Today, we're looking at three recent releases from Cherry Red's Grapefruit imprint!

Grapefruit is continuing its series of 3-CD clamshell cases with two titles spotlighting the 1970s.  Riding the Rock Machine: British Seventies Classic Rock, available now, is certainly one of the broadest such releases in Grapefruit's series.  Compiler David Wells sets out his mission statement in straightforward fashion: "[Such] is the reductive nature of radio station playlists and Spotify recommendations that it often feels as if the complete works of bands like Thin Lizzy and Status Quo - two acts who amassed more than thirty hit singles during the Seventies - consists entirely of 'Whiskey in the Jar,' 'The Boys Are Back in Town,' and 'Rockin' All Over the World.'  British rock bands may have ruled the charts and airwaves on both sides of the Atlantic in the Seventies, but they did so with more than one signature tune."  This 59-track collection does its best to present those other sides of famous bands alongside gems from groups that never attained the ranks of superstardom.

The collection opens with a blast of hard rock and metal via Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow and vocalist Ronnie James Dio.  "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll," a moderate hit from 1978, sets the tone for the collection that also presents gems (hidden and otherwise) from the blues-rock, progressive, art-rock, glam, and pop ends of the spectrum.  Thin Lizzy and Status Quo are heard via "Jailbreak" and "Mystery Song," respectively.  Among the other hitmaking artists represented are The Alan Parsons Project ("I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You"), the reformed Spencer Davis Group ("Catch You on the Rebop"), Faces ("Cindy Incidentally"), Procol Harum ("Robert's Box"), The Moody Blues ("I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)"), Manfred Mann's Earth Band (Bruce Springsteen's "Spirit[s] in the Night"), Status Quo ("Mystery Song"), ELO ("Showdown"), Mott the Hoople ("Ready for Love/After Lights"), and The Who ("Success Story").  The latter band's Pete Townshend even drops by to add guitar to Jesus Christ Superstar singer Yvonne Elliman's cover of "I Can't Explain."  The title of the set comes from Fancy's "She's Ridin' the Rock Machine;" the group's complete recordings were recently collected by Cherry Red's Lemon imprint.

A few of those enduring signature songs have crept in, too: Foreigner's "Feels Like the First Time," Emerson Lake and Palmer's "Lucky Man," and Foghat's "Slow Ride" among them.  Less well-known lights featured on the set include power trio Agnes Strange ("Clever Fool"), the Deep Purple and Andrew Lloyd Webber-championed Silverhead ("Ace Supreme"), and Rococo (the glammy "Hoodlum Fun") while previously unreleased tracks from a pre-Jet Records-era Magnum ("Baby I Need"), Bullfrog ("Ice Cold Dick"), Maggot ("Shoelace"), and The Winkies (Otis Blackwell's "Fever," a signature tune for Peggy Lee).  The proceedings close with Argent's 1973 "God Gave Rock and Roll to You."  The Russ Ballard-penned anthem, which performed respectably on the U.K. Singles Chart and "bubbled under" the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, went on to become an international hit for Kiss in 1991.

The set has been mastered by Simon Murphy, and the colorful 40-page booklet has David Wells' detailed track-by-track annotations.

This Friday, May 28 in the U.K. (and June 4 in North America), Grapefruit will release Beyond the Pale Horizon: The British Progressive Pop Sounds of 1972 in the same format.  This 65-song set is more focused, allowing for a deep dive into the year and sound in question.  David Wells, once again compiling and annotating, has selected a mix of top ten hits and near-complete obscurities.  Quite a few groups recur from Riding the Rock Machine, including The Moody Blues ("Isn't Life Strange," a top 20 hit in the U.K. and top 30 in the U.S.), Argent ("Hold Your Head Up," a top 5 smash in both the U.K. and U.S.), Roxy Music ("Virginia Plain," a U.K. top 5), Nazareth ("Fool About You"), Mott the Hoople (a demo of "Honaloochie Boogie," a U.K. No. 12), Family ("Burlesque"), ELO ("10538 Overture"), Uriah Heep ("Traveller in Time"), Status Quo ("Paper Planes"), Hawkwind ("Silver Machine"), and even Silverhead ("Oh No No No").  ELO precursor The Move appear, too, with "Do Ya" (which Jeff Lynne and co. would revisit in 1976) while co-founder Roy Wood earns a spot with "Wake Up."  One of the more unexpected names is bubblegum pop studio group White Plains, best known for "My Baby Loves Lovin'."  Their single "Beachcomber" offers a hint of the group's more psychedelic side.  Equally surprising is the inclusion of influential folksinger and acoustic guitarist Ralph McTell and his lament for the changing Bob Dylan, "Zimmerman Blues."

