"Loading Zone/You're Not Alone" by ROY BUCHANAN - 1977 and 1978 Albums on Atlantic Records (February 2017 UK Beat Goes On Records (BGO) Compilation - 2LPs onto 2CDs - Andrew Thompson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Extraordinary Chops..."

Between 1972 and 1976 - master-player ROY BUCHANAN pumped out a whopping six albums on Polydor Records (five studio and one live) - yet the guitar-mad buying public in his native Blighty didn't seem to notice nor care. Even a budget compilation from April 1976 simply called "Roy Buchanan" and priced at £1.70 on Polydor's Flashback Series (2482 275) didn't tempt. Over in the USA his records had been charting in the lower ends of the Top 200 (1973's "Second Album even made it up to No. 89) - but in the main no matter how good or even hair-raising his playing was - commercially Roy Buchanan never ignited to the degree his talent deserved (his 1975 "Live Stock" set didn't even receive a UK release – only Polydor USA).

In fact since his horrible passing in a suspicious US Police-internment 'accident' in August 1988 aged only 39 (still the subject of intense speculation) – in 2017 Roy Buchanan's name isn't spoken with the same awe as say Stevie Ray Vaughan, Rory Gallagher or Jeff Beck. Musical insiders knew him but few else seemed to - with Beck even dedicating his gorgeous and Soulful cover version of Stevie Wonder’s "'Cause We Ended As Lovers" on 1975's "Blow By Blow" to RB (Buchanan was said to have been deeply touched). A known unknown. So I'd like to argue that this fab little 2CD reissue from BGO screams that he should be.

Some history first - after his contract expired with Polydor - Buchanan wasn't without a label for long. Ahmet Ertegun of the mighty Atlantic Records quickly snapped him up and soon had RB going the same way as his musical contemporaries of the time (Guitarist Janne Schaffer, Bassist Stanley Clarke, Keyboardist Patrice Rushen and Drummer Narada Michael Walden to name but a few) - down the road of commercial Fusion Rock largely trail-blazed by Jeff Beck's double-whammy of "Blow By Blow" and "Wired" in 1975 and 1976 (both produced by George Martin of Beatles fame). Which finally brings us to this superlative 2017 twofer from England's Beat Goes On that gathers together Buchanan's "Loading Zone" and "You're Not Alone" from 1977 and 1978. Both issued on Atlantic in the USA – these records have been off the CD reissue radar for years - especially the amazing "You're Not Alone". They both feature a truly stellar cast of likeminded and talented musicians (see list below) as well as genuinely blistering guitar work from RB. Here are the fretful details...

UK released 24 February 2017 - "Loading Zone/You're Not Alone" on Beat Goes On BGOCD1279 (Barcode 5017261212795) offers 2LPs as straightforward remasters onto 2CDs and plays out as follows:

Disc 1 (41:01 minutes):
1. The Heart Of The Battle [Side 1]
2. Hidden
3. The Circle
4. Adventures Of Brer Rabbit and Tar Baby
5. Ramon's Blues
6. Green Onions [Side 2]
7. Judy
8. Done Your Daddy Dirty
9. Your Love
Tracks 1 to 9 are his seventh album (sixth studio) "Loading Zone" - released June 1977 in the USA on Atlantic Records SD 18219 (reissued on Atlantic SD 19138) and July 1977 in the UK on Polydor 2391 295. Produced by STANLEY CLARKE - it peaked at No. 105.

"Loading Zone" musicians:
ROY BUCHANAN - Lead Guitars on All Tracks
SCOTT MUSMANNO and RON FOSTER - Lead and backing Vocals on "The Circle" (also co-wrote the song)
STEVE CROPPER [of Booker T & The MG's] - Lead Guitar - 2nd Solo on "Ramon's Blues" and 1st and 3rd Solos on "Green Onions" – also Rhythm Guitar on "The Circle" and "Done Your Daddy Dirty"
RAYMOND GOMEZ - Rhythm Guitar on "The Heat Of The Battle", "The Circle" and "Done Your Daddy Dirty"
MALCOLM LUKENS - Keyboards on "The Heat Of The Battle", "Ramon's Blues", "Judy", "Done Your Daddy Dirty" and "Your Love"
JAN HAMMER - Acoustic Piano on "Hidden"
STANLEY CLARKE - Bass on "The Heat Of The Battle", "The Circle" and Bass, Strings and Flute on "Adventures Of Brer Rabbit And Tar Baby"
DONALD "Duck" DUNN [of Booker T & The MG's] - Bass on "Green Onions"
WILL LEE - Bass on "Judy" with Bass, Flute and Strings on "Your Love"
DENNIS PARKER - Bass on "The Circle", "Ramon's Blues" and "Done Your Daddy Dirty"
NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN - Drums on "The Heat Of The Battle" and Drums and Piano on "Your Love"
DAVID GARIBALDI - Drums on "The Circle", "Ramon's Blues", "Green Onions" and "Done Your Daddy Dirty"

Disc 2 (40:05 minutes):
1. The Opening... Miles From Earth [Side 1]
2. Turn To Stone
3. Fly... Night Bird
4. 1841 Shuffle
5. Down By The River [Side 2]
6. Supernova
7. You're Not Alone
Tracks 1 to 7 are his eight-album "You're Not Alone" - released May 1978 in the USA on Atlantic SD 19170 (no UK release). Produced by RAYMOND SILVA - it peaked at No. 119 on the American LP charts.

