Willy & The Poor Boys – CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL****

Down On The Corner/It Came Out Of The Sky/Cotton Fields/Poorboy Shuffle/Feelin’ Blue/Fortunate Son/Don’t Look Now(It Ain’t You Or Me)/The Midnight Special/Side O’ The Road/Effigy

Creedence Clearwater Revival were firing on all cylinders in 1969 with this third album release of the year. Willy & The Poor Boys includes the US No. 3 Down On The Corner and No. 14 Fortunate Son. (US:3 UK:10)

“This is rock ‘n’ roll at its absolute best. Cracking track followed by cracking track almost all the way through, a real tour de force of brilliant songwriting. Fogerty’s on fantastic vocal form as ever and the band are rockin’ and a rollin’ as much as ever.”

“Great 60s rock album. It starts and ends great and never really lets down. The band really has its way of writing catchy and gripping rockers and ballads as well, and it never seems too much. I think the only flaw that I have with it is that apart from Down On The Corner, Cotton Fields and Fortunate Son, the songs are more on the edge of good instead of great.”

“Very few bands released as many great singles in such a short period of time without having much of a slip up. Down On The Corner and Fortunate Son are the obvious winners here, the latter being the greatest song the band ever recorded. It's so brilliant and political while still remaining catchy and fun. Lyrically all of the songs are very simple, but very memorable.”

“Fogerty was absolutely on fire in '69, and at the peak of his creative genius. There's not a dud song anywhere to be found. Just classic after classic, from the impossibly catchy Down On The Corner through the soulful Feelin' Blue, the raging Fortunate Son through to the epic Effigy. A band at the absolute peak of their powers.”

“You want an album chock full of Americana with a coherent, dirty, bluesy, grimy, unbridled rock 'n' roll sound to which you can swig bourbon and party into the wee hours on a Saturday night? Look no further than Willy & The Poor Boys.”

“The band sound even more at home with their sound and Fogerty's creativity was stoked by the blistering pace at which he was creating new material.”

Touching You Touching Me – NEIL DIAMOND***

Everybody’s Talkin’/Mr Bojangles/Smokey Lady/Holly Holy/Both Sides Now/And The Singer Sings His Song/Ain’t No Way/New York Boy/Until Its Time For You to Go

Neil Diamond was a major creative songwriting talent from the mid 1960s to early 1970s so it is disappointing that here he was still relying heavily on covers. Touching You Touching Me includes the US No. 6 hit single Holly Holy. (US:30)

“There are a few decent numbers on here, like his cover of Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now, the single Holly Holy plus And The Singer Sings His Song. The rest of the tracks foreshadow the kind of fluff Diamond would soon pioneer, minus the powerhouse vocals.”

“It is hard to understand why Neil Diamond was doing so many cover versions on an album during a time when he was writing so many hits, he had songs to spare.”

“After the entirely self-composed Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show album, it appears that Diamond was almost written out. Certainly the five originals on offer here show either a sharp decline in ability or a songwriter in need of a break. By another artist Touching You Touching Me might be considered a fair stop-gap work. Coming from the author of the magnificent Just For You or Velvet Gloves & Spit albums, it must be considered a serious deterioration in judgement.”

“Let's face it, some of the songs Neil Diamond performs on Touching You Touching Me were written by other artists. But when he sings them he really makes them come to life. His own compositions are the best, like the up-tempo Smokey Lady, the religious Holly Holy, the touching And The Singer Sings His Song and the country bumpkin tones of New York Boy. Every song's a winner here, which makes this a must buy.”

“Touching You Touching Me is a very good LP with many covers performed by the awesome Neil Diamond. He can take a song and breathe new life into it in a way that very few other contemporary artists can, and he tackles many different types of songs which proves his versatility.”

“This is one of the best Neil Diamond albums. His Uni material was his strongest and best work. An outstanding album and one I would highly recommend.”

Swiss Movement – LES MCCAN & EDDIE HARRIS***

Compared To What/Cold Duck Time/Kathleen’s Theme/You Got It In Your Soulness/The Generation Gap

Swiss Movement is the recording of Les McCann and Eddie Harris after they decided that their respective bands should combine to play together for a session at the Montreux Jazz Festival in July 1969. (US:29)

“Jazz at its live best, as it often happens in Montreux. Yes, there are imperfections, but no improvised jam I've ever heard has the same bundled power as this, with two edgy, belting horns and some nifty piano work by the band leader.”

“Get it for the tour de force performance of McCann's Compared To What, but stick with it for some of the best funky jazz ever. If you aren't groovin' by The Generation Gap, then someone has to check your pulse to determine if you're still with us.”

