Hot Potato “Hot Potato” 1974 UK Superb Private Acid Psych Folk only 500 Pressed
full only in dailymotion
johnkatsmc5, welcome music..
3 Dec 2016
Iron Butterfly “Live In Sweden 1971″ US Psych Rock bootleg
Iron Butterfly “Live In Sweden 1971″ US Psych Rock bootleg
full…please sign in first on VK & after listen albums……
Brilliant vintage live performance from Iron Butterfly featuring a mind-blowing 24 minute version of the all-time psych rock classic In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida! …..
This disc was taken from the last tour of Europe that Iron Butterfly did before Band Leader Doug Ingle decided to quit.Butterfly Blu and In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida are the only tracks that are live.The rest are what I think are early acetates that were handed to Record Companies before a band would be signed.The three demos turned up when the Janus,Italian record label sold them to the public,in the form of 45rpm singles.A few have surfaced in record shops from time to time.Pocession,Evil Temptation and Don,t Look Down On Me are the pre-Heavy group recordings.The last three songs were released in the early 1970,s in vinyl 45 rpm form.Don,t Look Down On Me is the only track that was not written by the members of Iron Butterfly.The recordings are for the diehard fan who wants everything Iron Butterfly,the demos are interesting to hear the band in it,s very raw form…By tommyhighextreme………….
Iron Butterfly’s new live album with a different version of their hit “Inna Gadda Da Vidda,” and their very wonderful “Butterfly Bleu.” While the performance and the recording for a live show in 1971 is pretty amazing, there were a few crack-like noises in my version. If it makes it any worse, I have the CD version, not the vinyl. Also included with the CD is a couple of tracks recorded during their earliest line up, but it doesn’t sound like they used the master tapes for them, because they sound just like my grandmother’s record collection when it comes to quality. I definitely love the fact Iron Butterfly had enough interest and material to come back in 2014, but the quality should have been a factor that Cleopatra (the record company that released this) would have thought of……
Here’s an Iron Butterfly soundboard from Goteborg, Sweden in A+ quality.
With only two songs, it’s not complete but they are really long songs. I just love this version of “In A Gadda Da Vida” - the drum solo isn’t over the top like other versions.
In “Butterfly Bleu”, guitarist Mike Pinera uses what he called the Magic Bag. Designed in 1969 by Doug Forbes, who called it simply The Bag, it was worn on a strap over the shoulder, like a wine bag, with a clear tube going to his mouth. Sound familiar? Two years later Bob Heil would develop the Talk Box, used by Joe Walsh (“Rocky Mountain Way”) and Peter Frampton (“Do You Feel Like We Do”) in 1973. They made it famous, but Iron Butterfly and Mike Pinera did it first.
Biography:
Archetypal American heavy metal outfit, originated out of San Diego, California, with founder member keyboards man Doug Ingle plus drummer Bushy and fellow San Diegan Jerry Penrod, Danny Weis and Darryl DeLoach. This five cut the debut album Heavy in early 1968 but group friction caused Penrod, Weis and DeLoach to quit shortly after.
In their places Ingle and Bushy recruited Boston-born guitarist Erik Braunn and multi-instrumentalist Lee Dorman.
As four-piece, the group cut the monster-selling In A-Gadda-Da-Vida set later in 1968, that album staying on the U.S. album charts for more than two years, and becoming one of the largest-grossing rock albums of all time. It was also reputedly the first ever rock group album to achieve platinum status.
Predictably, however, the disproportionate acclaim garnered by In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (title came from 17-minute composition by Doug Ingle) became something of a millstone around their necks. Braunn left in late 1969, to be replaced by the twin guitars of Mike Pinera and Larry Reinhardt (a former associate of Duane Allman).
Thus reorganised they recorded Iron Butterfly Live and Metamorphosis (both in 1970). However, the rot had long since set in. Butterfly were typical )although more explosively popular) of the run-of-the-mill West Coast heavy groups, and they were always on the decline from their 1968 peak; their pulling power dropping at an alarming rate.
After a farewell American tour they dissolved in May 1971.
However, after relatively unsuccessful alternative careers, Bushy and Braunn reunited to form a second incarnation of Iron Butterfly in 1974 with Phil Kramer (bass) and Howard Reitzes (kybds). They cut Scorching Beauty (1975), then Bill DeMartines replaced Reitzes [extract from The Illustrated New Musical Express Encyclopedia Of Rock, Salamander. 1977 p114-5].
Both Doorman and Larry Reinhardt went on to form the highly successful and legendary ‘Captain Beyond’ in 1972……………
Iron Butterfly’s new live album with a different version of their hit “Inna Gadda Da Vidda,” and their very wonderful “Butterfly Bleu.” While the performance and the recording for a live show in 1971 is pretty amazing, there were a few crack-like noises in my version. If it makes it any worse, I have the CD version, not the vinyl. Also included with the CD is a couple of tracks recorded during their earliest line up, but it doesn’t sound like they used the master tapes for them, because they sound just like my grandmother’s record collection when it comes to quality. I definitely love the fact Iron Butterfly had enough interest and material to come back in 2014, but the quality should have been a factor that Cleopatra (the record company that released this) would have thought of……
Here’s an Iron Butterfly soundboard from Goteborg, Sweden in A+ quality.
With only two songs, it’s not complete but they are really long songs. I just love this version of “In A Gadda Da Vida” - the drum solo isn’t over the top like other versions.
In “Butterfly Bleu”, guitarist Mike Pinera uses what he called the Magic Bag. Designed in 1969 by Doug Forbes, who called it simply The Bag, it was worn on a strap over the shoulder, like a wine bag, with a clear tube going to his mouth. Sound familiar? Two years later Bob Heil would develop the Talk Box, used by Joe Walsh (“Rocky Mountain Way”) and Peter Frampton (“Do You Feel Like We Do”) in 1973. They made it famous, but Iron Butterfly and Mike Pinera did it first.
Biography:
Archetypal American heavy metal outfit, originated out of San Diego, California, with founder member keyboards man Doug Ingle plus drummer Bushy and fellow San Diegan Jerry Penrod, Danny Weis and Darryl DeLoach. This five cut the debut album Heavy in early 1968 but group friction caused Penrod, Weis and DeLoach to quit shortly after.
In their places Ingle and Bushy recruited Boston-born guitarist Erik Braunn and multi-instrumentalist Lee Dorman.
As four-piece, the group cut the monster-selling In A-Gadda-Da-Vida set later in 1968, that album staying on the U.S. album charts for more than two years, and becoming one of the largest-grossing rock albums of all time. It was also reputedly the first ever rock group album to achieve platinum status.
Predictably, however, the disproportionate acclaim garnered by In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (title came from 17-minute composition by Doug Ingle) became something of a millstone around their necks. Braunn left in late 1969, to be replaced by the twin guitars of Mike Pinera and Larry Reinhardt (a former associate of Duane Allman).
Thus reorganised they recorded Iron Butterfly Live and Metamorphosis (both in 1970). However, the rot had long since set in. Butterfly were typical )although more explosively popular) of the run-of-the-mill West Coast heavy groups, and they were always on the decline from their 1968 peak; their pulling power dropping at an alarming rate.
After a farewell American tour they dissolved in May 1971.
However, after relatively unsuccessful alternative careers, Bushy and Braunn reunited to form a second incarnation of Iron Butterfly in 1974 with Phil Kramer (bass) and Howard Reitzes (kybds). They cut Scorching Beauty (1975), then Bill DeMartines replaced Reitzes [extract from The Illustrated New Musical Express Encyclopedia Of Rock, Salamander. 1977 p114-5].
