McKendree Spring: Albums Collection (1969 - 2006)

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McKendree Spring: Albums Collection (1969 - 2006)

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McKendree Spring is a progressive folk-rock band, active mainly in the early 1970s. The band consisted of Fran McKendree (vocals and guitar), their first bass player was Larry Tucker (shown in the picture) then Fred Holman took over bass, Dr. Michael Dreyfuss (electric violin, viola, Moog, Arp, Mellotron), Martin Slutsky (electric guitar). Christopher Bishop replaced Holman on bass as of the 1973 release Spring Suite. Some of their music ventured into avante-garde or experimental territory, such as "God Bless the Conspiracy" from their album 3, with its violin/viola/synthesizer solo by Dreyfuss.

Steve Anderson (bass and vocals) and Alan Stoker (drums and vocals) were added for the "Live at the Beachland" 2007 release. In addition, Dave Morrison (harmonica) also played on the live album.

In the summer of 2010, Christopher Bishop (bass and vocals) rejoined the group for the recording of 5 songs for "McKendree Spring: Recording No. 9". This recording also featured Alan Stoker (drums/percussion/vocals), Paul Hollowell (keys) and Fred Mollin (synth).

~ wiki

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McKendree Spring: Albums Collection (1969 - 2006)

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McKendree Spring: Albums Collection (1969 - 2006)

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Using an electric viola and no drummer were only two attributes that began to define this four piece band. Led by Fran McKendree's acoustic strumming and a relatively distinct tenor voice they managed to create some interesting music at times aided by a good choice of material. Surely picking such outstanding songs as Tim Buckley's "Morning Glory" and Tom Rush's "No Regrets" to cover would only require a limited amount of musical competence to succeed.

Their interpretations were respectable and depending on the listener's taste they might actually be admirable. Most of their own songs like "I Can't make it Anymore" and "If I gave you Everything" have a certain charm making this a good listen for someone who wants to hear classical folk rock that is a little unlike the standard expectation.

by otismidnight, rateyourmusic.com

Биографию Фрэна МакКендри уникальной не назовешь. Образцовая семья, любящие родители, первая гитара, подаренная на Рождество… Ключевой вопрос - проблема самоопределения. Кто же он, кантри-фолкер или рок-н-ролльщик? В 1968 году дилемма разрешилась сама собой. Фрэн сколотил группу с немудрящей вывеской McKendree Spring. Состав подобрался исключительно любопытный. Будучи убежденным приверженцем акустики, лидер пригласил на роль соло-гитариста колоритного бородача Мартина Слутски. Третьим в квартете стал не менее удивительный персонаж - электроскрипач, альтист и "терменист" Майкл Дрейфусс. Этот долговязый хипповый юноша отличался неуемной страстью к наукам. До знакомства с Фрэном он усиленно штудировал физику и астрономию, изучал анатомию в числе студентов-медиков, а также выступал с фантастическими рассказами на страницах таблоидов. В басисты рекрутировали задумчивого паренька Ларри Такера. От ударных же решили наотрез отказаться.

Пристанищем для бэнда сделалась ферма Golden Heart в окрестностях города Болтон (округ Уоррен, штат Нью-Йорк). С 1920-х годов место славилось как художественная колония (здесь селились скульпторы и живописцы). В конце пятидесятых землю с амбаром, домом без электрической проводки, но с шикарным видом на озеро Джордж приобрела в собственность семейная чета Дрейфуссов. Ну а затем владение переоформили на единственного сына, Майкла. В 1965 г. он привез сюда жену - Элизабет Трэвис Дрейфусс. А тремя годами позже дипломированный физик/медик радушно позвал под свое крыло новых друзей. Так что в отношении креативной атмосферы нашим героям весьма повезло…

