THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME (REISSUES AND ANTHOLOGIES) By Michael McDowell

 CD AND LP REISSUES / ANTHOLOGIES (PLUS BOOKS)

(REVIEWS ARE POSTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY ARTIST)

WHEN MY LIFE WORK IS ENDED: Widely regarded as one of the foudnig visionaries of rock and roll, virtuoso guuitarist and composer SISTER ROSETTA THARPE is the subject of a highly acclaimed collection on the Deep Digs label of heretofore unavailable live performances recorded in France in November 1966. Editor/Publisher Michael McDowell takes a closer look at this landmark release below (Click on above imaege to enlarge). 

THE LAND OF MAKE BELIEVE:

THE DEFINITIVE COLLECION - 

Bucks Fizz (Cherry Pop)

Letting the mainstream media dictate your musical taste for you can be limiting in a variety of ways.

Consider the prolific and pioneering Baton Rouge, Louisiana group, John Fred And The Playboy Band. Led by the late John Fred Gourrier, the ambitious ensemble recorded a dozen albums and more than thirty singles for such labels as Montel, Jewel, Paula, Uni and Bell. Their 1964 Boogie Children 45 for Jewel is widely considered one of first generation garage rock's definitive masterpieces. In turn, their 1967 Agnes English album for Paula is treasured as a pioneering example of the garage rock / rhythm and blues hybrid. 

But from the mainstream media perspective, John Fred And The Playboy Band's lone moment worthy of widespread consideration was their very atypical late 1967 single for Paula, Judy In Disguise (With Glasses). A good natured spoof of the Beatles' Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, the disproporionately high amount of exposure afforded Fred's disc by the mainstream media ultimately left the band with the very misleading legacy of being a novelty group bereft of the potential for longevity. Paula Records tried to right the situation in early 1968 with the band's back to the mission statement 45, Hey Bunny, to minimal avail.

In turn, over the past half century, the veteran London quartet, Status Quo has amassed a most impressive legacy as purveyors of the straight ahead, intelligent, no nonsense brand of rock and roll championed by such fellow visionaries as the Blasters and Dave Edmunds. Yet (at least in the United States), the mainstream media in 1968 latched on to one of the band's last attempts at psychedlia, Pictures Of Matchstick Men (which was basically a holdover in terms of the creative process from their earlier incarnations as the Spectres and Traffic Jam). So much so, that despite numerous aesthetic triumphs in the ensuing years (from their utterly stupendous 1974 On The Level album for Capitol to their magnificent 2013 motion picture comedy, Bula Quo), the band is nonetheless widely presumed in the United States to have called it a day in the wake of that 1968 Cadet Concept label 45. 

A byproduct in both cases of having risen to prominence during the feast part of the feast or famine equation, some may assert. But then consider the saga of a UK vocal quartet that hit the ground running during rock and roll's last collective gasp of consequence. 

Comprised of 1978 Eurovision contender (as part of the group CoCo) Rita Maria "Cheryl Baker" Crudgington, along with Michael "Mike" Nolan, Jay Hilda Aston and Robert Alan "Bobby G" Gubby, Bucks Fizz was recruited by composers Nichola Martin and Andy Hill to showcase their promising original, Making Your Mind Up at Eurovision. The group's definitive line up came together in January 1981 and ultimately took top honors at Eurovision in Dublin that year with their euphoric performance of that single. 

A sublime showcase of relentless optimism, Making Your Mind Up became an instant classic and a sterling example of the rich musical diversity that continued to assert itself in that triumphant era. Bucks Fizz signed with RCA Victor at home and in the States, where they turned out a wealth of impressive singles and albums. 

And this is where (in some respects) the group found itself at odds with the mainstream media.

As Bucks Fizz rapidly transitioned from Eurovision triumph to the studio setting, their timing was initially fortuitous from a creative standpoint. Music videos were becoming the order of the day, and the group's memorable performance at Eurovision also made them an ideal fit for the newly celebrated medium.

Music videos in and of themselves were an integral part of the creative process from the onset. Blues giant Bessie Smith was among the first to make a decisive step in that direction in 1929 via Saint Louis Blues, with such absolute masters as Rick Nelson, the Big Bopper, Jesse Belvin and the Johnny Burnette Trio having made the concept a key component of their respective mission statements during the growth and development period of rock and roll. However, the notion of a single track serving as the soundtrack to a visual serial of sorts began in earnest in 1967 with the Four Tops' extraordinary video clip for their Seven Rooms Of Gloom single.

