According to their webstite, Mind Doctors were formed in the early 70's (exact date is unknown) comprising Marin Weaver (guitars) and Dave "Doc" Wadley (keyboards).
Both had previously been involved in assorted heavy progressive rock groups, Martin in Dark, and Wicked Lady, and Dave in Soft Thrust, and Back to Zero. In the 60's, Dave also worked with Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath fame.
They apparently teamed up after a night of heavy drinking and a common disdain for the music industry, and collectively came up with crossover "Head" music, comprised of all styles of music, giving Dave an appropriate outlet to exorcise his callsical stylings, and making way for extensive synthesizer pieces.
The instrumental album is comprised of various "soundscapes" with an occasional tone of space rock a'la Hawkwind, mixed obviously with more classical stylings. http://mind-doctors.co.uk/index.php
Flax, a Norweigian heavy metal band was formed in 1972 and is believed to be Norway's first of the genre. Their first album, "One" (1976) wasn't a big seller, therefore it is yet another hard to find collectors item released on Vertigo. (a label famous for long sought after releases). Strong theatrical heavy rock along the lines of Deep Purple, ("Machine Head" era) and to a lesser degree Uriah Heep and Queen. Their music contained the occational symphonic elements, in true heavy metal fasion.
The band saw a hiatus between 1976 and '78, when thet returned with a single: "What Cha Gonna Do" b/w "Pain in the Ass" (another version of which, is included on their debut album) and in the 80's released two more albums. 1980's Monster Tapes, and 1986's Flax Tracks. Their history is riddled with frequent lineup changes.
Grand Theft, a supposedly joke band which is rumored to be the alter ego of a band called Bluebird, have only two live performances, a self released 7" single, and one self released album (lacking any cover art) in their repertoire. The single, and the album are complied here along with 4 "rehearsal" tracks, and additional material which was meant for a second album that never saw fruition. You gotta love it just for the cover alone, which depicts a rat with wings bearing a significant resemblence to the image of Appolo, the sun god a'la the Swan Song logo.
Replicating the cliches of bands like Zeppelin and Grand Funk, albeit a humorous pisstake, the music is pretty damn good
considering how serious the members took it (or didn't), with names like Crowbar Mahoon and P.K. Skins. A roadie named Cheese Toaster took vocals occationaly, and the band later hired on Loudus Volumus on 2nd guitar.
Alocal radio station took to playing their sole single "Scream (It's Eating Me Alive)" which resulted in a loyal local following (again, they only played live twice in their entire history!). I'ts actually a fuzzed out damn good time.
"Ben the Rat Meets Led Zeppelin" is a personal favorite, with the lyrics telling the story of a big rat going to the "House of Zeppelin" where he encounters a semi coherent Jimmy Page who proceeds to plug his guitar into his rectum to rip out some riffs. Priceless.
Originally from Texas under the name "Aphrodite", W.G. "Snuffy" Walden (guitar/vocals), Alan Roberts (bass/keys/vocals), and Randy Reader (drums) moved to Denver, Colorado and became quite popular under their new moniker, Stray Dog. They were introduced to Neville Chesters, a former road manager for Emerson Lake and Palmer who convinced them to go to London where, along with a friend and fellow tour manager Lorenzio Mazzio leading to Greg Lake signing them to E.L.P.'s label Manticore records. Randy Reader was replaced by Leslie Sampson. Lake produced three tracks on the band's 1973 self titled debut album, with the rest of the band producing the rest.
In March 1973 British music magazine NME reported that Stray Dog were to support ELP on their world tour which was due to commence in Germany at the end of that month.
Stray Dog's follow up album While You're Down There (1974) was co-produced by Austin Godsey and the band. A change in lineup (adding Tim Dulaine -guitar/lead vocals, and Louis Cabaza on keyboards) changed the band's sound from a blues based power trio to a more subdued commercial AOR rock sound.
Leslie Sampson (drums) had played earlier with Noel Redding in "Road."
