Puzzle - The Second Album

Name: Puzzle
Album: The Second Album
Year: 1974
Style: Motown, R&B, Prog-Jazz fusion, Funk, Blood Sweat & Tears, 
Similar Bands: Stevie Wonder, Chicago
"One-Word" Review: Multi-Genre Doo-Wop Proggers
Based Out Of: Chicago
Label: Motown

Cover, Record

Back, Record

The Second Album (1974)

1. You Took Me Wrong 4:10
2. Mary Mary 3:21
3. State of Mind 4:12
4. Everybody Wants to Be Somebody 3:21
5. Haiku 5:28 /
6. My Love 3:51
7. Now That You Love Me 4:13
8. Concept of Her 8:25
1. Prelude
2. A Moment's Rest
3. Visions
9. NYC 3:40

Album Rating (1-10): 6.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Bob Cullen - Producer
• Bobby Scott - String Arrangement
• Hank Cicalo - Engineer
• Linda Tyler - Recordist
• Bernie Grundman - Mastering
• Norman Seeff - Photography & Design
• Pelev Palombi - Illustration
• John LiVigni - Drums, Vox, Percussion (John Valenti, John Edward Beland)
• Anthony Siciliano - Bass 
• Joseph Spinazola - Piano Organ (John Valenti)
• Bobby Villalobos - Lead Guitar 
• Ralf Richert - Guitar, Trumpet (Don Randi, Vinny Golia, Windfall, James Vincent, LA Jazz Ensemble, Freddy Henry, Jack Miller, Cook Country, King Errisson, Crusaders. Hiromi Iwasaki, Calypso Rose, Ollie Mitchell, Cold Fire, Mighty Clouds of Joy, Roby Duke, BUrning Sensations, Kazu Matsui, Pearl, Bonedaddys, Yanni, Nicky Holland, John Miles, Neil Diamond, Nathan Cavaleri, Dianne Reeves, Paula Abdul, Porno For Pyros, Windows,Thom Rotella, Christopher Franke, James Iha, Larry klimas, Marek Niedzwiecki, Devo, George Benson, Karizma, Caldera, Les DeMerle)
• Bob Williams - Trumpet, Wind Chimes
• Larry Klimas - Sax, Flute (Dream Patrol, Karizma, Potato Salad, Toolbox, Tom Hensley, James Vincent, King Errisson, Hiromi Iwasaki, Calypso Rose, John Valenti, Daniel Goldberg, Pino Marrone, Kazu Matsui Project, War, Renaud, Claire Severac, Luis Conte, Miki Asakura, LA Keyboard Project, Dickies, Visiting Kids, Liquid Jesus, Recollections, Karen Knowles, Charles Dumont, Sam Sklair, Lesley Olsher, Neil Diamond, Steve Lukather,. Manhattan Transfer, Rick Braun, Luis Conte, Suicide Machines, David Garfield, Lee Oskar, Robert Williams, Divididos, Bob Conti, Arthur Barrow, Devo, Melora, George Cables, Chicago, Robert Lamm, Azure McCall, Elton John, Thelma Houston, The Mar Visiting Philharmonic, PG & Frank, Robby Krieger, Mike Porcaro, Dan Fornero, Gerry Beckley, Alex Ligertwood, America)

Unknown-ness: Never heard of Puzzle, but from the cover and distorted, stretched band image on the back, my best guess is this is totally a prog band. Even if it is on Motown...well, maybe there is some doo-wop included in the prog, which sounds very intriguing.

Album Review: This album splits the difference, where some songs are blue-eyed soul & R&B motown sound, and others are jazzy prog or straight up jazz. But there is not much cross over, each track is a stand alone style. "Everybody Wants to Be Somebody" has a trumpet section that sounds like "Lean On Me." They are an all-white jazzy soul band that didn't quite fit the typical Motown sound, but were released on the Motown label rather than one of the related labels like Rare Earth (which was the original intention). They were a popular live band between Chicago & Detroit, so geographically, Motown made sense. Bandleader LiVigni changed his name to Valenti after Puzzle to pursue a solo career.

