Musicians' Union Band

Musicians' Union Band was a one-off floating super-session project of sorts, although none of the musicians were superstars outside of Holland. Members of top Dutch groups Golden Earring, Shocking Blue, the Tee Set, and the Motions all took part in their 1971 album (reissued on CD in 1997), which featured about two dozen musicians in all, the lineup varying from track to track. The mainstay of the endeavor, playing guitar on most cuts and writing much of the material, was Ray Fenwick, a British journeyman who had been in the Spencer Davis Group after Stevie Winwood left. The record is very much of its time, with a frequent sub-Traffic, early British/Continental progressive vocal rock feel, although it makes some odd detours into oldies covers as well. The floating nature of the personnel ensured that the record would be erratic -- it sounds halfway between a real group and various-artists compilation. Although it's not bad, and often pleasantly listenable, it's hard to imagine anyone getting excited about discovering it.