V/A - The Anthology Of British Blues LP

Label: Imperial Records; Year: 1968; Format: Vinyl LP

It's not like I need more artists or genres to get my teeth into as I sure as hell have enough I am trying to get through and to learn about when it comes to music from the past, but sometimes the records seem to find me instead of the other way around. Last week I walked to a small local independent book store in Downtown Buffalo during my lunch and in the few boxes stuffed with second hand records the cover of an old British Blues record struck my interest. After having listened to the record last night and having done some research about the artists themselves I have the slight suspicion that in the future I will want to grab more of old British Blues records and to immerse myself in its history. And in that sense this record is a good introduction as it is a highly enjoyable compilation that was recorded in 1968 highlighting tracks by known and not so known British Blues artists of that time. Tony McPhee for instance - the sole constant member of the Groundhogs - is to be found on this LP with three outstanding tracks, one of them a great take on "Death Letter" by Mississippi legend Son House. The one artist I found most compelling on this record and naturally dug deeper into the history of though is Andy Fernbach from Bournemouth on the sunny coast of England. None of the three tracks Andy contributes to the album are his own but we are talking 1960's here where that was standard with Andy paying tribute to some great US blues players including Skip James whom Andy had the pleasure to tour with shortly before James' had passed away. For a much more detailed biography and history of the Blues in Bournemouth please see the link at the end of this blog entry. Also to be found on this LP are sister and brother Jo-Ann Kelly and Dave Kelly, equally fascinating when it comes to their personal histories with Jo-Ann having been a much wanted pursuit by Canned Heat from Los Angeles. If you are like me and just start out getting interested in British Blues then seek this one out and I have the feeling that just like me you'll get the bug to be wanting to find out more. The liner notes on the back of my US pressing state the following: "It's music to nurse two jiggers of Scotch by in the lonely wee hours. It provokes melancholy reflections of reality, and gives glimpses of life as it really is. Here, without pretense, is basic blues."

Link to fantastic article about Andy Fernbach and Blues in Bournemouth: https://bournemouthbeatboom.wordpress.com/andy-fernbach/

Legionaire's Disease - Catch The Disease 10"

Label: Lunar Lab; Year: 1995; Format: 10" Vinyl 

The sleeve notes on the back of this brilliant piece of vinyl and Texas punk rock history start of like this: Q: What do you get when you cross a pimp, a whore, a Ferris wheel operator, and a dog trainer? A: One of Houston's most infamous early punk bands - Legionaire's Disease. Whereas in today's world I would assume bands are often started through some ideas on some social media platform back in the late '70s Legionaire's Disease were pretty much an idea that originated while singer Jerry and guitarist Mike met in a jail cell and the conversation turned to music. But, not only did the two of them meet there but their original drummer Rick was also shoved into the cell for operating a Ferris wheel while being drunk and thinking it would be fun to keep it spinning for beyond 20 minutes. The Legionaire's live shows were said to have attracted more attention than any of their contemporaries such as the Hates or Really Red and one could always count on seeing outrageous outfits, some nudity, a bit of destruction, and almost always some boys in blue. It was actually a fan of the band that helped get the band into the studio resulting in the 1979 single "Rather See You Dead" b/w "Downtown". The eight tracks on this 10" are all from said studio session and the world is a better place and should be forever thankful to Lunar Lab for having released the material back in 1995. I will keep it simple and promise you that if you like your punk raw, primitive and with a good dose of humor and goofiness you will simply love this record. All eight songs are pure pogo hits and as stated in the sleeve notes "there's some obvious aping of the Sex Pistols and other well known punk bands of the era, but the Disease couldn't help but infuse the tunes with their sick sense of style. Hey Punk, you want some jailhouse rock? Drop the needle and turn it up!" Killer release.

Houston Press Article about the band: https://www.houstonpress.com/music/houston-punks-legionaires-disease-band-gone-but-hardly-forgotten-6568274