Billy Nicholls - "Would You Believe" 2 x Vinyl, Compilation, Limited Edition, 2007/1968 (Immediate)

I had the CD of the original album but recently purchased a reissued limited-edition double-set, with the extra songs being demos and stuff that didn't make it on the original release in 1968.  "Would You Believe" is incredible.  Imagine the Psychedelic sounds of The Small Faces meeting The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds," and that equals Billy Nicholls.  I don't have that much information on Nicholls, but I believe he is sort of like Speedy Keen of Thunderclap Newman, who was a pal of Pete Townshend and helped out in the studio here and there.   Billy did the same thing for The Who in the 70s and afterward.  This comes to mind perhaps Pete hires people more talented than him!

The Small Faces helped out with the production and arrangement for the song "Would You Believe," and it clearly has their sound, but Nicholls' talent doesn't disappear in the mix whatsoever.  This album is full of brilliant British musicians of its time, with great arrangements by John Paul Jones and Arthur Greenslade, who even worked with Serge Gainsbourg.  My favorite cut here is "Girl From New York," which is the perfect combination of power pop melody with heavy 60s guitar groove that is total Mod-tastic.  The album comes from the sensibility of British Mod-era music as it went into the late 60s.  This album is the perfect sound and example of what was happening at that time, especially in London.  Try to find the double-album set, with the demos attached, because they to are fantastic.  Perfect record. 

Small Faces - "Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Limited Edition, 1996/1968 (Castle Communications)

Small Faces may or may not be geniuses, but they strike me as moments of perfection.  To this day, I'm confused what makes a Small Faces album.  I think most of their records are a collection of 45 rpm singles and their b-sides.  Their aesthetic is the 45 single, and therefore most of their albums are greatest hits collections.  Yet, in 1968, after Sgt. Pepper (1967), and before "Tommy" (1969), The Small Faces made their conceptual or narrative album.   "Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake" is not only that but also a highly designed album package, that is tricky to fold up or put the disc away in its packaging.   I have to imagine it made a significant hit on the present and future graphic artists.  And in fashion, just as important as the music inside the designed package. 

Usually, when a recording artist decides to make a concept album, it has a huge theme of some sort.  Sgt. Pepper is a made-up group, and the album's theme follows that method of narration, and of course, "Tommy" is a major statement from Pete Townshend with respect to his spirituality and perhaps a severe sexual relationship/abuse.   On the other hand, Small Faces made a concept album about a fellow following or trying to locate a disappearing moon.   And this is only on side two with a narrative spoken by British comedian who invented his own humorous language, "Unwinese."  A language that has a few words in standard English, but the listener picks up or imagines that there is a consistency in what he's saying.  Totally eccentric, and that is also the appeal of the Small Faces.   A band that was driven by its love for Rhythm n' Blues, but on the other hand, they do have this secure connection to British music halls and the Cockney culture.  It is this relationship between the two worlds that makes the Small Faces a great band.  

"Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake" is not really a masterpiece, but it's an enjoyable and unique album from 1968.  I don't think the album could have been made outside of that era or year.   It captures a certain innocence as well as the enjoyment of getting high and letting your mind wander into a recording studio.  It is also interesting to note that this album was the work from the Small Faces.  Steve Marriott left the band to form Humble Pie, with fellow pop star Peter Frampton of The Herd, who both wanted to investigate a heavier sound in their music and approach to that aesthetic.  Still, "Ogden's" is an incredible combination of charm and classic Small Faces pop.  "Afterglow," "Song of a Baker," "Lazy Sunday," (a song that Small Faces had mixed feelings about when it was released as a single by Immediate Records, but to me a classic work), and the more obscure "Happy Days Toy Town."  One often thinks of the Small Faces being the flip of the coin with The Who on the other side.  On some days, I think the Small Faces were a better band, but the truth is, both on a very street, but smart level, took their music to another platform or level.   I only know a few people who "like" the Small Faces, but I know a lot more who "love" the Small Faces.  It's a love that is richly accepted.

