"Jesus Christ Superstar – A Rock Opera" by ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER and TIM RICE – October 1970 2LP Set on MCA Records (UK) and Decca Records (USA) – ORIGINAL STUDIO CAST featuring Vocals from Ian Gillan of Deep Purple, Murray Head, Yvonne Elliman, Victor Brox of The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, Brian Keith of The Congregation, John Gustafson, Barry Dennen, Annette Brox of Sweet Pain, Paul Davis of Gracious, Mike d’Abo of Manfred Mann, Tony Ashton of Ashton, Gardner & Dyke, Madeline Bell, Brian Bennett of Mike Stuart Span and Leviathan, Lesley Duncan, Sue and Sunny, Peter Barnfeather, Alan O’Duffy and Neil Lancaster with Henry McCulloch, Neil Hubbard, Chris Spedding on Guitars, Peter Robinson, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Mick Weaver on Keyboards - Chris Mercer on Tenor Sax of The Misunderstood, Keef Hartley Band, Charge and Gonzalez – Bass by Bruce Rowland of Ronnie Lane and Slim Chance and John Gustafson of The Spencer Davis Group and The Pirates (16 July 2012 UK Decca 2CD Reissue – Dick Beetham Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

ABOVE, ORIGINAL BRITISH DOUBLE-ALBUM ARTWORK OCTOBER 1970

BELOW, US ARTWORK USED ON THE OCTOBER 1970 ORIGINAL

AND THE 2012 2CD REISSUE/REMASTER

This Review and 315 More Like It 

Are Available in my e-Book...

ALL THINGS MUST PASS
1970

Your All-Genres Guide To

Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters 

Classic Albums, 45-Singles, Compilations 

ALL GENRES

Over 2,300 E-Pages of Reviews from the discs themselves

(No Cut and Paste Crap)

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"...My Mind Is Clearer Now..."

Come 16 October 2020 - Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's groundbreaking God-Rock spectacular "Jesus Christ Superstar - A Rock Opera" will be fifty years old. And in April 2020 – there are signs of age, dated tunes and hardened attitudes for sure. 

But that aside, this is still a seriously great double-album of the period and musically miles ahead of the saccharine pap that would take over ALW’s work for years after. And those famous names are a big draw too (see below).

First up however is the disappointing packaging, something that made the original MCA Records double pack such a wow (especially in Blighty). I've three copies at home all with the original catalogue number of MCA Records MKPS 2011/2 - the first on the earlier MCA label in Yellow (late 1970), the second with the curved Dog Bone variant (July 1971) and the third (April 1972) with the black and red coloured labels (there's a plain black in about 1974 too). The first two had a sort of four-way opening-out silver flaps sleeve (re-tied as an envelope) while the third ditched that for the standard gatefold. All of them had an album-sized 12-page libretto booklet giving all lyrics, photos of the principal singers and huge amounts of recording credits. Inside the gatefold of every edition was a college of 16-square photos - paintings of Christ as envisioned by many famous painters in history (Leonardo Da Vinci is No. 9) right up to Children at a South London School in Box No. 11 (supervised by Julie Collison).

The artwork for the American original on Decca Records DXA 7206 however used a gold two-angels logo on the very dull cover with a mini booklet slipped inside - and that's unfortunately what's been used for this US-based 2CD reissue. For me it completely defeats the impact of the beautiful-looking British original (maybe there will be a 50th Anniversary issue towards the end of 2020 that shows both artworks). It's hardly surprising that the US artwork has been chosen over the UK because it went to Number 1 there and only managed No 6 in January 1972 after reissue. But on a UK project, I'd like to see the UK artwork, especially when it is way more striking. At least a copy of the original master tapes (thought to have been destroyed in a fire) have been found and restoration work on those have produced this massively improved audio winner (ALW discusses this and the new EQ master on Page 2 of the 20-page booklet). Anyway, let's get to the anointed one, the haunted hunted Galilean and the music inspired by him...

