Iguana ‎- The Winds Of Alamar

Iguana ‎- The Winds Of Alamar - 1975 (2008 CD RE)

After the demise of Robey, Falk & Bod (HERE) I was pretty disheartened but then in 1975 along came Iguana and all of a sudden I wasn't so bummed since two of the guys from RF&B (Arthur Bod - aka Bod Noubarian and Don Falk) migrated to form Iguana with Budge Whitherspoon and Shaw Hayes. I've cherished this album for many years - 32 to be exact - and it still kills me. 4 different writers and it all works! Slightly left of center but that's what makes it really interesting.

01. Dream Song
02. Eulogy (Time Waits For No Man)
03. Sailing Ships
04. Fine Line
05. Your Love
06. Happy One-Sad One
07. Romancin'
08. Nighthawk


Arthur Bod - Acoustic Guitar, Vocal
Don Falk Shaw - Pedal Steel, Vocal
Shaw Hayes - Electric Guitar
Budge Witherspoon - 12 Strings Acoustic Guitar, Vocal
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Kenny Buttrey - Drums
Mordecai Silber - Violin
Judge Ruffin - Piano, Organ, Fender Rhodes Piano





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The Ingoes - Before We Were Blossom Toes (1964-66)

The Ingoes - Before We Were Blossom Toes (1964-66) - 2010

from popmatters

This 15-tracker provides a comprehensive account, through unreleased originals and obscure studio cuts, of British pop-psych band Blossom Toes when they were still a jobbing young R&B combo searching for a voice amidst the flowering beat boom of the mid-‘60s. Formed in London and managed by Giorgio Gomelsky (The Yardbirds), the Ingoes got to play the hip Crawdaddy clubs and the Marquee. But it wasn’t until the group landed a residency at Le Bus Palladium in Paris that they really got their groove on, as exemplified by the closing number, a raucous live version of Rufus Thomas’s “Jump Back” that has the Parisian scenesters going wild. Along the way the quartet recorded two workman-like versions of “Help!”, one in French, the other in Italian, and kick-started a dance craze called Le Monkiss; it’s the four tracks which made up the original EP Viens Danser Le Monkiss in ‘65, including a sensational version of Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour”, that provide the album highlights. Although highly enjoyable and with insightful liner notes by band guitarist Brian Godding, there’s nothing here to suggest that just twelve months later, they’d be singing a song about “Mrs Murphy’s Budgerigar”.

01. Fast Eddie
02. I Feel the Winter
03. Monday
04. I Don't Want You
05. Thank You All the Same
06. Whatcha Gonna Do 'bout It?
07. Ready Packed People of Today
08. Pistol Packin' Mama (Demo)
09. Au Secours
10. Se Non MI Aiuti Tu
11. Viens Danser Le Monkiss
12. Mister Pitiful
13. Pistol Packin' Mama
14. In the Midnight Hour
15. Jump Back



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Jess Roden & The Humans- Live at the Robin - 1996

Jess Roden & The Humans- Live at the Robin - 1996

Jess Roden was always one of the UK's most underrated and enduring white boy soul singers. And as this album suggests, neither his audience nor his muse has ever deserted him.

Together with a stellar line-up including one time Atomic Rooster/ bass man Nic Graham and Rod Stewart/Strider guitarist Gary Granger, plus his Granger's guitar protégé, Bill Burke, the Humans push Jess to the limit.

Recorded in 1996 in front of a sell out crowd near his Wolverhampton roots, Jess & The Humans prove that not only did they still have a cutting edge, but that the band's song-writing prowess matched the on stage sparks. The opening brace of self penned rockers "When I Call You Name" and the stage favourite "So Fine, So Young" set the standard, while the grungy "Before I Hurt Myself" is a show stopper. In between there's some sultry impassioned soul with Joe Tex's "You'd Better Believe It" and a fine improvised version of Willie Dixon's "I Live The Life I Love".

The album's climactic closing number is a full blown cover of Neil Young's Grungy "Rockin' in The Free World", which is a timely nod to the man whose influence pervades much of this impressive live set.

01. When I Call Your Name
02. So Fine, So Young
03. Cool Water
04. I Live The Life I Love
05. Let Me Love You Baby
06. If You Reallly Want Me
07. You'd Better Believe It
08. Before I Hurt Myself
09. Rockin' In The Free World






+@192

Jorma Kaukonen - Christmas

Jorma Kaukonen - Christmas - 1996

Christmas is a Jorma Kaukonen studio album released in July 1996. It was the only themed album Kaukonen recorded and was a departure from the usual Rev. Gary Davis influenced tunes. It included new Christmas-themed compositions as well old hymns such as "Silent Night." Like the previous album, The Land of Heroes, Christmas incorporated the work of Michael Falzarano and Fred Bogert. Kaukonen's wife Vanessa also performed vocals and co-wrote one song. It was also the only time Kaukonen performed keyboards on an album.

01. Downhill Sleigh Ride
02. Christmas Rule
03. What Child Is This? (Traditional)
04. Christmas Blues (Falzarano)
05. Journey of The Three Wise Men
06. Baby Boy (Traditional)
07. You're Still Standing
08. Silent Night (Traditional)
09. Holiday Marmalade
10. Holiday Segue

Jorma Kaukonen – Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals
Michael Falzarano – Rhythm guitar, Sleigh bells, Vocals
Fred Bogert – Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
Vanessa Lillian – vocals
Chris Munson, Wayne Killius – Drums


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