Sunday

...from th'same sessions as th'first disk,here comes some more songs'n a few alternate versions (just like bonafide rock'n poppers) on this second cash in with th'unwanted children o' straight uptight amerikkka...cats gettin th'idea th'first outtin was a bit cleaned up will need to get th'lobes up close to this one cos there hangs a grungy murk all over this givin it a more 'get th'fear' insinuation...th'whole vibe o' this session is pretty upbeat 'n jolly with th'gals wailin behind th'surrogate charlie,everyone kickin it on a tripp'd groove...perfect accompaniment for roamin th'back alleys o' lonesome towns in broken down doon buggys lookin for salvation...fits somewhere into th'twisted california saga as it does into th'somewhat tatty tapestry o' rock'nroll...its gotta be pretty much a flip city favourite...

Saturday

...whilst not nearly as prolific as th'mainstream squares,th'counterculture sure knows how to cash in on a deal now'n then'n this isza top exploito biskit if'n there ever was...could well be seen as a streetlevel take on th'happy campfire image o' th'laurel canyon hippee elite...take away that name from th'cover'n this would fetch some serious scratch in some rich collector circles as it would be hyped as communal rural rock from mysterious tribe o'dropouts hidin from straight society...a doodletown pipers for th'wasted generation...taped in LA in 1970,tho in th'twentyfirst century it could possibly be used as a kinda talisman 'gainst forces o'goverment pig oppression'n should be played before a reefer'd out creepycrawl is undertaken...

Sunday

...forty years back in th'hazy-fazy-daze o' th'monterey pop fest one artist was seemin'ly unceremoniously dissed by th' 'open minded' attendees for reasons that're still largely uncertain'n yet lookin at th'bill in th'21st century cats can see that really only one performers work still sounds like it was maybe recorded tomorrow...as good as th'others appearin were their work belongs to its time'n th'ones still makin wax'n th' rounds o' nostalgia're pitifully lame'n only worth forgettin...this bein lauras third longplayer released at th'end o' th'hippy decade is fulla her street corner future blooz with her'n th'piano'n some orchestration for effect when needed...an explosion o' early 60s galpop testifyin'n beatnik intensity from th'cathedral o' eternal NOWness...this is not for cats who have a tendency to get itchy when list'nin to anythin kinda 'difficult',this demands an attention span longer than time'n will reward with goodness unfoldin endlessly...one o' those disks for when th'outside world is offerin nothin but relentless tedium from which there seems no escape but th'journey to th'innerself...

Friday

...bobs rolling thunder revue jaunt 'round th'northeast o' unclesamautocracy in th'winter o'75 was 'nother one o'those excercises in 'getaway' madness that th'zimm gets a kick out o' every now'n then(66 tour blasted on speed/big pink sojourne behind a haze o' reefer/self portrait)...this time th'idea was based around a kinda travellin minstral show that would just pull into town 'n set up in a empty auditorium'n play a show lastin as long as it would('bout 3hours)...various cats came along for th'ride includin ramblin jack elliot/david blue/bob neuwirth/roger mcguinn/mick ronson/ronnie blakely'n two queens o'th'folk scene baez'n mitchell,all droppin in here'n there along th'way,some ridin th'bus,others just groovin on a nights fun...everyone would get to sing a few numbers with dylan comin on stage about a third o' th'way in'n vibin up th'audience'n then duetin with joan b.,who in turn would sing some toons solo(sometimes outstayin her welcome as th'audience felt they were bein teased,that dylan shoulda stayed on stage once he'd appeared,this bein not an unwarranted assumption),with bob reappearin for th'remainder o'th'evenin...th'whole escapde was a ramshackle,rag-tag freakout that for th'first part (nov/dec.75)was a friendly groove all fuelled on mysterious chemicals,includin accordin to legend animal tranques so th'whole party were gettin weird'n shakin it up,gettin into funky abandom,reachin out that little bit extra,communicatin in new'n different tongues...mick ronson,no stranger to madness after 'kickin it around'with bowie'n reed'n iggy got th'revue into wearin makeup,gettin a bit glam to off set th'cheese cloth'n denim squareness that was rife across th'rock universe,th'eventual outcome o' which came about with th'minstral white face parade that surprised more than a few liberal onlookers at first glance...as with dylans other weird scenes its been captured by th'audience in all th'funky glory that is befittin such high moments o' cultural endevour,th'so called amatuer is left to document th'times thru murky tapes'n multi generational vinyl pressins...th'tapes o' th'revue're mostly funky but eminently list'nable once th' sloppy editin over th'years is gotten used to,tho o'course most only feature th'zimm portions o' th'three hour shows'n these rehearsal tapes from january/april76're pretty funky in places but well worth gettin into...each disk documents a different aspect o'th show with th'first a run thru,gettin th'overall vibe,th'second just bob'n a coupla cats(includin scarlet rivera on ethereal space fiddle),third is a revue rehearsal with all concerned groovin it up with th'last comin from various times towards th'end o' th'tour...songs from all periods're given a run thru,protest/amphetamine poetry/country bumkin,get th'mystic thunder vibe smeared over them,pushin th'toons into a universal language,th'wheel o' life turnin,renewin itself with fresh'n different skin...

