Buckingham Nicks "Buckingham Nicks" 1973 (orig)***

I resent the fact that this album was re-released 4 months ago, and now looks at me from the front window of every record store in the world. I do, because it was among the rarest albums in my collection. I mean, a pre-fame LP by Buckingham and Nicks, the duo behind Fleetwood Mac's transformation from white blues copyists to huge pop stars? One that fell between the cracks and hadn't been reissued for 50 years, only heard by a select few, one of which was myself? What was I thinking, not presenting it when I could gloat that I am a proud owner of such a rarity? Now, even Limb Mary has a copy - I'm told it sold 30.000 copies in the first week of its release, in US alone. I will present it now, but I'll drop a star because it's become so common. This isn't one of those albums I ever sought after; I just happened upon it, which is one of those moments that make physical record hunting so much more satisfying than online buying. I used to work in a dental practice in The Hague, and had noticed an address on googlemaps with a title like Whatsitsname Records, a few blocks away. When I was mapping the city's record shops for this blog I went by and couldn't find the place, but on a day with nice weather that I had finished work early I decided to take a walk and make another try. This time I happened to catch it open, or at least the door was open; it was just a private house with no sign on the door. Doesn't function like a record store, the guy probably only sells online or at record fairs. The front room had a couch, some audio equipment and stacks of records, mostly techno 12'. The owner told me there were more records in the back, and indeed there were more stacks: electronic music, but also a lot of funk and disco which I mostly didn't recognise, as well as a few pop-rock ones. At first glance, the nude album cover looked like a typical 70's disco LP, but when I saw the names and looked closer at the couple's faces, I realized these were Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac. I knew that they used to perform together before they joined Mac, and I may have known but forgotten that they had ever released an LP as a duo. Because, if it was any good, it would be right up there with their later work, right? I nevertheless knew that I had a rarity in my hands, and being a fan of Rumours-era Mac, I was eager to hear how they started. So, I asked about the price, and it was a surprisingly modest €20 or something.

So I payed, went back home and put the record on my turntable. I had no preconception, but because of the duo format I kind of expected a collection of acoustic ballads or something similar. So it was a very pleasant surprise when the opener "Crying In The Night" sounded like an outtake of Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac; a smooth soft-rock ballad with Stevie's characteristic voice and nice harmonies, it's followed by a charming acoustic guitar piece called "Stephanie". "Without A Leg To Stand On" is  pleasant but unremarkable, it somewhat reminded me of 70s Kinks. The next track "Crystal" sounded familiar - the reason being, that it was revived by Fleetwood Mac after the couple joined them. This first version has a more typical Californian sound, reminiscent of Linda Ronstadt and The Eagles. It's followed by "Long Distance Winner" which to my ears sounds more proggish, Supertramp-like. No piano solos of course, but masterful electric guitar by Lindsey. Side 2 opens with one of their louder  rockers "Don’t Let Me Down Again". To me, it sounds like a precursor to "You Can Go Your Own Way" off Rumours. "Django" is another wistful instrumental showcasing Lindsey's guitar chops, while "Races Are Won" is a typical folk-rock ballad with country-ish harmonies, and "Lola (My Love)" a Southern blues with nice slide guitar. The album closes with another winner "Frozen Love" which encapsulates everything that's great about 70's rock: the smoothness of the West Coast sound, intricate folk harmonies, and prog rock intricacy, all spread over 7+ minutes. It was Lindsey Buckingham's guitar work on this track that made Mick Fleetwood invite him to join the band as lead guitarist. He insisted on bringing Stevie along, and that was the start of Fleetwood Mac's rise to stardom. Neither Mac nor Buckingham Nicks could have done it alone, but the combination of their songwriting and musical talents created pop genious. This album may not be up there with their best moments, but it's very, very good, and contains the seeds of their later success. The nude cover, I personally find very tasteful and concordant with the confessional nature of the lyrics, but I recently read a Stevie Nicks interview where she said she felt too awkward and embarassed by it. Who knew she was such a prude? Lastly, a word about the musicianship and production: it's no surprise that it sounds as good as it does, when you look at the credits: producer Keith Olsen, who later produced so many hits for mainstream artists, and studio aces like drummer Jim Keltner (Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, solo Beatles), guitarist Waddy Wachtel (Rolling Stones, Warren Zevon, etc), and bassist Jerry Scheff (Elvis, The Doors, etc) - really the cream of the California session musicians. Highly recommended: 4* for my ® copy, 3* for yours. I don't care if yours is 180 gram colored vinyl, has booklets or other extras - I had it first. There!

