Archive for the ‘ Country Rock ’ Category

Willis Alan Ramsey (self-titled)

| Americana,Country Rock,RnB

A one of a kind record from a talent so deep it kills you to learn… this is all there is. Straight out of Austin, Texas this may be the best of the whole Armadillo/outlaw scene, though Willis never wanted a part of it in the first place. Country fans and foes alike should grab this record and hold on tight.

Willis Alan Ramsey’s record  merges country and soul as much as it combines chicken shack production with a touch of studio glitter. Put out by Leon Russell on his Shelter label (Russell also contributes keyboard), Ramsey was only twenty when he wrote many of these tunes, and only 22 or so when he laid down the vocals. Pretty remarkable considering the sound. It’s an ecclectic mix of styles with songwriter tunes ranging from the sweet and waltzy to bluesy, gritty grooves. “Muskrat Candlelight,” the album’s most sugary spot, would be covered by America and forever confined to the Lite 97s as “Muskrat Love.” But other tracks tear it up. All originals except for “Angel Eyes,” which fits like a glove on Side 2, every song is a serious keeper.

A few tracks are ornamented with strings and orchestral accompianment, which works for the more developed numbers, but the sound gets so nicely stripped at times. On two tracks, “Satin Sheets” one of them, the only percussion is a steady kick drum with a thick cardboard sound. “Ballad of Spider John,” the hypnotic storytale opener, also achieves this effect; the simplicity delights me to no end.Then this little green bit of heaven closes with a cut no one could argue, a swampy and irresistible groove: “Northeast Texas Women.”

Willis Alan Ramsey made one of those perfect albums. Unfortunately for us, he was seriously jaded by the music business, and never put out another record.

“Northeast Texas Women”

:D CD Reissue | 1999 | Koch | buy from amazon ]
:) Original Vinyl | 1972 | Shelter | search ebay ]

Louie And The Lovers “Rise”

| Country Rock,Pop

Rise

A lost and found story. Louie and the Lovers from Salinas, California put out this one record, discovered and produced by the legendary Doug Sahm during his exile from Texas; it barely sold. But Rise was such a strong album, a startling blend of the San Francisco sound, Chicano music, and Tex-Mex country rock, it became an easy target for collectors. Rarer, however, was the fabled follow-up album, lost in a fire save for one cassette and unreleased until Bear Family’s recent offering, Louie and the Lovers, The Complete Recordings.

For a bunch of teenagers recording their first album in one 18-hour session, Rise is a surprisingly solid set of tunes, with a sound as fresh as any of their west coast contemporaries, consistently fine song craft (9 of 11 tracks penned by Louie Ortega), and fantastic vocal performances throughout. You can hear the Lovers’ innocent enthusiasm chiming through electric rhythm guitars and the band’s raw energy is infectious. The Lovers were admittedly influenced by CCR, an unavoidable comparison, but Louie also name checks Webb Pierce, Lefty Frizzell, and Jorge Negrete as early influences on his songwriting.

Rise starts with a bang, the eponymous lead-off track taking off with guitar hook assaults and soaring vocal harmonies. The album’s slower numbers are some of the record’s best: “I’ve Always Got You On My Mind” is a serious earworm and “Driver Go Slow” is a sparse and haunting murder ballad. Upbeat rockers like “Royal Oakie” and “I Know You Know” should have been radio hits, at least in Texas. The album is a powerful grower, its melodies sinking in deep after a few listens, but unfortunately Rise was destined for obscurity.

Regardless of the lack of sales, The Lovers were given another shot at recording an album, this time featuring production from Doug Sahm, Jerry Wexler, and Tom Dowd, along with help from new guitarist John Rendon, steel guitarist Charlie Owens, horn player David ‘Fathead’ Newman, Dr. John on keys, percussionist Joe Lala, and Flaco Jimenez on Conjunto accordion. The selections were more diverse, from Mexican traditionals to sunshine pop and Memphis-powered blues jams (probably Sahm’s ever present musical schizophrenia peeking through). Perhaps the magic from the original sessions had faded, but these tracks are a pleasure to finally hear, with some certain gems in the mix, included in a fine package with excellent liners.

For fans of Tex-Mex and the Sir Douglas Quintet this release is a long-awaited treasure; no doubt essential. Louie would join Sahm’s backing band in the 80s and even perform with the Texas Tornados, most recently appearing with SDQ2 at the fundraiser concert for Doug Sahm Hill in Austin, TX. Hopefully this won’t be the last we hear from Louie Ortega, one of the great voices of Tejano music.

