28-10-07 - 18-11-07

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Stealers Wheel - Ferguslie Park [1974]

Stealers Wheel was a Scottish folk/rock band formed in Paisley, Scotland in 1972 by former school friends Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty.

In the beginning of the 1970s, the band was considered as the British version of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and, after two unsuccessful singles, came to worldwide fame with their hit "Stuck in the Middle With You". The track in the style of Bob Dylan and The Beatles reached the top ten of the single charts in Great Britain and the US in 1973 - number 6 in the USA, number 8 in UK - and sold over one million copies worldwide. Some decades later a dance version was a September, 2001 UK Top 10 hit for Louise, with a music video that drew heavily on the original song's appearance in the sound track of Reservoir Dogs.

The first two albums were produced by the well-known Leiber & Stoller, the last because of disagreements and managerial problems by Mentor Williams. All three had particularly striking, slightly surrealist sleeve designs by artist John Byrne.

Although the band's self-titled debut album sold quite well, (number 50 in the US-album-charts) and was critically acclaimed, Stealers Wheel could not repeat this success with following releases. In 1973/1974 the two singles "Everything Will Turn Out Fine" and "Star" would also reach the top 30 of both the UK and US charts, but only the latter track is still relatively popular today. Former Spooky Tooth member Luther Grosvenor (later of Mott the Hoople) participated in the recordings for "Everything Will Turn Out Fine" and replaced Rafferty who left the band for quite some time. By 1973, Coombes, Pilnick and Williams had all left en masse, Williams later went on to tour with Jethro Tull in 1978 teaming up with old acquaintances from Blackpool Ian Anderson and Barriemore Barlow.

Because Rafferty and Egan could not agree whether they should continue as a full band or duo, and because of artistic differences, there was a delay of over 18 months in the release of their third and last album. After frequent changes in the line-up, Stealers Wheel broke up in 1975, and their last album Right Or Wrong was released without a band to promote it. Almost two years after Ferguslie Park (1973), the group was hardly known and the two last single releases silently faded away in the charts.

In 1992 director Quentin Tarantino used the track "Stuck In The Middle With You" in the soundtrack of his debut film Reservoir Dogs, bringing new attention to the band. All three albums have been unavailable for years, but in 2004/2005 the British independent label Lemon Recordings (of Cherry Red) re-released them with remastered sound and new liner-notes. [Wikipedia]

Track list;
01. Good businessman
02. Star
03-04. Wheelin-Waltz
05. What more could you want
06. Over my head
07. Blind faith
08. Nothings gonna change my mind
09. Steamboat row
10. Back on my feet again
11. Who cares
12. Everything will turn out fine

[192K]
Style; Folk-Rock

Friday, November 16, 2007

Jackie DeShannon - Laurel Canyon (1968)

If you like that "Laurel Canyon" sound, then you'll love this country-pop-easy listening album. Dr. John plays the keys, which alone makes it worth a listen. It's got a fun version of "Sunshine of Your Love" and souls up "The Weight" before Aretha got around to doing the same thing.
Get part 1 HERE.
Get part 2 HERE.

Broselmaschine

Broselmaschine - 1971 - Broselmaschine

Tracks
1. Gedanken (5:06)
2. Lassie (traditional) (5:06)
3. Gitarrenstuck (2:03)
4. The Old Man's Song (5:26)
5. Schmetterling (9:31)
6. Nossa Boba (8:06)

Personnel :
- Jenni Schucker / vocals, flute, shells
- Willi Kismer / vocals, guitars, zither
- Lutz Ringer / metallophon, bass
- Mike Hellbach / congas, tabla, spoons, mellotron
- Peter Bursch / vocals, acoustic guitar, sitar, flute

Quite possibly the pinnacle of Krautfolk, Broselmaschine is certainly tops in the folk subgenre and is recommended to those interested in the lighter side of Krautrock. Broselmaschine combines the highly talented acoustic guitar playing of Peter Bursch (a master of the instrument who has published many instructional books on the subject), romantic vocals, and a mild Eastern influence highlighted by the use of sitar and flute. The album begins with 'Gedanken', a peaceful track with a slight renaissance-era feel, featuring acoustic and electric guitar, flute and romantic lyrics. Next the group performs the Scottish traditional 'Lassie' with multi-tracked vocal harmonies. Next, 'Guitarrenstuck', is a beautiful piece played with folk guitar and a soothing female vocal. 'The Old Man's Song' seems slightly out of place due to its use of wah-wah peddle, but this gives way to some rather ominous sounding Duul-ish acoustic guitar and folk percussion. 'Schmetterling' introduces an Eastern flavor to the album and is most notable for its sitar which reminds me a little bit of mid-period Popol Vuh. Bursch's guitar playing on this track is simply masterful and the track is given an extra boost from some atmospheric mellotron. 'Nossa Bova' stands out as a folk masterpiece with its incredible guitar work, folk percussion, and female vocals. This track has a peaceful quality similar to Paradieswarts Duul, the only difference being the musical ability of Broselmaschine's members. The album was produced by Rolf Ulrich Kaiser and engineered by Dieter Dierks and was first issued on Pilz in 1971.

Get It Here @ 320 :
rapidshare.com/files/Broselmaschine.rar

~@~@~

Broselmaschine - 1975 - Broselmaschine II
Peter Brusch Und Die Broselmaschine

Tracks :
1. Sofa Rock (6:16)
2. Gc (3:30)
3. Come Together (9:08)
4. Country Doddle (1:48)
5. Nah So ‘Was (2:37)
6. House Carpenter (4:31)
7. Wayfaring Stranger (6:53)
8. Standchen (1:12)
9. Mississippi Blues (3:29)

Personnel :
- Peter Bursch / acoustic guitar, vocals
- Willi Kissmer / guitar
- Klaus Dapper / flute, zither, saxophone, bass
- Mahendra Kapadia / tablas
- Jan Fride / congas, drums
- Roland Schaeffer / bass
- Mani Neumeier / percussion

Not too many collectors will be lucky enough to find this little obscurity as it has never been reissued. Those who seek it out should be made aware that sadly, this is not a rehash of the group's incredible 1971 debut. I liken it to Ax Genrich's (Guru Guru) equally obscure 1975 solo LP 'Highdelberg Supersession'. Peter Bursch and Willi Kissmer, the only remaining original members, formed the new Peter Bursch Und Die Broselmaschine in early 1975. The resulting self-titled album was recorded between February and July of that same year in Conny Plank's Neunkirchen Studio. The album features guest appearances by Roland Schaeffer and Mani Neumeier (Guru Guru) and Jan Fride (Kraan). The resulting music, while still retaining a strong folk-rock tendency, is much different than the atmospheric folk which dominated the legendary 1971 album. There are a few similarities however, most notably the inclusion of three traditional tracks ala 'Lassie' and the abundance of "ethnic" percussion. Musically, the emphasis is placed on Peter Bursch's highly talented acoustic guitar techniques, although Willi Kissmer's electric guitar steals the show at times. Standout tracks include 'Sofa Rock', a six-minute instrumental folk-rock jam with ethnic percussion, and 'Come Together', a laid-back track highlighted by flute, idyllic vocals and dreamy guitar passages. Peter Bursch Und Die Broselmaschine is well worth tracking down if you are a fan of the first album.

