Wrathchild America - Climbin' The Walls / 3-D

Wrathchild America initially formed in 1978 under the name Atlantis and then Tyrant. They went through a handful of member changes and then when Brad Divens joined in 1983, after a couple of years in Kix, his studio experience allowed him to help with song construction and give them some direction.  Unfortunately, while they had a pretty good reputation as a live band, by the time their debut album was released in 1989 (delayed by a year due to another band named Wrathchild, hence the “America”) musical tastes were changing and they never really got their just due.  They did manage to release a second album in 1991, but with the explosion of grunge, it was even less successful and Atlantic Records dropped them.  This newly released double CD includes both of these releases along with two bonus cuts.  

From the time Divens joined until they signed their major label deal, the band focused on rehearsing and playing live.  They often played five nights a week and since the clubs wanted covers they learned how to play alot of different styles.  Due to this, there ended up being a lot of variety and diversity on their debut album Climbin’ The Walls.  The album opens strongly with the title track, a fast-paced thrasher that also has some interesting tempo shifts throughout.  Hell's Gates is up next and is a hard-charging track, that sounds a little like Iron Maiden if they had more of a thrash edge.  It has some impressive guitar work along with Shannon Larkin's drumming.  The aforementioned diversity comes into play with "No Deposit, No Return," a fun, kind of gritty rocker with a hint of blues and a really nice slower acoustic passage about halfway through.  The album's instrumental track "Hernia" does a great job of showcasing the musicianship of the band, but the song itself is a little lackluster.  The nearly six minute “London After Midnight” is probably the most interesting track on the album.  The foundation of the song is very Iron Maiden sounding, but with a strong goth element, as you might expect by the title.  With its B horror movie lyrics, "Candy From A Madman" is straight ahead rock somewhat in the vein of NWOBHM, but with an instrumental interlude that is almost whimsical.  "Silent Darkness (Smothered Life)" has elements of classic rock, metal and thrash with more dark horror lyrics, this time about being buried alive during a prank and then returning from the grave for revenge.  Their cover of Pink Floyd’s time doesn’t stray too far from the original but does have more of a metal edge especially in the crunching guitar work.  Closing out the album is “Day Of The Thunder,” a driving rocker that is somewhat reminiscent of Iron Maiden both lyrically and musically, although not as heavy.  Climbin’ The Walls is a solid debut, but with one big drawback for me, which is the thin and somewhat flat production.  

While the debut had some diversity, their sophomore release 3-D, which was produced by in demand producer Alex Perialis, took things to another level in both quality and diversity, making it hard to believe it’s the same band.  “3-D Man” gets things going and is an aggressive, in-your-face track that sounds like Metallica if they played jazz.  With its walking bass line “Spy” is a super funky rocker that is extremely well-played and just makes for a fun listen.  Melding funk and technical metal, “Gentleman Death” is an album highlight with some very strong guitar work, followed by “Forever Alone,” a solid groove metal track that was a precursor to where they would go in Souls At Zero (more on that later).  The six minute “Draintime” is an impressive track with a lot of prog tendencies shifting back and forth from softer acoustic passages to heavy power metal.  “Surrounded By Idiots” is a fun, funky trash tune with a lot of twisting, turning instrumental passages that brings to mind Anthrax and Scatterbrain.  The six and half minute “Desert Smiles” is a very dynamic song with constantly shifting tempos that go from intense thrash to an acoustic guitar instrumental section and even throws in some talkbox before segueing into the brutal, absolutely in your face “What’s Your Pleasure?,” which will have you thinking Anthrax.  The instrumental “Prego” (as in “it’s in there” from the old pasta sauce commercials) is a fun, all over the place, instrumental that crams in about every style of music known to man.  It really shows the band’s musical prowess, even sounds like the theme song to some offbeat old school cartoon at times.  Probably one of the album’s weakest tracks is “Another Namelesss Face,” a bluesy rock tune with a metal edge that’s a little too plodding and missing the fun edge that can be found on the rest of the album.  The album wraps up with “//,” a straight-ahead, breakneck paced thrash tune with an inexplicable reggae section in the middle.  Also included on disc two are a fun cover of Albert Collins’ blues track “I Ain’t Drunk, I’m Just Drinking,” which sticks pretty close to the original, but adds a little metal punch, and an edited version of “Surrounded By Idiots.”  It's a shame their timing was just a little off, because listening back to these albums it's apparent that if they were released a few years earlier, they would be much better known.  Interestingly, once they were dropped from Atlantic Records in 1992, the band changed up their style. renamed themselves Souls At Zero and released a couple more albums under that name.  Following that band, Larkin went on to drum for Ugly Kid Joe and then played with Godsmack for over twenty years, while Divens became an in-demand audio engineer, working with artists like Motley Crue, Cyndi Lauper, Garbage and HIM.

(Dissonance Productions)

da nang - Kids EP

On their new EP Kids, Toronto three-piece da nang lay out four solid cuts of alt rock, emo and post-punk with an ever-present sense of melancholy that often reminds me of bands like The Smoking Popes and Sugar.  Several of the songs have an undercurrent of tension and along the way there are also elements like the jangly guitars in “Your Feed” and the strong pop melodies of the title track to keep things fresh.  Nostalgia is a common theme with well-crafted lyrics dealing with things like first love and heartbreak, birthdays and getting older.  

(da nang - instagram)

Snips - The Solo Years 1978-1981

Following his stint as lead singer of Sharks (see the review of their box set Car Crash Supergroup back in February) and then Baker Gurvitz Army, Steve “Snips” Parsons released a couple of really strong solo albums, Video King and La Rocca!  These two releases, along with 31 previously unreleased tracks (27 unissued BBC live and session recordings), have now been compiled in the outstanding new three-CD box set The Solo Years 1978-1981.  

Disc one opens with the album Video King, which was produced by Steve Lillywhite and featured John Bentley (later in Squeeze) and Mick Dyche on guitar, Graham Deakin (John Entwistle's band The Ox) and Jackie Badger (Mother Superior) on bass.  It’s a fun collection of tunes that find him shifting more towards New Wave in its early days especially on songs like the punchy, upbeat opener “Love Is Blind”, the midtempo “Film Club,” “Walking” (co-written by former Sharks bandmate Chris Spedding who later covered it) and they super infectious, keyboard driven “Eat It Up,” which sounds like it should’ve had an accompanying  video playing over and over on MTV in its infancy.  The quirky “Stravinky’s Shoes” also follows that path, but with its use of sax it has moments that bring to mind Psychedelic Furs and Spear of Destiny (interestingly it also has a passage that pops up a couple of times that is very reminiscent of Talking Heads “Psycho Killer” which came out at almost the same time).  There are also several tracks that harken back to his work with the Sharks.  “Video Kings” and “Dracula” are more straight-ahead rockers with a bluesy edge that are perfect examples, as is the slow, bluesy “Babaloomah.”  “Under Suspicion” is an easygoing, almost loping, cut that mixes some rootsy elements with the New Wave, and closer “Animal Century” is almost six minutes and is a big sounding song with storytelling lyrics.  Disc one also has fourteen bonus tracks starting with “Smash Your TV,” an upbeat power pop song with a touch of glam, that was the b-side to the “Waiting For Tonight” single.  Next up are four previously unreleased tracks that appear to be demos, although there is no context given.  The first three are listed as re-recorded versions of albums tracks "Radio Kings" ("Video Kings" on the album), "Dracula" and "Babaloomah."  They are a little more ragged and the first two are heavier.  The fourth is “Taxi,” a really strong rock track that also sounds a lot like his work with the Sharks.  The remaining nine bonus tracks on disc one are a live set from November 22, 1978, recorded at the Paris Theatre in London for the BBC’s Andy Peebles Show.  The recording itself is really good, and the band is tight and sounds great, playing a selection of songs from both albums along with a couple of energetic rockers “Flow My Tears” and “Music Breakout.”

