PETER LEWIS - 'JUST LIKE JACK'
(Shagrat ENT 023 12”/Hookah Records XX003)
(Shagrat ENT 023 12”/Hookah Records XX003)
Release Date:14 July 2017 - Taking Orders now !
Peter Lewis was a founding member of one of the most original and influential West Coast bands of the 1960s, Moby Grape whose classic eponymous debut album was released, can you believe it, 50 years ago on 6th June 1967. The Grape had it all – bags of charisma, fabulous singers, insightful songsmiths and an electrifying three-way guitar sound that might have turned them into California’s greatest band had everything not all gone so sour, so quickly in the wake of its release.
In honour of this momentous anniversary, Shagrat & Hookah Records are proud to be releasing the second solo studio album by Peter. We think it’s easily his most accomplished set to date showcasing 10 of his most recent songs, which reveal a quality and brilliance on par with some of those classic songs he composed for Moby Grape such as ‘Sitting by the Window’, ‘I am Not Willing', ‘He’ and ‘Horse Out in the Rain’ all those years ago. Peter plays six and 12 string guitars and harmonica and the good news is that deep warm baritone voice of his has not diminished with age – it sounds as rich and haunting as it did during the Grape’s halcyon days!
Recorded **See Note below** in Austin, Texas over the past few years, Lewis is sympathetically backed by some of that city’s finest musical sons, bassist Layton DePenning, and (Roky Erickson) and the Explosives’ guitarist Cam King and drummer Freddie Krc who co-produced the record with Peter. Close in sound to the stripped-back atmosphere of Moby Grape 69 and with a warm backwoods intimacy that recalls the likes of Gene Parsons’ Kindling we think fans will agree that this is the record we always hoped Peter would make. The LP runs a gamut of styles, from folk blues and country to a couple of feisty work-outs, ‘Survivor’ and ‘Last Chance’ – and anyone who is familiar with ‘Fall on You’, will recognise that Mr Lewis can always be relied upon to deliver the goods when it comes to rocking out.
The album’s mood ranges from Peter’s hallmark melancholia and world weariness in songs like ‘To the Hearse’ and ‘When’ to the upbeat title track and the downright humorous, the tongue-in-cheek ‘Valley Music Festival’ which tells the tale of an incident which befell Peter and friends at a Neil Young concert some years ago. However the stand-out cut has to be ‘Sailing’, a song which goes back far in the mists of time to the era immediately after fellow band mate Skip Spence released his solo masterwork, Oar. Nothing more than a fragment back then, Peter worked on the song with Skip whilst he was still alive, adding a bridge and additional lyrics to create something mynd-blowingly special. The shimmering electric 12-string playing on this cut with its psychedelic raga-undertone will send the proverbial shiver down your spine!
A must-have for Grape aficionados and lovers of off-beat Americana, this UK release is a vinyl-only run of 500 copies. Artwork is by John Hurford, photographs by Henry Diltz, Heather Harris, and Peter’s daughter Arwen. The inner sleeve features an extensive essay by Rolling Stone senior writer and long-time fan, David Fricke giving an in-depth overview of Peter’s musical endeavours outside of the Grape’s own fascinating history.
Please note you can buy a CD version of this album with different artwork from SteadyBoy Records, Austin, Texas with exclusive track ‘Screwball’ replacing ‘Valley Music Festival’ (SB-0050), steadyboyrecords.com
**APOLOGY
Profuse apologies to Layton DePenning - we screwed up on the details of where Peter's record was recorded on the back sleeve: The details are inaccurate. Actually, the work was done in Layton's studio, Elmo’s Lab, Buda Texas and not as stated.
Michael Heatley's 4 star Review in RECORD COLLECTOR Legendary Grape’s late harvest
It’s 50 years since San Francisco’s Moby Grape unleashed their classic debut album – so, with opportune timing, guitarist and vocalist Peter Lewis offers up his second solo studio album. (The eponymous first was a German release in ’95.)
Recorded in Austin, Texas, with a stellar studio crew including drummer/co-producer Freddie ‘Steady’ Krc, it retains the Grape’s acoustic/electric/raga vibe and indeed, includes a co-write with the band’s late, legendary Skip Spence. This, the shimmering Sailing, is the album’s longest track and will undoubtedly fascinate long-time followers. Other highlights among the 10 cuts include the galloping Last Chance and Just Like Jack, a knowing nod to Kerouac.
Shagrat’s limited-edition UK vinyl run of just 500 copies is beautifully packaged and eminently collectable. It is paralleled by a US CD on Steady Boy Records, on which another track, Screwball, replaces Valley Music Festival. And that’s a shame. This curious talking blues tells of an incident in which Peter was ejected from a Neil Young concert, and adds a wacky footnote to proceedings. David Crosby apparently called the next day to commiserate – so, along with contributing photographer Henry Diltz and sleevenote-writer David Fricke, Lewis clearly still has friends in, ahem, high places.
