Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: The Ultimate Prophecy
Company: Mercury
Catalog: SR 61288
Year: 1970
Grade (cover/record): VG/VG
Comments: minor ring wear; small bullet hole bottom right; name written in small ink letters on cover; minor hiss in a couple of places
Available: 1
Price: $110.00
Although he's been recording on and off since the late-'60s and has written some marginally interesting material, outside of a small devoted cult following, American Indian singer/guitarist J.D. Blackfoot remains a virtual unknown. Possessing an attractive, if largely nondescript voice, Blackfoot started his career with a series of little heard singles for Phillips.
The late-'60s found Blackfoot living in Cleveland, Ohio. By 1969 he was
frontman for the band Tree (Blackfoot, bassist Kenny May, drummer Dan Waldron and singer/guitarist Jeff Whitlock). The group's big break came later in the year when they won a battle of the bands contest that brought with it an opportunity to record for Mercury Records.
Subject to extensive hype among collectors, we''d been looking for a copy
of 1970's "The Ultimate Prophecy" for a couple of
years. Well, we finally stumbled across a copy at a yard sale and
were anxious to check out what all the excitement was about. Produced by Dale Frashuer
to our ears the LP sounds like it was recorded by two separate bands. With
future Pure Prairie League/Little Feat singer/guitarist Craig Fuller
responsible for most of side one, tracks such as "One Time Woman", "Angel" and "We Can Try" offered up attractive if unexceptional country-rock.
Think Poco and Fuller's forthcoming Pure
Prairie League catalog and you'll be in the right ballpark. In contrast,
with namesake Blackfoot writing most of the material on the flip side, selections such as the title track, "Death's Finale" and "Waiting To Be Born"
display a darker, psychedelic bent (complete with some great fuzz guitar). As you've probably guessed, though the lyrics
are occasionally on the clunky side ("Pink Sun"), the flip side's far more interesting.
Perhaps not the brain melting psych masterpiece dealers would have you
believe, but all-in-all not a bad addition to one's catalog. (The album was originally released with a lyric insert.)
Score 1 to 10 (1
lowest, 10 highest), I'll give it a 7.
The Ultimate Prophecy" track listing:
1.) One Time Woman (Craig Fuller) - 3:42
2.) Angel (Craig Fuller) - 3:47
3.) We Can Try (Craig Fuller - J.D. Blackfoot) - 4:06
4.) Good Day Extending Company (Dan Waldron - Jeff Whitlock) - 4:41
5.) I've Never Seen You (Kenny May) - 3:15
6.) The Ultimate Prophecy (J.D. Blackfoot - Dan Waldron) - 4:57
7.) Death's Finale (J.D. Blackfoot) - 3:38
8.) Cycles (J.D. Blackfoot - Dan Waldron - Jeff Whitlock) - 3:29
9.) Waiting To Be Born (J.D. Blackfoot - Jeff Whitlock) - 5:03
10.) Pink Sun (Dan Waldron - Jeff Whitlock) - 5:20