**** for Crying In The Night, Crystal, Long Distance Winner, Don’t Let Me Down Again, Django, Frozen Love

*** for Stephanie, Without A Leg To Stand On, Races Are Won, Lola (My Love)

Various Artists "Raks Raks Raks: 17 Golden Garage Psych Nuggets From the Iranian 60s Scene" 2009(comp)****

Right now the situation in Iran is really bad; a protest that started from the market, initially because of economic grievances, has turned into a nationwide rebellion against everything the theocratic dictatorship stands for. Paramilitary types shoot in the midst of the demonstrations, killing 100's of civilians. Expat Iranian friends of mine are living in constant fear for their friends and relatives still living there: all internet connections in the country are severed, as is telephone communication from abroad. One the other hand, they feel a glimmer of hope: how much longer can a corrupt and incompetent government keep imposing themselves on an unwilling public? surely this time it should collapse under the weight of the people's righteous anger? Maybe the West (i.e. Trump) will help? For my part, I'm both hopeful and fearful of change. Hopeful that this attrocious dictatorship will at last come to its end, fearful that its end may cause Iran to deteriorate into a Syria-like civil war between multiple factions. When people are bereft of freedom for so long, they sometimes tend to forget how to arrive to decisions through mutual respect, open discussion, negotiation, and compromise. Factor in all the power-hungry world leaders and multinational corporations eager to steer the boat their way in order to get their hands on the country's natural resources, and one sees how precarious it all is. Anyway, earlier in the week when all this begun, I took out this compilation and played it a few times, to remind myself that things used to be different and may again change to the better. That, far from being a bunch of religious fanatics as the regime wants us to think, the people are as fun- and freedom- loving as anyone in the West. 

