Mountain top (Paul McCartney) (LP 4647 - 4649)

Paul McCartney  The Boys of Dungeon Lane (Vinyl, Capitol Records, 2026) **** 

Joni Mitchell  Miles of Aisles  (Vinyl, Asylum Records, 1974, 2022 reissue) ****  

Joni Mitchell  Rolling Thunder Revue (Vinyl, Rhino Records, 2025) ****  

Genre: Pop, folk rock 

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Home To Us (Macca)

Gear costume: Both Sides Now (Joni)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: These three albums came from a recent spending spree at JB Hi Fi during their 20% sale. That takes away some of the pain of paying nearly $90 for a new slice of vinyl (that was the price on the new McCartney album).

There aren't too many artists still around who I make a special hour journey to the record store for, to buy their latest album on the day of release. Macca is certainly one. His latest is The Boys of Dungeon Lane. The boys he refers to are his mates back in Liverpool's Speke district, where he grew up.

The whole album has a lovely nostalgic vibe about it - from the cover illustration that leans on a street sign from the Speke district, to an inner sleeve with copious photos of John Paul George and Ringo plus others (such as Brian, Mike McGear, and Neil Aspinall), to Ringo's appearance on one track - Home to Us, a real standout. I'd love to hear a complete album of songs like this - with both of them playing and singing up a fab storm.

It also sounds absolutely current thanks to Andrew Watt's presence and Paul's brilliance (he plays most of the instruments and obviously is the main writer). Yes, his vocal abilities as he approaches his mid-eighties aren't what they used to be, naturally, but he still sounds recognisable and full of vitality. This won't be his last studio album, I'm sure.

Joni Mitchell released her first ever live album, Miles of Aisles, in 1974. For some bizarre reason, it's taken me until 2026 to buy a copy. Bizarre because I love Joni and I've always wanted a copy of this album. When it was re-released four years ago it was priced well above my comfort level. so when I spied a new copy for $50 (with JD's 20% reduction) it was time to finally make the purchase.

Tom Scott's jazz fusion band (LA Express) are a perfect foil for Joni at this point, in between Court and Spark and The Hissing of Summer Lawns. That is balanced by half of the album being Joni alone with her guitar - so, you get the best of both worlds.

Joni's Rolling Thunder Revue was a Record Store Day album that is of historic significance. She hitched aboard Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue and this album includes material she was working on for Hejira (my favourite Joni Mitchell album). Two reasons why I enjoyed the album immensely.

Where do they all belong? Full credit to the delights of JPM and Record Store Day releases!

Walking on a wire (Richard & Linda Thompson) (LP 4646)

Richard & Linda Thompson   Shoot Out the Lights (CD, Hannibal Records, 1982) ****  

Genre: Folk rock 

Places I remember: Hope family collection

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Wall of Death

Gear costume: Did She Jump or Was She Pushed?

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: Richard Thompson and his wife Linda had a lengthy back catalogue before all turned sour in their relationship. Shoot Out the Lights was their final album together.

It's more rock than folk rock when Richard sings, and more folk than rock when Linda takes over the vocals. Her singing is a joy - even if she's singing about painful circumstances.

The AllMusic review highlights the production by Joe Boyd (clean, uncluttered), the arrangements (Spartan), and Richard Thompson's guitar work (wiry,remarkable, displaying a blazing technical skill that never interfered with his melodic sensibilities).

Where do they all belong? The only album of theirs in my collection.

Love is the key (Ray Thomas) (LP 4644 - 4645)

Ray Thomas  From Mighty Oaks  (Vinyl, Threshold Records, 1975) ***  

Ray Thomas  Hopes Wishes & Dreams  (Vinyl, Threshold Records, 1976) ****  

Genre: Prog rock 

Places I remember: Chaldon Books and Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Hey Mama Life (From Mighty Oaks)

Gear costume: In Your Song  (Hopes Wishes & Dreams)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: Ray Thomas was (he passed away in 2018) the flautist and multi-instrumentalist who is known best for his work (playing and songwriting) in The Moody Blues.

These were his only solo albums, released in the mid-seventies. An open mind is required to enjoy these albums. Having an affection for The Moodies may also be a pre-requisite. Otherwise, the gentle, folky, pastoral, soft rock that is Ray's stock and trade may become an annoyance. 

