Information/Write-up
REGAIN RECORDS is proud to present a LONG-overdue reissue of NEIL MERRYWEATHER’s classic 1974 album, Space Rangers, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.
Hailing from Canada, NEIL MERRYWEATHER is the selfsame band of the enigmatic Neil Merryweather. Merryweather’s history in music stretches back to the mid ‘60s, first with The Tripp and then onto a couple of psychedelic blues albums in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. However, it is his mid ‘70s work – both Space Rangers and the following year’s Kryptonite – where the NEIL MERRYWEATHER name etched itself into cult legend, the pair of albums being crucial records of progressive hard rock. With the Neil Merryweather & the Space Rangers constellation opening for the likes of KISS and T-Rex, among others, back in the day, as well as Merryweather producing and playing bass on ex-Runaway Lita Ford’s debut solo album, Out of Blood, the legend only intensified.
Dramatic, mysterious, and more than a bit glammy, both Space Rangers and Kryptonite have been highly sought after by collectors, as both albums have been out of print since their original release and have been frequently bootlegged. Now REGAIN RECORDS has come to the rescue to satiate that hunger with fully official reissues of Space Rangers and Kryptonite on all formats. As a bonus to the vinyl edition, Space Rangers comes with a 7” featuring two exclusive songs.
Experience the legend of NEIL MERRYWEATHER again or for the first time with this long-overdue and fully official reissue of Space Rangers!
released April 15, 2021
Neil Merryweather had been kicking around the LA scene for some time during the early seventies playing his super fuzzed out psychedelic guitar work to a lot of projcts including Heavy Crusier and Mama Lion to name but two of them. By this time he had built a repuation as a fine guitarist working the Hendrix niche ala Frank Marino, Peter Kaukonen, Robin Trower and Randy Hansen. This was the first of two solo albums and showcase Merryweather in full-on heavy psych mood - the songs are influenced by space travel and far-out sci-fi themes based around the invasion and destruction of the earth by, surprise-surprise, space invaders. In fact, both albums are conceptual along the same lines as Billy Thrope's 'Children Of The Sun' opus released a few years later. Natch the music is full-on heavy psych with superb heavy progressive leanings and lashings of brilliant lead guitar. Great tracks including two well chosen covers , that's 'Donovan's 'Sunshine Superman' and the Byrds 'Eight Miles High'.
Neil Merryweather: bass and vocals
Tim McGovern: drums
Timo Laine: guitar
Michael “Jeep” Willis: guitar
Robert Silvert: chamberlain and synthesizer
Edgemont: synth patches
Produced by Neil Merryweather
Engineered by Rick Heenan, Hugh Davis, Chuck Johnson, Roger Dollarhide
Album Design: Neil Merryweather
Photography: Herbert Worthington III
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