Monday

...after all th'aggravation from squares,after all th'bad vibes from 'hippys',by th'time 1971 rolls round laura had decided it was time to GET BACK,get back to a simpler, more honest time as had been shown by bobs basement tapes that had been circulatin in hep pads a good three years 'n yet th'desire to get back was in th'air still...everyone needed to chill'n rethink this anti capitalist/pig hatin/lsdmadness that had gripped a generation (in urban locales mainly,th'roobes still believ'd th'governments killin machine/couldn't happen here/dragracin like in'two lane blacktop'movie)'n what better way than escapin into th' past, whether real or imaginary...lauras past as'n angelheaded beatnik in th'bronx,cuttin up a stone groove singin in th'subways'n diggin th'beat'n th'vibes,list'nin to r'n'b on th'radio'n gettin hep to th'city'n city ways...much like th'MC5 with 'back in th'USA' laura dug undeniable fact that if any good was gonna come out o'th'GET BACK phenomenon it had to take place in/on urban terrain,both mind'n body coupled with th'place,th'inner city(not th'country that cats were copyin from th'zimm)...labelle help out with some add'd authentic galpop/R&B grooves'n make this a real nice thang to get down with,spiritual sounds that refresh'n give hope'n vitality...this is'n invitation to take th'el train to 169th street'n 1961...'n thats gotta be good2go in this day as it was backadaze...this LP was like refuelin for th'continued struggle against th'oppressive state that surely lay ahead...
...back around th'late fifties sam charters(bloozologist/rec.producer for c.j&fish amongst others)called sam lightnin hopkins th'last true original bluesman'n that was a fair assumption at th'time before th'great blues 're-discovery' o' long forgotten cats like mississippi john hurt/rev.gary davis/son house...th'recordins on this nice comp come from th'late 40s taped in houston/L.A'n show lightnin groovin with th'country blues/boogie shuffle with fun'n fine lyrics all washed down with a fifth o'whiskey'n a toke or two...real on th'spot first takescos lightnin didn't like to spend too long on any toon cos spontaneity would be lost'n blandness would be th'only result...spend an hour with one o' th'true greats,a corner stone o'th'60s folk/R&B/rockroll explosion that would happen in hep european centres...

Friday

...all th'toons here have been dotted about on other releases over th'years but to grab them all in one double set is a top-class thang to have'n th'sound is v.good which makes this get another plus(desolation row has some noise in a coupla spots but its a way cool version so it dont matter too much,th'riffin is a bit on th'trancey velvets side,'nother plus)...this compliments th'mercury music disk with a great look at th'methed out year o' 65,BIABH/61 revisited/blonde/dont look back/les crane show,all top quality amped up madness,with th'zimm soundin like he's sometimes right in th'room,blastin th'visionary poetics as fast as th'brain waves can spill it out,its all on fire,blazin into th'chemical night...its a solid gone chrome-metal wall o' beatnik urban voodoo,its 3.A.M back alley barbed wire blooz,its th'screamin scrunch o'cats on th'rampage,headin into uncharted territory where th'known becomes lost in th'haze o' electricity pourin in from th'generator o'chance'n change...cats're urged to rewire th'circuits'n score a ticket on th'flipsville express,one way only cos there aint no return from this wigged out session,rip up th'papers'n learn another language...

Thursday

...from january 65 to january 66 sees th'zimm puttin th'wild mercury sound down on tape'n tho not in chronological order it flows mighty fine,a solid listen to some o' th'alternate takes'n first try outs o'some o'th'greatest poetic rockroll to bubble to th'surface,every track a winner,not one binner...decent sound quality enhances th'groove no end'n cats who dig th'mind fryin electric bob're gonna freak at this hours worth o' chemical indulgence...dig th'crazy stoned vibe as th'future is written in th'wind'n forged on amphetamine tablets...
...th'saddest thang 'bout this package is that th'songs're still relevant,th'names'n places maybe from yesteryear but th'circumstances that permit attrocity'n calamity to flourish're still here in th'present day,th'downpressor is active on all fronts keepin th'truth well hid,disguisin all traces o' its existance in double talk,th'media barrage o'constant 24hour information cloggin up all arteries with scare stories,plans to end global warmin'n celebrities...th'more that is spoken,th'less that is known,true dialogue is dead,banned,never to set foot in society less th'shiny veneer o' empty promises is worn too thin'n vanishes forever...th'madmen,as always,run th'asylum'n true right thinkin voices're co-opted/consumed/killed only to replaced by replica dummies from th'closets o' tyranny...broadside magazine was started in 1962'n dovetailed into th'folk revival/civil rights with topical songs'n opinion'n sometimes records...bob dylan/phil ochs/nina simone/richard farina/eric andersen/malvina reynolds'n many many others contributed their time'n songs in th'hope it will be entertainin'n enlight'nin to th'listener/reader...89 songs o'rage'n resistance,o' passion'n politics where th'struggle continues in th'noonday heat'n coal black night...from th'darkness o'yesterday comes th'knowledge to light th'way forward under th'thunderous clouds o'oppression...bend th'nails o' conformity that're constantly hammered into th'flesh o'imagination,beware th'flim-flam man that sells th'poison cakes in th'name o' happiness'n contentment...avoid th'liberal ever massagin th'wounds o' society,whose pay comes from th'purse o' th'status quo...