The Move - "Something Else From The Move" Vinyl, LP, Compilation, France, 1979 (Cube Records)

Has there ever been a band such as The Move, who moved from psych-pop to heavy, and then at times, something operatic and more significant than big?   Never on my top ten list of loves, because I keep forgetting that they exist, and that is apparently a shortsighted position on my part.  Roy Wood is not only an incredible songwriter, but the eccentricity of his stance in the pop music world is one to admire. He's an artist who accepts the abscess of too much, and often I think how is this even possible?  

The Move has two lead singers Carl Wayne and Wood.  Wood writes the material, and Carl Wayne, in a Roger Daltrey manner, takes the material like a grand actor.  If one has to compare the band with another, I have to imagine it will be The Who.  Both groups are melodic as well as thrashing, and there is a sophistication in the mix that makes it a couple of notches better than the standard pop of its era.  It's not surprising that The Move influenced Sparks because they both share the density of the overall sound, as well as songs that are double-edged in imagery and presence. 

"Something Else From The Move" is a compilation album from France.  Side one is their early singles, but including "Brontosaurus" a song when The Move was a trio featuring Jeff Lynne.  Still, this collection is Roy Wood orientated, and side two is a live set from the Marquee Club in 1968.  The reason I purchased this album is that of the live side. One can find this material in various formats, including an EP, but it's pricey to locate.  Here The Move covers Eddie Cochran ("Something Else"), as well as Spooky Tooth, The Byrds, and surprisingly Love.  Besides Cochran, which is music from the past, the other artists they covered were contemporary and very much in force still in 1968. 

The secret of The Move is that they were very baroque orientated in their arrangements, but played the material in a heavy manner.  So there are layers of sound and textures within the three-minute pop single, but also they were able to stretch out in more extended material as well.  As a compilation, it didn't take that much imagination in putting this collection together; still, it is such an enjoyable listening experience. 

The Who - "Tommy" 2 xVinyl, LP, Album, 1969 (Decca)

I was 15 years old when I purchased the "Tommy" album.  Oddly enough, considering that I'm a huge Who fan (with Keith Moon/John Entwistle) now, then, I just liked the idea that they smashed their instruments after each performance.  But at 15 I got caught up on the grand aspects of pop music, and when I heard that Pete Townshend was working on an 'opera,' well, this was going to be my first Who purchase.   I admired the Townshend scope and ambition.  Also in publications like Rolling Stone, it was reported that he worked on this project for a long time.  Once I heard it, I knew it was a masterpiece, in fact, I knew so, because being a media child at the time, it was written that "Tommy" is an iconic album.   The truth is, I played the album a few times and forgot about it.  For god sake for one, they were not The Kinks!

Within decades I avoided any album by The Who after "Tommy," but over time, and with great patience, I purchased and listened to Who records that led to their 'opera.'   As a 63-year-old man, I consider that there is no such bad thing as a bad Who album or song before "Tommy."  I lost my "Tommy" album when I made the massive switch from vinyl to CD, during the digital revolution and never replaced it as I did with the earlier Who recordings.

Last March I was on a 9-hour flight from Tokyo to Los Angeles, and in that numb state of mind, I watched the current version of The Who do "Tommy."  I loved it. Not sure if it was due to the boredom of a long plane flight and being trapped in a confining coach seat on the airline, or that I just appreciated the entertainment wherever I can find it.   But it stayed with me until I went to a local record store.  It was a week ago that I bought a used copy of "Tommy" to re-introduce myself to the record without the cultural baggage that came with the rock n' roll opera.   It brought back my memory of being 15, and now I recall why I didn't like the album that much.

The music itself is brilliant.   There is not one bad tune on the entire album.  And I even love the Keith Moon song "Tommy's Holiday Camp" as well as the always brilliant composition by Entwistle "Do You Think It's Alright?"   What I do not like is the actual sound of the album itself.  My cultural hero Kit Lambert failed The Who in the sonic department.   The recording strikes me as a demo more than a finished recorded work.  A sketch when it needed a full oil-paint on a canvas.   Keep in mind that I love Lambert's production on all Who recordings that he worked on, except for the iconic "Tommy."    If I were a total lunatic, I would collect every recording of "Tommy" possible, and I may go down that dark and slippery slope shortly, but meanwhile, I think the best version of "Tommy" is the live recordings such as the longer version of "Live at Leeds."

