D.R.I: The Dirty Rotten CD 1983 (2002)

Dirty Rotten Imbeciles (often abbreviated, and referred to, as D.R.I.) are an American crossover thrash band that formed in Houston, Texas in 1982. The band is currently composed of two of its founding members, vocalist Kurt Brecht and guitarist Spike Cassidy, as well as drummer Rob Rampy and bass player Greg Orr.

D.R.I. never gained a mainstream audience, but the integration of their hardcore punk roots with thrash metal influences was a stylistic catalyst for their contemporaries — most notably Suicidal Tendencies, Corrosion of Conformity, Stormtroopers of Death, the Cro-Mags, Nuclear Assault and Cryptic Slaughter — alongside whom they are considered to be one of the major pioneers of what would later be called "crossover thrash", along with Adrenalin O.D., with both bands having a heavy influence on modern thrash metal.

To date, D.R.I. has released seven full-length studio albums. Other than three new songs on the 2016 EP But Wait...There's More!, they have not released a full-length studio album since Full Speed Ahead in 1995. Despite this, the band has continued to tour almost every year, and gone on hiatus intermittently, notably between 2004 and 2009, when Cassidy was diagnosed with colon cancer. Since at least 1998, D.R.I. has been working on their eighth full-length studio album, which remains unreleased.

Dirty Rotten EP/LP is the 1983 debut release by the crossover thrash band Dirty Rotten Imbeciles. The album has a very gritty sound, and is considered one of the first thrashcore albums.

D.R.I. had only existed for about four months, in which time they practiced every night and played a few shows in the Houston area. Dirty Rotten was recorded and produced by the band in the Brecht's parents' home which had a room walled with egg cartons as soundproofing where the band practiced.

The original cover was a photo of the back of drummer Eric Brecht's head. The record was originally released by the band on their own record label, also called Dirty Rotten. The original pressing was a 7", played at 33 RPM, titled Dirty Rotten EP.

The Dirty Rotten EP sold out quickly and has since then been reissued many times with various track listings and bonus songs. Later in 1983 it was released as a 12" LP (with the two upper arms of EP in the album's title hastily scribbled out to make it Dirty Rotten LP) with the help of R Radical Records,

fellow Houston punk band MDC's label. It was later remixed and re-released with new cover art, and with the songs that originally appeared on side one appearing on side two and vice versa, these would become the track listing and cover art for most subsequent re-releases. This album would also be combined with all four songs from their 1984 Violent Pacification EP. The Dirty Rotten LP was re-released yet again in 2003 as the Dirty Rotten CD, with 22 bonus tracks.

The Dirty Rotten CD closes with two radio appearances by the band from around the time they recorded Dirty Rotten EP, when they were still known as U.S.D.R.I. In these appearances they discuss upcoming shows with The Dead Kennedys and Chron Gen as well as play some of their demos. The CD ends with the band chiding the DJ for playing music that is "not thrash," while he puts on Einstürzende Neubauten. 

[ AllMusic Review by Bradley Torreano  [-]

Starting with the awesome "I Don't Need Society" and ending with the anthemic "Explorer," D.R.I.'s debut album was an important stepping stone in the evolution of both metal and hardcore.
D.R.I. drew a line in the sand between the American hardcore bands who wanted to stick close to the original punk sound and bands who wanted to branch out into heavy metal territory. D.R.I.'s use of thunderous heavy metal drumming and California hardcore songwriting made Dirty Rotten LP something special, putting them in a category with Corrosion of Conformity and Suicidal Tendencies as the forefront of a new movement.

Their angry lyrics revolved around the usual political and social ills, but their approach was a staggering blend of pre-grindcore blastbeats (that particular drumming style may have even had its first recorded instance here), blunt and simplistic guitar riffs, and an acidic vocal workout from the young Kurt Brecht. His charismatic shout was the tone-deaf glue that kept the band together, especially in the face of abbreviated songs and sloppy playing. With some humorous lyrics, endless enthusiasm, and a penchant for short song times (only one song makes it past the two-minute mark), D.R.I.'s debut was a landmark album that paved the way for exciting new hardcore bands to spring up in its wake.]