Progressive pop knew few boundaries, hence the spins here on a television theme (George Martin's Radio One "Theme One" from Van Der Graaf Generator), American folk-pop (Paul Simon's "America," a 1968 hit for Simon and Garfunkel), and a Beach Boys deep cut (the Tony Rivers-led Summer Wine's "Take a Load Off Your Feet").  In addition to "Theme One," other Beatles connections are peppered throughout this set.  Neil Harrison (represented with "Maybe I'm Lost Without You") would go on to star in the West End's Beatlemania and take his John Lennon to the road as a member of The Bootleg Beatles.  Neil Innes, of The Bonzo Dog Band (the kooky "King of Scurf"), went on to star as the Lennon-inspired character in The Rutles and compose the band's Fab pastiche songs.

Even the most diehard collector is likely to find something to discover on Beyond the Pale Horizon including perhaps its biggest find, a previously unreleased alternative mix of Dark's "Maypole."  The original pressing of the psych-rock group's LP Dark Round the Edges (limited to 64 copies) - on which the final mix of the track appeared - remains one of the world's most valuable records.

Like Riding the Rock Machine, it boasts a detailed 40-page booklet with David Wells' track-by-track notes, and the audio has been mastered by Simon Murphy.

Also available now from Grapefruit is an excavation of a private-press cult favorite release from 1971: Oberon's A Midsummer Night's Dream.  (Oberon was a fairy king in Shakespeare's play, but the band members can't recall whether the album title or band name came first.)  The group - flautist-guitarist-vocalist Charlie Seaward; violinist-vocalist Julian Smedley; guitarists Chris Smith and Robin Clutterbuck; bassist-pianist Jeremy Birchall; vocalist-guitarist Jan Scrimgeour; and drummer Nick Powell - came together at Radley College, a boys' public school near Abingdon in the United Kingdom.  The bandmates, all of whom were Radley students except the female Jan, were under the spell of prog and The Lord of the Rings when they recorded this occasionally inspired, occasionally unsettling lo-fi folk-rock record.

Oberon didn't lack ambition; in addition to original songs composed within the band's ranks, their debut album included covers of Gershwin (a spectral, jazz-influenced "Summertime" sung by Scrimgeour with instrumental solos) and Debussy (flute showcase "Syrinx").  But it's the originals that are most intriguing, including Chris Smith's acoustic instrumental "Peggy" and the epic, stylistically-shifting "The Hunt" and Tolkien-flavored "Minas Tirith."  Never mind that band pal and ex-Radley student Hugh Lupton's moody, impressionistic lyrics can't always be made out clearly and the sound of the album is often murky; the latter two lengthy, pastoral mini-suites are intermittently spellbinding with their alternately delicate and clattering sections.  There's more than a bit of pretentiousness, as on the "Minas Tirith" drum solo, but it's clear that these talented kids were enjoying the acts of writing and making music with no concerns about commercialism or fame.  This release will appeal to fans of "outsider" music such as The Langley Schools Music Project or The Shaggs, and one could well imagine it as ethereal accompaniment to a production of Midsummer Night's Dream, perhaps Shakespeare's most magical play.

Cherry Red's first-time wide release (after a handful of earlier, small-press reissues) adds a second disc first released by Oberon in 2010.  Live: Spring 1971 reprises a handful of cuts from the album and adds a Poulenc flute sonata performed by Charlie Seaward and a revival of "Scarborough Fair" as arranged by Jeremy Birchall that owes little to the hit Simon and Garfunkel rendition.  Grapefruit's reissue is housed in a six-panel digipak and boasts a 24-page booklet with David Wells' illuminating essay, lyrics, and plenty of striking color photos and memorabilia images.  Simon Murphy has remastered the audio, with the studio album sounding stronger than the live show.  A Midsummer Night's Dream is available now at the links below.

Oberon, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Acorn OBELPS1, 1971 - reissued Cherry Red/Grapefruit CRSEG090D, 2021) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1: A Midsummer Night's Dream

1. Nottamun Town
2. Peggy
3. The Hunt
4. Syrinx
5. Summertime
6. Time Past, Time Come
7. Minas Tirith
8. Epitaph

CD 2: Live - Spring 1971 (all tracks first released in 2010)

1. Scarborough Fair
2. Peggy
3. Epitaph
4. Nottamun Town
5. Flute Sonata
6. The Hunt
7. Minas Tirith

Various Artists, Riding the Rock Machine: British Seventies Classic Rock (Grapefruit CRSEGBOX088, 2021) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1

1. Long Live Rock 'n' Roll - Rainbow
2. Easy Livin' - Uriah Heep
3. I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band) - The Moody Blues
4. I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You - The Alan Parsons Project
5. Slow Ride (Single Version) - Foghat
6. Catch You on the Rebop - The Spencer Davis Group
7. I Can't Explain (Album Version) - Yvonne Elliman
8. Cindy Incidentally - Faces
9. Robert's Box - Procol Harum
10. Standing in the Road - Blackfoot Sue
11. Back to the Wall - Medicine Head
12. Success Story - The Who
13. Black Cloud - Trapeze
14. Hold Out Your Hand - Chris Squire
15. Spirits in the Night - Manfred Mann's Earth Band
16. Boston Tea Party - The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
17. Bungle in the Jungle - Jethro Tull
18. Clever Fool - Agnes Strange
19. She's Ridin' the Rock Machine (Single Version) - Fancy
20. Action (Single Version) - Sweet

