Retro Reviews: Fleetwood Mac: Then Play On

     I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 

Fleetwood Mac – Then Play On… (1969)

*** 1/2

Producer: Fleetwood Mac

Musicians: Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood - Guests: Jeremy Spencer, Christine Perfect, Sandra Elsdon

Songs and Music: Coming Your Way, Closing My Eyes, Fighting For Madge, When You Say, Show-Biz Blues, Underway, One Sunny Day, Although The Sun Is Shining, Rattlesnake Shake, Without You, Searching For Medge, My Dream, Like Crying, Before The Beginning

Singles: Oh Well part 1 & 2, The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown)

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    Fleetwood Mac’s new album is coming off the heels of Mr. Wonderful and the excellent compilation Pious Bird Of Good Omen, and this is a good evolution from the blues structure of the first, then again with a leader like Peter Green, he has redefined what the blues could mean. Danny Kirwin is the other writer on the album, along with Green, with Fleetwood and McVie adding their own contributions as well. This is all original material and another departure of their status as interpreters of others work. Green seems to save his best songs for the singles and so let’s address the two excellent non album numbers first. “Oh Well, Part 1” is a vibrant blues riffing number with a vocal trade off that builds up momentum before settling into the last half and quieter section. Then, it is continued with “Oh Well, Part 2” a more pensive second half with recorders and cellos. The psychedelic and heavy “The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown)” is a dark and incendiary number full of dynamics. 

    The proper album opener, “Coming Your Way” begins with the heavy trade off between Green and Kirwin on guitar. Mick’s tom drums feel tribal. It shifts to a dramatic tempo as Green and Kirwin are allowed to cut loose. “Closing My Eyes” brings things down with a slower feel and tasteful lead, ironically this was written by Green, while the first number was written by Kirwin, the feel of the number will remind people of “Albatross”, the harmonized guitars almost have a steel pedal feel. Mick’s “Fighting For Madge” has a loose but rhythmic groove, that as an instrumental allows Green and Kirwin a lot of freedom, but builds up a lot of excitement. Kirwin’s ballad “When You Say” has some nice jazz or classical changes and shifts the mood again, with some nice slide work from Green, in spite of the fact it could have been more concise, but that is a minor complaint. Green brings back their roots with “Show Biz Blues”. They ease into the instrumental “Underway”, it’s looseness allows for more freedom, especially with Mick. “One Sunny Day” closes the first album with another heavy blues and another needed shift. 

    Side two’s “Although the Sun Is Shining” opens with a more pensive mood along with a more pop bridge section, and tasteful acoustic solo guitar work. Green’s “Rattlesnake Shake” is a heavy mid-tempo blues excursion that evokes a desert feel. Kirwin’s “Without You” is another blues ballad that manages to feel hypnotic. McVie’s “Searching For Madge” is another instrumental jam that manages some strange false stops and starts, it probably runs a little long but has some great moments. Kirwin’s “My Dream” is the most clear effort at a pop instrumental, pleasant with a trace of tension. The album get’s looser with the Green and Kirwin duet of “Like Crying”, as well as a playful interplay with the number, while John and Mick sits this one out. “Before The Beginning” has Green playing a more minor dynamic feel while Mick offers up orchestral drums to bring the point home. 

    The second half may not have the momentum of the first half, but this is a quite good album, with some real highlights. Peter Green is living up to the promise seen with John Mayall’s band, and he has pointed at a different direction than Clapton’s or Page’s vision, this makes for an interesting listen, even if not perfect, and while some material might just be only for the merely curious, it makes for an fascinating journey. 

Retro Reviews: Joni Mitchell: Blue

     I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums.

Joni Mitchell – Blue (1971)

*****

Producer: Joni Mitchell

Musicians: Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Russ Kunkel, Stephen Stills, Sneaky Pete Klienow

Songs: All I Want, My Old Man, Little Green, Carey, Blue, California, This Flight Tonight, River, A Case Of You, The Last Time I Saw Richard

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    The theme of regret and reflection seems to be the persistent thread on Joni Mitchell’s outstanding album Blue. Four tracks use the dulcimer played by Joni to great effect, “All I Want, Carey, California” and “A Case Of You.” Her piano work remains outstanding, and her angelic voice remains the glue that ties this all together. There may be a little ornamentation as far as horns to flute, but the added percussion, a touch of bass, and extra guitars serve the material well. James Taylor and Stephen Stills make another appearance. There’s an honesty, candor and a sweetness that isn’t built on resentment, but resignation at various points. This is the kind of material one could need when they seek something meditative yet relaxing. Her production, while modest, archives intimacy and a relatability to the songs. The songs seems to run the gambit of friendships and lost loves.

