Record Reviews

HERD ~ PARADISE LOST: THE COMPLETE UK FONTANA RECORDINGS GRAPEFRUIT 018 (Barcode: 5013929181823) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1967 - 1969 Released: 2011 This album compiles all the recordings made by the British Pop / Rock group the HerdFind albums by this artist, fronted by guitarist / vocalist Peter FramptonFind albums by this artist, who was still a teenager at the time. The group managed to record only one album and several singles, all of which were released on the FontanaFind albums on this label label and are all included here. Although the Herd were largely considered a Pop group, they were quite an ambitious team, which is evident from the music within, some of it even very surprising, Jazz influenced, Psychedelic and definitely proto-Prog at some moments. In retrospect this music really sounds great and shows how special this period truly was, with magic touching every note. Worth investigating!

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

ALEXIS KORNER ~ EVERY DAY I HAVE THE BLUES: THE SIXTIES ANTHOLOGY GRAPEFRUIT 048 (Barcode: 5013929184800) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 1961 - 1969 Released: 2018 This is a wonderful Box Set which presents on 3 CDs a retrospective anthology of the recordings made during the 1960s by guitarist / pianist / vocalist / songwriter / bandleader Alexis KornerFind albums by this artist, the Godfather of British Blues. Spanning the entire decade, these recordings were made with a plethora of British Blues, Rock and Jazz musicians, reading like a who´s who of the British Blues / Blues-Rock / Rock And Roll / Blues-Jazz and early Jazz-Rock Fusion, comprising of dozens of names, which passed through Korner´s legendary group Blues IncorporatedFind albums by this artist. As bizarre as it might appear, Korner was a white Jewish boy, born in Paris, who arrived in the UK in 1940, escaping the Nazi persecution, and who in time almost singlehandedly reanimated the interest in the Blues on the local British scene, leading to a phenomenon called the British Blues Revival, which started by the mid-1950s and literally exploded by the mid-1960s, when it became the British Blues Boom. In retrospect this musical idiom proved to be one of the most fundamental cornerstones of British Rock, later spreading also to the European continent. Korner´s charismatic personality and influence were a decisive factor leading to the formation of such musical icons as Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist, FreeFind albums by this artist, John MayallFind albums by this artist´s BluesbreakersFind albums by this artist, CreamFind albums by this artist and countless others. The material collected in this Box Set was available over the years on dozens scattered releases: LPs, singles, EPs, collections, etc. many previously never available on CD. Korner´s recorded legacy suffers from inconsistency and neglect and this Box Set is the first of its kind attempt to present the music in a coherent and logical configuration, showing the incredible diversity and the great talent of Korner as a musicians, songwriter and bandleader. The 3 CDs offer altogether sixty nine tracks, which are a comprehensive picture of Korner´s activity during the 1960s. Korner continued his career until his untimely death in 1984. Overall the Box Set is full of magnificent music, presented in chronological order by date of recording, which in an absolute treasure chest and a historic document of the outmost importance. All the recordings were beautifully remastered and offer a first class listening experience. The Box Set includes an extensive booklet written by David WellsFind albums by this artist, which is informative and well researched, a true model for what all releases of this kind should offer those who buy the product. Absolutely essential to all British Blues connoisseurs!

Updated: 16/02/2019Posted: 16/02/2019

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

PLASTIC PENNY ~ EVERYTHING I AM: THE COMPLETE PLASTIC PENNY GRAPEFRUIT 053 (Barcode: 5013929185302) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1967 - 1969 Released: 2019 This Box Set includes the all the recorded legacy by the late 1960s British group Plastic PennyFind albums by this artist, which existed for a brief period of time producing some fabulous Psychedelic Rock and proto-Prog. The group consisted of vocalist Brian KeithFind albums by this artist, organist Paul RaymondFind albums by this artist, guitarist Mick GrabhamFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Mick GrahamFind albums by this artist), bassist Nigel OlssonFind albums by this artist and drummer Tony MurrayFind albums by this artist. After the band fell apart in 1969, the band members moved on to play in many different groups, most notably Grabham who later joined Procol HarumFind albums by this artist. This remastered material offers 3 CDs full of great music. The first CD presents the mono version of the band´s debut album "Two Sides Of A PennyFind albums with this title" and six bonus tracks taken from singles. The second CD presents the stereo version of the debut album and fourteen bonus tracks all taken from BBC radio sessions. The third CD offers the band´s second album "CurrencyFind albums with this title" and seven bonus tracks, six of which are singles and one is an outtake from the album. The music is a fascinating journey into the British music scene in the late 1960s, and follows the transformation of the group from a Pop outfit into a tight unit playing Psychedelic Rock and early Prog Rock, which sounds absolutely sensational fifty years later. The group members wrote most of the material by themselves, with a few exceptions, and it lost nothing of its charm over the years, sounding infinitely better that anything passing for music these days. The later material is especially interesting in view of the fact that Plastic Penny are almost completely forgotten today, but their second album is a shining beacon of early Prog Rock, which is never mentioned anywhere. It is absolutely great to have this material available and back in circulation, as it is both of excellent quality and great historical value. It is of course warmly recommended to all early British Prog lovers, especially those who never ever heard about Plastic Penny in their lives – you are in for quite a shock!

