"Nicely Out Of Tune" by LINDISFARNE (2004 EMI/Virgin/Charisma 'Expanded Edition' CD - Kathy Bryan Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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Issued late September 1971 in the USA (November 1970 in the UK)

"...Alan In The River With Flowers..."

"...It's all right Lady Eleanor..." Well on the evidence presented here - indeed it is. Newcastle's Lindisfarne made a wonderful Folk-Rock sound - similar in many ways to Matthews Southern Comfort, Brinsley Schwarz, Fotheringay and even at times John Martyn.

Re-listening to their November 1970 debut album "Nicely Out Of Tune" in November 2016 (46 years after the event) and you're struck by the accomplished songwriting - the warmth of the melodies - and especially the lovely audio on this 2004 CD Remaster (done at Abbey Road). In fact I'm thinking it's a bit of a lost and forgotten classic. And I love the way this Virgin/Charisma CD reissue has used the 'Pink Scroll Label' variant of 'The Famous Charisma Label' on the CD aping the appearance of the rare November 1970 original British LP (Charisma CAS 1025). Here are the Roads To Kingdom Come...

UK released May 2004 - "Nicely Out Of Tune" by LINDISFARNE on EMI/Virgin/Charisma CASCDR 1025 (Barcode 724357990226) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster with Two Bonus Tracks and plays out as follows (52:53 minutes):

1. Lady Eleanor

2. Road To Kingdom Come

3. Winter Song

4. Turn A Deaf Ear

5. Clear White Light (Part 2)

6. We Can Swing Together [Side 2]

7. Alan In The River With Flowers

8. Down

9. The Things I Should Have Said

10. Jackhammer Blues

11. Scarecrow Song

Tracks 1 to 11 are their debut studio album "Nicely Out of Tune" - released November 1970 in the UK on Charisma Records CAS 1025 (Pink Scroll Label variant) - Produced by JOHN ANTHONY. It was reissued January 1972 on the Charisma 'Mad Hatter' Label variant with the same catalogue number - this version rose to No. 8 on the UK LP charts.

NOTE: The American LP was belatedly issued late September 1971 on Elektra EKS-74099 and was also called "Nicely Out Of Tune". But it not only featured different 'upgraded' die-cut artwork on the front and rear and a lyric inner bag (no lyrics appeared with the UK issue) - but was reputedly remixed. It also featured an altered Side 2 track list that ran as - "We Can Swing Together", "Float Me Down The River", "Down", "Nothing But The Marvellous" and "Scarecrow Song". "Float Me Down The River" is "Alan In The River With Flowers" under another name and if you use the Bonus Track of "Nothing But The Marvellous Is Beautiful"- you can also sequence that US album variant from this CD. The supposed American remix is still absent from CD - this disc uses UK tapes.

BONUS TRACKS:

12. Knackers Yard Blues - non-album B-side to "Clear White Light - Part 2" - UK 7" single released September 1970 on Charisma CB 137

13. Nothing But The Marvellous Is Beautiful - non-album B-side to "Lady Eleanor" - UK 7" single released January 1971 on Charisma CB 153

LINDISFARNE was:

ALAN HULL - Lead Vocals, Acoustic and 12-String Guitar, Piano, Electric Piano and Organ

ROD CLEMENTS - Electric Bass, Organ, Piano, Violin, Guitar and Vocals

RAY JACKSON - Vocals, Mandolin and Harmonica

SIMON COWE - Lead Acoustic, 12-String Guitars, Mandolin, Banjo and Vocals

RAY LAIDLAW - Drums and Percussion

The gatefold slip of paper gives only the basic album details with two black and white photos in the centre spread of our heroes giving it some live welly at some festival somewhere. While the inlay is lo-fi and cheap - the KATHY BRYAN Remaster carried out at Abbey Road is nothing of the sort. This album sounds gorgeous - alive and full of warmth and melody - a superb transfer. Let's get to the music...

