It’s both great injustice and fortunate coincidence that a lot of music lovers first learn about the fantastic BACK DOOR thanks to an event which took place a full decade after this British ensemble had released their eponymous debut platter. The catalyst for the discovery was the fact of the band’s founding member, singing bassist Colin Hodgkinson, joining David Coverdale in WHITESNAKE – only to leave his jazz-rock imprint on the UK mix of 1982’s “Slide It In” album, stay for a subsequent tour and leave for good. But those who traced Colin back to his old collective would become the group’s fans, because what Hodgkinson and his friends – sax player Ron Aspery and drummer Tony Hicks – did between 1971 and 1976, over the course of four longplays, is impossible to overestimate due to originality of their blues-based output. And soon the trio’s entire catalogue, with the exception of “Askin’ The Way” the veterans recorded in 2003, will be out as a box set.
Titled “Vienna Breakdown” and scheduled for June 27th, it’s comprised of five CDs that span “Back Door” from 1971, “8th Street Nites” from 1973, “Another Fine Mess” from 1975 and “Activate” from 1976 – the last one produced by Carl Palmer and featuring Adrian on drums – and also include a number of tracks laid down for the BBC, previously available on the “The Human Bed” CD but now expanded, and cuts preserved for posterity before the trio’s first LP, known earlier as “The Impulse Session” and, again, augmented with an additional piece. A must-have offering.
Vienna Breakdown:
The Recordings 1971-1976
CD 1 – Back Door:
1. Vienna Breakdown
2. Plantagenet
3. Lieutenant Loose
4. Askin’ The Way
5. Turning Point
6. Slivadiv
7. Jive Grind
8. Human Bed
9. Catoce Rag
10. Waltz For A Wollum
11. Folksong
12. Back Door
bonus tracks – Impulse, Newcastle, 1971:
13. Jive Grind
14. Plantagenet
15. Folksong
16. Human Bed
17. Back Door
18. Sweet Home Chicago
19. Forget Me Daisy
20. Waltz For A Wollum
21. Idle Pig Farm
22. Three In A Bag
23. Slivadiv
24. Turning Point
25. Modern America
26. Bobby’s Song
CD 2 – 8th Street Nites:
1. Linin’ Track
2. Forget Me Daisy
3. His Old Boots (Sein Alter Stiefel)
4. Blue Country Blues
5. Dancin’ In The Van
6. 32-20 Blues
7. Roberta
8. It’s Nice When It’s Up
9. One Day You’re Down, The Next Day You’re Down
10. Walkin’ Blues
11. The Bed Creacks Louder
12. Adolphus Beal
CD 3 – BBC Radio Sessions
January 1973:
1. Vienna Breakdown
2. Blue Country Blues
3. Captain Crack Up
4. When You’ve Got A Good Friend
5 Adolphus Beal
In Concert, 1973:
6. Folksong
7. Roberta
8. Linin’ Track
9. Forget Me Daisy
10. Country Blues No. 1
11. His Old Boots
12. Walkin’ Blues
December 1973:
13. Human Bed
14. Fanny Wiggins
15. Walkin’ Blues
16. Louisiana Blues
September 1974:
17. Slivadiv
18. The Spoiler
19. T.B. Blues
20. Blakey Jones
21. The Dashing White Sergeant
CD 4 – Another Fine Mess:
1. I’m Gonna Stay A Long, Long Time
2. Blakey Jones
3. T.B. Blues
4. Candles Round Your Hat
5. Detroit Blues
6. The Spoiler
7. Shaken By Love
8. Streamline Guitar
9. Manager’s Shirt
10. The Dashing White Sergeant
CD 5 – Activate:
1. You Got Evil
2. Thru The Zig Zag Gate
3. Train Won’t Blow
4. Dragonfly
5. Eliminate
6. Speedwalker
7. Roll On
8. Moon Mad Woman
9. Cryin’ Inside
