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| From | Ronald Sanchez - Career Records <eldeluxe@bridgeband.com> |
| Subject | Re: Help Yourself (was Re: Quiver (was: Who is this band?) |
| Date | Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:22:16 -0700 |
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Steve
Helps were from the same scene, but the music was actually much
different. Even the two long number are a bit more gentle than what Man
did. There were some shared sensibilities, and when they did merge for
the Man album Rhinos the results were some of the strongest music either
bunch made. I had the unique pleasure of hanging around with this mob
when they first came over to the states in 1974, and seem to have been
stuck with the them ever since. Again, I can't recommend the first album
enough, but I like them all. The long lost fifth album, begun in 1973,
was completed a couple of years ago, and it's a treat. If Malcolm had a
stronger mental constitution, things might have bee considerably
different. But then, he wouldn't have written the songs he did write.
The close connection was between Deke Leonard and Malcolm, the two
"literate" guys in the bunch. Richard, guitarist from the Helps worked
with some of the other Man offshoots.
Read about the Helps tragi-comic career here at the Terrascope archives:
http://www.terrascope.co.uk/MyBackPages/helps.html I could ramble on
endlessly about the adventures I've had with the boys. In fact I did for
the Man Band documentry, God Walking Past.
This chat motivated me to open up my SS copy of the second Quiver lp. I
gave the first one two spins today... the second has much better
production, but I don't think the songs improved any, so I'd have to
give the nod to the first. Along the same lines, Home, their first album
which I mentioned earlier. Their later albums are sort of folky progish.
Also must mention Bronco, and superstar band of sorts: Jess Roden, and
guitarist Robbie Blunt and Kevin Gammond, both of who have connections
to Robert Plant via his pre Zep career; The Shake Down Sound and Band Of
Joy. Again, a band I would rate considerably higher than Quiver. SB&Q is
a different matter, at least Lifeboat.
As promised, I am gonna post a couple of Helps songs in a minute, so the
rest of you might have a clue what I've been ramblin' on about. I'll
post a link in a minute. There must be something on the Donovan's Brain
site with Ken and Richard from the Helps helping out, some studio stuff
and some live stuff.
try here, scroll down a bit
http://www.donovans-brain.net/Music-Downloads.html and here:
http://www.donovans-brain.net/discography/Discography-Eclipse.html and
here http://www.donovans-brain.net/discography/Discography-Great-Leap.html
there's more if you just click on discography>then the various album
links at the top...
be seeing ya'
rs
Steve Schiavo wrote:
>
> On Jan 9, 2009, at 2:32 PM, Ronald Sanchez - Career Records wrote:
>
>> Just now listening to the first album. It reminds me a lot of the
>> first couple of Help Yourself albums. I'm sure it's party a sign of
>> the times. The first Home album is also in the same vein. If
>> pressed, I'd have to say Help Yourself is the far better of the
>> three. Malcom Morley is clearly a superior song writer and singer...
>> While Renwick is a great guitarist, Ricky Treece from the Helps is a
>> lot more inventive, Malcolm is a great guitarist too. If these sound
>> interest you, I'd have to suggest you seek out the double with the
>> first and third Helps on one disc. The first album is exquisite, and
>> I would think would go over well with many of you. The Garden Of
>> Delights book dismisses it as "Pub rock, avoid". This is just not
>> true. Imagine if The current version of Wilco made a record in 1970,
>> and it was all killer, no filler.
>
>
> Help Yourself is sorta like Man (and there is crossover between the
> bands) in that three albums have a longish kinda spacerock songs
> along with the pop and country rock-ish tracks. As Ronald says, the
> guitar playing is very fine.
>
> Reviews often mention that they would have fit in well with the West
> Coast scene at the time they were active, and I think that's a fair
> assessment.
>
>
> - Steve
> __________
> I can't resist an anime that includes a small, cute, violence prone
> girl with a scythe. - John
>
> <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_6O-xByzRg>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
--
Ronald Sanchez
Director Of A&R
Career Records <http://www.careerrecords.com>
Donovan's Brain <http://www.donovans-brain.net>
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