All or nothing (Small Faces) (LP 314 - 315)

Small Faces The Autumn Stone (Vinyl - Immediate, 1969) ****
Small Faces Biggest Small Faces (Vinyl - Immediate, 1972) ****

Genre: English pop  

Places I remember: Vinyl Countdown, New Plymouth 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Tin Soldier




Gear costume: Itchycoo Park  

Active compensatory factors: This one is an oddity in a crazy discography that is really... odd. Small Faces (the definite article is pesky with this band - there isn't one) were largely a singles band (Ogden's is the exception) whose first two albums were both called 'Small Faces'. Odd!

Compilations quickly became the order of the day after they split in 1968. With Decca and Immediate both having claims to various songs. 

The Autumn Stone was a double album mop up of singles, rare live recordings and material for their last album that was never released.

To add to the oddity, Biggest Small Faces was a single album culled from The Autumn Stone released three years earlier!! ODD!!

As you can see, the cover is similar and it was cheap! Which is where I come in, having bought this truncated version in 1972. 

It's a highly schizophrenic document, with a studio side and a live side (The Autumn Stone mixes them all up! Course it does). 

Of course I knew nothing of all this history at the time: I was seduced by the few hits I recognised and the low budget price (hey - I was a teenager in 1972 with a very limited source of parental income).

I've grown fonder of it over time, having sold it many years ago and bought it again recently.

Where do they all belong? The best place to start is this recent Ultimate Collection CD package that finally unites the different labels and provides a great overview of this dynamic, but doomed band.

Remember them this way!

Happiness Stan (Small Faces) (LP 3807 - 3808)

Small Faces  Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake (CD, Castle Records, 1968) *****  

Small Faces  Ultimate Collection (2CD, Sanctuary Records, 2003) ***** 

Genre: Pop

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records, HMV

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: After Glow

Gear costume: Lazy Sunday, What'cha Gonna Do About It? (Ultimate Collection)

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

Active compensatory factors: I have mentioned their Autumn Stone album before in the blog, but not their celebrated album of 1968 - Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake. Famous for the circular packaging, some classic Small Faces songs and Stanley Unwin's off this planet links between songs.

I think of Small Faces as mostly a singles band, with one exception - Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake. Even this album is weird though, with a variety of styles plus the Happiness Stan story featuring Stanley Unwin.

Amongst all this psychedelic weirdness is some amazing, inspired music. As such, it became the band's crowning achievement.

Where do they all belong? A best of compilation like Ultimate Collection is the best place to start. It's a double CD split between Decca sessions and Intermediate sessions. So, you get stone cold classics all over the place.

You wear it well (Rod Stewart) (LP 3987 - 3995)

Rod Stewart  An Old Raincoat Will Never Let You Down (a.k.a. The Rod Stewart Album) (Vinyl, Mercury Records, 1969) *** 

Rod Stewart  Gasoline Alley (Vinyl, Mercury Records, 1970) ***** 

Rod Stewart  Every Picture Tells a Story (Vinyl and CD, Mercury Records, 1971) ***** 

Rod Stewart  Never a Dull Moment (Vinyl, Mercury Records, 1972) ***** 

Rod Stewart  Atlantic Crossing (Vinyl, Warner Bros. Records, 1975) *** 

Rod Stewart  A Night on the Town (Vinyl, Warner Bros. Records, 1976) ***

Rod Stewart  Blondes Have More Fun (Vinyl, Warner Bros. Records, 1978) ****  

Rod Stewart  Absolutely Live (CD, Warner Bros. Records, 1982) ***

Rod Stewart  Unplugged...and Seated (CD, Warner Bros. Records, 1993) ***    

Genre: Pop, rock

Places I remember: Spellbound Wax Company, JB Hi Fi, Real Groovy Records, Blondes Have More Fun was a gift from Ness at Marbecks., Shona Walding collection.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Maggie May (Every Picture)

Gear costume: Mandolin Wind (Every Picture), Blondes Have More Fun 

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

Active compensatory factors: Rockin' Rod has already appeared in my catalogue countdown via his links to the Faces albums. 

