J A BLUEZY (Detroit, MI)
"J.A. Bluezy at the Delta Lady" 1980 (ERK)
Live heavy blues rock trio with earlier vibe and stinging metallic guitar sound. The recording was direct miked, so there's barely any audience sound.
JACKAL (Canada)
"Awake" 1973 (Periwinkle 7309)
"Awake" 199 (Periwinkle) [bootleg]
"Awake" 199 (CD Lazer's Edge)
"Awake" 199 (CD Labyrinth)In my ears rather unexceptional 1970s mainstream AOR/progrock popular among collectors on that scene. Definite post-acid sounds and not garagey or freaky enough to arouse my interest, the teen Jaggeresque vocals being the strongest asset. [PL]
JACKPINE SAVAGE (NY)
"Together" 1971 (Dimension-5 151)
Freaky kiddie psych LP with electronic effects, narration and treated vocals. Fuzz and swirling organ on some tracks. Actually Bruce Haack.
MIKE JACKSON ( )
"Alive" 1975 (Yi Yi)
X-ian progressive psych with good guitar.
BOB JACOBS ( )
"Ray Bradbury's Dark Carnival" 1969 (Tower ST-5172) [insert]
The spoken intro to this album gives you an idea what you're in for: the works of Ray Bradbury (specifically, the short stories from his collection "The October Country") turned into music, sort of in the same fashion as Paul Klee's art and the album by the National Gallery. Some of this is soft AM pop, but there are some baroque pop songs with occasional fuzz guitar and plenty of creepy moments. The most memorable song is "The Jar", in which Jacobs recites the poem in a weird poetic speak/sing style over a series of eerie and intense sound effects. Jacobs' singing is a bit overwrought throughout, though it's not entirely out of place. Bradbury's work is intense and imaginative enough to make for a lot of interesting lyrics. This is an unusual album that won't appeal to everyone, but it's pretty cool and will really be enjoyed by the right listener. Bradbury wrote the liner notes for the album. [AM]
JACOB'S REUNION (VT)
"Jacob's Reunion" 1975 (Chelsea House chr-2001) [500p]
Nice rural folk by Vermont hippies, very well conceived, performed and recorded. It's an intriguing mix of styles, from British-type folk to a variety of old American musical genres (not just folk but blues and vocal jazz.) The mix of all things Americana evoke the Insect Trust and the laid back vocal style and violin sound a bit like Fraser & Debolt, but Jacob's Reunion is nowhere near as strange as either of those artists (and, admittedly, not as exciting.) It probably won't appeal to strict psych fans, but it's a good album, with the highlights being the two long, dreamy, almost eerie side-closers. Mix of male and female vocals. No full drum set, but there are quite a few instruments and arrangement ideas. The album is about 48 minutes, yet is diverse enough not to feel overlong. [AM]
JADE (Cincinnati, OH)
"Faces Of Jade" 1970 (General American 11311)
This came to me with an "underrated?" tag attached, and I'm inclined to agree. It's late 60s Brit-psych/pop of the McCartney/Roy Wood variety transplanted to 1970s Cincinnati, serving up plenty of innovation, fun and a fair amount of label $$$ on hand. Opens with dreamy psych mini-epic that recalls the 2nd Fallen Angels album, the rest holds a middle ground between London'68 and the clever pop that Ohio would become famous for, leaving the listener to decide if this is a late 60s lytepsych LP or in fact an Anglo-retro 70s trip. Lots of piano, "Penny Lane" fanfares, high-pitched teen harmonies and unexpected studio tricks including a high-point which has vocals sung backwards then replayed forwards for an eerie "Twin Peaks"-style effect. A couple of tracks are too poppy for me, but a worthwhile experience all over; should appeal to fans of Lazy Smoke in addition to the pointers already suggested. [PL]
~~~
This starts out with a long dreamy ballad and includes a cool backwards experiment (the music played backwards while the singer uses stilted, strange phrasing in order to keep up, an idea that would be used more popularly by the Stone Roses twenty years later.) Otherwise, though, it's basically a Beatles-inspired pop album. It's not unusual at all, but it's very good, one of the best in the style. It's highly recommended to fans of bands like Grapefruit, Ellie Pop, Sleepy Hollow, etc. Some pressings are missing the song "My Honey," which is the oddball song on the album anyway (and a complete steal of the Beatles "Honey Pie"). Strangely, even copies without the song have a sticker that says "includes the hit 'My Honey.'" [AM]
JADE (OK)
"Crossfire" 1980 (Gem Stone 102)
Rural rock/hard rock with a 1970s sound, half harder sounds with searing dual leads, and half more mellow with light AOR moves. Good songwriting. "Sister Sawbuck" is usually cited as the best track.
JADES (Dallas, TX)
"So Tough" 1964 (Ching)
Pre-invasion greaser rock from Dallas teens whose legacy has been poorly taken care of, despite leaving two albums behind. This isn't exceptional but enjoyable for what it is, and may in fact surpass the second LP.
"Live At Disc A Go Go" 1965 (Jarrett 21517)
Live recording of local club band, classic r'n'b & Brit Invasion covers like you'd expect. Excellent drummer, nice ringing undistorted rhythm guitar and an enthusiastic live feel, reminiscent of the TC Atlantic album, although a couple of non-rock selections like a nightmarish "Hello Dolly" lower the batting average. "House of the rising sun" is in an unusual arrangement and with different lyrics, sounds like they picked it up from outside the regular sources. Last track provides background music for the go-go girls to demonstrate the Monkey, the Swim etc for the crowd, and is thus wasted on vinyl, unless you have a strong visual imagination. A reasonably entertaining half-hour for teen-beat completists. [PL]
JADE STONE
& LUV (Austin, TX / Nashville, TN)
"Mosaics, Pieces Of Stone" 1977 (Jade 4351) [circa 1500p; some copies w/ poster]
Interest in this is on the rise and rightly too, cause this is one cool ultra-1970s artefact by a couple decked out in full period regalia including a handlebar moustache (Jade Stone), hot pants (Luv), and a psychedelic VW bus. The music is notoriously hard to describe, but projects scenes of all-night cruising through Edge City in a stolen Cadillac, downing reds with cheap sparkling wine that you refer to as "champagne", with the 8-track blasting "Mosaics" at full volume. Neon sign singles bars, pool halls and re-opened nightclubs flash by while Jade Stone sings like the rock star he hopes soon to be. Not metropolitan hip, but dreams of stardom and glamour from the American underbelly, two renegade souls zooming down the highway between Austin and Nashville. Well-produced, with some fantastic tracks like "Man", featuring great keyboard and fuzz interplay, and soulful-loungey vocals. "Trailer-park music" someone called it. Major personal fave, but hardly for everyone, and the cover shot alone will scare a lot of potential buyers off. The poster (which is great) has only been found in a handful of copies and is worth almost as much as the album itself. Most copies have a promo sticker on the front cover. They also had some non-LP 45 tracks. [PL]
~~~
Like Darius (to whom his voice has been compared), Jade Stone wanted to be a big star! It was obviously not to be, and the world is left with this unique album, which is a mixture of 60s hippie, 70s country and timeless lounge rock, jacked up by inspired songwriting, Jade's overwhelming personality and tremendous arrangements. The closing "Reality" is packed with killer wah-wah guitar, and that should hook most of you, but the rest of the album, while mellower, is terrific too. Jade really has a flair for the dramatic, and comes off sounding quite important indeed. Songs like "Waiting For The Rain" have an elegant power. Luv doesn't sing lead, but she adds to the album cover's goofball appeal. [AM]
JAIM ( )
"Prophecy Fulfilled" 1969 (Ethereal 1001)
Moody orchestrated pop duo with harpischord, may appeal to Gentle Soul fans.
