"Todd Rundgren's Utopia/Another Live" by TODD RUNDGREN'S UTOPIA (2012 Edsel 2CD Reissue with 1990 Rhino Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...In A Time Unique...In A Time Devine..."

A clever pairing by Edsel of the UK - Todd's Prog masterpiece "Todd Rundgren's Utopia" from 1974 and "Another Live" - the atmospheric live album that followed in 1975 - a record done in front of an audience (instead of in the studio) which concentrated on mainly new material penned by the same 'Utopia' line-up. 

But as one reviewer has pointed out - there's a mastering error on the "The Ikon" from "Todd Rundgren's Utopia" that's been carried over from the 1990 Rhino Remaster CD onto this Edsel Reissue. But frankly Frank - it lasts five seconds at the most and I can live with it. Here are the Freedom Fighters and Freak Parades...

UK released 27 February 2012 (6 March 2012 in the USA) - "Todd Rundgren's Utopia/Another Live" by TODD RUNDGREN'S UTOPIA on Edsel EDSD 2127 (Barcode 740155212735) is a 'Collector's Edition' that offers straightforward transfers of 2LPs (1974 and 1975) onto 2CDs and plays out as follows:

Disc 1 (59:22 minutes): 

1. Utopia

2. Freak Parade

3. Freedom Fighters

4. The Ikon [Side 2]

Tracks 1 to 4 are the album "Todd Rundgren's Utopia" by TODD RUNDGREN'S UTOPIA - released November 1974 in the USA on Bearsville BS 6954 and November 1974 in the UK on Bearsville K 55501. Produced and Engineered by TODD RUNDGREN - it peaked at No. 34 in the USA (didn't chart in Britain). "Utopia" (aka "Utopia Theme") was recorded live at The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia in November 1973 - the rest of the album is studio.

The Band:

TODD RUNDGREN - Guitars and Vocals

MOOGY KLINGMAN - Keyboards

(Jean-Yves) M. FROG LABAT - Synthesizers

RALPH SCHUCKETT - Keyboards

JOHN SIEGLER - Bass and Cello

KEVIN ELLMAN - Percussion

Disc 2 (46:09 minutes):

1. Another Life

2. The Wheel

3. The Seven Rays

4. Intro/Mister Triscuits

5. Something's Coming

6. Heavy Metal Kids

7. Do Ya

8. Just One Victory

Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "Another Live" by TODD RUNDGREN'S UTOPIA - released November 1975 in the USA on Bearsville BS 6961 and October 1975 in the UK on Bearsville K 55508. Produced by TODD RUNDGREN - it peaked at No. 66 in the USA (didn't chart in Britain).

The Band:

TODD RUNDGREN - Guitar and Vocals

ROGER POWELL - Moog Synthesiser, Trumpet and Vocals

RALPH SCHUCKETT – Keyboards, Accordion and Vocals

MOOGY KLINGMAN – Keyboards, Harmonica, Glockenspiel and Vocals

JOHN SIEGLER - Bass

JOHN WILCOX - Drums

DAVID LASLEY, ARNOLD McCULLER and PHILLIP BALLOU - Backing Vocals

The 20-page booklet is a fabulous thing to look at – original artwork, press clippings, band photos, trade adverts, live shots, lyrics, concert posters – and all of it washed down with new liner notes from Rundgren expert PAUL MYERS – Author of "A Wizard A True Star: Todd Rundgren In The Studio". Although its credited at a PHIL KINRADE master (at Alchemy) - Edsel have used and licensed the Rhino 1990 Remasters complete as we've already said with a mastering error on "The Ikon" between 16:15 and 16:20 minutes where the music pours into the right speaker for five seconds in a very bad panning mistake. Personally I can live with it - but I can wholly understand the rage of fans that could have expected Edsel to notice this and perhaps correct it. As the February 2016 "Bearsville Albums Collection" Box Set for Todd Rundgren 'doesn't' include Utopia material - original Rhino and Edsel reissues appear to be the only place you can get the "Todd Rundgren's Utopia" album digitally. There are no Audio issues with the "Another Live" set. To the music... 

When I bought "Todd Rundgren's Utopia" in November 1974 on Vinyl – I was already steeped in ELP, Yes, Genesis, Camel, Van Der Graaf Generator, East Of Eden, Greenslade and god knows what all from the preceding five years. Its long tracks didn’t make my musical resolve buckle - in fact I found it utterly mesmerising. I loved everything about the LP - the cover art - the virtuoso playing – the hippy-babble lyrics that talked of inner exploration - never mind the sheer deluge of musical ideas and themes going on in Side Two’s 30-minute opus "The Ikon". Along with "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway", Greenslade's "Spyglass Guest" and "Relayer" by Yes (all 1974) - Rundgren's first "Utopia" LP represented the height of Progressive Rock for me (and the end of its golden era too). It still feels that way.

