Grateful Dead - Aoxomoxoa [HDCD 4 bonus tracks] (1969)

♪ Year: June 20, 1969 (CD 2003)
♪ Label: Rhino Records (Germany), 8122-74394-2
♪ Style: Psychedelic Rock, Acid Rock
♪ Country: Palo Alto, California, U.S.
♪ Time: 79:24
♪ Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
♪ Size: 503 Mb

This is a mildly surprising collection of music, essentially because it is so mellowed. The tunes are soft and gentle, the lyrics graciously decipherable, the vocals hesitant and wavering. There is a remarkable lack of harshly inflected rhythms and scalding guitar, for which the Dead have been so justly famed. Instead, Axoxomoxa is a wider application of the ideas we saw in Anthem of The Sun: long, dreamy ballads, occasionally interspersed with rock passages, but more often content to float their own ethereal way. Very different, a bit sadly, from the driving power of the first album. But this third one is a delight. It's filled with surreal (What's Become Of The Baby) and romantic visions (Mountains Of The Moon), rural whimsy and funk, and some great old blues (Dupree's Diamond Blues and Cosmic Charlie).
Somehow, the Grateful Dead have done the impossible. They've kept their standards in the face of white-hot pressures to change. Not only have they remained an intact musical unit, they've improved their skills and sharpened and adjusted their technique, all of which indicates that they have retained their sanity. I find that pretty amazing.
Heavily in debt, much of it from back taxes, seeing their community fall down around them, the Dead have willingly and happily played innumerable benefits and free concerts in the park (Golden Gate), because they love the music. When a human being takes this course of action, when he faces and withstands the demands to mold himself to the social main-current, concentrating only on the realization of his constructive ideas, you call him by one word: artist. The Dead are artists. They've ignored packaging trends, preferring to wrap their albums simply, without folding covers and other little goodies. They've made no media appearances, save for three, which I can remember: a KPIX special on the Haight, some two years ago; an Irving Penn photographic essay, titled "The Incredibles," in Look; and about 10 seconds on a CBS documentary of Bill Graham. The Grateful Dead are considered, very simply, poor commercial material and a sight from which the eyes of America's children must somehow be shielded.
(full version: deadsources.blogspot.com/2024/10/1969-aoxomoxoa-review.html)

01. St. Stephen (04:27)
02. Dupree's Diamond Blues (03:34)
03. Rosemary (02:00)
04. Doin' That Rag (04:44)
05. Mountains of the Moon (04:04)
06. China Cat Sunflower (03:42)
07. What's Become of the Baby (08:13)
08. Cosmic Charlie (05:44)
09. Clementine Jam (10:51)
10. Nobody's Spoonful Jam (10:09)
11. The Eleven Jam (15:05)
12. Cosmic Charlie [Live] (06:47)

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Groundhogs - Blues Obituary (1969)

Year: 1969 (CD 1999)
Label: Akarma Records (Italy), AK 039
Style: Rock, Blues Rock
Country: England
Time: 34:01
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 208 Mb

Recorded during June of 1969 at Marquee Studios in London with Gary Collins and Colin Caldwell engineering, the trio of Groundhogs put the blues to rest on Blues Obituary in front of a castle on the Hogart-designed cover while six black and whites from photographer Zorin Matic grace the back in morbid Creepy or Eerie Magazine comic book fashion. Composed, written, and arranged by Tony "T.S." McPhee, there are seven tracks hovering from the around four- to seven-minute mark. The traditional "Natchez Burning," arranged by McPhee, fits in nicely with his originals while the longest track, the six-minute-and-50-second "Light Is the Day," features the most innovation -- a Ginger Baker-style tribal rant by drummer Ken Pustelnik allowing McPhee to lay down some muted slide work. As the tempo on the final track elevates along with manic guitar runs by McPhee, the jamming creates a color separate from the rest of the disc while still in the same style. Vocals across the board are kept to a minimum. It is all about the sound, Cream without the flash, bandleader McPhee vocally emulating Alvin Lee (by way of Canned Heat's Alan Wilson) on the four-minute conclusion to side one that is "Mistreated." While Americans like Grand Funk's Mark Farner turned the format up a commercial notch, Funk's "Mean Mistreater" sporting the same sentiment while reaching a wider audience, the Groundhogs on this late-'60s album keep the blues purely in the underground. The pumping beat on "Mistreated" embraces the lead guitarist's vocal, which poses that eternal blues question: "what have I done that's wrong?" Blistering guitar on the opening track, "B.D.D.," sets the pace for this deep excursion into the musical depths further down than Canned Heat ever dared go. While "Daze of the Weak" starts off sludgy enough, it quickly moves like a train out of control, laying back only to explode again. "Times" get things back to more traditional roots on an album that breaks little new ground, and is as consistent as Savoy Brown when they got into their primo groove.
(allmusic.com/album/blues-obituary-mw0000363074)

