Rating: **** (4 stars)
Title: Riley, Riley, Wood and Waggett
Company: Neon
Catalog: NE 7
Year: 1971
Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+
Comments: UK pressing; gatefold sleeve
Available: 1
Price: $180.00
Born and raised in Sheffield (as the debut album liner notes point out, Joe Cocker's stomping grounds), brothers Keith (vocals/guitar) and Len (bass) Riley, cousin/guitarist Brian Wood and friend/drummer Tag Waggett were Shape of the Rain. Obscure (in capitol letters), club performances helped the quartet generate a regional audience, eventually recording one album for RCA's short-lived Neon
subsidiary.
One album, but what a set! A true undiscovered treasure.
Co-produced by Tony Hall and Eric Hine, 1971's cleverly-titled "Riley, Riley, Wood and
Waggett" showcased a wonderful set of guitar rock. While this wasn't the year's most original offering, with nine of the ten tracks group-penned, material such as "Woman", "Wasting My Time" and the psych-influenced "Willowed Trees" boasted an impeccable mix of strong melodies, great harmonies and some stunning guitar (check out "Yes"). Elsewhere, "Dusty Road" and "I'll Be There" found the quartet aptly displaying that they were just as good in a folk-rock vein. Yeah, this sounds like BS hype, but this is one of those LPs that sounds better every time you listen to it and after taping it we've heard it at least 30 times. In England the set vanished without a trace. It never saw an American release. (The album was originally released with a gatefold sleeve.)
"Riley, Riley, Wood and Waggett" track listing:
1.) Woman (Keith Riley - Len Riley - Brian Wood - Tag Waggett) -
2.) Patterns (Keith Riley - Len Riley - Brian Wood - Tag Waggett) -
3.) Castles (Keith Riley - Len Riley - Brian Wood - Tag Waggett) -
4.) Wasting My Time (Keith Riley - Len Riley - Brian Wood - Tag Waggett) -
5.) Rockfield Soul (Eric Hine) -
6.) Yes (Keith Riley - Len Riley - Brian Wood - Tag Waggett) -
7.) Dusty Road (Keith Riley - Len Riley - Brian Wood - Tag Waggett) -
8.) Willowed Trees (Keith Riley - Len Riley - Brian Wood - Tag Waggett) -
9.) I'll Be There (Keith Riley - Len Riley - Brian Wood - Tag Waggett) -
10.) Broken Man
a.) Every One a Gem (Keith Riley - Len Riley - Brian Wood - Tag Waggett) -
b.) After Collapsing At Kingsley's (Keith Riley - Len Riley - Brian Wood - Tag Waggett) -
Following the collapse of Neon, the quartet briefly struggled on, releasing an instantly forgotten 1971 single as Shape ("My Friend John" b/w "Yes" RCA catalog number 2129).