It opens with "Utopia" (co-written with Dave Mason) – a difficult 13-minute guitar driven Progster recorded live in Atlanta, Georgia at The Fox Theatre – a full year prior to the album's release. The three/four minute Todd Rundgren "I Saw The Light” pop songs of old had gone for good - and in their place had come 'exploratory' pieces – many of enormous length and complexity and primarily based around his guitar and a bank of four uber-fluent keyboard players - Moogy Klingman, Ralph Schuckett, M. Frog Labat and Roger Powell (Powell would join him for the live set and all Utopia albums afterwards). Given that it was not the norm – huge guitar passages that had more to do with Zappa than the Brill Building - the crowd’s roar of approval reaction at the end of "Utopia" with it's "City In My Head" lyrics is celebratory – like they’d heard the beginnings of something new and exciting. As the crowd applause fades at the beginning of "Freak Parade" we segue into a brilliant funky keyboard riff that's very Stevie Wonder but soon settles into a drunk Bluesy guitar thing. It's 10:18-minutes chops and changes from slow to Rock to Funky and are utterly brilliant. The four-minute riffage of "Freedom Fighters" is the nearest the album comes to what could have been a single - but it's "Soldier Of The Mind" lyrics and manic pace and wall-of-sound production keep it firmly in the 'we don't play this Progressive stuff on the radio' category.

But then comes the monster - the 30-minute Side 2 magnum - "The Ikon". Because they owned the studio - they spent months preparing the multiple segments before recording and editing the lot. There are fast parts - slow parts - trippy parts - freak-out passages - finally ending in an instrument-builder passage like Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" did. I can't be rational about - as a Progressive Rock piece its without peer - think "The Gates Of Delirium" from "Relayer" only 10 minutes longer and musically more imaginative. According to the liner notes there's another 30 or 40 minutes of it that couldn't be fitted onto an almost 60-minute vinyl LP (unheard of at the time).  I once inflicted this 30-minute density on The Grove in Clontarf before the dancing proper started (forgive me Cecil)...

After the hard work of "Todd Rundgren's Utopia" - the "Another Live" set comes as a clever musical counterpoint. Mostly all new material recorded 'live' instead of in the studio to give it that 'oomph' – but as far as I'm concerned it only partially worked. This is one of those infuriating live records that could have been a masterpiece but doesn't get there. But man-oh-man that good stuff. "Another Live" has moments of undoubted brilliance like "The Wheel" and stunning emotional finisher "Just One Victory" and even features a cool cover of The Move’s “Do Ya”.

The album opens with the trippy Brass Funk of "Another Life" complete with backing Singers and Roger Powell giving some Herb Alpert on the Trumpet as Todd sings of "...certain things affect me certain ways..." But that's soundly trumped by the beautiful melody in "The Wheel". As the crowd are settling and shouting from the excitement of the previous Prog Rocker - Rundgren is impervious to their demands and opens with an Acoustic Guitar. The gorgeous lullaby is soon joined by Moogy Klingman giving it some Fred Neil Harmonica while Powell adds Trumpet and Schuckett does a fairground Accordion refrain as the 'Ferris Wheel' lyrics eventually have the crowd clapping - Rundgren going Acapella for the final passage to huge applause. Although "Seven Rays" is good - you wish it had been a studio recording because somehow this live version lacks something despite its jaunty disposition.

We enter Mahavishnu Orchestra Fusion with the wild keyboard soloing of "Intro/Mister Triscuits" that is both brilliant and dreadfully self-indulgent at one and the same time.  This bizarrely but effectively segues into Leonard Bernstein's "Something's Coming" from "West Side Story" which I feel is a cover to far no matter how much fun it must have been to arrange and play. We return to 1974's "Todd" double album for the hard-hitting "Heavy Metal Kids" which features a wild guitar solo and they then do an excellent cover of Jeff Lynne's "Do Ya" (the B-side of "California Man" from 1972 by The Move). But the whole record is redeemed by a fabulous live version of that "A Wizard, A True Star" classic "Just One Victory" where the layered vocals are so well done. The crowd feels it all the way as he sings "...we've been praying for it all day...give us just one victory...and we're on our way..."

To sum up - a clever pairing of albums even if it is a mixed batch of genius, knob and self-indulgence. And sloppy mastering error or no - I love it.

As the pre-amble liner notes to "The Ikon" on the back cover of the "Todd Rundgren's Utopia" LP says - "...men discover themselves to be mankind and joyfully begin to adjust their thinking along these lines..." 

Amen to that baby...

"Sunday's Child" by JOHN MARTYN - January 1975 UK LP on Island Records (2005 UK Island Masters 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry of his 1975 LP on Island Records...

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"...I Believe You Can Make Me Feel Better..." 

In a 10-year period between 1967 and 1977 - John Martyn (onew of the UK's finest Folk-Soul troubadours) made so many albums that it was all too easy to 'not notice' the rough diamonds amongst the polished paste.

Most music fans will be aware of his acknowledged masterpieces - 1973's "Solid Air" and 1977's "One World" – but they miss out on the truly lovely Folk simplicity of his October 1967 Mono debut "London Conversation" (see review) and the gorgeous Nick Drake vibe that flows off his equally forgotten November 1971 album "Bless The Weather". But there’s also "Sunday's Child" - his unfairly ignored LP from early 1975. Featuring some of his loveliest songs - "You Can Discover", "Lay It All Down" and a spine-tingling rendition of an English Traditional "Spencer The Rover" - sat alongside Jazzier pieces like "Call Me Crazy" and the straight-up Pop of "Clutches" – the whole record is a wonderful fusion of trippy Acoustic warmth, Funky-Rock and Echoplex Folk-Soul. There is only one bum note for me (a misplaced Rock song called "Root Love") – but apart from that – it’s another gem from JM...

Recorded in August 1974 at Island's Studios in Hammersmith and released January 1975 - few people outside of diehard fans seemed to heed its release. It was his sixth studio LP (not counting his own privately pressed live album "Live At Leeds") for the ever patient Island Records but the public just weren’t buying in sufficient numbers to make a real break through. Hell even something as obviously brilliant and tuneful as the "One World" LP that hit the UK shop racks in November 1977 would have to wait until February 1978 to chart - and even then it was for only one week at No. 54. 

