The Ducks: High Flyin' 1977 (2023)

 

A memorable but short-lived project, the Ducks were a bar band based in Santa Cruz, California whose lineup featured Neil Young on guitar and vocals, though he was not the leader of the group. In the spring of 1977, former Moby Grape vocalist and guitarist Jerry Miller was working with various

musicians, and Young found his way on stage one night with Miller (whom he knew from his Fillmore days) and a singer-songwriter named Jeff Blackburn (who co-wrote "My My Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)". Young began hanging out and jamming with Blackburn in the days that followed with Blackburn on rhythm guitar, Bob Mosley on bass, and session musician Johnny Craviotto on drums. 

                        

Craviotto had previously played on tracks for Arlo Guthrie, Ry Cooder, and Buffy Sainte-Marie and would go on to found The Craviotto Drum Company. They decided to call themselves the Ducks, and within weeks every duck call within miles had been purchased. A democratic quartet, the

Ducks allowed all four members to take lead vocals and perform songs of their own, and their blend of country rock, blues, folk-rock, and straight-ahead rock made them the talk of their hometown during the three months they were together. The Ducks never released any recordings during their brief run, and only a few bootleg tapes documented their sound until Young arranged for the release of an archival live album, 2023's High Flyin'. 
                                 

The Ducks played five shows in Santa Cruz in July 1977, and 13 the following August, but as the mainstream music press began publishing reports about Young's new band, shows were soon overrun with fans who didn't understand the democratic nature of the group and their low-key philosophy, and

they were sometimes inundated with requests for Young's songs when Mosley and Blackburn took their turns at the microphone. They played venues all over the Santa Cruz area, including the Catalyst, Crossroads, and the Veteran's Hall. Near the end of the summer they played two larger shows, one at the Civic Auditorium with the then current edition of Moby Grape, which turned out to be their final performance with Young, and an outdoor performance at Cabrillo Community College opening for Elvin Bishop. 

                       

                                 
More than 45 years later, in April 2023, Young officially released a double album culled from the band's performances at multiple venues as well as from sessions at a local recording studio. Mosley and Blackburn's originals are good enough to stand up to comparison to Young's, and Mosley

seemingly taught some of the tricks of Moby Grape's glorious harmonies to his fellow Ducks, feeling rougher but no less satisfying. Mosley and Craviotto are a superb rhythm section, too, knowing when to groove and when to push the music into fifth gear. It's a shame the Ducks didn't have the chance to mature and cut a studio album, because they clearly had talent and potential to spare, but there's no shame in being a truly great bar band, and High Flyin' shows the Ducks were something special for just three bucks. 
                        

The Ducks – High Flyin'
Label: Shakey Pictures Records – 093624885054
Series: Neil Young Archives Official Bootleg Series – OBS 02
Format: 2 x CD, Album
Country: Worldwide
Released: Apr 14, 2023
Genre: Rock, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country Rock, Country Blues, Classic Rock

CD1.

                                   

01. I Am A Dreamer   4:25
Written-By – Bob Mosley
02. Younger Days   3:45
Written-By – Jeffrey Reid Blackburn
03. Gypsy Wedding   2:45
Written-By – Bob Mosley
04. Are You Ready For The Country?   3:41
Written-By – Neil Young
05. Hold On Boys    4:30
Written-By – Jeffrey Reid Blackburn
06. My, My, My (Poor Man)   3:34
Written-By – Bob Mosley
07. I’m Tore Down   3:43
Written-By – Sonny Thompson
08. Hey Now   2:53
Written-By – Jeffrey Reid Blackburn
09. Wide Eyed And Willing   4:13
Written-By – Jeffrey Reid Blackburn
10. Truckin' Man   3:27
Written-By – Bob Mosley
11. Sail Away   5:32
Written-By – Neil Young
12. Gone Dead Train   3:52
Written-By – Jack Nitzsche, Russ Titelman
13. Silver Wings   5:35
Written-By – Jeffrey Reid Blackburn

CD2.

                    

01. Human Highway   3:48
Written-By – Neil Young
02. Your Love   4:04
Written-By – Bob Mosley
03. I’m Ready   3:49
Written-By – Antoine "Fats" Domino
04. Little Wing   4:43
Written-By – Neil Young
05. Car Tune   3:11
Written-By – Jeffrey Reid Blackburn
06. Windward Passage   6:24
Written-By – Jeffrey Reid Blackburn
07. Leaving Us Now   5:32
Written-By – Bob Mosley
08. Mr. Soul   5:10
Written-By – Neil Young
09. Two Riders   4:47
Written-By – Jeffrey Reid Blackburn
10. Honky Tonk Man   3:27
Written-By – Johnny Horton
11. Sailor Man   3:44
Written-By – Bob Mosley
12. Silver Wings   6:35
Written-By – Jeffrey Reid Blackburn

Flac (CD1 + CD2) Size: 660 MB

LINE - UP

                            

Band [The Ducks], Bass, Vocals – Bob Mosley
Band [The Ducks], Drums, Vocals – Johnny Craviotto
Band [The Ducks], Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals – Neil Young
Band [The Ducks], Guitar, Vocals – Jeff Blackburn

NOTES

Live from Santa Cruz, Summer 1977 at The Catalyst, The Crossroads, The Steamship, Veterans Auditorium and Magic Devices Studio (recorded rehearsal)