Charisma tried "Clear White Light – Part 2" as the band’s debut 45 in September 1970. Charisma CB 137 came with the non-album "Knackers Yard Blues" on the flipside (the first of two bonus tracks presented here) – but it sank without notice. In January 1971 the famous types at Charisma tried again but this time with "Lady Eleanor" backed with another non-LP B-side "Nothing But The Marvellous is Beautiful" (the second bonus track) – but again it initially received no joy. But when Lindisfarne’s second album - October 1971's "Fog On The Tyne" unexpectedly went all the way to No. 1 in the UK on the strength of the "Meet Me On The Corner" 7” single (Charisma CB 173, February 1972) – Charisma resurrected "Lady Eleanor" in May 1972 and were promptly rewarded by a UK No. 3 placing on the Pop charts. What is surprising now is that Joe Public didn’t seem to notice (or perhaps hear) the first time around?

Its writer ALAN HULL also penned six other songs on the 11-cut LP - "Winter Song", "Clear White Light – Part 2", "We Can Swing Together" (another of the album’s anthems), "Alan In The River With Flowers", "Down", "Scarecrow Song" and the B-side "Nothing But The Marvellous Is Beautiful". The other creative force in the band was ROD CLEMENTS who penned the truly lovely "Road To Kingdom Come" – a song so good THE BAND might give it a begrudging nod. On the LP Roderick also contributed "The Things I Should Have Said" and the first non-album B-side – the jaunty "Knackers Yard Blues". The other two LP cuts are cover versions – Rab Noakes for "Turn A Deaf Ear" – a song Noakes wouldn’t release himself until his fourth LP "Never Too Late" on Warner Brothers K 56114 in April 1975 – and Woody Guthrie’s Traditional "Jackhammer Blues".

Highlights are many but the simplicity and beauty of "Winter Song" gets me every time while the speaker-to-speaker panning of "Alan In The River With Flowers" also makes great use of their unique harmonising. I could probably live without the jugband-whomp of Woody's "Jackhammer Blues" – better is the Rod Clements ballad "The Things I Should Have Said" where he meets a new lady but each is waiting for the silence to be broken as the sparks in the campfire start to fade. "We Can Swing Together" has become something of an anthem for the band – Jackson's growl and Harmonica making the 'roll your own' lyrics feel like a shanty-sailor-song – Dutch courage press-ganged kids drunk and pining for home. And that Bass/Mandolin break at the end of "Lady Eleanor" is middle-eight genius.

"Nicely Out Of Tune" has always been in the shadow of its more famous follow-up – 1971's "Fog On The Tyne" – a Number One album back when such things mattered and took serious sales to achieve. But I'm thinking its time to call both albums sweethearts ("Dingly Dell" too for that matter).

"...Didn’t think there could be more..." – Lindisfarne sang on the hypnotic and ethereal "Lady Eleanor" Turns out there is...

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"A Beard Of Stars" by TYRANNOSAURUS REX [feat Marc Bolan, Mickey Finn and Steve Took] (2004 Universal/A&M/Straight Ahead Productions Ltd. 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue - Gary Moore Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Woodland Bop..." 

The final TYRANNOSAURUS REX LP "A Beard Of Stars" was released March 1970 and achieved an impressive No. 13 placing on the British LP charts. But it marked an end a new beginning. The four-album hippy-dip Folk-Rock duo of Marc Bolan and Steve Took would be soon trounced and forgotten for Bolanmania when Marc and Mickey Finn (who'd come on board September 1969 for "Beard" after Took was dropped) went into the Glam Rock monster that would become T. REX. 

The wind cheetahs, dragon's ears and mighty dawn dart warbling of "A Beard Of Stars" must have seemed eons away and so far ago when the seriously hooky Pop-Rock of "Ride A White Swan" was released only months later in October 1970 on Fly Records BUG 1 – a No. 2 smash for the newly anointed T. REX. moniker. Soon pretty painter and bongo-wielding MICKEY FINN and the equally photogenic always-cultish MARC BOLAN would be making male and female hearts pulse a tad faster up and down the land and for the next few years to come. 