The covers to both albums by Phil Travers are worth a side comment as they perfectly capture all that gentle, folky, pastoral vibe.

The songs on his debut, From Mighty Oaks, glide by very pleasantly, starting with the orchestral sweep of the opening title track which serves as a kind of fancy overture. Nothing stands out too much however, and they probably would have found it difficult to find their place on a Moodies album.

That's not the case with his second album so much. A few of these songs could have been easily used on a Moody Blues album. Ray is in fine voice and the musicians appearing on the album are in tune with his ideas. The brass inclusion adds another dimension to the songs as well.

Where do they all belong? His best work was with The Moody Blues - where he is one writer and singer amidst others, but I'm thrilled to also have these two solo albums.

Waves become wings (This Mortal Coil) (LP 4643)

This Mortal Coil  It'll End In Tears (Vinyl, 4AD Records, 1984) ****  

Genre: Dream pop 

Places I remember: Margie's brother's collection.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Song to the Siren

Gear costume: Barramundi

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: This Mortal Coil wasn't really a band - more a loose grouping of musicians put together by 4AD's label boss as an experiment. The 'group' included two members of The Cocteau Twins - Elizabeth Fraser and Simon Raymonde. Howard DeVoto also appears on one song.

Turned out to be a great experiment as a series of covers and original songs were chosen and performed by a variety of different voices. 

The AllMusic review makes a good point about how the album helped 4AD evolve their signature sound -  a heavily reverbed wash of treated guitars and atmospheric keyboards with vocals treated as another instrument in an amorphous wash of sound.

That's certainly the sound conjured up by the musicians on It'll End in Tears.

Where do they all belong? A one off in my collection. Apparently this is the best (a cult favourite even) of the three albums under the This Mortal Coil name.

Angel baby (John Lennon) (LP 4642)

John Lennon  Roots: John Lennon Sings the Great Rock & Roll Hits (Vinyl, Adam VIII Records, 1975) *****  

Genre: Pop, Rock 

Places I remember: Nick Marfell (via Facebook)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Stand By Me (YouTube version)

Gear costume: Be My Baby (YouTube) 

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: Roots (for short) is a rare item in the Lennon discography that I used to own before a traumatic incident during a house move meant I lost it and all my Beatles bootlegs. Bit by bit, album by album I am managing to replace them but they are hard to find and when I do they tend to be expensive. If I want to sleep at night, needs must!

Thanks to Nick Marfell, I've just collected Roots again which is VERY important in Wozza's world.

Originally, it was a mail-order album that came out shortly before the Apple album Rock'n'Roll, through complicated circumstances, all based around Lennon's 'debt' to Morris Levy for ripping off You Can't Catch Me in Come Together.

It consists of rough mixes of songs that he was working on as an oldies project with Phil Spector and was only available through television sales for three days in January 1975 before a lawsuit pulled it off the market. Only 3,000 copies were sold by that point - making it a rare item in his catalogue (beware fakes though).

The two songs that initially made the album different to Rock'n'Roll were Angel Baby and Be My Baby. These have been made available on other compilations since Roots appeared but it's still great to have them as part of an alternative universe Rock'n'Roll.

Where do they all belong? Phew - one less record that haunts me in my sleep.

Inside outside (This is the Kit) (LP 4641)

This Is the Kit  Careful of Your Keepers (Vinyl, Rough Trade Records, 2023) ***  

Genre: Folk rock, alt rock

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Goodbye Bite

Gear costume: This Is When the Sky Gets Big

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: This Is the Kit is a tad confusing, being the alias for British musician Kate Stables, and also the name of the band she leads.

Careful of Your Keepers is the band's sixth studio album. I picked up a copy for $5 from JB Hi Fi in Palmerston North - mainly because I liked the cover and what I read in the quick check of reviews while I was in store. 

I'm not quite sure what to make of the record really. I tend to like alt folk rock stylings but the pace of the songs and the jittery music from This Is the Kit holds me at arm's length too much for my wholehearted liking.

Where do they all belong? I still love the shoegaze cover and I'm prepared to give this a few more goes around.