01. B.D.D. (03:50)
02. Daze of the Weak (05:16)
03. Times (05:19)
04. Mistreated (04:04)
05. Express Man (03:59)
06. Natchez Burning (04:38)
07. Light Was The Day (06:53)

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Keef Hartley Band - Halfbreed (1969)

Year: March 1969 (CD 2008)
Label: Esoteric Recordings (Europe), ECLEC 2050
Style: Blues Rock, Progressive Rock
Country: Plungington, England (8 April 1944 - 26 November 2011)
Time: 50:48
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 296 Mb

Trk. 1a) “Sacked (Introducing Hearts and Flowers)” (Arranged by Keef Hartley) In this mock-up of a cringe-making phone call, John Mayall rings up Keef to say “I’ve got a bit of bad news for you….” and terminates his position with the Bluesbreakers, whereupon there’s
1b) a very short snatch of the old tune by Moses Theodore-Tobani which was so famously used to accompany all the sad bits in the silent movies, and a few disjointed noises before
1c) “Confusion Theme.” Credited to Hartley and Cruickshank, this minute-long instrumental opens with tom-toms, followed by a solo guitar improvisation on an eastern scale. A menacing, funky riff develops behind the guitar, before it all fades out. I’d love to have heard more, but instead we get
1d) “The Halfbreed.” Softly plucked guitar and a roll of toms lead into this compelling 12 bar instrumental. Credited to Harley, Cruickshank and Dines, the sequence is similar to Ben Tucker’s “Comin’ Home Baby” recorded first by the Dave Bailey Quintet in 1961, then shortly after by Herbie Mann, and in vocal form by Mel Torme. There’s Hammond riffing, and lead guitar with a somewhat Santana-like flavour, smooth and overdriven but with bite and some very strong vibrato. I see “Spit” pictured with a Gibson SG, and that sounds about right to these ears. Stabbing brass punctuates, drums rattle, and a very moody organ solo follows. Keef subtly runs through different rhythmic patterns without upsetting the flow, taking a turn round the tom-toms during the final guitar solo, then bringing the beat onto the snare as the brass returns and the piece fades. Very enjoyable.
Trk. 2) “Born to Die” is credited to Dines, Hartley, Thain, and Fiona Hewitson – Miller Anderson writing under his wife’s name for contractual reasons. Hymnal Hammond and thoughtful guitar open this slow Blues, which benefits from a chord sequence differing from the usual straight twelve. Anderson’s voice is at once strong, expressive and questioning as he bewails his situation. Tuneful guitar fills which are drenched in reverb during the verses give way to a very lyrical and understated solo from ‘Spit,’ which over the course of four rounds, slowly escalates to a fiery pitch. The band sympathetically builds up with him, but never dominates, and the sounds are rich and warm. Everything drops down to a whisper for the last verse, then another chromatic turnaround on the outro swells to a powerful climax with pounding percussion, as the track slowly fades. Ten minutes of Blues heaven.
(full version: https://earlyblues.org/british-blues-classic-albums-halfbreed/)

01. Confusion Theme - The Halfbreed (07:56)
02. Born To Die (10:01)
03. Sinnin' For You (05:53)
04. Leavin' Trunk (05:57)
05. Just To Cry (06:21)
06. Too Much Thinking (05:32)
07. Too Much To Take (05:37)
08. Leave It 'Til The Morning (03:27)

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Mad Dog - Dawn Of The Seventh Sun (1969)

Year: 1969 (CD 2003)
Label: RD Records (Switzerland), RD CD 5
Style: Psychedelic Rock, Garage Rock
Country: U.S.
Time: 42:08
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 276 Mb

