John Sebastian - Faithful Virtue, The Reprise Recordings (1969-76 us, wonderful folk blended with various tunes, three disc set)

This set is the final word on the '70s solo recordings of singer/songwriter John Sebastian. Compiled over three discs are all five of his LPs for the Reprise label: John B. Sebastian, Cheapo-Cheapo Productions Presents Real Live John Sebastian, The Four of Us, Tarzana Kid, and Welcome Back. Additionally, there is an extra half-hour of live material, most of which is issued here for the first time. 

As he had done with the Lovin' Spoonful, Sebastian's emotive and thought-provoking lyrics prove to be his strongest suit. "How Have You Been," "I Had a Dream," and "Rainbows All Over Your Blues" best reflect the continuation of the introspective musical and lyrical themes that he had first explored on tracks such as "Younger Generation" and "Darlin' Be Home Soon." However, the album was far from being acoustic and weepy. "Red-Eye Express," "What She Thinks About," and "Baby, Don't Ya Get Crazy" are up-tempo rockers featuring the likes of Dallas Taylor (drums), Harvey Brooks (bass), and Stephen Stills (guitar). 

Sebastian's second long-player -- Cheapo-Cheapo Productions Presents Real Live John Sebastian -- was issued to counteract the potential damage of a completely unauthorized live package released by MGM Records. The results are wholly fulfilling and feature a simple duo of Sebastian (guitar/vocals) and Paul Harris (piano). In addition to playing favorites such as "Nashville Cats," "Did You Ever Have to Make up Your Mind," and "Lovin' You," he also cooked up some vintage jug band blues on "Mobile Line" and a crowd-rousing loose aggregate of oldies including "In the Still of the Night" and "Blue Suede Shoes." 

The Four of Us returns Sebastian back to his folk/blues roots on "Well, Well, Well" and "Black Snake Blues." The extended title track is a picturesque travelogue of places and events between two couples approaching middle age. Although the album did not do well at the cash register when it was issued, it has retained an irresistible harmony and sense of charm. Tarzana Kid suffered much the same fate as its predecessor. This is doubly unfortunate, as it likewise features some of Sebastian's best studio sides, including his serene cover of Jimmy Cliff's "Sitting in Limbo," Lowell George's "Dixie Chicken," and again a return to his roots with "Sportin' Life." 

Tarzana Kid is an all-star affair with the likes of David Grisman (mandolin), Ry Cooder (guitar), and David Lindley (guitar), and teamed Sebastian back up with his former producer from the Lovin' Spoonful, Erik Jacobsen. As he points out in his riveting liner notes essay, the only reason that the Welcome Back album was issued was in support of the title track, which had become a chart-topping hit as well as the theme song to the television situation comedy of the same name. That point aside, there are a few outstanding pieces, including reworked versions of "Didn't Want to Have to Do It" and "Warm Baby." 

A real treat awaits listeners at the end of disc three, with no less than two vintage live sets. The first includes Sebastian's entire five-song performance from the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. The second is from Winterland Arena in San Francisco during the fall of 1969. For true fans, these recordings represent a grail of sorts. Faithful Virtue: The Reprise Recordings also includes a 48-page liner notes booklet with previously unissued photos and memorabilia. Additionally, there is a separate six-panel foldout poster that also contains all the lyrics from the five long-players. The North American release is limited to an edition of 3,000 and is available via the Rhino HandMade Internet audio salon.

by Lindsay Planer

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Red Eye-Express - 2:57

2. She's a Lady - 1:45

3. What She Thinks About - 3:04

4. Magical Connection - 2:49

5. You're a Big Boy Now - 2:49

6. Rainbows All Over Your Blues - 2:27

7. How Have You Been - 4:12

8. Baby, Don't Ya Get Crazy - 3:00

9. The Room Nobody Lives In - 3:13

10.Fa-Fana-Fa - 2:48

11.I Had a Dream - 2:48

12.Mobile Line (Gonna Carry Me Away from the Bull Frog Blues) (Peter Stampfel) - 2:31