Emerald (Thin Lizzy) (LP 4637 - 4640)

Thin Lizzy  Jailbreak (CD, Vertigo Records, 1976) *****  

Thin Lizzy  Live and Dangerous (Vinyl and CD, Vertigo Records, 1978) *****  

Thin Lizzy  Black Rose: A Rock Legend (CD, Vertigo Records, 1979) ****  

Thin Lizzy  Life (Vinyl, Vertigo Records, 1983) **  

Genre: Rock

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi, Marbecks Records, Chaldon Books and Records (Life)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Don't Believe A Word (Live and Dangerous)

Gear costume: Jailbreak (Live and Dangerous)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: Jailbreak was the big breakout album (sorry) for Thin Lizzy. At that time Phil Lynott was part of a classic fabulous four with Scott Gorham/ Brian Robertson on guitars and Brian Downey on drums. Together they made a fearsome racket, but it's the songs that stand out.

Five of the nine songs from Jailbreak would enter the set list for the double live Live and Dangerous - that's how good the Jailbreak album was. Even the songs that didn't make the setlist are great. There are no duds on Jailbreak.

If I could only have one Thin Lizzy album it would be Live and Dangerous from 1978. The live album comes from the Hammersmith in London 1976 and shows in Toronto and Philadelphia in 1977. The whole record is presented as a complete gig and for once a double album is warranted to capture all the excitement.

It is Brian Robertson's last album before he left the band, so Live and Dangerous becomes a fitting tribute to him and his twin guitar foil, Scott Gorham.  

The road-tested songs are delivered with complete confidence, and the performance of each song is superb. It's still all about the songs. The band and Phil strut imperiously throughout the set, knowing that each song is a peak, definitive performance.

Where to go from there? Black Rose is where. Guitar hero Gary Moore replaces Brian Robertson on this album and he and Scott weave more magic as a dual axe attack. The songs are effective again - more varied than the older version of Thin Lizzy. Indeed AllMusic called it 'one of the '70s lost rock classics'.  

Life is another double live album - this time from 1983. It was recorded during the band's farewell tour. As it was a farewell some previous members were invited to appear - former Thin Lizzy guitarists Eric Bell (1969–73), Brian Robertson (1974–76 and 1977-78) and Gary Moore (1974, 1977 and 1978–79). 

Given all that and the fact that Live and Dangerous is one of the greatest double live albums of all time, I had high hopes for Life. Sadly, it's a shocker in comparison. Sound and playing - everything is muddy and shoddy. It's going into the for-sale pile.

Where do they all belong? At their best, Thin Lizzy is a massive hard rock band and Phl Lynott at his best is a brilliant writer, singer, bass player and band leader. Remember him that way!

Look what I've done (Think) (LP 4636)

Think  We'll Give You A Buzz (Vinyl, Think Records, 1976, reissue 2025) ****  

Genre: NZ music, Prog rock 

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Stringless Provider 

Gear costume: Look What I've Done

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: Think were a rarity in the NZ music scene in the seventies. Basically, I can only think of Ragnarok as being another progressive rock outfit.  

The band was made up of five long-haired guys: Alan Badger (bass, vocals), Phil Whitehead (guitar), Neville Jess (drums), Don Mills (keyboards), Ritchie Pickett (vocals). Phil Whitehead is maybe the best known - he was also associated with Human Instinct before Think.

Think play a mix of driving rock songs (Rippoff) and long form prog (Look What I've Done, Stringless Provider) on We'll Give You A Buzz, their only album. It's those longer songs where they excel in my opinion. There they can stretch out their ideas and all are excellent musicians so the longer pieces work well.

The only weak song is the hippy-soaked social awareness of the final song - Our Children (Think About). Apart from that it's a brilliant debut.

Where do they all belong? Special mention to the awesome cover painting by Neil Vesey - perfect for prog rock NZ style.

New fang (Them Crooked Vultures) (LP 4635)

Them Crooked Vultures  Them Crooked Vultures (CD, RCA Records, 2009) ***  

Genre: Rock 

Places I remember: Hope family collection

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Dead End Friends

Gear costume: Gunman 

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: Them Crooked Vultures is a modern supergroup with Queens of the Stoneage's Josh Homme (vocals, guitar), Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones (bass, keyboards), and Nirvana/ Foo Fighter's Dave Grohl (drums). While it's clearly a democracy of three equals, Josh Homme's vocals and guitar riffs dominates proceedings and means it sounds like a Queens of the Stoneage album more than anything.

