Some of us have been waiting 20-plus years for PARIS to re-emerge from
the mists, with good reason. This is a phenomenal album!
A brief recap:
Bob Welch leaves Fleetwood Mac and forms a Zep-like hard rock band with
Tull's Glenn Cornick & drummer Thom Mooney. The stated intention is
"to rock, but with depth", and that they do - in spades. Rumored to have
been produced by Page himself under a pseudonym (bear in mind there are
MANY untrue rumors regarding Page and this might be one). The rumor
probably got started after somebody heard the album, which has the Zep
production sound down to a T. Too bad Bob Welch didn't go further with
this, because he turns out to be an outstanding heavy-rock songwriter
(his lyrics are far better than Plant's); the tracks on PARIS are short
but skillfully crafted, and powered by ear-grabbing heavy riffs and
stick-to-your-frontal-lobe melodies. "Nazarene", "Black Book", "Red
Rain" and "Beautiful Youth" - great songs all - are just four random
reasons to buy this. Plus that ever-present streak of erudite cheekiness
that Welch has always brought to his music is of course present as
well. A stone classic too long neglected...
They
are an American band, resident in Britain since late 1969. Daddy
Longlegs were brought together two years earlier, however, by a wealthy
backer from Chicago looking for the best rock talent in the Sates. He
found Kurt Palmaki, the bass player, working in New York's Electric Circus
who was asked to play as many rhythms as he could using only two
notes. Kurt got the job when he passed the 20 mark. Clif Carson,
the drummer was discovered on the West Coast, selling the Berkeley Barb in
the streets. His previous work with Chicago Slim's Blues Band got him
the gig with Daddy Longlegs. Steve Hayton, the group's original lead
guitarist was found picking Indian ragas for his dinner in a San Francisco
curry house. Like many urban Americans, the band reacted agsanst the
neurotic state of city life by moving to a farm in update New York,
gradually fitting their music together and developing the feel of American
country life. Later in their career they wainly tried to make the band
work in New York before moving out to New Mexico. Then came their
move to England. Moe Armstrong joined the band towards the summer of
last year. A strange mixture of hillbilly and freak, Moe gave the band
a feeling of humour and warmth, a feeling which has persisted even after
Moe's departure back to the States with his wife Joanie. Today he runs
a puppet show in New Mexico. Steve Hayton left the band toward the end
of last year, to be repalced with another American, Gary Holderman, at one
time the guitarist for Roy Orbison and Bobby Vee. He was on the verge
of accepting a job with Pacific Gas and Electric when he got the call to
join Longlegs. A fourth member, Pete Arnesen on piano was added late
last year."
Personnel: Peter Arnensen (keyboards, vocals) Clif Carrison (drums, percussion) Steve Hayton (guitar) Gary Holderman (vocals, guitar) Kurt Palomaki (bass, vocals)
Tracklist: 01. Rubber Tyre (Arnesen) 2.44 02. Double Decker (Palmomaki) 1.53 03. Please Believe Me (Arnesen/Dean) 3.30 04. Lonely Way (Arnesen/Dean) 3.52 05. Sweet Louise (Arnesen/Dean) 2.52 06. Wheeling And Dealing (Holderman) 5.04 07. Rusty Door (Holderman/Palomaki/Carrison) 3.56 08. Gambling Man (Palomaki) 2.42 09. Clara Bell (Holderman) 3.36 10. Night Shift (Clarrison) 2.49 11. Moog (Arnesen) 3.40 12. Boogie (Traditional) 5.02
Skip James made
his original reputation with 17 recordings that he cut during February
1931, when he was 28. Although fluent on both the guitar and (to a
lesser extent) the piano, James
was most notable for his storytelling lyrics, his haunting high-pitched
voice, and his distinctive interpretations of the Delta blues.
James
was rediscovered 33 years after his early recordings, in time to appear
at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival. He was quite active during
1964-1966, making the music on this solo CD (his last record) three
years before his death in 1969.
One can easily hear the influence that Skip James' music had on the then flourishing folk music movement, and he still sang his country blues with great intensity.
Personnel: Skip James (guitar, vocals, piano)
Tracklist: 01. Good Road Camp Blues (James) 3.47 02. Little Cow And Calf Is Gonna Die Blues (James) 3.20 03. Devil Got My Woman (James) 5.10 04. Look At The People Standing At The Judgement (James) 2.58 05. Worried Blues (James) 5.55 06. 22-20 Blues (James/Johnson) 3.50 07. Mistreating Child Blues (James) 3.54 08. Sickbed Blues (James) 4.05 09. Catfish Blues (James) 4.35 10. Lorenzo Blues (James) 4.17 11. Careless Love (Handy/Koenig/Williams) 3.59 12. Illnois Blues (James) 3.15
Some of us have been waiting 20-plus years for PARIS to re-emerge from
the mists, with good reason. This is a phenomenal album! 
