Customer Reviews

The Real

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

 

 

Certain hardcore circles of 70's rock obscura enthusiasts have kept the fires burning bright enough to hold prices close to the century mark on coveted vinyl copies of this title-until now, that is! (BACK! Back to your eBay purgatory, you highway robbers-BACK I say!!) Fans of melodic hard rock delivered with crack musicianship won't want to miss this long overdue CD reissue of Maypole's sole LP release. The music is at times reminiscent of the "Tommy"-era Who, or early Wishbone Ash, delivered with an air of self-assured confidence and panache rare for a debut effort (it's really too bad that it had to end here as well). The real delight for me was the liner notes-written by the main songwriter/vocalist/guitarist, that delivers a thorough history of the band. One of the things that fed the mystique of this album over the years was the fact that the original album cover featured only a painting of the band, with no mention of personnel lineup. As it turns out, this was not so much by marketing design (a la the "mystery" of Klaatu) but due to the fact that the album was rushed out without final approval by the artists (much to the lead singer's chagrin). As it turns out, this was the least of the band's troubles. The liner notes reveal a tragic history rivalling the Badfinger story, with its tales of suicides, fatal illnesses, bad management and (of course) record company weasels. The good news is that the band is apparently reforming and planning an eventual tour, which would be a nice coda for these talented chaps. Recommended!

I am from Maryland and happened upon this guys on a local TV station performing(Kerby Scott show 1970). Needless to say they knocked me out. I rushed out to buy their one and only album in 1970. I still have the original copy. I also attended my high school homecoming dance where they played in 1971. I thought they were long forgotten until I see the reissue onto CD of their work. WELL.. worth the wait. Now I also have the original album on CD. SOUNDS better than ever! I was so happy to hear this music again. The hooks and the drumming is top form. This album has stood the test of time.

It simply does not get any better than this for 1970's rock. Superb song writing, masterful playing skills, wonderful composition.

The entire CD(record)is fantastic. I found them many years ago in the cutout bin, what a treasure.
A must buy for anyone interested in the 1970's rock scene's mainly unknown but stellar bands. Too bad this was their only release. Buy it now, I predict it will again vanish and be a collectible now in CD form.

Where does this album fit in? Into its own category: wonderful music.
How do I describe the music? Impossible task. You have to listen to this mix of rock,jazz,blues,prog... and you'll get hooked on this album. This is why I love music from this period 70/72.
Ten stars.

Yo, this album is not good at all. Some bands are forgotten for a reason. Minimal production and every song sounds the same, which is crummy. The only redeeming value is the liner notes, which made me laugh. I wanted badly to like a rock band from my home state of Maryland, but this sure as heck ain't it. Avoid.