Since Video King failed to have alot of sales, their record label Jet wouldn't pay for a second album, and the band was disbanded.  Snips continued to cut demos and when he recorded the song "Nine O'clock," everyone thought he had a hit, which led to him getting a deal with MAM Records for three singles.  At this point he teamed up with Midge Ure as producer, guitar and synths and along with Steve Young (Holly And The Italians) on drums and Jackie B on bass, they recorded a new version.  The song went into heavy rotation on radio and had great reviews, but the label didn't press enough copies (stores were saying they sold out in three days) and the momentum was lost.  To try to make up for it, EMI gave him an album deal, resulting in his second album La Rocca!  Production on the remaining tracks was handled by Spedding, who also played guitars and keys, with Badger returning on bass, Bill Nelson (Be Bop Deluxe) on synths, and Clem Cattini and Dave Mattacks (Fairport Convention) on drums.  Overall, the album moves even further in the new wave and power pop direction, but with more experimentation than the debut.  The aforementioned "Nine O'clock" kicks things off and was definitely a missed opportunity.  It's an insanely catchy power pop track with a bit of an edge that has hit single written all over it.  Driven by a pulsing electronic beat and with a lot of synth washes mixed in, the experimentation is very evident on the title track.  The new wave influence is strong on cuts like punchy rocker “Skies Of England” (a tribute to Brian Jones) and the upbeat power pop songs “Backs Of Millions” and “Happy Sometimes."  “Telepathy” shows the quirkier side and the laid-back “The Rain” has a bit of New Romantics moodiness. “Dark Outside” and “Work” are a couple of rockers that have a soulful rootsy grit.  The album also contains a cover of Larry Wallis’ “Police Car,” which has an interesting arrangement, slowing it down and giving it a dark, more intense sound.  Disc two is rounded out with six more bonus cuts originally released as singles.  “What’s Your Number” was the b-side to “Nine O’Clock” and is an early Elvis Costello-ish New Wave track.  Their cover of Holland Dozier Holland’s “You’re A Wonderful One” (originally sung by Marvin Gaye) is a fun, R&B-tinged pub rock cut punctuated with some great sax with the heavier, kinder darker “Mr Dillinger” on the flip.  The catchy New Wave power pop “Lolita” was the b-side to “Telepathy” and lastly is the “Tight Mix” version of album track “Tight Shoes” that is a lot better than the album version, which to me is a little lackluster, with “Noise” and its infectious driving beat on the back.  

The third disc in this set is titled BBC Recordings and contains eighteen previously unreleased tracks recorded for the BBC during three different sessions.  The first set was again recorded for the Andy Peebles Show, this time on February 16, 1979.  Along with "Flow My Tears" and "Music Breakout," which were also on the earlier session, but never released in studio versions, are an energetic "Nine O'clock" and "Twelve O'Clock," which is a tad mellower, but just as catchy.  The last two sets were recorded for BBC in Concert, starting off with a seven-song session recorded on March 5, 1980, and featuring Midge Ure on keys.  In addition to tracks from the sophomore album and a single B-side they also played three songs that were never released.  “Mr Machine” is a dark rocker with a strong noisy electronic element that shows Ure’s influence, while “I Am The Line” is more pop-tinged New Wave rock and “Rat Catcher” is a taut, midtempo track.  The final seven songs are from a session that was recorded on January 6, 1981.  This time they stuck pretty much with tracks from La Rocca!, with the closing “Kustom Car Kommandos,” being the only track not on the album.  It’s a fun, super catchy, manic paced track, and it’s a shame it never got properly recorded in the studio.  The various bands on all three shows sound great and the recordings are outstanding, definitely making them a great addition to the box set.  Rounding things out is a booklet with detailed liner notes written by Snips.  

(Lemon Recordings)

Fuller - Fuller EP

With five songs running just over twelve minutes on their self-titled EP, Germany’s Fuller (featuring members of Heim, Somewhere Underwater, Prison Shank, G.L.O.W. and Paulinchen Brennt) show that sometimes basic, no-frills rock is all it takes.  The production is simple and somewhat lo-fi, bringing to mind Dinosaur Jr or Built To Spill, with the vocals a little low in the mix so they are just above the instruments.  The songs are largely power pop gems at their core (opener “Mew” is one of the catchiest tunes I’ve heard in awhile), but with a ragged, fast-paced punk energy that gets straight to the point.  Even though the EP is short, you’ll have no problem hitting the repeat and listening over and over again.  

(Fuller - Bandcamp)

Atomic Rooster - Circle The Sun

Atomic Rooster was originally formed in 1969 by organist Vincent Crane and drummer Carl Palmer (both members of the final lineup of The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown).  The band was active from 1969 to 1975 and then again from 1980 to 1985 and went through several lineup changes over that time, with notable members including Chris Farlowe, Ginger Baker, John McCoy and Bernie Torme.  During this time, Crane was the only constant member before sadly passing away in 1989.  Then in 2016, with Crane’s widow giving permission to use the name, Steve Bolton (a member in 1971 and 1972) and Pete French (a member in 1971) brought the band back to life with a new line-up.  Since then, the band has gone through several more member changes and now with the lineup consisting of Bolton, Adrian Gautrey, Shugg Millidge and Paul Everett (due to his inability to keep up with their touring, French left the band in late 2023), they have released Circle The Sun, their first album since 1983.  Driven largely by Gautrey’s organ, the album does the band’s name proud, bringing to mind the classic Atomic Rooster sound, but with a modern-day edge.  They waste no time showing this with opener “Fly Or Die,” a high energy, fuzzed out, blues-tinged rocker.  The title track is up next and follows a similar path but with a bit of a chugging, funk swagger.  The hypnotic “Never 2 Lose” is a slower track, that is darker and a bit ominous with great swirling keyboards, while “Follow Me” with its twisting and turning tempo shifts takes things in more of a prog rock direction.  “Rebel Devil” and “First Impression” (check out the keys on this one) are straight-up classic rock tunes that are a couple of the more hook-heavy tracks here. “No More,” meshing goth and psychedelia, and the slower “Pillow” (with a powerful vocal performance that is somewhat reminiscent of Mark Lanegan) are darker and heavier with a sound that harkens back a little to their Death Walks Behind You album.  “Last Night” finds them sliding sideways into some slinky soulful funk rock that really showcases Gautrey’s versatility on the keys and brings us to the rollicking closer “Blow That Mind."  Circle The Sun is a welcome return for Atomic Rooster and hopefully not the last we will hear from the band.

