Gene Clark White Light A&M 1971

Gene Clark White Light A&M 1971 CAT# SP4292

The Bonner Springs graduate, Gene Clark, put out this, which is simply, one of the best American singer/songwriter efforts ever put out.

If Clark was only architect of the Byrds' sound and quit after creating highly influential country rock with Missouri natives, the Dillards, he'd have a pretty substantial legacy. But, White Light's blend of sparse country and cosmic folk put him into place. Masterwork type stuff.

The album jacket and the actual record never state that the album is called White Light, but it was released under the title. It's fitting as the album sold poorly and is rather hard to track down now, the title just kind of screams that it should be obscure. It was recorded while Clark was still trying to find himself in L.A. almost 5 years after he left the Byrds. There is an impressive list of players featured on the LP, all of which play as if they shared Clark's vision, the album should have been a bigger deal upon it's original release.

White Light

Truth of Truths Oak Records 1971

Truth of Truths Oak Records 1971 CAT# OR1001

This is a pretty extravagant and ambitious rock-opera, double LP put out in 1971 by Oak Records. It seems the main force behind the album is a Texan, Ray Ruff, who founded a couple of labels and had a few 45 releases way back when. What brings it to this blog though is the inclusion of some of Val Stoecklien's last released work. While he wouldn't take his own life until 1993 and was known to be cutting demos up until that time, none of those demos have seen the light of day. The six tracks featured here pretty much conclude his catalog along with his contributions to Ecology's Environment/Evolution as a songwriter (pulled along by Ruff).

The reason for Val's inclusion on this LP is Ruff along with arranger, Dick Hieronymus. Both Ruff and Hieronymus worked on Stoecklein's solo effort, The Grey Life. Apparently, they believed in him enough to take him along on any release he was willing to work on.

As a whole, the rock opera is surprisingly good. Again, the primary forces were the same that worked on The Grey Life, so you had pros working on a release for a small label, perhaps past their prime and a bit too willing go in any direction, it's a varied release that hops from psychedelic soul, to gospel, to some straight psych freak outs and back to commonplace pop sounds of 1971, but it works and has it's highlights. It is of course over the top religious. The album predictably separates it's story into the "Old Testament" and the "New Testament". Like most things Christian, it takes what it wants from the Torah and the Holy Bible and only sounds focused when going into the Gospels. It also features a deep voice over when G-d speaks on the album which is trite and stupid.

Album comes with a pretty nifty insert lyric sheet.

Stoecklein's tracks are interesting. His arrangement on "Joseph, Beloved Son of Israel" is jangly and very Blue Things-esque. His adaptation and arrangement of "The Ten Commandments" is bizarre and more of a filler on the LP. However, the following track, "Song of the Children of Israel (Exodus)" is stunning and beautiful, despite that the song should be a party-track (freed from Egypt, here, man) there's a definite sadness that touches on his work as a solo-artist. The following track, "David to Bathsheba" is centered around a pretty odd Biblical story and it's odd to find it somewhere like this album. The tune dripping in sappiness and works in the sense that a Eric Carmen song is kind of enjoyable, but you sense it was a track Val had put away for another purpose but  transformed into something he found in the Bible, making it a feel awkward. His track, "The Last Supper," is sparse and continues with the melancholy feel of most his tracks found here, it's also surprisingly true to the Gospels, so good job on the source materiel, Val. His final track featured on the LP is entitled "Resurrection," so you know it's near the end of the album. It's a pretty uplifting jam, arranged by someone and only written by Stoecklein, it features a bunch of horns, bells and strings along with a female lead vocalists, so it's not easy to identify it as something Stoecklien would have done, but it's solid.

Joseph, Beloved Son of Israel

Bulbous Creation You Won't Remember Dying Numero Group 2014

Bulbous Creation You Won't Remember Dying Numero Group 2014 CAT# NUM1227

A now legendary story surrounds this release and the first thing to point out when telling it is that this album was never actually "released."

