Soft soundin' music (Harpers Bizarre) (LP 3404 - 3407)

Fanny  Live on Beat-club '71-'72 (Vinyl, Real Gone Music, 2024) ****  

Focus  Ship of Memories (Vinyl, Sire Records, 1977) **** 

Harpers Bizarre 4 (Vinyl, Warner Bros Records, 1969) ****  

Jade Warrior  Kites (Vinyl, Island Records, 1976) ***  

Genre: Rock, prog rock, pop.

Places I remember: The next installment of albums I bought recently in California/Colorado - Amoeba Music (Hollywood Blvd), Wax Trax Records (Denver)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Hey Bulldog (Fanny)

Gear costume: Soft Soundin' Music (Harpers Bizarre)

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

Active compensatory factors: I stupidly sold my collection of Fanny's albums years ago and have been slowly buying it back ever since. I still have a few to go, and although I found one in Amoeba Music it was really expensive so I opted for Live on Beat-club '71-'72 instead.

It's a great set. The liner notes by the band indicate that they had been road tested before these live in the studio tracks were recorded (no audience so the sound is perfect). With gusto is probably the best adjective I'd use, as the band tears into these songs with full confidence.

The Focus album is a kind of lost album. The tracks were compiled by their producer Mike Vernon. He selected previously unreleased material and compiled without any active involvement by any band member. The recordings date from January 1970 to mid-1975, and largely during unproductive recording sessions in 1973 for a follow-up studio album to Focus 3 (1972).

It sounds pretty damn fine to me. Classic Focus - adventurous, playful, and succinct (as far as prog wig-outs go). I was delighted to find it and it hasn't disappointed in the slightest.

Harpers Bizarre 4 is the final album of theirs that I have been searching for, for some time. It's actually pretty great. It kicks off with the terrific Soft Soundin' Music and keeps the quality level high throughout. Their version of The Beatles' Blackbird is well worth hearing. Ry Cooder appears on slide guitar and he's always worth listening to.

Finally in this set is another Jade Warrior album - Kites. It is described as 'intense ambient music' by the AllMusic reviewer and I do get that. I'll need to listen to it a few more times to get into it. I've found that with Jade Warrior in general. Their music rewards repeat listens.

Where do they all belong? A final post of the American A to O purchases coming up next.

Solid gold (Fanny) (LP 2512 - 2513)

Fanny  Mothers Pride (Vinyl, Reprise Records, 1973) ***

Fanny  Rock And Roll Survivors (Vinyl, Casablanca Records, 1974) ***

Genre: pop, rock

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Beside Yourself (Mothers Pride)

Gear costume:  Butter Boy (Rock And Roll Survivors)

Active compensatory factors: Back in the day, all women rock band, Fanny, were a favourite of mine because of their covers of Beatles' song Hey Bulldog, and Cream's Badge. Those are on the earlier albums (Fanny, Charity Ball) which I sold*. Doh!

Mothers Pride (no apostrophe from these rebels) was produced in overly exuberate fashion by Todd Rundgren (worst offender is I Need You Need Me). It's better when he scales back on the histrionics for Polecat Blues and Beside Myself. The off key singing on Solid Gold by drummer Alice de Buhr isn't fun.

She and guitarist June Millington left the band for Rock And Roll Survivors (Brie Howard and Patti Quatro joined). It sounds more polished and commercial (very Casablanca in other words) and is therefore missing the rawness of those first two albums.

Where do they all belong? *I used to have these but I sold them all off many years ago. Dumb. Now I'm trying to collect the first two again.

Shine (Nickey Barclay) (LP 1098)

Nickey Barclay  Diamond In A Junkyard (Vinyl, Ariola America Records, 1976) ***  

Genre: Pop, rock

Places I remember: Vinyl Countdown (el cheapo bins)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: You Can't Love Somebody

Gear costume: Didn't I

Active compensatory factors: I am a fan of Fanny (the band stoopid), and Nickey was a key component of that all female band, playing keyboards and singing. As well as contributing songs.

This was her first (and only) solo offering after she left Fanny. 

The cover image sums her and the album up. She ain't smiling! Instead, we get a sober bunch of introspective (good) songs. 

Where do they all belong? I guess she was disillusioned by the rock biz experience, as she hasn't put out a record since, instead she relocated to the UK and has appeared sporadically. The one interview I read was full of frustration, with clear-eyed views of music and musicians.