Get It Here :
RapidShare : rapidshare.com/files/Broselmaschine2.rar
or
SendSpace : www.sendspace.com/file/dj4xeq

~@~@~

Bio :
Inspired by the American folk music of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Phil Ochs and Joni Mitchell, German master of acoustic guitar Peter Bursch formed the first line-up of BROSELMASCHINE back in 1968 alongwith flautist/vocalist Jenni Schucker – a female singer with an irresistible whispy voice – Willi Kissmer on vocals, guitars and zither, Lutz Ringer on metallaphon and bass, and Mike Hellbach on congas, tabla and mellotron. Although many tracks bear German names, almost all are sung in English. The quintet disbanded after a first album in 1971 and Bursch, keeping only guitarist Kissmer from the original line-up, pursued his musical endeavours under the name of PETER BURSCH UND DIE BROSELMASCHINE, joined by percussionist Mani Neumeier (GURU GURU), drummer Jan Fride (KRAAN) and three other musicians.

Their eponymous LP is definitely their best: a wonderful acoustic album full of finesse of subtle Indian, Middle-Eastern flavour (sitar, tabla, flute) as well as Irish/Scottish traditional folk (mandolin, multi-voice harmonies). Their second album, released under the moniker PETER BURSCH UND DIE BROSELMASCHINE, unfortunately doesn’t even come close to the first. In spite of its decidedly folk flavour and many guest appearances, it is altogether different and less inspired, putting the emphasis on Bursch’s acoustic guitar techniques (although Kissmer’s electric guitar steals the show at times).

Chillum - 1971 - Chillum...plus

Chillum - 1971 - Chillum...plus
Superb early '70s mix of progressive rock and psychedelia from the band that included most of Secondhand. Dominated by the swirling keyboards of Ken Elliott, this sounds at times like early Floyd, ELP and early Deep Purple. Also includes five unreleased tracks. The band roll big joints on front cover. @133-184

Tracks :
1. Brain Surgeon's Intro
2. Brain Strain
3. Land Of A Thousand Dreams
4. Too Many Bananas
5. Yes! We Have No Pajamas
6. Promenade des anglais
7. Fairy Tale
8. Celebration
9. This Is Not Romance
10.Incubator (Take 1)
11.Incubator (Take 2)

Review :
Chillum was the third album by undeservedly lesser-known psychonauts Second Hand, or at least their twin enfants terribles, vocalist/keyboardist Ken Elliott and drummer Kieran O'Connor; it seems no-one can now remember why they also elected to use it as the band name. It's possible that the overt drug connotations were a deliberate attempt to piss someone off (record company? Society? Each other?), but that can only be a matter for conjecture.

The album opens with a side-long jam, Brain Strain, apparently recorded at guitarist Tony McGill's audition, which is remarkably good, all things considered. A brief proto-symphonic piece, Land Of A Thousand Dreams, is followed by a drum solo (Too Many Bananas), another lengthy jam (Yes! We Have No Pajamas), before a final short well-arranged piece in Promenade Des Anglais, making this more of a jamming album than anything else. Elliott's Mellotron work is confined (big surprise here) to the two short arranged pieces, with a major string part on the all-too brief Land Of A Thousand Dreams, and a minor one on closer Promenade Des Anglais, making this a bit of a minor effort in the Mellotron Canon, though at least it's audible where used.
[~From Planet Mellotron.com]

Download

Thursday, November 15, 2007

The Fredric - 1968 - Phases and Faces

LP Front Cover
Storming US '60s psych pop rarity on CD at last with bonus tracks and a band history. Alongside The Baroques, David and C.A. Quintet this is one of the US '60s psych / pop Holy Grails. Beautiful songs and a totally unique psychy pop style (melodic harmonies and swirling keyboards) add up to one hell of an album that is highly recommended to fans of both US '60s psych and harmony pop !
(The Freak Emporium)

LP Back Cover

Phases and Faces (West Michigan Psychedelia 1967 - 1969 The Complete Recordings) by the Fredric - a collection that includes the complete contents of the original album as well as a single and some outtakes that were recorded for an unreleased second album.


Track Listing:
Tracks 13 - 16 are the extra, non-album tracks.


1. Federal Reserve Bank Blues
2. The Girl I Love
3. All About Judi
4. Henry Adams
5. Morning Sunshine
6. Taggin'
7. Cousin Mary Knows
8. My Yellow Tree
9. Red Pier
10. Old Fashioned Guy
11. Born in Fire
12. Saturday Morning with Rain
13. Five O'Clock Traffic
14. Postmarks
15. Bob's Songs
16. Lori Lee Loveland

CD Back Cover

From Grand Rapids, Michigan, the Fredric issued a rare, limited-run album in the late '60s, Phases and Faces, that's highly valued in some collector quarters. It is soft psychedelia; it's too clean-cut and poppy, with conscientious harmonies, guitar-organ interplay, and light lovelorn lyrics. They were a very young group, and it shows in the callow songwriting, despite the well-executed arrangements. The single "Red Pier" made some modest local noise, and by 1970 they were signed to Capitol, who changed their name to the Rock Garden. They disbanded shortly after beginning their relationship with Capitol; drummer-vocalist David Idema eventually had a hit as David Geddes, "Run Joey Run."

Get it here
The_Fredric__1968_-_phases_and_faces.rar

Hillow Hammet - 1969 - Hammer

Hillow Hammet - Hammer (1969)

Tracks :
1 - Slip Away
2 - Trouble
3 - Fever
4 - Home
5 - Brown-Eyed Woman
6 - Nobody but You
7 - Come with Me
8 - We want to be Free
9 - Oh, Happy Day!

Excellent hard guitar rock produced by Lelan Rogers of IA/Elevators fame. Recorded at Sounds of Memphis Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. Stock mono pressings may not exist; it also appears that many or all 'mono' promos actually play stereo. The band name incorrectly listed as 'Hillow Hammet' the House Of Fox version. The 1978 release corrects the spelling, while the cover is different and has incorrect song listings. One track has been replaced. The sound has been reported as inferior to the 1969 pressing.



Thanks bilbo1742 !!!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Nightshadow - 1968 - The Square Root of Two

"Square Root Of Two" 1968 (Spectrum 2001) [bonus 45; poster; 1000p]
"Square Root Of Two" 1979 (Hottrax 1414) [remixed; altered sleeve; 200p]
"Square Root Of Two" 199 (no label, Europe) [blue vinyl; +2 tracks]
"Square Root Of Two" 199 (CD Cosmic Mind, Italy) [+2 tracks]
"Vol 3: The Psychedelic Years 1967-69" 2003 (CD Hottrax 60012) [LP +9 bonus tracks]

