To Be Continued - ISAAC HAYES**

Ike's Rap/Our Day Will Come/The Look Of Love/Ike's Mood/You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling/Runnin' Out Of Fools

To Be Continued, the third solo album from soul artist Isaac Hayes, followed the same formula of long jamming interpretations of pop hits, mostly to the point of them becoming unrecognisable. (US:11)

"Another great effort from Mr. Hayes. His albums all follow the same formula, beautiful singing with a great voice over well played arrangements. I like this one a lot because it's a lot more consistent in quality."

"By itself, Isaac's moody, sensual and suspenseful remake of The Look Of Love warrants buying this LP. Our Day Will Come foreshadows the disco sound that would materialize just a few years down the line and Isaac's remake of the Righteous Brothers' You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling is as powerful and emotive as could be. This is smooth and sophisticated '70s soul at its finest."

"This album, like its two predecessors defined his work. Hayes shows his continued ability to take great songs in their own right and rearrange them to make them new and different classics. The Look Of Love is a masterpiece, which must give its creators new found pride. However, there is no song quite like You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling: sure enough a great work by The Righteous Brothers.

"Although the album isn’t up to the standard set by Hot Buttered Soul, it is still a very good record, with the tracks being at best essential, and at worst still very interesting and likeable. The album starts again with an intro, this time placing Isaac as one half of a relationship that is forbidden by the girl’s parents. The track is listenable enough and reasonably convincing, and it leads into Our Day Will Come, an uplifting yet sorrowful piece with beautiful strings with a wonderful outro as well."

"Overall, this is one of Hayes’ more consistent albums, and although he was still staying true to the Hot Buttered Soul formula, it was still working for him. To Be Continued is definitely recommended to those who enjoyed Hot Buttered Soul, and is a fairly essential part of a decent Hayes collection."

"To Be Continued follows the same structure for the third time but with all the classic proto-hip-hop touches and emotional atmospherics that made Hot Buttered Soul such a massive classic."

Live Album - GRAND FUNK***

Introduction/Are You Ready/Paranoid/In Need/Heartbreaker/Inside Looking Out/Words Of Wisdom/Mean Mistreater/Mark Say's Alright/TNUC/Into The Sun

A live double LP from the group the music critics loved to hate. The mostly adolescent male fan base took a very different view and Grand Funk became one of the most popular American early seventies rock acts. (US:5 UK:29)

"No frills rock, pummelling in places, the thundering rhythm section particularly the bass, as in Into The Sun, when it gets going with the guitar slicing through it, is monstrous. The pace does slow here and there with songs such as Heartbreaker and Mean Mistreater. An album tipped as one of the live greats and far be it from me to disagree. Guitar, bass and drums, this is hard rock in its rawest most basic primitive state."

"A phenomenal energy release from a three man band. Mark, Don, and Mel never fail to deliver raw hard pounding rock, and this recording will give the listener a glimpse into the early days of what might just be the ultimate American hard rock band. You can literally hear the sweat pour out their bodies, with the music that they play; this album delivers that much from these three musicians. How a three man band can deliver this level of hard driving rock experience, still amazes me."

"Grand Funk Railroad's first live album shows that the band were even hotter live than in the studio. Many songs are stretched out here into long jams, a common practice in the 70s. This LP is a must-own for any hard rock fan who believes in the power of music to change the world."

"Grand Funk Railroad were one of the heaviest American hard rock groups, a loud 'n' proud garage band that made it big, the poster group for the common man. While the long hair rebellious teens loved the power trio, the critics absolutely detested GFR, due to their neanderthal delivery and rapid rise in popularity."

"We are treated to a record of GFR going all out and giving the audience what they wanted, unpretentious three chord blues based rock music. The era's performance trade marks are all here in nine songs; extended drum solo, bluesy riffs, charged vocals, and improvisational jams. GFR simply went on stage and rattled the rafters to the audience's delight."

"Throughout it is heavily blues rock, mixed with some good improvisation in between tracks and overall pretty wild and loud performances, with a rowdy audience as well."

The Johnny Cash Show - JOHNNY CASH***

Sunday Morning Come Down/Come Along & Ride This Train-Six Days On The Road-There Ain't No Easy Run- The Sailor On A Concrete Sea (Medley)/These Hands/I'm Gonna Try To Be That Way/Mississippi Delta Land- Detroit City-Uncloudy Day-No Setting Sun-Mississippi Delta Land (Medley)/Here Was A Man

The Johnny Cash Show LP featured performances from his TV series which included a diverse range of guests from across the American musical spectrum. (US:44 UK:5)

"Johnny Cash's prime time television show, aired from 1969 featured both prominent rock and country artists of the day. Groundbreaking television for sure, considering at the time that most rock artists were associated with the peace, drugs, free love and the anti-war movement by a conservative segment of American society, just when the war was really starting to sour."