Reviewed by Michael Heatley
Peter Lewis was a founding member of one of the most original and influential West Coast bands of the 1960s, Moby Grape whose classic eponymous debut album was released, can you believe it, 50 years ago on 6th June 1967. The Grape had it all – bags of charisma, fabulous singers, insightful songsmiths and an electrifying three-way guitar sound that might have turned them into California’s greatest band had everything not all gone so sour, so quickly in the wake of its release.
In honour of this momentous anniversary, Shagrat & Hookah Records are proud to be releasing the second solo studio album by Peter. We think it’s easily his most accomplished set to date showcasing 10 of his most recent songs, which reveal a quality and brilliance on par with some of those classic songs he composed for Moby Grape such as ‘Sitting by the Window’, ‘I am Not Willing', ‘He’ and ‘Horse Out in the Rain’ all those years ago. Peter plays six and 12 string guitars and harmonica and the good news is that deep warm baritone voice of his has not diminished with age – it sounds as rich and haunting as it did during the Grape’s halcyon days!
Recorded **See Note below** in Austin, Texas over the past few years, Lewis is sympathetically backed by some of that city’s finest musical sons, bassist Layton DePenning, and (Roky Erickson) and the Explosives’ guitarist Cam King and drummer Freddie Krc who co-produced the record with Peter. Close in sound to the stripped-back atmosphere of Moby Grape 69 and with a warm backwoods intimacy that recalls the likes of Gene Parsons’ Kindling we think fans will agree that this is the record we always hoped Peter would make. The LP runs a gamut of styles, from folk blues and country to a couple of feisty work-outs, ‘Survivor’ and ‘Last Chance’ – and anyone who is familiar with ‘Fall on You’, will recognise that Mr Lewis can always be relied upon to deliver the goods when it comes to rocking out.
The album’s mood ranges from Peter’s hallmark melancholia and world weariness in songs like ‘To the Hearse’ and ‘When’ to the upbeat title track and the downright humorous, the tongue-in-cheek ‘Valley Music Festival’ which tells the tale of an incident which befell Peter and friends at a Neil Young concert some years ago. However the stand-out cut has to be ‘Sailing’, a song which goes back far in the mists of time to the era immediately after fellow band mate Skip Spence released his solo masterwork, Oar. Nothing more than a fragment back then, Peter worked on the song with Skip whilst he was still alive, adding a bridge and additional lyrics to create something mynd-blowingly special. The shimmering electric 12-string playing on this cut with its psychedelic raga-undertone will send the proverbial shiver down your spine!
A must-have for Grape aficionados and lovers of off-beat Americana, this UK release is a vinyl-only run of 500 copies. Artwork is by John Hurford, photographs by Henry Diltz, Heather Harris, and Peter’s daughter Arwen. The inner sleeve features an extensive essay by Rolling Stone senior writer and long-time fan, David Fricke giving an in-depth overview of Peter’s musical endeavours outside of the Grape’s own fascinating history.
Please note you can buy a CD version of this album with different artwork from SteadyBoy Records, Austin, Texas with exclusive track ‘Screwball’ replacing ‘Valley Music Festival’ (SB-0050), steadyboyrecords.com
**APOLOGY
Profuse apologies to Layton DePenning - we screwed up on the details of where Peter's record was recorded on the back sleeve: The details are inaccurate. Actually, the work was done in Layton's studio, Elmo’s Lab, Buda Texas and not as stated.
Michael Heatley's 4 star Review in RECORD COLLECTOR Legendary Grape’s late harvest
It’s 50 years since San Francisco’s Moby Grape unleashed their classic debut album – so, with opportune timing, guitarist and vocalist Peter Lewis offers up his second solo studio album. (The eponymous first was a German release in ’95.)
Recorded in Austin, Texas, with a stellar studio crew including drummer/co-producer Freddie ‘Steady’ Krc, it retains the Grape’s acoustic/electric/raga vibe and indeed, includes a co-write with the band’s late, legendary Skip Spence. This, the shimmering Sailing, is the album’s longest track and will undoubtedly fascinate long-time followers. Other highlights among the 10 cuts include the galloping Last Chance and Just Like Jack, a knowing nod to Kerouac.
Shagrat’s limited-edition UK vinyl run of just 500 copies is beautifully packaged and eminently collectable. It is paralleled by a US CD on Steady Boy Records, on which another track, Screwball, replaces Valley Music Festival. And that’s a shame. This curious talking blues tells of an incident in which Peter was ejected from a Neil Young concert, and adds a wacky footnote to proceedings. David Crosby apparently called the next day to commiserate – so, along with contributing photographer Henry Diltz and sleevenote-writer David Fricke, Lewis clearly still has friends in, ahem, high places.
Reviewed by Michael Heatley
Price: £15.00
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Track listing
Side A
1. Be With Me
2. Courage
3. To the Hearse
4. Last Chance
5. Valley Music Festival
Side B
1. Sailing
2. The Survivor
3. Just like Jack
4. When
5. These Blues
Side A
1. Be With Me
2. Courage
3. To the Hearse
4. Last Chance
5. Valley Music Festival
Side B
1. Sailing
2. The Survivor
3. Just like Jack
4. When
5. These Blues