Mad Dog - Dawn of the Seventh Sun CD. CD reissue of this unreleased album of West Coast psych recordings from 1969. Monstrous & unreleased at the time heavy/psychedelic/West Coast artifact of the highest order. This is one of the five best-ever promo-only releases to emerge from California. Only released in a quantity of a couple of copies to get a major record deal that never materialized. Three of the songs were used in a low-budget biker flick called Black Angels. The original demo LP had only a plain black label with no kinds of credits. The original producer told us that a demo-only LP was released by The Zoo after the Chocolate Moose album. The slightly different line-up had the name Joyful Noise (you can see a scan of the acetate in Hans Pokora's 4001 Record Collector's Dreams) but at this time they were looking for a tougher name to fit to the music and they found Mad Dog. Under this name a couple of test pressings were done. So we made a re-release deal straight away. To our surprise the guy told us, after hearing the tape, that he knew the music and that it had already been re-released by another label without any kinds of info using the numbers from the dead end part of the vinyl which was C1/C2! The C was for Cavett, the producer's name. Since the project was already paid, we decided to go on with the release to please collectors with an amazing remastering straight from the master tapes, and an insert with unseen pictures and a band bio written by Morgan Cavett.
(rockadrome.com/store/mad-dog-dawn-of-the-seventh-sun-cd-rd-cd-5.html?srsltid=AfmBOooYmoPt73VoLt0_qVfgMJmJjhTi_y-H9o1tpxZud3r8lSjpd10S)

01. Suite For Two Guitars (01:47)
02. Military Disgust (05:01)
03. Ala Ala (02:39)
04. Fort Huachuca Blues (04:44)
05. Everything's Alright (02:40)
06. Dawn Of The Seventh Sun (06:56)
07. The Fast Song (03:29)
08. When It Touches You (03:39)
09. Soulful Bowlful (04:55)
10. Free Fall (Bonus Track) (06:15)

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Chicken Shack - O.K. Ken [Japanese Ed.] (1969)

Year: February 1969 (CD Nov 21, 1994)
Label: Epic Records (Japan), ESCA 7566
Style: Rock, Blues Rock
Country: UK
Time: 42:19
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 263 Mb

Their second LP, O.K. Ken? was released in February 1969 and also garnered chart success just like the prior album 40 Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed and Ready to Serve. While it did surpass the first album by reaching No. 9 on the British charts, unlike the initial LP, it quickly dropped out of the charts due to the lack of an album single to support it. The band then decided to release a song from the first album, "When The Train Comes Back” (BH 57-3146), after overdubbing a horn section over the original track. The flipside of the single was “Hey Baby”, an outtake of the O.K. Ken? album sessions. Christine Perfect composed and provided piano and lead vocals on both single tracks but the single release was only mildly successful.
Stan Webb wrote four of the songs on the album and co-wrote two others with Christine Perfect. Webb sang all of his compositions and Perfect sang on the Perfect/Webb collaboration, "Get Like You Use to Be". Webb and Perfect sang a duet on the other Perfect/Webb collaboration, "A Woman Is The Blues". Additionally, Perfect sang on covers, "I Wanna See My Baby" and "Mean Old World". The "Pony Trap" and "Remington Ride" are both instrumentals.
Following her departure, Christine Perfect joined Fleetwood Mac in July 1970, and "Get Like You Used to Be" became a staple of Fleetwood Mac's live act from 1970 to 1975. Guitarists Danny Kirwan, Jeremy Spencer, Peter Green, Bob Welch, Bob Weston, & Lindsey Buckingham all featured on different performances of the song throughout the band's ever-changing lineups.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O.K._Ken%3F)

01. Baby's Got Me Crying (02:34)
02. The Right Way Is My Way (02:33)
03. Get Like You Used To Be (03:49)
04. Pony And Trap (03:20)
05. Tell Me (04:50)
06. A Woman Is The Blues (03:27)
07. I Wanna See My Baby (03:52)
08. Remington Ride (03:02)
09. Fishing In Your River (04:40)
10. Mean Old World (03:44)
11. Sweet Sixteen (06:23)

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Grateful Dead - Live Dead [Live. 2LP on 1CD] (1969)

