The Minister is a track I like to crank these days. I have the Split Ends UA LP and hope to find a UK Message From The Country in my lifetime.
With all the great singles/songs this band released, how on earth is Jeff L's Open Up my favorite thing they did it's such a crazy great epic. Long time fan & I've never once thought about Queen taking inspiration from tracks like this early on, but now it seems rather obvious.
In addition to “California Man” CT has since covered “Brontosaurus,” “Blackberry Way” and that Wood Christmas hit. There may be others, and “Down on the Bay” was apparently part of their very early live sets.
I got into them (recently) because of all the Cheap Trick covers. I also remembered that Ace Frehley covered "Do Ya", so I figured I better check them out.
It's likely because Cheap Trick covered several Move songs - especially early on. They have performed covers of these Move tunes: Blackberry Way California Man Down of the Bay Fire Brigade Brontosuarus
This was what started me to LOVE The Move in 1974: The Move, The Action, and The Pretty Things in an alternative universe would've been as big as Elvis, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones.
SPLIT ENDS was the first LP I ever bought based solely on a review. I think it was in my boss' STEREO REVIEW magazine. I was already interested in ELO and when it arrived I was amazed they had gone so under the radar in the US. That was a Record Club of America copy. Years later Sears put their one copy on clearance and I bought that, too. Probably the only one I had seen in our town. It was a better 'real' pressing and did not do a little skip at the beginning of California Man. It did not make a 'tic' and was not obvious it was skipping. I assumed it was correct. I finally put a little extra weight on my stylus and it got rid of what was making it do that on the first LP. I thought it sounded a little 'off' all that time! I got a promo version free of that A&M double LP THE BEST OF THE MOVE from my DJ buddy.
Released a year later (July 2019) on CD with a different title "Something More From" on a different label (Vogon). Don't know if the sound quality is the same or different. Discogs is your friend: The Move - Something More From
Ah - I thought it would be odd if this is all there was! Often it is my friend, yes - then I find out about half a dozen of things that I feel I need to buy.
Nobody asked dept. : Speaking of Discogs, I bought original UK copies of most their singles off there a few years ago for maximum Move enjoyment. I still need Chinatown, California Man & Brontosaurus though. Also, I just noticed that When Alice Comes Back To The Farm (b/w all 6 + minutes of What ?) was released as a UK single in 1970 on Fly. Did not know that. If I'm missing any others, I'm unaware.. I have a German Polydor copy of the Wild Tiger Woman/Omnibus 45 with the picturesleeve too
Interesting assessment...back in 1974 I bought the Move LP Looking On, and also bought Queen and Queen II. It never occurred to me to compare the two bands, but after reading your post I can see the similarity between "Open Up Said the World At the Door" and some of Queen's songs.
I love that song too, but I remember some friends gave me some major pushback when I played it at a get-together...one guy screwed up his face and said "What in the world is that?!" This was back in the 70s...some of my friends had no taste at all!
The Move at The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm in London. 1966. Carl Wayne destroying a TV Set and a Cadillac.
I bought Split Ends also, in late 1972 (I was in high school). It was my first Move record, I bought it on account of hearing "Do Ya" on the radio. I never did see a copy of Do Ya in the stores or I would have bought it. Back then it was tough to get info on the group (in the U.S.) Then in 1974 I read a review of the band somewhere and the article mentioned that Looking On was an interesting and "heavy" album (although I remember that they dissed the LP's production quality) so I picked up on it when I found a copy-I'm glad I did, I really liked it. Later in the 70s I found some of their 60s singles and the group has been a favorite ever since.
Slightly OT, but Cheap Trick is one of the few bands I want to hear a covers album from. Usually those kind of things are contractually obligated or laden with obvious, over-covered songs that are familiar to listeners, but you know Cheap Trick's would be full of Move, Slade, etc deep cuts and just be an absolute blast.
Was Blackberry Way ever mixed and released in real stereo? I was surprised there was no stereo version of it in Esoteric's deluxe Shazam. Also, I've recently bought "This is to certify" 2 cd set by Rick Price and Mike Sheridan. Any thoughts on that one?
Exploring beyond the main Move catalogue is one of the best things I ever did! That 2CD set you mentioned compiles the album Rick recorded as a duo with regular writing partner Mike (perhaps best known for fronting the Nightriders), but also a massively expanded version of his later solo LP, Talking To The Flowers. I'd also strongly recommend hunting down a copy of Get Your Teeth Into This, the album Rick made with several future members of Wizzard under the Mongrel name in 1973. For reasons I can only assume must be related to the usual licensing or missing tape problems, this has never been reissued, yet everyone I've introduced this to finds at least something to enjoy, including some truly monstrous riffs.
Very interesting, sir! Is this the album? I don't see a CD edition here. Mongrel – Get Your Teeth Into This (1973, Vinyl)
That's the one, but there's never been an official CD release to my knowledge. (A fairly decent needledrop can be found on YouTube, should anyone ever want to burn a copy, though I'd infinitely prefer to know I'm supporting the artists and championing what is a remarkably solid album.)