Thursday 27 May 2010

Unleash This Man-Malcolm Roberts-A Genius In Chains


The cover is psychedelic; the back cover is square as square can be, and my emotions whilst listening to this album similarly veer from Wo! to No! in quick succession. The thing is this: I am totally knocked out by the voice of this cat, but the tired, overcooked material that he is given to interpret, leaves barely any room for him to bring anything fresh or new to the proceedings. I love the voice, I hate the lack of thought behind this debut...

Our Song- What a voice! Shades of Matt Monroe, even a bit of Scott Walker when Malcolm really opens up those pipes, but totally unique in any case-a perfect blend of study and soul. Love it, love it. A corker of a vibrato when he choses to unleash it, but never too much. I feel like one lucky boy sitting here in my London listening cave.

There Will Never Be Another You-charming orchestral opening, beautiful arrangement. Man! I love it. Mr Roberts oozes sophistication, charm and most importantly SINCERITY. I am a little bit in awe of this singer.

Be My Love-Mr Roberts comes in a little bombastically for my tastes on this, and in fact his delivery is just a tad too precise here; perfect West-End show style that doesn't sound quite so appropriate for a studio performance. A great show-case for his vocal power though-some really earth shattering notes, but the track just doesn't give me chills like the first two.

Laura-Malcolm Roberts is right back where I like him on this Johnny Mercer classic. With subtlety and mellowness, the vocals just work work work. Less is more guys, give us intimacy over power Mr producer....

All The Things You Are-A bit dull

The Night We Said Goodbye- a gently funkier groove, and great to hear the man trusted with some less familiar material. This is worth ten lackluster American Songbook exhumations.

Side Two:

Time Alone Will Tell- Too square for the man... The mandolins conspire to turn this into a wretched ice cream advert...

Misty- A clever arrangement idea has this kicking off with the middle 8 instead of verse 1. Despite another desperately unimaginative song choice, Malcolm does sing the hell out of it-with an amazing note plucked right out of the heavens at the start of the final verse. Top marks to the singer, bottom marks to the producer.

Where Or When- terribly dated, with a backing- vocal arrangement which would have sounded jaded in the 1940s let alone late 1960s.

My Foolish Heart- Stunningly sung, but again, I really really yearn for some less familiar material. Amazing singing at the conclusion...

Love Is A Many Splendored Thing- BORING, leave this overdone shit for any 2nd and 3rd league singers, give our Mr Roberts something cool. Of course he does a great job, but so would Michael Ball for chrissakes...

Tonight-A cool swinging tempo given to the West Side Story staple, and one can palpably hear the singer relishing the change of pace. Halfway through it, the arrangement gets a bit too London Palladium for me (frenzied rhythm section, wailing brass and one can imagine the cabaret cast and crew running out onto the stage to give their bows etc etc...) Yet another fantastic vocal tour de force at the end, leaving the listener in no doubt whatsoever about the vocal mastery on offer here, but very much in doubt over the point of constantly giving the record buying public new artists singing songs we could all sing in our sleep.

I believe in you Mr Roberts....

Details:

Artist: Malcolm Roberts
Album: Mr Roberts
Label: RCA Victor Mono RD 7940
Year: 1968

Wednesday 5 May 2010

BACKWARDS MESSAGES, HORNY HOUSEWIVES AND BIRO


I have a fetish for buying the kinds of records that were made to be sold only at gigs, probably cruise ships or working mens clubs. Often, when my magpie eyes spy them, they will be signed by the original artist (and there are few more poignant sights than a signed record by an unknown artist.)

The attraction of these recordings, is that they are not made for any artistic/creative purpose, generally they are intended to simply act as a straight recreation/ memento of the live show. And yet, human beings seldom do what they are expected to, especially when they get in the studio for the first time.

The disc that I turn my attention to today ticks all of these boxes.

Dave Arnold. There's Dave on the front with his trusty Gibson guitar and floppy bow tie.

And in blue biro, carefully written on the bottom right corner of the sleeve:

"To Rose, Love Dave Arnold." We'll never know the story behind the simple message, did he fancy her, was she grim, was her husband glaring at Dave from the other end of the bar as he scribbled the message. So many questions....

But I imagine Rose getting a little misty eyed when she puts on the EP and coyly relives the night she caught his show. Maybe, after a few too many sherries, she frantically forces the record backwards, desperately searching for hidden messages in the fade- outs... I know I have...

