Standin' At The Crossroads : Μαρτίου 2009

Κυριακή 29 Μαρτίου 2009

THE BLUES PROJECT -LIVE INTERNATIONAL CASINO,NYC MARCH 17,1981

Biography
by Richie Unterberger

One of the first album-oriented, "underground" groups in the United States, the Blues Project offered an electric brew of rock, blues, folk, pop, and even some jazz, classical, and psychedelia during their brief heyday in the mid-'60s.

It's not quite accurate to categorize them as a blues-rock group, although they did plenty of that kind of material; they were more like a Jewish-American equivalent to British bands like the Yardbirds, who used a blues and R&B base to explore any music that interested them. Erratic songwriting talent and a lack of a truly outstanding vocalist prevented them from rising to the front line of '60s bands, but they recorded plenty of interesting material over the course of their first three albums, before the departure of their most creative members took its toll.

The Blues Project was formed in Greenwich Village in the mid-'60s by guitarist Danny Kalb (who had played sessions for various Elektra folk and folk-rock albums), Steve Katz (a guitarist with Elektra's Even Dozen Jug Band), flutist/bassist Andy Kulberg, drummer Roy Blumenfeld, and singer Tommy Flanders. Al Kooper, in his early twenties a seasoned vet of rock sessions, joined after sitting in on the band's Columbia Records audition, although they ended up signing to Verve, an MGM subsidiary. Early member Artie Traum (guitar) dropped out during early rehearsals; Flanders would leave after their first LP, Live at the Cafe Au-Go-Go (1966).

The eclectic resumes of the musicians, who came from folk, jazz, blues, and rock backgrounds, was reflected in their choice of material. Blues by Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry tunes ran alongside covers of contemporary folk-rock songs by Eric Anderson and Patrick Sky, as well as the group's own originals. These were usually penned by Kooper, who had already built songwriting credentials as the co-writer of Gary Lewis' huge smash "This Diamond Ring," and established a reputation as a major folk-rock shaker with his contributions to Dylan's mid-'60s records.

Kooper also provided the band's instrumental highlights with his glowing organ riffs. The live debut sounds rather tame and derivative; the group truly hit their stride on Projections (late 1966), which was, disappointingly, their only full-length studio recording. While they went through straight blues numbers with respectable energy, they really shone best on the folk and jazz-influenced tracks, like "Fly Away," Katz's lilting "Steve's Song," Kooper's jazz instrumental "Flute Thing" (an underground radio standard that's probably their most famous track), and Kooper's fierce adaptation of an old Blind Willie Johnson number, "I Can't Keep from Crying."

A non-LP single from this era, the pop-psychedelic "No Time Like the Right Time," was their greatest achievement and one of the best "great hit singles that never were" of the decade. The band's very eclecticism didn't augur well for their long-term stability, and in 1967 Kooper left in a dispute over musical direction (he has recalled that Kalb opposed his wishes to add a horn section). Then Kalb myseriously disappeared for months after a bad acid trip, which effectively finished the original incarnation of the band.

A third album, Live at Town Hall, was a particularly half-assed project given the band's stature, pasted together from live tapes and studio outtakes, some of which were overdubbed with applause to give the impression that they had been recorded in concert. Kooper got to fulfill his ambitions for soulful horn rock as the leader of the original Blood, Sweat & Tears, although he left that band after their first album; BS&T also included Katz (who stayed onboard for a long time). Blumenfeld and Kulberg kept the Blues Project going for a fourth album before forming Seatrain, and the group re-formed in the early '70s with various lineups, Kooper rejoining for a live 1973 album, Reunion in Central Park. The first three albums from the Kooper days are the only ones that count, though; the best material from these is on Rhino's best-of compilation.

Danny Kalb - guitar, vocals

Steve Katz - guitar, vocals

Al Kooper - keyboards, vocals

Andy Kulberg - bass, flute

Roy Blumenfeld - drums

THE BLUES PROJECT BONDS INTERNATIONAL CASINO,NYC MARCH 17,1981

EARLY SHOW

1-TUNING

2-GOIN' DOWN LOUISIANA

3-STEVE'S SONG

4-THAT'S ALRIGHT MAMA

5-ALBERTA

6-YOU CAN'T CATCH ME

7-CATCH THE WIND

8-FLY AWAY

9-RED HOUSE

10-NEW INSTRUMENTAL

11-TALK/INTROS

12-I LOVE YOU MORE THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW

LATE SHOW

1-INTRO

2-I CAN'T KEEP FROM CRYING

3-JELLY JELLY BLUES

4-CHERYL'S GOING HOME

5-YOU GO AND I'LL GO WITH YOU

6-NO TIME LIKE THE RIGHT TIME

7-FLUTE THING

8-TWO TRAINS RUNNING

9-WAKE ME SHAKE MEENCORE

10-WAKE ME SHAKE ME REPRISE

SIR STUDIOS, NYC MARCH 16,1981 ( REHEARSEL )

1-/CHERYL'S GOING HOME

2-NEW INSTRUMENTAL 1

3-NEW INSTRUMENTAL 2

4-THAT'S ALRIGHT MAMA 1

5-THAT'S ALRIGHT MAMA 2

6-TWO TRAINS RUNNING 1

7-TWO TRAINS RUNNING 2

8-GOIN'DOWN LOUISIANA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blues_Project

part1

part2

part3

Παρασκευή 27 Μαρτίου 2009

Σάββατο 20:30: Η ώρα της Γης...

