End of the line (The Allman Brothers Band) (LP 939)

The Allman Brothers Band  Shades Of two Worlds (Vinyl, Epic Records, 1991) ****  

Genre: Southern rock

Places I remember: Marbecks Records (one of the clutch of albums Roger gave me when it looked like vinyl's future was toast).

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Desert Blues

Gear costume: Kind Of Bird, Nobody Knows

Active compensatory factors: It had been a long road of recriminations and band break-ups between the late seventies and late eighties but the band got there eventually. 

Surprisingly, by 1991 The Allman Brothers Band was again home to four original members - Butch Trucks, Jaimoe, Dicky Betts and Greg Allman. By now, Warren Haynes was filling Duane's guitar spot, plus there were two new members on bass and congas/percussion.

Most importantly, this sounds like the original band in terms of spirit and musicianship thanks to the interplay and chemistry between these musicians. Helps a lot having those four originals and Greg's vocals.

Generally, the songs return to a kind of lengthy jazzy improvisation that was the calling card from 20 years before. 

I think it's a forgotten gem in their catalogue. It was forgotten a bit by me too as I launched a tad prematurely into The Marshall Tucker Band before concluding the Allmans' saga with this album.

Where do they all belong? That's it for The Allman Brothers - a staunch pillar of southern rock.

Knockin' on your door (Old And In The Way) (LP 932 - 938)

Various Old & In The Way (Vinyl, Grateful Dead Records, 1975) ****  

Genre: San Francisco, country rock 

John Mayall The World Of John Mayall Vol. 2 (Vinyl, Decca Records, 1968) ****  

Genre: Blues rock 

Claude Bolling, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Alexandre Lagoya Picnic Suite (Vinyl, CBS, 1980) ****  

Genre: Piano jazz

Sonny Terry Whoopin' (Vinyl, Alligator Records, 1984) ****  

Genre: Blues

Deep Purple/ Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Concerto For Group and Orchestra (Vinyl, Harvest Records, 1970) ** 

Genre: Pop/rock

Keith Jarrett Solo - Concerts (Vinyl, ECM Records, 1973) ****  

Genre: Piano jazz

Canned Heat Historical Figures And Ancient Heads (Vinyl, United Artists Records, 1971) ***  

Genre: Blues rock 

Places I remember: Record fair in Waipukarau (Oct 15, 2022)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: She's Too Young (John Mayall)

Gear costume: Sonny's Whoopin' the Doop (Sonny Terry)

Active compensatory factors: An eclectic bunch, right, but that's me - wide ranging taste has been a feature of my music collecting from the very beginning.

All of these albums are bunched together because it kind of made sense. For this very recent record fair, I allowed myself a budget of $150.  I did pretty well. All of those albums came to $152.

Most expensive was the Keith Jarrett triple album boxed set at $40 and the cheapest was the Claude Bolling at $12. Both of them, and the rest actually, I consider bargains. All are in excellent condition, too.

I've been after Old And In The Way (the Jerry Garcia led bunch of friends) since I admired it in Marbecks nearly 40 years ago. It's a fantastic country/bluegrass album played by musicians who love the genre.

I lost the Claude Bolling along my collecting journey so it was great to be reunited with that one, especially at that price.

I didn't realise the World of John Mayall even had a Vol. 2 sequel until I saw it at the fair. I needed to complete the set and this is an original Decca NZ pressing, just like my copy of The World of John Mayall, so a no-brainer at $15. Nor had I a clue that Sonny Terry did this album with Johnny Winter and Willie Dixon. It's as good as that combination sounds.

The Canned Heat album is an oddity in their catalogue with even Little Richard singing/playing on one track. Overall I love the familiar Canned Heat boogie tracks (bonus fab and gear track - Cherokee Dance).

That leaves a Deep Purple album which I've shied away from in the past - a rock band and a philharmonic orchestra seem too many poles apart. And you know what? I was right to avoid it for all these years - it has its moments but it's a Jon Lord album more than it is a Deep Purple one. Just sayin'.

And finally, the triple Keith Jarrett. I was hoping for something as great as The Koln Concert. Solo - Concerts takes in two dates in 1973 - Bremen and Lausanne. It's not quite as epic as the Koln Concert double peak, but over six sides Jarrett extemporizes superbly. I get a gospelly R'n'B vibe from time to time during these two shows which is intriguing and rewarding.

Where do they all belong? Until the next Record Fair comes to town, it's back to the regular run of posts for the next one.

The last poet (Eric Burdon) (LP 930 - 931)

Eric Burdon  Survivor (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1977) ***

Eric Burdon's Fire Dept.  Last Drive (Vinyl, Ariola Records, 1980) ****  

Genre: Pop/Rock 

Places I remember: Spellbound Wax Company (Gisborne); Real Groovy Records' $10 bin

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: The Last Drive

Gear costume: Highway Dealer (Survivor)

Active compensatory factors: The man is prolific! He seems to be forever forming bands, reforming bands, playing in a myriad of lineups. Throughout it all, his vocals for The Animals and with War loom large. They eclipse Eric's solo adventures but whatever the context, there is that spectacular voice. He's a giant of the rock world.

Survivor is from the late seventies and features a few guests like Maggie Bell, P. P. Arnold, Zoot Money and Alexis Korner. It's a spirited effort without rising above average. The most off putting thing about the album for me is the cover pose which makes him look too much like David Cassidy for my liking.

Last Drive is the only album by Eric Burdon's Fire Dept. Recorded in West Germany and made up of mostly European musicians it rocks harder and more consistently than Survivor. In short, Burdon sounds more committed in this setting. The band toured and broke up pretty quickly, leaving this album as its legacy. The cover on this one is great too - drawn by Eric.

