THE SONS – Follow Your Heart – (Capitol) – 1971

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Franko

what Frank is listening to #7 – THE SONS – Follow Your Heart – (Capitol) – 1971

Sons of Champlin – Follow Your Heart

Initially I couldn't find anything on "The Sons" and that's because they tend to be listed under their original name "The Sons of Champlin". They had broken up and then reformed to do this album to satisfy a contractual obligation, hence the new name (?).

This is their 4th LP.

I know my psych music (generally) though I had not heard of this band even though they are a San Francisco Bay Side band.
 
Hmmm … I generally don't favour long (long) tracks … ever … songs should be long only when played live in concert IMHO. And, yes I know, short songs in psych music is generally contradictory. Of the nine tracks on this LP there are a couple of short tracks though I suspect they are there to make room for the three 5+ min tracks and the one 7+ min track…. (and apparently this "Sons" LP was noted for its shorter tracks !)
 
The internet describes them as a psychedelic band from San Francisco and the music certainly is that but its not just guitar based psychedelica. Some of the tracks are organ driven whilst the guitar solos are not in the "solo Hendrix psychedelica style" but more in the form of a ramblin' guitar jam style … the band on this LP are probably as much "jazz fusion" as psych, perhaps a sort of "acid jazz". There are also over the top vocals which are distinctly "soul like" … like a softer "Moby Grape" or a heavier "Tim Buckley".

The lyrics are of the "peace, love and understanding" variety.

I just found an entry on wikipedia on them ….which says much of the above:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sons_of_Champlin

I don't mind this. Psych, jazz fusion is very much of its time though sometimes the bands can sound relatively contemporary. Here they don't … in fact this sounds more like 1969 than 1971 but it still gets into its own groove.

Best tracks: "Before You Right Now" / "Follow Your Heart" / "Beside You"

The band are popular with psych record collectors (some of the biggest nerds I have ever met in all my years at record fairs) which explains why the band still has a website:
http://www.sonsofchamplin.com/nowandthen.htm
 
I couldn't find any of the above tracks on the net but here they are live. This is an earlier track (the LP above doesn't have any horns)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VkFOFF4xuk&feature=PlayList&p=C9C4143FAA64C157&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=1
 
I will probably tape a couple of tracks and then stick this one on eBay.

 

(originally posted: 16/04/2009)

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GRASS ROOTS – Lovin’ Things – (Dunhill) – 1969

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Franko

what Frank is listening to #6 – GRASS ROOTS – Lovin' Things – (Dunhill) – 1969

 

I'm really keen to listen to this (notwithstanding its been sitting in "the pile behind me" for over a year). You may ask "why are you keen to listen to a MOR vocal folk rock pop group from the 60s, Frank?"….  well I like 60s pop but more importantly P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri (writers and producers) were behind the creation of the group. And, both of them are minor geniuses, even though at the time they were in their early to mid 20s!
 
On top of that any group that's trying to be a MOR version of "The Byrds" can't be all bad.
 
Sloan was actually the vocalist on the first few singles as no "Grass Roots" actually existed … when they had hits the present band was found and they became "The Grass Roots", and the hits kept coming through to the mid 70s.
 
By the time of this LP P.F. Sloan was on his way out – there are only three compositions of his but two of them are killers ….
 
I have a couple of P.F. Sloan albums and he can be patchy but he does have the song writing knack … he wrote the immortal "Eve of Destruction" which was a hit for Barry McGuire in 1965. If you haven't heard that track or listened to the lyrics, then do so … the lyrics are still relevant (and perceptive).

The tracks here all work as big pop sounds. "Lovin Things" for Spector like pop, "The River is Wide" for folky pop, "City Women" for reflective pop and "Days of Pearly Spencer" for crazy baroque pop.

In fact Steve Barri's big sounding production probably makes the LP sound better than it is … and it doesn't hurt that the session muscians include Larry Knetcher, Hal Blaine, Mike Deasy, Jon Osborn  (who had all worked with Elvis in the 60s).

I notice the horns are arranged by Jimmy Haskell. Haskell is a bit of a legendary composer and arranger and has worked with two great acts, recently in 2008 … Jose Feliciano and the Pope. He conducted the orchestra accompanying Jose Feliciano while performing at the Concert of Hope for Pope Benedict XVI at NYC. He has also worked with Elvis, Simon and Garfunkel,  Bobbie Gentry, Foreigner, The Four Tops,  Crosby, Stills, Nash,  Bobby Darin, Neil Diamond,  Fats Domino, The Doobie Brothers, Billy Joel,  B.B. King, The Bee Gees, Blondie, Glen Campbell, The Lettermen, Ricky Nelson, and Steely Dan. He also composed scores for dozens of films … mainly Made for TV crap but also some good uns …"Hard Country", "Night of the Lepus", "The Honkers" , "Wild on the Beach", "Surf Party" , "The Gun Hawk".  
 