JAKE (WI)
"Dedication" 1973 (Banana 5179) [500p; insert]
Melodic rural rock from locally popular Midwest band housed in goofy dog cover. Opens with a heartfelt Graham Nash type lament to a dead dog which seems to be seriously intended. The rest makes more sense, with a professional sound, competent songwriting and good harmony vocals. The band were apparently big Beatles fans but it sounds more 1970s westcoast than anything else. Recurring countryrock moves work OK but are occasionally too squishy, while the stronger tracks go in a harder guitar-oriented direction, with Bay Area and progrock aspects on things such as the droning "Can tell" and the dramatic "May Day". The album has a mature, self-confident feel that compensates for the familiarity of the style. The LP was pressed privately and sold out immediately to fans at their shows. Previously they released two 45s as "SELTAEB" - (read it backwards). There was also a 45 released from the 1973 album. Banana was a subsidiary to the wellknown regional Cuca label. The band also had a lesser second LP in 1983. [PL]
~~~
If you think the picture of the dog on the front cover is odd, wait until you hear the opening and closing odes to him! Those lyrics are weird, but for the most part this is nothing a collector would normally care about. Some countrified rock and ordinary ballads share space with mildly heavy west-coast sounding excursions and mainstream 70s rock. Overall, it's competent but unexceptional with the usual imperfect vocals, the kind of LP that would be ignored if it were on a major label. The best songs (which are basically the heavier and longer ones) are more "promising" than they are "successful", with the exception of one great song, "Can Tell". This is one more in the trend of recent "discoveries" of mainstream albums that had been ignored by collectors for years because there's nothing unusual or exceptional about them. [AM]
STEVE JAM ( )
"Songs Of A Songwriter" 1975 (no label) [200p]
Demo LP from melodic 1970s rock/prog multi-instrumentalist with full rock setting, some percussion and lots of keyboard.
GRAHAM JAMES (NE)
"What is Me?" 197 (Rene 1141)
70s hippie folk with a couple of interesting tracks.
JAY JAMES ( )
"Good Times & Bad Times" 1976 (Tiger Lily)
Obscure one on Morris Levy's infamous tax-loss label, has been described as "rural loser roots honky tonk country rock with the usual quirky blandness the label seemed to pick up on".
MICHAEL JAMES (MN)
"Runaway World" 1978 (no label het-1857) [1000p]
Oddball pro-sounding local late 1970s artefact that is not easily described; recurring spoken Guatemala theme will have you puzzled, as may the mix of downer ballads, generic studio fill instrumentals and moody fuzz psychrock with an occasional D R Hooker or Marcus slant. Good vocals, the guitars may be too metal for some, but the echo-fx "Sleepers" psych trip and a closing atmospheric acid lullaby about death should appeal to anyone. Album opens poorly, then becomes increasingly appealing, worth checking out for open-minded heads. A lot of time and some $$$ obviously went into this one. Cool 50s flying saucer cover. James had a cassette-only release in 1985 and is still around playing and releasing music. [PL]
JAMESON (Los Angeles, CA)
"Color Him In" 1967 (Verve v-5015) [mono; ylp exists]
"Color Him In" 1967 (Verve v6-5015) [stereo]The first “real” album by the guy who masqueraded as Chris Lucey. This album is way more commercial than the Lucey album, with female harmonies and poppy melodies, but it’s actually equally as good, and actually pretty weird when you get past the more mainstream sound. [AM]
~~~
see -> Chris Lucey
JAMRA (CA)
"The Second Coming" 1972 (Stygian)
Satanic cult. Doomy organ, spooky effects, and creepy invocations by Jamra. Recorded live at Audio Genesis Studios. [RM]
JAN & DEAN (Los Angeles, CA)
"Save For A Rainy Day" 1967 (J&D 101) [mono]
"Save For A Rainy Day" 199 (CD Sundazed)Private press obscurity from surf/hot rod kings, put together by Dean Torrence and session pros while Jan was in a coma after his car crash. All tracks deal with rain, making this one of the odder concept LPs around. Mostly covers. A solid LA '67 top forty pop LP a la the lighter sides of Strawberry Alarmclock. I like it. CD has lots of remixed bonus tracks which is good as the original has a pretty muddy sound. Needless to say, Jan & Dean released tons of records that fall outside the scope of these archives. [PL]
JAN & LORRAINE ( )
"Gypsy People" 1969 (ABC s-691) [gatefold]
This is about as good a 60s femme psych album as you'll find. It's wholly original and unlike a lot of singer/songwriter types of the era, the women with their names on the album cover had considerable creative input. The duo wrote seven of the ten songs, and the other three were written for them. They play all of the guitars on the album, and also some keyboards, and are credited with "ensemble arrangements." It's a reasonable cross between British folk-rock and American psychedelia (with a strong Indian influence), and is the most interesting and successful album by a folk-psych duo, male or female. It also rocks with conviction, and while it does contain two off-the-wall experiments it doesn't lose its focus. More importantly, unlike virtually every late 60s/early 70s album by women, there's not a song here with a bland or simplified arrangement. In other words, there's no song or arrangement that seems to have been thrust upon them by a sales-happy label or producer. They never opt for the easy way out, erring on the side of daring rather than on the side of omission. Even the two orchestrated ballads avoid the traps of mainstream pop, as the strings create an eerie atmosphere not far off from the sitars and effects elsewhere. The women's voices are high and a little thin when apart, but rich and evocative together, even when one or the other hits an unlikely note here or there. They're full of substance. Throughout there's an exciting "anything goes" feel that makes the album more than the sum of its excellent parts. The band covers Spikedrivers and Perth County Conspiracy tunes and appears to have had a Michigan/Canadian connection to Richard Keelan who was a member of both those bands. [AM]
~~~
see full-length review
JANDEK / UNITS (TX)
"Ready For The House" 1978 (Corwood)
"Ready For The House" 198 (Corwood) [insert]Notorius "cult" artist of the outsider/fringe type whose two dozen albums are popular topics for discussion. Most of it falls outside the scope of the Archives on ground of not being psychedelic in any way, so this rare debut LP will work as a proxy for the rest. It's just the guy's voice and amateur picking on an electric guitar; a loner late-night mood persists, and the lyrics are unusual and fairly interesting. Supposedly 8 different tracks, but it's really like one and the same throughout, and more like a spoken word record with incidental music than actual songs. May be worthwhile for hardcore downer/loner folk enthusiasts, while others can settle for a few attentive needle drops to decide upon its merits. This LP was released as by the Units. The 2nd press has an insert that refers to later Jandek albums. [PL]
~~~
If this is the first artist you've looked up, you're reading the wrong book. Obviously opinions vary about the enjoyability (not to mention the purpose) of Jandek's music. While I've always believed that he's way more intersting to read about than to listen to, unquestionably his music makes more sense over his entire ouvre than on just one record. That said, of the many Jandek albums I've heard this is undoubtably the most boring, just the same bloody out of tune chord strummed the same way for forty minutes. Later albums would throw in a bit of variety, all of which sounds way more compelling in context than out of it (i.e. after half an hour of one chord, a song with four sounds like the most melodic thing you've ever heard). This album doesn't even have that, and you will never get this 40 minutes of your life back. [AM]
J-ANN-C TRIO (MO)
"At The Tantara" 196 (Burdland 3300)
Square-looking mid-1960s trio with female bass-player doing r'n'b, surf and more, popular title among Incredibly Strange aficionados.
JARVIS ST REVUE (Thunder Bay, Canada)
"Mr Oil Man" 1970 (Columbia ES 90020) [gatefold]
"Mr Oil Man" 198 (no label, Italy) [bootleg; 340p; insert]
"Mr Oil Man" 199 (CD)
"Mr Oil Man" 2000 (Void 12) [gatefold; +bonus 7"]
"Mr Oil Man" 200 (CD Pacemaker 033) [+bonus tracks]Pretty good psychrock sounds from a bunch of Thunder Bay pothead environmentalists. Ecological concerns mix with relaxed hippie reflections in a style similar to the Borealis LP, though the heavy acid guitar excursions and spooky whispered vocals on the 13-minute title track is what makes this trip worthwhile. The sleeve shows Christ holding up an earth globe covered in toxic slime - these guys weren't joking. The band had 2 non-LP 45s. [PL]
~~~
Give them points for ambition. The 13-minute title track is rife with wacky singing, strange arrangements, sound effects and wonderful fuzz bass, and the environmental lyrical theme rings loud and clear throughout the album. The mellower, moodier songs are as successful as the heavy, fuzzy ones. A few blues/boogie rockers threaten to be kind of pedestrian, but rise above, mostly due to nice drifty fuzz guitar that buzzes in your ear. This is a distinctive and innovative album, of similar quality to other excellent Canadian major label rarities like It's All Meat and the Rabble. The CD reissue contains an early single (much poppier than the album), and six tracks that were intended to be part of their never-completed second album. This second album dispenses with the fuzz and finds them in an upbeat rural rock and singer-songwriter acoustic pop/rock mode. It's also pretty good, but due to the style would certainly have been a disappointment to fans of "Mr. Oil Man." [AM]
JARVO RUNGA (Chatham, NJ)
"Jarvo Runga" 1972 (no label) [100p; info sheet]
Local basement rock with DIY vibe and Neil Young and Creedence influences in there somewhere, wrapped up in a stripped down urban Eastcoast sound. The unpolished vocals and no-frills directness are reminiscent of Odyssey, but this is not a hardrock LP but more like a bunch of auto mechanics playing bars in their spare time and ending up with an album. The drummer has an unusual homemade style where each song is given a particular drum arrangement to which he then sticks no matter what. Some non-heavy guitar jams but mostly song-oriented with originals all through, I think. May appeal to fans of Neutral Spirits and Fortune Teller, which means that I like it. Apparently recorded on LSD, though if true this must rank as one of the least acid-sounding acid LPs around. Short demo LP with some 22 minutes playtime. There is a handwritten band name on the front cover and an info sheet taped on the back. Other cover variations may exist. According to the band, most copies were given to labels in an attempt to get signed. Only a couple of copies are known outside the members. [PL]
JASPER WRATH (CT)
"Jasper Wrath" 1971 (Sunflower snf-5003) [insert; wlp exists]
"Jasper Wrath" 2005 (Sunflower/Scorpio)"Anthology 1969-76" 1996 (CD Oxford Circus 001) [2CDs; book]
The 1971 LP is an intriguing psych/prog crossover item should appeal to just about everyone. It has excellent songs, lots of fuzz guitar, soaring harmonies, hooks and loud drums, and for the prog fans a few flutes and a long pretentious fantasy epic to close things off. Cool album cover too. "Look To The Sunrise" was a near-hit, and in some places is listed as a bubblegum (!) song. It's not, but it is awfully catchy. Ten years later members of the band would front successful AOR bands, though the most intriguing chapter of their career (the Arden House and Zoldar & Clark albums) almost disappeared without trace in the mid-70s. The anthology finally gave a legitimate release to some songs from both of those records, as well as many unreleased live and studio tracks. [AM]
~~~
Brit-influenced melodic artrock with psych remnants. Skillfully produced and arranged with a classy major label feel; lots of ideas going in different directions as is typical for the style and era. Songwriting is fine with hooks and memorable moments, vocals are OK (but not great) in the Moody Blues style, often sung ensemble, and there's atmospheric piano and good fuzz throughout. So what's the problem? Well, there is an abundance of flute that casts a dork spell on things (much like Westfauster), and the pompous UK artrock spectre means a lot of emphasis on the surface and too little on personal expression. A more tangible psych feel would have helped, and that is precisely what we get on the superb "Odyssey" with its dreamy Strawberry Alarmclock afternoon tripout textures. The album as a whole is impressive and enjoyable but unlikely to be anyone's desert island pick. [PL]
~~~
see -> Eyes; Arden House; Zoldar & Clark
ABNER JAY (GA)
"Abner Jay Sings & Plays Stephen Foster" 197 (Plantation Records 5628)
"True Story of Dixie" 197 (Brandie 1002)
"Swaunee Water and Cocaine Blues" 197 (Brandie 1001)
"Swaunee Water" and "Terrible Comedy" are rated as Abner's best LPs by most aficionados.
