Gong - "Camembert Electrique" Vinyl, LP, Album, France, 1971 (BYG Records/Acteul)

My old friend Gary introduced me to this band around 1972, and I couldn't get my head around it.  Just too hippy, crazy, too foreign, and in other words, too odd.  Still, on the same day, he also played me early Kevin Ayers, and that too was a challenging listening experience for me.  Decades later, either out of boredom, my jet-lag sensibility, I purchased this album at Rockaway Records in Silver Lake.  Now, as I listen to Gong's "Camembert Electrique" I think it's a masterpiece.

Daevid Allen started the group (if memory serves me correctly, I was put off by the spelling of his first name as well as disliking the album) and somehow ended up in France.  A band, a cult - I'm not sure.  There is for sure a thought that they live on a planet called 'Gong,' but a world that had instruments, that's certain.   Still, the music is brilliant.  Hypnotic, melodic, and in places, reminds me of David Bowie of the Ziggy period.  There is also touches of The Soft Machine, which should be no surprise because Allen was a founding member of that band.

The other voice beside Daevid is Gilli Smith, who has a sinister whisper and adds a certain intensity to the mix.   For a bunch of French/British/Aussie Hippies, they are very tight and focused.  It's psychedelic for sure but has a robust rock approach to their overall sound. This is my first entrance into the rabbit hole that's Gong.

Pink Floyd - "Meddle" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1971 (Harvest)

Either by having too much time on my hands, or boredom or both, I have been like an ant leaving the anthill to find something beyond Syd Barrett's version of Pink Floyd. Which until this year, I knew nothing about, except the fact that Syd is brilliant, and Pink Floyd albums after Syd are shit.  This mind you is from the mind that truly believes that punk rock was zero one, and everything before that needs to flush down the toilet.  My extreme stance I realized now (after 40 something years) may be a tinge too harsh.   

Lately, I have been hitting the second-hand vinyl stores for Pink Floyd, and here is where I found "Meddle."   My conclusion is that after Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd really had problems focusing on a stance or platform to exist without Syd.  The truth is, they did exist and even became more successful after they lost their original songwriter and figure heard.  Although they have commented on Syd in various songs afterward, the fact is Pink Floyd not only became a different band but also with their backs to the wall, even became important. 

The years after Syd, before "The Other Side of the Moon" they sounded like they were making music for soft-porn European films. Which is not a bad thing, because here they took the time to focus on what they want to do after the Syd administration.  "Meddle" to me sounds like a bridge between the Syd years to something slicker in the Pink Floyd later years.   The truth is that they are comfortable making this type of music and what they do is done very well.  "Meddle" has great riffs, and is remarkable in some sort of Booker T. & The MGs groove, which may be something out of my imagination, but Pink Floyd does have a sense of funk and grit.  To me, when hearing "Meddle" it's not too far off from "Green Onions."  There is this almost 'musique concrete' aspect of their music, which is very much in the depth of their pop songs, but they clearly love the aspect of making works that are based on sound.   "Meddle" is a very good Pink Floyd album.  Beyond that, in any sense of direction or movement, this is a fantastic album.  There was life after Syd.  I'm surprised about coming to this conclusion. 

Paul & Linda McCartney - "Ram" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1971 (Apple Records)

Some days I find Paul & Linda McCartney's "Ram" a masterpiece, and if my mood is a bit down a disappointment or the first signs of aesthetic weakness in the world of Paul.   I remember at the time that "Ram" was going to be the ultimate Paul album, after the low-key first solo album, which I think is still an incredible record.  The up aspect of this album is "Too Many People," some say it's about Lennon, which at this time was the height of their series of poison letters to each other in the press, and in their music.   Still, it's a beautiful production that is off-kilter and a great mixture of noise and pop.  I like the entire side one, but there is a danger sign of "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" that has elements of Paul's spiritual poison against himself.  The word 'cute' comes to mind, and cuteness is not flattery in the hands of this musical genius. 

"Smile Away" is an underrated Paul masterpiece, and I like the mixture of Linda's 'girl-group' back up vocals as well as it being a very driven 'rock' song.  Side two is the so-so side, with "Heart of the Country" being a serviceable throw-a-way song. But then comes the eccentric "Monkberry Moon Delight" and then, work that is almost there on a high level, such as the last song "Back Seat of My Car," but is just product at the end of the day.  