Try A Little Kindness Beautifully inappropriate synthesizer, gurgling and popping throughout an otherwise fine arrangement of this brisk country number, a hit for Glen Campbell. Dave plays and sings nicely. Something bad happens to the drumming just before the second chorus, but he catches up with himself again quickly enough.

For The Good Times Dave does a decent job on this Kris Kristofferson standard, once again Kelvin Futers commits dozens of sins on his keyboard rig. There seem to be a couple of rhythm issues every now and then here also, closer inspection reveals that the drummer is the brother of the synth player, the Futers brothers, Kelvin and Malcolm. According to the sleeve, Dave refers to his instrumental accompaniment as, simply, and poetically "Inspiration." Inspiring.

Top Of The World Nothing wrong with Dave's vocals, warm and happy, and always bang on tune. Even Kelvin the keyboard king reigns in his maverick tastes here, and intrudes rather less on these strictly MOR proceedings. The drumming is shocking.

Side 2:

Spanish Harlem/Spanish Eyes The cheeky medley. Keyboards again seem better behaved, maybe the producer had a word during the cigarette break in the parking lot, and begged Kelvin to give Dave's vocals more space. One can imagine the conversation

"Kelvin, for Christ's sake, this isn't Prog. We're simply making a nice demo disk for Dave to sell on the ships, why do you put all that weird shit over everything.." Whether or not this exchange or a similar one ever took place, there is a marked change in Kelvin's technique a few tracks in..

Bridge Over Troubled Water Sounds like the sustain pedal wasn't working properly during the keyboard/piano intro. But no fear, there is a string (synth) arrangement for Kelvin to get his teeth into. It sounds like a one- taker to me though. There are definitely a few keyboard licks that would have benefitted from a few re-takes. Not Dave's best vocal performance either, he just sounds too English on these lyrics; too chirpy, like he's doggedly grinning at all the old dears on the front row of the hall despite singing this ode to despair, fellowship and and deliverance. I bet Dave and "Inspiration" discussed whether or not to put the equally bombastic My Way on this EP, it would have had the same overwhelming result=underwhelming.

With a flourish on the cymbals, Dave and "Inspiration" leave the studio and head down the pub for a game of darts, some pickled onions and a flirt with the bar maid. Good on you Dave.

P.S on looking at the record label itself, I notice that none other than Kelvin Futers is credited as producer, which makes my imagined conversation between producer and Kelvin impossible. Or does it?

Details:

Artist: Dave Arnold
Album: Dave Arnold (EP)
Label: Stag Music MAG 0002
Year: 1975



OF DIRTY WEEKENDS AND MYSTICAL UNIONS


I had never heard of them, I was intrigued that the album had to be played at the usual single spinning setting of 45rpm, I had never heard of Special Delivery Records and was also strangely moved by the thought that if my cousin Olly Pearson and I had made the record we used to fantasize about cutting when we were wide eyed, guitar strumming, harmony hurling teens, the cover would have probably looked a bit like this one (cheap, slightly awkward and totally Everly Brothers obsessed.) All of these things and more, conspired to make me take the platter to the nonchalant, nail painting girl behind the charity shoppe counter and part with the paltry £1.99.

I get back home, I slip unnoticed into the listening cave. I look at the back of the record sleeve. I recognize the producer's name. The older you get, the more stuff lingers on your neurological hard-drive. The Panic Brothers are produced here by Clive Gregson, he sounded familiar, hailing back to my days as a folk club kid, sitting with my uncle and his musician friends, usually in Hitchin Folk Club, Hertfordshire. I'm sure I'd seen Clive do his thing down there on more than one occasion. The record collectors' world truly is the smallest of worlds (and it spins and spins and spins.)

BIVOUAC Think Everly Brothers singing “Lucille” yet belting their lungs out about the negative aspects of cramped living accommodation. I was primed to mock it, but the enthusiasm and clever machine gun lyric spitting of the pair makes for an invigorating album opener. Ace twangy Duane Eddy style guitar, and vibrant rockabilly backing.

No News Kicks off the with the best Everly Brothers riff that never was. There’s more of an Elvis Costello/ Nick Lowe atmosphere on this one. And that’s good from where I sit. All finishes with the intro riff again, making everything right in this curious late 80s/ late 50s time warp.