    The aural vibrantly is there with the opener “All I Want”, a track that Mr. Taylor provides second guitar, but the Dulcimer drives the tone of the track. The longing of the lyrics about traveling onward in the midst of an ambivalent relationship latches onto the listener. The piano on “My Old Man” has a rich tapestry and the kind of harmonic complexity you come to expect, about a couple who aren’t bound by the convention of marriage, as well acknowledging the emptiness when separate. The acoustic work of “Little Green” almost hints at “Morning Morgantown”, but it develops into a more bitter sweet tone with a haunting or haunted quality. The bass And light percussion of “Carey”, along with the dulcimer, offers a whimsy over a complicated relationship. The title track, “Blue” closes the first half with some impressionistic piano. This song seems to be about the consequences of too much, too much indulgence, too much need in lieu of a healthy relationship.

    The second half opens with the acoustic whimsy of “California”, and some nice pedal steel guitar that responds to the lyric. There’s already growing mythos over the California folk and country scene that is unfolding and this seems to touch on this. There’s a dark tone musically to “This Flight Tonight”, but there’s an ambiguity and ambivalence to the lyrics, there’s a nice nod transistor radio rockabilly over a few lyrics. “River” is simply magical as a piano driven song, set around the holidays, it’s a kind of thematic hymn to childhood memories of winter adventures. Which is often the case, her best songs are often near the end of an album, “A Case Of You” is such a song, a piece about the deep connection that isn’t going to quite work out. The closing Piano piece, “The Last Time I Saw Richard” is a meditation - a reflection on a past relationship that has given the female partner a reality check, or perhaps they simply knew each other too well, but this paints a very vivid picture. 

    The consistency with Mitchell’s artistry, her work as a singer and musician, has remained impressive with four albums under her belt. Rumor has it, that she is going to sign with another label, and one could view these first four albums as the close of the first chapter, her growth is astonishing and I await the next phase. She is on par with contemporary Dylan, perhaps even surpassing him for the time being. That is a heady statement to make, but it bears fruit to argue it after this release.   

Retro Reviews: Nina Simone: Nina Simone Sings the Blues

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. This is a lesser-known album.

Nina Simone – Nina Simone Sings the Blues (1967)

****

Producer: Danny Davis

Musicians: Nina Simone, Eric Gale, Rudy Stevenson, Ernie Hayes, Bob Bushnell, Bernie Purdie, Buddy Lucas

Songs: Do I Move You?, Day and Night, In the Dark, Real Real, My Man’s Gone Now, Backlash Blues, I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl, Buck, Since I Fell for You, The House of the Rising Sun, Blues For Mama

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    This is Nina Simone’s first album for RCA Victor, and it’s an impressive work. The definition of “Blues” is expansive here as the album explores a range of moods. Aside from her vocals, her piano work is impressive, she had apparently been trained at Julliard School of Music, that background gives her a little range from the conventions of most RNB players. Other than the guitar work of Gale or Stevenson, or the occasional horn work from Bubby Lucas, most of the musicians sit back to highlight her vocals and piano, which is pretty delightful. There’s a good balance between pop leaning blues material, more traditional, or more jazz soul material. While she writes her own songs, it features material from the likes of George Gershwin and DuBose Haywaard, Buddy Johnson, Rudy Stevenson, Andy Stroud, and Langston Hughes. Davis’s production seemed to be about recording the room more than anything else, it’s not glossy, but intimate.