Paul wrote six of these songs by himself, and the others are co-credited with Linda.  I'm not sure what she contributed to the songwriting or the making of the album besides her backup vocals.   When Yoko Ono added material or vocals, you know it's 100% Ono, but Linda's contribution to the Paul McCartney post-Beatle years is a mystery to me.   Not saying that Linda is not essential to the songs or recordings, but I'm curious how the relationship works in the making of music.  

As a Beatle fan, I supported financially to the John and Paul solo years up to the mid-1970s, but then I woke up from my daze and realized that this is work that is not as good or interesting as their early solo work.  The early singles and The Plastic Ono Band are masterpieces, and I feel that Paul's first album and "Another Day/"Oh Woman" are masterpieces as well.  But when it came to "Imagine" and "Ram," it was a formula that dried up.  What stayed consistent with the duo is their craftsmanship in writing proper songs.  But the genius spark went missing.   Their voices (singing) was fantastic, and everything was top-notch in backup musicians, and once in awhile they had a tremendous single or a song on an album; but very uninspiring in its scope and focus. 

"Ram" is an album, on a good day, that I look back as a wonderful album. But once I dig into it, I find troubling aspects that became larger in his later work.  Ironically enough, I love Wings "Wild Life," the album after "Ram," and also another back-to-basics work by him, as his first solo album.  There is a conflict in McCartney's work that is between inspiration/experimentation and then pop poop.  The dangerous thing is that he's very talented in making listenable pop poop, but needs to be pushed to make brilliant sonic art.  Perhaps that's the beauty of The Beatles.  That combination was magical, and once you leave the family you make music with, you are trying to replace that magic with real family members or listening or respecting too much the craft of putting together a song or record.  Still, "Ram" has crucial moments of true greatness. 

King Crimson - "Islands" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 2014/1971 (Discipline Global Mobile)

"Islands" I feel is the forgotten King Crimson album, perhaps due that its mood is very different from the first three Crimson albums.  Also, it's an album that strikes me as an arranger's album.  It's more somber except for the sexual pull of "Ladies of the Road" which is horny and suggests a slight funk edge, but still in the King Crimson format.  

Side two does it for me because there is a beautiful string orchestration piece "Prelude: Song of the Gulls" that's exquisite.   Not a classical prog piece, or classic rock work, but an actual string orchestration of beautiful music.  Four minutes of pure bliss. "Islands" reminds me of a cousin to perhaps Robert Wyatt's "Rock Bottom." It's not absurd as Wyatt, but there is a dreamy jazz feel that reminds me of that album as well as some of Miles Davis's orchestrated works with Gil Evans.  There are reflections of the previous King Crimson album "Lizard" but more sophisticated if that's the proper word.  One of my favorite Crimson albums, because it flows from cut-to-cut. 

Egisto Macchi - "Bioritmi" Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue (The Omni Recording Corporation)

I know little to nothing about Egisto Macchi, except that he's an Italian composer who worked on music for film and Television, and is a close associate of Ennio Morricone and is a member of Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza.  I have two albums by him, including "Bioritmi," and he's exceptional.  

Originally released in 1971, and reissued/remastered by the great label The Omni Recording Corporation, "Bioritmi" is a record of great feeling and beauty.  It's noted in its informative sleeve notes that there are traces or a hint of Moondog's music within its grooves.   The music here is very much a quartet of strings and distant percussion and it does move in a circular fashion just like Moondog. It's very machine-like but done by humans.  The music builds and then slowly releases its intensity.   Listening to this I think of insects working in a hive.  It's almost a musical portrait of a society working, but not necessarily a human's approach to society unless they're watching insects building a nest and obtaining food.   A quiet album or work, but with great feeling and the clockwork of giving and releasing makes "Bioritmi" a give and take the pull as one listens.  An amazing album and the composer is a genius.  

Ronnie Spector - "Try Some, Buy Some / "Tandoori Chicken" Vinyl, 7" 45 rpm, 1971 (Apple)

Ronnie Spector's "Try Some, Buy Some" is the last great Phil Spector recording.  Or I should say the last bit of greatness on vinyl with Spector's participation.  He co-produced the 45 rpm single with George Harrison, who also wrote the song.  Must credit the arrangement of the song to John Barham, who with Harrison had/has a deep interest in Indian music.  Spector is normally a collaborative artist, but one wonders how he really felt giving co-credit to another producer, even though that person wrote the song.  The same goes for John Lennon/Yoko.   Nevertheless "Try Some, Buy Some" is not only a great Spector sounding disc but one of Harrison's best songs.   His version on "Living in the Material World" is totally fabulous as well.   David Bowie's version is great too.  