After the demise of Stray Dog, Snuffy Walden (guitar/lead vocals) went on to write and produce several American television theme songs.
You can hear the beginning of what would end up as 'sludge metal' in the grooves of this disc. Totally heavy rock from Oklahoma with plenty of distorted guitars and great organ. Some of the softer passages have a kind of Allman Brothers feel goin' on. As Rockesteria puts it: "The kind of music where the crunch of the guitars and the drums buries the sound right into your chest if played loud enough."
Drummer Bill "Willy" Daffer eventually went on to play with the reformation of Captain Beyond.
J. Martin (Moby) Anderson - bass/vocals
Glen Ray Townsend - guitar/vocals
George Michael (Mike) Graham - lead vocals
James Patrick Graha - organ/vocals
Danny Cornett - drums (originally)
Bill (Willy) Daffer - drums (on the last 4 songs recorded)
From Rob Wills' PUREPOP: "at the crossroads of Junkshop Glam and Punk'd out Boogie"
Castle Farm were from Rumford, Northeast London. The band released a single "Hot-rod Queen" b/w "Mascot" on Farm records (FARM 1).
Castle Farm developed a loyal following and were soon gigging all over London and throughout Essex and Kent. After moving on to the college circuit, the bought a six-wheel Tranny from Badfinger, and began traveling as far as Winchester and Leeds. Supporting acts such as Rory Gallagher, Deep Purple, Savoy Brown Blues Band, among others.
Forming a grudge with the music industry as a whole, who, in those times, would sign a band just to shelf them so as to squash competition with whoever they were promoting at the time, they funded their own single and pressed 2,000 copies of "Hot-Rod Queen."
They did record enough material for a full length release, but alas it never came to pass.
Collected and released as "The Studio Sessions", their music is for the most part, available for the first time.
Great rock and roll with slide guitar (a'la Rose Tattoo).
Bag - "Tripdream" b/w "Nothing Will Remain"
Dutch Psych/Stoner, Flame Records 1971
Dom - "Dom" b/w "Devils Grandma"
Newcomer-45-002 Germany, 1972
Crossfield - "Take It"
Troy - RPI 5079, 1970
Bonjour Aviators - "The Fury in Your Eyes" b/w "Goin' to a Party"
Romantic Records - Boston, MA., 1976
Death - "Depression"
Not to be confused with the Detroit band of the same name.
This proto-punk band came from Wisconsin and consisted
of future members of The Shivvers and the Contortions. Their
drummer, Jim, played with Question Mark and the Mysterians
at one time. More material from this band HERE
Very rare album by The Flow with Pete Fine on guitar/vocals, Monte Farber on bass/vocals, and Steve Starer on drums. This is a total guitar burner. If you're into Blue Cheer and fuzz, you'll love this album.
"This is an awesome slab of 70's fuzz guitar rock and roll. Lot's of crunchy riffs, wailing lead guitar, and sort of a jazzy, Stantana-ish breakdowns. Think Blue Cheer, Toad, Bang, or Buffalo. If those names mean anything to you, then you're gonna need this."
Available HERE from Shaddock's Music.
"In those rebellious and psychedelic times we barely earned enough to pay for food at times, while developing our musical horizons. I am amazed we survived those days. Eventually, we became a 3 piece band - The Flow. We rented a room in NYC -- also renting a room was Wicked Lester, a band later to be known as KISS. We used the space for our own explorations. With our limited funds, we could only complete half of the project so we released the record with one blank side and later on, added more material." (Pete Fine)
First vinyl issue 1992
Collectors edition - 180 numbered copies on blue vinyl in black Lizard Textured cover
From Prog Archives: 'Fifth Dead is a long lived (1971-86) but hardly prolific band from Koblenz in Rheinland. Fropnted by guitarist/vocalist Dirk Crecelius, Fifth Dead developed a peculiar psychedelic blues sound with a commonly herky-jerky composition style. Of the six tunes, all recorded between 1973 and 76, "What Can We Do" is the true standout. An extended march style psychedelic journey with extra-cool heavy buzz guitar.'
