When the Yardbirds folded/imploded/exploded (take your pick) its former members popped up in tons of other bands, with Jimmy Page's Led Zeppelin dwarving the competition. Progressive rock band Renaissance, with Keith Relf and Jim McCarty got some traction as well, but there were also quite a few deads and one-off's. Shoot is among those and their sole album On The Frontier is now being reissued by niche label Think Like A Key Music.
Founded in 1972 by Jim McCarty, the band recorded it at Abbey Road. With guitarist Dave Green (Raw Material), bassist Bill Russell, and drummer Craig Collinge (Third World War), the core of the band consisted of ace players, who all brought in their favorite genres. Pedal steel player B.J. Cole, violinist Graham Preskitt and Renaissance keyboardist John Tout gave some of the material an extra shine.
On The Frontier is a typical early 70s album. Anything goes, be it jazz, Status Quo-alike boogie, funk, blues and folk. To call it uneven is a bit harsh, but their scattershot approach does not always hit the target. It is an artefact that won't get a prominent place in the pantheon of progressive rock, but as a curiosity it will do nicely. By adding two tracks from a BBC session this release has the same track listing as the English and Japanese reissue, but with significantly improved EQ.
On The Frontier in released as a limited CD (400 copies) via Think Like A Key. The tracks were remastered by fabled retired sound engineer Prof Stoned. It is a needle drop, because access to the master tapes could not be arranged. Liner notes by Alan Clayson.
Tracks:- The Neon Life
- Ships And Sails
- Living Blind
- On The Frontier
- The Boogie
- Midnight Train
- Head Under Water
- Sepia Sister
- Old Time Religion
- Mean Customer
- Storms As Sorrows (Radio Session)
- The Neon Life (Radio Session)
