The Cryan' Shames - Synthesis (Sundazed)

1. Greenburg, Glickstein, Charles, David Smith & Jones
2. Baltimore Oriole
3. It's All Right
4. Your Love
5. A Master's Fool
6. First Train To California
7. The Painter
8. Sweet Girl Of Mine
9. 20th Song
10. Let's Get Together
11. Symphony Of The Wind
12. A Master's Fool (Single Version)
13. First Train To California (Single Version)
14. Greenburg, Glickstein, Charles, David Smith & Jones (Single Version)
15. Your Love (Single Version)
16. 20th Song (Single Version)
17. Let's Get Together (Mono Version)
18. Bits And Pieces
19. Rainmaker

This is not a rip of the original vinyl album, but instead it comes from the CD released by Sundazed. It does not appear to be available from them anymore, so I've decided to make it available to all Cryan' Shames fans out there! Synthesis is the 3rd album from the Chicago based, 60's band, that had a national hit with the song "Sugar & Spice".

Taken from a review by "Boomertunes" on Amazon:
In the mid to late 1960's, Chicago was a boom town for bands that broke nationally-The Buckinghams, Spanky and Our Gang, The New Colony Six, The Ides Of March, The American Breed, and The Shadows Of Knight.

Although their national success didn't quite match those groups, the Cryan' Shames were hugely popular in the Chicago area and the upper Midwest and received lots of airplay on local radio. Their three Columbia LP releases were essential records of the time if you lived in the area.

Their last album, "Synthesis", is part of the Sundazed reissue series of the group's catalog. It features the original eleven song line-up (along with six single or mono versions of those tracks) and two songs previously unavailable on album.

It's always been a mystery why leader James Fairs' final contribution to the group, "First Train To California", wasn't a monster hit single. It featured an exciting vocal performance by the group and interesting production. Other highlights include the hard edged "Greenburg, Glickstein, Charles, David Smith & Jones"; the percussive "20th Song"; a country styled "Your Mother Should Know"/Beatle homage entitled "It's All Right"; the moody "Baltimore Oriole"; a vocal workout on "Let's Get Together"; and Lenny Kerley's ultra romantic "Your Love". The two special bonus tracks are a Poco flavored "Bits and Pieces" and a cover of Nilsson's "The Rainmaker".

As was always true with the Shames' work, the vocal work and musicianship is top notch.


Band Memebers
Lenny Kerley - vocals, guitar and bass
Dave (Grape) Purple - vocals, guitar
Tom (Toad) Doody - vocals
Issac Guillory - vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards
Alan Dawson - vocals, drums
Jim (Hooke) Pilster - vocals, percussion

Links:
Wikipedia
Original Synthesis album on Wikipedia

Encoded at 320K from CD. Includes all artwork including booklet and tray liner pictures. Zip format.

Download: Synthesis