Rumplestiltskin (1970) Squadron Leader Johnson - LOST 70s GEMS

First off, Rumplestiltskin was a UK hard rock band in the 1970s underground formed of famous session guitarist Alan Parker, who laid down the searing guitar lines to Donavan's Hurdy Gurdy Man, not a pre- Zeppelin era Jimmy Page as it is frequently attributed. This is almost a continuation of the Hurdy Gurdy Man sessions as the drummer from that recording is also here; famed session man Clem Cattini as well as famed session bassist Herbie Flowers, all playing under pseudonyms surely for professional reasons. They produced two records a this self titled debut on Bell Records and a follow up called Black Magician the following year on Bellophon records, this album is stacked full to the brim with earthy hard rock sound, revolving around metal chugging and very bright organ and Jazz piano playing keeping the sound from being too dry and monolithic but more soulful, rhythm and blues style. The tracks are very consistent, though the band was a super-group of talents assembled by the Kinks' producer Shel Tamy and centred around a promising singer called Peter Green, a different Peter Green who would have a hit two years later as Daniel Boone called Beautiful Sunday. But in this incarnation he is a solid RnB belter anchoring the tight rhythms of his band. The virtuoso organ vamps that occur on Make Me Make You, though it's suspect lyrics the watery Organ licks actually challenge the hard rocking guitar. Poor Billy Brown is a slow, atmospheric jam of exceptional construction as the electric piano echo soothingly, the crisp drumming is easy on the ears while the slide guitar and organ notes that are played in tandem flow from one note to the next so smoothly. The quality of their playing is as flawless as you would expect from session musicians, listen to the use of very quiet lowly mixed organ sustains in the Three Dog Night sounding track Poor Billy Brown. The blaring Farfisa attacks are truly something, played by Alan Hawkshaw, who adds some barroom piano to the gospel pop rock of Knock On My Door along with the funky guitar chords making it the most melodic cut and a potential single. No One to Turn To is another potential single release with the dominant musician being singer Peter Green's doubled vocals erupting from slow lounge verses into a fist pumping call out chorus. Mr Joe (Witness for the Defense) features some of Alan Parker's menacing magic with some scary muted guitar chugging, while the chorus is more melodic old school 'storytelling' soul from Green that fits with the odd comic book panelled cover seemingly telling a similar story of nefarious doings with a shady character in a fur coat; is it Rumplestiltskin or Mr Joe who is pronounced guilty at the end of the track? Paté de foie gras is an odd song, with Parker on full on Jimmy Page scintillating blues mode with a recipe for the aforementioned dish set to another gospel funk backing, the track ends on the sound effect of a cork popping and a man glugging some wine before belching. The title track features a airy maracas, tambourine led section for a jungle fever pitch as Parker menacingly chugs away on his sinister guitar tone, before the final track,Squadron Leader Johnson, which Parker starts with a truly bad ass little riff that reminds me of Mountain with Green's blues vocals and the simple jazzy beat. There are dive bombers heard and footsteps marching and a cool succession of chords that lead us into this bridge section where Parker plays some truly slipping and sliding funk guitar parts. This is the most Zeppelin sounding tracks with the thunderously brooding power riff and and Parker's jagged guitar cutting through in clean shredding solos that make this track stand out; it's the best playing heard outside of Sabbath or Zeppelin.