Right from the start, he has always maintained a solo career as well as appearing for Faces and in other contexts. Often the same musicians appear and the music is often very similar.

His first proper solo album was named The Rod Stewart Album in America and An Old Raincoat Will Never Let You Down in the UK. Just as Rod has moved between solo and Faces assignments, so has Ronnie Wood. He appears here as well as Ian McLagan. Keith Emerson and Micky Waller are also on it. 

Rod's singing successfully marries folk, blues and rock on this debut. He also emerges as a highly effective songwriter. He's a talented lad! Key songs are his version of Handbags and Gladrags, his own Cindy's Lament, and Man of Constant Sorrow.

Gasoline Alley started a run of albums that included all Faces members and a golden run of success in commercial and artistic terms. 

The title song by Rod and Ronnie sounds like an instant standard. The rest of the album contains a mixture of covers and some originals - also something that would become a hallmark of Rod Stewart albums to come. Rod can do it all!

The high water marks would be this album, Every Picture Tells a Story and Never a Dull Moment.

Every Picture Tells a Story was the first taste of Rod that many of us got via Maggie May's success. He's a lovable rogue and Every Picture is a lovable album. 

Here's why: it's folk rock innit; there's brilliant use of the mandolin (by Lindisfarne's Ray Jackson); the whole thing is fresh, immediate and suitably unpolished - almost sloppy (That's All Right); Rod's singing is at its peak - soulful on Seems Like A Long Time, raucous on the title track, introspective on Mandolin Wind, folky on his peerless version of Reason To Believe, eerily sensitive on Dylan's Tomorrow Is A Long Time, Faces' style rock on (I Know) I'm Losing You; his writing definitely peaked - Mandolin Wind (his best ever song), and co-writes on Every Picture and Maggie May.

Ah, Maggie May.

That's the one that did it for me in 1971.

The single was huge obviously, for him and for us. At the time I wasn't aware of Steampacket, Jeff Beck or Faces (Small Faces yes, but I didn't realise the connection to Faces in 1971). Nor did I know he'd already had two solo albums released. 

Maggie May came out of nowhere!! And it hit with a wallop and a half. Debauchery! Randy scouse git fersure! Right there on our radios. Oooo er. My sympathies were with him from then on. 

Never a Dull Moment continued the momentum superbly. Turned out it was his last album to amalgamate the folk and rock strands - a great example is You Wear It Well. The covers are excellent again - Hendrix's Angel becomes Rod's own.

Atlantic Crossing is next (I haven't bothered with Smiler) and the change is obvious from the cover. The Britt Ekland era was upon him (1975 to 77) and the glammed up slick jet set Rod was on full display. The music is divided into a fast and a slow side (which doesn't really work for me) - that would persist for the next few albums. In this case the slow side is the better one, crowned by a sublime version of Sailing.

Gone were Faces members, replaced by American session musicians for the foreseeable future. I get that he couldn't keep doing the same old same old but he lost some feel along the way. 

A Night on the Town continued the mainstream success with The Killing of Georgie Parts 1 and 2 being a standout on the slow side. I lost track of him with Foot Loose and Fancy Free (too slick, too glib for my tastes - I prefer it when he means it).

Blondes Have More Fun was a gift from a co-worker at Marbecks and I loved it. It's fun to listen to still, even though he has a go at disco - Do Ya Think I'm Sexy is terrific. The looseness on tracks like Attractive Female Wanted and Ain't Love a Bitch is welcome, and the title track rocks like crazy!

That's it for studio albums. I stopped before the rot set in in the eighties. Live is where Rod can come fully alive. I have two live albums and they present different looks. Unfortunately, they don't really capture the brilliance of his live show like his work with Faces does.

