Terry Knight and The Pack “Terry Knight and The Pack”/”Reflections” (Collectors Choice Music)

Quirky and erratic, but far from boring, “Terry Knight and The Pack” and “Reflections” rank as vivid snapshots of the multi-faceted creativity that prevailed in the sixties.

     Hailing from Flint, Michigan, Terry Knight and The Pack were a regional sensation in the late sixties. But in the eyes of the greater public, the band’s biggest claim to fame stems from them being the forerunner to Grand Funk Railroad. Don Brewer and Mark Farner both played in Terry Knight and The Pack, while Terry Knight assigned himself a job behind the scenes, taking over managerial duties for Grand Funk Railroad upon their formation. During the years they were together, Terry Knight and The Pack waxed a batch of singles and two albums, the latter, which have been out of print for decades and have recently been reissued in their entirety.

     Initially released in 1966, “Terry Knight and The Pack” encompasses an eclectic mix of shapes and sounds. Strewn with sinister fuzz guitars and scolding vocals, “Numbers” quivers and quakes with sonic hostility, “What’s On Your Mind” slinks and slides to an easy going quasi-vaudeville styled groove, “Lovin’ Kind” crackles with country complexions, the gloomy glare of “The Shut In,” aided by spooky string arrangements, tells the cryptic tale of a woman trapped in childhood who plays in a sandbox and converses with imaginary friends, the socially angled “A Change On The Way” resonates to a folk rock finish and “Got Love” is a bluesy Pretty Things type beat thumper. A fascinating fusion of garage punk grit, dramatic teen pop ballads and credible versions of “You‘re A Better Man Than I“ (The Yardbirds) and “Lady Jane“ (The Rolling Stones) make “Terry Knight and The Pack“ a decidedly curious artifact.   

     The band’s second and final album, “Reflections,” appeared in 1967. Delivered in a semi-spoken word context , “Love Goddess Of The Sunset Strip” is a dandy ode to scene hipsters and groupies, while “Dimestore Debutante,” which contains some of the goofiest kiss-off lyrics ever composed, coyly cribs Bob Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone” note for note. Bouncy, hooky and ideal to clap the hands to, “Love, Love, Love, Love, Love” impressed The Music Explosion enough for them to cover the tune, and then there’s the psychedelic salted country rock of “Got To Find My Baby.” A swinging soul timbre encases “The Train,” the ghost of Donovan inhabits the whispery “Dirty Lady,“ and the record concludes to a slow and heavy treatment of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Quirky and erratic, but far from boring, “Terry Knight and The Pack” and “Reflections” rank as vivid snapshots of the multi-faceted creativity that prevailed in the sixties.

www.collectorschoicemusic.com

Leslie’s Motel “Still Alive And Dirty” (self-released)

Sounding as if they never went away, Leslie’s Motel spools out a series of smoking jams with earnest energy and passion.

     A professional musician since the early sixties, drummer Roy Blumenfeld has played with an olio of legendary groups, including The Blues Project, Sea Train and The Barry Melton Band. And we certainly can’t forget Leslie’s Motel from Louisville, Kentucky. In 1972, the band cut an album, titled “Dirty Sheets,” which sad to say, remained in the can and never received a proper vinyl release. Shortly after the disc was recorded, Leslie’s Motel called it quits. Fast forward to 2008, and that’s when the Gear Fab label rescued the album from the cobwebs, duly granting the band a second life. Buoyed by such interest, for the first time in thirty-seven years, Leslie’s Motel performed together, and the results are right here, on “Still Alive And Dirty.” The celebrated date was Friday, November 13, 2009, and the gig was heard on “Live Lunch,” a weekly program aired on WFPK, a Louisville radio station.