This fourth and last Tyrannosaurus Rex album on England’s Regal Zonophone Records is where that superb transition to 'Electric Warrior' truly began and you’d have to say that this generous and superb-sounding Gary Moore CD Remaster has done that forgotten LP a solid. Here are the starry details...

UK released October 2004 (reissued August 2011) - "A Beard Of Stars" by TYRANNOSAURUS REX on Universal/A&M/Straight Ahead Productions Ltd. 982 251-2 (Barcode 602498225127) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster with 16 Bonus Tracks and plays out as follows (75:47 minutes): 

1. Prelude 

2. A Daye Laye 

3. Woodland Bop 

4. Fist Heart Mighty Dawn Dart 

5. Pavilions Of Sun 

6. Organ Blues 

7. By The Light of The Magical Moon

8. Wind Cheetah 

9. A Beard Of Stars [Side 2] 

10. Great Horse 

11. Dragon's Ear 

12.  Lofty Skies

13. Dove

14. Elemental Child 

Tracks 1 to 14 are their fourth and final studio album "A Beard Of Stars" - released March 1970 in the UK on Regal Zonophone SLRZ 1013. The 1st US version was released June 1970 on Blue Thumb BTS 18 as the same 14-track LP - but in December 1970 - it was re-issued again on Blue Thumb BTS 18 - but this time came with a bonus single - the British hit "Ride A White Swan" b/w "Is It Love" (Blue Thumb SP-6115). The American 'Bonus' 45 was credited to Tyrannosaurus Rex and had only two tracks - the British 45 was credited to T. REX and had a second B-side - a cover version of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues". 

BONUS TRACKS: 

15. III Starred Man (Take 1)

16. Demon Queen (Take 1)

17. Once Upon The Seas Of Abyssinia (Take 1)

18. Blessed Wild Apple Girl (Take 1)

19. Find A Little Wood (Take 1)

20. A Daye Laye (Take 1)

21. Fist Heart Mighty Dawn Dart (Take 2)

22. Organ Blues (Take 2)

23. Wind Cheetah (Take 4)

24. A Beard Of Stars (Take 1) 

25. Great Horse (Take 1) 

26. Dragons Ear (Take 1 & Take 2)

27. Dove (Take 5)

28. Elemental Child Parts 1 & 2 (Take 1)

29. By The Light Of The Magical Moon (Take 3)

30. Prelude (Take 1)

MARC BOLAN - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Organ and Bass

MICKEY FINN - Backing Vocals, Moroccan Clay Drums, Tabla, Bass and Finger Cymbals

The rare lyric insert that came with Regal Zonophone SLRZ 1013 is reproduced on Page 4 of the 16-page booklet along with loads of black and white photos of the photogenic duo and memorabilia including the Melody Maker advert where Bolan went looking for 'a gentle young guy who can play percussion'. Renowned Bolan and T. Rex expert MARK PAYTRESS has provided the superb liner notes explaining how some of the outtakes are Steve Took songs Bolan chopped once Mickey Finn came on board. But the big news here is a stunning GARY MOORE Remaster - an Audio Engineer I've name-checked many times for his huge amounts of work across a large number of Universal's labels. Primarily Acoustic - the strings rattle - the bongos bong and Bolan's expressive and unique voice floats over proceedings like an elf on helium gas. 

With only Bolan's face on the front cover of the original LP (Mickey Finn's handsome visage graces the rear) - you might think "A Beard Of Stars" is a 'solo' album and with all tunes written by Bolan - at times it feels like that - his voice and presence dominating everything. Highlights include "Woodland Bop"  which he would use as one of the B-sides to "Hot Love" in February 1971 whilst the trio of "Woodland Bop", "Fist Heart Mighty Dawn Dart" and the uber-rare Tyrannosaurus Rex UK 7" single "By The Light Of The Magical Moon" would all turn up on the June 1971 compilation LP "Bolan Boogie" - a UK No.1. 