    The opening number “Do I Move You?” sets the tone with a languid pace, and some tangy guitar leads, and harmonica. Nina’s piano accentuates the feeling. There’s a lighter touch with the blues pop leaning of “Night And Day”, Nina offers some nice harmonies, there’s a spry spirit with the band on this. Nina’s piano is front and center again with “In The Dark”, as well as some nice organ support, the guitar and harmonica bounce around each other. There’s a more spiritual gospel tinge with “Real Real”, the piano most sits back to let Ernie Hayes breath life into the number. “My Man’s Gone Now” is a Porgy and Bess number that Nina takes in a pensive read, and something of a tour de force on the album. “Backlash Blues” is a Simone original with a pointed edge, this feels like blues for right now. 

    The second side opener, “I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl” begins with a Scott Joplin ragtime feel. It nods towards Bessie Smith into her style of blues as well as a sultry saxophone lead. “Buck” has a playful soul feel. The song “Since I Fell For You” has become something of a RNB standard since the late fifties, Nina’s read breaks it down into something a little new, along with her strong vocal. “House Of The Rising Sun” has been a traditional for many years, Nina’s approach takes it into a direct, gospel blues, the shuffle is really accented with this one, this often just sits on two chords that allow Nina to play with it. The closer, “Blues For Mama” is partly an Simone original that ties the album together with its blues intent.

    The album is a thoroughly enjoyable experience that should draw in the casual listener who doesn’t follow this genre often. Nina’s vocals are entirely unique, her musicianship as a player makes her even more interesting. I will be curious to see where she goes next. 

Retro Reviews: The Grateful Dead: Live / Dead

       I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 

The Grateful Dead – Live / Dead (1969)

***1/2

Producers: Grateful Dead, Bob Matthews, Betty Cantor

Musicians: Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Tom Constanten, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, Micky Hart, Bill Kreutzmann

Songs: Dark Star, St. Stephen, The Eleven, Turn On Your Love Light, Death Don’t Have No Mercy, Feedback, And We Bid You Goodnight

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    The band, The Grateful Dead is in an interesting place. A bay area psychedelic, and counterculture band, that chasing the heels of their Northern California peers. Jefferson Airplane, and Big Brother, yet those bands may have a slight leg up the dead as far as songs, but that might be changing. Those who have been able to see them live often offer up a different point of view over anyone who is just familiar with their three studio albums. The second, the experimental Anthem Of The Sun, had moments of whimsy, but the quality of the material felt uneven and lacked focus. This years Aoxomoxoa had some more focused material, and the presence of lyricist Robert Hunter has given them a more narrative thrust, however lose it may be. They are trying to put across more songs, while still dedicated to the ensemble sound. Their decision to release a live album, and a two disc set, may have been the most beneficial move yet. Let's acknowledge the album cover, the Dead has been one of the few bands to produce the most vibrant album designs yet, and this is no exception, 

    The principle of jazz and free jazz is to build from the inside out, find the core of a piece and build from there. The opening number “Dark Star”, which was a very short form single previously, encapsulates this notion well. It’s a slow burn, exploration, Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir’s guitars weave together, alternating between lead and rhythm and at moments blur into one. Phil Lesh’s bass work acts as a lead instrument that counterpoints the guitars. The first vocal verse comes in at around six minutes. Then progresses, Tom Costanten’s Organ eggs the band onward, one of the guitars goes out of tune, so they play with that in real time. The drums often take on an ambience in the freer second half.  The guitars hedge out of control until the 21-minute mark when the second verse vocal comes in. A guitar abruptly ends the track.

    Side Two’s “St. Stephen” opens with a laid-back tone, a track from the third album that is allowed to grow here as it moves into its heavy groove. The lyrics have a certain whimsy and the interplay between the band has a certain vibrancy Some of the organ work hints at an Irish dirge, the drums jump from a march to more free form. The shift to “The Eleven” just effortlessly falls into place, the number almost fall into chaos in the beginning, but they fall into sure footing fairly quickly, The chord structure of “The Eleven” will harken back for some people to the late fifties or very early 60s. Way past the five minute point do we get the vocal, but it’s a pleasant ride. 

    Side three dominates with “Turn On Your Love Light”, another RNB cover that has a spirited opening, the guitar interplay manages to substitute for a horn section. There are moments with the Dead that remind me of this other new duel guitar band folks have been hearing about, The Allman Brothers Band. While their vocal channels Bobby Blue Bland, it also channels the spirit of Elvis. Hart and Kreutzmann really stretch things out with the drumming around the mid-point. They manage a fun audience rave up with the number. 

