Play the harp (John Mayall) (LP 4679 - 4680)

John Mayall  Lots of People (Vinyl, ABC Records, 1977) ***  

John Mayall  No More Interviews (Vinyl, DJM Records, 1979) ****  

Genre: Blues rock 

Places I remember: The Little Red Bookshop

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Room to Move (Lots of People)

Gear costume: Play the Harp (Lots of People)

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 two albums come from a recent visit to The Little Red Bookshop in Hastings.

Lots of People is a live album, recorded at the Roxy in Los Angeles in 1977. Mayall employs a big horn contingent for this one. The highlight is still Room to Move with a new arrangement to accommodate those horns.

No More Interviews is a studio album from 1979 (in between the underwhelming Bottom Line and Road Show Blues - also on DJM Records). It's a spirited affair with Mayall trying out some new sounds that come with a commercial bent. It's a fine album to end the seventies - pity that it's not on Spotify.

Where do they all belong? I'm sure these won't be my last John Mayall albums - the man was certainly prolific.

Do the best you can (Billy Thorpe) (LP 4672 - 4678)

Billy Thorpe  Million Dollar Bill  (Vinyl, Infinity Records, 1975) ***  

Billy Thorpe  Pick Me Up and Play Me Loud  (Vinyl, Infinity Records, 1976) ***  

Billy Thorpe  Children of the Sun  (Vinyl, Capricorn Records, 1979) ***  

Billy Thorpe  21st Century Man   (Vinyl, Mushroom Records, 1981) ** 

Billy Thorpe  Stimulation  (Vinyl, Mushroom Records, 1981) *** 

Billy Thorpe  East of Eden's Gate  (Vinyl, Pasha Records, 1982) ***

Billy Thorpe  Solo - The Last Recordings  (CD, Liberation Records, 2007) ****

Genre: Rock

Places I remember: Record shop in Melbourne, Slow Boat Records, Real Groovy Records.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Girls of Summer (Solo),  I Really Miss You on YouTube (Million Dollar Bill)

Gear costume: It's Almost Summer (Million Dollar Bill), I Can't Stand It on YouTube (East of Eden's Gate), Since You Been Gone (Solo - 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: Billy's solo debut, Million Dollar Bill, was a new look in some ways with horns, strings as well as the usual pop smart hooks getting a look in. It was also the old Aztecs in disguise - with Gil Matthews, Warren Morgan, and Billy Kristian all appearing. The album under his own name was a statement of intent, Billy was back and doing it his way.

It's a bit inconsistent as Billy tries out a variety of styles, which generally sound sharp and in the pocket thanks to the production by Peter Dawkins (NZ's finest). Billy also includes a Beatles' cover (Drive My Car) and tries out a theme song (Theme from Million Dollar Billy). So, although commercially successful, it's a transitional album in some ways as Billy looks for a way forward as a solo artist via some funk/ rock music.

Pick Me Up and Play Me Loud came next in 1976, with the same lineup as Million Dollar Billy. It's a Billy Thorpe album, even if it's confusingly got 'Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs' on the cover!

It's similar to Million Dollar Billy in that he goes for a funk rock approach and even re-records Most People I Know (not sure why). The highlights are Bassballs and Long Live Rock'n'Roll.

The third album, Children of the Sun saw a few massive changes as Billy settled in America and used a few American session vets on the album (Leland Sklar on bass and Alvin Taylor on drums). The first side was a set of basic rock songs while side 2 features a full-blown nutso concept piece about the massive transportation of humans to a new world in outer space somewhere. Okaaaay.

Billy had indulged in lengthy tracks in The Aztecs years, fueled by acid trips, but I'm not sure whether Children of the Sun was similarly inspired. Whatever the case it's quite good as it happens, at least musically speaking. As with many concept albums the storyline makes my eyes glaze over.

The eighties dealt to many a seventies rocker and Billy is no exception. His first album of that synth led decade was 21st Century Man. Gil Matthews returns on drums, Leland Sklar on bass and Billy the rest. It's pretty meh but okay if you'd never heard him at Sunbury. 

Stimulation was a second album from 1981. On side one he moves away from the proggy psych rock of the previous two albums and returns to a more stripped back rock sound, which suits him a lot more. Gil provides the solid base and the drums at least sound like he's playing them again, while Billy rediscovers his guitar prowess at long last.

Side two is largely back to eighties synths/beats and it doesn't work as well to my ears. Not terrible, but I prefer side one.

The same dualism works for East of Eden's Gate. Some songs have the more synth driven approach, while others feature Billy showing again why he matters as a guitarist. If all of the tracks were as strong as I Can't Stand It this album would have been a monster.

The final album in my collection is Solo: The Last Recordings (although he was working on a studio album when he died called Tangier - which I'd love a copy of at some stage).

Solo is just Billy on guitar and voice - doing it his way, as he lived his life. The liner notes mention that he lived a thousand lifetimes in one, and that sums it up nicely, as does this double CD. It's superb and Billy's stories are a hoot! 

Where do they all belong? That's it for Billy Thorpe for the moment. He's a crucial guy in Aussie rock and his early death was a cruel blow for this larger-than-life rocker. His two autobiographies are awesome as well and work checking out.

Rock me baby (Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs) (LP 4669 - 4671)

Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs  Great Hits (Vinyl, Calendar Records, 1972) ***  

Billy Thorpe  Time Traveller (Vinyl, Blue Goose Music, 1980) *****

Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs  It's All Happening: 23 Original Hits (CD, Sony Music, 1997) ***

Genre: Pop, rock 

Places I remember: Slow Boat Records, Spellbound Wax Company, Vinyl Countdown

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)

Gear costume: Captain Straightman

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: Billy Thorpe is a stone cold, fair dinkum Aussie legend who lived the dream, and some.

He started out a star and stayed one until his death in 2007 from a massive heart attack. He was only 60 in Earth years, but he seemed to live five lifetimes in those 60 years.

These three compilations provide the overview, before we tackle his solo albums (Aztecs Live! at Sunbury has already been covered in this blog).

Great Hits from 1972 is a non chronological smorgasbord of the first three versions of the band which started in 1963 and hit it big with one of their first singles - a cover of Poison Ivy in 1964. 

That song and a smattering of early efforts are on all three albums - most notably on 23 Original Hits which, like Time Traveller, takes a more chronological approach.

The band went through many members in these early days (1964 to 68) with Billy the only constant. In 1969 guitar hero Lobby Lloyd joined Billy and a heavier sound evolved. When Lobby left, Billy emerged as the new axe hero - he was a talented guy! 

Of the three compilations the double album Time Traveller is easily the best. Great hits has an endearing el cheapo knock off aspect to it but it's all over the shop, while 23 Original Hits doesn't represent the heavy side of the band at all. It does include the big 1972 hit Most People I know (Think That I'm Crazy) and the bucolic Almost Summer right at the end, but it's mostly centred on those early years.

Time Traveller documents seven versions of the band, so it is much more comprehensive, even though it only has Billy Thorpe in its title and on the cover.

Where do they all belong? Fittingly, the Billy Thorpe solo albums are next.

Captain Marvel (Stan Getz) (LP 4665 - 4668)

Fleetwood Mac  The Original Fleetwood Mac (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1971) ****  

Stan Getz  Captain Marvel (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1975) ***** 

Nils Lofgren  Nils Lofgren (Vinyl, A&M Records, 1975) **** 

Renaissance  Renaissance (Vinyl, Elektra Records, 1969) **** 

Genre: Blues rock, jazz, rock, prog rock

Places I remember: Little Red Bookshop

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: I Don't Want To Know (Nils Lofgren)

Gear costume: Captain Marvel (Stan Getz), Back It Up (Nils Lofgren)

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: A recent visit to The Little Red Bookshop in Hastings resulted in these purchases. Four different genres from jazz and blues to prog rock are represented which is typical of me and my eclectic musical interests. All up - probably the best haul from TLRB that I've had to date. All are 4 or 5 star albums, and I even left a few albums behind!

The Fleetwood Mac album is interesting more than essential, as it compiles various outtakes from the early version of the band, from 1967 to 1968. 

Their chief composer, guitarist and vocalist, Peter Green, is the obvious leader of the band at this stage in their long career, being joined by John McVie (bass), Mick Fleetwood (drums), and Jeremy Spencer (guitar, vocals). 