And here's another longtime legend, reissued as early as 1979.
The band was usually known as Little Phil & the Nightshadows and had roots in the pre-Beatles era, but changed their name due to legal complications at the time. Unlike the Litter LPs I think this really is as great as people would have you believe, particularly side 1 which is like listening to a comp of killer fuzz acidpunk 45s. Beyond Phil's showmanship and the blatantly druggy lyrics and sound fx the fact remains that the superb songwriting puts most "Nuggets" classics to shame, and the band is completely at home in a sound that was unusual for the deep South. Some silly songs close the LP but all over this must rank among the top early garage psych LPs. Apart from the LP they had some killer 45s in 1966-1967. [PL]
~~~
The Nightshadows discography is very complex and includes multiple versions and remixes of the same recordings, as well as 45s released under aliases, withdrawn records, and more. Here's an attempt to sort "Square Root" out: 1) The 1968 original came with a bonus 45 that contained the band's risqué songs 'Hot Dog Man' and 'Hot Rod Song' on Banned records (both also on the LP); this with 900 copies of the LP. The poster was supposedly included with the remaining 100 copies that did not include the 45, although some subsequent finds of sealed copies have included both the 45 AND the poster. 2) The 1979 Hottrax release is a unique remix with "So Much" having an extra guitar lead, while "60 Second Swinger" has a loud fuzz riff added throughout. "Anything But Lies" has been shortened by 1 minute. Both front and back cover have been altered, as well as the running order. 3) Both the European 1990s bootlegs are sourced from the 1979 remix rather than a 1968 original. 4) The recent CD series is the easiest way to get a complete picture of the Nightshadows. Vol 3 has all tracks from the LP except "Hot Rod Song", which can be found on vol 2. "So Much" is the 1979 remix version, while "60 Second Swinger" and "Anything But Lies" are the 1968 LP versions. The running order from the LP has been completely broken up. Some of the unreleased bonus material is very good.

~@~@~


Nightshadow - 1968 - The Square Root of Two

It bears repetition: the "Square Root Of Two" LP in its original 1968 format has NEVER been reissued, to this day. The difference in sound and mix to both the 1979 vinyl reissue (which was bootlegged in the 1990s) and the 2003 CD is so pronounced that you can determine which is which after only 15-20 seconds into any track.

The key areas for comparison are:
- different mixes of "So Much" and "60 Second Swinger" with whole guitar tracks added
- clarity of vocals, in terms of separation from the backing track
- overall clarity of sound
- degree of stereo separation
- running times altered due to fadeouts and edits
- track sequencing

The 1979 remix is so different from the 1968 original that it should be regarded as a wholly separate work, and in certain spots may actually be superior to the earlier Spectrum release.

The 1980s-1990s bootlegs are based on the 1979 remix, something which not many people realized at the time. They also add a couple of bonus tracks.

The 2003 CD reissue on Hottrax is a lot closer to the 1968 original than the 1979 remix yet differs in important areas, both in terms of mixing and overall sound.


"The Square Root Of Two" (Hottrax 1414, 1979)
- remixed by band member Aleck Janoulis for the reissue

1. Prologue 3:27
2. So Much 2:12
3. In The Air 2:50
4. Plenty Of Trouble 1:48
5. I Can't Believe 9:31

1. 60 Second Swinger 3:08
2. Illusion 3:00
3. Anything But Lies 2:37
4. Turned On 3:44
5. The Hot Rod Song 3:03
6. The Hot Dog Man 2:25

The overall sound is clearly different from the 1968 original mix, more compressed and "garagey". The vocals blend into the backing tracks and there is overall less separation between the instruments. It makes the recordings sound more primitive and muddy than they actually were.

The track order has also been changed, with the extended "I Can't Believe" placed at the end of side 1, and "So Much" following the freaky prologue. At least to me this is a superior running order to the 1968 original.

Notes:
a) the "Prologue" is now almost 10 seconds shorter due to an earlier fadeout.
b) "So Much" has an excellent guitar lead that enters for about 10 seconds at the 1:10 mark, playing a figure somewhat like "Born To Be Wild". On the 1968 version there was no lead instrument in this break, just the rhythm section.
c) "60 Second Swinger" has seen even more drastic changes, as a loud fuzz guitar overdub plays the basic riff throughout the song; on the 1968 version the organ was the lead instrument, with no fuzz in sight. Just as on "So Much" this could be seen as an improvement.
d) "Anything But Lies" is drastically altered with a whole minute (almost exactly 60 seconds) of fuzz/organ rave-up removed vs the original 1968 version; the remix also downplays the psych-effect backing vocals somewhat.

The Hottrax reissue met with enough interest for Janoulis to embark on two other Nightshadows-related projects; the first official release of the "Live At The Spot" album of 1967/1969 live recordings (Hottrax 1430, 1981), and a reunion LP with 1 side of more old live recordings titled "Invasion Of The Acid Eaters" (Hottrax 1450, 1982). Details on these LPs can be found in the Acid Archives Of Underground Sounds.

More Info (source's page) Here

Read A Review Here

~@~@~

Get It Here :
Hottrax 1414, 1979

RapidShare Link :
rapidshare.com/files/Nightshadow_Square_Root.rar
or
SendSpace Link :
www.sendspace.com/file/fsqtqt


Enjoy !!!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Salamander - 2003 - Birds of Appetite

Minneapolis' finest psychedelic export have once again delivered the goods on this, their third full-length (all on Camera Obscura). Guitarists Erik Wivinus (also of local legends Skye Klad and Gentle Tasaday—whose debuts are also available from Camera Obscura) and Sean Connaughty (also of The Vortex Navigations—debut on Camera Obscura as well) team up with bassist Doug Morman and skinpounder Matt Zaun (another Skye Klad member) for a collection of ethnic wyrdfolk which is lighter than their previous "Red" outings ("Mantra" and "Ampersand") and heavier on the Floydisms, ca. "Set the Controls..." In fact, leadoff track "Vessel Is Vacant" cops the riff right out from under Water's nose and eases its way into our cranium like a hot knife through butter. It ends so abruptly, however, I thought they left the coda on the cutting room floor.

"Ithsmus" is easier to absorb than pronounce, circling around the room like a spider ensnaring her prey in a web of guitar duals, Connaughty and Wivinus challenging each other in a series of "can you top this?" guitar runs. "Minutia Divine" has a hint of Spanish air about it, with Connaughty's flamenco-styled guitar hovering over the proceedings as samples, loops, acoustic guitars and Zaun's special fx rumble along like tribal warriors readying for the "sweat tent."

Leonard Nimoy introduces the 11-minute jam, "Sadhu" (in the preamble, "Yeoman, Pt. 1"), which springboards from its early "Set The Controls." atmospherics into referential nods to Grimble Grumble's "Future, The Only Point of Entry" and the band's earlier workouts like "Old Mr. Jones" along the way. It features more spacey "swooshes" over Connaughty's crystalline electric guitar runs as Wivinus serpentines his way over, under, sideways, down and back again in the finest tradition of twin guitar gods Deebank & Lawrence (Felt) and Lever and Smithies (Chameleons.) Snippets of Disintegration-era Robert (Cure) Smith also sneak in for a few guest riffs. This is a guitar head's fantasy come true and these two masters have adjourned as the new "heads" of the class of '01!