    Side four closes it up by toning it down, their spiritual cover of “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” settles into a slow blues, the number also allows “Pigpen” McKernan to showcase his excellent blues organ work, Phil stretches out the bounds over the bass can do in a blues setting. Like all good blues, the number builds with intensity. Weir’s vocal is quite good throughout. The album takes it’s psychedelic turn with the barrage noises on “Feedback”, this is about as free form as you could expect, with the guitars playing a mournful violin role at moments with the volume swells, but it is all just merely interesting. The brief vocal hymn. “And We Bid You Goodnight” brings it back to some grounding. 

    This all makes for an interesting, if slightly uneven, experience as a album, but then again the journey seems far more interesting than the destination, thus making this an colorful time to be used it you turn it on. 

Retro Reviews: Neil Young: On The Beach

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums.

Neil Young – On The Beach (1974)

****

Producers: Neil Young, David Briggs, Mark Harman, Al Schmitt

Musicians: Neil Young, Ben Keith, Rusty Kenshaw, David Crosby, George Whitsel, Graham Nash, Tim Drummond, Billy Talbot, Rick Danko, Ralph Molina, Levon Helm, Joe Yankee

Songs: Walk On, See the Sky About To Rain, Revolution Blues, For The Turnstiles, Vampire Blues, On The Beach, Motion Pictures, Ambulance Blues

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    Neil’s new album, coming off the heels of live Time Fades Away and the soundtrack to Journey Through The Past, is a fascinating picture of a musician reacting to a number of troubling issues. This album in essence is a blues record, not ‘blues’ in the sense of the conventions and cliches of that genre, but in spirit. The momentum for Young after joining Crosby, Stills and Nash for Déjà vu, the success of After The Gold Rush, and Harvest, and put Young in an interesting position. It sounds like the passing of a peer like Danny Whitten must have had an impact on him, no one can say. Yet Young had been around to see the passing of Brian Jones in 69, then Hendrix, Morrison and Joplin a year later, but to be directly affected by the passing of an associate due to addiction, may impact differently. Yet the album may also be a reaction to industry pressures, Buffalo Springfield had a certain rate of success - there’s little doubt - but Young was able to navigate through it all with less pressure. But fame has it’s price, there’s the cost of indulgence or expectation, and the new album reflects a loss of innocence. Joni Mitchell went through her own loss of innocence from 69-71, but that was more gentile. This loss feels harder and it’s reflected in the music.

    When you consider such lines from “On The Beach” as “I Need a crowd of people, but I can’t face them day to day, though my problems are meaningless, that won’t make them go away’. It seems like Neil realizes he has become trapped, and aside of whatever demons he is facing, he is taking stock and wanted to break out of a box. This album mirrors the eclecticism of Gold Rush or Harvest, but with a much bleaker tone. The opener, the outstanding “Walk On” features the crazy horse team of Talbot, Keith and Molina, as well as the classic vocal sound, but it acts as a defiant statement, perhaps a reaction to the two prior releases, the public perception or his band mates death 

    The electric piano of Neil on “See the Sky About To Rain” as well as the electric dobro give it a country pop sheen, but there’s a restless, unsettled and sad quality to it. Keith dobro work and Levon Helms drums offer tasteful support. The paranoia of “Revolution Blues” has Neil channeling a trace of Dylan, with Crosby on guitar and Helm offering support. The haunting “For The Turnstiles” has Young on Banjo, and Kieth on Dobro, where Young has a vulnerable and haunted tone to his vocal – it sounds desolate. “Vampire Blues” has almost dark, satirical quality in it, and country blues with Keith on Organ. It could be about our exploitation of the Earth, or the predatory nature of addiction. Neil sounds weary here.  