"At the peak of the hippies vs straights culture clash, Cash boldly invited guests from across the American musical spectrum - longhairs, country traditionalists, Nashville insiders, jazz musician, rock stars, pop tunesmiths and folkies. The guest list was truly astonishing, given the tensions of the times."

"What can I say? Anything Johnny Cash is good, but watching his old Johnny variety show was sheer pleasure."

"The diversity of artists that were invited to be on the show reminds me of what a good and insightful man Johnny Cash truly was. Many of the artists were deservedly boosted by appearances on the show."

"I would strongly recommend this to any Johnny Cash fan. He was ahead of his time, his special guest cross all musical lines showing his desire to unite and he did it perfectly."

"Johnny Cash brought a daring mix of musicians, songwriters and singers to his show in the late 60s. In an attempt to heal some of America's divisions of that time, he succeeded in his 'stew' of varied artists. This Johnny Cash LP is like a visit to a good salad bar."

"In a society divided by the Vietnam War, a generation gap, racism, and numerous other fault lines, Cash parlayed his artistry, broad musical vision, experienced opinions, faith and personal integrity into a TV series that crisscrossed the American landscape. Cash's own musical segments find him at one of his performing peaks."

Stephen Stills - STEPHEN STILLS****

Love The One You're With/Do For The Others/Church/Old Times Good Times/Go Back Home/Sit Yourself Down/ To A Flame/Black Queen/Cherokee/We Are Not Helpless

Well received self titled debut solo album from the Crosby Stills & Nash founder Stephen Stills. Includes the US No. 14 hit single Love The One You're With. (US:3 UK:8)

"Stills is obviously trying to not sound like CSN here with plenty of blues rock and gospel choirs. Featuring such names as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Booker T, Cass Elliot, Crosby and Nash, John Sebastian and Rita Coolidge, the guest list here really reads like a who's who. None of that would matter if the songs were not up to snuff which they are. Just exceptional all the way through, Stills was not messing around here. He wanted to produce something great and he did."

"Stills' eponymous debut album is a fertile mix of southern-tinged rock, blues, pop, folk and gospel. Formerly with Buffalo Springfield and of course Crosby, Stills & Nash, Stephen scored his first solo hit with opening track (and pseudo-free love anthem) Love The One You're With and while it's a great song, it's just one of many highlights to be found on this very consistent album - his best I think."

"To me, this is his best solo work. Every song is well worth a listen and many more. Love The One You're With isn't the only amazing song on this album. Most of the songs are masterpieces that people seem to have forgotten about. I think that Stephen was at or near his musical peak on this album."

"Some great songs Love The One You're With, Do For The Others, the ethereal arrangement of To A Flame is perfection whilst Black Queen is a rousing acoustic blues with a strong vocal from Stills. Elsewhere little really stands out, though Church shows he knew how to build a gospel track, but the slot from his friend Hendrix on Old Times Good Times adds little, indeed Clapton's fiery soloing on Go Back Home is more successful."

"A good album that shows off Stills' skills as a virtuoso. There is some great acoustic guitar playing throughout the album. Love The One You're With and Do For The Others are brilliantly produced and executed numbers. Church has some great bluesy feel rhythms and gospel singing."

"Stills managed to create this fine record. It's no unexpected masterpiece, but it doesn't have to be; it's just one great, well-performed rock song after another."

Tap Root Manuscript - NEIL DIAMOND****

Cracklin' Rosie/Free Life/Coldwater Morning/Done Too Soon/He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother/Childsong/I Am The Lion/Madrigal/Soolaimon/Missa/African Suite/Childsong (Reprise)

Tap Root Manuscript was an ambitious album release from Neil Diamond; the entire second side was given over to a suite of African themed music. Includes the US No. 1 and UK No. 3 hit single Cracklin' Rosie. (US:13 UK:19)

"The cobwebs of Diamond's earlier productions are all swept away, yet the entire second side, African themed, seems ill advised, and the first side is short on the usual feel good progressions you would get from Neil. Apart from the hit single, the only other standout track is Done Too Soon with its name-checking and interesting form (uptempo first half, slow second), a different tack for the artist."

"Ironically, as soon as Neil Diamond hit the big time in 1970, with the superb number one single , the quality of his album output sharply declined. In my opinion, other than the single, Cracklin' Rosie, the rest of this album has to rank as amongst Neil Diamond's least essential stuff. I really don't care for the whole African suite."

"The first half of the album contains some wonderful songs like Cracklin' Rosie and one of the more profound songs Neil ever wrote - Done Too Soon. The second half contains the African suite masterpiece. Rhythms, voices, instruments and lyrics evoke jungles and plains of that continent. Soolaimon is the standout, but the entire suite moves effortlessly. Diamond was still a young songwriter/singer when he made this, which is simply remarkable."

