Rain 1972

From one of the few rock acts recording for Enoch Light's Project 3 label during the late '60s – the Free Design were the most notable – the self-titled record by Rain held high promise for fans of Baroque pop. The group, led by Cobb Bussinger and Michael Kennedy, featured the same heavenly harmonies as the Zombies and Left Banke, with each member of the quartet contributing…

Terry Callier - Occasional Rain (1972) {Verve Originals B0011107-02 rel 2008}
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© 1972, 2008 Cadet / Verve / Universal | B0011107-02
R&B / Baroque Folk / Chicago Soul / Folk Jazz

'Lost Masterpiece', 'Forgotten Classic', 'An Album You Must Hear Before You Die' - take your pick… Because 1971's "Occasional Rain" by TERRY CALLIER genuinely fits them all - it really does. A mesmerizing masterpiece of poetic baroque folk from this unclassifiable Chicagoan. Producer Charles Stepney's organ and harpsichord and a choir featuring Minnie Riperton lend a shimmering beauty to this 1972 recording.

After reaching an international level of success with Demons and Wizards, Uriah Heep continued to build their fan base by knocking out another album of prog-like metal before the year's end. The end result, The Magician's Birthday, is not as consistent or cohesive as Demons and Wizards but still offers plenty of highlights. It starts dramatically with "Sunrise," a spooky power ballad that alternates quiet organ-led verses with an emotional chorus and guitar-fuelled instrumental breaks topped off by David Byron's operatic wail…

Hard Attack by Dust is an improvement over the acceptable performance of the self-titled debut from the year before. The team of producer Kenny Kerner and vocalist/guitarist/producer Richie Wise do just what the title suggests, bringing a harder attack to songs like "Pull Away/So Many Times" and "Ivory," the latter an instrumental with emphasis on guitar riffs and cymbal work. It's an all-out assault from the trio and pretty interesting, though the album as a whole works better when Thog's Fred Singer adds piano and organ. "How Many Horses" benefits from keyboard presence, and brings the group back to the Leslie West/Mountain flavors so obvious on the group's 1971 debut. That song definitely sounds like Dust was intent on remaking the Jack Bruce/Mountain classic "Theme From an Imaginary Western," one of that group's highlights…

The 14th installment of Dave's Picks is devoted to another 1972 show, this one taken from an appearance at New York's Academy of Music on March 26, 1972 - i.e. before the Dead headed across the Atlantic for their legendary series of European shows. Generally, it's a pretty muscular performance, getting off the ground with a driving "Greatest Story Ever Told" and featuring a hefty dose of Pigpen in the first set, including "Mr. Charlie" and the one-two punch of "Big Railroad Blues" and "Big Boss Man." Here, his blues leanings seem of piece with the other roots the Dead lay down early - Jerry Garcia sings Hank Williams' "You Win Again," Bob Weir turns Marty Robbins' "El Paso" into one of his signature cowboy rambles - but by the time Pigpen surfaces toward the end singing the crawling "The Stranger (Two Souls in Communion)"…