The album is a nice companion for the other early Fleetwood Mac albums in my collection like Fleetwood Mac (1968) and Fleetwood Mac in Chicago (1969) and the cool compilation - The Pious Bird of Good Omen (1969).

Stan Getz' album from 1972, Captain Marvel, is something of a revelation. I didn't know about the album until I searched it up while in the store. 

Wowsers!! What a stellar line up! Stan leads a quintet made up of jazz superstars: Chick Corea on electric piano, bassist Stanley Clarke, Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira and drummer Tony Williams. All virtuosos on their instruments. The thing is that while they play brilliantly together, this remains very much a Stan Getz album. He is sublime!

I've always hankered after this Nils Lofgren album and its iconic cover. The album turns out to be a delightfully laid-back mix of judicious rock guitar moves and catchy songs. The AllMusic review sums it up well:  Lofgren has made harder rocking and flashier albums since his debut, but he rarely hit the pocket with the same élan as he did on Nils Lofgren, and it remains the most satisfying studio album of his career.

Renaissance was the band that two former Yardbirds (Keith Relf and Jim McCarty) formed to explore different musical genres. The band is fleshed out by Jane Relf (Keith's wife), John Hawken on keyboards and Louis Gennano on bass.  

The eponymously named Renaissance was their debut in 1969 (produced by another former Yardbirder - Paul Samwell-Smith). It includes progressive rock songs heavily rooted in folk, but also with classical and jazz influences. This is music right up my musical alley!

The album has five tracks - allowing the band to expand their thinking on those styles in true prog fashion. I am a big fan of the quirky mash-up approach used by Renaissance on this album. 

Where do they all belong? I'll need to backtrack to Nils' work in Grin at some point.

Ain't that nice (The Dixie Cups) (LP 4661 - 4664)

Jimmy Smith  Midnight Special  (Vinyl, Blue Note Records, 1961, 2023 reissue) ****  

The Dixie Cups  Chapel of Love (Vinyl, Sun Records, 1964, 2023 reissue) *** 

Various  Hotel Jolie Dame (Vinyl, Jazz Dispensary Records, 2023) *** 

Various  Transmissions from Total Refreshment Centre (Vinyl, Blue Note Records, 2023) **** 

Genre: Jazz, sixties pop. 

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Crescent (Jake Long on Transmissions...)

Gear costume: Chapel of Love (The Dixie Cups)

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: JB Hi Fi's sale bins, plus a King's Birthday 20% off deal proved too much of a temptation, recently.

The Jimmy Smith album was in the jazz section and when I did a quick search on AllMusic, I had to grab it. The lineup is great - Stanley Turrentine on sax and Kenny Burrell on guitar, and the album was part of the sessions for Back at the Chicken Shack (which I still need to buy). Both albums have Jimmy posing in the same clothes even!

This is my second Jimmy Smith album, Boss Man was the first - from my father's collection. For some reason that was the only Jimmy Smith album dad owned. Actually, now that I come to think of it, apart from Paul Desmond's work with Dave Brubeck, dad didn't seem to favour the sax sound. Trumpets? Big band horn sections? Pianos? Oh hell, yes. But not the sax as a lead instrument.

Anyway, Midnight Special is an excellent album as Turrentine and Burrell share the lead role with Jimmy. I think dad would have liked it too.

Chapel of Love was the debut album for The Dixie Cups in 1964. My attention was elsewhere at the time (I was 7) and later on with The Beatles' efforts from 1964. So, it's taken me a while to catch up (and a $9 price tag helped).

The singing threesome was made up of sisters Barbara and Rosa Hawkins and their cousin, Joan Johnson. The girls hit it big with their first single - Chapel of Love, written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector. 

The album is full of bright tunes/fun songs produced by the legendary team of Leiber and Stoller, but nothing could top that first song on side one.

The Hotel Jolie Dame compilation is a 2023 Record Store Day offering from The Jazz Dispensary label. A cunning way to present a selection from their jazzy roster. Their mission was to take listeners 'on a trip back to the summer of 1978, to an imaginary hotel deep in the heart of the French Riviera, for a day of love, abandonment, and a whole lot of psychedelia, soundtracked by sweet themes from Dizzy Gillespie, The Blackbyrds, Dorothy Ashby, and many more'.