Discography

Dirty Rotten EP/LP (1983)

Dealing with It! (1985)

Crossover (1987)

4 of a Kind (1988)

Thrash Zone (1989)

Definition (1992)

Full Speed Ahead (1995)

D.R.I. ‎– The Dirty Rotten CD

Label: Beer City Records ‎– BCCD 099

Format: CD, Album, Compilation, Enhanced

Country: US

Released: 2002

Genre: Rock

Style: Thrash, Hardcore, Punk

TRAXS

01. I Don't Need Society     1:20

02. Commuter Man     0:58

03. Plastique     0:25

04. Why     0:21

05. Balance Of Terror     0:42

06. My Fate To Hate     0:28

07. Who Am I     0:49

08. Money Stinks     0:46

09. Human Waste     0:22

10. Yes Ma'am     0:49

11. Dennis' Problem     0:52

12. Closet Punk     0:33

13. Reaganomics     0:43

14. Sad To Be     2:14

15. War Crimes     1:14

16. Busted     0:48

17. Draft Me     0:22

18. F.R.D.C.     0:25

19. Capitalists Suck     0:39

20. Misery Loves Company     0:35

21. No Sense     1:18

22. Blockhead     0:57

23. Rather Be Sleeping (VATS Demo)     1:01

24. No People (VATS Demo)     1:59

25. Snap (Comp)     1:15

26. Explorer (Comp)     1:41

27. Running Around (VP)     0:58

28. Couch Slouch (VP)     1:27

29. To Open Closed Doors (VP)     0:31

30. Violent Pacification (VP)     2:58

31. Radio Interview #1 Part 1     1:50

32. We Are US (Demo)     0:29

33. I Don't Need Society (Demo)     1:20

34. Radio Interview #1 Part 2     0:42

35. Blockhead (Demo)     1:07

36. Radio Interview #1 Part 3     0:49

37. Radio Interview #2 Part 1     1:45

38. Commuter Man (Demo)     1:18

39. Radio Interview #2 Part 2     2:21

40. Yes Ma'am (Live)     1:28

41. Nursing Home Blues (Live)     2:02

42. Money Stinks (Live)     1:11

43. Louie Louie (Live) Vocals – Nikki Sikki  3:06

44. Radio Interview #2 Part 3     1:17

  

 

Notes

Tracks 1 - 22: Dirty Rotten LP

Bonus Tracks:

23 - 24: Vats Demo (1984)

25 - 26: Various Compilations (1984)

27 - 30: Violent Pacification EP (1984)

31 - 36: Radio Interview #1 (1982)

37 - 44: Radio Interview #2 (1982)

32, 33, 35 and 38: Bedroom Recorded Demos (1982, played during interviews)

40 - 43: Recorded live (1982, played during interview #2)

I DON'T NEED SOCIETY

I Don't Need Society

Dirty Rotten Imbeciles

Your numbers up you have to go

The system say's "I told you so"

Stocked in a train like a truckload of cattle

Sent off to slaughter in a useless battle

Thousands of us sent off to die

Never really knowing why

Fuck the system they can have me

I don't need society!

I don't need society!

Before you know it you're in he corp

Grab your gear boy you're off to war

Stocked in a train like a truckload of cattle

Sent off to slaughter in a useless battle

Thousands of us sent off to die

Never really knowing why

Fuck the system they can have me

I don't need society!

I don't need society!

You were an apple pie clone living at home …

WAR CRIMES

You should have gone to Canada

You could have run away

But you couldn't shame your parents

You say you had to stay

So you get yourself drafted

So you went ahead and went

And you thought you'd be a hero

And not a dissident

War Crime!

War Crime!