(Esoteric Antenna)

The Outer Limits - Just One More Chance – Anthology 1965-1968

Over the course of the four years from 1965-1968, The Outer Limits, led by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Christie, released three singles that showed great potential for a promising career, and also took part in a package tour in 1967 that was headlined by Pink Floyd, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Move and The Amen Corner.  Over the years, those singles have become highly collectible, and now they are included in this new two-CD collection, along with thirty-one bonus tracks (fourteen of which are previously unreleased) that were also recorded during this time.  The set opens with their debut single “When The Work Is Through,” an upbeat pop tune with some soulful undertones and a horn section that was actually written by Godfrey Class, a student at Leeds University, and included on the 1965 Leeds Students Charity Rag single.  Found at the end of disc one is their second single “Just One More Chance,” a catchy, upbeat pop tune with a touch of psychedelia and some really cool twinkling organ, and the flipside “Help Me Please,” which found them shifting in more of a freakbeat direction.  Their final single was “Great Train Robbery,” a gorgeous, orchestrated chamber pop track with storytelling lyrics, that is reminiscent of early Bee Gees.  It has all the makings of a hit, but the BBC wouldn't play it due to the similarities to the real 1963 Great Train Robbery, and that coupled with some personnel changes contributed to the end of the band a short time later.  It was actually released twice a few months apart on Instant Records and then Immediate Records in a longer version that added some sound effects to the beginning (both are included here).  “Sweet Freedom” is the b-side to both versions and is a solid pop tune that’s heavy on the keyboards and has some great harmonies.  Also included on disc one are the aforementioned fourteen previously unreleased demos compiled by Christie.  The band display so much diversity here, and there are so many that had the potential to be hits.  They show a soulful side in the bouncy pop of “But Not For Me” and “Time Stands Still,” the upbeat Motown of “Keep On Dreaming,” and the horn-driven “My Baby Loves Me.”  Hints of The Beatles show up in “She Said” and the organ heavy “Anna.”  There’s a touch of The Kinks in the dark, garage rock of “Misery,” and there are two versions of “The Dream” with its organ-driven bluesy psychedelia.  “Someday Somehow” is a quirky, almost cabaret sounding, track with very lively piano, and “Chinatown” is a captivating track that is also driven with the piano.  There are also demos of “Sweet Freedom,” “Just One More Chance,” and “Great Train Robbery.”  The last two are stripped down and interestingly all three are missing the keys, organ or strings and orchestration, respectively, that really sets their single versions apart.  

The remaining sixteen bonus tracks are on disc two and were originally released on the 2008 compilation Floored Masters - Past Imperfect.  They are more proof of just what a missed opportunity this band was.  Cuts like “See It My Way,” with its Merseybeat sound, the ballad “Epitaph For A Non Entity,” and the upbeat pop of “Man In The Middle Of Nowhere” find them once again tapping into The Beatles’ influence.  The jangly guitars and vocal harmonies on “Run For Cover” bring to mind bands like The Byrds, and “Mr Magee’s Incredible Banjo Band” is another track reminiscent of early Bee Gees.  “Tomorrow Night” harkens back to the days of skiffle, and “Funny Clown” is solid Sixties pop rock with more great harmonies.  Other highlights include the bouncy upbeat pop of “Look At Me” and “Days Of Spring,” the propulsive driving rock of “Any Day Now” and the heavier “Paper Jake.”  Rounded out with a booklet containing a new interview with Christie, Just One More Chance is a fantastic deep dive into a band that deserved better.  

(Cherry Red Records)

Libby Ember - I Kill Spiders EP

I Kill Spiders, the debut EP from Montreal's Libby Ember is an outstanding collection of four songs that walk the line between atmospheric dream pop and folk-tinged indie pop.  They are full of captivating melodies and are highlighted by her warm, expressive vocals.  Her lyrics are smart, and often introspective and personal, tackling things like the little decisions we make that make up who we are (“I Kill Spiders”), dealing with a failed secret relationship (“Alibi”) and the self-doubts and mind games of young love (“Fortune Cookies”).  Lines like “Could it be true that all of this is happening cause I kill spiders in my room” and "Just tell me that I’m annoying just so I’d know for sure that I can stop looking for signs in the fortune cookies I buy at the store” really show the creativity of her lyrics.  I've had this EP on repeat quite frequently and really look forward to hearing more.  

(Libby Ember)

Alan White - Ramshackled (Remastered and Expanded)

In 1975 the decision was made for the five members of Yes to each release a solo album, and although the albums released by Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Patrick Moraz and Steve Howe were largely well-received, drummer Alan White's Ramshackled wasn't quite the same story.  While the others stuck close to the prog rock that fans were expecting, White’s release had minimal focus on that genre and was quite diverse stylewise, which for the most part didn’t appeal to their fans.  Another interesting aspect of the album was the fact that while it was released as his solo album, he only played drums and percussion.  This meant that everything else, including the songwriting and vocals, was handled by a group of musicians he had worked with before, primarily consisting of guitarist Pete Kirtley, bassist Colin Gibson, keyboard player Kenny Craddock and flute/saxophone player Bud Beadle (the five of them were in a short-lived band called Simpson's Pure Oxygen right before White joined Yes).  Now, fifty years after it was first released, the album has been remastered and reissued, and while it’s not without its weak spots, it is actually pretty good.  The album opens strongly with the catchy "Ooh Baby (Goin' To Pieces)," an upbeat soulful rock track with a great vocal performance from Alan Marshall, and “One Way Rag,” a seventies era midtempo classic rock cut with a touch of R&B (this could almost be classified as Yacht Rock).  Next up is "Avakak," the first of two instrumentals.  It's a jazzy rock track (more on the jazz side) with shifting tempos that again brings to mind prog a little, starting off slower and then kicking into more of a jaunty tune with horns.  With Jon Anderson and Steve Howe guesting on vocals and guitar, and lyrics taken from a William Blake poem, “Spring - Song Of Innocence” is a beautiful, laid-back and dreamy track that is very atmospheric and the most Yes-like song on the album.  Yacht Rock once again comes to mind at moments on “Giddy”, a fun, upbeat tune with a bit of a rock edge.  On “Silly Woman” he delves into reggae, but it really doesn’t work and is one of the album’s low points.  The second instrumental is “Marching Into A Bottle,” a stripped down, baroque folk tune consisting of acoustic guitar, flute and woodwinds with some very basic percussion.  While White’s percussion, which includes a little steel drum,  really stands out on “Everybody,” the upbeat soul tune is another of the weaker cuts here.   Closing the album out is “Darkness Parts 1-3,” a three-part song and another of the the more prog tracks.  It starts off soulful and bluesy and then shifts into more of an orchestrated jazz-rock sound before wrapping up with a quieter, bluesy section that is accompanied by orchestration, keys and some trumpet.  There are also two bonus tracks included here that are just single versions of “Ooh Baby (Goin’ To Pieces” and “One Way Rag.”  If you are a Yes fan looking for another Yes album then keep looking, but if you are looking for a fun and diverse Seventies era album do yourself a favor and check out Ramshackled.  

