|
Hot Tuna — "Double Dose" Lambert & Nuttycombe — "At Home" Moby Grape — "Grape Jam" |
Moby Grape — "Moby Grape" Moby Grape — "Wow" Strange Days — "9 Parts to the Wind" |
(Universal Japan POCE-1092, 1975/2007, CD)
One of the better British progressive one-offs has finally gotten the CD treatment it has long deserved. Led by guitarist, singer and songwriter Graham Ward, the four-piece was the standard g/k/b/d configuration, with a fairly high profile for keyboardist Eddie Spence. The six songs from the album proper reflect a fairly wide range of ideas and styles, with a penchant for elaborate arrangements and suite-length multi-part compositions. Each of the pieces focuses on a story, lyrically not unlike Genesis in their Selling England period, although the music and arrangements might better recall the Strawbs in their post-folk mid-70s period, or even the best of Crime-era Supertramp. The opening cuts from each side of the original LP tend to be more catchy, hook-filled pieces with strong melodies and standard song structures, yet bearing all the aforementioned qualities. The remaining songs are the more lengthy (as in seven-to-ten minute) multi-part song suites, often laced with a slight sense of humor that make this album essential for any serious fan of mid-70's style progressive rock. Bonus tracks include the A and B side of the band's only single, radio length mixes of two album cuts: "Monday Morning" and "Joe Soap." It's good to finally have this on CD; the only downside is that (thus far) it's only been made available as a costly Japanese mini-LP style package. Still, this one is essential. — Peter Thelen
(Acadia ACAM 8140, 1978/2007, CD)
Long unavailable on CD, this full-length live disc (originally a 2LP set) is a superb summary of Hot Tuna's career up to that point; in fact the band split up shortly after the album hit the street in '78. Formed as an acoustic side project of Jefferson Airplane guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady in the late 60s, their initial focus was on traditional blues covers with some originals mixed in; over time numerous other musicians passed through their ranks as they turned on the electricity and evolved into a full-on rock band. In fact that's pretty much how this live set evolves as well. The early tracks are essentially Jorma Kaukonen performing solo on acoustic guitar and vocals, with Casady and the others joining in beginning on side two of the original LP for three more sides of electrified blues rock and beyond. Many highlights here include "Genesis" and "Embryonic Journey," two Kaukonen originals from the acoustic set, as well as the nine-minute "Funky #7" and concert staples "Sunrise Dance with the Devil" and "Watch the North Wind Rise" from the full four-piece band. Unfortunately, the original LP was four minutes longer than the limits of the CD medium, so in the interest of economy original side-one closer "Killing Time in the Crystal City" was removed instead of adding a second disc. Those unfamiliar with Hot Tuna's oeuvre should find this live set to be a good starting point for exploration. — Peter Thelen
[availability: Jade Hubertz — barbarousrelics (at) sbcglobal.net]
(Sundazed SC11190, 1967/2007, CD)
(Sundazed SC11191, 1968/2007, CD)
(Sundazed SC11192, 1968/2007, CD)
One of the very best of the late '60s San Francisco bands (if not the best), Moby Grape's recordings as well as the band's name itself has long been tied up in endless cycles of litigation thanks to former manager Matthew Katz. What has been available thus far were shabbily mastered CDs of Moby Grape and a 2-on-1 massacre of Wow and Grape Jam on Katz' own San Francisco Sounds label. Finally last year, the band won the rights to their name back, clearing the way for proper reissues of their five Columbia era long players. Moby Grape 69 and Truly Fine Citizen are planned for later in 2007.
The debut album is nothing short of a masterpiece. Thirteen tracks of catchy melodies and memorable lyrics, where rock and roll hooks abound and all five members of the band could sing lead or harmony well; In contrast to most of the San Francisco bands of the day, their sound was not laden with extended psychedelic jams, but instead presented in concise, well written two-to-three minute statements, authored by any combination of the five band members, all of whom could write great songs. Their sound was a well balanced combination of rock styles, at once informed by folk, blues, country, sixties soul, and jazz. By today's standards, much of what's presented here would be called roots rock. Any one of those thirteen had single potential, although Columbia's decision to release five singles from the album at once massively backfired and only one, "Omaha," ever charted. Few albums of that era pack as much good material and zero filler. This reissue includes five bonus tracks of the same vintage, two previously unissued.
The band's second album Wow was originally packaged with a free 2nd LP (Grape Jam) for the same price as a single LP. Due to the fact that all of both wouldn't fit on a single CD (as well as accommodate bonus tracks) Sundazed has broken them out into two separate reissues, which is fair also because the two are in fact very different. In almost every respect, Wow is as strong as the first album, perhaps a bit more refined production-wise, and by this time some psychedelicisms are starting to creep in on a few of the songs. Some of the rough edges of the first are smoothed out, plus a few songs feature string arrangements, though never overpowering the songs. The sped-up voices on the country rocker "Funky-Tunk" and the 1930's parody "Just Like Gene Autry: A Foxtrot" are interesting sidetracks along the way, but songs like "Rose Colored Eyes," "Murder in My Heart for the Judge," and "Motorcycle Irene" are a match for anything on the first album. Six previously unreleased bonus tracks are included with this one.
Grape Jam is the oddity here. Of course Moby Grape's strengths and reputation on record up to this point were based on concise executions of carefully composed three-minute songs. Live, those stretched out a bit longer, but Grape certainly weren't considered a jam band in the sense of The Dead, Quicksilver, and others. Grape Jam showcased what the band could do for the most part just jamming in the studio, along with some guest players like Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield (several months before the release of Super Session), plus a slow blues vocal cut that opens the proceedings. The jams are great fun, even if a little long-winded at times, and showcase some great playing mostly in an electric bluesy style that was so prevalent at the time. Closing the original disc was "The Lake," a bizarrely psychedelic meandering with lyrics written by somebody outside the band, and is pretty much a throwaway. Three lengthy bonus cuts are included, the last being an arrangement of "Bags' Groove" with Kooper, Randy Brecker on trombone, and part of Blood Sweat & Tears horn section. Overall, Grape Jam is not as essential as the first and Wow, but solid nonetheless. — Peter Thelen
(Universal Japan UICY-9580, 1970/2005, CD)
Been waiting a long long time for this gem to arrive on CD. Craig Nuttycombe and the late Denis Lambert got their start as a folk duo in the Los Angeles area after years of playing in a number of different bands. After signing with A&M and a move to Sausalito — just north of San Francisco, they recorded this very special and intimate folk album of original material (save a cover of Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles"), which received some FM airplay at the time, helping the duo garner a limited but dedicated following. The instrumentation is simple: two acoustic guitars and two singers harmonizing; the sound is soft, warm and heartfelt, as if they are singing and playing their guitars by the fireplace in your living room on a cool winter night while you pass the pipe around. There is no pretension of musical virtuosity at work here, the stark arrangements for two acoustic guitars have one purpose only, which is to support the two as they harmonize and deliver their songcraft, and to that end the effort succeeds immeasurably. Think of Nick Drake's acoustic work, pre-psychedelic Donovan or perhaps Duncan Browne's earliest work for the general tone, though an additional dimension is added due to the harmonies, the end result being nothing short of magical. Until some stateside label releases this, it's only available as a pricey Japanese import, but still worth every penny. — Peter Thelen