I Made A Mess Of A Dirty Weekend What a title, what a song.

“A seaside town is the last resort

When you mess up a dirty weekend.”

Anybody ever heard the Everly tune “Poor Jenny.” Well this is like a dirty redux of that joyous romp through teenage misadventures. Musically, there is an authentic country/hillbilly stomp adding an insanely festive feel to this hymn dedicated to emphatically NOT scoring. If I ever have cause to DJ, (I can’t imagine anybody ever asking me) this will be one of the tunes I’ll cue at the end of the evening-and I’ll dedicate it to all the guys and gals who came to pull, but didn’t quite manage it

Repo Man

“Run if you can,

From the repo man.”

A more direct, less tongue- in- cheek approach here, all well played and performed. Fine folkie fiddle from Ed Korolyk, and more of that lovely twangy guitar from Clive Gregson. Nothing mind boggling though.

Almost As Blue As Hank Williams A pastiche cod country weepy, and to my mind the only weak moment on side 1. I can imagine it raising loads of laughter in some humour starved singer songwriter night, but not one that I’ll listen to for kicks again. Well sung, and well crafted however, as is pretty much everything on this forgotten long player.

Side 2:

In Debt A wee bit too similar to Bivouac, really fast lyrics and brisk acoustic guitars. The chorus is a sly borrowing of Roy Orbison’s Claudette (itself an Everly Brothers hit.) No doubt this one really cooked live, but it underwhelms a little in this recorded guise.

Later Than You Think More substance here. Again shades of Elvis Costello, intelligent lyrics, and an honest, 'played less for the laughs' quality to the voices

I’m Broke In Everything But My Heart It might just be me, but I’m beginning to get a tiny bit bored of the frequency of matters fiscal, debt and ruin. Compared to the glory of “I Made A Mess Of A Dirty Weekend” this is half -baked. Pleasant, but totally forgettable.

The Late Night Picture Show A more mellow intro, aside from the annoying wood block, a welcome change of pace. I feel we’re back on track here. Perhaps a little redolent of “Labeled With Love” from Squeeze, a fine, wordy, mid tempo piece. Nice accordion, fine double bass, reassuring melodic progressions and, we can take this much for granted by now, really well honed vocals.

I’ve Forgotten What It Is That I Was Drinking To Forget A real corker to finish this little gem of an album with. Just piano, the Panic siblings, a lovely tune and some awesome, heartfelt words

“I’ve been talking to myself ever since the day I was born.”

God, the harmonies here are just stunning, I hate to keep harping back to the Everly clan but that’s the easiest, and closest point of reference. I like this album a lot, and there are a couple of tracks here that I will most certainly seek out again, and herein lies the bewitchery of claiming someone else's discarded old records; we can only speculate as to what drew the original owner to possess the vinyl specimen in the first instance, yet we have a mystical union with them the moment the needle hits the groove, and just for a moment, we here, and them there, are united in listening.

The Panic Brothers were Reg Meuross and Richard Morton

Details:

Artist: The Panic Brothers

Album: In The Red

Label: Special Delivery SPM 1003

Year: 1987


Sunday 11 April 2010

It's All Greek To Me


Given that my wife and I literally run a mile when on holiday, at even the slightest suspicion that the traditional Greek favourite and 'tourist participation required' "Zorba The Greek" might be about to happen and ruin everybody's evening, maybe Bouzouki & Brass-The Golden Fingers might seem like an odd purchase for me. But just look at the cover, it looks really hip. And the boast "Today's Songs With Tomorrow's Sound" which is printed both on the front and back covers, seduced me into parting with the hardly ex-zorba-rent £1.99, and quickly getting home to lock myself in my listening cave to masticate this disc of feta cheese and olives.

Aquarius-Let The Sunshine In The moody and minimalist intro got me all excited. Maximum cool electric bass, doubled by delicate electric organ. Wonderful. Reverberating percussion reminds me of Pet Sounds era Brian Wilson productions. Evocative bouzouki strums with mariachi horns adding vibrant sweeps of colour. And then the brass and tempo suddenly catapult into lunacy, completely undermining the languid, brooding mystery of the earlier musical scenes. And just when I wanted this split end of a track (get it? Hair?) to shed, all goes cool again. Back to the fore are the cool bass and organ interplay of earlier.
Suddenly the man on the bongos attempts to work his lunch off, and we segue into an eccentric reading of the "Let The Sunshine In" chaotically quickening tempos a la Greek Wedding, with bouzouki strings flying across the studio floor. A genuinely avant garde album opener. I can't wait to hear the next track.

