Lynyrd Skynyrd – Second Helping(1973)

With staples such as "Sweet Home Alabama," "Workin' for MCA," and
the J.J. Cale-penned "Call Me the Breeze," Skynyrd's second captures the Jacksonville,
Florida, band at the height of its powers, coming off the success of
"Free Bird" and "Gimme Three Steps" from their 1973 debut.
Backed by a tight rhythm section and the mighty three-guitar attack of Allen Collins,
Ed King, and Gary Rossington, singer Ronnie Van Zant (credited in the album notes for
"Vocals, J&B") turns in a legendary performance on the urgent blues ballad "I Need You,"
the cautionary "The Needle and the Spoon," and "The Ballad of Curtis Loew,"
the story of a young white boy sitting at the feet of an old black Dobro master.
Along with Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd and One More from the Road,
Second Helping remains Skynyrd's finest hour.

(info by: CGR)

















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Haze - Hazecolor-Dia (1971)

Recorded in 1971, this German album is a complex progressive rock effort with
plenty of excellent guitar playing and a bizarre vocal style.
Some nice psychedelic touches also feature and the disc comes housed in a digi-pak
with a photo transparency cover..

HAZE played excellent progressive rock with lots of impressive instrumental passages,
but their lead-singer's voice sometimes sounded a little bit strange.
Nevertheless it should be recommended for all fans of early 70's metal.

(info by: CGR)

01 - Peaceful Nonsense - 7.18
02 - Fast Career - 8.35
03 - Be Yourself - 6.26
04 - A Way To Find the Paradise - 6.58
05 - Decision - 10.14



















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Gravy Train - Second Birth (1973)

OK so to this day I have still not heard or read a favourable review of
“Second Birth” which was GRAVY TRAIN’s 3rd album and often forgotten and l
iterally dismissed in the brilliance of their great bookend albums.
Without a question GRAVY TRAIN were in transition from the Vertigo Records
days and yes had a few years off in between releases and yes maybe there are
some strong borrowed parts, but I really like this album.
Perhaps It is because I love the sound these guys created and am a big fan
of Norman Barrett vocals and guitar work. As with all GRAVY TRAIN albums guitars
are in the forefront with some excellent flute, bass, key and drum interplay.
My favourite track is “Motorway” which gets to really find some space to groove to and
is complete IMHO with flute accents, raging guitar,
Barrett’s harsh vocal screeches and syncopated timing.
Overall “Second Birth": does not reach all the highs of
"(A Ballad of) A Peaceful Man”,
but still is a very good album and one which needs to be seen in different light.

(info by: CGR)

1. Morning Coming
2. Peter
3. September Morning News
4. Motorway
5. Fields And Factories
6. Strength Of A Dream
7. Tolpuddle Episode
8. Second Birth
9. Goodtime Girl (Bonus Track)






















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Daemon - The Entrance To Hell (1970-71)

Very rare post "Atomic Rooster" and pre "Hard Stuff"
unreleased Demo LP-1970-1971 from the Masters.
Heavy progressive with lengthy jams du Cann. Post Atomic Rooster, pre Hard Stuff.

Daemom crawled from the burning pits in 1970,
dragging blackenedguitars across smouldering rock,
smiling eerily as they ascended. On the seventh circle, in a flash of white,
Daemon emerged. Guitars wailed. Angels wept.
After much studio work Saemon attempting social acceptance,
adopted the name "Bullet", later "Hard Stuff",
releasing some singles & two LP's,
the tracks on this releasewetre the first recorded by Daemon 1970/1971,
all havebeen digitally remastered by John du Cann from original 1/4 master tapes.
Only the orchestrator uses an acetate as a source.

Daemon vanished mid-song on stage 1972.
A sulpburous residue settled upon the bats of a gaping audience.
Fire fell from the sky....

(info by: CGR)

01.Door Open
02.Millionaire
03.No Witch At All
04.Taken Alive / Amyl Nitrate
05.Evil Maker
06.Entrance To Hell
07.The Orchestrator
08.Hell: Daemonic Posession
09.Fortunes Told
10.Sinister Minister
11.Jam
12.Time Gambler
13.Monster In Paradise
14.Jay Time
15.Mr Longevity
16.Door Closes
17.Jam: The Provider


















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Blues Image - Open (1970)

Biography by William Ruhlmann:
The Blues Image was a one-hit wonder Latin-tinged pop/rock band,
that one hit being "Ride Captain Ride,
" which made the Top Ten and sold a million copies in 1970.
The group was formed in Tampa, FL, in 1966 by Michael Pinera
(b. September 29, 1948, Tampa, FL) (guitar, vocals), Manuel Bertematti
(b. 1946, Tampa, FL) (percussion), and Joe Lala (b. Tampa, FL) (drums).
Malcolm Jones (b. Cardiff, Wales) (bass) joined in 1966,
followed in 1968 by Frank "Skip" Konte (b. Canyon City, OK) (keyboards).
The band moved to New York City in 1968 and managed a club called the Image.
Then they moved to Los Angeles,
where they signed to Atlantic Records' Atco division in February 1969,
and released their self-titled debut album. This was followed by Open (1970),
which featured "Ride Captain Ride." But the Blues Image never followed their hit.
Pinera left, replaced by Kent Henry (guitar) and Dennis Correll (vocals).
Then the Blues Image broke up. A third album, Red White & Blues Image,
was compiled from outtakes. Skip Konte joined Three Dog Night,
while some other band members reformed as Manna.
Pinera later was a member of Iron Butterfly,
then Ramatam, and, with Bertematti, the New Cactus Band.
He also formed a band called Thee Image and worked as a solo artist.
Lala became a Los Angeles session player and worked with Joe Walsh and the
various manifestations of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, among others.