    That disillusionment and weariness is heightened further on side two with the title track. Graham Nash plays the electric piano while Neil offers up some of his classic reverb guitar leads, while it has a slight Spanish feel, the track reinforces the album’s blues motif. “Motion Picture’s (For Carrie)” has a lovely, sad chord progression with some country twang, even the harmonica can’t mask the feeling the narrator is broken. The album closer “Ambulance Blues” begins as a folk lament, a slippery fiddle counterpoints the Harmonica, Some of the lines reinforce the comments of “Walk On” – ‘So all you critics sit alone, you’re no better than me from what you’ve shown, with your stomach pump and your hook and ladder dreams, we could Get together for some scenes’. It’s all relative, does criticism even matter when dealing with life (or death), in the end it’s Neil’s life he has to live, not to just meet expectations of strangers. 

    This may be a polarizing record and may not be for everyone, but it is also thematically consistent with his prior work. Mr. Young has not stumbled yet since 1969, outside platitudes won’t save someone from their demons, I think Neil sees this now, his salad days are long gone now. I will be curious to see where the journey takes him next.

John Mayall with Eric Clapton: Blues Breakers

  I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums.

John Mayall & The Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (1966)

****1/2

Producer: Mike Vernon

Musicians: John Mayall, Eric Clapton, John McVie, Hughie Flint, Alan Skidmore, Johnny Almond, Derek Healey

Songs and Music: All Your Love, Hideaway, Little Girl,  Another Man, Double Crossing Time, What’d I Say, Key to Love, Parchman Farm, Have You Heard, Ramblin’ On My Mind, Steppin’ Out, It Ain’t Right

Reviewed By Matthew Antony Allair

    John Mayall has assembled a new line up of his dedicated blues band and he has picked former Yardbirds member Eric Clapton. The Organ, Piano, Harmonica work of Mayall is some solid work, and he has been the torch bearer for popularizing blues music in the UK. Yet I believe this is his first official release, barring prior singles. John’s last live album Mayall plays Mayall was a good endeavor. Clapton’s last appearance with the Yardbirds, Having A Rave Up with the live half of material with Clapton had some good moments, but Clapton’s evolution here with Mayall is startling to observe. Clapton’s full throated guitar tone, and the pairing of a guitar with amp, will likely influence other guitarists who are looking for a new direction*. But how does all of this measure up? In truth, Mayall is the glue that holds this together, but he has allowed his guitarist a lot of freedom and even allowed him the vocal show case on one song – but we will get to that shortly.

    The opener “All Your Love”, an Otis Rush number, features Eric's rhythm and lead work, aside from Mayall’s organ, this acts as a mission statement for the band. The double time change allows Clapton to shine. But the track is the prelude to the instrumental showcase of Freddie King’s “Hideaway” allows Clapton to really dig in, jumping between double time and a straight tempo. I should add that Clapton's interpretation feels so fresh that Freddy King's version feels mannered now. Mayall’s Organ really helps to edge Clapton onward. The pop blues of “Little Girl” is not that different from some of Clapton’s work with the Yardbirds, but it’s a nice little acknowledgement nonetheless. Yet Clapton is allowed some more fire on this one. The stripped down “Another Man” with just vocal, harmonica, and percussion reminds the public of another kind of blues. Eric is given a co-writing credit on “Double Crossing Time”, Mayall offers up some full piano blues with the horns and guitar doubling. Clapton’s lead is indeed biting on this one. Mayall doubles the Organ and Piano on their cover of Ray Charles “What’d I Say”, while Clapton has his moments to shine, this really feels like a showcase for Mayall and Flint. Clapton does a cheeky quote from “Day Tripper” on the ride.

     The side two opener “Key To Love, has the full horn section along with Clapton who offers some biting lead work This also seems to take a nod to the Atlantic Records sound. Mose Allison has been a favorite of British musicians for a while, and his “Parchman Farm” as set up a drums, bass, and harmonica trio, Clapton sits this one out and yet it just illustrates the range that Mayall is willing to explore. The haunting “Have You Heard” opens and is carried over by the saxophone solo, before Clapton takes over, there’s a nice interplay between Mayall’s organ and the horn section in support, the rhythm just sits in the back. The simple guitar and piano interplay between Mayall and Clapton allows Eric to take the lead vocal on “Ramblin’ On My Mind” a Robert Johnson staple in blues circles. Clapton is allowed another instrumental show case with the Memphis Slim material of “Steppin’ Out’. The full band with organ and horns blares in with a fun number. The spry, Blues rave up of “It Ain’t Right”, another cover of a Little Walter number allows Mayall to take the Harmonica lead, as well as a fitting closer to the album.

