Any Family recommendation?

M. B. Zapelini wrote: Dick Heath wrote: Doll's House in passing, continues to be  cited as a important early prog album - or perhaps more accurately a late psychedelic album. It also reminds of the talent of Rick Grech, on bass and most certainly violin. Whilst becoming part of Blind Faith, I never felt he ever reached his full potential - (which reminds me, Lemon Tree Records have just CD-issued the KGB album, on where Grech joined one of the very best white blues guitarists Mike Bloomfield. I have the KGB original LP and I don't like it - Mike Bloomfield was a genius, but he doesn't shine at this album. Have you heard his CD "Live at the Old Waldorf"? It's superb!

 

I'm a great fan of Bloomfield especially with Nick Gravenites doing the vocals. (BTW you have  provided me with the reason for not buying KGB). There are many good moments as part of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band - is he recognisable in the first Dylan electric band??? Enjoyed Supersession even with Al Kooper's 2nd rate voice - and the Steve Stills side is worthwhile (if somewhat dated). Live Adventures of Kooper and Bloomfield is perhaps more interesting as Carlos Santana's first recording (beware of the crap version of Paul Jones & Jack Bruce's tune Sonny Boy Williamson). The Bill Graham Fillmore session, which included a great slow blues with Taj Mahal, has never been fully issued on CD - although there are bits on the good Sony Roots'n'Blues Bloomfield compilation  and more on Nick Gravenites' excellent CD issue of My Labors  (as bonus tracks). Not a fan of Bloomfield first proper solo, too little blues too much of his bad vocals. The Waldorf recordings you cite are amongst the most consistent and best by Mike Bloomfield. With Electric Flag I prefer the Long Time A Comin' (Killing Floor was innovative when it was first released) and The Band Played On - alas EF became too much a Buddy Miles funk band in between. And there is a pretty good album Mill Valley Bunch Casting Pearls that lay unheard in the archives for 30 years before CD release, with Bloomfield leading a backing band to variety of  blues, country and folk singers. Then there is a whole host of dodgy but legitimised bootlegs, that do little to his reputation. The Chess Records release, Fathers & Sons with Butterfield and Muddy Waters is excellent - CD version has bonus live tracks worth the entrance money

But why are we still waiting for a CD issue of the OST Steelyard Blues by Bloomfield and Gravenites - but what else can we expect of Warners??? Is the movie out on DVD?

 

More info:

http://www.bluespower.com/a-mb.htm

Dick Heath wrote: Doll's House in passing, continues to be  cited as a important early prog album - or perhaps more accurately a late psychedelic album. It also reminds of the talent of Rick Grech, on bass and most certainly violin. Whilst becoming part of Blind Faith, I never felt he ever reached his full potential - (which reminds me, Lemon Tree Records have just CD-issued the KGB album, on where Grech joined one of the very best white blues guitarists Mike Bloomfield.

I have the KGB original LP and I don't like it - Mike Bloomfield was a genius, but he doesn't shine at this album. Have you heard his CD "Live at the Old Waldorf"? It's superb!

Dick Heath wrote: A & B Sides - i.e. single releases - was issued on CD by Castle Communications Records at least ten years ago, and I believe there as been another " greatest hits" compilation issued since. Also check out the Streetwalkers (i.e Chapman & Whitney's subsequent band) compo issued by Vertigo. Roger Chappo Chapman has had a pretty successful solo career in Europe over the last decade, whilst largely ignored back home (even locally in his home city of Leicester). Hux Records are currently issuing two separate CDs of Family's  BBC recordings - one I guess from the Dolls House period, the other from about '73 when deep in the rock and boogie period. The latter,  I guess was formerly released by Windsong as Family: Radio One In Concert.

There was another greatest hits one, called 'Family Selection' which is superb if you want their post 1970 work, but useless if you want anything from 'Doll's House' or 'Entertainment', as there's nothing due to licensing wrangles, I suspect. However this set is a great 2-CD affair with superb packaging (there's even a poster). Both 'Doll's House' and 'Entertainment' are out on a 2CD set from 'See For Miles' which is brilliantly pacakaged and remastered.

I believe those BBC sets are already out as 'Family- BBC Radio 1968-70' and 'Family- BBC Radio 1971-73'. They are a selection of various sessions for the 'Beeb'.

Mystic also released a live album that had great sound and was a storming night in 1971.

'Music In A Doll's House' is my favourite, I like 'Bandstand' a lot too.

A & B Sides - i.e. single releases - was issued on CD by Castle Communications Records at least ten years ago, and I believe there as been another " greatest hits" compilation issued since. Also check out the Streetwalkers (i.e Chapman & Whitney's subsequent band) compo issued by Vertigo. Roger Chappo Chapman has had a pretty successful solo career in Europe over the last decade, whilst largely ignored back home (even locally in his home city of Leicester). Hux Records are currently issuing two separate CDs of Family's  BBC recordings - one I guess from the Dolls House period, the other from about '73 when deep in the rock and boogie period. The latter,  I guess was formerly released by Windsong as Family: Radio One In Concert.

I think they are mostly superb albums; I never cared as much for 'It's Only A Movie' which is more of a boogie album due to the addition of Tony Ashton (it's not by any stretch a bad album though), but all of their other stuff is very progressive.

My favourite is 'Music In A Doll's House', which is one of the best psych albums I've ever heard, with lots of mellotron and quirky tunes.

'Fearless' is probably their most consistent album otherwise, as John Wetton joined the band, and with some terrific songs like 'Between Blue And Me', 'Children' and 'Larf And Sing'.

 

I have only one album by Family ("Aniway..."), which I think is pretty good. Is there any Family fan at ProgArchives who could recommend me another Family album?