You used to be a good boy

You used to be the best

Then you tried the drug

Ad you dreamt about the west

Everyone's your enemy

Everyone's your friend

Your world was upside down

To kill was not to sin

So you shot the wrong woman

Or you shot the wrong kid

Now Sam will make you regret

That you ever did

But you had no choice

You were told what to do

Orders from the helicopter crew

War Crime!

War Crime!

Back home they wanted blood

For the atrocities

For the innocent who died

On they're tvs

They demanded justice

They demanded you

They wanted to watch you hang

Till you turned blue

War Crime!

War Crime!

And the president said that that's ok

Because it takes they're attention away

From the real crime, the war

There are no war crimes

War is the crime

BALANCE OF TERROR

They've known all along

Since the first time they dropped the bomb

They saw the power

Everyone knew it was time to stop

But they could not

Well I've seen the sign

I know it's time

To she'd a tear

To draw the line

But they can't stop now 'cause it's too late

The end is near and they can't wait

Balance of power

Balance of terror

We're in this too deep

To correct our error

A communist plan, it's all a plot

And you're a part of it if you think your not

We had an hour, now we've got a minute

You can't hide now, we're all in it

Balance of power

Balance of terror

We're in this too deep

To correct our error

Nobody rules, nobody wins

When there is no Earth, to you my friends

We've got a chance if we make a stand

Join the rulers or join a band

Balance of power balance of terror

Balance of power balance of terror

Balance of power balance of terror

Someone calls a bluff and we're finished

MP3 @ 320 Size: 118 MB

FLAC  Size: 324 MB

After All: After All 1969

After All may have only been a band in the loosest sense of the term, but its only record is a quite wonderful - if ultimately difficult to categorize - one-shot relic of the transitional late-'60s. The four members of the combo were actually friends and acquaintances in different bands on the Tallahassee, FL, rock circuit before culling their skills together, along with lyrical assistance from young local poet and songwriter Linda Hargrove, when an opportunity to record an album in a Nashville studio presented itself.

The resulting piece of work is the type of strangely compelling hybrid album that could only have come together in the musical gumbo of the post-psychedelic era. Drummer and primary vocalist Mark Ellerbee wrote most of the music, and his songs are basically freeform, open-ended tone poems that eschew typical verse-chorus and melodic considerations (although the odd melodic hook or There are elements of rock, R&B, blues, progressive, classical, avant-garde composition, and, to an even greater degree, jazz weaving through the music, while a thick hallucinatory cloud hovers over the whole of the album, giving it an oddly surreal and even ghostly demeanor. It is a complex and ambitious mix that doesn't always come off seamlessly, but is by and large an engaging amalgam, exploring similar territory to that being investigated during the period by much higher profile bands such as Chicago, Procol Harum, and Blood, Sweat & Tears (Ellerbee's singing, in fact, is a dead ringer for David Clayton Thomas).

Each band member displays near virtuosity on his instrument, which allows After All to harness all its sonic influences and renders the music exciting to hear even when the songwriting drags the slightest bit or loses its way. But, for the most part, the songs are rather outstanding. "Intangible She" and the psychedelic "A Face That Doesn't Matter" play with the foreboding, seedy flair that frequently made the Doors' songs seem like such ominous musical prophecies, while "Blue Satin" is a bit more swirling and romantic but maintains an edgy sense of intangible mystery, represented by the flute that threads through the song's final moments.

"Let It Fly," on the other hand, is pure groove, and maybe the best example of the band's playing capabilities (if not the best song), while "And I Will Follow" builds a slow, tensive burn to match the yearning nature of the lyrics before turning more wistful. Hargrove's beautifully lustful and longing

words frequently create an interesting tension with the spacier instrumental interplay, and the music is even more enigmatic as a result. After All is not easy to fully enter, but it is well worth the effort. As obscurities from the era go, it may not be one of the most fascinating, but it may have some of the most accomplished musicianship.
Artist Biographyby Stanton Swihart

