Third - SOFT MACHINE***

Facelift/Slightly All The Time/Moon In June/Out-Bloody-Rageous

Third sees the one time psychedelic band Soft Machine move firmly into avantgarde territory. Although their most commercially successful release many punters may find this a difficult listen. (UK:18)

"It took 40 years to get to my ears because it is bad. Did you ever hear of noodling? I hate noodling. Noodling is what happens when rock musicians try to stretch out and play jazz. Its like free form Spinal Tap after Nigel was kicked out of the band. Endless, pointless, noodling."

"So intent were Soft Machine to evolve at the speed of light into new musical territory that, in only a few short years since they started as a psychedelic pop band, by the time they got to their third album they practically abandoned all that had come before. Diving head first into the world of free jazz and avant-garde psychedelia only titbits of rock were still to be found throughout this sprawling and ambitious undertaking."

"Something obviously happened between the making of Soft Machine's 2nd and 3rd albums to bring about the unfortunate shift from Volume Two's playful psychedelia to the turgid fusion of Third. It augured well for something highly ambitious but I'm not sure if it really succeeded. This is an album devoid of any serious composition, and which relies on its strangeness to beguile the listener. At its best it can be quite fascinating, but as a follow-up to the magnificent Volume Two, it's a terrible disappointment."

"Their third studio album is my favourite in Soft Machine's discography. Third will most likely please the fans of jazz oriented progressive rock but I'm not so sure if the fans of their early material like it as much. This group started as a psych band but over the years their style changed. You won't find anything psychedelic here because this time jazz has taken over Soft Machine's sound completely."

"I'm a psych rock fan myself but I also like jazz a lot and in my opinion Soft Machine made the right choice by leaning more towards jazzy material. The instrumental work is superb. Basically this double album is just long instrumental jamming from start to finish. Even if the jazz fusion/prog style is the dominating genre, there are still some experimental influences as well. While these four songs are just great I still think this record is a bit too long."

Ladies Of The Canyon - JONI MITCHELL*****

Morning Morgantown/For Free/Conversation/Ladies Of The Canyon/Willy/The Arrangement/Rainy Night House/The Priest/Blue Boy/Big Yellow Taxi/Woodstock/The Circle Game

Hippy era singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell was at a creative peak at the turn of the decade. Ladies Of The Canyon includes her only British hit single the No. 11 placed Big Yellow Taxi. (US:27 UK:8)

"There is a spirit and beautiful delicacy to this album which I can remember distinctively leaving me feeling breathless."

"Joni Mitchell continues her upward trajectory with Ladies Of The Canyon. You can sense the singer-songwriter spreading her wings but being more careful than ever not to soar to flights of fanciful lyrics and vocalizations. Filled with melancholic melodies and moody piano lines, it's a collection that hints at the heartbreak contained in her next album but like that one, this too has irresistible pop moments such as Big Yellow Taxi and The Circle Game."

"I think this record encapsulates the Laurel Canyon scene like no other; from the cover to the lyrics to the songs, it has that canyon feel about it, that glow of a halcyon era of flitting in and out of houses and coffee shops playing beautiful music with the greatest artists of the time."

"Ladies Of The Canyon is surely one of the highlight releases in Joni Mitchell's wide discography. It is often overlooked even though it includes Big Yellow Taxi and Woodstock which are well known songs. If you're new to Joni Mitchell's music, this album would be a good starting point. Joni's excellent songwriting backed up with just a piano or acoustic guitar is something really awesome."

"In a thousand years, when someone wants to know what was so special and creative about the 1960s, they would do well to dust off this album and give it a spin. From beginning to end this song cycle is her wondrous paean to the simple and beautiful countercultural dreams of peace, love and community."

"A very lovely album from Joni; one of her best and probably my favourite of hers. The songs are mellow and serene along with Joni's voice. My favourites are Morning Morgantown, Conversation and The Circle Game. A series of beautiful poems that perfectly encapsulate the dreams and aspirations of the times. Joni's voices lilts and soars above the restrained acoustic guitars and pianos. A great album if you're looking for some of that 60s folk revival sound."

Watertown - FRANK SINATRA****

Watertown/Goodbye (She Quietly Says)/For A While/Michael & Peter/I Would Be In Love/Elizabeth/What A Funny Girl (You Used To Be)/What's Now Is Now/She Says/The Train

Watertown was a concept album from Frank Sinatra expressing the anguish of a small town man after his wife had left him and their two sons. The songs were written by Bob Gaudio of The Four Seasons. (US:101 UK:14)

"A baroque pop concept album concerning a lonely small town guy whose wife has walked out on him and the kids. It fits Ol' Blue Eyes hand in glove and he doesn't disappoint, providing probably the last truly great vocal performances of his career. The slightly strained quality in his voice actually benefits the material here."

