Joe Cocker - "Marjorine" b/w "New Age of the Lily" 45 rpm Single, 1968 (A&M)

Joe Cocker, the Britsh rhythm n' blues singer, who is an iconic figure in the rock n' roll world of the late 1960s and early 1970s also made a classic pop record as well.   "Marjorine" was my favorite cut on Cocker's first album "With a Little Help From My Friends."  I bought the album because the cover photo of Cocker was cool, and as a teenager into the product, I also liked the fact that famous musicians played on this album.  The range of talent is amazing, and I remember listening to the album, to notice the difference between Jimmy Page and Albert Lee on "Marjorine."  Throughout the album, you had musicians such as Tony Visconti, Carol Kaye (grand studio bassist), B.J. Wilson & Matthew Fisher of Procol Harum,  Steve Winwood,  and my favorite rock n' roll drummer Clem Cattini.  How can this album fail?

"With A Little Help From My Friends" is one of the first 'superstar' players on one album, that marketed itself in a fashion, where one is aware of the backing musicians behind Cocker. Also, this first album has many great versions of incredible songs, and the choices that were made were wise and totally practical in Cocker's manner and voice.   Still, the one song that impressed me the most was "Marjorine" which is a song co-written by Cocker.  It stands out compared to the rest of the album, because for one it is an original song, in an album of mostly covers, and those songs I was already familiar with, especially "Bye Bye Blackbird" (classic American songbook material), and "Feeling Alright" by Dave Mason when he was in Traffic.  Still, "Marjorine" had its own power, in that it's a beautiful melody, but performed with vigor by Cocker's voice, and the duo guitars of Page and Lee. Beautifully produced by  Denny Cordell. It's shocking to me that this song was not a radio hit of the time of its released.  I'm thrilled that I found this 45 rpm single in Rockaway Records here in Silver Lake. 

The Who - "Live At Leeds" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1970 (Decca)

My copy of The Who's "Live AT Leeds" is battered and well-played by my guess, a teenager.  If one used a DNA test on the vinyl surface, my assumption that they would find body fluids as well as various meals, and traces of dope.  I bought my copy at Rockaway Records in Silver Lake, and it was appropriately priced due to its condition.  It also had some, not all of the inserts.  For instance, the black and white photo image of The Who was missing, as well as the other photographs, including the poster.   I have to presume that more likely the original owner probably placed the photos as well as the poster on their bedroom wall, but the contracts and other paper stuff is still intact. 

Since the original release, it has been remastered, remixed, and more songs added to the package, but still, I prefer the old scratched version of this early live masterpiece.  This is The Who stretching out as a band, and it's interesting that side two only lasts around 14 minutes, when side two's "My Generation" lasts for 14:27.  And it includes a 7-minute version of "The Magic Bus."  "Live At Leeds" represents not only the live Who but a very heavy sounding Who.  One can imagine that the volume for one, must have been like a Jet taking off in a closed room.  As you can gather, The Who consisted of a lead singer, lead guitarist, lead bassist, and of course, the lead drums.  No one in the band holds back.  It's full-frontal attack that only ends in quiet dynamics of a song piece, or at the end of the show. 

"Live At Leeds" by no means is my favorite Who album, but still, it represents the year 1970, and what that meant in rock.  Clearly an important documentation of a live album, and it's aesthetic.  Songs are not intended to ape the recordings, but actually, a re-thinking of the original records or maybe the live version is the original, and the studio recordings were a softer xerox.  Nevertheless, listening to my version of this album puts me in place when I was 15 years old, and I think I actually know the kid that owned and played this album - in theory at least! 

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.  

Procol Harum - "A Whiter Shade of Pale" Vinyl LP, Album, 1967, reissue 1973 (A&M Records)

"A Whiter Shade of Pale" is one of my favorite albums.  I bought the original album in 1967 but lost it through moving between locations.  It was about four years ago I found the American reissued edition at Rockaway Records.  Which in turn, makes me want to own the mono version that was first released in the U.K.   I have a faint memory of hearing the mono and loving it because the music seemed more forceful coming from one speaker or one direction.   At the end of the day, that is just otaku chat, because nothing changes the magnificence of the music made by Procol Harum. 