Both Doorman and Larry Reinhardt went on to form the highly successful and legendary ‘Captain Beyond’ in 1972……………
After the recording of Heavy, the band fractured when three members left, leaving only Ingle and Bushy holding the bag. When informed by Atlantic Records that their debut album wouldn’t be released if there was no band to tour behind it, the pair recruited bassist Lee Dorman and guitarist Eric Brann, a 17-year-old musical prodigy. It was this line-up that recorded the In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida and Ball albums, representing the band’s commercial apex, the former LP selling millions of copies, the later certified Gold for a half-million in sales. When Brann left the band in 1969, he was replaced by a pair of talented guitarists – Larry “Rhino” Reinhardt and Mike Pinera, previously of one-hit-wonders Blues Image (“Ride Captain Ride”); this is the line-up that would record the band’s 1970 album Metamorphosis.
Live In Sweden 1971 offers better sound quality than Live At The Galaxy 1967, not only because of the passage of four years and improved sound technology, but also because it was taped for a live radio broadcast rather than from the middle of the audience. The album consists, primarily, of two lengthy live tracks – the first, “Butterfly Bleu,” was drawn from Metamorphosis. While the song clocks in at slightly more than fourteen minutes on vinyl, on stage the band would extend that running time considerably with acid-drenched instrumentation; here on Live In Sweden 1971, the song runs better than twenty-three minutes. It’s everything you might expect from a psychedelic-rock band at the dawn of the 1970s – lengthy passages of squalid sound, raging guitars, steady drumbeats, and Ingle’s trademark keyboards buried in the mix. Although it’s an exhilarating ride the first time you take it, two or three listens later it just becomes tedious.
Which leaves us with “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.” The song was a consistent crowd-pleaser among stoned audiences worldwide; it’s performed here at half-again its original studio running time, beginning with Ingle’s throaty vocals and sepulchre organ riffs before dancing into a free-form jam. The addition of guitarists Pinera and Reinhardt, neither of whom played on the original studio recording, brings a new texture and sound to the song that had been missing before. Although Lee Dorman’s familiar and notorious walking bass line still holds down the bottom end, the two guitarists weave various interesting patterns throughout the song. Their skills add a dimension previously lacking to the song, one that holds up better after a few listens than does “Butterfly Bleu.”
Live In Sweden 1971 is topped off by a trio of rare 7” singles, including “Possession,” which was originally the B-side of “Don’t Look Down On Me,” and later released in 1970 as a single on its own. The song is more effective in this shorter, punchier studio version than the drawn-out live performance on Live At The Galaxy 1967. “Evil Temptation,” which was so killer on the aforementioned live disc, does not disappoint on the studio-derived 45 version, with stunning fretwork that veers into the exotic at times, crashing drumbeats, and a locomotive tempo that should have made the song a big hit; it’s a shame it wasn’t included on any later Butterfly albums, and rumors abound that this single version wasn’t even recorded by the band, but by studio musicians, although Butterfly would perform the song live. “Don’t Look Down On Me,” the band’s first single circa 1967, is a pre-Atlantic indie release by the Heavy line-up, the song itself displaying a subtle psych-pop touch, an engaging melody, and fine (if unspectacular) vocals by DeLoach. …….
Live In Sweden 1971 offers better sound quality than Live At The Galaxy 1967, not only because of the passage of four years and improved sound technology, but also because it was taped for a live radio broadcast rather than from the middle of the audience. The album consists, primarily, of two lengthy live tracks – the first, “Butterfly Bleu,” was drawn from Metamorphosis. While the song clocks in at slightly more than fourteen minutes on vinyl, on stage the band would extend that running time considerably with acid-drenched instrumentation; here on Live In Sweden 1971, the song runs better than twenty-three minutes. It’s everything you might expect from a psychedelic-rock band at the dawn of the 1970s – lengthy passages of squalid sound, raging guitars, steady drumbeats, and Ingle’s trademark keyboards buried in the mix. Although it’s an exhilarating ride the first time you take it, two or three listens later it just becomes tedious.
Which leaves us with “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.” The song was a consistent crowd-pleaser among stoned audiences worldwide; it’s performed here at half-again its original studio running time, beginning with Ingle’s throaty vocals and sepulchre organ riffs before dancing into a free-form jam. The addition of guitarists Pinera and Reinhardt, neither of whom played on the original studio recording, brings a new texture and sound to the song that had been missing before. Although Lee Dorman’s familiar and notorious walking bass line still holds down the bottom end, the two guitarists weave various interesting patterns throughout the song. Their skills add a dimension previously lacking to the song, one that holds up better after a few listens than does “Butterfly Bleu.”
Live In Sweden 1971 is topped off by a trio of rare 7” singles, including “Possession,” which was originally the B-side of “Don’t Look Down On Me,” and later released in 1970 as a single on its own. The song is more effective in this shorter, punchier studio version than the drawn-out live performance on Live At The Galaxy 1967. “Evil Temptation,” which was so killer on the aforementioned live disc, does not disappoint on the studio-derived 45 version, with stunning fretwork that veers into the exotic at times, crashing drumbeats, and a locomotive tempo that should have made the song a big hit; it’s a shame it wasn’t included on any later Butterfly albums, and rumors abound that this single version wasn’t even recorded by the band, but by studio musicians, although Butterfly would perform the song live. “Don’t Look Down On Me,” the band’s first single circa 1967, is a pre-Atlantic indie release by the Heavy line-up, the song itself displaying a subtle psych-pop touch, an engaging melody, and fine (if unspectacular) vocals by DeLoach. …….
Track Listing:
01. Butterfly Bleu (23:12)
02. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (24:29)
Band members:
Doug Ingle - keyboards, lead vocals
Ron Bushy - drums
Lee Dorman - bass
Larry “El Rhino” Reinhart - guitar
Mike Pinera - guitar
01. Butterfly Bleu (23:12)
02. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (24:29)
Band members:
Doug Ingle - keyboards, lead vocals
Ron Bushy - drums
Lee Dorman - bass
Larry “El Rhino” Reinhart - guitar
Mike Pinera - guitar
Madura “Madura” 1971 2LP US Prog Jazz Rock
Madura “Madura” 1971 2LP US Prog Jazz Rock
full
After the breakup of Bangor Flying Circus (1969), Alan DeCarlo and Hawk Wolinski formed Madura, replacing Bangor Flying Circus drummer Michael Tegza with Ross Salomone.
David “Hawk” Wolinski, previous Shadows of Knight member; Alan DeCarlo and Ross Salomone recorded two albums, produced by the Chicago producer James William Guercio. Hawk Wolinski later became a member of Rufus and Chaka Khan, and a successful producer and songwriter. Alan DeCarlo and Ross Salomone both appeared on Chicago keyboard player Robert Lamm’s 1974 solo album Skinny Boy. Ross Salomone also appeared on albums by Chicago, Air Supply, Gerard, and Hollins & Star.
Madura can be seen and heard live on a short concert scene in J.W. Guercio’s movie Electra Glide in Blue (1973) playing a part of the song “Free From The Devil”. This is also included on the album from the movie. David Wolinski also appears as an actor in the movie, playing the part of a driver.
The band’s name “Madura” was inspired by the Meenakshi temple in Madurai….
As members of Bangor Flying Circus, guitarist Alan De Carlo and singer/keyboardist David “Hawk” Wolinski recorded a decent 1969 album for ABC Dunhill. When that outfit folded in 1970, the pair elected to continue their partnership as the Chicago-based Madura with the addition of drummer Ross Salomone.