Martyn toured and promoted the "Sunday's Child" album extensively - joined on stage most nights by his Double Bass playing rhythm section and integral piece of his sound - Danny Thompson. Even Paul Kossoff of Free legendarily pulled out his axe on occasion on that tour (struggling as he was with drug addiction even then). Musically "Sunday's Child" saw Iain David McGeachy in a really good place - married with a daughter and another child on the way (his son would be born after the album’s release in May 1975) - his contented family vibe oozing off tracks like the gorgeous "Lay It On Down" (lyrics from it title this review) and "You Can Discover". 

Time to get to the CD Reissue details...

UK released November 2005 - "Sunday's Child" by JOHN MARTYN on Island Masters IMCD 323 (Barcode 602498307359) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster that offers the 11-track 1975 LP bolstered up with 7 Previously Unreleased Bonus Tracks and plays out as follows (63:16 minutes):

1. One Day Without You
2. Lay It On Down
3. Root Love
4. My Baby Girl
5. Sunday's Child
6. Spencer The Rover
7. Clutches [Side 2]
8. The Message
9. Satisfied Mind
10. You Can Discover
11. Call Me Crazy
Tracks 1 to 11 are his 8th studio album "Sunday's Child" - released January 1975 in the UK and USA on Island Records ILPS 9296 (same catalogue number for both countries - it didn't chart in either). Produced by JOHN MARTYN - all songs written by JM except "Spencer The Rover" and "Satisfied Mind" which are Traditional Song cover versions.

BONUS TRACKS (all PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED):
12. Ellie Rhee - recorded 26 August 1974 at Island Studios in Hammersmith, London
13. Satisfied Mind (First Mix) - recorded 25 August 1974 at Island Studios in Hammersmith, London
14. One Day Without You
15. You Can Discover
16. My Baby Girl
17. The Message
18. Spencer The Rover - Tracks 14 to 18 recorded 7 January 1975 for a BBC Radio 1 'John Peel Session'

Musicians:
JOHN MARTYN - Guitar, Moog, Clavinet and Lead Vocals (Duet Vocals with Beverly Martyn on "My Baby Girl")
JOHN "Rabbit" BUNDRICK - Piano, Kesh Sathie and Tablas
DANNY THOMPSON - Double Bass
AL ANDERSON - Electric Bass on "One Day Without You"
TERRY WILSON - Electric Bass on "Clutches"
LIAM GENOCKEY - Drums
TONY BRAUNAGEL - Drums on "Clutches"

Compiled for CD by Mark Powell of Esoteric Recordings - the 12-page colour booklet has new liner notes from noted Martyn expert JOHN HILLARBY. They go into a brief history of his career with Island Records (who stuck with him to 1986) - the before, during and after of the album and his sad demise in 2009 - as beloved as ever by fans and those within the music business. There are photos of Martyn in various live poses (usually with his Acoustic Guitar) and a fabulous new PASCHAL BYRNE Remaster that makes everything sing. This is a beautiful sounding CD...and one that comes with genuinely excellent and exciting Bonus Tracks too.

The album opens on a great one-two sucker punch of winning melodies - "One Day Without You" and the immensely touching "Lay It All Down". John Martyn's style at this time had been honed right from 1971 through to "Solid Air" in 1973 - a sort of half Folk-half Jazz feel - all Acoustic Guitars heavily strummed while a funky rhythm section headed up by Upright Bass genius Danny Thompson. I love these songs (especially "Lay It All Down" where he sex-slurs that deep voice of his into a sensual drawl that would make audience knicker-elastic melt at ten paces. 

But then he does what he did on too many albums - he throws in something way too harsh and out of step with the other songs. In this case it's the brash and cynical Hard Rock of "Root Love" - a poor riffage tune that I can't abide even now - 41 years after the event. Side One thankfully gets rescued by a trio of sweethearts - a ballad to their daughter Mhairi (who was born February 1971 and is pictured on the rear sleeve of the original vinyl LP), the sexy Funk of "Sunday's Child" and the gorgeous Traditional acoustic amble of "Spencer The Rover" - a song he wrestled out of Robin Dransfield in the mid Sixties at the Glasgow Folk Centre when he accosted the Guitarist post gig and forced him to teach a 16-year old Martyn the song.

Side 2 opens with the Little Feat boogie funk of "Clutches" - and again - even though it's good - it feels slightly out of place on a largely mellow album. Back to business with "The Message" that incorporates the Traditional Folk ditty "Marie's Wedding" into its lovely rhythms and lyrics. Written by Joe 'Red Hayes and Jack Rhoads - Country superstar Porter Wagoner had a hit in 1955 on RCA Victor with "Satisfied Mind" - here Martyn slows it down into a creeping Blues song - a troubled mind longing for peace (a bit like himself I'm guessing). The Byrds, Dylan and Tim Hardin have covered “Satisfied Mind” amongst many others.

Fans adore "You Can Discover" - a great Martyn groove that turns up on Best Of's and Anthologies - and surely one of the LPs real highlights (the Remaster has brought out Bundrick's piano playing). It ends well. Just when you think you know the measure of the seven and half minute "Call Me Crazy" (Funk Rock) - about 4:20 minutes in - it suddenly grinds to an almost halt and you get an Acoustic three minutes of astonishing beauty. Plucked guitar strings rattle and shimmy - his Acoustic Guitar plugged into an echo chamber while Danny Thompson runs up and down the frets of his Double Bass caressing sliding refrains. It's like a precursor to the beautiful "Small Hours" eight-minute Echoplex and workout on "One World". Fabulous stuff...

