Here we have another review of one of Noble Records Exclusive offerings. This time around we go Down Under to Sydney, Australia with a band named McPhee. The album was originally released in 1971 and has been lost and forgotten through the sands of time. Well, not really as it has been a highly sought after piece in the collecting world and an original LP will cost you well over $2,000 to obtain it. Don’t fret, these reissues by labels such as Guerssen Records help keep these lost gems in the public eye and we are luckier for it.
Guerssen always does such a fine job recreating the original artwork and they use only the best, high quality material. It is reproduced on a stunning green and black splatter vinyl which you will see below. On top of that you get an essay on the band by Ian McFarlane which gives you all the details needed to know about this band.
And speaking of the band, you get Jim Deverell on Organ, piano and vocals; Faye Lewis on vocals and percussion; Terry Popple on drums; Tony Joyce on guitar; and last but certainly not least, Benny Kaika on bass. It is a stellar line-up full of people that now how to use their instruments as you will hear if you check this out, which you should. The album is mostly full of covers but there are 2 original songs out of the 7 on the album. Musically, this is some killer acid rock, psychedelia, prog and pure rock. But enough jibber-jabber, lets get to the music.
SIDE 1:
The album kicks off with a killer cover of Spooky Tooth’s “The Wrong Time”. It grooves to some killer drums and bass work highlighted by some stellar organ and guitar riffs. All outdone by the powerhouse vocals of Faye. Think Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane and you get an idea of the power of her voice. A sludgy song that sets the tone for the rest of the album.
It is followed by an original track by bassist Benny Kaika called “Sunday Shuffle”. It does as the name implies. The song is a rocking jam, with a contagious beat and more vocals from Faye that will hook you in and never let go. It has a fantastic solo by Joyce and before you know it the song is over and you are left wanting more…and they deliver.
Next you get Neil Young’s “Southern Man” and they stay faithful to it. Faye’s vocals have many layers and you get lost in her singing and the guitar solo is simple yet to die for. One of the more radio-friendly songs on here and the purest of the rock tracks. Simply stupendous. They did Ole’ Neil proud with this one.
The first side ends with a cover of Richie Haven’s “Indian Rope Man” but done with the arrangement by Brian Auger& The Trinity. What does that mean, well hold on to your hat as it will blow you away. Some breathtaking organ work and guitar work that would be up there with the big boys that made it. The organ solo on here by Deverell is nothing short of amazing. Jon Lord would be impressed with this one. Don’t think he was alone in his genius as Joyce’s guitar solo is equally impressive. Oh, I forgot to let you know about the barbaric drum solo as well…Everyone gets to shine on this one.
SIDE 2:
Flip this bad boy over it kicks off with Leon Russell’s “Superstar” and Faye’s vocals on this one are so soothing and yet haunting at the same time. The groove is slowed down and the tone gets darker and more serious. The saxophone towards the back half of the song, is such a welcoming sound. This one was perfectly placed after that blistering “Indian Rope Man” so you can catch your breath and simply enjoy the wonders of the song. Another of the more radio friendly tracks so you will be drawn in from the get go.
And then we go to the bizarre and I mean that in a good way. We get a cover of The Beatle’s “I Am The Walrus”, but not done like The Beatles, that would be too easy. Nope. They use the arrangement from the Spooky Tooth’s cover of the song. You might recognize some of the lyrics but musically a very different animal. Very prog, very pysch and oh so very cool. It is a trippy ride. This one is not sung by the lovely Faye Lewis. We get Jim Deverell on the vocals for this one and he gives it his all.
The album ends with another original and this is by guitarist Tony Joyce. It is another proggy, but this one is all jam session full of incredible solos by Joyce and his guitar, Deverell and his organ and Popple and his drums. It is another proggy track as we do all sorts of things here and we go on for over 10 minutes. It opens and closes with a jazzy flare and in between is nothing short of jaw-dropping instrumental musical bliss.
And there it is in all its glory. I love supporting my local record store, Noble Records, with these exclusives. They are usually bands I would never have ever heard or even tried to track down and listen. It is letting me explore genres and bands that would never cross my normal mainstream listening ears. Not all are magical, but most of them are and McPhee is certainly one I have been enjoying since I brought it home a few weeks back. The musicianship on guitar by Tony Joyce and organ by Jim Deverell left me speechless at times and Faye Lewis’ stunning vocals were perfectly suited for these arrangements. A band that never did more than this album and thankfully these reissues remind us of so much greatness that went untapped an undiscovered. My Overall Score is a 5.0 out of 5.0 Stars…did you expect anything less!