“I Know You Know”

:D CD Reissue | 2003 | Acadia | amazon ]

:) Original Vinyl | 1970| Epic | ebay ]

J.J. Light “Heya!”

| Country Rock,Pop

Heya

J.J. Light is actually Jim Stallings, former bassist of the Sir Douglas Quintet, who played on the excellent Mendocino lp onwards. Prior to 1969’s Heya, Stallings released some singles in the early 60’s which are reportedly in a doo-wop style. The notorious Bob Markley had some involvement with the Heya lp, as he supposedly wrote some of the album’s lyrics and coined the J.J. Light name.

Heya is a diverse program that rocks hard in spots but also showcases a unique brand of music that is no doubt influenced by Stallings’ Native American roots. Both Na Ru Ka and Heya combine hard rock and ethnic influences into something that’s new and refreshing. I have heard other reviewers describe Stallings’ music as “hypnotic” though I hear more of a hard rock sound that’s laced with country and folk roots. Sure, there are a few excellent psychedelic cuts that will catch your ear first, like the rollicking It’s Wednesday and the acid fried country-rocker Gallup, New Mexico. The fuzz propelled, late period garage rock track Follow Me Girl is also top of the heap. But folk-rock and country numbers Silently Sleeping and Hello, Hello, Hello give the album its diversity and display a strong Bob Dylan influence. All the above tracks are fine statements indeed, though this album has major grower qualities that might not be apparent upon first listen.

The recent Sunbeam Records reissue (there is also a CD Baby reissue) includes an unreleased 2nd album from 1969 that Stallings had been keeping on a dusty shelf. After his recording career as J.J. Light, Stallings played bass for the band Truth, who released the trippy P.S. (Prognosis Stegnosis) 45. While being a part of Doug Sahm’s band, Stallings and the group also released an lp without Doug’s involvement entitled Future Tense by the Quintet. In it’s day the Heya album was hardly known in the States (it was never issued in the U.S.), so it was somewhat strange when the lp sold large numbers in Europe, Japan, South America, and New Zealand. Definitely a solid 4 star record, Heya is truly a lost gem by one of rock’s unknown legends.

“Hello, Hello, Hello”

:D CD Reissue | 2007 | amazon ]
:) Orig Vinyl | 1969 | search ebay ]

Fairport Convention “Unhalfbricking”

| Country Rock,Folk,Pop

Unhalfbricking

I can’t tell why I waited so long. After dabbling into the Fairport Convention’s discography with their universally acclaimed Liege & Lief, I apparently had had my Fairport fill. Such a fool was I for stopping there. Unhalfbricking is at once interesting and satisfying, delicate and fierce, joyous and moving. Also, where Liege & Lief might sound saccharine to first time listeners, this one won’t.

This is an album that really appeals to my taste in sound. There’s a quality to some of my favorite produced albums that’s hard to explain. The best description comes from Robbie Robertson, describing the Band’s self-titled 2nd record: a ‘woody’ sound. To me, this descriptor evokes a loose and real recording quality, where the bass and guitar are dry, EQ doesn’t over-shape every sound, and the drums have this warm and hard bite – the sound is so nice you wish you could grab it and hold it in your hand. The hand clapping, for example, on Si Tu Dois Partir (a French language version of Dylan outtake If You Gotta Go, Go Now) and the carefree accordion sound so present it truly warms the heart.

Bob Dylan fans can’t afford to ignore this record. Three tracks come from outtakes that didn’t make his original albums, the others being Percy’s Song (from Times-a-Changin) (maybe the best song on this record) and the Basement Tape’s Million Dollar Bash. Original contributions from Sandy Denny, Autopsy and Who Knows Where The Time Goes, are outstanding. So much spirit in these numbers.

While Unhalfbricking has much more to offer than the 11-minute centerpiece, you’ve got to listen (loud) to the epic track below on your next commute, as it drives through the gamut of style the Fairport Convention honed mastery over, from Sandy’s soothing vocal, the solid ingrained folk background, a slowly building and unbridled groove, with classic Richard Thompson guitar riffage and David Swarbrick fiddling, and a few moments so perfect they’ll run chills through you.

“A Sailor’s Life”

:D CD Reissue | 2008 | Water | buy @ amazon ]
:) Vinyl Search | @ebay ]

Bernie Schwartz “The Wheel”

| Country Rock,Folk,Pop

Bernie Schwartz The Wheel

Bernie Schwartz’s first classic single, Her Name Is Melody was released off Warner Brothers in late 1966 under the name Adrian Pride. This record is an excellent, early stab of raga rock that was perhaps too adventurous for pop audiences though its interesting to note that both Don and Phil Everly produced this fabulous single.

