Archive for May, 2007

Request of “Old Man”.

(Review from progarchives.com)

“Rocksession” is another album consisting of material they recorded during sessions between 1971 and 1972. Actually the band was planning to release this stuff already in 1972. But their record company UA was not pleased by it, so they recorded first Father, Son & Holy Ghosts and the songs from these sessions have been used for this album here and Steig aus. The line-up is almost identical on these two albums, with the difference that Sigi Schwab was replacing Roman Bunka on guitar. It’s rather a very interesting one who is deeply into typical jazz-rock in the Krautrock vein.

The opener A place to go is a very orientally influenced piece with marimbas, keys, electric guitar, percussion and very “kraut-ish” sounding vocals. Really great stuff and anyone loving this sub-genre will be fascinated by it. Entrances, the longest track is dominated by Schwab’s excellent jazzy guitar before Hammond is taking over. The work of the rhythm section is as well just awesome. It’s a highly jazzy piece on an album that is probably the most jazzy one of their three session records, no wonder since jazz pianist Mal Waldron was involved in three of the four tracks as a composer. In the last third of the track there is an excellent sax solo by Hofmann. This one is for sure the highlight of the album.

Second side of the record is the more relaxing and soaring one starting with Warm canto, a very soft and mellow track played on vibes, keys, violin and percussion plus electric guitar and piano by Waldron in its second half. Although being a rather quiet song in the beginning it’s revealing a fascinating development in its course. Last one Dirge is starting as well with a highly soaring atmosphere with vibes, guitar and then violin and e-piano. As on the whole album the bass and drum work is again excellent. Also this song is developing after a while to a fascinating one.

Line-up:
- Christian Burchard / drums
- Jörg Evers / bass
- Edgar Hofmann / saxophone, violin
- Jimmy Jackson / organ
- Dave King / bass
- Siegfried Schwab / guitar
- Mal Waldron / electric piano

Track List:
01. A Place To Go (4:25)
02. Entrances (15:35)
03. Warm canto (10:07)
04. Dirge (9:35)

Link in comments.

Embryo

Camel – A Live Record (1978) (@256)

31 May 2007

(Review from vintageprog.com, wikipedia, progarchives.com)

Camel’s double live album is a little bit patchy, containing different eras of Camel. The first four tracks are from the tour for “Rain Dances” in 1977/78, 5-6 are from the “Mirage” tour and the entire second CD is from the “Snow Goose” tour.

The album opens with “Never Let Go” that sounds completely different from the original version from the debut. This one is a lot jazzier and is probably how it would have sounded if it had been written and recorded for “Rain Dances”. “Song Within a Song” and “Lunar Sea” are performed very similar to the studio-versions, despite the inclusion of Collins’ saxophone.

Then we go a few years back in time. “Ligging at Louis’” is a good jam that wasn’t to be found on any of their other albums. “Lady Fantasy” sounds in my opinion unfortunately rather tame and a bit uninspired compared to the much more powerful studio-version.

Then a year later, we hear the band perform the then brand new “The Snow Goose”, the whole concept album. It’s overall a good performance with a few interesting differences from the original, such as the additional solo on “Migration” and the theme on “Flight of the Snow Goose” being played on organ instead of synths.

In 1981, Latimer said that “he wanted a live album to recall Camel’s history rather than a great sounding live record”. That’s what we get.

Line-up:
- Peter Bardens / keyboards
- Andrew Latimer / guitar, flute, vocal
- Andy Ward / drums, percussion
- Mel Collins / saxophones, flute
- Richard Sinclair / bass, vocal
- Doug Ferguson / bass

Track List:
CD1
01. Never Let Go (7:21)
(Hammersmith Odeon, London, October 1977)
02. Song Within A Song (7:01)
(Hammersmith Odeon, London, October 1977)
03. Lunar Sea (8:56)
(Colston Hall, Bristol, October 1977)
04. Skylines (5:38)
(Leeds University, October 1977)
05. Ligging At Louis’ (6:34)
(Marquee, London, October 1974)
06. Lady Fantasy (14:15)
(Marquee, London, October 1974)
CD2
(Royal Albert Hall, London, October 1975)
01. The Great March (1:45)
02. Rhayader (3:07)
03. Rhayader Goes To Town (5:13)
04. Sanctuary (1:09)
05. Fritha (1:23)
06. The Snow Goose (3:02)
07. Friendship (1:35)
08. Migration (3:52)
09. Rhayader Alone (1:47)
10. Flight Of The Snow Goose (2:59)
11. Preparation (4:10)
12. Dunkirk (5:26)
13. Epitaph (2:35)
14. Fritha Alone (1:22)
15. La Princesse Perdue (4:46)
16. The Great March (1:50)

Links in comments.

Andy Ward, Camel, Mel Collins, Peter Bardens, Richard Sinclair

Cream – Fresh Cream (1966) (@256)

30 May 2007

(Review from wikipedia, allmusic.com, amazon.com)

Cream were a 1960s British rock band, which consisted of guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker. Celebrated as one of the first great power trios and supergroups of rock, their sound was characterised by a melange of blues, pop and psychedelia. Cream combined Clapton’s blues guitar playing with the airy voice and intense basslines of Jack Bruce and the jazz-influenced drumming of Ginger Baker.

Bruce would also serve as the group’s lead vocalist. While Clapton was shy about singing, he occasionally harmonized with Bruce, and as he grew as a singer, took lead vocals on some notable Cream tunes including “Crossroads,” “Four Until Late,” and “Badge.”

Although Cream was only together for a little more than two years, their influence was immense, both during their late-’60s peak and in the years following their breakup. Cream was the first top group to truly exploit the power-trio format, in the process laying the foundation for much blues-rock and hard rock of the 1960s and 1970s. It was with Cream, too, that guitarist Eric Clapton truly became an international superstar. Critical revisionists have tagged the band as overrated, citing the musicians’ emphasis upon flash, virtuosity, and showmanship at the expense of taste and focus. This was sometimes true of their live shows in particular, but in reality the best of their studio recordings were excellent fusions of blues, pop, and psychedelia, with concise original material outnumbering the bloated blues jams and overlong solos.

All three of the musicians yearned to break free of the confines of the standard rock/R&B/blues group, in a unit that would allow them greater instrumental and improvisational freedom, somewhat in the mold of a jazz outfit. Eric Clapton’s stunning guitar solos would get much of the adulation, yet Bruce was at least as responsible for shaping the group’s sound, singing most of the material in his rich voice. He also wrote their best original compositions, sometimes in collaboration with outside lyricist Pete Brown.

Fresh Cream was Cream’s debut and the first of their three consecutive fantastic albums made while they were together. Although this is clearly their best blues statement with covers of Willie Dixon’s “Spoonful” and the oft-covered Muddy Waters classic “Rollin’ And Tumblin’”, the album also points to the excellent songwriting of Disraeli Gears and the extensive jamming featured on Wheels Of Fire.

While there’s no instant classic like “White Room” or “Sunshine Of Your Love” present here, Jack Bruce’s collection of originals here are among the best he’d pen for the band whether it was the blues of “Sleepy Time Time”, the excellent pop of “I Feel Free” and “Dreaming” or the short jamming “N.S.U.”, which would lead to the improvisation of their live shows exhibited on Wheels Of Fire and their live albums. Bruce’s bass playing is also very innovative throughout the album and he plays a mean harmonica on “A Cat’s Squirrel” and “Rollin’ And Tumblin.” Ginger Baker’s drumming is very powerful and innovative throughout, particularly on his compositions “Toad” and the excellent “Sweet Wine.” While Eric Clapton didn’t write any tracks here, his playing is outstanding, particularly on “Spoonful” and the Skip James tune “I’m So Glad.” The band’s performances of the cover tunes are very powerful with Jack Bruce truly making “Spoonful” his own with his excellent vocal performance. Simply a stunning debut.

Line-up:
* Eric Clapton – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, vocals, backing vocals
* Jack Bruce – bass, harmonica, lead vocals, backing vocals
* Ginger Baker – drums, percussion, vocals

Track List:
01. I Feel Free (Bruce, Brown) – 2:51
02. N.S.U. (Bruce) – 2:43
03. Sleepy Time Time (Bruce, Godfrey) – 4:20
04. Dreaming (Bruce) – 1:58
05. Sweet Wine (Baker, Godfrey) – 3:17
06. Spoonful (Dixon) – 6:30
07. Cat’s Squirrel (Traditional, arr. S. Splurge) – 3:03
08. Four Until Late (Johnson, arr. Clapton) – 2:07
09. Rollin’ and Tumblin’ (Waters) – 4:42
10. I’m So Glad (James) – 3:57
11. Toad (Baker) – 5:11

Link in comments.

Cream, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce

Embryo – Steig Aus (1972) (@192)

30 May 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

Embryo Steig Aus is a great fusion album, maybe the most jazzier of this german band, that always had a fusion work.

The opener, Radio Marrakesh/Orient Express, is a ten minute song with impressing bass and drums in the rhytmhic section, plus great organ play and good guitar playing, mainly the solos. There is good percussion too and some flute. This song is a breathtaking performance by skilled musicians.

Then comes Dreaming Girls, 10-minute-long too, again with great bass playing and drumming, it is slower, mellow in the beginning. There is good Marimba playing by Bunchard. The violin solos in this track are great. The violin is slow over great bass lines and drumming. The rhythm changes some times, faster, slower, some improvisation, different keyboard sounds. Some bass and percussion passages. Then the violin solos and some keyboards too. And some percussion pyrotechnichs with some keyboard effects.