"Frank Sinatra's first swan song, Watertown, is the most unusual album in his entire discography. It is the only one that openly flirts with, though does not fully embrace, rock 'n' roll sounds. It is a concept album with a full story rather than one that is manufactured around a specific theme."

"Parts of this feel rather cheesy, but I think they help with building up the overall effect that Frank would've wanted you to take away from this album - living in a small town, rumination on old love, growing old. This is basically It Was A Very Good Year stretched across an entire record, but it works incredibly well."

"In the mid-to-late 60's Frank Sinatra was struggling to compete with rock and roll and contemporary styles of the day. Like most vocal or jazz musicians he started covering current pop tunes with sometimes awkward results. Watertown, a concept album about the breakdown of a marriage written by Bob Gaudio, broke that cycle. As concept albums go, this one is brilliant with a coherent story line from beginning to end. Stylistically this is the closest Sinatra ever came to producing a rock album."

"Watertown is the forgotten masterpiece of Sinatra's Reprise years. It's comparatively poor sales performance and the flop of the single release, I Would Be In Love, allegedly contributed to his decision to retire (temporarily as it happened) from the business one year later."

"This is one of the most beautifully melancholy albums I have ever heard. I was feeling relatively content, yet a bit bored, when I started playing this. By half way through my heart was filled with sad nostalgia and, just for having such an effect on me, this deserves a good rating. This is truly a magnificent album and doesn't warrant the dismissive attitude it gets among many fans."

The Isaac Hayes Movement - ISAAC HAYES**

I Stand Accused/One Big Unhappy Family/I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself/Something

The Isaac Hayes Movement LP, like its predecessor, consists of interpretations of recent hits made almost unrecognisable. The lengthy spoken monologue may not be to everyone's taste. (US:8)

"Some pretty nice stuff on here, but not quite matching the greatness of Hot Buttered Soul. Still not enough songs for me and I wish they were cut down a little."

"Isaac Hayes has an amazing deep voice and really puts his heart and soul into these great pieces of music. The highlights are the opener and the closer and the two songs in the middle are decent/great. Not exactly on the same level as his previous album, but I'd still say it's a must-have album if you're into soul."

"A slight stumble in quality for Isaac, especially after the unbeatable Hot Buttered Soul. The smooth production and vocals are still here, but this album is significantly less creative and the middle two tracks sound like cut-and-paste stock soul music. The Beatles cover Something is excellent and the opening track is good so I recommend just listening to those and skipping the rest. It's far from bad (even at it's worst, it's listenable soul music) just prepare for inevitable disappointment after listening to it's predecessor."

"This is a decent record on its own and at the same time terribly underwhelming when compared to Hot Buttered Soul. The only thing less than perfect about it was the endless monologue intro to By The Time I Get To Phoenix. So how does Isaac kick off this follow-up? With an even more pointless monologue, which goes on for five minutes before the song actually starts."

"On its release, Hot Buttered Soul became a success and Hayes was quick to release a follow-up in the form of The Isaac Hayes Movement, which is essentially more of the same, this time consisting of four covers redone in Hayes’ orchestrated soul style. Although it’s not the classic its predecessor was, The Isaac Hayes Movement is still a worthy album."

"Smoothness aside the highlight for me is the twelve minute version of The Beatles Something which closes the album. Hugely orchestrated with backing harmonies and a powerful horn section, Isaac makes the song his own and takes it to a place I'm sure George Harrison could never have imagined."

Getting To This - BLODWYN PIG****

Drive Me/Variations On Nainos/See My Way/Long Bomb Blues/The Squirreling Must Go On/San Francisco Sketches/Worry/Toys/To Rass Man/Send Your Son To Die

Getting To This was the second Blodwyn Pig album release following Mick Abrahams departure from Jethro Tull. The group would split shortly afterwards. (US:96 UK:8)

"Blodwyn Pig split, citing musical differences, before they really managed to establish themselves as one of the great bands of the era. Getting To This was the second and last LP before the split. In contrast to the earlier Ahead Rings Out, which set out to bludgeon its audience with driving blues riffs, the influence of Jack Lancaster's jazzy saxophone is much more strongly felt. It is a sometimes gentle and thoughtful, sometimes rocking fusion of jazz, rock and blues - but this is not jazz-rock in the tradition of the over flared and over funked American bands of the era." "Very good early 70s British blues rock with some fantastic lead guitar. Lots of toe tappers but there are some slower tracks that are not so good. This is a sound guitar oriented blues rock album with a touch of jazz and some sax."

"This was even better than their debut. They seem more focused and coherent overall. The collection's standout is arguably the side one closer The Squirreling Must Go On, possibly a nod to one of Tull fan's favourite Abrahams guitar solos in Cat's Squirrel. Overall, this release finds the band placing more emphasis on blues based material, and less on jazz, with some good hard rockin' cuts, featuring guitar, sax, flute, and a few annoying ballads."