Nostalgia Nothing nearly as interesting on this far more standard Greek taverna style tune. Waiter, bring me more wine, much more wine.

If You Go Away as with track 1, this one opens in a deceptively spare and understated way. With chimes, piano and of course bouzouki, sensitively feeling their way through this Jacques Brel classic. And then that damn brass band invade our personal space again, with brash, mousaka spraying flourishes. And then, almost as if the restaurant proprietor throws them out of his establishment, the calm of the opening sections mercifully returns. But like the hapless tourist who feeds the ferrel cat from the cafe table, only to have the skeletal specter paw at him for the rest of the meal, so the brass collective are destined to return once more, to finally and definitively destroy any potential left in the production. Lock the doors and pull down the blinds, these creeps are ruining our record.

Golden Fingers I would never go to a club of that name, but as an album title it'll do just fine. And once this tune gets into its groove, fearless bouzouki pilot John Stamatis certainly earns the right to the title "Golden Fingers." Furiously fast and adept playing, accompanied by a far more sympathetically arranged brass section this time. And whilst not a tune I will ever listen to again deliberately, in the context of this project, it's a fine centerpiece and showcase for the one and only bouzouki king Mr Stamatis.

Matsoukas (Greek Rhapsody) I'm getting bored now. The constant rhythm changes, and the ever chirpy bouzouki, like mosquito bites on a sunburned limb.

Side 2

Matsoukas Syrtaki God help me, this actually starts like Zorba The Greek. The baklava tastes stale...

Good Morning Starshine Much better, now we're back to the musical "Hair." The groovier less predictable changes of this, then contemporary pop, gives Golden Fingers and his chums more scope to make interesting music, at least from this ouzo drenched reporter's viewpoint. Not as triumphant as the album opener but this is still prime, Class A lounge music, versus the demonic package holiday hell of the tracks with Greek sounding titles.

Lovers Hasapiko I can't comment on these type of tracks anymore. Like seeing one ant in your hotel room, then seeing 5 then seeing 500. Time to run.

Don't Ask The Sea Starts off with a cool seaside sample, with boats chugging by etc. A nice touch, and I find the changes of this composition a little more arresting. Less in your face bouzouki. An unexpected bluesy/jazzy middle, with cool picked bass.

Those Were The Days Ancient Greece gave us philosophy, Homer gave us the Illiad and The Odyssey. Golden Fingers hands this down to the successive generations to cherish and study. Horrifying.

Details:

Artist: The Golden Fingers featuring John Stamatis
Album: Bouzouki & Brass The Golden Fingers
Label: Mediterranean Records Stero LPMS 779
Year: 1969


Friday 26 March 2010

Funky Camp makes Randy Quakers















Ok. On the cover they look like trainee dentists. White jackets, and white turtle neck sweaters. And indeed their oral hygiene can not be faulted, if anything the vocal arrangements are just too clean and tooth- decay free. Less brushing and a bit more candy should have been producer Al de Lory's brief. Still, there are some charming moments on this lp, and I'm pleased the fates led me to its temporary resting place in the charity shop on Walthamstow High Street. And so I place The Lettermen on my trustworthy record deck....



Side 1:

Put Your Head On My Shoulder featuring funkier drums than I would have expected, after the ultra MOR intro this Paul Anka penned ditty develops into a cool album opener. The Letterman vocals instantly striking an agreeable blend to these harmony loving ears. I particularly love the soaring high harmony arrangements here.

Light My Fire we're in classic kitsch late 60s bachelor pad territory. Anyone seen the Elvis movie Speedway? The one with Nancy Sinatra in it? Well, in the movie Elvis lives in a cool trailer with his sex obsessed buddy, and this Doors cover is exactly the type of groove that I can imagine emanating from that pad (and if the trailer is rocking, thou shalt not go knocking, eh?) Brilliant bass playing.

Harper Valley P.T.A The Tony Butala lead vocal lacks a bit of the necessary grit to really let this number truly swing, but once again, the bass kicks butt, and the brass arrangements lend a sassy vibe to this tale of sex in the suburbs.