Backwards guitars fill out the short but sweet "A Day Laye" while he urges you to 'come into my garden lady love' on "Pavilions Of Sun" (did that wicked electric guitar break). "Organ Blues" tells us there's 'gold in the mountains and people living in the sea' (know what you mean mate) while you can so hear why Regal Zonophone thought "By The Light Of The Magical Moon" would be a good single for the LP (the acoustic and electric guitar licks are wonderfully clear). "Wind Cheetah" is probably the most hippy tune on here - a sort of Incredible String Band whine on an organ with layered voices. "Great Horse" sees his lyrical muse go wild as a 'strange beastie from the legend lair' seems to be master with his 'skull powdered cord'. I love the wild and grungy electric guitar finisher "Elemental Child" - a hooky little rocker that pointed the way to "T. Rex" in December 1970 and "Electric Warrior" in September 1971. I wish there was more of this on the album. Amidst the Bonus Tracks are the Steve Took Psychedelic contributions of "Once Upon The Sea Of Abyssinia" and "Find A Little Wood". 

"A Beard Of Stars" is probably the most accomplished and 'together' of the Tyrannosaurus Rex foursome of LPs - and this excellent 2004 CD Remaster of it makes that long forgotten music from 1970 ripe for rediscovery in my books.

Rock on you Wizard in the Lofty Skies - we the Children of Rarn salute you...

"Flamingo/Teenage Head" by FLAMIN' GROOVIES (2009 and 2015 Rev-Ola CD Reissue - 2LPs Remastered onto 1CD Plus Two Bonus Tracks) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Gonna Rock Tonite..."

The New York Dolls, MC5 and especially The Stooges are constantly name-checked as keeping the wild snotty pure spirit of Rock 'n' Roll alive in the early Seventies - a time when Hard Rock and Prog monsters dominated the chart landscape and bedsits of the world threatening to swamp all three-minutes blasts of proto-punk with hairy chests, tales of wizards and semi classical pomp. But spare a dime brother for San Francisco's all partying, all rocking, all greasy FLAMIN GROOVIES.

This fabulous Rev-Ola CD concentrates on their third and fourth albums on Kama Sutra Records from 1970 ("Flamenco") and 1971 ("Teenage Head") and even throws in a bonus track at the end of each album. Here are the Power Pop details...

UK released January 2009 (reissued October 2015) - "Flamingo/Teenage Head" by FLAMIN GROOVIES on Rev-Ola CR REV 273 (Barcode 5013929457324) offers 2LPs Remastered onto 1CD with Two Bonus Tracks and plays out as follows (76:52 minutes):

1. Comin' After Me
2. Headin' For The Texas Border
3. Sweet Roll Me On Down
4. Keep A Knockin'
5. Second Cousin'
6. Childhood's End [Side 2]
7. Jailbait
8. Gonna Rock Tonite
9. She's Falling Apart
10. Road House
Tracks 1 to 10 are their third studio album "Flamingo" - released June 1970 in the USA on Kama Sutra Records KSBS 2021 (no UK release).

BONUS TRACK:
11. Rumble (Studio Outtake first issued in 1976 - a Link Wray cover)

12. High Flyin' Baby
13. City Lights
14. Have You Seen My Baby?
15. Yesterday's Numbers
16. Teenage Head
17. 32-20
18. Evil Hearted Ada
19. Doctor Boogie
20. Whiskey Woman
Tracks 12 to 20 are their fourth studio album "Teenage Head" - released April 1971 in the USA on Kama Sutra Records KSBS 2031 (no UK release).

BONUS TRACK:
21. Shakin' All Over (Studio Outtake - a cover of the hit most associated with Johnny Kidd & The Pirates)

KRIS NEEDS provides the superb liner notes that explain how the band’s "Sneakers" debut LP in 1968 and its big-label follow up "Supersnazz" in 1969 on Epic Records had received plaudits but precious little chart action. The 12-page booklet has colour and black and white photos of the band (lead guitarist and vocalist Cyril Jordan in his trademark dark glasses and Link Wray look) as well as the usual reissue credits. JOE FOSTER and ANDY MORTEN produced the project for CD whilst NORMAN BLAKE did the Remaster and Sound recreation at Studio 3 in Glasgow. This CD sounds amazing – huge presence and all the muscle you would want without being over done. A fine job done...to the music...

