Jackie Lomax - "Is This What You Want?" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1969 (Apple)

It seemed that a new world was opening up for The Beatles when they started their own record company Apple Records. One of the key releases from that label in 1969 is Jackie Lomax's "Is This What You Want?"  In the spirit of the times, like Leon Russell's first solo album, this is a record that had many big-named musicians playing along with Jackie, mostly due to its producer, George Harrison.   Who is also listed as arranger and wrote "Sour Milk Sea" for his old Liverpool pal.  Somewhere in the background, there's George, Paul, Ringo, Hal Blaine, Nicky Hopkins, Tony Newman, Klaus Voormann, Eric Clapton among others.  

Still, it's very much a Lomax album, due to his songwriting and voice.  He had a beautiful soulful voice, that's rich in quality and tailor-made for soul, but his work is very much crafted in the sense that it's a proper form of songwriting.  "Speak To Me," the opening cut, is very much Lomax pleading to a lover, and the Harrison production kicks in with the female backup vocals and almost a Spector like intensity.  The title song "Is This What You Want?" is my favorite piece here.  A perfect marriage of melody and Lomax's voice, which builds as the song becomes more intense.  

For an artist-run label, Apple was pretty good and had artists like Badfinger, James Taylor, Ronnie Spector, and of course Jackie Lomax.  It's a shame (or not) that Harrison didn't produce more artists.  His work with others I think are some of the strongest aspects of his talent. Lomax's album is a very solid work.  The famous names help, but in actuality, it's Jackie's presence that makes this album essential. 

Yoko Ono - "Plastic Ono Band" Vinyl, LP, Album (Secretly Canadian)

A brilliant album.  Yoko Ono's voice is like a wind instrument.  Perhaps a sax.  The more I listen to this album, the more I think of her voice as an instrument.  It mashes perfectly with Ringo, Klaus, and John.  The production is straightforward with the echo in the right place or aural location.   The ending of "Why Not" as it merges into the sound of a train is awesome.  It's beautiful work.  The whole album is perfect. Without a doubt, Public Image's Metal Box album is at the very least the cousin piece to this LP. 

John, Klaus, and Ringo are amazing.  Ringo is a great drummer, but here he goes nuts, especially on "Touch Me."   It's strange to hear this album at this moment because it feels like it was recorded this year.  Not in 1970.   The mixing of the drum set, the sturdy never failing bass playing, and John's guitar is a groove monster.   "AOS" is Yoko with Charlie Haden, Ornette Coleman, Ed Blackwell, and David Izenzon, recorded in 1968. It's a great piece of music and performance.  It's interesting to hear Yoko's voice, and again I think of it as a wind instrument, against or with Ornette's sax.  Sex as a performance!   And oddly enough it fits in perfectly with the rest of the album.  I think in 1970, John and Yoko were at their heights with respect to vision and doing their art.  And the packaging on this re-issue is excellent.  Comes with a poster of the Ornette Coleman/Yoko concert as well as a small booklet of photos - just a perfect package with the perfect "Plastic Ono Band."

Manfred Mann - "Instrumental Assassination" (Fontana) vinyl 7", 45 rpm, EP 1966

This 45 rpm EP can be seen either as a goof, or an exploration from Manfred Mann (the band) into the shadowy world of jazz, pop and arrangement.   Recorded in 1966, Manfred Mann was between lead singers when they recorded this fantastic music.   Although it is an instrumental release, there are 'vocals' on it - not clear whose voice it is, but it could be Mann (organ and piano) or Mike Hugg (drums and vibraphone).   Mann/Hugg stand out, but also the double bass playing by Dave Richmond is incredible throughout and is very much the instrument that really hooks the listener to the grooves. Beatle friend Klaus Voormann contributed recorder as well.

Manfred Mann, the band, does mostly covers or use material from other songwriters.  They have written songs, but I think their genius is in the arrangements.  Their original singer Paul Jones is one of the great British vocalists from that era, so it must have been an odd moment for them to be without a vocalist and an iconic on top of that.  Here without Jones, they cover the great RnB song "Sonny," as well as two Troggs tunes.   Their arrangement of "Sonny" I think is better than the original recording.  That I know is something that I can be shot on the spot for, but the way they play with the melody and the instrumentation is a perfect mood cocktail.  There are touches of The Modern Jazz Quartet, especially on the Mod side of the street.  I have been looking for this EP for awhile now, and I found it at HMV in Tokyo.  A great find and an amazing EP.