TRACKS

01. Intangible She     7:12

02. Blue Satin     3:46

03. Nothing Left To Do     7:04

04. And I Will Follow     4:46

05. Let It Fly     4:30

06. Now What Are You Looking For?     3:02

07. A Face That Doesn't Matter     4:30

08. Waiting     4:20

Arranged By – After All

Bass, Vocals – Bill Moon

Drums, Vocals, Liner Notes – Mark Ellerbee

Guitar – Charles Short

Lyrics By – Linda Hargrove

Organ – Alan Gold

Producer – Rick Powell

Producer, Engineer – Tom Brannon

Written-By – Bill Moon (tracks: 6), Linda Hargrove (tracks: 1 to 5, 7, 8), Mark Ellerbee (tracks: 1 to 5, 7, 8)

After All:

Bill Moon - Vocals, Bass

Charlie Short - Guitar

Alan Gold - Keyboards

Mark Ellerbee - Drums, Vocals

MP3 @ 320 Size: 88.7 MB

FLAC  Size: 225 MB

V.A: Just A Bad Dream: Sixty British Garage & Trash Nuggets 1981-89 (2018)

Cherry Red Records is a British independent record label founded by Iain McNay in 1978. The label has released recordings by Dead Kennedys, Everything But the Girl, The Monochrome Set, and Felt, among others, as well as the compilation album Pillows & Prayers. In addition to releasing new music, Cherry Red also acts as an umbrella for individual imprints and catalogue specialists.

 https://www.cherryred.co.uk/

Cherry Red was listed by Music Week as one of the UK’s top ten record companies in Q1 2015 for sales of artist albums.

Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company (similarly named after the song "Cherry Red" by

The Groundhogs) founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens. In the wake of the independent record boom that followed the advent of punk rock, founders Iain McNay (who remains company chairman) and Richard Jones released the label's first single, "Bad Hearts" by punk band The Tights in June 1978.

Cherry Red's early roster included releases by Morgan Fisher under various pseudonyms, using a small studio installed in his Notting Hill flat, as well as material licensed from The Hollywood 

Brats, Destroy All Monsters and The Runaways. The latter was the label's biggest seller until McNay invested $10,000 in the recording of the debut studio album by San Franciscan political punk band Dead Kennedys. Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1979) and its attendant singles sold well worldwide. New A&R head Mike Alway had promoted the Snoopies venue in Richmond, London and been involved with the Scissor Fits, and signed groups including The Monochrome Set, Everything But The Girl, Eyeless in Gaza, Felt, and Five Or Six.

McNay aspired for Cherry Red to be a label that offered a space for artists who would otherwise not

fit the image of some of the more succinctly defined and stylised independents. "Cherry Red Records was always about musical individuality, diversity, character, commitment and passion," he stated in 2008. It also marketed other smaller independent record labels, like Bristol's Heartbeat Records, which recorded the Glaxo Babies.

[AllMusic Review by Tim Sendra

The underground U.K. music scene of the early '80s was dominated by post-punk and new wave, but percolating below the surface were several scenes that looked back to the past for inspiration. Loads of bands were besotted by the garage punk sound of the mid-'60s, the rockabilly sound of the '50s, and the '60s mod scene, and when they filtered it through punk it came out sounding trashy more often than not. Cherry Red's "Just a Bad Dream: Sixty British Garage & Trash Nuggets 1981-1989" gathers up the various threads of this very loosely defined scene, and over three discs does a fine job of capturing the raucous sounds of the era.

Chief early movers on the scene were the raw beat group lovers Thee Milkshakes, jumped-up mods the Prisoners, the garage-meets-surf Stingrays, and psychobilly wildmen the Meteors, and they are all represented.

All the sounds that were scuttling through the underbelly are represented nicely by well-chosen tracks. There are loads of psychobilly, mod, and garage rock with some truly inspired revivalists behind the mikes. Anything with Lenny Helsing involved is sure to be great tracks here by the Green Telescope ("A Glimpse") and the Thanes ("Don't Let Her Dark Your Door") are highlights.