Then the last song, a seventeen minute epic, starts with some funky rhythm and good keyboards, a very fatty and haunty organ tone, plus violin. Lots of variations. Great organ playing and then great bass playing. The bass players are really good. It is difficult to describe a song like this because there are lots of variations and improvisations, but the overall is pretty good, a great classic, with skillful playing, mainly percussion, bass, organ and mellotron. A great jazz session provided by this group that as far as I know, had lots of jazz influences, but besides some world music, like in We Keep On.

An excellent album recommended to all the fans of Jazz Rock/Fusion and all interested in great musicianship in general.

Line-up:
- Roman Bunka / guitar
- Christian Burchard / drums, marimba, vibes
- Jörg Evers / bass
- Edgar Hoffmann / violin
- Jimi Jackson / Mellotron, organ
- Dave King / bass
- Mal Waldron / electric piano

Track List:
01. Radio Marrakesch/Orient-Express (9:53)
02. Dreaming girls (10:26)
03. Call: (17:22)
a) Call (part 1)
b) Organ walk
c) Marimba village
d) Clouds
e) Call (part 2)

Link in comments.

Embryo

Camel – Raindances (1977) (@256)

30 May 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

Although Camel wasn’t exactly a Canterbury band, their symphonic progressive style was recurrently related to the sound created by the most melodic bands of this genre (mostly Caravan), and now, with the entry of newcomer bassist Richard Sinclair, the Camel thing really got as Canterbury as it could get, despite the preservation of the band’s original symphonic essence, which is, after all, the core of its ‘inner self’. The entry of semi-permanent collaborator Mel Collins also helped to develop this recycling process. Ward’s ever-increasing jazz interests had become quite obvious and relevant in the “Moon Madness” album – albeit some hints could also be found in the first 2 albums -, and now, with the support of Latimer and Bardens plus the shift from Ferguson to Sinclair on the bassist’s role the thing became official and effective.

That’s what we get from the opening track ‘First Light’, which shows off the band’s enthusiasm for the brand new step that they were taking in their career: Sinclair and Ward speak the same idiom with absolute fluidity, while Bardens and Latimer deliver their melodic sensibilities with total ease – Collins’ sax solo near the end is a proper icing of this delicious jazzy progressive cake. The same goes for ‘Metrognome’, another excellent symptom of this universe, although not as excellent as ‘Skylines’, which includes some of the best guitar and synthesizer solos in the album. Richard Sinclair didn’t play on this one, but what he did on it for the “A Live Record” live album is really superb. ‘One of These Days I’ll Get an Early Night’ takes the jazz thing further, quite beyond the land of Canterbury right into the land of funk-oriented American West Coast jazz: even though Camel stands in foreign territory here, they do a great job while having fun at soloing over a simplistic basic motif. ‘Tell Me’ is an introspective ballad that shows Bardens and Latimer’s to create simple beautiful melodies and enrich them with effective ornaments on synth and woodwind – the way that Collins’ bass clarinet complements Latimer’s flute lines is simply mesmerizing. ‘Highways of the Sun’ and ‘Unevensong’ (the latter being one of my favorite tracks from this album, together with ‘First Light’ and ‘Skylines’) are the closest to what Camel had been doing and developing in their previous albums, although the new winds are still very present in them, especially regarding Ward’s drumming. ‘Elke’ is kind of a Latimer solo venture: supported by Brian Eno on synth and bells, plus a female harpist, he builds an ethereal landscape of flute/keyboards/fuzz guitars that stands in unison with Eno’s minimalistic approach. This piece serves as an effective interlude between the easy-going fun of ‘On of These Days…’ and the splendid architecture of ‘Skylines’. The namesake closure is a reprise of the opening track, fusing the meditative vibe of ‘Tell Me’ and the cosmic nuances of ‘Elke’: a nice ending for a monster album.

Line-up:
- Andrew Latimer / guitar, flute, vocal on 3, 4 & 5 some piano, bass
- Peter Bardens / keyboards
- Andy Ward / drums, percussion
- Richard Sinclair / bass, vocal on 3, 5
- Mel Collins / saxophone
with
- Martin Drover / trumpet on 6, cor Flugel on 8
- Malcolm Griffiths / trombone on 6, 8
- Brian Eno / acoustic and electric piano, Mini Moog, cloches on “Elke”
- Fionna Hibbert / harpe on “Elke”

Track List:
01. First light (5:00)
02. Metrognome (4:19)
03. Tell me (4:07)
04. Highways of the Sun (4:32)
05. Unevensong (5:34)
06. One of these Days I’ll get an early night (5:59)
07. Elke (4:31)
08. Skylines (4:26)
09. Rain Dances (2:59)
10. Highways of the Sun (Bonus Single) (4:00)

Link in comments.

Andy Ward, Camel, Mel Collins, Peter Bardens, Richard Sinclair

Clannad – Clannad 2 (1975) (@256)

29 May 2007

(Review from wikipedia, allmusic.com)

Clannad formed in 1970 when the Brennan family — Maire (vocals, harp), Ciaran (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards), Pol (guitar, percussion, flute, vocals) — began playing at their father Leo’s tavern with two of their uncles, Padraig Duggan (guitar, vocals, mandolin) and Noel Duggan (guitar, vocals).

The name Clannad comes from An Clann As Dobhar, meaning ‘the family from Dore’. The children were performing late at night in the pub, when the local police sergeant walked in. They feared a summons, but instead the policemen had a form to enter a local music competition. They didn’t have a name at the time, but had to find one for the competition. Someone suggested Clann As Dobhar, which was provisionally abbreviated to Clannad.

The young Brennans’ and Duggans’ passion for the traditional music of Ireland soon expanded even beyond their native Gweedore. They would later visit such outlying communities as Tory Island off Donegal’s coast. Armed with some 500 Gaelic songs, they would later begin to arrange these songs for a full band, something which had previously never been done.

Though the group would eventually drift into new age territory, with its second album Clannad was still rooted firmly in traditionalism. Sung almost entirely in Gaelic, Clannad 2 is moody and deliberate, with flashes here and there of romantic yearning or sighing wistfulness. It’s played entirely on acoustic instruments and features some great solos from flutist Pol Brennan, particularly on the instrumental “Fairly Shot of Her.” Maire Brennan’s expressive vocals are of course the album’s centerpiece; she can express emotion with subtle changes of inflection or use the full power of the Gaelic language to link Clannad’s music to Irish history. This she does to almost scary effect on the driving reel “Gabhar Ban.” At the same time, Brennan teams with male harmony for the lilting “Rince Briotanach,” which, with its jaunty feel, is the exact opposite of its darker cousin. Together with its counterpart “Dheanainn Sugradh,” the latter track blends Ireland’s own music with a medieval quality that’s particularly striking. It’s true that Clannad became known more for fusing roots with modernism than sticking to tradition. But the austere Clannad 2 followed the lead of groups like Planxty and Fairport Convention looking inward and backward for real inspiration. In the process, Clannad made one of its most memorable and powerful albums.

Line-up:
* Ciaran Brennan – Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
* Maire Brennan – Harp, Vocals
* Pol Brennan – Flute, Guitar, Percussion, Vocals
* Robbie Brennan – Drums
* Noel Duggan – Guitar, Vocals
* Padraig Duggan – Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals

Track List:
01. An Gabhar Ban (The White Goat) – 3:15
02. Eleanor Plunkett – 2:49
03. Coinleach Glas An Fhomhair – 5:46
04. Rince Philib A’Cheoil – 1:51
05. By Chance it Was – 5:41
06. Rince Briotanach – 3:14
07. Dheanainn Sugradh – 5:39
08. Gaoth Barra Na dTonn – 2:33
09. Teidhir Abhaile Riu – 2:48
10. Fairly Shot of Her – 2:21
11. Chuaigh Me Na Rosann – 6:18

Link in comments.

Embryo – Opal (1970) (@320)

29 May 2007

(Review from amazon.com)

In 1969 and psychedelic rock hit Germany, and Munich, and when it did, Burchard was swept up into its philosophy wholehardedly. Abandoning his jazz roots, he hung out with the Amon Duul commune of freaked out musicians (He even plays on Phallus Dei, Amon Duul’s first album). After Burchard became aware of the new music, he recruited Edgar Hofmann, who plays Reeds, flutes and violin, and is the only other constant name seen with Embryo over the years.

With Burchard on drums, Hofmann on sax, a monster bass player, and the guitarist from Ten Years After (John Kelly), Embryo gave birth to their first album. Most of the music from 1969-1970 in Germany, sounds deeply influenced by either Zappa, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, or the Canterbury sound. Embryo’s Opal sounds, if nothing else, like Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew, with a touch of “Can” thrown in. And that’s a good thing. Almost the whole album is instrumental. “End of Soul” is a cool, spoken word eulogy for the death of soul music. Opal’s psychedelia paints with the palette of free jazz, and bebop, and not just blues, 50s rock or Fluxus/Musique Concrete like most acid music. Edgar Hofmann’s Sax work comes across singular, and beautiful. The world music influences have not yet touched the band here, as it would later on. John Kelly’s guitar work compliments the others perfectly, and gives the band that cool rock and roll edge.

There is 29 minutes of bonus music, from an early session with the bass player from Amon Duul, Hofmann’s Sax, and Burchard’s drums. The 26+ minutes of jamming included here, displays Embryo in its fetal stage of developement, before Fischer and Kelly joined.

Take the embryonic step, to discover the birth of this fantastic band.

