THE NAZZ ‘RETROSPECTIVE FORESIGHT’

After TWENTY/TWENTY HINDSIGHT (on TAKRL) there was RETROSPECTIVE FORESIGHT

Also available on Dragonfly and Slipped Disc

Cover art inspiration, 16 Magazine, Fall 1968 issue

Who actually plays on these tracks seems to be a bit in dispute:

       He Was (not by Nazz, but by the band “Great Imposters”)
        Some People (original version on III)
        Ready I Am (not otherwise available) (not by Nazz, but by the band “Great Imposters”)
        Kicks (original version on III)
        But I Ain’t Got You (not otherwise available) (not by Nazz, but by the band “Great Imposters”)
        Take The Hand (original version on III)
        Lemming Song (original version on I)
        Open My Eyes (live) (original version on I)  (not by Nazz, but by the band “Great Imposters”)
        Chrisopher Columbus (original version on III)
        Train Kept A-Rollin’ (demo version – first release on Best Of Nazz)

***

“This LP containes 2 kinds of tapes,post-NAZZ demo tape recorded by Rick Nielson and official NAZZ III recording. Demo is horrible mono recordings and regular NAZZ III is excellent stereo.

Side one: He Was(also titled “Bean” said Rick,demo),Some People,Ready I am(demo,”So good to see you” later recording on Cheap Trick first LP),Kicks,But I Ain’t Got You(wrote by Rick),Take The Hand

Side Two: Lemming Song(demo,early NAZZ era),You Are My Window,Open My Eyes(live track,bad condition,not NAZZ by Move),Christopher Columbus,Train Kept Rolling(demo,from acetate,also included on “best of nazz” LP)”

***

“… it has been reported that the live numbers that were used here weren’t even recorded by the Nazz but by the Sickman of Europe, a group that I guess (correct me if I’m wrong, gently!) featured not only former Nazz member Thom Mooney but future Cheap Trick Rick Nielsen amongst perhaps others Tricksters (I believe Tom Petterson was in there as well).  The weird thing about the Sickman of Europe name is that it was used in the eighties after Cheap Trick’s fame had eventually deep-sixed and Petterson and perhaps Nielsen dug it up for a go ’round in a new combo which I doubt had the rest of the original members.  The data regarding this group is still sketchy and I’m sure adds to the confusion for anyone doing a Pete Frame-styled family tree. Even more puzzling for me is why would two guys who were in a major league rock group have to start from the bottom only a few short years later playing the club circuit in hope of another big chance in the limelight?  I guess this music biz is a lot tougher than I had imagined! If you do want to hear the Sickman of Europe in their original state they might actually be on here and if that is them then they sure were as hard-edged pop rock good as the band they eventually morphed into! (I didn’t want to bring this up since it would only add to more confusion, but the Mooney-era Sickman used to bill themselves as the Nazz whenever they’d hit Philly which is perhaps why they are on this album to begin with. I’m sure that the bootleggers themselves weren’t too sure either, and who knows even at this late date which is what!).” [http://black2com.blogspot.de/2009/11/only-thing-missing-is-incense-used-to.html]

“… As Sick Man of Europe, they recorded a number of demos which have since turned up on a bootleg album, Retrospective Foresight, as a collection of Nazz out-takes, although most of the tracks actually aren’t. It actually features Nazz III tracks, a live take of “Open My Eyes” that Stewkey thinks might be the Texan Nazz, and rough takes of “Lemming Song” and “Train Kept a ‘Rollin’.” The Sick Man of Europe tunes on the record are “I Ain’t Got You” (a Stewkey original), “He Was” (another Stewkey comp), and Nielsen’s “So Good to See You” (billed there as “Ready I Am”).”

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1936: THE NAZZ TWENTY/TWENTY HINDSIGHT

From “BLOG TO COMM” article “Bootleg Braggadocio!”:

“Here’s one of those few boots you’d see that was actually comprised of tracks from legitimate albums, some which just might have been in print by the time these obvious homages came out! However, in this case the platters which make up the contents of this ‘un were long gone, and since the Nazz were considered a cult group with one famous member who was chopping the seventies charts then why not do a bootleg “Greatest Hits” collection anyway since the Nazz’s legit company certainly weren’t in the position to??? I mean, if Trademark of Quality could take selections from the two Lothar and the Hand People platters and release ’em under the title SPORES then Korneyfone had every right to give Nazz the same royal under-the-counter treatment so-to-squawk. So unlike RETROSPECTIVE FORESIGHT  which featured previously unreleased Nazz gems TWENTY/TWENTY HINDSIGHT’s nothing but previously-released nuggets which sure came in handy especially at a time when the legit albums were all but impossible to latch onto unless you were willing to pay $12 a pop via some TROUSER PRESS auction.

Speaking of NUGGETS (well, I always seem to be some time or another!), I know that quite a few of you reg’lar readers wince at the thought of Nazz’s inclusion in that classic collection of sixties-era punk rock. In fact, a few have even questioned if the Nazz were indeed punks at all which I gotta say is a fair enough question considering how their sound seemed too late for the ’64-’66 days yet out of touch with what was passing for late-sixties punkisms. Well, the way I figure it is if those critics at CREEM could get away with callin’ acts like Asheton Gardner and Dyke as well as Ten Years After punk rockers, and fanzine luminaries could make statements about Mike Heron’s SMILING MEN WITH BAD REPUTATIONS or Aerosmith as well as ex-Nazz hisself  Todd Rundgren’s very own SOMETHING ANYTHING being punk rock, then Nazz sure as shootin’ are punks too!

At least TWENTY/TWENTY HINDSIGHT’s got a good selection of Nazzian snazz to it as well as their more hard rock moments that tend to snooze ya even more’n a George Harrison slide guitar solo. Naturally “Open My Eyes” and “Hello It’s Me” are here as well as that strange “Tighten Up” spoof, and even if the rest doesn’t live up to your own late-sixties punk standards the selection might just be a better bet’n having to wade through all three legitimate albums just to get to what I assume are the best parts.”

A1         Forget All About It         
A2         Not Wrong Long         
A3         Magic Me         
A4         She’s Goin’ Down         
A5         Hang On Paul         
A6         Kiddie Boy         
A7         Wildwood Blues         
B1         Loosen Up         
B2         Open My Eyes         
B3         Rainrider         
B4         Only One Winner         
B5         Hello It’s Me         
B6         Meridian Leeward         
B7         Under The Ice

Tracks A4, A7, B2 & B5 are taken from the album “Nazz”
Tracks A1, A2, A5, A6, B3, B6 & B7 are taken from the album “Nazz Nazz”
Tracks A3, B1 & B4 are taken from the album “Nazz Nazz Nazz”