Marcus Hook Roll Band ( Vanda/Young - Easybeats )
Tales of Old Grand Daddy - EMI, EMA-2518 - 1974
Tracks: 1. Mr Natural / 2. Lousiana Lady / 3. Shot in the Head / 4. Can�t Stand the Heat / 5. Goodbye Jane / 6. Quick Reaction / 7. People and the Power / 8. Red Revolution / 9. Cry For Me / 10. Silver Shoes and Strawberry Wine / 11. Watch Her Do it / 12. Ape Man / 13. Moonshine Blues / 14. Boogalooing is for Wooing / 15. Hootchie Koochie Har Kau
Comments:
Additional Comments to the great 2014 Re-release:
Having reheard this great album in its newly re-mastered version, I won't hesitate to call it an overlooked classic. The songs and the performances are just so great. The two previously un-released tracks are both fine additions; especially "One of these Days" is typical of the group - a fine melodic rocker, with great lyrics. The other "new" track "Ride Baby Ride" is quite different. It's a folkish thing, performed with banjo and piano, very much in the style of the late Ronnie Lane of the Small Faces.
Fine informative 20 pages booklet, by way, with great lines notes from producer Wally Allen (Pretty Things), and interesting facts about each song. Allen wrote 3 B-sides to their singles, and I wonder why the best of those "Hoochie Coochie Har Kau" was left out of the CD.
Original 2008 review:
These recordings could more or less be called the missing link between Easybeats and Flash & the Pan.
After the split up of the Easybeats songwriters George Young and Harry Vanda did a lot of production for other artists, but also went into the studios to record for themselves with various other musicians. One of these projects was called Marcus Hook Roll Band, and an full album plus a couple of singles were released under that name. Not much promotion was made and the records were not released in many countries.
Musically it comes as a natural continuation of the style that the Easybeats had played on the last album "Friends" with songs like "St Louis". Musically a great rock/soul album with both Harry Vanda and George Young on lead vocals. Wally Allen of The Pretty Things was also a big part of this project, which makes it even more interesting. George Young's two AC/DC brothers Angus and Malcolm are also here.
There are some real gems here; "Natural Man" and "Shot in the Head" were fine singles and "Cry For Me" and "Silver Shoes and Strawberry Wine" are great songs.
Originally released in in 1973 but unfortunately this is a pretty hard to find album today; it was re-released on CD in Australia in the 1990's, but it's already deleted again. Hopefully it's will be released in Europe and America too, since it's a must buy for any fan of Vanda/Young and the Easybeats. A lot of the other obscure Vanda/Young record projects would be perfect as bonus tracks.
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