Merl Saunders ‎Jerry Garcia Fire Up Rare 1973 Fantasy Records Orig. Vinyl LP
  $   100

 


$ 100   (best offer accepted)   Sold For
Feb 19, 2022 Sold Date
Nov 3, 2021 Start Date
1 Number Of Bids
  USA Country Of Seller
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Description

Welcome to Classic Cadillac Records!  I visually grade all my records as accurately as possible and will never grade anything above Near Mint unless it's still sealed.  Please note that a visual grade can differ from a play grade, and am happy to spot check a record upon request.   All orders are shipped within 1 business day (usually sooner) and packed with extra care to ensure fast, safe arrival.  Please look closely at all pictures, read all relevant details and ask any questions you may have before buying.  I offer a full 30-day return policy on everything I sell, so buy with confidence!  And most importantly, thanks for looking!


Merl Saunders ‎– Fire Up

Genre: Jazz, Funk / Soul Style: Soul-Jazz, Funk Year: 1973 What might have been worth volumes of rock history, but turned out to be nothing much more than a short story, was the supergroup comprising members of both the Grateful Dead and Creedence Clearwater Revival, a ship whose captain was the wonderful Merl Saunders. With both the chops and musical background to lead the somewhat younger rock neophytes on a vision quest, Saunders became something of a galvanizing force, bringing out some of the tightest and strongest performances of the players featured here. As this band evolved in later years, former Creedence Clearwater Revival guitarist Tom Fogerty was pushed out of the picture and Saunders began a program of diversity in which the hapless Garcia would be thrust into the limelight on ballads such as "My Funny Valentine," an ungrateful fish out of water to be sure. There is none of that here, as the program wisely emphasizes the leader's clever songwriting; fans of the good ol' boogaloo should enjoy both "Soul Roach" and "Chock-Lite Puddin'." The range of material is narrowly focused into the areas where these players really excel, rather than attempting to be jaw-droppingly eclectic. Of the covers, the best is an energetic reworking of "Expressway to Your Heart," in which Saunders displays his feel for light, melodic soul material. He gets the others to play in the pocket, yet these are hippie bell-bottoms with holes in the pockets; the slightly unkempt nature of the Bay Area psychedelic rockers adds a nice atmosphere. The big airplay number of the time was the opener, "After Midnight," which despite its dated '70s mildew is after all a good vehicle for the Saunders greasy organ style, as would be anything even vaguely bluesy. Fantasy eventually combined this album with an earlier Saunders effort for a CD entitled Fire Up Plus. -

Review

 

by Eugene Chadbourne

Tracklist

After Midnight 4:56 Expressway (To Your Heart) 5:20 Charisma 4:47 Soul Roach 4:24 Chock-Lite Puddin´ 4:35 Benedict Rides 3:02 The System 3:48 Lonely Avenue 8:50


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