UK released 16 July 2012 - "Jesus Christ Superstar - A Rock Opera" by ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER, TIM RICE and ORIGINAL STUDIO CAST on Decca 53339271 (Barcode 600753392713) is a 2CD Reissue and Remaster of a 1970 Double-Album (no bonus material) that plays out as follows:

CD1 (43:53 minutes):

1. Overture [Side 1]

2. Heaven On Their Minds

3. What's The Buzz/Strange Thing Mystifying

4. Everything's Alright

5. This Jesus Must Die

6. Rosanna [Side 2]

7. Simon Zealotes/Poor Jerusalem

8. Pilate's Dream

9. The Temple

10. Everything's Alright (Reprise)

11. I Don't Know How To Love Him

12. Damned For All Time/Bloody Money

CD2 (43:17 minutes):

1. The Last Supper [Side 3]

2. Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say)

3. The Arrest

4. Peter's Denial

5. Pilate And Christ

6. King Herod's Song (Try It And See It)

7. Judas' Death [Side 4]

8. Trial Before Pilate (Including The 39 Lashes)

9. Superstar

10. Crucifixion

11. John Nineteen Forty-One

"Jesus Christ Superstar - A Rock Opera" was released October 1970 in the UK on MCA Records MKPS 2011/2 and October 1970 in the USA on Decca Records DXA 7206. It peaked at No. 6 in the UK but went to No. 1 in the USA.

The list of big/small name contributors is enormous – the Vocal parts alone feature Ian Gillan of Deep Purple (in the lead role) and in ascending order- Murray Head, Yvonne Elliman (later solo and with Eric Clapton's band), Victor Brox of The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, Brian Keith of The Congregation, Annette Brox of Sweet Pain, Paul Davis of Gracious, Mike d’Abo of Manfred Mann, Tony Ashton of Ashton, Gardner & Dyke, Madeline Bell of Blue Mink, Brian Bennett of Mike Stuart Span and Leviathan, Lesley Duncan, Barry Dennen, Sue and Sunny, Peter Barnfeather, Alan O'Duffy, Neil Lancaster and The Trinidad Singers on the title track. The guitarists are principally Henry McCulloch (Sweeney's Men, Eire Apparent, Spooky Tooth, The Grease Band and Paul McCartney's Wings), Neil Hubbard and Chris Spedding - while keyboards come courtesy of Peter Robinson, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Mick Weaver. Chris Mercer on Tenor Sax of The Misunderstood, Keef Hartley Band, Charge and Gonzalez with Bass from John Gustafson of The Spencer Davis Group and The Pirates (JG sings also) aided by Bruce Rowland of The Grease Band and Ronnie Lane/Slim Chance. There are more! To the music…

Even back then I used to skip the Overture and go straight to Murray Head as Judas on the brilliant "Heaven On Their Minds" – Tim Rice’s lyrics hitting the spot so many times - "Jesus! You’ve started to believe the things they say of you…You really do believe this talk of God is true…" – his reasoning as it fades out perfectly capturing suspicion tugging at the heart of an admiring man. "What’s The Buzz…" introduces the amazing voice of Ian Gillan as Jesus – Deep Purple’s front man with the chops to be expressive and on occasion let out those screams that straddle pain and frustration. Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene duets with Gillan on one of the album’s best pieces "Everything’s Alright" – again the lyrics and the music swelling towards that huge strings and voices finish.

God Rock becomes seriously dated with the hammy "Hosanna" – hey JC – you’re alright by me – oh dear. Things return to clever-Rock with "Simon Zealotes/Poor Jerusalem" where the mob asks "did you see I waved…tell me I am saved…" as another sees the chance to harness the crowds to attack Rome – power and glory of a material and not spiritual kind. Of all the tracks that are lifted, "Pilate’s Dream" is perhaps the most startling. Those acoustic guitars swirling around the speakers as Pilate tries to decipher visions that leave him the blame for the man who is both haunting and hunted. In February 1971, MCA Records took the Yvonne Elliman sung ballad "I Don’t Know How To Love Him" and issued it as a 45 with a titled picture sleeve (MCA Records MKS 5053) with the instrumental "Overture" on the flipside. Side 2 ends on a desperate Judas trying to justify his decisions (Murray Head brilliant again) that then segues into that sinister moment of Gethsemane betrayal in "Blood Money".