"You're Not Alone"
ROY BUCHANAN – All Lead Guitars
RAY GOMEZ – Acoustic and Rhythm Guitars
GARY St. CLAIR – Lead Vocals on "Down By The River"
LUTHER VANDROSS, KRYSTAL DAVIS, ALFA ANDERSON and DAVID LASLEY – backing Vocals on "Down By The River"
WILLIE WEEKS – Bass
ANDREW NEWMARK – Drums

The card slipcase is classy and the 20-page booklet features brilliant and in-depth liner notes from noted Mojo contributor CHARLES WARING. The albums inner artwork is repro'd - musician credits - and properly great work from Waring explaining Buchanan's standing amongst his contemporaries and his almost inexplicable inability to get arrest chart-wise in the UK. But for most fans - it will the thrill of these albums Remastered in High Def by ANDREW THOMPSON that will have them licking their chops. Even Stanley Clarke was at the helm of "Loading Zone" - I always found its production all over the place - whilst the simple 'crank it and record it live' mentality that surrounded "You're Not Alone" seems to have worked better. "Loading Zone" sounds great - especially thrill-moments like "Ramon's Blues" - but the very "Wish You Were Here" sounding "You're Not Alone" is fantastic - rocking like a mother one second on Joe Walsh's "Turn To Stone" then suddenly coming on like James Vincent or Jeff Beck or David Gilmour on a Fusion-Rock tip the next. In fact for me "You're Not Alone" is a masterpiece and wildly overlooked - had it come out in 1972 maybe the world would have jumped up and noticed its vague spacey panorama of sound stages - but as it arrived primarily only in the USA in 1978 - England once again passed on a goody. Let's get to the music...

Both albums are a mix of Rock and Fusion with the second especially more to the latter. 1977's "Loading Zone" opens with Stanley Clarke's "The Heat Of The Battle" and we're very much in "Blow By Blow" and "Wired" territory - guitar pyrotechnics ahoy. Buchanan's own "Hidden" comes on all acoustic and piano and is pretty like the softer passages of a Mike Oldfield opus - his playing Soulful. I'm not sure what anyone was thinking when they made the decidedly poppy "The Circle" - Scott Musmanno leading vocals in what feels like an awkward child on the album complete with 'aah' backing vocals. A short Rockabilly interlude comes with the dismissible "Adventures Of Brer Rabbit And Tar Baby" - but at last the album ignites with "Ramon's Blues" where a super-band that includes Steve Cropper from Booker T & The MG's gives the six-and-a-half-minute Blues Instrumental a huge boost. Buchanan and Cropper share solos (Roy on one and three while Steve takes Number Two) – ending a patchy LP side on a real high.

Side 2 opens with a cover of the 1962 Stax classic "Green Onions" that includes the original Booker T & The MG's hustlers - Steve Cropper on Guitar with Donald "Duck" Dunn on Bass. Again Buchanan and Cropper shares lead guitar solos (SC on 1&3 while RB takes 2&4) over an eight-minute instrumental with Malcolm Lukens trying to fill in on organ for Booker T. Jones. Although RB's playing is at time hair-raising - about halfway through it's already overstaying its welcome. By direct contrast - drummer Narada Michael Walden's "Judy" offers a Fusion slowy worth having even if RB's guitars are far too distant in the mix. Another highlight comes in the dirty Rock-Funk of the appropriately titled "Done Your Daddy Dirty" - his slide playing wild and brilliant as the boys boogie gamely in the background. The album ends on another pretty Narada contribution but unfortunately Roy chooses to sing (he never had a great voice) and then dollops it with strings and brass. It's dreadful stuff.

Luckily album Number two "You're Not Alone" elevates this release into something else. The beautiful "Opening - Miles From Earth" written by Mauritian keyboardist Jean Roussel is pure synth-tinkering Fusion in the vein of James Vincent and "Space Traveler" or Dexter Wansel and "Life On Mars". But then - suddenly and without warning - the in-between tracks silence bursts into the biggest guitar riffage you've ever heard as RB does a cover of Joe Walsh's "Turn To Stone". I've loved this JW stunner for over 45 years - turning up first on Walsh's 1972 "Barnstorm" debut album after he left The James Gang and then again in a more polished form on his US 1974 (UK 1975) album "So What". Here Buchanan takes a feel of both disparate JW versions (the rough grungy guitar of the original and the mellow polish of the remake) and throws in keyboard passages that meld Rock and Fusion. It's amazing stuff. But then he comes on all "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" with the equally cool "Fly...Night Bird" where a beats comes in half way through that might have Pink Floyd lawyers feeling itchy. It then proceeds to go into a David Gilmour type guitar solo that seems to last forever - RB with his axe ramped up to 13 and beyond as he races up and down the frets like he's trying to out Jeff Beck. That perfect side then ends on a fabulous Rock Boogie penned by RB called "1841 Shuffle" - chugging its way into a fantastic groove that surely someone somewhere shoulda-oughta noticed.