Year: November 10, 1969 (CD ????)
Label: Warner Bros. Records (Germany), 927 181-2
Style: Psychedelic Rock, Rock
Country: Palo Alto, California, U.S.
Time: 73:02
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 387 Mb

Live/Dead is the first official live album (and fourth overall) released by the rock band Grateful Dead. Recorded over a series of concerts in early 1969 and released later the same year, it was the first live rock album to use 16-track recording.
The title has a double meaning. It refers both to the band (the "Dead") playing live, and is an oxymoron, contrasting the two words in apparent contradiction. The artwork, created by Robert Donovan Thomas (aka Bob Thomas), also illustrated this juxtaposition. The word "Live" is seen on the front cover, and the word "Dead" fills the back cover of the gatefold. Additionally, on the back cover, the top portion of "Dead" somewhat cryptically spells out "Acid".
To assuage debt accrued with their record label from their recent album Aoxomoxoa, as well as fulfill their record contract, the band decided to record a live album. They were also interested in releasing an album more representative of their live performances and actual musicianship, as opposed to the in-studio experimentation of previous albums.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live/Dead)

01. Dark Star (23:07)
02. Saint Stephen (06:32)
03. The Eleven (09:21)
04. Turn On Your Love Light (15:08)
05. Death Don't Have No Mercy (10:29)
06. Feedback (07:49)
07. And We Bid You Goodnight (00:34)

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Fargo - I See It Now (1969)

Year: 1969 (CD 2017)
Label: Lion Records (Germany), Lion 223
Style: Folk Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Country: Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Time: 25:25
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 239 Mb

Dean Wilden and Tony Decker are Fargo. Their home is Salt Lake City, Utah. People who meet them or hear their music find that fact incongruous, for thinking of Salt Lake City brings to mind the Tabernacle with its mysteries and its majesty and the descendents of Brigham Young quietly living their lives by that oddly isolated sea in the heartland of America. Somehow it's hard to imagine young contemporary singers-composers at work against this backdrop. 
Twenty-one years of living in and around Utah and Colorado have been etched into their memories and have made the personalities of Tony and Dean. A mother plays the violin to entertain her children; a father softly strums his guitar in the evening; Sundays echo the magnificent music of the church. 
There is always music—choir practice, school concerts and the radio bringing in the sounds of New York, Nashville and Hollywood. Two distinct musical personalities evolve, and upon meeting they merge, and the halfthought- out melodies of childhood can no longer wait to become songs.
I See it Now by Tony and Cross with No Name by Dean are new songs about Jesus. A Castle in Wales is about a castle in Wales, unless you want to search for hidden meanings. Lady Goodbye is a timeless morality ballad.
Here are Tony Decker and Dean Wilden with their songs and music. Not New York, Nashville or Hollywood – not even pure Salt Lake City - just FARGO.
(therockasteria.blogspot.com/2025/10/rep-fargo-i-see-it-now-1969-us-charming.html)

01. 'round About Way Of Describing Our Situation (02:31)
02. Lady Goodbye (01:49)
03. The Sound Of It (02:39)
04. Places Everyone (02:26)
05. A Castle In Wales (02:20)
06. Talks We Used To Have (02:30)
07. When The Dew Drops Change To Teardrops (02:13)
08. Promises Of Love (02:16)
09. You Need Me (01:23)
10. Cross With No Name (02:47)
11. I See It Now (02:25)

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The Youngbloods - Elephat Mountain [Japanese Ed. BSCD2] (1969)

Year: April 1969 (CD Jul 23, 2014)
Label: RCA Records (Japan), SICP 30556
Style: Folk Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Country: Greenwich Village, New York City, U.S.
Time: 60:34
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 352 Mb

The album's style is characterized as "blending affective pop/rock melodies and lyrics with their good time jug band roots." Jesse Colin Young's basslines are described as "propulsive" and Joe Bauer's drum work is described as "nimble." The album makes use of electric piano and harpsichord. Some of the material present on the album has been described as "jazzy." The album's third track, "On Sir Francis Drake," is an instrumental, and the ninth track "Trillium" employs musical improvisation from the band. "Sham" is described as a "straightforward rocker," drawing comparisons to other Bay Area music acts such as Stoneground. "Ride the Wind" takes stylistic cues from Latin music.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_Mountain)