13.Lovin' You - 2:46

14.Fishin' Blues - 3:42

15.Younger Girl - 3:00

16.Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind - 3:03

17.Rooty-Toot - 2:52

18.In the Still of the Night (Fred Parris) - 2:43

19.Teen Angel (Jean Surrey) - 0:42

20.Blue Suede Shoes (Carl Perkins) - 1:49

21.Ballad of a Teenage Queen (Jack Clement) - 0:49

22.Nashville Cats - 2:56

23.Waiting for a Train (Jimmie Rodgers) - 2:49

24.My Gal (Steve Boone, Erik Jacobsen) - 3:16

25.Younger Generation - 3:31

26.Darling Be Home Soon - 4:12

27.Blues for Dad and JB's Happy Harmonica - 3:41

28.Amy's Theme - 1:49 

All songs by John B. Sebastian excpet as else stated.

Disc 2

1. Goodnight Irene (Lead Belly, John A. Lomax) - 4:50

2. Well, Well, Well (Traditional) - 2:20

3. Black Snake Blues (Clifton Chenier) - 2:29

4. I Don't Want Nobody Else - 3:17

5. Apple Hill - 3:09

6. Black Satin Kid - 2:39

7. We'll See - 2:05

8. Sweet Muse - 3:56

9. The Four of Us - 15:58

10.Give Us a Break - 3:41

11.Music for People Who Don't Speak English - 3:53

12.Sitting in Limbo (Gully Bright, Jimmy Cliff) - 3:27

13.Friends Again - 2:29

14.Dixie Chicken (Lowell George, Martin Kibbee) - 3:49

15.Stories We Could Tell - 3:14

16.Face of Appalachia (Lowell George) - 4:21

17.Wildwood Flower (A.P. Carter) - 1:42

18.Wild About My Lovin' (Traditional) - 3:05

19.Singing the Blues (Melvin Endsley) - 2:22

20.Sportin' Life (Steve Boone,,Zal Yanovsky) - 3:09

21.Harpoon (Ricky Sebastain) - 2:21 

All songs by John B. Sebastian excpet where indicated

Disc 3
1. Hideaway - 2:55
2. She's Funny - 3:34
3. You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine - 2:57
4. Didn't Wanna Have to Do It - 3:22
5. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back - 4:36
6. Welcome Back song review - 2:50
7. I Needed Her Most When I Told Her to Go - 2:56
8. A Song a Day in Nashville - 4:00
9. Warm Baby - 2:34
10.Let This Be Our Time to Get Along - 3:12
11.How Have You Been - 7:19
12.Rainbows All Over Your Blues - 3:09
13.I Had a Dream - 3:23
14.Darling Be Home Soon - 5:50
15.Younger Generation - 3:35
16.Sitting on Top of the World (Lonnie Chatmon, Walter Vinson) - 3:39
17.Magical Connection - 4:11
18.You're a Big Boy Now - 4:17
19.I Found a Dream (Lonnie Johnson) - 2:50
20.Daydream - 3:32
21.Younger Girl - 1:58
All songs by John B. Sebastian excpet where noted

Musicians
*John Sebastian - Vocals, Autoharp, Dulcimer, Guitars, Harmonica, Harmonium, Marimba, Native American Drums, Piano, Six String Banjo
*Kenny Altman - Bass
*Reinol Andino - Congas
*Jeff Baxter - Pedal Steel
*Richard Bell - Clavinet, Piano, Piano
*Blintzes - Vocal Harmony
*Harvey Brooks - Bass
*Ry Cooder - Mandolin, Slide Guitar
*David Crosby - Guitar
*Russell Dashiell - Guitars
*Buddy Emmons - Pedal Steel
*The Esso Trinidad Steel Band - Pans
*Phil Everly - Vocals
*Amos Garrett - Guitars
*Lowell George - Guitars, Vocals
*Jim Gordon - Drums
*David Grisman - Mandolin
*Bobbye Hall - Congas
*Emmylou Harris - Vocals
*Paul Harris - Harmonium, Keyboards, Orchestral Arrangements, Organ, Piano
*Milt Holland - Drums
*David Hungate - Bass
*The Ikettes - Vocals
*Reggie Knighton - Guitar, Vocal Harmony
*Ron Koss - Guitar
*Bruce Langhorne - Tambourine
*Gayle Levant - Harp
*Jon Lind - Vocal Harmony
*David Lindley - Fiddle
*Buzzy Linhart - Vibraphone, Voices
*Jerry Mckuen - Guitar
*Graham Nash - Vocal Harmony
*Ray Neopolitan - Bass
*Richie Olson - Clarinet
*Michael Omartian - Arp Synthesizer, Marimba
*David Paich - String Arrangements
*Felix Pappalardi - Bass
*The Pointer Sisters - Vocals
*Jeff Porcaro - Drums
*Greg Reeves - Bass
*Kelly Shanahan - Drums
*Peter Stampfel - Composer
*Stephen Stills - Guitar
*Stone Warblers - Handclapping, Instrumentation, Vocals
*Dallas Taylor - Drums
*Murray Weinstock - Piano
*Danny Weiss - Electric Harpsichord, Guitar

