All Saved Freak Band
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1968-70) - Larry Hill -- keyboards - Joe Markko -- rhythm guitar - Dana Vandernich -- drums
line up 2 (1970) - Larry Hill -- keyboards - Joe Markko -- rhythm guitar - Randy Marklo (RIP 1972) -- bass - Glenn Schwartz -- lead guitar
line up 3 (1970-71) - Larry Hill -- keyboards - Brett Hill (RIP 1972) -- percussion, backing vocals - Tim Hill (RIP 1972) -- percussion, backing vocals - Joe Markko -- rhythm guitar - Randy Marklo (RIP 1972) -- bass - Glenn Schwartz -- lead guitar
line up 4 (1971-72) - Dave Bechler -- guitar - Brett Hill (RIP 1972) -- percussion, backing vocals - Larry Hill -- keyboards - Carole King Hough -- keyboards, backing vocals - Morgan King -- bass (replaced Randy Markko) - Joe Markko -- rhythm guitar - Kim Massmann -- vocals, guitar, violin, cello. keyboards, backing vocals - Pam Massmann -- guitar, violin, cello, keyboards, backing vocals - Tim Miller (RIP 1972) -- keyboards, backing vocals - Glenn Schwartz -- lead guitar
line up 5 (1972-73) - Ed Durkos -- rhythm guitar (replaced Dave Bechler) - Larry Hill -- keyboards - Morgan King -- bass - Joe Markko -- rhythm guitar - Kim Massmann -- vocals, guitar, violin, cello. keyboards, backing vocals - Pam Massmann -- guitar, violin, cello, keyboards, backing vocals - Glenn Schwartz -- vocals, lead guitar
line up 6 (1973-79) - Mike Berkey -- guitar - Ed Durkos -- rhythm guitar - Tom Eritano --drums, percussion - Larry Hill -- keyboards - Carole King -- keyboards, backing vocals - Joe Markko -- rhythm guitar - Kim Massmann -- vocals, guitar, violin, cello. keyboards, backing vocals - Pam Massmann -- guitar, violin, cello, keyboards, backing vocals - Norris McClure -- bass (replaced Morgan King) - Glenn Schwartz -- lead guitar
line up 7 (1979-80) - Ed Durkos -- rhythm guitar - Larry Hill -- keyboards - Kim Massmann -- vocals, guitar, violin, cello. keyboards, backing vocals - Pam Massmann -- guitar, violin, cello, keyboards, backing vocals
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- Lynn Haney - The James Gang (Glenn Schwartz) - Joe Markko (solo efforts) - Pacific Gas & Electric (Glenn Schwartz) - Preacher and the Witnesses - The Schwartz Brothers Band(Glenn Schwartz)
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Genre: Christian rock Rating: 3 stars *** Title: My Poor Generation Company: Rock the World Entertainment Catalog: 730605 Country/State: Kent State, Ohio Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: SOLD Catalog ID: SOLD 1012 Price: SOLD $250.00
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Ah, the first of their four classic (if seldom heard) Jesus-music albums ... I'll tell you right upfront this isn't going to be to everyone's liking. In fact, many Christian music fans may find it trying. On the other hand, it hasn't gained a reputation among collectors for no reason.
For such an obscure group, there's an amazing amount of information to be found online about the band. Naturally, much of it is confusing and not necessarily accurate, That said, perhaps the most insightful material comes off th debut album's liner notes: Apparently written by one of the band members, the liner notes capture the band's interesting history and view of themselves:
"In the beginning, God gave Music." Joe Markko was a former drug user, fresh oit of the street and Larry Hill was a Pastor of a church made up of social outcasts, former dopers, hustlers, revolutionaries, outlaws, etc. Both had put their former association with rock music completely out of their lives for a walk with God. For one, it had been fourteen years, for the other, three months. And then the Word was revealed, and a new kind of music was being created. The first Jesus-rock group in the nation was born, The All Saved Freak Band.