     Sounding as if they never went away, Leslie’s Motel spools out a  series of smoking jams with earnest energy and passion. There’s absolutely no downtime on “Still Alive And Dirty,” as each and every track erupts with power and drive. Extended jams may be the band’s forte, but the vocals, which blend blues, soul and rock into one brawny brew, are equally emotive and electrifying. Bleached with gyrating boogie woogie sensibilities, “Step Down Baby” and a cover of Elliott Randall’s “Take Out The Dog And Bark The Cat” churn and burn with foot-stomping tempos, where “Motel In The Latin Quarter” does indeed transmit a sexy Latin luster. “Shakes For Ya Momma” and “Blistered Again” hold steady as further chestnuts on “Still Alive And Dirty,” but the whole disc is a rooting tooting rave up. Howling harps, bracing guitar riffs, roving keyboards and whipping drum drills attire the band’s material with  nerve and verve. Jiving jazz patterns, hairy acid rock of the San Francisco stripe and southern fried frequencies also occasionally house the songs. Judging from the riveting rush of “Still Alive And Dirty,” Leslie’s Motel hasn’t deserted an ounce of talent or enthusiasm. Let’s hope they stick around, go on tour and record a new studio album!

   www.lesliesmotel.com

 

The Jaybirds “Naked As Jaybirds” (Time For Action Records)

Melding blues buttered rhythms with strains of hard rocking power pop expressions, The Jaybirds brandish a smashing sound that seemingly never grows old.

     Gazing into the rearview mirror for inspiration, The Jaybirds inhale their influences with remarkable insight, spit them out with fury and mutate them into something wholly fresh and unique. Like the fabled British sixties bands they lovingly emulate, the Austria based group not only has a gift for penning irresistible tunes, but they  know exactly what to do with them. Due to the high grade quality of the songs and performances on the band’s latest album, “Naked As Jaybirds,” it’s obvious they really care about what they’re doing and are willing to put the time in to make it all work. A fully realized effort this is.

     Melding blues buttered rhythms with strains of hard rocking power pop expressions, The Jaybirds brandish a smashing sound that seemingly never grows old. Armed with choppy breaks and the honking cry of a rattling harp, “Look Out Baby,” along with the crisp and crunchy “Over Your Shoulder” are stone cold masterpieces, and then there’s the wiggy instrumental samplings of “Naked As A Jaybird.” The sassy, swaggering exterior of “Take Your Chance” and a rollicking version of Bob Dylan’s “Most Likely You’ll Go Your Way” also step up to the plate as positively cool inclusions. Stinging guitar licks intersect violently with deep-throated drum exercises on “I Try To Find” and “Sixty Minutes (Of Your Love)” ripples and bubbles with ongoing excitement. Drowning in a sea of insistent melodies, loping keyboards, coiling chords, tough as nails vocals and blinding flashes of fuzzy freak beat fervor, “Naked As Jaybirds” filters the essence of bands such as Manfred Mann, The Yardbirds and The Who through a contemporary lens that’s consistently appealing.

   www.myspace.com/bjjaybird

   www.timeforaction.de 

“Forever Changes – Arthur Lee and The Book of Love” by John Einarson  (Jawbone Press)

First hand interviews with the guys in Love, as well as stacks of other musicians and folks engaged in the scene, are featured within the pages.

     Listening to Love’s records, one can only tickle their noggin and wonder why the heck they did not achieve world domination. The Los Angeles band may have been immensely popular on the local front and did glean a pair of national hit singles, “My Little Red Book” and “Seven and Seven Is” in 1966, but the truth is, the average music fan, then and now, tends to draw a blank whenever their name comes up. However, as is the situation with thousands of bands, Love’s star shines brighter and brighter with each passing year. The band has been awarded hefty reissue campaigns, so making their material accessible, naturally gives them more visibility. New generations have been turned onto the brilliance of Love, and a host of contemporary artists croon their praises.

     The reasons why Love missed the boat are thoroughly documented and examined in this superb book. Citing the usual horrors that destroy far too many  promising bands, like excessive drug use and internal conflicts, also lies the fact that the band’s leader, Arthur Lee, did not want to tour. A homebody, he was perfectly comfortable staying put in his Los Angeles digs, playing to packed crowds in and around town. For a time there, the band were the Kings of Hollywood. Arthur was clearly content hanging out in his own backyard, surrounded by friends, a loyal audience and glowing press. But those working with Arthur, and that includes band members, were not fully satisfied with what was happening. Love’s management and record company urged them to take to the road. The band’s creative impulses were not stifled either. Arriving in an age when experimentation was encouraged and applauded, Love was allowed ample amounts of freedom in the studio. And that’s where they succeeded. On record.