When this album was first released back in '09, it was greeted with disbelief; such is the isolation that the theocratic regime has imposed on its citizens that we couldn't conceive of rock music ever being produced in Iran. Well, what do you know? Not only did Iran have a vibrant club scene in pre-revolutionary times, it still has, even though it's all been pushed underground and young people run the risk of being arrested or worse just for attending an unlisenced rock concert - especially if it involves dancing and women removing their hijab, which they do immediately when they are in a safe indoors space. Back in the 60's though, the country was undergoing a "modernization" phase, although not a democratic one: the regime was an absolute monarchy, and prisons were full of dissidents, but otherwise a distancing from Islamic customs and towards Western ones was encouraged; the Shah for example would enjoy private performances of contemporary Rolling Stones hits by local bands like The Sinners. Who aren't included in this compilation, but we have many others... crucially The Golden Ring, who according to internet sources were the most popular and longest-lived Iranian rock band. Now, the CD version of this compilation contains 27 tracks instead of 17, and comes with a booklet with info about the bands; my own vinyl LP didn't contain any inserts so unfortunately there's very little information I can impart. The internet was minimally helpful; for example, I found out that Kourosh's "Akhm Nakan" wasn't released in the 60's but in 1974, and that the singer's full name is Kourosh Yaghmaei, sometimes refered to as the Persian "king of rock". His reign was short indeed, as he only managed to release a handful of singles before being banned from playing any kind of music in 1979; that ban lasted for 17 years, but even after it was lifted he was not allowed to record anything that contained electric guitars or sounded even remotely like rock. "Akhm Nakan" definitevely does sound like 1968 UK psych-funk-hard rock, with great bass breaks and pounding drums, but a non-Western sensibility in the vocals; I thought he sounded a bit like Anatolian rocker Cem Karaca, but it could be the singer's giant moustache that clicked something in my brain. This song is followed by one of very few English-language tracks here, as well as the only one with female lead vocals: a cover of Aretha's "Respect" sung by another icon of Persian music, Googoosh. Googoosh was a hugely popular singer and actress before the revolution, but she, too, was prohibited to sing publicly. She resurfaced after leaving the country in 2000, and is now one of the prominent voices of the Iranian diaspora. Her performance here is extremely energetic, while the band plays somewhat looser and jazzier than in the original American version of the song. Another English-language track is the closer "I Need Somebody To Love" by Shabah, a ballad with saccharine harmonies. A third one might be The Rebels' "Indian Rebels" - I mean, I think I discern some English words but I'm not 100% sure, such is the quality of the recording and accent of the singers. I like it though; it's lo-fi mid-tempo garage rock with a nice surf-like guitar break. In general, irrespective of when these songs were recorded (and I'm pretty sure it was way after the surf craze had passed), Iranian guitarists seemed to derive inspiration from Hank Marvin or The Ventures rather than from Clapton or Hendrix. Especially The Golden Rings; "Bas Ay Dokhtar Ha" is a Ventures-like instrumental with groovy organ, while "Shekar Dar Kohestan" features some wordless vocalizing and loud whistling that reminds me of Ennio Morricone Westerns. Other great instrumentals include Penahi's "Dance-Music" and Littles "4x8 Jadeed". That band, fronted by singer Ebi Littles, has two more songs here: opener "Fatemah Sultan" is a garage-beat cover of a traditional tune, and "Mehtaab" is a moody ballad. Moha Jamin also have 3 tracks here, each one different from the others: "Sheshwa Heshat Moha Jamin" is built around an oriental melody, "Ashk-e Roya-e Bashkohe" is a Zombies-like ballad, and (my favorite) "Raks Raks Raks" a scorching garage rocker that's the equal to any included in the American Nuggets series. Other favorites include The Flowers' garage-psych-folk "Meekshi Manoo" and oriental-exotica psych "Mosh Va Karnah" by Group Sayeed. Lastly, "Dokhtar E Darya" and "Polhaee Shakastah" are a couple of folk-psych ballads. As I mentioned earlier, the CD contains more songs, including Persian-language covers of Ray Charles and Monkeys songs, but it won't be presented here since I only own this compilation on vinyl. In general, this isn't like one of those European garage rock comps where you have Swedish, Portuguese, or Czech bands emulating the sound of The Beatles, Stones, Animals et al. Maybe it's a language thing, but the "ethnic" element is way more pronounced; especially the singing is more complex and playful, sometimes reminiscent of the melismatic Arabic style, others of Indian music. In any case, if you like 60's pop-rock and aren't put out by the strange and exotic sounds of the Farsi language, this LP is full of rare treasures - you may not like all of them, but they're worth your attention.

***** for Moha Jamin - Raks Raks Raks 

**** for Littles - Fatemah Sultan, The Flowers - Meekshi Manoo, Littles - 4x8 Jadeed, Ojooba Ha - Polhaee Shakastah, Penahi - Dance-Music, The Rebels - Indian Rebels, Kourosh - Akhm Nakan, The Golden Ring - Shekar Dar Kohestan

*** for Moha Jamin - Sheshwa Heshat Moha Jamin, Group Takhala La - Dokhtar E Darya, Moha Jamin - Ashk-e Roya-e Bashkohe, The Golden Ring - Bas Ay Dokhtar Ha, Googoosh - Respect, Group Sayeed - Mosh Va Karnah, The Littles - Mehtaab, Shabah - I Need Somebody To Love

P.S. I couldn't resist a comment on the album cover art. There's what seems like a nice geometric motiff in green and red on the sides of the back cover. Only it isn't exactly a purely decorative design: taken from the modern (post-revolutionary) Iranian flag, this is actually a Kufik (calligraphic Arabic) script endlessly repeating the phrase Allahu Akbar (God Is Great). Given that this is most definitely a collection of secular songs by artists persecuted by the theocratic regime, this reads like a bit of a fail.