Fans will flip for the truly gorgeous "Ellie Rhee" - an entirely Acoustic Folk song dating from the American Civil War with a properly lovely feel and melody. Hillarby reproduces its lyrics in the booklet on Page 10 and it should have replaced the awful "Root Love" on Side 1 in my books. The 'First Mix' of "Satisfied Mind" is superb too but I can hear why the released version was instead. The excellence continues with five recorded for John Peel's Radio 1 show in January 1975. Good news on all fronts - the Audio is shockingly good even if there is a little wobble here and there (especially on "The Message") and the performances (largely Acoustic) are thrilling. He slays "One Day Without You" as he plucks and slaps his Guitar's scratch plate. An equally pretty "You Can Discover" follows but an overloaded tape distortion does for a beautiful version of "Spencer The Rover" - a song that often made me cry and leaves you wondering how come no-one noticed this quality back in the day?

Would it have been different if he'd included "Ellie Rhee" and dropped the 'too heavy' "Root Love" - a song that confused listeners and killed the mood before it had a chance to blossom. Whatever way you look at it I've always felt "Sunday's Child" was a couple of whippets short of a Folk-Soul masterpiece and this wickedly good (and dirt cheap) CD only hammers that home.

"...As valiant a man as ever left home..." he sang on the beautiful "Spencer The Rover". Gorgeous and then some...be with the angels you songsmith hero...

"A Stranger In My Own Back Yard" by GILBERT O'SULLIVAN (2012 Salvo 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry of his 4th LP from 1974 on Mam Records...

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"...You've Got To Be Honest..."

"A Stranger In My Own Backyard" is the 4th release in a full-on reissue campaign by Salvo Records of the UK for Irish singer-songwriter (Raymond) Gilbert O'Sullivan. 

His UK debut album "Himself" from 1971 was relaunched in November 2011, his second "Back To Front" from 1972 in February 2012 and his third from 1973 "I'm A Writer, Not A Fighter" in April 2012 (all are reviewed separately). With fantastic new sound, copious bonus tracks, quality packaging and a none-too steep price-tag - legions of his fans worldwide will be thrilled to see that his MAM Records catalogue is finally receiving a thorough going-over (and like the others - this release is artist-approved too). But in this case - I just wish the material matched the packaging. Here are the Back Yard details...

UK released Monday 4 June 2012 (12 June 2012 in the USA) - "A Stranger In My Own Back Yard" by GILBERT O'SULLIVAN on Salvo SALVOXCD004 (Barcode 698458050427) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster and plays out as follows (62: 02 minutes):

1. Number 4

2. A Woman's Place 

3. No More

4. It's So Easy To Be Sad 

5. My Father 

6. The Marriage Machine 

7. If You Ever 

8. The Thing Is 

9. Just Like Me [Side 2]

10. Victor E

11. I Wonder Would You Mind 

12. 15 Times

13. Nothing To Do About Much 

14. Can't Get You To Love Me 

15. Always Somebody 

Tracks 1 to 15 are his fourth studio album "A Stranger In My Own Back Yard" - released October 1974 in the UK on Mam Records MAM-SS 506 and on Mam Records MAM 10 in the USA. It peaked at 9 on the album charts in the UK - but didn't reach the top 200 in the USA.

Tracks 16 and 17 are "Happiness Is Me And You" and "Breakfast Dinner And Tea" - the A & B-sides of a non-album 7" single released February 1974 in the UK on Mam Records MAM 114 (it reached Number 19 on the single charts).

Track 18 is "Too Bad" - the non-album B-side of "A Woman's Place" - the first single lifted off the album. "A Woman's Place" was issued August 1974 in the UK on Mam Records MAM 122 and charted at Number 42.

Track 19 is "To Cut A Long Story Short" - the non-album B-side of "Christmas Song" - a 7" single released December 1974 in the UK on Mam Records MAM 124 (it peaked at Number 12). The A-side is missing and isn't on other CD reissues (an error no doubt).

Tracks 20 and 21 are "You Are You" and "Tell Me Why" - the A & B-sides of a non-album 7" single released January 1975 in the UK on Mam Records MAM 126 (it didn't chart).

Track 22 is "That's A Fact" - the non-album B-side to "I Don't Love You But I Think I Like You" - released May 1975 in the UK on Mam Records MAM 130 (it peaked at 14 on the charts). Again the non-album A-side is a no show and isn't on other CDs?

The original UK and US LP artwork by David Larkham was an elaborate affair - a cut-corners gatefold sleeve with 4 book-like leaves inside (he'd been responsible for the lavish LP covers of "Madman Across The Water", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Captain Fantastic" for Elton John). All of it is repro'd either on the card digipak or in the beautifully laid-out 20-page colour booklet. The inlay features lyrics for all tracks (including the bonuses), photos of rare 7" foreign picture sleeves from all over the world, Japanese trade adverts, fanzine covers, snaps from the recording sessions. There are reminiscences on the album by Gilbert and thoughts on the disastrous US tour of late 1973 - and a paragraph-by-paragraph critique on each song by Chris Ingham (author of a "A Rough Guide To The Beatles"). There's even a 'Gilbert O'Sullivan - A Singer And His Songs' logo sticker on the front of the card digipak which accompanies all of these expanded reissues. A minor niggle would be that the Amazon photo seems to indicate that the card repro matches the cut-corner look of the original LP design - it doesn't - and neither does the booklet on the inside.