Finding a sponsor in the form of James William Guerico (who’d enjoyed considerable success with The Buckinghams and The Chicago Transit Authority), the trio subsequently won a contract with Columbia Records. With Guerico producing, at least to my ears much of 1971’s “Madura” sounded like an early Chicago album though thankfully without the irritating horns. With all three members sharing writing duties (there was one outside cover), the collection bounced around between pop (‘I Think I’m Dreaming’), FM-oriented rock ('Drinking No Wine’), jazzy interludes (“My Love is Free’), and more experimental excursions ('Hawk Piano’). These guys were clearly quite talented. Wolinski had a nice voice that sounded a bit like a cross between Chicago’s Terry Kath and Robert Lamm, (he also played a mean Hammond organ),. De Carlo also had a decent voice and a knack for spinning off catchy jazz-tinged solos. While there were several strong compositions, allowing the trio to stretch out over four sides was probably a mistake since it forced them to fill up lots of space with poorly deigned jams and experimentation ('Plain as Day’). Hard to imagine Columbia, or any major label allowing a new band to debut with a double album, nineteen track set in this day and age …
- The instrumental 'Hawk Piano’ started the album off with a minute and a half of atonal, discordant keyboards … not an impressive way to start a double album set. rating: * star
- Showcasing Wolinski’s likeable voice, 'Drinking No Wine’ offered up a much more conventional and commercial piece. A nice slice of FM-oriented rock, like quite a few songs on the set this one sound a bit like Robert Lamm and Chicago. rating: *** stars
- 'Dreams’ started out as a breezy, mid-tempo slice of pop that had some radio potential. rating: ** stars
- 'Plain as Day’ was one of those compositions that never really got in gear. Within the span of five minutes the track managed to bounce between pop, rock, jazz, and experimentation without ever finding its groove. Shame since buried in the mess were the basics of a good song. The song also included a great De Carlo fuzz guitar solo (which would have made Terry Kath proud). rating: ** stars
- 'My Love is Free’ was another song that unsuccessfully tried to blend different genres into a coherent end product. The song had distinct pop elements, including some nice harmony vocals, but spread over seven minutes the pop focus kept getting lost in a meandering jazz jam. Forgettable … rating: ** stars
- Showcasing De Carlo’s tasty fuzz guitar and one of the more focused melodies, the rocker 'Free from the Devil’ stands as my choice for standout performance. With a bit of judicious editing it would have made a dandy single. rating: **** stars
- Free from the Devil’ flowed right into the equally enjoyable rocker 'My My What a World’ and then the album hit a brick wall … rating: **** stars
- 'Stimulation’ was a four minute Salomone drum solo (his only contribution to the writing chores). Unless you were a drummer, this wasn’t going to do much for you. Need I say anything else ? rating: * star
- A brief and straight-forward rocker, 'Don’t Be Afraid’ was another album highpoint (especially coming after the drum solo). rating: **** stars
- 'Damnation’ found the band showing they could handle a bluesy-rocker. Laidback and slinky, it made a nice change from the jazz-tinged numbers. rating: *** stars
- The first half of 'See for Yourself” was a nice, blues ballad that captured the band at their most focused and enjoyable. It could have been a nice single, but the second half of the song found the band starting to wander all over the place, including some ill-advised scat singing.. rating: *** stars
- Side three started with one of the album’s most commercial offerings - the pop-tinged 'I Think I’m Dreaming’. Yeah, De Carlo’s falsetto was an acquired taste, but he made up for it with a great guitar solo. rating: *** stars
- Coming completely out of left field, 'It’s a Good Time for Loving’ was a surprisingly commercial slice of blue-eyed soul with some simply gorgeous harmony vocals and some of Salomone’s best drumming; his solo was short and sweet on this one. Absolutely nothing like the rest of the album and one of my picks for standout performance. rating: **** stars
- Complete with Robert Lamm styled vocals (okay, I don’t think Lamm ever tried to scat), and Terry Kath-styled guitar pyrotechnics 'Trapped’’ was a bad idea made worse by the seven plus minute length, Blame producer Guerico for not having made it clear they were not the band Chicago. rating: ** stars
- I’ll leave it up to others to judge their strange cover of the Chuck Berry classic 'Johnny B. Goode’. For what it’s worth, I didn’t think much of it … Turning it into a lame soul-jazz number complete with painful scat segment just seemed to be a terrible way to treat the song. You had to wonder why in the world Columbia would have tapped this as the single when there were so many better performances on the album. rating: ** stars
- Ouch, 'Realization’ started out sounded like ELP with Geddy Lee sitting in for a jam session. rating: ** stars
- What are you suppose to make of a song with a title like 'Man’s Rebirth through Childbirth (Parts 1 and 2)’ ? This was another Wolinski composition that wanted to have it both ways - progressive and commercial at the same time. The song actually had a conventional chorus and could have actually been quite good had it stuck with that particular melody, but then fell headlong into over-the-top pretentious and wannabe progressive complete with Uriah Heep-styled Hammond keyboards. rating: ** stars
- Almost Gospel-tinged, De Carlo and Wolinski shared lead vocals on 'Joy in Old Age by Way of Self Observation’. Yeah, their performances quickly got out of hand and shrieky, but the big surprise was the band’s sweet harmony vocals - this was one of their finest displays of this particular talent. rating: *** stars
- A heavily orchestrated ballad (complete with layers of strings and horns), 'Talking to Myself’ was pretty, but vapid. It reminded me of a mid-1980s Chicago track … like something Peter Cetera might have written for the band with a goal of radio domination. rating: *** stars
The album also spun off a single in the form of:
- 1971’s 'Johnny B. Goode’ (Part 1) b/w 'Johnny B. Goode’ (Part 2) (Columbia catalog number 4-45483) ……..by….RDTEN1…………..
Beautiful progressive rock with jazz/fusion inserts. Sometimes i even hear a part of Grand Funk Railroad, Vanilla Fudge (vocals are similar to). Drummer is absolutely awesome. Maybe the length of album is too big, because it usually leads to an appearance of fillers )). But you can always skip them ..as you wish ))…….by….Jurjeek……..
Madura
*David “Hawk” Wolinski - Keyboards, Vocals
*Alan DeCarlo - Guitar, Vocals
*Ross Salomone - Drums, Vocals
Discography
Madura LP (double album) - Columbia G - 30794 1971
Madura II LP - Columbia KC - 32545 1973
Johnny B Good part I & II 45 - Columbia - Jzss 155967
Save the Miracle 45 - Columbia - 4-46022 1973
A1 Hawk Piano 1:23
A2 Drinking No Wine 4:18
A3 Dreams 4:24
A4 Plains As Day 5:35
A5 My Love Is Free 7:09
Free From The Devil
B1 Free From The Devil 2:10
B2 My My What A World 1:01
B3 Stimulation 3:56
B4 Don’t Be Afraid 2:01
B5 Damnation 3:49
B6 See For Yourself 5:59
-
C1 I Think I’m Dreaming 4:23
C2 It’s A Good Time For Loving 4:55
C3 Trapped 7:45
C4 Johnny B. Goode
Written-By – C. Berry*
6:02
Reflections
D1 Realization 3:17
D2 Man’s Rebirth Through Childbirth Part 1 2:52
D3 Man’s Rebirth Through Childbirth Part 2 1:12
D4 Joy In Old Age By Way Of Self Observation 4:03
D5 Talking To Myself
David “Hawk” Wolinski, previous Shadows of Knight member; Alan DeCarlo and Ross Salomone recorded two albums, produced by the Chicago producer James William Guercio. Hawk Wolinski later became a member of Rufus and Chaka Khan, and a successful producer and songwriter. Alan DeCarlo and Ross Salomone both appeared on Chicago keyboard player Robert Lamm’s 1974 solo album Skinny Boy. Ross Salomone also appeared on albums by Chicago, Air Supply, Gerard, and Hollins & Star.