The seven minutes of "The Last Supper" has amazing clarity (always knew I'd be an apostle) - the Ian Gillan vs. Murray Head vocal sparring, the keyboards  - all suddenly with so much more oomph. The same applies to the acoustic strums that open "Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say)" - the brass and orchestration putting out a huge soundstage. Betrayed with a kiss, "The Arrest" has great clarity on the 'what's the buzz' chorus of voices and again Ian Gillan nailing it on the so-emotional lead vocals. I recognise your face - I'm sure I saw you with him - I was never with him - "Peter's Denial" clear and powerful for it too. Cluttering up his hallway, Pilate mocks the king of the Jews – those background instruments menacing as Pilate sneers and condemns. Getting quite a name all around the place, Mike d'Abo adding some superb camp to "King Herod's Song" - that barrelhouse piano amped up. And on it goes through the Trial to the huge brass and orchestra of "Superstar" - still a stirring piece of work. "The Crucifixion" is hard to hear, as is the sadness in the final piece "John Nineteen Forty-One".

Into your hands, I commend this reissue might be a tad cheesy. But then again, after 50 years, so is much of this. Still whether one of us denies it or not, "Jesus Christ Superstar" sold reputedly upwards of 8-millions copies and across a steady two to three years too – its influence of course reaching out though the decades long, long after 1970.

Notwithstanding the seriously dated nature of the music, there is much to love here, and lifetime fans of this Rock Opera will need to own this amazing Audio upgrade...

"The Albums 1969-1972" by THE CLIMAX CHICAGO BLUES BAND [First Three LPs] and CLIMAX CHICAGO [Fourth and Fifth LPs] -– Featuring Five UK Albums and Eighteen Bonuses - "The Climax Chicago Blues Band" Debut from February 1969 on Parlophone, "The Climax Blues Band Plays On" from November 1969 on Parlophone, "A Lot Of Bottle" from December 1970 on Harvest, "Tightly Knit" from October 1971 on Harvest and "Rich Man" from January 1973 on Harvest (June 2019 UK Esoteric Recordings 5CD Clamshell Mini Box Set – Ben Wiseman Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Anybody's Boogie..."

Now here's something I'd venture to say Climax Blues Band fans never thought they'd see – the early five-album incarnation of their British Blues Boogie lumped together into one place - mini clamshell box set, singular card repro sleeves, foldout double-sided poster, rare bonuses - nice presentation and all of it at a very reasonable price.

It's a huge haul too - the first three albums credited in the UK to THE CLIMAX CHICAGO BLUES BAND (two on Parlophone in 1969 and one on Harvest in 1970) and the last two as the shortened CLIMAX CHICAGO on Harvest in 1971 and early 1973 (they are mostly known as CLIMAX BLUES BAND in the States). But you also get 18 Bonuses across the five discs from CD reissues/remasters first issued February and May 2013 (and those card repro sleeves are rarely seen artwork into the bargain). Let's put a sock in it...

UK released 28 June 2019 - "The Albums 1969-1972" by CLIMAX BLUES BAND on Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 52679 (Barcode 5013929477902) is a 5CD Clamshell Mini Box Set of Remasters for Five Albums plus Eighteen Bonus Tracks - they play out as follows:

CD1 "The Climax Chicago Blues Band" (68:39 minutes):

1. Mean Old World [Side 1]

2. Insurance

3. Going Down This Road

4. You've Been Drinking

5. Don't Start Me Talkin'

6. Wee Baby Blues

7. Twenty Past One [Side 2]

8. A Stranger In Your Town

9. How Many More Years

10. Looking For My Baby

11. And Lonely

12. The Entertainer

Tracks 1 to 12 are their debut album "The Climax Chicago Blues Band" - released February 1969 in the UK on Parlophone PMC 7069 and Parlophone PCS 7069 in Stereo and December 1969 in the USA on Sire SES 97013 (Stereo Mix used). Produced by CHRIS THOMAS - it didn't chart in either country.