“The soul jazz anti-establishment anthem Compared To What is a true classic of a song, performed with inspiration that only a live setting could provide. The last three songs are all good, but don't quite return to the level of the first one. Eddie Harris plays well throughout. Still, this is one funky record overall.”

“Les McCann's Trio and the Eddie Harris Quartet were both on the bill for the 1969 Montreux Jazz Festival and the two of them decided right then and there to play together later in the week. American trumpeter Benny Bailey, now under European residence, was also at Montreux, and Eddie and Les asked him to be a part of the group. The result was this album, a live impromptu performance that gets a little rough and ragged at times, but is usually the first thing to come to mind when I think of soul-jazz. As loose as it is, I admire Les and Eddie for coming up with an original program of material, rather than playing it safe and coasting through well-known standards. It's hard not to appreciate a group which had no prior knowledge of any of the material, and to have it coming out sounding as lively as it does here.”

“In the field of soul-jazz, it really doesn't get much better than this album. Naturally, it's jazz, but with just the right amount of soul and funk mixed in. It's a thoroughly enjoyable listen. The opener Compared To What is brilliant, maybe the best souljazz I've ever heard. The vocals are urgent, incendiary and unforgettable. The rest of the album is predominantly instrumental, but the same vaguely funky, swinging souljazz groove is in evidence throughout.”

Skin Alley – SKIN ALLEY***

Living In Sin/Tell Me/Mother Please Help Your Child/Marsha/Country Aire/All Alone/Night Time/Concerto Grosso (Take Heed)/(Going Down The) Highway

Self titled debut album from the British progressive group Skin Alley. It is an eclectic mixture of psychedelic, blues and jazz with prominent use of flute and organ.

“This is strictly keyboard prog, but it works. The tracks are well written, basic songs that foray into organ solos and turn corners with interesting interludes.”

“They pull off a sound that brings in elements of psychedelia and blues. They are a solid progressive band that somehow eluded the spotlight that shone on the acts that we now know as legends.”

“The intro track, Living In Sin, promises a very entertaining album. However, the rest of the LP is a very eclectic mix of styles that does not generate much energy. Maybe progressive, but it does not rock all that much.”

“This is melodic progressive rock that tends heavily to flute, Hammond organ, harpsichord, some mellotron, with nice creative passages to go with it. Living In Sin is a wonderful opening cut.”

“Very good jazz flavoured prog, featuring sax, organ and guitar. The album probably represents their zenith. It was all downhill from here.”

“Quite a daring sound for 1969, Skin Alley mixed psychedelic rock and jazz rock with some symphonic flute led parts to present a fully fledged proto-progressive rock style, often with a dark sound. With an obvious tendency towards long instrumental passages, their compositions are characterized by psychedelic organ sounds, driving flutes, bluesy guitar work and the jazzy rhythm section. These elements are often blended with jamming sax parts in a free music form, together with good vocals. Along with the organ, one can detect some really decent effort on mellotron and harpsichord in a couple of the more classical inspired tracks, as well as some jazzy piano lines.”

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – SOUNDTRACK****

We Have All The Time In The World/This Never Happened To The Other Feller/Try/Ski Chase/Do You Know How Christmas Trees Are Grown/Main Theme-On Her Majesty’s Secret Service/Journey To Blofeld’s Hideaway/ We Have All The Time In The World/Over & Out/Battle At Piz Gloria/We Have All The Time In The World –James Bond Theme

Soundtrack album for the movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service starring George Lazenby as the new James Bond, with Diana Rigg as female support. Includes We Have All The Time In The World by Louis Armstrong, a UK No. 3 hit single 25 years later in 1994. (US:103)

“The score for On Her Majesty's Secret Service is in one word, brilliant. John Barry has created what many consider to be the best score for any James Bond film. The music sounds so crisp and perfect. The instrumental title song is filled with slam-bang synthesizers that actually make the song sound better without a singer. Louis Armstrong performs the undeniably wonderful We Have All The Time In The World, which is a slow romantic piece, now regarded as a classic.”

“Great music. I've always enjoyed John Barry's work on the Bond movies and he didn't disappoint here from the song sung by Louis Armstrong to the various cues.”

“Barry's themes and music in this score hit on the usual tones and styles he'd established for the secret agent films. The introduction of 'modern' sounds cured the rather archaic tone the films had acquired in the seven short years from the first outing in 1962. Some might argue that the synthesizer was overused in this score, but you can't fault Barry for anchoring the film's score in the present, rather than some movie-preserved past.”

