Living with the Animals
Living with the Animals (1968, Mercury Records) — the debut album of the American blues-rock band Mother Earth, fronted by Tracy Nelson. A landmark of the blues-rock Hammond-in-support idiom: organ as pads, fills and groove behind a powerful blues voice rather than as a lead instrument.^[raw/articles/wikipedia-mother-earth-american-band.md]
The organ role
- Often remembered as Nelson's vehicle, but a true group effort: tight R&B-derived playing, Mike Bloomfield's guest guitar, and sardonic Powell St. John songs ("Living with the Animals", "Marvel Set").^[raw/articles/rockasteria-mother-earth-living-with-animals.md]
- Keyboard chair: Mark Naftalin (ex-Paul Butterfield Blues Band) on piano, organ and keyboards, with session organ by Barry Goldberg — in the church-and-Chicago supporting tradition.^[raw/articles/rockasteria-mother-earth-living-with-animals.md]
- Listed in the landmark Hammond albums query as the blues-rock counterpoint to the lead-organ records of Jon Lord (Machine Head) and Gregg Rolie's Santana work.^[raw/articles/wikipedia-mother-earth-american-band.md]
Related
- bands/mother-earth — the band
- mark-naftalin — organ/keyboards
- albums/abraxas — the same era's Latin-rock organ landmark