This is a 1969 album – released in 1973 – that lives up to its billing as a ‘super-session’ production. Full information can be found in interesting detail here, but the quintet of session leads are Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Keith Emerson, Harvey Mandel and Linda Ronstadt, with an additional cast-list including Joe Farrell, Mitch Mitchell, Elliot Randall, Moogy Klingman, Todd Rundgren, Dr John, Delaney Bramlett, and on opening track Cissy Strut – with guitar solos from Beck and Rundgren – some sheep noises, real or otherwise. That opener, second track Freedom Jazz Dance and third Sympathy For The Devil are funky jazz instrumentals, with fourth Mother Nature’s Son a rather slight orchestral pop piece: Keith Emerson in pretty rather than progressive mood. First vocal and rock track is fifth Road Song. Two further instrumentals are covers of, respectively, Lay Lady Lay and Hey Jude – again in the poprock vein – and the first wonderful Ronstadt led number is eighth He Darked the Sun. Harvey Mandel leads a cool blues instrumental Earl’s Shuffle, with one Clapton session producing another blues Getting Back To Molly, Earle Doude on gritty vocal. This isn’t a knock-your-socks-off collection, but it is tailored class from top to toe.
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