"Terrible Comedy Blues" 197 (Poison Apple 3420)
The word “terrible” isn’t a comment on the comedy or the music, but a word he uses over and over in all of his jokes, most of which seem to have been stolen from Redd Foxx. They take up maybe 20% of this album, the rest of which is his usual one-man-band electric blues. Even if some of the jokes are corny, this is very enjoyable, as are all of his albums. Jay’s voice is warm and real, and I find him way more entertaining than just about any of those heavy blues rockers with wanky lead guitar players and macho singers. My dream double bill would be Hasil Adkins and Abner Jay! Terrrrrrrrr-ible!!! [AM]
"The Backbone of America is a Mule and Cotton" 1976 (Brandie 122161) [Abner with guitar cover]
"The Backbone of America is a Mule and Cotton" 197 (Brandie 122161) [Abner lying down cover]If this one doesn't fit under the weird/real people category, then nothing in my collection does. That poses a number of problems, including trying to describe an album as plain strange as "The Backbone Of America Is A Mule And Cotton". This isn't rock, progressive, or psychedelic, rather a very strange mixture of blues, country, Gospel minstrel and freak-out. Starting to see how odd this album is? Next, making Leon Redbone sound like a young choir boy, Jay's voice is definitely an acquired taste. All hyperbole aside, this is one of those albums that can clear a party out in record time. Released on his own Memphis-based Brandie Records, the LP is a little different than most of his other releases in that it largely forgoes original material (the rambling title track being the lone exception). Call this Jay's covers album in that it finds him taking on a series of classic American songs like 'Way Down Upon the Swanee River and 'Amazing Grace'. Propelled by his deep growl and electrified banjo, the results are definitely strange in that Jay slows every one of these songs down to a funeral pace that will either drive you crazy, or make want to check the results out time after time. It's not clear which "Backbone" cover came first. The first variation is subtitled "This is Real Show Nough Bicentennial Music", so 1976 is an educated guess for the release year. [SB]
"One Man Band" 2003 (CD Subliminal Sounds, Sweden)
Abner Jay is a blues artist, regarded by some as the last in the line of original Southern minstrel performers. However, many of his most ardent fans seem to be of an esoteric mind-set, which is why he belongs in these Archives. I've only heard the recent "One Man Band" sampler CD, which is remarkable and recommended. You've never heard Georgia blues this way before, mixing hilarious spoken rants with high intensity one-man-band numbers and lyrics that deal with 'modern' topics (hippies, LSD, Vietnam) as seen through the eyes of an original Dixie bluesman. Jay is a strong vocalist and performer, and some numbers achieve a startling intensity, after which you're thrown into burlesque jokes like an X-rated WC Fields. As pure and invigorating as the Swaunee river water, an essential piece in the Americana puzzle. There is a brochure that came with some of the records with additional information. In addition, there are a couple of early 45s, probably from the 1960s. [PL]
J B & THE PLAYBOYS (Montreal, Canada)
"J B & the Playboys" 1966 (RCA 1086)
Pre-Freedom North beat. The band also cut a 1-sided LP of Coca-Cola jingles for the Hallmark label.
J
C & THE B's (PA)
"1st and 10" 1975 (Essay sa-325) [paste-on front; blank back; 200p]
Mixed bag of 1970s sounds ranging from pop to soulful rock.
J D BLACKFOOT see J D Blackfoot
JELLY
BEAN BANDITS (Newburgh, NY)
"Jelly Bean Bandits" 1968 (Mainstream 56103) [mono]
"Jelly Bean Bandits" 1968 (Mainstream s-6103) [stereo]
"Jelly Bean Bandits" 199 (CD)
"Jelly Bean Bandits" 2003 (CD Bandits)Teen dorks' (just look at them on the cover) album is about half good fuzzpsych and half Young Rascals type Eastcoast teen-beat, all over one of the more enjoyable Mainstreams. Given another 6 months they probably could have made a really good LP, but such quality control was not part of the Mainstream agenda. The priceless "heavy" gluesniffer epic about a "Caterpillar's eye" must be heard to be believed, and there's good fuzz drive on "Generation". Fun and dumb, worth checking out. There is also a retrospective CD from a 1967 live show titled "Mirror Music", and a CD of newly recorded material titled "Time and Again" that contains 5 unreleased bonus tracks from the original era. [PL]
~~~
Upstate NY group with great garage punk sound. One of the best on the label. Fun bouncing church organ, wailing fuzz from the cavern Mystic Siva sounds, trippy dippy lyrics, and snotty vocals like a grittier Music Machine. The occasional studio cheese moves only add to the Nuggets punk psych sing-along style. Inspirational verse: "The bandits love your mind and what remains of society is manure.". The LP was also released in Canada, and in France (Vogue) with a slightly altered sleeve. [RM]
JEREMIAH ( )
"Blowing Your Mind" 1977 (Wong 14068)
This is Johnny Kitchen doing messed-up lounge-go-go fuzz 10 years too late.
~~~
see -> Tarots; Victims of Chance
JEREMY DORMOUSE
(Ontario, Canada)
"Toad" 1968 (no label t-13)
"Toad" 2001 (CD Hallucinations/Void)
"Toad" 2003 (Void 31)Obscure folk LP with a transition sound from 60s coffee house into 70s downer/loner moves. Lost in time atmosphere and idiosynchratic singing and playing makes for a trip with a clear identity, yet the connection between the arrangements, vocal mannerisms and underlying tunes seems random and "for the hell of it", rather than conscious explorations. Some tracks work, others don't, and all over it's pretty inconsistent. Covers of Dylan, Cohen and Bo Diddley (!) come off more like insults than bold interpretations, while the Lynda Squires led take on "High Flying Bird" is pretty cool. Of the originals most is average contemporary folk, with a high-point in the only track not by "Dormouse" (Cris Cuddy) or Marcus Wattington, Don Tapscott's sublime "Just To Hear The Bells". The album is semi-acoustic with electric bass and occasional percussion. Oddly, the LP has a similar sound (minus the autoharp) and the precise same problems as the Folklords. The album was recorded in 1967, and precedes the Rejects LP sessions. The Hallucinations CD is titled 'The Toad Recordings' and shows traces of vinyl press noise and high-end distortion in a few spots. [PL]
~~~
see -> Reign Ghost; Rejects
BILL JERPE (Utica, NY)
"Bill Jerpe" 1970 (Shortwheel sw-100) [insert]
Jerpe’s only album is an odd duck in the singer/songwriter world. Unlike most of the genre, it is clearly rock rather than folk. Nonetheless, despite electric arrangements, the production (heavily reverbed vocals mixed so high that the instruments sound almost muffled) keeps these songs from reaching their full rock potential. Jerpe is obviously influenced by Dylan (The voice is Dylan circa "Nashville Skyline"), but I could see this album appealing to Velvet Underground or Bowie fans (it doesn’t sound like either of them, but has a certain underground vibe.) The songs aren’t exactly hooky, but have enough weird moments with pianos, slide guitars and falsetto vocals to make them memorable. Despite the low budget production, this music is quite colorful. Add all of this to the mildly eerie cover photos/art and this album is as distinctive as anything in the genre. The songwriting is decent to very good, and this neat record will appeal to a wide variety of quirky tastes. Jerpe had some earlier 45s with his last name spelled "Hjerpe". [AM]
JESSE J & THE BANDITS (Minneapolis, MN)
"'65 Top Teen Hits" 1965 (Re-Car 2001)
Garage frat sound typical of the region. They also backed Wolfman Jack on his local LP.
JESTERS (Kansas City, KS)
"Jesters" 1966 (Audio House ah-466) [no cover]
Garage/teen-beat covers on this demo LP with instros, Kingsmen and Beau Brummels tunes.