Those who remember the 3xLP/2xCD compilation, Harmony of the Spheres from a few years back will appreciate the awe and mystery of the ominous "Trench of Fire" (originally a sidelong, 20-minute extrava-ganja), with its familiar opening strains of Siouxsie's "Premature Burial" eventually yielding to Connaughty's echoey dive-bombing kamikaze assaults on the psyche while Wivinus swabs the deck with thundering Sabbath tonnage and the rhythm section announces the arrival of the Walkyrie. The tightly focused piece takes a few minutes to find its footing (common with lengthy, improvised jams of this sort), but soon combines elements of krautrock (Can and Amon Duul II come to mind) with industrial-strength, screeching guitars (perhaps inspired by the gothic influences of Wivinus' side project, Skye Klad) that will surely have the Cleopatra death metal kids creaming in their jeans. The sensual overload pinned me to my chair, leaving permanent imprints on my cerebellum.

The jam continues on "Mumpsimus' Lament." Unfortunately, the slight pause between tracks fails to take advantage of the CD technology, leaving us once again with a break in the vibe, and the appearance that we are joining our heroes mid-jam, similar to the outtakes on Abunai!'s Round Wound. Just as listeners were previously forced to turn the record over, the pause is unsettling and awkward. I would have preferred if the two tracks ran together, creating a seamless continuity so obvious in the music itself. The trade-off with this missed opportunity is a vastly superior sound, particularly over my copy of the original double-vinyl release, which had annoying, bowel-evacuating, scratch-the-stylus-across-the-record scratches at the end of each side.

The clanging bells at the onset of "The Wreck of Old 99" may be some sunken liner at the bottom of one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes, but I'm going out on a limb and offering an alternate reading: the (often indistinguishable) TV samples and funereal organ flourishes, to my ear, signal the end of the 20th century.

Ending this album with this particular track, in light of what's proceeded, indicates not only the end of the century, but the end of Salamander's "phase 1" and the start of a gentler, kinder direction. Goodbye "Old Mr. Jones." He's dead and buried and Salamander have embarked on a new journey to the stars. The Birds of Appetite (a pseudonym for vultures?) are circling overhead observing the carnage of our past, their tears of remorse dousing the fires of the apocalypse below.

source : http://www.fakejazz.com/reviews/2003/salamander2.shtml

Download It Here :

RapidShare : Part 1 ~ Part 2
or
SendSpace : Part 1 ~ Part 2

Sunday, November 11, 2007

The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band

This somewhat mysterious collection of L.A. players issued several albums in the late '60s that plugged into the era's standard folk-rock, freakouts, and trippy lyrics without establishing a solid identity of their own. But because the currents they were riding were themselves so inspired, average in this case doesn't necessarily mean bad. They cut a fair number of tracks, moving without rhyme or reason from straightforward Byrds and Kinks cops to zany orchestrated self-absorbed psychedelic pop to self-conscious exercises in hippy outrageousness (including, of all things, a cover of the Mothers' "Help I'm a Rock"). Though their legacy reeks of determined trendiness, the best of their output holds up reasonably well.
~from allmusic...

With their impressive light show, the band became popular around Los Angeles and were signed by Reprise Records.
~from wikipedia...

~@~@~


The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Vol.1
later reissued as Volume one with bonus tracks
Volume One (1997 Sundazed)

Volume One and was the first album recorded by the influential psychedelic rock band, The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. The album was first released in 1966 on the small record label, FIFO, before being reissued on compact disc in 1997 by the recording label Sundazed. The album features covers of popular songs from the mid 1960's such as Richard Berry's Louie, Louie, The Kinks' You Really Got Me. The songs mellow out into a blues/folk style with covers of Bob Dylan songs.

Get It :
RapidShare or SendSpace

~@~@~

Part One (1967)

Their first "proper" album, "Part One", ranged from anthemic pop songs and acoustic ballads to harder-edged psychedelic numbers. It reflected the tensions between the band’s musicians and Markley, who effectively controlled the band’s output but who was regarded by the others as musically untalented. Markley contributed rambling pseudo-psychedelic lyrics and spoken sections, and the album also included ill-assorted inputs from nominal co-producer Jimmy Bowen, songwriters Baker Knight and P.F. Sloan, drummer Hal Blaine and pianist Van Dyke Parks. Disputes between Markley and Michael Lloyd also led to the inclusion of guitarist Ron Morgan (1945-1989), who over time became a fully fledged member of the band.

Get It :
RapidShare or SendSpace

~@~@~

Vol. 2: Breaking Through (1967)

Recorded and released in 1967, "Volume Two – Breaking Through" was a more ambitious and coherent album, with all of the tracks credited either in whole or in part to members of the band. It featured Markley’s anti-war rant "Suppose They Give A War And No One Comes?" – partly based on a speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt – and the song "Smell of Incense", featuring Morgan’s guitar work and later covered by Southwest F.O.B. The album also started to demonstrate Markley’s lyrical obsession with young girls.

Get It :
RapidShare or SendSpace

~@~@~

Vol.3 A Child's Guide to Good and Evil (1968)

The next album, "Volume III - A Child's Guide To Good And Evil" is generally regarded as the group's high point. However, again the naive peace-and-love message of some of the songs sat uneasily beside the ironic cynicism of tracks like "A Child Of A Few Hours Is Burning To Death", and the songs showed a tension between the Harris brothers’ melodies, Morgan’s strident lead guitar and effects, and Markley’s sometimes bizarre declamations. By this time, the band effectively consisted of Markley, Morgan and Shaun Harris, with Danny Harris having withdrawn through illness.

Get It :
RapidShare or SendSpace

~@~@~

Where's My Daddy? (1969)

The two Harris brothers, both disillusioned with Markley and with the group’s lack of commercial success, reunited in 1968 to form a touring band, California Spectrum, apparently also with Michael Lloyd’s involvement. However, this was not a success, and they returned to record a further West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band album, "Where's My Daddy?" This was credited to a line-up of Markley and the Harris brothers, although both Lloyd and Morgan also contributed.

Get It :
RapidShare or SendSpace

~@~@~

Markley, A Group (1970)

In 1970, a further album emerged, "Markley, A Group", which, although presented as a Markley solo album, had the active involvement of the whole band, including both Lloyd and Danny Harris.

Get It :
RapidShare or SendSpace

~@~@~

After that time, The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band ceased to exist. Michael Lloyd became the Vice President of A & R at MGM, aged 20, in 1969, and went on to win a Grammy with Lou Rawls, to produce hits for the Osmonds, Shaun Cassidy and Leif Garrett, and to produce the best-selling soundtrack to "Dirty Dancing". Shaun Harris released a solo album in 1973, and worked with Barry Manilow, but eventually retired from the music scene to set up a successful children’s film festival. Danny Harris also released a solo album, in 1980, and has worked as a folk musician and actor. Ron Morgan went on to join Three Dog Night and then a touring version of the Electric Prunes, and later worked as a cab driver and janitor, before his death from hepatitis in 1989. Bob Markley worked as a record producer for a short while, but then ran into legal issues arising from his fascination with underage girls, as well as other domestic and health problems. He was last heard of in a mental hospital in the mid-1990s.

Enjoy !!!

Thanks strummy for this post !!!

Posted by Lost In Tyme at 11/11/2007 05:22:00 PM 7 comments Links to this post

Saturday, November 10, 2007

New Dawn - 1969 - There's A New Dawn