Absolutely Live is first. It got a bad press at the time, but I like it - mainly because it reminds me of a time working at Marbecks and playing this in the shop. It's not brilliant but it has its moments.

Unplugged...and Seated was part of the MTV series where rockers returned to their back catalogue in a relaxed acoustic setting. Rod reunites with old mucker Ron Wood for his set. It's a pleasant journey with their easy rapport together part of the appeal. 

Where do they all belong? I'm fairly comfortable with my Rod Stewart albums. I do also have five or six compilations that have accumulated over the years.

I'm ready (Humble Pie) (LP 2789 - 2790)

Humble Pie Performance Rockin' The Fillmore (CD, A&M Records, 1971) **

Humble Pie The Crust of Humble Pie (Vinyl, Immediate Records, 1972) ****  

Genre: Rock

Places I remember: Fives; Spellbound Wax Company

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Cold Lady

Gear costume: Home and Away 

Active compensatory factors: By rights I should love Humble Pie. The double guitar attack (Peter Frampton and Marriott) and the voice of Steve Marriott are big draw cards. 

But when I bought Performance I was hugely disappointed. The long rambling numbers and the obnoxious side of Marriott on a few numbers mean I shelved the album. Rolling Stone being the worst offender - apart from being just plain offensive it's also just plain boring. Sixteen minutes looong! No thanks.

The album hasn't grown on me since, although the more focused songs like Four Day Creep and Stone Cold Fever have meant that I've hung onto it. 

The Crust of Humble Pie is a compilation put out by Immediate in 1972. Interestingly, none of the Performance songs make an appearance on the compilation.

Instead, it presents 10 songs from the band's first two albums on Immediate (As Safe As Yesterday Is, Town and Country). For my money these are far superior to the bombastic stuff they churned out for A&M.

There are a few lingering elements from The Small Faces on these songs and Steve Marriott is in fine vocal form. At his best he is peerless.

Where do they all belong? I love The Small Faces and there is more to come when we get to them in the collection, but I'm not tempted to buy any more Humble Pie beyond The Crust of Humble Pie.

How's your day been today? (Split Ends) #353

Split Ends The Sweet Talkin' Spoon Song/ One Two Nine (EMI, HR 512, 1973)

The first time is often the best, in my experience.

The first time I clapped eyes on SE was on the New Faces TV programme in 1973. It wasn't quite the same experience that I'd had watching The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, but it was close.

They came second to last in the finals but Sweet Talkin' Spoon Song by the uber cool looking fellow kiwis had already become absorbed into my brain for evermore.

A school friend (take a bow Michael Budd) gave me a copy of the single (their second as Split Ends - the name would change to Split Enz for the third), and it quickly became a favourite in my collection.

This was a clever, fun, singalong, inventive song and a huge moment in NZ music. The song shape shifts around old time music hall, Small Faces mod, Beatles inspired invention/ harmonies, The Who's Pictures Of Lily style lyrics and barbershop. 

It just burrows into your skin. Cor!!!

Hidden gem: Oh yeah baby! One Two Nine retains the mandolin hook from the A side, as well as the invention and the pop smarts in glorious style. 

Sorry to be so gushy but this was a secret world of musical wonder that was right up my alley in 1973 and still is!

Flags and banners (Ronnie Lane) (LP 2084 - 2085)

Ronnie Lane and Slim Chance  Ooh La La - An Island Harvest (CD, Universal-Island Records, 2014) **** 

Ronnie Lane and Slim Chance  At The BBC (Vinyl, UMC, 2019) ****  

Genre: Folk rock 

Places I remember: JB Hi-Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Anniversary (At The BBC - live in concert)

Gear costume: All Or Nothing (At The BBC - John Peel sessions)

Active compensatory factors: I like Ronnie's post Small Faces/Faces attitude: get a bunch of carney loving mates who can really play, use a self-deprecating name for the band, tour around the place with a carnival atmosphere, put out some albums and see what happens.