JESUS GENERATION (TX)
"A Thief In The Night" 197 (Gospel World 467)
Primitive oddball folkrock from young Jesus movement band doing originals and Beatles covers, including "Yesterday" with the title word changed to "Calvary". Not for everyone.
WILL JIMA ( )
"The UFO Message" 1974 (Jima AE-1974)
"Revelation 666" 1975 (Jima AMD-1975)
Very whacked spoken word; the guy was transformed into an evangelist by Aliens who told him the secret meaning of the Bible, but apparently Will didn't take notes and seems to have gotten a mite confused along the way. Lots of stuff about the importance of the number "3" and "11". The record sounds as if the engineer who mixed it had Will on 1 track and this weird dark spooky synth on the other, and as he did the mix he was reading a book or something and every once in a while he'd bump the synth WAY up high in the mix at totally random moments. [SD]
J K & CO (Las Vegas, NV)
"Suddenly One Summer" 1969 (White Whale wws-7117) [promos exist]
"Suddenly One Summer" 2001 (CD Beat Rocket 126)
"Suddenly One Summer" 2001 (Beat Rocket 126)
"Suddenly One Summer" 2001 (Akarma 2015, Italy) [10"]On first listen, this sounds like a masterpiece, but after you get used to it you’ll probably notice a few blah songs in the middle. Still, this is a cool moody pop/psych album that aims to be the Beatles at their most down and out. A consistent lyrical theme about addiction is kind of surprising considering that the album is said to be the work of a teenager. Backwards guitar, sound effects and bleak-sounding acoustic guitar are all used to good effect. The Akarma reissue is on a 10” LP, though this isn’t an especially short album. The LP was recorded in Vancouver BC with members of Mother Tuckers helping out.[AM]
JO JA BAND (GA)
"Cold Winds" 1977 (Rag Doll)
Rural Allman Bros-style rock/hardrock.
RENE JOHN (MI)
"On The Road To My Cathedral" 1975 (no label M1001)
There are less than five known copies of Rene John's "On the Road to My Cathedral," a 100-press holy grail for collectors of Michigan rarities. The record certainly looks promising, a classic home-made 70s loner folk vibe all over it, and one of the really great LP titles in the genre. Musically the quickest reference point is a mid-period Neil Young LP with Ed Sanders on vocals. And, while that may sound promising, go make a list of the first hundred things that makes Ed Sanders interesting and then check it to see if "vocalist" is on there. The Neil Young reference is also really stretched. John's writing has a few flashes along the way that grab your attention -- 3rd song on side one, the solo acoustic "Material Disease" has some promise -- but the back up band sure isn't Crazy Horse and Rene isn't Neil by any stretch of anyone's imagination. If it's possible to break free of the gravitational pull of the "ultra rare private press LP" radiation coming off the record in waves and listen as if it were just another record, "On the Road..." comes off like a C grade local LP, not at all horrible, but thoroughly undistinguished and one I doubt I'll pull out to listen to again. [SD]
JOHN BUNYAN'S PROGRESSIVE PILGRIM'S (CA)
"Apricot Brand and Albatross" 1969 (Alshire S-5154)
Apparently aimed to cash in on British "rock" sounds of the era, the cover claims the set was recorded in London. A doubtful claim. In all likelihood 1969's "Apricot Brandy and Albatross" was recorded by anonymous, cash starved studio musicians - perhaps the same group responsible for the label's earlier rock exploitation releases. Like the earlier albums, the set offered up a mixture of popular hits and similarly-styled originals. An all instrumental collection, the covers weren't half bad, though the rote performances really didn't add much to tracks such as Fleetwood Mac's "Albatross" or The Who's "Summertime Blues". Originals such as the freak out "Mozart's Dilemma", "Spaced Out" and "Winter Draws On" were full of fuzz guitar solos and screaming organs, making them surprisingly good for what were clearly throwaway efforts. All told one of the better exploitation LPs out there... [SB]
JOHNNY & THE HURRICANES (Toledo, OH)
"Live At The Star Club" 1965 (Atila alp-1030)
Monster early garage sound as they move from their teen dance roots to ferocious guitar rockers. It is a studio LP with applause overdubbed. Their previous LPs are of an earlier dance rock style. All except one of the original members were gone at the time of this LP. One track can be found on the "Ho-Dad Hootenanny" compilation. [RM]
DEBB JOHNSON (MN)
"Debb Johnson" 197 (Monolith MMS 7025)
Basically an all white jazz/rock group with four members named Johnson. Has about three great cuts providing you're not hornophobic. Not a rare LP.
MIKE JOHNSON (IL)
"Happy And Alive" 197 (Freedom Light ns-2036)
Credited to "Mike & Karen", this is the rarest known LP from ex-Exkursions main guy Mike Johnson. Eclectic rock with folk, rural and jazz inflections, with both acoustic and electric guitars. The highlight is the psych track "City!" with its fast and furious rhythm and ripping fuzz guitar leads climaxing in a multi-tracked jam. There is also the rather strange ditty "I'm High", with slurred vocals that make it sound like he really was high, although it's actually Jesus praise. Johnson has recorded many albums over the years, including "Lord Doctor" (Freedom Light, 1972), "The Last Battle" (Creative Sound, 1972), "Gentle Spirit" (Newpax, 1974), "The Velvet Prince" (Freedom Light, 1973) and more. [MA]
JOINT EFFORT (Canada)
"Final Effort" 1974 (Little Records 101) [insert]
"Final Effort" 2005 (CD Radioactive, UK)Obscure rural rock LP which opens with two trad bluegrass numbers, then goes into unexceptional westcoast country-rock with a mix of covers like "Tequila Sunrise" and band originals. "Winter" is the highpoint of the album, with a good riff, fine vocal harmonies and an SF Bay Area feel. The last third of the LP has them breaking out their "rock" gear and sounds almost like a different band, with crude rootsy fuzz-rock including a basement take on "Horse with no name". The LP is a lo-fi live recording done as a farewell present to whatever fans they had, housed in a nice Escher-style sleeve drawing. Despite enthusiastic dealer hype, a lack of creativity and the uninspired playing makes this one a concern for rural genre fans and Canadian completists only. [PL]
JOINT EFFORT (MI)
"Two-sided Country... Blues" 1971 (Home Made 11034)
"Two-sided Country... Blues" 2002 (CD World In Sound 1094, Germany) [+4 bonus tracks]Not to be confused with any other Joint Effort, this is a rare acoustic hippiefolk LP featuring two guys. Sympathetic and enjoyable, a Dylan spectre on some songs and vocals are a drawback, though others are dark and trancey; counterculture lyrics on drugs and more. Not bad. Some later recordings have been released on LP as by the Jones Family band (WIS 015), these have been reported as less impressive. [PL]
JOINT
EFFORT see Cannabis
JOKERS ( )
"Jokers" 196 (no label) [no cover; 1-sided]
Demo LP of garage covers.
