Music review by Hildemollerknag

Originally released in 1969 on Stable records (think Sam Gopal), this is heavy LSD-laden progressive rock with some great guitar playing. Unfortunately this obscure Scottish band recorded just this one (now beyond rare) album before drifting into anonymity.
Tracks
01. Turn On, or Turn Me Down
02. His Town
03. You Cant Take it From My Heart
04. Love Talk
05. All Aboard
06. The Game
07. Stoned
08. Pettsie's Blues
09. On The Road
Download.

C’mon, regardless of what you think of the music, you’ve got to admit the band name and the cover art (courtesy of William Mahood) were pretty hysterical. Besides, if it featured Freddy Fender, it had to have something going for it.

I can’t tell you much about this outfit. They apparently started out as a New Orleans bar band and recorded at least one single as Satan & Satin’s Roses (‘Devil Time’ b/w ‘’ xxx catalog number ), before mutating into Satin & the Desciples (sic). The goofy cover shows them to have been a quintet, while the liner notes provide a Lake Charles, Louisiana address for Goldband Records, providing some additional support for the notion they were Louisiana-based. There are no production, or performance credits, though the lineup apparently consisted of lead singer … Bates, Childs and Denson were credited as writing the material.

1969’s “Underground” is one of those album’s most folks will find thoroughly appalling. Lyrically, musically, thematically, and sonically it’s hard to argue the point. To be honest, a bunch of 5th graders could have probably come up with something at least as good. That said, there’s going to be a select group of folks who think the album is so bad as to actually have merit. Call it a character flaw, but I guess I lean towards the latter category. Overlooking the obvious characteristics, this is one strange effort. About half of the collection recalled Sam the Sham and Pharohs-styled garage rock (had they been forced to play with one arm behind their backs). With his sing/song vocals on tracks like the crazed ‘Devil Time‘ and ‘Satan On Universe’ the anonymous lead singer sounded like Sam Samudio, or Root Boy Slim after soaking in warm Budweiser for a week. Exemplified by material like ‘Satan’s First Theme’, ‘Ensane’ (sic) and the seemingly endless ‘Book of Alpha’ (and you though high school science class dragged on), the predominant satanic theme was about as ominous and threatening as a teletubby. Maybe it was just me, but backing vocals that included the phrase ‘he’s the booger man’ didn’t really serve to frighten the listener. The other half of the album was given over to strange folk and country material. ‘Why the Seas’ Are Salty’ and ‘Black Sheep’ (the latter including an accordion solo) were hysterically inept – imagine your drunk uncle deciding to sing the next time he showed at the local pub.
I’ve never seen of heard it, but there’s also a non-LP single: ‘Mummies Curse’ b/w ‘Cat’s Meow’ (Goldband catalog number 1188).
Tracks
01 Satan’s First Theme – 7:45
02 Why the Sea’s Are Salty (L.G. Childs) - 2:02
03 Black Sheep (Roy O. Bates) – 2:41
04 Devil Time (Denny Denson) – 2:03
05 Satan On Universe (R.O. Bates) – 2:44
06 Ensane (Roy O Bates – Denny Densen) – 2:09
07 Book of Alpha (Roy O. Bates) – 8:17
Download.

The Golden Dawn started out in the murky time and space of Austin, Texas in late 1966, along with many other wild groups now holding legendary status, but most notably with the kings of the Texas Psychedelic scene, the 13th Floor Elevators. George Kinney and Roky Erickson of the Elevators grew up together and played in high school bands with each other, and by the time of the Great Mind Expansion, the Elevators and the Dawn were in close contact.
On Power Plant, you find lyrics that are aligned with similar subjects as those approached by the 'vators Tommy Hall, yet all original in Kinney's inimmitable style. Possibly it was relative to this similarity that led, unfortunately, to the two bands' record company, the infamous International Artists label out of Houston, to make a decision that seems to have um, "shafted," the career of the vibrant Golden Dawn.
This is what happened: a few months after the release of the 13th Floor Elevators' "Psychedelic Sounds" debut, the Dawn had finished "Power Plant" in mid 1967, and were ready to let it fly. But, by that time, the Elevators were beginning to record their second album (and magnum opus) "Easter Everywhere," which the record company management thought, for whatever reason, should come out first.
And so it went... much to the dismay of George Kinney (voc, guitar), Tom Ramsey (lead guitar), Jimmy Bird (rhythm guitar), Bill Hallmark (bass), and Bobby Rector (drums)--collectively, the Golden Dawn. When "Power Plant" was finally released, in 1968, it was largely panned as the work of an Elevators knock-off band, and it was unjustly snubbed in a big enough way to discourage the development of this excellent and unique band.
The thing is, you ultimately cannot stop something that is as great as "Power Plant," so naturally, through the years it climbed in "cult" status, to the point where recognition of this great music drew out George Kinney once again to reform the band in 2002, and perform live all over the States. And now, we have an all-original album of fresh music from the enigmatic Golden Dawn.
Texas Medicine
Tracks
1. Evolution
2. This Way Please
3. Starvation
4. I'll Be Around
5. Seeing Is Believing
6. My Time - Golden Dawn, Bird
7. A Nice Surprise
8. Every Day
9. Tell Me Why
10. Reaching Out to You
Download.

