KANSAS CITY JAMMERS
"Got Good (if you get it)"
+ "Tracks"
The
members of Kansas City Jammers (described elsewhere as "struggling
between getting good grades and scoring good drugs") first
began performing together in 1969, while students at Ohio
Wesleyan University. Colorful though that description may
be, it hardly tells the tale, as the band members were all
accomplished musicians and songwriters. The end result: excellent
music! The band’s self-released "Got Good (if you get
it)" LP, recorded between 1969 and 1971, and given the deluxe
master-tape reissue treatment here, is a mixture of up-tempo
heavy guitar rockers and well-written dreamy acid-folk tracks:
in other words, some folk, some folk-rock, a hard-edged bluesy
cut with heavy guitar (‘Messiah’) that sounds
like Fat (on RCA), and two live songs (‘Midnight Watch’
and ‘Driver’) with filthy, snarling guitar that
sound like they slipped off side two of the Oliver Klaus album.
The band members were nominally influenced by the big British
Invasion bands (the Beatles, the Hollies), as well as Buffalo
Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and the Grateful
Dead. As live performers, the Jammers were known for giving
incandescent shows with a rougher edge (think Rolling Stones
and the Who) than is captured on most of their released material;
the live tracks in this set are certainly some of the toughest
sounding cuts on this collection. A second Kansas City Jammers
LP was recorded during the summer of 1972, but was never released,
until now; disc two includes all of the tracks that were meant
for that release—all told, 45 minutes of additional
Kansas City Jammers music! The "Got Good (if you get it)"
album has long been a favorite of psychedelic collectors and
those in the know—the Acid Archives entry, for example,
is full of compliments for the band’s "strong vocals
and songwriting throughout." The story of the Kansas City
Jammers is probably akin to that of many excellent bands who
had short careers. As much as they loved music, despite the
fact that they had some local success, it was never in the
cards for music to become full-time careers for most of the
band members. The 24-page booklet has the entire band history,
courtesy of an Aaron Milenski interview first written for
the legendary Lama Workshop.
Track List
Disc one—Got Good (if you get it):
1. For A Sign (3:05)
2. Live In Harmony (2:35)
3. Messiah (3:50)
4. For Father (3:58)
5. Chess Piece (5:06)
6. Hairy Tongued Turtle (2:51)
7. Midnight Watch (3:43)
8. Driver (4:54); 9. For Marti (3:34)
10. Family Song (2:53)
11. Fall (3:37)
12. Dog & A Cat (0:12)
13. Fingers, Foot & Fade (1:03)
Disc two—Tracks:
1. Sing Me that Rock and Roll (2:59)
2. Wind in the Willows (3:10)
3. Rain (2:53)
4. Rock and Roll Out of Crisis (3:23)
5. Syd's Song (3:04)
6. Radio Interview (1:29)
7. Peter Pan (4:12)
8. On the Side of a Mountain (3:53)
9. Messiah (live) (4:02)
10. All the Wars (3:00)
11. Backroad Woman (3:10)
12. Sunfighter (3:14)
13. I'm Your Hero (2:51)
14. Mustang Sally (4:41)
Catalogue number: LION 654H
UPC: 778578065423