino/Shark Tank/Lights Out For Paula/For King And Country

15. Street Chase

16. Finding The Plane/Underwater Ballet/Bond With Spectre Frogmen/Letter To The Rescue/Bond Joins Underwater Battle

17. Underwater Mayhem/Death Of Largo/End Titles

18. Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Mono)

The 10-page booklet has affectionate, witty and informative liner notes from JEFF BOND (no relation) with Page 5 being a double foldout sporting an array of colour stills from the movie. We get former Miss France – the beautiful Claudia Auger in varying swimsuits (what a nice surprise for James), Italian actress Luciana Paluzzi as Fiona and Martine Beswick as Paula (oddly enough also in a bikini) with the eye-patched Adolfo Celi as the evil Spectre head-honcho lording it over a bevvy of lovelies and hungry sharks on board his super yacht – the Disco Volante.

But the big news here is the SOUND. Like all the other 007 remasters in this full-on series – the AUDIO on this CD is utterly glorious. When the Tom Jones theme comes blasting in on that huge clump of brass instruments and thumping kettledrums – your speakers may want to run for cover. Don’t get me wrong. The music isn’t amped up or trebled for effect – its just 'there' – clear and powerful and dripping with that John Barry 60ts magic. "So he strikes! Like Thunderball!" roars the Welsh boyo with a set of lungs designed to level housing blocks. But from that you get Barry's beautifully atmosphere "Chateau Flight" – all those plucked strings where you can just see the creeping double-agents and the fisticuffs that will ensue.

“Café Martinique” is silky and smooth land immaculate like Sean Connery’s Saville Row tailoring – shimmying along on its beautifully orchestrated string arrangements. The almost boppy “Death Of Fiona” makes you think of the scene at the restaurant when he deposits a dead body in a chair. Better is the fab four-minutes of “Bond Below Disco Volante” – slinky strings building to that moment of danger. And the Audio is awesome...

As if the Soundtrack itself isn't the Georgie Best - you're hit with a wad of Previously Unreleased material from the original film that's been in the can for 40 years too long. The four-part "Gunbarrel etc" lasts just over four minutes and includes that cool 007 refrain bookended by brass and frantic strings as Bond scraps his way out death’s clutches. The second extra "Bond Meets Domino etc." is twice as long at 8:18 minutes and will thrill aficionados with its interwoven Bahamas-rhythms - quickly followed by all that under-watery strong music as James goes snooping round someone’s shellfish. Real 007 freaks will love the fact that "Street Chase" contains what many consider to be Barry's most magnificent moment - often simply called '007' - it's incorporated into the song to great effect. The near 10-minutes "Finding The Plane etc" is the same - gorgeous music that will make you swoon and sway and drag out that fully restored BLU RAY and sit there in your tuxedo and martini (yeah baby).

You remember when Bond was fun, fruity and full of fab gadgets you wanted to stab the school-bully with - well then 1965’s "Thunderball" on CD is your jet-propelled poison. Barry would go on to his two masterpieces - 1967's "You Only Live Twice" and 1969's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" - and I can't be rational about either.

“Thunderball” is a fabulous CD Remaster and presently priced at less than five post-Brexit bent pound coins. You go James...

"Eight Gigs A Week: The Steve Winwood Years" by THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP (1996 Island/Chronicles 2CD Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…Gimme Some Lovin'…"

Twelve seven-inch singles, a cackle of four-track EPs and three albums worth of quality Sixties music is not a bad haul in any man’s books. But when it’s by THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP fronted by the voice of STEVE WINWOOD – then that compilation starts to smack of a must-own. Let’s run down those details… 

UK released March 1996 – "Eight Gigs A Week: The Steve Winwood Years" by THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP on Island/Chronicles CRNCD5 / 524 180-2 (Barcode 731452418029) gives you 51 tracks across 2 CDs (71:48 and 79:05 minutes). It breaks down into 49 studio songs (all in Mono) supplemented by two Previously Unreleased live versions of “Kansas City” and “Oh! Pretty Woman”(Tracks 9 and 20 on Disc 1).

