Genre: rock
Rating: **** (4 stars)
Title: Owen-B
Company: Mus-i-col
Catalog: 101209
Year: 1970
Country/State: Mansfield, Ohio
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: --
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4893
Price: $150.00
Cost: $66.00
Owen-B (named after the band's black and orange 1954 Mercury), has an interesting, if rather convoluted background ...
Born and raised in Mansfield, Ohio singer/guitarist Terry Van Auker and multi-instrumentalist Tom Zinser got their starts playing in a number of local bands, including Tommy Z and The Sleepers. By 1967 the two were playing in an outfit known as Wildlife. Popular on the local club scene, an audition for Columbia went well, but the company's interest was contingent on the group agreeing to dump then lead singer Lou Basso. Reluctantly the rest of the band agreed to the personnel change, subsequently recording a number of demos for the label. The partnership was brief, resulting in the release of one instantly obscure single:
'Time Will Tell' b/w 'Hard Hard Year' (Columbia catalog number 4-44369)
Back on the club circuit, 1969 saw another personnel change with former Crazy Elephant/Music Explosion drummer Bob Tousignant (aka Bob Avery) signing on. Another name change followed, with Owen-B emerging.
Unable to interest another major label in their material, the group elected to go the self-issued route. Consequently 1970's cleverly-titled "Owen-B" was released on their own Ohio-based Mus-i-col label. Self-produced, anyone expecting to hear another set of mid-1960s blue-eyed soul/garage was probably somewhat disappointed by the album. Similarly anyone buying into dealer hype claiming this was a set of mind melting psych was gonna be disappointed. Those comments aren't meant to be taken as criticisms since the collection's quite commercial and somewhat of a lost classic. Featuring ten band-penned originals, musically the set bounced all over the spectrum, including stabs at stoner acoustic folk ('All We Are Asking'), pop ('My Friends'), country-rock ('Weekend'), and conventional hard rock ('Share'). Normally something as diverse wouldn't hold up particularly well, but when packaged with killer melodies, great harmony vocals, some first-rate guitar (courtesy of Terry Van Auker ) and a real sense of fun and enjoyment you ended up with one of the rare exceptions to the rule. Personal favorites include 'Leavin' It All Up To You' and 'Out On My Own' (which add a bit of progressive complexity to the mix) and ''. Easy to see why folks hype the album, even if it isn't for the right reasons. Shame they didn't record a follow up set.
"Owen-B" track listing:
(side
1)
1.) Share (Jim Krause - Terry Van Auker - Bob Tousignant - Tom Zinser) -
2.) Daily News (Jim Krause - Terry Van Auker - Bob Tousignant - Tom Zinser) -
3.) All We Are Asking (Jim Krause - Terry Van Auker - Bob Tousignant - Tom Zinser) -
4.) Mellow Meadow (Jim Krause - Terry Van Auker - Bob Tousignant - Tom Zinser) -
5.)
Share (Jim
Krause - Terry Van
Auker -
Bob Tousignant -
Tom Zinser) -
(side 2)
1.) My Friends (Jim Krause - Terry Van Auker - Bob Tousignant - Tom Zinser) -
2.) Weekend (Jim Krause - Terry Van Auker - Bob Tousignant - Tom Zinser) -
3.) Leavin' It All Up To You (Jim Krause - Terry Van Auker - Bob Tousignant - Tom Zinser) -
4.) Out On My Own (Jim Krause - Terry Van Auker - Bob Tousignant - Tom Zinser) -
5.) Thank You For Listening (Jim Krause - Terry Van Auker - Bob Tousignant - Tom Zinser) -
I've never
heard either, but there are a pair of non-LP 45s that are supposedly more
rock oriented than anything on the album:
- 1970's 'Mississippi Mama' b/w 'Nowhere To Run' (Janus catalog number J- 107)
- 1970's 'Never Goin' Home' b/w 'Zig Zag Man' (Janus catalog number J- 123)