The big primary question is "Tommy" good for rock n' roll or pop?  I don't have an answer for that.  For one, I have always seen the album as a work that is one whole and not separated by individual song tracks. Of course, this is not always the case by the artists in question.  Still, this is how I look at albums.  I rarely look at an album and go "that's a great song, but the rest...." I take the entire work as if it is (or was) a narrative novel.   There are economic reasons why albums exist, and the difference between the 45 rpm single and the 33 1/3 long player.   But when I play an album, I'm embracing the huge world that this 12" represents to me.   "Tommy" may be one of the first albums for me (as a teenager) that led to the bigger picture of how one approaches the album.  That, and "Sgt. Pepper" of course.

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! 

Small Faces - "From The Beginning" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Mono, 2015/1967 (Decca)

In theory, this is a band that yells out "in mono" and not digitalized.  Small Faces is a series of moments that are brilliant.  The ultimate 'mod' band that could have taken over the world, but somehow kept missing the bus, train, or boat to the journey to conquer the world.   Small Faces were the perfect combo - a great lead singer, with excellent support from the other three, and all were small in height.   The foundation to their sound is dynamic R n' B but done in garage style fashion.  Their songs were not art statements, but an excellent observation of the world around them.  "My Mind's Eye" (one of the great psych songs), "Hey Girl" (one of the best "Hey" songs), "All or Nothing," and their non-original song "What'cha Gonna Do About It." 

This is youth music made by youth.  With that in mind, Small Faces were totally fucked in the management department, where they had to shop on the owner's dime.  The great thing about Steve Marriott is that he's from a big showbiz planet.  He was in the original production of "Oliver," and had quite a history even before Small Faces.  Ronnie Lane (his co-writer and the equal half), the great organ playing by Ian McLagan, and the crazed drumming by Kenny Jones.  All four elements equal a great sense of noise and purpose. 

Historically and culturally one often compares Small Faces to The Who.   They do share a vibe, in that both early careers (for Small Faces it was only 'early') seemed to be a mirror image of each other.  Pete Townshend is very much the observer who had school smarts, but Marriott and company's intelligence comes from the streets.   These four lads lived hard.  And that aspect comes through their music.  "From The Beginning" is a fantastic album.  It grooves from side one to the end of side two  Totally Mod-tastic.  

The Who - "Rarities Vol. 1 1966-1968" Vinyl, LP, Compilation, 1983 (Polydor)

Without a doubt the ugliest record design in my collection.  The fact is, I had to think for ten minutes to make a decision either way regarding purchasing this collection of Who B-sides.  Two songs here made the decision for me.  Their cover of the Rolling Stones "The Last Time" and "Under My Thumb."  Still, what bothered me greatly was the choice of the record label to use a portrait of The Who that was very much from the early 1970's when in fact, the actual recordings in this collection were made in the years 1966 -1968.  Little things like that bug me to no end!

If one forgets the cover, this is a great Who album.  B-sides have always been a fascination for me. I have enjoyed the A-side but have been consistently curious about what's happening on the flip side.  Very much like the curiosity regarding what's behind the door.   More pleasure has been found when I do play the mysterious B-side. 

For the past two years, I have been trying to locate the 45 rpm single of "The Last Time" b/w "Under My Thumb."  It's around but usually too far away (I rarely order items from overseas) or too expensive.   The Who recorded these two songs and put it out as a single as a support for the Stones who just got busted for narcotics in 1967.  The summer of love didn't mean that much in The Who world. The record is two voices of disgust, hate, and sour mood.  Which is usually a good combination for a good Who record.  The other highlight of this collection is that there are five John Entwistle songs on it. "Doctor Doctor" and "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" are brilliant pieces of pop noise. The Entwistle songs are consistently amusing because the bass playing is aggressive, loud, and then there's the French horn in the chorus.   There are not that many French horns on a pop record unless it is something done by the Who's bass player.  And the Keith Moon manic drumming also shows up a bit louder on an Entwistle tune.  Kit Lambert's (and Chris Stamp's) production is muddy, chaotic, and always sounds best in Mono.  