**Blues Image's second album was their most successful,
in large part because of the inclusion of their huge hit single
"Ride Captain Ride." The rest of the record, however,
shows them to be a band in search of a more individual voice,
borrowing heavily as it does from Jimi Hendrix ("Love Is the Answer," "Pay My Dues"),
Creedence Clearwater Revival ("Running the Water"),
any number of average blues-rock bands ("Clean Love"),
and the Latin-rock fusion of Santana
("La Bamba," "Consuelate," and the instrumental "Wrath of Daisey").
Those familiar only with "Ride Captain Ride" might be surprised at the band's versatility,
which took in blues, Latin, and hard rock, though not in as even or striking a mixture as,
say, Santana. It's a pedestrian form of versatility, though,
with none of the other songs possessing the pop hooks of "Ride Captain Ride."
The 2004 CD reissue on Sundazed adds historical liner notes with quotes from
guitarist Mike Pinera and percussionist Joe Lala.

1. Love Is The Answer
2. Running The Water
3. Clean Love
4. La Bamba
5. Consuelate
6. Ride Captain Ride
7. Pay My Dues
8. Fugue U
9. Parchman Farm
10. Wrath Of Daisey
11. Take Me

















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Writing On The Wall - The Power Of The Picts (1969)

An Edinburgh band, who were originally known as The Jury.
They moved down to London,
changed their name to Writing On The Wall and were a popular attraction at
London's Middle Earth Club. Their album didn't capture them at their best.
The sound was flat and it was poorly produced. Bogeyman catches the ear.
With its maze of interlocking riffs and driving rhythm it was the natural
choice for the Middle Earth sampler Earthed.
Child On A Crossing was not included on the album but was added as an
additional track when the album was reissued in Germany on Repertoire in 1992.
Two of the better tracks on the album were Aries and Hill Of Dreams,
but also of note was the 'B' side to the single Lucifer Corpus,
which had an excellent guitar solo and real menace.

Willy Finlayson left in 1969 being replaced by Robert Smith,
who'd been in The Embers and Three's A Crowd.
Soon after Smith and Patterson left but the band soldiered on until late 1973,
releasing one further 45 for Pye.

Both sides of the Middle Earth 45 can also be heard on Filling The Gap (4-LP)
and Visions Of The Past, Vol. 2 (LP & CD). Buffalo has resurfaced on Rubble,
Vol. 10 - Professor Jordan's Magic Sound Show (LP) and Filling The Gap.
It sounds pretty good to these ears.
The band also signed to Tetragammaton in the US and they put out a live album,
Live At Middle Earth, which is apparently better and much different to the UK release.
It's also hopelessly rare.
Wooden O recorded a version of Aries (Middle Earth MDE 201) 1969.
Finally a version of The Small Faces Sha La La La Lee recorded at a John Peel session
has resurfaced on Mynd The Gap (LP), and Ladybird can be found on Progressive Music (LP).

Patterson left the band to join Beggar's Opera, but sadly died in the early nineties.
Robert Smith joined Blue.
Certainly Writing On The Wall were the best progressive rock outfit to come out
of Edinburgh.

Of their retrospective albums, Cracks In The Illusion Of Life contains
both sides of a 1967 45, Words And Music / Peter Gunn,
issued originally as The Jury. Also featured are two promising pop-psych tracks from 1968;
Felicity Jane and Flight Of The Mind plus the more mainstream Katie's Been Gone.
From 1972 there's the keyboard-orientated Fishers Of Men,
but sadly most of side two is taken up with rather unimaginative hard-edged rock.
Of this both sides of their 1973 45 for Pye, Man Of Renown, are the pick of the bunch.

(info by: CGR)

Personnel:
WILLY FINLAYSON gtr A
ALBY GREENHALGH wind A B C
JIMMY HUSH drms A B C
LINNIE PATTERSON vcls A B
BILL SCOTT keyb'ds A B C
JAKE SCOTT bs A B C
ROBERT SMITH gtr B


ALBUM:
1(A) THE POWER OF THE PICTS (Middle Earth MDLS 303) 1969

45:
1 Child On A Crossing/Lucifer Corpus (Middle Earth MDS 101) 1969
2 Man Of Renown/Buffalo (Pye 7N 45251) 1973


Track Listing: Side One:
It Came On A Sunday (4:18)
Mrs. Coopers Pie (3:21)
Ladybird (3:47)
Aries (8:09)
Bonus track: Lucifer Corpus (5:43)

Side Two:
Bogeyman (3:44)
Shadow Of Man (5:57)
Taskers Successor (3:43)
Hill Of Dreams (3:08)
Virginia Water (5:57)
Bonus track: Child On A Crossing (3:33)


Size: 94 Mb
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