The music on this album works and its pretty slick but I like slick. I know this band not only actively mined MOR but they had no desire to go outside of it. They are harder than "The Turtles" (when they were MOR) and are significantly harder than the "Mamas and the Papas" (though without the "cred", oddly). If they went outside their sound they would sound like a watered down "Beau Brummels". As it turns out they would move closer to Bread territory, though not as bad, to my ears (that's not to say "Bread" didn't have some good tracks).
 
I suspect this LP will be (slightly grudgingly – as I am trying to curb my collection) added to the collection … file it alongside Jake Holmes, late 60s Hollies, Bergen White, late 60s Bob Lind for over the top big sounding pop …
 
Oh …and the guitarist went on to manage "Quiet Riot"!
 
A good review of the LP
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jifexqu5ldae
 
Here are the singles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCkPm7Oq4iE&feature=PlayList&p=F2503FB1821372DD&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqeqgLOkc9U
 
I have to slip in the magnificent "Eve of Destruction" by PF Sloan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8SfiCnwF28

(originally posted: 14/04/2009)

Posted in Folk Rock, Sunshine Pop and Baroque | Tagged | Leave a comment

BLOODROCK – Blooodrock 2 – (Capitol) – 1970

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Franko

what Frank is listening to #5 – BLOODROCK – Blooodrock 2 – (Capitol) – 1970

Stock photo

The wet weather is keeping me indoors a lot.
 
Another one.

Allmusic describes this band best:

allmusic: "Bloodrock was an early '70s hard rock band from Fort Worth, TX, led by singer/drummer Jim Rutledge for the first LP. They charted with six albums between 1970 and 1972 and scored a Top 40 hit with the morbid "D.O.A." from their second, gold-selling LP, Bloodrock 2". 

Yup … its definitely "hard rock" … like an American version of "Deep Purple". Coming from Texas I thought there may be some country, southern or roots influences … but, certainly, there is nothing like that on this LP. At times they sound like Grand Funk Railroad (though that's not surprising as they are mining the same field and use the same producer – Terry Knight) albeit with darker lyrics.
 
There  are (also) some "Black Sabbath" overtones here. Apparently their first album was full of the dark and ominous music and imagery. 

All of the tracks (there are eight in total) clock in at over 4 mins  each … and there is a lot of whaling and hard rock angst.

A pop band this aint … you know it wouldn't surprise me if Henry Rollins has this in his record collection … seriously.
 
The best track is the single "DOA" which, in graphic detail, recounts the last thoughts of a car or plane-crash victim … and it clocks in at 8 mins 25 seconds !!

Read wikipedia if you want the full story on the track "DOA"… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloodrock
 
And, there has to be a influence on someone in the first generation grunge movement … I can see this LP appealing to slack jawed, flanno wearing youths in the US midwest … bless them.
 
The other good tracks are "Lucky in the Morning", "The Cheater", and "Children's Heritage".
 
here's the single
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzUpVyOdXek
and a live clip of "Lucky in the Morning"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMTQt_bAOPc&feature=related
and "Children's Heritage"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-exIk0J9qc&feature=related

4 tracks out of 8 are good … I'm not sure the album is a keeper …. then again … tmaybe it's for the maybe pile ….

(originally posted: 12/04/2009)

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J GEILS BAND – Freeze Frame – (Capitol) – 1981

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Franko

what Frank is listening to #4 – J GEILS BAND – Freeze Frame – (Capitol) – 1981

Freeze Frame cover

Observations and notes #4 (this is not a review)
 
Another one … so soon you may say.
 
Well, this is a big one … we all remember the single "Centerfold" from this LP, and, you know, its a still a good track.
 
I remember thinking, as a youth,  this was a  "racey"  song … " Centerfold" … chicks in magazines … "nude" …..ahhh a Catholic education.
 
I was shakin' in my shoes
Whenever she flashed those baby-blues
Something had a hold on me
When angel passed close by
 
Those soft and fuzzy sweaters
Too magical to touch
Too see her in that negligee
Is really just too much
 
My blood runs cold
My memory has just been sold
My angel is the centerfold
Angel is the centerfold
 
The J.Geils Band had been around since the late 60s and had always played straight ahead rock … like a more mainstream "Flamin Groovies" … and they had put out about ten albums before this LP (which was Top 10)
 
On this album the production (and songs) is very late 70s / early 80s US mainstream "new wave-ish" power pop – think The Cars, The Knack, The Romantics etc.
 