It's extraordinary that I have heard the title "Dogs" in conjunction with The Who, but never actually heard this record for the last fifty years.  It's fantastic!  One of the great Townshend classics that somehow went way under the radar.   And also one gets what I suspect is the Keith Moon influenced Beach Boys/Jan & Dean tunes that are in this collection as well.   "Rarities Vol. 1"  is their best album after "The Who Sell Out."

The High Numbers (The Who) "I'm the Face" b/w "Zoot Suit" Vinyl, 7" 33 1/3, Promo (Mercury)

Before The Who, there were The High Numbers.  As far as I know, there are only two songs by The High Numbers, and they are "I'm the Face" and "Zoot Suit."  The Who went on to make great records, but if push comes to a shove, I prefer these early recordings by The High Numbers.  For one, they are strange.  It's RnB but with a druggy sexual edge.   The Who were never sexy to me, but these recordings expose a certain amount of Eros in their mix.  

Both songs were written by their manager at the time, Pete Meaden (1941-1978).  He's considered to be the Mod King.   Druggy with a life that was full of danger, his greatest invention was the early Who.  Both songs capture the Mod aesthetic perfectly.  Tight, controlled, yet bordering on the manic. An excellent record. 

Thunderclap Newman - "Hollywood Dream" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1970 (Track Records)

Thunderclap Newman is a band put together by Pete Townshend and his manager Kit Lambert.   The band was a trio consisting of Pete's driver Speedy Keen, who I gather is the normal guy in the group, Andy Newman, who is the eccentric and maybe slightly older piano/sax player, and their teenage wonder guitar player Jimmy McCulloch, who ended up in Paul McCartney's Wings, when they were huge.  Why Townshend felt a need to put this band together, I think was to give Keen some attention as a songwriter.   Townshend produced and played bass on this album "Hollywood Dream." 

First of all, it's a brilliant record that probably wasn't meant to become a classic.  The scope of Keen's songs go from Hollywood myth town to getting your head together and make this album via Traffic's aesthetic of going to the country.  Thunderclap Newman didn't go to the country but instead went to Townshend's home studio in London which I suspect was a tiny hole-in-the-wall.  Each member has a distinctive sound and role in the band.  Speedy sings lead and drums, and Andy Newman and Jimmy to me are the stars of the group.  Jimmy because he was 15 or so, doing amazing guitar work, but Andy like the other Andy in the future Roxy Music, adds textures and layers of ambient sax sounds which are essential to the Thunderclap sound - and of course is amazing piano playing which sometimes reminds me of Monk meeting some turn-of-the-century whore house pianist.  It's an amazing group of sounds that fits into Keen's songwriting vision.  "Something in the Air" is the great classic hit off this album, and pretty much shows why they are great, but "Accidents" is the track that goes beyond that even by its length of nine minutes as well as an off-color joke that goes well with its length as well as it's great music.  Especially the Andy Newman freak-out sequence in the middle of the piece.  A classic. 

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. 

Billy Nicholls - "Would You Believe" CD Album, Reissue

Billy Nicholls – Would You Believe

CD Album, Reissue, Stereo, Mono, UK, 1999 (Originally 1968)

Immediate (Sequel Records)

For me this album came out of nowhere, and I couldn't believe (no pun intended with respect to the title...) no one heard this or why it hasn't become an instant 1960's classic. In a way it reminds me of the great Jackie Lomax album Is This What You Want?in that it got support from the heavy hitters of its era or year and yet, crashed down the charts.

Billy Nicholls was (and still is) an associate of The Who, and on Would You Believe he is backed by the mighty Small Faces as well as Nicky Hopkins, John Paul Jones, and Big Jim Sullivan, with production by the great Andrew Loog Oldham and issued on his Mod-tastic Immediate Records. Why didn't it sell? Well, never mind that, because this album is great.

With respect to my memory, 1968 was the year where everything was coming apart in very interesting ways. The songs got longer, and more jazzy, with an eye towards the endless horizon. So this album is very much the last stance on short perfect psych-pop songs that is also a snapshot of its year and I presume London music life as well. There's not a bad cut on this album, but the one that I play over and over again is “Girl From New York.” Just the rush of the melody and the fullness of the production makes one swoon. It's a great, great record. “London Social Degree,” “Portobello Road,” and the title cut (not written by Nicholls) are excellent as well.