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BLACK SABBATH FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
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“Black Sabbath Scores”
by Deniese Kusel
The Press Telegram
Long Beach, Ca.
September 10, 1975

Black Sabbath’s claim to fame was that they were louder than any other rock band around. That was in 1970 when they first got together.
Sunday night at the Long Beach Arena they proved, once again, that if you pump out the decibels with enough force, people will cheer for anything.
In their first concert in two years, Black Sabbath kept the audience on their feet well after the second selection, “Hole in the Sky.”
It was obvious that the fans had missed the flamboyant group and were excited to have them back.
With the exception of a good lick sprinkled here and there and some rapid rhythmic changes on the lead guitar, Black Sabbath is just “another loud rock
band.” They were colorful, but prerdictable. The audience response was tremendous and the band worked. Their driving, hard rock sound was reminiscent of early Led Zeppelin.
Tony lommi, lead guitar, is one of few really good left-handed leads around on his customized Gibson. Vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, hot after a successful
European tour, spiked his lyrics with shouts and screams. The audience ate up the fleecy costumes and theatrics.
“Snow Blind” and “Symptom of the Universe” — the latter featuring lommi — were highlights of the concert. Bass player Geezer Butler’s fluid movements and showy stage style was a dynamic force in creating the visual imagery for Black Sabbath. Drummer Bill Ward falls into the same league as the hard-hitting Ginger Baker during his days with Cream. Hanging above his drum kit, an acoustical shell captured the sound and held it together.
Clearly, a lot of effort was put into putting the group back into action.
They drew heavily from their new album “Sabotage” for their concert material. Black Sabbath is a working band and seems destined to continue their present success. If hard rock is your bag, then dig them. They go deep.

BLACK SABBATH DISCOGRAPHY:
1970 Black Sabbath
1970 Paranoid
1971 Master of Reality
1972 Black Sabbath Vol. 4
1973 Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
1975 Sabotage
1976 Technical Ecstasy
1977 We Sold our Souls for Rock ‘N’ Roll
1978 Never Say Die
1980 Live At Last
1980 Heaven and Hell
1981 Mob Rules
1982 Live Evil
1983 Born Again
1986 Seventh Star
1987 The Eternal Idol
1989 Headless Cross
1990 Tyr
1992 Dehumanizer
1994 Cross Purposes
1995 Forbidden
1995 Cross Purposes Live
1998 Reunion
2002 Past Lives
2007 Live at Hammersmith Odeon

Click the links below to see Rare Black Sabbath Photos:
BLACK SABBATH FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
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BLACK SABBATH CONCERT PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM

An Amazingly Beautiful Randy California Song from the Final Spirit CD “California Blues”.
Click the link below to listen to Spirit play “The River”…
Spirit- “The River”
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View Spirit Images on Fine Art America by Ben Upham
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View Spirit Photos on Magical Moment Photos by Ben Upham
Enjoy!

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THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND-
“THERE’S GOLD IN THEM GRASSROOTS”
THE GASTONIA GAZETTE
GASTONIA, NORTH CAROLINA
MAY 2, 1976