Side 2 opens with another smartly chosen cover version - this time from Neil Young's second solo LP in 1969 "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere". Buchanan gives "Down By The River" over nine-minutes and the track even includes Luther Vandross on Backing Vocals (dreaming of a solo career) alongside vocalist Alpha Anderson who did stints with disco-darlings Chic. RB's version of this rocker has lead vocals from the obscure Gary St. Clair who'd previously recorded one self-titled LP in 1971 on Paramount Records (PAS 6020). With the plead of St. Clair and the almost church-like backing vocals - Buchanan's "Down By The River" feels like CSN revisiting their own song while his note-bending floats over the "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" meets Joe Walsh's "County Fair" rhythm section. It's epic stuff and an inspired cover.

"Supernova" is a straight-up Rock 'n' Roller with its skirt up in the air while RB goes all Marty McFly on his axe. The combined talents of Roussel, Newmark, Weeks and Silva wrote the outer-space synth piece "You're Not Alone" - an eight-minute instrumental that again feels like Pink Floyd circa 1975 - Buchanan sounding like David Gilmour giving it some British suburban misery on the guitar. An impressive finish to an impressive album...

Although there are several brill bits on "Loading Zone" - for me it's definitely the weaker of the two LPs. But "You're Not Alone" is a gem – an overlooked Rock-Fusion winner that warrants a second go-round. In fact I'd argue that if ever a reissue deserved your inner axeman worship - then this is it. Well done once again to BGO for such a tasty job done - and Rock On RB wherever you are...

BGO CD reissues/remasters for Roy Buchanan are...

1. Roy Buchanan/Second Album

August 1972 and March 1973 debut and second studio albums – reissued April 2002 as a 2CD set on Beat Goes On BGOCD 541 (Barcode 5017261205414)

2. That’s What I’m Here For/Rescue Me

February 1974 and February 1975 third and fourth studio albums – reissued August 2008 as a 2CD set on Beat Goes On BGOCD 806 (Barcode 5017261205414) Note: Rescue Me was known as "In The Beginning" in the USA

3. Live Stock/A Street Called Straight
November 1975 and October 1976 fifth and sixth albums (fifth is live) – reissued April 2005 on Beat Goes On BGOCD 682 (Barcode 5017261206824)

4. Loading Zone/You’re Not Alone
June 1977 and May 1978 seventh and eight LPs - reissued February 2017 on Beat Goes On BGOCD 1279 (Barcode 5017261212795)

"Eddie Money" by EDDIE MONEY - October 1877 US Debut Album on Columbia Records - March 1978 in the UK on CBS Records (January 2013 US Rock Candy 'Remastered & Reloaded' CD Reissue - Jon Astley Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With 339 Others Is Available In My

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites

PROVE IT ALL NIGHT 

Music Of 1975 to 1979 

Your All-Genres Guide To 

Exceptional CD Reissues & Remasters

Thousands of E-Pages - All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs

Just Click Below To Purchase (No Cut and Paste Crap)

<iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=mabasreofcdbl-21&language=en_GB&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B071P5X2GW&asins=B071P5X2GW&linkId=716e2a561b29ac39bd11daa25c37986b&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe>

"...Two Tickets To Paradise..."

Ex New York City Cop and raspy vocalist EDDIE MONEY (Eddie Mahoney) produced a slew of albums for Columbia Records (CBS in the UK) between 1978 and 1992. But his reputation as one of the great Ian Hunter Rock 'n' Roller-types rests on his first four albums - which America's 'Rock Candy Records' have chosen to reissue in 2013 as 'Collector's Editions Remastered & Reloaded'.

I bought the vinyl LPs at the time and loved every good time minute of them. In fact I worked with a band in Dublin called 'Rogue Angel' who used to cover several of his tunes in their brill residency at Toner's Bar in Baggot Street (great memories). But frankly the quality of Money's songs began to taper off by his third platter "Playing For Keeps" in August 1980 and "No Control" in July 1982 wasn't a whole lot better. For me there's only ever been this - his rattling "Eddie Money" debut from late 1977 and the upbeat follow-up "Life For The Taking" released Stateside in January 1979. Two Tickets To Paradise indeed - here are the Rock and Roll Stars...

USA released January 2013 - "Eddie Money" by EDDIE MONEY on Rock Candy Records CANDY172 (Barcode 5055300356567) is a straightforward Remaster of his 1977 US Debut LP with upgraded booklet and plays out as follows (39:46 minutes):

1. Two Tickets To Paradise [Side 1]

2. You've Really Got A Hold On Me

3. Wanna Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star

4. Save A Little Love In Your Heart For Me

5. So Good To Be In Love Again

6. Baby Hold On [Side 2]

7. Don't Worry

8. Jealousys

9. Got To Get Another Girl

10. Gamblin Man

Tracks 1 to 10 are his Debut studio album "Eddie Money" - released October 1977 in the USA on Columbia PC 34909 and March 1978 in the UK on CBS Records S CBS 82434. Produced by BRUCE BOTNIK (of The Doors fame) and Recorded/Engineered by ANDY JOHNS - it peaked at No. 37 on the US LP charts in the summer of 1978 (didn't chart UK).