Therein lies the problem and the reason I didn't rush to buy a copy back in 2009. I like a lot of Songs for the Deaf (which has Grohl on it) but the hard rock of that band doesn't especially move me to collect more of their albums.

That said, the drum sound and the bass are both massive! The riffs are generally fine and the three jell well together throughout. There are no clear standouts though in the song department.

Where do they all belong? They all went back to their day jobs after this collaboration.

Time of the season (The Zombies) (LP 4634)

The Zombies  Odessey and Oracle (Vinyl, Big Beat Records, 1968) *****  

Genre: Pop, Baroque pop. chamber pop, psychedelic rock 

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Time of the Season

Gear costume: Care of Cell 44

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: The Zombies was a band that had to exist in the late sixties in England. Their time, their sound, their place (Abbey Road studios of course) - a perfect marriage.

Band members on their second album, Odessey and Oracle (the misspelling was not deliberate, but very 1968!) were: Colin Blunstone (lead vocals); Rod Argent (keyboards); Paul Atkinson (guitar); Chris White (bass); Hugh Grundy (drums). 

The recipe included a heavy dollop of Rod's mellotron and other keyboards, mix with Colin's smooth/ otherworldly lead vocals, the massed vocal harmonies, all set inside melodic rock songs that are bright (sunny) and breezy.

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Where do they all belong? The indifference that met the record meant the band broke up and Colin Blunstone's solo career and the Argent band was born. Sometimes the path reveals itself.

Sunlight (The Youngbloods) (LP 4633)

The Youngbloods  Elephant Mountain (Vinyl, RCA Records, 1969) ***  

Genre: Pop rock, folk rock, jugband

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Sunlight

Gear costume: On Sir Francis Drake

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: Reading an obit in Mojo Magazine for Jesse Colin Young (he passed away in March 2025) prompted me to search out this album after it was mentioned as a peak moment.

The Youngbloods by 1969, and this album, were down to a trio of Young, Lowell (Banana) Levinger (keyboards, guitar) and Joe Bauer on drums.

It's a pretty relaxed album with Jesse's great vocals giving the songs warmth and cohesion. However, it's the instrumentals that I tend to like the most. They are interspersed throughout the album to good effect.  

Where do they all belong? The band had that big hippy hit with Get Together in 1967. Jesse would move on to have a solo career after The Youngbloods.

Over under sideways down (The Yradbirds) (LP 4630 - 4632)

The Yardbirds  Roger the Engineer (CD, Mushroom Records, 1966, reissue 1995) ****  

The Yardbirds  The Very Best of The Yardbirds (CD, Union Square Music, 2005) **** 

The Yardbirds  The Best of The Yardbirds - Shapes of Things (2CD, Music Club Deluxe, 2010) **** 

Genre: Pop 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records, second bookshop in Waipukerau)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Happenings Ten Years Time Ago

Gear costume: The Nazz Are Blue

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: I've previously included a post on my four Yardbirds singles, now it's time to feature their albums, but that's tricky.

Given the revolving door of genius guitarists (Clapton > Beck > Page) the idea of being a stable band is a luxury the band never had. The other problems were: starting with a live album (Five Live Yardbirds); having albums released in America but not the UK (For Your Love and Having a Rave Up); not having a Lennon/McCartney type writing presence; plus having a string of hit singles! But that was the early sixties for you!

All that said, The Yardbirds occupy a special place in rock history. Simply put - no one sounded like their unique blend of the blues, R&B and pop smarts.

The Yardbirds band members: Chris Dreja (rhythm guitar, bass), passed away last year; vocalist/harmonica player Keith Relf passed away in 1976; while Paul Samwell-Smith (bass) and Jim McCarty (drums) are still alive and well. Of the famous guitar trio - Jeff Beck passed away in 2023; Eric and Jimmy are still going strong.

Roger the Engineer (A.K.A. Yardbirds; A.K.A. Over Under Sideways Down) is their 1966 album that sounds like it was recorded yesterday (or 1977). It is a superb amalgam of all their talents (Jeff Beck being the guitarist du jour). It contains all original material which is often forgotten, and while being a bit inconsistent, it is still their best album.