BSCD2: When a standard CD is mastered, an Infared beam is used to make the digital notches on the master disc (mother matrix). With the Blu-spec master, a blue laser is used which is a finer etching process. With this technology, the notches are therefore more precise which reduce playback errors. The notches on a Blu-spec CD have a width of 125 nm compared to the 500 nm width on a standard CD.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-spec)

01. Darkness, Darkness (03:50)
02. Smug (02:11)
03. On Sir Frances Drake (06:45)
04. Sunlight (03:07)
05. Double Sunlight (00:41)
06. Beautiful (03:49)
07. Turn It Over (00:13)
08. Rain Song (Don't Let The Rain Bring You Down) (03:13)
09. Trillium (03:08)
10. Quicksand (02:41)
11. Black Mountain Breakdown (00:40)
12. Sham (02:44)
13. Ride The Wind (06:40)
14. Pool Hall Song / Bonus Track (03:07)
15. On Sir Francis Drake (Alternate Mono Version) / Bonus Track (03:04)
16. Beautiful (Alternate Mono Version) / Bonus Track (08:26)
17. Smug (Alternate Mono Version) / Bonus Track (02:15)
18. Sham (Alternate Mono Version) / Bonus Track (02:47)
19. Radio Spot for Elephant Mountain (01:05)

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Chicken Shack - 100 Ton Chicken [Japanese Ed.] (1969)

Year: October 1969 (CD Nov 21, 1994)
Label: Epic Records (Japan), ESCA 7567
Style: Rock, Blues Rock
Country: UK
Time: 35:39
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 210 Mb

Lethargic blues, sounding like an opening act recorded at the blues bar down the street. This record literally screams for a competent singer, as Stan Webb's lazy, mumbling vocals are almost laughable (did he intend it that way?). Sorry, but this chicken laid a 20-ton rotten egg.
(allmusic.com/album/100-ton-chicken-mw0000343023) Review by Peter Kurtz
100 Ton Chicken is the third album by the UK Brit Blues band Chicken Shack. Originally released in 1969, the follow-up album of their first two albums 40 Blue Fingers Freshly Packed And Ready To Serve [MOVLP104] and OK Ken? [MOVLP1039] was Paul Raymond's first album as a member of Chicken Shack. Raymond replaced Christine Perfect, who left the band when she married John McVie of Fleetwood Mac.
Terence Ibbott was in charge of the album artwork for 100 Ton Chicken, which was bizarre as always. The recordings sounded quite different and gave The Shack what they were looking for - a "heavier" sound. On the album Chicken Shack covered Clarence Carter tunes ("The Road Of Love" and "Weekend Love"), a great Freddie King tune "Look Ma, I'm Cryin'", Lowell Fulson's "Reconsider Baby" and Clarence Gatemouth Brown's "Midnight Hour".
(bear-family.com/chicken-shack-100-ton-chicken.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqNsQZMQtTUWCMyylSSdtquSEFeFpAMSi1Wb6bbu7dBgjpzqlqh)

01. The Road of Love (03:34)
02. Look Ma, I'm Cryin' (03:26)
03. Evelyn (04:20)
04. Reconsider Baby (03:24)
05. Weekend Love (02:17)
06. Midnight Hour (02:56)
07. Tears in the Wind (02:45)
08. Horse and Cart (03:38)
09. The Way It Is (04:26)
10. Still Worried About My Woman (03:13)
11. Anji (01:36)

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The Flock - Truth - The Columbia Recordings 1969-1970 [2CD] (2017)

Year: 1969-1970 (CD 2017)
Label: Esoteric Recordings (Europe), ECLEC 22606
Style: Jazz Rock, Progressive Rock
Country: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Time: 65:30, 65:19
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 410, 436 Mb

