Meadow House is young British broadcaster and one-man-band Dan Wilson, the host and fried brains behind "The Exciting Hellebore Shew" on Resonance FM. On his debut album the psych of a sweet nutter is channeled and detourned over the course of eighteen energetic and quite batty tracks. To American ears, this sort of oddball British psych inevitably evokes Syd Barrett and Robyn Hitchcock, but there’s always room on my shelves for such an inventive, confident and naturally melodic composer. At times the sound is playful and childlike, at others so chaotic, anxious and boozy to be terrorizing, but if you’re going to spend time with seemingly schizophrenic popsters you gotta take the sweet with the ouch. I especially dig the iconoclastic holiday hymn stylings of "All Petty Substance Flee." Several dopey disco tracks are less interesting. For purchasing info, see the bottom of this blog post.
Category: Kim Cooper/ LITG
the original Lost in the Grooves blog
1910 Fruitgum Co. – The Best of CD (Repertoire)
Not to be confused with the similarly-titled BMG collection for which I wrote the notes in 2001 (see below). If you’re seeking the most of this splendid bubblegum band you’ll need to pick up both discs, as there are six songs on the earlier release not on this mainly singles selection, among them the essential "1910 Cotton Candy Castle." But if only one Fruitgum comp is in your future, it’d be hard to compete with this 28-track behemoth. I wish BMG had been as ambitious with their own vault artists as Germany’s Repertoire label! You’d have to dig through a lot of scuffy vinyl to assemble a comparable analog collection spanning the short, delicious career of this most infantile of semi-imaginary Buddah combos. Kicking off with the schoolyard earworm hits (including "Simon Says," "Indian Giver" and "1-2-3 Red Light"), the disc also spotlights the band (or its studio doppelgangers) in its jazzy, psychedelic and garagey manifestations. The b-sides are highlights (and a rare chance to enjoy band-penned compositions), like the growling bad girl raver "No Good Annie," and the Chinese psych-out "Reflections from the Looking Glass." Equally great are the retarded (in a good way) "Sticky Sticky" and the Link-Wray-in-orbit stylings of "Baby Bret." The comp closes with several scarce Italian-language tracks, from the Fruitgums’ late, barely-noticed Continental phase, including the exquisitely spooky "C’e Qualcosa Che Non Picardo Piu." The booklet includes notes from John Tracy and a selection of colorful 45 sleeves, sheet music covers and oddities.
Read Kim Cooper’s notes from The Best of the 1910 Fruitgum Company.
Meic Stevens – Rain in the Leaves: The EPs, vol. 1 CD (Sunbeam)
The Welsh never neglected their homegrown Dylan, but the English-speaking pop world only recently discovered this powerful artist via Rhino Handmade’s reissue of “Outlander” (1970/2003). The 19 tracks on this comp span 1965-70, commencing with an early English-language 45 in a gentle, slightly primitive troubadour vein, then delving deep into Stevens’ more personal and intense recordings in his native tongue. I have only the vaguest notion what he’s singing about on tracks like “Yr Eryr a’r Golomen” and “Glaw yn y Dail,” but anyone conversant with the electric folk idiom will be in comfortable territory as these intensely emotional, sometimes psychedelic tunes unfold. The Welsh language has a nostalgic, eerie quality that makes Stevens’ unique work appealing despite the language barrier. Stay with it till the last few tracks, the seldom-heard and hard rocking Welsh recordings from the “Outlander” sessions. This set includes notes on each of the EPs, vintage sleeve art and a handwritten note from the artist.
Marty Rudnick – “more songs about cars and girls” CD (Sandbox)
There’s no cause to doubt the title and beach party cover art: Rudnick’s disc is packed with sleepy, summery retro sounds that neatly split the difference between classy ’80s pop (M. Crenshaw, dB’s, Smithereens) and later, lusher Beach Boys. The tunes, arrangements and boyishly nasal harmonies (partly courtesy the Rubinoos) are tasteful, catchy and only sometimes silly. Bonus tracks include a couple vocals-only takes, and lovingly realized demos of the Beatles’ “Yes It Is” and Beach Boys’ “Til I Die.” Sweet stuff that power popsters will want to hear.