     Amazingly comprehensive, “Forever Changes - Arthur Lee and The Book of Love” leaves no boulder unturned. The author, John Einarson, is an excellent writer and has a keen grip and knowledge on the subject covered. First hand interviews with the guys in Love, as well as stacks of other musicians and folks engaged in the scene, are featured within the pages. The book spans beginning to middle to end, from individual childhoods to the peak of Love’s powers to the nail in the coffin, what occurred afterwards and then some . Humorous incidents interact with shockingly frightening episodes, ugliness merges with beauty, and sorrow collides with joy. And of course, there’s tons of stuff on the band’s recording sessions and the great music of the era in general.  Unfortunately, Arthur is no longer with us, as he was handed a ticket to rock and roll heaven on August 3, 2006. But his songs and vision will live on for eternity. The music Love crafted sounds just as innovative, intelligent and intriguing as it did in the sixties.  Crammed with revelations, “Forever Changes - Arthur Lee and The Book of Love” is essential reading for both fans of the band and connoisseurs of good music.

  www.jawbonepress.com

     Bill Griggs, who many believe to be Buddy Holly and The Crickets’ leading historian, was inducted into the West Texas Walk of Fame at 6:30 P.M. on July 30, 2010 in Lubbock, Texas. Formerly known as The Buddy Holly Walk of Fame, the change occurred because Holly’s widow, Maria Elena, demanded a hefty licensing fee from the city of Lubbock for the use of her husband’s name, which it was not willing to pay.

     Griggs, who will be 70 on June 17, 2011, has been an everlasting Holly fan since the artist’s magnificent 2-year run in the late ‘50s; and in 1975, during what Griggs calls one of his annual Connecticut backyard Rocknrollathon parties of a mix of record collectors, D.J.’s, and an occasional artist or two, one of his friends remarked that it was too bad Buddy Holly’s music is seldom heard on the radio anymore. 

     “That was the spark that prompted me to organize the International Buddy Holly Memorial Society, which operated through the 1990s,” says Griggs. “I began publishing ‘Reminiscing’ newsletter, later a full-fledged magazine, and began using all of that information and collectibles I had saved from the 1950s.”

     Although ‘50s rock and roll is his passion, Buddy Holly and The Crickets has always been his principal focus, according to Griggs, and he moved to Lubbock, Texas in 1981 with his first wife, specifically to befriend Holly’s relatives, business associates and friends, who had an historic connection with the ‘50s music icon. 

     Nearly a decade ago, long-time friend, Randy Steele and second wife, Sharon Griggs, began a promotional process of having Bill inducted into the West Texas Walk of Fame.

     “We do everything together,” says Griggs, “and if you see me some place, chances are she [Sharon] will be nearby. And let me say this. She doesn’t stand behind me, she stands beside me.”

     According to Sharon, she, along with Steele, began the endeavor for induction because they fervently believe that Bill’s more than three-decade crusade of ardent research on everything that has to do with Buddy Holly and The Crickets—much of which was provided to him by Holly’s record producer, Norman Petty and Buddy Holly’s late mother, Ella Holley, whom Griggs refers to as his surrogate grandmother—was a factor of eligibility on a level of historic significance similar to that of the West Texas Walk of Fame’s previous inductees.

     But there were bumps in the road in convincing the decision makers that Griggs’ credits were worthy of his induction, especially since artists such as Sonny West, principal composer of Holly’s hits, “Oh Boy” and “Rave On”; Tommy Allsup, guitarist for Buddy Holly during the Winter Dance Party; Carl Bunch, drummer for Holly’s Winter Dance Party; Keith McCormack, who co-wrote the number one song in 1963 titled “Sugar Shack,” The String-A-Longs, who had a smash instrumental hit with “Wheels,” and Bobby Fuller, who had a monster hit with Crickets’ guitarist, Sonny Curtis’s “I Fought the Law,” have been peculiarly overlooked for induction. All are Texans and nearly all have made contributions of household-name status. 

     Sadly, a few months ago, Bill Griggs was diagnosed with cancer and is now in the final fourth stage of this terrible disease. 

     “The doctors have given him until January of 2011,” says Randy Steele, “but they’re not always right in their diagnosis. Prayers and good thoughts can have a strong healing effect.”

     Under partly cloudy skies and hot, humid atmospheric conditions, with approximately 100 individuals in attendance and a promise of a five-minute introductory speech by Steele that turned into a fifteen minute acknowledgement of Bill’s achievements that concluded in a tearful display of joy, Griggs graciously accepted his induction plaque, after giving a special thanks to those in the audience he considered “friends in the music business” that had traveled great distances to attend.

