The Nuge: Free-for-All

The Nuge's second solo album.  Derek St. Holmes plays and sings on it - but they split during the making of the record.  Hey - Meat Loaf even sings on it.  I played his Cat Scratch Fever album and love a couple of songs on that one - but the cover of FFA is way better.  Those songs are Homebound (an instrumental) and Live it Up.  Play those songs loud.  As for his signature guitar, (shown) I know a bit about Gibson guitars, but I had to look this one up.  It is called The Byrdland, a jazz guitar, designed by jass guitarists Billy Byrd and Hank Garland.  Gibson tells us those two were "first-call" Nashville session musicians. And also, "Outwardly every bit a Gibson, this model featured design elements that were radical, even revolutionary, in its day."  It debuted in 1955 with a rounded cutaway.  Ted sure has made the Byrdland his own.

And here is the inside gatefold photo of Free-for-All.

The Byrds - Turn Turn Turn

Released in December 1965 on the Columbia label.  Actually, the title of the record is Turn! Turn! Turn!, not Turn Turn Turn.  But those harsh exclamation marks seem out of place for such a mellow album, let alone title track.  This is a cool record because it lists The Byrds' "leader" and guitar player as Jim McGuinn.  He is listed as and known better later on as, of course, Roger McGuinn.  On the back of the album is a long wheaze (review of the very record) written by Derek Taylor, under the title "Press and Public Relations Officer for The Byrds."  That seems a bit too official for a laid back Laurel Canyon folk-rock band.  The record was produced by Terry Melcher - Doris Day's son.  This record was reissued with a different cover in 1976 under the Embassy Records label.  Title link is to Mr. Tambourine Man on youtube.