The Flock was an American, Chicago-based jazz rock band, that released two albums on Columbia Records in 1969 (The Flock) and 1970 (Dinosaur Swamps). The Flock did not achieve the commercial success of other Columbia jazz-rock groups of the era such as Chicago and Blood Sweat & Tears, but were recognized for featuring a violin prominently in their music. The violinist, Jerry Goodman, went on to become a member of Mahavishnu Orchestra and a solo artist. They also received some exposure with their release of a cover of The Kinks' "Tired Of Waiting For You" as a single in April 1970.
The Flock had three early singles on Destination Records and one on USA Records, local Chicago labels, recorded between 1966 and 1968. Goodman was not in this line-up but worked as a roadie with the band. All four singles, "Can't You See (That I Really Love Her)", "Are You The Kind", "Take Me Back" and "What Would You Do If The Sun Died?" are available on CD.
The promising first album was further into jazz fusion than either Chicago or Blood Sweat & Tears, influenced by Miles Davis' Bitches Brew album, in which Webb participated, but whose performance was not recorded. The first album was produced by Grammy Award winning producer of jazz and classical albums for Columbia Records John McClure. with liner notes written from the audience at Whisky a Go Go by John Mayall, on July 9, 1969. The band went back into the studio and recorded a second album entitled Dinosaur Swamps, (with Jon Gerber replacing Tom Webb) featuring the hit, "Big Bird." They began work on a third studio album, provisionally titled Flock Rock, but rumours at the time had Columbia Records' Clive Davis raiding The Flock and recruiting Goodman for the Mahavishnu Orchestra project. Glickstein's remembrance of the event was, according to the sleevenotes with The Flock compilation CD Truth, slightly more matter-of-fact: "In reality the band members started going in different musical directions. You know. That old song."
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flock_(band))

01. Introduction (04:53)
02. Clown (07:45)
03. I Am the Tall Tree (05:34)
04. Tired of Waiting (04:39)
05. Store Bought - Store Thought (07:00)
06. Truth (15:24)
07. What Would You Do If the Sun Died? (02:48)
08. Lollipops And Rainbows (04:05)
09. Tired of Waiting (Single Version) (02:42)
10. Store Bought - Store Thought (Single Version) (02:44)
11. Clown (Part One) (03:12)
12. Clown (Part Two) (04:38)

01. Green Slice (02:03)
02. Big Bird (05:50)
03. Hornschmeyer's Island (07:25)
04. Lighthouse (05:18)
05. Crabfoot (08:14)
06. Mermaid (04:53)
07. Uranian Sircus (07:13)
08. Chanja (02:38)
09. Atlantians Truckin’ Home (04:50)
10. Afrika (04:34)
11. Just Do It (06:35)
12. Mermaid (Single Version) (02:49)
13. Crabfoot (Single Version) (02:49)

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Rare Bird - Rare Bird (1969)

Year: 1969 (CD 2007)
Label: Esoteric Recordings (UK), ECLEC 2001
Style: Art Rock, Progressive Rock
Country: England
Time: 44:42
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 274 Mb

Rare Bird were an English progressive rock band, formed in 1969. They released five studio albums between 1969 and 1974. In the UK, the single "Sympathy" reached number 27 in February 1970, selling an estimated one million globally. The band was notable for its organ-driven sound, utilising two keyboardists and no guitar in its original line-up.
In August 1968, organist Graham Field formed a group called Lunch and banded together with keyboardist David Kaffinetti. The group was short-lived and the two members began looking for a rhythm section for a new project.
By late 1969, they had found singer and bassist Steve Gould and drummer Mark Ashton. Former members of the pop-psych band Fruit Machine Gould and Chris Randall had originally joined as guitarist and bassist respectively, but Field and Kaffinetti envisioned a band without guitar so they asked Randall to leave and convinced Gould to take up bass and vocals. Before joining the band, Randall and Gould had written a song called "To the Memory of Two Brave Dogs" which would be included as the opening track to their debut album under the name "Iceberg", for which Randall would receive no credit.
Now that the band had established a stable line-up, they recorded a demo which attracted the attention of Tony Stratton Smith. As the band still had no name, Ashton and Smith came up with Rare Bird. Shortly after, Rare Bird became one of the first bands signed to Charisma Records, along with Van der Graaf Generator and the Nice.
Within a matter of weeks, the band had begun recording their eponymous debut album, Rare Bird, released in November 1969. According to Ashton, the album was recorded over the course of just a few days at Trident Studios, using a Hammond B3 organ, an electric piano, a Gibson bass and a Ludwig drum kit. From Rare Bird, the single "Sympathy" was released, which reached No. 1 in Italy and France, and is estimated to have sold 500,000 copies in France and between one and three million globally. It became their only UK hit single, reaching No.27 and staying on the chart for 8 weeks.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_Bird)

