- Calvin Keane -- vocals 

- none known

Genre: rock

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Calvin Keane

Company: Tiger Lily

Catalog: TL 14025
Year: 1976

Country/State: US

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: minor discoloration along edges of sleeve

Available: SOLD 

catalog ID: SOLD 5782

Price: SOLD $350.00

Yes, all hyperbole aside, this is truly one of the mega rare releases in the tax scam catalog.  It's also one where there literally doesn't seem to be any  information available on the mysterious Mr. Keane. Based on a couple of YouTube comments, there apparently was a Mr. Keane and one person described him as a talented singer and guitarist.  I've researched hundreds of obscure acts over the years and 99% of the time you can find out something about the act.  Keane falls in that 1% where there's nothing ....  So, if you're out there, drop me a line.

Not mainstream enough for a wide audience.  Incredibly diverse in musical terms, but within those confines, a decent enough tax scam releases.  Worth the asking price?   Not my call.  

And the only other tidbit worth mentioning - Keane and Gary Legon arranged the album.

Since I can't tell you anything 'bout Mr. Keane, here's a little bit about the music itself:

"Calvin Keane" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Bad Weather   (Calvin Keane) - 4:14   rating **** stars

Kicked along by some nice Hammond B3, the original 'Bad Weather' served to introduce Keane's dry and rather rugged voice.  It wasn't a particularly commercial instrument, but anyone who liked the blues was likely to find it pretty attractive.  In fact, the song had kind of a blues-vibe to it with a pair of hot wah wah guitar solos coming midpoint and at the end of the track. 

2.) Old Forgotten Bood   (Calvin Keane) - 2:45    rating ** stars

An acoustic blues-flavored number, 'Old Forgotten Bood' was okay, but really didn't have anything to distinguish it - pedestrian melody, plain arrangement, and middling vocal.

3.) Lime Street   (Calvin Keane) - 3:26    rating *** stars

Back to a full band lineup, 'Lime Street' had kind of an unfinished demo feel to it.  While Keane's voice showed a nice growl, the song was more jazzy than the earlier numbers.  The slightly discordant horns served to give the song kind of an early-1970s Canterbury progressive rock feel.  Yeah, I should probably find something more productive to do with my time ...    

4.) Sho Bout To Drive   (Mac Rebeneck - J. Hill - A. Robinson) - 6:00   rating **** stars
Side one ended with  the lone non-original; in this case a cover of Mac Rebennack's 'Sho Bout To Drive' (note the liner notes managed to misspell his name as Rebeneck).  The funkiest track on the album, this one also had kind of an unfinished demo feel to it.  Blame it on the shrill female backing chorus which all but drown out Keane and the cluttered instrumental backing.  Those criticisms aside, the results were still enough to get your butt shaking.   Curiously the song faded out and then reappeared as a brief refrain, before kind of falling apart.   

(side 2)
1.) Rainy Night   (Calvin Keane) - 3:03    rating *** stars

Side two kicked off with a country-flavored slice of singer/songwriter material.  Initially I disliked 'Rainy Night'.  Keane sounded brittle and sharp and the country tinge just left me cold.  And then I stared to warm a little to the track   Pretty, if ultimately forgettable,it sounded like something Rod Stewart or The Faces might have thrown on one of their mid-1970s albums.

2.) Forgive Me Girl   (Calvin Keane) - 4:36   rating **** stars

'Forgive Me Girl' was my choice for standout performance.  A nice slice of  bluesy-funk, this one had everything going for it.  Great groove, slinky vocals from Keane, hot fuzz guitar solo, and some tasty horn charts that added to the groove, rather than distracting from it.  Imagine early Frankie Miller, or Steve Gibbons and you'll be in the right ballpark.   

3.) Rev. Jake   (Calvin Keane) - 5:00    rating * star

Hey there hepcat ...   'Rev. Jake'  offered up a weird slice of spoken word hipster-flavored reflections. It was so '50s "beat" as to make you smile.  Not sure why it makes me think of Bob Denver. The acoustic bass was awesome. To my ears it supported the contention this might have been a demo intended to showcase Keane's diversity that somehow got sidetracked to Tiger Lily.  If there's actually a Calvin Keane out there I'd love to know if he knew this LP existed.      

4.) Tuning Up (instrumental)   (Calvin Keane) - 3:14   rating ***** stars
The album closed out with another strong number, in this case the lone instrumental 'Tuning Up'.  My selection for the second strongest tune, this one offered up a tasty slice of guitar-powered funk.  Quite funky and to be honest, Keane's voice really wasn't missed all that much. 

If you'd like to hear the LP, but don't want so spend bug bucks on an original, in 2010 the Big Pink label reissued the album in CD format (BIG PINK catalog number 114).

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