Here we have another review of one of Noble Records Exclusive offerings. This time around we go Down Under to Sydney, Australia with a band named McPhee. The album was originally released in 1971 and has been lost and forgotten through the sands of time. Well, not really as it has been a highly sought after piece in the collecting world and an original LP will cost you well over $2,000 to obtain it. Don’t fret, these reissues by labels such as Guerssen Records help keep these lost gems in the public eye and we are luckier for it.
Guerssen always does such a fine job recreating the original artwork and they use only the best, high quality material. It is reproduced on a stunning green and black splatter vinyl which you will see below. On top of that you get an essay on the band by Ian McFarlane which gives you all the details needed to know about this band.
And speaking of the band, you get Jim Deverell on Organ, piano and vocals; Faye Lewis on vocals and percussion; Terry Popple on drums; Tony Joyce on guitar; and last but certainly not least, Benny Kaika on bass. It is a stellar line-up full of people that now how to use their instruments as you will hear if you check this out, which you should. The album is mostly full of covers but there are 2 original songs out of the 7 on the album. Musically, this is some killer acid rock, psychedelia, prog and pure rock. But enough jibber-jabber, lets get to the music.
Olivia Rodrigo – Guts – (Geffen Records)
Andy Taylor – Man’s a Wolf to Man – (BMG Rights Mgmt)
H.E.A.T – Into the Great Unknown – (Frontiers Records): This Swedish rock band brings us their 5th release and first after losing original guitarist Eric Rivers. I am interested to hear it despite 2 of the original members now gone including the lead singer. That usually really bothers me when you lose the singer, but Erik Gronwell can hold his own and has done a fine damn job since taking over. Here is to hoping for more of the same greatness from these guys.
Otherwise – Sleeping Lions – (Century Media)
Macklemore – Gemini – (Bendo LLC)
Matthew West – All In – (Sparrow)
Josh Ritter – Gathering – (Pytheas Recordings)
Midland – On the Rocks – (Big Machine)
Van Morrison – Roll With The Punches – (Exile Productions)
Leon Russell – On A Distant Shore – (Palmetto)
Chris Hillman – Bidin’ my Time – (Rounder)
Steve Martin / The Steep Canyon Rangers – “The Long-Awaited Album” – (Rounder)
Cradle of Filth – Cryptoriana: The Seductiveness of Decay – (Nuclear Blast)
Lecrae – All Things Work Together – (Reach Records)
Haley Reinhart – What’s That Sound? – (Concord Records)
Brian Wilson – Playback: The Brian Wilson Anthology – (Rhino/Warners)
2 Loud 2 Old Music 