Hello I Love You I was curious to hear how they tackled this one. It kicks off with the most rudimentary of piano riffs (basically the chorus melody, played in primary school fashion.) There is something really cool about the straight ahead Letterman guys crooning these trippy Doors lyrics, I'm imagining someone spiking the fruit punch at a Quaker meeting with Tequila, and the usually sedentary congregation floating around the Quaker Friends Meeting house with the raging horn. Albeit with gentle urges. Fun.

Gentle On My Mind I love Elvis' version of this track. But unlike the cosmic backwaters-Americana merry- go- around that the Elvis version takes us on, this sounds like an outtake from a particularly pious Christian musical.

Woman Woman The Letterman collective are so much more suited to this cut. Let's call it "funky camp." And, man, those voices sound lovely on those extended choruses "have you got cheating on your mind?" A great closer to side 1, and my personal favourite so far.

Side 2

From Woman Woman to Young Girl like the cycle of life but, er, backwards. Anyway, our chaps give the Gary Pucket and The Union Gap hit a pleasant run through, all a bit tame though, where's the tortured carnal call of the Pucket version? Oh yep, that wouldn't be appropriate for the dentist lab.

This Guy's In Love With You Really nice vocal arrangement, especially on the choruses. Not giving me goosebumps though, the mawkish strings and pedestrian backing underwhelm here.

Hey Jude. Oooof, Really mincing lead vocals here. Sorry Jim Pike. Bloody dreadful actually, rather than comforting words to little Julian Lennon, (as Macca intended) this comes across more like a creepy man in greasy rain coat asking little boy if he wants to come and see puppies. I feel violated, like an unpleasant image flashing up on a late night internet trawl, making you exclaim "oh no!" loudly and instantly deleting your search history, just to pretend it never happened.

Mary's Rainbow Starts out as a close cousin to Gentle On My Mind. Wonderful harmonies on the choruses, and then really cool tempo changes. In fact this is probably the most inventive arrangement on the album. Gently psychedelic.

Scarborough Fair/ Canticle Bold and beautiful vocals here. With the Lettermen themselves sharing a co-credit on the arrangement. Acapella. This comes much closer to the Brian Wilson world of harmony; dark, brooding and never unnecessarily fussy. A classy outro to the album. I would have preferred a few more haunting cuts like this over the frustratingly over obvious choices of 'done to death' Beatles and Bacharach.

Still, if ever I'm entertaining in my Speedway trailer, I'll be more than happy to slip a bit of this vinyl on to add a gentle groove to the proceedings.

Details:

Artist: The Lettermen
Album: Put Your Head On My Shoulder
Label: EMI/CAPITAL E-ST 147
Year: 1968


Thursday 21 January 2010

Nice One Ronnie


In the days before my wife and I took a running jump onto the property ladder, and promptly hung on for dear life, we were insanely lucky to spend 5 years residing in Hampstead, London, literally seconds from the beautiful Hampstead Heath. Occasionally I would spy a very dapper gentleman strolling around this delicatessen dotted district, and was reliably informed by the local gossip that it was none other than singer Ronnie Carroll. The name didn't register, until I came upon this record a few weeks ago, in one of my regular charity shop rummages and at last I became acquainted with the stylish and eclectic talents of the man himself.

Ring-A-Ding Girl All a bit too camp for me, perfect then, when it comes to light that this was the UK entry for the 1962 Eurovison Song Contest. The singer is clearly worthy of weightier fare than this damp sponge pudding.

Speak Once shades of Nat King Cole and Matt Monroe, sensitive phrasing, and a well measured vibrato gracing the higher notes. Fine electric guitar coda. Presumably the songwriting credit "Carroll/Keyes" testifies that our boy is more than just a pretty face. Strong material.

Roses Are Red straying a little too far into cabaret material here for my taste, skillful Floyd Cramer influenced piano though.

Chain Gang a fine tribute to the genius Sam Cooke, and a bit of a revelation to hear Ronnie allowed to stretch out with something a tad cooler than the former track.

Mary Rose More MOR cabaret, tenderly sung however.

I Am .....a stunning vocal performance, and everything about this cries "class."

Side 2

Say Wonderful Things Another Eurovison candidate, this time from 1963 and the title of this collection. I can't help but feel once again though, that some of this material just isn't quite up to the abilities of the singer. Pleasant, but certainly not in my top 500.

