This 2CD set presents the Straight label years of Zappa's multi-talented 'sideman,' Jeff Simmons. In 1968 in Seattle, Frank Zappa and Herb Cohen were in the audience after his sound check, and were listening to 'Easy Chair,' Jeff's group. Fascinated by his talent, he was signed to Straight records. Both albums, Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up and Naked Angels were recorded in 1969. CD #1 The Lucille album, was produced by Chris Huston (Led Zeppelin II, Undertakers, Young Rascals) and Frank Zappa under the synonym 'La Marr Bruister,' who wrote the title track, played lead guitar on two tracks and co-wrote 'Wonderful Wino.' Lucille... contains 10 catchy and heavy blues-rock and folk, Jeff is playing a hard-driven and groovy bass, piano, organ and accordion and singing in a style similar to that of Jack Bruce with Cream. Simmons presented a brace of strong, harmonically-sophisticated songs that have some of the explosive, multi-hued impact of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. (Ben Watson, excerpted from Frank Zappa: 'The Negative Dialectics of Poodle Play')... 'No one knows it... not even him... but someday that kid's gonna be a great R&B singer' (Frank Zappa). Jeff was in the Mothers of Invention at the time of 200 Motels, Jeff also played rhythm guitar on Waka/Jawaka and clown about with Frank and George Duke on Roxy & Elsewhere. CD #2 Naked Angels, a soundtrack for a biker movie, is a sequence of mostly instrumentals that combines melody and fuzz guitar with heavy, psychedelicate surf-rock. This 2CD set is presented in a 20p. booklet with all original artwork and lots of memorabilia from Jeff's vaults (posters, cool photos, liner notes). The music was carefully re-mastered to sound today as fresh as it was 40 years ago, plus two bonus tracks. Lucille was rated in Mojo Magazine as the 2nd best release on Straight Records. Strange Things Art Magazine mentions it as 'the closest in execution to contemporary Mothers,' but Jeff's individual talent made this album an all-time masterpiece. Never has a musician in psychedelic rock'n'roll captured the essence of deep emotion and soul like the sideman!' |
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