Screw 'Psychedelic Harps'

Screw 'Psychedelic Harps'

An obscure and quite beautiful blues harmonica duet from 1969. Screw played at the famous Hyde Park extravaganza alongside The Rolling Stones, King Crimson etc. etc. but never really turned that exposure into record sales and success. Perhaps it was their distinctly leftfield approach to the blues mixed with middle and far-eastern flavours that put paid to widespread acclaim. That and their incredibly ropey barnets. Middle England's answer to the duelling banjos from Deliverance done with more facial hair and less menace.

Eddie Hazel 'How About It?'

Eddie Hazel 'How About It?'

Parliament/Funkadelic lead guitarist Hazel is up there with the best of them. This is a tune off his solo album 'Game, Dames And Guitar Thangs' from 1977. Funk rock special of the day.

Jeff Beck 'Brush With The Blues' (Live)

Jeff Beck 'Brush With The Blues' (Live)

The man hardly needs an introduction, so this is more just a personal favourite from the Jeff Beck archives. There's actually a point in this tune when, with the right amount of booze in the system and the volume cranked to the proverbial '11', it might actually be possible to levitate or even fly.

Hot Tuna 'Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning'

Hot Tuna 'Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning'

Jefferson Airplane members Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonnen come correct on this live recording from 1971, ably backed by the fiddling maestro Papa John Creach. The message is a good metaphor for life really, and on a Monday morning, with the excesses of the weekend still a glow of embers in the pit of the stomach, this reviving slice of hoe-down, country blues is just what the doctor ordered.

Jan Akkerman & Kaz Lux 'Can't Fake A Good Time'

Jan Akkerman & Kaz Lux 'Can't Fake A Good Time'

Dutch guitarist Jan Hammer cuts loose with some funked-up licks, backed by former band mate Kaz Lux from the days of Focus. The soul mumbling is totally incomprehensible to these ears, but enjoyable nonetheless. Hammer released his first record at the age of 14 and was voted 'world's best guitarist' by readers of Melody Maker in 1973. Good cruising music for the motor, just watch out that the impulse to unleash your air guitar doesn't end on a bad note.

Trilogy 'I'm Beginning To Feel It'

Trilogy 'I'm Beginning To Feel It'


Picked up this little doozy of a seven inch in San Francisco a while back. Not much info on the band, but they made an album that seemingly faded into total obscurity soon after release. This is an uplifting number with excellent lyrics and a loping guitar phrase that have you yearning for more, especially when the song steps up a gear in the final moments just before fading out. "In a little while we will discover little ways to help each other face the day." Indeed.