For one, they had a unique sound where you hear the soulful voice, but it juxtaposes with the classical orientation of the organ.  An odd and very magnificent arrangement, especially in their hit song "A Whiter Shade of Pale."   Keith Reid's lyrics are a throwback to Charles Baudelaire and the poetry of the 19th century.   Very reflective but with visuals and language that borders more on poetry than the great American songbook literature.  Gary Brooker, the singer and who wrote most of the music for the band, has a very standard 'good voice' for soul music.  So when he sings Reid's lyrics, it is almost he is distancing himself from the literature, which in turns make the listener to listen to the words.  The classic Bob Dylan had that technique as well.  The more abstract the words are, the more you listen, and in theory, the music /words hold up for repeated visits because each listen becomes something new.  Yet, the emotional punch stays the same.  Every time I hear "A Whiter Shade of Pale (the song) I feel a great emotional tug toward sadness that I don't fully understand.    Procol Harum's performance of the song is the best, but on the other hand, there is no bad version or cover of "A Whiter Shade of Pale."  The Willie Nelson version is superb as well. 

This is not an album with one hit song, and the others are just fillers.  It's a brilliant and beautiful record from track one to eleven.  The Bob Dylan piano/organ sound from "Blonde on Blonde" and "Highway 61 Revisited" is impressive, but Procol Harum's sound is more dense and textured, due to Matthew Fisher's classical/Bach overtures.   I loved this album when I was 13, and now at 62, it's still an important piece of work for me.  I still hear new things on this LP.  

Andy Starr - "Rockin' Rolllin' Stone" 2 x Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, EP, Limited Edition (Sundazed/MGM)

Rockabilly music is for sure, falling into the rabbit hole and struggling to get up for some air.  It's a potential minefield of great recordings lost to history.  I have never heard of Andy Starr, until one day at Rockaway record shop, I decided to pick up this disc due to its cover.  I'm glad I did because it's an excellent record.

I imagine at one time there were thousands of Andy Starrs' out there, making records and then having those recordings disappear into the mist of time.   Luckily, this has recently been released as a double 45 single set,  and it's hardcore rockabilly that reminds me of the essence of someone like Jack Scott.   The band on these recordings are excellent - and very much the standard set-up of stand-up bass, electric guitar, and acoustic guitar.  The backup vocalists are also superb, which again, reminds me of Scott's arrangements and recordings.  Nevertheless,  Starr is not unique, but clearly wonderful. 

The four songs here pretty much captures the Starr universe.  I don't think there are any more recordings by Starr in commercial existence, but what we have here is four exceptional performances with great vocals and band, doing their best to burn down the studio and elsewhere beyond its walls.   Great rockabilly music.  

Andy Starr - "Rockin' Rollin' Stone" 2 x Vinyl 45 RPM EP (Record Store Day)

Andy Starr - Rockin’ Rollin’ Stone

2 x Vinyl, 45 RPM, EP, Limited Edition, Gatefold, U.S. 2013

Sundazed Music

“Hey R-rrr-oo-c-k, R-rrr-oo-c-k” pretty much says it for this limited edition double  45 rpm vinyl set.  Andy Starr is an artist I know noting about, nor have I ever heard of him till I looked up the Sundazed website to see what they were offering  today on Black Friday Record Store day.   Once I saw the cover, I rolled down to Rockaway Records to pick a copy up.   It’s a fantastic set.

“I Wanna Go South” is the key cut for me, because it really builds, builds to a slow burning intensity.  There is something nasty in these tracks and I mean nasty in the right way.  The rhythm is a slow train heading towards the South, where our singer will eventually start his own church and it seemed he made a few X-Rated comedy records as well (according to the liner notes). 

Starr is the real deal.  It is odd of a man such wonderful talent comes to only two EP’s and eight songs in all.  But perhaps that is all needed to light up the world.  The two EP’s were recorded in different times from each other.  The first one is just voice, one guitar, stand-up bass, and drums.  The second disk has back-up vocals, and if you compare the two, the second disk is Elvis at RCA, and the first one is Sun.  Nevertheless it was a mood that made me buy this record, and it shows one needs to be in tuned with one’s mood.  It never fails man.