Madura can be seen and heard live on a short concert scene in J.W. Guercio’s movie Electra Glide in Blue (1973) playing a part of the song “Free From The Devil”. This is also included on the album from the movie. David Wolinski also appears as an actor in the movie, playing the part of a driver.
The band’s name “Madura” was inspired by the Meenakshi temple in Madurai….
As members of Bangor Flying Circus, guitarist Alan De Carlo and singer/keyboardist David “Hawk” Wolinski recorded a decent 1969 album for ABC Dunhill. When that outfit folded in 1970, the pair elected to continue their partnership as the Chicago-based Madura with the addition of drummer Ross Salomone.
Finding a sponsor in the form of James William Guerico (who’d enjoyed considerable success with The Buckinghams and The Chicago Transit Authority), the trio subsequently won a contract with Columbia Records. With Guerico producing, at least to my ears much of 1971’s “Madura” sounded like an early Chicago album though thankfully without the irritating horns. With all three members sharing writing duties (there was one outside cover), the collection bounced around between pop (‘I Think I’m Dreaming’), FM-oriented rock ('Drinking No Wine’), jazzy interludes (“My Love is Free’), and more experimental excursions ('Hawk Piano’). These guys were clearly quite talented. Wolinski had a nice voice that sounded a bit like a cross between Chicago’s Terry Kath and Robert Lamm, (he also played a mean Hammond organ),. De Carlo also had a decent voice and a knack for spinning off catchy jazz-tinged solos. While there were several strong compositions, allowing the trio to stretch out over four sides was probably a mistake since it forced them to fill up lots of space with poorly deigned jams and experimentation ('Plain as Day’). Hard to imagine Columbia, or any major label allowing a new band to debut with a double album, nineteen track set in this day and age …
- The instrumental 'Hawk Piano’ started the album off with a minute and a half of atonal, discordant keyboards … not an impressive way to start a double album set. rating: * star
- Showcasing Wolinski’s likeable voice, 'Drinking No Wine’ offered up a much more conventional and commercial piece. A nice slice of FM-oriented rock, like quite a few songs on the set this one sound a bit like Robert Lamm and Chicago. rating: *** stars
- 'Dreams’ started out as a breezy, mid-tempo slice of pop that had some radio potential. rating: ** stars
- 'Plain as Day’ was one of those compositions that never really got in gear. Within the span of five minutes the track managed to bounce between pop, rock, jazz, and experimentation without ever finding its groove. Shame since buried in the mess were the basics of a good song. The song also included a great De Carlo fuzz guitar solo (which would have made Terry Kath proud). rating: ** stars
- 'My Love is Free’ was another song that unsuccessfully tried to blend different genres into a coherent end product. The song had distinct pop elements, including some nice harmony vocals, but spread over seven minutes the pop focus kept getting lost in a meandering jazz jam. Forgettable … rating: ** stars
- Showcasing De Carlo’s tasty fuzz guitar and one of the more focused melodies, the rocker 'Free from the Devil’ stands as my choice for standout performance. With a bit of judicious editing it would have made a dandy single. rating: **** stars
- Free from the Devil’ flowed right into the equally enjoyable rocker 'My My What a World’ and then the album hit a brick wall … rating: **** stars
- 'Stimulation’ was a four minute Salomone drum solo (his only contribution to the writing chores). Unless you were a drummer, this wasn’t going to do much for you. Need I say anything else ? rating: * star
- A brief and straight-forward rocker, 'Don’t Be Afraid’ was another album highpoint (especially coming after the drum solo). rating: **** stars
- 'Damnation’ found the band showing they could handle a bluesy-rocker. Laidback and slinky, it made a nice change from the jazz-tinged numbers. rating: *** stars
- The first half of 'See for Yourself” was a nice, blues ballad that captured the band at their most focused and enjoyable. It could have been a nice single, but the second half of the song found the band starting to wander all over the place, including some ill-advised scat singing.. rating: *** stars
- Side three started with one of the album’s most commercial offerings - the pop-tinged 'I Think I’m Dreaming’. Yeah, De Carlo’s falsetto was an acquired taste, but he made up for it with a great guitar solo. rating: *** stars
- Coming completely out of left field, 'It’s a Good Time for Loving’ was a surprisingly commercial slice of blue-eyed soul with some simply gorgeous harmony vocals and some of Salomone’s best drumming; his solo was short and sweet on this one. Absolutely nothing like the rest of the album and one of my picks for standout performance. rating: **** stars
- Complete with Robert Lamm styled vocals (okay, I don’t think Lamm ever tried to scat), and Terry Kath-styled guitar pyrotechnics 'Trapped’’ was a bad idea made worse by the seven plus minute length, Blame producer Guerico for not having made it clear they were not the band Chicago. rating: ** stars
- I’ll leave it up to others to judge their strange cover of the Chuck Berry classic 'Johnny B. Goode’. For what it’s worth, I didn’t think much of it … Turning it into a lame soul-jazz number complete with painful scat segment just seemed to be a terrible way to treat the song. You had to wonder why in the world Columbia would have tapped this as the single when there were so many better performances on the album. rating: ** stars
- Ouch, 'Realization’ started out sounded like ELP with Geddy Lee sitting in for a jam session. rating: ** stars
- What are you suppose to make of a song with a title like 'Man’s Rebirth through Childbirth (Parts 1 and 2)’ ? This was another Wolinski composition that wanted to have it both ways - progressive and commercial at the same time. The song actually had a conventional chorus and could have actually been quite good had it stuck with that particular melody, but then fell headlong into over-the-top pretentious and wannabe progressive complete with Uriah Heep-styled Hammond keyboards. rating: ** stars
- Almost Gospel-tinged, De Carlo and Wolinski shared lead vocals on 'Joy in Old Age by Way of Self Observation’. Yeah, their performances quickly got out of hand and shrieky, but the big surprise was the band’s sweet harmony vocals - this was one of their finest displays of this particular talent. rating: *** stars
- A heavily orchestrated ballad (complete with layers of strings and horns), 'Talking to Myself’ was pretty, but vapid. It reminded me of a mid-1980s Chicago track … like something Peter Cetera might have written for the band with a goal of radio domination. rating: *** stars
The album also spun off a single in the form of:
- 1971’s 'Johnny B. Goode’ (Part 1) b/w 'Johnny B. Goode’ (Part 2) (Columbia catalog number 4-45483) ……..by….RDTEN1…………..
Beautiful progressive rock with jazz/fusion inserts. Sometimes i even hear a part of Grand Funk Railroad, Vanilla Fudge (vocals are similar to). Drummer is absolutely awesome. Maybe the length of album is too big, because it usually leads to an appearance of fillers )). But you can always skip them ..as you wish ))…….by….Jurjeek……..
