Kevin Bryan

Mountain,”Over The Top” (Floating World)- The muscular American hard rock outfit formed by bass player and former Cream collaborator Felix Pappalardi and larger than life guitar ace Leslie West in the late sixties may never really have fully captured the imagination of audiences on this side of the Atlantic, although one of their finest creations, “Nantucket Sleighride,” was used as the signature tune of ITV’s long defunct politics show, “Weekend World.” This splendid anthology captures the cream of Mountain’s relatively meagre recorded output from their short stint together in the early seventies alongside a few tracks which were captured for posterity by the re-formed band assembled by West and drummer Corky Laing a decade or more later. “Don’t Look Around,” “Theme For An Imaginary Western” and an epic near twenty minute live rendition of T-Bone Walker’s “Stormy Monday” are the best of an excellent bunch.

Bronski Beat,”The Age of Consent” (London Records)- Bronski Beat’s debut album, “The Age of Consent,” first saw the light of day in 1984, showcasing a string of distinctive hit singles led by “Smalltown Boy,” “Why?” and their revival of George Gershwin’s “It Ain’t Necessarily So.” London Records have chosen to mark the 40th anniversary of this momentous event by releasing an expanded version of the album, fleshing out the original track listing with a generous helping of stylish remixes and new liner notes. Inimitable vocalist Jimmy Somerville left the fold soon afterwards and things were sadly never the same again but that shouldn’t be allowed to detract from the appeal of this splendid synth pop collection.

John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers “Up Close and Personal-Live in Texas” (Wienerworld)-Legendary bandleader John Mayall may never have been a particularly impressive performer in his own right, but the Cheshire born musician is rightly referred to as “the godfather of the British blues” after nurturing the talents of so many outstanding young players during the genre’s sixties heyday. Future rock luminaries such as Peter Green, Eric Clapton and Mick Taylor all passed through the Bluesbreakers ranks during this period and the band’s line up seemed to be in a state of constant flux throughout its lengthy existence. This fine audio-visual package captures the late nineties incarnation of Mayall’s outfit in fine fettle as they breathe new life into tried and tested old favourites such as “Nature’s Disappearing,” “A Hard Road” and “Room To Move” during a couple of concerts in Houston, Texas with then current guitarist Buddy Whittington.

Jack Bruce,"Songs For A Tailor" (Cherry Red / Esoteric)- The late Jack Bruce is probably best remembered these days for the crucial role that he played in the late sixties success of Cream, which found the influential Scottish bass player and vocalist joining forces with Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker to create one of rock’s greatest ever power trios. Personal antagonisms between Bruce and Baker meant that the Cream project was destined to be relatively short lived however, and they finally gave up the ghost in 1968. Jack then went on to pursue a critically acclaimed solo career, collaborating with top notch musicians from a variety of genres to produce fine albums such as “Songs For A Tailor.” This splendid 1969 offering has now been re-issued as a four disc audio-package featuring out-takes, new remixes and Tony Palmer’s 1970 video documentary,”Rope Ladder To The Moon.”

Nick Lowe,”Indoor Safari” (Yep Roc)- The former Brinsley Schwarz and Rockpile stalwart hasn’t been too active on the recording front since the release of his 2013 album of Christmas songs,”Quality Street,” but the great man’s musical mojo remains firmly intact on the eloquent evidence presented by “Indoor Safari.”Working in close collaboration with his like minded Yep Roc labelmates Los Straitjackets in a musical marriage made in heaven Nick has crafted a hook laden melodic gem featuring remixed or re-recorded versions of nine tracks which originally saw the light of day in single or EP form during the past decade or so. Lowe’s abiding affection for the innocent delights of American pre-Beatles rock and pop informs many of his finest creations here, most notably “Went To A Party,” “Jet Pac Boomerang” and the exquisitely forlorn “Different Kind of Blue.”

