Jeff Beck -"Love is Blue" (L'amour Est Bleu) b/w "I've Been Drinking" 45rpm 7" single, Blue Vinyl, 1968/2015 (Sundazed)

For a few months after leaving The Yardbirds, Jeff Beck was unpredictable. He could go heavy, Psych, blues, but I wouldn't suspect him doing Middle-of-the-Road music.  "Love is Blue" is a MOR standard, and to me, it's a crazy concept between him and the producer Mickie Most. Still, at its best, there is a trace of a Shadows influence, regarding how Beck handles his guitar duty on this French pop song.  The first 20 seconds must have people look at the record label to see it wasn't a mistake.  Once the guitar kicks in, it's Beck, but a weird Jeff.   On a kitsch level, it's masterful. But Beck and kitsch really doesn't really mix well. Especially when the backup chorus kicks in. Did Mickie Most really see Jeff Beck as the guitar hero for the granddad set in the middle of the swinging 1960s?

The B-side (thank god for B-Sides) is "I've Been Drinking" a co-write between Beck and his vocalist at the time, Rod Stewart. I have to imagine that this is the classic Jeff Beck Group lineup with Ron Wood on bass, Mickey Weller on drums, and Nicky Hopkins on piano.  I like the echo effect on Rod's voice and the underhanded backup vocals.  Sturdy, workman-like, but not on a genius level. Still, there is something always cool about Jeff Beck. It's in his DNA. 

Jeff Beck - "Tallyman" b/w "Rock My Plimsoul" 45prm single, yellow vinyl, 1967/2015 (Epic/Sundazed)

Jeff Beck always appealed to me due to his clothes sense, physical looks, and of course, his guitar playing.  There is something no-nonsense concerning his approach to music-making.  I admire that and being a fan of The Yardbirds, I feel a devotion to his time in that band.  Still, in 1968, when I purchased his album "Truth" I was disappointed in its conservative approach to rock.  I loved the craziness and wildness of The Yardbirds singles and their manic quality.  Beck, on his own, was a tad tasteful.   He had a great band, with such talent as Rod Stewart, Ron Wood as the bassist, and Mick Weller as a drummer - plus the presence of the great Nicky Hopkins.  Still, there was something missing in the mix, and I think that was due that Beck is not a songwriter.  Also, he's not a great arranger like Jimmy Page, who by the way, I don't think he's a songwriter as well.  But he knows a great tune if you get my drift. 

"Tally Man" is an interesting record/song by Beck. Written by the great Graham Gouldman, who wrote hits for The Yardbirds as well as Herman's Hermits, and produced by Mickie Most.  I believe it's Beck on lead vocals, and it's a wonderful pop song done in that Beck manner to make it heavy.  A one-off single before the album, or before he got the band together.  

Various - "Lost Legends of Surf Guitar" 2xVinyl, LP, Mono, Compilation, 2012 (Sundazed Music)

The classic era of Surf Music is in the early 1960s and for me, it is more about the sound of the recordings than anything else.  Everything here on this excellent compilation is from small independent labels throughout the United States.   What they have in common is a sound that is very much like Joe Meek's recordings, but also you can hear the first Roxy Music album as well.  Especially with the horn sound that is similar to Andy Mackay's work with Roxy.   Of course, there's the guitar sound, which is magnificent and iconic. 

"Devil Surfer" is by Scott Engel, who a few years later will turn into Scott Walker, and that cut is great.  The orchestration that hints the big screen vision of Scott's vision for his future.  The other piece I admire is The Menn's "Ian Fleming Theme" which captures the John Barry Bond vibe, as well as the remarkable "Pray for Surf" by The Essex.  Both are produced by John Hodge.  

The great thing about this type of music is that it's rock n' roll but filtered through an Exotica aesthetic that is all about the blue ocean, or communities near the water.  Even though the recordings could have been made in the Mid-West, it still conveys a fantasy.  Sundazed does great compilations, and "Lost Legends of Surf Guitar" is an important document that one can dream and dance to.