Even prior to this, Schwartz had been releasing obscure singles under the stage name Don Atello in 1963/1964. Around 1967/1968 Schwartz joined psychedelic pop band Comfortable Chair who released a solid lp in 1968. The Wheel, released in 1969 off Coburt/MGM was quite a departure from Schwartz’s earlier psych pop leanings. The Wheel is an excellent album, mixing hard rock, country-rock and folk-rock into something similar to Euphoria’s sole album or Neil Young’s Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. The Euphoria duo of Wesley Watt and Bill Lincoln actually appear on this disc and one can hear Watt’s wild fuzz guitar playing on Schwartz’s epic cover of Sunshine Woman. There are also a few more ace fuzz rockers in Follow Me and a brutally intense reading of Fred Neil’s Candy Man.

Everything about this album is on target from Schwartz’s superb vocals to the songwriting, production and tight musicianship. This is one of the best 60s albums never to make it onto cd without a doubt. The Wheel’s leadoff track, Where Can I Hide is a country folk-rocker with lyrics that deal with disillusionment, depression and escapism. It’s a brilliant track that had strong hit potential though its deep, world weary tone could have thrown off more than a few listeners. Another track with similar lyrical concerns is the awesome country-rocker Lost My Wings. It’s a classic of the genre with wonderful steel guitar playing and a righteous bridge that symbolizes everything that is great about 60s rock n roll. Other mellower tracks such as Randy Newman’s Think It’s Gonna Rain Today, Don’t Make It Bad, Can’t Go On, and the beautiful rural rocker Peace On Earth are just as good and grow on the listener with repeated plays.

Sometime after the release of the Wheel, Bernie Schwartz quit rock music to focus on writing psychology books. The Wheel is proof that there are many rare, great recordings that have not been reissued on cd. I found a near mint copy on ebay for about $25 and would recommend this lp to anyone with an interest in 60s rock.

mp3: Where Can I Hide
mp3: Peace On Earth

:) Original Vinyl | 1969 | Coburt/MGM | search ebay ]

**********************************************************

Adrian Pride

mp3: Her Name Is Melody

Euphoria’s 1966 single No Me Tomorrow proved this Texas duo was great from the start. This was an early excursion into psych rock with an unusual dark edge, trippy lyrics and bizarre vocals. Euphoria recorded quite a bit during the 60s though most of these sessions were shelved or released under a different band name. Supposedly these lost recordings will see a 2 volume cd release sometime in 2008.

mp3: No Me Tomorrow

Maffitt/Davies “The Rise and Fall of Honesty”

| Americana,Country Rock,Folk,Pop

The Rise And Fall Of Honesty

Maffitt/Davies was a short lived duo who released one album off Capitol in 1968. Judging by the cover you’d expect psychedelic fireworks but The Rise and Fall of Honesty is really an Ameriana folk-rock record. This is another good one that never saw release in the cd era. I found a vinyl copy in the Boston area for only $15 dollars though lately this lp has been somewhat hard to come by. While labelmate lps by the Common People and Food attract more attention I think that Maffitt/Davies was a much, much better group.

The record starts off with a brilliant version of Bob Dylan’s Just Like A Woman. Maffitt/Davies transform this standard into a heartbreaking orchestrated folk track that must surely rank as one of the best versions of this song. Forest Lawn, the album’s failed single, has a distinct Face to Face Kink’s sound though it’s notable for its dobro and freaky church organ. Tom Thumb’s Blues is the other Dylan cover on this record and shows the band taking a Byrds/Everly Brothers vocal harmony approach. The playing is topnotch throughout the record (check out instrumental Lungi Dal Caro Beni) and the duo’s vocal harmonies are tight if a bit unconventional. This is a quiet, tranquil record that never bores and reminds me of prime late 60’s Dillards on their folk-rock outings.

One of my favorite tracks on the album is Landscape Grown Cold. This is a visionary slice of American music that predates the alt. country/folk boom with dark lyrics, strings, phasing towards the end, and a vibe similar to Texas band Euphoria. More noteworthy tracks are Kingswood Manor which is a good folk-rock track that flirts with psychedelia by way of tabla (and drug references within the lyrics) while country-rocker City Sidewalks is very trancey and will appeal to any true Byrds fan. About 3 or 4 tracks on the album include drums though electric guitar fans should note with caution that most of this disc is acoustic.