With their intense on stage charisma and seemingly natural abilities in front of a camera, Bucks Fizz took the logical step of meshing well written and superbly executed material with Broadway / Hollywood - worthy visuals that made for some of the most captivating and memorable such excursions of the era. 

However, the relatively modest attention that Making Your Mind Up received in the U.S. mainstream media (combined with the still healthy and prolific level of musical output in general) meant that Bucks Fizz found themselves in the same "feast" quandry that John Fred And The Playboy Band did a decade and a half earlier. RCA Victor continued to promote the group dutifully, if not enthusiastically; a situation not unlike that which the beloved and visionary quartet Sailor found itself in during their affilation with the Epic label in the States in the mid-1970s.

As such, Bucks Fizz's considerable momentum subsided in the States in short order. But at home, the group continued to tour and record prolifically. It is some of the best of those moments that the Cherry Pop label has collected and released in this highly anticipated five CD box set.

"Some of the best", simply because the group's finest moments overall cannot be contained in a five CD box set. To wit, absent is their original 1984 version of What's Love Got To Do With It, which went on to tremendous acclaim via a cover by Tina Turner on Capitol. Likewise such utterly stupendous album cuts as 20th Century Hero and the tech heavy yet personable 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, each of which showcase the group's prowess in the studio admirably. 

What Cherry Pop's Land Of Make Believe collection does offer is a weath of Bucks Fizz's singles, along with B-sides, extended mixes and unreleased tracks. The title track makes an ideal calling card for the uninitiated, being as it is one of the group's great triumphs within the audio / video hybrid. In turn, their sublime rendition of the Romantics' Talking In Your Sleep makes a solid case for being the definitive version. The group soars unwaveringly on both fronts here via such career highlights as Piece Of The Action, My Camera Never Lies, Now Those Days Are Gone, If You Can't Stand The Heat, Run For Your Life, Here's Lookin' At You, Shot Me Through The Heart, Rules Of The Game and I Hear Talk.

Thankfully, Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston continue to record prolifically to the present day as the Fizz. Their Everything Under The Sun album for the MPG label was celebrated by Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People as one of the best new albums of 2022. The vaunted trio's live appearances at home found wildly appreciative audiences welcoming both their new material, as well as the foundations of their legacy that are represented in this essential collection.

"We're thrilled that (parent company) Cherry Red have released this five CD album", said Baker, who concurrently hosts a program on Great British Radio. 

Indeed, with such periphery as geography and mainstream media's parameters out of the picture as the result of the widespread availability of this collection, both Bucks Fizz and the Fizz are sure to find their ongoing acclaim somewhat akin to (in the words of one of their classic tracks included here) a New Beginning.

LIVE IN FRANCE -

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

(Deep Digs)

Much of which was taken for granted in the second half of the twentieth century was in reality the result of the foundational work of visionary artists in the first half.

To wit, the Heidelberg Quintet, the Mills Brothers and the Ink Spots set the standard for vocal group harmony and interplay. In the process, they raised the bar to the degree that it has yet to be surpassed. 

In turn, giants such as Charly Patton, Robert Johnson, Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly and Hank Williams immeasurably enriched the musical landscape with their formidable acumen as composers and vocalists. Moreover, game changing bands such as the Almanac Singers and the Weavers brought into the mix an emphasis on the cerebral approach within their art, paving the way in the process for everything from the folk boom to first generation garage rock.

One such visionary who elevated the state of the art and made an enormous impact in the process was composer, guitarist, vocalist and Cotton Plant, Arkansas native Rosetta "Sister Rosetta Tharpe" Nubin. Profoundly impacted by Gospel music, Tharpe began playing guitar at the age of six at the Church Of God In Christ, where her mother Katie (who was also a gifted vocalist and mandolin player) served as both a deaconess and missionary.

By 1938, Tharpe had signed with Brunswick Records, where she made her debut with the monster classic Rock Me / Lonesome Road single. Over the next several years, she cut a string of game changing singles for Brunswick and Decca, including God Don't Like It, This Train and Bring Back Those Happy Days. Tharpe joined forces with Lucky Millinder and his Orchestra in 1941, which elevated her profile among the rank and file exponentially. 

