Sweet Child – PENTANGLE****

Market Song/No More My Lord/Turn Your Money Green/Haitian Fight Song/A Woman Like You/Goodbye Pork Pie Hat/Three Dances/Watch The Stars/So Early In The Spring/No Exit/The Time Has Come/Bruton Town/Sweet Child/I Loved A Lass/Three Part Thing/Sovay/In Time/In Your Mind/I’ve Got A Feeling/The Trees They Do Grow High/Moon Dog/Hole In My Coal

Sweet Child was a quick follow up double album from top British sixties folk group Pentangle. It is half live, half studio, showcasing their excellent musicianship.

"The music is essentially folk-rock, with a frequent jazz, and occasional blues - infusion. The musicianship is excellent throughout, with double bass and percussion often featured. Three Part Thing is a particularly fine instrumental piece. Jansch and McShee are good, but not great, singers."

"The interplay between these artists is startling - the two guitarists weave in and out and the vocals are not just your standard two or three part harmony. McShee's voice is the essence of purity, conviction and heart. - this is music everyone should hear."

"This extensive, partly-live, double album is often overlooked, apparently in favour of the group's more concise studio records. It's their loss as the creative energy and the flawless musicianship captured here make this, in my opinion, Pentangle's greatest album. The spontaneity of the live-in-concert setting give the disc-one songs an extra spark and an edge over much of Pentangle's in-studio work."

"As live albums go, this one has its faults. But if there are plenty of less memorable instrumentals and awkward, baroque lullabies, they are masterfully interpreted."

"Its the sort of music you can put on for an hour or more of inspiration and amazement - it will fill your heart and your essence. McShee is in fine voice, the instrumental work mesmerizing with the arrangements compelling and inventive."

"The songs are rather delicate and mellow, and the excellent acoustic bass jazzy rhythms, the strongest point on this record, give a warm dimension to the overall music. The very good voice of Jacqui McShee has a slight country style that other female singers of those times did not have. This is a nice, fresh-sounding album with some short, delicate numbers to balance out the jazz-rock groove which this band were so consistently good at. Check it out."

Neil Young – NEIL YOUNG***

The Emperor Of Wyoming/The Loner/If I Could Have Her Tonight/I’ve Been Waiting For You/The Old Laughing Lady/String Quartet From Whiskey Boot Hill/Here We Are In The Years/What Did You Do To My Life/I’ve Loved Her So Long/The Last Trip To Tulsa

Self titled debut album from the former Buffalo Springfield member Neil Young. Unfortunately it turned out to be a rather disappointing effort compared with the albums that would immediately follow.

“Neil was still figuring out where to take his solo style on this debut singer-songwriter release, making it something of an oddity in his massive discography. With each side preceded by a Jack Nitzsche instrumental and concluding with a slightly rambling epic, it's an intriguing piece which has many neglected Neil Young classics. Worth it if only for its sheer uniqueness.”

“Not his best batch of songs, a dip between Buffalo Springfield and his great solo records. Consequently and beneficially, these have been barely touched by classic rock radio. A nice thing to have for Neil Young fans.”

“The songs maybe aren't among his most memorable, but overall it's still a good debut, with some unusual and interesting arrangements for a Neil Young album.”

“Following his departure from Buffalo Springfield, Neil Young seemed to have some difficulty establishing his identity as a solo performer. This, his eponymous debut, has a bit of a throw-together feel to it, and some of this random quirkiness doesn't meld together well. Still, the album has its strong points, few and far between as they may be. For all of Young's fans though, this set is worth a listen.”

“This album could be much better. We all know what Neil Young was capable of later in his career. This album is no indication of the masterpieces to come. There are a few good songs here; three in particular that I liked: The Old Laughing Lady, I've Loved Her So Long and What Did You Do To My Life. But in between these songs are periods of total boredom.”

“Neil Young is an earnest, yet hesitant beginning to his solo career. And it's not bad at all; it's just that this album sounds very restrained compared with the music he would go on to make soon afterwards. I think that side one is stronger than the flip side, but I much preferred Young's contributions to the Buffalo Springfield albums.”

Love Child – DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES****

Love Child/Keep An Eye/How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone/Does Your Mama Know About Me/ Honey Bee(Keep On Stinging Me)/Some Things You Never Get Used To/He’s My Sunny Boy/You’ve Been So Wonderful To Me/(Don’t Break These(Chains Of Love)/You Ain’t Livin’ Till You’re Lovin’/I’ll Set You Free/Can’t Shake It Loose

On Love Child The Supremes cast aside their usual glitzy image for the newly fashionable ghetto look. The dynamic title track was a US chart topper but surprisingly only managed to reach No. 15 in the UK. (US:14 UK:8)

"I suppose the problem with The Supremes' albums had always been the desire of Berry Gordy to give the group a cross-demographic appeal. As a result of this, the wonderful singles we got were not indicative of what was contained on the albums. Album-wise, there were always the hits, plus some boring cover versions and some totally inappropriate show tunes with an eye on appealing to white audiences. If you got into The Supremes through their singles, then you probably expected more of the same on their albums, not endless versions of West Side Story and Rogers & Hart. Either way, in 1968, this was fully realised with this album, Love Child. The rest of the album is actually in keeping with the style of the singles, which is great. On the album cover, the girls look black and ghetto, reflecting the mood of the civil rights movement."