JOKER'S MEMORY (Canada)
"Joker's Memory" 1976 (Marc Studios 11843) [paste-on; 1-sided; 100p]
Genesis style melodic keyboard prog with basement sound and arch vocals.
MICHAEL JON (Canada)
"Michael Jon" 197 (Trend T1009)
Obscure one on the same label as Bent Wind and Cargo; Tim Buckleyish folkrock with Hammond and piano and cover of "Season of the witch", plus originals. Reportedly only 200 copies pressed.
JON & JODI (Dover, DE)
"Two Sides Of Jon & Jodi" 1971 (Del-Ray Records)
This lovely and unusual folk record is a small treasure. Jon & Jodi were two undeniably sweet kids from Delaware who charmed some local businessperson enough to finance this record. The best songs, like the opening "Ladybug," are haunting ballads, with a dreamy production sound and forlorn harmonies; they really have beautiful voices. A few songs have a bit of a country/bluegrass edge (with banjo, steel guitar and "dobrow"), but even on these the vocals have the loner folk feel to them. The upbeat songs don't quite match the moodier ones, but there really aren't any duds here. Most albums that sound like this are Christian, but this is not, despite their innocence (from the liner notes: "In this freaked out world, Jon & Jodi seem almost unreal. For example, neither smokes, drinks, uses drugs or marijuana. They do have one minor vice, they chew gum!") All songs on this album are originals. [AM]
JONATHAN & CHARLES (VA)
"Another Week to Go" 1968 (InterVarsity lps-02498)
"Another Week to Go" 2004 (CD Gear Fab 210)British-American duo on Simon & Garfunkel or Chad & Jeremy wave-length. Chiming guitar/organ fragile Christian folkrock with slight psych moves and beautiful vocals. On some copies, the song "Why" was replaced by "Colors and Shades". Also released in England by the Herald label.
DEL JONES' POSITIVE VIBES (Philadelphia, PA)
"Court is Closed" 1973 (Hikeka) [first 'psych' mix; group photo cover]
"Court is Closed" 1973 (Hikeka) [second 'soul' mix; Africa map cover]
"Court is Closed" 1999 (Loopden 2P-001) ['psych' mix; insert]The first version of this album (sans the overdubbed horns of the second pressing) is a great document of true inner city grit. While the anger is surprisingly subdued, these guys obviously know the down and dirty life of which they sing. Despite all of the lyrics about drugs and being put down by the man, there’s an essentially positive message here. A few of the songs stretch out into long jams that build in intensity and really stand up well to multiple listens. There’s a lack of real “singing” here, with most of the stories being told in a kind of matter-of-fact sing-speak, and the few times real melodies break out make you wish there were more. Nonetheless, this is a killer LP: powerful, memorable, uncompromising and full of life, and it doesn’t sound like any soul/funk album you’ve heard. If "Maggot Brain" is "Superfly", this is "Sweet Sweetback's Badasssss Song". [AM]
~~~
Extraordinary eyewitness report from the Philly ghettoes surprisingly packaged in a non-aggressive funk/jam rock grooooooove that surpasses pretty much everything else in the genre, especially the opening title track with a westcoast jazzrock feel that just kills. Supported by the best housing project funk band anywhere Del Jones raps about the terrifying state of America '73, while the flipside deals directly with heroin use and how to get out of it. One of the top funkrock LPs ever, blows most of your starry-eyed white-boy psych LPs away. Del Jones is still active in the African-American cause as evident from the insert he penned for the honkie reissue. "You've got to liquidate your assets". [PL]
GEORGE M JONES (Dallas, TX)
"George M. Jones" 196 (OA no#)
"Contrasts" 1972 (Gambit gam-12-001)
Noted songwriter. Dylanesque folk with studio psych fills on the debut, a cool record in the Del Shannon "Charles Westover" style. "Contrasts", released on a Nashville label, is reportedly good as well, in a singer/songwriter direction. [RM]
JOSEFUS (Houston, TX)
"Dead Man" 1970 (Hookah 330) [3000p]
"Dead Man" 1983 (Eva 12010, France)
"Dead Man" 199 (Texman tex-1001, Germany)
"Dead Man" 199 (CD Sundazed) [+bonus]
"Dead Man" 199 (Akarma, Italy)“Dead Man” is a professional sounding outlaw hard rock album, a bit ahead of its time. The rhythm section is solid and the songs have lots of energy. The singer strains for all he’s worth but it sounds pretty genuine. A cover of “Gimme Shelter” is a waste of 4 minutes, and the 18-minute title song has the expected boring spots. Otherwise, though, this is a good one. The vibe is similar to Jamul, though it sounds a bit more youthful. A brief rip from “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” in one song is a cool surprise. The Sundazed CD contains the early version of the album, which is similar in quality. It’s definitely of interest to fans because it includes four songs not on “Dead Man". This early album version was also released as a stand-alone LP on the Epilogue label in the 1990s, title "Get Off My Case". The original Hookah LP is a classic rarity but actually sold several thousand copies locally. [AM]
"Josefus" 1970 (Mainstream s-6127) [wlp exists]
"Josefus" 198 (Mainstream) [bootleg; white label]
"Josefus / Dead Man" 200 (CD Alcinous, Russia) [2-on-1; +2 tracks]Recorded in Miami's Criteria Studios, the follow-up teamed the band with Mainstream producer Bob Shad. Originally interested in re-recording their debut, Shad instead insisted on new material, sending the band into a frantic creative spasm. Exemplified by material such as "Bald Peach" and "America" musically the set wasn't much different from the debut. Once again Bailey remained a marginal singer who had consistent trouble staying in tune ("Feelin' Good"). Making up for that, Mitchell was a wonderful lead guitarist, turning in several exceptional performances (check out his leads on "I'm Gettin' On"). Unfortunately, the overall results were mixed; much of the set coming off as sonically flat and creatively uninspired; "Sefus Blues" was simply dreadful. The bootleg reissue of the promo has a thin cover and no spine printing. [SB]
JOSEPH
( )
"Stoned Age Man" 1970 (Scepter sps-574) [wlp exists]
The cover drawing of a cave man is completely apt. Joseph sings like he’s about to hit you in the head with a club. His gruff, gravely voice is completely perfect for songs with titles like “I Ain’t Fattenin’ No More Frogs For Snakes” and “Cold Biscuits and Fish Heads.” The backing is solid bluesy organ and guitar, with a few surprising moments here, like “Mojo Gumbo” speeding up at the end. While a bit of Howlin’ Wolf/Captain Beefheart shows through here and there, he’s really one step behind those guys on the evolutionary chart. His lead guitar playing is equally as crude as his vocals. This is a short album, with 9 songs in 29 minutes, and not a second is wasted, except maybe for the cover of “House of The Rising Sun.” Really cool! [AM]
ERNIE JOSEPH see Big
Brother
RON JOSEPH & LOJO MUSIC (New York City, NY)
"Rainbow Rings" 1975 (R.P.C.) [insert]
X-ian folk and singer/songwriter with piano, on noted custom label. The songs were recorded in churches.
