Overlooked? Forgotten? Why?
Richard M. Peabody | Arlington, VA United States | 10/07/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I spend a lot of time looking for lost acts of the 60s and 70s. I consider myself something of a friend to the obscure and yet because I am an East Coaster I was never aware of this duo. Thanks to Richie Unterberger's dbl. volume set of writings on the Folk-Rock scene in the 60s I tracked this down. Damn. Kind of Mama's and Papas meets Buffalo Springfield or the Byrds? Blackburn sounds a little like Marty Balin. Snow's incredible. I'm in love. I'm 16 and it's 1967 and I wanna move to SF and put flowers in my hair man. She's incredible. Why did they only have one single! She's got the look. Was friends with everybody. Almost replaced Signe in the Airplane before Grace. Oh my oh my. And a total secret to me (And I pay attention!) until this week. All blonde and Cali gorgeous. If you like that folky 60's stuff at all this is for you. And guitarist Jerry McGee (of the Ventures, etc.) adds some tasty licks. And then of course the question remains--why do less talented folks make it? why do gifted folks fall by the wayside?"
Why did this partnership not make it big?
Mr. Mark Telfer | Oldham, UK | 01/09/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If you've heard the instrumental version of Stranger In A Strange Land on the expanded Byrds Turn! Turn! Turn! CD and wondered how it would have sounded with words, this is the long-lost album that you've been waiting for. If I were rating this track alone, I'd give 5 stars.The song is credited to Samuel F. Omar, who is actually supposed to have been David Crosby and the lyrics are certainly original, but the melody is reminiscent of the traditional Wayfaring Stranger, covered by H.P. Lovecraft on their Live, May 11 1968 album.However, that's not to belittle the other tracks on this album that went unreleased until 1999. 18 of the 20 were penned by Jeff Blackburn and the backing musicians include We Five and members of Country Joe & The Fish, The Grass Roots and Ventures/Monkees session guitarist Jerry McGhee.Blackburn & Snow sound like a San Franciscan version of LA's The Peanut Butter Conspiracy, with shades of The Mamas & The Papas, Sonny & Cher, The Turtles and Paul Revere & The Raiders here and there. It's welcoming to discover from the extensive booklet that Sherry (Sharan) Snow knew Paul Kantner and was offered the position of lead vocalist in Jefferson Airplane in 1966. It wouldn't have happened, but imagining Sherry and Jeff fronting Jefferson Airplane instead of Grace Slick and Marty Balin is food for thought indeed."
Track Listings (20) - Disc #1