"Guitarist Mick Abrahams has a distinct, personal take on the blues, which can be quirky, but always original, and with an edge. While Pig's music draws from authentic blues roots, Mick infuses it with the vitality of real rock 'n' roll, and a touch of jazz."

"Not a whole deal has changed between the two albums, but there still are a few noticeable differences. It appears that Abrahams likes to rock it a bit more, instead of treading a slow bluesy path. The best of these tracks are See My Way and Send Your Son To Die that combine the elements of Lancaster's high-flying jazz and Abrahams passionate soloing outstandingly well, with their riveting rhythm section. I find the other tracks less interesting.”

"The album is full of masterful rock songs having a strong bluesy flavour and spangled all over with bold jazz notes."

First Step - THE FACES***

Wicked Messenger/Devotion/Shake Shudder Shiver/Stone/Around The Plynth/Flying/Pineapple & The Monkey/ Nobody Knows/Looking Out The Window/Three Button Hand Me Down

First Step was the debut album form The Faces. They grew out of the successful sixties mod group The Small Faces after they were joined by Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood. (US:119 UK:45)

"Steve Marriott's out, Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood are in, and hey presto, a brand new band with a brand new sound is born from the ashes of The Small Faces. Now simply The Faces, the group's debut album offers a melange of Americanainfluenced rock - there's blues-rock, country-rock, and some plain old rock besides. What's particularly notable is how much Rod Stewart isn't dominating the band during these proceedings - indeed, on some cuts he's simply providing backing vocals - and just what a low and dirty blues morass The Faces could conjure up. Few really strong songs per se, but some real nice jamming nonetheless, and all in all this is a decent opening album."

"First Step establishes the revamped Faces' change of direction with a set of woozy, laid back blues rock. It ends up a little underwritten and jammy, but is ripe with the band's signature brand of dishevelled rock."

"Rod Stewart and Ron Wood join the post Marriott Small Faces and produce a complete change in the bands sound. The mod soul and psychedelia of the past is replaced by a heavy blues rock sound built predominately around Wood's slide guitar and MacLagan's keyboards .Clearly fantastic musicians with Rod's raw vocals, they should have been as big as Led Zeppelin. What prevents them is the lack of quality songwriting. Only Flying, Three Button Hand Me Down and the cover of Dylan's Wicked Messenger stand out in this set though."

"Small Faces lose Steve Marriott to Humble Pie, things look bleak. They recruit Ron Wood who then suggests vocalist extraordinaire Rod Stewart. The result is this awesome first record, bluesy and whiskey soaked. I love this record, probably my favourite of The Faces stuff."

"A somewhat entertaining debut featuring Rod and Ronnie, this album's main flaw is that it's far too bluesy for its own good. The album starts off decently, with the first few numbers ringing true. After that, First Step begins to rely on a repetitive formula for the rest of its duration. Still, a sign of better things to come for the band."

Very 'Eavy Very' Umble - URIAH HEEP***

Gypsy/Walking In Your Shadow/Come Away Melinda/Lucy Blues/Dreammare/Real Turned On/I'll Keep On Trying/Wake Up (Set Your Sights)

Very 'Eavy Very 'Umble was the debut album from London based hard rockers Uriah Heep. For some reason they attracted the disdain of a well known American music magazine that bordered on the deranged. In fact, at their best, they created some very distinctive rock music, as their many fans would attest.

"One of rock's most horrifically underrated bands, Uriah Heep easily stand as one of the greatest proto-metallers, and one of the best and earliest practitioners of heavy rock. From as early as this debut, they crafted their own unique blend of hard rock riffing with psych organs and prog vocals and style. The whole album is driven along with such energy and power it's hard not to love."

"Not only was this the first, but it was the one that set the tone for what was to come. It is also the only album from their classic line-up where Ken Hensley didn't write virtually all of the songs."

"Commencing right here with the debut, Ken Hensley hits you right in the face with his heavy organ on the relentless Gypsy and it leaves you wanting for more of the same. Unfortunately though, nothing else quite hits those heights, not that it's bad or anything."

"The music is the formula that they are still using today. Soaring keyboards and terrific wailing guitar with good vocals and well written tunes are what they are about. This LP is good but better stuff is coming."

"Very 'Eavy Very 'Umble is the debut of one of the greatest and most influential bands of all time. Uriah Heep were a excellent band, they combined proto-metal with progressive rock like no other band has ever done, and in so doing paved the way for a lot of the awesomeness that came later."

"Uriah Heep were an incredible band, one of my absolute favourites. Along with Deep Purple, they were very influential in making the organ an important instrument in hard rock and heavy metal music. Ken Hensley was a great keyboardist, guitarist, songwriter, and singer. David Byron, of course, is a very powerful singer and Mick Box is a highly underrated guitarist; he didn't really play a lot of guitar solos on the studio albums, but he is very rhythmic and key to Heep's sound."