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- LP - Highway - Highway (LIMITED EDITION 2016 REISSUE)
LP - Highway - Highway (LIMITED EDITION 2016 REISSUE)
STILL SEALED! MINT! LIMITED EDITION 2016 REISSUE.
180 gram vinyl / tip-on jacket / insert / machine-numbered edition of 550 copies!
HIGHWAY
There's a reason that the miniscule-pressed Highway LP has been bootlegged countless times, as the hard-working Minnesota band crafted a mini-masterpiece that continues to enthrall record nerds and rockers of all stripes. By the time Highway laid down their now-celebrated 1975s/t LP they were seasoned players, with bands going back to the mid-60s.Leader Steve Murphy was born in Blue Earth, Minnesota, in 1949, and grew up on a farm in nearby Fairmont, with his mother playing piano for the family. Murphy grabbed his first guitar at age 12, and inspired by Les Paul and then-popular instrumental surf sounds, he started his first band as a young teen, The Volcanoes. Murphy went on the Centuries who became known as the Pacers in the mid-60s, and they ruled the local scene along with the Corvaires. After losing members, both bands joined forces to become the Epicureans in '65, who were beloved in the upper Midwest region. The outfit recorded their first jangly 45, "Baby Be Mine” b/w “IDon’t Know Why I Cry“ at IGL Studio in Milford, Iowa, and around 1970 laid down their second single, “Break Out And Run” b/w “Blue Side Of Lonely” at Universal Audio in in Winona, MN. This release displayed a burgeoning heavier, fuzzier side of the band.The Epicureans swelled to a 5 piece at one point, but by 1971 they fully changed their name to Highway. They were then a power trio of Murphy, bassist Eric Bannister, and drummer Dan Cammarata, and leaning towards epic guitar rock like the Allman Brothers. Playing like crazy in bigger and better venues, they honed their songwriting, and then laid down their now-legendary album. Co-produced by their manager Jerry Clark and engineered by Dave Cottrell at West Minst'r Sound studios near Fort Dodge, Iowa, in April of '75, the adeptly and warmly tracked LP could've been a major label release--but instead was self-released in an edition of some 500 copies. In some perfect world, the triumphant but melancholic "Brightside," "Seems To Me," and "Look Away" could've been major 70s hits. All should've graced the same national charts that the ragged but intricate anthems of Neil Young and Derek and the Dominos graced. One of the band's highlights is Murphy's killer guitar playing and ominous riffs, and the LPopener, "Too Many Changes" and "Meadows" are fine examples, both with catchy rural-rockin choruses. The varied LP also features heady-grooving instrumentals like "Pegasus" and "Slip Away," the latter with some southern-style dual-leads. Making for one very well-rounded platter, there's also the jazzy-pop strains of "Just To Be With You" and the multi-part suite of a closer, "Tomorrow." The latter starts with a classically inspired, acoustic intro, and spirals into proggy hard rock, with the rhythm section reaching some particularly dizzying heights.Sadly, Highway did not fulfill all their potential as they broke up in late '76, with the biz changing and the shadow of disco looming. There's still a happy ending, as Murphy and his brother Mike formed The Murphy Brothers Band in September of '77, which is still going strong today. The reputation of Highway has only grown since its "rediscovery"in the 90s, and after many of the aforementioned boots, Murphy released his own (long gone) reissue with unreleased bonus tracks. Highway's lone, rare album is a "shoulda-been-classic rock" document of the highest, heaviest order--and thankfully Riding Easy is helping keep it in print, as it should be forever!