(Spirit Of Unicorn Music)

Forester - Young Guns EP

Meshing punk energy with a piano-driven alt rock groove, “You Were Born,” the opening cut on Young Guns, the new EP from Edmonton’s Forester is the perfect combination of hooks and angst.  Largely stripped down to acoustic guitar and vocals with some strings and keyboard / piano accompaniment, that sense of taut, intensity continues on “Sons Of Dirt,” and while still raw and high energy, there is a playfulness to “Daredevil Youth,” which is a nostalgic look back at the freedom of their younger days.  It should be noted that Keenan Gregory’s piano really gives the songs here an added element that really sets them apart.  While they've been around for around fifteen years, somehow Forester have flown under my radar, but that has definitely changed after listening to this EP. 

(Forester - Facebook)

Fanny - Rock and Roll Survivors & Rock and Roll Survivors Live Opera 1974

In 1973, shortly after the release of their fourth album, Mother’s Pride, two of Fanny’s four members left the group.  They were replaced by Patti Quatro (big sister of Suzi) on guitars and vocals and Brie Brandt (originally Berry), who had been a member of the pre-Fanny band The Svelts, on drums.  This new lineup, rounded out by original members Jean Millington on bass and vocals and Nickey Barclay on keyboards and vocals, released one more album Rock and Roll Survivors before calling it a day.  Newly remixed and remastered, the album has now been reissued in a deluxe version containing three live bonus covers and a previously unreleased live recording of their Rock And Roll Survivors Live Opera.  While it’s definitely not their strongest record and has a few weaker cuts, Rock and Roll Survivors is still quite a good album and even contained what would end up being their highest charting track with “Butter Boy, which hit number twenty-nine on the US charts.  It is a catchy, somewhat poppier song, with doo wop vocals and even fingersnaps that was written by Jean Millington and was inspired by her relationship with David Bowie.  Another high point is the title track, which opens the album, and is a solid pop-tinged rocker with some slower interludes that has a touch of soul and strings.  “Rockin’ (All Nite Long)” is a hard rocker driven by fuzzy guitars, driving drums and Deep Purple-ish organ, and “Get Out Of The Jungle” is a solid rock tune with a bit of a bluesy side.  Opening with a funky bass and then kicking in with a sultry vocal from Quatro, “Beggar Man” continues with a slow burning funk groove.  As they had done with all their preceding albums, this one includes several covers.  Their completely rearranged take on “Let’s Spend The Night Together” is a funkier version with some great honky tonk piano, but at the end of the day is one of their weaker covers.  As for “Sally Go ‘Round The Roses,” an often-covered song that was originally a 1963 one-hit wonder for the Jaynetts, they give their version their own stamp, but it still has a bouncy pop sound that isn’t too far removed from the original.  Lastly is “I’ve Had It, which was the album’s first single and hit number seventy-nine on the charts.  Originally a doo wop song released by The Bell Notes in 1958, in their hands it becomes more of a glam rock song.  Disc one closes out with three covers recorded live by the new lineup at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go on New Year's Eve in 1974.  Although it’s unfortunate that these recordings are a little rough, they show just how strong the band was when they played live. All three songs (“Back In My Arms Again,” “Young and Dumb” and “Oh Darling) have a raw, muscular sound that honestly would’ve been nice to hear more of on the studio album.  

As for the second disc in this set, it contains a previously unreleased recording of the Rock and Roll Survivors Live Opera.  It was recorded on an in-venue cassette machine during their 1974 US tour and is the only surviving copy from that tour.  They wanted their performances to have more substance, so the show was a combination of songs (many that were never released) and scripted sections with full staging and costumes.  As with the live covers on disc one, it once again shows the band firing on all cylinders live, and the songs come across heavier and muscular (a handful of the songs are from Rock and Roll Survivors and they are far less pop than the album versions).  It would have been interesting to see where they went from here and to hear studio versions of the new tracks, but luckily they were at least preserved on these live tracks.  It should be said that the recordings are again a little rough, but are very listenable, sounding like a good bootleg.  

(Cherry Red Records)

Judy Dyble - Darkness To Light – The Recordings 2004-2006

Following a stint in the band Judy and The Folkmen in her teens, Judy Dyble was vocalist and a founding member of Fairport Convention.  She was only in the band from 1967 to 1968, and appeared on their debut album, before moving on to Giles, Giles and Fripp with her then-boyfriend Ian McDonald.  She recorded some demos with them before leaving the band following the dissolution of her relationship with McDonald.  Her next project was the duo Trader Horne with Jackie McAuley (ex-Them), who released an album and two singles before calling it a day.  This was followed with a stint with the group Dyble, Coxhill & The MB's (also known as Penguin Dust), whose other members were Lol Coxhill (saxophone), Phil Miller (guitar) and his brother Steve, but unfortunately, they never recorded anything.  At this point, Judy got married to music journalist, DJ and lyricist Simon Stable and they focused on raising a family and running a cassette duplication business until he passed away in 1994, when she started working as a librarian.  During all these years she largely disappeared from the music world with the exception of a few vocal sessions and a couple of guest appearances with Fairport Convention at their Cropredy Festivals.  Then, what initially started as Marc Swordfish wanting to sample her voice for the next Astralasia album, evolved into 2004's Enchanted Garden, her first solo album and first recorded work in thirty-four years.  That also marked the beginning of what would become a trio of albums they would record together.  Those three albums have now been collected in the outstanding new box set Darkness To Light - The Recordings 2004-2006.

When the Enchanted Garden recording process started, Swordfish would send her rough loops, then she would fill in the lyrics and harmonies, and he would edit the recordings with contributions from other musicians including violinist, keyboardist and arranger Simon House (Hawkwind, High Tide, Third Ear Band).  The end result is a captivating release that meshes folk (largely thanks to her vocals) with psychedelia, trance, prog and space rock.  Opener “Summer Gathers” is an absolutely gorgeous track that sets the stage perfectly.  Throughout the album other elements are tossed in like the slow, funky groove on “Rivers Now," the soulful sounds of “Going Home," and the sitar and tabla on the title track, which give it an Indian flair.  Other highlights include the ethereal “For You,” where her vocals drift over strings, electronic beats and keyboard washes in dream-like bliss, and the haunting sax-driven “Neu! Blue."

While the next release Spindle follows a similar path, there is less emphasis on the samples and more on the instruments.  The album opens with a killer take on Pink Floyd’s “See Emily Play.”  The high energy version borders on electronica and features some great violin from House and keyboard solos from Swordfish.  “Misty Morning” harkens back to her original folkier side, and has a great guitar solo, but still has a bit of that Swordfish touch, as does the largely acoustic “Fingest”, a captivating track driven by traditional, rootsy instrumentation.  Another high point is the enchanting “Shining”, which features a gorgeous guitar soundscape from guest guitarist Robert Fripp.  “Honeysweet” is a darker track that is enhanced brilliantly with Harold Asher’s dulcimer, and album closer “Thank You My Dear” is a super catchy, sprightly and whimsical tune complete with the brilliant use of jew’s harp and tambourine adding to the effect.