It was a pressing limited to 5,000 copies worldwide on 'Psych-Sunset Orange Marble' vinyl. 

The music certainly lives up to their vision/hype (read more here), and is good value for $9.

Transmissions from Total Refreshment Centre is a compilation of jazz/ funk/ dub/ soul/ hip hop workouts from London's Total Refreshment Centre collective.

I'm not a hip hop fan so I tend to skip the first track from Soccer96 and, to a lesser extent, Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange - their music is a treat and the hip hop is a fitting accoutrement even if I'm not a hip hop fan, but the rest of the album is superb. Special mentions go to the lengthy jazz work outs by drummer Jake Long and lead off track on side 2 - Matters Unknown.

Given they are a collective, the music of the whole compilation hangs together well. The Blue Note album cover is also a thing of beauty. On the whole it's also well worth the $9 I paid for it. BTW - the Pitchfork review is recommended reading for its background information.

Where do they all belong? Obviously, JB Hi Fi bought a lot of stock during 2023, which is great for punters like me who are discovering new sounds via their discounted sales. Keep 'em coming JB!

Move it on over (George Thorogood and the Destroyers) (LP 4657 - 4660)

George Thorogood and the Destroyers  George Thorogood and the Destroyers (Vinyl, RCA Records, 1977) ****  

George Thorogood and the Destroyers  Move it On Over (Vinyl, Rounder Records, 1978) ***** 

George Thorogood and the Destroyers  More George Thorogood and the Destroyers (Vinyl, Rounder Records, 1980) ***   

George Thorogood & the Destroyers  Live (Vinyl, EMI Records, 1986) ****  

Genre: Blues rock 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records, Move It On Over came from a Sydney record shop (bought by dad), Live - Real Groovy Records.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Move It On Over (live version)

Gear costume: So Much Trouble (live version), I Drink Alone (Live), One Scotch, One Bourdon, One Beer (Live)

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: My first taste of George Thorogood came via the song Move It On Over which prompted me to ask dad to buy a copy for me on a business trip to Sydney. I loved that album, and that lead to me back tracking to the debut. As with so many albums, the first one that I experienced became my favourite.

The debut album is not as orgasmically great as MIOO but it has some terrific songs, mostly on side one. You Got To Lose and Can't Stop Lovin' bookend the side which also includes Madison Blues and the beyond great One Bourbon, One Scotch One Beer. This album's as raw as George would get.

Those are all excellent songs written by blues greats like John Lee Hooker, Elmore James and Earl Hooker. George and his band The Destroyers (a.k.a. The Delaware Destroyers) rock them up a storm thanks to George's boogie slide guitar playing.  This album is George at his boogie blues best.

More George Thorogood changes it up a bit and goes for a more rock'n'roll sound with the introduction of Hank Carter on saxophone. This is the version of the band I heard at the Auckland Town Hall in 1981. It was a brilliant show - one of my favourite gig memories. Although good, the album pales next to Move It On Over.

The final album on my list is the live version of the band from the mid-eighties, recorded at the Cincinnati Gardens, Ohio. 

It's a good representation of the excitement to be had at a George Thorogood and the Destroyers concert and the combo of I Drink Alone with One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer is a beast!  Yes, George - we've heard the story before, but it never gets old!! 

Where do they all belong? The boogie slide and retro blues of the Move It On Over album is the best place to start.

Closer to the edge (Thirty Seconds to Mars) (LP 4656)

Thirty Seconds to Mars  This Is War (CD, Virgin Records, 2009) **  

Genre: Rock

Places I remember: Virgin Megastore

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Closer to the Edge

Gear costume: Stranger in a Strange Land

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 band centres around two brothers - Jared Leto (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards) and Shannon Leto (drums). On This Is War they are joined by Tomo Miličević (guitars, bass, keyboards, violin).

The war that the title refers to is a legal dispute the band had with Virgin Records that lasted the two years it took them to make This Is War. The sound is a mix of synth pop, and prog rock histrionics. They remind me a bit of U2 at the pomp rockiest or Evermore (Truth of the World era). Not a bad thing, but also not something I listen to much now. Mainly because I lack the patience these days.  

Where do they all belong? I think I bought this because it featured in a list of records to hear before you die, but this one is going in the selling off pile, now that I've heard it.