 with Lovin' Spoonful
1965  Do You Believe In Magic
1966  Daydream (Japan remaster)
1966  Hums Of The Lovin' Spoonful (Japan remaster)
1967-68  You're A Big Boy Now / Everything Playing (2011 edition)

Free Text

Sonny Flaharty And The Mark V ‎- Hey Conductor (1965-67 us, awesome fuzzy garage psych)

Dayton, Ohio’s Sonny Flaharty had been recording since the late 50s. In 1965 he helped a local band called the Rich Kids produce a demo. He ran into them again calling themselves the Mark V “direct from Toronto, Canada”! They asked Sonny to join the band but according to Sonny, “the only problem we had was with my past. I was very well known in Dayton. The band didn’t want to be associated with ‘Old Time Rock and Roll’”!

They changed their names and tried to pass themselves off as English or at least Canadian. They didn’t fool anyone for long, but there was nothing ‘old time’ about their music. Shad O’Shea of Cincinnati’s Counterpart Records asked them to record Sonny’s original, “Hey Conductor”.

There was a nine-month delay between the recording and the release of “Hey Conductor”. In the meantime Mike Losecamp (aka Haywood Lovelace), who played the distinctive organ on the record left to join the Cyrkle.

Once released Hey Conductor was a sizeable hit, selling in the thousands and immediately picked up by Phillips for national distribution. The good times didn’t last long, as its lyrics hinting at drug experiences got it banned on radio before it could break nationally. The song’s frantic pace, strange fuzz guitar and syncopated organ make it an often-heard record at dj nights even today.

by Chas Kit

"Hey Conductor" provided both a sizeable hit and new lease of life for one-time rockabilly Sonny Flaharty. Fuelled by a paper 'n' comb sounding fuzztone 12-string and a piping Farfisa organ (which candidly borrows the main riff from Ray Charles' "I Don't Need No Doctor") the discs crisp production and Flaharty's youthful voice make for a powerful, but polished, effort. Superb! The rest of this collection features a selection of songs that appear to be from the sessions the band recorded for RCA in 1967, supposedly for an album. 

These range from the frantic "Whole Lotta Shakin'," which is a wild, punkish take on the Lewis standard "Make a Woman" (a fine example of the fragmented riffed garage sound strongly inspired by the Raiders' "Just Like Me"), and the far softer "La La Song" and "When I Close My Eyes," which sound very similar to Merrell Fankhauser's psychedelic folk-rock efforts from the same time and the Strawberry Alarm Clock. Also included is the frat-instro "Coconut Stomp Part 1 & 2" by the earlier Young Americans. Pebbles and Nuggets fans will be enthralled by these rare sides. 

by Jon "Mojo" Mills

Tracks
1. Whole Lotta Shakin' (S. Flaharty, R. Bushbaum) - 1:59
2. Coconut Stomp Pt. 1 - 2:05
3. Coconut Stomp Pt. 2 - 1:38
4. Make A Woman - 1:53
5. The Mark V - 2:32
6. Do It - 2:46
7. Hey Conductor - 2:32
8. For All Of Us - 3:10
9. Harmonica Man - 2:24
10.La La Song - 2:03
11.When I Close My Eyes (J. Wyatt) - 2:26
12.Can't Buy My Soul - 2:29
All somgs by Sonny Flaharty except where noted

