If you are familiar with Abraxas Pool, then you know that the group contained many of the former members of Santana. The group released only one studio album in 1997. Unfortunately, the cd went out of print and is difficult to find. This is the only live Abraxas Pool known , the concert is fantastic with a really good sound.
This record SHOULD have been huge, but alas that was not to be. With four members of 1969 Santana Band: Greg Rolie, Michael Shrieve, Jose "Chepito" Areas and Michael Carabello, Joined together with Santana's most famous 'Second' Guitarist and founding member (With Greg Rolie) of Journey, Neal Schon and later-day Santana bassist Alphonso Johnson. All the elements are here, with the powerful percussion force of Shrieve/Areas & Carabello and those smooth vocals and keyboards of Greg, the stellar guitar of Neal Schon, This CD is something special. The fact that only a few of us would hear this amazing music is quite a shame.
That said "Abraxas Pool" is a CD that BELONGS in any music collection. With the BIG drum sound of the opening number "Boom Ba Ya Ya" it is clear to all that this train has not lost any steam, to Describe the sound of these musicians is like describing being charged by a runaway elephant in some steamy jungle. The second tune: "A Million Miles Away" would have sounded real good on the radio. Also of note are the great tunes: "Going Home" and "Don't Give Up" that are as good as anything from The 1969 -1971 period that these musicians remember with great fondness. Mr. Neal Schon get's a showcase number on the wonderful: "Szabo" that has the pure emotion of the best of The Santana Band. But "Abraxas Pool" is not locked in the past, this music is new & fresh and the production is top-notch. Just one listen to the new version of "Jingo" will prove that to your ears.
Except for a short tour of the west coast and this stunning CD, Abraxas Pool is no more. Pick this up whilst it is still available.(By Philip S Wolf)
Arf! Arf! Records presents a taste of Lightning, a Minnesota-based rock band that grew out of White Lightning, a "power trio" consisting of ex-Litter guitarist Zippy Caplan, bass guitarist Woody Woodrich, and drummer Mick Stanhope. Woodrich is said to have pioneered the use of redline compression on his instrument, before such compressors were generally available to the public. The music heard here was performed by this trio and a quintet formed by the addition of second guitarist Ronn Roberts and percussionist Bernie Pershey, who can be heard operating a xylophone on "When a Man Could Be Free." Technically, at least, Lightning was the name usually applied to the five-piece band. They engaged in such colorful crowd-pleasing routines as an electrified rendering of Gioacchino Rossini's "William Tell Overture" (first performed in this version at the New City Opera House during the autumn of 1968), and a freaky take (à la Jeff Beck's "Bolero") on "Ghost Riders in the Sky" that featured Stanhope singing through a Moog synthesizer. "Of Paupers and Poets" was first released as a 45 rpm single on the Hexagon record label and made it to number five on the Top 40 in Minneapolis/St. Paul in January 1969. "They've Got the Time" was composed on September 18, 1970 in response to the death of Jimi Hendrix and was also dedicated to Janis Joplin and Brian Jones. Lightning was well received at rock festivals throughout the Middle West. They opened for (and reportedly upstaged) Grand Funk Railroad on December 31, 1970 at a concert in Des Moines, IA. One source claims that White Lightning (named after a notoriously potent brand of lysergic acid) existed in five distinct combinations between the years 1968-1974, and that six different Lightnings came and went between 1969 and 1990. None of these Lightnings are to be confused with Detroit's short-lived post-Guardian Angel five-piece unit that went by the name of Lightnin'.(By arwulf arwulf) Tracklist 01 Prelude to Opus IV 02 Hideaway 03 When a Man Could Be Free 04 Madame Sunrise 05 1930 06 Freedom (Is Life with Living) 07 They've Got the Time 08 (Ghost) Riders in the Sky 09 William 10 Of Paupers and Poets 11 (Under the Screaming Double) Eagle 12 What Have I Now 13 Rat 14 Hideaway 15 Freedom 16 William Tell Overture (The Lone Ranger Theme)