Largely picking up where Spindle left off, Whorl was the last of the three albums with Dyble and Swordfish collaborating.  “Starlight” opens things up and is a lilting track on the folk side, with more of a traditional band sound and more great dulcimer from Asher.  The hypnotic “Breathe The Same Air” mixes things up a bit driven by a slow, soulful jazz beat and horns.  Following “The Teller,” a mesmerizing melding of folk and psychedelia, is a cover of the King Crimson song “I Talk To The Wind.” Dyble originally recorded an early version of the song with King Crimson in 1976 (released on the compilation album The Young Person's Guide To King Crimson) and her version here is stunning, featuring some stellar guitar from Fripp.  She really makes the song her own, while keeping the core of the original intact.  The swirling “The Last Kiss” throws in a Middle Eastern groove and closing track “Forever Shining” is a variation on “Shining” from the preceding album that again features a gorgeous Fripp soundscape.  Also included in this outstanding box set are nine bonus tracks, with notable additions including an instrumental dulcimer mix and Robert Fripp demo version of “Shining.”  Following these three albums, Dyble decided to move in a different direction and recorded several more albums before passing away in 2020.

(Esoteric Recordings)

exPorter - New Rubber Girlfriend 

Even though it only has six songs, New Rubber Girlfriend, the latest EP from Santa Barbara’s exPorter shows an impressive array of diversity while still maintaining a strong sense of cohesiveness.  “Mustash Sally” gets things going and is a solid blast of high-energy pop punk. Shifting in darker direction, “Letting Go” is somewhat reminiscent of Weezer with a very taut sound that conveys the tension of the lyrics before exploding in the chorus.  The fuzzy, bluesy guitars of “Southern Kingsnake” give it a stoner rock vibe, but if stoner rock had more of a pop slant.  The West Coast roots of the band really come through on “805” an upbeat power pop tune with just a little bit of grit.  The simple, largely acoustic guitar and vocals track “Flowers” is an infectious lo-fi pop tune that brings us to the strangely titled closer “She Won’t Stop Eating Batteries,” which sounds like a long-lost nineties alt rock tune that is so familiar you will feel like you have heard it before.  

(exPorter)

J Mascis - Live At CBGB's

As the title states, J Mascis Live at CBGB's was recorded at the famed venue on December 2, 1993 and documented his first solo acoustic show.  Originally released in 2006, and long out of print, it has now been reissued on transparent red vinyl.  Over the course of thirty-seven minutes, Mascis performs twelve songs consisting of Dinosaur Jr tracks plus covers of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Every Mother’s Son” and Greg Sage’s (of The Wipers) “On The Run”.  Dinosaur Jr are known for the extreme volume of their shows as well as the fuzz and feedback of Mascis’ guitar work, so it’s interesting to hear these songs stripped down to their core.  While his distinctive vocals aren’t for everybody, for those of us that do like them, you can really hear the emotion and nuances that sometimes get lost a little in their full-band versions.  As for the set list he does a great job of touching on everything from the early days up to their most recent release at that time and the two covers are perfect choices for him.  Considering it’s his first solo acoustic performance, he does sound a little nervous at times, but for the most part he sounds surprisingly relaxed and even introduces many of the songs.  

(Cherry Red Records)

Bagdad - They Don't Know EP

Formed in 2023 by a couple of high school friends, guitarist/vocalist Franciszek Drobiński (guitar, vocals) and bassist Wojciech Stach, and later rounded out by drummer Jakub Gadamski, Polish three-piece Bagdad have recently released their debut EP They Don't Know.  While it does have a few short bursts of energy, the Cobain like vocal delivery and droning guitars of opening track "Valley Of Dry Bones" are quite reminiscent of Nirvana's slower moments.  With it's infectious beat, the fuzz rock of "Somewhere, Nowhere" is the most upbeat and "pop" (using that term loosely) track here and really highlights their diversity.  The midtempo "Knight Errant Block" starts off somewhat restrained and then becomes even more introspective about halfway through before letting oose at the end.  The dreamy "Ash Pan Nocturne" is a gorgeous cut of swirling slowcore with a taut undercurrent rearing its head at times.  The seven plus minute "Heartland" closes out the EP and is a very introspective track at first, building to a slow, but much noisier instrumental ending about halfway through.  With elements that include slowcore, grunge, pop, fuzz rock, and post-punk They Don't Know is quite an impressive debut.

(Rite Field Records)

Girlschool - Running Wild & Live In London (CD/DVD)

Girlschool initially formed in 1978 when school friends Kim McAuliffe (vocals/rhythm guitar) and Enid Williams (vocals/ bass) teamed up with Kelly Johnson (vocals/lead guitar), and Denise Dufort (drums).  They meshed hard rock with punk energy for a sound that caught the ear of Motorhead's Lemmy and resulted in the band supporting them on the 1979 Overkill tour, signing with their management and label and even releasing a single where they recorded Johnny Kidd & The Pirates' "Please Don't Touch" together along with covers of each other's songs.  They released four albums and a handful of singles over the next few years and also went through some lineup changes with Gil Weston (formerly in the punk band the Killjoys with Kevin Rowland of Dexy's Midnight Runners fame) replacing Williams in 1982 and guitarist Cris Bonacci and keyboard player/vocalist Jackie Bodimead replacing Johnson in 1984.  This last lineup change not only saw them go from a four-piece to a five-piece, but it also saw them shift towards a more polished, mainstream sound, something that had been hinted at on the preceding album Play Dirty.  That brings us to Running Wild & Live In London, which was originally released on VHS and then later reissued on DVD (under several different names including Play Dirty Live and Live From London), and has now been released for the first time on CD along with the DVD.  The show was recorded at The Camden Palace in London on December 7, 1984, and was released to support the upcoming release of Running Wild (the set included five songs from that album), which in hindsight was an interesting time in the band’s history with the aforementioned shift to a five-piece and the change to their sound.  When the album was released in February it was only released in the States and when its follow-up was released in 1986 they had gone back to their earlier sound, and were back to a four-piece with Bodimead no longer in the band.  In addition to the Running Wild tracks, the remainder of the set draws primarily from Hit and Run and Play Dirty with only two songs taken from other albums.  Interestingly, not only did their earlier tracks maintain the heavier and faster punk-tinged edge in the live show, the newer more AOR / hair metal tracks tended to also be a little heavier live.  As for the performance, the band definitely knew their way around the stage and sound great here giving an enthusiastic, high-energy show.  Even though this lineup was very short-lived, Running Wild & Live In London is a great representation of the band, especially at this point in their career.  (Unfortunately, I haven’t had access to the DVD, so I can’t comment on that part of this release)

(HNE Recordings)

Bee Blackwell - Nine Lives EP

After initially posting emo and grunge covers online in 2023, Bee Blackwell released the three-cut EP Calico later that year.  She followed that up with three singles, “Dumb,” “The Same,” and “Signs” in 2024 and is now back with her second EP Nine Lives.  She describes her music as “‘90s alternative meets 2000s emo,” which pretty much hits the nail on the head here.  It’s very rare that a song becomes an instant earworm the first time I hear it, but that’s exactly what happened when i hit play on the opening track “Claws.”  Fuzzy guitar driven alt rock with sugary sweet pop hooks and Blackwell’s vocals that fit the song perfectly, make this a track that should be blasting out of everybody’s radio this summer.  A little slower and more introspective, but still not lacking in melody, “Cowboy” adds a little bit of grunge.  Although a little more upbeat “LALALA” moves in more of a shoegazer direction and closing track “More” once again slows things down and is a bit darker.  My only complaint here is that opener "Claws" is so infectious that I wish there was a little more like that.