The first of these above is a compilation of classics, unreleased gems, and rarities and as such is a great introduction to the charms of Ronnies adventures from 1973 onwards. That song selection really suits Ronnie.

At The BBC is another two disc set. One record has the John Peel Sessions and the other is a live concert at the Golders Green Hippodrome.

It's another fine addition to his legacy. His warmth and sincerity shines through everything he does.

Where do they all belong? That's it for Ronnie Lane for the moment. Next up in folk rock is Lindisfarne.

Over the bridge of sighs to rest my eyes in shades of green (Small Faces)

Well well well - what's this then? Wozza learning the guitar? Well yes - I believe it is!

Based on the theory that it's never too late to learn (rather than the maxim that you can't teach an old dog new tricks) I recently bought a guitar from a music shop in Dubai, with my son Adam's help. It was the music shop in the Dubai Mall. Sadek Music I think it's called.

It's just a basic classic guitar. I also bought, on a subsequent visit, a nifty little tuning device that I can use and an Idiot's Guide to Playing The Guitar book from the music section in that huge bookshop in the Dubai Mall.

Now the tricky bit - learning to play it!!

So far I'm doing the warm up exercises and trying to get my fingers used to where the frets are and where the strings are! It's tricky but the Eddy Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie little memory device tells me where the strings are (EADGBE) from top to bottom.

I'll keep you posted on my progress via the blog - that way I have incentive to keep progressing.

Love and peace - Wozza

Rock zone (Scorpions) (LP 478-479)

Scorpions Sting In The Tail (CD, Sony Music, 2010) *** 

Scorpions Comeback (CD, Sony Music, 2011) *** 

Genre: European pop/ rock 

Places I remember: Both came from my time in the Middle East - an Al Ain music store and Dubai Mall's Virgin Mega Store

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Blackout (Comeback); Raised On Rock (SITT)

Gear costume: Winds Of Change (always great hearing this); Tainted Love (both Comeback)

Active compensatory factors: Appropriately, I developed a thing for Scorpions during my stay in the Middle East (2009 to 2012). We did come across a few of the real thing in the desert and around an oasis in Al Ain. 

As for the German rock group: there was something great about blasting their brand of hard rock while driving to and from the school where I was advising.

Sting In The Tail is the band having one last hurrah (almost) in 2010 as they subsequently said their goodbyes during a farewell tour. My only quibble: even though it's only got 12 songs, it feels too long (a common problem in the CD years).

Comeback is the actual last hurrah and on the surface sounds a dubious proposition: one last visit to the studio to re-record their high points and pay tribute to bands and songs that had inspired them (Beatles, Stones, Kinks, T Rex, Small Faces, Soft Cell). 

The redone songs sound great and of the uneven cover versions Tainted Love is massive and a perfect fit for them. On the whole this is a worthy package.

Where do they all belong? Concludes the European section of my CD collection.

In the midnight moonlight hour

43 The Tremeloes, 'Here Comes My Baby'

Infectious pop music from 1967 floats my boat, pretty much every time.

I was ten years old in 1967. I got my first grown up bike, took my first tentative steps away from my mum (she let go of the seat and I was off), and listening to great pop music. The summer of 1967 was "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour), Eric Burdon & The Animals (Winds of Change), The Doors (The Doors and Strange Days), Jefferson Airplane (Surrealistic Pillow and After Bathing at Baxter's), Pink Floyd (The Piper at the Gates of Dawn), Love (Forever Changes), Cream (Disraeli Gears), The Rolling Stones (Their Satanic Majesties Request), The Who (The Who Sell Out), The Velvet Underground (The Velvet Underground & Nico), and The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Are You Experienced? and Axis: Bold As Love).

But I wasn't listening to this stuff (they would all come much later), instead I was aware only of songs. For example: The Small Faces - Itchycoo Park, The Beatles - Yellow Submarine, and The Tremeloes - Here Comes My Baby.

Especially The Tremeloes.