Food, a relatively obscure Chicago group who released their only album, Forever Is a Dream, in 1969, gets the reissue treatment from Fallout; and though the recording quality’s inevitably dated, this QUIET album of soft-edged psychedelic rock offers a varied palate of pleasures. Psychedelia has been played and played out, so it’s difficult to evaluate this with fresh ears: even so, the smallest of signifiers immediately sets us off—a slight wobble at the end of a melody, in the flute or the trumpet. The bending communicates that pastoral melody is imperfect, and it’s a metaphor that sticks. Just listen to Asteroid #4 and compare. But Forever Is a Dream is inescapably a debut album. “What It Seems to Be” blossoms into a full-sounding orchestral ballad, shouting out with the kind of abandon you associate with ‘90s indie. However, “Coming Back” and a few other tracks have an amateurish air, like the band’s searching, not quite reaching, a fully-worked out song. Simplicity still carries the day… “Lady Miss Ann” reminds strongly of Simon & Garfunkel, but then again so does Tobias Freiberg. If they had stuck around, Food may have proven themselves a band worth that ‘cult’ label.
Tracks
1. Forever Is a Dream
2. Naive Prayers
3. Lady Miss Ann
4. Fountain of My Mind
5. Coming Back
6. What It Seems to Be
7. In the Mirror
8. Marbled Wings
9. Traveling Light
10. Leaves
11. Here We Go Again
Download.

Hardin & York's career began at London's famous Marquee club back in August 1969 and despite a heavy touring schedule they still issued three studio albums between late 1969 and early 1973. Though Hardin & York - organist Eddie Hardin, and drummer Pete York (one or rock’s only true duos) - never really managed to climb out of the college circuit in Britain, over in Europe it was a different story, and the group achieved phenomenal success thanks to their powerful and virtuoso live act - particularly in Germany, where they quickly reached the large stadiums and sold truck loads of albums.

“A cross between Procul Harum and Traffic” is how one reviewer summed them up, but as both members of Hardin & York had played in the Spencer Davis Group (as had the members of Traffic), perhaps this isn’t too surprising. What is surprising is that the original Hardin & York albums - ‘Tomorrow Today’, ‘The Worlds Smallest Big Band’, and ‘For The World’ - have never been properly compiled until now. This new release, assembled with help from Eddie Hardin, gets to the heart of their music and popularity, bringing together over a dozen tracks from the three LPs, plus a couple of rare non-album sessions. The selection focuses on the band's progressive rock energy: power driving rhythms, lengthy solos and instrumentally centred classics - all set off against Eddie’s often Winwood-esque vocals, music which remains as strong today as it did in the early seventies. The pair have had remarkably diverse careers since those days. After the success of Hardin & York they teamed up with Spencer Davis to reform the legendary Spencer Davis Group.

Since then Pete York has played in numerous bands, as well as fronting three very successful series of ‘Superdrumming’ for German TV, touring a special jazz swing band, and regularly guesting on albums by the likes of Deep Purple’s Jon Lord. Eddie Hardin went on to help develop Roger Glovers ‘Butterfly Ball’ album and concert, cut the collectable ‘Wizard’s Convention’ session album, and played at the 1999 Deep Purple Royal Albert Hall show. The original duo also cut a reunion album (‘Still A Few Pages Left’) in 1995
Tracks
1. Tomorrow Today
2. 100 Years From Now
3. I'm Lost
4. Drinking My Wine
5. Candlelight
6. Beautiful Day
7. Mountains of Sand
8. Can't Keep a Good Man Down
9. Listen Everyone
Download.

The Litter was a psychedelic and garage rock band formed in 1966 in Minneapolis. Today they are best remembered for their 1967 debut single "Action Woman."

The group recorded its last album in 1972 but would re-unite in 1990, 1992, and again in 1998, when they recorded a new studio album consisting of both old and new material
From Minneapolis, the Litter were one of the finest bands to emerge from the Midwest garage scene. Their debut lp, "Distortions," is considered a classic of the garage/psychedelic movement, with their gloriously fuzzed drenched takes of classics by the Who, Spencer Davis, the Small Faces, and Yardbirds, to name a few. The results gained the Litter exposure, and gave them the confidence to go back to the studio to work on their sophomore effort.
The results of their work is the amazing "$100 Fine," released in 1968. The first major difference between this and the debut lp is that the band wrote most of their own material for this lp, (save covers of the Yardbirds' "Tallyman," Small Faces "Here I Go Again," Procol Harum's "Kaleidoscope," and the Zombies "She's Not There") showcasing their talents as writers as well as musicians.