The same with the man who is the poster child for the scene, Billy Childish. Along with Thee Milkshakes, there are plenty of Childish-related bands on hand, including the Delmonas with theirThee Mighty Caesars' "Little by Little." During this early part of the era covered by the set, Alan McGee's Creation Records dipped into psych and garage in their early days, with the Jesus and Mary Chain's brilliant cover of Syd Barrett's "Vegetable Man" and the Jasmine Minks' rollicking "What's Happening" on hand to inject some noise pop into the proceedings.

great early girl group-inspired "He Tells Me He Loves Me" and

The three discs are filled with fun romps like Ug and the Cavemen's silly "Go Gorilla," slick rockers like the Tall Boys' "Ride This Torpedo," swirling psych-pop like the Delmontes' "So It's Not to Be," and the Wolfhounds' howling punk blast "LA Juice." The wide scope of the bands gives an idea of how wide-ranging and diverse the scene was, even within its narrow confines. Only a few duds here and there as well as some dodgy moments of misogyny that could have been skipped keep this from being a classic box set. As it stands, it's merely great, which should be enough to inspire some serious revisitation of an era that was unique and produced a lot of wild and swinging sounds.]

3CD set charting the UK’s 1980s Garage Rock revival, otherwise known as Trash. Sixty of the finest must-have scene hits, lesser known deep cuts and underexposed nuggets.

All of the key players! Including Thee Milkshakes, The Sting-Rays, The Cannibals, The Prisoners, The Barracudas, The X-Men, The Tall Boys, The Jesus And Mary Chain, The Meteors, The X-Men, The Playn Jayn and many, many more…
Sixty of the finest must-have scene hits, lesser known deep cuts and underexposed nuggets.
Produced in association with The Sting-Rays’ Alec Palao
“I was there” sleevenotes from Mike Spenser, Lenny Helsing and Vic Templar.
Remarkable ‘comic book’ design and packaging makes this a must-see, must-hear, must-have set!

Sometimes, a disparate crowd of random influences and a handful of scene-makers coalesce out of nothing, and before you know it a movement is happening. So it was in the UK in the early-to-mid- ‘80s, when an unlikely set of bands resurrected the spirit of mid-‘60s Garage Rock.
Fusing that sound with elements of the pre-Fab Four, Psych, Mod, Rockabilly and Psychobilly, and greasing the wheels of this new machine with a thick slab of post—punk sensibility, bands across the UK began to shout and holler like they hadn’t in years,

capturing their work on often rough and ready recordings, issued on Big Beat, Hangman, Hit Records, Media Burn, Creation and other equally fried labels. From London, Medway and the South East to Edinburgh and beyond, the Trash movement spread, quickly reaching out into mainland Europe and beyond. Here in the UK, Trash finally enjoyed its moment in the sunshine in 1984, when four of the scene’s key bands appeared on Channel 4’s flagship music show The Tube.

Spiky, brash, loud and unfettered by delusions of grandeur, this is the sound of the post punk UK

music scene looking backwards whilst moving forwards. Not for the faint-hearted, sure, and always likely to tell you where you can stick it, but this is a sound that has stuck. The garage and trash scene, albeit under different names and sprinkled with a layer of post-Millennial self-awareness, continues to thrive around the world. Wherever one finds guitars, amplifiers and the primal spirit, one finds Trash.

Packed full of rarities and collectibles – the Medway Valley and

Billy Childish related material is currently particularly sought after – ‘Just A Bad Dream’ will appeal to fans of ‘80s Psychedelia, Mod Revival, Indie, Psychobilly and, of course, the ‘60s Garage Rock that influenced so many of these artists.

Various Artists

Just A Bad Dream: Sixty British Garage & Trash Nuggets 1981-89, 3CD Clamshell Boxset

Label: Cherry Red ‎– CRCDBOX63

Format: Box Set, Album, Clamshell

3 × CD, Compilation

Country: UK

Released: 23 Nov 2018

Genre: Rock

Style: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Psychobilly

CD 1.

