Stray: Time Machine - Anthology 1970 - 1977 (2003)

 

Stray dated back to 1966 when teenagers vocalist Steve Gadd, guitarist Del Bromham, bass player Gary Giles and drummer Steve Crutchley formed the band whilst all were attending the local Christopher

Wren School in London. At this point the average age of Stray members was 14. Steve Crutchley quit to pursue traditional jazz and was duly replaced by Richie Cole as Stray became regulars on the London club circuit, performing at such venues as Shepherds Bush Goldhawk Club and Covent Garden’s Middle Earth. In May 1969 Stray supported The Groundhogs at Southall Farx Club and signed to Transatlantic Records in January 1970.
                     

Vocalist Steve Gadd (born Stephen Gadd, 27 April 1952, Shepherd's Bush, West London), guitarist Del Bromham (born Derek Roy Bromham, 25 November 1951, Acton, West London), bass player Gary Giles (born Gary Stephen Giles, 23 February 1952, North Kensington, West London) and drummer

Steve Crutchley (born 1952) formed the band whilst all were attending the Christopher Wren School in London. Richard "Ritchie" Cole (born 10 November 1951, Shepherd's Bush, West London) replaced Crutchley in 1968. They signed to Transatlantic Records in January 1970. The group's early musical style consisted of blues rock, acid rock and psychedelic rock. They then went on to join the hard rock and progressive rock movement.
                

London, England's Stray yielded a prolific career yet managed to elude the fame enjoyed by

contemporaries like Cream, Thin Lizzy, or even Mountain. Formed in 1966, the hard rock, prog, and R&B outfit comprised of vocalist/guitarist Del Bromham, vocalist/guitarist Steve Gadd, bass player Gary Giles, and drummer Ritchie Cole signed to Transatlantic Records and released its debut, self-titled album in 1970.
              

Working-class British hard rock group Stray put out ten records in the 1970s. Their clever progressive

blues-rock epics went largely ignored due to the burgeoning London punk scene, though they count the Damned's Captain Sensible and XTC bassist Colin Moulding as fans. Transatlantic's exhaustive Time Machine: Anthology 1970-1977 chronicles the group's rise from obscurity to cultdom through a well-paced 35-song retrospective that features extensive liner notes and thoughtful musings from bandmembers and fans alike, giving new insight into one of rock & roll's most resilient underdogs.
                 

The group disbanded in the '80s, leaving behind a body of work that negates its lack of chart success. In

1997, frontman Del Bromham put together a revised version of the group that continues to tour, impressing a new generation with its trademark hard-working bar band aesthetic.
                 

Stray – Time Machine: Anthology 1970-1977
Label: Castle Music – CMDDD 607, Sanctuary – CMDDD 607
Format: 2 x CD, Compilation, Remastered
Country: UK
Released: 2003
Genre: Rock
Style: Hard Rock

CD 1.

                     

01. All In Your Mind    9:23
02. Around The World In 80 Days    3:38
03. Time Machine    4:42
04. Yesterday's Promises    4:21
05. Son Of The Father    5:49
06. Where Do Our Children Belong    3:39
07. Jericho    4:56
08. Suicide    7:41
09. Our Song    6:02
10. Mama's Coming Home    3:47
11. Move That Wigwam    5:20
12. Mr. Hobo    2:39
13. Come On Over    4:11
14. Alright Ma!    3:10
15. Oil Fumes And Sea Air    4:58
16. Hallelujah    3:25

MP3 @ 320 Size: 181 MB
Flac  Size: 531 MB

CD 2.

                                          

01. Move It    4:06
02. Mystic Lady    3:58
03. Somebody Called You    4:04
04. Give It Up    5:10
05. Get Out Right Away    3:01
06. Georgia    3:13
07. Stand Up And Be Counted    4:18
08. As Long As You Feel Good    3:50
09. Down Down, Down    4:34
10. Woolie    2:48
11. Feel Like I've Been Here Before    4:20
12. Houdini    3:30
13. Fire And Glass    4:16
14. Take It Easy    3:42
15. Percy The Pimp    4:52
16. Buying Time    4:27
17. You Went Away    3:43
18. I Wanna Be Free    4:54
19. One Night In Texas    6:07

MP3 @ 320 Size: 184 MB
Flac  Size: 564 MB

Tracks 1-1 to 1-4: From Stray (Transatlantic 1970)
Tracks 1-5 to 1-8: From Suicide (Transatlantic 1971)
Tracks 1-9, 1-11, 1-12: From Saturday Morning Picture (Transatlantic 1971)
Track 1-10: Single B-Side (Our Song, 1971)
Tracks 11-13 to 11-16 From Mudanzas (Transatlantic 1973)
Tracks 2-1 to 2-4 From Move It (Transatlantic 1974)
Tracks 2-5 and 2-6 Saturday Morning Picture outtakes, first released on compilation Tracks (Transatlantic 1975)
Tracks 2-7 to 2.10 From Stand Up And Be Counted (Dawn 1975)
Tracks 2-11 to 2-15 From Houdini (Pye 1976)
Tracks 2-16 to 2-19 From Hearts Of Fire (Pye 1976)