01. Iceberg (06:56)
02. Times (03:24)
03. You Went Away (04:39)
04. Melanie (03:28)
05. Beautiful Scarlet (05:43)
06. Sympathy (02:44)
07. Natures Fruit (02:36)
08. Bird On A Wing (04:17)
09. God Of War (05:30)
10. Devil's High Concern (02:47)
11. Sympathy (02:34)

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The Stone Circus - Stone Circus (1969)

Year: 1969 (CD Jan 15, 2007)
Label: Fallout (UK), FOCD2032
Style: Psychedelic Rock, Prodressive Rock
Country: Canada / U.S.
Time: 32:44
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 173 Mb

If you've been searching for an album full of dreamy, pseudo-psych pop-rock, or ever wondered what The Association would have sounded like had they been a truly cool band, then 1969's "The Stone Circus" may be the answer to your search.  Largely written by keyboardist Caine, the album wasn't the most original thing you've ever heard, but was never less than enjoyable and actually beat the crap out of a lot of better known and more commercially successful late-1960s releases.  Musically tracks such as 'What Went Wrong', 'Sara Wells', and 'Inside-Out Man' were full of pretty melodies, sweet harmony vocals, and interesting studio effects.  In terms of performances, Paige had a nice voice that was well suited to the band's blend of commercial moves and more psych/experimental efforts.  Elsewhere, guitarist Haines offered up plenty of feedback drenched guitar on tracks such as 'Mr. Grey' and 'Blue Funk' while Cain provided equally impressive keyboards.  While the whole album was worth a spin, my personal favorites fell on the psych side of the house, including 'Adam's Lament' and the truly bizarre closer 'People I Once Knew'.
- Sporting some sweet group harmonies and a slightly MOR arrangement (including vibes),  ' What Went Wrong' started out as a mid-tempo ballad, and then slipped into a more rockin' mode for the remainder of the song.  As mentioned earlier, to my ears it sounded a bit like a stoned version of The Association.  That was meant as a compliment.   Very commercial (in a mid-1960s fashion).   rating: *** stars
- David Keeler's innovative bass and Jonathan Caine' organ gave 'Adam's Lament' an intriguing opening that was picked by one of Ronnie Paige's best vocals.  Like the opener, this one managed to meld a commercial orientation with a distinctive acid tinged feel that was underscored by some of Sonny Haines most impressive fuzz guitar.  In fact, my only complaint on this one was that it faded out way to soon ...   rating: **** stars
- 'Mr. Gray' found the band dipping their collective toes into the concept song arena.  One of the album's hardest rocking tracks (be sure to check out the fuzz effects on this one), Caine's driving keyboards provided the highlights on this one.  Mainstream actually tapped this one as an instantly obscure single.   For anyone interested, Barry Yank re-recorded the song on an obscure 1972 album "The Diary of Mr. Gray".  rating: *** stars
- Opening up with some great Haines fuzz guitar (see a pattern here), 'Blue Funk' found the band playing around with an intriguing mix blue-eyed soul and more straightforward rock.  Yeah the 'dollhouse' sections were momentarily disconcerting, but the song quickly regained its footing.  One of my favorite tracks.   rating: **** stars
- Like clowns themselves, songs built on carnival themed melodies normally don't do a great deal for me so I wasn't expecting much from 'Carnival of Love'.  The first 30 seconds or so of this one weren't all that promising, but then the song exploded into another slice of lysergic soaked Association harmony-rich pop.  Not sure the 'carnival of love' line would be a particularly impressive pick up line in this day and age, but maybe back in 1969 it carried more weight  ...    rating: **** stars
- With an insidiously catchy refrain, 'Sara Wells' was such an over-the-top slice of social commentary that it instantly won my affections.  Another track that I wish had been a bit longer.   rating: **** stars
- As you probably guessed from the title, 'Inside-Out Man; was one of the album's most psychedelic efforts.  Waves of fuzz guitar, swirling Hammond, acid-tinged vocals, nifty bass line ...   Hard not to love this one !!!    rating: **** stars
- 'Camino Real' was a pounding rocker built on a hyperactive Keeler bass line.  Yeah, the lyrics haven't aged all that well "poison never kills if its used tastefully ..." but musically this one really cooked.     rating: **** stars
- Yeah, the spoken word introduction and closing sections of 'People I Once Know' were a bit-over-the-top, but if you could sit through them, you were rewarded by a dazzling Haines fuzz solo (probably his best performance on the album), followed by an equally impressive Caine Hammond tour-de-force.    rating: **** stars
(badcatrecords.com/STONEcircus.htm)

