Ever since the CD boom in the 90s, the market hasn’t been short of rock compilations. There have been literally thousands of collections of 70s rock classics flooding the market, often very similar in nature. You’d think they’d only be a finite amount of people willing to put their hands in their pockets for discs containing Rainbow’s ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’, UFO’s ‘Doctor Doctor’ and Hawkwind’s ‘Silver Machine’, but still they come…and in huge numbers.
In April, Grapefruit Records – Cherry Red’s 70s archive specialists – are issuing a 3CD set that aims to be a little bit more interesting than most. Yes, ‘Riding The Rock Machine: British Seventies Classic Rock’ features many of the usual suspects, but often with different – slightly more obscure tracks. It isn’t afraid to pitch a Thin Lizzy classic against a Man obscurity, or challenge people with something by The Who that wasn’t a hit single.
Of greatest interest to lovers of the era – and collectors – is the inclusion of a handful of previously unreleased recordings, including a 1976 demo recording by Magnum. One of two unavailable tunes recorded at Nest Studios in Birmingham, ‘Baby I Need’ was written by then bassist Dave Morgan and went unheard by most people for years. It was one of the only tracks from that era to not be included on the excellent 2CD reissue of ‘Kingdom of Madness’. Found on an acetate in 2005, it finally makes its way into the world at large as part of this anthology, along with unreleased cuts by Bullfrog and Maggot, and deep cuts from Fancy, National Flag, Procol Harum and Purple Records signings Hard Stuff.
A full tracklisting can be explored below.
DISC ONE:
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 – 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. THE 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
DISC TWO:
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. U.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
DISC THREE:
1. STREET LIFE – Roxy Music
2. MAID IN HEAVEN – Be-Bop Deluxe
3. DEVIL’S ANSWER (US 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 Cafe
18. JACK O’LANTERN – Babe Ruth
19. GOD GAVE ROCK AND ROLL TO YOU – Argent