"Probably the best of the Diana Ross and The Supremes albums. There is quite a bit of variety here, an excellent mix of pop and soul. And, this album features some of the absolute best background vocal work of Mary and Cindy. How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone is a minor masterpiece."

"The Love Child album steers away from their earlier sound and looks more like a showcase for Ross' talents. It lacks the group-oriented sound of their earlier releases, but still its a credible album and showed The Supremes comfortably adapting to the ever-changing musical tastes of the 1960s."

"A lot of Motown acts suffered from the loss of the genius songwriting and production team Holland-Dozier-Holland. Anxious to keep the 'Motown sound' alive and thriving, Berry Gordy appointed some remarkably talented new in-house songwriters including Deke Richards and Frank Wilson who penned the chart topping Love Child. This was The Supremes first real musical offering to explore relevant social issues."

Livin’ The Blues – CANNED HEAT***

Pony Blues/My Mistake/Sandy’s Blues/Going Up The Country/Walking By Myself/Boogie Music/One Kind Favour/ Parthenogenesis/Refried Boogie Part 1/Refried Boogie Part 2

Double album from famed US blues band Canned Heat. First disc is studio, the second a live recording from The Kaleidoscope in Hollywood. Livin' The Blues includes the top twenty hit single Going Up The Country. (US:18)

"The first disc includes shorter numbers like, for example, one of their most famous songs Going Up The Country. The side A of the first disc was a bit of a let down in my opinion. Of course the songs are all fine and pretty, nice blues rockers but I didn't find anything completely spectacular. Just good bluesy songs but sadly nothing more. Parthenogenesis is a very long piece reaching almost twenty minutes. It closes the first disc and it has different parts. The whole second disc is filled with Refried Boogie which is a 40 minutes long boogie/jam monster. I can't do anything but love it."

"Of the studio stuff, how can you not love stuff like Goin' Up The Country, Boogie Music and One Kind Favour, such fun! The live record again is fine, but for my money, wears a bit thin after you've digested the solos a few times. Still, Canned Heat were a band that everyone who loves blues and boogie should get to know, and this album stands as a fine way to do just that."

"This double LP features one studio disc and one live. The studio one is a mix of mostly semi-commercial blues rock, and some non-commercial rock with psych influences. There is also some limited use of brass that shouldn't turn many off. The very long, fractured, and inconsistent Parthenogenesis features many passages that actually add up to one pretty cool trip, when taken as a whole. The live disc features probably the longest track in rock record history. It would be way cool too, if not for the interminable and unnecessarily long solos contained therein. In retrospect, these solos are rather obnoxious, but in 1968, they were not as trite as nowadays."

"Is there anyone interested in these endless tuneless passages on the guitar and drums? If this is called blues - I pass."

"I vehemently disagree with anyone who claims that the 41 minute Refried Boogie is self-indulgent. In fact, not one second is boring. It's really what boogie is all about."

Live At The Copa – THE TEMPTATIONS***

Get Ready/You’re My Everything/I Truly Truly Believe/I Wish It Would Rain/For Once In My Life/I Could Never Love Another/Hello Young Lovers/With These Hands/Swanee/The Impossible Dream/Please Return Your Love To Me/(I Know) I’m Losing You

Live At The Copa marked one of the first concert appearances of Dennis Edwards in place of David Ruffin, and was recorded at the Copacabana in New York in 1968. (US:15)

"Motown was fond of promoting its groups as not just soul singers but as all-round entertainers. Thus this mediocre live album, which manages to include supper club classics such as The Impossible Dream and even Swanee. And for a group with an enviable list of hits, very few are included here. The sound isn't that great either. Not quite as bad as The Supremes' live albums from the same period, but not good either."

"I'm not overly impressed with this Copa performance. They just don't seem to be enjoying themselves much. Which may be a reflection of what was going on in the group at this time."

"While this performance doesn't have the same live feel as Temptations Live!, it is still a great show. I believe it was Den's first with the group. He slides right in. He doesn't try to be David, he's Dennis and he was on fire. I love the improvisation stuff he does during I Could Never Love Another."