New Dawn - 1969 - There's A New Dawn

Tracks :
1. (There's A) New Dawn
2. I See A Day
3. It's Time
4. It's Rainin'
5. Hear Me Cryin'
6. Dark Thoughts
7. Proud Man
8. Billy Come Lately
9. Well Fall In Love
10. You
11. Last Morning
12. Life Goes On

Excellent 60s garage / psychedelia

Rare US psych garage from 1970, dreamy and atmospheric. Pounding bass and fuzz guitar back up softly melodic vocals whilst the bands songs are filled with a sense of dreamy despair.

Originally released by Hoot in 1970. Psychedelic rock band hailing from Salem, Oregon. The album is full of fuzz guitars & 'acid' organ sounds but with a few nice soft rock ballads.

anyone having more info is more than welcomed to share it with us

Download It Here :

http://rapidshare.com/files/68756683/new_dawn.rar

Michael Chapman - 1969 - Rainmaker

Michael Chapman - 1969 - Rainmaker

Genre Folk
Styles British Folk, British Folk-Rock

In 1969 British singer/songwriter Michael Chapman took the U.K.'s folk-rock world by surprise with his debut album, Rainmaker, on the Harvest label. In an era when each week garnered a new surprise in the music world, gathering serious and widespread critical acclaim wasn't easy, and finding a buying public near impossible. Rainmaker showcases a new talent who holds nothing back for himself. Every songwriting principle and trick, killer guitar riff, and songwriting hook in his bag makes an appearance here (something he would never do again). As a result, there are several truly striking things about the album that makes it stand out from the rest of the Brit folk-rock slog from the late '60s. One of them is Chapman's guitar playing. A true stylist in his own right, he holds a middle line between John Martyn and Bert Jansch with the provocative electric rock funkiness of Martyn juxtaposed against the rock solid folk traditional so wonderfully espoused by Jansch. Another is Chapman's lean, carved, sleek lyrical style, preferring the starkness of poetry to the lush elements of the song styles usually found on records of this type. Both are put to fine use on the opener, "It Didn't Work Out," a gorgeous broken love ballad with a philosophical bent, along with Chapman's doleful resigned vocal; the electric guitars cascade over fingerpicked acoustics, and acoustic and electric basses — courtesy of Rick Kemp and Danny Thompson. Here, the old-English melody style was welded to a rock backbeat and fused into a whole, rhythmic, elegant, but sparse tale of broken love. The fiery emotions were carried through the measures by Chapman's tumultuous guitar leads. On the title track, an instrumental with thunderstorm sound effects, the weave between electricity and natural sound grows tighter. When playing in traditional or blues styles, such as the dark, menacing folk-blues of "No One Left to Care," Chapman fuses the rock pulse to the folk or blues song, open-tuning his guitars to such a degree that drones created multiple tones and a solid bottom for his voice to pounce down upon. They also create a sense of emotional honesty not so prevalent on the scene at the time — artists were given to interpret old songs with an air of academic distance — Chapman chews his words and spits them out while rifling off guitar riffs at every turn that are as gnarly and venomous as anything by Richard Thompson at the time. Not to mention the stunning instrumental "Thank You, P.K., 1944," with its silvery 12-string work that turns the tonal qualities of the instrument inside out so completely you could swear there were three guitars players — despite the fact that none of the guitar parts were overdubbed — or the shimmering, high-whining slide work on the rock growler "Small Stones." The CD reissue contains five bonus tracks, a shorter single version of "It Didn't Work Out," and its B-side, "Mozart Lives Uptown," as well as a second part to that track, "On My Way Again," and the humorous but poignant "Bert Jansch Meets Frankenstein" (the latter three previously unreleased). As auspicious a debut as Rainmaker was for its fine songwriting, history has proved it to be more so because it's the only record in Chapman's distinguished catalog where he ever showcased his truly virtuosic talent as a guitarist. Why, is anybody's guess?

Tracks :
1. It Didn't Work Out (Chapman) - 5:16
2. Rainmaker (Chapman) - 3:38
3. You Say (Chapman) - 3:43
4. Thank You P.K. 1944 (Chapman) - 4:14
5. No-One Left to Care (Chapman) - 4:22
6. Small Stones (Chapman) - 3:02
7. Not So Much a Garden-More Like a Maze (Chapman) - 5:35
8. No Song to Sing (Chapman) - 3:45
9. One Time Thing (Chapman) - 4:51
10. Sunday Morning (Chapman) - 4:27
11. Goodbye to Monday Night (Chapman) - 5:01
12. It Didn't Work Out (Chapman) - 3:44
13. Mozart Lives Upstairs (Chapman) - 3:58
14. Mozart Lives Upstairs, Prt. 2 (Chapman) - 1:05
15. On My Way Again (Chapman) - 6:41
16. Bert Jansch Meet Frankenstein (Chapman) - 2:04

Personnel :
Michael Chapman - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Mick Ronson - Guitar
Aynsley Dunbar - Drums
Dave "Clem" Clempson - Guitar
Alex Dmochowski - Bass
Norman Haines - Organ
Rick Kemp - Bass
Barry Morgan - Drums
Danny Thompson - Bass


Michael_Chapman_-_1969_-_Rainmaker.part1.rar

Michael_Chapman_-_1969_-_Rainmaker.part2.rar
16_Bert_Jansch_Meets_Frankenstein.mp3

posted by BlackCatBone (http://standinatthecrossroads-blackcatbone.blogspot.com)

Friday, November 09, 2007

Loudon Wainwright III - 1970 - First Album

Loudon's first was to set him off on a great career. Some excellent songs here and a few not so good. But, well worth knowing if you like Loudon. Certainly I do!

Packing tonight for what is likely to be 2 weeks in Singapore - Sigh...

1. School Days
2. Hospital Lady
3. Ode To A Pittsburgh
4. Glad To See You've Got Religion
5. Uptown
6. Black Uncle Remus
7. Four Is A Magic Number
8. I Don't Care
9. Central Square Song
10. Movies Are A Mother To Me
11. Bruno's Place

Loudon First Album

Landberk - 1995 - Unaffected

Unaffected's a bit of an odd one; when I spoke to Stefan Dimle about it, he laughed and referred to it as a 'bootleg', although other people have refuted this, so it's difficult to know what to think. It sounds like a soundboard tape to me, with the vocals sometimes too high in the mix, and the sleeve lacks the professional sheen of the band's official releases, but it's been so widely available, unchallenged by the band, that I feel compelled to include it. N.B. Mauro Ranchicchio tells me that it was supposed to be given away free with issue #6 of 'Melodie & Dissonanze' fanzine, but the mag went under after issue #5. As the CD had already been mastered (and manufactured?), it was sold through shops instead, although it would appear that the band had no say in this state of affairs.

Anyway, the band are playing in front of small club audiences in Italy and Germany in early '95, with vocalist Patric Helje singing in both Swedish and English. Many of the songs are extended versions, giving the band room to relax and stretch out a little, making a change from the also valid 'straight copy of studio version' outfits. The one outstanding performance included here is the opener, a great, Mellotron-driven version of Van der Graaf Generator's Afterwards, from The Aerosol Grey Machine, the Peter Hammill solo project that somehow ended up as the first VdGG album. In fact, thinking about it, Van der Graaf are one of Landberk's more obvious influences, although without the shouty bits. Anyway, most of the rest of the songs are from Riktigt Äkta/Lonely Land, mainly with 'Tron parts intact, although strangely, neither Pray For Me Now or Song From Kallsedet have any Mellotron at all, with the band presumably preferring Nordberg's Hammond drones. Whether or not Unaffected is 'official' isn't that relevant, really, especially with the band having gone the way of all things, so, generally recommended.

Review taked from Planet Mellotron.

Tracks:

1. Afterwards (4:42)

2. Waltz of the dark riddle (5:05)

3. You & I (6:22)

4. The tree 9:35)

5. Rememberence (8:28)

6. Pray for me now (8:50)

7. Song from Kallsedet (5:38)