"...Ten head hunters...with a buzz saw...and they was comin' after me..." - the boys tell us in the raw and raunchy guitar-pop of "Comin' After Me" - ten state troopers chasin' close behind with meat hooks. But the Proto-Punk edginess really starts to come screaming in on "Headin' For The Texas Border" where the band is headed to New Orleans to get their mojo back. I love the rapid guitars and the transfer gives it serious wallop. It's 1970 for gawd sake but it could be 1976 - so damn sharp. They then cleverly switch to Acoustic Rock 'n' Roll with "Sweet Roll Me On Down" as they Buddy Holly 'ah-ha' through the chorus. I'm reminded of the British band Fumble who also did Little Richard's brilliant "Keep A Knockin'" in the same all out rocking way - letting the inner joy of this Fifties anthem rip. Roy Loney stumps up another rocker in the excellent "Second Cousin" - the lyrics straying dangerously into Jerry Lee Lewis lawsuit territory.

Things finally settle into a Hank Williams saunter with "Childhood's End" - a very witty childhood song from Ron Loney where he sounds amazingly like Mick Jagger circa "Exile On Main St." doing his best Hillbilly impression. "Jailbait" is a cool and snarly blues chugger where he pleads 'baby what you tryin to do!' to a mean guitar barrage. The fantastic "Gonna Rock Tonight" is the kind of out-and-out Rock 'n' Roll homage that Dave Edmunds would have loved when his regal Zonophone 'Rockpile' album was in play over in Blighty - ooh-wee baby indeed (and dig that huge grungy Bass solo too). The weird but utterly wonderful "She's falling Apart" follows - a song that feels wildly out of synch with the rest of the album but actually a song I return to most. It then blasts into a frantic Punk-rocking finish with the trashy "Road House" - rapid guitars a go-go. You’re then clobbered with a fantastic loose cover of Link Wray’s guitar magnum opus – the album outtake of "Rumble". Jordan and the boys are clearly having riffage fun with the famous menace the song exudes – a very cool bonus indeed that even includes giggles at the end from a band that would have worshipped at Wray’s feet in the blink of an eye.

For album number two we go Dr. Feelgood with the fabulous slide guitar intro to "High Flyin' Baby" – a superb little Ron Loney and Cyril Jordan rocker. We then return to "Exile On Main St." with the boozy swagger of the acoustic barroom "City Lights" and it’s hard to understand why this wickedly cool Acoustic Blues was slagged off at the time (still sounds so damn good to me). The hard-rocking and deliberately grungy "Have You Seen My Baby?" was probably too much Rock 'n' Roll for delicate minds back in the day - but I love it and "Yesterday's Numbers" that follows it which could have been Brinsley Schwarz or Help Yourself or even Free - stunning acoustic Rock that stays with you. And on it goes to a fabulous echoed-vocal six-minute outtake of Johnny Kidd's rip-roaring "Shakin' All Over" - hissy - but so full of balls and life - a fitting end to the CD.

The Flamin Groovies grow in stature as the years pass and people go back. And who have thought that the most bubblegum of labels - Kama Sutra - would have produced such enduring Rock 'n' Roll and Proto Punk. Besides anyone who writes songs with titles like "Evil Hearted Ada", "Doctor Boogie" and "Whiskey Woman" gets my vote...

"Focus Plays Focus" (1970) and "In And Out Of Focus" (1971 Reissue) by FOCUS (Japan-Only SHM-CD Reissue On Victor with Mini LP Repro Artwork with 2001 Red Bus Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...House Of The King..."

Mid 1970 and Dutch Prog-Rockers FOCUS saw their debut album "Focus Plays Focus" released in their native Netherlands on Imperial Records 5C 054-24192 with a seven-track line-up as follows...