CD 2

1. Feels Like the First Time - Foreigner
2. This Flight Tonight - Nazareth
3. Wishing Well - Free
4. Out of Your Head - Man
5. My Friend Peter - Strawbs
6. Quark, Strangeness, and Charm - Hawkwind
7. Ace Supreme (Single Version) - Silverhead
8. Mystery Song (Album Version) - Status Quo
9. H.F. - Curved Air
10. Baby I Need - Magnum (*)
11. Showdown - Electric Light Orchestra
12. Momma's Boy - City Boy
13. The 1959 Rock 'n' Roll Bop - Duffy
14. Hoodlum Fun - Rococo
15. Only After Dark - Mick Ronson
16. Straddle - Strider
17. Move It - Stray
18. Ice Cold Dick - Bullfrog (*)
19. Shoelace - Maggot (*)
20. Lucky Man - Emerson, Lake & Palmer

CD 3

1. Street Life - Roxy Music
2. Maid in Heaven - Be-Bop Deluxe
3. Devil's Answer (U.S. Album Version) - Atomic Rooster
4. In My Own Time - Family
5. Get My Rocks Off - Dana Gillespie
6. New York Groove - Hello
7. Jailbreak - Thin Lizzy
8. Can't Live Without It - Tucky Buzzard
9. Blowing a Million - National Flag
10. Monster in Paradise - Hard Stuff
11. Black Sheep of the Family - Fat Mattress
12. Life Is a Minestrone (Album Version) - 10cc
13. Dream Kid - Sutherland Brothers & Quiver
14. Got a Bad Leg - Smokestack Crumble
15. Fever - The Winkies (*)
16. Ready for Love/After Lights - Mott the Hoople
17. My Oh My (Single Version) - Sad Café
18. Jack O'Lantern - Babe Ruth
19. God Gave Rock and Roll to You - Argent

(*) previously unreleased

Various Artists, Beyond the Pale Horizon: The British Progressive Pop Sounds of 1972 (Cherry Red/Grapefruit CRSEGBOX091, 2021) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1

1. Theme One - Van Der Graaf Generator
2. Virginia Plain - Roxy Music
3. Hold Your Head Up (Single Edit) - Argent
4. Here It Comes (Alternative Version) - Strawbs
5. Hey Man - Rare Bird
6. The Very First Clown - Shape of the Rain
7. Do Ya - The Move
8. Into the Country - Byzantium
9. Isn't Life Strange - The Moody Blues
10. Lovin' You Ain't Easy - Pagliaro
11. Once Upon a Dream - Rusty
12. Fool About You - Nazareth
13. Funny - Open Road (*)
14. Keep on Clucking - Stackridge
15. Hamburgers - Rupert Hine
16. Strange People - Eddie Hardin
17. Wonderin' Y - Slade
18. Honaloochie Boogie (Demo Version) - Mott the Hoople
19. Aristocracy - Caravan
20. I Need Your Love Tonight - Nirvana
21. America (Single Edit) - Yes

CD 2

1. 10538 Overture (Album Version) - Electric Light Orchestra
2. Little Bit of Love - Free
3. Lord of the Ringside - Clown
4. Sewing Machine - Tuesday
5. Burlesque - Family
6. Oh No No No - Silverhead
7. Traveller in Time - Uriah Heep
8. Nobody's Fool - Cold Turkey
9. Maybe I'm Lost Without You - Neil Harrison
10. Feels Like a Woman - Troggs
11. Birds Must Learn to Fly - Rocky Cabbage
12. King of Scurf - Bonzo Dog Band
13. All Fall Down - Lindisfarne
14. Rise Up - Home
15. Maypole (Alternative Mix) - Dark (*)
16. Kum On - Medicine Head
17. When the City Sleeps - Bombadil
18. Beachcomber - White Plains
19. Something That You Loved - Pluto
20. Blue Suede Shoes Again - Mike Hugg
21. Funeral - Second Hand

CD 3

1. Whiskey in the Air - Thin Lizzy
2. Paper Plane - Status Quo
3. The Wench - Hello
4. One Way Ticket - Curtiss Maldoon
5. Silver Machine (Single Version) - Hawkwind
6. Wake Up - Roy Wood
7. Take a Load Off Your Feet - Summer Wine
8. Coast to Coast - Trapeze
9. I Am...I Think - Grobbert and Duff
10. Rainbow Chasing - Andromeda
11. The Demon Trucker - Jade Warrior
12. Everything's Turning Out Fine - Hobbit
13. Teddy Boyd's Rock 'n' Roll Show - Atlantis
14. Tigers Will Survive - Plainsong
15. Sarah's Concern - Curved Air
16. Taken Alive - Hard Stuff
17. God Bless the Bride - Kevin Coyne
18. Zimmerman Blues (Album Version) - Ralph McTell
19. And In the Morning - Jake
20. All Alone - Guest and Edwards
21. Noticeingly By - Nimbo
22. Mass Debate - Bond and Brown
23. Mummy - Patto

(*) previously unreleased