The music is time worn, ancient and has that lived in feel but always inventive and never short on ideas. What ever happened to these musicians? Does anyone know? Anyway, if Americana or folk-rock is your bag, prepare yourself for a really good one.

“Landscape Grown Cold”

:) Original Vinyl | Search eBay for Maffit Davies ]

Lee Hazlewood “Requiem For An Almost Lady”

| Americana,Country Rock

Requiem For An Almost Lady

The mother of all break-up albums. Hazlewood had just hit middle age at this point, so I’m sure he was already up to his neck in heartbreak. Bad for him. Good for us – because it supplied him with all the ammunition he needed to slug us in the heart with this surprisingly poignant and honest portrait of a broken man and the cold women who left him this way.

Released only in Sweden and the UK (making it pretty damn rare), this is the album where he makes his shrink proud by getting it all out. The ˜almost-lady’ actually represents all the ladies he’s lost over the years.

We find him revisiting the spoken interludes between tracks that graced his first two albums (Trouble is a Lonesome Town, The NSVIP’s), but on this one he keeps them short and not so sweet over some rather doomy guitar strumming.

It maintains, for the most part, a psych-tinged folk/country feel not too dissimilar from his late 60s releases, except this time drums are eschewed for a minimal arrangement of mainly acoustic guitars and bass. But there’s never an empty moment as any void is adequately filled by Jerry Cole’s stunning bass lines. Allow them to give you goose bumps on the tremendous I’ll Live Yesterdays, which is definitely the strongest track on the record. Hazlewood’s lyrical genius really shines here “ simply impeccable. The hurt keeps on spilling from that inimitable deep gravelly voice on the reflective weepers If it’s Monday Morning and Won’t You Tell Your Dreams.

Too bleak for you? Don’t forget who it is we’re talking about here. While it’s unquestionably a sad album, the perpetually jilted Hazlewood’s pop sensibilities still reign, turning even his most lashing fits of hostility into irresistible sing-a-longs. It’s hard to not crack a spiteful grin and join in on a chorus that spits I’d rather be your enemy, than hear you call me friend. And the countrified rockers LA lady and Stone Lost Child offer a nice balance, kicking things up to a galloping pace.

In anyone else’s hands material of this sort probably would have resulted in a self-indulgent whining session or a pointless diatribe. But Lee manages to successfully assemble his emotions into a meaningful and coherent stream of songs. All the bitterness he expresses is perfectly tempered by streaks of vulnerability, loneliness and regret.

Requiem for an Almost-Lady and a few of his other classic LPs were reissued on Smells Like Records

“I’ll Live Yesterdays”

:D CD Reissue: 1999 | Smells Like Records | Buy @ Amazon ]
:) Vinyl Search @eBay: Search Lee Hazlewood ]

Steve Young “Rock Salt & Nails”

| Country Rock,Folk

Rock Salt & Nails

Steve Young’s first solo record, Rock Salt & Nails, is essentially stripped down, a somewhat simple recording, yet adventurous, way ahead of its time, and gorgeous. Every song’s a genuine treat, with sincerely masterful production combining outlaw country, rock, folk, blues, and a touch of gospel.

That’s How Strong My Love Is, the infinitely relistenable opener on this record, sounds just as fresh as anything from the Ryan Adams and David Rawlings collaborations, and features a careful organ part from the poster boy of country rock himself, Gram Parsons. Bluegrass standard Rock Salt and Nails gets a nice pensive treatment, and the fiddle sound on this record- it’s so dang bright and surreal sounding (I can’t help but wonder if, however unlikely, they snuck a few well-tuned Moog synthesizers into the studio!) The production doesn’t stand out, but remains ingenious, as in the restraint of those bouncy double electric guitar lines, unleashed only in the very chorus of One Woman Man. I’m unclear on whether the raga-like Coyote is more aptly titled for its lyrical content or representing Steve’s wild lonesome howl on each stanza. And if you let Love In My Time take you with it, it will. A short song but so effective with the all-for-it gospel backup, it’s a great example of Steve Young’s solid, unwavering vocal power. Seven Bridges Road, conveniently placed at track 7 on this disc, is his most well known tune though not from this rendition, but the Eagles’ cover version.

The reason I love this record is for its subtlety in production, a wonderful interplay of country licks hovering at just the right level, creating a playful and relaxed musical atmosphere. The warm, fuzzy strings adding mood and color. Holler In The Swamp, a brilliant tune with full rock band, feels like it could take right off; the musicians behind the wheel of this record simply nail it with an understated drive, the intensifying string section making you want more and less at the same time. It closes with a mighty fine version of Hank Williams’ My Sweet Love Ain’t Around, and it’s nice to know that it’s Gene Clark blowing harp in your headphones.