Musicians:

EDDIE MONEY - Lead Vocals, Piano and Harmonica

JIMMY LYON - Guitar

ALAN PASQUA, RANDY NICHOLS and FREDDIE WEBB - Keyboards

LONNIE TURNER and BOB 'Pops' POPWELL - Bass

GARY MALLABER and KEVIN CALHOUN - Percussion

GARY MALLABER – Drums all on all tracks except those listed below

GENE PARDUE - Drums on "Wanna Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star", "Don't Worry", and "Gamblin Man"

Guests:

JO BAKER - Second Vocal on "Baby Hold On"

TOM SCOTT - Tenor and Alto Sax on "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" and "Jealousys"

The 12-page booklet is pretty to look at - live photos from the period - repro's of the Japanese and US singles for "Two Tickets To Paradise", a 'Big Bucks' Eddie Money ten-dollar memorabilia banknote, a Columbia Records trade advert talking about the 'school of hard knocks' and new liner notes from HOWARD JOHNSON. Including 2012 interviews with Eddie about that heady time and how the two huge hits of "Two Tickets To Paradise" and "Baby Hold On" broke the album on American Radio – Money stated his intentions from the outset and how! EM wanted to be a 'Rock and Roll Star' – pursuing that end no matter what. So a lot of the songs are self-explanatory and also show there was a lot of jealousy from others on the scene at the time because he actually got there – albeit after years of gig and plugging graft.

Although released in the autumn of 1977 – "Eddie Money" didn’t dent the US Top 200 until the first week of July in 1978 where it began a slow climb to eventually peak at No. 39 - staying on chart for an impressive 46 weeks. It was the beginning EM needed because the second platter "Life For The Taking" would go Top 20 in 1979 - peaking at No. 17. Fans will also know that less than a handful of tracks from "Eddie Money" have been available on a 'Greatest Hits' set as Remasters and that this is the first time the entire album has been done (ditto for the other three). There are no lyrics and its hugely disappointing that there isn't 'anything' extra by way of bonus material - but at least the Audio makes up for those shortcomings...

Experienced Audio Engineer JON ASTLEY (The Who, Pete Townshend, Tears For Fears, The Boomtown Rats, Bad Company and more) has handled the 24-bit Digital Remaster from original tapes at 'Close To The Edge' Mastering in Twickenham, England - and this sucker 'rocks' for all the right reasons. How good is it to hear songs like the Soulful cover of Smokey Robinson's Motown classic "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" and the Oh God I've been working so hard barroom bar-band sweat of "Wanna Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star" sound this good...

The album opens with a bopping Rock winner "Two Tickets To Paradise" – an EM original about waiting to talk his gal on a trip – get away from the grim reality of the big city choke. His Soulful cover of the Smokey Robinson and The Miracles classic "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" is a fantastic groove brought to life by a trio - his passionate vocals, Jimmy Lyons on Guitar and Tom Scott sailing over the whole thing with those cool Saxophone notes. Songwriter Chris Solsberg would co-write a lot with Eddie on the 1979 "Life For The Taking" LP - for the debut he throws in another cracking 'rocker' - the mission statement "Wanna Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star". It's garage vocals and guitars sound brill on the Remaster. "Save A Little Room In Your Heart For Me" is the big ballad - a keyboard led pleader that reminds me of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers when they'd hit you with a 'touching' melody you weren't expecting amidst all the American riffage. Side 1 ends on a wicked co-write with Jimmy Lyon - the dancing castanets of "So Good To Be In Love Again" - a hugely likeable song that could easily have been another radio hit.

Side 2 opens with the album's other winner - the catchy "Baby Hold On". It entered the US singles charts in April 1978 eventually rising to No. 11 - staying on the charts for eleven weeks ("Two Tickets To Paradise" followed in July 1978 peaking at No. 22). The next EM/Jimmy Lyon song "Don't Worry" sounds like a different band in ways while the wrongly-spelt "Jealousys" gets back to hooky business in a big way. Eddie goes all Jimi Hendrix with the doubled-vocal and guitar opening of "Got To Get Another Girl" - another song about a Rock 'n' Roller who can't control her (oh dear). "Gamblin Man" is co-written with Dan Alexander of The Rockets and ends the album on an upbeat Rock bopper. 

After years in the Rock 'n' Roll wilderness (he'd been gigging since 1974) – his second platter "Life For The Taking" (which I’ve also reviewed) only consolidated the strides EM made on his self-titled debut.

Despite the lack of extras and that greedy full-price tag - this is a stone 5-star CD remaster of "Eddie Money" and I recommend you 'Save A Little Room In Your Heart' for Eddie Mahoney's Rock 'n' Roll charms...

The January 2013 Rock Candy Records CD Remasters for EDDIE MONEY are:

1. Eddie Money (October 1977 debut LP) - Rock Candy CANDY172 (Barcode 5055300356567)

2. Life For The Taking (January 1979 2nd LP) - Rock Candy CANDY173 (Barcode 5055300356574)

3. Playing For Keeps (August 1980 3rd LP) - Rock Candy CANDY174 (Barcode 5055300356581)

4. No Control (July 1982 4th LP) - Rock Candy CANDY175 (Barcode 5055300356598)

"Close To The Edge: How Yes's Masterpiece Defined Prog Rock" by WILL ROMANO (March 2017 Backbeat Paperback Book) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Total Mass Retain..."

I've been pouring over Will Romano's book for about a fortnight now and there's both good news and bad - with the bad being largely out of his control and the good news hugely outweighing any annoying omissions.