Line-up:
- Christian Burchard / drums, vocals
- Ralph Fischer / bass, vocals (1 to 8)
- Edgar Hofmann / saxophone, flute, percussion
- John Kelly / guitar, vocals
with
- Bettsy Alleh / vocals
- Roberto Detree / motocello
- Lothar Meid / bass (9-10)
- Holger Trulsch / bongos

Track List:
01. Opal (2:41)
02. You Don’t Know What’s Happening (4:48)
03. Revolution (4:32)
04. Glockenspiel (5:04)
05. Gotnotime (1:30)
06. Call (3:31)
07. End of Soul (4:08)
08. People From Out The Space (7:31)
09. You Better Have Some Fun (Bonus) (2:35)
10. Lauft (Bonus) (26:30)

Links in comments.

Embryo

Camel – Moonmadness (1976) (@256)

28 May 2007

(Review from vintageprog.com)

Camel returned to vocals again on their 4th album “Moonmadness”. Just like “The Snow Goose” it was one of their very best ones, demonstrating the distinctive Camel-sound and their strongly melodic symphonic progressive rock at its absolutely best. The album opened with the short, keyboard-based piece “Aristillus” that allowed Bardens to show his unique keyboard-style to full effect. “Song Within a Song” is as the title says basically two songs. The first part of it is a very relaxed and atmospheric vocal-part where the flute and el-piano builds perfectly up around Latimer’s pleasant voice. The second part is an excellent instrumental piece with lots of Latimer’s and Bardens’ superb playing. “Chord Change” is a very typical Camel-instrumental in the jazzier vein with strong riffs relieved by more free-floating parts. “Spirit of the Waters” is a short vocal-piece with the most wonderful melody you can imagine, and a very atmospheric and mystical twist on Latimer’s voice. “Another Night” is another excellent song although in a more commercial way, even if it’s 7 minutes long. “Air Born” is simply Camel at their most touchingly beautiful, melodic and symphonic. Probably my favourite track on the whole album. The closing-number “Lunar Sea” is a lengthy and impressive instrumental where Bardens delivers lots of spacey atmospheres on his keyboards. “Moonmadness” was yet another classic album from Camel.

Line-up:
- Doug Ferguson / bass, lead vocal on 2
- Andy Ward / drums, percussion, voice on 1
- Peter Bardens / keyboards, vocal on 4
- Andy Latimer / guitars, flute, recorder and vocal on 2, 5 and 6

Track List:
01. Aristilus (1:59)
02. Song Within a Song (6:48)
03. Chord Change (7:18)
04. Spirit of the Water (2:09)
05. Another Night (7:00)
06. Air Born (5:04)
07. Lunar Sea (9:14)

Link in comments.

Andy Ward, Camel, Peter Bardens

Camel – Snow Goose (1975) (@256)

28 May 2007

(Review from vintageprog.com)

“The Snow Goose” was an instrumental concept-album based on Paul Gallico’s book of the same name, and is often regarded as Camel’s finest moment. The sound of the album was far more symphonic, polished and atmospheric than anything on their two first albums and featured some of their strongest melodies and themes ever. A few passages also included some orchestration, giving a very big and impressive sound. Many of the tracks on the album are rather short (there were 16 of them!) but all of them floats into one another and creates a 45-minutes constant flow of music. The album opens with the lush, symphonic sounds of “The Great Marsh” and moves then over into “Rhayader” that next to “Supertwister” stands as the best flute-theme Latimer ever wrote. The more complex “Rhayader Goes to Town” demonstrated the instrumental abilities of all the members very well, even if Latimer and Bardens remained the main musicians. “Fritha” and “Rhayader Alone” showed Latimer from his most beautiful and utterly atmospheric side, while the title-track showed his melodic guitar-playing from its best side. As I said, this is an instrumental album but “Migration” does in fact feature some vocals but there are no lyrics, just a very catchy vocal-theme sung by Latimer. Side 2 opens with the cheerful “Flight of the Snow Goose” that quickly goes into the more free-floating “Preparation” that makes some truly haunting atmospheres. “Dunkirk” is orchestrated progressive rock at its most powerful and majestic, building slowly up to an energetic finale. Then come some short and atmospheric interludes again before “La Princesse Perdue” that re-visits several earlier themes of the album. And at last, the whole album slows gently down and returns to the opening “The Great Marsh” that is slowly faded out and marked the ending of one of progressive rock’s most memorable and successful instrumental albums.

Line-up:
- Andy Ward / drums, percussion, vibes
- Doug Ferguson / bass, duffle coat
- Peter Bardens / organ, Minimoog, acoustic & electric pianos, pipe organ, ARP Odyssey
- Andy Latimer / electric, acoustic & slide guitars, flute, vocals

Track List:
01. The Great Marsh (2:02)
02. Rhayader (3:01)
03. Rhayader Goes To Town (5:20)
04. Sanctuary (1:05)
05. Fritha (1:19)
06. The Snow Goose (3:12)
07. Friendship (1:44)
08. Migration (2:01)
09. Rhayader Alone (1:50)
10. Flight Of The Snow Goose (2:40)
11. Preparation (3:58)
12. Dunkirk (5:19)
13. Epitaph (2:07)
14. Fritha Alone (1:40)
15. La Princesse Perdue (4:44)
16. The Great Marsh (1:20)

Link in comments.

Andy Ward, Camel, Peter Bardens

Styx – The Grand Illusion (1977) (@320)

28 May 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

It’s unfair to compare Styx to the kings of the progressive movement, as they never tried to wield the highly ambitious approach of acts like Yes, King Crimson or Genesis. Styx had a typically American-style progressive sound, much like Kansas in that they could shape both commercially viable songs as well as more involved pieces. Clearly, Kansas were a little more adventurous in their early days, but Styx certainly has a heaping handful of prog songs and prog-ish albums to their credit. ‘The Grand Illusion’ is certainly their crowning achievement, a most successful balance of their hard rock origins and their leanings toward material of a more sublime nature. By now, Tommy Shaw was not only the new kid but an equal contributor, singing and writing his share of ‘The Grand Illusion’. Along with Dennis DeYoung’s angelic vocal clarity and penchant for the pompous, as well as James Young’s more earthy, heavier influence, ‘The Grand Illusion’ is an expertly crafted and superbly performed piece of work.

Styx presented a stylistic variety of material on all their albums previous, which sometimes worked, but also resulted in an apparent lack of direction. ‘The Grand Illusion’ carefully walks the line between near-metal (“Miss America”), pomp/art-rock (“Superstars”), economical epics (“Come Sail Away”) and keyboard-dominated prog (“The Grand Illusion”, the utterly fantastic “Castle Walls”). Add to all that the added depth that Tommy Shaw’s writing brought on board with “Fooling Yourself” and “Man In The Wilderness”, and you’ve got an album that takes many a journey throughout its well-sequenced 8-song ride (final song being “The Grand Finale”, bringing together elements heard throughout the body of the album…Genesis-style, that!). DeYoung’s synths had never been as ambitious and well-recorded as on this album. Just listen to his work throughout “Fooling Yourself”: a feast for any lover of synth sounds with a great player wringing them out. Everyone else is in top form on this album, mirroring the amazing chemistry the band wielded on their final album with Shaw’s predecessor, John Curulewski (the great ‘Equinox’). Powerful recording and production work adds clarity and punch to the material, thanks to the band themselves and production assistant Barry Mraz (who had been working with them since ‘The Serpent Is Rising’). This is the album Styx had been working up to with the 6 albums previous, a real pinnacle achievement.

Line-up:
- John Panozzo / drums, percussion, vocals
- Tommy Shaw / acoustic, electric and 12-string guitars, vocals
- Dennis Deyoung / keyboards, vocals, synthesizers
- James Young / guitars, vocals
- Chuck Panozzo / bass, vocals

Track List:
01. The Grand Illusion (4:36)
02. Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) (5:29)
03. Superstars (3:59)
04. Come Sail Away (6:07)
05. Miss America (5:01)
06. Man in the Wilderness (5:49)
07. Castle Walls (6:00)
08. The Grand Finale (1:58)

Link in comments.

Styx

Embryo (with Mal Waldron) – For Eva (1967) (@256)

27 May 2007

Request of Thalamus.

(Review from amazon.com)

I was really shocked, at how great a jazz Vibraphone player Christian Burchard was. As at teenager, he was hanging with as many jazz musicians as he could find. Later, he moved to Munich, and hooked up with Mal Waldron, a big name in Jazz.

What you will hear, is a typical jazz “cool school” quartet, of bass, drums, piano (Mal Waldron) and vibraphone (Burchard.) Naturally, Waldron leads the group, and they play most of his composistions, although one piece represents an early composistional attempt of Burchard, “For Eva”, his teenage wife.

The quality of the recording isn’t bad. It’s not a studio piece, but rather recorded live at a gig. There was some drop outs at one place, and once someone brushes up against the mic. Also, there are applauses. But the audience is quiet, and the music is well represented. A complete movement from cool school jazz, to jazz-world beat-rock fusion, in just a few years.

This album should appeal to any Embryo fan, who has the least bit of interest in jazz.

Line-up:
- Mal Waldron / percussion
- Christian Burchard / vibes
- Dieter Serfas / drums
- Reinhard Knieper / bass

Track List:
01. Sugar Lump (5:09)
02. For Eva (7:54)
03. For Bob (11:26)
04. Cool World (12:04)
05. Anka’s Trance (10:24)
06. Autumn Leaves (3:50)
07. Infinite You (5:16)
08. Bud Study (5:20)
09. Fire Waltz (4:28)

Links in comments.

Embryo

Pat Travers – Putting It Straight (1977) (@320) (VINYL)

27 May 2007

Request of anonymous.

