Nuggets: No Time Like The Right Time by The Blues Project

Before he became Patti Smith’s lead guitarist, Lenny Kaye compiled the 2 album set, Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era. Released in 1972, the two-LP set covered American garage rock and psychedelia from the years 1965-1968 and was a major influence on punk rock. Rhino Records reissued an expanded version of the set in 1998, with 118 tracks in total. I’m profiling and rating each of these 118 tracks, working backwards.

Track 7/118: No Time Like The Right Time by The Blues Project
Release Year: 1967
From: New York City, New York
Aphoristic Rating: 9/10

NO TIME LIKE THE RIGHT TIME – The Blues Project [2:40]
(Al Kooper)
Personnel/AL KOOPER: vocals, organ * DANNY KALB: lead guitar * STEVE KATZ: guitar, vocals * ANDY KULBERG: bass * ROY BLUMENFELD: drums
Recorded in New York, NY
Verve Folkways single #KF-5040 (2/67); Pop #96

Guitarist Danny Kalb started playing acoustic blues in the Greenwich Village folk scene. He picked up the electric guitar after Beatlemania hit the USA.

He formed a band with guitarist Steve Katz, with Andy Kulberg on bass and drummer Roy Blumenfeld. Keyboard player Al Kooper, already famous for his work on Bob Dylan’s ‘Like A Rolling Stone’ was added during the recording of their first album.

Kooper had left the band by the time they released their third album, from which ‘No Time Like The Right Time’ was taken. Kooper wrote the song and provided lead vocals.

I sometimes get bored of the bluesy songs on Nuggets, but ‘No Time Like The Right Time’ is a strong piece. There’s some sophistication with the backing vocals and organ and there’s a memorable hook. There’s also a hint of psychedelia in the verse melody. It’s a similar sound to The Zombies.

Kooper and Katz went on to form Blood, Sweat, and Tears. Kulberg and Blumenfeld formed Seatrain.

The band still reform periodically, with original members Katz and Blumenfeld still involved. They released a new album, Evolution, in 1972.

Read More

• Nuggets Song by Song
• 1960s Album Reviews

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