Size: 177 MB
Bitrate: 320
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Some Artwork Included
We are excited to present our first 5 years of recordings, not as a compilation of singles but as one cohesive full-length album.
When Nasoni Records approached us with the concept of a collection, my knee-jerk reaction was to drag all the files in the "Mother Upduff Masters" folder and send away. After a few scrupulous listens however, I felt it wouldn't hurt to adjust the levels between each song before remastering for the vinyl. Backwards it spiraled from there.
A few months later we have 20 tracks ( 19 on vinyl ) completely remixed and remastered to map a progression within an album rather than an era. To obtain an audible common ground : some songs were cleaned and decluttered whereas others were crowded and muddied, room mics were turned up, takes were swapped, entire instrument sections were muted / unmuted, and the tape bias ran hot on the master.
Alongside each single comes 3 unreleased songs from an unheard but fruitful period when Eirik Hutchinson joined Mat and I for the first time. Before Erik Mulder brought his skills to our last recordings, Eirik Hutchinson played a huge part in taking our sound out of the two-piece rut. That first season of sonic expansion can now be heard in Transient ( Electric ), The Rover, and Mexico. Contrary to the track placement of our 4th unreleased song, The Priestess was actually our last tune recorded before a brief hiatus.
Now with past and present members playing together, Mother Upduff is continuing with a philosophy that mirrors the construction of this album. Each track was dissected and altered according to it's relationship towards the rest, similar to how we have always played for each other first, the individual second, and those listening last.
01. Grave Robbers 03:06
02. Transient ( Acoustic ) 02:12
03. The Captive 06:53
04. Philistine Blues ( Take II ) 02:28
05. Tempest 03:29
06. Pest 04:00
07. Mud 02:21
08. Paced 03:07
09. Passerby 05:14
10. Fire 02:43
11. Transient ( Electric ) 02:46
12. The Rover 03:21
13. Mexico 02:28
14. Bloom 04:05
15. Spellbound 02:35
16. The Priestess 05:53
17. Algos Train 05:03
18. Concept & Scope 05:57
19. Parnassus Drive 02:44
20. The Apologist 04:08
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Size: 99.3 MB
Bitrate: 256
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included
Source: Japan 24-Bit Remaster
The album recorded in 1973 @ sunset sound Studio Hollywood for A&M
Marc Benno brought a treasure for his Japanese fans!
The recordings which never released for last 32 years....
Marc Benno recorded 7 songs with his band The Nightcrawlers featuring Stevie Ray Vaughan, Doyal Bramhall etc. at Sunset Sound Studio inHollywood for A&M Records in 1973. But A&M decided not to release the record.
This is the special album with the 7 songs and plus another 5 songs of the studio sessions tracks with SRV (G),RussKrunker(Dr.) Mike Utley(key.) Lee Skiar(B.) etc.
This historic document seems to have escaped the attention of all but the most hardcore and curious Stevie Ray Vaughan fan. The story goes like this...by 1973, Texas singer, songwriter, guitarist, and piano player Marc Benno had spent better than a decade as an all-star studio pro, lending his talents to recordings by folks like Rita Coolidge and the Doors.
Benno recorded a pair of albums with friend and fellow session-player Leon Russell as the Asylum Choir, Benno subsequently launching his solo career with a self-titled album in 1970, Russell hooking up with singer Joe Cocker before discovering mid-decade stardom.
Benno had put together a Texas-styled blues-rock band that included bassist Tommy McClure (who had played with Coolidge and Jim Dickinson, among others), drummer Doyle Bramhall, keyboardist Billy Etheridge, and a hot-shot young guitarist by the name of Stevie Vaughan (the "Ray" would be added later).
Benno and the Nightcrawlers were managed by rock 'n' roll heavyweight Dee Anthony, and put on tour opening for the J. Geils Band and Humble Pie (which featured its own hot-shot fretburner in Peter Frampton).