Madura
*David “Hawk” Wolinski - Keyboards, Vocals
*Alan DeCarlo - Guitar, Vocals
*Ross Salomone - Drums, Vocals
Discography
Madura LP (double album) - Columbia G - 30794 1971
Madura II LP - Columbia KC - 32545 1973
Johnny B Good part I & II 45 - Columbia - Jzss 155967
Save the Miracle 45 - Columbia - 4-46022 1973
A1 Hawk Piano 1:23
A2 Drinking No Wine 4:18
A3 Dreams 4:24
A4 Plains As Day 5:35
A5 My Love Is Free 7:09
Free From The Devil
B1 Free From The Devil 2:10
B2 My My What A World 1:01
B3 Stimulation 3:56
B4 Don’t Be Afraid 2:01
B5 Damnation 3:49
B6 See For Yourself 5:59
-
C1 I Think I’m Dreaming 4:23
C2 It’s A Good Time For Loving 4:55
C3 Trapped 7:45
C4 Johnny B. Goode
Written-By – C. Berry*
6:02
Reflections
D1 Realization 3:17
D2 Man’s Rebirth Through Childbirth Part 1 2:52
D3 Man’s Rebirth Through Childbirth Part 2 1:12
D4 Joy In Old Age By Way Of Self Observation 4:03
D5 Talking To Myself
2 Dec 2016
North County Rock Association “Sampler” 1973 US Private Psych Rock
North County Rock Association “Sampler” 1973 US Private Psych Rock
Tracklist
A1 –Al Hayes (2) Natural Setting
A2 –Dick Callahan Lounge Lizard
A3 –Dick Callahan La Home Sweet La Costa
A4 –Dick Callahan, Gina Flores Gina’s Song
A5 –Geoffrey Freedman Subdued By The Sun
A6 –Al Hayes (2) Mind Trek
B1 –Dick Callahan No Rebate
B2 –Dick Callahan Had A Dream
B3 –Mark Austin (5) Romance Thru Seasons
B4 –Dick Callahan Blues Jam
B5 –Terry Williams (13) Steve’s Song
A1 –Al Hayes (2) Natural Setting
A2 –Dick Callahan Lounge Lizard
A3 –Dick Callahan La Home Sweet La Costa
A4 –Dick Callahan, Gina Flores Gina’s Song
A5 –Geoffrey Freedman Subdued By The Sun
A6 –Al Hayes (2) Mind Trek
B1 –Dick Callahan No Rebate
B2 –Dick Callahan Had A Dream
B3 –Mark Austin (5) Romance Thru Seasons
B4 –Dick Callahan Blues Jam
B5 –Terry Williams (13) Steve’s Song
Wiatraki “Wiatraki 1″ 1969 Poland Psych Rock
Wiatraki “Wiatraki 1″ 1969 Poland Psych Rock
full
Tracklist
A1 Polskie Wiatraki
A2 Beskidzkie Świątki
A3 Nie Zapomnę
A4 Nocą
A5 Przy Tobie - Bez Ciebie
A6 Poznańskie Dziewczyny
A7 Chochoły
B1 Wiedzą Jedynie Zakochani
B2 Tuż Obok Mnie
B3 Zakochamy Się Któregoś Dnia
B4 Fistaszki
B5 Nie Przeglądaj Się W Jeziorze
A1 Polskie Wiatraki
A2 Beskidzkie Świątki
A3 Nie Zapomnę
A4 Nocą
A5 Przy Tobie - Bez Ciebie
A6 Poznańskie Dziewczyny
A7 Chochoły
B1 Wiedzą Jedynie Zakochani
B2 Tuż Obok Mnie
B3 Zakochamy Się Któregoś Dnia
B4 Fistaszki
B5 Nie Przeglądaj Się W Jeziorze
Gravestone “War” Germany 1980 Private Kraut Hard Rock Heavy prog
Gravestone “War” Germany 1980 ultra rare Private Kraut Hard Rock Heavy prog
full
In the eighties, Gravestone gained recognition as a hard rock and metal group. What many people don’t know is that they initially - and with a different line-up - released two LPs with progressive rock and critical lyrics, namely “Doomsday” (AVC K 793102 ST) from 1979 and “War” (AVC LP 80020 ST) from 1980, in small editions of 1000 copies each. Here’s the official from the master tapes reissue of their 2nd album. The booklet contains a very detailed band history, a lot of photographs, a complete discography also of the group’s late period, cover and label reproductions, etc. “War” contains four tracks sung in English, two in German, and one instrumental piece all complimented by swirling electric guitar. ………
Gravestone from Illertissen in Swabia became well known as a hard rock group in the eighties. What not so many people know is that they first produced two LPs with progressive rock and critical lyrics, namely “Doomsday” (AVC K 793102 ST) from 1979 and “War” (AVC LP 80020 ST) of 1980, in small editions of 1000 pieces each. Meanwhile, both appeared on Garden of Delights as CDs, pulled by the mother band. The books of the CDs contain besides a detailed band history also plenty of photos, a complete discography also the Spätzeit, cover- and label illustrations etc. “War” contains more singing than “Doomsday”, namely four English-language pieces, two German-speaking and one Instrumental…..krautrock musikzirkus……………
Line-up / Musicians
- Dietmar “Oli” Orlitta / vocals, bass
- Rudi Dorner / guitars
- Taki Gradl / guitars
- Andy Müller / keyboards, vocals
- Dieter Behle / drums
Songs / Tracks Listing
1. War (3:54)
2. Waiting for Peace (5:52)
3. Durchbruch (4:42)
4. Mörike (3:41)
5. It’s Over (2:58)
6. Hascher Blues (4:37)
7. Summer ‘79 (10:27)
Gravestone from Illertissen in Swabia became well known as a hard rock group in the eighties. What not so many people know is that they first produced two LPs with progressive rock and critical lyrics, namely “Doomsday” (AVC K 793102 ST) from 1979 and “War” (AVC LP 80020 ST) of 1980, in small editions of 1000 pieces each. Meanwhile, both appeared on Garden of Delights as CDs, pulled by the mother band. The books of the CDs contain besides a detailed band history also plenty of photos, a complete discography also the Spätzeit, cover- and label illustrations etc. “War” contains more singing than “Doomsday”, namely four English-language pieces, two German-speaking and one Instrumental…..krautrock musikzirkus……………
Line-up / Musicians
- Dietmar “Oli” Orlitta / vocals, bass
- Rudi Dorner / guitars
- Taki Gradl / guitars
- Andy Müller / keyboards, vocals
- Dieter Behle / drums
Songs / Tracks Listing
1. War (3:54)
2. Waiting for Peace (5:52)
3. Durchbruch (4:42)
4. Mörike (3:41)
5. It’s Over (2:58)
6. Hascher Blues (4:37)
7. Summer ‘79 (10:27)
Axe “Live & Studio” + “Crystalline” 1970 acetape + Axe Axe Music” 1969 UK Psych Rock
Axe “Live & Studio” UK 1969 UK Psych Rock
full
Axe Axe Music” 1969
fulll
Tracklist
1 Here To There
2 Ahinam Take II
3 Another Sunset, Another Dawn
The Child Dreams
4.i Nightfall
4.ii The Dream
4.iii Here To There
5 A House Is Not A Motel (Love)
6 Peace Of Mind
7 Dark Vision
8 Strange Sights & Crimson Nights
9 Here To There
1 Here To There
2 Ahinam Take II
3 Another Sunset, Another Dawn
The Child Dreams
4.i Nightfall
4.ii The Dream
4.iii Here To There
5 A House Is Not A Motel (Love)
6 Peace Of Mind
7 Dark Vision
8 Strange Sights & Crimson Nights
9 Here To There
Axe “Crystalline” 1970 acetape 12 copies pressed
A1Another Sunset, Another Dawn
A2Peace Of Mind
A3House Is Not A Motel
B1Here From There
B2Crimson Nights
A2Peace Of Mind
A3House Is Not A Motel
B1Here From There
B2Crimson Nights
Crystalline “ Axe Music” CD 2012 Spain Guerssen Records
watch interview from psychedelic baby…..