(Review from amazon.com, wikipedia)

Travers first picked up the guitar just prior to entering his teens, after witnessing a local performance by the great Jimi Hendrix. It wasn’t long before Travers was studying the other top rock guitarists of the day (Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, etc.), and paying his dues by playing in bar bands in the Quebec area.

While performing with Merge, he was noticed by rock artist Ronnie Hawkins, who invited Travers to perform with him. Next, the young guitarist moved to London and landed a deal with the Polydor label in his early 20′s.

“Putting it Straight”, his third album, starts off with the speeding mammoth, shiny metallic freight train that is “Life in London.” Pat Travers’ last word on the punk scene that was consuming London at the time. Fast, hard & metallic, “Life in London” is a juggernaut stomping on the lifeless corpse that punk would be in a couple of years. The second & third songs, “It Ain’t What it Seems” & “Speakeasy” are rollicking guitar riff driven tunes that speak of goodtimes & bad. “Running from the Future” (my favorite song off the album) is a monster of Jazzy metal heaviness with guitar breaks that bring tears to my eyes. The sound he gets out of his guitar is just incredible on this song & the album as a whole, truely unique. “Running from the Future’s” subject is also as forboding as it is heavy. Pat Travers speaking of his drug use, knowing it will lead to nowhere. “Lovin’ You” is a keyboard driven song of love & regret. The funky instrumental “Off Beat Ride” demonstrates Pat Travers’ fusion side not unlike Jeff Beck’s “Wired”, it also shows Pat Travers’ considerable keyboard talents. The giant funky metallic riffery & time changes of “Gettin’ Betta” is a immortal Pat Travers classic. It draws you in like a set of white water rapids, full of bumps & grinds, you have to hang on! The last song, “Dedication” is gorgeous. It’s melody takes you away.

This is the last album to feature the tremendous drumming of future Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain.

Line-up:
* Pat Travers – guitar, vocals
* Peter “Mars” Cowling – bass
* Nicko McBrain – drums

Track List:
01. Life in London
02. Gettin’ Betta
03. Runnin’ from the Future
04. Off Beat Ride
05. It Ain’t What It Seems
06. Lovin’ You
07. Dedication
08. Speakeasy

Link in comments.

Nicko McBrain, Pat Travers

Chicken Shack – O.K. Ken? (1969) (@256)

27 May 2007

(Review from brumbeat.net)

Chicken Shack toured the U.K. in 1967 along with labelmates Fleetwood Mac whose bass guitarist John McVie struck up a friendship with Christine Perfect. The pair kept in touch after the tour and a long-distance relationship developed. In September 1968, Chicken Shack performed for the first of several times at the influential “Mothers” club in Birmingham.

During the next year, Chicken Shack put out a few singles and a second album entitled “OK Ken?” but it was not until the release of the Etta James cover “I’d Rather Go Blind” in 1969 that the band had their first chart success. The record featured a lead vocal by Christine Perfect and won the group many admirers. She was considered to be one of Britain’s finest female blues singers. By this time, Fleetwood Mac was enjoying much chart success. After they returned from an American tour, John McVie proposed to Christine and she accepted after deciding to leave Chicken Shack to become a housewife. Ironically she had just been voted best female vocalist for 1969 by the NME reader’s poll, but her “retirement” from music was not to last long. She would join Fleetwood Mac as “Christine McVie” after Peter Green’s departure.

Line-up:
* Stan Webb – guitar/vocals
* Christine Perfect – vocals/keyboards
* Andy Sylvester – bass
* Dave Bidwell – drums

Track List:
01. Baby’s Got Me Crying
02. Right Way Is My Way
03. Get Like I Used to Be
04. Pony and Trap
05. Tell Me
06. Woman Is the Blues
07. I Wanna See My Baby
08. Remington Ride
09. Fishing in Your River
10. Mean Old World
11. Sweet Sixteen
12. Worried About My Woman (Bonus)
13. Six Nights in Seven (Bonus)
14. I’d Rather Go Blind (Bonus)
15. Night Life (Bonus)

Links in comments.

Chicken Shack

Camel – Camel (1973) (@256)

26 May 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

This, Camel’s first studio album, showed that they had hit the ground running. From the upbeat opener, “Slow Yourself Down”, symphonic prog of a superior quality with tinges of jazz features through to the last track. Camel were slightly late onto the scene compared with many of the bands they are listed alongside, and were clearly influenced by many of those peers. There’s more than a hint of Caravan in the music (Canterbury sound and all that), but they still find their own identity throughout the album.

The instrumental closer “Arubaluba” features some fine keyboard work by the late Peter Bardens but the album balances his talents with Andy Latimer’s guitar prowess superbly. There’s a certain naivety and at times over ambitious feel overall, with track titles such as “Six Ate” seeming corny.

The band’s creativity and song writing skills grew as they matured. While being overshadowed by the three albums that were to follow, this album’s no slouch by any means.

Line-up:
- Andy Ward / drums, percussion
- Doug Ferguson / bass, vocals
- Peter Bardens / keyboards, vocals
- Andy Latimer / guitar, vocals

Track List:
01. Slow Yourself Down
02. Mystic Queen
03. Six Ate
04. Separation
05. Never Let Go
06. Curiosity
07. Arubaluba
08. Never Let Go (Bonus Single Version)
09. Homage To The God Of Light (Bonus Live)

Link in comments.

Andy Ward, Camel, Peter Bardens

Camel – On The Road 1972 (@256)

26 May 2007

(Review from progarchives.com, wikipedia)

Camel was formed in 1971 when Andrew Latimer (guitar), Andy Ward (drums) and Doug Ferguson (bass) who had been playing as a trio called The Brew, recruited Peter Bardens (keyboards). After an initial gig to fulfill a Bardens commitment on 8th October in Belfast, Northern Ireland under the name of On, they changed their name to Camel and their first gig was at Waltham Forest Technical College, London supporting Wishbone Ash on 4 December.

1972 means that Camel haven’t even made their debut with an album. Yet here they are,performing on stage like master musicians. Indeed the quality is overwhelming, concerning (almost) every aspect. We have something not many can reach easily.Their effort is acknowledged through every minutes of this extasy. “Camel On The Road 1972″ contains four pieces of considerable long length, all four denoting a unitary brilliancy and a strong state of mind. “Lady Fantasy” and “White Rider” will be top pieces in 1974′s “Mirage”, “Six Ate” on the 1973 debut album; as for “God Of Light Revisited” I frankly don’t understand at all how it was never used again. How was it possible to be omitted from future studio releases such a wonder of a piece?! The whole album is a painkiller for every other miserable album of Camel. Without a doubt Camel’s strength was here in the 1972-1975. What is made in these years are divine and “unreal” in beauty and style. The hidden message in that nothing compares to when you make something in the name of art. They show real signs of ingenuity and passion. So much magic and so much desire. Uplifting and more than satisfying. Instrumental power! The two vocal entries in “Lady Fantasy” are pretty irrelevant and quite rudimentary compared to the rest of thirty five minutes containing instrumental geniality. Four strong compositions,reflecting of course the great minds of Camel. Cause withing these moments of bliss, the Camel band are nothing but fantastic.

This is an “official bootleg”. The sound recording is not great, but I guess that we can not complain too much since it dates from ancient times. This record has to be taken for what it is : a live set before any Camel studio album.

Line-up:
- Andrew Latimer / guitar, vocal
- Peter Bardens / keyboards, vocals
- Doug Ferguson / bass, vocals
- Andy Ward / drums

Track List:
01. Lady Fantasy
02. Six Ate
03. White Rider
04. God of Light Revisited

Link in comments.

Andy Ward, Camel, Peter Bardens

Eiliff – Eiliff (1971) (@VBR 165-174)

25 May 2007

Eiliff – Eiliff (1971) (@VBR 165-174)

(Review from progarchives.com)

Eiliff were a German instrumental band who turned fusion on its head featuring classy Canterbury-style jamming with bass, guitar and keyboards plus some ethnic instruments thrown in (mostly the sitar). Being somewhat out of step with the then dominant Kosmiche tradition, the band never really made a name for themselves despite displaying some phenomenal musicianship.

Their selftitled debut album features some killer keyboards (electric piano), wild guitar and sax interplay with very complex grooves and extended jams.

Line-up:
- Bill Brown / bass
- Rainer Bruninghaus / keyboards
- Herbert J. Kalveram / saxophone
- Detlev Landmann / drums
- Houschang Nejadepour / guitar, sitar

Track List:
01. Byrd-Night Of The Seventh Day (5:05)
02. Gammeloni (6:43)
03. Uzzek of Rigel IV (10:53)
04. Suite (20:38)

Link in comments.

Steppenwolf – Monster (1969) (@256)

25 May 2007

(Review from wikipedia, amazon.com)

Steppenwolf is best known primarily for its party-hearty rock & roll anthems. But with 1969′s Monster, the band’s fourth release, Steppenwolf showed a political side. Steppenwolf criticized US policy of the Nixon-era, making references to important issues such as the Vietnam War, draft resisters, and the decay of justice in America. While the album didn’t contain any radio-ready top-40 hits, the album as a whole remains an impressive accomplishment.

The musical ability & the arrangements shown on these songs is glaringly apparent from the opening chords of the Trilogy Monster / Suicide / America slipping from country rock into heavy metal bluster at the twinkling of an eye, with it’s built for stadium chorus’s, and cutting lyrics. The strong guitar work of Larry Byrom & Goldie McJohns keyboard work in particular stand out supporting John Kay. The band also get a chance to shine during the albums only instrumental “Fag” which is a slide guitar / piano work out which comes in welcome contrast to some of this albums heavier vocal songs.