The Monkees - "The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees" Vinyl, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo, 1968/1996 (Sundazed Music)

This past 12-months, I have been slowly and carefully purchasing The Monkees' catalog on vinyl. Never a huge fan, but for sure, an admirer of their complicated work and history. The Monkees seemed to be made for a man like me, due to my age and era as a teenager. I watched every episode of the Monkees show as it was originally broadcast, I believe on NBC Network (this is from memory). Also, I purchased the first two Monkees albums, due to my love of the show. I quickly moved on to other aural pleasures, but alas, The Monkees never left! How a band that had the last grasps of the Brill Building aesthetic working for them, as well as being part of the Hippie world, and then this 'fake' band became a 'real' band. Not only that, they sabotaged their Monkees career by making the most post-punk film of its era "Head." It's laughable that the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame, so far, ignored them. Is there anything more rock n' roll and crazed than The Monkees?

"The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees is their fifth album and was made when the TV series was dead in 1968. In such a manner, this album is their version of The Beatles "White Album." In that, each member of the band produced their own songs, in separate studios, away from the others. Peter Tork, I believe, is not even on the album, except for the one song and hit "Daydream Believer." Still, when everything is falling apart, some exciting art does come up. The stronger cuts on the album are contributed by Michael Nesmith. His work here is psychedelic, with traces of drones and wild keyboard playing. There are seconds or maybe a whole minute where one would think that Tony Conrad or La Monte Young showed up at the sessions. The Davy Jones contributions are very Pop (with the capital P).  His head and soul are very much part of the London West-End stages, even as a rock n' roll figure on an American TV show and in real life. I miss Mickey Dolenz's voice on this album. He is singing on three songs, but for my taste, I feel Dolenz is one of the great pop/rock singers of his era and is still fantastic. I suspect that there is no such thing as a bad Mickey Dolenz vocal or track. 

"The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees" is very much a transitional work that is between their beginnings and their wandering years. Boyce and Hart contribute to their production (uncredited) and songwriting on two songs, and that reflects on the past. Nesmith is very much the present on this album. A strange record in an appealing manner. 

The Byrds - "The Columbia Singles '65-'67" 2xVinyl, Compilation, Mono, 2002 (Columbia/Sundazed Music)

As a kid (around 10-years old) I had the first Byrds album with "Mr. Tambourine Man" which was a huge radio hit in the Los Angeles area.   I liked it, but I never loved the record or song. Still, the presence of the 12-string lead guitar and the perfect harmonies of the band was and still is appealing to my ears.  I never took to the band full-on, and I think it's due to my prejudice against David Crosby.  I never liked his hair or his fashion sense.  Even to this day, I have a problem with him on the cover of this compilation.  His cape really bugs me.  The others in the band had a nice style, but Crosby seems to have the annoying talent of standing out.  In a sense like Brian Jones, but David is not Brian.  I tried to like him, and his songs.  And at times, I can bear his work, but his strength is within the Byrds format.   When he's singing vocals with Gene Clark or Jim (Roger) McGuinn it is really something of great beauty.  When he sings with Stills and Nash, I find his vocals really irritating.   Like a shadow-boxer, I come in and out of The Byrds world but never fall into the thought of their greatness.  Until hearing this compilation. 

This is a collection of singles from 1965 to 1967, all Mono.  In that singular format (both single and mono) is where their great strength lies.  I'm not a tech-head in the sense I can tell a difference between album cut and these recordings, but they all sound puncher and oddly enough more texture in sound.  Both A and B sides are here, and it tells a tale of the band at its best.  After Crosby and Gene Clark left the band, I stopped listening to them. I know there are fans of the later recordings, but at this time, I haven't investigated those albums/songs.   What I like about these recordings is the harshness of McGuinn's guitar against the sweet vocals that bring up the tension.  Noise/sweetness for me is a perfect cocktail, and the early Byrds captures that sense of fragile beauty very well.  Also, the excellent presence of Gene Clark, who is really the 'star' of the band, is quite magnificent in those years.   A superb collection and I think this would be the perfect introduction to The Byrds.  More so than their individual albums. 

