line up 1 (1970)

- Scott Harder -- bass. vocals

- Larry Knechtel -- keyboards

- John Maggi -- drums, percussion

- Murphy Scarnecchia -- lead guitar, vocals

- George Semper --- keyboards

- Larry Vailabi -- drums

- Michael Woods -- vocals, guitar

- America (Michaelw Wood)

- The Sot Weed Factor (John Maggi)

- String Cheese (John Maggi)

Genre: rock

Rating: 2 stars **

Title:  Iowa By the Sea

Company: Pentagram

Catalog: PE 10,004

Year: 1970

Country/State: California

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: original inner sleeve with lyrics

Available: SOLD

Catalog ID: 5123  SOLD

Price: $100.00  SOLD 

Riding high on his successes producing The Jefferson Airplane, 1970 saw Al Schmitt starting his own Pentagram label.  One of the first acts signed to his MCA affiliated label was Turnquist Remedy.  

Recorded in Hollywood with Schmitt and Barry Kane producing, 1970's "Iowa By the Sea" is frequently hyped as a slice of early-1970s West Coast psych.  Take my word for it, psych It ain't.  Largely written by singer/guitarist Michael Woods, exemplified by tracks like 'Last Cigarette' and 'Cowboy Song' most of the set sported a hippy-ish country-rock sound.  To give credit where due, the set's actually better than those comments would have you believe. The leadoff track 'Just a Number' offered up a decent anti-war sentiment wrapped in a boogie-rock arrangement.  In spite of the title 'We Don't Even Know' was a nice rocker, while 'Anytime Soon' was a pretty acoustic ballad.  Elsewhere the atypical 'All Gone Blues Act II' was the band's lone fpray into true psych (and easily the album's standout effort). Certainly not an essential addition to anyone's collection, but it has a couple of tracks worth hearing and one that I occasionally pull out and spin.

"Iowa By the Sea" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Just a Number   (Michael Woods) - 2:43

2.) Last Cigarette   (Michael Woods - Dennis Hudson - Douglas Benson) - 3;25

3.) Anytime Soon   (Michael Woods) - 2:59

4.) Flyin' Dudley Waltz   (Michael Woods) - 2:28

5.) We Don't Even Know   (Michael Woods) - 

(side 2)
1.) All Gone Blues Act II   (Michael Woods) - 6:54

2.) Cowboy Song   (Michael Woods) - 3:23

3.) Reno, Nevada   (Richard Farina) - 5:23

Maggi joined the Chicago-basedd String Cheese for their 1971 album.

Vailabi joined the establishment, got married, had a couple of sons and became a vice principal at a San Jose area school.

Woods became part of the America touring band.