BONUS TRACKS:

13. Checking On My Baby

14. Arthur's Boogie

15. Stormy Monday

16. Don't Start Me Talkin' (Take One)

17. Anybody’s Boogie

18. You've Been Drinking (Take One)

19. And Lonely (Take Five)

Tracks 13 to 19 first appeared on the February 2013 CD reissue of "The Climax Chicago Blues Band" on Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 2373 (Barcode 5013929437340) and were Previously Unreleased at the time

CD2 "The Climax Blues Band Plays On" (60:53 minutes):

1. Flight [Side 1]

2. Hey Baby, Everything's Gonna be Alright, Yeh Yeh Yeh

3. Cubano Chant

4. Little Girl

5. Mum's The Word [Side 2]

6. Twenty Past Two/Temptation Rag

7. So Many Roads

8. City Ways

9. Crazy 'Bout My Baby

Tracks 1 to 9 are their second studio album "The Climax Blues Band Plays On" - released November 1969 in the UK on Parlophone PCS 7084 in Stereo and November 1970 in the USA as "The Climax Chicago Blues Band Plays On" on Sire SES 97023. Produced by CHRIS THOMAS - it didn't chart in the UK but did peak at No. 197 in the USA.

BONUS TRACKS:

10. Like Uncle Charlie

11. Loving Machine (Tracks 10 and 11 are the non-album A&B-sides of an 3 October 1969 UK 7" single on Parlophone R 5809)

12. Dance Of The Mountain King's Daughter

13. Flight (First Mix)

Tracks 10 to 13 first appeared on the February 2013 CD reissue of "The Climax Blues Band Plays On" on Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 2374 (Barcode 5013929437449)

CD3 "A Lot Of Bottle" (59:07 minutes):

1. Country Hat [Side 1]

2. Every Day

3. Reap What I've Sowed

4. Brief Case

5. Alright Blue?/Country Hat (Reprise)

6. Seventh Son [Side 2]

7. Please Don't Help Me

8. Morning Noon And Night

9. Long Lovin' M

10. Louisiana Blues

11. Cut You Loose

Tracks 1 to 11 are their third studio album "A Lot Of Bottle" - released December 1970 in the UK on Harvest SHSP 4009 and May 1971 in the USA as "Climax Blues Band" on Sire SI 4901 (with the same tracks). Produced by CHRIS THOMAS. Their first three albums were credited to The Climax Chicago Blues Band in the UK, the first two the same in the USA while album three was credited to Climax Blues Band in the States.

BONUS TRACKS:

12. Flight (Live)

13. Seventh Son (Live)

14. Reap What I Have Sowed (Live)

Tracks 12 to 13 recorded live at The Blow Up Club, London, Autumn 1971 and first issued on the February 2013 reissue CD for "Climax Blues Band" on Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 2375 (Barcode 5013929437548). See NOTE below re missing Bonus Track.

CD4 "Tightly Knit" (53:57 minutes):

1. Hey Mama [Side 1]

2. Shoot Her If She Runs

3. Towards The Sun

4. Come On In My Kitchen

5. Who Killed McSwiggin [Side 2]

6. Little Link

7. St. Michael's Blues

8. Bide My Time

9. That's All

Tracks 1 to 9 are their fourth studio album "Tightly Knit" (the band credited as CLIMAX CHICAGO) - released October 1971 in the UK on Harvest SHSP 4015 and February 1972 in the USA on Sire SI 5903 (the band credited as CLIMAX BLUES BAND). Produced by CHRIS THOMAS

BONUS TRACKS:

10. Hey Mama (Live)

11. Shoot Her If She Runs (Live)

12. Spoonful (Live)

Tracks 12 to 13 recorded live at The Blow Up Club, London, Autumn 1971 and first issued on the May 2013 reissue CD for "Tightly Knit" on Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 2385 (Barcode 5013929438545)

CD5 "Rich Man" (43:50 minutes):

1. Rich Man [Side 1]

2. Mole On The Dole

3. You Make Me Sick

4. Standing By A River

5. Shake Your Love [Side 2]

6. All The Time In The World

7. If You Wanna Know

8. Don't You Mind People Grinning In Your Face

Tracks 1 to 8 are their fifth studio album "Rich Man" - released January 1973 in the UK on Harvest SHSP 4024 and February 1973 in the USA on Sire SAS 7404. Produced by RICHARD GOTTEHRER. Didn’t chart UK, but peaked at No. 150 in the USA.

