Alamo
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1971) - Larry Davis (aka Larry Changes) - bass - Larry Raspberry -- vocals, guitar, keyboards - Richard Rosebrough (RIP 2015) -- drums, percussion - Ken Woodley -- vocals, keyboards
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- Lee Baker & The Agitators (Richard Rosebrough) - Cosmos (Ken Woodley) - The Gentrys (Larry Raspberry, Richard Rosebrough and Ken Woodley) - The Jokers (Richard Rosebrough) - Mud Boy and the Neutrons (Richard Rosebrough) - Paris Pilot (Ken Woodley) - Larry Raspberry and The Highsteppers (Larry Raspberry)
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Genre: hard rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Alamo Company: Atlantic Catalog: SD
8279 Country/State: Memphis, Tennessee Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: promo sticker on cover Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $40.00
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Memphis, Tennessee's The Gentries came close to big time success. Between 1965 and their breakup in 1970 the band went through a couple of line-up changes while recording three albums and scoring one national hit with the 1965 single "Keep On Dancing". Singer/multi-instrumentalist Larry Raspberry left the band following their 1966 "Gentry Time" album.
1971
saw Raspberry form Alamo with bassist Larry Davis, ex-Gentrys and Ardent
Studios engineer/drummer Richard Rosebrough and former Gentrys
singer/keyboard player Ken Woodley. Atlantic Records signed the band
to a contract, promptly sending them into Memphis' Ardent
Studios. In contrast to most signings Atlantic management clearly had considerable faith in the
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Having finished recording the LP, Atlantic arranged for a couple of showcase performances. Thos showcases included a New Orleans date opening for Leslie West and Mountain and The Allman Brothers Band and several Memphis dates. Unfortunately personality difference arose between Raspberry and the remainder of the band. Raspberry was fired (or depending on the story quit). Atlantic went ahead and released two 45s, but put little energy into promoting the band, at which point they called it quits. (Can't say the Raspberry designed cover art did the band any favors.)
"Alamo" track listing: 1.) Got To Find Another (Ken Woodley) - 5:10 rating: *** stars Not having had any idea what to expect from this album the opener "Got To Find Another Way" turned out to be an impressive rocker. Well, perhaps it's better described as three parts hard rock and one part progressive moves. Based on the tune Woodley had a perfect "hard rock" voice and a knack for melding melody with Woodley's crunching Hammond organ and Raspberry's guitar accompaniment. Raspberry got an assist for tossing in a first-rate fuzz guitar solo. 2.) Soft And Gentle (Ken Woodley) - 7:05 rating: *** stars The lysergic-tinged ballad "Soft and Gentle" was a nice introduction to the band's heavy guitar and organ sound (think along the lines of Sir Lord Baltimore, or a more melodic Bloodrock). Woodley's keyboards added the lysergic edge, while Raspberry again turned in a wonderful fuzz guitar solo. As good as those two were, Davis bass was fluid and melodic. 3.) The World We Seek (Ken Woodley - Larry Davis) - 3:40 rating: *** stars "The World We Seek" was another nice Raspberry-powered rocker, though given he sounded like he was choking on phlegm I wondered if Woodley was going to make it through the song. 4.) Question Raised (Ken Woodley) - 4:08 rating: *** stars Sporting an opening that was almost jazzy before transitioning to a funky Raspberry riff that kicked the song along, "Question Raised" was another track that found a balance between hard rock and a more commercial rock sound. That might explain why Atlantic tapped it as the second single:
- 1971's "Question Raised" b/w "Get the Feeling" (Atlantic catalog number 45-2816)
(side
2) With an interesting start-and-stop song structure, "Bensome Change" was the album's hardest rocking tune. Woodley's Hammond B-3 moves have the track a pseudo-Uriah Heep-styled edge. An edited version of the song was released as the leadoff single.
- 1971's "Bensome Change" b/w "All New People" (Atlantic catalog number 45-2795)
2.) All New People (Ken Woodley) - 4:53 rating: **** stars Powered by Raspberry's fuzz guitar and some crushing Rosebrough drums," All New People" was the album's funkiest performance. The song also appeared as the "B" side on their "Bensome Change" 45. 3.) Get the Feelin' (Ken Woodley) - 6:06 rating: **** stars The rocker "Get the Feelin' gave each member a shot at the solo spotlight. Given a brief solo, Rosebrough once again acquitted himself with honors. The song also served as the ""Question Raised" 45 "B" side. 4.) Happiness Is Free (Ken Woodley - Larry Raspberry) - 4:22 rating: **** stars "Happiness Is Free" brought the band's strengths together. Sporting some of Raspberry's most melodic playing, the track also exhibited one of their stronger melodies with Rosebrough again coming off as the band's secret sauce.
Rosebrough passed on in October 2015.
© Scott R. Blackerby December 2025
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uartet, letting them produce themselves
as well as allowing them to record eight
original numbers. Woodley was credited with the bulk of the album's
material with Davis and Raspberry co-writing one track each. Musically
"Alamo" sounded very different from the bulk of
early-'70s Memphis bands. Unlike the blue-eyed soul, garage and pop-rock
espoused by Memphis groups like Big Star, Cargoe and The Hot Dogs,
exemplified by material like "Got
To Find Another" and "The World We Seek"
these guys came blasting out the door with a hard-rock sound. On
"Question Raised"
and the single "Bensome Change"
the combination of Raspberry's thick guitar chords and Woodley's Hammond B-3
fills recalled a cross between a middle America outfit like Bloodrock, Crow
or Grand Funk and Uriah Heep. Elsewhere tracks like the closer "Soft And Gentle"
and "Happiness Is Free"
found the band occasionally dipping their toes in a more progressive
direction. It certainly wasn't the most melodic or pop oriented
Memphis album you've ever heard, but it was certainly one of the hardest
rocking and enjoyable from start to finish.
