August 2002
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THE WHO |
CRABBY APPLETON |
BO HANSSON |
THE YOUNGBLOODS |
QUICKSILVER |
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THE
BYRDS The Byrds Play Dylan (Columbia/Legacy) Pop disciples will remember that The Byrds hit number one during the Summer of 65 with their cover of Bob Dylans Mr. Tambourine Man. In fact, the first Byrds album contained a number of Dylan covers. That fortuitous association of The Byrds doing Dylan carried on with a number of subsequent Byrds albums including all time classics like Turn! Turn! Turn! (early 66), Younger Than Yesterday (1967) and Sweetheart Of The Rodeo (1968). The successful pop merger of Dylans recondite folk music with The Byrds pop-based folk-rock sound was nothing short of a miracle andassisted by legendary producers Gary Usher, Bob Johnston and Terry MelcherThe Byrds are often credited with starting the folk-rock boom of the mid 60s. A superb, 20 track compilation on Columbia Legacy, The Byrds Play Dylan reexamines the groups early 60s fascination with Dylans poetic and melodic folk songs all the way through to their version of Paths Of Victory, recorded for the 1990 Byrds box set. Legacy has done a great job, packing their 2002, 20 track Byrds Play Dylan CD with cool period piece photos and liner notes galore. www.legacyrecordings.com/thebyrds
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THE WHO Ultimate Collection (MCA) As The Who gear up for their 2002 U.S. stadium tour, the groups original label MCA/Decca recently released a singles-heavy, 2002 double disc Who retrospective thats worth hearing for a couple reasons. With the expected 2002 release of a double disc reissue of The Whos fabled 1965 Shel Talmy-produced My Generation album, the new Ultimate set starts things off with a taster from that album and, soundwise, its obviously worth the wait. Also of note is a fine sounding 4 track bonus ep CD tagged onto the first CD run featuring American release 45 versions of Substitute and Magic Bus and intriguing alternate takes of Happy Jack and Im A Boy (French horn and all). Theres also a rare single version of the Tommy classic See Me, Feel Me and a 28 page bookletabundant with rarely seen photosthat recasts the meteoric rise of the band. The Ultimate Collection is a good bet for long time fans and a real treat for anyone hearing them for the first time. http://www.umusic.com
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CRABBY
APPLETON
Crabby Appleton, that groups self-titled debut, has long been considered an American power pop masterpiece. A former bandmate of the late great Curt Boettcher in the group Millennium, Michael Fennally really delivered an outstanding array of catchy pop cuts, sang up a storm and played some excellent electric guitar throughout. Released in 72 on Elektra Records, Crabby Appleton, the album, merged power-pop and breezy rock with incredible ease. Thankfully, the reissue experts at Collectors Choice have also reissued the groups second Elektra album Rotten To The Core as well. Liner notes by rock historian Richie Unterberger makes both of these releases essential CD reissues. www.ccmusic.com
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BO
HANSSON Lord Of The Rings (Virgin / Silence) Bo Hanssons debut solo album helped put Sweden on the map big time back in 1969. Released worldwide in 69 by the progressive rock trendsetters at Charisma Recordswith that incredible cover art faithfully reproduced on this new reissue by Virgin / EMIthe album remains a masterpiece album from the heyday of European progressive instrumental rock. The concept of Bo and Swedish engineer wizard Anders Lind (of Silence Records in Sweden), Lord paired Hanssons unique keyboards and compositional skillas well as his effective electric guitar passageswith drums by Rune Carlsson. Hanssons remaining three fantastic instrumental solo albumshe hasnt made a new instrumental album since the late 70sfeatured the gifted electric guitarist Kenny Håkhansson and took the Hansson instrumental sound to even greater heights. Even so, 1969s Lord Of The Rings remains a magical, music classic worth reinvestigation. www.silence.se
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THE
YOUNGBLOODS Get Together: The Essential Youngbloods (BMG Heritage) Led by singer-songwriter Jesse Colin Young, The Youngbloods were one of the great hippie rock bands of the late 60s. They gained fame with their tasty 67 cover of the Dino Valenti classic Get Together and their albums were also quite intriguing. Discovered by producer Felix Pappalardi during their early gigs in NYC, The Youngbloods soon moved to Northern California. Young shared the group spotlight with singer-songwriter Jerry Corbitt, and in fact, it was Corbitts song Grizzly Bear, that first brought the group national attention. After Corbitt split they carried on as a three piece and continued their unique blend of folk-rock, ragtime, bossa nova, raga rock and jazz blends. The groups recent 21 track compilation on BMG Heritage Records compiles tracks from their three RCA albums including Get Together, Grizzly Bear, the Young classic Darkness, Darkness, as well as songs co-written by Pappalardi. The Essential Youngbloods fills in quite a few gaps concerning one of the most impressive 60s rock legends. www.jessecolinyoung.com
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QUICKSILVER
MESSENGER SERVICE Classic Masters (Capitol) Lost Silver And Gold (Collectors Choice) Featuring
the dueling guitars of Gary Duncan and John Cippolina,
Quicksilver were high among the best of all the SF Bay Area bands, although
their fortunes were partly eclipsed early on with the arrest of group
mentor Dino Valenti on pot charges. Valentiwhose real name
was Chester A. Powersis often credited with classics like
Get Together and Hey Joe. Early Quicksilver
albums were nearly incomplete without Valenti, and upon his return they
recorded their biggest hits to date, the hippie anthems Fresh
Air and What About Me. Despite having top musicians
like Nicky Hopkins and David Freiberg in the band during
various incarnations, Quicksilver was a great band mired in misfortune
and bad timing. Nevertheless, they recorded some fascinating music,
some of which is featured on their Classic Masters compilation
on Capitol Records. Cippolina, Valenti and Hopkins have long
since passed away, but the psychedelic jams and peace and protest songs
they recorded during the heyday of the 60s and 70s will
long endure. www.penncen.com/quicksilver
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