Материал для дебютного лонгплея сочинялся триумвиратом МакКендри-Слутски-Дрейфусс. Благодаря существенной разнице во вкусах пластинка вышла качественно неоднородной, но от этого, как ни странно, выиграли все. Так, вступление "I Should've Known" сочетает в себе характерную лирическую подачу Фрэна со скоростными барочными струнными пассажами, берущими начало в обширном наследии Вивальди. Тихая арт-элегия "I Can't Make it Anymore" - единоличная заслуга Мартина Слутски, прочувствованный и зрелый этюд. Эпический миньон "Spock" - выразительная история, рассказанная средствами психоделического рока, фолка и прото-прога в традициях The Moody Blues. "What Will We Do With the Child" подкупает доверительной "сингер-сонграйтерской" интонацией и тонким камерным антуражем. "Morning Glory" - сугубо американский сюжет с замкнутой на себя рефлексией; эдакий бесконечный "день сурка" в пасторальной манере, оживляемой звонким вокалом Фрэна. Очень кстати оказалось приглашение в команду гостевого участника Фреда Голдштейна. Его электровиолончель угадывается в номерах "If I Gave You Everything" и "No Regrets". Бодрую кавер-версию дилановской "John Wesley Harding" расцветил гармоникой еще один человек со стороны - Донни Брукс. Ярким финалом действа служит "If the Sun Should Rise" - синтез рок-энергетики и фолк-драмы. Что до бонусов, то они заимствованы из программы "Get Me to the Country" (1975). Тут уже превалирует фанк с примесью прежней эстетики. Штука, в общем-то, неплохая, но на любителя.

Резюмирую: удачный пример "заштатного" фолк-рока, возведенного в степень настоящего искусства.

by sagael, rateyourmusic.com

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McKendree Spring: Albums Collection (1969 - 2006)

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Finding McKendree Spring fans was hard to do even when they were an active group. They did manage to hang around long enough to make seven albums. I have heard all but one and I contend this is by far their best. On their first few albums they were known to cover a couple of classics. On Second Thoughts they do a superior version of James Taylor's "Fire & Rain" and a rousing rendition of Eric Andersen's relatively obscure anti-war epic "What was Gained".

The additions of drums on several tracks was a step forward from their debut album. While it may have worked somewhat as a novelty, drums just help in this case. Stronger writing by Fran McKendree on all the original tracks however is the difference between this and other albums. "Friends Die Easy" and "Oh Now My Friend" are two of his best.

Dave Marsh from Rolling Stone hated these guys but honestly I dismissed his critiques years ago.

by otismidnight, ateyourmusic.com

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McKendree Spring: Albums Collection (1969 - 2006)

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A small step up in volume and perhaps a small step down in quality describes McKendree Spring's 3rd album. This is the album where electric violinist Mark Dreyfuss start to make his presence known. In this era "Down By the River" was often covered ad nauseam but this is one version I actually enjoyed (besides Neil's of course). Another standout is their self penned "Flying Dutchman" which is probably one of the hardest rocking songs in the catalogue. "Feeling Bad ain't Good Enough" is about the next best song. Most of the others like their cover of Ann McGarrigle's "Heart is Like a Wheel" or Arlo Guthrie's "Oh,in the Morning" are only so-so.

The albums ends with the 9 minute "God Bless the Conspiracy". A great song that rocks for about two minutes and then turns into Dreyfuss wanking his violin for another seven. I very barely give this 3 1/2 and I won't play it again real soon as I might change my mind.

by otismidnight, ateyourmusic.com

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McKendree Spring: Albums Collection (1969 - 2006)

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McKendree Spring was certainly not your ordinary American folk-rock group. They didn't take influences from the Byrds or CSNY. Dr. Michael Dreyfuss played violin, but you couldn't compare them to It's a Beautiful Day. The fact the group hailed from Upstate New York meant they didn't have to play by California rules. The band frequently had no drummer (although several of their albums did have drums, Spring Suite was not one of them). They had Fran McKendree on guitar and vocals, Christopher Bishop on bass and vocals, Martin Slutsky on guitar, and, as already mentioned, Dr. Michael Dreyfuss (apparently already middle aged when this band got started) on violin. They were basically a band with musicians who had a love for folk and country music, but also of the prog rock scene that was popular at the time, in fact, if I'm not mistakend they once opened up for Emerson, Lake & Palmer, what a strange billing! They weren't afraid to include some prog rock elements in their music, so meaning they were a sorta proggish country/folk-rock band. If that sounds like a strange combination, it is, but it actually works quite well, at least on Spring Suite (as I have yet to hear their other albums, although I've heard a bunch of their other songs).