As pages 2 and 3 of the booklet only list song titles without any Discography – here’s how to line up every SPENCER DAVIS GROUP vinyl release between August 1964 and June 1967 using this compilation to do it - [11/1] = Track 11 on Disc 1, [1/2] = Track 1 on Disc 2 etc

UK 7” SINGLES and EP’s:

1. Dimples [1/1] b/w Sittin' And Thinkin' [11/1] – August 1964 UK debut 7” single on Fontana TF 471

2. I Can’t Stand It [2/1] b/w Midnight Train [6/1] – October 1964 2nd UK 7” on Fontana TF 499

3. Every Little Bit Hurts [10/1] b/w It Hurts Me So [19/1] – January 1965 3rd UK 7” on Fontana TF 530

4. Strong Love [17/1] b/w This Hammer [22/1] – May 1965 4th UK 7” on Fontana TF 571

5. You Put The Hurt On Me EP – June 1965 UK 1st 7” 4-Track Extended Play on Fontana TE 17444

A1. She Put The Hurt On Me [13/1] - A2. I’m Getting Better [15/1]

B1. I’ll Drown In My Own Tears [14/1] - B2. Goodbye Stevie [16/1]

6. Every Little Bit Hurts EP – August 1965 UK 2nd 7” 4-Track Extended Play on Fontana TE 17450

A1. Every Little Bit Hurts [10/1] – A2. It Hurts Me So [19/1]

B1. I Can’t Stand It [2/1] – B2. Midnight Train [6/1]

7. Keep On Running [24/1] b/w High Time Baby [6/2] – November 1965 5th UK 7” on Fontana TF 632

8. Somebody Help Me [1/2] b/w Stevie’s Blues [17/2] – March 1966 6th UK 7” on Fontana TF 679

9. Sittin' And Thinkin' EP – June 1966 UK 3rd 7” 4-Track Extended Play on Fontana TE 17463

A1. Sittin' And Thinkin' [11/1] – A2. Jump Back [3/1]

B1. Dimples [1/1] – B2. Searchin’ [5/1]

10.When I Come Home [5/2] b/w Trampoline [10/2] – August 1966 7th UK 7” on Fontana TF 739

11. Gimme Some Lovin' [23/2] b/w Blues In F [26/2] – October 1966 8th UK 7” on Fontana TF 762

12. I'm A Man [25/2] b/w I Can’t Get Enough Of It [20/2] – January 1967 9th UK 7” on Fontana TF 785

UK ALBUMS:

“Their First LP” – released July 1965 in Mono on Fontana TL 5242

Side 1:

1. My Babe [8/1]

2. Dimples [1/1]

3. Searchin' [5/1]

4. Every Little Bit Hurts [10/1]

5. I’m Blue (Gong Gong Song) [12/1]

6. Sittin' And Thinkin' [11/1]

Side 2:

1. I Can’t Stand It [2/1]

2. Here Right Now [4/1]

3. Jump Back [3/1]

4. It’s Gonna Work Out Fine [7/1]

5. Midnight Train [6/1]

6. It Hurst Me So [19/1]

“The Second Album” – released January 1966 in Mono on Fontana TL 5295

Side 1:

1. Look Away [21/1]

2. Keep On Running [24/1]

3. This Hammer [22/1]

4. Georgia On My Mind [18/1]

5. Please Do Something [23/1]

6. Let Me Down Easy [25/1]

Side 2:

1. Strong Love [17/1]

2. I Washed My Hands In Muddy Waters [8/2]

3. Since I Met You Baby [11/2]

4. You Must Believe Me [9/2]

5. Hey Darling [7/2]

7. Watch Your Step [2/2]

“Autumn '66” – released September 1966 in Mono on Fontana TL 5359

Side 1:

1. Together Till The End Of Time [22/2]

2. Take This Hurt Off Me [18/2]

3. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out [3/2]