Stand Out Track: You Took Me Wrong

Links:

Youtube full album
LiVigni/Valenti Wiki

Discogs

Allmusic

rate your music

soulful detroit

quora

soulstrut community

motown encyclopedia puzzle page

Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids - There's No Face Like Chrome

Name: Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids
Album: There's No Face Like Chrome
Year: 1974
Style: Oldies
Similar Bands: Sha Na Na, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Beatles, Beach Boys, Allman Bros
"One-Word" Review: Street Corner Harmony Gang
Based Out Of: Colorado
Label: CBS, Epic

 Cover & Record

Record & Back

There's No Face Like Chrome (1974)

1. Dancing (On a Saturday Night) 2:57
2. Message From Garcia 3:05
3. Heartbeat 2:57
4. Standin' on the Corner 3:10
5. Young Blood 2:14 /
6. The Way I Feel Tonight 3:19
7. Dirty Movies 3:23
8. First Girl 4:41
9. A Fool Like You 3:21
10. Rock and Roll heaven 3:21

Album Rating (1-10): 6.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Flash (Mich Manresa) - Lead Vox, Guitars
• Angelo (Kris Moe) - Lead Vox, Keys
• Spike (linn Phillips III) - Vox, Guitars
• Butch (Warren Knight) - Vox, Bass
• Ricco (John Masino) - Drums
• Spider (Dwight Bement) - Sax (Gary Puckett & the Union Gap, Nestor Haven Band)
• Wally (Jeff Stewart) - Additional Vox, Drums
• Toxey French - Producer, Arrangement, Engineering
• Eric Prestidge - Engineer
• Terry Jamison - Engineer
• Jerry Leiber - Producer
• Christine Thompson - Producer
• Dixon Van Winkle - Engineer
• Michael Sunday - Mastering
• Pete Rachtman - Personal Mgmt
• Jon Stevens - Cover Photo
• Jim Kornfield - Back Photo

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band. I think it reminded me of an Edgar Winters album i have, so that was my first impression of what it may sound like. The photo on the back looks like they are rockabilly greasers, so a throwback style is most likely what they play.

Album Review: So this band was famous for their portrayal of 50's bands in both films American Graffiti (as Herbie & the Heartbeats) and Apocalypse Now, as well as the TV show Happy Days (Johnny Fish & the Fins). They run the gamut of straight up oldies, mens vocal corner doo-wop gangs, and even some southern rock. The songs don't come off as jokey, but are tributes to a style of song the guys int he band enjoy performing.

Stand Out Track: Standin' on the Corner

Links:
wiki
allmusic
Discog
facebook
rock n roll dentist
mentalitch

(the Sensational) Alex Harvey Band - The Impossible Dream

Name: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band

Album: The Impossible Dream

Year: 1974

Style: Theatrical Glam

Similar Bands: Kiss, Kinks, Bonzo Dog Band, Sparks

One-Word Review: Over-the-top Glammy Rock
Based Out Of: Glasgow, Scotland

Label: Vertigo, Phonogram, Inc

 Cover & Record

Back & Record

The Impossible Dream (1974)

1. The Hot City Symphony Part 1 Vambo 5:02
2. Part 2 Man in the Jar 8:11
3. River of Love 3:10
4. Long Hair Music 4:36 /
5. Sergeant Fury 3:26
6. Weights Made of Lead 2:36
7. (a) Money Honey, (b) Impossible Dream 2:06
8. Tomahawk Kid 4:30
9. Anthem 7:42

Album Rating (1-10): 7.5

Members & Other Bands:

• David Batchelor - Producer
• Derek Wadsworth - Producer
• Gilbert Kong - Mastering
• Peter Waldman - Photography
• Alex Harvey - Vox, Rhythm Guitar (Hair, Alex Harvey's Big Soul Band, Big Beat Band, Rock Workshop, )
• Zal Cleminson - Guitars (Tear Gas, Nazareth, Tandoori Cassette, Zal Band)
• Chris Glen - Bass (Tear Gas, Cafe Jacques, Michael Schneker Fest, Vengence )
• Hugh McKenna - Keys & Synth (Tear Gas, Stoics)
• Ted McKenna - Drums (Tear Gas, Phenomena, Michael Schneker Fest)
• Martin Rushent - Engineer
• Cyrano - Engineer
• Vicki Silva - Vox (Mick Ronson, Nazareth, Everything But The Girl, Cornelius Cardew)
• London Scottish TAVR - Pipes & Drums

Unknown-ness: I've never heard of them, but I picked this up as it looks fun, somewhere between Bonzo Dog Band and Frank Zappa...probably a very Cabaret version of Glam-meets-Prog...guessing some Alice Cooper influence too, perhaps. And the way the tracks are laid out, it looks like it may be a rock opera.

Album Review: Before this band, Harvey was responsible for writing music for a London Stage performance of Hair, and that theatrical element can easily be picked up on this record, even more than just how the tracks are broken out. At times, the theatrical rock music sounds like the Kinks, Sparks, Elton John, and many others which he makes his own. Before that, he was in a couple Scottish big, jazz, and skiffle bands, one of which opened for a band that would become the Beatles in Scotland/1960.