8. Undrar om ni ser (10:59)

Musicians:

Patric Helje / Vocals

Reine Fiske / Guitar

Stefan Dimle / Bass

Simon Nordberg / Keyboards
Jonas Lidholm / Drums

Unaffected

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Fit & Limo 1998 "The Serpent Unrolled"

A slice of German Folk Psych for you as per request.

With 2 cover tracks Grateful Dead's Dark Star and Pearls Before Swine Images Of April.

This is a great album with Sitar blissfully coating your ears in a psychedelic manner. I'm glad this was requested as it reminded me of how good it is. Sends you back to the days when Psych was Psych.

Tracks:

01 Morgenroroe (Limo)
02 Born In The Eleventh Month (Limo)
03 Dark Star (Hunter / Garcia)
04 Walking The Labyrinth (Limo)
05 Song Of The Basilisk (Limo)
06 Florence's Birthday (Limo)
07 Images Of April (Rapp)
08 Salad Day (Limo)
09 Marry Me (Limo)
10 I'll Be Clay (Limo)
11 Mondisch (Fit / Limo)
12 Traumtür (Fit / Limo)
13 The Dew (Limo)
14 Her Ancient Theme (Limo)

Musicians:
Fit - autoharp, glockenspiel, whistle, percussion, jew's harp, paino strings, gopichand, kazoo, handy organ, violin, metallophone, toy piano, harmonium, tubular bells, bass, noises, vocals

Limo - church organ, bass, acoustic guitar, mandolin, veeh harp, shenai, piano, bongos, sitar, clay drums, tabla, xylophone, handy organ, banjo, dulcimer, bouzouki, whistle, kalimba, clarinet, percussion, electric guitar, vocals

3 years after Fit & Limo's last real album ("Autre Monde") the public is permitted another earful of their sound alchemy. Numerous well-known and strange instruments (new ones like church organ, Veeh harp and xylophone complement the usual F&L suspects such as violin, autoharp, sitar, mandolin, glockenspiel, piano, clay drums, bongos etc) pair up with nursery rhymes and cryptic messages. Beyond the "Traumtür" lies a medieval fairytale world of cranes and toads, basilisks and lions, spirals and stones, dew and cauldrons. A labyrinth of sounds, noises and harmonies unfolds. Fit & Limo playfully celebrate their unique mystic folk- incorporating elements of American acid/Middle Eastern/Celtic/British (Incredible String Band, Caedmon) folk- on the way to the 3rd millennium. Beside 12 originals "The Serpent Unrolled" contains 2 cover versions: Grateful Dead's "Dark Star" and "Images of April" by Tom Rapp/Pearls Before Swine.

Credits
Mastering - Wilfried Zahn, Bremen
Sleeve design, artwork - Eva Kohler
Serpent painting - Mrs. Fit
Photography of Fit & Limo - Therry
Produced and mixed at the Party Shrine, 1997/98 except Images Of April, 1996
Thanks, love and respect to everyone who supported us once, now and then

The Serpent Unrolled (@192 Sorry, no covers).

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

CD Catalogue Expert

This is a useful little utility that scans hard drtives and CD/DVDs for media and catalogue it all for you. It is the full release.

Included I have scanned my On Line media and will accept requests should anyone want any of that posted.

I will be away in Singapore for up to 2 weeks, so will respond to any requests when I rerturn.

This will also be posted to the PNF blog.

CD Catalog Expert

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Cyrkle

Cyrkle - 1966 - Red Rubber Ball

Tracks :
1. Red Rubber Ball
2. Why Can't You Give Me What I Want
3. Baby, You're Free
4. Big, Little Woman
5. Cloudy
6. Cry
7. Turn-Down Day
8. There's A Fire In The Fireplace
9. Bony Moronie
10. How Can I Leave Her
11. Money To Burn
12. Straighten Out My Messed Up Life
13. Dwontown Blues
14. How Can I Leave Her (demo)
15. Money To Burn (demo)
16. We Had A Good Thing Goin'
17. Reading Her Paper
18. Penny Arcade
19. The Words

The Cyrkle 'Red Rubber Ball' & 'Neon', 1966 was a good year for The Cyrkle, they scored a #2 hit with Paul Simon's 'Red Rubber Ball', joined The Beatles on their final U.S. tour, and recorded 'Red Rubber Ball' and 'Neon', albums with some of the most soaring three-part harmonies and intricate arrangements that 60s pop music had to offer.

RapidShare.com Link
http://rapidshare.com/files/67426118/Cyrkle_1966.rar
or
SendSpace Link
http://www.sendspace.com/file/75opep

Cyrkle - 1967 - Neon

Tracks :
1. Don't Cry, No Fears, No Tears Comin' Your Way
2. The Visit (She Was Here)
3. Weight Of Your Words
4. I Wish I Could Be Here
5. It Doesn't Matter Anymore
6. Two Rooms
7. Our Love Affair's In Question
8. I'm Happy Just To Dance With You
9. Problem Child
10. Please Don't Ever Leave Me
11. I'm Not Sure What I Wanna Do
12. Don't Cry, No Fears, No Tears Comin' Your Way (alt. version)
13. You Can't Go Home Again
14. Terry's Theme
15. We Said Goodbye (And Went Our Separate Ways Or So We Thought)
16. Turn Of The Century
17. Friends
18. Where Are You Going
19. Red Chair Fade Away
20. Camaro

1966 was a good year for the Cyrkle in rapid succession, they inked a contract with Columbia Records, scored a #2 hit with Paul Simon's 'Red Rubber Ball', gained a coveted spot on the Beatles' final U.S. tour, and recorded Red Rubber Ball and Neon, two longplayers with some of the most soaring three-part harmonies and intricate arrangements that '60s pop music had to offer.

RapidShare Link
http://rapidshare.com/files/67426016/Cyrkle_1967.rar
or
SendSpace Link
http://www.sendspace.com/file/o5era9


Cyrkle - 1968 - The Minx [OST]

Tracks :
1. Squeeze Play
2. Minx [Vocal Version]
3. Murray the Why
4. Rigging
5. Party
6. Nicole [Stereo]
7. It's a Lovely Game Louise
8. Minx [Instrumental]
9. Something Special
10. On the Road
11. Walter's Riff
12. Chase
13. Terry's Theme
14. Something Special [Alternative Instrumental]
15. Kites
16. Squeeze Play [Film Version]
17. Murray the Why [Film Version]
18. Nicole [Film Version]
19. Baxter's Dangerous Game
20. Terry's Escape

Plush '60s pop-sike! In 1967, fresh from the Top Ten with 'Red Rubber Ball' & 'Turn Down Day,' the Cyrkle recorded The Minx, an intriguing soundtrack laden with three-part harmonies & breezily intricate arrangements.

RapidShare Link
http://rapidshare.com/files/67425974/Cyrkle_1968.rar
or
SendSpace Link
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ojcqww


Bio from Wiki :
The band was formed by guitarists and lead singers Don Dannemann and Tom Dawes (bass guitar), who met while studying at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. The other members were Earl Pickens on keyboards and Marty Fried on drums. They were originally a "frat rock" band called The Rhondells, but were later discovered and managed by Brian Epstein, who was better known as manager of The Beatles. Epstein's partner was New York attorney Nathan Weiss. Weiss heard the band in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Labor Day in 1965. He became their manager and renamed them. John Lennon provided the unique spelling of their new name. They were produced by John Simon.

In the summer of 1966, they opened on fourteen dates for the Beatles during their U.S. tour. On August 28 they headed the opening acts performing prior to The Beatles at Dodger Stadium. The remaining artists who appeared were Bobby Hebb, The Ronettes, and The Remains. Before touring with The Beatles, The Cyrkle had a successful engagement at the Downtown Discotheque in New York City.

The Cyrkle is best known for their 1966 song "Red Rubber Ball", which went to #2 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was co-written by Paul Simon of Simon and Garfunkel and Bruce Woodley of The Seekers. It was released on the Columbia record label. The band had one more Top 20 hit, "Turn-Down Day" later in 1966. After the release of the debut album, Red Rubber Ball, they recorded a second album, Neon, in late 1966, and a movie soundtrack, The Minx, in 1967. They followed that with various singles, then disbanded in late 1967.

Both Dawes and Danneman became professional jingle writers following the demise of The Cyrkle. Dawes later wrote the famous "plop plop fizz fizz" jingle for Alka-Seltzer. Danneman wrote jingles for Continental Airlines and Swanson Foods. He penned the original 7-Up Uncola song. In 1977 Dawes produced for Foghat.

Mondo Topless - 2006 - Take It Slow