Larkin Poe "Bloom" 2025***

Only a week ago I wrote I only had one album off the best-of-year lists I published; yet within a couple of days I had gotten myself a second one, Classic Rock's #18, Bloom. I became aware of Larkin Poe a few years ago when I heard the Lovell sisters (Megan & Rebecca) sing backing vocals on an album by ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons. I liked their singing and made a mental note to check out their own work. The two young ladies (still in their early 30's despite being around for 15 years) are Larkin Poe, although there are obviously more musicians involved in recording and touring. They apparently named the band after their great-great-great-great-grandfather, a cousin of Edgar Allan Poe. Music-wise, at least on this album, they don't sound as country as I was expecting; if I was looking for just one word to describe the band's sound, "rootsy" would do much better. It's mostly Southern rock full of soulful vocals, hard rock riffs and bluesy slide guitar while the country element mostly comes out in the ballads, especially when the girls harmonize as in the closing "Bloom Again". Other country-ish ballads include "Little Bit", "Easy Love Pt. 2", and "You Are The River". Then there are some upbeat numbers halfway between gritty blues and commercial country pop: "Mockingbird", "Easy Love Pt. 1", "Fool Outta Me" - the instrumental part rocks, but Rebecca's vocals kind of remind me of Shania Twain - not a bad thing if you're chasing success, but I like her singing best in the grittier, bluesy hard rock, numbers ("Bluephoria", "Nowhere Fast", "If God Is A Woman", "Pearls") with their Beth Hart-meets-the-White Stripes vibe. Had it stayed on this course, this album would have gotten an extra star from me, but as it is there's a wider appeal to it. The production is a bit too polished for my taste, presumeably making it more appealing to commercial country radio, but I can't fault the passionate playing - I especially like the alternating loud sound of the electric guitar and more expressive and soulful slide and pedal steel. In the end, this record ticks a lot of boxes: the lyrics reflect on matters of love and life in general with maturity and insight, and the music will appeal equally to fans of rock, country, and blues. It’s hard to imagine any listener who enjoys those genres feeling let down.

**** for Easy Love Pt. 1, Bluephoria, Easy Love Pt. 2, Nowhere Fast, If God Is A Woman, Pearls, You Are The River

*** for Mockingbird, Little Bit, Fool Outta Me, Bloom Again

R.I.P. 2025

Another year, another difficult list of dead musicians to compile. Among the heavier ones, Brian Wilson, the pop genious behind The Beach Boys, and Ozzy Osbourne whom no-one's ever called a genious, and yet has left a huge mark on rock and heavy metal. Just as influential, albeit in the narrow confines of Greek folk and rock, was the "Greek Dylan" Dionysis Savvopoulos. Other important losses include psychedelic soul wizard Sly Stone, and Marianne Faithfull - a wonderful lady whose voice sent more chills up one's spine as she progressed with age. Also, hugely underrated funk guitarist Steve Cropper, neo-soul singers Angie Stone and D'Angelo and classic soul legend Roberta Flack, Kiss' spaceman Ace Frehley, reggae pioneer Jimmy Cliff, and so many others who have given us so much. Please take a minute to read through the list, to give  a mental farewell, and to say 

Thanks For The Music 

to:

Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys, 82)

Ozzy Osbourne (Black Sabbath, 76)

Sly Stone (Sly and the Family Stone, 82)

Marianne Faithfull (singer-songwriter, 78)

David Johansen (New York Dolls, 75)

Jimmy Cliff (Reggae singer, 81)

Ace Frehley ("Spaceman", Kiss guitarist, 74)

Dionysis Savvopoulos (Greek singer-songwriter, 80)

Steve Cropper (Booker T. & the M.G.'s/ Blues Brothers, 84)

Brian James (The Damned/ Lords of the New Church, 74)

Mick Ralphs (Mott the Hoople/ Bad Company 81)

Danny Thompson (folk jazz bassist, Pentangle 86)

Jesse Colin Young (The Youngbloods, 83)

Angie Stone (Hip-hop and soul singer, 63)

Roberta Flack (Singer and songwriter, 88)

D'Angelo (soul singer-songwriter, 51)

John Lodge (The Moody Blues, 82)

Roy Ayers (Jazz-funk vibraphonist 84)

Dave Cousins (lead singer, Strawbs)

Chris Dreja (The Yardbirds 79) 