Stand Out Track: Sergeant Fury

Links:

Wiki

youtube

Allmusic

Discogs

Albert King - I Wanna Get Funky

Name: Albert King
Album: I Wanna Get Funky
Year: 1974
Style: Funky Blues
Similar Artists: B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix,
"One Word" Review: Sexy-Smokey-Smooth
Based Out Of: Forrest City, AR
Label: Stax

I Wanna Get Funky - Cover & Record

I Wanna Get Funky - Back & Record

I Wanna Get Funky (1974)

1. I Wanna Get Funky 4:08
2. Playing On Me 3:25
3. Walk the Back Streets and Crying 6:28
4. 'Til My Back Ain't got No Bone 7:32 /
5. Flat Tire 4:43
6. I Can't Hear Nothing but The Blues 4:16
7. Travelin' Man 2:52
8. Crosscut Saw 7:45
9. That's What the Blues Is All About 3:56

Album Rating (1-10): 6.0

Members & Other Bands:
Albert King- Vox, Guitar

The Bar-Kays - Rhythm

The Movement - Rhythm

Amy Donald Kenzie - Rhythm, Guitar

Memphis Horns - Horns

Memphis Symphony Orchestra - Strings

Hot Buttered Soul - Backing Vox

Henry Bush - Backing Vox, Producer, Arranger, Engineer

Allen Jones - Producer, Arranger, Engineer

Lester Snell - Arranger

Dale Warren - Arranger

William Brown - Engineer

Robert Jackson - Engineer

Daryl Williams - Engineer

Davis Fried Krieger, INC - Art Direction

Larry Shaw - Creative Direction

Ron Gordon - Creative Direction

Maldwin Hamlin - Photography

Unknown-ness: I had never heard of him before. from the cover and obvious assumtion thanks to the title, I'm assuming this is gonna be something funky, akin to Isaac Hays. The smokey photo also give me the impression of something authentic, something that is relaxed and professional. Even if the back looks like a Barry White cover, I imagine it to be a little more complex.

Album Review: “I Wanna Get Funky” begins with an organ I associate with Tom Waits. And a sad electric guitar and a horn section are added to the front & background. Vocals begin that sound a bit like Hendrix, smooth, melodic and they carry a heavy burden of blues. Even as the song proclaims the desire to be funky, the style and sentiment in the song is a struggle that the singer is comfortable with. This is a nice, dark alley song to start off a blues-funk record.
“Playing on Me” is a bit more upbeat, with the same electric guitar that sings with distinct notes rather than playing a melody. The jazzy horns and funky bass bring a pleasant danceable groove.
“Walk the Back Streets and Crying” is another sorrowful head down, slack arms dragging, sad blues story-number. It is slow and calculated.
“Til My Back Ain't got No Bone” has a slow and quiet start, the only really audible thing is the steady 3rd count kick drum. Everything else: the vocals, bass and guitar, are hushed. The vocals are spoken when audible, and they sound to be one side of a phone conversation. Then about 3:45 singing commences, and the funky bass is paired up with a piano, and the pub style song really begins. The horns push along the melody, and become the main driving force along side the electric guitar.

“Flat Tire” features vocals that are somewhere between Barry White and Isaac Hayes. The song features wakka-wakka guitars, and a chorus of female vocals in the background. This is more soulful funky than anything else on the album, and the horns are treated like a disco hook. Again, half of the lyrics are spoken over the song rather than sung.
“I Can't Hear Nothing but The Blues” is really a positive outlook on misery. Where you’d think a title like this one’s would demand a sad, sorrowful song, this is brightly proud and bold. Its not fast or over enthusiastic, but it has a confidence, like in “I Wanna Get Funky” where the singer is content with his situation.
“Travelin' Man” has a fast flourish in the beginning before settling into a slinky groove full of upbeat horns and yes, funky bass and organ. This short number is a great dictionary definition of a bar room blues number.
“Crosscut Saw” is fun and upbeat. It takes time out from the blues verse to suspend vocals to let the guitar sing out the chorus. The bass groove is a continuous hook that could repeat forever. There is a break in the song to allow the singer to break verse and speak to the “audience” before transitioning back into the guitar and song, as if it were a live experience. The jamming continues on, bass never faltering, electric guitar never stopping, and the marching drum beat pounds on until fade out.
“That's What the Blues Is All About” starts with the horns, making the song feel like it will be a Motown classic. And this too is a very un-blues-like blues song with very funky and upbeat (but I guess that should be expected, via to the title). At the songs middle, the short instrumental section is highlighted with the electric guitar pumped up to a piercing volume in comparison to the rest of the instruments.

