The College Crowd Digs Me

"IV" - Mahogany Rush (1976 )      I dig me some Frank Marino .  Always have.  And Mahogany Rush "IV" is another album that hits the sweet spot.  The square is front to back.  It opens with a psych blues-rocker…and closes with a bit of spacey prog dust goodness.  In between are blistering funk rockers.  Great riffage.  Solid vocals.  All original jams.  This Canadian trio is a firestarter.  Sometimes, ya just need to break away and go hammer nails in planks.  Mahogany Rush is what fuels this fool.  Whaddayagonnado?  Mahogany Rush "IV" is a banger. "IV" - Mahogany Rush (back) Favorites include: "I'm Going Away" "Dragonfly" "The Answer"      I already had a used copy, but the vinyl was a bit rough.  This one that I rescued on the cheap has a clean white label promo pressed at the Columbia plant in Terre Haute and sounds fantastic.  Unfortunately, the front cover has one of those ugl...

"In Frustration I Hear Singing" - Mephistopheles (1969)       Mephistopheles was a blind buy.  I'd seen it shown in the vinyl community, but I couldn't remember what cred it had or what was said about it.  I based my purchase solely on the trippy front cover and the fish-eye photo on the back.  I'm a sucker for the fish-eye.  It had a $13 price tag, it looked clean, and I didn't know when I would ever see another in the wild.  So I went ahead and pulled the trigger.       "In Frustration I Hear Singing" was Mephistopheles' only album, and after spinning it a couple of times, I knew I didn't love it.  However, I did enjoy a few of the songs.  Side one was definitely the better play for me.  Mainly because the album just can't seem to find the sweet spot.  First, the band has multiple lead singers, none really taking it to the house.  Second, the tempos and attitudes are all over the map.  Third, altho...

"Escape From Domination" - Moon Martin (1979 )      "Escape From Domination" can be found in most record shop bargain bins for a buck or two, definitely less than a fiver, and it's a great one to pick up.  The music is early new wave billy-pop with coatings of light synth sprinkled about.  As for Moon Martin and his band, they click and bank right down to the minute.        The lyrics bounce with a rockin' gait, and one almost doesn't notice that many of the songs have a darker quotient.  It's a fun spin from needle drop to label with more hooks than a Saturday morning bait shop.  It's a neglected power-pop gem that offers more than a little bang for your buck.  Not talked about much, but whenever it's time for me to do a little purging…I don't get rid of it. "Escape From Domination" - Moon Martin (back) "Escape From Domination" - Moon Martin (lyric sleeve front and back) Favorites include: "I've Got a Re...

"The Ultimate Prophecy" - J. D. Blackfoot (1970 )      The pronouncement ,  "This is the ultimate prophecy,"  that introduces side two of the album has become almost  legendary.  And from there, it's off to the market we go!  And though the title track is only five minutes long, the four songs that follow slide into one another, making for a cool 23-minute cosmic journey.  Not heavy psych, but its trippy lyrics give things a heady feel.  There are brief moments of spoken word that are both over-the-top and through the woods.  There is occasional fuzz to warm the cockles of your heart.  And when the needle lifts, you're left with a satisfying sense of closure.      As for side one, the songs are enjoyable, but on a whole other level.  Each song has a cosmic New Riders vibe.  Country rock, but nothing twangy.  Each song is different without straying too far from the main trail.  Again, the albu...

"Abominog" - Uriah Heep (1982 )      The curtains don't match the drapes on this, Uriah Heep's 14th album.  From the cover, I was hoping for some early Heep action like "Gypsy" or "Look At Yourself" or "Bird of Prey" but not even.  Instead,  "Abominog" has a very 80s AOR-MTV vibe.  Not that Uriah Heep was ever an MTV favorite.  After my initial disappointment of not getting my epic Uriah Heep fix, I spun this square again with fresh ears and cranked it up.  And even if the draperies didn't match so well, they still reached the floor.  At this point, original Heep guitarist  Mick Box  and drummer  Lee Kerslake were   the last men standing, trying to push on.   The album was definitely feeling the effects of departed songwriter  and keyboardist  Ken Hensley.   However,  Mick Box  wisely enlisted ex-Trapeze singer  Peter Goalby,  along with keyboardist  John Sincla...

Sarum: The Novel Of England by Edward Rutherfurd (1987) Paperback, 1035 pages NO SPOILERS:      I've always been struck by how my homeland, America, holds little quarter compared to the centuries of history that England has endured. Author Edward  Rutherfurd  introduces us to  Sarum , England, better known as Salisbury, where Stonehenge and the famous Salisbury Cathedral are located . From the Stone Age to the mid-twentieth century, we are introduced to a variety of characters throughout many generations who are affected by this strange and beautiful area.        And it's that balance of characters and place that gives the reader a peculiar sense of smallness.  Where the land is bigger than any person or persons could ever be.  Rutherfurd  offers many vignettes along the way that are both engaging and easily devoured. Although no one we are introduced to within these pages overstay their welcome, I was happy to meet t...