Indian Reservation / Collage

Paul Revere & The Raiders | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 14, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Raven [Australia]
• ASIN: B002BEXEC4
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,286 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Raven presents for the first time on CD two original, classic albums by the RAIDERS - Collage (1970) and Indian Reservation (1971). With superb quality audio, detailed liner notes, colour booklet, 23 tracks and 77 minutes of music. Throughout the 1960s Paul Revere & the Raiders were one of the most popular and successful American groups, with 14 Top 40 US hit singles and hundreds of television appearances on Where the Action Is and Happening. Their hits between 1965 and 1967 (such as 'Just like Me', 'Kicks') were bold, unpretentious slices of '60s rock & roll with a defiant, punk edge. By 1970 they'd progressed musically, adopting a more mature, contemporary approach exemplified by the brilliant Collage album and the hard riffing single 'Just Seventeen'. Singer Mark Lindsay had taken over production and song writing duties and was coming up with impressive material. The band also covered vital songs like Laura Nyro's 'Save the Country'. Lenny Kaye famously gave Collage a positive review in Rolling Stone: "This is a great album, on the strengths of Collage we're in for some fine music indeed". Then in 1971 the group scored their biggest hit, the #1 'Indian Reservation' which captured perfectly the spirit of the times and was Columbia Records highest selling single. The album Indian Reservation included another big hit 'Birds of a Feather'. This top value 2-for-1 CD concludes with two bonus tracks, the band's final hits, 'Country Wine' and the crunching 'Powder Blue Mercedes Queen'.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great album finally on CD, August 10, 2009

By 

Larry J. Goffinet (Tell City, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Indian Reservation / Collage (Audio CD)

I agree with the reviewer who said it would have made more sense to pair Indian Reservation with the Country Wine album on this CD. But at least the Indian Reservation album, probably the Raiders' best overall, is finally on CD. The delay in releasing it may have been partly because the title song was available on so many various artists CD compilations. But this album had much more going for it. In keeping with the times, this was the Raiders' "social conscience" album with covers of songs such as "Heaven Help Us All," "Eve of Destruction" and "Prince of Peace" joining the title track. And Mark Lindsay's voice was at its peak here, as he outsings Steve Wonder and Barry McGuire's original versions of those classics.

There is also some great drum work (probably by studio legend Hal Blaine) on "Come in, You'll Get Pneumonia."

Blaine definitely plays the drums on the "Indian Reservation" song (Lindsay has said Blaine kept the dust covers on his drums for that song to get the proper muffled sound), but some of the actual Raiders played on that album as well, something that didn't happen often after the group's first year. This was probably the Raiders' strongest overall lineup, though, as bass player Keith Allison had a solo career before joining the Raiders and guitarist Freddy Weller had numerous country hits while and after he was with the Raiders, as well as having been a studio guitarist before joining them (playing on Billy Joe Royal's 1965 hit, "Down in the Boondocks," among others). Weller has said he's not sure which tracks he played on for this album but Allison claims to have played the keyboards on "Indian Reservation" (including the strong signature closing) as well as bass on several songs. Keyboardist Paul Revere's main contribution to this album was promoting it, as his motorcycle tour of radio stations across the country has been credited with helping the title song reach No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

Of the 10 songs on the Indian Reservation album, the only weak one is the aptly named "The Turkey." It is also the only song on that album written by Lindsay, who must have been experiencing writer's block at the time after composing so many great hits for the group. But hey, even John Fogerty writes a bad song once in a while.

The Collage album is not as great, but this CD concludes with two dynamite bonus tracks from the Country Wine album, "Country Wine" and Power Blue Mercedes Queen." They and the first nine tracks from the Indian Reservation album are more than enough to give this CD five stars.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For Real Fans, July 21, 2009

By 

Max - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Indian Reservation / Collage (Audio CD)

I have always enjoyed the last three Raiders albums. It was a real shame that the public responded so indifferently to "Collage," there was real potential in the budding Lindsay and Allison songwriting partnership. I don't know, but I get the feeling that the band participated in the studio more than they had done in the past. The drumming, most likely by Joe Correro, was stellar and Lindsay's inventive production created an album that still sounds great today.

Indian Reservation and Country Wine, which followed,were much more schizophrenic affairs, comprised of about 2/3 pop covers and 1/3 rockers. It would be nice if the tracks "Take a Stand," and "Golden Girls Sometimes" were also available.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Finally on CD, But Where's COUNTRY WINE?, July 23, 2009

By 

gassy goon - See all my reviews

This review is from: Indian Reservation / Collage (Audio CD)

At least RAVEN finally had the sense to release INDIAN RESERVATION on CD at last. This album was one of The Raider's biggest, as INDIAN RESERVATION gave them a #1 hit . The album has more hard rocking songs including a great cover of SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME, as well as more pop tunes, like their follow-up hit , BIRDS OF A FEATHER.

COLLAGE from 1970 is The Raider's most hard-rocking album with Mark Lindsay producing and the band branching out more with harder rock, socio-political songs and more experimenting with different textures, horns and sounds. No really big hit ever emerged from this very good endeavor , and for some reason the band re-recorded WE GOTTA ALL GET TOGETHER [ their top 50 1969 hit ] and 2 songs from their 1967 REVOLUTION album, GONE MOVIN' ON and TIGHTER. I prefer the originals of all 3 songs. It was the bands attempt to make new inroads as a rock band, but with no hit single, it didn't get many sales. Still good to hear though.

HOWEVER, Raven should have coupled the INDIAN RESERVATION album from 1971 with 1972's COUNTRY WINE album. This would have made more sense chronologically. But a big also is that COLLAGE has already been released on CD on Mark Lindsay's own label courtesy of Sony/BMG Special Products. Being that the SUNDAZED label stopped at the Paul Revere and The Raiders reissues with 1969's ALIAS PINK PUZZ, and COLLAGE already on CD, COUNTRY WINE would have made a perfect companion for a CD two-fer. Too bad they messed up the pairing. Now when will we get a " Best Of " Mark Lindsay CD with all his many 45 vinyl single only releases? That's a huge demand on the part of Linday & Raiders fans.