Credits Tom "Zippy" Caplan - Guitar Ronn Roberts - Guitar, Vocals Woody Woodrich - Bass Guitar Herb Pilhofer - ARP Synthesizer, String Arrangements Mickey Stanhope - Drums, Vocals Bernie Pershey - Drums Jerry McGee - Keyboards Gus Gustafson -Horn Section Rick O'Dell - Horn Section Link
Credits Scott "Top Ten" Kempner : guitar, lead vocals Eric "Roscoe" Ambel : guitar , vocals Frank "Choo-choo" Funaro : drums M. "Manuelo" Caiati : bass , vocals Disc One: 01.Get Tough 02.River Of Justice 03.Crawl In Bed 04.Shame On You 05.Cheyenne 06.Johnny 99 07.Poem Of The River 08.Judas Kiss Disc Two: 01.True Love 02.I Don't Wanna Be Your Friend 03.I'm Gonna Be Around 04.DJ 05.Heaven 06.Jumpin' In The Night 07.DJ 08.Tallahassee Lassie 09.DJ
This budget-priced live CD has its heart in the right place, and although it's the best...Lords since Frontier Days, it still represents a holding pattern more than a return to past glories. The overall sound is pretty hot: Eric Ambel's slide raunch cuts a swath through Scott Kempner's scratchy (and underrecorded) rhythm guitar (Scott guitar is on left channel; Eric guitar is on right channel), while Frank Funaro and Manny Caiati bash'n'crash like a runaway train. The set list is strong (good cover of The Flamin' Groovies' "Jumpin' in the Night"), despite the fact that much of it was taken from their last two so-so records. But, to their credit, "True Love" and "Judas Kiss" have never sounded better... Tracklist 01- True love 02- Jumpin' in the night 03- Wastin' time talkin' 04- The cool 'n' the crazy 05- Judas kiss 06- I play the drums 07- Tallahassee Lassie . Credits Scott "Top Ten" Kempner : guitar, lead vocals Eric "Roscoe" Ambel : guitar , vocals Frankie "Choo-choo" Funaro : drums Manny "Manuelo" Caiati : bass , vocals
Formed in the early ‘80s by ex-Dictators guitarist Scott Kempner, the Del Lords combined elements of ‘60s garage rock with country, blues, and folk influences to become one of the initial progenitors of roots rock. Kempner recruited former Joan Jett guitarist Eric “Roscoe” Ambel, bassist Manny Caiati, and drummer Frank Funaro, and the Del Lords released their first disc, Frontier Days, on Enigma/EMI in 1984. The album was noted for its guts, street smarts, and twangy guitars, a balanced blend of Springsteen meets Johnny Thunders. Their follow-up Enigma/EMI release, Johnny Comes Marching Home, found Pat Benatar producer Neil Geraldo at the helm. While the band had became tighter, Geraldo applied a poppy gloss that seemingly toned down the grittier aspects of their debut. All the right elements fell into place by the time their album Based On a True Story was released in 1988, with Geraldo commendably pulling back his slicker production technique, allowing the louder aspects of the band to break through. The album is also notable for the support of guest vocalists Pat Benatar, Syd Straw, Kim Shattuck, and Mojo Nixon. The Del-Lords’ debut album, Frontier Days, sounded too sparse and didn’t kick hard enough, and the follow-up, Johnny Comes Marching Home, sounded too slick and was weighed down with clichéd 1980s drum and guitar sounds. In the grand tradition of Goldilocks, the band’s third LP, Based on a True Story, was where they finally got the proportions just right. While Neil Geraldo returned as producer after Johnny Comes Marching Home, he applies a much lighter hand on Based on a True Story, and Frank Funaro’s drums sound a lot more natural and have regained their natural hard-swinging grace on this set. A number of guest musicians were brought in for Based on a True Story, but this time they add new textures rather than cluttering the arrangements, and Johnny Powers’ wailing harp on “River of Justice”, Lenny Castro’s beatnik bongos on “The Cool and the Crazy,” and the uncredited but wildly honking sax on “Whole Lotta Nothin’ Goin’ On” are welcome additions that help the songs come alive. Mojo Nixon’s addled preaching on “River of Justice” is both hilarious and kicks up the song’s righteous energy, and if Geraldo pushes Pat Benatar’s backing vocals too high up in the mix, hey, they were married and she was probably working for free. And though Scott Kempner was always a fine songwriter, Based on a True Story is the most solid and consistent set of tunes he ever crafted for the Del-Lords, and whether he’s wistful (“Cheyenne”), righteously pissed-off (“Crawl in Bed”), taking a stand (“I’m Gonna Be Around”), or just getting goofy (“Whole Lotta Nothin’ Goin’ On”), he brings his A game. Hard touring had turned the Del-Lords into a tight, impressively powerful band, and they rarely sounded better than they did on Based on a True Story, with Kempner and Eric Ambel’s guitars roaring like a fine-tuned machine, and Funaro and bassist Manny Caiati laying down the rhythm with fury and precision. If they never made an album that quite captured the glory of their live shows, the Del-Lords never had a finer hour in the studio than on Based on a True Story, and it tells their story remarkably well. Tracklist 01. Crawl in Bed 02. Judas Kiss 03. Ashes to Ashes 04. I’m Gonna Be Around 05. Poem of the River 06. The Cool and the Crazy 07. Cheyenne 08. A Lover’s Prayer 09. Whole Lotta Nothin’ Goin’ On 10. River of Justice Personnel: Eric Ambel - Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards Manny Caiati - Bass, Vocals Frank Funaro - Drums, Vocals Scott Kempner - Guitar, Lead Vocals
The Smithereens' second album release, Green Thoughts, is another great album and ranks just a shade below their debut Especially for You as their best. Pat DiNizio constructs another batch of songs with memorable melodies and personal lyrics. Green Thoughts doesn't rock as hard as Especially for You or their next album, 11, but the craftsmanship is still there. "Only A Memory" would be a huge hit on college radio and even crossover to the lower reaches of the pop charts while the energetic "House We Used to Live In" and the melancholy "Drown in My Own Tears" are two gems that would get some airplay as well. Like their first album did with "A Lonely Place", Green Thoughts has a stylistic detour, this time in the jazzy and beautiful love song "Especially for You". The atmospheric "Deep Black" and the sunny "Elaine" are reminiscent of the Byrds with their jangly guitars while the melodies of "If The Sun Doesn't Shine" and "Something New" also bring back a `60s feel without sounding like a blatant ripoff. Other strong tracks include the mid-tempo rocker "The World We Know" and the title song. All told, Green Thoughts is another excellent album from the very underrated rock n' roll band that this is the Smithereens.(By John Alapick) The Smithereens were one of the top forgotten band of the 1980s & Green Thoughts was a top notch album. Spearheaded by the top 40 hit Only A Memory there were no weak tracks on this collection. AOR favorites House We Used To Live In, World We Know & Drown In My Own Tears made this a must have for fans of the band. Toss in concert favorites Something New, Deep Black & the title song & you have one of the most underrated albums of that entire decade! Recommended for fans & for those who want to explore a really great album.(John Crotty) Track listing 01 "Only a Memory" – 3:42 02 "House We Used to Live In" – 4:00 03 "Something New" – 1:55 04 "The World We Know" – 3:47 05 "Especially for You" – 3:09 06 "Drown in My Own Tears" – 3:09 07 "Deep Black" – 2:55 08 "Elaine" – 2:31 09 "Spellbound" – 4:09 10 "If the Sun Doesn't Shine" – 3:31 11 "Green Thoughts" – 2:28 Personnel Pat DiNizio – vocals, guitar Jim Babjak – guitar, vocals Dennis Diken – drums, vocals Mike Mesaros – bass Additional personnel Steve Berlin – saxophone on 5 Don Dixon – guitar, piano, vocals Marti Jones – vocal on 1 Kenny Margolis – piano on 2, 5, 9, harpsichord on 10, accordion on 3 Del Shannon – vocals on 4
An excellent hard/blues album, with Jeff Simmons on one track. Most of the songs were written by the group and the vocals and guitar parts are especially interesting (Rude Attitude, I Apologize, Burnin' Hurt). Arthur Lee of Love and Chris Hillman od The Byrds get "special thanks" on the cover. Hawks, Newman and Gallucci had all previously been in Don and the Goodtimes and later with Hauser in Touch. After the demise of TOUCH, 3 (of the 5) members went on and resurfaced in 1974 with this hard drivin' slab of attitude, swagger, fuzz and hammond. Jeff Simmons appears on one of the tracks and a heavy Detroit-vibe hangs in the air throughout.