Side 1:

1. Focus

2. Why Dream

3. Happy Nightmare

4. Anonymous

Side 2:

1. Black Beauty

2. Sugar Island

3. Focus

They had also released "House Of The King" as a stand-alone 7" single in many European countries in 1970 (Belgium, Spain etc) on Imperial Records too (a non-album A-side at that time). But when it came to re-launching the album in both the UK and the USA in early 1971 - Polydor decided to call it "In And Out Of Focus" - gave it a different gatefold sleeve (the dotted blue one) and added on "House Of The King" as Track 8 in a rejiggered playing order. That eight-track version ran as follows:

Side 1:

1. Focus (Vocal)

2. Black Beauty

3. Sugar Island

4. Anonymous

5. House Of The King

Side 2:

1. Happy Nightmare (Mescaline) [Side 2]

2. Why Dream

3. Focus - Instrumental

This now rare and deleted Japanese SHM-CD reissue from 2009 (using the Red Bus 2001 Remaster) concentrates on that 2nd version - January 1971 in the UK on Polydor 2344 003 and Sire SAS 7404 in the USA. As if to compound the confusion - Britain also had a 'picture of the band' single sleeve sometime in 1971 with the Polydor 2344 003 catalogue number and the USA also had a Sire SAS 7404 with more different artwork.

This Japanese-only 25 February 2009 reissue of "In And Out Of Focus" by FOCUS on Victor VICP-70049 (Barcode 4988002565375) is a SHM-CD (Super High Materials) with a silver Obi housed on the spine of its Mini LP Repro Artwork - the US hard card gatefold. It even repro's the black inner 'Focus' bag that came with original vinyl LPs (total playing time 36:01 minutes). SHM-CDs don’t require a special CD player – they’ll play on all machines. They were developed as a better form of CD and are almost entirely exclusive to Japanese releases – especially reissues – where the new format’s retrieval rates are higher and therefore offer the best sound. Red Bus did the Remaster in 2001 and that's been used for this reissue – and man does it sound good. Nice balance - power when it's needed - a tasty job done...

FOCUS consisted of:

THISJ VAN LEER – Vocals, Keyboards and Flute

JAN AKKERMAN – Guitars

MARTIJN (Martin) DRESDEN - Bass

HANS CLEUVER – Drums

Proceedings kick into gear with "Focus (Vocal)" which runs to 2:44 minutes – opening the album in a mellow Prog mood. It’s a gentle song where the foreign language vocals and keyboard/guitar licks feel almost like a mini hymn. "Black Beauty" introduces their Barclay James Harvest kind of Pop-Rock and I can't say that it's my fave-rave on here. The three-minute hangover from the 60ts bop of "Sugar Island" feels the same - like the band is looking for a hit when they should have been going with their Inner Prog instinct to wig out (nice guitar though from Akkerman and that Tull-like Thijs Van Leer flute solo reminds you of moments from "Stand Up" and "Benefit").

But then things improve immeasurably when the band goes all madrigal at the beginning of the superb "Anonymous" – a near seven-minute instrumental that suddenly feels like 'Focus'. "Anonymous" is a lengthy Prog concoction that's complicated yet still melodic and genuinely impressive after all these decades. The 1970 instrumental "House Of The King" is a winner - a genius 45 that was bound to get the group noticed - even if it does feel just a tad like a Jethro Tull copy in style and composition. But like "Anonymous" - "House Of The King" has that distinctive 'Focus' feel and sound (love that guitar and piano break too).

Side 2 offers us the druggy 'Mescaline' song as our Thijs sings of a sweet life and big pearls in the jaunty "Happy Nightmare". It's an awkwardly upbeat tune for a miserable subject matter with a cleverly placed Mellotron counter-melody to the guitars. Speaking of which - again you notice the sheer virtuosity of Jan Akkerman's axe playing in "Happy Nightmare" – so soulful even in those jazzy passages. It finishes with the nine-minute 'Instrumental' version of "Focus" - another firm fan fave - and with good reason as it feels like the accomplished brilliance of "Moving Waves" and "Focus III" to come.

Their rejiggered debut isn't a masterpiece by any stretch of anyone's imagination - but there's more than enough on here to make it a worthwhile first stop - even for a novice. And with that legendary Japanese presentation quality and added oomph to the Audio - "In And Out Of Focus" is recommended...