What “Monster” proves is that there was more to Steppenwolf than their place in music history as the group that recorded the ultimate “gas’n'go” anthem with “Born to Be Wild.” But then the fact that this was a rock ground named after a Herman Hesse novel might have been a clue all by itself.

Line-up:
* John Kay – vocals, guitar, harmonica
* Jerry Edmonton – drums
* Larry Byrom – lead guitar
* Goldy McJohn – keyboards
* Rushton Moreve – bass

Track List:
01. Monster (Kay, Edmonton) / Suicide (Kay, St.Nicholas, Byrom, Edmonton) / America (Kay, Edmonton) – 9:16
02. Draft Resister (Kay, McJohn, Byrom) – 3:22
03. Power Play (Kay) – 5:26
04. Move Over (Kay, Mekler) – 2:53
05. Fag (Byrom, Edmonton, St.Nicholas) – 3:13
06. What Would You Do (If I Did That To You) (Francen, Porter) – 3:23
07. From Here To There Eventually (Kay, McJohn, Edmonton) – 5:30

Link in comments.

Steppenwolf

Vital Duo – Le Jardin Hors Du Temps (2004) (@Video)

18 May 2007

(Review from progressor.net)

Vital Duo is the Payssan brothers: Thierry and Jean-Luc. These two amazing composers and multi-instrumentalists formed the project in 1999 after they for some reason disbanded their brainchild and one of the best French bands ever existed in the history of progressive rock, Minimum Vital. Back in 2001, Vital Duo presented their first album “Ex Tempore”, which is an amazing masterpiece and is certainly one of the most innovative albums released in the new millennium. Vital Duo’s “Le Jardin Hors du Temps”, lasts about 55 minutes and includes nine compositions, only two of which: the 7-minute Se me dame and the 3-minute “Louez son nom” come from “Ex Tempore”. All seven of the other Vital Duo compositions on the DVD are fresh. In other words, “Le Jardin Hors du Temps” is actually the new Vital Duo album with two bonus tracks. It was performed, recorded, and shot in the Mussonville chapel, a small beautiful cathedral located not far from the city of Bordeaux in France. This chapel is a gorgeous monument of medieval architecture; so everything is filled with the spirit of the Middle Ages on “Le Jardin Hors du Temps”, starting with Vital Duo’s music, of course. Overall, the contents of the new Vital Duo album are about that wonderful trinity of symphonic art-rock, classical music, and medieval music, which the Payssan brothers presented on “Ex Tempore”. However, most of the numbers here are compositionally more complex than those on the duo debut album, so the predominant stylistics of “Le Jardin Hors du Temps” should, in my honest opinion, be defined as medieval classical music with elements of modern progressive rock. During the performance, Thierry plays a ‘multi-purpose’ synthesizer, cymbals, and the other metallic percussion instruments, and Jean-Luc an electric guitar, varied acoustic guitars, lute, a bass drum, and hi-hat. A couple of numbers feature vocals, and one of them: Zildeline Danse is with lyrics in one of the Slavic languages. It’s just amazing to see how skillfully these multi-instrumentalists play a few instruments simultaneously. It’s just wonderful to hear the sound of this duo: often, it’s not unlike that of a full-fledged band. Diverse interplay between solos of either electric or acoustic guitar and those of digital church organ and the other synthetic, yet, very realistically sounding keyboard and chamber instruments, including synth-bass, accompanied by the sounds of bass drum, tambourine, and cymbals, are typical for most of the contents of “Le Jardin Hors du Temps”. Performed within the precincts of a chapel, this album is possessed of a triple effect. Just open your eyes, ears, and soul and absorb this musical magic.

Track List:
01. Introit
02. Se Me Dame
03. Zildeline Danse
04. Sliman
05. Gothik
06. Le Jardin Aux Statues
07. Officium
08. Mauresque
09. Louez son nom

Video: Xvid, 720×480, 29.97 fps
Audio: MP3, @224

Links in comments.

Jean-Luc Payssan, Thierry Payssan, Video, Vital Duo

Queen – Queen II (1974) (@256)

17 May 2007

11 comments

(Review from progarchives.com)

Not content with a scorching debut album, Queen returned in 1974 with a truly masterful album. The two sides of Queen II were subtitled Side White and Side Black, and the album was divided roughly along those lines with Brian May penning almost all of Side White (drummer Roger Taylor wrote and sang The Loser In The End) and Freddie Mercury enjoying all of Side Black to himself.

What this potentially divisive move did was produce an amazing album that brims over with great progressive music. From the opening beats of the instrumental Procession to the closing singalong that concludes the amazing fantasy single Seven Seas Of Rhye, Queen II will have you on the edge of your seat. May has two wonderful tunes in the hard-rocking Father To Son and the incredibly moving White Queen (As It Began) which has some tear- jerking moments on guitar. As if to counter the power of White Queen, he handles lead vocals for the first time in the charming but relatively forgettable Some Day One Day (You’ve never heard my song before, the music was too loud” he sings) before The Loser In The End closes Side White.

Mercury’s side goes even further, with some of Queen’s greatest ever songs. The ultra- agressive fantasy metal piece Ogre Battle fairly takes one’s breath away with amazing vocals, lyrics and powerful guitar-riffing from May. It’s followed by the harpischord driven curiousity The Fairy Feller’s Master Stroke which segues into a really beautiful but incredibly brief piano ballad Nevermore. All this is then topped by The March Of The Black Queen (which I believe stands alongside My Fairy King, Father To Son, The Prophet’s Song and Bohemian Rhapsody as Queen’s great prog epics). A dark-piano driven multi-part piece, it has all the hallmarks, fantasy lyrics, outstanding harmony vocals, twists and turns that range from storming hard rock to music hall choruses (dance with the devil, beat with the band, ahh!) . Funny How Love Is provides a little bit of light relief before the glorious Seven Seas Of Rhye (which offers a lesson in how to do a prog masterpiece in less then 3 minutes) closes one of the outstanding, underrated albums of progressive rock.

Line-up:
- Freddie Mercury / vocals, piano, harpsichord
- Brian May / guitar, piano, bells, vocals
- Roger Taylor / percussion, vocals, screams
- John Deacon / bass, accoustic guitar

Track List:
01. Procession (1:12)
02. Father to Son (6:12)
03. White Queen (As It Began) (4:33)
04. Some Day One Day (4:21)
05. Loser in the End (4:01)
06. Ogre Battle (4:08)
07. Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke (2:39)
08. Nevermore (1:17)
09. March of the Black Queen (6:03)
10. Funny How Love Is (3:14)
11. Seven Seas of Rhye (2:48)

Link in comments.

Queen

Blue Oyster Cult – Some Enchanted Evening (1978) (@256)

16 May 2007

(Review from ign.com, progarchives.com)

The members of the band that was to become Blue Öyster Cult began to come together in the late 1960s, as a band called “Soft White Underbelly”; then changed into “Stalk-Forrest Group” in 1968. The name Blue Oyster Cult probably came from a 1960s poem written by manager Sandy Pearlman, though there are different versions of the story. In Pearlman’s poetry, the “Blue Oyster Cult” was a collection of aliens who had to secretly guide Earth’s history. The addition of the umlaut above the vocal “o” was suggested by either Allen Lanier or Richard Meltzer. Other bands, such as Motörhead and Queensr˙che, later copied the practice of using umlauts or diacritic marks in their own band logos. The band’s logo is the alchemical symbol for lead, one of the heaviest of metals.

Even though their previous studio release, Spectres, was one of the best selling albums of their career it just didn’t live up to the monstrous ideology of that Blue Oyster Cult had created with such seminal releases as Secret Treaties and Agents of Fortune. Everything was there, to be true—searing leads, wonderfully out of place vocal harmonies, taut rhythms—but something was also missing. Funny thing is that it was almost as if the band knew that themselves and purposely realized that they needed to release a scorching live album to the public in order to reclaim some of that raucous bar band blast they were once so (in)famous for bringing.

Some Enchanted Evening is perhaps the best introduction one could have to the bugged out world of Blue Oyster Cult. The band presents some of their best material in a manner that is not only true to the studio recordings, but also delivers them with unmistakable energy imbued in a live setting. Give this to any Blue Oyster Cult virgin and they’ll be able to tie a cherry stem into a bow without thinking twice.

Line-up:
* Eric Bloom – lead vocals, stun guitar
* Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser – lead guitar, vocals
* Allen Lanier – keyboards, rhythm guitar, synthesizers
* Joseph Bouchard – bass, vocals
* Albert Bouchard – drums, vocals

Track List:
01. R.U. Ready 2 Rock
02. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)
03. Astronomy
04. Kick Out the Jams
05. Godzilla
06. (Don’t Fear) The Reaper
07. We Gotta Get Out of This Place

Link in comments.

Blue Oyster Cult

Minimum Vital – Les Mondes de… (1994) (@Video)

16 May 2007

(Review from progressor.net, musearecords.com)

At the end of 1993, Thierry and Jean-Luc Payssan were very unsatisfied and nearly thought about quitting the band. But they had composed new music, and they were sure they could go one step further on the La Source direction. So they had no other choice but to form a fresh, new Minimum Vital. They kept Eric Rebeyrol on bass, and got drummer Charly Berna and Sonia Nedelec on vocals. This team was probably the best incarnation of the band. The new band began to tour in 1994 and got the opportunity to play at the Progfest Festival in Los Angeles, where the audience reaction was really enthusiastic. They began to think of a new album, but they wanted to present the new band as soon as possible. So they decided to record the videotape called Les Mondes De / Worlds Of Minimum Vital, which was released in March 1995.