But the really big news for fans here is the AUDIO... Remastered from original master tapes - the sound quality is a vast improvement on what went before (compilations and expensive Japanese imports). Right from the off both the Intro "Number 4" and its follow up track "A Woman's Place" sound amazing. Unfortunately that's where the good news ends as far as the album is concerned. "A Woman's Place" is a cloying awful piece of pap that grated at the time too ("...a woman's place is in the home...") for God's sake. I'd argue that it single-handedly turned whole swaths of people off him and gave his begrudgers ammunition to dismiss his genuine song-writing capabilities. The arrangements on "It's Easy To Be Sad" are lovely while "My Father" harks back to the melodies and sound of the superb "Himself" debut album. And the "Get Down" boogie of "The Thing Is" should have been a single while "Just Like Me" shows sophistication in the arrangements. But there's the terribly preachy "Marriage Machine" and the mock jaunty "15 Times". The schooldays "I Wonder Would You Mind" is OK but too many tracks like "Nothing To Do About Much" and the terribly-worded album-finisher "Always Somebody" are cheesy and sounded dated on release - never mind 35 years later.

While the extras will finally allow fans to sequence rare 7" single releases on CD for the first time - another real downside here is the sloppy exclusion of the two 45s "Christmas Song" and "I Don't Love You But I Like You" (both of which charted). Having said that the bonuses have surprises like the b-sides "Too Bad" and "Tell Me Why" (lyrics above) - both as good as anything he'd done on the "Back To Front" and "I'm A Writer..." albums.

He followed 1974's "Stranger" with the equally forgotten "Southpaw" in 1977 - and wouldn't chart again with a proper album until he signed to CBS in 1980 and delivered the truly cringing "What's In A Kiss".

To sum up - while Salvo is to be praised for handling Gilbert's reissues so well - I just wish I could recommend this particular one.

What we have here is two to three-star material - and as much as I love the guy - I'd urge you get a listen in before you buy...

PS: Salvo of the UK have also done his 1971 debut LP "Himself", his 2nd LP "Back To Front" from 1972, his 3rd album "I'm A Writer, Not A Fighter" from 1973 and beyond into the CBS years of the 80ts. All are ‘Expanded’ Edition CD Remasters with Bonus Tracks and Repro Packaging (see detailed reviews for "Himself", "Back To Front" and "I'm A Writer, Not A Fighter").

"Katy Lied" by STEELY DAN (1999 MCA 'Walter Becker and Donald Fagen' CD Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...It's Chain Lighting...And It Feels So Good..." 

I suppose its fitting to be reviewing this most American of Rock Bands on 'Independence Day' the 4th of July - a mere 41 years and 3 months after the LP's release. But then any excuse for me to rave about STEELY DAN is fair game.

The 1972 debut album "Can't Buy A Thrill" and 1977's glorious "Aja" are always cited as high points in their extraordinary career - but what about those 'overlooked' nuggets like 1973's masterful "Countdown To Ecstasy" and this -1975's "Katy Lied". 

Re-listening to it in July 2016 and you're struck by the sheer class of every song (and not just a few) - let alone just how beautiful the Remastered CD has turned out. No 'Bad Sneakers' here. Let's get to the chain lightning and the daddy who doesn’t live in New York City anymore...

UK released 28 June 1999 (11 May 1999 in the USA) - "Katy Lied" by STEELY DAN on MCA 111 916-2 (Barcode 008811191627) is a straightforward CD Remaster of the 10-track 1975 ABC Records LP and plays out as follows (35:25 minutes):

1. Black Friday

2. Bad Sneakers

3. Rose Darling

4. Daddy Don't Live In That New York City No More

5. Doctor Wu

6. Everyone's Gone To The Movies [Side 2]

7. Your Gold Teeth II

8. Chain Lightning

9. Any World (That I'm Welcome To)

10. Throw Back The Little Ones

Tracks 1 to 10 are their 4th studio album "Katy Lied" - released April 1975 in the USA on ABC Records ABCD-846 and in the UK on ABC Records ABCL 5094. Produced by GARY KATZ, Engineered by ROGER NICHOLS with all songs written by DONALD FAGEN and WALTER BECKER - it peaked at No. 13 in both the US and UK LP charts.

Personnel:

DONALD FAGEN - Lead and Backing Vocals and Various Keyboards

WALTER BECKER - Bass

DENNY DIAS, WALTER BECKER, RICK DERRINGER, DEAN PARKS, ELLIOT RANDALL HUGH McCRACKEN and LARRY CARLTON - Guitars

DAVID PAICH (of Toto) and MICHAEL OMARTIAN - Keyboards

PHIL WOODS - Alto Saxophone Solo on "Doctor Wu"

WILTON FELDER and CHUCK RAINEY - Bass

JEFF PORCARO (of Toto) - Drums and Dorophone

HAL BLAINE - Drums on "Any World (That I'm Welcome To)”

VICTOR FELDMAN - Percussion and Vibes

MICHAEL McDONALD - Backing Vocals on "Bad Sneakers" and "Everyone's Gone To The Movies"

SHERLIE MATTHEWS, CAROLYN WILLIS and MYRNA MATTHEWS - Backing Vocals

JIMMIE HASKELL – Arranged the Horns on "Throw Back The Little Ones"

The 12-page foldout inlay (with the Dorothy White 'Preying Mantis' photo artwork) provides the recording info that was on the back cover of the original vinyl album along with the lyrics that graced the inner sleeve. But the real hoot is the very, very funny liner notes by Becker and Fagan that reminisce in their own sarcastic but articulate way about the making of the album, the "Pretzel Logic" tour they'd just left (broke and tired) and the dissolution of Steely Dan as a band - now reduced to only Becker, Fagan and Diaz from the group who would then bring in a huge array of top quality sessionmen for the rest of their albums. 

