- P. Chansky --

- R. Fiala --

- unknown

Genre: blues-rock

Rating: 1 star *

Title:  Ripe and Ready

Company: CC

Catalog: SSI-1448
Year: 1977

Country/State: US

Grade (cover/record): NM/NM

Comments: still in shrink wrap (opened)

Available: SOLD

Catalog ID: SOLD5900

Price: SOLD $100.00

So here's an odd twist on the always bizarre tax scam label story.  

The short-lived CC label was based in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles with a New York-based America distributor.  It seems unlikely that Curacao had a thriving mid-1970s music scene, so the cynic in me would say the offshore location probably had something to do with minimizing tax liabilities (like many modern day titans of the business world do).  

Credited to the band Brute Force, 1977's "Ripe and Ready" was co-produced by Jeffey and Paul Dengrove.  Here's what the fawning liner notes had to say:

"Prepare to enjoy yourself!  This album, one of a series, has been carefully programmed to provide you with the ultimate in listening pleasure.  The artists represented in this series are many of the new and exciting talents which about in the United States.  They have been gather from all fields of music and all parts of the country.  Many of the original compositions reflect the most innovative and contemporary writing.  Old standards have been culled from the lists of most requested songs.  They have been skillfully blended into program to fit any mood.  The entire collection will enrich the musical life of everyone.  It is the sincere hope of C.C. Records N.V. that this series of musical presentations many of these young talented new performers will become tomorrow's stars.  You may be holding in your hand a Barbara Streisand, a Peter Frampton, or a Barry Manilow of the future."

Sounded like an ominous warning ...   So what did this one sound like?  Well, anyone reading the liner notes would have expected to hear a series of eight songs.  Wrong.  The album featured one extended blues-rocker that was spread across the two sides of the album and randomly divided into eight sections.  The divisions were done by simply deleting a second or two of music to create a sudden break in the performance. An audacious rip-off even for a tax scam release !  Perhaps the dullest LP I've ever heard.  The funniest thing about the album is it's become a sought after collectable.  My copy sold within two days of listing it.  Why anyone would spend money on this one is a complete mystery to me.

"Ripe and Ready" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Stoned On Your Love (R. Fiala - P. Chansky) -  rating: * star    

To save you the time and frustration of reading what would essentially be the same comments for all eight tracks, I'll just hit the takeaways once -  Credited to R. Fiala and P. Chansky, 'Stoned On Your Love' was a truly sloppy and seemingly endless slice of blues-rock.  The anonymous singer certainly sounded bored and stoned, while the lead guitarist was apparently under the impression he was being paid on a note- by-the-note basis, turning in an amazingly busy performances.  Imagine The Savoy Blues Band on a really bad night ...  Even funnier, the guys apparently knew exactly what they were doing, witness this lyric "this song seems to go on forever, we're just taking up your time"  and 'the tape keeps on rolling, I don't know how long"   

2.) Exotic Fruit (R. Fiala - P. Chansky) - 

3.) Don't Make No Scenes (R. Fiala - P. Chansky) - 

4.) Foot To the Floor (R. Fiala - P. Chansky) - 

5.) Ripe and Ready (Part One) (R. Fiala - P. Chansky) - 

(side 2)
1.) Capture Your Soul (R. Fiala - P. Chansky) - 

2.) Toys In the Attic (R. Fiala - P. Chansky) - 

3.)  Ripe and Ready (Part Two) (R. Fiala - P. Chansky) -