Rating: **** (4 stars)
Title: Confusion
Company: All American
Catalog: AA-5770
Year: 1970
Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+
Comments: bottom left corner crushed
Available: 1
Price: $180.00
So what do we know about these guys? Not much. Under his given name Ernie Orosco, front man/singer/guitarist Joseph had previously played with a number of Santa Barbara, California-based acts including Ernie and the Emporers and Ernie's Funnys. He'd also recorded a pair of interesting late-'60s albums as a member of Giant Crab (see separate entries). Following the breakup of Giant Crab, Orosco/Joseph apparently relocated to Los Angeles, where he formed Big Brother (not to be confused with Janis Joplin's original outfit). Backed by guitarist Cory Colt, drummer Steve Dunwoodle (aka Steve D.) and multi-instrumentalist Ruben the Jet, the quartet was signed by the small All American label.
Produced by Bill Holmes (who'd handled production for the two earlier Giant Crab LPs), 1970's "Confusion" came as a major change in direction to anyone familiar with Orosco/Joseph's earlier pop/lite-psych moves. With all four members received writing credits, material such as "Heart Full of Rain", "L.L.A. (Lubricated Love Affair)" and the bluesy "Heavy Load" offered up a set of Hendrix-styled guitar pyrotechnics. Elsewhere, the heavily phased "E.S.P." (sounding like a strange reworking of The Pretty Thing's "L.S.D.") was actually a reworking of Giant Crab's final single. Given the abundance of guitar rockers, at least to our ears, the standout track was the atypical ballad "Wake Up In the Morning". Sweet and sincere, its a beautiful effort. Sure, it ain't the most original LP you'll hear this year and parts of the percussion heavy closing suite "Gravus Delictum (Unforgiveable Sin)" drag, but the performances were enthusiastic, and its an album we play on a regular basis. (Courtesy of Dan McClean, the LP also sports a great black and silver period piece cover).
"Confusion" track listing:
1.) Heart Full of Rain (Bill Holmes - Ernie Joseph) - 3:33
2.) Wake Up In the Morning (Ernie Joseph - Cory Colt - R.T. Jet - Bill Holmes) - 6:40
3.) E.S.P. (Self - Ciebiera) - 2:15
4.) Heavy Load (Ernie Joseph - Cory Colt - R.T. Jet - Bill Holmes) - 6:39
5.) L.L.A. (Lubricated Love Affair) (Ernie Joseph - Cory Colt - R.T. Jet - Bill Holmes) - 3:54
6.) Saint James Infirmary (J. Primrose) - 6:06
7.) Gravus Delictum (Unforgiveable Sin)
a.) Under Cover Man (instrumental) (Ernie Joseph - Cory Colt - R.T. Jet) - 1:17
b.) Puck-a-Chick-a (instrumental) (Steve Dunwoodle) - 0:51
c.) Bare Skin (instrumental) (Steve Dunwoodle) - 2:44
d.) Roll-In (instrumental) (Steve Dunwoodle) - 2:07
e.) Roll-Out (instrumental) (Steve Dunwoodle) - 0:58
f.) Climax (instrumental) (Steve Dunwoodle) - 0:58
g.) 403 Halkirk (instrumental) (Ernie Joseph - Cory Colt - R.T. Jet) - 3:35
The band also released a single "E.S.P." b/w "Brother, We're Are You" (All American catalog number 5718). While the "A" side was drawn from the earlier LP, the flip side was a non-album effort.
Be aware the LP was booted in the late-'80s, though in the mid-'90s the Italian Akarma label offered a legitmate reissue with a bonus track (catalog AK 013-1).
Rating: ** (2 stars)
Title: South East Tour
Company: All American
Catalog: AA-5573
Year: 1971
Grade (cover/record):
Comments:
Available:
Price: $
"Southeast Tour" track listing: