The Chris Moon Group – The Chris Moon Group (1970)

Artist: The Chris Moon Group
Title: The Chris Moon Group
Year: 1970
Format: LP
Label: Kinetic

Chris Moon (aka Jeffrey Neuman) enjoyed his first brush with commercial success as a member of New York’s The Third Bardo. Following that group’s collapse he struck out as a solo act under the name ‘Chris Moon’. (Whoa!!! before he became Chris Moon, he recorded under the name of Jeff Monn, releasing “Reality” for Vanguard Records (see June 16, 2010 post)

Produced by Beau Ray Fleming (Larry Fallon handling two tracks), 1970′s “The Chris Moon Group” may have been billed as a band, but appears to be a Moon/Neuman solo effort. To be honest about this album, the first time I played it, Moon’s ravaged voice simply didn’t do much for me. Luckily, I was willing to give the set a couple of spins which allowed the album to reveal some of its charms.

Whereas The Third Bardo specialized in psych, Moon’s interest is more conventional rock. Tracks such as ‘Think’ (not a remake of the Aretha Franklin classic), the bluesy ‘Give It To Me’ and ‘Natural Man’ sport entertaining melodies that are well suited to Moon’s gruff vocals.

Moon handled guitar in The Third Bardo, so going on the assumption he did here as well, there are several tasty solos, including ‘Give It To Me’ and ‘My Love Is Over’. Mind you, this won’t drastically change you life, but it is better than dozens of more costly rarities. (Bad Cat)

Track Listing

1. Think
2. I’ve Seen It Happen Before
3. Good
4. Natural Man
5. Give It To Me
6. No Doubt About It
7. My Love Is Over
8. 2000 B.C.
9. Got To Have You
10. Get Together Jim
    

Jump – Jump (1971)

Artist: Jump
Title: Jump
Year: 1971
Format: LP
Label: Janus

Jump consisted of Mark Spiwak (bass) -vocals), Don Gorman (drums-vocals), Dennis Tracy (lead vocals-guitar), and Scott Thurston (lead vocals-organ). Thurston would later work on several Iggy Pop recordings while both Thurston and Spiwak would back up Dennis Tracy on his solo album in 1974.

“Enjoyable keyboard driven rock album, with a mix of glam thrown in. I still own a pair of those shoes”. (jimslim RYM)

Hello, I am Mark Spiwak, the bass player for the Band Jump. Thanks for your interest in what was a magical time in our young lives. There was a UCLA student film made of the three weeks we spent in San Francisco recording this album. I am trying to get a copy of it posted on You Tube. The film maker was Reed Hutchinson.

We completed two nationwide tours in 1971 including the Celebration of Life festival in Macrea Louisiana in June of 1971. Somewhere there exists film of that performance and if anyone has it please contact me. As you already know, one of our members is Scott Thurston who has been a member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for many years. Scott also worked with Iggy and the Stooges, Ike and Tina Turner, The Motels, Jackson Browne and he wasn’t the only talented member of the group.

The main songwriter was Dennis Tracy who was our lead guitarist and vocalist, although we all sang in the group and on the Album. The group split up over in fighting about the direction of our music. Scott and I wanted a more traditional rock /blues sound while Dennis was more of a song man. We shared our manager Bill Siddons with the Doors and when Jim Morrison went off to Paris it gave Bill some time for a new project which was my band JUMP. We all met on the Sunset Strip literally on one night.

We rehearsed for one week and were signed to a record contract by Marv Schlachter of Janus/Chess Records at the Beach House in Santa Monica California. We began recording one week later. After recording the album, our first gig was at the San Bernardino Civic Auditorium playing for five thousand people. Jump had an energy which you just don’t find in bands today. Can’t wait to see some films, wherever they are.

Track Listing

1. Love Wit Chu Mama
2. No News
3. Here I Lie With You
4. Your Heart Can Find You A Song
5. Such A Lover
6. Having A Wonderful Time
7. Close As Touch
8. Enough Of This Circus
9. Bank Of Love
10. Change, We Are All Alive
11. Life, Leave Us Part As Friends
    

Crabby Appleton – Rotten To The Core (1971)

Artist: Crabby Appleton
Title: Rotten To The Core
Year: 1971
Format: LP
Label: Elektra

Some serious Humble Pie influences crept in since the first album, layering Crabby Appleton’s already unique output. The band does very well with the new formula — and even bring in The Blackberries for background vocals!