(Bee Blackwell - Bandcamp)

 

Skids - The Singles

The Scottish band Skids were formed in 1977 with an original lineup comprised of Richard Jobson, Stuart Adamson, William Simpson and Thomas Kellichan.  While they never really took off in the States, they had quite a successful career in the UK with nine songs hitting the top 100, three of which were Top Twenty.  The band made their debut in February 1978 with the three-cut single Charles.  The title track (later re-recorded and included on their debut album Scared To Dance) has a punk edge with a driving, almost military beat and buzzsaw guitars.  On the flipside was "Reasons", some ragged punk a la The Skids and the Oi! sounds of "Test-Tube Babies."  After signing with Virgin Records the band went in with producer David Batchelor (known for his work with the Sensational Alex Harvey Band) and recorded "Sweet Suburbia," a song to me that really shows them finding their sound (and Stuart Adamson locking in on that distinctive guitar sound) and carries over to the faster paced b-side "Open Sound".  Next up was the Wide Open EP, which was led by one of their most iconic songs, the anthemic "The Saints Are Coming," which not only is used as walk-on music for the rugby team the Northampton Saints, but it was also covered by the likes of Green Day and U2.  The remaining tracks on the EP are "Of One Skin," a bouncy punk song with some interesting slowed down sections, the working man punk of “Night And Day” and the more mid-tempo “Contusion,” with its laid-back beat.  Hitting number ten on the UK charts, "Into the Valley" was their biggest single and is another infectious anthem that can also be heard at soccer stadiums.  Recorded live at the Marquee Club in England, "TV Stars", is the b-side and is a fun song primarily consisting of them chanting a list of names with the crowd joining in.  It is still included in their current shows with updated names.  With production from John Leckie and Bill Nelson (ex-Be Bop Deluxe) their next single "Masquerade" was another big hit reaching fourteen on the UK charts.  Although it has a touch more of a punk edge, it shows signs of where Adamson would head next in Big Country, and “Out of Town” on the flipside is another distinctive, hard-driving tune with plenty of hooks.  There was also a limited 50,000 singles that included a second disc with "Another Emotion," which has that familiar Skids sound and "Aftermath Dub,” a dub version of "Masquerade" that to me is pretty much a mess and a definite misfire.  Following the departure of drummer Kellichan, “Charade” was the first single to feature new drummer Rusty Egan (ex-Rich Kids) and takes their sound and adds a bit of an electronic element.  Non-album b-side “Grey Parade” is a darker, haunting tune with waves of synths that at that time was a definite shift in direction, but a sign of where they would be heading.  Although it was originally on the Days In Europa album, "Working For The Yankee Dollar" was remixed by Mick Glossop for the single release and is another great Skids singalong anthem, with the rollicking punk track "Vanguard's Crossing" on the flip (there were around 50,000 copies of the single that came with a free 7" containing "All The Young Dudes" and "Hymns From A Haunted Ballroom" recorded for the BBC, but they were unable to license them for this release).  The next single was "Animation" and it was the last to feature bassist William Simpson who by this time had left the band to be replaced by Russell Webb (fill in drummer Egan also left after the single's release).  While it sounds like the Skids, it still shows them expanding on the sound in some new directions, most likely due to the input of producer Bill Nelson.  Having said that, the flipside "Pros and Cons" is pure synth heavy new wave.  Featuring new members Russell Webb on bass and Mike Baillie on drums, "Circus Games" was the first single from album number three The Absolute Game.  It's an interesting track that musically follows along a similar path to many songs on the previous album, but also has a fun, almost children's song like singalong chorus that also included sections sung by children.  Also taken from the album, the b-side "One Decree" again has a very strong Big Country feel.  “Goodbye Civilian” is a very catchy, upbeat track that comes close to new wave electropop, but still maintains a little of the rock undercurrent.  The strangely titled b-side Monkey McGuire Meets Specky Potter Behind Lochore Institute is an interesting high energy punk instrumental with some jazz flourishes.  Probably even more than on any cut before, “Woman In Winter” ended up being the band’s last charting single and again is a precursor to Adamson’s influence on Big Country.  It was backed by a live version of “Working For The Yankee Dollar.”  Their fourth album Joy, found the band whittled down to Jobson and Webb with guest musicians.  "Fields" was taken from that album and included appearances from The Associates' Billy Mackenzie and Alan Rankine.  They also shifted their sound going in more of a folk direction with largely acoustic instrumentation.  That song and the non-album b-side "Brave Man," which has more of an electronic edge and doesn't really fit in on Joy are here in both 7" and 12" versions.  The band's final single was "Iona" (released for some reason in versions that are two different lengths), which was the last Skids' song featuring Adamson on guitar and also had an appearance from Mike Oldfield playing bagpipe samples.  It's a powerful Celtic-tinged anthem that is completely unlike anything they've done before, as is the b-side, the haunting “Blood and Soil,” with its sparse instrumentation (mostly keys and percussion) and a chant like vocal accompaniment.  Also included with this great collection is a sixteen page booklet detailing the story behind each single.  

(Captain Oi!)

Wylderness - Safe Mode EP

Following a couple of albums in 2018 and 2022, Cardiff's Wylderness is back with the new four cut Safe Mode EP.  Overall, the EP has a very late eighties / early nineties vibe.  Opener “Big Idea” is a hypnotic track that has a very shoegazer sounding start, then mixes in some jangly alt rock along with interesting guitars that have a bit of a Smiths era Johnny Marr sound.  “Is It Summer” kicks off with a laid-back, dreamy alt rock sound (reminds me a little of early Lloyd Cole), but has a slow build with elements of shoegaze coming in more and more before the fuzzed out wall of guitar climactic ending.  The dizzying, swirling sound of “Sun Scream,” along with some clarinet giving it more of that eighties / nineties alt rock sound, is very reminiscent of bands like The Ride and Stone Roses and has another explosive closing full of loud, noisy guitars.  The EP’s final track is “What Happened To The Rain,” which is again dreamy and laid-back, bordering on shoegaze, but with more of a modern-day twist.  