The music was so unheard of that year that big record companies didn't know how to categorize it. No contracts could be signed for the band felt that the music was sacred and would not sell the publishing rights, even when millionaires flew to Kent from West Germany and producers from California. The group had received a large spectrum of attention through T.V. appearances and concerts. The band certainly doesn't lack illustrious members, such as the former lead guitarist for The James Gang and Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Glenn Schwartz, rated as one of the five best blues guitarists in the world. Tom Miller, the burning brand of The Kent 25, was singing with the group when he and the bass player, Randy Markko, were killed on a journey to spread the Gospel at a rock festival. The music is exactly as Larry described in a news article he wrote about Glenn Schwartz. "Sometimes the music is so tender a bird could light on the notes and sing. At other times it's like .... well let the words of a black drug addict who head the band at an outdoor festival tell ya ... "Like I was over on the hill mindin' my own business. I heard these dudes was down there, but I made up my mind nothing was gettin' a hold of me. But when the music started crankin' up, somethin' pulled me to my feet and man I mean pulled me down there And when they talked about Jesus, somethin' broke loose in my heart. I had been a heroin addict for years, this is the first time in years I've felt peace and freedom. At the time of the Kent [State] killings, Tom Miller's picture appeared in Life Magazine. He was jumping in a pool of blood and was waving a black anarchist flag. Many times he stood up and said "I was one of the Kent crazies, burnin' buildings and challenging the National Guard. The bullets in the air were so close I could feel the wind from them and my friends were falling around me. I could feel an evil power hanging over campus and I was aware that we were being used. I used drugs until I could stand and lay in a stupor. You talk about sex perversion. I was more than a little strange but through God, Jesus has set me free, purified my life and I have peace. I want to tell the young and the old, and all that will listen about Jesus.
The final touch of finesse and beauty was added to the band in the persons of Pam and Kim Massmann, whose father conducts the Minnesota University Orchestra. Bother girls play acoustic guitar and sing and play cello and violin as well. (No hired musicians and voices on this album!)
Putting a little more detail on the story, the band trace their roots to 1968. If you trust the story, Larry Hill was ministering in Chicago as a member Dave Wilkerson's Teen Challenge Ministry and found a convert in the form of Joe Markko. Over the next couple of years Hill and Markko turned what was essentially a hobby into a semi-active musical career, playing for fun and as a way of spreading the word throughout Ohio and neighboring states, Initially known as Preacher and the Converts, by the time the group got around to recording their debut album, they'd opted for the happenin' The All Saved Freak Band name and had a line-up featured the talents of rhythm guitarist Ed Durkos, Larry Hill on keyboards, bassist Morgan King, rhythm guitarist Joe Markko, multi-instrumentalist sisters Kim and Pam Massmann, and former James Gang lead guitarist Glenn Schwartz.
Produced by Rob Galbraith, 1973's "My Poor Generation" collected material the band (with an ever changing line-up), had written over the previous five year period. With Hill, Kim Massman, Joe Markko, and Glenn Schwartz all sharing writing duties, thematically tracks such as 'The Lord Is My Shepherd', the autobiographical 'There Is Still Hope In Jesus', and 'Christmas Song' were clearly Jesus-music. While subtlety certainly wasn't one of the band's strengths and their lyrics could be clunky (check out 'Lonely Street'), it was hard to question the band's enthusiasm and sense of commitment to the cause. Yeah, it sounds terribly dated and naive in this day and age, but to my ears, that's part of the album's oddball charm. And while religious sentiments were predominant throughout the album, the band were willing to take on other social causes including the evils of segregation ('Elder White') and the perceived sins of their generation ('My Poor Generation'). Even more surprising, for a group that was living on an Ohio commune and purposely distancing themselves from the sinful everyday world, it was interesting to hear rock and roll elements occasionally creep into the mix - I guess you could blame Schwartz for those isolated electric guitar solos. Shame they didn't allow even more of those sinful influences in the door.