It's very much the sound of Harrison at the time.  Either he was swept up by the idea of a classic Spector wall of sound - especially in his first proper solo (song orientated) album "All Things Must Pass."  An album that I have a hard time relistening due that the production makes the material sound lifeless and stiff.  On the other hand, the Spector touch is fantastic on "Try Some, Buy Some."  Harrison was very much in tune with the orchestration of his voice fighting out with the amazing amount of strings, horns, and whatever there was in the studio at the time.  A beautiful melody, but Ronnie Spector's take, is the best, just due to the strength of her fantastic voice.  One can also imagine the horrible existence of Ronnie at the time of this recording, with respect to her marriage to Spector.  

Not the easiest record to find, but this is a fantastic single.  The B-side is "Tandoori Chicken, written by Harrison and Spector, and it's a great throwaway song that's perfect for the b-side of things. 

Yes - "The Yes Album" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1971 (Atlantic)

Taft High School.  That should be the title of "The Yes Album."  I never owned this album due that every student at Taft High School had a copy of this record.   I kind of liked it that I was the 'only' person on that campus who didn't have a Yes album, especially "The Yes Album."  Overall my teenage life got better in the year 1971.  I loathe my Junior High School, but I have very few complaints about Taft.  The fact that I was fundamentally a C- student throughout the three years there, yet my social life was total straight A's.  The girls were pretty, the guys intriguing, and to base one's whole day on lunchtime at Taft was my primary goal on a daily basis.   So in that sense, I was a total success.  Still, I avoided "The Yes Album" like the plague. 

It wasn't until the year 2017 that I realized that I'm a snob.  If a great percentage of the population likes something, I'll hate it.  Clearly, as a teenager, Yes (the band)  was a major part of the machinery of teenage life.  All five members of Yes (at the time) were extremely great musicians, so it was the first fling of a well-tuned and proper recording artist that one can respect for their skills.   The thing was, I never cared for skilled musicians at the time.  I was more impressed with the imagery of a band or artist than how will they put together a song.  

Steve Howe (guitar), Chris Squire (bass), Bill Bruford (drums), Jon Anderson (vocals) and Tony Kaye (keyboards).   One can swear that all of them had proper music lessons as children.  The truth is, when one wasn't looking, I secretly admired their songs when it was played on the FM radio.   I liked "All Good People."   Even now, not listening to the album, I can hear the whole track in my mind.  It's the perfect pop ditty that stays in one's head, even when they are taking a hot bath, and your brain is just floating on top of the oiled bath water.   

A few months ago I found this album at Rockaway Records (in Silver Lake) for $4.99.  I couldn't resist buying the album.  The odd thing is that I didn't even pause and think about it, I just took it to the counter and bought "The Yes Album."  I would like to think that it was nostalgia that made me buy it, but more like an unfinished business with my past.   I was curious what a 63-year-old man would think, and how different was it from a 15-year-old teenager's ears.   To my surprise, the album doesn't suck.   For sure, the price of admission is worth it just for "Starship Trooper."  A song in three separate parts, each written by a member of the band.  The classic part is "Würm" by guitarist Steve Howe. It's a proper guitar rave-up that is catchy but also builds in intensity.   That one piece alone makes this album 'almost' essential, and it would be if I weren't such a snob. 

"Yours is No Disgrace" and "I've Seen All Good People" is pretty great as well.  But to be honest, I consistently play "Würm" over and over again.  It's almost a meditative piece of work for me.  I like to write to the music when it's background noise.  The other interesting thing about "The Yes Album" is that I feel it's the foundation for David Bowie's "Station to Station" album.  Tony Kaye who played with Yes, also worked with Bowie on "Station to Station."  Musically not the same, but the format of the album with its many themes and only having six songs strikes me as a work that influenced "Station to Station."  At this point and time, I have no interest in checking out the rest of Yes' catalog.  I think "The Yes Album" is good enough.  

Billy Fury - "The World of Billy Fury" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1971 (Decca)

This once good-looking young man was the best to come out of the United Kingdom/Pre Beatles.  A Liverpool citizen who can rock like Elvis, but made more hits by singing perfect pop songs.  Billy Fury (incredible name) was the real deal.   A lot of British rock/pop singers before the Fab Four came on the scene, were manufactured by various managers.  Fury was part of that school, yet he also wrote his own songs as well.  I can never understand why Fury wasn't a star in the States, except perhaps the presence of Elvis kept others out of the U.S. market.   

