Thrift Store Music: Snail- s/t

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Snail- s/t

Name: Snail
Album: S/T
Year: 1978
Style: Southern Bluesy Rock
Similar Bands: Ween, Creedence Clearwater, Allman Brothers, Doobie Brothers, Firefall, Poco, Steely Dan
"One-Word" Review: Laid Back Custom Van Southern Blues Rockers
Based Out Of: Santa Cruz, CA
Label: Cream

Cover, Sleeve, Record

Back, Sleeve, Record

Snail (1978)

The Joker 5:08 (single)
Catch Me 3:32
Music is My Mistress 4:17
Childhood Dreams 5:14 (single b-side) /
Try and Wonder 4:09
Keep on Livin' 4:10
You Gotta Run 4:23
Carry Me 3:04
Freedom in the Country 4:48

Album Rating (1-10): 6.5

Members & Other Bands:

Bob O'Neil - Guitar, Vox (Snailhead, Talcon Wedge, Cobras, Larry Hosford)
Jack Register - Bass (Hillow Hammet)
Jim Norris - Drums (Joe Richards, Sea Dog, Humans, Ninja Nomads, Larry Hosford, Jim Hampton, Larry Scala, Lol, Bob Brozman, Stomin' Norman and the Cyclones, Lazy K's, Electric Range, Beans Sousa, Jeffrey Halford & the Healers, Arthur Godfrey, Mick Overman, Victoria Blythe, Psychemagik, Fred Thrane, Doc Stoltey)
Ken Kraft, Guitar, Vox (White Album Ensemble, The Bubble, Stomin' Norman and the Cyclones, messiahs, Harpin' Johnny and the Primadons, Larry Hosford Band, Karin Phoenix, Nightfire Lacy J. Dalton, Larry Hosford, Psychemagik, Lazy K's, Electric Range)
David Bowers - Sound Engineer
Ed Leslie - Personal Manager
Jerry Barnes - Producer, Engineer
Gary Boatner - Asst. Engineer
Murray McFadden - Asst. Engineer
Gary Boren - Asst. Engineer
Michael Scholl - Asst. Engineer
David Kulka - Tones
Cary Fischer - Tones
Clark Gassman - Keys, Orch Arrangement & Conducting (David Acelrod, John Fischer, Jon Byron, Stan kenton, Ralph Carmichael, Solomon Burke, Jim Valley, Paul Johnston & the Sure Name Foundation, Percy Faith, Andy Williams, Archers, Hugo Montenegro, Anne Herring, Ray Conniff, Simon Stokes, David Castle, Pam Mark Hall, Jimmy & Carol Owens, Terry Garthwaite, Lilly Greene, Jessy Dixon, Ron Harris, Steve Boalt, Communion Sinfers, Bob Baily, James Gabriel Stipech, Groupe Vocal Vie Nouvelle, Dale Schacker, Steve Shakarian)
Chet McCracken - Percussion (Evergreen Bluegrass, Help, Doobie Brothers, America, Pat Terry Group, John Fischer, Nick Gilder, Jerry Corbetta, Renzo Fraiese, Hank Williams Jr, Harvey + Cannonball, Greg Harris, Jazz Fusion, Amy Holland, Eikichi yazawa, William Katt, Accomplice, Stevie Nicks, Rita Coolidge, Joe Walsh, Todd Sharp, Patrick Gammon, Claire Severac, Brad Dutz, Jon Bare, Tim Bogert, Nancy Luca, Michael McDonald, Big Rain, Derlin Dow, Sterling Koch, Sherlie Carter)
LePrevost - Art Direction, Design
Gene Brownell - Cover Design

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band.But they're living up the name by putting a snail shell right there on the cover, along with the band name in a font that looks like snail slime. The band photo on the back looks like they're a bunch of long haired hippies, so i imagine this might be psych (snail residue trippy poison?) or maybe just power pop.

Album Review: This pride of Santa Cruz band goes all in on the southern, bluesy rock style. Some songs have funky guitar solos, and a slight psych tinge to them, but its pretty straight forward custom van stoner rock. Some of the guitar solos remind me of Dean Ween's guitar work. This album came out 10 years into their career, but was still considered their first. When they started, they were a Cream-type blues-rock band. O'Neil's is the only original member left by the time of this album, even though Kraft joined a couple months into their existence. Sounds like they were a quite popular regional band, but never experienced much popularity outside the Monterey-Salinas market despite touring for Styx, Steve Miller Band and Santana and appearing on American Bandstand. They had to retire their band name due to legal issues and a bankrupt label, but some form of the band still plays out in the SC area (2020).

Stand Out Track: The Joker

Links:

Mars Studio Kraft on Engineer