During the recording of the Electric Light Orchestra’s 2nd album (imaginatively titled “ELO2”) Roy Wood found himself having a “frank exchange of opinion” with their manager Don Arden which ultimately led to Roy leaving the band. He took a couple of ELO members with him (Cellist Hugh McDowell and my Uncle, Bill Hunt who in Wizzard played mainly keyboards), hooked up with some members of Birmingham band Mongrel (Bass man Rick Price and drummers (yes, two !) Charlie Grima and Keith Smart), found himself a couple of Sax players (Mike Burney and Nick Pentelow (whose Dad was Arthur Pentelow who played Mr Wilks in “Emmerdale Farm” trivia fans)) and formed Wizzard. Between 1972 and early 1974 Wizzard produced a string of 6 top 10 Glam-pop-tastic singles including the #1’s “See My Baby Jive” and “Angel Fingers” and the unbelievably NOT #1 “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday”.

Then in March of 1973, just as “See My Baby Jive” was primed to hit #1, Wizzard released this, their debut album. I have no idea what the kids who had propelled debut single “Ball Park Incident” into the top 10 and who must have been hearing “See My Baby Jive” on the radio ahead of release, must have made of this. Those two singles had been Glammed up rock ’n’ roll pop tunes, this album, well, the only way it can be described is…it’s Prog Rock. We should have been prepared though, track 1 side 1 starts with what can only be called a drum solo (!) and the album is on uber prog label Harvest who were much more comfortable with the likes of  Pink Floyd, the Third Ear Band, Barclay James Harvest, Spontaneous Combustion and the Edgar Broughton Band thatn they were with sparkly pop singles. Nothing about Wizzard's singles thus far could have prepared fans for what was to be found within these grooves.

There are 6 tracks in total, one running to 7 minutes 37 seconds (although technically it is 2 songs segued together), another reaches 9 minutes and 12 seconds and the second track on the record “Meet Me At The Jailhouse” clocks in at a preposterous 13 and a half minutes ! The kids who were buying those pin sharp, 3 and 4 minute pop singles must have been thinking WTF is this ???

Now in fairness to the band, Roy Wood was not far removed from ELO and his vision of a classical/rock hybrid, Bill Hunt was a classically trained musician, Saxophonist Mick Burney was a veteran of the Brummie Jazz scene, so maybe pin sharp pop singles weren’t foremost in some members list of priorities. They had all that space on an album to play with and boy oh boy did they stretch their musical wings.

First song “You Can Dance The Rock ’n’ Roll” kicks things off sounding not unlike ELO and certainly in line with what you might expect from Wizzard. Second track “Meet Me At The Jailhouse” begins with a booming Prog guitar riff, followed by some random, solo, free form Sax for a couple of minutes and it only gets more ridiculous after that ! A half decent tune almost breaks out a couple of times but it keeps being buried beneath heavy riffage, soloing, random snippets of “Jerusalem” and bits that sound like incidental music from a 1950’s avant-garde Jazz musical ! The very silly “Jolly Cup Of Tea” (with its cheeky musical “quote” and more than passing resemblance to Birmingham City anthem “Keep Right On To The End Of the Road”) comes as blessed relief.

If what you know of Wizzard is “See My Baby Jive”, “Angel Fingers” and that Xmas song then go buy yourself a greatest hits collection, because, unless you also have a hankering for Prog and free Jazz, “Wizzard Brew” may not be for you.

Buffalo Station/Get On Down To Memphis - https://youtu.be/ikh_yQ85E-0?si=pM44Zk6V9or971pO

Hiram King “Hank” Williams was born in Butler County, Alabama on September 17th 1923. On January 1st 1953, to borrow a turn of phrase from one of his own songs, he didn’t get out of this world alive and passed away at the age of 29. Between those two dates be became one of the biggest, most influential and best loved Country singers America has produced. He was the very embodiment of that description of the vital ingredients for Country Music, “three chords and the truth”. 

His songs have been covered by Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and countless others. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, the Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame in 1999. He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010 and he was awarded a posthumous Pulitzer Prize Special Citation for his songwriting skills. In the USA Hank Willimas is as close as it gets in a Republic to being Royalty.

I’ve wrapped these 2 volumes up into one piece because together they tell a story. 32 songs across 2 LP’s, some you’ll undoubtedly know like “Jambalaya (On The Bayou)”, “Hey, Good Lookin'” and “Your Cheatin' Heart”. Some you may not but might want to investigate, “Honky Tonkin’”, “Lost Highway” and the beautiful “I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry” whose opening line “Hear that lonesome whippoorwill, He sounds too blue to fly” may well be the perfect summation of heartbreak in 2 lines. 

These songs are from Hank’s “pop” output (many with his wonderfully named band, the Lonesome Cowboys). He also had a parallel career as a Country Gospel singer (he was from Alabama, none more Bible Belt). The best known of his Gospel songs would likely be “I Saw The Light”, which although not a hit at the time of release has become a Country/Gospel standard. Sadly it’s not on these albums.

Hank Williams still sits on a lofty perch in Country Music history. In 1978, 25 years after his passing, Waylon Jennings used the power of Hank’s name to throw some ridicule at the glitz and rhinestones of Nashville in the song “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way ?”. Because, as Waylon knew, all you really need is “three chords and the truth”. 

If you have any appreciation of Country Music it’s almost impossible to avoid contact with Hank Williams whether his music or the many artists that have covered his songs. It was my Dad that introduced me to Hank and his appreciation of Country runs to just Hank and Johnny Cash, where that came from among the Jazz, Classical, Big Bands etc. I have no idea, but thanx Dad.

I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - https://youtu.be/4WXYjm74WFI?si=AWJ-P7gNEOEKdxtW

The follow up to “Dust” wandered into the shop one Friday morning amongst a bunch of discs by the Grateful Dead, Deep Purple and M*tall*ca <spit> so rather than make it available I decided to re-unite it in my collection with it’s older sibling. It was released a year after “Dust”, again by local Brummie Indie label Chapter 22 which was originally also home to Pop Will Eat Itself and early singles by Balaam & The Angel and Ned’s Atomic Dustbin.

The sound hasn’t changed so much since “Dust”, this was only a year later after all, well written Indie Rock, slashing guitars, gruff vocals and a feel of America about it. It maybe doesn’t have the standout song(s) like “Dust” does”, there’s certainly nothing that matches “A Kind Of Kingdom” (but then to my ears not many bands ever produced anything as good as “A Kind Of Kingdom”) but that’s not to say this is a bad record. Opening song “Take Me For A Ride” grabs you attention from the off and the following “Broken Chains” (even though it begins just like “Needles & Pins”) is a great tune. The whole record has much more of that feel of Americana about it.

The Wild Flowers went on to become the first British band signed to the American “punk rock” label Slash Records (before they were subsumed by Warner) and released 2 more albums after this one before riding off into the sunset at the end of the 90’s. They still do the occasional gig, I recall seeing singer Neal Cook and guitarist Dave Atherton do an acoustic thing in a park in Wolverhampton a few summers ago. They were an integral part of that Black Country scene that ultimately birthed the Stourbridge Sound (TWS, PWEI, Neds etc.) which became part of the late 80’s/early 90’s Indie boom (Carter, Senseless Things, Darling Buds etc.). Good memories of a great time musically around the Midlands.

Take Me For A Ride - https://youtu.be/DHxBj5dDPGw?si=yW7LWh_ln8KRR3uB