01. Thee Mighty Caesars: Little By Little

Written-By – Billy Childish

02. The Cannibals: Submarine Song

Written-By – Mike Spenser

03. The Barracudas: Next Time Around

Written-By – R. Wills

04. The Sting-Rays: June Rhyme

Written-By – Alec Palao

05. The Sid Presley Experience: Hup Two Three Four

Written-By – Coyne, Bartle, Murphy, Coyne

06. The Prisoners: What I Want

Written-By – Graham Day

07. The Bugs: Just A Bad Dream

Written-By – Lloyd Tripp, RIchard Smith

08. The Green Telescope: A Glimpse

Written-By – Lenny Helsing

09. The Dentists: Writhing On The Shagpile

Written-By – Jones, Matthews, Murphy, Collins

10. Ug And The Cavemen: Go Gorilla

Written By – Coggins, Gottheardt

11. The Vibes: I Hear Noises

Written-By – Gary Boniface

12. Biff Bang Pow!: The Whole World Is Turning Brouchard!

Written-By – Biff Bang Pow!

13. The Aardvarks: Drive Me Wild

Written-By – The Aardvarks

14. The Margin Of Sanity: Get What I Can

Written By – Mark Storey

15. The Discords: Little Miss Misfit

Written-By – Pete Dodson

16. The Mild Mannered Janitors: Dirty Jean

Written-By – The Mild Mannered Janitors

17. Blow-Up: 125

Written-By – Burgess, Peter

18. Auntie Vegetable: Stroll On

Written-By – Mann, Maurice, Bradshaw

19. The Inmates: Mr Unreliable

Written-By – Staines

20. Naz Nomad And The Nightmares: Just Call Me Sky

Written-By – Bryn Merrick, Christopher Millar, Dave Vanian, Roman Jugg

MP3 @ 320 Size: 127 MB
FLAC  Size: 358

CD 2.

   

01. Sexton Ming: You Can't Polish A Turd

Written-By – Sexton Ming

02. The Escalators: Munsters Theme

Written-By – Mosher, Marshall

03. The Jesus And Mary Chain: Vegetable Man

Written-By – Syd Barrett

04. The Tall Boys: Ride This Torpedo

Written-By – Nigel Lewis

05. The Thanes: Don't Let Her Dark Your Door

Written-By – Lenny Helsing

06. Bananamen: The Crusher

Written-By – Bob Nolan

07. The X-Men: Talk

Written-By – Miles Aldridge

08. Emptifish: I Want That Girl

Written-By – Emptifish

09. The Morticians: I Don't Care

Written-By – Redfern

10. The Meteors: Swamp Thing

Written-By – P Paul Fenech

11. Jasmine Minks: What's Happening

Written-By – J. Shepherd

12. Nutmeg: And In England They're Going Mental

Written-By – Hobbs, Scurrah, Palastanga, Dalpra

13. Prime Movers: Livin' In My Own Nightmare

Written-By – Graham Day

14. The Mindreaders: Fever In My Pocket

Written-By – Cale, Reed, Tucker, Morrison

15. King Kurt: Nervous Breakdown

Written-By – Mario Roccuzzo

16. The Stayrcase: I Know You Lied

Written-By – Alan McLean

17. The Daggermen: One More Letter

Written-By – Taylor, Smith

18. The Psylons: Waiting Nation

Written-By – Edwards, Packer, Wyatt, Grech

19. The Wigs: The Dead

Written-By – Michael James

20. Thee Headcoats: Young Blood (Live)

Written-By – Billy Childish

MP3 @ 320 Size: 140 MB
FLAC  Size: 417 MB

CD 3.