They made smart decisions too. I can remember looking at the black and white photos on the rear sleeve and thinking who are 'Michael McDonald' and 'Jeff Porcaro' - and that's what those Gary Katz (Producer) and "The Immortal" Roger Nichols (Engineer) geezers look like. McDonald hadn’t joined The Doobie Brothers yet to produce their changeover album "Takin' It To The Streets" in 1976 - but how clued-in of Becker and Fagen to know what his vocal brilliance would bring to everything he graced (he's on "The Royal Scam", "Aja" and "Gaucho" too). 

The AUDIO on this Becker/Fagen CD Remaster is fabulous - subtle yet powerful - every track sparkling like a newly discovered diamond. In fact this may be the best of all the 70ts LPs in terms of Audiophile. 

“Katy Lied” opens with the truly fantastic guitar-blitz of "Black Friday" - a vicious little chugger. It doesn't say who is ripping out those angry guitar solos (the liner notes didn't say either) but it sounds like Rick Derringer who tore up the slide on "Show Biz Kids" on 1973's "Countdown To Ecstasy". There's also a keyboard funky break towards the end of the song that I swear I've never heard before. Although the musician credits don't say so - I 'd swear that's Michael McDonald on the 'going insane' backing vocals for the wicked "Bad Sneakers" - and is that Elliot Randall doing the sweet guitar solo. I should mention the remaster on this track - I've the Japan SHM-CD version and this 1999 version - they both absolute rock as regards to audiophile audio. "...I would guess she's in Detroit with lots of money in the bank...although I could be wrong..." Donald Fagen advises us on the shockingly upbeat piano-bop of "Rose Darling" - and once again here in glorious audio. The last two contrasting tracks on Side 1 only confirm the album's brilliance - the slick Guitar-Funk of "Daddy Don't Live In That New York City No More" and the beautifully constructed yet melodious "Doctor Wu" - those beautiful keyboards changes as he sings "...Katy tried...I was halfway crucified...I was on the other side of no tomorrow..."

For such pervy subject matter (Mr. LaPage in his film den with his projection machine) - "Everyone's Gone To The Movies" is a happy vibe with that great catchy-as-a-cold chorus. As a song title "Your Gold Teeth" first turned up two albums back on 1973's "Countdown To Ecstasy" - here we get "Your Gold Teeth II" which opens with Crusaders-type keyboard Jazz-Funk before settling into that cool piano riff. It's properly gorgeous stuff - so accomplished as a song and again the audio makes it glisten. "...Don't question the little man...be part of the neighbourhood...yes it's chain lightning...it feels so good..." - the voices croon on the Funky "Chain Lightning" - a song that convinces many Dance Kids that Steely Dan the Rock Band had Soul in their grooves. "Any World (That I'm Welcome To)" is the quiet one on the record - Fagan's impassioned lead, a brilliant melody, hurting yet real lyrics, guitar solos and the warmth of Michael McDonald's backing vocals - all of it combine to create that effortless classiness they had. Their 4th LP ends on "Throw Back The Little Ones" - another song that takes many listens - but once it's in your noggin - it counts as another audio winner.

How many of us fans devoured the liner notes on the back cover - going on about '36-input this' and '24-channel that'. And then wondered what in God's name Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were rabbiting on about with techno gobbledygook like "...for best results observe the R.I.A.A. curve..." Why sure thing boys (you deadpan perfectionist nutjobs). 
I suppose this is what you get when you name your band after a steam-powered dildo in a William Rice Burroughs book – out there, steaming ahead and always up for it.

They would 'get along to Kid Charlemagne' for the next LP (1976's "The Royal Scam"). 

But my heart has always been with this 'Rose Darling' of an LP. 

"Katy Lied" is absolute freaking genius and then some...

"Dirty Blues Band/Stone Dirt" by DIRTY BLUES BAND (2007 Beat Goes On 2LPs Remastered Onto 1CD) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Bring It On Home..." 

I came to the DIRTY BLUES BAND via Led Zeppelin. I was trawling the racks of some dusty record shack back in the murky 70ts when I stumbled on the rather cool-looking "Stone Dirt" LP for a couple of nicker - sat there in the small 'Blues' section - forlorn, unloved and without a prom date. I was on a massive Zeppelin tip at the time (probably "Physical Graffiti") and noticed the first track "Bring It On Home" and then "I Can't Quit You Baby". The Zepsters had of course 'adapted' both for 1969's "Zeppelin II" and "Led Zeppelin" respectively.

Written by Chess Records in-house genius Willie Dixon and made a hit by Sonny Boy Williamson – "Bring It On Home" had always been a favourite Blues-Rock poison of mine. So I bought the LP anyway (back when you could afford to experiment with titles) – got it home - slapped it onto my trusty Garrard SP25 - and to my utter amazement - out pops an almost identikit rendition of the Zeppelin 'adapted' version. And given that the album received its UK release on Liberty Records in February 1969 - this is where they lifted the idea from (naughty boys).

In 2016 few remember the six California White Boys of the DIRTY BLUES BAND - but this fantastic Blues-Rock CD is a stone-winner if you dig Paul Butterfield, Jellybread, Bacon Fat and Johnny Winter's early career with Columbia in the late Sixties. Featuring the combined talents of singer and Blues Harmonica player ROD "Gingerman" PIAZZA (see my review for 'The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions' for Bacon Fat and George Smith which featured Piazza) and ace guitarist GLENN ROSS CAMPBELL (The Misunderstood, Juicy Lucy and Joe Cocker's Grease Band) – the debut was recorded September 1967 and like it’s follow up offers up a straightforward diet of hard-hitting Blues-Rock that channels the Paul Butterfield Blues Band on every song. Here are the murky details...

UK released November 2007 (reissued October 2009) - "Dirty Blues Band/Stone Dirt" by DIRTY BLUES BAND on Beat Goes On BGOCD 784 (Barcode 5017261207845) offers their 2LPs Remastered onto 1CD and plays out as follows (79:47 minutes):

1. Don't Start Me Talkin' [Sonny Boy Williamson cover]

2. What is Soul, Babe? [John Milliken and Rod Piazza song]

3. Hound Dog [Leiber/Stoller song - Elvis Presley cover]

4. New Orleans Woman [Roy Brown cover]

5. I'll Do Anything Babe [Rod Piazza song]

6. Checkin' Up On My Baby [Sonny Boy Williamson cover] - Side 2

7. Shake It Babe [Robert Sandell and Rod Piazza song]

8. Worry, Worry Blues [Rod Piazza song]

9. Born Under A Bad Sign [Booker T. Jones and William Bell song - Albert King cover]

10. Spoonful [Willie Dixon song - Howlin' Wolf cover]

11. Chicken Shack [Ike Turner cover]

Tracks 1 to 11 are their debut album "Dirty Blues Band" - released February 1968 in the USA on Bluesway BL 6010 (Mono) and Bluesway BLS 6010 (Stereo) and August 1968 in the UK on Stateside SL 10234 (Mono) and Stateside SSL 10234 (Stereo) - this CD uses the STEREO Mix.

"Dirty Blues Band" LP Line Up:

ROD "Gingerman" PIAZZA - Harmonica and Lead Vocals

GLENN ROSS CAMPBELL - Lead Guitar

ROBERT SANDELL - 6-String Guitar

PAT MALONEY - Organ

LEE MORRISON - Bass

JOHN MILLIKEN - Drums

12. Bring it On Home [Willie Dixon song - Sonny Boy Williamson cover]

13. It's My Own Fault Baby [John Lee Hooker cover]

14. I Can't Quit You Baby [Willie Dixon song - Otis Rush cover]

15. Tell Me [Rod Piazza song]

16. She's The One [Rod Piazza song]

17. My Baby [Willie Dixon song - Little Walter cover]

18. Sittin' Down Wonderin' [Rod Piazza song]

19. Six Sides [Rod Piazza song]

20. You've Got To Love Her With Feeling [Freddie King and Sonny Thompson cover]

21. Gone Too Long [Rod Piazza song]

Tracks 12 to 21 are their second and last studio album "Stone Dirt" – released October 1968 in the USA on Bluesway BLS-6020 (Stereo) and February 1969 in the UK on Stateside SL 10268 (Mono) and Stateside SSL 10268 (Stereo) - the STEREO mix is used for this CD.

"Stone Dirt" LP Line Up:

ROD "Gingerman" PIAZZA - Harmonica and Lead Vocals

RICK LUNETTA - Guitar

PAT MALONEY - Organ and Piano

GREGG ANDERSON – Bass

DAVE MITTER – Drums

Guests:

JIMMY FORREST – Tenor Sax

WILLIE GREEN – Baritone Sax

FREDDIE HILL - Trumpet

It comes with a tasty looking card slipcase - a 12-page booklet with affectionate and very informative liner notes from DAVID WELLS (with acknowledgments to Mike Stax and the Ugly Things magazine). There are recording credits and a few repro photos. But the big news is a fabulous new Remaster from ANDREW THOMPSON using original tapes. This CD Boogies, Blues and generally wants to start a fight with your Stereo. And it has a near 80-minute playing time. Really great stuff and a blast to listen too...

LEE MAGID produced both albums – but in different ways. While the second benefitted from a polished audio – he went for a loose 'live and raw as a wound' sound on the first record. The band was reportedly unhappy with the sonic results but I'd argue that its 'miked up raw ands real dirty' sound actually produced an exciting uncluttered feel. This sucker Rocks. What you have here is hard-hitting Chicago Blues with Glenn Ross Campbell blistering away on the Guitar while Piazza blasts that deep 'Blues' Harmonica into the microphone like he’s literally tapping into the Delta. The first album sounds like Jeff Beck's "Truth" - huge and rocking. Drummer John Milliken had seen the Paul Butterfield Blues Band supporting The Byrds a year prior to recording the album in September 1967 and was duly blown away. And you can 'so' hear that Elektra artist’s influence all over the album – especially in the covers of Roy Brown's "New Orleans Woman" and the loud and bluesy opener "Don't Start Me Talking". It's a bit like a crude version of Stan Webb's Chicken Shack in your living room.