It’s 3:00 A.M. in the Capricorn sound studios on Broadway and while George McCorkle and Doug Gray of the Marshall Tucker Band get whipped in a game of Ping-Pong by the band’s roadies, down the hall in the main control room, Toy Caldwell, Marshall Tucker’s lead guitarist and songwriter, and producer Paul Hornsby are listening
to John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band add some banjo overdubs to Caldwell’s ‘Long Hard Ride,’ the title track to the band’s fifth album and their first recorded instrumental. Mark Pucci, Capricorn Record’s publicist, is also there, touting the song as the next ‘Rawhide’, but as a publicist he knows he’s able to do little with press releases to help Tucker.
Marshall Tucker is a grassroots band, and its own greatest asset for publicity. For the last three-and-a-half years, the band has been on a “long hard ride,” covering the country in a customized bus on a grueling tour schedule, trying to play most of their markets at least twice a year. “We play a place,” says Toy, “and when we come back, there are twice as many people as before. All those people who come out to see ya, that’s a weird feeling sometimes. Look at me! What the hell do they want to see me for?”
While Marshall Tucker worked on their latest album in Macon, Capricorn threw a party for the band, giving them gold copies of their first album, “The Marshall Tucker Band,” recorded three years ago. And on the basis of their grassroots appeal, two other albums have gone gold within the last six months, “Where We All Belong” and
“Searchin’ fora Rainbow.”
Four years out of being just another club band from Spartanburg, S.C.,
Tucker still comprises its six original members, with Caldwell on lead, McCorkle on rhythm guitar, Gray on vocals, Tommy Caldwell (Toy’s brother) on bass, Jerry Eubanks on alto sax and flute and Paul Riddle on drums.
Toy Caldwell and McCorkle played together in high school in Spartanburg, then in the early Seventies Caldwell formed a band with Gray and Eubanks called The Toy Factory. In 1972 they joined
McCorkle, Riddle and Tommy Caldwell and changed their name to the Marshall Tucker Band, after the owner of their rehearsal hall in Spartanhurg.
In May of that year Tucker played with Wet Willie, a Capricorn Records group, at the Ruins, a club in Spartanburg. “They heard our stuff.” recalls Toy, and told us to take it to Phil Walden (President of Capricornt. Hell, I never heard of the cat. Still, we drove down to Macon and dropped a tape off.” They were booked into Grant’s Lounge in Macon. “I went by there one night,” recalls Capricorn’s executive vice president Frank Fenter, and they sounded entirely different than anything we had on the label. Surprisingly, though, people compare them to the Allman Brothers.
Marshall Tucker’s first album was released in March 1973, and that year they toured as the opening act for the Allman Brothers, before being added to tours with Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Eagles. And, as the Tucker band developed into a strong touring band Capricorn’s natural temptation to do a heavy hype on them waned. “It’s easy for me to sit here, with three gold records,” reflects Jerry Eubanks, “and say, ‘No, I’d never sell out.’ But there have been many times when you’re broke and starving when you’d do about anything. Capricorn had the sense not to come to us and say, ‘You be that kind of band,’ or put us into the position of trying to fill large halls when we weren’t ready for it.”
Doug Gray is less analytical. “You could never imagine me coming out on roller skates; I’d probably trip over my hair. We kid each other and say, ‘Hey, I’m gonna dress up in tights tonight.’ But we laugh at people who have to do that stuff in order to sell a record. If they want to do it, fine, but not anybody in our band. Hell, what would your friends think?”
Toy Caldwell turned to the new album, set for release in June. “The tunes — eight of them — are there. The pickin’s there and the sound is crisp.” The album demonstrates Marshall Tucker’s amazing versatility, with a mixture of slow — and fast-paced luncs, heavily overlaid with country, rock and jazz influences. In this latest album, they’re not just another Southern band. “The country is ready for Marshall Tucker.” Phil Walden immodestly proclaims. “Groups like the Eagles have paved the way… and the Eagles don’t say ‘ain’t’ like Marshall Tucker says ‘aint.’

MARSHALL TUCKER BAND DISCOGRAPHY:
1973 The Marshall Tucker Band
1974 A New Life
1974 Where we All Belong
1975 Searchin’ For A Rainbow
1976 Long Hard Ride
1977 Carolina Dreams
1978 Together Forever
1979 Runnin’ Like The Wind
1980 Tenth
1981 Dedicated
1982 Tuckerized
1983 Just Us
1983 Greetings From South Carolina
2003 Stompin’ Room Only (1976 Live)
2006 Live on Long Island 4-18-80
2008 Carolina Dreams Tour 1977

TOY CALDWELL DISCOGRAPHY:
1992 Toy Caldwell
1998 Can’t You See (Live)
2000 Son of the South

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STYX-
“MIDWEST HAS IT’S OWN ROCK SOUND”
BY BRUCE MEYER
THE HUTCHINSON NEWS
HUTCHINSON, KANSAS
MARCH 14, 1978