Updated: 14/08/2019Posted: 14/08/2019

CD 3 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

BYZANTIUM ~ HALF WAY DREAMING: ANTHOLOGY 1969-75 GRAPEFRUIT 082 (Barcode: 5013929188204) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1969 - 1975 Released: 2021 This is a Box Set reissue / archival release of the entire recording legacy by the obscure British Rock / Prog group ByzantiumFind albums by this artist (and the early version of the group called OraFind albums by this artist), recorded between 1969 and 1975. It includes the only album by Ora, three albums by Byzantium and a plethora of previously unreleased studio and live material, all remastered and carefully researched / annotated in the booklet included in the Box Set. The music is the usual delightful mixture of British Rock, which includes Psychedelia, Folk influences and Rock explorations, all brilliantly sung and played by the group members, who employed vocal harmonies / instrumental improvisations with a Jazzy flair and most of all brilliant songwriting to create music, which remains an unspoiled and unadulterated musical joy. Byzantium are a classic example of the music scene in Britain, which exploded with talent during the Golden Decade and produced countless and continuously changing groups / group lineups creating a kaleidoscope of musical creativity, which (as a witness) was simply impossible to follow at the time. Most of those groups disappeared into the tides of time, many leaving no recorded legacy, but a huge amount of music was recorded, and absurdly is available and much easier to find today than it was at the time, thanks to the work and dedication of reissue labels, like GrapefruitFind albums on this label Records (a division of the Cherry RedFind albums on this label Records Empire), which brings them back to life. Overall, this Box Set is a splendid opportunity to discover some obscure, but great music made five decades ago, which is still fresh, challenging and entertaining, and of course better that anything concocted today.

Updated: 20/08/2021Posted: 20/08/2021

CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

CREEPY JOHN THOMAS ~ TRIPPIN` LIKE A DOG AND ROCKIN` LIKE A BITCH: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS GRAPEFRUIT 084 (Barcode: 5013929188426) ~ AUSTRALIA ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 1969 - 1971 Released: 2020 This is a Box Set reissue release of the entire recording legacy by the obscure Australian born guitarist John ThomasFind albums by this artist. His music career started as a member of the Australian band The FilesFind albums by this artist. Thomas left Australia for Europe in 1967 and moved between Germany and UK, first forming the band RustFind albums by this artist and later recording two albums under the Creepy John ThomasFind albums by this artist moniker. All these three albums are included in this Box set, the Rust album “Come With MeFind albums with this title” (1969) and the two CJT albums “Creepy John ThomasFind albums with this title” (1969) and “Brother Bat BoneFind albums with this title” (1971). There are no bonus tracks but the music was remastered and the Box Set includes a comprehensive and well researched booklet, as usual with all GrapefruitFind albums on this label releases. The music is a delightful mixture of Rock, Psychedelia Blues-Rock, which, as everything else recorded at that time, still sounds vibrant and lost nothing of its charm. Thomas plays some great guitar licks throughout and the material is definitely worth being re-discovered. Following these recordings Thomas was a member of The Edgar Broughton BandFind albums by this artist and played with Dave StewartFind albums by this artist and Annie LennoxFind albums by this artist, slowly disappearing from the limelight, although he still plays with his Blues band. Overall this Box Set is a lovely opportunity to discover some pretty obscure music, which thanks to the recording technique was preserved for posterity and is now available again. As usual, since they don’t make music like this anymore, it is a breath of fresh air, despite the fact that it is over five decades old. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 26/08/2021Posted: 26/08/2021

CD 3 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

HARDIN & YORK ~ CAN`T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN: THE ANTHOLOGY GRAPEFRUIT 089 (Barcode: 5013929188907) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1969 - 1974 Released: 2021 This wonderful 6CD Box Set compiles the recorded legacy of the British duo Hardin & YorkFind albums by this artist, comprising of keyboardist / vocalist / composer Eddie HardinFind albums by this artist and drummer Peter YorkFind albums by this artist. It includes the five albums recorded by the duo: “Tomorrow TodayFind albums with this title” (1969), “The World`s Smallest Big BandFind albums with this title” (1970), “Hardin & York LiveFind albums with this title” (A German bootleg from 1970), “For The WorldFind albums with this title” (1971) and “Hardin & York With Charlie McCrackenFind albums with this title” (1974), as well as a plethora of studio outtakes, live recordings and radio broadcasts. Hardin and York met as members of the legendary British Pop / Rock outfit Spencer Davis GroupFind albums by this artist, which they left together to pursue more ambitious musical plans. Both participated on dozens of album by other British artists and released many solo projects. Hardin & York was a highly unusual undertaking, producing music by just two musicians with only occasional help from guests or studio musicians. They combined elements of Rock, Prog and Jazz-Rock Fusion into a superb amalgam typical of the period, with Hardin in charge of writing most of their material. Hardin, who passed in 2015, was one of the greatest British Rock keyboardists, especially a superb Hammond organ player of the class of Brian AugerFind albums by this artist or Keith EmersonFind albums by this artist, as well as an outstanding composer and excellent vocalist. York, still with us at the time of writing, is a highly skilled and sensitive drummer, esteemed by his peers, with a unique approach and musicality. Together, as a duo, they were able to create music often richer and more complex than ensembles with much bigger lineups. Strangely Hardin & York achieved much more success on the continent, especially in Germany, than home, and they were of course not the only band that experienced that phenomenon. Overall, this Box Set is a sublime time capsule preserving the incredible versatility, creativity and “out of the box” musical thinking, which characterize this unique period in British music, and which left such vast legacy, never to return. For fans of early British Prog and Jazz-Rock Fusion this Box Set is an absolute must of course, especially since it presents so much previously unreleased material and excellent remastering. What a jewel!

Updated: 21/12/2021Posted: 21/12/2021

CD 6 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend