ACID ARCHIVES :
MORNING DEW (Topeka, KS)
"Morning Dew" 1970 (Roulette 42049) [wlp exists]
"Morning Dew" 1989 (Roulette) [bootleg]
"Morning Dew" 2002 (Akarma 195, Italy)
"Morning Dew" 2002 (CD Akarma 195, Italy)
"At Last" 2004 (Roulette/Scorpio)
Midwest legends who cut a handful of great garage 45s before this swansong hippierock LP, which unfortunately was issued way too late to make any impact. Rated highly by many, it's a solid trip through Airplane/Cream /Butterfly dimensions mixing early heavy moves with strong folkrock/psych material. Lack of macho vocals is a plus, and opening "Crusader's smile" is a classic. Reminds me of the Mainstream label sound, though this is more consistent. A good LP all over, but perhaps not enough of a mindblower to warrant the big price tag. True originals have "Bell Sound" stamped in the trail-off. An original German pressing exists. There is also a sampler LP of their great 45s and unreleased tracks titled "Cut The Chatter" (Caped Crusader, 1988), and a couple of CD releases from Collectables with the album, 45s and unreleased. Caveat: despite utilizing the original album cover art, and listing the album tracks on the sleeve, the Scorpio vinyl LP contains completely different music; unreleased material plus three alternate takes of LP tracks! All this material had earlier been released by Collectables on CD.
- [Patrick "The Lama" Lundborg]
~~~
Good but overrated album that sounds fantastic on first listen but comes down to earth once you get used to it. Mostly it's pretty mainstream, with solid vocals and performances and a few really great songs on side one. All of it is decent, but it lacks the kind of depth or originality that would give it classic status.
- [Aaron Milenski]
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FUZZ ACID & FLOWERS :
DON ANDERSON A
BLAIR HONEYMAN A
MAL ROBINSON ld gtr, vcls A
DON SLIGAR A
ALBUMS:
1(A) MORNING DEW (Roulette 42049) 1970
2(-) CUT THE CHATTER (Caped Crusader 121) 1988
NB: (1) has been counterfeited on vinyl. (2) issued on CD as Second Album by Collectables (COL-CD-0655), with four bonus tracks, which were left over from the first album. There is also a CD compilation of seventeen tracks by Collectables called Definitive Collection (COL-CD-0592).
45s:
1 Winter Dreams/Touch Of Magic (Audio House Acetate no #) 1966
2 No More/Look At Me Now (Fairyland 1001) 1967
3 Go Away/Be A Friend (Fairyland 1003) 1967
This outfit came from Topeka, Kansas. Their Roulette album is well worth obtaining particularly for the superb opening cut Crusader's Smile although many of the other cuts like Cherry Street feature good guitar work. Their 45s were made prior to the album and are much more punkish. Go Away has a good catchy guitar riff.
They had a good live reputation and performed great cover versions of many of the punk classics of the era, which were full of fuzz and feedback.
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PROGRESSIVE WORLD :
Morning Dew - Morning Dew
Released: 1967/1971/2001
Label: Akarma Records
Cat. No.: AK-195
Total Time: 16:10 / 20:29
Reviewed by: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck, June 2002
This reproduction on 180-gram virgin vinyl of Morning Dew's 1967 self-titled LP has a distinct sound; it was the beginning of the psychedelic phase of rock music. And that is firmly in place on the record. According to the back cover of the LP it was released in 1971 on Big Seven Music. That may be the copy that Akarma Records got for reproduction, but upon further research I found that it was originally released on the Roulette label in 1967.
There are moments of a heavier metal sound, but very few. The peace, flowers, and summer of love influence abounds throughout most of this record. Check out the cover, this couple looks as though like they are frolicking in the fields of Woodstock.
It's all very good rock music; in fact, this is a solid LP without one throw-away on the entire recording. The musical style remains consistent throughout with the exception of one surprise, the closing track "Epic: The Mann/Death Is A Dream," which starts off with a Spanish flamenco guitar and then launches into one of their rockers, it's a step away from the norm and a nice change showing how the band was talented enough to go into an entirely different direction. For the most part the folk, rock, and psychedelic sounds are what dominate this record, and a nice balance is managed with male and female vocals taking turns. It's a great album and well worth the purchase.
Morning Dew was-Mal Robinson, Blair Honeyman, Don Sligar, and Don Anderson. Note: On the song "Save Me" Kerry Livgren (Kansas) is given co-writer credits.
Rating: 3.5/5
Track Listing:
Side One: Outside: Crusader's Smile (3:42) / Upon Leaving (2:12) / Young Man (2:32) / Then Came The Light (4:15) / Cherry Street (4:09)
Side Two: Inside: Gypsy (5:48) / Something You Say (4:29) / Country Boy Blue (2:39) / Save Me (3:40) / Epic: The Mann / Death Is A Dream (4:33)
Musicians:
Mal Robinson, Blair Honeyman, Don Sligar, and Don Anderson
Discography
* Morning Dew (1971/2001)
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