“The sublime score for On Her Majesty's Secret Service is without a doubt one the very best. John Barry was one of the greats of film composing and this particular collection of music represents the pinnacle of his talent. A must have for all Bond fans and all fans of 60s movie soundtracks.”

“This soundtrack is a great one for John Barry and Bond fans alike. Barry's innovative use of the synthesizer is tastefully done and the tracks really showcase his talents of composing and arranging. The choice of Louis Armstrong to vocalize We Have All The Time In The World seems more judicious with the passage of time.”

Live Peace In Toronto – PLASTIC ONO BAND**

Introduction/Blue Suede Shoes/Money (That’s What I Want)/Dizzy Miss Lizzie/Yer Blues/Cold Turkey/Give Peace A Chance/Don’t Worry Kyoko/John John (Let’s Hope For Peace)

Live Peace In Toronto captured John Lennon and a hastily assembled group of musicians in a raw rare live outing at Toronto's Rock and Roll Revival Festival in September 1969. There is no doubting who was the weakest link on this performance. (US:10)

“Lennon's makeshift band during this performance consists of Eric Clapton on guitar, Klaus Voorman on bass, Alan White (later to become famous in the band Yes) on drums and of course, Yoko Ono.”

“Side one is beyond awesome. Lennon and his band (with Clapton on guitar) rip through six tracks of raw and bluesy rock and roll. You find yourself listening to one sensational rock album. From Blue Suede Shoes to Lennon Beatles standards from the early days Dizzy Miss Lizzy and Money. Yer Blues is followed by Cold Turkey which was new at the time. Then it’s the turn of Give Peace A Chance and unfortunately that's where anything resembling music ends. Side two is about twenty minutes of Yoko screaming away. Yoko ruined a lot of great Lennon albums.”

“The album is not very polished but it has its moments. It's the first time Give Peace A Chance was performed. Side one has some familiar tunes done in a rather raw style. Side two, however, contains only two songs, which primarily feature Yoko's unique singing style and the band jamming along. Frankly, I haven't ever listened to the second side all the way through.”

“Live Peace in Toronto would've been so fantastic. John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Klaus Voorman and Alan White all in the same band. But then Yoko Ono had to be added in - she ruined the album. Her wails add nothing to the performance.”

“A raucous thirteen minute finale entitled John John Let's Hope For Peace which features Yoko's torturous howling, accompanied by droning screeching guitar feedback from the instruments of Lennon, Clapton and Voorman, along with White randomly making fills across his drum kit when he can. The show ends with Yoko bleating out a series of high-pitched screams while John Lennon and the rest of the band leave their instruments against their amplifiers before walking off the stage. After Yoko bellows her last breath, it's the sound of solid feedback which follows.”

Live/Dead – THE GRATEFUL DEAD**

Dark Star/Saint Stephen/The Eleven/Turn On Your Love Light/Death Don’t Have No Mercy/Feedback/And We Bid You Goodnight

A very clever title for the first live Grateful Dead album recorded at the Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco and Fillmore West in early 1969. The double LP Live/Dead gives the listener exactly what to expect from a Grateful Dead concert, and therein lies the problem. (US:64)

“Live/Dead is a brilliant album that beautifully documents The Grateful Dead at their best in the live setting during this era. The musicianship is beautiful and crisp; Jerry Garcia's voice sounds pristine and Phil Lesh's performance on bass is outstanding. As for the song selection, it showcases the band's diverse set of influences, from jazz, to free improvisations, to rock and blues.”

“This is so very typical of their output during this period, featuring their standard improvisations infinitum and endless noodling. Some of this sounds great, some, substantially less interesting.”

“A lot of people get lost on side B with the boring Death. And many people cannot handle stuff like feedback.”

“I don't like this album, after listening to Working Man's Dead and American Beauty I was expecting that crisp organic musicianship. However, all I found was a lot of time being wasted. Classic early Dead, but probably only for deadheads and the like.”

“My problems with Live/Dead are encapsulated within the first track, Dark Star. Here, the band take a good, six minute song and stretch it out to 23+ minutes without actually adding anything interesting to it. There are only a few bands talented enough to make me want to listen to 17 minutes of jamming and The Dead are nowhere near that level. St. Stephen, by contrast, is a great little song. Clocking in at six minutes, it isn’t exactly the pinnacle of precision and efficiency, but the looseness actually adds to its charms. Beyond that, the rest of the songs are nice, but they are stretched far beyond their breaking points, making the whole proposition a waste of time.”

“The music on Live Dead is powerful and throbbing, but at the same time mellow with a mystical, playful, sentimental sense that transports one to another world.”