Stand Out Track: Playing on Me

Links:
Allmusic
Wiki
Cascade Blues Assoc.
Stax
Last FM
Rolling Stone Bio
Delta Boogie
About.com

Cecilio & Kapono - S/T

Name: Cecilio & Kapono
Album: s/t
Year: 1974
Style: Lite-Pop, Beach-Lounge
Similar Bands: Jimmy Buffet, James Taylor, Ween (Bananas & Blow), Air Supply
"One-Word" Review: Jammy-Beach-Jams
Based Out Of: Hawaii
Label: Columbia, CBS

Cecilio & Kapono Cover
Cecilio & Kapono Back

Cecilio & Kapono (1974)

Feeling Just the Way I Do (Over You) 3:21 (Sample)

Lifetime Party 3:23 (Sample)

Sunflower 4:27 (Sample)

Lovin In Your Eyes 2:46 (Sample)

All In Love Is Fair 4:15 (Sample)/

Gotta Get Away 3:09 (Sample)

Song for Someone 4:08 (Sample)

Friends 2:51 (Sample)

Sunshine Love 5:41 (Sample)

Album Rating (1-10):

6.0

Members & Other Bands:
Michael Stewart - Producer, Arrangements
Bill Thompson - Executive Producer, Artist Development
Craig Doerge - Keyboards
David Paich - Keyboards
Russ Kunkle - Drums
Leland Skylar - Bass
Wilton Felder - Bass
Bobbye Hall - Percussion
Cecilio - Guitar, Sitar, Arrangements
Kapono - Guitar, Arrangements
Jim Horn - Sax, Flute
Larry McNeely - Banjo
Gary Coleman - Marimba
J.D. Maness - Steel Guitar
Sid & the Boys - Strings
Jimmie Haskell - String Arrangement
Tom Sellers - Arrangements
Ron Malo - Sound
Al Schmitt - Re-mixing
David Willardson - Illustration
Frederick Ivan Gilbert III - Photography
Ron Coro - Art Direction

Unknown-ness: I had never heard of these guys. But from the album cover alone, I am assuming the music is laid back, light 70's jam rock. The Hawaiian shirt with their names on it (as well as the picture of them on the back) could possibly make the music lean toward reggae.

Album Review: It is kinda funny: the idea that someone won't like something until you know what it is. This applies to this record. I was not able to get into it until I was able to equate it to something that I already like. And once I was able to compare this album to Banana's And Blow by Ween, I could then extract the parts of the record, enjoy them, and like it as a whole.

That said and Ween aside, the album is pretty good: A chilled, laid back relaxing rest in a shaded hammock. Of course with a glass of lemonade. Track one starts off with bongos, and a bouncy happy beat. It is very folky and there are even strings in the background. I don't know much about the Dead, but I imagine "Feeling Just the Way I Do" could be from their catalogue. "Lifetime Party" is more oceanic, and has a very deep, slow groove to it. It is a very pleasant song. The dual vocals echo eachother during the second verse, like when your voice bounces back to you from rocky cliffs across the beach. I could easily hear Ween covering this song. There is even a Mickey-ish electric guitar solo around 2 minutes into the song and the keyboards could be pulled directly from their Mollusk album. "Sunflower" is a slow and dreamy love ballad, sounding like Air Supply in both music and lyrical metaphor. Lines like "If this world were a flower garden, and your smiling face a flower..." (and others) remind me of lyrics from Air Supply: "The beating of my heart is a drum, and its lost, and its looking for a rhythm like you" (and many others). "Lovin' In Your Eyes" continues with the light musical tempo, but is a little faster. Knowing they are from Hawaii helps to define their musical imagery. Although the bongo and mood seem to be associated with Caribbean music, it also has a place in Hawaii, summarizing the genre as a whole as island music. There is a sadder, solemn mood on "All In Love Is Fair." Again, perfect for an Air Supply song, this has the sad expressive singing from dual vocals that many 'Supply songs have (not to mention, it passes the prerequisite of having 'Love' in the title). It ends with a loud burst of emotion before quieting to a fade. I should also add, that this song reminds me of the "Flight Of The Conchords" song "I'm Not Crying"