H Ωρα Της Γης ,

θάρθει ,

μόνον οταν ''σβησουμε' τους πάτρωνες απο προσώπου Γής.

Αλλά Σπάρτακος δεν υπάρχει πιά

και ο λαός συνεχίζει να αρέσκεται σε 'Αρτον & Θεάματα'.

Αυτός ο κόσμος δεν θα αλλάξει ποτέ!

Ετσι είναι κατασκευασμένος!

(γρανάζι 'μιάς χρήσεως')

..Πολύ θα ήθελαν.

When The Power Of Love Overcomes The Love Of Power,The World Will Know The Peace. "James Marshall Hendrix''

Public awareness: Global warming

Κυριακή 22 Μαρτίου 2009

Van Der Graaf Generator - Pilgrims

Van Der Graaf Generator - Pilgrims

A song written by Peter Hammill and David Jackson 1976

Sometimes you feel so far away,
distanced from all the action of the play,
unable to grasp significance,
marking the plot with diffident dismay,
stranded at centre stage,
scrabbling through your diary for a lost page:
unsure of the dream.
Kicking a stone across the beach,
aching for love and comfort out of reach:
the way ahead seems to be so bleak,
there's no-one with any friendship left to speak
or show any relation
between your present and future situations...
lost to the dream.
Away, away, away--look to the future day
for hope, some form of peace
within the growing storm.
I climb through the evening,
alive and believing
in time we shall all know our goals
and so, finally, home;
for now, all is secret -
though how could I speak it,
allow me the dream in my eye!
I've been waiting for such a long time
just to see it at last, all of the hands tightly clasped,
all of us pilgrims.
Walking in silence down the coast,
merely to journey - here hope is the most,
merely to know there is an end;
all of us - lovers, brothers, sisters, friends
hand in hand.
Shining footprints on the wet sand
lead to the dream.
The time has come, the tide has almost run
and drained the deep: I rise from lifelong sleep.
It seems such a long time
I've dreamed but now, awake,
I can see we are pilgrims and so
must walk this road,
unknown in our purpose,
alone, but not worthless,
and home ever calling us on.
We've been waiting here for so long,
all of our hands joined in hope,
holding the weight on the rope
all of us pilgrims.

Κυριακή 8 Μαρτίου 2009

ILLINOIS SPEED PRESS - First album 1969 (Columbia CS 9792)

(Under Request#November.2.2007)

This Chicago-based quintet was formed in February 1968 by Paul Cotton (later Joined in a group called POCO!)and featured colleague Mike Anthony, whom Cotton had played with in another significant Chicago outfit, The Rovin' Kind, and Kal David, another important Chicago musician, after his spell in H.P. Lovecraft. The songs on their albums ranged from hard rock to more mainstream rock with country influences and from blues towards folk-rock, very often with psychedelic references and some fine fuzz guitars.

The first album met with some commercial success, peaking at No 144 in the Album Charts during 1969. Duet failed to consolidate on this and the band, by now based in California, went their separate ways in late 1971.David went on to play for Fabulous Rhinestones and Cotton to Poco, who were to become flagbearers for the country-rock movement. Earlier Fred Page had left for California where he played for various L.A.-based bands. (continued)

Πέμπτη 5 Μαρτίου 2009

Down & Out

Down & Out is a SOUTHERN ROCKIN' BLUES band established by brothers Ricky & Tonnie in Athens,Greece in the year of 2003.

We are a 3 piece combo weirdos who dig good ol' American southern rock 'n' roll,blues & hillbilly influenced by the psychedelic blues hangover of the late 1960s, traditional roots-based rock 'n' roll with a back-to-basics blues approach mixed with "chooglin'' beats ,Bar-B-Q leads and outlaw-country attitude.
Hope y'all have a good time!---Stay tuned amigos---

NEW 7'' SINGLE!

http://www.myspace.com/downnoutband

Τρίτη 3 Μαρτίου 2009

Steve Noonan - Steve Noonan(1968 Electra Records EKS 74017) (US,Folk '68)

Steve Noonan: Steve Noonan - Elektra EKS 74017 (Stereo) - Released: 1968

A touch of mystery about this one. There are no producer or engineer credits ... not even the normally ever-present production supervisor tag for Jac. There is a photo on the back of the sleeve by Linda Eastman however.
Steve was a friend of Jackson Browne, and some of Browne's songs are used on this album. At about this time there were plans for a Jackson Browne album on Elektra, but it didn't happen.

