https://exchange.prx.org/p/550409
It's once again free-form week on Rockin' in the Days of Confusion, with 14 tunes, five of which have never been played on the show before. One of them, in fact, is from an artist making his Rockin' in the Days of Confusion debut, although those of you who remember the Dr. Demento show may recognize the song itself.
Artist: Steve Miller Band
Title: Living In The U.S.A.
Source: LP: Anthology (originally released on LP: Sailor)
Writer(s): Steve Miller
Label: Capitol
Year: 1968
Although generally considered a San Francisco act, the Steve Miller Band, in truth, was never really confined to a single geographical area. Miller himself was originally from Chicago, and had cut his musical teeth in Texas. The first Steve Miller Band album was recorded in London, while their second effort, Sailor, was made in Los Angeles. Appropriately enough, the best-known track from Sailor, and the first Steve Miller Band song to get significant national radio exposure, was Living In The U.S.A., a song that is still heard fairly often on classic rock radio stations.
Artist: Nektar
Title: Desolation Valley/Waves
Source: LP: A Tab In The Ocean
Writer(s): Nektar
Label: Passport (original German label: Bellaphon)
Year: 1972 (US release: 1976)
On the surface it seems like a story you've heard before: a group of young British musicians go to Hamburg, Germany to hone their craft, building up a cult following in the process. But this story is not about the Beatles. It is about Nektar, formed in 1969 by Roye Albrighton on guitars and vocals, Allan "Taff" Freeman on keyboards, Derek "Mo" Moore on bass, Ron Howden on drums, and Mick Brockett and Keith Walters on lights and special effects. The band's first LP, A Tab In The Ocean, was originally released in Germany in 1972 on the Bellaphon label, leading many people to assume Nektar was in fact a German band and an early example of "Kraut Rock". Nektar would eventually become closely associated with the progressive rock movement of the early to mid 1970s, thanks in large part to A Tab In The Ocean finally being released in a remixed form in the US in 1976. Like fellow prog-rockers Genesis and Gentle Giant, Nektar began to commercialize their sound with shorter songs containing fewer time and key changes as the decade wore on; unlike those other bands, however, Nektar did not become more popular because of the changes. Indeed, by 1978, the band had decided to call it quits, although two of the members reformed the band briefly the following year, releasing one album in 1980 before disbanding again in 1982. The nearest thing to a commercial pop song on A Tab In The Ocean is Desolation Valley, which opens the LP's second side. This piece segues into Waves, a quiet instrumental. Both parts are credited simply to Nektar.
Artist: Second Hand
Title: Reality
Source: British import CD: Spirit Of Joy (originally released on LP: Reality)
Writer(s): Elliott/Gibbons
Label: Polydor
Year: 1968
Formed in Streatham, South London, in 1965 by vocalist/keyboardist Ken Elliott, guitarist Bob Gibbons and drummer Kieran O'Connor, the Next Collection soon won a local battle of the bands and the opportunity to make a demo recording at Maximum Sound Studios. This brought them to the attention of producer Vic Keary, who got them signed to Polydor in 1968 under the name Moving Finger. Just as the album Reality was about to be released, however, another band called the Moving Finger released a single on another label, forcing Elliot and company to come up with a new band name, as well as new packaging for the LP. The name they chose was Second Hand, since all of their equipment had been bought used. Apparently the delay also caused some rethinking on the part of the people at Polydor, who had initially been enthusiastic supporters of the band. When Reality was released in late 1968 it got no promotional support whatsoever from the label, and was a commercial failure. In recent years, however, Second Hand's Reality, including the title track, has come to be recognized as one of the pioneering albums of the prog-rock movement, predating bands like Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer by several years.
Artist: Andromeda
Title: Journey's End (reprise)
Source: British import CD: The Definitive Collection (originally released in UK on LP: Andromeda)
Writer(s): John Du Cann
Label: Angel Air (original label: RCA Victor)
Year: Recorded 1969, released 2000
Before joining Atomic Rooster, guitarist John Du Cann fronted his own band, Andromeda. The group, one of the first true progressive rock bands, released one album and one single on the British RCA Victor label in 1969. They also recorded several demos for a projected second album, including Journey's Ende (reprise). However, while the band was shopping around for a record deal Du Cann was offered a spot in Vincent Crane's band, Atomic Rooster, which brought the story of Andromeda to an abrupt end.
Artist: Jeff Beck
Title: Greensleeves
Source: CD: Truth
Writer(s): traditional
Label: Epic/Legacy
Year: 1968
Jeff Beck's first solo album, like his early singles, was not limited to a single genre. Truth contained hard rock, blues, and even the traditional tune Greensleeves, played straight as a solo guitar piece.
