Siegel-Schwall Band - The Complete Vanguard Recordings and More (1965-70)

Is a three-CD set of the Siegel-Schwall Band – including all four of their Vanguard albums (spanning 1966-1970) in their entirety, along with six previously unissued cuts – too much to take at once? In a word, yes. If you're a blues-rock history nut, though – and there must be some such listeners out there – it is a handy collection that gathers every last shred of recorded evidence of their early years.

In the Chicago-style 1960s white blues sweepstakes, the group lagged way behind the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, an unavoidable reference point due to the similarity of approach and repertoire. Nor were they as good as Charlie Musselwhite or John Hammond, in part because of their vocal limitations, and also in part because of their lesser levels of virtuosity and imagination. They could, however, sometimes summon respectable raffish energy, particularly on the faster or more Bo Diddley-esque tunes, though the slow ones were usually pretty mundane. The highlights of this set are the moments when they do manage to break toward some more original territory, whether it's in the occasional use of mandolin, or the tentative psychedelic pop of the atypical "Song," from Siegel-Schwall 70. If you've heard the albums already, you'll be most interested in the half-dozen previously unreleased tracks, none of which are too great or different from most of their early work. These include two 1965 demos (one of them a cover of Howlin' Wolf's "Howlin' for My Darlin'"); two outtakes from their first Vanguard recording session in 1966; and two 1970 demos, the highlight of that pair being "Easy Rider," which has good slide work. The 12-page booklet, which contains some quotes from the band, is a plus; the absence of songwriter credits is a minus. - by Richie Unterberger, AMG

Personnel:
Corky Siegel (Piano, El. Piano, Harmonica and Vocals)
Jim Schwall (Guitar, Mandolin and Vocals)
Jos Davidson (Bass Guitar and Vocals) - CD1
Russ Chadwick (Drums) - CD1:1-15 / CD2:1-12 / CD3:1-11
Jack Dawson (Bass Guitar) - CD2:1-12 / CD3:1-11
Rollo Radford (Bass Guitar) - CD3:12-19
Shelly Plotkin (Drums) - CD3:12-19

Tracks:
CD1:
1. Howlin' For My Darlin' (Chester Burnett) 2:41
2. I've Had All I Can Take (Instr.) (Corky Siegel) 3:20
3. Down In The Bottom (Howlin' Wolf) 2:27
4. I Have Had All I Can Take (Corky Siegel) 3:16
5. Boot Hill (Jimmy Whiterspoon) 2:57
6. When I Get The Time (Jos Davidson) 3:00
7. I've Got To Go Now (Corky Siegel) 2:49
8. Mama/Papa (Jim Schwall) 1:41
9. I'll Be The Man (Corky Siegel) 2:41
10. Little Babe (Chester Burnett) 2:49
11. Going To New York (Jimmy Reed/Mary Reed) 3:24
12. Mary (Corky Siegel) 2:07
13. So Glad You're Mine (Arthur Crudup) 3:46
14. Hoochie Coochie Man (Willie Dixon) 6:50
15. Break Song (Corky Siegel/Jim Schwall/Jos Davidson/Russ Chadwick) 2:19

CD2:
1. I'm A King Bee (Corky Siegel) 5:32
2. Slow Blues In A (Jim Schwall) 5:23
3. You Don't Love Me (Jim Schwall) 2:48
4. I.S.P.I. Blues (Illinois State Psychiatric Institution) (Corky Siegel) 8:58
5. Bring It With You When You Come (Traditional/arr. Jim Schwall) 4:19
6. My Baby Thinks I Don't Love Her (Corky Siegel) 4:38
7. That's Why I Treat My Baby So Fine (Corky Siegel) 11:52
8. I Liked It Where We Walked (Corky Siegel) 2:58
9. Easy Rider (Roger McGuinn) 4:03
10. I Like The Way You Rock (Corky Siegel) 6:50
11. Don't Want No Woman (Traditional) 2:30
12. Sneaky Pete (Take Two) (Traditional) 2:00

CD3:
1. Shake For Me (Willie Dixon) 4:50
2. My Starter Won't Start (Traditional) 4:49
3. Jim Jam (Jim Schwall) 2:25
4. Louise, Louise Blues (J. Mayo Williams) 2:48
5. Wouldn't Quit You (Corky Siegel) 3:10
6. You Can't Run That Fast (Jim Schwall) 3:03
7. Think (Corky Siegel) 2:39
8. 334-3599 (Jim Schwall) 2:34
9. Rain Falling Down (Jim Schwall) 2:40
10. Get Away Man (Corky Siegel) 3:12
11. Yes, I Love You (Corky Siegel) 2:52
12. I Don't Want You To Be My Girl (Corky Siegel) 6:23
13. Do You Remember (Corky Siegel/Jim Schwall) 3:03
14. Geronimo (Jim Schwall/Charles de Meyer) 3:07
15. Angel Food Cake (Corky Siegel) 5:34
16. Walk In My Mind (Corky Siegel) 2:35
17. Song (Corky Siegel) 4:22
18. Tell Me (Chester Burnett) 3:50
19. A Sunshine Day In My Mind (Jim Schwall/Jim Post) 8:07

FLAC (incl. scans):
flac linklist
MP3:
link 1
link 2
link 3
scans

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