Monthly Archives: February 2017
Floating Bridge
Grunge Seattle shuddered to the gifted Floating Bridge that regularly opened for Jimi Hendrix. Musicians comprised ex Rooks/ Fabulous Wailer guitarist Rick Dangel, a secondary lead guitarist from the Checkmates called Joe Johansen and a crafted vocalist called Pat Gasson who really knew how to sing them blues. Bassist Joe Johnson and drummer Mike Marinelli […] Continue reading
Douglas Fir by: shiloh
Perhaps Douglas Fir is the greatest soul group to slip through the sixties unnoticed. Headed by the drummer Douglas A Snider the original formation started as a trio with this rumbling Hammond b 3 player called Tim Doyle and weeping Richie Moore on lead guitar. Known as The Sun Trio the group played much of […] Continue reading
Fear Itself
Fear Itself were more of a blues group caught in the psyche energy of 1966. Members comprised of ex Electric Blues vocalist Ellen McIlwaine, Chris Zaloom lead guitar ex Soldiers bassist Steve Cook, replaced by Paul Album and drummer Bill McCord. Fear Itself lived on the edge playing clubs like Cafe Bizarre in New York […] Continue reading
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band: Solar Fire (1973)
Manfred Mann had fronted several bands, in the 1960s he fronted a pop-rock band (simply called Manfred Mann) whose best known hit was “Doo Wah Ditty”. By 1969, Manfred Mann himself assembled a band called Chapter III, a brass-rock band no doubt inspired by the likes of Chicago or Blood, Sweat & Tears (without imitating […] Continue reading
Andwella’s Dream
Andwella’s Dream was a thrusting injection of freakbeat that could not be ignored. Their slicing riffs were high core psyche injected from guitarist / keyboardist David Lewis, bassist Nigel Smith and drummer Gordon Barton who started out as The Method that at one time included Gary Moore.They were regulars at the Maritime Club where Van […] Continue reading
Organisation: Tone Float (1970)
Kraftwerk is a well-known pioneering music act who helped influence (for good and for bad) many electronic, dance, synth pop, and techno acts to appear in their wake. That’s very well-documented. In 1974, Autobahn found the band reaching an international audience, with the edited version of the title track becoming a hit. Life with Kraftwerk […] Continue reading
Every Which Way
The soul of Prog Blues is acutely balanced in the quintessential Every Which Way and their one and only self titled release. This remarkable group came together when ex Nice drummer Brian Davison teamed up with ex Skip Bifferty / Heavy Jelly vocalist Graham Bell, future Lake Geoffrey Peach and jazzy ex Sweetwater Canal bassist […] Continue reading
Jean Michel Jarre: Oxygene (1976)
Jean Michel Jarre is the son of film composer Maurice Jarre, who embarked on a musical career all his own. Contrary to popular belief, Oxygene was not Jean Michel Jarre’s debut album, it was actually Deserted Palace in 1972 (he released a single around 1970 called “La Cage”), but the early stuff is basically for […] Continue reading
Blonde On Blonde
Britannia may have ruled in far off countries but they definitely lost their vision in the home territory, particularly with a Welsh group called Blonde on Blonde who were largely ignored. The first coloring of Blonde On Blonde comprised Les Hicks (drums), Gareth Johnson (guitar / sitar / lute) and Richard Hopkins (bass / piano […] Continue reading
FM: Head Room – Direct to Disc (1978)
People generally have their opinions about this Canadian band FM, and I have to admit a lot of their music is a bit on the commercially inclined side (1980’s City of Fear more so than their previous albums), although they did make a couple of great albums. In 1977, the group, which consisted of keyboardist/bassist/vocalist […] Continue reading