Decca throughout the years has put out "The World Of..." series.  Mostly cheap or budget best hits type of albums, but all of them had a formula graphic design, and in actuality, quite nice.  Morrissey, of course, is a fan of these series of albums that came out during the 1960s and 1970s.  This is a very pleasing collection of Fury's major hits from the early 1960s.   Fury had a lot of drama, both in his life, due to a poor working heart, and the song choices.  "I'll Never Find Another You," "Nobody's Child," and "Like I've Never Been Gone," have a tragic presence that is heightened by Fury's vocal delivery.  Women must have wept at his shows. 

The standout track for me is "Nobody's Child."  A simple arrangement, almost like a movie cowboy song, yet the lyric is almost painful to hear.   An amazing song that I'm surprised no one in the modern pop world have done a cover yet - at least as far as I know.   There are better best of Billy albums out there (mostly on CD), but this one is an excellent introduction to the wonderful Billy Fury. 

Halfnelson (Sparks) - "Halfnelson" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1971 (Bearsville)

The first time I heard Sparks' music was in 1974, and the album "Kimono My House."  It was like someone shot me in the heart, and I survived the bullet wound.  One of the few albums that had such a strong effect/influence over me, that to this day, is hard to shake off.  Once I bought this album, I immediately tracked down the first two Sparks' albums.  Both (all) are excellent.  

"Halfnelson" is Sparks, but before they changed their name due to Albert Grossman's request to do so.   A good record company/manager type of decision.   Halfnelson (Sparks) from the very beginning showed an off-beat vision of pop.  The genius level of Ron Mael's songwriting was apparent from their first album.   "Wonder Girl" "Fletcher Honorama," and others show a sophistication that's a mixture of wit and the perfect melody.  Russell Mael's songs were a total winner as well.   Also when we think of Sparks, we mostly focus on Ron and Russell Mael, but in the early days, before they hit the U.K. (Kimono and afterward) they were a functioning five-man band. One can't ignore the importance of Earl and Jim Mankey, as well as the drummer Harvey Feinstein.  A perfect unit at the time who found the perfect producer Todd Rundgren.  As the producer, he kept the Sparks/Halfnelson eccentricity in place and allowed a sense of exploration within the band's arrangements and sound.  The album to me is very tight as if it was recorded in a room with no windows, and therefore perhaps they were stranded in the studio, with nothing to do, but to make this fantastic album.  

Listening to this album in 1974, (and recorded/released in 1971) it struck me as a work of originality, and it was like getting music from Mars from actual Martians.  I always felt Sparks were outside artists, in the sense that they didn't belong to any scene or music moment.   One can think of them as the Los Angeles band or glam (Kimono), but the truth is they went beyond those categories.  Love the band, is Los Angeles.  The Beach Boys are Los Angeles.  Sparks live in Los Angeles, but the music they made came from another world or culture.  European perhaps?   They could easily be a band from France, Germany or Sweden.  Ziggy Stardust came from Mars, but Sparks/Halfnelson actually do sound they came from another galaxy.  

It is now 2017, and they are still that band from 'somewhere' else and are releasing provocative and excellent music.   

On a side note, I did write a book "Sparks-Tastic" (Rarebird Books) about my experiences of seeing this band play 21 concerts in London, each show devoted to one of their albums.  It was a life-changing experience for me, and, hopefully, my book expressed that sentiment as well as the adventure. 

Paul McCartney - "Another Day" b/w "Oh Woman, Oh Why" 45 rpm vinyl single, 1971 (Apple Records)

When comparing Paul McCartney's early solo recordings with Lennon's early solo works, it seems like there is this hidden layer where they communicate with each other through their individual recordings.   And not just by the songs themselves, but how they packaged their work.  Of course, there is the famous image of Lennon, on the "Imagine" album,  holding, what I think is a pig's ears (this is all from memory) to make fun of McCartney's main image for "Ram."   "Another Day" came out in 1971, after a series of John & Yoko recordings.  What's interesting is the songwriting credits to that song:  "Mr. & Mrs. McCartney."   The album that came out of these sessions, "Ram" is credited to Paul & Linda McCartney.  I wonder if John & Yoko didn't share credit, would Paul still credit his future recordings as Paul & Linda? 

