#14 Peter Hammill-A Black Box (S-Type Records UK) 1980

Peter Hammill-A Black Box

(S Type Records-PHS-1)

Released in the UK in 1980

Side 1: 1. Golden Promises 2. Losing Faith In Words 3. The Jargon King 4. Fogwalking 5. The Spirit 6. In Slow Time 7. The Wipe

Side 2: 1. Flight (Flying Blind, The White Cane Fandango, Control, Cockpit, Silk Worm Wings, Nothing Is Nothing, A Black Box)

Personnel: Peter Hammill-vocals, guitar, keyboards, David Jackson-saxophone, flute, David Ferguson-synthesizer, percussion)

Produced by Peter Hammill

'A Black Box' was the ninth UK solo album by Van Der Graaf Generator lead singer Peter Hammill and it was also one of his best. Side one features short, claustrophobic numbers such as 'Golden Promises', 'Losing Faith In Words' and 'The Spirit.' Musically, the overall sound is stripped down to the bone and sort of resembles post-punk acts such as Bauhaus and Magazine. 

Side Two is filled with the ambitious, side long epic 'Flight', which was a multi-part excursion into regions unknown and was more in step with Hammill's work with Van Der Graaf. It's a riveting album that has lost none of it's power over the years.

'The Spirit' from 'A Black Box'

Family-The Weaver's Answer (Live at the Isle Of Wight Festival 1970)

Family tearing it up at 1970 Isle Of Wight Festival!

#13 Family-Family Entertainment (Reprise 1969)

Family-Family Entertainment

(Reprise Records-K-44069)

Released in the UK in 1969

UK Chart Peak #6

Side One: 1. The Weaver's Answer 2. Observations From A Hill 3. Hung Up Down 4. Summer '67 5. How-Hi-The-Li

Side Two: 1. Second Generation Woman 2. From Past Archives 3. Dim 4. Processions 5. Face In The Cloud 5. Emotions

Personnel: Roger Chapman-vocals, John Whitney-lead guitar, Rick Grech-bass guitar, violin, vocals, Jim King-saxophone, piano, harmonica, Rob Townsend-drums

Produced by Glyn Johns & John Gilbert

Family were one of the most talented and innovative that Britain produced in the late 1960's. Family Entertainment was their second album and their masterpiece. It was gut busting fusion of rock, psychedelia and gypsy music. For the those who are new to the group, try to imagine a more eccentric version of Traffic (the two groups were actually good friends.)

There wasn't a bum track to be found on Family Entertainment and the album did quite well in the UK (peaking at #6 on the album charts.) Sadly, it was to be the final album with their original lineup as Rick Grech left after the record was completed to join the heavily hyped Blind Faith, saxophonist Jim King also left (they were replaced by Poli Palmer and former Animals guitarist/bassist/violinist John Weider.)

Key Tracks: The Weaver's Answer, Hung Up Down, How-Hi-The-Li, Face In The Cloud, Emotions.

13th Floor Elevators-Easter Everywhere (IA Records 1967)

Full album plus bonus tracks!

The Pop Group-Y (Radar 1979)

Full mind blowing album!

#12 The 13th Floor Elevators-Easter Everywhere (International Artists 1967)

13th Floor Elevators-Easter Everywhere 

International Artists Records (IA-LP 5)

Released in the USA on October 27, 1967

Side One: Slip Inside This House, The Slide Machine, She Lives (In A Time Of Her Own), Nobody To Love, Baby Blue

Side Two: Earthquake, Dust, Levitation, I Had To Tell You, Postures (Leave Your Body Behind)

Personnel:

Roky Erickson-vocal, Stacy Sutherland-lead guitar, vocals, Tommy Hall-jug, vocals, Dan Galindo-bass guitar, Danny Thomas-drums

Produced by Lelan Rogers

#11 The Pop Group-Y (Radar Records UK 1979)

The Pop Group-Y

Radar Records (RAD-20)

Released in the UK on April 20, 1979

Personnel: Mark Stewart-vocals, Gareth Sager-guitar, Simon Underwood-guitar, John Waddington-bass guitar, Bruce Smith-drums

Side One-Thief Of Girl, Snow Girl, Blood Money, The Savage Sea, We Are Time

Side Two-Words Disobey Me, Don't Call Me Pain, The Boys From Brazil,  Don't Sell Your Dreams

Y was one of the most innovative albums to be released in the wake of punk rock in the UK. It was a crazed mix of punk, funk, free-jazz, dub and Beefheart style guitar chaos. Absolutely essential!

David Furgess (April 27, 2015)

The Only Ones-The Beast (CBS 1978)

#10 The Only Ones-The Only Ones (CBS 1978)

The Only Ones-The Only Ones

CBS Records (82830)

Released in the UK in 1978

Side One: The Whole Of The Law, Another Girl-Another Planet, Breaking Down, City Of Fun, The Beast

Side Two: Creature Of Doom, It's The Truth, Language Problem, No Peace For The Wicked, The Immortal Story

Personnel: Peter Perrett-vocals, guitar, John Perry-lead guitar, Alan Mair-bass guitar, Mike Kellie-drums

Like London group Doll By Doll, The Only Ones sort of existed on the fringes of the 70's new wave scene. The members of the Only Ones for the most part were veterans of the UK music wars. The band's flashy lead singer/guitarist Peter Perrett came from an excellent but failed mid-70's outfit called England's Glory. Bassist Alan Mair came from Scotland's answer to The Beatles (The Beatstalkers), while Mike Kellie played with a host of groups such as (The VIP's, Art and Spooky Tooth.)

