The Day After The Sabbath X: Lonesome Tree

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This one starts with gloriously groovy barn-stormer 'Lonesome Tree' from Rotterdam's Machine (tying in quite nicely with the cover art - which I only realised after) and then on to Youngstown, OH's Left End with their funky and aggressively-vocalled 'It's Over'.

TRACKS

01. Machine - Lonesome Tree (1970)
       from album 'machine'
02. Left End - It's Over (1974)
       from album 'spolied rotten'
03. Epitaph - Moving To The Country (1971)
       from album 'epitaph'
04. Valhalla - Hard Times (1969)
       from album 'valhalla'
05. Jane - Here We Are (1973)
       from album 'here we are'
06. Jukin' Bone - See See Rider (1970)
       from album 'way down east'
07. Titanic - Something On My Mind (1970)
       from album 'titanic'
08. Fat - Country Girl (1970)
       from album 'fat'
09. After Shave - Near The Sun (1972)
       from album 'skin deep'
10. Wildfire - Stars in The Sky (1970)
       from album 'smokin'
11. Wizard - Killing Time (1971)
       from album 'the original wizard'
12. Garybaldi - Maya Desnuda (1972)
       from album 'nuda'
13. Aunt Mary - Path Of Your Dream (1973)
       from album 'janus'
14. Sons Of Otis - Mississippi Queen [Mountain cover] (1999)
       from album 'templeball'

Epitaph were a krautrock band that had a southern-rock sound. There is an interview with guitarist Cliff Jackson here at Psychedelic Baby webzine. New York's Valhalla enters the frey with some welcome hard-hammond heaviosity & there's an interview with guitarist Don Krantz here. Hannova's Jane are up next with some more excellent krautrock and Jukin' Bone, from Syracuse NY, step it up with 'See See Rider's bone-rattling boogie riffs. We move on to Norway for Titanic's sabbath-grinding sludge and then on to Massachusetts' amusingly-named Fat, who kick in with an appropriately 'fat' blues riff. (link) "Back in the '70s  Fat  was one of the most popular rock bands here in the Pioneer Valley, rivaled only in popularity by local notables Clean Living.

The band was formed in 1968 and the original lineup consisted of Guy DeVito on bass, Peter Newland on vocals, Bill "Benjie" Benjamin on drums, and Michael Benson, Jim Kaminski and Christopher Newland on guitar. Fat released its self-titled debut in 1970 on the RCA label and then went on to record an album for Atlantic Records before forming their own label.

"We were innovators in terms of indies," says bassist DeVito. "Our label, Dream Merchant Records, was probably one of the first independent labels."

The band toured for twelve straight years and went through various lineup changes before formally calling it quits in 1980.

Fat tries to hold yearly reunion concerts and last year set an attendance record of 5,000 when the group appeared in Springfield as part of the City Block series. It looked like there wasn't going to be a show in 2004, but at the last minute they pulled it together and are scheduled to give a special reunion performance at the Rt. 63 Roadhouse in Millers Falls on Sunday, June 13.

Guitarist Chris Newland is back from England, so group members wanted to get together to do a concert for their many fans in this area and figured that the Rt. 63 Roadhouse would be the perfect place. This show will feature four of the original players: DeVito, the Newland brothers and Benjamin.

"When I spoke by phone with my dear friend (and Fat guitarist) Christopher Newland in England," DeVito explains, "I learned that he would be visiting family stateside for a few days. His brother Peter is our frontman/vocalist and recently moved back to the area after living for many years in Nashville. Having 3/5 of the band in one place on the planet, myself included, I then called the Roadhouse to see if they would host an impromptu Fat show."

The folks at the Roadhouse were more than happy to host such an event and have scheduled a special barbeque for the occasion to begin at 4 p.m. Concert-goers will have a chance to attend a "meet and greet the band" session at this time. They will also be able to enjoy the barbeque, horseshoes, bocce ball, and croquet out on the beautiful lawn. The Roadhouse will have a special outdoor liquor license for the day. Come enjoy the fun. Tickets are $7 (which includes the barbeque) and are available in advance at the Rt. 63 Roadhouse or at the door."

Bienne's After Shave, another band with a hint of southern-rock, treat us to some Swiss chugg-a-lugga and California's Wildfire released the album Smokin' as a private-press in 1970, it has been unearthed and given the re-issue treatment by Rockadrome. Wizard, from Tampa, Florida, recorded one album in 1971 with an almost English NWOBHM feel, which comes across in Killing Time's stately intro.

In what seems to be becoming a regular addition, is some quality Italian wah madness, this time from Garybaldi. The comp ends on Aunt Mary's frantically ominous norwegian hard-prog and another contemporary cover from one of my favourite stoner bands, Sons of Otis' sludge-tastic take on Mountain's 'Mississippi Queen'.



Cheers, Rich.

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