But even more impressive is the emergence of Piazza as a Blues songwriter. His "I'll Do Anything Babe" is probably the best thing on the first LP and you wish he'd penned more. And what can you say about the Mike Bloomfield meets Ritchie Blackmore guitar genius of Glenn Ross Campbell. He left after the first album but was the axeman who did that staggering slide guitar on Juicy Lucy's wild debut 7" single "Who Do You Love?" on Vertigo VO 1 in February 1970 – surely one of 'the' great Slide-Guitar Rock singles of the decade. His playing on the debut is the same – unbelievable for a kid under 20...

Magid didn't mess around for the production of "Stone Dirt" - more polished and therefore in many ways more accessible. And the accomplishment and progression of the band on the second album is startling - plus it's a more even-handed affair with five covers sided by five cracking originals. The opener is my poison - a cover of "Bring it On Home" the arrangement of which Zeppelin half-inched. I've played this song on CD-Rs to people and they're jaws drop open - don't I know that tune from somewhere?

While Bluesway in America tried "Hound Dog" b/w "New Orleans Woman" as a 45 way back in April 1968 (Bluesway 61016) for the debut LP - neither they nor Stateside in the UK put out a 45 for "Stone Dirt". Shame really as the punchy three-minute Piazza original "Six Sides" with its Little Walter fun-time vibe would have been a good choice (with the superb full-on Blues cover of John Lee Hooker's "It's My Own Fault Baby" on the flip-side). Replacing Campbell Ross it was the turn of Rick Lunetta to shine on guitar for the slow and powerful "You Got To Love Her With A Feeling" - a rare case of it being better than the Freddie King original. The LP ends on the R&B boogie of "Gone Too Long" and you're reminded of Johnny Winter meets Spencer Davis Group (guitar and organ). The whole record is just 'so' enjoyable - in fact - top marks to all at Beat Goes On of the UK for making these forgotten nuggets available again.

"...I done bought my ticket...got my load...conductor hollered...all abroad..." - they Harmonica warble on "Bring It On Home".

Watch this train move down the track and into your CD player... 

"Freedom Flight" by SHUGGIE OTIS (Inside The 2012 Sony/Epic 'Original Album Classics' 3CD Mini Box Set) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…Pretty Music I Hear…"

Like most people I came across this superlative American guitarist in a roundabout way - via The Brothers Johnson and their huge Funk/Soul hit of 1977 "Strawberry Letter No. 23" (which Shuggie Otis wrote). That Otis original came off his lesser-seen "Freedom Flight" album from 1971.

This 2012 Mini Box Set from Sony is the first time that three of his fabulous (and rare) Seventies LPs have been brought together in one place - and at a more than reasonable price too. It breaks down as follows...

UK and Europe released Monday 9 January 2012 (17 January 2012 in the USA) - "Original Album Classics" by SHUGGIE OTIS is a 3CD mini box set on Sony/Epic 88691901782 (Barcode 886919017823) and contains three solo LPs from the Seventies in single 5" card repro sleeves. “Freedom Flight” is the second (38:30 minutes):

1. Ice Cold Daydream

2. Strawberry Letter 23

3. Sweet Thang

4. Me And My Woman

5. Someone Always Singing [Side 2]

6. Purple

7. Freedom Flight

Tracks 1 to 7 are his 2^nd solo LP "Freedom Flight" - released September 1971 in the USA on Epic Records E 30752. Produced by JOHNNY OTIS - it had no UK release

It doesn't say who remastered these albums or where, but the sound quality is wonderful (probably the 2001 versions). The debut is a little hissy in places as are the beat boxes used as percussion on the 3rd LP "Inspiration Information" (sounds like the back beat used on the Timmy Thomas classic "Why Can't We Live Together"), but other than that it all sounds so much better than other releases I have of the same material. The bass in particular is so sweet and by the time you get to the improved production qualities of the second and third LPs - the audio quality is great. And as with all of these "Original Classic Albums" 3/5 CD mini box sets, the lyrics and recording details are downloadable from Sony's website [...]

His 2nd solo LP "Freedom Flight" is the one that will interest Soul Boys who like their Blues and Rock with a slightly trippy even spacey feel. It has only 7 tracks because its title song is a 13-minute instrumental that sounds like Jazz meets Blues meets Mellow meets Santana - it's 'so' good. "Purple" is a very B.B. King number, while it gets a little Stax funky with the superb "Sweet Thang" which opens the album. "Me And My Woman" is a Gene Barge song once covered by Albert King - and of course there's the brilliant "Strawberry Letter 23" (lyrics above) that still sounds effortlessly cool to this day. In fact "Freedom Flight" was a huge leap forward from the first album and featured high-profile guests included Jazz fusionist George Duke, the drummer Aynsley Dunbar, his dad Johnny Otis and Wilton Felder of The Crusaders.

Niggles - as I mentioned above - his first LP was "Kooper Session..." on Epic and combining that with the rare "Cuttin' Up" album by The Johnny Otis Show (which featured Shuggie) - this could have been a gobsmacking 5CD mini box set, but that would probably have been cost prohibitive. Other than that - like the dinky 3CD Fleetwood Mac box in this series - this is a peach of a release and finally makes music available to the masses that should be heard by the same.

To sum up - part Blues, part Soul, Rock, Acid House and Soulful - Shuggie Otis' music has always been hard to pigeonhole and all the better for it.

So - if you haven't heard his catalogue before, I urge you to take on a chance on this. It's a genuine voyage of discovery - especially if you like your Blues, R'n'B and Soul poison with a slightly spacey tint.

Fabarooney people – and easily a 2012 'Reissue of the Year' for me...