Seatrain - s/t

Name: Seatrain
Album: s/t
Year: 1970
Style: Bluesy, Roots Rock, Bluegrass
Similar Bands: Credence Clearwater, Grateful Dead, Kavaret, The Band, Fairpoint Convention
"One-Word" Review: Smokey Mountain Blues Barn Jigs
Based Out Of: Marin County, CA
Label: Capitol, EMI

Cover, Back. Record

Lyrics, Credits, Record

Seatrain (1970)

1. I'm Willin' 3:32 (Lowell George/Little Feat cover)
2. Song of Job 6:04
3. Broken Morning 3:04
4. Home to You 3:22 (Earth Opera cover)
5. Out Where the Hills 5:48 /
6. Waiting For Elijah 3:35
7. 13 Questions 2:58 (single)
8. Oh My Love 2:50
9. Sally Goodin' 2:09
10. Creepin' Midnight 5:20 (Carol King cover)
11. Orange Blossom Special 5:07

Album Rating (1-10): 6.5

Members & Other Bands:

• George Martin - Producer (Beatles)
• Larry Atamanuik - Drums, Percussion (Emmylou Harris, Hawks, Nash Ramblers, King Biscuit Boy, Paul Winter, Marksmen, Tony Rice, Peter Rowan, Mike Cross, Jon Randall, Alison Krauss, Linda Ronstadt, Dave Mallett, Continental Divide, Tim O'Brien, Jim Lauderdale, Blue Highway, Sam Bush, Johnny Saculla, Tom Dundee, Rob Ickes, Barry & Holly Tashian, Paul Craft, Bap Kennedy, John Prine, Ron Block, Trout Fishing in America, Shawn Camp, Rowan Bros, Stevens Sisters, Natalie MacMaster, Anne Feeney, Pine Mtn Railroad, Claire Lynch, Alison Brown, Bearfoot, Dierks Bentley, V-Roys, Nashville Cast, Chas Williams, Todd Burge)
• Peter Rowan - Lead Vox, Guitar (Earth Opera, Blue Grass Boy, Muleskinner, Bill Monroe, Old & In The Gray/Way, Panama Red Riders, The Train Band, Rowans, Richard Greene, Usual Suspects, Ricky Skaggs, Art of Noise, Bela Fleck, Northern Lights,   more)
• Lloyd Baskin - Lead Vox, Keys (Orphan)
• Jim Roberts - Lyricist (Emmylou Harris)
• Richard Greene - Violin, Viola, Keys. Vox (Jim Kweskin Jug Band, Muleskinner, Bill Monroe, Blue Grass Boys, Blue velvet Band, Dry City Scat Band, Grass is Greener, Great American String Band, Greene String Quartet, Blues Project more)
• Andy Kulberg Bass, Vox, Flute (Blues Project, Sensational Guitars of Dan & Dale, Blue Velvet Band, David Soul, Daniel Kobialka, Parallax, Al Kooper, Chris Michie)
• Bill Price - Engineer
• Bob Cato & Friends - Photography & Design
• Ira Friedlander - Design
• Al Vanderberg - Photos

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band, but it looks like a knock-off version of the Grateful Dead, down to their logo with a boat that looks like a train in the gatefold. They look like nice enough mountaineering hippies, and i bet they did a lot of drugs. So I have a feeling this may be a proggy jam band, so focused on the music loops that it goes on forever.

Album Review: This is the immediately following, and due to contractual obligations; overlapping, band of The Blues Project. In fact, the first Sea Train album had to be released as The Blues Projects for those exact reasons. This and their first album are both named Seatrain, with the only difference is a space in the name between Sea & Train on the first record. This and their follow-up record were both produced by Beatles main man, George Martin, and this is the first post-Beatles project that he produced. They blend various genres of the time, going back to bluesy rock with Blues Project, adding in country bluegrass, fiddle band barn dance, roots rock, and some prog elements. It has a very renaissance mountain jug and string band folksy feel, but produced very well with talented musicians. Single "13 Questions," an alien abduction song from the alien's POV, broke top 50 on the charts, and has a little funk / pre-disco element to it, that reminds me a little of The Go! team.

Stand Out Track: 13 Questions

Links:

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