It seems the tunes are primarily the brainchild of Prairie Village, KS native Paul Parkinson.  He returned home from tour in Vietnam, put together this band and they cut an album's worth of dark, boogie-rock in Independence, Missouri's Cavern Studios circa 1970.  The band didn't stay together long enough to put out any sort of private release.  Further, they probably didn't hand out many demos of the group's sound.

Despite the fact that band would have only played a handful of shows and demos were probably limited to a few friends of the band, the gloom and doom of the recordings got heard.  Those that did hear even snippets of the groups work were likely overwhelmed by not only all the dark, satanic references, but the band's adept psych rock arrangement.  The songs were recorded in the Cavern, so there's a echo and basement feel to everything.  The tunes go from the morose, war-damaged opener, "End of the Page", to basic blues-rock based psych and stoner jams.  It occasionally borders on Sabbath inspired proto-metal, but the real surprise is the lyrical themes and content: 1970's suburban Kansas is not the place you'd expect to find a group tackling topics like death and drug use, but this band went one-step further titling a song "Satan."  It's all very war-damaged and serves as a reminder to what these young guys like this were dealing with when coming back from Vietnam.

In 1995, 8 of the Bulbous Creation songs were issued on Rockadelic Records (same label that issued a Wizards of Kansas posthumous release of Cavern recorded tracks).  It was unauthorized release and doesn't sound that great, but it represented Bulbous Creation's first release 20 years after it recorded the material.

The Rockadelic become somewhat of a collector's LP as it soon went out of print and word spread on the band.  In 2001 Paul Parkinson passed away.  It's reported that while going through his belongings, his brother found a complete copy of the Bulbous Creation LP, previously, the Rockadelic material was thought to be it, but 2 additional tracks were unearthed.  So there you have it, 10 songs, representing a single band's short-lived existence, now released officially 44 years after it was initially recorded; that's legendary.

Check out the tunes.

James Brown Hot Pants Parts 1, 2, & 3 People 1971

James Brown Hot Pants Parts 1, 2, & 3 People 1971 CAT#42-2501

James Brown lived in Kansas City for 30 minutes, or so he said once in some obscure interview...Is it true?  I don't know, but I keep picking up the 45s because they're awesome.  If James Brown brief KC residency is true, I'm 100% positive it isn't going to show up in the upcoming movie about his life.

Anyway, have you heard the song "Hot Pants"?  It's phenomenal.  It's available on a kajillion different Brown releases.  It's funky, sweaty, soul music.  He grunts, yelps and says "Hot Pants" over and over, there's some other words thrown in, but they aren't necessary. 

Hot Pants on Soul Train

The Royalaires Accordionly Yours Cavern Custom Recordings 1971

The Royalaires Accordionly Yours Cavern Custom Recordings 1971 CAT# USR 3854

The Royalaires were a 22 piece teen orchestra from Belton, Missouri.  That's not strange, except that most these kids play the accordion.  It's pretty much an accordion orchestra, which I didn't know could exist until I found this at a Goodwill.  Props to them, though, because in a moment of absolute brilliance, the album is titled Accordionly Yours...seriously, I giggle every time I look at it.

The Royalaires were led by a Carl A. Jesse, who must have been the best accordion instructor in all of Missouri as he was able to convince kids to play the instrument, convince people that putting out an album was worth while, and he does an amazing job of adapting standards for orchestra and pop hits of the day for the accordion.  The pop hits include, "Close to You", "The Immpossible Dream", "Music to Watch Girls By", and in a stunning display of bravado, the "Overture" from the Who's Tommy; on accordion.  The back liners were written by Jesse and he admits the following, "We do not pretend that this recording is the ultimate in musical perfection."  So needles to say, as novel and as fun as the idea may seem at first, it's tough to get through the entire thing in one sitting, it's kids playing a bunch of accordions.  I'm not sure people ever wanted to hear more than 10 professional adult accordion players simultaneously, let alone an army of children.  It was recorded in Independence's Cavern music studio, so the numerous accordions sound great and have natural echo...but, again, it's a lot of accordions.