P. P. Arnold,”The First Lady of Immediate” (Charly / Immediate)- The artist formerly known as Patricia Ann Cole began her performing career as a member of Ike and Tina Turner’s vocal backing group The Ikettes before relocating to London in the mid sixties, where she signed to Andrew Loog Oldham’s Immediate organisation, enjoying singles success with classic ditties such as “Angel of the Morning” and the youthful Cat Stevens’ “The First Cut Is The Deepest.” This splendid vinyl re-issue from the good people at Charly focusses attention on Arnold’s 1968 debut set for Immediate, with a string of illustrious producers led by Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane and Mick Jagger overseeing proceedings as the Los Angeles born vocalist emotes her way powerfully through stand-out tracks such as “(If You Think You’re) Groovy,” “Born To Be Together” and “The Time Has Come” to name but a few.

Simon Nicol & Ric Sanders, “Greetings From Grolloo” (Talking Elephant)- This gentle acoustic celebration of the delights of roots music was recorded at a folk festival in the small Dutch village of Grolloo just over twenty years ago. This is the only time that Fairport Convention’s Simon Nicol and Ric Sanders have captured their activities as a duo on record and the finished product is a delightfully ramshackle and understated joy. The two musicians are nothing if not eclectic in their choice of subject matter, running the gamut from Bach’s “Double Violin Concerto” to Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Lady” by way of poignant ditties such as Huw Williams’ “Rosemary’s Sister” and Ralph McTell’s “The Hiring Fair.” As an added bonus Simon and Ric also regale their receptive Dutch audience with a classic track from Fairport’s fourth album,”Liege and Lief” in the shape of Richard Thompson and Dave Swarbrick’s “Crazy Man Michael.”

Dickey Betts, “Live From The Lone Star Roadhouse New York City 1988” (Wienerwotld)-Former Allman Brothers singer and guitarist Dickey Betts was pursuing a solo career when this highly listenable live set was broadcast on a New York radio station in November 1988. Betts was no longer such a hot commercial property during the late eighties but he was still able to deliver the goods with some style in a live setting, and this splendid 2 CD set showcases fine performances of quite a few Allmans classics, most notably “Jessica,” “Statesboro Blues” and the epic instrumental,”In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” As an added bonus listeners are rewarded with guest appearances from rock luminaries such as Rick Derringer, Cream bassist Jack Bruce and former Rolling Stones’ guitar ace Mick Taylor, with the latter duo joining forces for a masterly revamp of Willie Dixon’s “Spoonful.”

The Yardbirds,”Beck’s Blues” (Charly)- Here’s another splendid vinyl anthology from the good people at Charly Records, this time focussing attention on the contribution made to their sound by the late great Jeff Beck during his short stint with the band in the mid sixties. The mercurial musician had joined their ranks when Eric Clapton left the fold in 1965 after growing increasingly disillusioned with their refusal to fully embrace the spirit of the blues, and his innovative guitar work underpinned a string of singles successes as the decade progressed, with “Evil Hearted You,” “Heart Full of Soul” and “Shapes of Things” capturing the essence of their progressive but highly commercial sound. The astute compilers have also found space here for some classic musical outings from the archives, including the band’s rip roaring revamp of rhythm and blues bandleader Tiny Bradshaw’s “The Train Kept A-Rollin’.”

Lindisfarne,”Brand New Day-The Mercury Years 1978-1979” (Cherry Red)- This easy on the ear late seventies retrospective brings together the three albums that Lindisfarne recorded for the Mercury label after reforming in 1976. The Geordie folk-rockers’ career had lost much of its early momentum after they had suffered several line-up changes a few years previously but the return of the group’s original members swiftly rejuvenated their fortunes, and the release of their euphoric live set “Magic in the Air” in 1978 helped to reacquaint listeners with much loved old favourites such as “Fog On The Tyne,” “Meet Me On The Corner” and “We Can Swing Together.” The highly listenable follow ups, “Back and Fourth” and “The News” are also given an airing here alongside a generous helping of demos, out takes and live tracks culled from their live show at Newcastle City Hall in 1979.