Sonny Flaharty And The Mark V
*Sonny Flaharty - Vocals, Guitar
*Jason Hollingsworth “Jason Starbuck” - Guitar
*Jim Wyatt “Farnsworth Wyatt” - Bass
*Mike Losecamp “Mike Lovelace” – Piano, Vox Organ
*N.D. Smart - Drums
*Susan Darby - Lead Vocal

Free Text

Rex Holman – Here In The Land Of Victory (1970 us, tremendous folk psych)

Actor Rex Holman is perhaps better-known to Star Trek and Monkees fans than music enthusiasts, but connoisseurs of acid folk have long treasured this, his sole album, which originally appeared in 1970 (when he was almost 42 years old). A hypnotic blend of melodic, contemplative songs (set to acoustic guitar, sitar and tabla) and philosophical lyrics sung in a quavering voice that has been compared to Tim Buckley’s, it’s nothing short of an overlooked gem, and is sure to appeal to fans of artists such as Damon, Pat Kilroy and Mark Fry. 

Rex was a small time tv character actor who appeared on Star Trek, the Monkees, the Man from U.N.C.L.E., Gunsmoke, Charlie's Angels, etc. His weeningly smooth baritone & downer lyrics also caused local record connoisseur Rob T. to appropriately christen him 'Gordon Darkfoot'. 

Released in 1970 (when Holman was already 42), "Here In the Land of Victory" featured all original material, though the mix of  Indian-flavored instrumentation and Holman's hyper serious lyrics sounded like something that was recorded circa 1967.  Holman's vibrato-drenched vocals (which were an acquired taste) and his over-the-top lyrics certainly weren't for everyone.  Imagine Richard Harris reincarnated as Donovan and you'll have a feel for tracks like 'Listen To the Footsteps', the sitar and flute propelled 'Sit and Flatter Me' and 'Come On Down'.  Ironically if you could get over those characteristics, then the album rewarded you with quite a bit of memorable material.  

Holman's uber earnestness was somehow charming and most of the lyrics were no worse than your standard college English paper (okay, 'The Chosen One' was far worse).  Certainly a reflection of my personal tastes, but Holman was at his best when backed by a full rock ensemble.  As such personal highlights included 'Pink Lemonade', 'Today Is Almost Here', and the bluesy 'Red Is the Apple'.   The disturbing artwork including a back cover photo of Homan sitting blissed out next to a passed out drunk certainly didn't help sales.  (The inner sleeve picture showing Holman in his best psycho-killer stare is even more disturbing.)

Bad-cat

Tracks
1. Here In The Land Of Victory  - 3:19
2. Pink Lemonade  - 2:12
3. Rowin’   (Rex Holman, Terry Fulman) - 2:20
4. Today Is Almost Here - 3:49
5. Listen To The Footsteps - 2:32
6. Red Is The Apple - 4:16
7. Sit And Flatter Me - 3:30
8. Copper Kettles - 2:22
9. Come On Down - 2:28
10.Debbie - 2:27
11.The Chosen One - 2:53
12.I Can’t Read My Name - 2:26
All songs by Rex Holman except where noted.

*Rex Homan (aka Rexford Holman) - Vocals

Free Text

Elvin Bishop - Party Till The Cows Come Home (1969-70/72 us, magnificent blues rock with funky soul shades, 2004 double disc edition)

This double CD combines Elvin Bishop's first three albums (variously credited to the Elvin Bishop Group and the Elvin Bishop Band) on to two discs. Containing 1969's Elvin Bishop Group, 1970s Feel It!, and 1972's Rock My Soul, it has virtually everything he recorded for Fillmore and Epic in the late 1960s and early 1970s, serving as an overview of his entire early career as a bandleader. 

Also included are three bonus tracks: one, "Stealin' Watermelons," from a non-LP single, and two other live performances from the various-artists compilation album Last Days of the Fillmore. Although they have their merits, these are erratic albums in which Bishop didn't stick solely to the electric blues-rock he'd made his name with in the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Instead, these also dig into soul and R'n'B, as well as what can only be called (on some of his vocal numbers) comedy. He relinquished most of the lead vocal duties to Jo Baker starting with the second album, and this saw an improvement in the sound and material. 

