Ever heard these (70s, lots o' prog)?

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I got a crapload of vinyl from my gal's dad. Besides a bunch of Kinks, Rolling Stones and Grateful Dead, I got 2 or 3 albums from each of the following (unless noted):
Atlanta Rhythm Section
Robert Hunter - Tales of the Great Rum Runners (only one)
Flying Burrito Brothers
Kingfish
Happy The Man
Climax Blues Band
Atomic Rooster
Nektar
Baker Gurvitz Army
Jethro Tull - Benefit, Stand Up, This Was (never heard any of them before)
All About Eve - Strange Way 10"
Spirit
And there's another 100 or so records waiting for me next time I go up there. Certainly some of the albums I don't like already, but a few are really cool; Nektar being especially perfect prog rock and Atomic Rooster being particularly bizarre. I also got a bunch of Black Sabbath records and, let me tell ya, those covers are cool as hell compared to the skimpy cd size. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is downright freaky. I'm positive Black Sabbath must've improved record sales just by having kids randomly pick up the record with the demonized kid in bed on the cover cuz it looks cool.

― Nude Spock, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You might do alright listening to Spirit or the Burrito Brothers. Atlanta Rhythm Section you could definitely do without. Climax Blues Band might be a "lark" as the old timers (70's guys) used to say. Can't help you with the others.

― Dave225, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I forgot to mention Quicksilver. I got a bunch of Quicksilver, too, whoever they are. It was hard to choose because every single album I picked up, he said, "Oh that's a classic, you can't get that anymore" or "You never heard that? That's phenomenal. Phenomenal album." The guy really has tons and tons of bizarro shit I can't wait to dig my ears into. Looks psychotic-ly psychedelic in many cases. Hawkwind was nothing to this guy. They weren't weird enough.

― Nude Spock, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think Happy the Man is a fusion band I liked at one time, but probably wouldn't now.

― DeRayMi, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Happy the Man is an American symphonic prog (ie, of the ilk of Yes, Genesis, maybe Gentle Giant) band. I don't really listen to that music so much, but I do think they are a pretty good band for the symphonic style. Nektar was a German band who played spacy rock, a la Pink Floyd.

Atomic Rooster is mostly famous as the band Carl Palmer was in before ELP. They were kind of an early, proto-prog band, though closer to hard rock with big, ominous Hammond organ.

― dleone, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Does Quicksilver = Quicksilver Messenger Service? If so, first album (black cover, silver Rick Griffin lettering) & second (Happy Trails) are great, rest are pooh & defiled by evil wailing of Dino Valenti (Valente?).

Robert Hunter = Grateful Dead Lyricist, a few Dead play on that album, but its not that great. Kingfish was a Bob Weir solo outing.

I agree that Spirit & the Burritos are probably the jewels amongst this lot.

Sounds a lot like my trunk full of vinyl: am I your gal's Dad?

― David, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yes, Quicksilver Messenger Service! I just listened to Happy Trails. Being disgusted by the cover, I was surprised as hell to pick up a bong and feel compelled to smoke! (I never smoke pot. However, for some reason, I've had 2 large buds for almost 4 months now. I decided to smoke.) I can make the perfect statement and mean it (cuz I'm high): Wow, cool bass solo.

The first side seemed especially scary, what with the titles: Who do you love, Where do you love, What do you love, Whom do you love? Hey, Mr. Kotter.

― Nude Spock, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Why don't bands play 20 minute version of Bo Diddley songs any more?

(No need to answer that actually)

If you're high listen to the feedback & effects on Calvary now!

― David, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Sorry. It's been a long while since I heard Happy the Man.

― DeRayMi, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

IIRC Nektar were a British band who played in Germany & were almost unknown in the UK.

I saw them once, during my school exchange trip, Frankfurt, Easter holidays, er, 1971.

― David, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Happy the Man were almost Peter Gabriel's backing band for his first solo album. But, they turned him down, and instead produced two of the finest prog rock albums of the 70s from an American band (those being "Happy the Man" and "Crafty Hands").

― Joe, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have a drummer friend who thinks Nektar are the greatest band EVER. Now, I always liked Quicksilver... but when Steve Miller moved from TX to San Francisco, he moved in with them for a time; and he complained that though they had thousands of dollars of beautiful Gibson guitars, nobody could tune to save their lives. Apparently, that was quite common in the early SF scene, tuning on stage for a half-hour at a time. Steve brought the slick professionalism.

― Andy, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Andy, it seems I missed my era. I woulda been great back then. I can tune forever, but I make a bad song out of it that only people on 4 hits and 20 drinks can hear as a song. Lasts about an hour, though, and I can manage to stretch it out through at least 5 regular tunes. It's like a concept album.

― nude spock, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Like Ravi Shankar said in response to some applause on the Concert for Bangladesh LP - "I'm glad you like the tuning, I hope you like the music even more." (very rough paraphrase)

― nickn, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

the Baker bit of Baker Gurvitz Army = Ginger Baker (ie the lousy drummer in Cream); Gurvitz = Adrian Gurvitz but his first name is all I know abt him (if i know that)

Spirit are (well can be) terrific; Norman Phay will back me up.

― mark s, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Happy the Man...

Joe: Wait a minute, knows about Happy the Man, name's Joe...I think I just figured out who you are!

― dleone, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Flying Burrito Brothers went downhill precipitously, but if one of those records is _Gilded Palace of Sin_, you've got yourself a treat there.

― Douglas, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Is Mr. McGinchley among us again? About time! But I think he confirmed he was him elsewhere, now that I think about it.

There is some bizarre 1972 southern band called Ned, whose first album I own. It bemuses me.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Dominique,

I know you--don't you post as "mano" on the Ground & Sky forum?! :) :)

― Joe, Wednesday, 16 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Atomic Rooster had a bunch of different lineups, most of em seem to've been pretty dull. but the power triad version of the band (Vince Crane/John Du Cann/Carl Palmer) was hotpoop. Is 1 of the alb's you got "Death Walks Behind You"? 'cause boy that's boss sounds boss. Doom rock, yeah!

I might give Nektar another shot sometime - Daf Moore yr right btw, British band resident in Germany - but the only album i ever had by em i thought sucked badly. wimp prog.

Spirit - yay. like em more & more. their '60s stuff anyway, the '70s gear is pretty patchy from what little i've heard.

― duane, Wednesday, 16 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I just KNEW that mark s would respond on Baker Gurvitz Army! I can't add much other than there was also a Paul Gurvitz in the band, and that Adrian G later had a solo hit with the wretched "Classic" ("I'm gonna write a classic/I'm gonna write it in the attic").

― Dr. C, Wednesday, 16 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Is 1 of the alb's you got "Death Walks Behind You"?

Yup! Death Walks Behind You. That's why I was so fascinated by it. There's this robot chicken rocket cover that seems totally bizarre and then you flip it over and there's these angry looking guys. After I started listening to it, I thought, "Oh weird, there was more than one band like Black Sabbath."

― , Wednesday, 16 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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