Where do they all belong? More to come from Eric with War when we get back into the CDs. 

Morning dance (Spyro Gyra) (LP 929)

Spyro Gyra  Morning Dance (Vinyl, MCA Records, 1979) *** 

Genre: Modern jazz 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records and then Graham Purdy's record collection.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Morning Dance

Gear costume: Song For Lorraine 

Active compensatory factors: I bought this one for my mum when I was working at Marbecks Records. My memory is hazy on the circumstances: maybe it was her birthday, maybe she'd heard the title track somehow - it was hugely popular at the time, maybe something else. Whatever the case, I bought it for her as it seemed like the sort of stuff she'd appreciate - light and jazzy, quite cruisey and un-demanding.

Jay Beckenstein, the Brecker brothers and Tom Malone are the featured horn players in the band. John Tropea on guitar, Steve Jordan on drums also make appearances. So the expertise is there.

It sounds fine and the tunes are catchy but for some reason, maybe the synths, maybe the strings, maybe the un-demanding bit, it doesn't grab me particularly. Still - I've hung on to it because my dad did and it has a link back to my mum.

Where do they all belong? Another one of those records I'll never part with as it instantly makes me think back to 1979, when she was healthy and fun and alive.

Swan song (Brand X) (LP 928)

Brand X  Is There Anything About?  (Vinyl, Passport Records, 1982) **  

Genre: Jazz fusion 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Is There Anything About?

Gear costume: Ipanaemia 

Active compensatory factors: Definitely a swan song - Phil Collins and Robin Lumley (keyboards) both jumped ship after this album.

There's not a lot to get excited about on this one. The title track is far and away the best one. The rest is either cobbled together from old sessions or, in the case of the very last track, a 'song' taken from a cassette that captured the band rehearsing/ improvising. It's as bad as that sounds.

Unfortunately, given the eighties, it has rather too much synth noodling on it for my liking. Instead, go back to that title track and hear what was possible when they got their act together and inspired each other.

Where do they all belong? I love this genre and I'm always looking to add to it, hence a bit of a catch up over the last few Goo Goo posts. Next up when I return to this genre, unless I buy something before it alphabetically, it's back to Jan Hammer.

A word about colour (Driscoll/Auger) (LP 924 - 927)

Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity  Streetnoise (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1969) *****  

Brian Auger's Oblivion Express  Brian Auger's Oblivion Express (Vinyl, RCA Records, 1971) *****  

Brian Auger's Oblivion Express  Live Oblivion Vol.1 (Vinyl, RCA Records, 1974) ****  

Brian Auger's Oblivion Express  Happiness Heartaches (Vinyl, Warner Bros Records, 1977) **  

Genre: Jazz fusion

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Truth (Live Vol.1)

Gear costume: Bumpin On Sunset (Live Vol.1), Tropic Of Capricorn (Streetnoise)

Active compensatory factors: I am a late comer to Brian Auger. A recent article in Mojo reminded me that I needed to check out some of his albums. So I went to the Real Groovy Records website, did a search and put them all in my cart (all of the above plus a compilation of Brian Auger and The Trinity). They were all reasonably priced too - clearly he's not considered highly in demand by RG staff.

Streetnoise comes from 1969 and is pretty extraordinary. It's like nothing I've ever heard before. Julie Driscoll is a force of nature and the proggy jazz rock fusion from Auger and The Trinity is mighty.

Although there are a lot of cover songs spread over the four sides they sound like alien landings - untethered from the source material. Try, for example, Driscoll's take on The Doors' Light My fire. Wow! This album is a revelation and I've been playing it a lot.

Brian Auger's Oblivion Express took the band deep into jazz fusion territory with thrilling results. There is a real intensity to the playing (just short of Mahavishnu Orchestra style intensity) and again, I've been playing that and Live Oblivion Vol. 1 a lot as I've worked around the house doing some painting. It's been a brilliant soundtrack for that - especially the second side of the live album.

By 1977 Brian was addressing more mainstream rock sounds and Happiness Heartache is a poor album in comparison to the visceral stuff that had come before. 

Where do they all belong? He has certainly been a very prolific artist - his discography is extensive. I'll certainly be buying more whenever I come across it, whether it's first band Steampacket, his albums with Julie Driscoll, Trinity, or his  Oblivion Express.

Maiden voyage (Herbie Hancock) (LP 923)

Herbie Hancock  Maiden Voyage (Vinyl, Blue Note Records, 1965, repress 2021) ****  

Genre: Jazz 

Places I remember: Taupo's My Music

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: The Eye Of The Hurricane

Gear costume: Maiden Voyage 

Active compensatory factors: This is cerebral jazz, as opposed to the last two entries in the countdown (Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis and Pete Fountain). Instead of unmitigated fun, I can tell that Herbie carefully constructs his music to replicate sounds he hears. Apparently this is a concept album, in which he aims to create music that centres on the features and movements of an ocean.

Deep, rewarding music is what this is all about.

Musicians helping Herbie out are Ron Carter on bass, Anthony Williams on drums, Freddie Hubbard - trumpet and George Coleman - tenor sax.

Apart from Herbie, the other star here is George Coleman. I don't know too much about him but he is amazing on this album. After Hubbard's (pretty impressive) solo on Survival Of The Fittest, George takes a turn and takes the song in another direction while following the drums and having a dialogue with the piano. It's pretty impressive!

Where do they all belong? The catch up of recent jazz purchases continues - next up is a Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond.