Don Stevenson Buskin' The Subway (CD)

(Sireena) 14 Tracks - Digipack - 

Brand new solo album of the former MOBY GRAPE co-foundersl MOBY GRAPE from San Francisco undoubtedly bored to the greats of the West Coast psychedelic scene of the late sixties of the last century and absolutely must be called in a train with Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service. With their radical mix of folk, country, psychedelic, blues and jazz, they went one giant step further than their competitors. The first three albums "Moby Grape" (1967), "Wow/Grape Jam" (1968) and "Moby Grape '69" (1969) are all masterpieces and belong in every well-assorted record cabinet. Of the band's five founders, Jerry Miller (git), Bob Mosley (bass), Peter Lewis (git) and Don Stevenson (drums) sporadically still come together for joint activities, only Alexander "Skip" Spence, the Enfant Terrible of the band, died in 1999. 

All band members wrote and sang their own songs, certainly another reason for the enormous variety of MOBY GRAPE. Don Stevenson had already released a much acclaimed solo album in 2011 with "King Of The Fools". For his current album he teamed up with Dane Clark, drummer in the band of John Mellencamp since 1996, who is also responsible for the final mix of the album. An illustrious group of friendly musicians support Don on this album, including his two GRAPE friends Jerry Miller and Peter Lewis. Don left Dane Clark his place behind the drums and played guitar on the songs himself. And of course his place was behind the microphone. It is fair to say that "Buskin' In The Subway" has become a giant album. Everything that MOBY GRAPE has already identified, this sleepwalking, secure fusion of the most diverse musical styles, Don Stevenson and his comrades-in-arms here succeed again in folk, blues, rock, jazz - everything is there again! It would also have been a wonderful new GRAPE album. 

Another nice idea is the new version of the title "8:05", which is originally on the debut album of MOBY GRAPE. A great record that captures the spirit of early US West Coast music and carries it into the present. Not replayed, but interpreted by original protagonists. Not only recommendable for neo- and alto-hippies! The motif on the front cover of this CD was designed by none other than Helen Hersh, who was already responsible for the poster design of this legendary rock temple during the heyday of the Fillmore East in New York at the end of the sixties/beginning of the seventies and also designed many tour posters for MOBY GRAPE!