Southern Cross was an Austalian heavy rock band formed by ex-Buffalo members Alan Milano and John Baxter. Milano was co-vocalist on Dead Forever while John Baxter was responsible for Buffalo's heavy rock guitar sound. By the time this recording came about Baxter had left to be replaced by Bruce Cumming. Alongside the likes of Finch, The Angels, Kevin Borich Express, Rose Tattoo, and Chariot, Southern Cross swiftly became one of the most popular hard rock bands on the Sydney scene. They were signed to the independent Living Sound/Laser label where they issued their debut single towards the end of 1976, followed by their self-titled debut album in early 1977. The album features melodic, raunchy hard rock in the vein of Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs and UK band Bad Company. It mixed flat out riff-rockers with moody rock ballads. The album scored only minimal sales, despite its strong content and by 1978 they had broken up with Cumming and Brouet moving on to The Press, another Sydney based band with a punk edged heavy metal sound. Southern Cross - You Need It: Tracks listing: 01. Money Maker (04':31") 02. You Need It (05':10") 03. Jessie (05':12") 04. What Am I Waiting For? (05':19") 05. Harris Street (04':42") 06. Story Teller (05':12") 07. Games (08':58") 08. Stormy Lady (04':51") Southern Cross: *Bruce Cumming - guitars *Jeff Beacham - drums *Michel Brouet - bass, vocals *Alan Milano - vocals Rip and Scans by NELWIZARD
Although formed in Davis, California, Kak were based in San Francisco for a good part of 1968, when they recorded their only album. Lead singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter Gary Lee Yoder and lead guitarist Dehner Patten had been in the Oxford Circle, an obscure early Northern Californian psychedelic band that had cut one garage/psych single ("Foolish Woman"/"Mind Destruction") and played some shows on the San Francisco psychedelic circuit, while bassist Joe-Dave Damrell had been on a 1965 single on Scorpio Records with Group "B". The self-titled Kak LP was minor-league San Francisco psychedelic rock colored by a lot of influence from bigger Bay Area bands, particularly Moby Grape; the vocal harmonies and curling guitar work on tracks like 'Disbelievin'" and "Everything's Changing" in particular sounded like a more pedestrian Moby Grape. There were also more distant echoes of Quicksilver Messenger Service (in the guitar work) and the Grateful Dead (in faint traces of country-blues-rock). Kak were best, and least derivative, at their quietest, as on the gentle country-tinged rocker "I've Got Time, " the good-time wistful psych-folk-rock of "Lemonade Kid, " and the harpsichord-decorated ballad "Flowing By, " which was as derivative of Donovan as much of their other songs were of Moby Grape. Kak's album was barely promoted and sold little. It didn't help that the band played less than a dozen shows before breaking up in early 1969, Damrell having already quit prior to the split. Yoder did a single for Epic and and then joined Blue Cheer. The Kak album eventually became a pricey collector item, and was reissued on CD by Big Beat (with the new title Kak-ola) in 1999 with plenty of bonus cuts, including previously unreleased acoustic demos and Yoder solo tracks from the late sixties. ~ by Richie Unterberger. Personnel: - Joseph Damrell (bass, sitar, tambourine, vocals), - Gary Lee Yoder (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar), - Dehner E. Patten (lead guitar, vocals), - Chris Lockheed (drums, tabla, harpsichord, maracas, vocals) Tracks: 01. HCO 97658 02. Everything's Changing 03. Electric Sailor 04. Disbelievin' 05. I've Got Time 06. Flowing By 07. Bryte 'N' Clear Day 08. Trieulogy 09. Lemonaide Kid 10. Rain (Bonus Track) 11. Everything's Changing(Acaustic Demo) (Bonus Track) 12. I've Got Time(Previously unrelease) (Bonus Track) 13. Medley:Bye Bye/Easy Jack(Previously unrelease) (Bonus Track) 14. Bryte 'N' Clear Day(Previously unrelease) (Bonus Track) 15. Medley:Mirage/Rain(Previously unrelease) (Bonus Track) 16. When Love Comes In(Previously unrelease) (Bonus Track) 17. I Miss You(Previously unrelease) (Bonus Track) 18. Lonely People Blues(Previously