BONUS TRACK:

9. Mole On The Dole (Single Version) - 10 November 1972 UK 7" single on Harvest HAR 5065. A-side. Track 9 first appeared in May 2013 on the CD reissue of "Rich Man" on Esoteric Records ECLEC 2386 (Barcode 5013929438644).

As you can see from the track-list layouts above, all five discs are a grouping together of five Remasters Esoteric did of the band's material in 2013 clumped together for this June 2019 Box Set. There are two cuts missing worth a mention - when Esoteric Recordings reissued "A Lot Of Bottle" on CD in February 2013 - that Remaster had four bonus tracks and not just the three live on offer here. The missing song is "Spoonful", a cover version of the Willie Dixon-written Howlin' Wolf classic that turned up as the non-album B-side to "Reap What I've Sowed", a Climax Blues Band 7" single on Harvest HAR 5029 in the UK, released 13 November 1970. I suspect that someone simply forgot to put this tune on here (bit of an oversight as there was enough playing time), so if fans want that Blues cover version, they'll need to get the "A Lot Of Bottle" CD reissue on ECLEC 2375 (Barcode 5013929437548). The B-side of the "Mole On The Dole" Single Version is called "Like Uncle Charlie" - but I think it’s a different version to the 1969 stand-alone single where the song first turned up and is not included on this set.

The six-leaf double-sided foldout poster has all the artwork for the five album covers, pictures of the boys and track-by-track reissue credits – but no liner notes. The five single card sleeves make for a lovely surprise because these are not British album sleeves (the final two by Hipgnosis) that you see every day of the week. All the CDs are picture discs (album artwork) and the Remasters are the BEN WISEMAN versions – Esoteric have a top quality rep on Audio and its upheld here. The clarity at times even exposes the slightly amateur feel to the first two albums especially. But damn do they all sound good. To the music…

The self-titled debut album opens with the very John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers-influenced "Mean Old World" only to follow with the far better barrelhouse piano romp "Insurance" (both sounding very cool). More band originals come in the shape of "Going Down This Road" but the Sonny Boy Williamson cover of "Don't Start Me Talkin'" cooks better. We go Acoustic Blues with the excellent "Wee Baby Blues" - a Traditional about loving that sweet thing that sure look good to me (fab audio and Harmonica from Colin Cooper). Trying to keep the original-material count high, the band give us the guitar-jaunty instrumental "Twenty Past One" and the slide electric of "Looking For My Baby" - a bopper about a gal our hero loves the most. The debut album delves into Howlin' Wolf's "How Many More Years" while going Scott Joplin with a false-78-sounding version of "The Entertainer" as it fades out. Far better however comes in the Bonus Tracks on CD1 in the shape of Sonny Boy's "Checking On My Baby" and keyboardist Arthur Wood giving us a rolling Fats Domino-like instrumental in "Arthur's Boogie". We then get almost five and half minutes of T-Bone Walker's shuffle Blues "Stormy Monday" running alongside the more sober "And Lonely (Take Five)" - a down-in-the-dumps Blues let down by a weak vocal.

"...Plays On" opens as if its a different band - a more Jazz and Prog influenced John Mayall with Dick Heckstall-Smith on Saxophone as Colin Cooper hits those Alto and Tenor Saxophones on the instrumental "Flight". There's no doubt that is Colosseum exciting. Back to Harmonica and Guitar territory with the chugging "Hey Baby, Everything's Going To Be Alright..." - a very cool Boogie lifted up by clear Bass from Derek Holt and steady rhythm sticks from George Newsome. Possibly trying to cross Richie Havens with Jose Feliciano for the just plain hammy "Cubano Chant" ends up confusing on all fronts. Better is an instrumental cover of Graham Bond's "Little Girl" while 2001: A Space Odyssey looms over the organ intro to "Mum's The Word" before it goes all space and weird and you wonder who replaced the Blues Bar band with a light-show Pink Floyd. With that experimental noodle out of the way, the band return to Elmore James rapid slashing of guitars with "Twenty Past Two/Temptation Rag" - a Blues Boogie played at near breakneck speed interrupting by barrelhouse piano. No less than pioneer label man Marshall Chess penned "So Many Roads..." a fab 'gotta find my baby' slow blues with great guitar fills from Pete Haycock. The album ends on a really great rollick called "Crazy 'Bout My Baby" - the band cohesive and kicking up a boogie storm. And again the extras are real bonuses - the stand-alone 45 "Like Uncle Charlie" b/w "Loving Machine" is a Rocking affair and the instrumental Jazz-Meets-Rock "Dance Of The Mountain King's Daughter" comes on like Deram's East Of Eden or even Ireland's Skid Row in their more Prog guitar moments - brilliant.

By the time we reach platter number three "A Lot Of Bottle" – it's August 1970 in the studio and the band has had two albums in the previous year that were well received critically but barely registered with a rapidly changing listening audience (the second hits the outer reaches of the Top 200 in the USA for one week). White boys singing Blues (new and old) was already over by the end of 1969, so there is a very real feeling of the group trying to grab hold of a mixed identity with LP No.3 - and in my book succeeding.

You still get Blues in all its varying forms on "A Lot Of Bottle" - but you also get the Fleetwood Mac 'Then Play On'-sounding shuffle of "Every Day" and the rough-rocking A&M Humble Pie period feel to "Reap What I've Sowed" – a kick-ass grungy 45 of slide Rock that no one noticed. That's contrasted with the Bonnie Raitt rattling acoustic guitars of "Country Hat" – an instrumental that strips away all of the band only to leave Peter Haycock impressing on those bottleneck strokes. As if to change tack yet again – we then get "Brief Case" – a wickedly good Rock-Jazz riffer that feels like Colosseum cooking with Canned Heat. Another too-cool-for-school Harmonica-driven Dirty Blues Band-sounding instrumental comes in the shape of the magnificent "Alright Blue?" which features a clever Reprise of the slide in "Country Hat" that opened the LP - only this time on electric guitar – Haycock sounding like Mickey Moody of Snafu and Nazareth doing his best Elmore James.

Side 2 of this criminally forgotten album opens with a deep-voiced cover of Willie Dixon’s "Seventh Son" – a Fever-like Bass note and distant guitar holding stage until all Hell breaks loose and the band literally come boogieing in - soloing on guitar as the brass supports like CBB was jamming at The Isle Of Wight (an impressive six and half minutes). "Morning Noon and Night" features Joe Turner lyrics from Atlantic Records original despite the band trying to claim the tune as their own. Speaking of old genius, perhaps best on the album is the Johnny Winter guitar-and-harmonica combo delivered on "Louisiana Blues" – a storming version of the Muddy Waters classic. Going down to New Orleans, get me a Mojo Hand…indeed. The album ends on "Cut You Loose" – a very Savoy Brown meets Ten Years After shuffle with shimmering guitar anchored by a Georgie Fame organ. The three live versions only seasoning to this forgotten broth of Blues goodness.

Album four was their first for Harvest in the UK (October 1971) and along with an eye-catching Hipgnosis sleeve clearly the production values were amped up to slick on the Brass and Harmonica combo that is "Hey Mama". They try their luck at some ham-fisted razor and gun lyrics in the unfortunately titled "Shoot Her If She Runs" – heavy guitars doubling up with vocals. "Towards The Sun" is a driving out to the big yellow thing poppy ditty that feels a little like Canned Heat on a diet. Things improve immeasurably with their slide guitar Foghat-like cover of Robert Johnson’s classic "Come On In My Kitchen" – a doubled-up guitar and Harmonica chugging in a very cool way.