JOSHUA ( )
"God Spoke... And Said 'Lead My People'" 1973 (Impact r-3228) [black label]
"God Spoke... And Said 'Lead My People'" 197 (Impact r-3228) [red label]Surprisingly good Christian psychrock with strong vocals and blistering guitar, consistent throughout and still unknown to most. Utilizes the "California" sound popular among x-ian bands across the US, with a bit of Brit hardrock influence as well, esp from the Who. Perfect CSN/America-style vocal harmonies may annoy some though I don't mind. Not deep like Search Party but enjoyable, a lot better than Earthen Vessel as an example. The band was from the Southwest, while the label was based in Tennessee. The LP was also released on the British Key label (self-titled), on Impact in New Zealand, and in Canada. [PL]
JOSHUA (Sacramento, CA)
"Opens Your Mind" 2004 (Rockadelic 50) [insert]
An early 70s band of local longhairs who flirted with the SF ballroom scene and have some of those vibes entering their sound. The basic style is jammy rural CA hardrock with a bit of an r'n'b groove and vibe. The LP opens strongly with a track that sounds like it could have gotten some airplay, succeeded by the excellent title track. A couple lesser tracks follow, before the side closes in strong fashion. Side 2 is similar and the band has a distinct sound and identity obviously born out of plenty of regional live gigs. While the songwriting isn't overwhelming there's still a fair sprinkling of hooks, and the playing is raw and enthusiastic throughout. Edgy vocalist and the gritty blue collar sound may recall Fresh Blueberry Pancake, although this is somewhat looser. Last track opens with an anti-war speech and has some ferocious guitar excursions. It should be noted that although the sound is good it's not a perfect hi-fi recording with lots of high-end and less bottom. For me the most memorable aspect of Joshua are the above-average lyrics which avoid the usual cars & chicks clichés and deal with reality issues such as the Vietnam draft and doing time for drug possession. This in combination with the honest, straightforward face the band presents makes for a genuine local 1970 feel that is appealing. The album fits in well with Rockadelic's earlier Northern CA/Pacific NW releases, slightly better than Sleepy John but not as good as Stone Garden. Nice gatefold cover with a spooky Rick Griffin type drawing on the front and info/photos inside. [PL]
"JOSIE'S CASTLE" ( )
"Josie’s Castle" 1972 (Mascott)
This is a soundtrack for a movie which was originally titled "The Grass Is Always Greener," and in fact the album cover has the new title pasted on a sticker over the old one on both the front and back covers. The original title makes plenty of sense, given the pot plant on the front cover and the drug themes in the movie. The music is basically soft rock with horns, very mainstream in a "groovy" way. About half of the songs are instrumentals and have some decent wah-wah guitar and a few sound effects. For fans of the softest soft psych. Not especially good but interesting, and a rare LP. [AM]
"JOURNEY OF PERSEPHONE" (Newtown, PA)
"Journey Of Persephone" 1973 (private) [insert]
Obscure high school play LP from the George boarding school (Quaker), a concept album based on the Greek myth with off-key female vocals and amateur musicians playing folk and some crude hippie-rock jams with a high entertainment factor, should interest genre fans.
JOVE (Los Angeles, CA)
"Sweeter Song" 1974 (Pax Records J777)
"Into The Shrine" 1977 (Aleph Records No#) [1000#d; white vinyl]
Poet turns singer/songwriter and covers a lot of stylistic ground. Jove dabbles in folk & folk rock, country, rock-n-roll, pop but most of all, it's middle of the road singer/songwriter fluff usually with just piano or acoustic guitar accompaniment. Jove does manage to create some material that's pleasantly appealing when he breaks from the singer/songwriter mode and gets the backing band more involved. A decent wordsmith, but I can't recall any lyrics that were truly memorable or even slightly stimulating. Of the two albums, "Sweeter Song" is the better one. "Into The Shrine" has a couple good tracks, but "Sweeter Song" has by far Jove's better and more unusual material. Songs like a nice grooving rural rocker ("Thief"), hard garage rock with restrained fuzz guitar ("What's So Special") and some honky-tonk country tracks ("Circus" and "The Judge"). With both albums having disturbing front cover art (Jove as a Centaur with bow and arrow on the first album, and as a haunting figurine that was pieced together from non-matching parts on the second album), rear cover slicks full of mystical symbols/cryptic notations and trumped up liner notes, you would anticipate music that's strange & intriguing folk psych but instead, you get mostly sobering material by a singer/songwriter. According to the liner notes and credits, Jove traveled a lot and some tracks on these albums were recorded outside of the States implying Jove might be a foreigner. However, a majority of the recordings took place in Los Angeles and both records were printed in the USA. [JSB]
JOYFUL NOISE (IL)
"Nativity" 1975 (no label LPS 20038) [insert]
Christian 1970s melodic rock, not terribly interesting despite the hype you may see. Two cover variations exist.
"No Room In The Middle" 1976 (Christ Is The Answer)
The rare second LP is similar to the first, mainstream 1970s melodic rock with a gospel feel, full band setting including Hammond and guitar leads. Basically a poor man's All Saved Freak Band, suffering from weak male vocals and a distinct lack of edge. One track has operatic female vocals, while the title track and "Lay down your life" are agreeable hippie-rock excursions. Slightly better than the debut, but we're still miles away from the likes of Kristyl or "Spirit Of Elijah". Stunning full color cover depicts the difference between the Christian and the secular world. There is also a collection of 1977 recordings titled "Songs For Soldiers" in a mellow westcoast/MOR style and with better vocals. [PL]
JOYFUL NOISE (FL)
"Electric Gospel" 197 (Noise tc-1155) [500p]
Oddball mix of styles on this Christian obscurity, one of many in the genre that strives to show how the devil's music can be used for something good. Southern accent preacher man vocalizes over a musical landscape ranging from 50s popabilly through typical Jesus folkrock into tentative 70s funk moves. While unusual this didn't really strike me as weird as reputation has it, simply because the gospel root of the title makes a lot of musical tangents possible. Still, the use of incongruous wah-wah guitar throughout casts a strange shadow across the ten tracks. Lyrics are feel-good salvation stories and musings upon the Savior. Would make a good double bill with Juliana Garza. Earlier LPs from this particular Joyful Noise include "The Sounds Of" (Classic, 197?) and "The Greatest Day" (Noise, 197?), both of which are less out-there variations on the trip above. [PL]
JOYRIDE see Friendsound
JR & HIS SOULETTES (Oklahoma City, OK)
"Psychodelic Sounds" 1971 (no label)
"Psychodelic Sounds" 199 (no label)