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks

Disc 1

1. The Things That I Used To Do (E. Jones) - 4:02

2. Tulsa Shuffle (E. Bishop) - 5:21  

3. Sweet Potato (E. Bishop) - 5:42  

4. How Much More (J. B. Lenoir) - 3:03  

5. Dad Gum Ya Hide, Boy (G. Bromley Jr.) - 2:55  

6. Honey Bee (E. Bishop) - 3:28  

7. Prisoner Of Love (P. Mayfield) - 5:22 

8. Don't Fight It (Feel It) (W. Pickett, S. Cropper) - 3:11 

9. I Just Can't Go On (J. Baker) - 3:38 

10.So Good (E. Bishop, S. Miller) - 7:38 

11.Crazy 'Bout You Baby (W Williamson) - 3:15 

12.So Fine (J. Otis) - 2:40 

13.Party Till The Cows Come Home (E. Bishop, S. Miller) - 3:22 

14.Hogbottom (E. Bishop, S. Miller) - 6:47 

15.Be With Me (E. Bishop, S. Miller) - 4:08 

16.As The Years Go Passing By (D. Malone) - 4:05 

Tracks 1 To 7 From "Elvin Bishop Group" 1969

Tracks 8 To 16 From "Feel It!"  1970

Disc 2
1. Rock My Soul (E. Bishop) - 2:46
2. Holler And Shout (E. Bishop) - 2:38
3. Let It Shine (E. Bishop) - 3:18
4. Don't Mind If I Do (E. Bishop) - 2:00
5. Rock Bottom (E. Bishop, J. Baker) - 2:58
6. Last Mile (Instrumental) (E. Bishop) - 2:50
7. Have A Good Time (E. Bishop) - 2:47
8. Wings Of A Bird (E. Bishop) - 3:36
9. Old Man Trouble (E. Bishop) - 3:47
10.Out Behind The Barn (E. Bishop) - 2:51
11.Stomp (Instrumental) (E. Bishop) - 3:12
12.Stealin' Watermelons  (E. Bishop) - 2:56
13.So Fine (Live) (J. Otis) - 3:58
14.Party Till The Cows Come Home (Live) (E. Bishop, S. Miller) - 3:07

Musicians
The Elvin Bishop Group On Tracks 1 To 7 (The Elvin Bishop Group)
*Elvin Bishop - Guitar, Vocals
*Stephen Miller - Organ
*John Chambers - Drums
*Art Stavro - Bass
*Applejack - Harp
*Alberto Gianquinto - Piano

The Elvin Bishop Group On Tracks 8 To 16 (Feel It!)
*Elvin Bishop - Guitar, Vocals
*Stephen Miller - Vocals, Piano, Organ
*John Chambers - Drums
*Jo Baker - Vocals, Percussion
*Kip Maercklein - Bass
*The Pointer Sisters (Patricia, June And Anita) - Vocals
*Chepito Areas And Mike Carabello - Timbales, Congason
*Perry Welsh - Vocals

The Elvin Bishop Band On CD 2. Tracks 1 To 11
*Elvin Bishop - Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Slide Guitar, Lead Vocals
*Jo Baker - Lead Vocals
*Stephen Miller - Organ Piano
*Kip Maercklein - Bass
*Bill Meeker - Drums
*John Chambers - Drums On Track 11 Only
*Dennis Marcellino, Mel Ellison - Tenor Sax
*Ron Stallings - Vocal And Tenor Sax On Track 2
*Milt Holland - Percussion
*Delaney Bramlett - Rhythm, Slide Guitar
*Perry Welsh - Harmonica
*Bobby Bruce - Fiddle Solo
*Jim Gordon - Clarinet
*Delaney And Bonnie (Courtesy Of Columbia Records) -  Backing Vocals
*Jo Baker, Clydie King, Vanetta Fields, Gloria Jones -  Backing Vocals
*Perry Welsh & Shirley Matthews -  Backing Vocals
Strings Arranged And Conducted By Jim Gordon

1977  Live! Raisin' Hell (2012 remaster edition)
Related Acts
1966-68  The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Strawberry Jam
1968 Linn County - Proud Flesh Soothseer
1969 Linn County - Fever Shot 
1970  Linn County - 'Till The Break Of Dawn

Free Text

Bosom Blues Band - The Overgone Sounds of the Bosom Blues Band (1968 us, fantastic blues rock psych, 2008 Arcania Vinyl issue)

An obscure late 60s band out of Charlottesville, VA that evolved from an R'n'B ensemble called the Soothsayers. In 1967 the Bosom Blues Band entered a local studio and recorded several demos and finally an album's worth of material,  including the outstanding blues rocker 'Hippie Queen'. 

The song was inspired by the true story about a girl named Joan from Richmond, VA who traveled to England in an attempt to meet The Beatles. She ended up sneaking onto the grounds of John Lennon's estate and knocked on the door of his house, which was answered by Lennon himself who invited her in. She ended up getting pictures taken of herself with the Fab Four, including one of George Harrison kissing her on the cheek. This made her a local legend and "hippie queen" throughout the Richmond area.

The following year the band auditioned for Vanguard Records, but the deal came to naught. And by 1969 the Bosom Blues band were no more, with their sole LP unheard until Arcania International included their song Hippie Queen on Aliens, Psychos and Wild Things, Vol. 3. Now the entire ouvre of this remarkable group is available once again -- in the format it was meant to be heard in, glorious vinyl.

Tracks
1. Leavin' Trunk (John Estes) - 4:45
2. Milk Cow's Calf Blues (R. Johnson) - 3:25
3. Messin' With The Kid (Mel London) - 3:03
4. Divin' Duck (John Estes) - 2:48
5. You Don't Love Me Baby (Sam Maghett) - 3:25
6. Hippie Queen (Larry McCullogh) - 4:09
7. Knock On Wood (E. Floyd, S. Cropper) - 3:53
8. Walk Tall (Josef Zawinul, Esther Marrow, James Rein) -  8:48

Bosom Blues Band
*Larry McCullough - Vocals, Lead Guitar
*Allen Gay - Rhythm Guitar
*Allen "Duck" Baker - Organ
*Harold Grigg - Bass
*Lynn Abbott - Drums

Free Text

Tommy Bolin - Whirlwind (1972-75 us, superb hard fusion rock, 2013 two disc set)

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

The Music Machine - The Ultimate Turn On (1966-67 us, enormous garage punkadelic, 2006 two disc set with unissued material)

Some years ago, Sean Bonniwell, the charismatic leader of the Music Machine, penned an evocative memoir of his life and music days, "Beyond The Garage". The book's title was no doubt in deference to the Machine's posthumous definition in rock histories as a 'garage band', a classification the singer/songwriter admits took him some time to comprehend. But the truth is, the Music Machine were nothing of the sort. They could only be considered a garage band because they happened to rehearse in one, and that garage was, equally, a sonic foundry, psychoanalyst's couch, philosopher's salon and boot camp. 

The Machine certainly articulated the frustration central to the restless spirit of mid-1960s grass  roots Rock 'n' Roll, both musically and lyrically, but their expression of it came as much from the mind as the heart. The truth is, the Music Machine defy categorisation, because they simply did not sound like anyone else, before or since. Similarly, the fleeting chart status of Talk Talk', the group's ode to lack of selfesteem, has relegated the Music Machine in the minds of the myopic to that of one-hit wonders; for those who understand, however, the record was the brilliant opening salvo in a catalogue that has yet to be surpassed. 

More than anything, the sheer quality of the group's songs, arrangements and performances, speaks for itself. Each member was necessary to making the whole thing work, and together they shared a purpose and a drive that made the group unbeatable, and should have made them superstars. 'Ahead of their time' is a cliche but with hindsight their individuality is clearer than ever. The Machine's time was one of tremendous upheaval in pop music, particularly on the west coast. When flower power was raging the Music Machine was the weed killer. 

The saga of the Machine has been told before, not least by Sean Bonniwell in his autobiography, but it is hoped that what follows present a fresh perspective on the incandescent fourteen month lifespan of the initial Music Machine. That is the purpose of "The Ultimate Turn On": to celebrate the original, definitive line-up of this once-in-a-lifetime combo. Ninety per cent of what they decanted to tape is present and, in its monophonic state, correct - mono being the best way to appreciate the Machine, and preferably at a loud volume. 

