The Marmalade -"Man In A Shop" b/w "Cry (The Shoob Doroorie Song)" 45 rpm Single, 1967 (Epic)

This 1967 recording of "Man In A Shop" by the British band Marmalade is my favorite record of the Trump Virus Year.   I rarely spend $10 for a single, but after hearing it on YouTube, I must have this record at any cost.  Perfection is mind-boggling when something so beautiful is in your presence.  The song is structurally textured with various melodies coming and leaving, but the hook that gets me is the backward electric guitar, trumpet, and chorus. There are two lead vocals and the song is arranged with immense skill and charm.  Parts of it remind me of early David Bowie (pre-Space Oddity) with the then-charm of baroque pop.  A fantastic record that hasn't left my turntable. 

Hear it here:  "Man In A Shop" by The Marmalade

Donovan - "Donovan in Concert" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 1968 (Epic)

When this album was released in 1968, I was 14, and I remember that I avoided this album with a vengeance.  Which is strange, because I was a huge fan of his Mickie Most produced albums.  But even in 1968, the hippy-dippy version of Donovan was a turn-off to me. I can enjoy the studio albums from 1966 to 1968, but a live album at the height of flower power, no thanks. 

Decades later, and at the age of 64, I'm finally listening to "Donovan in Concert."  It's a great album, because one, his vocals are superb, and two, his minimal band behind him is fantastic.  At least in this show, he didn't do his 'hits but instead focused on his deep cuts from his studio albums from that era. What we have here is a jazz-orientated background, with Donovan coming off not so much as flower power child, but a torch singer for the Aquarius age.  "Young Girl Blues" is backed by piano, a bowed-standup bass, and light, gentle percussion and flute.  Strangely, it sort of reminds me of Nina Simone, in that like that iconic singer, can tear into the song, take it apart, and then put it back together toward the end of the piece. 

Donovan at this point in his career had the teenage female who loved the gentle folk singer, with the Scottish accent.   Still, I'm amazed that I never picked up on the sophistication of his arrangements, which to me is not all down to Mickie Most, but Donovan's sensitivity to his material, and not down-playing the hit song aspect of the material.   There's a sexual aspect, that is smokey, but one can understand that the flowers are part of the seduction of his image and sound.  Lyrically he has a journalist quality in placing the landscape to the listener.  "Donovan in Concert" is for sure very much a snapshot of that era, but years or decades later, I'm now admiring his daring of making dream music that transforms one into space, more likely a private place, but one that's in your own head. 

Terry Reid - "Bang, Bang You're Terry Reid" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1968 (Epic)

Terry Reid has good taste in covers, and he has the voice that cuts through all his material.  Terry Reid is very much his voice/guitar, organ, and drums.  With some horn and what sounds like a stand-up bass on the song "Without Expression" which to me sounds like a classic Donovan song, but alas, a Reid song.  Legend has it that Jimmy Page asked Reid to be Led Zeppelin's singer, but he turned it down, but not before recommending Robert Plant.  And there is a similar sound to Reid's voice to Plant, but I think in 1968, Terry was a better singer.  Beside Plant, there is a Nina Simone touch, and he has a feminine approach to the words.  Without saying, he can sing the ABC's and make it into a moving experience.  

"Bang, Bang, You're Terry Reid" is a fantastic album.  It's very 1968, and it's produced by pop music golden ears Mickie Most, who at this time seemed to be into a heavy sound, for instance, he produced the Jeff Beck Group at this time as well.  The thing is Reid is heavy, but he treats his songs and his covers as delicate pieces of glass.  He knows how to press hard, but he gives each song a tension that is never cliche, and like my Simone comparison, he knows how to stretch, pull, and focus on the melodic dynamic of the song.   The covers here are Sonny Bono's "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)," Donovan's "Season of the Witch," the great Gene Pitney ballad "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart," and Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues."  "Writing on the Wall" reminds me very much like The Yardbirds' "Still, I'm Sad," which they share the same producer (Most).   His version of the Cochran song has a Keith Emerson (The Nice) approach, which is unusual.  I should note here because there's no credit at all on the album that Eric Leese plays the organ and Keith Webb on the drums.  I suspect as a live act, they must have been magnificent.  Special thank you to Robert Newman for bringing Terry Reid to my attention.  

