For some reason I have always liked those things which are obscure. Those things that make you go - "What?  You bought what?  What the hell is that?"

OK - maybe I'm not that bad.  I have pretty much staked out my territory as 1960s and 1970s Rock and Roll.  Of course how a person can listen to essentially the same chord structures time and time again without getting bored is the magic involved in the music.  Granted, not every song is like "Gloria" the stereotypical 3-chord "Masterpiece", but you'd be suprised.  Of course, obscurity is relative, so if you peruse music review websites most of these artists are going to be familiar.  Sorry.  Whereas the general public has long forgotten them, if they knew of them.  Is this pompous of me?  I don't think so.  I just do not believe the world needs another page talking about the glory of the Beatles.  Of course, this means that there's less attraction to the site, but not that it really matters.  If, on the other hand you are one of those people who know their way around internet music pages then these bands are not going to be obscure, but this site still will be.

Of course if you think I need help than obviously you've never heard of Syd Barrett.

One thing that should be kept in mind during any teeth-gnashing associated with this site is that it is fundamentally album-oriented, not band-oriented.  Of course, having one album increases the chances that I'll have more by the same artist, but not always.  The main reason for this is that I don't go out looking for a particular thing - it's what strikes my fancy.  However, you should be (as I am) aware that extrapolating information from only album beggars cries of small sample size - my conclusions can be radically shifted as I hear more from an artist.  So, as I stumble about my record collection and post the results here, keep all this in mind.

(Like everything else on the internet this is hopelessly under construction.  However, I'll spare you from seeing the idiotic graphics usually associated with this.)

Due to popular demand (who am I kidding?) here are the latest reviews:

Feb 03 2002 - I hereby declare February to be: Unjustly Forgotten Artist Month.  What does this mean?  It means that in addition to my usual pace of sloppily written, hastily cranked out reviews you'll get an additional, er ...you'll get at least one review per week (hopefully) of a artist that I believe is really good, but never mentioned.  Hopefully we can make these albums sort of second-class "Forgotten Classics" as opposed to the first-class ones (W&A's unofficial holy trinity of the Zombies' Odyssey and Oracle, Love's Forever Changes, and Spirit's Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus).  How much will this cost you?  Nothing!  That's right, nothing - I'll throw it in for free along with my usual reviews.  All you have to do is show up here to read about some band you've never heard of, and probably wouldn't want to hear.

It all starts - next week, or maybe late this week.

Feb 03 2002. List of Artists To Be/Or Not To Be/Or Want To Be Reviewed.
Feb 03 2002. The Electric Flag: "A Long Time Comin'" (1968).
Feb 03 2002. B.L.T. (1981).
Jan 23 2002. Quicksilver Messenger Service: What About Me (1971).
Jan 20 2002. Deep Purple: Fireball (1971).
Jan 20 2002. Deep Purple In Rock (1970).
Jan 20 2002. Hot Tuna (1970).
Jan 20 2002. Jefferson Airplane: Volunteers (1970).

Here is a list of groups that I have reviewed (listened and criticized):
Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd's founder and the original LSD burnout)
Jeff Beck (and a Rod Stewart album because it fits)
Michael Brown (The Left Banke, Montage and the Stories)
Deep Purple
James Gang and Joe Walsh solo
Jefferson Airplane (includes Hot Tuna)
Jethro Tull (Hard-hitting folk, or folk/metal, or [folk, metal], or prog/folk/metal or what?)
The Kinks
Al Kooper (Blood, Sweat & Tears)
The Nice (Keith Emerson's original group.  Emerson, Lake and Palmer also.)
Pink Floyd and solo work (These reviews are really old, and most likely out of date)
The Pretty Things (Dirtier than the Stones, and with a far cooler psych album too.)
Procol Harum ("A Whiter Shade of Pale" and more, solo work included)
Quicksilver Messenger Service and Nicky Hopkins
Soft Machine (Jazz+Rock+LSD = ?)
The Who (Woefully incomplete.  In fact I've just listed their albums. That's intimidating
enough)
Yes (Prog-Rock superstars, overblown wankists or both? Tomorrow and Peter Banks also.)

For even sketchier reviews here are groups that I've reviewed only a couple of albums from:
 

Aerosmith	The Move
Bachman-Turner Overdrive	Osibisa
Black Sabbath	Queen
The Blossom Toes	Savoy Brown
Bodine	The Seeds
The Byrds	Slade
Chicago	The Smoke
Alice Cooper	Steppenwolf
The Electric Flag	Tranquility
Giles, Giles & Fripp	The Turtles
Godfrey Daniel (not a review)	Ultimate Spinach
The Hollies	Uriah Heep
King Crimson	The Velvet Underground & Nico
Dave Mason	The Young Rascals
Milkwood Tapestry	The Zombies
Mountain

Wow! - Here are some Features that are sure to bore you to tears - Stuff I Borrowed, and Stuff I Didn't Borrow, Previous Updates, How the Ratings Work, Proof that the All-Music Guide is on Crack, Selections from the Worst Liner Notes in the World, an Informal Essay entitled "On the use of Categorizing and Labels", and Links to Other (Better) Music Review Sites.

Alas, I highly suggest that you make your own web page if you wish to publicize your own views.  I have neither the time nor the inclination to post other views here, although I will gladly link your page to mine.  If I haven't reviewed your favorite band, it's because they suck.  But remember opinions are subjective, and I am no less right than anyone else.
Fine, fine, fine.  Just email me at jhendrix110@lycos.com already.

Et ignotas animum dimittit in artes - Ovid, Metamorphoses, VIII, 188 (and copied from Joyce)