Aside from Roger the other two albums are, more or less, essential compilations. The Very Best of The Yardbirds takes a largely chronological approach (Stroll On from Blow Up is tagged onto the end - no complaints - I love that song and film), Therefore, it includes amongst its 20 songs a number of early live tracks, belters like Train Kept A Rollin', For Your Love and Jeff's Blues, but also contains the terrible Hang on Sloopy.

The Best of The Yardbirds - Shapes of Things doubles the song count over its 2CD format. That expansion obviously gives a fuller picture of the band and as it largely ignores the live tracks, the two CD compilations work well together.

Where do they all belong? Under Jimmy Page's stewardship, the band would eventually become The New Yardbirds and then Led Zeppelin, and so it's great to see the progression to that seminal band via these albums.

Fly (The Wishing Tree) (LP 4629)

The Wishing Tree Ostara (CD, Edel Records, 2009) ****  

Genre: Prog rock, folk rock

Places I remember: FOPP

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles/ Gear costume: Falling (on YouTube)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: The Wishing Tree is a side project for Marillion's ace guitarist Steve Rothery plus singer Hannah Stobart and Paul Craddick (from the prog rock band Enchant) who is also Hannah's husband. Ostara is their second album. 

Hannah has a beautiful, distinctive voice in the floaty folky Celtic tradition. The whole album perfectly captures the special chemistry between Rothery and Stobart - their talents mesh beautifully.

Where do they all belong? The project ended with this second album as Rothery returned to Marillion duties.

Nothing left to lose (Everything But The Girl) (LP 4625 - 4628)

Everything But The Girl  At Maida Vale (BBC Maida Vale Sessions) (Vinyl, BBC Records, 2024) ***** 

Mike Oldfield  Hergest Ridge - The 1974 Demo (Vinyl, Mercury Records, 2024) **** 

Ringo Starr  Long Long Road (CD, UME Records, 2026) ***

The Moody Blues  Say It With Love (Vinyl, UME Records, 2026) ***

Genre: Alt Pop, Prog rock, Beatle pop

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Choose Love (Ringo)

Gear costume: Long Long Road (Ringo)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: The Everything But The Girl EP At Maida Vale, The Moody Blues EP, and the Mike Oldfield album were in the Record Store Day reduced price bin at JB. I find the prices on the Record Store Day releases to be crazily out of my reach so I was delighted to find these three items selling for sensible prices.

At Maida Vale has the duo working on four mood pieces - nothing pacey going on but Tracey Thorn's vocals are a treat at any speed. Ben Watt's music is sympatico with the lyrics, the 2am vibe, and Tracey's vocals.

Single is the only song that didn't appear on the parent album Fuse. It fits in well to the EP which is superb on every level.

The Mike Oldfield 1974 demo to his second album Hergest Ridge is wonderful. This could have been released in this form quite easily. Mike plays all the instruments in these recordings from The Beacon studio in Herefordshire before heading to The Manor for the final recordings. The man's a genius!

I played Hergest Ridge straight after it and it's great to compare the two. The demo lays out the path, and the proper album follows that path with gusto by adding further instruments from guest musicians (snare drum, trumpet), strings and voices.

Ringo's latest continues in the country genre with similar approach and personnel to his previous record (Look Up). He does stray from that approach once, on a re-recording of Choose Love from his 2005 album (which is, incidentally, my favourite song here). 

It's an okay album, a couple of mawkish love songs detract a little but the rest is standard weepy country territory. On the whole it's not a peak like Look Up was, but it's hard to be niggly. Ringo is 85 and still firing so good luck to him. 

BTW, I decided on a CD copy because the vinyl version was nearly three times the price at close to $90. That's crazy!

My final purchase was another Record Store Day special - a 12 inch single of The Moody Blues' Say It With Love. That and two songs on the B-side (The Story in Your Eyes/ Steppin' in a Slide Zone) are live versions taken from Days of Future Passed Live.

Where do they all belong? There are still a couple of albums in JB Hi Fi's Record Store Day bins that I have my eyes on (Yes and Joni Mitchell) but they are much more expensive items, so we'll see.

Stop press: I did pick those up when JB had a 20% off sale last weekend.