Roamin' amd ramblin' (The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation) (LP 521- 524)

The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation (CD, Not Bad Records, 1968) ***

The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation Doctor Dunbar's Prescription (Vinyl, Not Bad Records, 1968) **** 

The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation To Mum From Aynsley And The Boys (CD, Not Bad Records, 1969) **** 

The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation Remains To Be Heard (Vinyl, Not Bad Records, 1970) **

Genre: Blues 

Places I remember: Slow Boat Records, Vinyl Countdown

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Let It Ride (To Mum)

 

Gear costume: Run You Off The Hill (To Mum); Change Your Lowdown Ways (DrD'sP)

Active compensatory factors: Aynsley Dunbar first came to my attention as the drummer in Frank Zappa's early seventies Mothers, then he turned up in Journey and Jefferson Starship (1979 to 81). Wow! A serious pedigree.

I did already know about The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation though - specifically Doctor Dunbar's Prescription, as I'd seen it in Marbecks record racks but I was a bit young and the cover was a bit freaky!

When I finally caught up I was astounded how good they were! Those two middle albums in particular are amazingly diverse and enjoyable. John Mayall's production of To Mum, is in particular, spectacular.

The fourth album is a barrel scraping affair (only two tracks feature Aynsley Dunbar, so the title is accurate). Side one is strong (features those two Dunbar appearances) but side 2 is quite weak - hence the two stars.

Where do they all belong? These four, the sum total of the albums The Aysnley Dunbar Retaliation released, are reissues from 2014 on Not Bad Records: great finds on recent trips to Wellington and New Plymouth.