The Butts Band: The Complete Recordings.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

The Butts Band: The Complete Recordings.



1 I Won't Be Alone Anymore
2 Baja Bus
3 Sweet Danger
4 pop a top
5 Be With Me
6 New Ways
7 Love Your Brother
8 Kansas City
9 Get up, Stand Up
10 Corner of My Mind
11 Caught In The Middle
12 Everybody's Fool
13 Livin' and Dyin'
14 Don't Wake Up
15 If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody
16 Feelin' So Bad
17 White House
18 Act Of Love
19 That's All Right
20 Lovin' You for All the Right Reasons

The Butts Band featured ex-Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. In 1975, the band recorded two albums for Blue Thumb which expanded on the music they originally made with the Doors. Complete Recordings includes both of the albums on a single disc, making it a definitive retrospective. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Personnel: Michael Stull (vocals, guitar, piano); Alex Richman (vocals, keyboards); Jess Roden (vocals); Robbie Krieger (guitar); Roy Davies (keyboards, synthesizer); John Densmore (drums); Bobbye Hall (congas); Mike Berkowitz (percussion).

The Butts Band: Robby Krieger (guitar); Jess Roden (guitar, vocals); Michael Stull (guitar, piano, vocals); Alex Richman (keyboards, vocals); Roy Davies (keyboards, ARP synthesizer); Karl "Slick" Rucker, Phillip Chen (bass); John Densmore (drums); Bobbi Hall (congas); Mike Berkowitz (percussion).

Producers: Bruce Botnick (tracks 1-8); Jerry Fuller (tracks 9-20).

Butts Band Single releases .

Pop A Top b/w Baja Bus
Blue Thumb 242 1973

I Won't Be Alone Anymore b/w Kansas City
Blue Thumb 252 1974

Get Up, Stand Up b/w Mike's Blues
Blue Thumb 263 1975

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Here is a review I did for Scorpywag of the Butts Band Complete CD in the Spring of 2002..............

The Butts Band: The Complete Recordings.



Formed from the ashes of The Doors in the summer of 1973 The Butts Band went some way to destroying the myth that The Doors were a 'one trick pony'. The band had abounded with talent but with such a charismatic focus as Jim Morrison his three band-mates were constantly overlooked.
So with Ray going solo John and Robby took the plunge with a new group.
Jess Roden, who had been considered as a new singer for The Doors, was chosen to front the band and he brought along bass player Phil Chen and Roy Davies on keyboards. After furious rehearsals they went into Olympic Studios in London to begin their first album. So carried away did they get that to capture an authentic reggae feel they flew to Jamaica to finish the album at a studio in Kingston.
Released to critical acclaim, though far less sales, at the beginning of 1974 the album showed a doubting public The Doors story was far from over.
From the opening moments of 'I Won't Be Alone Anymore' it was clear that Jess was a unique vocal talent who wisely did not attempt to emulate the late lamented Lizard King. A blend of blues, soft rock with a touch of reggae the Butts were an excellent example of the power and diversity of 70's rock. The clean crisp drumming of Densmore and the guitar genius of Krieger had found in their British compatriots that rare chemistry that sets bands apart from the mainstream pack. From the easy going 'Baja Bus' and 'Pop a Top' to the bluesy 'New Ways' and 'Be With Me' the album was a delight.
The highlights were many with the soulful blues of 'Sweet Danger' being the standout track along with a 'fake' live version of the classic 'Kansas City'.
It's hard to understand why Bruce Botnick added a Doors audience track to this as it rocked along nicely on it's own.
Sadly all the bands efforts came to nought as they split due to the pressures of having the Atlantic Ocean between them.
Not to be down-hearted Densmore and Krieger tried again with an all US version for the bands second effort 'Hear & Now'. Upgraded to a sextet and fronted by guitar player vocalist Mike Stull the album opens with Bob Marley's 'Get Up Stand Up' and has a similar rhythm & blues reggae feel as the debut effort. Where it differs is of course in the personnel.
The Brits were far tighter than their US counterparts and the vocal talent of Mike Stull was a pale imitation of Jess Roden sounding like a karaoke Barry White.
Having said that my early opinions of the second Butts Band were a bit of an injustice as they were not as bad as I thought in 1975 although the album is still a very poor one.
Lady keyboard player Alex Richman added an interesting vocal dimension on tracks such as 'Everybodys Fool' and 'Feelin' So Bad' and the other newcomers Karl Rucker on bass and the additional percussion of Mike Berkowitz were fine musicians but failed to gel the way the first line up did.
Overall though the music on show was a bit bland and lacked the edge that the Brits had provided, so consequently the album headed for obscurity faster than Jim Morrison headed for the bar and now is nothing more than a 'bargain bin' oddity. With not a single stand out track on 'Hear & Now' the first eight tracks are the most worthwhile part of this Butts Band compilation the rest being nice music to have a bath too as long as you do not linger too long in the warm suds.
Scorpywag Rating 8/10 brave effort which unfortunately failed