Artist: Crosby, Stills And Nash
Title: Dark Star
Source: 45 RPM single B side
Writer(s): Stephen Stills
Label: Atlantic
Year: 1977
It may come as a surprise that the second Crosby, Stills And Nash LP, CSN, came out eight years after the first one, even if you consider that the deja vu and Four-Way Street albums, released in 1970-71, were only one band member (Neil Young) away from being by the same group. Then again, if you were around at the time, and had heard about the horrendous backstage fights in dressing rooms around the country, it might not all that much surprising. Whatever the reason, the album CSN did not appear until 1977. CSN did include a few songs that got airplay on several radio formats, however. Stephen Stills's Dark Star, which also appeared as the B side of the album's first single, got heard quite a bit on FM rock radio (which by 1977 was already being supplanted by the more commercial album-oriented rock format), while the A side of the single, Just A Song Before I Go, became a soft-rock staple.
Artist: Blues Image
Title: Fugue U/Parchman Farm/Wrath Of Daisey
Source: CD: Open
Writer(s): Blues Image/Allison
Label: Sundazed (original label: Atco)
Year: 1970
Despite drawing decent crowds in Florida (and, later, Los Angeles) and getting rave reviews from the rock press, as well as their fellow musicians, Blues Image was never able to sell a lot of albums. This is a shame, as almost all of their material was as good or better than anything else being recorded in 1969-70. A classic example is the medley of Fugue U (emulating J.S. Bach), a jazz-rock arrangement of Mose Allison's Parchman Farm and the latin-rock instrumental Wrath Of Daisey). Guitarist Mike Pinera went on to replace Eric Brann in Iron Butterfly the following year.
Artist: Jethro Tull
Title: For A Thousand Mothers
Source: European import LP: Stand Up
Writer(s): Ian Anderson
Label: Chrysalis (original US label: Reprise)
Year: 1969
For years, the only copy I had of Jethro Tull's For A Thousand Mothers was a homemade cassette tape. As a result I was under the impression that this was actually two separate songs. Long silences will do that. Long silences will also trip the sensors on automated radio station equipment, which partially explains why such a great track has always gotten far less airplay than it deserves.
Artist: Santana
Title: Samba Pa Ti
Source: Mexican import LP: Los Grandes Exitos De Santana (originally released on LP: Abraxas)
Writer(s): Carlos Santana
Label: Columbia
Year: 1970
One of the most enduring tracks from Santana's second LP, Abraxas, Samba Pa Ti starts off as a slow instrumental, slowly picking up the pace and adding percussion to give it a decidedly latin flavor. As far as I know, Carlos Santana still includes Samba Pa Ti in his concert repertoire.
Artist: Little Feat
Title: Teenage Nervous Breakdown
Source: CD: Sailin' Shoes
Writer(s): Lowell George
Label: Warner Brothers
Year: 1972
The shortest track on Little Feat's second album, Sailin' Shoes, is also the song most rooted in the traditional rock 'n' roll style. A Lowell George composition, the lyrics are a tongue-in-cheek commentary on some of the concerns voiced by various critics over the years about the effects of rock 'n' roll on American youth.
Artist: Ten Year:s After
Title: Year 3000 Blues
Source: LP: Cricklewood Green
Writer: Alvin Lee
Label: Deram
Year: 1970
Most rock songs with science fiction themes tend to fall into the genre known as space-rock. Not so with Ten Years After's Year 3000 Blues from the Cricklewood Green album, which is more of a country and western parody.
Artist: Jef Jaisun
Title: Friendly Neighborhood Narco Agent
Source: LP: Dr. Demento's Delights (originally released on 7" EP0
Writer(s): Jef Jaisun
Label: Warner Brothers (original label: Cantbustem)
Year: 1969
Although originally released in 1969 on a three-song EP, Jef Jaisun's Friendly Neighborhood Narco Agent became nationally popular in the mid-1970s when it began being regularly featured on the Dr. Demento radio show. In 1975 it was included on the LP Dr. Demento's Delights. As a condition for including the song on the album, Jaisun insisted that Warner Brothers also release the song as a single.
Artist: George Harrison
Title: Miss O'Dell
Source: 45 RPM single B side
Writer(s): George Harrison
Label: Apple
Year: 1973
One of the most popular of George Harrison's non-album tracks, Miss O'Dell appeared as the B side of his hit single Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) in 1973. Chris O'Dell was, in one person's words, "the ultimate insider" in the world of rock (she was one of the backup singers on Hey Jude, for instance), and helped Harrison recruit the many musicians that participated in his Concert For Bangla-Desh. The song was written while Harrison was waiting for a visit from O'Dell in Los Angeles, who missed the meeting in part because of a reluctance to deal with the various hangers-on that had attched themselves to Harrison while he was in town.
Artist: Badfinger
Title: No Matter What
Source: 45 RPM single
Writer(s): Pete Ham
Label: Apple
Year: 1970
Aside from the Beatles, the band most closely associated with Apple Records was Badfinger. Originally known as the Iveys, Badfinger was the first band signed to Apple and remained with the label throughout its existence. Led by Pete Ham, Badfinger had a string of successful singles for the label, including No Matter What, a Ham composition from the band's second LP, No Dice. The song, released in 1970, is considered by many to be the earliest example of what would come to be known as power pop later in the decade.
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