unrelease) (Bonus Track) 19. Flight From The East(Bonus Track) 20. Good Time Music(Bonus Track) Tracks 1 to 15: *Dehner C. Patten - lead guitar, vocals *Gary L. Yoder - acoustic guitar, rhythm guitar, vocals *Joseph D. Damrell - bass guitar, sitar, tambourine, vocals *Christopher A. Lockheed - drums, tabla, harpsichord, maraccas, vocals Tracks 16, 17 and 18: *Gary L. Yoder - guitar, vocals *Bruce Stephens - guitar *Paul Whaley - drums *Richard Berger - flute *Ralph Kellogg - keyboards, bass *Jim Keylor - bass Tracks 19 and 20: * Gary L. Yoder - guitar, vocals *Pete Sears - keyboards *Bryn Haworth - guitar *Paul Whaley - drums *Jim Keylor - bass *Billie Barnum - backing vocals
Oxford Circle was a legendary psychedelic blues band primarily due to the fact that drummer Paul Whaley and vocalist/fuzz guitarist Gary Lee Yoder were members of the cult proto-metal band Blue Cheer. This set "Live at the Avalon 1966" contains 14 live cuts in good sound quality for the time period. In addition it also contains four studio cuts. "Foolish Woman" a garage/psychedelic favorite and "Troubles" another band original appear here in both studio and live versions. These are the strongest group originals on the disk. The live cuts are mostly classic blues or British blues/rock covers. Versions of "You're A Better Man Than I" (Yardbirds) and "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" (Animals)and some songs by Van Morrison illustrate that their main influences were British blues/rock bands of the mid to late sixties with a California psychedelic take. Blues covers "Baby Please Don't Go" and "I'm A Man" are especially energetic. The Yardbirds like rave-up at the end of the latter contains some Jeff Beck inspired guitar work by lead guitarist Dehner Patten with some psychedelic fuzz and distortion added by Yoder. Drummer Whaley is solid throughout and it easy to imagine why Dickie Peterson tapped him to fill the drum chair in the power trio Blue Cheer. Jim Keylor's bass is noticeable now and again weaving in and out of the guitar histrionics. Yoder's harmonica pops up occasionally and gives the proceedings a bluesier feel. The band broke up after Whaley left to join Blue Cheer. Yoder and Patten reunited to form Kak another psychedelic band before Gary Lee Yoder also joined Blue Cheer. Fans of California's psychedelic scene and rare blues/garage rock will find this to be a hidden treasure. Kudos to Ace/Big Beat for unearthing this rare psychedelic gem and providing great liner notes with a detailed history and pictures of the band. Tracks 01. Mystic Eyes 02. Since You’ve Been Away 03. You’re A Better Man Than I 04. Soul On Fire 05. I Got My Mojo Working 06. Baby Please Don’t Go 07. Foolish Woman 08. Troubles 09. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place 10. Today 11. Silent Woman 12. Little Girl 13. Hoochie Coochie Man 14. I’m A Man 15. Foolish Woman (World United 002 45 1966) 16. Mind Destruction (World United 002 45 1966) 17. The Raven 18. Troubles Personnel: Gary Yoder (vocals, guitar, harmonica) Dehner E. Patten (vocals, guitar) Paul Whaley (vocals, drums) Jim Keylor (vocals) Jack Hills (saxophone) Bruce Turley, Mac Rebennack (organ)
They were a Houston band. After the Vulcan gig, they got a deal with Mercury and cut a single (Ride Baby Ride/No Deposit, No Return), and another unreleased side (Oddly enough) who may be on one of the Acid Visions thing.The band broke up around 70.
Credits Vocals - Michale Claxton Drums - John Clary Rhythm guitar - David Franklin Lead guitar - Jim Frye bass - Kenny Blanchet
Set List: Disc One (Time 60:10m): First Set (10:26 PM) 01. Blues In The Bottle 02. Pride Of Man 03. Broke Down Blues (?) 04. Blues Back Off 05. Run Out Of West 06. Small Walk-In Box 07. Four Floors Or Forty 08. I'm A Dancing Fool 09. Right Hand World (?) 10. Break Song
Disc Two (Time 44:23m): Second Set (11:59 PM) 01. Walkin' Blues 02. Six Weeks In Reno 03. I Did It For The Band 04. You Can't Hurt Me No More 05. Who Do Your Love? 06. Bad Luck Baby
Disc Three (Time 46:04m): Second Set (cont.) 01. Fantasy World 02. Unknown Instrumental 03. I'll Pull The Trigger 04. Trouble In Mind 05. Mona 06. Momma Don't Allow Me (?)