At the age of 58 (I'm 59 this September) - I'm probably one of the old gits this New York writer has aimed his book at. Romano has already penned a tome on the subject of Progressive Rock - "Mountains Come Out Of The Sky: The Illustrated History Of Prog Rock - Prog Rock FAQ" - which was an excellent and truly informative read(aka "PROG ROCK FAQ"). Romano has also scribed a homage to a fave subject of mine called - "Big Boss Man: The Life & Music Of Bluesman Jimmy Reed". So he's not new to this music-book malarkey...

"Close To The Edge: How Yes's Masterpiece Defined Prog Rock" was published March 2017 by Backbeat Books in oversized paperback - 288-pages of seriously in-depth detail about a September 1972 album that amazed then - and is still making jaws drop 45 years later in 2017.

The fourth YES album "Close To The Edge" had only three tracks - one of which was the 18-minute 4-part "Close To The Edge" suite on Side 1. The others over on Side 2 were "And You and I" - four-parts at just under eleven minutes - and "Siberian Khatru" (all one track) at just under ten minutes. "Close To The Edge" had taken months to rehearse and record and cemented the rep given this most British of bands by adventurous Rock with "The Yes Album" and "Fragile" from either end of 1971.

Centred are 12-pages of photos - but only one of the cover – no rear, no inner gatefold, no inner bag? For an album that was so dominated by Roger Dean's artwork - especially the inner painting and the beautifully CTTE scripted lyric bag - it's absence here gives you no insight into what the actual LP looked like - that whole tactile thing. I dare say Romano and Backbeat couldn't get clearance from Dean to reproduce that inner sleeve that so many of us poured over back in the day (I even copied the writing into my schoolbooks) or even show the other three unused RD paintings that turned up for our titillation on the Steve Wilson Remixed 'Panegyric' reissues of 2013 (CD and BLU RAY).

He does reproduce the American A-side label for Atlantic SD 19133 - but sloppily it's a late 70s pressing with the corporate Warner Brothers logo and not an American original. Besides - where's the British original LP label for such a very British band - the Orange and Yellow variant of Atlantic K 50012? The other photos are of band members - the sadly passed Bassist Chris Squire in a church choir as a child - an Atlantic Records 'Gold' LPs trade advert for 1972 and so. They’re good – but I think they missed a trick here by not having the actual artwork…

Impressively detailed reminiscences come from Engineer Eddy Offord, lead singer Jon Anderson, keyboard-whiz Rick Wakeman and everyone else who was key to the project. There are histories of each player (Wakeman with The Strawbs - Bruford with King Crimson etc) - the torturous recording process where certain tracks ended up in a bin by mistake - the endless layers on layers - Steve Howe's amazing guitar playing - Wakeman the same.

This is a good book on an album that actually bears up to this level of scrutiny. It’s just a shame that the very thing that turned us on (as much as the awesome music did) - isn't here – how it looked - the visuals. Fans will know what I mean…

But the best compliment I can pay "Close To The Edge" the book is that it made me want to drag out my Steve Wilson Remastered CD reissue again. And as those 'climb clear of the morning' lyrics and gorgeous acoustic guitar themes kicked in on "And You And I" - not for the first time with this groundbreaking record - I shed a little Proggy tear.

Nice one Will...

"Hit List 2: More Hot 100 Chartbusters of the 70s" by VARIOUS ARTISTS (August 2016 Ace Records CD - Nick Robbins Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Rocky Mountain Way..." 

Making a Various Artists CD compilation like this is harder than it would appear - I’ve tried it many times and made hundreds when I worked at Reckless Records in Islington and Soho. 

And when I played August 2016’s "Hit List 2: More Hot 100 Chartbusters of the 70s" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Ace CDCHD 1480 (Barcode 029667076722) - it started out well and looked good - but then went quickly off the wagon...

1. The Doobie Brothers - China Grove

2. Dobie Gray - Drift Away

3. Fanny - Charity Ball

4. The Allman Brothers Band - Ramblin' Man

5. Joe Walsh - Rocky Mountain Way (Single Edit)

6. The Messengers - That's The Way A Woman Is

7. The Band - Rag Mama Rag

8. The Gentrys - Cinnamon Girl

9. Ace [with Paul Carrack] - How Long

10. The Jaggerz - The Rapper

11. The Hollies - Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)

12. Bread - Everything I Own

13. Frijid Pink - House Of The Rising Sun

14. Teegarden & Van Winkle - God, Love, And Rock & Roll (We Believe)

15. Elvin Bishop - Fooled Around And Fell In Love

16. Dave Loggins - Please Come To Boston

17. Three Dog Night - Sure As I'm Sittin' Here

18. Carly Simon - Anticipation

19. Rick Derringer - Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo

20. Linda Ronstadt - When Will I Be Loved

21. Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods -Who Do You Think You Are

22. Alice Cooper - Teenage Lament '74

23. Orleans - Still The One

24. Reunion - Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)

Who doesn't love the brill riffage of "China Grove" by The Doobie Brothers (from 1973's "The Captain And Me" LP) and absolutely any excuse to put the gorgeous "Drift Away" by Dobie Gray onto a CD is fine by me (a 1973 R&B hit on Decca in the States that Rod Stewart covered so well on his 1975 "Atlantic Crossing" LP). The hugely appealing "How Long" by Ace (with Paul Carrack), the upbeat yacht rock of "Still The One" by Orleans (with John Hall) and the beautiful Soul-Rock of "Fooled Around And Fell In Love" by Elvin Bishop are all very smart choices too – great 70ts songs that are largely forgotten and deserve rediscovery. But when you get into the second half of the list - things start to go awry rapido.