   

01. The Playn Jayn: You Weren't Born You Were Created (Live)

Written-By – Jones

02. Thee Milkshakes: Brand New Cadillac

Written-By – Vince Taylor

03. The Surfadelics: Don't Be Sorry

Written-By – Lancaster, Lupton, Lee, The Surfadelics, Bernstein

04. Marionette: Too Far Gone

Written-By – Marionette

05. The Beatpack: No Great Shakes

Written-By – Simon Harvey

06. The Unholy Trinity: Rock And Roll Traitor

Written-By – The Unholy Trinity

07. The Delmonas: He Tells Me He Loves Me

Written-By – Childish, Hampshire

08. The Wolfhounds: LA Juice

Written-By – Bolton, Callahan, Clark, Golding

09. Revolving Paint Dream: Garbagebrain

Written-By – A. Innes

10. Clapham South Escalators: Leave Me Alone

Written-By – P Paul Fenech

11. The Primevals: My Emancipation

Written-By – Michael Rooney

12. Change Lings: Shelter From The Rain

Written-By – David Callahan

13. The Surf Rats: Plutonium Mind Shock

Written-By – Gary Marston

14. The Golden Horde: The Curse

Written-By – Simon Carmody

15. The Delmontes: So It's Not To Be

Written-By – The Delmontes

16. The Gruffmen: Farmer John

Written-By – Terry, Harris

17. The Krewmen: The Hell Train

Written-By – Cole, McMillan

18. Sunglasses After Dark: Hellhag Shuffle

Written-By – Harkness, Mitchell, Steadman, Cohen

19. The Jackals Of Fresh Kid: Ringing In My Ears

Written By – O'NeilWritten-By – Clark, Tyack

20. The Screaming Dead: This Is The End Of The World (Demo)

MP3 @ 320 Size: 146 MB
FLAC  Size: 412 MB

Clear Light: Clear Light 1967. Reissue: 2002

Clear Light was an American psychedelic rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1966. The group released one studio album, Clear Light. It was met with moderate national success before the group disbanded.

In 1966, The Brain Train formed and was managed by Sunset Strip hipster Bud Mathis. They recorded one single – "Black Roses", written by Wolfe Dios, (aka: Wolfgang Dios, now residing and recording in Toronto, Canada) – before changing their name to Clear Light and signing to Elektra Records. Guitarist Bob Seal felt the name should be changed to coincide with the single. Clear Light shared its name with a potent form of LSD, although Seal states the name came from his studies of Eastern philosophy. The Doors' producer Paul A. Rothchild took over management of the band.

To say nineteen sixty-seven had been a good year for Elektra Records would be an understatement.

Their decision to diversify into the field of rock music after over a decade immersed in the world of esoteric folk music had really begun to reap rewards. Hit records by the likes of the Doors and Love had garnered them an enviable reputation and by the fall of that year they were about to release a slew of classic records. Amongst an embarrassment of riches, which included the Doors’ ‘Strange Days,’ Love’s ‘Forever Changes’ and Tim Buckley’s ‘Hello and Goodbye,’ was an underrated artefact of that heady summer of love? Featuring a motley collection of Sunset Strip long hairs flanking one of the freakiest freaks ever to grace a record sleeve, the cover of Clear Light’s debut album release was guaranteed to make the casual record buyer look twice.

Those turned on souls who were captivated enough to fork out the required cash must have been delighted when they put stylus to vinyl and unleashed the music pressed within. Featuring a mixture of delicate folk

rock musings coupled with bombastic psychedelia delivered with dramatic flair and more time changes than you could shake a leg to, Clear Light was clearly a product of the Elektra school of acid rock, evoking highly favourable comparisons with both Love and the Doors. Unfortunately for Clear Light they were overshadowed by the high profile successes of their Elektra stable mates and didn’t achieve the critical and popular recognition that they deserved.

The core members of Clear Light were Bob Seal, lead guitarist and vocals, Robbie "The Werewolf" Robison, rhythm guitar and vocals, Doug Lubahn bass and vocals, Dallas Taylor drums, and Michael Ney on an atypical second set of drums. The original line-up was featured in the 1967 motion picture The President's Analyst, with Barry McGuire cast as their leader and vocalist.[5] They soon added Cliff De Young on lead vocals[4] and this is the version of the band seen on their only album cover. However, sometime during the recording process, often described as "brutal", Paul Rothchild was not happy with Robison's guitar playing skills and pressured the group to remove him - he was replaced by keyboard player Ralph Schuckett.