"Freeze Frame" is a pretty good track also, as is "Piss on the Wall", whilst the rest is all adequate.
 
I'll tape a couple of tracks and flog this one off.
 
Are there any J Geils Band fans out there ?
 
Phil … I am looking at you.
 
(originally posted: 10/04/2009)
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JIM PULTE – Shimmy She Roll, Shimmy She Shake – (UA) – 1972

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Franko

what Frank is listening to #3 – JIM PULTE – Shimmy She Roll, Shimmy She Shake – (UA) – 1972

The first track (the title track) is a pretty good piece of southern "rave up" rock n roll.

In fact most of the album, thus far on my listening, is chug-a-lug, southern, rootsy rock like Creedence (yes I know they were from San Francisco) with less "sing-along-ability" and mixed with a 50s retro feel (sort of like Daddy Cool without all the novelty and gimmicks) … maybe this is not surprising as Pulte was in a 60s rockabilly band called The Disciples apparently.

aah ..the first side is all up-tempo numbers and the second side is ballads ….

The second side starts off promisingly with a stripped down quirky version of the Johnny Mercer's (he was half Croat American by the way) standard "I Remember You" (yep, the song Frank Ifield had a yodel hit with) and there is a Randy Newman cover also ("You Can Leave Your Hat On")  … the original ballads are so-so, the best being "The Best Year since '28"

Also, David Lindley plays on one track … if you don't know who he is you should as he is a bit of a uber legend sessionist … http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lindley_(musician)

I couldn't  find out much about Jim Pulte on the usual sites … I had to google him … as it turns out he was the singer-bassist in a band with Moon Martin (the cult favourite of the US new wave) called "Southwind" in the late 60s early 70s …

He's on myspace, has some interesting friends and he's still recording and releasing roots rock… http://www.myspace.com/jimpulte

hmmm … I don't know if I will keep this album or not … it's a sound I don't mind and I wanted to like the album more. It's solid though so I think I will put it into the "maybe" pile and wait to see if I have a hankering to put it on again later.

(originally posted as part of an email group: 10/04/2009)

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THE PRESIDENTS – 5-10-15-20-25-30 years of love – (Sussex) – 1971

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Franko

  what Frank is listening to #2 – THE PRESIDENTS – 5-10-15-20-25-30 years of love – (Sussex) – 1971

  

Three black dudes from Washington DC 1971.

Their Top 20 was the title track "5-10-15-20(25-30 years of Love)"

The rest of the LP (so far on my contemporaneous listening) is standard 70s soul and a bit MOR … actually some of it is a throwback to the black vocal groups of the 50s and 60s but updated with some light disco leanings. The disco is not surprising as it is produced by disco king Van McCoy whose one big hit, "The Hustle",  is truly magnificent.  I remember dancing to it at The Beat or the Terminus in the early to mid-80s (the places you 'd go with your girlfriends so you could get a root later). 

This is a pleasant enough LP though I like my 70s soul a bit more up-tempo. "The O'Jays" are the best of the 70s soul acts, to my ears – everyone likes the "Back Stabbers" or "Ship Ahoy" LPs but I recommend "Survival" from 1975.

The  cover art here is the next best thing on this LP – a series of "slice of life" pics from, what I assume is, Washington DC in 1971.

Washington DC before it was ruined by Minor Threat, Fugazi, Bad Brains etc (just kidding)

  

Posted in Soul, Funk & Disco | Tagged | 1 Comment

LULU – New Routes – (Atco) – 1970

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Franko

what Frank is listening to #1 – LULU – New Routes – (Atco) – 1970

cover art

On a cheery note … for anyone interested … before I go to work I am listening* to a Lulu LP from 1970 called "New Routes" . This was her "From Dusty in Memphis" and it was recorded at Muscle Shoals in Alabama.

Some of the tunes are quite good,though the influence of her then husband (Maurice Gibb) is evident.

So it is less southern soul and more mainstream pop which is hard to believe given that Duane Allman plays guitar on this LP!

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gxfpxqw5ldde

 * I have a turntable behind my computer work station at home and there is the only chance I get to listen to all the records piled up in the corner (which I haven't listened to yet) and decide what I want to keep / sell / record …..

(originally posted as part of an email group: 08/04/2009)

Posted in Pop Rock, Rock & Pop | Tagged | Leave a comment