"Another Day" is not a brilliant record, but an exquisite one.  As I write, I can hear the melody so clearly in my head.  That is Paul's genius at work.  Yet, the song has no bite or passion. It's very studied and in control.  A narrative about a housewife living her life, is a good subject matter - but it has no Ray Davies bite or wit.   And Lennon would never write such a song.  I don't think he ever wrote a narrative tune in such a manner.  His 'narrative' works are always had a touch of fantasy.  McCartney is a songwriter who believes in narration, beginning, middle, and end.  His thinking is very straight forward.  John Lennon was narrative to a certain degree, but it goes from A to C, and may end in B.   And with respect to Linda, I do wonder what she contributed to this song?   

"Oh Woman, Oh Why" is the song for me with respect to this single.  Technically the B-Side, but to me this should have been the A-Side.  Primative Paul at his best.   I actually like the first Wings album because of its roughness.  I like rough Paul more than neat and precise Paul. 

John Entwistle - "Smash Your Head Against The Wall" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1971 (Decca)

The first cut, "My Size" yells out 1971 classic rock.   The chunk-chunk guitar cords and Entwistle's voice sounds like it is recorded in another room, is classic riff-rock.  My favorite parts of a Who album are always the John Entwistle songs.  When Pete gets spiritual, John is more interested in rock n' roll issues like revenge, violence, and in a spiritual mode, how to recover a night of drinking.  "Smash Your Head Against the Wall" is the ultimate solo bass player's solo album who belongs to a major band.   And remember John wrote "Boris the Spider" the best Who song ever. 

"What Are We Doing Here?" is the song for musicians who are on an endless tour.  I imagine John wrote this between groupie and drinking sessions where one gets on a reflective thinking 'woe me" state of mind.  The truth is I'm making light of his lifestyle, but under the humor and rock n' roll behavior is a great songwriter.  To call him and Keith Moon the rhythm section is slight, due that both lead players on their instruments.  As Noel of Oasis fame had commented, if not in exact wording, that The Who is a band that has a lead singer, and a lead guitarist, but also a lead Bass player as well as the lead drummer.  That is an accurate description of The Who. 

Entwistle's first solo album is him playing everything except guitar and drums.  His arrangements are excellent, especially what he does with the horn section.  Not exactly like a soul horn section, but more of a British toot-toot horns, and it's very useful on these set of songs.  "Heaven and Hell" is a magnificent piece of work, and "Ted End" is one of Entwistle's great underrated songs.  Worth the price of this album. 

Crazy Horse - "Crazy Horse" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1971 (Reprise Records)

I can't stand the majority of Neil Young's music.  I pretty much liked everything by him through the Buffalo Springfield years - the first solo album not that much, and the second album a lot.  "After The Gold Rush"  a very good album.  Then the overrated years came upon us and still is, with respect to Young's albums.  On the other hand, his quasi-backing band Crazy Horse is great.   At least the first album. 

Once Jack Nitzsche left and the very talented Danny Whitten passed away, Crazy Horse lost their purpose.  Neil Young is very talented in surrounding himself with people who are better than him.  Nietzsche was a brilliant arranger who worked with The Rolling Stones and Phil Spector - both at their most iconic state of excellence.  Nitzsche also wrote and made superb soundtracks, for instance, "Performance."   What he added to the Crazy Horse landscape is a sense of professionalism intensity and mystique.  Every Nitzsche recording session seems to bring on a sense of urgency and energy.  Danny Whitten was the Johnny Thunders of his time/day.  Narcotics played its ugly hand against him, but a wonderful guitarist and a great songwriter, who was just getting himself started but died way too young. 

"Gone Dead Train" the opening cut on "Crazy Horse" was known to me on the "Performance" soundtrack, with Randy Newman on vocals, but here it's Danny Whitten on vocals and it sounds like bullets fired from a pistol, with respect to their rhythm section of Billy Talbot (bass) and Ralph Molina.   Young's "Dance Dance Dance" is great, but Whitten is the star here, with Nitzsche's, I think, guidance. 

There are a lot of guest players on this album:  Ry Cooder, Nils Lofgren, and I suspect Young as well (although not credited).   Probably the classic off this album is Whitten's "I Don't Want To Talk About It" which is a great song.  "Look At All The Things is totally fab as well.  The Nitzsche songs have a special magic for me.  I'm very fond of "Crow Jane Lady" which shows off the arranger's art.  A magnificent record and sadily this band didn't stay to make another album.  "Crazy Horse" is a way better album than any of Neil Young's solo efforts.