4. Midnight Special [4/2]

5. When A Man Loves A Woman [14/2]

6. When I Come Home [5/2]

Side 2:

1. Mean Woman Blues [12/2]

2. Dust My Blues [13/2]

3. On The Green Light [16/2]

4. Neighbour, Neighbour [15/2]

5. High Time Baby [6/2]

6. Somebody Help Me [1/2]

The 2CDs come in card slipcase which houses a slide-in 24-page oversized booklet - chockers with album covers, rare foreign language picture sleeves for both singles and LPs, trade adverts for Fontana releases and even a Pop Picture Library magazine cover for the princely fee of one schilling. JOHN REED - then at the Record Collector Magazine forming their famous Price Guides – has handled the liner notes. John is one of the most knowledgeable and passionate writers on the Sixties (and the Mod scene in particular) and his liner notes feature great reminiscences from Muff Winwood (Stevie’s brother) who went on to be the main Promotions/A&R Agent in Chris Blackwell’s Island Records. There are discussions on the making of the huge hits – Spencer Davis’ huge R&B collection influencing the direction of the band and of course the amazing vocal chops of a seventeen year-old called Steve Winwood from near Birmingham England and not Birmingham Alabama.

There are no mastering credits anywhere - but the Audio is wonderful - punchy MONO mixes rattling your speakers like they used to shake your transistor radio...

While all the huge hits like “Gimme Some Lovin’”, “I’m A Man”, “Keep On Runnin’” and “Somebody Help Me” (the last two went to Number 1) are all here - for me the knock-out stuff are those throwaway B-sides – many of which were simply done in the studio as instrumentals. “Stevie’s Blues” is the B-side of “Somebody Help Me” and sees Winwood launch into some truly stunning Blues guitar – it’s heavy like Cream or The Bluesbreakers. “Trampoline” is a cool-jaunty instrumental on the back of the well-underrated “When I Come Home” while the band goes on Ramsey Lewis on “Blues In F” – the flip of “Lovin’”.

Their affection for American Soul, Rhythm ‘n’ Blues and Reggae determined so many of their cover version choices, ”I’m Blue (Gong Gong Song)” (Ike Turner), “Since I Met You Baby” (Ivory Joe Hunter), “Every Little Hurts” (Brenda Holloway), “Georgia On My Mind” and I'll Drown In My Own Tears" (Ray Charles), “Dimples” (John Lee Hooker), “Searchin’” (The Coasters) and three by Jackie Edwards on Islands Records (“Keep On Running”, “When I Come Home” and “Back Into Life Again”). What’s also obvious is the massive improvement in the band as they transitioned from the first to the 2nd LP. “The Second Album” has a clever mixture of originals and less obvious cover versions like “I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water” (Charlie Rich), “You Must Believe Me” (The Impressions) and a mellow stab at Betty Lavett’s “Let Me Down Easy” with Stevie already sounding decades ahead of his actual age.

As many filmgoers will know every time someone in a British Rom-Com is running to a church – the filmmakers will invariably use “Keep On Running”. Cliché or not – it’s still a classy single. But the big daddy of them all has to be the astonishing Motowneseque power of “Gimme Some Lovin’” which to this day sends tingles up the spine. Like Roy Orbison’s “Oh! Pretty Woman” (the live version here has screaming girls wanting to do un-pretty things to the boys on stage) – “Gimme Some Lovin’” somehow encapsulates the Sixties to a tee – exciting, fun and sexy down to it’s Mary Quant lipstick and bottleneck winklepicker shoes.

So there you have it - tons of cool stuff, cracking remasters and nice presentation. 

The Chris Welch liner notes on the back of “The Second Album" sleeve state in its last lines - “...SDG fans will be completely satisfied with this package…”

On the money my musical son…

"Good 'N' Cheap: The Eggs Over Easy Story" by EGGS OVER EASY [feat Link Wray] (2016 Yep Rock 2CD Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Gonna Have A Little Party..." 