John Cipollina - guitar & vocals Nick Gravenites - guitar & lead vocals Greg Elmore - drums Doug Kilmer - bass
The "Stanhope House" was a fabulous roadhouse in Northwest New Jersey, near Lake Hopatcong. They booked an eclectic bunch of rock, blues, country, and folk acts. The area was beautiful, very rural, and the atmosphere in the club was very relaxed. I saw quite a few acts there, covering many of those genres. Sound and sightlines were good, especially if you got there early, and snagged a good table. I heard that it closed not too long ago, which is a real shame. There were usually two sets, which often made for a very late evening. This was my first time to see John Cipollina, and my favorite of the three bands I saw him perform with. The added bonus was Nick Gravenites, who I also thought was super. I met John prior to the show, and had him autograph a few things for me. He was incredibly nice, and must have talked to me for half an hour about his career. He would often do some calligraphy on whatever he signed, as well as his autograph. A great, and very underappreciated player. The last time I was at the Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, they had his Gibson SG with his wild amplification system, with all the horns, on display.(Comment & original post by bpthree....Many Thanks)
Great concert with two Legends : Kim Simmonds & Mark Doyle (Jukin' Bone, Free Will, Doyle Whiting Band) .... . Great show as always by our hero and his traveling companions. Similar setlist to the excellent shows posted by analog4011 and fubb (thanks again guys), but hi, NO Hellbound Train OR Tell Mama and YES Louisiana Blues## and Jack The Toad@@!! Skipping Tell Mama, brave move, but nobody seemed to mind. Kim came out of the gates all over the stage and cranking out the power chords. He even clammed it up once or twice amidst his enthusiasm (and joked about it later). Kim caught fire during the solo in Looking In and stayed hot the rest of the night. She Got The Heat is normally a slide workout, but he couldn't find the slide (and didn't feel like looking for it) so he played it "Chuck Berry style." Joe Whiting's sax playing is a real good addition. He doesn't play much, but when he does it enhances rather than getting in the way. Check out the way he ups the ante on I'm Tired after Kim's amazing acoustic guitar solo. Anyway, yeah, great band line-up, the new album (Oct. 11 he says) is gonna be amazing - can't wait. All the new songs killed me. I was several tables back - hard to judge distance. There was a bit of chatter, but nothing close - this recording came out well, there is pleasure to be gained from listening to it (By Realomind). . Credits: Kim Simmonds - Guitar, Lead Vocals* Jumpin' Joe Whiting - Lead Vocals, Saxophone Pat DeSalvo - Bass Garnett Grimm - Drums
Tracks Listing: 01. Meet The Blues Head On 02. Looking In 03. Natural Man 04. Streetcorner Talkin'* 05. Little Red Rooster 06. She Got The Heat 07. Train To Nowhere* 08. Gypsy 09. I'm Tired 10. Jack The Toad 11. Wang Dang Doodle 12. Voodoo Moon 13. Louisiana Blues* 14. --Crowd-- 15. Leaving Again
Track Listing 1. "Wheel of Fortune" 7:50 2. "Fountain" 7:22 3. "Wind of Change" 7:15 4. "River" 6:50 5. "The Preacher" 3:59 6. "On the Way Home" 7:39 Credits Tony Kaye - keyboards, mellotron, Moog synthesiser Brian Parrish - guitar, Vocals Dave Foster - bass guitar, vocals Roy Dyke - drums
Badger were one of those seventies bands that are barely remembered outside the circle of hard-core Yes fans. Only in existence for a couple of years, they managed to produce two albums, White Lady, the 1974 studio album which was a fairly mellow, soul-influenced affair featuring ex-Apple Records artist Jackie Lomax, and the altogether more interesting progressive rock debut One Live Badger. Formed in mid 1972, the roots of the band stretch back a few years earlier when Tony Kaye linked up with David Foster who was getting material together for a prospective solo album. Foster, a former band mate of Jon Anderson in The Warriors, was first introduced to the Yes camp when he co-wrote Sweet Dreams and Time And A Word with the vocalist with for the band's second album. Although the solo album was eventually scrapped, Foster and Kaye kept in touch and following Kaye's departure from Yes and brief involvement with Flash, set about remixing and reworking the original material. .
Deciding to form a band to play and record the songs, drummer Roy Dyke was recruited from the recently disbanded Ashton, Gardener and Dyke who recommended that guitarist Brian Parrish, who had recorded a largely ignored album with Adrian Gurvitz, should complete the line-up. After intensive rehearsals, the band made their debut at "The Rainbow Theatre" in December 1972 supporting Yes at the infamous concerts that spawned the sprawling Yessongs live album. Atlantic Records, to whom both groups were signed, decided that as the equipment was in place they should make the most of their financial outlay and record the support group's set as well. In a bold move that seems rather extraordinary by today's standards, it was these recordings that formed the basis of One Live Badger.
