The first album from
Swallow
was produced by
Jean Paul Salvatori
, who put together the excellent
Bootleg Him!
double LP of
Alexis Korner
material this same year, 1972.
Jeff "Skunk" Baxter
of
Ultimate Spinach
, later with
Steely Dan
and
the Doobie Brothers
, appears on
"Come Home Woman,"
an original from bassist
Vern Miller Jr.
, who was part of the band who opened for
the Beatles
in 1966, the legendary
Barry & the Remains
.
Miller
's presence adds collectability to this debut.
"Come Home Woman"
would have been perfect for
, come to think of it, a bluesy lament which begins with
Baxter
's wonderful guitar work and picks up steam, letting
George Leh
open up and battle the horns -- the voice and instruments stir things up so fine.
"Aches and Pains"
is one of the four
/
co-writes, and it is
gospel
-tinged
blues
which spills over onto
"Common Man."
There's real personality here, music perhaps a little too earthy for the
Blood, Sweat & Tears
crowd, but authentic to the max. Recorded and mixed where
Aerosmith
cut
"Dream On"
and where
Jonathan Edwards
Orphan
tracked
"Sunshine,"
"Out of the Nest"
is post-Bosstown serious singing and playing. When it is all
instrumental
, as on pianist/tenor saxman
David Woodford
's
"Shuffle,"
Boston veteran
Parker Wheeler
gets a chance to give a counterpoint to
J. Geils Band
harp player
Magic Dick
. The harmonica on
"Shuffle"
admirably replaces
's distinctive vocal.
Leh
's got that
Nick Gravenites
gravel growl on
"Something Started Happening,"
a tune with charging dynamics, perhaps this band's strong suit.
"Brown Eyed Baby Boy"
is a plea for love with a solid hook that would work well for
the Remains
since that group started recording again in the new millennium.
The Staple Singers
' composition
"Why Am I Treated So Bad,"
also covered by
Cannonball Adderley
the Sweet Inspirations
, adds another dimension to the mix, the organ of
Bob Camacho
getting to have its say.
Mick Aranda
's creative drumming is also worthy of note.
Out of the Nest
is an excellent document of early-'70s Boston
roots rock
music with just a touch of
jazz
. This would make a nice two-fer CD with its follow-up, 1973's self-titled
. ~ Joe Viglione