So, what do you notice about this video? It's obvious isn't it. The smiles. You can see the pure joy of singing this fun song about being dumped for another guy. I was 10 - being dumped for another guy wouldn't happen properly for another 9 years - thanks Dallas! All I was reacting to was the cow bell, the whoops of joy around the song, the beat, and the smiles that could be heard in the voices. Watching this video just makes me feel good. And that's important.

Go all the way (Raspberries) (LP 3604 - 3609)

Raspberries  Raspberries (Vinyl, Capitol Records, 1972) ****  

Raspberries  Fresh Raspberries (Vinyl, Capitol Records, 1972) *****  

Raspberries  Side 3 (Vinyl, Capitol Records, 1973) *****  

Raspberries  Starting Over (Vinyl, Capitol Records, 1974) ***  

Raspberries  Raspberries Live on Sunset Strip (CD/DVD, Ryko Records, 2007) ****

Raspberries  The Raspberries - Capitol Collector Series (CD, Capitol Records, 1991) *****   

Genre: Power pop 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records, Marbecks Records, HMV

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Go All The Way (Raspberries)

Gear costume: Ecstasy (Side 3), Drivin' Around (Fresh)

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

Active compensatory factors: I love a wide range of power pop bands. These tend to be bands heavily influenced by The Beatles (songcraft), The Who (those power chords), The Small Faces, The Beach Boys (those harmonies) and The Hollies amongst others.

Two of the best power poppers were Badfinger and Raspberries. They have a few similarities in that they had a range of different writers and singers to carry the load and in Pete Ham and Eric Carmen they had two amazing talents - both great singers/ writers who, incidentally are both the rhythm guitarists who also play piano in their bands (like Lennon). 

Raspberries and Fresh Raspberries are both from 1972. Eric Carmen's Go All The Way is the first song on the debut and it's also one of their best. It does tend to dominate the album but the eight minute long closing number - I Can Remember is also a brilliant song.

Wally Bryson (lead guitar, vocals) and Dave Smalley are great foils for Carmen and they contribute some excellent songs to the band's catalogue. Combined with Jim Bonfanti on drums, they stop things getting overly sentimental (Eric's big problem post Raspberries).

Fresh Raspberries built on the debut and featured the hits Let's Pretend, Drivin' Around and I Wanna Be With You. The rest of the album contained songs that could also have been hit singles.  

Side 3 was a second five-star effort. The guitars are meaty and the songs varied because of the three distinctive writing styles. Everything about this album is great, including the cut-out cover in the shape of a bucket of raspberries. The big hits from Side 3 were Tonight, I'm a Rocker and Ecstasy.

 

The el cheapo cover to Starting Over says it all. Gone are Smalley and Bonfanti, replaced by a new bassist and drummer. The album does contain Overnight Sensation and Cruisin' Music but there are too many lacklustre songs. It would be their last album. The final track (Starting Over) is a neat bridge to Carmen's solo career.

That just leaves a couple of post career CDs in my collection. First is the three disc set of Raspberries Live on Sunset Strip. There is a bonus DVD with 5 songs being performed - coincidentally their 5 best songs: I Wanna Be With You, Tonight, Overnight Sensation, Ecstasy, Go All The Way.

The set was performed by the classic Raspberries band - Carmen, Bonfanti, Bryson, Smalley. It's really good - nice and meaty. Not exactly like the records, but with some grit and texture that is absolutely appropriate.

The Capitol Collector Series is a greatest hits compilation that is a really vital addition to my collection. It cherry picks all their greatest moments and is probably all a casual fan needs.

Where do they all belong? Eric Carmen's solo albums have their moments. I've already reviewed them here.

Was our love just an illusion? (Love Affair) #241

Love Affair  A Day Without Love/ I'm Happy (CBS, BA 461204, 1968)

I could happily listen to this song every day of my life. It instantly cheers me up, sets me free, keeps me alive! It's one of my all time favourites. In fact it's a dead heat between this and The Tremeloes' Here Comes My Baby for favourite non Beatle single of all time. 