The one and half minute "Little Link" is an Allman Brothers guitar instrumental that sounds like its title. It's a lead-in to the near ten minutes of a huge Slow Blues monster called "St. Michael's Blues" where CBB think they’re Led Zeppelin and the singer Robert Plant. It's actually a hugely impressive chunk of Blues Rock revolving around a girlfriend mashing up his Marks and Spencer socks (yikes!). A one-time cool vibe oozes out of "Bide My Time" – a slick piece of jangling guitars anchored by distant Harmonica and Keyboards jabs. It ends on the Jug Band ditty "That’s All" – two minutes of CBB sounding like "Neanderthal Man" by (pre 10cc) Hotlegs.

Record number five sees our boys contemplating feelingless types who drive Cadillac's in a world where the rich man wins and the poor man pays. As the title track suddenly launches into a rapid Allmans guitar boogie – it seems CBB are off into another direction. The full-length album version of "Mole On The Dole" (5:04 minutes) was chosen as a 3:59-minute seven-inch single edit by Harvest Records in advance of the album in November 1972 and suddenly CBB sound like a plaintive Nilsson or The Strawbs contemplating unemployment. It’s pleasant but that’s about all. Then it's a John Lee Hooker 'Boogie Chillun' groove for the I love you so much, "You Make Me Sick" song – home to some great Johnny Winter type slide guitar pinging about the speakers. And on it goes…

You can't but feel that The Climax Chicago Blues Band flirted around the danger zone for five whole albums without ever getting truly dangerous enough for people to care. And not for the first time did ludicrous Hipgnosis artwork confuse buyers (what kind of band is this?). But there are gems on all of these records and that "A Lot Of Bottle" third album is a bit of a forgotten masterpiece to me (nondescript artwork did it no favours either).

"The Albums 1969-1972" by The Climax Blues Band is a rather cool little reissue really and as they sang on the Son House cover that ends album number five - "Don't You Mind People Grinning In Your Face" - where the singer tells us "...bear this is mind...a true friend is hard to find..." Well I think there's more than one or two pals waiting for you in here...check it out...

"Uncle Meat" by THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION featuring FRANK ZAPPA – April 1969 US 2LP set on Bizarre Records 2MS 2024 in Stereo – featuring Frank Zappa, Ray Collins, Roy Estrada, Artie Tripp, Euclid James, Ian Underwood, Bill Mundi, Don Preston and more (July 2012 UK Zappa Records 2CD Expanded Edition Reissue – 2011 Joe Travers Remaster from 1993 Digital Masters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Bizarre Relationship..."

Uncle Meat and Bimbo - fast and bulbous - dissolve to bleachers and dwarves dressed as cheerleaders...

Ah the wonder that was THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION and their mad scientist leader, arranger and composer FRANK ZAPPA.

But would you buy a used car from this anti-Establishment maverick of a man for your impressionable daughter - possibly not? But while you send your wayward gal back to finishing school for the emotionally inept, you secretly might want to buy the Oldsmobile he's flogging at a knockdown rate.

In April 2020 - the July 2012 double-CD Remaster of 1969's mad-as-a-mushroom-convention-during-Summer-solstice "Uncle Meat" is indeed available to you at a knockdown rate (a paltry eight quid). It sounds the absolute business too - and if you put a quality hi fi speaker up to your Georgian sash window and played it ear-splitten-boomer LOUD - its frankly disturbing and discordant 2LP madness would probably permanently clean out those stubborn blocked drains in your backyard (microbes and bacteria would leave in protest). But sanitation benefits aside, do you want it?

As all music lovers of a certain vintage know - "Uncle Meat" (Frank Zappa too in fact) is an acquired taste at the best of times - especially a largely instrumental double's worth. But I say don the King Kong, swing those undoubtedly big brass balls of his and hope the Government doesn't kill us all because we know too much (love those liner note scribbles). And any band that has a Saxophone geezer in it called Motorhead and thereby one day may inspire Lemmy of Hawkwind to form a metal band – gets my vote. Let's go cruising for burgers, children of the big cheese…

UK released 30 July 2012 - "Uncle Meat" by THE MOTHERS OF CONVENTION on Zappa Records 0238392 (Barcode 824302383926) is an Expanded Edition 2CD Reissue and Remaster (also credited as Official Release No. 6). It plays out as follows…

CD1 (57:25 minutes):

