Customer Reviews

Cycles: The Reprise Collection [no UPC]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A real "diamond in the rough". This band was a group of extremely talented musicians, who wrote excellent melodies and arrangements. The lyrics were a bit on the pop side but you need to put that in the context of the era and they were just getting started. However, the music was complex for it's time, yet melodic and rhythmic, more like a good, small orchestra doing rock. Their style is somewhat of a blend of what is called progressive today, mixed with a heavy dose of flower power and classical overtones. But it works well. Vocals were great and Nanci Nevins had the personal and vocal appeal as their lead singer too. Some interesting trivia about this unique band; there was no guitar in the original band. The lead and rhythm are done on a Cello and they were one of, if not the most inclusive and diverse bands of their time. The original tracks are nicely remixed. They included a live cut from their Woodstock appearance and a nicely done info. and photos insert is included as well. A rare, historical gem for the rock archives. Had they stayed together they could have been a real influence on the early, formative rock years. Actually, they were on their way when they experienced an all to real and devastating tragedy. If you want to learn more about what happened to end their rise to fame before their time see the video "Sweetwater a True Rock Story". If you are music history fan or just want to experience some "new to you", yet classic rock, check out this CD. I gave it 5 stars because there was no 4 and 1/2 stars. For it's day, the band was unique and the music is quite good. It's a piece of music history that was thought lost for a long time and it's quite enjoyable and fun too!

Actually, more like 3 1/2 stars for adventurous ideas but a somewhat derivative delivery: still a great example of what was possible in LA at that time. They had some buzz behind their first album and I saw them live at the Warehouse in Torrance (saw Joe Cocker there too). The local cops actually busted them "live" right there on stage for possession! Can they even do that?

Sweetwater did some nice work in the late 60's, peaking as the first electric set at Woodstock. Sort of LA's Jefferson Airplane for the distinct female lead singer sound, but Baroque, with Harpsichord & Farsi Organ rather than electric guitar dominating the leads, backed by Cello and Flute. A large (eight member) multi-cultural group with ties to early Byrds, they made 3 studio albums. Their lead singer (Nansi Nevins) was on only a couple of tracks for the second album due to a car accident. The third album was made without her and the group disbanded soon after. The always excellent Rhino Handmade put together the definitive collection for this group, with nine of the eleven tracks from the first album, four Nevins lead tunes from the second, a live Woodstock song, plus three from their third and two previously unreleased selections. This numbered limited edition release from Rhino Handmade is the best way to hear them.