Mondo Topless - 2006 - Take It Slow

(Get Hip Recordings GH1132)

Tracks :
1. Take It Slow 3:17
2. Louise 2:35
3. It Hurts Me 2:43
4. Beer 2:09
5. Can't Dig It 3:49
6. Conundrum 2:20
7. Powerglide 2:01
8. Stupidity 2:15
9. Just One Thrill 2:47
10. Crawl 4:41

After titling their second album Go Fast!, Philadelphia garage rock mavens Mondo Topless might seem to be making a creative about-face on their third disc, Take It Slow. But don't let that title fool you -- this is Mondo Topless as fans have always known and loved them, cranking out primitive ' 60s style rawk with lots of Farfisa organ from keyboard man Sam Steinig, plenty of raunchy guitar leads from Kris Alutius, and all manner of crashing and bashing courtesy bassist Scott Rodgers and drummer Alex Beisker. The guys in Mondo Topless would doubtless agree that they're not exactly reinventing the wheel with this stuff, but they do a really good job of blending an authentic garage sounds with enough buzz-off attitude on numbers like "Beer" and "Can't Dig It" to give the Mummies a run for their money, and the group writes songs that move and groove with the best of 'em. And at less than thirty minutes in length, you can't say that Mondo Topless wear out their welcome with this disc. Put Take It Slow on your stereo, crank it up, open a case or two of the malt beverage of your choice, and you'll have a party of lease-breaking proportions in no time; Mondo Topless are a band spoiling for a good time, and they'll let you have one too if you give them half a chance.
~Review by Mark Deming (AMG)

Download Links :
(ogg VBR 320-500kbps + artwork)
rapidshare.com/MonTopTakItS.part1.rar
rapidshare.com/MonTopTakItS.part2.rar

Enjoy !!!

posted by Stratos

Monday, November 05, 2007

Bob Ray - 1970 - Initation Of A Mystic

Excellent California Mystical Folk Psych LP with a mellow trippy vibe and some Donovan influences by Bob Ray who previously played with Thorinshield.


Los Angeles psych-folkie Bob Ray first earned attention as a session player, contributing bass to Donovan's now-legendary May 1966 sessions that yielded the classic "Season of the Witch." The following year he teamed with singer/guitarist James Smith and drummer Terry Hand in the sunshine pop trio Thorinshield, signing to Phillips to record their debut single, "The Best of It," produced by famed session saxophonist Teenage Steve Douglas and arranged by the great Perry Botkin, Jr. A self-titled LP soon followed, but after just one more single, 1968's "Family of Man," Thorinshield splintered, and Ray signed to Johnny Rivers' Soul City label. With Rivers assuming production duties, veteran Hal Paich handling the string arrangements, and the famed Wrecking Crew (studio virtuosos including Hal Blaine on drums, Joe Osborne on bass, and Larry Knechtel on keyboards) providing support, he cut his lone solo LP, Initiation of a Mystic, recalling Donovan with his lush, ambitious psych-pop. Ray essentially dropped from sight soon after the record's 1968 release, although Initiation of a Mystic remains a collector's item.


Get it here
bob_ray_-_1970_-__initiation_of_a_mystic.rar
bob_ray_-_11._islands__poem_.mp3

Fushitsusha - Double Live (PSF3/4) + Double Live (PSF15/16)

KEIJI HEINO!!! Here are BOTH unbelievable double live Fushitsusha albums. Cosmic guitar monstrosities in that fascinating, hypnotic, and inimitable Japanese style. These are really something else: Four full hours of squeals; squalls; moans; screams; blasts; explosions; long, meandering lyrical passages; and Ur-rock jams. Ripped at extreme VBR for your listening pleasure.

PSF (3/4) Disc 1
PSF (3/4) Disc 2

PSF (15/16) Disc 1
PSF (15/16) Disc 2 (part 1)
PSF (15/16) Disc 2 (part 2)

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Joan Baez - 1975 - Diamonds & Rust

1. "Diamonds & Rust" (Joan Baez)
2. "Fountain Of Sorrow" (Jackson Browne)
3. "Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer" (Stevie Wonder/Syreeta Wright)
4. "Children And All That Jazz" (Joan Baez)
5. "Simple Twist Of Fate" (Bob Dylan)
6. "Blue Sky" (Dickey Betts)
7. "Hello In There" (John Prine)
8. "Jesse" (Janis Ian)
9. "Winds Of The Old Days" (Joan Baez)
10. "Dida" (duet with Joni Mitchell) (Joan Baez)
11. Medley: "I Dream Of Jeannie" (Stephen Foster) / "Danny Boy" (Frederick Weatherly)

With the Vietnam War winding down, Joan Baez, who had devoted one side of her last album to her trip to Hanoi, delivered the kind of commercial album A&M Records must have wanted when it signed her three years earlier. But she did it on her own terms, putting together a session band of contemporary jazz veterans like Larry Carlton, Wilton Felder, and Joe Sample, and mixing a wise selection from the work of current singer-songwriters like Jackson BrowneJohn Prine with pop covers of Stevie Wonder and the Allman Brothers Band, and an unusually high complement of her own writing. A&M, no doubt recalling the success of her cover of the Band's "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," released her version of the Allmans' "Blue Sky" as a single, and it got halfway up the charts. But the real hit was the title track, a self-penned masterpiece on the singer's favorite subject, her relationship with Bob Dylan. Outdoing the current crop of confessional singer/songwriters at soul baring, Baez sang to Dylan, reminiscing about her '60s love affair with him intensely, affectionately, and unsentimentally. It was her finest moment as a songwriter and one of her finest performances, period, and when A&M finally released it on 45, it made the Top 40, propelling the album to gold status. But those who bought the disc for "Diamonds & Rust" also got to hear "Winds of the Old Days," in which Baez forgave Dylan for abandoning the protest movement, as well as the jazzy "Children and All That Jazz," a delightful song about motherhood, and the wordless vocals of "Dida," a duet with Joni Mitchell accompanied by Mitchell's backup band, Tom Scott and the L.A. Express. The cover songs were typically accomplished, making this the strongest album of Baez's post-folk career.

by William Ruhlmann AMG

view Diamonds & Rust live : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGMHSbcd_qI

Download It Here :

http://rapidshare.com/files/67406261/diamonds___rust.rar

High Rise - Live (1994)

The Squealer website says: "High Rise is an explosive power trio comprising the core of Asahito Nanjo on bass and vocals and Munehiro Narita on guitar, joined by a succession of drummers (including Yuro Ujiie, Pill and free-jazz veteran Shoji Hano in the past, and Koji Shimura currently). High Rise mix the jazz-influenced improvising of live Cream with the often brutal amphetamine-inspired rock of Blue Cheer. Narita is one of rock's unsung guitar players, and his dexterous fingering causes eruptions of pure electric joy. The other players are equally stunning in their total commitment to this high energy music that features the freedom of jazz and the power of rock."

There's a lot of understatement in that paragraph. People, this is the real deal. These three guys will take your head off, nail it to the wall, and then knock that wall down with their guitars. Incredible lightspeed psychedelic guitar mayhem. The songs are just flimsy garage-rock excuses for quite possibly the greatest freakout jamming you have ever heard. This is not an exaggeration. The jams on this "double" live album (3 sides, with a gorgeous laser-etched design for side 4) just might be the Apotheosis.
Get it HERE.
Read what the Drude has to say about it HERE.

Mamas & the Papas - Deliver [1967]

By the time the Mamas and the Papas recorded and released their third album, the group was continuing, in the words of singer Denny Doherty, "on its own momentum." Acrimonious personnel changes, rock stardom, fame, money, and drugs (among other factors) were taking their toll on the group's chemistry. Fortunately, this momentum is precisely the reason that the album succeeds. Buttressed by the singles "Creeque Alley" (the sometimes hilarious story of how the group came together), "Look Through My Window," and the stupendous remake of "Dedicated to the One I Love," the album has some exquisite moments. "Look Through My Window" also is one of the group's most realized recordings, and the cover of "Twist and Shout" is an absolute killer. Much of the record, frankly, doesn't sound too different than the group's first two albums, but with the songwriting, vocal, and production excellence, why tamper with genius? The group felt so too, which is why this album is Michelle Phillips' personal favorite. It's not too hard to see why. [Allmusic]