I can understand putting on rarities like Teegarden & Van Winkle, Dave Loggins, Frijid Pink and Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods to tempt single collectors - but are they actually any good and the answer is no. Throw in stuff like "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress" by The Hollies, the weedy "Ramblin' Man" by The Allman Brothers and "Everything I Own" by Bread as well as Carly Simon, The Band and Linda Ronstadt - all of which are way too common on CD compilations and the listen starts to feel a lot less interesting and more like a lazily programmed radio show. You could of course endlessly debate what should be on here – but for my bent penny's worth how about Heads, Hands & Feet "Warming Up The Band" or "Slow Down" by John Miles or the single edit of "Heartsong" by Gordon Giltrap or the stunning instrumental Funk-Rock boogie of "Rumplestiltskin" by Rumplestiltskin - a monster B-side which was recently used to such amazing effect in the Amazon TV series about Hugh Heffner and Playboy magazine?

Speaking of collectors - fans should note that the version of "Rocky Mountain Way" by Joe Walsh is the single edit at 3:39 minutes and to my knowledge is an exclusive here. A genuine discovery is The Gentrys doing a cover version of Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" from 1970 that sticks close to the rocking original - it's a real blast. But "Teenage Lament '74" by Alice Cooper and the hammy "Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo" by Rock Derringer are actually my idea of Rock Hell. The Fanny track and the Three Dog Night song both feel second rate too (they've done so much better like Three Dog Night's "I Can Hear You Calling" - a cover of a Bush song) - while the final cut by Reunion is best left firmly in someone's delete bin never to be retrieved.

The booklet is the usual 20-page fact-and-pic feast from Ace with liner notes by TONY ROUNCE - a man with more musical knowledge than John Reed - and that's really saying something. The audio is great throughout (a generous playing time of 76:14 minutes) – NICK ROBBINS masters – a longstanding and much praised Audio Engineer.

To sum up - great audio and superb presentation as always with Ace Records and their cool CD compilations - but unfortunately for 2016's "Hit List 2" - I'd advise a listen first...

"Brothers/Music Fuh Ya' (Musica Para Tu)/Evolution (The Most Recent)" by TAJ MAHAL - 1977 and 1978 Albums on Warner Brothers (November 2015 UK Beat Goes On Records (BGO) Compilation - 3LPs onto 2CDs - Andrew Thompson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...In The Key Of Dire..."

I've always had a soft spot for the Blues of Henry Fredericks from Harlem in New York (TAJ MAHAL to you and I) - and his 1968 self-titled debut "Taj Mahal" ranks in my books as one of the all-time-greats of the Blues-Rock genre. The two or three albums that followed that fantastic start were damn good too (he made 11 albums before he quit Columbia Records for Warner Brothers in 1976). But as the new decade wore on – he mellowed those fun 60’s Boogie Blues into wishy-washy Seventies pseudo pap – eventually arriving in 1977 at the truly dreadful "Brothers" soundtrack (not that the other two are much better).

Unfortunately these three albums are an ample example as to why Taj Mahal's records from this period in his career garnish so little interest. They’re just no good and at times genuinely hard to stomach even in hindsight. For what its worth - here are the details...

UK released 27 November 2015 (December 2015 in the USA) – "Brothers/Music Fuh Ya' (Musica Para Tu)/Evolution (The Most Recent)" by TAJ MAHAL on Beat Goes On BGOCD 1214 (Barcode 5017261212146) offers 3 albums onto 2CDs and plays out as follows:

Disc 1 (41:30 minutes):

1. Love Theme In the Key Of D

2. Funky Butt

3. Brother's Doin' Fine

4. Night Rider

5. Free The Brothers [Side 2]

6. Sentidos Duice (Sweet Feelings)

7. The Funeral March

8. Malcolm's Song

9. David And Angela

Tracks 1 to 9 are the album "Brothers" – released 1977 in the USA as a Soundtrack LP on Warner Brothers BS 3024

Disc 2 (78:26 minutes):

1. You Got It

2. Freight Train

3. Baby, You're My Destiny

4. Sailin’ Into Walker’s Cay

5. Truck Driver's Two Step [Side 2]

6. The Four Mills Brothers

7. Honey Babe

8. Curry

Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "Music Fuh Ya' (Musica Para Tu)" – released January 1977 in the USA on Warner Brothers BS 2994 and January 1977 in the UK on Warner Brothers K 56324

9. Sing A Happy Song

10. Queen Bee

11. Lowdown Showdown

12. The Most Recent (Evolution) Of Muthafusticus Modernusticus

13. Why You Do Me This Way [Side 2]

14. Salsa De Laventille

15. The Big Blues

16. Nighnite

17. Southbound With The Hammer Down

Tracks 9 to 17 are the album "Evolution (The Most Recent)" – released 1978 in the USA on Warner Brothers BSK 3094 (no UK release)

There's a card slipcase which lends the 2CD reissue a classy look, a new 2015 High Definition CD Remaster from ANDREW THOMPSON and a 16-page booklet with informative CHARLES WARING liner notes that include the original musician credits and some repro'd artwork. The Remaster sounds brilliant even when the music is being busy - these are warm and well-handled transfers (if only the music actually warranted it)...