The music on the album is top rate, led by lead guitarist Tom "Zippy" Caplan, guitarist Dan Rinaldi, and oragnist/lead vocalist Denny Waite. The opening track, the Waite/Kane (Jim Kane- bass, and moog synth) penned "Mindbreaker," offers superb fuzztone guitar work, and builds up to an interesting psychedelic haze. The cover of "Tallyman" shows off Rinaldi and Caplan's superb driving electric guitar work, while that of "Here I Go Again" also offers a glorious opening guitar riff (assumedly by Caplan) to add to the great guitar work.. "Morning Sun" continues the trend, showing off excellent psychedelic guitar work. "Confessions (Of a Traveler Through Time,") a live offering that was to be used in a film, has an infectious opening bass riff from Jim Kane, while Rinaldi and Caplan (yet again) dominate with their guitar prowice on "(Under the Screaming Double) Eagle." Side one ends on a silly note, the very psychedelic and nonsensical "Apologies to 2069."

Side 2 is dominated by their wonderful cover of the Zombies' classic "She's Not There," a common staple in their live shows. This 9+ minute workout on it is a glorious moment for the band, as is the amazing "Kaleidoscope," noted for its use of phasing (an effect still in its infancy during this period), which is painstakingly explained in the liner notes to the lp. The track was groundbreaking and was slated to be released as a single, but before it could be, the Small Faces had released their classic "Itchycoo Park," which had very similar phasing effects. Alas, "Kaleidoscope" did not see the light of day.

The lp is an amazing look at a band at the height of its creative and musical powers. "$100 Fine" is as good an effort from 1967-1968 as many of the other lps of the era. The guitar prowice of Caplan and Rinaldi is as good a double-barrel attack as any in the 60's while Waite's powerful vocals are superb. The bass of Kane and drumming of Tom Murray is as good as it gets, as well- very tight. The results are a glorious lp.

Waite and Caplan would leave the band by the end of '68, and the revamped band would sign to a major label. 1969's "Emerge The Litter" is an excellent hard rock effort, but in comparison to this lp and their debut lp, pales in comparison.

"$100 Fine" is as good a garage/psychedelic effort as one will find. It is well worth searching out and buying. An excellent effort. By Sean M Kelly
Tracks
01 Mindbreaker 3:07
02 Tallyman 2:52
03 Here I Go Again 2:50
04 Morning Sun 2:24
05 (Under the Screaming Double) Eagle 2:39
06 Apologies to 2069 1:11
07 Kaleidoscope 2:17
08 Blues One 4:10
09 She's Not There 9:10
Download.

They toured with and/ or shared the bill with every major act of the time, including: Jimi Hendrix, the Doors, Cream, the Grateful Dead, Big Brother & The Holding Co. w/ Janis Joplin, C S N & Y, the Who, Frank Zappa, Jefferson Airplane, Chicago, Chuck Berry, Spirit, the Allman Bros., E.L.P., Joe Cocker, War, Linda Rondstadt, Santana, Joan Baez, Beach Boys, Steve Miller, Chambers Bros., and many others.
The group performed on all major network television shows (Red Skelton, Steve Allen, Playboy After Dark, Hollywood Palace, American Bandstand, Etc.), and at all major national rock venues and pop festivals of the time including WOODSTOCK, where they were the first band to play.

In December of 1969 their lead vocalist, Nancy Nevins, was hit by a drunken driver, suffering nearly fatal injuries including a severely damaged vocal cord. Awaiting her recovery, the band continued to gather fans with their exciting performances while releasing two more albums on Warner/ Reprise, “Just For You” and “Melon”. However, Nancy's prolonged recovery as well as other pressures forced them to eventually disband.

In 1995, following an invitation to play at WOODSTOCK II, the surviving members reunited. With founding members Alex Del Zoppo on keyboards, Fred Herrera on bass, and Nancy Nevins on lead vocals and guitar, Sweetwater now includes a strong drummer, Mike Williams, and an exciting lead guitarist, Joe Bruley, - - an instrument the group never had.

Recent response to their new music and live performances has been overwhelming. They are continuing to write and record (CD release planned), have a movie of their story being produced by VH-1, and are planning an active summer ’99 schedule. An excellent biographical source of information on the group can be found in a “Goldmine” magazine issue of June 9, 1995.
Tracks
01 Motherless Child (5:04)
02 In A Rainbow (3:17)
03 Here We Go Again (2:32)
04 My Crystal Spider (3:52)
05 For Pete's Sake (2:50)
06 Rondeau (1:15)
07 Come Take A Walk (3:48)
08 Two Worlds (3:56)
09 What's Wrong (4:00)
10 Through an Old Storybook (2:32)
11 Why Oh Why (3:00)
Download.