(from Elektra ‘Master’ Discography)

Coming out of the same late-'60s Orange County singer-songwriter scene that spawned Tim Buckley and Jackson Browne (who writes or co-writes five songs here), Steve Noonan recorded his sole album for Elektra in 1968, and it remains a lost minor classic of the genre, boasting a brace of good songs augmented with arty touches that are definitely reminiscent of Buckley. Noonan also lends extensive quotes to the notes, too...a 'Collectors' Choice Music' exclusive! Includes 'Leaning Back and Laughing; Tide of Love; She's a Flying Thing; Back Alley Dream Street Song; All Your Flowers; Tumble Down; Street Singer; The Painter; Shadow Dream Song; Buy for Me the Rain', and 'Trusting Is a Harder Thing'.

An early contemporary of Jackson Browne, Steve Noonan managed to beat Browne to the record racks with his 1968 self-titled album for Elektra, which had four Browne songs and one Noonan-Browne effort. Unfortunately, Noonan never even made another album, while Browne, although he had to wait until the 1970s to make his LP debut, became a big star.

Goofin' with JB in Echo Park (scotty - for a dancer - took this pic)
To be callous, there are reasons for this. Noonan's sole album contained pleasant, arty folk-rock-pop tunes that were somewhat reminiscent of those by fellow Elektra artist and Southern Californian Tim Buckley, but not nearly as outstanding. A greater problem was that Noonan's vocals were pretty thin and expressionless, making one wonder if he might have been better suited to remain a songwriter whose work was interpreted by others.

Jackson Browne, Tuli Kupferberg, Stefan Grossman, and Steve Noonan, 1967
In the mid-'60s, Noonan had been hailed by the Los Angeles magazine Cheetah as one of the "Orange County Three," a trio of singer/songwriters from the area to watch out for. One of the other three, Jackson Browne, became a superstar; the other, Tim Buckley, became one of the most esteemed cult rock singers of all time. Noonan, in contrast, is barely remembered at all. He did co-write a small hit single for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, "Buy Me for the Rain," with Greg Copeland in 1967, prior to his solo recording debut. Copeland, indeed, figured strongly in the Steve Noonan album, co-writing five of its songs with .Noonan, Copeland, and Browne were obviously tight in those days, as Copeland also did some co-writing with Browne, as on "The Fairest of the Seasons," which was recorded in the late '60s by Nico. It was to little avail for Noonan's commercial prospects, however, as his album must have sold little, judging by how hard it is to locate a copy today.
@^V^@

in this video montage long time friend of Jackson Browne singer/songwriter Steve Noonan gives a live (audio only)performance from 1974 of his hit song co written with Greg Copeland for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band "Buy For Me The Rain". features clips of Jackson Browne...

Back cover of the Elektra LP 1968 - Photo taken by Linda Eastman (would be McCartney)

Like several low-selling 1960s folk-rock albums on the Elektra label (as with another self-titled 1968 LP, Eclection, by an artist who only put out one full-length recording), it has escaped reissue in the CD age. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Very young and trying to look (and sound) like Bob (as so many others were at the time) 1965-6
Thanx to steve for pics :Steve Noonan on MySpace Music

Album Review: Steve Noonan

http://www.stevenoonan.com/

enjoy!
(and dont forget to buy the new album)

Κυριακή 1 Μαρτίου 2009

Perth County Conspiracy - 1975 - Kanada (Canada - hippie folk psych)

Cedric Smith (vocals, guitar)

Richard Keelan (guitar, vocals)

Michael Butler (bass)
Terry Jones (guitar, vocals)

George Taros (piano, vocals)

Bob Burchill (guitar, vocals, fiddle; 1973-1975)

Perth County Express [L to R.; David Woodhead.Bob Burchill,Brian lee Griffith,Jerome Jarvis

Formed in Stratford, Ontario's Perth County in 1969 by Smith and former Spikedrivers member and US draft-dodger Keelan,

The Perth County Conspiracy [Does Not Exist] released 'Mushroom Music' on Rumour Records before being signed to Columbia Records and releasing their self-titled album 'Perth County Conspiracy Does Not Exist' in 1970.

The stage at Massey Hall

Their third release, in 1971, was the double live album 'Perth County Conspiracy...Alive' (recorded in the Batthurst Street United Church in Toronto) featuring "You Ain't Got Nothing" which was edited for radio.

Trudy, Penny, Bob & John on What Bus - 1977

David Woodhead,77, Track IV Studio, Waterloo, Ont @ Bob Burchill 1977 Stockholm Sweden

Bob Burchill joined permanently in 1973 and another live album, 'What School Bus Tour' was recorded from performances in Ottawa, Sudbury, Winnipeg in February of that year. Because the band made rare and infrequent stage appearances, another live album followed in 1976 called 'Break Out To Berlin'. After the album the band split up leaving Cedric Smith to carry on. Smith collaborated with Terry Jones on 1977's 'Ten Lost Years - And Then Some'. The album did nothing and Smith moved into a career as an actor. His most memorable role being that of Alec King on CBC-TV's 'Road To Avonlea'.