For the most part this is a very average blues rock album, but there are a few more psychedelic cuts:a million years, a heavy psychedelic cut: memory tree, a much softer slice of psychedelia and the finale, night flash. from flashback. Originally released in 1969, this rare US album has a sweeping West Coast acid guitar and harmony sound that has a similar feel to early Moby Grape, Savage Resurrection and the heavier moments of other San Francisco bands. This LP issue is housed in a fab super-thick card, US style, gatefold LP sleeve.
Side A
A million years
Old house
Who do you think you are
Where do you find the answer
Woman
Side B
Heavenly road
Memory tree
Miss you
Lady linda
Night flash
Remember your elementary teachers telling you 'never judge a book by its cover'? Well forget what it is one of rock's uglier covers (apologies to John Edwards), and you're in for a major treat.
Remember a guy by the name of Jonathan Edwards who had a hit back in 1971 with 'Sunshine'? If you're actually reading this stuff there's probably a pretty good chance that you do. Well, this is Edward's pre-solo career band. I've owned a couple of Edwards solo albums for years (they're fairly easy to locate in Northern Virginia since he lived in this area for quite some time), but never made the connection between the two entities. Anyhow, here's a little blurb I lifted off of Edward's website (the URL is listed below): "I started getting electric about the time Dylan did, doing electric folk music. I joined bands by saying 'Can I be in your band?', and they'd ask, 'What do you play?', and I'd say 'What do you need?' I'm still that way. I still love to play different instruments. It helps me understand production techniques and performance capabilities". Instead of graduating from college, he decided to give music a shot. He sold the car that his father was lending him, bought a van for his band, and headed for the music scene in Boston. The band soon found work, playing "6-40" jobs--six 40-minute sets per night--all over New England. They played cover tunes as well as their own country blues originals under various names, including the Headstone Circus, St. James Doorknob, and the Finite Minds, and they made an album for Metromedia Records as Sugar Creek."
A little more information on the group. In 1965 Edwards was studying art at Ohio University when he met fellow student/guitarist Malcolm McKinney. The pair quickly decided to form a band recruiting McKinney's brother Todd. As St. James Doorknob the group became quite popular playing dances, parties and clubs around Athens, Ohio. At the same time fellow students Joe Dolce and Gary Gans were playing in The Finite Minds. When the Finite Minds lost their lead singer, Dolce and Gans were invited to join St. James Doorknob, which quickly mutated into The Infinite Doorknob and then The Headstone Circus. In June 1967 the band decided to take a shot at the big time. With the rest of America decamping for San Francisco, Edwards sold the car his father had lent him for school, bought a breaktruck/van and headed for Boston. The band began touring throughout New York and New England, writing material at a farm owned by McKinney's parents.
By the time the Sugar Creek finished recording their sole 1969 album Dolce had quit (though he's represented by two of the standout selections), leaving a line-up featured Edwards, Gary Gans, and brothers Malcolm and Todd McKinney. Recorded in New York City with Peter Casperson producing, "Please Tell a Friend" will come as a major shock to anyone familiar with Edwards' sensitive singer/songwriter solo career. With Edwards and Malcolm McKinney responsible for the majority of the ten tracks, the album featured a mixture of driving blues-rock ('Old House' and the feedback propelled 'Where Do You Find The Answer') and excellent psych outings ('A Million Years'). Anyone familiar with Edwards solo career will find that his voice sounded surprisingly impressive belting out tougher material, though numbers such as 'Who Do You Think You Are', 'Lady Linda' and the Gospel-influenced 'Heavenly Road' wouldn't have been out of place on one of his early-1970s solo albums. Personal favorites include the band's psych efforts including 'Memory Tree' and 'Night Flash'. Killer tunes. Blessed with excellent sound quality, this one sounds great on an upscale stereo system. (By the way, Joe Dolce is the same guy of 'Shaddup You Face' fame.) (via Badcat Records)
Tracks listing :
Please Tell A Friend (36:06)
01 A Million Years (02:37)
02 Old House (02:44)
03 Who Do You Think You Are (02:54)
04 Where Do You Find The Answer (06:49)
05 Woman (02:44)
06 Heavenly Road (02:55)
07 Memory Tree (05:24)
08 Miss You (04:29)
09 lady Linda (02:08)
10 Night Flash (03:22)
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