Tharpe spent a signigicant amount of time touring both North America and Europe during the 1950s and 1960s. Thankfully, a number of those performances were preserved on film. However, it was only in the late 2010s that this remarkable collection (recorded on 11 November 1966 at the Grand Theater in the city of Limoges in the Haute-Vienne department of west central France) was discovered by historian Zev Feldman in the Institut National de L'audiovisuel archives. It now makes its offical debut here in both the vinyl and CD configurations. 

By the time of this recording, Tharpe had long been acknowledged as one of the founders of rock and roll. Artists from Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley to Little Richard and long time Herman's Hermits rhythm guitarist Frank Renshaw (who had attended a Therpe live performance in the mid-1960s) have sung her praises, while guitarists from Eric Clapton to Keith Richards have hailed her influence in their own work. 

In this release, Tharpe sings the praises of God as few could, with a fervor that continues to motivate and inspire. Herein, she revisits a number of classics that also found a home in the repertoires of her musical peers and disciples, including Didn't It Rain (Evelyn Freeman and the Exciting Voices; Mahalia Jackson), Down By The Riverside (the Weavers) and When The Saints Go Marching In (the Kingston Trio), as well as a few of her own signature tracks (This Train, Bring Back Those Happy Days, Moonshine) and a closing number that had also graced the repertoires of Blind Willie Johnson, the Five Blind Boys Of Alabama and Nina Simone, Nobody's Fault But Mine.

Sadly, Tharpe suffered a stroke in 1970, which led to a diabetes-related amputation of a leg. Despite her valiant attempts to rebound, Tharpe suffered a second and fatal stroke on the eve of a planned recording session in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in October 1973. She was 58.

With a wealth of archival material and rare photos, as well as a comprehensive essay by Tharpe biographer Gayle Wald and insights from Bonnie Raitt, Moving Sidewalks / ZZ Top co-founder Billy Gibbons and actor / former Black Flag lead vocalist, Henry Rollins, Live In France is indeed nothing short of answered prayer.

TOO MANY CROOKS -

Unicorn (Think Like A Key)

By the mid-1970s, pretty much everyone with a desire for the betterment of music had had enough.

With the mainstream having fostered and languished in a protracted aesthetic slump since the close of the previous decade, the faithful began searching for ways to sustain their creative momentum throughout those lean times. The answer would of course ultimately come in the form of the so-called indie movement, which was about to give rise to such inspired and inspiring sub genres as punk and the all encompassing new wave. 

For the many who saw the self indulgence that preceded it as anathema to the art itself, one viable option was the hybrid that ultimately became known as country rock. Pioneered largely by rock and roll giant Rick Nelson via a pair of acclaimed country-themed LPs for Decca, country rock quicky found its way into the mission statements of such like minded visionaries as Brian Hyland. By decade's end, such greats as the Byrds, the International Submarine Band, Michael Nesmith And The First National Band and the Buffalo Springfield had made their marks decisively in that respect.

As the early 1970s progressed, their ranks soared exponentially via such acclaimed bands as Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen, the Amazing Rhythm Aces, Pure Prairie League, the Flying Burrito Brothers, the Band, Little Feat, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the Charlie Daniels Band and Poco. A number of like minded solo artists stood in solidariy with them, most notably Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. Ronstadt and Harris eventually joined forces with Dolly Parton as the formidable Trio for Warner Brothers.

Seemingly content to make their own mark in that respect without the resultant fanfare was the Send, Surrey - based Unicorn. Not so ironically once known as the Late, Unicorn was founded by composer Ken Baker, in tandem with guitarist and Tony Rivers And The Castaways alumnus Trevor McKee (who was replaced in 1972 by Kevin Smith).

Among the band's early highlights was working with such acclaimed greats as Billy J. Kramer. But in 1969, the debut Atlantic LP by Crosby, Stills And Nash peaked their curiosity in terms of rock and roll veterans successfully embracing the country and rock hybrid. The band ultimately signed with the Big T label, where their duly inspired debut 45, P.F. Sloan was released in 1971.

By 1975, Unicorn had signed with the Harvest label, where their third album, Too Many Crooks (somewhat ironically titled Unicorn 2 in the United States) saw release in the early days of 1976. The band had found a staunch supporter in Pink Floyd lead guitarist David Gilmour, who offered Unicorn his services as producer and also sat in for part of the sessions.