Benno and the band recorded what was to become their debut album for A&M Records, but when the label soured on blues-rock, Crawlin – which included Vaughan's first recordings – was put on the shelf and remained unreleased until 2009 when Blue Skunk Music resurrected the album.
As shown by the funky album-opening "Last Train," Benno had his finger firmly on the pulse of the soul-and-blues-infused rock sound of the early 1970s, the song's foot-shufflin' beat paired with twangy, chicken-scratched guitar solos and a chaotic mix that works in spite of the mess of instruments.
By turns, the New Orleans-flavored "Coffee Cup" sounds like Dr. John, Benno's growling vocals and spry piano-pounding displaying the undeniable musical link between Texas blues and Louisiana's more jazz-influenced style.
The lively "Take Me Down Easy" mines turf similar to what Delaney and Bonnie and Friends were exploring at the time, cleverly mixing blues, rock, gospel and country into an inspired whole, some hot guitar licks sizzling in the background beneath Benno's energetic honky-tonk piano and an overall spirited instrumental jangle.
Running in the other direction, "Hot Shoe Blues" blends a 1940s-styled jump-blues aesthetic with rollicking keyboards, red-hot guitar runs, and mile-a-minute echoed vocals to create an exhausting and entertaining musical romp. The title song is virtually an instrumental, barely-audible gang-vocals rising and falling beneath an innovative soundtrack that displays some of Stevie Vaughan's early talents.
Benno considered Stevie Ray Vaughan (or "Little Stevie" as he was often known at the time) to be the Nightcrawlers' secret weapon, a young guitarist of unusual skill and vision that could liven up any performance with his instrument. Crawlin includes four "bonus tracks," songs cut by Benno in anticipation of a solo release that would feature Vaughan's maturing guitarplay at its center.
Using a variety of L.A. session pros and friends like bassist Lee Sklar, drummer Russ Kunkel, and keyboardists Gordon DeWitty and Mike Utley, these songs add more of a pop sheen to Benno's writing while not forsaking the artist's blues foundation.
"Friends" is a gospel-tinged soft-rocker that features some beautifully emotional Stevie Ray slide-guitar licks alongside Benno's testifying vocals and gentle piano play. By contrast, "Whole Thang" is a short, sharp shocker with scorching guitar solos riding low in the mix, Benno's bouncy electric piano creating an irresistible melody on top of which Vaughan weaves his magic; given a proper release in the mid-1970s, the song could have been a big hit and brought SRV to stardom that much quicker.
"World Keeps Spinnin" is another Dr. John soundalike, with bits of sharp guitar and an underlying funky heartbeat while "Long Ride Home" is a dark, rich instrumental track and the stand-out on Crawlin, Vaughan and Benno swapping guitar licks while the band choogles along in the background with a rock-solid rhythm.
Marc Benno's Crawlin is a mixed bag, derived as it is from disparate sources and circumstances. The four bonus tracks are better-written and better-produced than the seven songs from a previous recording, and they feature Stevie Ray Vaughan in a much more prominent role. What the earlier songs lack in sonic quality and overall construction they more than make up for in energy and enthusiasm, Benno finally afforded the opportunity to chase stardom on his own terms.
While the earlier material on Crawlin, quite honestly, wasn't ready for primetime...I'll blame it on sub-par production that seemingly robs the performances of their edge and vitality...there's no doubt that Benno and the Nightcrawlers were on to something, and listening to these songs today one can't help but wonder what might have been. You'll find the material to be representative of the era of its creation, entertaining but not particularly innovative, and of interest mostly to hear Benno's underrated piano playing and Stevie Ray's first tentative steps towards blues-rock stardom.