And what a great album it is, the material is strong and the group sound as if they have been playing and writing together for years. The production, by the group, Jon Anderson and Geoffrey Haslam, is crisp although somewhat more raw and aggressive than the resulting Yes recordings from the same concerts. As expected, Kaye's signature Hammond organ sound is to the fore on most of the tracks (and in particular on the album closer On The Way Home), although he does use other keyboards to add different textures: the chorus of Wind of Change features the mellotron, The River utilises an electric piano to great effect and a Moog synthesiser is evident on other tracks. Guitarist Brian Parrish plays some great solos, although nothing too flash (excuse the pun!) or overburdened with technical virtuosity. The solid and efficient rhythm section are quite prominent in the mix, as one would expect from a live recording, Foster's bass in particular being particularly clear - the dynamic mix of driving bass, riffing guitar and wailing Hammond during On The Way Home is superb and probably something that could only be got away with on a live recording. The closest comparison would be akin to a rockier Traffic.
Overall, a wonderful live album and worthy of inclusion in the collection of any fan of 1970s rock music, not just those drawn by the Yes connections. My only complaints are with the quality of the packaging. Roger Dean's cover artwork is poorly reproduced (the band name and album title are hard to see in detail), the booklet (four sides with only the front and rear artwork in colour) contains no extra information aside from the original sleeve notes and just reproduces the four colour photographs from the tray inlay in black and white. There are probably no bonus live recordings that could have been added to the album, 40 minutes would no doubt have been the length of the support act's set, and the inclusion of any existing rehearsal or demo cuts would have been incongruous, but one does feel that the addition of a few extra photos, a potted history of the band and even some reminiscences from the group members themselves would have helped justified what is effectively a full-price release. Still, it is the music that matters and on that score you can't complain at all.(From ChrisGoesRock)
This is the least Yes-sounding album on this page, as Badger went full-tilt into soul. Parrish and Foster left the group, and were replaced by one-time Apple records artist Jackie Lomax (vocals, guitar), former Steeler's Wheel guitarist Paul Pilnick and bassist Kim Gardner. Lomax is White Lady's key figure; he not only writes all the songs, but has a fine smooth soul voice. Allen Toussaint recorded the album in New Orleans, and he gave the band the full contemporary R&B/soul sound - horns, backing singers, prominent rhythm section. Unlike One Live Badger or other English bands who explored American soul (Clapton or Traffic at times), Badger was far more interested in grooves than soloing (or even soloing over the grooves). Dyke and Gardner usually kickstart the tracks with a catchy rhythm ("Don't Pill the Trigger"), then Lomax swoons in, while everyone plays along. Pilnick sticks to rhythm , so they brought in Barry Bailey in on slide, with an appearance by Bryn Haworth as well. There are a few nods towards the Allman Brothers intertwined guitars (the ode-to-drugs title track with Jeff Beck playing lead, "Listen to Me"), but overall White Lady is really a group effort. Lomax is almost too low-key at points, and when he gets excited he has a tendency to get frog-voiced, but he is still the focal point. But this is about the grooves, and in conjunction with the excellent production they have plenty (the opening "A Dream of You" is great, "Be With You", "Lord Who Give Me Life"). Quite the guilty pleasure as such, but it failed to chart and the group broke up soon afterwards. Kaye subsequently joined Badfinger.
Tracks: 01. A Dream Of You - 4:13 02. Everybody - Nobody - 3:19 03. Listen To Me - 4:55 04. Don't Pull The Trigger - 4:01 05. Just The Way It Goes - 4:39 06. White Lady - 4:44 07. Be With You - 3:38 08. Lord Who Give Me Life - 3:03 09. One More Dream To Hold - 4:01 10. The Hole Thing - 6:07 Personnel: - Tony Kaye - keyboards, mellotron - Roy Dyke - drums - Kim Gardner - bass - Jackie Lomax - rhythm guitar, vocals - Paul Pilnick - lead guitar + - Barry Bailey - slide guitar (4-8) - Jeff Beck - guitar solo (6) - Carl Blouin - baritone saxophone, flute - Lester Caliste - trumpet - Mercedes Davis - backing vocals (1-3,5-8) - Joan Harmon - backing vocals (1-3,5-8) - Bryn Haworth - slide guitar (3) - Teresipa Henry - backing vocals (1-3,5-8) - John Lango - trombone - Bobby Montgomery - backing vocals (2-9) - Jessie Smith - backing vocals (2-9) - Alvin Thomas - tenor saxophone - Allen Toussaint - piano (3-4), organ (9), congas (1-3,10)