Minimum Vital’s famous live video “Les Mondes de” allows to understand better the strange attraction that charmed the American audience, reputedly very demanding, during the 51 minutes that the Los Angeles’ ProgFest 1994 performance lasted. It comprises pieces from their first three albums, as well as unreleased tracks.

The material originally released on VHS were carefully remastered. Live numbers present the latest period of creation of Minimum Vital with charming Sonja Nedelec as a lead singer. Sonja’s vocals with lyrics in the Breton dialect are simply fantastic.

Track List:
01. Les Mondes de Miranda
02. Modern Trad’
03. Dans Les Chateaux / Porte Sur L’Ete
04. Ann Dey Floh
05. Mystical West
06. A Bien Des Egards
07. La Source

Video: Xvid, 720×480, 29.97 fps
Audio: MP3, @224

Links in comments.

Jean-Luc Payssan, Minimum Vital, Thierry Payssan, Video

Pink Fairies – Kings of Oblivion (1973) (@224)

16 May 2007

Request of Michael.

(Review from wikipedia, allmusic.com)

Pink Fairies were a British heavy/progressive/alternative rock group active in the London (Ladbroke Grove) underground and psychedelic scene of the early 1970s . They promoted free music, drug taking and anarchy and often performed impromptu gigs and other agitprop stunts, such as free outside the gates at the Isle of Wight pop festival, the Windsor Free Festivals as well as appearing at the first Glastonbury outing and Phun City. Several of these free music events were held in conjunction with fellow Ladbroke Grove band Hawkwind, members of the two bands appearing together as “Pinkwind”.

The band led by Canadian Paul Rudolph on rock guitar; Duncan (Sandy) Sanderson on bass; and two drummers, Twink, and Russell Hunter, toured North America before launching their first “trippy” album. Shortly after their debut, Twink departed. After their second, Rudolph exited to become a full-time member of Hawkwind, and was replaced by UFO’s Larry Wallis.

The third and final Pink Fairies (original era) studio album, Kings of Oblivion, welcomed guitarist Larry Wallis to the brew, bringing with him some of the band’s most remarkable — and concise — material yet. The opening “City Kids”, famously recut by Motörhead during Wallis’ sojourn with that band, is as dynamic an opener as the Pink Fairies ever had, while the album’s two epics, “I Wish I Was a Girl” and “Street Urchin,” similarly catch the band as they made a sharp turn away from the rockin’ riff jam basics that scarred their second LP, What a Bunch of Sweeties, and moved instead into the affirmative guttercat stance that so effectively predicted the rudiments of punk rock. Indeed, if any album could be said to have been born ahead of its time, Kings of Oblivion, conceived in 1973 but sounding just like 1977, is it. In common with the rest of the remastered Pink Fairies albums, Kings of Oblivion divides its bonus tracks between unfamiliar versions of familiar material (most pressingly, an urgent alternate mix of “City Kids”) and non-album material. This includes two versions of the loping “Well Well Well” and the country rock-ish “Hold On” dating from 1972, and a single cut with Wallis’ short-lived predecessor, Mick Wayne, and it’s gratifying to have them on CD at last. Truly, though, Kings of Oblivion could exist just as happily without the extras; greeted at the time as the Pink Fairies’ best album, it remains a tightly coiled, furiously adrenalined beast, the summation of everything that the Pink Fairies promised and all that subsequent reunions have continued to deliver.

Line-up:
* Larry Wallis – guitar, vocals
* Duncan Sanderson – bass, vocals
* Russell Hunter – drums

Track List:
01. City Kids
02. I Wish I Was A Girl
03. When’s The Fun Begin ?
04. Chromium Plating
05. Raceway
06. Chambermaid
07. Street Urchin
08. Well, Well, Well (Bonus Single Version)
09. Hold On (Bonus Single Version)
10. City Kids (Bonus Alternate Mix – Previously Unreleased)
11. Well, Well, Well (Bonus Alternate Mix – Previously Unreleased)

Link in comments.

Pink Fairies

Traveling Wilburys – Vol.3 (1990) (@256)

16 May 2007

(Review from allmusic.com)

The Traveling Wilburys’ second album, incongruously titled Vol. 3, sounds for all the world like a dead-ringer for their debut, but the feel is considerably different. It isn’t that Roy Orbison sadly died shortly after the release of Vol. 1 (which does make a slight difference), it’s that the guys are sounding like they’re trying very, very hard to have fun — how else to explain the exhortation to dance around with underwear on your head on “Wilbury Dance”. No matter how silly the first Wilburys record got, it was frequently clever and never self-conscious — the polar opposite of its sequel, actually. Occasionally, these guys do get off a couple of good tunes — they’re seasoned professionals, after all, and they can make a throwaway like “She’s My Baby” infectious — but they don’t do it a whole lot, and the rest of the record is padded out with songs that try hard to be fun, but never are. It’s unfair to lay the blame on the absence of Orbison, since if he was around, the results would likely to have been the same. After all, it’s nearly impossible to capture lightning in a bottle once, and it’s a fool’s game to try to do it twice.

Line-up:
* Jeff Lynne – Guitars, bass guitar, keyboards, piano, vocals
* George Harrison – Guitars, mandolin, sitar, vocals
* Tom Petty – Guitars, keyboards, vocals
* Bob Dylan – Guitars, harmonica, vocals

Track List:
01. She’s My Baby – 3:14
02. Inside Out – 3:36
03. If You Belonged To Me – 3:13
04. Devil’s Been Busy – 3:18
05. 7 Deadly Sins – 3:18
06. Poor House – 3:17
07. Where Were You Last Night? – 3:03
08. Cool Dry Place – 3:37
09. New Blue Moon – 3:21
10. You Took My Breath Away – 3:18
11. Wilbury Twist – 2:56

Link in comments.

Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Traveling Wilburys

Jeff Lynne – Armchair Theatre (1990) (@256)

16 May 2007

(Review from allmusic.com)

Jeff Lynne has managed to resurrect the careers of several of his heroes (George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan), as well as more recent arrivals (Tom Petty) and somehow managed to start the supergroup for fun, under silly names trend with the Traveling Wilburys. Armchair Theatre, then, is a collection of 11 songs, including several covers, and influences run rampant, from the upbeat Beatlesque “Every Little Thing” to the closing eco/peace anthem “Save Me Now”, a touching acoustic number that reflects, of all things, Peter, Paul and Mary when they were blowin’ with Bob Dylan’s wind. Along the way, there are several cover songs, including “September Song” and “Stormy Weather”, both of which are such wonky choices and played with such delighted syrupy lounge-lizard panache that you can’t help but like them. It isn’t a great album, but it is a good, affectionate, subdued recording. It deserves to be heard because it manages to be appealing without sounding overproduced, glossy, or outlandishly mindless. It was something Lynne did because he wanted to do it, not because he wanted to sell millions of records. That makes all the difference in the world.

Line-up:
* Jeff Lynne: Guitars, bass guitar, piano, keyboards, synthesizer, percussion, cello, vocals
* Richard Tandy: Keyboards, organ, piano, electric guitar, vocals
* George Harrison: Guitars, vocals
* Mette Mathiesen: Drums, percussion
* Jim Horn: Saxophones
* Phil Hatton: Backing vocals
* Dave Morgan: Backing vocals
* Michael Kamen: String arrangements

Track List:
01. Every Little Thing (Lynne) – 3:41
02. Don’t Let Go (Stone) – 3:00
03. Lift Me Up (Lynne) – 3:36
04. Nobody Home (Lynne) – 3:51
05. September Song (Anderson/Weill) – 2:57
06. Now You’re Gone (Lynne) – 3:57
07. Don’t Say Goodbye (Lynne) – 3:09
08. What Would It Take (Lynne) – 2:40
09. Stormy Weather (Koehler/Arlen) – 3:42
10. Blown Away (Lynne/Petty) – 3:29
11. Save Me Now (Lynne) – 2:39

Link in comments.

George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Richard Tandy

Traveling Wilburys – Vol. 1 (1988) (@256)

15 May 2007

(Review from wikipedia, allmusic.com)

Reversing the usual process by which groups break up and give way to solo careers, the Traveling Wilburys are a group made up of solo stars. Initially an informal grouping with Roy Orbison and Tom Petty, they got together at Bob Dylan’s studio (Santa Monica, California) to record an additional track as a B-side for the single release of Harrison’s “This is Love”. The song they came up with was “Handle with Care”. However, the record company immediately realized it was too good to be released as a single “filler”.

They enjoyed working together so much that they decided to create an album together. Written by all its members, writing and recording was accomplished by this group over a ten-day period because Dylan was due to go on tour.

The Traveling Wilburys are the only supergroup that lives up to expectations because they underplay them. They never shoot for the moon on their 1988 debut, they simply lay back and have a little fun. Anyone expecting something monumental will be disappointed, yet that’s precisely what’s fun about it — Dylan, Petty, Harrison, Lynne, and Orbison are having such a good time that it’s hard not to get caught up in the spirit of things. The songs? Well, the songs are on one level a mixed bag, a blend of easy rockers, folk-tunes, and silly jokes, but even if these might sound like throwaways on “serious” albums, they sound fresh, lively, funny, even heart-rending here. Apart from the two singles, “Handle With Care” and “End of the Line,” the highlights belong to Dylan, who’s having more fun here than he’s had since The Basement Tapes (check out the Springsteen parody “Tweeter and the Monkey Man” for proof). If Lynne’s production is a little lush and lavish for these roots rockers, it’s nevertheless warm, welcoming, and appropriate, helping make Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 a unique record, different than anything in any of the members’ own catalogs.

