Classic Rock 60 Items

A veritable institution of British folk, Fairport Convention has been going strong since the mid-1960s. Double album "Live At Rock City" is chock full of winners: along with strong adaptations of "John Barleycorn" and "Reynard The Fox" there are top tracks from "Expletive Delighted", including "Three Left Feet", "Sigh Beg Sigh Mor", "Portmeirion" and "Sack The Juggler". There's beautiful symmetry between Dave Pegg's mandolin and Martin Allcock's bouzouki; Ric Sanders raises the roof on electric violin, Dave Mattacks' drums are quietly steady and Simon Nicol's guitar and voice completes the picture. A must for all Fairport fans!

While their first two releases (Prequel and Space Mirror) saw these veterans of post-punk, new psychedelic noise, and 1990s garage rock expertly navigate the murky waters of Covid isolation with yoga-worthy ambient excursions, on their third record the quartet slides into fifth gear and terraplanes toward a fresh take on instrumental prog-rock. It’s not entirely unexpected, but there’s rapid accelerated growth at play on Tabula Rasa.

Infinite River is composed of Gretchen Gonzales (Universal Indians, Slumber Party, Terror at the Opera), Warren Defever (His Name is Alive, ESP Beetles, Ethan Daniel Davidson), Joey Mazzola (Detroit Cobras, Sponge, Sugarcoats), and special guest drummer Steve Nistor (Sparks, Ural Thomas, Seedsmen to the World). These instrumental recordings were tracked between the end of 2022 and the start of 2023 in Warren Defever’s new loft studio space in glorious Hamtramck, MI, where the sessions were supervised by Defever’s cat, Brother James. “My apartment is a big, echoey room; previously we were close together in a tight space,” Defever explains. “The other studio is cozy; this is an art gallery. So it’s a really different vibe.”

Tabula Rasa is closer to what the band is like live now. It highlights the point at which new age type music can become biker rock—which at times approximates Hawkwind or much German music from 1976, while rarely sounding like anything but itself. Tracks like “Around the Sun” and

“Sky Diamonds” definitely have evolved out of the group playing new age type music together. But here, the melodies are more pronounced; the chords and harmonies are more like pop music. Drone-based elements remain, but the pieces are shorter and far more propulsive.

Gonzales shows off her noise-guitar pedigree with both subtlety and aggression. Defever has largely ditched his tanpura for a bass synthesizer. It’s a joy to hear Nistor, who’s been a member of Sparks for close to two decades, open up, and just go gonzo on his kit. Mazzola’s songwriting has followed suit; these are great (and often lovely) compositions here. And his practice in playing with the band, especially Nistor, allows Mazzola to open up new possibilities for downright prog than he’s ever shown before.

A highlight has to be their crunchy and multi-part take on “Favorite Things,” which truly shows off Infinite Rivers’ diverse backgrounds. Defever relates that “Gretchen only knew the song from Coltrane’s take, while Joey only knew it from Sound of Music.” If that’s not worlds colliding, what is?

- Mike McGonigal

The name of Jarmo Hynninen’s and Tuomas Metsberg's instrumental album Telecaster Master Blasters tells both the guitar model played on the album and the talent of the musicians itself.The recognizable tone of the Fender Telecaster became a hallmark of country music in the early 1950s, and the instrument's stylistic and virtuosic control became one of the kingships of electric guitar playing. Jarmo Hynninen and Tuomas Metsberg are among the masters of this demanding genre, whose skills can withstand international comparison.In addition to borrowed songs from old generation country artists, the album consists of the guitarists' own compositions. 1. Leon & Buddy2. Nashville Palace Swing3. Cold Cold Heart4. CPAP Breakdown5. Honey Fingers6. Stumbling7. November Waltz8. C-Swing9. Steel Guitar Rag10. Tacos for Thomas11. Western with a Twist12. Nashvantaa West

Iron Maiden hit the Palladium in New York City for a stop on their "Beast On The Road" tour. Bruce Dickinson had to ask the crowd to calm down or they wouldn’t play, seeing as the place was overpacked with fans pouring in through the fire exits. Iron Maiden is one of the most iconic and influential heavy metal bands of all time. As pioneers of the new wave of British heavy metal, they became hugely successful in the early 80’s. Despite a lack of mainstream radio airplay Iron Maiden have remained consistently popular, selling out stadiums to this day.

Peter Green’s genius has its main roots in musical influences from a childhood spent in London’s working class East End. This intense collection features several of his best successes with the 1968-70 Fleetwood Mac — before their move towards pop stardom – and some interesting tunes from his tormented solo career throughout the 70s and the 80s.

The third studio album "Pyramid" by The Alan Parsons Project was originally released in May 1978. As with other APP albums, the focus was on very high-quality studio sound production. "Pyramid" was a worldwide hit, achieving platinum and gold status in numerous territories including the USA, Germany and Canada.Limited edition 180g Heavyweight Clear Vinyl LP Half speed remastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road studios.

Only a decade ago Leong Lau remained a well-hidden Malaysian-Australian treasure, known only to small circles of Australian record collectors. In 2013 we met Leong in person at the Brisbane state library, where after a long and somewhat transcendental ‘conversation’, received his blessings to re-release his music.