Garth Hudson (The Band 87)

Bill Fay (Singer-songwriter, 81) 

Chris Jasper (The Isley Brothers 73)

Perry Bamonte (The Cure, 65)

Rick Buckler (The Jam, 69)

Sam Rivers (Limp Bizkit, 48)

David Ball (Soft Cell/ The Grid, 66)

Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul and Mary, 86)

Max Romeo (Jamaican reggae singer, 80)

Sam Moore (Soul duo Sam & Dave 89)

Amadou Bagayoko (of Malian duo Amadou & Mariam 70)

David Thomas (Pere Ubu/ Rocket from the Tombs 71)

Mick Abrahams (Jethro Tull/ Blodwyn Pig, 82)

Mani (The Stone Roses/Primal Scream, 63) 

Dave Allen (Gang of Four, 69)

Mike Peters (The Alarm/ Big Country, 66)

Lalo Schifrin (Argentine pianist, 93)

Chuck Mangione (Jazz trumpeter, 84)

George Kooymans (Golden Earring, 77)

Clem Burke (drummer of Blondie, 70)

Joe Ely (country singer, 78) 

Chris Rea (Singer-guitarist, 74)

Terry Reid (singer-songwriter, 75)

Larry Tamblyn (The Standells, 82)

James Lowe (The Electric Prunes, 82)

Joseph Byrd (The United States of America, 87)

Serge Fiori (of Canadian prog band Harmonium 73)

Flaco Jiménez (Texas Tornados/Los Super Seven, 86)

Simon House (Hawkwind violinist/ multi-instrumentalist, 76)

Mark Volman (The Turtles/ Mothers of Invention/ Flo & Eddie 78)

Bobby Whitlock (Derek and the Dominos/ Delaney & Bonnie 77)

Viv Prince (drummer, Pretty Things, The Jeff Beck Group 84)

John Palmer (Family, Blossom Toes, Bakerloo 82)

Rick Davies (singer/keyboardist, Supertramp 81)

Rick Derringer (rock guitarist, The McCoys, 77)

Eddie Palmieri (Jazz pianist, composer 88)

Barry Goldberg (The Electric Flag, 83)

Gabriel Yacoub (Malicorne, 72)

Chad Morgan (Country singer and guitarist, 91)

Sara Surkamp (Pavlov's Dog, 72)

Wayne Osmond (The Osmonds, 73)

Brenton Wood (Soul singer, 83)

Ed Askew (Folk singer, 84)

Bobby Hart (Boyce and Hart 86)

Stephen Luscombe (Blancmange 70)

Sonny Curtis (The Crickets 88)

Beej Chaney (singer/guitarist of  The Suburbs 68)

Fredrik Lindgren (guitarist of Unleashed/Terra Firma, 53)

Ragne Wahlquist (Heavy Load 69)

P. Fluid a.k.a. Peter Forrest (24-7 Spyz, 64)

Jellybean Johnson (The Time, 69)

Linda Nolan (The Nolans 65)

Ornella Vanoni (Italian singer, 91)

Jamie Muir (King Crimson percussionist, 82)

Edweena Banger (The Nosebleeds/Slaughter & the Dogs, 65)

Sal Maida (bassist for Milk 'N' Cookies/Roxy Music/Sparks 76) 

Brigitte Bardot (French actress/singer, 91)

Gary Grier (60's R&B The Contours)

Bruce Howe (Fraternity 77)

Mungo Jerry (singer 82)

Tommy Hunt (The Flamingos 91)

Snowy Fleet (The Easybeats 85)

Jerry Butler (The Impressions, 85)

Fred Bekky (Belgian pop group The Pebbles 81)

Linsey Alexander (Blues singer and guitarist, 82)

Robert John (Soft rock singer and songwriter, 79)

Coburn Pharr (Annihilator/ Omen 62)

Joey Molland (Badfinger 77)

Frank Maher (Folk musician 90)

Jeffrey Runnings (For Against 61)

Bob Rupe (Cracker, The Silos 68)

Randy Brown (R&B singer 72)

Troy Seals (singer and songwriter 86)