No less than the influential Mojo Magazine has declared that 'British Pub Rock' is probably the fault of three long-haired American Country-Rock lads - Marin County's EGGS OVER EASY. And Yep Records of the USA are determined to get you to acknowledge this fact (and maybe buy their product too) – producing this beautifully handled but musically patchy 2CD reissue for these forgotten and largely unacknowledged trend makers.

You're getting their entire recorded output - two studio albums from 1972 and 1981 and a 1976 7" single (all released in the USA) and a new Disc of unreleased 1971 recordings made in the UK. But in order to get a fuller lay of the musical landscape – we need to get some serious detail out of the way first...

EGGS OVER EASY were:

Oakland’s JACK O'HARA (Guitar, Bass and Lead Vocals)

Philadelphia's AUSTIN de LONE (Keyboards, Guitars and Lead Vocals)

Greenwich Village’s BRIEN HOPKINS (Guitar, Bass, Keyboards and Lead Vocals)

These unlikely heroes came to Blighty in November 1970 at the behest of Hendrix's Producer and Manager Chas Chandler - and through incessant gigs, support slots and some recording sessions at Olympic Studios (a haunt beloved of both Hendrix and The Stones) - influenced a huge array of notable types including Elvis Costello and especially Nick Lowe's Brinsley Schwarz (who of course influenced loads more later on). Those unreleased sessions that were to form their 1971 debut album are now released on Disc 2 in tact for the first time.

Broke and without a label due to contractual crap and management decisions and still ensconced in the capitol city - they began gigging in London's 'Tally Ho' Jazz Club to buy - well Egg and Chips. And slowly from an audience of 8 to packing in hundreds - their rep began to grow. Soon they were meeting and playing for back-to-basic soon-to-be outfits like Brinsley Schwarz, Ducks Deluxe and Bees Make Honey and hanging out with influential people like the beloved and sympathetic British DJ John Peel. Which brings us to this reissue...

UK released Friday 24 June 2016 - "Good 'N' Cheap: The Eggs Over Easy Story" by EGGS OVER EASY on Yep Roc/Universal YEP-2402/B0022373-02 (Barcode 634457240223) is a 2CD Set of Remasters offering two albums, one 45 and a Previously Unreleased set of 1971 recordings on Disc 2. It plays out as follows:

Disc 1 (79:39 minutes):

1. Party Party

2. Arkansas

3. Henry Morgan

4. The Factory

5. Face Down In The Meadow

6. Home To You

7. Song is Born Of Riff And Tongue

8. Don't Let Nobody

9. Runnin' Down To Memphis

10. Pistol On A Shelf

11. Night Flight

Tracks 1 to 11 are their debut album "Good 'N' Cheap" - released September 1972 in the USA on A&M Records SP 4366 (no UK LP release until July 1986 on a reissue label - Edsel ED 199). Produced by LINK WRAY.

12. I'm Gonna Put A Bar In The Back Of My Car (& Drive Myself To Drink)

13. Horny Old Lady

Tracks 12 and 13 are a USA-Only 7" single released 1976 on Buffalo Records BR-0001

14. Fire

15. Scene Of The Crime

16. Forget About It

17. Louise

18. Lizard Love

19. You Lied

20. Driftin'

21. She Loves Me

22. Action

23. Mover's Lament

24. Noonie Nookie No

Tracks 14 to 24 are their second and last studio album "Fear Of Frying" - released 1981 in the USA on Squish Records NSFA-001

Disc 2 - London '71 (40:29 minutes)

1. Goin' to Canada

2. I Can Call You

3. Right On Roger

4. Country Waltz

5. Give Me What's Mine

6. Across From Me

7. Waiting For My Ship

8. January

9. Give And Take

10. Funky But Clean

11. I'm Still The Same

12. 111 Avenue C

The 24-page booklet features in-depth liner notes by GENE SCULATTI and contributions from surviving band members O’Hara and De Lone (Brien Hopkins passed in 2007) alongside A&M publicity photos, live shots, trade reviews and the usual reissue credits. The Audio is top class. PAUL STUBBLEBINE and FRED KERVORKIAN (of Kervorkian Mastering) did the Digital Transfers and Mastering and after years of dubious reissues - this is surely the best the Audio is ever going to be. Disc 2 admittedly has some hiss on some of the quieter passages - but never anything too much that would detract. The six-flap card-digipak has see-through trays with more photos while the flap has an array of press clippings. It's very tastefully done and feels substantial.