After suffering the indignities of the record biz – Benno was subsequently dropped by his high-profile manager (who hitched his star exclusively to Frampton's fortunes) – and seeing his recordings buried in a vault somewhere in Hollywood, Marc Benno regrouped and re-dedicated himself to the blues. He spent years touring as second guitarist for the legendary Lightnin' Hopkins, honing his skills and learning the blues from a master. Benno continues to make music, fusing blues, rock, jazz, and pop music into his own original creation in spite of the industry, and Crawlin is a perfect example of his unique vision and talent.
The Nightcrawlers:
♣ Marc Benno - Guitar and Vocal
♣ Stevie Ray Vaughan - Lead Guitar
♣ Doyal Bramhall - Drum and Vocals
♣ Billy Ethridge- Keyboards
♣ Tommy McClure - Bass
* Session Recording with:
♣ Marc Benno - Guitar, Piano and Vocal
♣ Stevie Ray Vaughan- Lead Guitar / Russ Krunkel- Drums
♣ Johnny Perez - Drums / Mike Utley-Keyboards
♣ Gordon Dewitty-Hammond B3 Organ / Lee Skiar- Bass
01. Last Train 02:04
02. Coffee Cup 03:19
03. 8 Ball 06:22
04. Take Me Down Easy 03:23
05. Love is Turnin Green 05:36
06. Hot Shoe Blues 02:09
07. Crawlin 03:22
08. Friends* 04:33
09. Whole Thang* 01:57
10. Slammer Jammer* 04:35
11. World Keep Spinnin* 02:51
12. Long Ride Home* 04:48
*Bonus Tracks Please note and understand there are some noise on Track 10 due to the old recording material.
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Size: 77.9 MB
Bitrate: 256
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included
Source: 24-Bit Remaster
Excelent UK Progressive Folk Rock obscurity, which also should be enjoyed by fans of US Westcoast. Great album, featuring fantastic guitarwork by one of the most underrated 70's guitar players, the late Jimmy McCulloch (Thunderclap Newman, Stone The Crows, Wings...), as well as excellent violin solos by Mik Kaminski (ELO) and of course great songwriting by John Tennent and David Morrison.
Joe Soap were a band comprising of John Tennent and David Morrison. They had previously released one album prior to using this name, “Tennent / Morrison” (Polydor 1972).
Their second album, (and only one as Joe Soap) “Keep It Clean” (Polydor 1973) enhanced this core lineup with contributions from Jerry Conway (Jethro Tull), Jimmy McCulloch (Stone The Crows), Mike Kaminski (ELO) and Jeff Pearce. Itwas produced by Sandy Robertson.
Joe Soap was a band comprised of John Tennent and David Morrison. Their second album, "Keep It Clean" (as Joe Soap) (Polydor 1973) featured Jimmy McCulloch (guitar, Stone the Crows) Jerry Conway (drums, later in Jethro Tull) and Mike Kaminski (violin, from ELO). The album features ten tracks composed by John and David with help of Sandy Roberton (producer).
Two guys with rather thick but fascinating voices diffuse strong masculine beauty in all tracks. In addition to it, a mastermind violinist Mik Kaminski's scattering violin features on most of the tracks especially on Feel Strange and On The Wing are just superb.
Jimmy McCulloch's intense guitar domains on every track as well. Overall, the album is an awesome combo set of typical British rock classics with strong American southern rock flavor. Both "Tennent & Morrison" and "Keep it Clean" are now extremely rare and occasionally surface on the collectors' market, both fetch around §500 for "Tennent & Morrison" and §250 for "Keep it Clean"
Personnel
♣ John Tennent: Guitar, Vocals
♣ Dave Morrison: Bottleneck, Vocals
♣ Jimmy McCulloch: Guitar
♣ Jerry Conway: Drums
♣ Jeff Pearce: Bass
♣ Mik Kaminski: Violin
01. Talkin' 'Bout You
02. Warning Sign
03. Lay It on Me
04. Whatever the Song Is Now
05. Get Out From Under
06. Feels Strange
08. On the Wing
09. Time
10. All Out Now
11. Birdman
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