The "Brothers" soundtrack is based in the Bahamas so every track is dreadful steel drum percussion that renders every tune both dated and unlistenable. But even worse is his voice – which feels out of tune and stoned half the time. You wouldn’t mind if any of the songs were any good – they’re not – insipid half-assed up-pop that just doesn’t work either as Blues, Soul or Pop. Side 2 offers moments of redemption though - the 8-minute "Free The Brothers" track sees the title chanted against an incessant drum and percussion backbeat – but about four minutes in and your patience starts to wear thin as you realise that the song has nothing else to offer – just eight minutes of the same chant that builds a bit towards the end. "Sentidos Dulce (Sweet Feelings)" is a Saxophone Samba with more Steel Drums but feels like elevator music while at least "The Funeral March" has some semblance of Soul in its melody.

Both of the next two records are ruined with Steel Drums invading almost every track – sounding at times like dreadful 'three blind mice' calypso outtakes from "Dr. No". This is epitomised by the woeful "The Four Mills Brothers" where he sings Louis Prima's refrain "...I ain't got nobody..." in the middle of a nowhere melody. But worse is that despite top-notch production values and a huge array of talented players – the songs feel dreadfully dated and strangely lifeless for tunes that have so much going on in them. "Lowdown Showdown" sounds like bad Abba - while its easy to see why "The Most Recent..." track graced the anthology 2CD set from the 90's – its at least got decent vibes and interesting trippy guitar soundscapes. "Why You Do Me This Way" has a nice Ry Cooder groove and "The Big Blues" sounds like a welcome return to form with his harmonica matching a slick brass refrain...with "Southbound With The Hammer Down" doing the same...

To sum up – despite the top-notch presentation and remaster – for me the largely derivative music makes this a rare turkey in the BGO reissue cannon. If you’re not a fan – I’d advise to get a listen first before purchase – and if you are interested in TAJ MAHAL and wonder why such affection was afforded him in the first place - I’d plum for that "Taj Mahal" debut album with Ry Cooder in his band (see review) which is available online for less than three quid in many places...

"Katharsis/Earmeal/Presens" by JANNE SCHAFFER - 1977, 1979 and 1980 Albums (April 2017 UK Beat Goes On Records (BGO) Compilation - 3LPs onto 2CDs - Andrew Thompson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With 300+ More Is Available in my

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites

HIGHER GROUND

SOUL, FUNK and JAZZ FUSION - Exception CD Remasters  

Just Click Below To Purchase for £6.95

Thousands of E-Pages - All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs 

(No Cut and Paste Crap)

"...Scandinavian Struttin'..."

For most British fans of the Swedish uber guitarist JANNE SCHAFFER - their knowledge of the man's axe histrionics comes from his first two solo albums - both of which come on like Jeff Beck's groundbreaking Seventies sets "Blow By Blow" and "Wired" – entirely instrumental Fusion Rock LPs with a Funky twist. 

The debut "Janne Schaffer" first appeared in his native Stockholm on Four Leaf Records in 1973 and promptly Prog Rocked its way to the No. 1 slot on their album charts (an impressive feat for the time). Such fan-frenzy soon got noticed over in Prog-mad Blighty by the eclectic Vertigo Records label - which then promptly reissued his debut as "The Chinese" in May 1974 on Vertigo 6360 107. The next year Vertigo followed that (as John Peel would say) with the imaginatively entitled "Janne Schaffer's Second" in April 1975 on Vertigo 6360 118 (called "Janne Schaffer's Andra" in his native Sweden on Four Leaf Records). After those initial flurries established him as a zippy-licks guitarist of note – Schaffer kind of disappeared off our radars until the Jazz Funk and Fusion explosion of the late Seventies took the music buying public by storm on both sides of the pond. Suddenly everyone was discovering their inner Narada-this and Mahavishnu-that. And that's where this rather fabulous BGO twofer CD reissue comes funkin' in.

What you're getting here is what happened next. Schaffer signed to Columbia Records (CBS in the UK and Europe) and pushed out these three lesser-seen Jazz Funk and Fusion gems in 1977, 1979 and 1980 - the first two in the UK and US - while the last album was in Europe only. They've been hard to find on CD for years. Here are the cathartic details...

UK released Friday, 14 April 2017 - "Katharsis/Earmeal/Presens" by JANNE SCHAFFER on Beat Goes On BGOCD 1289 (Barcode 5017261212894) offers 3 Jazz Fusion LPs from 1977, 1979 and 1980 Remastered onto 2CDs and plays out as follows:

Disc 1 (64:26 minutes):

1. Bromma Struttin' [Side 1]

2. Stocking Suite (a) Allegro (b) Adagio

3. The Blue Gate

4. Dimbaa Jullow [Side 2]

5. Ramsa

6. Atlanta Inn 2419

7. The Red Gate

8. Wintergreen

Tracks 1 to 8 are his third studio album "Katharsis" - released April 1977 in the USA on Columbia PC 34499 and June 1977 in the UK on CBS Records 81733.

