(Pseudonym)

1968, 2001 (Holland)

One of the most legendary groups in the history of European rock, The Outsiders were Holland’s gruffest, loudest, and most experimental group. This, their second proper album, shows the group to have evolved somewhat from the primitive R&B rhythms which dominated their self-titled debut album. This isn’t to say that the tough blues influence is no longer present; rather it is combined with lead singer Wally Tax’s conception of US West-Coast psychedelia to form something entirely new.

The leadoff title “Misfit” is a driving punk style rant with a storming beat, bizarre lyrics about alienation, and an excellently noisy guitar solo. Next, “Zsarrahh” leads the album in an entirely new direction, creating an atmosphere of mystery and paranoia. “Zsarrahh” also features some great guitar leads and some particularly poignant lyrics from Wally Tax: “See, I’m different, I’m not your kind. I got no reason to be kind at all”. The album’s title track “CQ” continues in the vein of mystery, and again features fine lead guitar work. “Daddy Died on Saturday” brings us back to a stark reality, with its lyrical depiction of the murder of an obstructive father.

“Doctor” is driven by brash distorted guitar chords, and prominently features some screaming Velvet Underground-style distortion. The rest of the album is no less interesting, and continues with hard rock rants contrasted with softer introspective numbers. The writing displays an obvious European style, notably in the structure of the melodies. *CQ* is undeniably an eccentric classic, and will find a welcome home in the collections of Eurorock fans. This new reissue on the Dutch Pseudonym label comes much anticipated, as the original 1993 CD pressing has been out of print for some time. Prior to this reissue, the original CD pressing was fetching upwards of $100.00 on Ebay.

This 2001 release comes with five bonus tracks on top of the original Polydor album; the A and B sides of their 2 Polydor single releases, one of which “Do You Feel Allright” is presented in both mono and stereo. The liner notes are a little obscure, clearly having not been written by a native speaker of English. However, the photos are great. Well worth obtaining.

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Millennium
Magic Time 3CD set

(Sundazed)

2001

A product of the genius of songwriter/musician/producer Curt Boettcher, Millennium successfully blended sophisticated soft rock with experimental psychedelia on their 1969 album Begin. This new 3CD set features Begin in its entirety, along with a heap of previously unreleased Boettcher-related recordings, including the entire recorded works of Boettcher’s earlier group, The Ballroom.

The first disc is taken up entirely by Ballroom material, the best of which, “Spinning, Spinning, Spinning” and “Magic Time” clearly display the abundance of talent possessed by Curt Boettcher and his crew. Both the aforementioned titles are charmingly wistful pop songs. This first disc also features some songs which would later appear on the first Sagittarius album, including “Would You Like to Go” and “Musty Dusty”.

The second disc in the set is a mixed bag of Ballroom, Sagittarius, and Boettcher demos along with both sides of a rare single released as by “Summer’s Children”. This disc features several highlights, including the painfully lonely tunes “Believe You” and “The Island”, the latter of which would later appear on the Millennium album. Another highlight from disc 2 is Curt Boettcher’s sensitive demo version of “Another Time”, which features several verses which were omitted in the Sagittarius version.

Finally, disc 3 shows in all its splendor the culmination of the work heard in the previous two discs. This final disc features the full original Millennium album, along with single mixes of songs from the LP. This disc is chocked full of charming pop/rock songs which are very enduring after a few listenings. Particularly excellent are “To Claudia on Thursday”, “It’s You”, and “It Won’t Always be the Same”.

It’s obvious why this album has earned its excellent reputation. Overall, this package is a very worthwhile purchase for Boettcher fans. Although not all of the early work is brilliant, it’s valuable because it displays the working talent of creative genius Curt Boettcher. For around $35.00, this 3CD set duplicates the recent pricey imports floating around, and adds many new songs and a very informative booklet. It’s obvious that a lot of effort went into the production of this package, which perhaps dethrones the Trashmen 4CD set Bird Call as Sundazed’s crowning achievement.

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Lee Michaels
Carnival of Life

(One Way)

1968, 1996

This, the debut album of this sadly underrated singer/songwriter shows off his ability to craft interesting pop and psychedelic material. It’s not typical solo artist music however, as Michaels is backed by a band of rock musicians talented in their own right, including the excellent guitarist Hamilton W. Watt. It’s obvious from listening to the music that Michaels was fully content with not being the only talent showcased on this album.

All nine songs on the album are Lee Michaels originals, many of which feature excellent guitar playing and prominent organ work. Michaels proves to be more than adept at writing hooky, melodic rock songs. “Streetcar” is a clever number with fine guitar work which was later covered with excellent result by Hamilton Streetcar on their sole album, released on Dot records in 1969.

Also exceptional on Carnival of Life are the hook-laden “Why” and the catchy “My Friends”. Perhaps the best song on the album is “Tomorrow” which opens with ringing electric guitar and swirling organ work. Really a great tune. Michaels was clearly a great and largely undiscovered artist who deserves more retrospective attention from pop/rock fans.

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The Lords
Lords IV: Good Side of June

(Repertoire)

1968, 1994 (Germany)

Perhaps Germany’s finest group in the 60s, the Lords racked up hit after hit in their native Deutschland, but sadly were virtual unknowns outside of central Europe. This, the group’s fourth album, will be an absolute delight for Eurobeat fans. Excellent hardrocking originals are combined with uniquely interpreted covers to great effect. Their version of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” is almost unrecognizable from the original. The Lords turn the tune into a stomping beat song, driven by great guitar work. The song’s solo is delivered by an electric guitar played through a Leslie organ speaker, achieving the same type of sound heard on the New Colony Six’s early Centaur label recordings. Pretty experimental stuff for a simple beat band.

Another great cover is their version of Johnny Kidd & The Pirates’ “Please Don’t Bring Me Down”, which has some of the best guitar work this side of the Ukraine. Of the originals, the best are “What They Gonna Do”, “Late Last Sunday Evening”, and the punkish “Don’t Mince Matter”. Almost every song on the album is absolutely pounding. Don’t let anyone tell you that Germany had a lack of homegrown talent in the 60s, as this album (loudly) proves otherwise. Truly great stuff, this album should be a required purchase for those interested in European beat. The Repertoire reissue sounds excellent, and features five bonus tracks taken from some non-LP singles.

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Gong
Magick Brother

(Spalax)

1969, 1994 (France)

Although composed largely of British musicians, Gong based themselves in France and released this occasionally brilliant debut album in 1969. Gong’s music is an inventive blend of dreamy psych and underground progressive rock.

“Glad to Sad to Say” is an interesting tune which features not-too-specific warnings of change and revolution. “Rational Anthem” is a slow, floating number which features a very compelling guitar line and some typically intriguing lyrics. The exceptional “Hope You Feel OK” again has compelling guitar work, along with phasing and other effects.This song also features vocals somewhat similar in sound to those of Roger Waters circa Dark Side of the Moon. The music on much of the album is very dark and mysterious, and is consistently unusual and interesting. More for fans of psychedelia than progressive rock, this album is quite unique and enjoyable. Worth attaining.

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