Finally on CD, But Where's COUNTRY WINE?
gassy goon | 07/23/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"At least RAVEN finally had the sense to release INDIAN RESERVATION on CD at last. This album was one of The Raider's biggest, as INDIAN RESERVATION gave them a #1 hit . The album has more hard rocking songs including a great cover of SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME, as well as more pop tunes, like their follow-up hit , BIRDS OF A FEATHER.
COLLAGE from 1970 is The Raider's most hard-rocking album with Mark Lindsay producing and the band branching out more with harder rock, socio-political songs and more experimenting with different textures, horns and sounds. No really big hit ever emerged from this very good endeavor , and for some reason the band re-recorded WE GOTTA ALL GET TOGETHER [ their top 50 1969 hit ] and 2 songs from their 1967 REVOLUTION album, GONE MOVIN' ON and TIGHTER. I prefer the originals of all 3 songs. It was the bands attempt to make new inroads as a rock band, but with no hit single, it didn't get many sales. Still good to hear though.
HOWEVER, Raven should have coupled the INDIAN RESERVATION album from 1971 with 1972's COUNTRY WINE album. This would have made more sense chronologically. But a big also is that COLLAGE has already been released on CD on Mark Lindsay's own label courtesy of Sony/BMG Special Products. Being that the SUNDAZED label stopped at the Paul Revere and The Raiders reissues with 1969's ALIAS PINK PUZZ, and COLLAGE already on CD, COUNTRY WINE would have made a perfect companion for a CD two-fer. Too bad they messed up the pairing. Now when will we get a " Best Of " Mark Lindsay CD with all his many 45 vinyl single only releases? That's a huge demand on the part of Linday & Raiders fans.
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For Real Fans
Max | 07/22/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I have always enjoyed the last three Raiders albums. It was a real shame that the public responded so indifferently to "Collage," there was real potential in the budding Lindsay and Allison songwriting partnership. I don't know, but I get the feeling that the band participated in the studio more than they had done in the past. The drumming, most likely by Joe Correro, was stellar and Lindsay's inventive production created an album that still sounds great today.
Indian Reservation and Country Wine, which followed,were much more schizophrenic affairs, comprised of about 2/3 pop covers and 1/3 rockers. It would be nice if the tracks "Take a Stand," and "Golden Girls Sometimes" were also available."
Great sounds from the seventies
Michael P. Dobey | colorado springs | 11/25/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I agree with everyone elses review that Raven should have put out "country wine" with "indian reservation" however they released this in Australia where 'collage" was not released on cd at all. So for them it was a proper move. I talked to "sundazed records" who put out the rest of the "paul revere and the raiders" catalog from 1964-69, and they claimed that CBS had the tapes for "collage" , "indian reservation" , 'country wine" and a unreleased ablum, but they wanted too much money to put these four discs out. Obviously the Raven release has just proved them wrong. Of course they could still put out "country wine' and put that unreleased album on it as well. In fact I emailed Raven and suggested this as well. Just find them on the web and throw them a line. And throw one at Sundazed for being boneheaded about putting out these classics!.
As for these ablums on cd: 'collage" is the better of the two if you are a rock fan, there are a few true by any standard classic rock songs: "think twice" , 'just seventeen", 'boys in the band" and 'dr fine" the rest of the album is pretty good too, with a new version of the hit 'we gotta all get together" on it, and 'Indian reservation' is a good rock and pop mixture with two hits and of course the great classic number one song 'indian reservation" . A few songs sound like pure pop with lots of horns but most of them are good songs, a few I can't say are too great but that's ok. "country wine' is a even stronger album song wise in many respects.
Email raven! And this is classic rock from a underrated band that should be in the rock and roll hall of fame."
Track Listings (23) - Disc #1