I'm all out of fancy titles...so here's All Pearls No Swine Vol. 30

Time to wake our good' ol pal All Pearls, No Swine from its summer slumber, for another hour and a third of some of the finest forgotten music of the Seveneties. Things start of with a dead ringer and a ringer: The opening number, Noah's "For Us All", has a distinctive Crosby, Stills & Nash-vibe to it (and features Randy Bachman on lead guitar!) and then it's Jim Ringer, with "Betty's Blues". Ringer was a cult figure among folk/country-ish singer songwriters and is unfortunately mostly known for marrying Mary McCaslin, not his excellent music. 

On the country rock-ish side of things, there are two APNS alumni: Cherokee with the excellent "Changin' Winds" and McKendree Sopring with "Heart Is Like a Wheel", as well as McGuffey Lane with their ode to "Green Country Mountains" and Deadly Earnest with their Mariachi-tinged trip to "New Mexico". Tons of country rock bands went down to the bayou to play "Jambalaya" in the 70s, but I don't think I've ever heard a take like that from Simon Stokes And The Nighthawks, who unexpectedly turn it into a percussive, gruff rock number. Very well done, fellas. Oh, and ss gospel-rock a thing? If it is, Bux (below) are doing it, on the crunchy, anthemic "Next Train", off their sole album from 1976. 

Jim Croce just showed up on my little mystery compilation two days ago, but it's easy to forget that the plane crash that tragically cost Croce his life also smashed the destiny of another musician and - like Croce - a young father: Maury Muehleisen was Croce's musical partner and lead guitar player, and thus a major influence on Croce's warm and inviting folk-rock sound. He was also one of the finest finger pickers of the early 70s, "Rocky Mountains" is from his sole album Gingerbreadd.  

Other folk-influenced artists here on All Pearls, No Swine Vol. 30 are alumni Dave Keir, one of Britain's finest finger-pickers with "Bones" off the private pree release of the same name, Karen & David with "Boy Over There" as well as Fishbaugh, Fishbaugh & Zorn with "Sorrow From Your Dreams", with lovely vocals by Paula Fishbaugh. F, F & Z were of course not the only ones built around a trio of names: quasi-supergroup West, Bruce & Laing is probably the most known act on this volume of APNS, rockin' the place with "Backfire" off their second album, while the one-off Northern California trip of L.A. session men Hill, Barbata & Ethridge (thusly titled L.A. Getaway) is almost completely forgotten. Most of it is forgettable hippie blues-rock, but the plaintive gospel ballad "Hold On" sticks out, which is why it is featured here. The origin of the reformed Flying Burrito Brothers lie in this project, where original Burrito Chris Ethridge first hooked up with future Burrito lead singer Joel Scott Hill. 

As usual, I am not forgetting the psych fans among you, and as usual I leave the weirder trips for the end of the journey, as we get a double psych out run our groove, thanks to David Parker's "Conclusions" and Mowrey Jr. & Watson and their "Machine". 

Even as the series enters its Thirties, nothing has changed here at All Pearls, No Swine. Some fine, fine music, guaranteed not be heard on the radio - even if it should. But you have your best radio for obscure gems from the 70s right here, so don't change the station and get caught up in All Pearls, No Swine Vol. 30...