"The set mixed familiar Motown material with Broadway standards popular with the sophisticates of the day (an audience being wooed by Berry Gordy), and mostly taken from their In A Mellow Mood album. The recording is jinxed with technical shortcomings, mostly frequent microphone clickings, and a badly distorting overload during I Wish It Would Rain, with some very clumsy edits between songs."

"David Ruffin is history as a Temptation, and his replacement Dennis Edwards shows his stuff on this live recording of a Copacabana performance. This is on a par with their previous live album, Temptations Live. They successfully combine their hits with songs from the In A Mellow Mood LP, making for an entertaining, well-rounded set. Eddie Kendricks was never in finer voice than here, showing his ability to sing standards. Edwards' rendition of The Impossible Dream is appealing to even the most die-hard fans of soul music."

Blues From Laurel Canyon – JOHN MAYALL****

Vacation/Walking On The Sunset/Laurel Canyon Home/2401/Ready To Ride/Medicine Man/Somebody’s Acting Like A Child/The Bear/Miss James/First Time Alone/Long Gone Midnight/Fly Tomorrow

Blues From Laurel Canyon was a loose concept album based on John Mayall's vacation in California, backed by Mick Taylor who provides some of his best guitar work. (US:68 UK:33)

“The material on this album is very high quality blues and blues rock and you know what to expect if you're familiar with Mayall's music at all. The first side is clearly the weaker one here even though it's very good. Maybe it just feels a bit loose because the B-side is so fantastic. Especially the last three songs which represent some of the finest material this legend has ever released.”

“Blues From Laurel Canyon is like the assignment a teacher hands out to their pupils when they return from vacation. After splitting The Bluesbreakers, Mayall granted himself a holiday in Laurel Canyon, California and the album reflects his experiences during that time. The spell away from recording and performing live obviously gave Mayall the opportunity to regroup and contemplate his future musical direction Besides being a return to basics for Mayall, this album was the farewell shout of Mick Taylor before he got the call from Mick Jagger to join The Stones.”

"One of the best John Mayall albums of all time, with a lot of progressive elements. The guitarist is Mick Taylor, who went on to The Rolling Stones. But with Mayall he played very well, one of the best guitar players. A fantastic solo in Fly Tomorrow.”

“At this particular point in his life, John Mayall was absolutely on fire creatively, evidenced by the speed in which this record was written and performed. It happens every now and then like that, the muse just touches someone for a while. It couldn't have happened to a more deserving musician, as Mayall, though conceited and a little on the dramatic side, he was a innovator and a tireless promoter of blues music.”

“As a Mayall junkie, this is one album I continue to play. It contains some of the best guitar playing by Mick Taylor that I have heard from him. Check out First Time Alone and Fly Tomorrow particularly. It also includes the memorable mood track First Time Alone featuring Peter Green. This is a worthwhile record for anyone who appreciates Mayall's British Blues sensibilities and Mick Taylor's guitar work.”

James Taylor – JAMES TAYLOR***

Don’t Talk Now/Something’s Wrong/Knocking Round The Zoo/Sunshine Sunshine/Taking It On/Something In The Way She Moves/Carolina In My Mind/Brighten Your Night With My Day/Night Owl/Rainy Day Man/Circle Round The Sun/Blues Is Just A Bad Dream

The eponymous debut album from the American singer songwriter James Taylor. He was discovered by Apple Records during his time in London, and would really hit his stride with the following two LPs. (US:62)

“This hybrid album is the result of Taylor's time in London during 1968 where, for some reason, his producer chose to frame these songs within an ensemble playing 19th century European chamber music. So, along with Taylor's guitar and a rhythm section, we have brass and wind instruments, a string quartet, harps and harpsichords, which date the album as a period piece with mixed results.”

“James Taylor is an album that really grows on you in time. After the first few listens I was slightly under-whelmed but eventually the songs start to wheedle their way into your soul and the album as a whole becomes a pleasurable listening experience.”

“Vocally, a younger JT doesn't sound all that different from the guy who is liked by both your parents and your kids. It's nice to listen to something that sounds both familiar (JT's phrasing) and somewhat unfamiliar (you won't know any of these songs other than Carolina In My Mind). Tired of the stuff that I've heard too much of, I'm glad to have discovered a JT record that I still play relatively often.”

“The music of the sixties came at you with an energetic freshness and unpredictability that stirred an entire generation and culture. It's still very pleasing, listening to these time capsules, many of which are period pieces in comparison to the everyday ordinary stuff put out today. James Taylor's self-titled debut on Apple Records has that type of allure and charm where it pulls you into its simplicity, clasped by the gentleness of its eloquently crafted embrace for truth.”

“This album was way over-produced. There's almost a sense that Asher and company were trying to 'Apple-fy' Taylor with a myriad of Beatle-esque touches; there's harps and harpsichords, strings, choir-type chirpy back-up vocals, etc. There's so much ornate production that, at times, you get the sense that James is fighting to keep his head above it all.”