Leisure Process - "A Way You'll Never Be" b/w "Love Cascade (Dance Mix)" 12" Vinyl, 45 RPM, 1982 (Epic)

Leisure Process, sometimes billed as Leisure Process International was a duo consisting of studio musician Gary Barnacle and Max Middleton.  As far as I know, they only made two singles, with "Love Cascade" being the song that had a special dance mix.  The early 1980s was the era of the dance mix for British recordings, and one could go broke in collecting these delicate releases from the record companies of that time.   My favorite of those in that special time of perfect haircuts and big shoulders on the suit, is Leisure Process' "A Way You'll Never Be," which is a fantastic piece of music.  If I have to compare Leisure Process with another band, it would be Magazine.  Not as brilliant as Howard Devoto and company, but they share a sense of darkness in a very 'pop' orientated landscape. 

Barnacle was the sax player of choice for a lot of artists in that time, including The Clash.  In fact, if you heard a sax in a British release in that era more likely it's Gary Barnacle.  Middleton is a mystery to me and for some reason, I think of him being a music journalist of that time, but I can be wrong.  Nevertheless, this is a remarkable record, and "Love Cascade" is also a fantastic song - and a good length dance mix of this song.  They were produced by Martin Rushent, who was a great sound maker for a lot of artists such as Pete Shelley, Human League, and including the classic Buzzcocks recordings.  Not easy to find, but worth the trouble.  

Gary Glitter - "Glitter and Gold" Vinyl, 10", Mini-Album, Compilation, U.S., 1980 (Epic)

Gary Glitter is a by-product of the British pop industry.   "Gary Glitter" was invented by record producer  Mike Leander and Paul Francis Gadd, who first entered into the pop market as Paul Raven in 1960.   Leander is that rare combination of a visionary - both as a manager and as a songwriter.  The fact that he made the film soundtrack "Privilege" with Paul Jones, is the first step to his most brilliant creation, Gary Glitter, with incredible input by Gadd, who transformed himself into Glitter. 

A formula was made, that not only made money (all the gold in glitter) but also gave the world a sound - Glitter Rock.   Stripped down sound with a super heavy drum sound, mixed in with what sounds like a distorted electric guitar or maybe even a synthesizer of some sort.   For me, it is one of the great sounding rock n' roll records since Sun recordings.  It's all echo, compressed sound that sounds like Rockabilly, but from outer space.  There is a touch of Joe Meek in the madness (sound wise)  as well. 

The American side of CBS (on Epic Records) released a six-song 10" compilation that is very much the essential Gary Glitter.   I don't think anyone needs any more than the six-songs here on this mini-album, with respect to the Glitter sound and aesthetic.  It's perfection as practiced.  "Rock n' Roll" Part 1 and 2 was until ten years ago, the sound of sports rallies all around the world.  The call and response approach to rock is essentially important.  Pumping the air with your fist, it has a hyper-macho beat that swaggers and straight-forward.   Rudd and Leander made a character that is truly Ziggy Stardust but without the intellect.   Dumb, and beautiful music that's pure sound, with a mighty beat.  For me, it was a series of perfect moments.  Gary Glitter was not meant to last.  Rudd's character got in the way, and Leander went on to other adventures. 

Donovan - "Barabajagal" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1969 (Epic)

A very good, but not classic Donovan album.  "Barabajagal" is Donovan at his most hippie twee, with songs like "Happiness Runs" and "I Love My Shirt."  And even "Atlantis," still, there is really no such thing as a bad Donovan song or performance.  There is the image of Donovan as the universal folkie turned flower child, which is true.  On the flip of the other side of the coin is that Donovan is a brilliant stylist/singer who brings jazzy overtures to his melodies and arrangements.  Mickie Most produced the classic Donovan sides (like this album), but I'm never sure what Most brings to the sonic table to a Donovan session.  Most is/was comfortable working with the Jeff Beck Group (who back Donovan on two songs on this album) and Terry Reid at the time who had a "heavy" sound.  

One of my favorite Donovan songs is on this album, and it's "To Susan Waiting on the West Coast."   A tune about a soldier in Vietnam writing to his girl back home.   Simple narrative but Donovan can bring out the pathos with his overly British twee-Jazz, that works brilliantly with this song.  I'm also a fan of "Superlungs My Supergirl."  Terry Reid also did a fantastic cover of this song around the same time this album was released - again, the Mickie Most connection.   Beck and gang back Donovan on the title cut, and clearly the Beck aesthetic on guitar is very prominent on "Barabajagal."  He's riffing like crazy under the mix of rhythm and the backup singers.   Although not individually credited, I imagine Nicky Hopkins is on the album.  The piano playing is superb throughout the disc, and the only song besides the Beck group (none of the musicians besides Beck is clearly credited) is the song "Where Is She," with session great Alan Hawkshaw on piano.  The rest I think is Hopkins.  