(Wylderness - Facebook / Wylderness - Bandcamp)

Luke Haines & Peter Buck - Going Down To The River ... To Blow My Mind

Following albums in 2020 and 2022, Luke Haines (The Auteurs, Black Box Recorder) and REM's Peter Buck are back with Going Down To The River… To Blow My Mind, which they are calling the third in their "psychiatric trilogy."  Rounding out their band here are Scott McCaughey (The Young Fresh Fellows) and Linda Pitmon (Zuzu's Petals), who have both played with a multitude of bands and artists, including several with Buck.  While the previous two albums were recorded remotely, this time around they recorded together in Portland.  As you make your way through the thirteen songs, there is a lot of diversity stylewise, but it is still a very cohesive release.  The album opens with the single “The Pink Floyd Research Group” a trippy psychedelic ride with tons of pop hooks and even a bit of its namesake.  Next up is the title track bringing to mind the noisier side of REM during their Monster era (especially in Buck’s guitar work), as does “Nuclear War” later in the album.  Quirky and off kilter, “Hot Artists” has demented circus like guitars and keys that remind me a little of when I first heard Mr Bungle, but not quite as heavy or erratic.  They delve into glam (complete with handclaps) with “56 Nervous Breakdowns,” which adds a bit of a ragged edge, while “Sufi Devotional” and “Children Of The Air” are a couple of solid psychedelic tracks, the latter with a hint of The Beatles.  “Me and the Octopus” is really catchy power pop with horns and some old school synths.  Following the dreamy, laid-back psychedelia of “In Rock” they tackle a more power pop with “Judy Chicago,” a tune that has a little bit of a bite and some great harmonies.  The midtempo alt rock of “Radical Bookshop,” is enhanced perfectly with some nice piano accompaniment, and the album closes with “Special Guest Appearance” a quirky, slow and swaggering track with lyrics that are often tongue in cheek, dealing with “special guest appearances.”  Another standout release in the long and prolific careers of these two musicians.

(Cherry Red Records)

Ruperts People - Dream In My Mind - Anthology 1967-1999

While there have been other compilations documenting the musical output of Rupert's People, the newly released 19 track CD Dream In My Mind – Anthology 1967-1999 is the most comprehensive.  Along with the three singles they released are a German B-side, two cuts from previously unreleased acetates, seven live recordings (three from 1969 and four from a reunion show in 1999), another previously unreleased cut and a single from their earlier band The Sweet Feeling.  Comprised of vocalist Rod Lynton, bassist Ray Beverley and drummer Steve Brendall, The Sweet Feeling caught the attention of Howard Conder, who quit his job with the Robert Stigwood Agency, and became their manager.  He got them a deal with Columbia Records who released their only single, which opens the CD.  Although it wasn’t successful saleswise, “All So Long Ago” is an impressive track that walks the line between The Beatles and The Kinks with the driving psychedelic “Charles Brown” on the flipside.  That song takes us to the first twist in their story when Conder asked Lynton to rearrange it to the tune of Bach’s “Air On The G String,” which ironically (or most likely not ironically) was also the tune that was the inspiration for Procol Harum’s just released single “Whiter Shade Of Pale.”  He then got the mod group Fleur De Lys to record the song under the name Ruperts People and released it as the single “Reflections Of Charles Brown,” which sounded nothing like the original, but instead was almost a clone of the Procol Harum song.  They also recorded the b-side, the hard-rocking “Hold On,” co-written by Lynton and Fleur De Lys’s Gordon Haskell, which has some great driving organ from future Procol Harum member Peter Solley.  To make the story even stranger, when the single was released the members of Fleur De Lys didn't like it and refused to do any promotion, so Conder asked The Sweet Feeling to change their name to Ruperts People to promote it.  Since they had their own songs, they didn't want to do that either.  Conder ended up putting together another band fronted by Chris Andrews, the Les Fleur de Lys singer who actually sang the song, but they broke up during rehearsals.  At this point he once again begged them to change their name, which they did, adding Dai Jenkins on guitar and John Tout on organ and recording their next single, “A Prologue To A Magic World”.  The Alice In Wonderland themed song is a dreamy piece of psychedelia that fits that theme perfectly, and the b-side “Dream In My Mind” is a heavier psychedelic gem with a bit of a freakbeat edge.  Strongly reminiscent of The Small Faces, “I Can Show You” was the final single released by the band, with the pop-tinged psychedelic rock of “I’ve Got The Love” on the back.  As for the bonus cuts, first up is “Love/Opus 193”, a raw, bluesy rock tune that was the German b-side to “Reflections Of Charlie Brown” and is rumored to have been recorded by session musicians.  Also included are a couple of unreleased acetate recordings.  "Water To A Stone" is an interesting cut that was produced by The Beatles' roadie Mal Evans and is an organ heavy tune with a lighter “Born To Be Wild” vibe at times, while “Flying High” is a gorgeous and mellow, somewhat psychedelic instrumental (a second version is also here, where in 1992 a reformed version of the band and some friends took the acetate and built on it, including adding vocals).  The remaining tracks are live cuts, three recorded in London in 1969 and four more from a 1999 reunion show featuring the three original members.  The 1969 tracks are from an audience recording and are surprisingly good.  They include “I See You’ve Changed,” a rocker with some really good guitar and organ playing, the heavier bluesy psychedelic “Reflecting,” and an interesting organ heavy cover of The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” that’s a little slower and bluesier.   As for the reunion tracks, along with fairly faithful covers of The Small Faces’ “My Mind’s Eye” and The Beatles’ “Rain” are another run through “I See You’ve Changed,” along with “Hold On”, both of which sound great.  These definitely make for a nice addition to this outstanding collection that is well-worth the listen.  

(Strawberry)

Young And Wild - A Decade Of American Glam Metal 1982-1992

Following on the heels of the popularity of genres like punk, glam and NWOBHM, hair metal (or American Glam Metal as the title calls it) really started making its mark in the early eighties, and over the next ten years was one of the dominant forces in the music world.  Most of the bands put as much time and effort into their looks and presentation as they did their music, and the fact that MTV was getting its start at the same time created the perfect storm for many of these bands that were either in or gravitating to LA and Hollywood.  With fifty-eight tracks from fifty-eight bands, Young And Wild - A Decade Of American Glam Metal 1982 - 1992, does a good job giving a broad range of bands in that scene at that time and includes many that were pretty much household names like Twisted Sister (actually starting off as a glam band in 1972), Quiet Riot (first number one metal album in the US), Sammy Hagar, David Lee Roth, KISS, Ratt, Bon Jovi, Cheap Trick, Poison, Skid Row, Extreme, White Lion, Vixen, and Warrant.  Some of the others like Dokken, Tesla, Bulletboys, Kix and Winger were still quite well known, while many of the others were lesser-known outside of the hair metal community but were releasing music that was just as good.  Some of these include Helix, Black ‘N Blue, Kick Axe, Leatherwolf, Faster Pussycat, Dirty Looks, Bang Tango, Dangerous Toys, Junkyard and Electric Angels.  The collection also does a great job of showing the diversity in the genre with band’s adding elements that include the blues (Cinderella, Tora Tora), soul (Little Caesar) and Southern Rock (Tattoo Rodeo, Jackyl) among them.  A few of the other bands here really took things in a fresh direction that made them stand out to me and ended up as some of my go to bands at that time.  These include Enuff Z’Nuff with their psychedelic pop, Saigon Kick who were rock, but with an ever-present, hook-heavy pop side and plenty of diversity, and Warrior Soul who mixed in elements of psychedelia, goth, pop and punk.  Then there is Mother Love Bone, who while I question their inclusion here, have what I consider the box set’s best song, "Stardog Champion".   Fronted by Andrew Wood, who was destined to be a star, but unfortunately died of a heroin overdose several days before their full-length debut was scheduled to be released, they drew rock influences from band’s like Led Zeppelin and also had glam in there too but were not “hair metal.”  It should be noted that two members went on to form Pearl Jam who were lumped in with the grunge movement that is considered a contributing factor to hair metal’s decline.  As with any collection like this, people are going to come up with a laundry list of bands that they feel should be included and there are going to be plenty that they don’t feel belong here, but overall this is a really fun listen that will take you back to that wild, loud and over the top debaucherous era in music. 