This album is kind of a trip. Lots of loud fuzzed out guitars, but interjected quite frequently (about every other song) with some really mellow soft typical late 60’s moments. I dare say the vocals feel out of place on a lot of the loud moments, however it fits with the mellower side of the album. It definitely has some great hard moments. From Northampton U.K., Axe (or Axe Music) were on of the most obscure acts in the field of psychedelic/hard rock. They made a handfull of acetates of an album in 1969 titled “Music” and it was also released as “Live & Studio.” In more recent years a live album was uncovered and released as “Live 1969” and featured them doing cover songs of various tunes. The lineup consisted of Vivienne (or Countess Vivienne) on vocals, A. Barford/guitars, R. Hillard/acoustic guitar, M.Knobbs/bass, and S. Gordon/drums and percussion………..
One of the greatest group from UK has never the oportunity to realeased a record, untill late 90’s . Some belive the name of the band isn’t “AXE” but “AXE MUSIC”….
Axe, also known as Axe Music or Crystalline, are one of the most obscure psychedelic bands to emerge in the 1960s. The band made only twelve acetate copies of an album in 1969, named Music (Music was the original name of the album, although some sources claim it was originally called Axe Music. The album has also been released as Live & Studio). Axe was made up of Vivienne Jones (vocals), Anthony Barford (guitar), R. Hillard (acoustic guitar), M. Nobbs (bass), and S. Gordon (drums, percussion)………..
The one previous Axe release on Kissing Spell was widely heralded as the label’s finest revelation. This one finds Stephen Smith Inc. digging pretty deep in the scunge barrel, looking for a follow-up relic. This album supposedly features an entire live performance of their debut performance at Lord Barford Croquet Tournament in 1969. Material is all covers (Jefferson Airplane, Canned Heat, Traffic, Neil Young, etc.), with plenty of tape wobble to extend the detuned meter into near avant garde territory. Tons of (uncredited) (lead) sax playing make this one a “must hear.” Oh, the historical significance. Promo material mentions bonus tracks on the CD which do not in fact exist. Did I tell you about how this one was described in a recent Record Vault rare records catalog out of Pleasanton, CA (Zarrence Smith, proprietor)? “Tremendous heavy psychedelia… a real classic acid-rock sound, top of the line! Housed in a deluxe color art cover. Highly recommended head-grooves!” Huh? This record is not tremendous nor heavy, barely classifies as “psych” or “acid-rock,” and is nowhere near the “top” of any line I’ve ever seen, heard, or pissed on. A couple of lame and out of focus live gig snapshots has never earned the term “deluxe” before, either. What this record is, is a historical curiosity, an unearthed artifact of the nascent, semi-coherent rumblings of what would become a semi-interesting genesis. For that purpose, it’s worth a spin, maybe even all the way through. Expect anything more and you’re as fucked as Mr. Smith. ……
Axe did not make a lot of music, but they made some phenomenal music. Some of the best ever to emerge from the swamp of heavy British psychedelia, certainly some of the rarest, ft is heavy but luckily never takes either of the two usual wrong directions: dexterity leading to wanky prog noodling, or high volume leading to endless bludgeoning riffs and not much else.
Unlike most stuff hyped by dealers as “prog psych” or “heavy psychedelic’, which all too often is merely mindless proto-heavy metal, Axe were something very special. They managed to pull off a ma|or coup: they could blend heavy guitar, fuzz-overloaded amps and plenty of silky ribbons of Raga moves with female vocals, Vivienne’s pensive yet direct vocal delivery, and poetic lyrics which tend towards folk structures, into a form that is proudly psychedelic, and still avoids all the usual pitfalls of such a marriage of unlikely elements. Explosive and astounding, they demolish similar femme-lead efforts like Curved Air or Shocking Blue.
But this mix of styles is not to suggest that this is a ‘happy medium’, or a compromise. Yes, the heaviness is occasionally leavened with some occasional folkish inflections, but these do not predominate, and in many ways the mention of 'folk’ does the music an injustice. Too much so-called "acid folk” is folk first and acid last. Axe were no lay-down-and-die “acid folk” weeds. There sound is first and foremost spine-tingling acid rock. They made use of imaginative and trippy fairyland lyrics, deeply immersed as they were in the whole hippie thing.
Here’s a representative quote from their masterpiece 'Here From There’: “Long ago in times of old / When knights were strong and bold, / When fairies lived beneath the trees /And flew about on bumblebees / They bathed and swam in moonlight shafts, (In toadstools large and small / Are tiny lights and chimneys tall, / Fiery dragons roar through caves / Sending out a mist-like haze, / Fat, stout trolls beneath bridges lie (Waiting to grab whatever comes by….'And yet, despite its unbridled musical brilliance and perhaps because of the hideously botched Kissing Spell "reissue”, the Axe LP still languish in deepest obscurity. (The profile of the Axe LP is starkly contrasted with an album like Jesse Harper’s “Guitar Absolutions” (or whatever you wanna call it), which is also “heavy”, also “acetate-only”, also “big bucks”, also made “available on vinyl and CD formats”).
But, Jesse gets a lot of glory and even some mainstream media attention, whereas Axe get pretty much sod-all and not even get a mention in something like RC’s (comprehensive ha ha ha) “Psych Trip” series! I guess those hacks just didn’t, couldn’t, get it. Doubtless, in their Pigeon Hole World they’d automatically call the Axe recordings “Progressive” just because they’re heavy and from 1970. Such folks have a tendency to compartmentalise “prog” and “psych” as it they are always totally separate, unrelated entities, even in the face of obvious over-laps.
Of course, yeah you guessed it Jesse Harper did gain inclusion in RC’s 'Trip’…and he’s a New Zealander! All this despite the fact that ol’ Jesse’s album isn’t even a patch on Axe’s! ( (Isn’t it time that the world woke up to the fact that Axe were superb? Isn’t it time that Tony Barford was recognised as one of British Psychedelia’s greatest guitarists? “This Machine Kills” were the words Donovan had on his guitar, but never would they have been more appropriate than on Tony Barford’s Gibson. Tony Barford is one of the truly great long lost psych-rock guitarists.
His playing could make paint blister, and piles of old newspapers to spontaneously burst into flame. It would cause retired Colonels to choke on their port & lemon, and it would strike maiden aunts stone cold dead.
by Paul Cross…..
Axe did not make a lot of music,but they made some phenomenal music.Some of the best ever to emerge from the swamp of heavy British
psychedelia,certainly some of the rarest,ft is heavy but luckily never takes either of the two usual wrong directions: dexterity leading to wanky prog noodling,or high volume leading to endless bludgeoning riffs and not much else.
A masterpiece that certainly deserves to be heard and if you like bands like Jefferson Airplane,Bow City Runners,Sam Gopal,Cream,Stray etc.This will surely be to your liking .
England always brought great psychedelic bands,especially as more underground scene of that country,because for some like me,psychedelic pop that was hitting between 1967 and 1969 is very gooey and rarely we like,but in what more underground ,acid,traveled,dark,etc. traveled.Bands were coming out with more interesting proposals,including this group was heavily influenced by Jefferson Airplane ,but their sound was even more psychedelic,dirty, dark and also something heavy.