In real time, I bought the Donovan albums when they originally released. This was the last Donovan album for me.  Perhaps due to the marketing of that time, or me moving on to my teenage years, I gave up on Donovan.  It wasn't until recently that I started to pick up on Donovan's great Epic albums to provide them with that serious re-listen.  I'm now a bigger fan of his work, looking back on material that is of course, charming, but also has elements and textures that was very much present in the late 1960s - the acceptance of music from other cultures.  In that sense, Donovan was or is a great traveler. 

Donovan - "Sunshine Superman" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Mono, 2005, Originally 1966 (Sundazed)

"Sunshine Superman," I think is the first Donovan album that I purchased in the year of its release 1966.   You can't get more 1966, than "Sunshine Superman."   The song was a big hit on the radio and very hard to avoid if one even dared to do so.  Everyone loved that song.  I clearly remember driving with my dad on Sunset Boulevard and hearing this song in another car's AM radio speaker.  Once on the radio, everyone put the volume up.   Very summer-like soundtrack. 

Donovan always had that ultimate hippie white robe thing going, but the truth is, he's a masterful pop songwriter and an incredible singer.  His appeal for me is that he has a jazzy vocal, but that is blended into his beautifully orchestrated pop music mode.  He has a very unique sound, that goes beyond the image of flute, guitar and bongo drum.  Even his earlier folk recordings had more of a jazz cafe quality than New York's Washington Square.   The other great ingredient in his overall sound of his albums is the talent of hitmaker Mickie Most.   He often used Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones on his recordings, and I suspect (especially Jones) are on "Sunshine Superman."

"Season of the Witch" is the other outstanding track beside the title that is iconic like. Druggy, groovy, and hypnotic; one would think this would be the ultimate laid back garage rock recording of all time.  It hints of exotic overtures, which makes it irresistible.   The truth is, the whole album is on that train of thought.  It flows like pouring a beautiful glass of wine into a large wine glass.  The other highlight is the closing song "Celeste" which is Donovan's most beautiful melody and delivery.  

Cheap Trick - "Dream Police" (Epic Records) Vinyl

I  have two friends who are devoted to Cheap Trick.  So I have to be very careful while writing about this band.  They love Cheap Trick.  I like Cheap Trick very much.   Like and love is close, but not the same thing.  I have the first four Cheap Trick studio albums.  "Dream Police" is my favorite.  First to give credit is vocalist Robin Zander.   Not only in the looks department but he clearly is a great singer.  If not for Cheap Trick, he surely could get a career in the theater arts.  It's not only his range, or tone of his voice, but his brilliant ability to capture the character in mostly Rick Nielsen's songs.  Although many are co-written within the band.  

The other aspect of Cheap Trick I like is that they are clearly guitar orientated rock band, but there is something orchestrational about their sonic landscape.  I don't know if they listen to orchestrated classical music, or more likely it's a Beatle influence, but there is something more than just two guitars, bass, drummer and vocalist about them.   And as I mentioned, their songs to me at least (I never read interviews with them) are fictional situations or characters.  

This is a beautifully programmed one-song-blends-to-the other type of album.  "Dream Police," the song is the full-on production that is candy-like in its pop intentions.  For me, the two songs that I play over and over again are "Gonna Raise Hell," and the beautiful ballad "Voices."  "Gonna Raise Hell" is nine minutes long, and it kind of reminds me of the intensity of the Beatles "She's So Heavy" on "Abbey Road."   Zander does some effective Lennon like screams as the music goes upwards never losing its tension in its 9-minute length.  "Voices" is a gorgeous melody made stronger by Robin's vocals, and the arrangements of the vocals alone is utterly superb. 

The beauty of Cheap Trick is that if you see their graphics/album covers it seems like they're a 'rawk' band, but again, there is another element to their work that's brilliant.  They may want to hide that aspect to their overall image, but I admire their subtle textures that run through their music.  Especially on this album.