Stone The Crows - Studio Albums (1969-1972) 4CD [1996-1997 Repertoire Reissue]

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Stone The Crows - Studio Albums (1969-1972) 4CD [1996-1997 Repertoire Reissue]

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Stone the Crows was a tough-luck, working class, progressive soul band that came out of the pubs of Scotland in the early '70s. They had everything going for them at the start: not one, but two gritty singers, a talented guitarist, a rhythm section that had played with John Mayall, and the name recognition of having Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant as their producer. Despite favorable reviews by the critics, however, they never managed to sell their hybridized soul music to a large audience. In addition, they lost two of their key members early on, one of whom was tragically electrocuted, and the group broke up after four albums.

Their biggest contribution to rock was the immense vocal talent of one Maggie Bell. Winner of several Top Girl Singer awards in Britain, Bell had a raunchy, gutbucket voice that, although it fell short of the naked emotion and range of Janis Joplin's, came probably closer to her style than any other female singer. She first attracted notice when she jumped up on stage at a show in Glasgow to wail with Alex Harvey of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band. Impressed by her talent (and audacity), Harvey hooked her up with his guitar-playing younger brother Les, then fronting a local band called the Kinning Park Ramblers. After playing army bases in Europe for several years as Power, Bell, Harvey, bassist Jim Dewar, keyboardist Jon McGinnis, and drummer Colin Allen (who had played with future bass player Steve Thompson in John Mayall's band), came to the attention of Peter Grant and they changed their name to Stone the Crows, which supposedly is a Scottish variation of "the hell with it."

Both of their first two albums received good reviews upon release, but sold very meagerly. Then bassist/vocalist Jim Dewar quit the band to join Robin Trower's fledgling group, to be replaced by the non-singing Steve Thompson. Shortly after releasing Teenage Licks, guitarist Les Harvey was electrocuted onstage during a gig at Swansea University. This appeared to end the band, but they carried on, recruiting young Jimmy McCulloch from Thunderclap Newman and released "'Ontinuous Performance." Although the rock press lauded the singing of Bell, her group couldn't seem to emerge from the shadows and they broke up after this last album, with McCulloch flying away to join Paul McCartney in Wings.

Biography by Peter Kurtz, Allmusic.com

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Stone The Crows - Studio Albums (1969-1972) 4CD [1996-1997 Repertoire Reissue]

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Stone The Crows - Studio Albums (1969-1972) 4CD [1996-1997 Repertoire Reissue]

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A somewhat atypical debut rock release. Not only does the band deliver a soulful rendition of "Fool on the Hill," but the dreaded side-long track makes its appearance on side two of Stone the Crows. The tune is titled "I Saw America," and it pulls together the rock, blues, and soul elements that were splintered up on the first side. A spirited attempt was made to live up to the grandiose title, and there's some confident guitar by Les Harvey, but ultimately Stone the Crows are unable to meld together the progressive folk, boogie, jazz, and soul sections that comprise the piece. "A" for effort, though.

Review by Peter Kurtz, Allmusic.com

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Stone The Crows - Studio Albums (1969-1972) 4CD [1996-1997 Repertoire Reissue]

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In a way, you have to feel sorry for Stone the Crows. All the elements were there for them to have been one of the major bands, up there with Zeppelin – they even had the same management. But even on this, their second and best album, they could never quite put everything together. Live, they were an incendiary act, with singer Maggie Bell and guitarist Les Harvey true stars. Somehow, though, once they entered a recording studio, the magic seemed to come off with the overcoats. That's not to say this isn't a good album. "Sad Mary," "Friend," and "Love 74" are all showcases for Harvey's excellent guitar skills, while "Things Are Getting Better" and a cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Danger Zone" let Maggie Bell shine in her best Janis Joplin style (although it's a shame bassist Jim Dewar has his considerable vocal talents muffled). The good time, neo folk-rock of "Mad Dogs And Englishmen" offers some light relief. The biggest problem, really, was the songs – the original material simply wasn't strong enough to establish them as anything more than a cult act working the British college circuit. A hit single, or even a huge album track, would have lifted them out of the more. On this disc, "Love 74" was as close as they came, but instrumentals in 7/4 time were never usually commercial blockbusters. The reissue on Repertoire appends the shorter single version of "Things Are Getting Better."

Review by Chris Nickson, Allmusic.com

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Stone The Crows - Studio Albums (1969-1972) 4CD [1996-1997 Repertoire Reissue]

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This third album from Scotland's Stone the Crows was as close to hitting on all cylinders as they ever came in the studio. With some personnel changes following Ode to John Law (a new bassist and keyboard player), they powered through the disc, with "Big Jim Salter," "I May Be Right I May Be Wrong," and their version of Dylan's "Don't Think Twice" being the absolute standouts. The figureheads of vocalist Maggie Bell and guitarist Les Harvey had never sounded better as they worked in a pure rock vein, abandoning the blues aspect of their sound (Indeed, "Aileen Mochree" took them into Gaelic, a pleasant, brief side track) – check "Mr. Wizard" to get a good picture of where they were really headed. Of course, it wasn't a one-dimensional sound; the keyboard-dominated "Seven Lakes" was full of pseudo-classical portentousness, almost de rigeur for the period. But it was when they rocked that Stone the Crows were at their best, and with this album they seemed truly poised to move up to the big time.

Review by Chris Nickson, Allmusic.com

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Stone The Crows - Studio Albums (1969-1972) 4CD [1996-1997 Repertoire Reissue]

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Much of Ontinuous Performance (and no, there's no C in there) was already in the can when guitarist Les Harvey was tragically electrocuted onstage on May 3, 1972. The band brought in young guitar wiz Jimmy McCullough (ex-Thunderclap Newman) to take his place, but really, in a band like this, no one could have filled his shoes – a listen to Harvey's guitar work on the instrumental "King Tut" shows how far he'd come, and how integral his particular style of playing was to the band's sound. Ironically, out of tragedy came a brief moment of success, as "Good Time Girl," released as a single (and, except for gender, it was a perfect Rod Stewart song) hit #12 on the U.K. singles chart. But there was also a return to their blues roots with the acoustic "Penicillin Blues," while "One More Chance" offered Maggie Bell an opportunity to show her soulful vocal chops. However, they blew it during the nine minutes of "Niagara," a piece that, it sounded, was never finished before release. It was would have impossible for the band to let go of Harvey without a song, and it comes at the end of the disc, the ballad "Sunset Cowboy," which is touching and heartfelt. After this disc the disheartened band broke up.

Review by Chris Nickson, Allmusic.com