"Psychodelic Sounds" 199 (CD no label)Black pre-teen group led by Harold Moore Jr, age 10, who is songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist for the group. His sisters Vinita Marie, age 9, plays bass and organ, Denise Marshall, age 7, plays drums, and Jacquelin Carol, age 6, plays Waw-Waw organ (!) and sings. Amazing real people funky psych with non-stop wah-wah guitar throughout and most tracks have rhythm (Waw-Waw) and lead organ. Approaches that cheesy Sunset Strip b-movie exploito psych sound but this is the real thing. When they sing, this beast approaches Shaggs' territory. Great tunes like "Momma, Love Tequila", "Waw-Waw Rock", and "Rock 'n Roll Santa". The incredible cover shows three shots of them in action including one with Jr in a failed split playing licks behind his head! Approximately 500 copies were pressed but most were destroyed from being shrink wrapped on a meat packing machine. [RM]
J RIDER
(Indianapolis, IN)
"No Longer Anonymous" 1996 (OR 016)
"Anonymous / No Longer Anonymous" 2000 (CD Aether-OR 0009) [2-on-1]
"No Longer Anonymous" 2002 (Akarma 176, Italy)Great post-Anonymous 1977 tracks from Midwest genius Ron Matelic's vault, the best stuff is guitar-driven westcoast folkrock as good as the awesome Anonymous with a similar sound and male/female vocal mix as on "Inside The Shadow", main difference being a more professional recording. Much more interesting than the average unreleased LP. Matelic recorded a new round of (unreleased) demos in the 1990s, again of an outstanding quality. [PL]
~~~
This set of demos, intended to draw major label interest, is slightly slicker-sounding than the Anonymous album, but essentially more of the same, with continued excellent songwriting. It's not really a full album, lasting about 30 minutes and including a remake of an earlier song, but it's still a must-own. It's not in the same league as "Inside The Shadow," but what is? It's good enough not to be a let-down, which is saying a lot. [AM]
~~~
see -> Anonymous
J
TEAL BAND (SC)
"Cooks" 1977 (Mother Cleo mcp-lp-7721)
Hot Southern guitar-rock album that blows away everything else in the genre. It’s not “rural rock” at all. There’s a tad of funk influence, but certainly no country. The vocals are snotty and nasal, which actually gives the music a dangerous edge more genuine than the usual throaty he-man voices that go with this kind of thing. Lots of great lead guitar and a real backwoods sleazy vibe. You get the impression these guys’ days are numbered, and they play with that kind of urgency. In the meantime, you wouldn’t want them getting anywhere near your sister, but you’d be honored to let them borrow your guitar. [AM]
JUICY GROOVE (Los Angeles, CA)
"First Taste" 1978 (no label) [picture disc; 550p]
Various LA 60s drug survivors assembled by Rainbow Michael Neal for a pro-sounding 70s hippierock excursion that includes three Sky Saxon numbers, among other things. Nice picture disc design. Not a rare LP. Much of the same gang turned up on the Rainbow Red Oxidizer LP (Bomp/Quark, 1980) which is more modern in style. [PL]
JULIUS VICTOR ( )
"From the Nest" 1970 (AJP) [gatefold]
"From the Nest" 2001 (CD Dodo 517)This organ-rich heavy rock album has the sound collectors like, but is pretty average without any one song standing out. The lyrics try hard to be deep and don't really pull it off. It's more "heavy" than "hard," and has a few powerful moments. Recommended only to genre fans. [AM]
JUNGLE (Los Angeles, CA)
"Jungle" 1969 (no label 3027) [no cover]
"Jungle" 1997 (Little Indians 8, Germany) [760#d]
"Jungle" 1998 (CD Little Indians 8, Germany)This and Victoria were reissued simultaneously, using some of the most overblown hype ever. The packaging is beautiful, but the music is mostly loungy (in the wrong sense) psychrock/AOR with offkey vocals and unimpressive songwriting. Two good tracks in a Bob Smith/DR Hooker direction close the sides but the rest of the LP is pretty weak in my ears. Others are more enthusiastic. Originals are ultrarare, possibly a demo press only. 400 copies of the reissue came in a blue velvet embossed cover, 260 in a black variation on the same design. Other cover variations exist. [PL]
~~~
Overly serious singing mixes with a slightly heavy guitar-and-organ base and some bizarre frantic drumming to make this a completely unique listen. It’s certainly not the masterpiece some have claimed, but it grew on me. The weird-ass drumming style may be inept, but somehow it fits in this context, and a few hooks sneak up on you. The songs are very long and meander a bit, but they’re not exactly boring. A strange one that’s gotten more attention than it deserves, but if you don’t get your hopes up too high you might enjoy it. [AM]
JUPITER (CA)
"Multiple Choice" 1980 (Jupiter j-1005)
Power trio with a garagy sound and some more mellow folkrock moments.
JUST US (MN)
"Just A Thought" 1978 (no label 80 1526) [insert]
I was undecided at first on this one, but after several plays I concluded that it sucks. Basically it's an example of the late 70s jazzy westcoast sound, when the last hippie psych remnants had been replaced with unfortunate funky Steely Dan studio moves and even more unfortunate caribbean rhythms and feel-good vibes. Castanets and steel drums are just around the corner, no doubt. The sound is professional with overlays of acoustic and electric guitar-picking, amateurish but passable vocals and some nice harmonies. That's the good news. The rest is all bad news, including a halting mock-Jamaican rhythm employed on almost every track, a dull whitebread "blues" excursion, and a painful disco flirtation with terrible lyrics. The LP was recorded in LA but pressed in Minnesota, and it really sounds like some Midwest nerds trying to get David Geffen's attention. The Windwords LP from Ohio is a much more successful exploration of this style. Don't let the nice cover fool you; unless you're a fan of bloodless LA '78 cocktail sounds this is the pits. [PL]
~~~
This folky band has jazz ambitions, instantly apparent by the acoustic guitar gymnastics on the first song. It's pretty well-played and sung throughout but is awfully precise... you know, no soul. They definitely have the feel of a college coffee-house band who think they're pushing the envelope by combining so many disparate styles. It works OK for a song or two (the title track is pretty enjoyable, and a catchy one with an "mmm" chorus near the end is pretty neat), but wears thin quickly, especially as they start trying on styles as if they were hats. Admittedly, they're much more talented than a lot of the other acoustic-heavy bands listed here in the Archives, but their album isn't really any more listenable. I'm not going to go out on a limb and say I'd rather listen to something as amateurish as, say, Virgin Insanity, but I suspect that most of you would go right out there on that limb. The disco and old-time rock/blues songs are the last straw for me. The lyrics are terrible, by the way. Sample: "anticipation eyes, you need a shot of visene." [AM]
"The U.S.A. From the Air" 1969 (Valord 2630)
"Index Anthology II" 1997 (CD Top Jimmy) [2 CDs]
Melodic rock covers with garage execution. With Jim Valice and John Ford of Index. The CD reissue was credited to Index and has 28 tracks including 1969 sessions and the entire Just Us LP.
JUVENILES (Norman, OK)
"Bo Diddley" 1980 (Piccadilly 3371)
Frat rock organ & garagy guitar 1960s tracks originally recorded for Jerden, recycled in the same series as Magic Fern, P H Factor etc, although less desirable than these. The title track is a classic, super-raw version.