Both songs are instant singalongs that recreate great periods in my life.

My main memory of A Day Without Love is playing it every morning for months when I was in my teens while living with my parents at 4 Ramelton Rd., Mt Roskill, Auckland. 

In my mind's eye it's always a blissful summer picture that's conjured up by the song.

Love Affair were in fact a real band (pictured left), rather than a manufactured band of sessioners, but many of the hits featured mainly Steve Ellis' vocals and minimal input from the rest of the band, so they developed that reputation.

They didn't last too long - a mere four years in their original state, but they left some songs that will give us everlasting love.

Hidden gem: The B sides to the hits usually contained the real band and were a little heavier sounding and were definitely more soulful. This one sounds like a long lost Small Faces track.

I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles and miles and miles and miles...(The 'Oo)

I've reorganised my collection again and moved all the Greatest Hits compilations into their own section.

These compilations are often record company marketing decisions rather than artistic statements by musicians so I (mostly) feel justified in separating them.

There are always exceptions, though, where either the artist has an input or the collection just clicks or else the band is so great that every song is a must have. These are the ones I want to focus on. Here are some of my favourites.

The Who - Meaty Beaty Big And Bouncy. When Pete Townshend reviewed the album for Rolling Stone magazine in 1971 he called it 'the greatest of Who albums'. As a celebration of 'Oo singles it is without peer. Hit after hit after hit after hit...

Favourite moment: My name is Bill and I'm a headcase (from I'm A Boy)

Neil Young - Decade. A bespoke collection from Mr Shakey himself. A perfect collection of his best moments, a lot of which were first released on this triple album!

Favourite moment: Winterlong.

The Raspberries - The Raspberries. Capitol put this out in 1991 under their Collectors Series banner and it scoops up all the hits by the best U.S. power pop band (Badfinger are, of course, the U.K.'s representative). Twenty tracks and every one delivers.

Favourite moment: Baby don't go!! Eric Carmen's heart felt cries (from If You Should Change Your Mind).

The Beach Boys - Ballads. The number of Beach Boys compilations must easily exceed the studio albums as repackaging of hits has continued throughout the years in a helter skelter fashion. Ballads contains twelve tracks and it goes without saying that all twelve are superb creations. The thematic idea of just including twelve ballads works brilliantly, much better that the Beatles' Ballads collection which had far too many tracks (20).

Favourite moment: Warmth Of The Sun captures the feeling of the warm rays in song. Everything great about the group is right there - the unique blend of voices, Brian's musical genius, Mike Love's succinct lyrics.



Mary Chapin Carpenter - Party Doll and Other Favorites. I've bought quite a few of her albums and so far none can compare to this compilation. It really shouldn't hold together as well as it does - there are live tracks, studio tracks including Jagger's weird title song and her brilliant version of Lennon's Grow Old With Me mixed in with the hits and album tracks.

Favourite moment: This shirt.



Ricky Nelson - 22 Golden Greats. This compilation is perfect - all the timeless hits from the whole of Ricky Nelson's career. Often because bands appear on different labels their career best collections fail to include all the good bits, frinstance I've not yet found a good Small Faces compilation. This one is a thorough and brilliant collection.

Favourite moment: Lonesome Town.



Lindisfarne - The Best of Lindisfarne. There are 16 reasons why Lindisfarne are an important band on this CD. Sixteen tracks is about perfect. I really much prefer a succinct CD like this to double CD bloated efforts.

Favourite moment: Lady Eleanor.



The Hollies - He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother. Like The Beach Boys, The Hollies have been compiled to death. I have a number of them and this is the best somehow. I think it's the sequencing of songs (it's definitely not a 'hits' collection). Again it shouldn't work - there is no chronology or even reason behind some of the selections and there are some notable omissions, instead, it's that unpredictability and depth that I like.