In 2014, we reissued his sophomore album ‘That Rongeng Sound’ and later in 2021, his sole single ‘late Night Flyer. In 2024, we are going back to finish the triangle of Leong releases, with a repress of his debut 1976 album ‘Dragon Man’. A raw and electrifying album that continues to stand the test of time.

Dragon Man might best be described musically as psyc/rock, however the significant use of soul/funk and jazz melodies adds a unique musical depth that makes it hard to categorise. However, what truly sets Leong apart is his distinct vocal style, delivering half sung/half spoken lyrics in a stereotypical Aussie accent that comes across more like a sermon than what might be conceived as ‘traditional’ songs.

Moreover, in a time where the Australian music industry and its performers’ musical styles were dictated by major labels, Leong began to break down those barriers by self-releasing his music. This rewarded Leong creative control, where he was able to dictate the musical and cultural themes, with songs like ‘Dragon Man’ and ‘Deep In The Jungle’ that both pay homage to his unique Chinese/Malay heritage. That said, Dragon Man is both a significant musical and cultural statement that’s just as poignant today as it was then.

“Thru The Years” is a compilation album of music by John Mayall released in October 1971 by Decca Records in the U.K. and London Records in the U.S.A. The album was the second compilation to be issued by Decca/London with Mayall's blessing and it features a mixture of previously unissued songs or non-album tracks that had only been released as singles. A grab bag of rare tracks from the '60s, some of which stand among Mayall's finest. His debut 1964 single "Crawling Up a Hill" is one of his best originals. The eight songs featuring Peter Green include some top-notch material that outpaces much of the only album recorded by the Green lineup (A Hard Road), particularly the Green originals "Missing You" and "Out of Reach," a great B-side with devastating, icy guitar lines and downbeat lyrics that ranks as one of the great lost blues-rock cuts of the '60s. The set is filled out with a few songs from the Mick Taylor era, the highlight being the vicious instrumental "Knockers Step Forward."

Back on LP for the first time since its 1970 release! Their sole album boasts members of the Wrecking Crew along with three Motown producers, all experimenting with a commercial psychedelic sound that defined the end of an era. Sitar head-swirlers, sunny, melodic harmonies and a country folk influence all blend together to bring listeners Truth!

Cykle produced one album's worth of solid garage rock, and it certainly proves that the band was an enthusiastic bunch of musicians. Much closer to late 60’s garage (proto) punk than psychedelia, the album was released in 1969.

They were best known for their 1966 song "Red Rubber Ball" (written by Paul Simon) which went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The band was discovered and managed by Brian Epstein and given the unique spelling of their name by John Lennon. The group was formed by guitarists and lead singers Don Dannemann and Tom Dawes (bass guitar), who met while studying at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. The other members were Earl Pickens on keyboards and Marty Fried on drums.

Obscure psychedelic gospel act Methuselah had its roots in Scunthorpe ‘Beat’ group the Dimples, which became Gospel Garden, whose only 45 infused Northern Soul with psycheleanings. Regrouping as Methuselah, the group signed to Elektra for this sole religious rock concept LP, their sound deceptively American, with vocal harmonies evidencing bluegrass influences; guitarist Les Nicol is never short of excellent. Certain members would later form Amazing Blondel, but Matthew, Mark, Luke And John has a unique flavour, and our edition includes two rare bonus tracks. This slice of obscure psyche must be heard to be believed!

Touted as the “new Doors,” Ars Nova’s second release shows the band genre-bending jazz and heavy psychedelia in a style that’s their own. Shifting from a largely classical centric sound, this was the group’s last album before going their separate ways. Pressed on pink vinyl!

Sunshine & Shadows takes the baroque-meets-psych sound of the debut and turns a bit more to the psych side. The stately brass interludes are gone, but horns still figure prominently in the mix. There’s some jazzy New Orleans flavor to a couple of the tunes, albeit twisted into a 7/4 vamp on “You Had Better Listen.”

The instrumentalists in the band, featuring trumpet and trombone, really give the music a unique flavor, setting them apart from the multitudes of other American psych bands. Ars Nova might be likened to Ultimate Spinach (but without the overly serious, pretentious lyrics) or later Zombies (though with less emphasis on the keyboards).

It’s all very well written and nicely played, and when they do a tender ballad like “Temporary Serenade,” the acoustic guitar is very lute-like, much more along the lines of classical than folk (like the later work of Jan Akkerman with Focus), and the trumpet descant adds a lovely spice.

“Well, Well, Well” is the heaviest rock tune in their repertoire, with a great electric guitar riff and hot organ playing, again set apart by trombone and trumpet. This one is definitely worth seeking out for baroque pop fans.

Limited to 100 copies on green vinyl. Only available at hhv.de

Enchanting and sunny 1969 psych folk by San Francisco teenage sisters Wendy & Bonnie Flower. A cult album that would later inspire bands like Stereolab, with dreamy vocal harmonies as the main attraction, laced with Brazilian splashes and soft-rock strains. Pure timeless psychedelic pop perfection, awash in serenity and haunting reverie floating in the ether above airy soundscapes that convey a sophistication that belies the artists' tender age: 15 and 18. Alongside them are top-notch musicians such as guitarist Larry Carlton, drummer Jim Keltner, bassist Randy Sterling and organists/pianists Mike Melvoin and Mike Lang. Originally produced by Gary McFarland, Gábor Szabó and Cal Tjader.