Tuesday

...david blue was one o' th'cats that hung out with dylan durin those wild mercury daze'n it shows on this first waxin on th'then trustworthy elektra label,th'whole mad stoned vibe is happ'nin all over with interestin'ly some light velvet collar era stonesian grooves,th'opiate chelsea sound that was happ'nin in tandem with th'folk rock'n freakbeat o' 66(pivotal year when rock'n pop became ART)...hallucinogenic poetry slides in'n out with midnight visions lit only by th'last gasps o' th'expirin candle o' positive sensation...dig th'funky organ sounds,a total gas from yesteryear...

Sunday

...very nice look at these cool cats from a long while back,eighty years ago this was poor folks rockin jazz,skiffle for th'enjoyment o'partyin'n havin a groove on sat'day nite...hot toons from th'basements o'outta town joints where th'whiskey was cheap'n plentyful,good vibes're happ'nin,all th'cats're gettin 'out-there'...plenty o'commentary on th'goins on in th'street like th'shortage o'marijuana,corruption,coke habits,all life is here runnin thru th'grooves like th'meanderin river flowin ever onwards towards th'next turn o' events...

Saturday

...when th'time for th'second album came'round th'vibe had changed somewhat,tho this is only relative'n only more pronounced thru th'20/20vision hindsight gives,they were startin to come on like a real combo with commercial toons lurkin in amongst th'chantin thrash'n gunk,otherworldly commercial maybe but th'mersh is there(radar eyes/permanent green light could make it big on some juke box in a far away galaxy such is their insidious bent)...they were scorin gigs at local greenwich village psychedelic tourist traps'n they got busy with a light show,so thangs were lookin up with their name gettin around town'n records bein released in europe over th'course o'67/8,tho th'nature o' their work did limit th'amount o'appreciation they got outside th'freex,who numbered not a lot...theres still plenty o'freeform tribal bashin,th'avant garde is never too far from th'surface,a perfect extension o' th'sounds comin from th'first joint,but now it came with extra texture due to more recordin time bein allowed at ESP laboratories,time to formulate ideas but not work them to death'n become stale,its precisely th'air o' amateurism,th'faint design o' collapse that gives them their longevity,their ability to stretch out down th'decades ensnarin th'willin hipster in th'web o' wobbliness...
...this wax originally came out to less than light applause on th'ESP-Disk label so its indubitably o' use to th' serious layabout'n hep groover to enable a cat to get a better perspective on th'goins on in th'outta world o' straight citizenry...ESP style swill, if list'ned to in th'right circumstances,will keep a right thinkin cat goin down th'right corridors'n pathways o' th'second layer galaxy that exists next to th'cuboid dimension but keep th'two from collidin...nothin worse than groovin down boulevard'n hix-from da-stix messin with th'karma'n possibly ruin a bliss'd hazy head,no sir,ESP will save th'day'n this buzzy linhart/seventh sons joint is no exception...ol' buzzy was gettin plenty hep in th'mid 60s with pickin up on th'drone that was happ'nin in avant garde circles aswell as th'influence o' th'indian sitar mesmerisin more than a few beatnix in big cities...its just one long groove called appropriately 'raga''n its a stone cold solid gone noodle that hangs well when spun in rotation with amon duul on those afternoons when walls melt lettin th'truth flow...
...th'godz came into existance sometime around early 66 as these NYC cats met up thru day jobs on th'perifery o' th'music biz(record shop)'n after hangin out they decided they'd get some kinda combo goin since they'd variously had band/record experience on a small local level,only this group they thought should be slightly differnt from th'usual beat/soul covers band that was mainly what th'hick new york scene consisted o' at th'time,they'd express th'way they saw th'world...they opted for a primal instinctive sound hardly based on pop at all,more ideas pulled from th'air or deep within th'collective mind...they scored a deal with th'wonderfully out there jazz label ESP-Disk(jay dillon worked there)'n proceeded to knock out th'toons for this first LP in one session...like some o'th'other ESP disks it was released in two differin covers'n had th'most appropriate title o'any underground rock album ever-CONTACT HIGH...as soon as a cat puts this on th'deck they're gonna flip immediately,nothin sounded like this in 1966(todays avant lo-fi is only this gear worked on with hindsight)...tho often referred to as some kinda compatriots in sound with th'fugs this is completely wrong'n muddle headed chat from lazy journos who aint really list'ned to either,th'fugs bein folky poets from an earlier age,magazine producin beatnix caught in th'dyin days o'th'folk revival let loose in basements o'desire,th'godz beamed in from deep within their own psyche,th'souls o'collective loonin manifestin destiny...fire up th'bong'n get ready for all preconceptions to be laid waste,this was/is th'real deal...TH'GODZ'RE NOT A PUT ON...