Favourite moment: The kitchen sink drama of Too Young To Be Married

.

The door into summer (The Monkees) (LP 310)

The Monkees Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. (Vinyl and CD - RCA 1967) *****

Genre: American pop 

Places I remember: It's 1968 turning into 1969, I'm 11,  and I am either playing sport, reading, or glued to the TV. One show I never miss is by The Monkees - a group that makes riotous irreverent fun of things AND sing great songs. 

As a result, I have this album bought for me, my first LP, from a local shop in Three Kings, Auckland. Many years later Greg gave me his vinyl copy and I bought a CD pack of five Monkees albums from JB HiFi.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Pleasant Valley Sunday




Gear costume: Most of the rest, although perhaps not Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky 

Active compensatory factors: Five stars! A classic! It's a cliche, I know, but, as a pre-teen, I really did just about wear out the grooves on this album.

I'm so glad I latched on to this at a young age as it set me up for a lifelong love of pop music.

The track listing shows an embarrassment of riches - songs that have hooks AND an edge. Who else could do that in the late 60's?

It holds up too. Each time I play it, it pops!

Where do they all belong? Back in the day I would expand outward from this base camp with The Hollies, The Small Faces, and then, in 1970,  I got The Beatles Hey Jude album for Christmas and life was never the same again. But for a brief time in 1968, the world was Monkee coloured and I was a daydream believer.

Live life (Terry Reid) (LP 3626 - 3630)

Terry Reid Bang, Bang You're Terry Reid (CD, Warner Bros. Records, 1968) ***  

Terry Reid Terry Reid (CD, Epic Records, 1969) *** 

Terry Reid River (CD, Epic Records, 1973) **** 

Terry Reid Rogue Waves (CD, Epic Records, 1978) **** 

Terry Reid The Driver (CD, Warner Bros. Records, 1991) *** 

Genre: Rock, Blues rock

Places I remember: Fopp

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Bang Bang (My baby shot me down) (Bang Bang You're Terry Reid)

Gear costume: Walk Away Renee (Rogue Waves); The Whole of the Moon (The Driver)

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

Active compensatory factors: A.k.a. Superlungs, Terry Reid was a blues belter who was* much admired by his peers and others.

His debut album is a fascinating mix of styles with Terry Reid immediately being the star vocalist. No wonder he was wanted by Jimmy Page and Ritchie Blackmore for their bands. Wisely, Reid stuck to his own path. He moves between jazzy, R&B, and rock genres with ease. 

Second album - Terry Reid, is in a similar style to the debut. Given he hadn't yet turned twenty, these are remarkably confident efforts. His singing style is similar to The Small Faces' Steve Marriott and Aztec's Billy Thorpe on these albums - high praise indeed.

River is a change of approach into a funky, laid-back, rough and tumble blues-rock territory on side one. It's his best album of the three in many ways. The presence of David Lindley on guitars certainly helped! The acoustic second side songs kind of unbalance the record - maybe some better sequencing would have helped?

Rogue Waves came after 1976's Seed of Memory, which I don't have. 

Rogue Waves would be my favourite Terry Reid album. He sounds super on it as a vocalist and the sympathetic rock moves by his band are right on it. 

It was recorded at The Beach Boys' Brother studios in Santa Monica - the magic dust in the room helped create a beautiful sound. Another special feature of the album is the superb backing vocals by Denise Williams, Dyanne Chandler, and Maxine Willard. 

The final Terry Reid album in my collection is The Driver from 1991. Reid's albums always have great cover choices on them. For The Driver he covers The Waterboys and The Spencer Davis Group hits and as per usual - makes them his own in terms of his vocal delivery.

The only problem is the preponderance of synths and gated drum sounds, given it's the early nineties. Reid himself called the album 'unlistenable' but it's not that bad.

Where do they all belong? *Terry recently passed away in August 2025. aged only 75. He leaves a healthy legacy behind.