Lightning were a band from my home town Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded by guitarist Zippy Kaplan and bassist Woody Woodrich. The band was pretty popular locally due to Kaplan's fame playing with The Litter. The manager of KDWB radio station mistook the single "Of Paupers and Poets" for a song by Cream, giving the band valuable early airtime. They eventually broke up citing musical differences. Look HERE for an in-depth bio.
Sole album from US heavy rockers Zipper, dating from 1975. Featuring Fred Cole (ex Lollipop Shoppe, Weeds) on vocals. Garage rock to the max! With a whisper of stylings from Grand Funk, heavy guitar driven with great guitar runs and a pumpin' rhythm.
Formed in 1973, Zipper as un-compromising as anything Cole's done in his long career. The album was the frustrated response to the music industry as a whole. Unable to obtain a new contract, Cole relocated to Portland, Or. and it was there he began to take charge of his career. He opened a music store, and a short time later found himself with another band. Tired of his previous trials, Zipper's eponymous debut was self-released on Cole and his wife Toody's new label, Whizeagle. Sadly, this is their only album.
In a true D.I.Y. ethic, the album was released with a cover consisting of two stickers stuck together with gaff tape.
Cole went on to form Dead Moon in the eighties and they continue to play to this day.
Formed in 1968 in the Houston, TX area. Doug Tull (drums), Doug Walden (bass/vocals), and Richard Avitts (guitar/vocals) were the original members of the band, which started out as "United Gas." Tull and Avitts, at the same time playing in a series of R&B and soul-leaning groups, met in 1966 when Tull sat in on drums with one of Avitts' bands. Tull, however was not as serious about the music as Avitts, leading to an eventual split.
Tull developed a friendship around this time with Jefferson Airplane guitarist and Texas native Jorma Kaukonen, and, in 1967, invited Avitts to jam with them. Certain they had the makings of a band, the two went searching for a bass player who could sing, eventually finding Doug Walden. It wasn't long before Untied Gas developed a following in and around Houston, playing clubs like Tangerine Forest who's owner, Nick Lee, took interest in the band, eventually becoming their manager. Walden and Avitts began writing their own material and recorded a demo which Lee shopped around his contacts in Las Vegas and California.
United gas relocated to Las Vegas, and then California after an L.A. label, Metromedia offered them a two year deal. At the labels behest, the group changed their name to Christopher so as to avoid confusion with similar named California Pacific Gas and Electric. Walden and Avitts felt Christopher to be a religious band (their name is taken after Saint Christopher) and wanted to convey this through the music.
Doug Tull
Recording of their first album began in early 1969, but was hampered by Tull's drug use, and a failed suicide attempt. He was fired (later returning to Houston and joining Josefus, and ultimately, was found hanged in an Austin jail cell in 1991, victim of an apparent suicide, although there have always been suspicions he was a victim of police brutality) and the session were completed by John Simpson and Terrence Hand. The result was Christopher's debut album, released in a pressing of only 1000 copies. Walden and Avitts remained in Los Angeles playing as Christopher before Avitts moved back to Houston later that year.
XIT - or "Crossing of Indian Tribes" is a Native American rock band originally based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Members include founder and Native American Music Award winner Tom Bee (writer of the lyrics on Plight of the Redman). Their initial recordings (two albums for the Motown label) like 1972's Plight of the Redman addresses themes of historic and contemporary Native American issues. Plight, was a concept album about the changes in Native American life after the arrival of Columbus.
Acompliation album was released in 1974 entitled Entrance, and in 1977 the band released Relocation.
The original group, known as "Original Xit" are A. Michael Martinez, (singer and lead guitar on Plight), Mac Suazo (narrator and bass on Plight), Lee Herrerra (drums on Plight), and R.C. Gariss (2nd lead guitar on Plight) has released Cd's into the 2000's, beginning with 1985's Drums Across the Atlantic.