Musically, the new direction works, but it didn’t catch on. “Makes No Difference” even manages to beat Marriott and company at their own game. Spooky Tooth influences are also spiced in for good measure.

This Lp should have been on A&M! But it was on Elektra and like many good bands on that label back then, the creative freedom was there, but the marketing department didn’t know how to sell it.

Like Crabby Appleton’s first outing, there’s lots of diversity and fresh ideas, but unlike that mercurial debut, it’s not hard & heavy. There’s slide guitars, Traffic-meets-Argent jam-offs, some country moments, and even a fiddle shows up on “One More Time”! At first glance, these changes are a bad thing, especially if you want a follow-up album. But if you give this record a fair listen sans the comparison, you’ll be surprised at how good it is. (SkinnyRobbie RYM)

Track Listing

1. Smokin’ In The Mornin’
2. Tomorrow’s A New Day
3. It’s So Hard
4. Makes No Difference
5. You Make Me Hot
6. One More Time
7. Lucy
8. Paper To Write On
9. Lookin’ For Love
10. Love Can Change Everything
11. Gonna Save You (From That)
    

Sawbuck – Sawbuck (1972)

Artist: Sawbuck
Title: Sawbuck
Year: 1972
Format: LP
Label: Fillmore

Sawbuck were formed in San Francisco in 1970. The group included Mojo Collins (guitar, vocals), Starr Donaldson (guitar, vocals), Ronnie Montrose (guitar), Chuck Ruff (drums) and Bill Church (bass).

The group signed with Bill Graham’s Fillmore Records and recorded an album during the 1970-71 period. The group shared the bill with many major groups including playing during the last week of shows at the Fillmore West.

Montrose and Ruff left the group after the recording of the album and a new line-up of Sawbuck toured after the album was released but the group disbanded toward the end of 1972. (Prairie Prince Minsky)

Track Listing

1. Sing This Song
2. Wound Up
3. Oo Lolla Moore
4. Virginia Woman
5. There Will Be Love
6. Believe
7. Reno
8. Mayday
9. Sweet & Sour
10. Lovin’ Man
11. Bible Burning
12. Promised Land
    

Roger Tillison – Roger Tillison’s Album (1971)

Artist: Roger Tillison
Title: Roger Tillison’s Album
Year: 1971
Format: LP
Label: Atco

Tillison’s own songs are a solid bunch and his roughhewn voice is perfectly complemented by Jesse Ed Davis’ live-in-the-studio production. This is one of Jesse Ed’s crowning moments and the ensemble of Jesse Ed Davis, Larry Knechtel, Jim Keltner et. al. really deliver the goods.

If you have a soft spot for the The Band’s first couple of albums, The Grease Band album on Shelter, the first Jesse Winchester album and the Bobby Charles album on Bearsville as well as other rootsy, in-the-pocket sounds from the post-psychedelic moment, this album is worth taking a chance on. (Guy R. Ewald)

Track Listing

1. Down In The Flood
2. Old Cracked Looking Glass
3. Good Time Gal Listen
4. Just Before The Break Of Day
5. Yazoo City Jail Listen
6. Let ‘Em Roll Johnny
7. One Good Friend
8. Lonesome Louie
9. Old Santa Fe
10. Get Up Jake
11. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever
    

Group Therapy – People Get Ready For Group Therapy (1968)

Artist: Group Therapy
Title: People Get Ready For Group Therapy
Year: 1968
Format: LP
Label: RCA Victor

One of several ’60s bands of that name, this Group Therapy recorded two albums at the end of the decade, 1968′s People Get Ready for… and the following year’s 37 Minutes of… (despite actually only being 34 minutes long).

Their schtick was Vanilla Fudge-alike heavy psych workouts, including their mentors’ propensity for rocked-up covers, notably their take on Ike & Tina Turner/Phil Spector’s “River Deep, Mountain High”, although most of the album’s material is in a similar vein.

To be brutally honest, it hasn’t really dated that well, given that it’s essentially a copy of The Fudge, who in turn couldn’t really be said to sound particularly contemporary. Best track? Probably the driving hard rock/psych of “Willie” (Planet Mellotron)

Track Listing

1. Foxy Lady
2. Yours Until Tomorrow
3. Come See About Me
4. Morning Dew
5. Who’ll Be Next
6. People Get Ready
7. Really Together
8. Hey Joe
9. The Exodus Song
10. Expressway To Your Heart
11. Let It Be Me