For their fondly remembered debut produced by Mister Guitar Rumble himself LINK WRAY (he plays ‘Kitchen Knife Lap Guitar’ too) - musically think The Band meets The Ozark Mountain Daredevils. Because Eggs Over Easy featured three distinctive voices - the songs alternate lead singers - so you get a light tone one moment - and a deeper the next. Despite the booklet's claim to undiscovered genius like Soul troubadour Rodriguez or Garage Band The Sonics (see my reviews) - the music is a very mixed bag. It works and doesn't work. When they're good - there's magic there - but when they're ordinary - you can hear why the public ignored it. "Song Of Riff And Tongue" is ruined by weedy vocals whereas the 'man shot in the head' horror of "Face Down In The Meadow" is given incredible power by its simple strumming melody and Hopkins' expressive voice. And as he sings "...just a few friends knew his name..." you can 'so' hear where Brinsley Schwarz and Help Yourself got some of their sound from (or were seriously influenced by this). "Home To You" is lovely and "Henry Morgan" could be straight off The Band's "Music From Big Pink" - his voice even sounding like Levon Helm in places. The kick-your-detractors-in-the-nuts song "Don't Let Nobody" is mild Funk Rock - the 'airplane' "Runnin' Down To Memphis" is pleasant enough too. "Pistol On The Shelf" has a sweet melody feeling like a really good Gene Clark number. It ends on the rocking "Night Flight" which has Punk in its veins - shades of Ducks Deluxe and even the New York Dolls years before the event.

You can hear the Nick Lowe wit in a song title like "I'm Gonna Put A Bar In The Back Of My Car (& Drive Myself To Drink)" - a lone American 45 in 1976 on Buffalo Records - a good time piano-rolling romp. But its 'come to my bedside' "Horny Old Lady" B-side thinks its hilarious and hip when its probably best forgotten. 

The 1981 second-album "Fear Of Frying" suffers from two influences within the band. It doesn't know what it wants to be - 'New Wave' one moment or 'Country Rock' the next. 
It opens with "Fire" - an updated more Funky version of the debut LP sound. Again it's good and awful - a victim of the time and naff productions. "Forget About It" sounds like it’s trying too hard to be angry and radical and all New Wave - but the Country Rock of "Louise" works - great vocals and a very pretty melody. We're back to sub Motels territory with "Lizard Love" while the Saxophone Bluesy-Rock of "You Lied" feels like the kind of song Gary US Bonds would sing when it was given to him by fan and friend - Bruce Springsteen. "She Loves Me" is good too but very 1981 "Action" just ends up sounding hammy.

Versions of the ‘Previously Unreleased’ tracks on Disc 2 turned up as Bonus cut on the February 2006 Hux Records CD Remaster of the debut album. Here we get the full session – even more paired back than the released LP. Excellent melodies like "Goin' To Canada", the lonesome and plaintive weariness of "January" and The Band sounding "Across From Me" rescue the bad taste that second LP left in the mouth. They rock out on "Funky But Clean" - a wickedly hooky little mother with some fuzzed-up guitar and 'I'm Funky' vocals. It ends on the Jazzy piano of "111 Avenue C" - a tune about a 'sweet thing' that lives on...

Despite the booklet’s hyped claims of genius - the audio evidence presented here hardly suggests that. But for Country-Rock and early Pub Rock aficionados there's also a 'whole lot to love' - especially that overlooked debut album "Good 'N' Cheap" and Disc 2's genuinely great discoveries.

Fans will absolutely have to own it and well done to all at Yep Roc for doing the band's legacy such a solid...