01. What Went Wrong (02:27)
02. Adam's Lament (02:36)
03. Mr. Grey (03:07)
04. Blue Funk (02:36)
05. Carnival Of Love (03:01)
06. Sara Wells (03:08)
07. Inside-Out Man (05:11)
08. Camino Real (03:33)
09. People I Once Knew (07:00)

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Mary Butterworth - Mary Butterworth (1969)

Year: 1969 (CD 2010)
Label: QCCS Productions (US), OR 97405
Style: Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Art Rock
Country: Southern California, U.S.
Time: 31:33
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 200 Mb

In the tumultuous Spring of 1968, the Mary Butterworth band was formed. Contrary to rumors, the group originated from Southern California and enjoyed being thrust onto the incredible scene that was developing during this remarkable time for music. After a year or so of performing throughout the region in places like the Marina Palace in Seal Beach and others, they decided to record and release a debut album on their own label. In 1969, on a shoestring budget, their album was recorded, manufactured and released. However, the limited pressing was pre-sold to fans and friends only, and never even made it into stores. It disappeared as quickly as it arrived, as did Mary Butterworth, who disbanded not long after the album’s release, never to perform together again. After a decade or two, word of the album spread to rabid collectors of vinyl records and late 60s music. Somewhere in Europe during this time, a bootleg vinyl version was released; the legend of Mary Butterworth continued to grow, driving the price of the original pressing up (and up and up). In 2003, the Mary Butterworth’s song, ‘Feeling I Get,’ was included in the Golden Globe and Oscar winning movie Lost In Translation (starring Bill Murray and the delicious Scarlett Johansson), although it was not included on that film’s soundtrack album.
(lionproductions.org/pages/MARYBUTTERWORTH.html)

01. Phase II (06:10)
02. Optional Blues (04:03)
03. It's A Hard Road (05:51)
04. Make You Want Me (02:39)
05. Feeling I Get (03:58)
06. Week In Eight Days (08:50)

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Juicy Lucy - Who Do You Love (1969)

Year: 1969 (CD 1992)
Label: Castle Communications (Germany), CLC 5081
Style: Blues Rock, Hard Rock, Progressive Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 36:13
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 233 Mb

If only one song can be said to encapsulate all that Juicy Lucy portended as their career got underway in the new decade of the '70s, it was "Who Do You Love?" The band's first single, spinning off their debut album, was as fast, mean, and dirty as any record could have been, a breakneck tour through the Bayou swamps and dirt-track roads of the American South powered by a razor-sharp guitar that would make your fingers bleed. And it gave the band a U.K. hit that still sounds fresh today. But Juicy Lucy were no one-trick pony. True, their debut album is remembered as much for its artwork (a mostly naked, fruit-draped lady) as for its content, but step inside and the group were locked firmly, and gleefully, into the free-freak movement of the age -- while Chuck Berry's "Nadine" was fed through a Hell's Angels nightclub jukebox, "Are You Satisfied" emerged as a festival chant spread out over six-and-a-half minutes, as mantra-like as (almost) anything the Edgar Broughton Band was doing at the time. The band's American roots are seldom far from the surface, of course: "Mississippi Woman" dripped oozing, cracked, croaky blues, and "Chicago North-Western" essentially offers up a history of the Midwestern railroads, while Glen Ross Campbell's steel guitar breathed Americana over everything it touched. But no matter how powerful Juicy Lucy may have been, it could not paper over the cracks that were already forming in the band themselves, and by the time they recorded their next album, the group that cut this one was already long gone. One can only dream of what they might have achieved had they stuck together.
(allmusic.com/album/juicy-lucy-mw0000408032)

01. Mississippi Woman (03:49)
02. Who Do You Love (03:02)
03. She's Mine (04:28)
04. She's Yours (01:17)
05. Just One Time (04:38)
06. Chicago North Western (04:04)
07. Train (05:50)
08. Nadine (02:48)
09. Are You Satisfied (06:14)

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