The Only Ones fell together just in time to collide with the UK punk uprising but were never really part of the punk elite, due to the advanced ages of the band members (a high crime at the time.) The group did manage to score a big time record deal with CBS Records (who released their astonishing debut album in 1978.)

Aided by the mesmerizing single Another Girl, Another Planet, The Only Ones is a magical album that was reminiscent of Mott The Hoople, The New York Dolls, Lou Reed, Syd Barrett and Blonde On Blonde era Bob Dylan (with an added surge of punk electricity.)

It almost plays like a greatest hits set and the highlights are many: The Whole Of The Law, City Of Fun, The Beast, No Peace For The Wicked etc. (there really isn't a bum track to be found.)

The album created quite a buzz when it was first issued but drug problems within the group halted their rise to the top. These days The Only Ones rightfully regarded as one of the most accomplished and original albums of the late 70's British New Wave era.

David Furgess (4-25-15)

Tim Buckley-Starsailor (1970) Full Album

#9 Tim Buckley-Starsailor (Straight Records 1970)

Tim Buckley-Starsailor

Straight Records (WS-1881)

Released in 1970

Side One: Come Here Woman, I Woke Up, Monterey, Moulin Rouge, Song To The Siren

Side Two: Jungle Fire, Starsailor, The Healing Festival, Down By The Borderline

Issued in 1970 on Frank Zappa's Straight label, Starsailor was Tim Buckley's most adventurous album. It was sort of a mix between Buckley's usual sound and the outer reaches of free-form jazz and art rock. 

The album featured Mothers Of Invention members Bunk & Buzz Gardner (who add real color to the record's abstract sounds.) Starsailor just might be Tim Buckley's most potent artistic statement. 

Key tracks: Monterey, Jungle Fire, Song To The Siren, Starsailor

#8 Moby Grape-Moby Grape (CBS 1967)

Moby Grape-Moby Grape

(Columbia Records USA 1967)

USA Chart Peak #24

Personnel: Jerry Miller-guitar, vocals, Peter Lewis-guitar, vocals, Skip Spence-guitar, vocals, Bob Mosley-bass guitar, vocals, Don Stevenson-drums

In many ways, Moby Grape were San Francisco's answer to the Buffalo Springfield. Moby Grape were loaded with talent (perhaps too much talent for one group.) The band boasted four exceptional songwriters and two world class vocalists (Bob Mosley, Peter Lewis.)

Moby Grape's self titled debut album from early 1967 was released with an avalanche of hype but it actually lived up to the hype. It remains as free and vibrant today as when it was first issued. Musically, the Grape had elements of The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Who and The Youngbloods and combined them into a technicolor brew of their own. Virtually every track on the album could have been a hit (but sadly none of them were.) 

Moby Grape is an album that has grown in stature and influence. I first heard it in 1968 and I still play it on a regular basis. Many people wrote the group off after this album but Grape's 1969 album Moby Grape '69 was almost as good!

The Grateful Dead-Alligator (Live in Seattle 1968)

#7 The Grateful Dead-Anthem Of The Sun (WB 1968)

The Grateful Dead-Anthem Of The Sun

Warner Bros. Records 1968

Anthem Of The Sun was the Dead's psychedelic masterpiece. It's an album that still sounds ahead of it's time. Radio never touched it and most Grateful Dead fans have never even heard it!

Teardrop Explodes-Treason (Zoo Records 1980)

# 6 The Teardrop Expoldes-Kilimanjaro (1980)

The Teardrop Explodes emerged in the late 70's from Liverpool in the UK and came from a loose scene that also included groups such as Echo & The Bunnymen, Wah! Heat, Moderneon  and Those Naughty Lumps. Teardrop Explodes were more or less led by singer bassist Julian Cope. The group issued two singles for the independent Zoo label before hooking up with Mercury Records in 1980.

Teardrop's debut album Kilimanjaro was issued in the UK in 1980 and it was a sensational album that surely must rank as the debut debut album in rock history. It was a confident album that stood out from it's upfront use of trumpets. The album had that power of groups like The Jam and melody and arrangements of American West Coast groups like Love and The Doors.

Kilimanjaro was loaded back to front with strong songs such as Treason, Ha Ha! I'm Drowning, Sleeping Gas, The Thief Of Baghdad, Went Crazy and When I Dream (among others.) The album was given a remix and new cover in 1981. It also added the group's 1981 top 10 single Reward (possibly Teardrop's finest moment.

Kilimanjaro has been re-issued many times over the years. It's an album that sounds as fresh today as it did in 1980.