Some will debate the nature of authenticity in music, but if anything is ‘authentic,’ I know that it’s this classic, country-rock shaping LP. Shamefully out of print for so long, you might construct the album for yourself by combining the mp3s below with Lonesome On’ry & Mean, an overview compilation of Steve Young’s works.

mp3: Coyote
mp3: Love In My Time

mp3: Gonna Find Me A Bluebird
mp3: Hoboin’


[ Buy “Lonesome On’ry & Mean” from Amazon]

Bob Lind “Since There Were Circles”

| Americana,Country Rock,Folk

Since There Were Circles

This is a really interesting release, and a perfect example of how important it is to support well-designed reissues. I can’t figure out why Richie Unterberger trashes the album, causing me to believe it may have been a hit-and-run by one of my favorite reviewers; 2 stars (allmusic) is off the mark for this fine, fine record.

City Scenes makes a perfect album opener. Introducing the modest, effective orchestra of driving acoustic guitar, piano accents, electric slide guitar, and laid-back drum kit (not to mention players The Dillards, Bernie Leadon, and Gene Clark), Lind immediately wraps his nice voice around poetic storyteller verses. It closes with an unexpected little treasure of an outro, adding a sweet, smooth french horn line. Fine songcraft.

Listening to Loser, I can’t help but imagine Lind as a roots-rock David Bowie; either by inflection of the voice or it’s the lyricism, perhaps, they are kindred spirits. Bob keeps it pretty soulful and groovy on tracks like She Can Get Along, with its vocal workout ending, and the lazy Not That I Would Want Her Back, featuring more orchestral backing on the choruses. The softer numbers are melodic gems that will stay with you. Theme From The Music Box and the title track, Since There Were Circles, are melancholy and wonderful. Five bonus tracks supplied by Bob Lind himself stand apart from the flow of the album, but stand strongly on their own.

Get yourself this beautiful 2006 reissue from the fine UK label RPM Records and give it up to Bob Lind, who certainly had much more music left in him after his 1966 #5 folk hit, Elusive Butterfly. I keep coming back to this esoteric beauty.

“Loser”

[ Buy from Amazon | Buy from RPM Records | BobLind.com ]

Brinsley Schwarz “Silver Pistol”

| Americana,Country Rock,Folk,Pop

Silver Pistol

This was the Brinsley’s first acknowledged classic, Silver Pistol, released in 1972. To me, Brinsley Schwarz is the best rock music Nick Lowe has ever made though I know many new wave fans will disagree with this statement, favoring his 78-79 solo material.

The Brinsley’s began making records in 1970 with more of a rambling late period psychedelic jam band approach. Silver Pistol is when the band really came into their own with some outstanding original material from Nick Lowe that recalled the intimacy of the Band. Though unlike the Band, many of these songs have more of a reckless punch and new guitarist/songwriter Iam Gomm contributes four great, driving country-rockers to this impressive set.

While 72’s Nervous On The Road is usually cited as their finest work, I think Silver Pistol is just as good with creative songwriting and wonderful songs. Tracks like Merry Go Round have a warm downhome feel with jangly McGuinn style rickenbacker guitar chords and prominent Garth Hudson influenced organ playing. Egypt even seems like it could have been a lost outtake from the first couple of Band albums, it’s that stellar and full of cerebral organ work. In Dry Land the band really nails down the American country-rock sound while sounding individual and completely original. Another song, Nightingale is a very beautiful, personal statement that features accordian and beats most U.S. bands in the Americana sweepstakes.

Following the Silver Pistol lp, Brinsley Schwarz made three other great albums and eventually broke up around 1974-1975. They, along with Eggs Over Easy, are considered the founding fathers of England’s early 70’s pub rock movement. These groups played an English version of U.S. country-rock throughout England’s numerous, local pubs. I think pub rock can be a little more aggressive at times then U.S. country-rock and most of these groups found their main inspiration from the Band. It’s also important to note that on Silver Pistol the Brinsley’s cover two Jim Ford tunes. Jim Ford released one very good solo album in the early 70’s and during the Silver Pistol sessions was a key influence to Nick Lowe and Brinsley Schwarz.

In 2004, BGO (Beat Goes On) reissued the excellent Silver Pistol along with Please Don’t Ever Change (another good one). These albums are essential to fans of roots music and country-rock and have a ragged charm that’s all their own.

“Nightingale”

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