LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

When folk-rock singer/songwriter Jake Holmes opened for The Yardbirds in New York in August 1967, little did he suspect that one of his songs, Dazed And Confused, would be "commandeered" by guitarist Jimmy Page and become one of his next band's major live showpieces. The band in question is of course Led Zeppelin, and although The Yardbirds did incorporate the song into their live set, it is the Led Zep version that provided Holmes with his 15 minutes of fame, although Mr Page, clearly suffering from a temporary bout of amnesia, forgetfully claimed the song writing credit himself.

Holmes had done the rounds of the New York folk scene, working in bands with the likes of Tim Rose before going solo. This, his first recording, originally appeared on the Tower label (ST 5079) in 1967. The album is considered a folk-rock masterpiece, and was described at the time as "a songwriter, three guitars and a mirror". The guitars of Holmes, Ted Irwin (later to play with Elliot Murphy, Roy Buchanan and various country singers) are the only backing for Holmes' voice and the 10 short tracks are outstanding, but especially the sparer, stripped-down original version of Dazed And Confused

TRACK LISTING:

1. Lonely
2. Did You Know
3. She Belongs To Me
4. Too Long
5. Genuine
6. Dazed And Confused
7. Penny's
8. Hard To Keep My Mind On You
9. Wish I Was Anywhere Else
10. Signs Of Age