Bonnie Dobson – self-titled CD (Rev-Ola)
Ten years before recording this 1969 orchestral pop disc in Toronto, east coast folkie Dobson wrote “Morning Dew” in a fit of nuclear angst, then watched as half the singers on the scene made it their own. She revisits her standard here, alongside several similarly moody originals and covers of “Get Together,” “Everybody’s Talkin'” and lesser-known offerings like arranger Ben McPeek’s Indian-tinged “Bird in Space.” Dobson has a seductive, jazzy quality that works best on the more subdued tunes like the sweet, Francophone “Pendant Que,” but which gets lost in shrillness whenever the strings get too hyperactive. A pleasant offering, if over-produced and less personal than a songwriter’s self-titled album should have been.
P.F. Sloan – “Measure of Pleasure” CD (Collectors Choice)
Self-exiled to NYC in 1967, the surf/pop chameleon sunk into the Village folk scene and built a relationship with Atlantic Records that he hoped would eclipse his professionally successful, personally painful, history with Dunhill. Unfortunately, after five years of nonstop songwriting for hire, the muse fell silent, so the week Sloan flew down to Mussel Shoals to record with the house rhythm section and producer Tom Dowd, he had to force ten songs. Sweet but slight and largely absent the usual Sloan hooks—though "New Design" is a low key knockout—the album works a loose and soulful Hardinesque groove, with Sloan sounding alternately hopeful and exhausted. High points include "And the Boundaries Inbetween" with its subtle psychedelic tinge, and the abstract kiss off of "(What Did She Mean When She Said) Good Luck," but this is definitely one for die-hard fans. Maybe with the renewed interest in Sloan and his terrific new Sailover
CD, someone will reissue 1972’s Raised On Records next.
Rare Bob Lind Appearance in LA November 1st
A message from Andrew Earles about a very rare and Lost in the Grooves performance not to be missed!
Hello:
My good friend DJ Ian Marshall is putting on a show on November 1st at Little Pedro’s with the 1960’s folk rock enigma Bob Lind. This will be Bob’s first gig in Los Angeles in over twenty years and he still sounds fantastic.
For those of you unfamiliar with Bob Lind, he is best known for his big hit song of 1966 “Elusive Butterfly”. Following the success of that single Bob went on to record two exquisite baroque-pop LPs in 1966, “Don’t Be Concerned” and “Photographs of Feeling” with legendary over-the-top producer Jack Nitzsche (famous for his work with Phil Spector and Neil Young). These 2 albums are underrated, unknown classics and must haves for fans of sixties music in the vein of The Left Banke, The Byrds, PF Sloan, early Gordon Lightfoot, Judee Sill, Donovan, Richie Havens, Val Stoecklin, Margo Guryan, Love, Dylan…etc etc… but Lind’s strange poetry, unusual guitar chords and unique vocal-stylings are truly indescribable. A nice CD comp of his material from this period is out-of-print but still findable in used shops- it’s called “You Might Have Heard My Footsteps”. The original LPs are commonly found in the folk section of used record shops in the $1 to $12 range.
In 1971, Lind released another fine album in more of the mellow singer-songwriter vein, with tinges of country rock, entitled “Since There Were Circles”. Guest musicians on these sessions include Gene Clark, Bernie Leadon, Larry Knecthel, Carol Kaye & Hal Blaine. This one is harder to find on LP, but a CD re-issue is in the works.
Bob lives in Florida these days. He has been in and out of retirement as a performer since the 70’s. Please don’t miss this rare chance to see a performance by this extremely gifted and unusual singer-songwriter. DJ Sir Ian of Marshall will be DJ-ing a set of great 60s & 70s obscurities in the folk-rock / baroque vein; so this will be a fun themed party for anyone who likes this sort of thing. This is an early invite- I’ll repost as soon as I have any news on an opening act (if there is one).
Details:
Bob Lind appearing at
Little Pedro’s – WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 1st
901 East 1st Street (south of Alameda)
Los Angeles, CA 90012 (basically Little Tokyo)
doors 10pm, $8.00 cover charge.
