- Mike Brennan -- bass

- Bill Harness -- drums, percussion

- Wayne Linser -- lead guitar

- Mike Peters -- trumpet

- Don Young -- horns

- none known

Genre: garage

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Last Roundup

Company: no label

Catalog: SS-11179-01

Year: 1965 ?

Country/State: US

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: 10" 33 rpm; split top seam; plays with a little, but no skips

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 5319

Price: $150.00

I've got quite a bit of obscure material in my collection, but this one may be in a league by itself - that's not to imply this one's good, rather you just won't find many copies of it.

As far as I can tell there is nothing to be found online or in written references on The Freeways.  Save a picture of the band and their names, the group's ten inch LP "Last Round Up" carries no liner notes; absolutely nothing to tell you when or where it was recorded. Assuming the names shown on the cover lined up with the performer ppictures, then the line up consisted of bassist Mike Brennan, drummer Bill Harness, lead guitarist Wayne Linser, and horn players Mike Peters and  Don Young.  Judging by the preppy cover photo and the all-instrumental song selection I'm guessing this was a mid-1950s offering, but who knows.  The inclusion of a pair of Spanish-titled tunes ('Salud, Amore y Dinero' and 'El Momento Verdad') makes me think they may have been Texas-based.  Again, who knows.  They could have called Vermont home.  Musically these guys were pretty amateurish, hard pressed to make it through a song without total collapse.  On rock covers like The Beatles' 'All My Loving' and Sam the Sham and the Pharaoh's 'Wooly Bully' the original melodies and rhythms were at least somewhat recognizable.  Too bad their tastes included quite a few MOR numbers - the low point may have been the whistling solo on 'So What's New'.  Special mention to drummer Harness who regardless of whether it was a ballad or a rocker played like a man on the verge of a total breakdown  - Keith Moon stuck in a frat band.  Oh, the horns were occasionally quite irritating ('Lemon Tree').  I'd love to know more about these guy ...

"Last Roundup" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) All My Loving  (John Lennon - Paul McCartney) 

2.) Wade In the Water

3.) Salud, Amore y Dinero

4.) Lemon Tree

6.) Woolly Bully

7.) Up Cherry Street

(side 2)
1.) Work Song

2.) So What's New

3.) El Momento Verdad

4.) $125 Medley