This one doesn't show up too often, but from time to time you'll see it as a big dollar item on psych lists. That's kind of a misnomer since Joseph Longeria's album is actually more blues-rock oriented than traditional psych. Maybe we're just being too anal here ... Regardless, he's a helluva guitar player and the album's well worth the asking price.
We'll be real honest and admit we can't tell you much about this guy. Different reference works show him as being from Texas, or Tennessee. What little we do know is lifted from the liner notes accompanying his sole album, so take the information with a grain of salt. A&R man/producer Steve Tyrell apparently discovered Longeria playing in a Houston, Texas battle of the blues bands competition. Signing him to a contract with Scepter Records (a surprising choice given the label's fondness for MOR acts such as Dionne Warwick), Joseph's 1970 debut "Stoned Age Man" was recorded in Memphis' famed American Studios. Produced by Chips Moman, Mark James and Glen Spreen, the latter two were also credited with co-writing the majority of the nine tracks. So what's the album like? As we said earlier, the bulk of the album has a bluesy feel to it. Longeria doesn't have much of a voice, but his ragged growl and blazing guitar compliment one another, giving tracks such as "Trick Bag", his adaptation of "The House of the Rising Sun" and the title track considerable kick. The collection's also pretty cool in that Longeria writes some of the strangest lyrics we've ever heard - check out the bizarre "I Ain't Fattenin' No More Frogs for Snakes" and the sitar-propelled "Cold Biscuits and Fish Heads".
As far as we can tell, this is Longeria's only foray into recording. Anyone know what happened to him? (By RDTEN1)
This album is an amazing mixture of hard-blues, primitive hard-rock with obvious psychedelic influences. The husky voice of Joseph is powerful and wild.
The tracks are excellent. There is a cover of "House of the Rising Son".
It is said that Joseph "Long" Longeria, a gifted guitarist and singer, has been discovered by Steve Tyrell during one of those guitar duels ("Battle of the Blues Guitars") which were very popular and attracted the crowds in the Blues clubs. Joseph was not afraid of challenging T. Bone Walker and B.B. King.
This band, due to a lack of success and promotion disbanded after their only one album.
Glen Spreen, the keyboard player, is later mentioned playing for Elvis Presley, Dan Fogelberg and Ian Matthews while Joseph disappeared of the scene.
This forgetten gem deserves to be discovered, especially for the wild blues freak with good guitar playing and husky voice.(By PC_Music)
Tracklist
01- Trick Bag (Joseph Longeria - Mark Jones - Glen Spreen) -
02- I Ain't Fattenin' No More Frogs for Snakes (Joseph Longeria - Mark Jones - Glen Spreen - Steve Tyrell) -
03- Cold Biscuits and Fish Heads (Joseph Longeria - Mark Jones - Glen Spreen) -
04- Stone Age Man (Joseph Longeria - Mark Jones - Glen Spreen) -
05- I'm Gonna Build a Mountain (Joseph Longeria - Mark Jones - Glen Spreen) -
06- Mojo Gumbo (Joseph Longeria - Mark Jones - Glen Spreen) -
07- The House of the Rising Sun (adapted by Joseph Longeria - Mark Jones - Glen Spreen) -
08- Gotta Get Away (G. Allman - J. Hurley - R. Witkins) -
09- Come the Sun Tomorrow (S. Walton - D. Collins) -
Vocals, Guitar - Joseph "Long" Longeria*
Keyboards - Glen Spreen
Recorded at American Sound Studios, Memphis, Tennessee.