9. Hot Days And Summer Nights [Side 1]

10. Happy Feet

11. To A Beautiful Painter

12. Bromma Express

Disc 2 (60:58 minutes):

1. The Shrimp [Side 2]

2. Shrimp A La Carte 

3. It's Never Too Late

4. Oriental Sign

5. Frederick's Place

Tracks 9 to 12 on Disc 1 and Tracks 1 to 5 on Disc 2 are his fourth studio album "Earmeal" - released February 1979 in the USA on Columbia JC 35508 and in the UK on CBS Records S CBS 83002.

6. Mr. Allansson Pickles [Side 1]

7. The Tongue

8. Neonmoisture

9. March From Refresher Course

10. Fata Morgana [Side 2]

11. High Pitch

12. Evening At Alex

13. Open Eyes

14. Diesire

Tracks 6 to 14 are his fifth studio album "Presens" - released 1980 in Holland on CBS Records 84166.

As always with these BGO CD sets - the outer card slipcase lends the whole reissue a feeling of class - while the jam-packed 24-page booklet features new and in-depth liner notes from Mojo's noted Jazz columnist CHARLES WARING. There are original musician credits, black and white cover artwork and new interviews with Schaffer on the making of each LP and the heady times they were recording in (he famously sessioned on over fifty ABBA tracks including early monster hits like "Waterloo", "Dancing Queen" and "Mamma Mia"). Talented contributing musicians like the Porcaro Brothers from Toto on the second LP are discussed (Bruce Botnik of Doors fame producing) - John 'Rabbit' Bundrick of Argent and Traffic - and many more. But the big news is truly spectacular new Remasters by ANDREW THOMPSON at Sound Mastering. These were superbly produced LPs in the first place anyway - but these new transfers have brought out that amazing musicianship like never before. Playing something like "Atlanta Inn 2419" from the "Katharsis" album is likely to have listeners reaching for that Steely Dan adjective – both musically and sonically. A very nice job done...

Ex Argent and Traffic Keyboard wiz John 'Rabbit' Bundrick adds his chops to the opening "Bromma Struttin'" on the 'K' spelt "Katharsis" - a track that immediately feels like old Janne has been pigging out on Jeff Beck's Epic Records output - the George Martin produced "Blow By Blow" and "Wired" from 1975 and 1976. Nice use too of the voice box made popular by Joe Walsh ("Rocky Mountain Way"), Peter Frampton ("Show Me The Way") and Steely Dan ("Haitian Divorce"). That is followed by nine and half minutes of instrumental virtuosity. "Stocking Suite" - part (a) is super funky while part (b) mellows right down into some truly gorgeous Santana type guitar - very Soulful and soaring in all the right ways. Side 1 ends on some cool slap bass that's quickly joined by doubled-up guitars - al of them slow-funkin' their way in through "The Blue Gate". There are parts of "The Blue Gate" that feel 'so' instrumental Steely Dan - the same applying to "Atlanta Inn 2419" over on Side 2. The LP ends on the really pretty "Wintergreen" where finally the Acoustic Guitar comes out in Latin flicks and flourishes - a double-bass accompanying - there but staying just enough out of the way of those fret runs.

The second LP "Earmeal" was the first recorded away from his native Stockholm - Produced by Bruce Botnik of Elektra Records fame in the States with most of Toto on board as sessionmen. It's clearly aiming at the Miroslav Vitous, Weather Report, John McLaughlin audience - funky fusion with wild passages of ridiculously accomplished playing. "Happy Feet" feels like The Brothers Johnson have mated with Deodato and Narada Michael Walden to produce a groover 12" single - the kind of pleasing shuffler you could skate around the roller-rink to - neck-jerking as you shimmy and shammy towards the satin-bottom in front of you. "To A Beautiful Painter" is gorgeous stuff with passages that feel George Benson "Breezin'" one second - Phil Upchurch "Darkness, Darkness" the next. Best bits on Side 2 include the seriously funky "Shrimp" (followed by a gorgeous one-minute melody on strings in "A La Carte") and the Con Funk Shun shake-your-booty of "It's Never Too Late". Production-wise the finisher "Frederick's Place" is a feast for the ears - three minutes of acoustic guitar and piano playing off each other while an expertly plucked double bass anchors it – bringing a very sweet LP to a properly tasteful close.

The last album "Earmeal" feels at times strangely heavy-handed compared to the deftly handled “Earmeal” – big guitars and even messier production values on tracks like "The Tongue" and "March From Refresher Course". Things improve with the vibes of "Neonmoisture" – a slow guitar groove possessed of a melody that rises above just clever playing. Unfortunately "Fata Morgana" again feels overwrought and the boppy "High Pitch" is dreadfully Eighties - and not in a good way. Doomy and aimless keyboard notes carry in "Diesire" at the end of the album followed throughout by echoed guitar soloing – but it all feels like too much damage has been done by the rest of the record (shame).

This is a typically superb BGO reissue – making available rare and desirable albums by an artist who deserves rediscovery. I’d have to say for me album number three lets the side down somewhat – but those first two are corkers.

Well done to all the super-troopers involved – and fans of the 71 year-old Schaffer and Jazz Fusion/Funk are advised to dive in pronto...