Side two, starting with "Gotta Get Away" is a quick-paced island groove, with a country steel, slide guitar coupled with a wha-wha echo guitar, and funky percussion in maracas, drums and bongos. The next song, "Song to Someone," is a quiet lament. You can almost see the composer sitting at his piano looking out his apartment window through a sheet of rain onto an empty New York City street. A sad sax boosts the confused, depressed mood of the singing. "Friends" is back to the upbeat, relaxed rhythmic islander style. Both vocalists play back and forth, as well as combined, mimicking how good friends work together. Finally, "Sunshine Love" plays with more urgency then the rest of the album; with an oldies rock and roll piano, and a quicker, bouncy beat. But it comes off as a more produced version of the themes, thus representing the entire album, as if it were a Cliff's Notes to the the album. The title summarizes the love and sunshine themes, and the music takes a turn from quickness and slows down to recall the quieter moments of lament and reflection. Not to hang there too long, the song picks back up to the quickened pace and repetitive hook "don't take my sunshine away." The vocal break at the end could only be imagined as the closing song of a live performance, beckoning the crowd to come in and sing along with the last lines of the evening. It is a great climactic ending to an easy-spirited night.

Although not reggae, the album seems to hold to the same "no worries, we are one" attitude. The care-free, yet naive nature of the music showcases a society, with no thoughts of problems or evils. This is how many of us think of the everlasting vacation which must be island life.

Stand Out Track:
Lifetime Party

Links:C & K - Myspace
C & K - Wikipedia
Cecilio's Website
Kapono's Website
C & K Allmusic
C & K Hui Music
C & K Hawaiian Music Island
C & K - fansite
C & K - Hawaiian Music Net

Ace - Five A Side

Band: Ace (an ACE album)
Albums(s): Five-A-Side
Year(s): 1974
Style: Pub Rock, Southern-Bluesy Rock
Similar Bands: Celluloid Heroes era Kinks, J Geils Band Lite. .
"One Word" Review: Southerny-Jangle-Rock
Based Out Of: Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Label: Anchor Records, ABC Records

An Ace Album Cover Front & Slip Front (British Cover)An Ace Album Cover Back & Slip BackFive-A-Side Record A & B

Five-A-Side (1974)

1. Sniffin' About - 4.44
2. Rock & Roll Runaway - 3.06 (sample)
3. How Long - 3.21 (sample)
4. The Real Feeling - 2.23
5. 24 Hours - 4.00/
6. Why - 3.43
7. Time Ain't Long - 3.53
8. Know How It Feels - 3.27
9. Satellite - 3.28
10. So Sorry Baby - 3.54

Album Rating: (1-10 basis on how fresh the music sounds today)
6.5

Members & Other Bands:
Fran Byrne-Drums (Some People, Rockhouse, Bees Make Honey, Juice on the Loose)
Terry (Tex) Comer-Bass (Warm Dust)
Alan (Bam) King-Rhythm Guitar/Vox (Juice on the Loose, Action, Mighty Baby, B.B. Blunder, Clat Thyger)
Phil Harris-Lead Guitar/Vox (Clat Thyger, Ace Flash & Dynamos)
Paul Carrack-Organ/Vox (Warm Dust, Squeeze, Mike & The Mechanics, Solo current)
John Anthony-Producer
Pat Moran, Mike Stone, Dennis McKay, Pat & John Anthony-Engineers
Neil Kiernon, Peter Fielder-Tape-Ops
recorded at Rockfield Studios, Trident
mixed at Trident
Chris Hughes, Mick Eves, Buddy Beadle-Horns on "24 Hrs"
Chris Hughes-Sax on Satellite

Seabrook/Graves/Aslett Assoc. - Sleeve Design

Unknown-ness: I was completely unfamiliar with this band and all parts. (It was later that I discovered Carrack was in Squeeze, and had sang "Tempted"). I picked it up for the simplistic cover. I like the font of the text: "an ACE album" and I think there is nice organization and earthy color scheme. The drawn image of a lad playing football was what really drew me in. I got the feeling that this album would contain something pretty neat and unusual. This idea was supported by the back, which has images of the band playing football with their names and facts spelled out as if on sports cards. From their casual and scruffy appearance, I began to think of them along the lines of a jam band. Yet with the date reading '74, I was still interested to hear what it held.

Album Review: The album comes in half and half. The better half are the southern jammy songs, with smooth overlapping vocal harmonies, and stumbly honky tonk rock. "Sniffin About" "Satellite" and my favorite "Rock N' Roll Runaway" (sample) are examples of that. The other style is the easy listening country rock. "Know How it Feels," The Real Feeling" and their big hit "How Long" (sample) could be Chicago tunes. This is 70's manufactured groove, where it is not always there, and thus does not seem to come naturally, but as far as a bluesy souther rock outfit, this album fills that mood.

Stand Out Track:
Rock N' Roll Runaway

Links:

Ace allmusic page
Ace Wikipedia Page
Paul Carrack allmusic page
1974 NME article
Youtube How Long audio in video format