They released their first album in 1969 on Decca, and were often called the Three Dog Night of folk rock, likely because they had a habit of covering other people's songs, usually from singer/songwriters, like Neil Young's "Down by the River" and James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" (which I thought was superior to the original, not to mention I have never been much of a James Taylor fan). But unlike Three Dog Night, who were obviously wanting big time commercial AM radio success (which they did), McKendree Spring didn't. They pretty much kept an East Coast cult following, mainly of the college crowd. Unsurprisingly this kind of music didn't exactly appeal to the rock critics, Dave Marsh, for example was one of the critics not so kind of this music.

1973's Spring Suite was their fourth album, released on the MCA label (as MCA pretty much took over from Decca by this point), and was that rare instance of an American band using a Roger Dean album cover. This cover looks very much like a Yes album cover (no surprise there, given how much involvement he had with Yes at that time), but don't buy this thinking the band is now suddenly like Yes, as they sound nothing like Yes. They even went to England to record this album, but totally kept that American folk and country feel, with the prog rock tendencies that often crept in their music. This time they didn't appear to cover other people's songs, or if they did, it was from someone I don't recognize (because there is one song not written by the band).

"Equinox" and "Winter" shows the prog tendencies the most, especially the presence of some Moog synths, and some minor symphonic tendencies. "I Was Born" shows more of that creative bent, going through several moods and changes throughout. "Today's the Day" shows their American influences for everyone to see, having a rather nice, laid-back folk/country feel.

So if you got sick and tired of way too many Byrds and CSNY clones that made up the American folk-rock scene, you'll be very happy with the much more unique sound of McKendree Spring, and Spring Suite is a great album to get!

By BENJAMIN MILER, amazon

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It is a good album It is more folk orientated than previous albums Simple melodies ,catchy phrasing and less hard rock driven than Mckendree Spring 3…

By Gary D. Silicani, amazon

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In the McKendree Spring exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum in Cleveland, Ohio is an attribution that says: “Experimental and innovative, McKendree Spring mixed blues, folk and country with a progressive musical vision. Over the course of seven albums, they highlighted the songs of singer/guitarist Fran McKendree and offered up unique interpretations of songs by Bob Dylan, Neil Young and James Taylor. McKendree Spring built much of its reputation as a live act by featuring the virtuosity of guitarist Marty Slutsky and violinist Mike (Doc) Dreyfuss.” McKendree Spring formed in 1969 as a drumerless four-piece folk-rock ensemble that promoter/manager Bill Graham dubbed "one of the best unknown bands in the world." McKendree Spring toured with some of the most exciting artists of the 70's and shared the stage with performers such as the Everly Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention, Elton John, Ike & Tina Turner, Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman, the Byrds, Jethro Tull, and Van Morrison. McKendree Spring played various memorable venues as well including Carnegie Hall, the Fillmore East, Lincoln Center, and Kennedy Center. Not to mention venues that got them there - like My Father's Place on Long Island, the Agoras in Columbus and Cleveland, the College Coffee House Circuit, and Ohio University in Athens. On May 8th, 1972 McKendree Spring performed with Billy Preston in the first-ever rock concert at legendary New York Radio City Music Hall. The band played to a million plus people at the Washington Monument to protest war in Vietnam, and starred on the BBC TV’s “Old Grey Whistle Test” in London with Cleo Lane. McKendree Spring has a knack for covering songs that sounded as if they were written by them or for them. The group is noted for its live shows that brought the crowds - and there are crowds - to their feet. Recording its 30th reunion show May 28, 2006 in front of an amazing audience of fans, their kids, and new friends at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, McKendree Spring finally snared the energy and excitement of its legendary live shows. The result is one richly buoyant album called, “Live at the Beachland Ballroom.” It was a thrill to play.

~ cdbaby