(Lemon Recordings)

Elephant - III

For the past four years, with two albums and an EP under their belt, Rotterdam’s Elephant (Frank Schalkwijk, Michael Broekhuizen, Bas Vosselman and Kaj van Driel) have been the band I’ve returned to more than any other.  Like its predecessor, album number three (simply titled III) has everything that makes them sound like Elephant, but also finds them experimenting, which keeps things fresh and ever evolving.  While lyrically it’s a bit darker than most of their previous songs, the sunshine pop of opening cut (and first single) “For A Friend,” with its lazy groove and hooky chorus, brings to mind their earlier work.  When it was released as their second single, “20 K” took me completely by surprise.  You can still hear elements of their sound, but with its electro hip-hop beat, vocoder and noisier guitars, they have created an absolutely hypnotic track that’s unlike anything they’ve released before.  “You Wanted The Same” is melancholy dream pop with fantastic vocal interplay between Frank and labelmate Sofie Winterson.  She also appears on their unexpected cover of Blink 182’s “Always,” which finds them taking the core of the original with its upbeat bounce and making it all their own.  At just over six minutes, “Trust Me I Feel It Too” is a cool, laid-back cut that will have you gently swaying back and forth and has some really interesting guitar work that at times gives it a disoriented, almost dizzying, effect and also has a a long instrumental ending with some subtle “Joe Meek-like” space sounds.  Juxtaposed with darker lyrics, the stunning “Tried To Sleep” is a largely acoustic cut that puts a modern-day spin on the West Coast singer / songwriter sounds of the seventies and also has some really nice jazzy guitar work in the middle.  “Memories” again brings to mind their earlier work with a touch of alt country that really comes through in the guitar work.  The mesmerizing “Real Love” has some strong shoegaze elements, while “When You’re Down,” featuring Dewolff’s Pablo Van de Poel, who has also produced all their releases, is a simple, stripped-down tune with more great guitar work.  The experimentation is at the forefront once more with closing track “For A Friend Pt 2,” an ethereal instrumental soundscape enhanced by the sounds of a crackling fire.  Not to beat a dead horse, but as has been the case the case with their prior releases, III is easily one of my favorite albums of the year. 

(Excelsior Recordings / Elephant)

Pilot - The Singles Collection

Before they founded Pilot, David Paton and Billy Lyall were substitute members of the pre-success Bay City Rollers. In the early seventies they were joined by drummer Stuart Tosh and after recording some demos they got a contract and recorded their debut album (produced by Alan Parsons) with session guitarist Ian Bairnson, who then joined the band as a permanent member.  If you live in the States you might be confused as to how there could be a two-disc release devoted to the singles of that band that you only know for their 1974 hit “Magic”, which hit number five on the US charts and is known to a younger generation through a cover by Selena Gomez and its use in Ozempic commercials.  While nowhere near as well-known as “Magic,” they did have two more singles that charted in the US, "January" at number 87 and "Just A Smile" at 90, and had four UK singles that hit 34 or higher (“Call Me Round”, “Just A Smile” and “January,” which was number 1 in the UK, Ireland and Australia were the other three).  From 1974 to 1977 they also released four albums and a total of thirteen singles.  The Singles Collection contains 31 songs comprised of those singles and their b-sides, one track released on a promotional flexi-disc, a single released under the name Scotch Mist before they became Pilot, and bonus solo singles from vocalist Paton and keyboardist Lyall.  While “Magic” is a power pop gem that has had people singing along for over fifty years, the rest of this release shows they were more than just a one hit wonder.  Many of the songs are notable for their strong vocal harmonies and production (strings and horns pop up from time to time), and while most are catchy pop and rock full of hooks, often bringing to mind Badfinger, Todd Rundgren (and his band Nazz), Wings, 10CC and Alan Parsons (producer of three of their albums), they also dip their toes into glam (“Call Me Round” opens like a glam rock stomper), funk, jazz and more.  Some of the songs that find them expanding on their sound include “Just Let Me Be, which is loaded with hooks and also has hints of jazz and funk and strangely reminds me of early Billy Joel at times, “Evil Eye,” an interesting track that has a bit of Alan Parsons and The Beatles with lyrics about their management’s greed and how they only saw the band as a means of making money, and “Ten Feel Tall” (the last official Pilot single) that at times sounds more like Queen and Supertramp. Considering that they did have some hits, and therefore some name recognition, it’s a real mystery why more of these songs weren’t hits as well.  There’s the lazy pop of “Love Is” (an album track that was released on a flexi disc given away in the UK in the weekly music paper “Record Mirror”), “Running Water,” a big power ballad with a strong 10CC vibe and “Penny In My Pocket,” an extremely catchy pop rock tune with some great guitar work that has hit written all over it.  “Monday Tuesday” and the dreamy, laid-back acoustic “Steps” are a couple of great ballads.  Then there’s “Are You In Love,” a gorgeous, semi-acoustic ballad with some nice prog elements in the guitar work (not sure why this was a b-side) and “Big Screen Kill,” a Beatles flavored tune with a big sounding, orchestral string section and lyrics dealing with Hollywood churning out crappy, violent movies just for the money.  In all fairness, there are a few tracks that to me just don’t really work.  “Ra-Ta-Ta” was the a-side of that pre-Pilot single under the name Scotch Mist, and it’s a cover of a 1970 hit for the band Rotation that’s driven by a military style beat and is really annoying (ironically the meandering psychedelic “Pamela” is the flipside and is a strong, dreamy acoustic track). Then there’s “Lady Luck,” which is kind of cheesy and sounds like they threw everything but the kitchen sink in production wise but just doesn’t work.  The solo singles are a nice addition to close out the disc.  Taken from his only solo album released in 1976, the two tracks that comprise Lyell’s only solo single are “Us,” a lightweight seventies power pop tune with some hints of ELO, and the very impressive, orchestrated, art rock pop song “Maniac” (a reworking of a song from the third Pilot album).  Phil Collins played drums on both songs and Phil Chen (Rod Stewart and many more) played bass.  Following Pilot's demise, David Paton started doing session work with artists like Kate Bush, Alan Parsons and Chris DeBurgh.  His single was recorded at Abbey Road and released in 1980 (the lack of radio play for the single ended up resulting in a proposed album being shelved).  The influence of his work with Alan Parsons is very evident on both "No Ties No Strings" and "Stop And Let Go."  Sadly, Lyall passed away in 1989, but various incarnations of the remaining members have gotten back together off and on over the years and in 2014 Paton, Bairnson and Tosh all reunited and released the album A Pilot Project.  Bairnston has since passed away as well in 2023.

(7T's)