Rock ‘n’ roll has always been subject to a lot of geographical influences. It began in the South, a blend of blues and country with a beat, but spread rapidly and evolved wherever it found a home, from Los Angeles to Liverpool.
And the places where rock is most at home tend to evolve their own “sounds,” readily identified by anyone with even a passing interest in the music. Currently, California has its own mellow sound — typified by the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt and the South is stronger than ever with hard-driving guitar bands like Marshall Tucker and the Outlaws.
Then there’s the Midwest. Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland and a dozen other Midwestern cities have long been known as hotbeds of rock fever, but for some reason no “Midwest sound” has ever been defined.
Until now…
In the last few years a different sort of rock blend has developed in the Midwest, a synthesis that falls roughly between Britain’s art-rockers (Yes, Genesis, ELP) and the latterday heavy metal boogie bands (Aerosmith, Ted Nugent). Kansas — which leans more toward the arty side — is one successful example of this kind of group.
But perhaps the best Midwestern band of all right now is Styx, whose eight long years in the music business are finally beginning to pay off big.
Using last year’s superb “Grand Illusion” album as a springboard, the five members of Styx seem destined for the Big Time at last.
Which raises the question — why has it taken them so long? Styx guitarist James Young (J.Y.) answers: “My opinion is the whole thing is 25 percent talent and 75 percent having your business together — knowing what to do when. And we didn’t. There are a lot of talented bands that never surface — and in some ways, with progressive bands, it’s more difficult still.” That’s the word J.Y. uses for Styx’ music — “progressive” — and he concedes that it’s one of those terms that means something different to everyone. “But to me,” says J.Y., “progressive (rock) is music with a hard edge — that’s attractive to concert audiences — that is also self-indulgent enough to include an extended guitar solo, an extended synthesizer passage from time to time, without vocal communication to the audience.”
It takes time to evolve a musical identity as complex as Styx’ — and
the band has put its eight years of experience to good use, on stage as well as in the studio. “You don’t have a style when you start out,” says J.Y., “you’re shooting for a style … and we (the members of Styx) had such diverse influences, it was hard finding our own space, and yet please everyone in the group. “We explored a lot of directions …had to assess what our strong points are — a hard rock approach, the vocals, the dramatic changes and dynamics, the synthesizer work. So we’ve retained all these things and they’re pretty much the keys to everything we do.” They are also the keys to the emerging Midwest school of rock — and Styx is at the head of the class.

STYX DISCOGRAPHY:
1972 Styx
1973 Styx II
1974 The Serpent is Rising
1974 Man of Miracles
1975 Equinox
1976 Crystal Ball
1977 The Grand Illusion
1978 Pieces of Eight
1979 Cornerstone
1981 Paradise Theatre
1983 Kilroy was Here
1984 Caught in the Act (Live)
1990 The Edge of the Century
1997 Return to Paradise (Live)
1999 Brave New World
2001 Styxworld Live 2001
2002 Live at the Rivers Edge
2003 Cyclorama
2003 21st Century Live
2005 The Big Bang Theory
2006 One with Everything (Live)

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JERRY GARCIA-
“3rd SOLO LP”
BY KATHIE STASICA & GEORGE MANGRUM
THE DAILY REVIEW
HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA
FEBRUARY 6, 1976

The “San Francisco Sound” has been synonymous with the name Jerry Garcia since the early 60′s when he began putting out music with the Grateful Dead. Today the name has a new meaning — Jerry has worked himself into a music legend in the Bay Area.
Jerry is 33 now, but he still eats, sleeps and works music 24 hours a day. If he isn’t playing, practicing, writing or recording with the Grateful Dead, he is out doing solo gigs with the different bands he’s put together. Even on days when he has a concert, Jerry will practice for hours ahead of time.
Jerry has begun this year with his third solo album, “Reflections” on which he has eight strong cuts, including an old tune, “I’ll Take A Melody.”
I’m very pleased with it (the new album),” Jerry said during a rehearsal break at Keystone Berkeley. “I’ve been working on it since August. I didn’t just sit down and record it, I’ve been working on it off and on. Some of the later cuts we began recording as recently as December.” Four of the songs are co-written by Jerry and Robert Hunter. The rest are by people like Allen Toussaint and Hank Ballard.
“I pretty much like all the songs on this album equally. There were no cuts that I looked back on as mistakes to have put on the album as I have on some. I like the ones on this album. They are there because of my interest in them.”
The Grateful Dead will also be having a new album coming out this summer, which is a sound track from a new movie about them. “The movie will really be about the five-night concert we did at Winterland, the concert and the people,” he said. “It won’t be just a filmed concert, although the music will feature largely. “I’ve been living with the memory of those concerts during the past year. I still get off on them.”
And of course, there is the always asked question about the reunion of the Grateful Dead. Jerry cleared that up quick. “We will be rehearsing in about a month and we will probably continue to rehearse for a couple of months and then go out and play.
Besides creating a lot of good albums, what else has Jerry Garcia been into lately?
“Well, I’ve been listening to a lot of piano. I’ve been getting more into keyboards, harmony, chord voicing and arrangements. The kinds of things I am interested in are modern instruments, modern approaches. By modern I mean 20th Century.
What happened to the famous $200,000 sound system that the Grateful Dead bought?
“Well, the most part of it is in mothballs. Some parts of it are out helping other bands like Kingfish. “We have plans, some time or other, to build ourselves a place to perform that would be like our home base. I think the direction we would like to go toward would be to install some kind of permanent sound system that could use the place as a building to perform, and as a lab to new kinds of ideas. “It would not be large but it would be large enough to have concerts in and to present ourselves in. It would be somewhere between one and three thousand capacity.”