So, that's kind of where I'm at with this LP.  This was put out in 1971 in Belton which is right outside of the Kansas City.  How did all these teenagers get hooked on accordion and not guitars?  It's not an instrument played in school bands, or at church, or anywhere but Oktoberfest.  I mean, the guy who ran the local Belton music store must have had a banner year when 20 or so kids decided to force their parents to buy an accordion.  And, Jesse, had to be the only guy teaching accordion in town, he likely cleaned up as well.

As no logical explanation can exist, I started to think that maybe this band is owed to a short-lived Belton religious cult.  For family fun, the cult played accordion or something.  Having little or no access to the outside world, the kids thought accordion was "cool."  But, that can't be as there are no religious tunes on the LP and they cover the Who; the kids were hearing rock and roll.  Then I thought, maybe there's a large German population in Belton, MO., Germany is down with the accordion, right?  Nothing verifies any sort German culture in Belton.  No little German Town, no famous Oktoberfest, nothing.  Besides, cultural based neighborhoods were a thing of the past by 1971.  So yeah, I'm stumped.  But, props to this Jesse guy for pulling this off, I bet he's the guy that owned the music store in town.

Beacon of Hope Chapel Singers Kansas State Penitentiary Lansing, KS Over The Walls Cavern Sound Corp 1971

Beacon of Hope Chapel Singers, Kansas State Penitentiary Lansing, Kansas Over The Wall Cavern Sound Corp.No Cat # Year Not Listed, possibly 1971

This put out by Cavern Sound Corp. out of Independence, MO and apparently recorded at their facility.  There's no catalog number listed on the jacket or record.  The year, 1971, is from Discogs.com and seems about right, but it is also not listed anywhere on the LP.

It's fantastic.  The back cover indicates the inmates wanted a Chapel in Kansas State Penitentiary but it was not allowed by the State.  So, to raise money the State Legislature allowed a group of inmates to perform across Kansas to whomever would allow.  The funds raised at those shows went to build the prison a chapel.  The liner then states, everywhere the prisoners went, there was requests for a LP.  This is the result.

A second taped on note I have on my copy indicates that the album was donated to the M2-W2 program.  A program developed to train civilians to assist with men and women while confined.  By signing up or donating to the program, you got this LP.

No matter how people got the album back in the day, they got a solid LP.  As expected, it's Gospel.  It's got hints of soul vocally, but it is deeply rooted in old time gospel.  It sounds nothing like the 60's or 70's.  The music is stripped down to the basics.  It's electric, but you can tell this was recorded in a large open room, the musical accompaniment playing alongside the men's choir, so it gives the guitar and bass a rootsy feel.  There isn't any tricks.  It's just some dudes, prisoners to be exact, singing.

Brewer & Shipley Shake Off the Demon Karma Sutra 1971

Brewer & Shipley Shake Off the Demon Karma Sutra 1971 CAT# KSBS 2039

A friend of mine and I were talking and he brought up "Yacht Rock", which is basically a term to describe music similar to Loggins & Messina.  Smooth rock, pop oriented, and usually crappy.  So, that got me thinking, does Kansas or Kansas City have any Yacht Rockers?  The best I could come up with is Brewer and Shipley.  Famous for the song, "One Toke Over the Line."

These handsome devils aren't really from Kansas or Kansas City.  One is from Ohio the other is an Okie.  However, after their debut LP, they located to Kansas City, Missouri.  In doing so, they are HUGE, in this area.  Classic rock stations play "One Toke Over the Line" in heavy rotation.  Furthermore, they truly did call KC their home, so props to them, it's a nice town and central.

As for this LP and the band in general, it's a little too folk oriented to be true yacht rock, but it's the closest I could come.  The music definitely has a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young feel (it's not nearly as good), doesn't ever try to rock too hard and doesn't ever try to be too country, just kind of walks in the middle with folk leanings.