    There’s a certain sympatico between Mayall and Clapton that allows Eric to put his best work forward, he sounds less restrained here. I am reticent to declare Clapton the best blues player, he is equal to other players before him, but I suspect there’s other players we  don’t know about them yet. Overall a fun album for anyone not initiated with traditional blues, which makes for a good gateway album. Highly Recommended. 

Retro Reviews: Paul McCartney and Wings: Red Rose Speedway

     I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 

Paul McCartney and Wings – Red Rose Speedway (1973)

***

Producer: Paul McCartney

Musicians: Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney, Denny Laine, Henry McCullough, Danny Seiwell, Hugh McCracken, David Spinozza, Richard Hewson

Songs and music: Big Barn Bed, My Love, Get On The Right Thing, One More Kiss, Little Lamb Dragonfly, Single Pigeon, When The Night, Loup (1^st Indian On The Moon), Medley: Hold Me Tight / Lazy Dynamite / Hands Of Love / Power Cur

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    Paul McCartney’s new album with his band Wings is a notable improvement over the bands first album Wild Life. An album that I described as Paul’s ‘depression album’, that album felt too aimless with some songs that ran too long or others that were underdeveloped, also that band was trying to find its footing, all of which felt like a cardinal sin for music writers that didn’t understand and held up his Beatles legacy in high regard. Paul has been willing to take risks, something that some in the public don’t understand. Elements of McCartney and Ram were a risk, and critics unfairly gave Paul a drubbing for it, all of which was bound it affect him, how could it not. George’s output has been the most interesting. John’s output has been uneven and he has been on shakier ground with his last release. Ringo is simply Ringo as far as his solo output. But Paul has shown some traction with last year's singles, the rocker, "Hi Hi Hi", the charming "C Moon", the pleasant "Mary Had A Little Lamb" and the provocative "Give Ireland Back To The Irish", so it's difficult to just ignore him.   

    The lineup features Paul and Linda, Denny Laine, Danny Seiwell and Hugh McCracken and David Spinozza on a few tracks. The material doesn’t always work, but when it hits on all cylinders, this is quite a thing to behold. It feels like Paul is getting his footing. “Big Barn Bed” as an opener has an informal feel, similar to Wild Life, but the feel of it warms up as the band plays with some pop blues and some boogie piano at the ride. The perennial single “My Love” may feel a little safe, but it has some stellar moments, especially with that McCullough solo. There’s also a wistful quality within the ballad, a deceptively excellent number. The dynamic “Get On The Right Thing” is the closest thing to a glam rock or pop number from the band, it also reminds one of “Monkberry Moon Delight” from Ram. Paul and Linda’s background vocals give the album a distinct sound. “One More Kiss” has a country feel and a little nod to “Heart of the Country”. The acoustic and introspective “Little Lamb Dragonfly” is probably one of the better tracks, and has a real charm. 

    The charming and brief “Single Pigeon” opens the second half, a piano ditty with a self-reflective sensibility. “When The Night” has a light, hybrid Spanish feel with a doo wop structure. Pretty easy going. But Paul manages to take some risks with the final two tracks, and I have to give credit for Paul to push away of his past. Musically "Loup (1^st Indian On The Moon)" has a tribal chantlike quality, and a middle section that takes pages from current Pink Floyd, before shifting into a swing, then funk and I have to give credit to Seiwell for excellent work. The album closer Medley begins with a pleasant ballad, “Hold Me Tight”, and this is not The Beatles number from 63, but a fresh piece that could have been developed into a full song, The following “Lazy Dynamite” manages a nice segway, there’s some nice lead work to be found. A dynamic shift leads into the light folk of “Hands Of Love” as well as a dose of music hall. The final, “Power Cur” is a light little ballad. This Medley is less Abbey Road, and more the frivolous material of the ‘White Album’ a mellotron closes out the whole affair as a coda, a fun little romp.

    The album doesn’t always work, with the three strongest numbers being ‘My Love, Little Lamb Dragonfly” and “Single Pigeon” are worth it. This is a solid effort, and I await his next release. A qualifying recommendation.