Axe (also known as Crystalline and Axe Music) was formed in 1967 in the town of Northampton,influenced by bands like Jefferson Airplane , Grateful Dead,etc. Love.In 1970 released this demo, which would be his only recording an album of acid rock with influences of folk, Indian music and lots of west coast wave,with female voice that sounded very influenced by Grace Slick while instrumentation shows various influences of Jefferson Airplane ,but you could say that they had some Cream,Sam Gopal,Them and even Black Sabbath ,also showed heavier,darker,lysergic and some of Carnatic music influences .
In 1991 Kissing Spell label re- released this album for the first time,but to date remains criticized the re -issue,because the songs mostly changed their original titles,in addition of adding effects to your recordings as backwards and phaser to make it sound “ more psychedelic ” and even include some parts re- recorded by a guitarist in a band current stoner / doom,but fortunately Guerssen Catalan label re- released this album with original recordings ( without any alteration ),although it is recorded in one of the few copies of the original LP of '70 ,as the masters of music are lost.This album just over 27 minutes is certainly one of the best psychedelic albums that came out of the united kingdom , as the musicians were really creative when composing and performing his songs in my opinion are 100 % masterpieces, especially “ There from Here ,” which has a lot of Indian influence,also feature much “Peace of Mind” that has very heavy guitars and an excellent version of “ a House is not a Motel ” Love the group. ……………
Axis is the typical kind of group forgotten by time, who still has something to offer a new youth through internet. A unique album recorded in 1969, as well as live the same year. At the time, the album was pressed to a very limited number of acetates - “twelve” copies only. The live, meanwhile, consists only of occasions.
The album is the object of a reissue in the 90s by the label “ Kissing Spell ” unfortunately little similar to the original: the tracks were remixed with added help of echo and effects on the guitar. Fortunately, a reissue this time complies was born in 2012, the name has been changed Crystalline for the occasion. Complemented by an insert, this reissue is a fine example of what to have been the group at the time. It thus is a biography of the band, an interview with Tony Badford (original member), the summary of the different line-up over time, annotations on the pieces and press reviews on the live performances of Axe / Crystalline .
This mysterious album then allows us to plunge straight into the magisterial years more or less psychedelic underground. A stereotypical folk singer’s voice 60 (halfway between a tart and Joan Baez Grace Slick) which contrasts with acid-rock music full of big guitars fuzz to wake the dead, that’s the delicious meals on the menu.
After Another Sunset, Dawn Another explosive and breathtaking solo, the band serves us like a little almost pop nugget, the clear voice.
Then comes, to complete the A side, a superb cover of A House Is Not A Motel , which admittedly has nothing to envy the the original. More energetic, more frenzied than the version of Love (on the legendary album “ Forever Changes ”), this recovery is increasingly punctuated by a longer solo, heavier even almost more intense than that - already impeccable - the original version . Heavy, fat, heavy-psych the sauce with a wild drummer who is having a field day!
But the top of the album comes after the first half of side B: Here From There . A short intro vocals, cymbals and long fast riff background music, finally erased to make room for the entry of a simple but effective guitar melody. Finally begins the long climb to the psychedelic instrumental orgy!
The guitar and voice (Space Whisper in the Gilli Smyth ) appear to converse together to make up the heat, while a low omnipresent structure all with the battery still raging. Easy to imagine this part of the song last an eternity, in acidulated concert that the group was able to give in his short life late 60’s.
The version reprinted in the 90’s by the label “ Kissing Spell ”, renamed for the occasion The Child Dreams , this piece is completed with an intro and an outro largely modified by large space-rock effects not ill but distort unfortunately the original music.
The Internet revolution and the blogosphere have already shown us by experience that some die forgotten nuggets - all periods - can come out to date for the delight of music lovers. This is the case of the group Axis , heavy acid-rock fuerie as there are plethora had in the great years of psychedelia.
Some musicians alive today, are perhaps also still active. As is fashionable in recent years to strut in front of reformations more or less underground (but still somewhat emerged from anonymity), why not imagine, nowadays, a new live to be put in the tooth? ………
Graham Richards - Flute, Saxophone (in band: 1969)
Vivienne Jones - Vocals (in band: 1969 - 1971)
Tony Barford - Lead guitar (in band: 1969 - 1971)
Steve Gordon - Percussion (in band: 1969 - 1971)
Roger Hillard - Acoustic guitar , Bass Guitar (in band: 1969 - 1971)
One of the greatest group from UK has never the oportunity to realeased a record, untill late 90’s . Some belive the name of the band isn’t “AXE” but “AXE MUSIC”….
Axe, also known as Axe Music or Crystalline, are one of the most obscure psychedelic bands to emerge in the 1960s. The band made only twelve acetate copies of an album in 1969, named Music (Music was the original name of the album, although some sources claim it was originally called Axe Music. The album has also been released as Live & Studio). Axe was made up of Vivienne Jones (vocals), Anthony Barford (guitar), R. Hillard (acoustic guitar), M. Nobbs (bass), and S. Gordon (drums, percussion)………..
The one previous Axe release on Kissing Spell was widely heralded as the label’s finest revelation. This one finds Stephen Smith Inc. digging pretty deep in the scunge barrel, looking for a follow-up relic. This album supposedly features an entire live performance of their debut performance at Lord Barford Croquet Tournament in 1969. Material is all covers (Jefferson Airplane, Canned Heat, Traffic, Neil Young, etc.), with plenty of tape wobble to extend the detuned meter into near avant garde territory. Tons of (uncredited) (lead) sax playing make this one a “must hear.” Oh, the historical significance. Promo material mentions bonus tracks on the CD which do not in fact exist. Did I tell you about how this one was described in a recent Record Vault rare records catalog out of Pleasanton, CA (Zarrence Smith, proprietor)? “Tremendous heavy psychedelia… a real classic acid-rock sound, top of the line! Housed in a deluxe color art cover. Highly recommended head-grooves!” Huh? This record is not tremendous nor heavy, barely classifies as “psych” or “acid-rock,” and is nowhere near the “top” of any line I’ve ever seen, heard, or pissed on. A couple of lame and out of focus live gig snapshots has never earned the term “deluxe” before, either. What this record is, is a historical curiosity, an unearthed artifact of the nascent, semi-coherent rumblings of what would become a semi-interesting genesis. For that purpose, it’s worth a spin, maybe even all the way through. Expect anything more and you’re as fucked as Mr. Smith. ……
Axe did not make a lot of music, but they made some phenomenal music. Some of the best ever to emerge from the swamp of heavy British psychedelia, certainly some of the rarest, ft is heavy but luckily never takes either of the two usual wrong directions: dexterity leading to wanky prog noodling, or high volume leading to endless bludgeoning riffs and not much else.
Unlike most stuff hyped by dealers as “prog psych” or “heavy psychedelic’, which all too often is merely mindless proto-heavy metal, Axe were something very special. They managed to pull off a ma|or coup: they could blend heavy guitar, fuzz-overloaded amps and plenty of silky ribbons of Raga moves with female vocals, Vivienne’s pensive yet direct vocal delivery, and poetic lyrics which tend towards folk structures, into a form that is proudly psychedelic, and still avoids all the usual pitfalls of such a marriage of unlikely elements. Explosive and astounding, they demolish similar femme-lead efforts like Curved Air or Shocking Blue.
But this mix of styles is not to suggest that this is a ‘happy medium’, or a compromise. Yes, the heaviness is occasionally leavened with some occasional folkish inflections, but these do not predominate, and in many ways the mention of 'folk’ does the music an injustice. Too much so-called "acid folk” is folk first and acid last. Axe were no lay-down-and-die “acid folk” weeds. There sound is first and foremost spine-tingling acid rock. They made use of imaginative and trippy fairyland lyrics, deeply immersed as they were in the whole hippie thing.