Danny Cox (singer-songwriter 81)

Bill Ashton (Jazz saxophonist 88)

Les Binks (Judas Priest drummer, 73)

Rob de Nijs (Dutch singer 82)

Rod Clark (The Moody Blues, 82)

Peter Farrelly (Fruupp 76)

Ian Lees (Moving Pictures)

Leanne Cowie (drummer of The Scientists)

Paul "Wags" Wagstaff (Black Grape/ Happy Mondays 60)

Kevan Staples (of Canadian rockers Rough Trade, 74)

Johnny Tillotson (Singer and songwriter 86)

Michael Hurley (Folk singer and songwriter 83)

Mike Berry (English singer and actor 82)

Roger McLachlan (bassist; Little River Band 71)

David Briggs (Keyboardist, 82)

Roy Phillips (The Peddlers, 83)

Freddie Aguilar (Filipino singer-songwriter, 72)

James Baker (The Scientists/ Hoodoo Gurus/ Beasts of Bourbon 71)

Billy Earheart (Country keyboardist; The Amazing Rhythm Aces, 71)

Larry Lee (The Ozark Mountain Daredevils 78)

Ray Mayhew  (Sigue Sigue Sputnik 60)

Tetsu Yamauchi (Free/ Faces, 79)

Chubby Tavares (Tavares, 80)

Graham Fenton (Matchbox, 76)

Sheila Jordan (Jazz singer 96)

Brent Hinds (Mastodon 51)

John Edwards (The Spinners 80)

Junior Byles (Jamaican reggae singer 77)

Douglas McCarthy (Nitzer Ebb 58)

John Reid (Nightcrawlers 61)

Lou Christie (singer-songwriter 82)

Ron Woodbridge (The Searchers 87)

James Prime (Deacon Blue 64)

Cavin Yarbrough (Yarbrough and Peoples 72)

David L. Hamilton (Pavlov's Dog, 74)

Patrick Walden (Babyshambles, 46)

Connie Francis (Singer and actress 87)

Michael Sumler (Kool & the Gang, 71)

Gigi Canu (Planet Funk 66)

David Kaff (Rare Bird, Spinal Tap 79)

Frank Maffei (Danny & the Juniors 85)

Jock McDonald (Bollock Brothers 69)

Livio Macchia (I Camaleonti 83)

Paul Mario Day (Iron Maiden/More/Wildfire/The Sweet, 69)

Kenny Marco (Canadian guitarist;  Blood, Sweat & Tears 78)

Robert Jaramillo (Cannibal & the Headhunters, 78)

Jim Kimball (Laughing Hyenas/The Jesus Lizard 59)

Chuck Girard (The Castells, The Hondells, 81)

Judy Cheeks (The Ikettes, 71)

Justin Baren (The Redwalls, 40)

Bob "Bongo Starr" Starkie (Skyhooks, 73)

Warren Williams (Australian rock pioneer, 85)

Billy Nichols (Musician and songwriter, 85)

Raul Malo (The Mavericks, 60)

Bruce Loose (Flipper 66)

Atomic Steif (drummer, Sodom 57)

Chris Doheny (Geisha 64) 

Jim McNeely (Jazz composer, pianist 76)

Dave Benton (Spooner guitarist, 77)

Paul Van Bruystegem (Triggerfinger, 66)

Terry "Buzzy" Johnson (The Flamingos, 86)

Thommy Price (drummer, Blue Öyster Cult/Scandal, 68)

Ian Watkins (Lostprophets 48)

Dave Burgess (The Champs, 90)

Marcie Free (King Kobra, Unruly Child, 71)

Vivian Jones (reggae singer, 68)

Andrew Metcalfe (Sound of Guns)

Scott Sorry (Amen/ The Wildhearts, 47)

Ray Drummond (Jazz bassist, bandleader 78)

Donna Jean Godchaux (singer, Grateful Dead 78)

Victor Conte (Pure Food and Drug Act, Tower of Power; 75)

Todd Snider (singer-songwriter, 59)

Thomas Klein (Warrant, 59)

Gilson Lavis (Squeeze, 74)

Hilly Michaels (Sparks, 77)