In what has been called the band's finest hour, drunken customers in a Park Avenue club heckled them so brutally that Ralph Schuckett, the usually gentle organist, hurled a few choice words back at them. The band walked off the stage, retired to the Albert Hotel, and woke up in the morning to find that they had become underground heroes.

Clear Light was released in September 1967 and peaked at number 126 on the Billboard pop albums chart. It combined elements of folk, rock, psychedelic, and classical music. It is an AMG music pick. While the album was not a success at the time, it was creative, coherent and competent. The album featured the unique characteristic of including two leading drummers on their tracks. The album also includes three tracks written by guitarist Bob Seal.

A notable track from the Clear Light album, was "Mr. Blue," a psychedelic version of a folk song written by Tom Paxton and a popular request on underground radio at the time. Lasting over six minutes, the rather sinister, psychedelic song is considered a classic of the genre.[3] Its lyrics, which alternate between spoken word and song, include verses opening with such lines as, "Good morning, Mister Blue, we've got our eye on you," "Step softly, Mister Blue, we know what's best for you," and "Be careful, Mister Blue, this phase you're going through ...."

The album also included a reworked version of "Black Roses", released as a single, and some of guitarist Bob Seal's psychedelic folk-rock songs, namely "With All in Mind" and "They Who Have Nothing." It had some success in England, but was largely ignored in the U.S, reaching number 126 on the Billboard album chart. Paul Rothchild then pressured the other members of the band to fire Bob Seal" Seal was replaced by ex-Fug Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar; Cliff De Young was soon to follow, and after having started work on a second album the group disbanded in 1968. Two tracks from the sessions for the second album surfaced in 2006, "Darkness of Day" and "What a Difference Love Makes"; the latter showed the group moving into more commercial territory due to Kortchmar's influence.

[ AllMusic Review by Matthew Greenwald

Kind of a minor league version of the Doors, Clear Light were a West Coast phenomenon, and although they didn't last too long, were an interesting group. A very good slice of Los Angeles psychedelia, Clear Light were a six-piece band that combined folk, rock, psychedelia, and even a touch of classical to their sound. The end result, though, is a little ponderous and pretentious, but strangely listenable. The big hit off this album (produced by Paul Rothchild and engineered by Bruce Botnick) was "Mr. Blue," a psychedelic folk song written by Tom Paxton.

It's over six-minutes long and a bit overbaked, but it does have an odd appeal. The finer moments are guitarist Bob Seal's psychedelic folk-rock songs, namely "With All in Mind" and "They Who Have

Nothing." Singer Cliff DeYoung went on to have a successful acting career, bass player Doug Lubahn played on the early Doors albums, Dallas Taylor went on to drum for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and John Sebastian, and keyboardist Ralph Schuckett became one of the more popular West Coast session players and arrangers. A lot of talent in a short-lived ensemble. Dated but charming West Coast psychedelia.]

Label: Collectors' Choice Music ‎– CCM-271-2
Format: CD, Album, Reissue
Country: US 1967
Released: 2002
Genre: Rock
Style: Psychedelic Rock, Classic Rock

Musicians

Cliff De Young - vocals

Bob Seal - guitar, vocals

Douglas Lubahn - bass

Ralph Schuckett - keyboards

Dallas Taylor - drums

Michael Ney - drums

TRACKS

01. Black Roses     2:08

02. Sand     2:37

03. A Child's Smile     1:33

04. Street Singer     3:15

05. The Ballad Of Freddie & Larry     2:00

06. With All In Mind     3:00

07. Mr. Blue     6:24

08. Think Again     1:37

09. They Who Have Nothing     2:33

10. How Many Days Have Passed     2:20

11..Night Sounds Loud     2:25

MP3 @ 320 Size: 74.3 MB
FLAC  Size: 220 MB