     One was from the Pacific Northwest, Jimmy Torres, lead guitarist for The String-A-Longs of “Wheels” fame; one from New Mexico, George Tomsco, guitarist for the Fireballs [actually there were three others from the great state of New Mexico that he forgot to mention, who traveled long distances to observe Griggs’ induction, one of them being Echo McGuire Griffith, Buddy’s first serious girlfriend of historic note, her husband, Ron, and some bloke (as the British would say), who also authored a book]; Buddy Holly’s widow, Maria Elena Holly from Dallas, Texas, who is quoted as saying that “some people call me the Yoko Ono of Lubbock; they blame me for everything”; Gary and Ramona Tollett from Arizona, backup singers on Holly’s first hit, “That’ll Be the Day” (Ramona told this writer in jest a few years back that she is the only female Cricket); Monte Warden from Austin, Texas, who co-wrote George Strait’s hit, “Desperately”; Peggy Sue Gerron, who, when asked by this reporter how her book, “What Ever Happened to Peggy Sue” was doing, replied, “It’s doing well now that I separated myself from Al Olmernick”; and author, John Goldrosen from Massachusetts, who wrote “Remembering Buddy,” which Griggs feels is the best Holly biography on the market.

     “Another author is here, and he is from Lubbock,” says Griggs. “Ryan Vandergriff is just about ready to publish his book about the Winter Dance Party.”

     Other friends of note, who were in attendance that Griggs acknowledged, were Virgil Johnson, The Velvets’ lead singer; Jack Neal, who was the first person to appear on television with Holly; Richard Porter of The Poor Boys, a Texas band that never released a 45 vinyl record, but nevertheless played an important historic role before and during Holly’s heyday; Ingrid Kaiter, Holly’s niece; and Andy Wilkinsen, who Griggs says is the only person to write a book about the 21-year-old pilot, Roger Peterson, who died tragically with Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens when the 1947 Beechcraft Bonanza that he piloted crashed almost immediately upon takeoff in Iowa on February 3, 1959. 

     The previous inductees into the West Texas Walk of Fame are Buddy Holly, 1979; Waylon Jennings, 1980; Mac Davis, 1983; Jimmy Dean, Ralna English, and Bobby Keys, 1984; G.W. Bailey and Barry Corbin, 1985; Niki Sullivan, Jerry Allison, Joe B. Mauldin, and Sonny Curtis, 1986; Tanya Tucker, 1988; Roy Orbison and Joe Ely, 1989; Gatlin Brothers, 1990; “Snuff” Garrett, 1991; Maines Brothers Band, 1993; Virgil Johnson of the Velvets and Buddy Knox, 1994; Gary P. Nunn and Glen D. Hardin, 1995; Woody Chambliss, Paul Milosevich, Bob Montgomery, and The Hometown Boys, 1996; Terry Allen, Dan Blocker, Glenna Maxey Goodacre, and Dirk West, 1997; Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore, 1998; Eddie Dixon, 2000; The Fireballs and Delbert McClinton, 2001; Helen Wagner (Willey) and Brad Maule Rotan, 2002; Alvin G. Davis and Billy Walker, 2003; Clif Magness and Richie McDonald, 2004; Agnes Torres and Angela Strehli, 2005; David Gaschen, Jennifer Smith, and David Box, 2006.  All these inductees are listed as being from West Texas with the exception being The Fireballs, who are listed as Clovis, NM residents, but, in fact, hail from Raton, New Mexico that borders Colorado.

Near the conclusion of Griggs’ excellent acceptance speech, this writer was a little surprised when he heard Bill’s recommendation for Bobby Fuller’s proposed induction over that of his good friend, Norman Petty, who was responsible for Holly’s earliest hits and arguably one of the greatest record producers in the Southwest.  Bill also recommended that the West Texas mileage rule be changed to include Fuller’s hometown of El Paso, Texas.

     George Tomsco, guitarist for the legendary guitar-instrumental band, The Fireballs and considered one of the principal contributors to what this writer calls “The Great Instrumental Guitar Garage Band Explosion of the Early ‘60s,” joined Jack Neal and his band on stage at the conclusion of the ceremonies.