The Scrubbers Sessions (rec. 1974 – 1975, rel. 1996)
This 20-track release is a kind of Holy Grail for Marriott fans. Cut at his home studio with a bunch of friends (“the Scrubbers”), it’s raw, heart-felt, and creative, showing all the potential that failed to surface on the post-Frampton Pie records. Ridley and competent blues pianist Tim Hinkley played a large part – Ridley’s vocal on “Send Me Some Loving” is one of his best anywhere – but it’s really a Marriott solo album. His authentic antiquarian interests surface repeatedly, with a hilarious music hall number (“Captain Goatcabin’s Balancing Stallions”), gentle stabs at acoustic country (“Bluegrass Interval”), rockabilly (“You’re A Heartbreaker”) and country-blues (“Hambone”), some stripped-down R & B (Cooke’s “Shake”; Spector’s “Be My Baby”), and several over-the-top attempts to ape old time Delta and Chicago blues (a ground-shaking cover of “Mona”). All of this nicely balances his usual, blustery hard rock, which is crafted and impassioned here (“Street Rats”; drug odes like “High And Happy”). Amazingly, A & M records refused to release the tapes; given to Hinkley, the surfaced only when he finally decided to cash in on them. Guitarist Clempson and singers Fields, King and Brown showed up, but drummer Shirley didn’t and was replaced by Ian Wallace; guests include BJ Cole (pedal steel) and Lindsay Scott (fiddle – Joe Brown is credited, but Scott tells me otherwise), and Wallace’s King Crimson compatriots Mel Collins (sax) and Boz Burrell (bass). - W & A Record Reviews
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