Who The Hell Is Scott Morgan?

Scott Morgan

Three Chords And A Cloud Of Dust (3CD Boxed Set)

Easy Action EARS044

Extended Play EP

Easy Action EARS043

Easy Action seem determined to document the key players in the Detroit rock scene, irrespective of their commercial significance. After previous boxes highlighting the Stooges and MC5 they now turn their attention to Scott Morgan , who despite playing a pivotal role and making some excellent music has never previously had a significant commercial profile. Sixty-two tracks spread over three slip-cased CDs are accompanied by a booklet written by Geoff Ginsberg and Ken Shinamoto which gives full recording details and a useful overview of Scott’s career. The box kicks off in 1965 with the Rationals  – you have probably heard their take on Respect –  and runs through to solo tracks from 2010. In between we have collaborations with Fred Sonic Smith in the Sonics Rendezvous Band (“City City City City… Slang”, here performed acoustically so you can hear the words!), with Scott Asheton in the Scott Morgan Band / Scots Pirates , with Ron Asheton in Powertrane, with Wayne Kramer in Dodge Main and with Deniz Tek in Tek, Morgan and 3 Assassins. But Scott Morgan has got more than a very large address book. Throughout you can hear one of the finest white-soul voices to come out of the mid-West backed by some strong songwriting and some nifty guitar and piano. Scott’s lack of commercial success  is particularly sad now he is poor health but this long-overdue box set  should up his profile and give him the recognition he deserves. Also available is an EP which contains a further five unreleased tracks, running from a 1963 bedroom demo through to a Powertrane live track from 2001: a live Wang Dang Doodle from NYC in 1995 is the highlight here.