Disc One, comprising their entire Original Sound output, is the essential Music Machine. The rehearsals, demos and alternate mixes on Disc Two are offered as an illuminating adjunct, an insight into the workings of this incredible band. They also approximate how a second album for Original Sound might have shaped up, had they stayed together. These offcuts are gems that any other combo of that era would gladly trade their fuzzbox for. 

Finally, the footage of a black-clad Machine on the rarely-glimpsed "Boss City" TV show, pounding through Talk Talk', gives the neophytes amongst us an inkling uf what all the fuss was - and is - about. To be sure, Bonniwell and producer Brian Ross went on to create further fine records, such as 'Dark White'. 'Me, Myself & I' and 'You'll Love Me Again', under the Bonniwell Music Machine imprimatur, but in many ways these were still variations on the theme wrought in iron by the first line-up. 

The experience of being a cog in the Machine left some a spent force; for others, it provided a platform to go on to bigger things. But to a man, the original line-up is completely aware of the serendipitous chemistry they had together. They were the ultimate.

by Alec Palao

Tracks

Disc One 

1. Talk Talk - 2:00

2. Trouble - 2:14

3. Cherry Cherry (Neil Diamond) - 3:17 

4. Taxman (George Harrison) - 2:38 

5. Some Other Drum - 2:34

6. Masculine Intuition - 2:11 

7. The People In Me - 2:53 

8. CC Rider (Ma Rainey) - 2:33  

9. Wrong - 2:18

10.96 Tears (Rudy Martinez) - 2:19

11.Come On In - 2:58

12.Hey Joe (Billy Roberts) - 4:18 

13.Double Yellow Line - 2:34

14.Absolotely Positively - 2:28

15.The Eagle Never Hunts The Fly - 2:50 

16.I've Loved - 2:48 

17.Talk Talk - 1:58

18.Trouble - 2:14

19.Cherry Cherry (Neil Diamond) - 3:13

20.Taxman (George Harrison) - 2:36 

21.Some Other Drum - 2:34

22.Masculine Intuition - 2:08

23.The People In Me - 3:00 

24.CC Rider (Ma Rainey) - 2:33 

25.Wrong - 2:18

26.96 Tears (Rudy Martinez) - 2:20 

27.Come On In - 2:56

28.Hey Joe (Billy Roberts) - 4:18

All Songs written by Sean Bomniwell except where noted. 

Tracks 1-16 Mono, 17-28 Stereo

Disc Two 
1 The People In Me  (Rehearsal) - 3:09
2 Trouble (Rehearsal) - 2:30
3. Masculine Intuition  (Rehearsal) - 2:39
4. The Eagle Never Hunts The Fly  (Demo) - 4:19
5. Sufferin Succotash  (Demo) - 2:40
6. Worry  (Demo) - 2:10
7. No Girl Gonna Cry  (Demo) - 2:05
8. Smoke & Water  (Demo) - 3:30
9. I've Loved You  (Alternate Version) - 2:34
10.Discrepancy  (Alternate Version) - 2:01
11.Bottom Of The Soul  (Alternate Version) - 2:04
12.The Trap  (Alternate Version) - 2:28
13.Absolutely Positively  (Alternate Version) - 2:09
14.Somethin' Hurtin' Un Me  (Alternate Version) -  2:55
15.Affirmative No  (Alternate Version) -  2:32
16.Talk Me Down  (Original Mix) - 1:51
17 Astrologically  (Original Mix) - 2:24
18.Worry  (Original Mix) -  2:15
19.No Girl Gonna Cry  (Original Mix) - 2:25
20.Smoke & Water  (Original Mix) - 3:17
All Songs written by Sean Bomniwell.

The Music Machine
*Sean Bonniwell - Vocals, Guitars
*Ron Edgar -  Drums
*Mark Landon - Guitar
*Keith Olsen - Bass
*Doug Rhodes - Organ

1969  T.S. Bonniwell - Close  (2012 digi pack edition)

Free Text