While that unexpected perk was certainly a boon to the band in a number of respects, it had minimal bearing on the creative autonomy that was long in place among their ranks. Herein, Unicorn (rounded out by bassist Pat Martin and drummer/co-lead vocalist Pete Perryer) pressed ahead on their own terms, with encouraging results.

Composed by Baker, the eleven selections in Too Many Crooks are nearly unique in their seeming lack of profession of solidarity with any particular ideology or theme. While many of their colleagues often sang of adventures on the road, idyllic scenarios and the like, Unicorn herein followed suit only with the bonus track traveler's tale So Far Away. 

However, the bulk of Baker's material herein commemorates and celebrates a variety of scenarios. They run the gamut from the despondency of No Way Out Of Here and the vague cynicism of the title track to the hard fought for independent spirit of He's Got Pride and the urgency borne of the familiarity breeds contempt pespective of Weekend.

Through it all, Unicorn stayed with the matter of fact, sparsely arranged, mid-tempo approach that also served Little Feat and the Amazing Rhythm Aces well, leaving any sort of variations in professions of solidarity and / or affinity to the listener. An astute move that assured the ultimate timelessness of the material, despite the fact that the aforementioned indie movement ultimately derailed the band's foreward momentum by decade's end.

Rights to this landmark work were eventually acquired by the vaunted U.K. - based Cherry Red family of labels, long one of the world's leading lights in terms of state of the art reissues, anthologies and compilations. In the hopes of sustaining their momentum for both the faithful and aspiring enthusiast, the Texas - based Think Like A Key's Roger Houdaille has in turn leased Too Many Crooks for U.S. release. With a wealth of band photos and a comprehensive essay by David DiSanzo, this reissue proves to be more than a bonus for the completist. In the words of one of Unicorn's earlier triumphs, Too Many Crooks is proof positive that their Uphill All The Way struggle was not in vain.

KINGS, QUEENS AND JOKERS  -

Victoria (Gear Fab)

Remarkable is the reissue project that enjoys deluxe treatment in its third incarnation.

Such is the case with the 1971 debut album by the New Jersey band, Victoria. Recorded between 1969 and 1971, the original album featured eight original compositions by band co-founder Greg Ruban.

In reality, the album was a joint venture between Victoria (Ruban, along with Sharon Barton, Maureen Deidelbaum and Cheryl Simpson), in tandem with the Dirty Martha Band. Logistics prevented the band from performing live, but they did manage to capture this lone extraordinary effort in the studio. 

As a composer, Ruban (who also served as producer for this project) demonstrated remarkable vision and depth during that deceptively fallow creative period. To wit, the original album featured ambitious psychedelic workouts such as Village Of Etaf, which would have been right at home within the fertile boom period that produced the likes of Tintern Abbey, Grapefruit and the Soft Machine a scant few years earlier. 

In turn, the curious Cumberland takes its cue in parts from the Velvet Underground's Sunday Morning, while Gevaro avails itself as a latter day reimagination of Frankie Laine's Jezebel. Moreover, Ride A Rainbow serves as an extension and/or answer of sorts to the Jimi Hendrix Experience's Purple Haze, while the opener, Peace sports some refreshing acoustic guitar in its intro that falls in solidarity with the like minded overtures found in Lighthouse's One Fine Morning. The rare profession of candor that is the aptly named Never Knew Blues brings it all full circle; paradoxically drawing as it does from the tension that graced the template of Billy Roberts' often covered 1962 standard, Hey Joe.

Curiously, Kings, Queens And Jokers did not make it past the demo stage at the time of its recording. Nonetheless, it did finally see a limited release of two hundred copies in the early years of the twenty-first century. Out of print since 2005, it now enjoys a deluxe CD reissue on the Gear Fab label. For this deluxe third appearance, label president Roger Maglio has included seven heretofore unreleased Ruban compositions that were drawn from master tape and acetate sources, highlighted by the Gospel-tinged Mister Let Me Go, Child Of A Princess and an alternate take of Cumberland.

Sadly, Greg Ruban passed away in 2008. Nonetheless, his unique vision brings a most welcome addition to Gear Fab's extensive catalog of reissues of the rarest independent releases. Incentive to Ride A Rainbow indeed.