Track list;
01 - Dedicated To The One I Love
02 - My Girl.
03 - Creeque Alley
04 - Sing For Your Supper
05 - Twist And Shout
06 - Free Advice
07 - Look Through My Window
08 - Boys And Girls Together
09 - String Man
10 - Frustration
11 - Did You Ever Want To Cry
12 - John's Music Box

[--]

Style; Folk-Rock

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Kousokuya - 1st (1991)

Brutal, time-dilating, pitch-perfect Japanese guitar skronk. Horrible, wonderful, exhausting, exhilarating, baffling, meaningless, profound power-trio noise. Like trying to do meditation exercises in an industrial meat grinder. And quite different from the live album posted below.

Get it HERE (@192)

The Stems - Terminal Cool (Anthology 1983-1986)

The Stems - Terminal Cool (Anthology 1983-1986)

Get Hip Records GH-1130

Tracks :
1. She's A Monster
2. Make You Mine
3. Tears Me In Two
4. No Heart
5. Can't Resist
6. Love Will Grow
7. Under Your Mushroom
8. Just Ain't Enough
9. Jumping To Conclusions
10. On & On
11. For Always
12. Terminal Cool
13. Don't Let Me
14. All You Want Me For
15. Mr. Misery
16. Sad Girl
17. She's Fine
18. Can't Forget That Girl
19. Lon Chaney Juniors Daughter
20. Spaceship
21. Let Your Head Rest

Very cool, 21-track retrospective of Dom Mariani + the boys very cool garage-pop outfit! Features 4 previously unreleased tracks and 1 track making it's CD debut! Captures a confident, self-assured band recorded during those halcyon years of 1983 - 1986 proving that they were indeed an extremely varied animal and effectively showcases their versatility from the Fuzztone hits “She's a Monster” and "Tears Me In Two", to the bluesy garage bop of “On and On", Byrdsian jangle of “Love Will Grow”, the pure pop of “Can't Forget that Girl” and the psychedelic snarl of “Jumping to Conclusions”.

Read A Review Here

Download Links :
(ogg VBR 320-500kbps + artwork)
rapidshare.com/StTerCoo.part1.rar
rapidshare.com/StTerCoo.part2.rar
rapidshare.com/StTerCoo.part3.rar

Thanks Stratos for this one !!!

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Phil Ochs - Pleasures Of The Harbor [1967]

Going into the studio after Dylan's move into rock accompaniment and Sgt. Pepper's vast expansion of pop music, Ochs wanted to make a record that reflected all these trends, and he hired producer Larry Marks, arranger Ian Freebairn-Smith, and pianist Lincoln Mayorga — all of whom had classical backgrounds — to help him realize his vision. The result was Pleasures of the Harbor, his most musically varied and ambitious album, one routinely cited as his greatest accomplishment. Though the lyrics were usually not directly political, they continued to reflect his established points of view. His social criticisms here were complex, and they went largely unnoticed on a long album full of long songs, many of which did not support the literal interpretations they nevertheless received. The album was consistently imbued with images of mortality, and it all came together on the abstract, electronic-tinged final track, "The Crucifixion." Usually taken to be about John F. Kennedy, it concerns the emergence of a hero in a corrupt world and his inevitable downfall through betrayal. Ochs offers no satisfying resolution; the goals cannot be compromised, and they will not be fulfilled. It was anything but easy listening, but it was an effective conclusion to a brilliant album that anticipated the devastating and tragic turn of the late '60s, as well as its maker's own eventual decline and demise [Allmusic.com]


Track list;
01 - Cross My Heart
02 - Flower Lady
03 - Outside Of A Small Circle Of Friends
04 - I've Had Her
05 - Miranda
06 - The Party
07 - Pleasures Of The Harbor
08 - The Crucifixion

--

Style; Folk

Monday, October 29, 2007

Kousokuya - Live Gyakuryu Kokuu 逆 流 虚 空 1991.12.30

For those who enjoy the absurdist guitar holocaust blasts and astral projections of Fushitsusha, Les Rallizes Denudes, and High Rise, here's a live album by Kousokuya, the fourth member of that amazing league (oh yeah, and there's also those 3/3 guys). This album (track 1 much more so than track 2) suffers from stereotypical "live" sound--- not the wonderful lo-fi ness of the PSF/Squealer High Rise "Live" album, but rather just frustratingly nonoptimal mixing and EQing. But what are you going to do? It's still quality electric mayhem, punctuated by passionate, baffling, anarchic invocations.

Get it HERE.
(...and get their first studio album HERE.)

Fapardokly - 1966 - Fapardokly

A legendary LP, both for its (supposed) rarity and the appearance of future Mu-wizard Merrell Fankhauser. This is mid-60s pop/folkrock rather than the psych dealers might it hype it for; the hazy "Gone To Pot" excluded. Pretty classy stuff with traces of the Byrds and Beatles but also obvious remnants of an earlier, pre-Invasion pop era of Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers. Merrell's talent is on clear display even at this early stage, with each track being a finely tuned and completely realized pop song. Fave tracks include the dreamy opener "Lila" and the inspiredly weird "Mr Clock". Quite enjoyable all through as long as you don't expect Lemurian hippie psych magic. A retrospective Merrell & the Exiles LP titled "The Early Years 1964-67" exists on the American Sound label with the same lineup as the Fapardokly LP and collects earlier tracks.

Tracks

1 Lila
2 The Music Scene
3 Sorry For Yourself
4 Glass Chandelier
5 Tomorrow's Girl
6 Suzie Cryin'
7 Mr Clock
8 Gone To Pot
9 No Retreat
10 Too Many Heartbreaks
11 When I Get Home
12 Super Market
bonus cd tracks
13 The War
14 Yes, I Love You
15 Run Baby Run

Fapardokly were Merrell Fankhauser guitar, Bill Dodd lead guitar, John Oliver bass, and Dick Lee drums. The odd name being a combination of their surnames - or rather three of them plus that of Don Parrish, the original bass player.

But even odder is the fact that this band only plays on 3 out of the 12 tracks on the original album, 3 (maybe 4) tracks are by Aldridge, Fankhauser & Lotspeich, and 5 tracks are by Merrell & The Exiles or variants of that band.

The album is therefore a combination of various styles from early 60s beat to soft psychedelia to folk-rock recorded between 1964 and 1967 - Merrell Fankhauser being the only common element linking all the tracks. Despite this the original vinyl album has become an extremely collectable item - a psychedelic classic (apparently only 1000 copies were pressed and not many sold – hence it has become a real collectors’ item. I’ve seen an original sealed copy offered for sale at $500 !!).

The Aldridge, Fankhauser & Lotspeich tracks have a naïve psychedelic charm to them, while a couple of the Fapardokly cuts are harder edged – one (Gone To Pot) being an instrumental sibling of Eight Miles High.

The CD reissue includes three bonus tracks not released before - one, The War, by the Fapardokly band, another, Run Baby Run, by Merrell & the Exiles and a third, Yes I Love You which Merrell and Don Aldridge put together

Jeff is listed as playing on Sorry For Yourself, Suzie Cryin and Too Many Heartbreaks, all of which were released as singles by Merrell & the Exiles in 1964 and 1965. He is also credited as guitarist on the AFL tracks too although Don Aldridge and Gary Lotspeich do not recall him taking part in those sessions.

The cover of the CD reissue is the same as the original vinyl and the 1967 back cover is also included along with its' ill-advised photograph of the band wrapped in blankets! The CD also includes some sleevenotes by Merrell.

CD - Cover (Sundazed)

Get it here
fapardokly_-_1966_-__sundazed.rar