"Oh man, this is weird. An A side filled with workman-like 70s adult pop and a B side filled with African music. Chanting, percussion, odd melodies, mangled English. Get it for the weirdness factor alone. Just don't expect to be playing it too often."

"Side one is pleasant enough early 70's MOR. And, before you groan, this was no mean feat. By 1970, all the giants of 60s 'easy' had traded in their sharp suits, polished Italian shoes and short haircuts (or sculpted toupees) plus their Porter and Bacharach songbooks for denim, sneakers and (if physically possible) perms, to instigate a strange new twist in middle-aged musical hipsterdom ... the recording of songs by Paul Williams, Bread and...Neil Diamond."

"At the time of his greatest popularity, Neil Diamond was quite experimental in some of his albums, which boldly showed his unusual willingness to take chances in pursuit of broadening his musical abilities and interests."

The Andy Williams Show - ANDY WILLIAMS***

They Long To Be Close To You/Joanne/Never My Love/Make It With You/El Condor Pasa/Snowbird/Leaving On A Jet Plane/What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life/Spanish Harlem/Hello Young Lovers

A rather sub par release featuring songs from the Andy Williams TV show. LP criticized for its fake live pretence, unnecessary musical interludes and canned applause. (US:81 UK:10)

"Released at the start of Andy Williams' ninth and (as it turned out) final season as an NBC television host, The Andy Williams Show LP was not a soundtrack recording from the TV series, and it was not really a live album, although it gets categorized as such. What appears to be the case is that Columbia Records took a group of Williams' studio recordings, most of them made during the summer of 1970 and consisting of his versions of recent soft rock hits, and added a lot of canned applause, along with some of the kind of musical interludes used to usher numbers on and off on the show, including bits of its Moon River theme music at the start and the finish."

"The Andy Williams Show was a 'live' album of songs that Andy sang on his TV show and it includes a 'station break', and 'musical bridges' between songs."

"This is Andy Williams at his very best. The Andy Williams Show LP brought back a lot of memories for me when times were a little easier. A must-have for Andy fans."

"Except that there wasn't quite enough of it, there was nothing wrong with the material; what was wrong was all that irritating applause, so obviously dubbed in (it even faded in and out). Williams' fans responded to the shoddiness of the project, and it suffered relatively mediocre sales. Given that Williams' popularity was starting to fade anyway, the album was a real blunder."

Lola Vs Powerman & The Moneygoround - THE KINKS****

The Contenders/Strangers/Denmark Street/Get Back In Line/Lola/Top Of The Pops/The Moneygoround/This Time Tomorrow/A Long Way From Home/Rats/Apeman/Powerman/Got To Be Free

The final album from The Kinks creative period sees the group voicing their disenchantment with the music business. Includes the UK top five hits Lola and Apeman, the former reaching No. 9 in the States (US:35)

"Even if The Kinks were already past their creative apex at the time this music was recorded, they were still one of the best pop/rock bands and songwriting talents on the British scene and this music lost nothing of its quality and vitality over time. The songs from this album, which were released as singles, remain in the collective memory of the 1960s/1970s generation as an integral part of their life's soundtrack."

"This is a concept album with a critical focus on the music industry. But the important thing is that it contains a wealth of fine songs. In addition to the two classic hits Lola and Apeman you will find the very beautiful Get Back In The Line, which was a regular on the group's repertoire in the 1970s. Also, This Time Tomorrow and the ballad A Long Way From Home are personal favourites. Among the more thematic songs The Moneygoround is both funny and biting. Dave Davies delivers one of his very best songs, Strangers, which both musically and lyrically is simply great."

"A pretty consistent release by The Kinks - perhaps not as strong as some of their earlier efforts but there is still an enjoyable wittiness to their songwriting. I didn't care so much for the concept of this release, but you don't need to because the songs are worth your time regardless. The singing seems a lot rougher around the edges and their kitsch melodies that seems ever present has grown a little tiresome by now, particularly on tracks like Denmark Street and The Moneygoround. But it's the singles which truly impress. Lola was their first hit for some time and revitalised the band - it's awesome. I also absolutely love Apeman, perhaps the strongest song on the album."

"The Kinks return to some of the harder rocking that made them in the first place. I guess that makes them pretty good at anticipating the 70s, which is funny for a band that prided itself on anachronism for albums like Village Green and Arthur. They still mix in the vaudeville/music-hall sound, but the guitar rock is a lot tougher. It's a loose concept album about the horrors of becoming a rock star, more specifically about how everyone stole Ray Davies's money. In general, the album starts naive and idealistic and gradually gets more cynical."