Hemlock - Hemlock (expanded edition)

After some time in the mid to late sixties working with a pre-fame Ian Hunter, Miller Anderson joined the Keef Hartley Band on vocals and guitar in 1968, recording four studio albums and one live album.  Following that stint he signed with Deram and in 1971 recorded his debut solo album Bright City.  Since he had actually written so many songs for that album, he decided to head back into the studio to record a second solo album.  Once the recording for this album was completed, he decided that instead of releasing it under his name, he and the musicians he recorded with would form a band and thus Hemlock was formed.  While comparisons to the blues, roots and jazz sounds of the Keef Hartley Band are inevitable, Hemlock were definitely their own thing and had plenty more to offer. Tracks like the laid-back “Fool’s Gold”, which is basically Miller and an acoustic guitar, the bluesy gospel of “Broken Dreams” and the folk country of “Garden Of Life”, complete with pedal steel, are some perfect examples. Some of the other highlights include the opener “Just An Old Friend”, with its greasy soul groove and funk beat topped with blasting organ and horns, the upbeat bluesy roots rock of “Mister Horizontal”, a standout track that’s a little reminiscent of The Band, and the laid-back rootsy “Young Man’s Prayer”, a song that brings to mind Van Morrison and has a really powerful vocal from Anderson.  Then there’s “Ship To Nowhere”, a gorgeous slower tune with bit of a haunting sound.  All the pieces really come together on this track with standout musicianship and a very emotional vocal.  Also included here are four bonus tracks, three of which are previously unreleased.  First up is “Beggar Man”, the b-side to their only single “Mister Horizontal”.  In my opinion this is the strongest song here and really would have been a great addition to the album.  Starting with a Deep Purple-y organ, this bluesy rocker is an epic tune that’s almost like a suite with great dynamics and a tempo that speeds up and slows down as you make your way through it. Next up is a ragged, raucous bluesy cover of the old twelve bar blues song “Corrina, Corrina” driven by some great slide guitar and honky tonk piano.  The last two bonus tracks are early versions of album tracks.  While the take on “Ship To Nowhere” is fairly close to the version found on the album, “Garden of Life” is a completely different take on the song stripped down to just guitar, vocals and harmonica giving it a Dylan-like vibe.  Also included is a CD booklet with a well-written essay detailing the story behind the album along with Miller’s musical history.  Thanks to Esoteric for once again giving deserved recognition to a largely overlooked album. 

(Esoteric Recordings)