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.  

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.

13th Floor Elevators - "The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13TH Floor Elevators" Vinyl LP, Mono

13^th Floor Elevators – The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13TH Floor Elevators

Vinyl LP, Reissue, Mono, 2010

Sundazed Music

“Oh Yeah, Yeah” is a battle cry from Roky Erickson's voice in the first cut of The Psychedelic Sounds that strikes me that great violence or terror may occur. “You Gonna Miss Me” is without a doubt one of the awesome garage rock songs, but beyond that limited category it is just a great record. The 13^th Floor Elevators are trippy in that hellish way, but beyond the smoke and mirrors this is a band that plays beautifully together. The mono edition of this vinyl kicks my butt on both the big speakers in the living room and my little teenage turntable with small speakers as well. The album is so wonderfully recorded , it just comes at you with seductive force, but also with a sense of grace as well.

“Splash 1” is one of those perfect rock ballads from the mid-'60's. It is almost Stones era Oldham like in its glamour with a touch of vintage Arthur Lee Love era vibe as well. I hear traces of vintage Stooges as well, not in their riff intensity, but more of the textural ballads that are on their first album. “Don't Fall Down” is another gem, just a priceless piece of melody and performance. “Fire Engine” is a work of genius. Lyrically, musically, it just fits in their world as one spreads butter on hot toast. Unusual sounds through out the album, this is a fantastic piece of work. Excellent.

Bob Dylan - "Blonde On Blonde" 2 x Vinyl LP, Mono

Bob Dylan – Blonde On Blonde

2 x Vinyl LP, Mono, Album, Reissue, US, 2002

Sundazed Music

I had the original mono release of this album when I was 12 years old. As a young teen, I was intrigued with the Dylan cool. I liked the way he looked and dressed in 1966. Also the album cover was very mysterious to me. I couldn't understand why the front cover photograph was out-of-focus. For sure on purpose, but did it have a deeper meaning? The black and white images inside the album was also an attention getter for me as well. Every image of Dylan on this album was unique and fetish like. Perhaps the cover conveys the feeling that Dylan cannot be captured by a mere camera. Or perhaps the year 1966 was one giant blur for him.

Artistically he was on a roll. Dylan was the first pop star that seemed to be smarter than the average pop star. He knew something, or more aware of his or our world at the time. He used the medium of the teenager's music, but he somewhat went over the typical teenager's head but still used their instrumentation.

Teenagers love Sonny & Cher, The Byrds, The Beatles, and The Stones, but for Dylan, I suspect it was guys and gals in their early 20s who are tasting the fruits and confusion of life as it was happening to them. Perhaps Dylan supplied these people a soundtrack – so if the first song on this album “Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35” conveys that we must all get stoned – that's a pretty strong message for that year. Not only that, but what does that title mean and why the additional numbers. When you get down to it, Bob Dylan is one big mystery in a world where pop singers were not mysterious at all.

I actually like thinking about Blonde On Blonde than listening to it. I only played the album a few times as a kid, and just filed it away as something important to pop culture – along with The Fugs, who I didn't get at all as a 12 year old. But saying that I think I purchased this album in all its formats through out my life. 8-track for the car, cassette, and eventually an used CD. It was recently that I purchased the re-issued version here at Rockaway Records in Silverlake. I wanted to hear something that came back to my childhood, which is the mono edition. Listening to it now I don't get the nostalgic feeling at all. I think the album is basically a snapshot of what Dylan's life was at the time. Hard poetry images (especially the titles) that convey a sense of bitterness or even meanness. But that's the classic Dylan we like, someone who doesn't pull any punches, and just cuts into the meat issue of the songs. Yet, surrounded with a sense of mystery and sometimes dread. The album lurks in my life as not an essential piece of work, but a presence that is ever-lasting and goes beyond even 'taste.' To be honest I like it, I don't like it, but I always care about Blonde On Blonde.