GRATEFUL DEAD DISCOGRAPHY:

1967 The Grateful Dead
1968 Anthem of the Sun
1969 Aoxomoxoa
1969 Live dead
1970 Workingman’s Dead
1970 American Beauty
1971 Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses)
1972 Europe ’72 (Live)
1973 History of the Grateful Dead (Bear’s Choice)
1973 Wake of the Flood
1974 Grateful Dead from the Mars Hotel
1975 Blues for Allah
1976 Steal your Face (Live)
1977 Terrapin Station
1978 Shakedown Street
1980 Go to Heaven
1981 Reckoning (Acoustic Live)
1981 Dead Set (Electric Live)
1987 In the Dark
1989 Dylan & the Dead
1989 Built to Last
1990 Without a Net (Live)

JERRY GARCIA BAND DISCOGRAPHY:

1971 Hooteroll? (w/ Howard Wales)
1972 Garcia
1973 Live at Keystone (w/ Merl Saunders)
1974 Compliments
1976 Reflections
1978 Cats Under the Stars
1982 Run for the Roses
1988 Almost Acoustic (Live)
1991 Jerry Garcia Band (Live)
1991 Garcia Grisman
1993 Not For Kids Only (w/ Grisman)
1996 Shady Grove (w/ Grisman)
1997 How Sweet it is (Live)
1998 So What (w/ Grisman)
2001 Dont Let Go (Live)
2001 Shining Star (Live)
2004 After Midnight (Live 1980)
2005 Garcia Plays Dylan (Live)
2009 Let it Rock (Live 1975)

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AEROSMITH- “SHAKES EAR DRUMS”
BY DENISE TESSIER
THE ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO
JUNE 30, 1977

I had wondered if there existed another man walking around somewhere who is somewhat like Mick Jagger, but unknown. He does exist, but is already so famous he’s protected even from the press. He is Steven Tyler, lead vocalist and prancer in the very hard rock group Aerosmith.
Aerosmith and second-billed group Nazareth filled Tingley Coliseum Tuesday night to near 13,000 capacity and literally shook ear drums. It’s hard to keep from comparing Aerosmith with the Rolling Stones. They have the drive and strength of a great group; every member is incredibly strong on his instrument. And then there’s Tyler, prancing about in a tight leopard-skin outfit with matching coat and long tails, swinging flowing ribbons of scarf and tautly running his hands through a cat-like mane. He even has the Jagger mouth, a gorgeous creature.
The only problem Tuesday night was the PA system, cranked up quite a bit too loud, which is unnecessary with Aerosmith; they don’t need to cover anything up. But aside from eardrum pain, the show was extraordinary. Aerosmith opened their set with an original “Back in the Saddle” that would have curdled cowboy Gene Autry’s blood. Tyler’s voice consistently approaches a scream, but is incredibly powerful and contained. Nazareth’s lead singer Dan McCafferty,on the other hand, had screamed so harshly it pained the listener’s vocal chords.
Unlike most concerts, the Aerosmith song lineup was unpredictable and shot off unceasingly — clever, raunchy, but clear — the ultimate rock and roll. After they had done the hits — “Dream On,” “Sweet Emotion,” “Sick as a Dog” — it seemed the one hit left would be saved for last. But after “Walk This Way” they remained on stage for a version of “Rattlesnake Shake,” reminiscent of but surpassing Spooky Tooth’s version. (Strange, but they warned that this was a song we’d probably never hear from them again, though it was the climax of the set.)
What could be left for an encore? “Train Kept A-Rollin’,” with piercing freight engines from Joe Perry’s electric guitar, and a fabulous,
screeching “Helter Skelter” that was as good as the Beatles could ever do. Would you believe Perry even resembles Bill Wyman of the Stones?

AEROSMITH DISCOGRAPHY:

January 13, 1973 Aerosmith
March 1, 1974 Get Your Wings
April 8, 1975 Toys in the Attic
May 3, 1976 Rocks
December 1, 1977 Draw the Line
October 1978 Live Bootleg
November 1, 1979 Night in the Ruts
August 1, 1982 Rock in a Hard Place
November 9, 1985 Done with Mirrors
April 1986 Classics Live
June 1987 Classics Live Vol. 2
September 5, 1987 Permanent Vacation
September 8, 1989 Pump
April 20, 1993 Get a Grip
March 18, 1997 Nine Lives
October 20, 1998 A Little South of Sanity
March 6, 2001 Just Push Play
March 30, 2004 Honkin’ on Bobo
October 25, 2005 Rockin’ the Joint

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