Here’s a representative quote from their masterpiece 'Here From There’: “Long ago in times of old / When knights were strong and bold, / When fairies lived beneath the trees /And flew about on bumblebees / They bathed and swam in moonlight shafts, (In toadstools large and small / Are tiny lights and chimneys tall, / Fiery dragons roar through caves / Sending out a mist-like haze, / Fat, stout trolls beneath bridges lie (Waiting to grab whatever comes by….'And yet, despite its unbridled musical brilliance and perhaps because of the hideously botched Kissing Spell "reissue”, the Axe LP still languish in deepest obscurity. (The profile of the Axe LP is starkly contrasted with an album like Jesse Harper’s “Guitar Absolutions” (or whatever you wanna call it), which is also “heavy”, also “acetate-only”, also “big bucks”, also made “available on vinyl and CD formats”).
But, Jesse gets a lot of glory and even some mainstream media attention, whereas Axe get pretty much sod-all and not even get a mention in something like RC’s (comprehensive ha ha ha) “Psych Trip” series! I guess those hacks just didn’t, couldn’t, get it. Doubtless, in their Pigeon Hole World they’d automatically call the Axe recordings “Progressive” just because they’re heavy and from 1970. Such folks have a tendency to compartmentalise “prog” and “psych” as it they are always totally separate, unrelated entities, even in the face of obvious over-laps.
Of course, yeah you guessed it Jesse Harper did gain inclusion in RC’s 'Trip’…and he’s a New Zealander! All this despite the fact that ol’ Jesse’s album isn’t even a patch on Axe’s! ( (Isn’t it time that the world woke up to the fact that Axe were superb? Isn’t it time that Tony Barford was recognised as one of British Psychedelia’s greatest guitarists? “This Machine Kills” were the words Donovan had on his guitar, but never would they have been more appropriate than on Tony Barford’s Gibson. Tony Barford is one of the truly great long lost psych-rock guitarists.
His playing could make paint blister, and piles of old newspapers to spontaneously burst into flame. It would cause retired Colonels to choke on their port & lemon, and it would strike maiden aunts stone cold dead.
by Paul Cross…..
Axe did not make a lot of music,but they made some phenomenal music.Some of the best ever to emerge from the swamp of heavy British
psychedelia,certainly some of the rarest,ft is heavy but luckily never takes either of the two usual wrong directions: dexterity leading to wanky prog noodling,or high volume leading to endless bludgeoning riffs and not much else.
A masterpiece that certainly deserves to be heard and if you like bands like Jefferson Airplane,Bow City Runners,Sam Gopal,Cream,Stray etc.This will surely be to your liking .
England always brought great psychedelic bands,especially as more underground scene of that country,because for some like me,psychedelic pop that was hitting between 1967 and 1969 is very gooey and rarely we like,but in what more underground ,acid,traveled,dark,etc. traveled.Bands were coming out with more interesting proposals,including this group was heavily influenced by Jefferson Airplane ,but their sound was even more psychedelic,dirty, dark and also something heavy.
Axe (also known as Crystalline and Axe Music) was formed in 1967 in the town of Northampton,influenced by bands like Jefferson Airplane , Grateful Dead,etc. Love.In 1970 released this demo, which would be his only recording an album of acid rock with influences of folk, Indian music and lots of west coast wave,with female voice that sounded very influenced by Grace Slick while instrumentation shows various influences of Jefferson Airplane ,but you could say that they had some Cream,Sam Gopal,Them and even Black Sabbath ,also showed heavier,darker,lysergic and some of Carnatic music influences .
In 1991 Kissing Spell label re- released this album for the first time,but to date remains criticized the re -issue,because the songs mostly changed their original titles,in addition of adding effects to your recordings as backwards and phaser to make it sound “ more psychedelic ” and even include some parts re- recorded by a guitarist in a band current stoner / doom,but fortunately Guerssen Catalan label re- released this album with original recordings ( without any alteration ),although it is recorded in one of the few copies of the original LP of '70 ,as the masters of music are lost.This album just over 27 minutes is certainly one of the best psychedelic albums that came out of the united kingdom , as the musicians were really creative when composing and performing his songs in my opinion are 100 % masterpieces, especially “ There from Here ,” which has a lot of Indian influence,also feature much “Peace of Mind” that has very heavy guitars and an excellent version of “ a House is not a Motel ” Love the group. ……………
Axis is the typical kind of group forgotten by time, who still has something to offer a new youth through internet. A unique album recorded in 1969, as well as live the same year. At the time, the album was pressed to a very limited number of acetates - “twelve” copies only. The live, meanwhile, consists only of occasions.
The album is the object of a reissue in the 90s by the label “ Kissing Spell ” unfortunately little similar to the original: the tracks were remixed with added help of echo and effects on the guitar. Fortunately, a reissue this time complies was born in 2012, the name has been changed Crystalline for the occasion. Complemented by an insert, this reissue is a fine example of what to have been the group at the time. It thus is a biography of the band, an interview with Tony Badford (original member), the summary of the different line-up over time, annotations on the pieces and press reviews on the live performances of Axe / Crystalline .
This mysterious album then allows us to plunge straight into the magisterial years more or less psychedelic underground. A stereotypical folk singer’s voice 60 (halfway between a tart and Joan Baez Grace Slick) which contrasts with acid-rock music full of big guitars fuzz to wake the dead, that’s the delicious meals on the menu.
After Another Sunset, Dawn Another explosive and breathtaking solo, the band serves us like a little almost pop nugget, the clear voice.
Then comes, to complete the A side, a superb cover of A House Is Not A Motel , which admittedly has nothing to envy the the original. More energetic, more frenzied than the version of Love (on the legendary album “ Forever Changes ”), this recovery is increasingly punctuated by a longer solo, heavier even almost more intense than that - already impeccable - the original version . Heavy, fat, heavy-psych the sauce with a wild drummer who is having a field day!
But the top of the album comes after the first half of side B: Here From There . A short intro vocals, cymbals and long fast riff background music, finally erased to make room for the entry of a simple but effective guitar melody. Finally begins the long climb to the psychedelic instrumental orgy!
The guitar and voice (Space Whisper in the Gilli Smyth ) appear to converse together to make up the heat, while a low omnipresent structure all with the battery still raging. Easy to imagine this part of the song last an eternity, in acidulated concert that the group was able to give in his short life late 60’s.
The version reprinted in the 90’s by the label “ Kissing Spell ”, renamed for the occasion The Child Dreams , this piece is completed with an intro and an outro largely modified by large space-rock effects not ill but distort unfortunately the original music.
The Internet revolution and the blogosphere have already shown us by experience that some die forgotten nuggets - all periods - can come out to date for the delight of music lovers. This is the case of the group Axis , heavy acid-rock fuerie as there are plethora had in the great years of psychedelia.
Some musicians alive today, are perhaps also still active. As is fashionable in recent years to strut in front of reformations more or less underground (but still somewhat emerged from anonymity), why not imagine, nowadays, a new live to be put in the tooth? ………
Graham Richards - Flute, Saxophone (in band: 1969)
Vivienne Jones - Vocals (in band: 1969 - 1971)
Tony Barford - Lead guitar (in band: 1969 - 1971)
Steve Gordon - Percussion (in band: 1969 - 1971)
Roger Hillard - Acoustic guitar , Bass Guitar (in band: 1969 - 1971)
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