Shiftin' Sands Of Time a far more rewarding listening experience, a warm and intimate vocal, and tastefully arranged track. Beautiful vocal finale from Mr Carroll.

Dear Heart a Mancini tune, though the way it's presented here, it would have sounded old fashioned in the 1850s. Nice, but candy floss= unsubstantial and makes your teeth feel weird after ingesting.

The Girls In Their Summer Dresses Much more fun, a bit Dean Martin here and there in the sly, wry, swoony delivery. One of the strongest cuts on the album, clever lyrics, and a cool treatsie on perving on the street corner.

Endlessly A nice change of pace, an almost soul- ballad vibe, (not surprising when the song's composer is the great Brook Benton) embellished or ruined depending on your mood, with some Bacharach infused mariachi trumpets. In fact the backing track could have been stolen from Gene Pitney's cutting room floor.

Without Love More gospel/soul ballad territory. Perhaps everything is a bit too well mannered here, I sense the arrangement is forcing Ronnie to keep from really letting rip. Which is a shame, but still a fine closer to a nifty sampler of Ronnie Carroll's work.

And so I leave the listening cave, to type up this report, ever humbly serving my fellow vinyl surfers...

Details:

Artist: Ronnie Carroll
Album: Wonderful Things And Other Favourites
Label: Wing/Philips WL 1108
Year: 1967




Tuesday 19 January 2010

Barry Kirsch, I Want My Afternoon Back





With the Moog switched to the BORING setting for almost all twelve cuts on this record, I am quietly confident that I will never have cause to listen to this super dull, sometimes shambolic piece of musical history ever again. But for all that, I'm glad I've got it, and I'm glad it exists.

And how could I not buy the record with a title like "Great Hits Of The 70s Moog Style."

The cover design too is worthy of mention. Not the most vibrant disco scene I've ever seen...
Aside from the one brave and possibly drugged protagonist in the centre of the cover, the remnants of the sadly forlorn club dance-floor are, to put it politely, flagging a little.

Side 1:

The Wombling Song. A fairly tight band performance. But what's the point? A dismal way to open up an album.

Waterloo (of course, of Abba fame) Tragic drumming at the start of this. Both drummer and the bass player appear to be drunk. And who can blame them.

Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree features the most un-Moog sounding Moog I have ever heard, more Bontempi to these ears. The percussion that assaults and indeed insults the listener, panned extreme right, sounds like a frisky geriatric making love to a blancmange.

Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep So bad I love it. I have friends who I wish were in the room with me now as it plays. The band must have been pissing themselves whilst they recorded this beast. The drummer does his best to up the ante with some choice blue note-esque drum fills, but nothing will shift this track from the "file under C for crud" category.

Long Haired Lover From Liverpool. Shave him.

Billy Don't Be A Hero Cod military drums launch this turkey. The Moog sounds slightly cooler here, with a more reverby and expansive voicing. The electric guitarist plays the one lick they've given him, often and with feeling. A desperate feeling.

side 2:

Jambalaya A mess from the outset. As the guitarist pretends he's in the Eagles, the Moog shows off more choice settings. The flutter-tone catastrophe that's unleashed for the final bars of the tune really takes the biscuit; sounds like Buck Rogers drowning in a tumble drier.

You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me I believe you

Nothing Rhymed The Gilbert O' Sullivan tune. Could have been re-titled "Nothing Gelled." Solid drumming I guess. Until the end, where it isn't.

Daniel I just had a vision of kids playing "pass the parcel" to this. It's truly grotesque, out of tune and throughly depressing. The kind of record that could haunt the record player that played it.

I See A Star I don't, I see the neighbours coming 'round to ask what the hell I'm doing playing this record. The Moog seems to develop some kind of electrical fault on the latter stages of the track.

Amazing Grace. Without doubt the most experimental of the whole album, and to think it was the one I was looking forward to the least (let there be a life lesson here for all of us.) The track is comprised entirely by stacked up Moog parts. I like it. Like a poor man's John Baker (of BBC Radiophonic Workshop fame) though John Baker of course, achieved music light years beyond this, and in the pre- synth generation. Still, at least there is something vaguely interesting about it, unlike the other eleven tracks.

Details:

Artist: Barry Kirsch
Album: Great Hits Of The 70's Moog Style
Label: Contour 2870 413
Year: 1974