1. Uncle Meat (Main Title Theme) [Side 1]

2. The Voice Of Cheese

3. Nine Types Of Industrial Pollution

4. Zolar Czakl

5. Dog Breath, In The Year Of The Plague

6. The Legend Of The Golden Archies

7. Louie Louie (At The Royal Albert Hall in London)

8. The Dog Breath Variations

9. Sleeping in A Jar [Side 1]

10. Our Bizarre Relationship

11. The Uncle Meat Variations

12. Electric Aunt Jemima

13. Prelude To King Kong

14. God Bless America (Live at The Whisky A Go Go)

15. A Pound For A Brown On The Bus

16. Ian Underwood Whips It Out (Live Onstage in Copenhagen)

17. Mr. Green Genes [Side 3]

18. We Can Shoot You

19. "If We'd All Been Living In California..."

20. The Air

21. Project X

22. Cruising For Burgers

CD2 (63:28 minutes):

1. Uncle Meat Film Excerpt Part I [Side 4] – BONUS TRACK

2. Tango Na Minchia Tanta – BONUS TRACK

3. Uncle Meat Film Excerpt Part II

4. King Kong Itself I

5. King Kong II

6. King Kong III

7. King Kong IV

8. King Kong V

9. King Kong VI

"Uncle Meat" by THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION (their fifth album) was released April 1969 in the USA as a double-album on Bizarre Records 2MS 2024 and September 1969 in the UK on Transatlantic Records TRA 197. The original double-album ran to about 76 minutes, this Expanded Edition 2CD reissue runs to over 120-minutes.

You get two inserts - an eight-square double-sided colour foldout that lays out on all the wild ramblings of the original double album including Zappa's self-deprecating assessment of the project as "…neurosis and private jokes...secret underground candy-rock psychedelic profundities." Over on the left is the technical stuff – 1630 Transfers by JOE TRAVERS in 2011 using the 1993 Masters – the first three tracks on CD2 being the new stuff – huge chunks of dialogue from the unfinished Science Fiction film project that gave the whole thing its name (Part I is 37:34 minutes and Part II is 3:51 minutes) and an unreleased song "Tango Na Minchia Tanta" at 3:46 minutes. The second inlay is a repro of the ultra-rare booklet that came with Bizarre Records original copies. But in truth, you kind of wish that someone would just lump all of this together into one cohesive read and more crucially, put in some present-day history of the project, new liner notes to shed light on this audio montage of Music Concrete, Vocal Groups, Experimental, Sixties Avant Garde, Comedy, Dialogue and Mad Rock. To the fun…

Recorded across five months and using editing techniques then unique – it opens with rapid vibes and keyboards only to segue into Suzie Creamcheese giving us her less-than-delicate dialogue tale of woe (home to mom). You're struck by the brilliance of the playing and the power of the transfer – a powerhouse of clarity too as we go into the very Trout Mask Replica guitar soloing of “Nine Types Of Industrial Pollution”. Zappa finally steps up to the microphone for the brilliant "Dog Breath..." - Nelcy Walker giving it the Soprano voice.  It's arguable that few would get away with the sheer treated vocals kookiness of "Electric Aunt Jemima" these days. Jazz is never far away either as we "Prelude To King Kong" - but it's hard to take Ian Underwood's mad Alto Sax stuff in "Whip It Out" and soon we're "...cruising for burgers in Daddy's car..." 

The near 38-minute 'Part I' of Uncle Meat Film Excerpt is a hard ride by any man's reckoning - intriguing one minute and obvious rubbish the next. There is an almost Thin Lizzy rock riffage to the unreleased "Tango Na Minchia Tanta" and it's a fascinating extra. The 'King Kong' suite is more Jazz-Rock noodling with fabulous Audio for 'Part II' and that kicking combo of instruments that brings 'Part VI' on home to a conclusion.

For sure taking "Uncle Meat" in one 2020 dollop is going to be a challenge for many and if I'm honest there will be 20's teens who will dismiss it as period twaddle that has no relevance in the present day (I see their point). But you have to admire its sheer bravura and this digital transfer gives it the oomph fans have always craved...