There are supposedly two slightly different versions of the album. Musically the two released are identical, but for hardcore collectors, the initial pressing features a slightly different cover photo. By the way, the slightly crazed looking guy showcased on the album cover was Larry Hill.
"My
Poor Generation" track listing: 1.) Elder White (Larry Hill - Joe Markko) - 3:38 rating: **** stars Say what you will about the anonymous lead singer (Schwartz ?), but the man certainly had a recognizable voice. Dark, raspy, craggy, the guy really sounded like an aged blues-man. Geez, imagine a TB stricken Tony Joe White sharing his vision of American segregation with The Staple Singers ... Totally unlike anything you've ever heard. 2.) Lonely Street (Kim Massmann) - 4:08 rating: **** stars Written and sung by Kim Massmann, 'Lonely Street' was a gorgeous ballad that would have been even better had they toned down the song's religious orientation. About all I can say is Kim had an amazing voice. 3.) My Poor Generation (Larry Hill - Joe Markko) - 1:55 rating: **** stars With a weird Baroque-meets-country hoedown melody, 'My Poor Generation' was a surprisingly engaging reflection on '60s culture. All done in under two minutes. Besides how could not love a song that include soap, LSD, and trike in the lyrics ? Great tune. 4.) Tom Miller (Morgan King) - 2:54 rating: *** stars Seemingly dedicated to the band's late keyboard player, 'Tom Miller' was an acoustic folk number that showcased the Massmann sisters on vocals and violin. Pretty, but a bit heavy in the we'll-see-you-in-heaven lyrics. 5.) Great Victory (Glenn Schwartz) - 4:08 rating: *** stars Hum, easy to see why Schwartz didn't handle vocals in The James Gang, or Pacific Gas & Electric ... In spite of the ragged vocals, 'Great Victory' was a surprisingly likeable slice of blues-rock that actually sounded like something out of the mid-'70s Canned Heat catalog. Easy to overlook the holy roller lyrics on this one. Wonder if Schwartz had really been into witchcraft ... 6.) Ancient of Days (Larry Hill - Joe Markko) - 5:22 rating: **** stars Built on a droning, violin propelled melody, 'Ancient of Days' was probably the album's closest brush with lysergic influences (probably not a good thing for a bunch of ex-junkies). Quite engaging with Schwartz turning in some of his prettiest playing.
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2) Just Kim Massmann accompanied by strumming acoustic guitar, 'The Lord Is My Shepherd' was a petty, extremely religiously themed, acoustic ballad. Sounded like something they use to play at my Catholic Church's Saturday evening folk masses. 2.) Daughter of Zion (Larry Hill - Glenn Schwartz) - 5:34 rating: **** stars Not sure who handled the ragged vocals (Schwartz ?), but 'Daughter of Zion' was a cool, slinky, blues rocker with a great Schwartz lead guitar. It was easily one of the album highlights. 3.) Christmas Song (Larry Hill - Pam Massmann) - 1:50 rating: ** stars Another short, pretty and largely forgettable acoustic number with Kim on lead vocals. 4.) There Is Still Hope In Jesus (Larry Hill - Joe Markko) - 6:27 rating: *** stars 'There Is Still Hope In Jesus' was one of the first songs the band ever wrote and was originally written as the closing theme song for a Saturday night radio broadcast called “Time for the Risen Christ." I'm guessing Hill handled the preachy spoken word segments. Not sure who "sang" the rest of the material. If you've never heard a Jesus music tune, this would be the place to start ... extra star for the Kent State references. 5.) Flowers of Time (Larry Hill - Kim Massmann) - 3:45 rating: **** stars Perhaps the album's prettiest tune, the piano-propelled ballad showcased the Massmann sisters' lovely voices. Simply stunning way to end the album.
As mentioned, there's a surprising amount of information on the web, including the band's own web presence: http://allsavedfreakband.com/
And in the interests of fairness, here's a link to a somewhat more critical view of the commune the band sprung from: http://www.freethoughthouse.com/fortney-road.html
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