Blue Ash
Blue Ash is a Lost in the Grooves artist. Click to sample the music or purchase tracks from Around Again – A Collection of Rarities From the Vault 1972-1979. And keep an eye peeled to Frank Secich’s Blue Ash blog here at LITG for news, photos and insights straight from the band. This reissue (of a double CD first put out by the good folks at Not Lame) is just the start, as we’ll soon be digging deeper into the Blue Ash vaults for songs never before heard by fans.
Metal Mike Saunders provided this vintage record review for the Lost in the Grooves anthology:
Blue Ash No More, No Less (Mercury, 1973)
“I Remember A Time” could do for Blue Ash what “Mr. Tambourine Man” did for the Byrds: the start of a brilliant career, a Number One hit, instant mythology. The guitar intro lasts all of five seconds before Jimmy Kendzor and Frank Secich’s voices come in, oozing of everything the Byrds and Lovin’ Spoonful ever promised, the soaring harmonies in the chorus driving over jangling lead guitar work. It’s the sound of tomorrow right here today, it’s the perfect folk-rock single. It’s beautiful, that’s what.
This is one of the most spirited, powerful debuts ever from an American group. No More, No Less opens with “Have you Seen Her,” a fast rocker kicked off by four whomps on David Evans’ snare. This is the one that makes me think of The Who; the lead guitar is pure West Coast, though.
"Just Another Game” is the one quiet song, an effective tonedown before “I Remember A Time.” “Plain To See” is similar to “I Remember A Time” in the way its simple, compelling melody rocks out with vocal harmonies framed over a trebly Byrds guitar sound.
“Here We Go Again” follows, midway between the hardest and softest numbers on the first side. What’s great here are the group vocals on top of the tuff folk-rock cum hard rock instrumental sound; it’s like killing two birds with one stone, the whole premise behind the old and new Mod groups (Small Faces, early Who, the Sweet), not to mention the hard pop masterpiece known to the world as “Do Ya.”
By the time this album ends, there’s no doubt about it, Blue Ash have got themselves one hell of a debut LP that may send fellow stateside groups like Stories, the Raspberries, and Big Star running back to the woodshed to come up with music even better than their present stuff. (Mike Saunders)
John Phillips “John The Wolfking of L.A.” CD (Varese Sarabande)
A lot of reviewers are focusing on Bob Dylan’s aping of Phillips’ cover pose and costume on the front of Desire, but the most interesting things about Wolfking –and there are plenty–are in the grooves. This storied 1969 solo disk from the ravaged ex-Papa proves that not just symbolist poets make their best work when systematically deranging souls and senses. (Of course, Rimbaud didn’t surround himself with ace players from the Wrecking Crew and Elvis’ band, nor with the Blossoms on backing vox.) Wolfking is an eclectic, ambitious and playful romp through scenes of Hollywood and Malibu excess and redemption, exquisitely sung and arranged. Phillips’ style fuses country, pop, scat, gospel and soul in a very personal and appealing way. Eight strong bonus tracks easily turns the disk into a shoulda-been double, including the tender "Lady Genevieve" which negates some of the emotional ugliness of "Let It Bleed, Genevieve" from the original album, and ending with the superior single version of "Mississippi."
(Buy from Amazon. See also Brian Doherty’s review of the album from the Lost in the Grooves book.)
Tim Rice & Friends “That’s My Story” CD (Sunbeam)
Before penning lyrics for Jesus Chris Superstar and Evita, Sir Tim was a London songwriter on the make. This 21 track pre-history compiles the stagey novelties, production disasters and starlet-crooned pop ditties he helped birth from 1965 through 1969. Featured cuts include The Mannfred-esque sounds of The Shell, usually elegant vocalist Murray Head delivering the snotty put-down “You Bore Me” over a Hollywood Argyles-style studio slop backing, sexy girl vocalist Ross Hannaman evoking M. Faithfull on “Down Thru’ Summer” and the hippie apocalypse on “1969” (about as far as Gainsbourg and Birkin’s erotic year as can be imagined) and Tales of Justine’s utterly daft psychedelic morsel upon a sunflower called Albert. About as mixed a bag as it sounds, but quite a fun slice of times.