Line-up:
* Jeff Lynne – keyboards, guitars, lead vocals, backing vocals
* George Harrison – guitars, lead vocals, backing vocals
* Tom Petty – bass,acoustic guitar, lead vocals, backing vocals
* Roy Orbison – acoustic guitar, lead vocals, backing vocals
* Bob Dylan – acoustic guitar, harmonica, lead vocals, backing vocals

Track List:
01. Handle with Care – 3:20
02. Dirty World – 3:30
03. Rattled – 3:00
04. Last Night – 3:48
05. Not Alone Any More – 3:24
06. Congratulations – 3:30
07. Heading for Light – 3:37
08. Margarita – 3:15
09. Tweeter and the Monkey Man – 5:30
10. End of the Line – 3:30

Link in comments.

Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Traveling Wilburys

Genesis – A Trick of the Tail (1976) (@256)

15 May 2007

(Review from vintageprog.com)

It’s not hard to understand why many people wrote off Genesis after Peter Gabriel’s departure in 1975, as he’d always been seen as the cornerstone and most important member in the band. However, Genesis’ first post-Gabriel album proved that to be a myth. Drummer Phil Collins had taken over all the vocals, and he sounded almost exactly like Gabriel himself. And most important, the music was still classic Genesis and almost as good as the best albums with Gabriel. Of course, as everyone knows, this apparent faithfulness to the classic Genesis-sound would prove to only be temporarily from Collins & co, but “A Trick of the Tail” is still worthy of being called a classic Genesis album. The songwriting is top-notch all the way through; the same goes for the arrangements and production. “Dance on a Volcano”, “Entangled”, “Mad Man Moon”, “Robbery, Assault and Battery”, “Ripples” and “Los Endos”…it’s all classic symphonic progressive 70′s rock as good as it ever could get. The title-track is in a slightly poppier vein, and “Sqounk” had a more polished stadium-sound that unfortunately would become more dominant soon. But “A Trick of the Tail” still belongs in your collection together with the Gabriel-era albums.

Line-up:
- Tony Banks / pianos, synthesizers, organ, mellotron, 12 string guitar, backing vocals
- Phil Collins / drums, percussion, lead and back vocals
- Steve Hackett / electric guitar, 12 string guitar
- Mike Rutherford / 12 string guitar, basses, bass pedals

Track List:
01. Dance On A Volcano (5:53)
02. Entangled (6:28)
03. Squonk (6:27)
04. Mad Man Moon (7:35)
05. Robbery, Assault & Battery (6:15)
06. Ripples (8:03)
07. A Trick Of The Tail (4:34)
08. Los Endos (5:46)

Link in comments.

Anthony Phillips, Genesis, Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins, Tony Banks

Electric Light Orchestra – Zoom (2001) (@256)

14 May 2007

(Review from amazon.co.uk, rollingstone.com)

Although Zoom marks ELO’s first proper album for 15 years, it’d be unjust to accuse Jeff Lynne of resting on his laurels. After all, the ELO main man has been busier than most in that time, becoming a much sought-after producer for the likes of Tom Petty (Full Moon Fever and Into The Great Wide Open), George Harrison (Cloud Nine), Paul McCartney (Flaming Pie) and the Beatles themselves (he produced the reunion single “Free As A Bird” from their first Anthology).

On Zoom, Lynne again demonstrates his unique knack for combining simple tunes and lyrics with grandiose, symphonic music, a formula that made ELO one of the biggest bands of the 1970s. Zoom lacks the thematic coherence that marked some of the band’s best work (notably Out of the Blue, A New World Record, Eldorado and Time) and few of Zoom’s songs feature the grand orchestrations that defined the group. Instead, Lynne showcases his strengths as a composer of pop songs. On Zoom, his songs are a bit more introspective and personal, as well as slightly scaled down–the namesake “Orchestra” has become more of a string quartet. But with songs like the Beatles-esque “Ordinary Dream”, the rocking “Easy Money” (with Ringo Starr on drums), the mellow “A Long Time Gone” (with George Harrison on slide guitar) and first single “Alright”, it’s a change that works.

Aside from keyboardist Richard Tandy, who appears on only one cut, Lynne’s the sole ELOer here.

Line-up:
* Jeff Lynne / bass, cello, vocals, string Arrangements, producer, vocals, piano (electric), keyboards, guitar (rhythm), drums, guitar, piano
* Richard Tandy / piano (electric)
* Kris Wilkinson / string arrangements
* Suzie Katayama / cello
* Marc Mann / conductor, string arrangements, digital editing, guitar (rhythm)
* Rosie Vela / vocals (background), dance (tap), string arrangements
* Reverend Dave Boruff / saxophone
* Roger Lebow / cello
* George Harrison / slide guitar
* Ringo Starr / drums

Track List:
01. Alright (3:13)
02. Moment in Paradise (3:36)
03. State of Mind (3:04)
04. Just for Love (3:40)
05. Stranger on a Quiet Street (3:41)
06. In My Own Time (3:03)
07. Easy Money (2:51)
08. It Really Doesn’t Matter (3:20)
09. Ordinary Dream (3:23)
10. Long Time Gone (3:15)
11. Melting in the Sun (3:10)
12. All She Wanted (3:14)
13. Lonesome Lullaby (4:02)

Link in comments.

Bev Bevan, Electric Light Orchestra, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Richard Tandy

T2 – It'll All Work Out In Boomland (1970) (@256)

14 May 2007

11 comments

(Review from amazon.com)

T2, just like Emerson, Lake & Palmer, was one of those prog rock bands that got one of their first public exposures at the Isle of Wight Festival in August 1970. While ELP had became one of the most recognized figures in prog the world over with chart topping albums and songs that used to receive regular FM radio airplay, T2 more went the way of Cressida, Gracious, Spring, etc. by quickly vanishing in to obscurity and making their albums quite rare and sought after. “It’ll All Work Out In Boomland”, originally released in 1970 on Decca in the UK and London here in the US, was T2 one and only album released during their lifetime (I believe a never before released second album called Fantasy surfaced on CD just a few years back). The band consisted of guitarist and keyboardist Keith Cross, drummer and vocalist Peter Dunton, and bassist Bernard Jinks. Apparently Keith Cross was just 17 at the time of this album, but he played guitar like a seasoned vetaran. The music is mostly high energy guitar jams. Peter Dunton’s vocals seem unusually quiet for such loud music, his vocals work best on the second cut, “J.L.T.”, which is a more laid back cut. The rest of the album is much more typical early ’70s prog rock with some unbelievable intesity, that is “No More White Horses”, “In Circles”, and the side length “Morning”. At first I was a bit disappointed with the album as it’s pretty obvious who was the center of this album: Keith Cross’ guitar where it was obvious he was just showing off, but then I really become to appreciate this album. If you’re a keyboard lover, look elsewhere, the only keyboard I notice here is piano, there might be Mellotron on “J.L.T.”, but it could be real strings (the album credits don’t say). If you like mindblowing intense guitar-oriented prog rock, be sure to give “It’ll All Work Out in Boomland” a try.

Line-up:
- Keith Cross / guitars, keyboards, harmony vocals
- Peter Dunton / drums, lead vocals
- Bernard Jinks / bass guitar, harmony vocals

Track List:
01. In Circles (8:34)
02. J.L.T. (5:44)
03. No More White Horses (8:35)
04. Morning (21:14)

Link in comments.

Spriguns – Time Will Pass (1977) (@256)

14 May 2007

(Review from dustygroove.com, allmusic.com)

One of the most enigmatic groups of the British scene of the 70s — a folksy outfit with a sound that often has a real late 60s approach, but which is also produced here with some nice compressed studio touches that we really love! The style is a bit hard to peg, but there’s bits of Celtic music in the mix — alongside a more straightforward level of rhythm and instrumentation — far more so than the group’s previous record for Decca. Vocalist Mandy Morton has a sound that’s strong enough to carry the record on its own, but the support from the group is great — and a few tracks even feature some nice use of strings to sweeten up the tunes.

This is Spriguns’ follow-up to Revel Weird and Wild, and it is much more pop-oriented than their previous album. All but one song was composed by lead singer Mandy Morton, and fiddler Tom Ling, who was a full-time member on Revel Weird and Wild, was relegated to guest musician here; so the traditional or folk elements were noticeably reduced. Robert Kirby’s lush orchestration adorns three selections in a manner similar to Sandy Denny’s Like an Old Fashioned Waltz. Sandy Roberton, who produced Steeleye Span’s early folk albums, opted for a more pop and rock sound, as the implementation of electric keyboards and rock guitar demonstrates.

Line-up:
- Mandy Morton / lead vocals & acoustic guitar
- Wayne Morrison / lead guitar, acoustic guitars, mandolin & vocals
- Dick Powell / electric guitar, keyboards & vocals
- Mike Morton / bass & vocals
- Dennis Dunstan / drums & percussion
- Robert Kirby / orchestral arrangements (2, 5 & 9)
- Lea Nicholson / concertina
- Tom Ling / electric violin

Track List:
01. Dead Man’s Eyes (3:46)
02. All Before (2:44)
03. For You (3:37)
04. Time Will Pass (2:28)
05. White Witch (3:04)
06. Blackwaterside (5:13)
07. You’re Not There (2:51)
08. Devil’s Night (2:52)
09. Letter To A Lady (5:11)

Link in comments.

Spriguns

Electric Light Orchestra – Balance of Power (1986) (@256)

13 May 2007

1 comment

(Review from amazon.com, wikipedia)

Jeff Lynne had wanted to quit recording albums under the ELO name for some time. He felt that the formula for ELO was limiting his abilities as a songwriter/producer. Balance of Power was the last studio album by the Electric Light Orchestra for a period of over 15 years. By this time Kelly Groucutt had departed and the group was pared down to a trio, with Jeff Lynne handling bass in addition to his usual guitar work and more recent dabbling with electronic percussion and synthezisers. Although the songs on the album appear upbeat and bright, the lyrics denote a sadness throughout (perhaps indicating Jeff Lynne’s mood at the time regarding the break-up of the band).

The biggest problem is that the overall sound slides too far into the mid-80s mainstream. Time and Secret Messages were both heavy on keyboards but kept the feel of an ELO album, with sound effects, vocal harmonies and little links between tracks, and the richness in the production that keeps listeners interested. Balance of Power has all the keyboards but not enough else – ten short songs that last barely 30 minutes in total, and with too much of two of my musical hates: fades and drum machines.

Lynne himself has said that this album was made purely to satisfy his contractual obligations, which is hardly a recommendation. In truth, it sounds more like a collection of oddments – not bad in itself but not a patch on the lovingly lavish creations of ELO’s heyday.

Line-up:
- Bev Bevan / drums, percussion
- Jeff Lynne / lead vocals, background vocals, guitars, bass guitars, keyboards, piano
- Richard Tandy / keyboards, piano, sequence programming
- Christian Shneider / sax

Track List:
01. Heaven Only Knows (2:52)
02. So Serious (2:38)
03. Getting to the Point (4:28)
04. Secret Lives (3:26)
05. It Is Alright (3:25)
06. Sorrow About to Fall (3:59)
07. Without Someone (2:48)
08. Calling America (3:26)
09. Endless Lies (2:55)
10. Send It (3:04)

Link in comments.

Bev Bevan, Electric Light Orchestra, Jeff Lynne, Richard Tandy

Electric Light Orchestra – Secret Messages (1983) (@256)

13 May 2007

(Review from amazon.com)

I remember being disappointed when this album first appeared on vinyl. I adored (still do) the post-Roy Wood / pre-Discovery albums, and really missed Jeff Lynne’s complex and full-bodied orchestral and choral arrangements, through which the group had (after Wood’s departure) truly fulfilled its name, “The Electric Light Orchestra.” When they officially changed their name to “ELO” upon the release of Discovery, it signified a dramatic change in the group’s approach to popular music.

Since the original release of Secret Message, however, the album has grown on me. There is not a bad song on the original release – most are at least very good, and a couple are almost on par with the group’s best work. Some, like Bluebird, Take Me On And On , and Letter From Spain, harken back to the deeply emotional quality of some of Lynn’s earlier song writing. All of them are rich in texture. The guitar work on Take Me On And On, for instance, is crisp and bluesy; and Train Of Gold reveals new layers of sound upon repeated listening. Other reviewers have complained that Rock ‘N’ Roll Is King is ultra-poppy and rockabillyesque. All true, but the song nonetheless is exactly what it strives to be. I think it still fits in stylistically with the rest of the album (partly due to the excellent guitar work, which characterizes much of Secret Messages); and, as the last track on the original release, Rock ‘N’ Roll Is King provides a nice finale.

Having said all of this, the re-issue of Secret Messages is ruined by the insertion of Time After Time, which, stylistically, is completely out of place in the middle of the album, and breaks up the otherwise perfect mix and progression of music. More detrimental, though, is the simple fact that Time After Time is one of the worst songs ELO ever produced.

Line-up:
- Jeff Lynne / vocals, background vocals, guitar, synthesizers, bass guitar, piano, percussion, Oberheim DMX
- Bev Bevan / drums, percussion
- Richard Tandy / synthesizers, grand piano, electric piano, harmonica, Oberheim DMX
- Kelly Groucutt / bass guitar, background vocals
- Dave Morgan / additional background vocals
- Mik Kaminski / violin solo on “Rock’n’ Roll Is King

Track List:
01. Secret Messages (4:43)
02. Lose Gone Wild (5:25)
03. Bluebird (4:06)
04. Take Me On and On (5:02)
05. Time After Time (4:00)*
06. Four Little Diamonds (4:05)
07. Stranger (4:27)
08. Danger Ahead (3:53)
09. Letter from Spain (2:51)
10. Train of Gold (4:21)
11. Rock’n’ Roll Is King (3:45)
12. No Way Out (Bonus)
13. Endless Lies (Bonus)
14. After All (Bonus)

* Time After Time wasn’t on the original LP release but appeared on CD issue.

Links in comments.

Bev Bevan, Electric Light Orchestra, Jeff Lynne, Kelly Groucutt, Mik Kaminski, Richard Tandy

Yardbirds – Live Yardbirds Featuring Jimmy Page (March 1968) (@320)

12 May 2007

13 comments

Request of anonymous.

(Review from allmusic.com)

Arguably the most famous lost live album in history, Live Yardbirds Featuring Jimmy Page, cut at the Anderson Theater in New York on March 30, 1968, has been issued twice on vinyl legitimately (only to be suppressed by legal action) and innumerable times since as a bootleg. In August 2000, Mooreland St. Records put out the first authorized CD edition of the performance, and it is a complete revelation. The original master tape has been improved significantly; the absence of vinyl noise is an obvious plus, but the sheer impact of the instruments is also startling, given that the show was taped by a producer who had never recorded a rock band before, on equipment that was ten years out of date. The producers have expanded this reissue with help from a separate reference tape, an audience recording that preserved the complete unedited show; it’s somewhat low-fi, but it captures material edited from the finished master, and it allows for the restoration of little nuances. Page’s guitar (which goes out of tune several times) is the dominant instrument, alternately crunchy and lyrical, but always loud and dexterous; the roughness of Keith Relf’s singing is also more apparent, but his shortcomings don’t really hurt the music. The performance also reveals just how far out in front of the psychedelic pack the Yardbirds were by the spring of 1968; Page had pushed the envelope about as far as he could, in terms of high-velocity guitar pyrotechnics. Ironically, this album isn’t quite as strong as the contemporary Truth album by Jeff Beck, mostly because the Yardbirds were still juggling three sounds: the group’s progressive pop/rock past, the psychedelia of 1968, and a harder, more advanced blues-based sound. It’s clear that they had few places left to go with the first two; “Dazed and Confused,” by contrast, represented something new, a slow blues as dark, forbidding, and intense as anything that the band had ever cut — it showed where Page, if not this band, was heading.

Line-up:
* Keith Relf – lead vocals, harmonica
* Jimmy Page – lead guitar, rhythm guitar
* Chris Dreja – bass
* Jim McCarty – drums, backing vocals, percussion

Track List:
01. The Train Kept A Rollin’
02. You’re a Better Man Than I
03. Heart Full of Soul
04. I’m Confused
05. My Baby
06. Over, Under, Sideways, Down
07. Drinking Muddy Water
08. Shapes of Things
09. White Summer
10. I’m a Man

Link in comments.

Jim McCarty, Jimmy Page, Keith Relf, Live, Yardbirds

Gentle Giant – The Missing Piece (1977) (@256)

12 May 2007

(Review from allmusic.com, progarchives.com)

Until 1977 the band’s complicated music won them fans all over the world, but as market tastes changed, their fan base ceased to grow. In an attempt to attract a wider audience, the band decided to streamline their sound with simpler styles and a more “live” sound. There were always distinctions between their complex studio work and their concert arrangements, so the band now brought the two together by testing material on the road which might work well both live and in the studio.

New styles from the band included the unconvincing “Betcha Thought We Couldn’t Do It.” . . “proof” that they could pump out power chords like anyone else; the cute “Two Weeks In Spain,” a feel-good ode to working-class vacationing; and “I’m Turning Around,” an effective and poignant power ballad. The rest of the album is more in line with the band’s classic topsy-turvy, contrapuntal arrangements. “Winning” sounds like a leftover from the previous album, while “For Nobody” delivers a nice blend of punk aggression and prog dexterity.

“The Missing Piece” is probably an underrated album. Sure it is not as mind blowing as as In a Glass House or Octopus, but this is still Gentle Giant. What this album ends up doing is expressing the band’s musical personalities in an especially direct fashion that will delight the Gentle Giant fan and they will especially treasure this music.

Line-up:
- Gary Green / guitars
- Kerry Minnear / keyboards
- Derek Shulman / vocals, saxes
- Ray Shulman / bass, violin
- John Weathers / drums

Track List:
01. Two Weeks In Spain (3:00)
02. I’m Turning Around (3:54)
03. Betcha Thought We Couldn’t Do It (2:20)
04. Who Do You Think You Are? (3:33)
05. Mountain Time (3:19)
06. As Old As You’re Young (4:19)
07. Memories Of Old Days (7:15)
08. Winning (4:12)
09. For Nobody (4:00)

Link in comments.

Gentle Giant

Yeni Turku – Vira Vira (1990) (@256)

12 May 2007

8 comments

(Info from wikipedia)

Yeni Turku was founded by Derya Koroglu, Zerrin Yasar, Selim Atakan in 1978 in Ankara, Turkey. All group members changed several times throughout the years, except the lead singer Derya Koroglu. Their music combine the sound of traditional Turkish and modern musical instruments, such as the oud, baglama, kemence, qanun and guitar. Many of their lyrics are based on poems by critically acclaimed contemporary Turkish poets. This combination produces a broad range of Turkish and Mediterranean melodies, that unites Anatolian and Byzantine cultures. Yeni Turku’s blend of traditional and ethnic songs appeals to all generations and cross-cultural audiences.

“Vira Vira” is their sixth studio album, issued in 1990.

Line-up:
* Derya Koroglu – guitar, baglama, vocals
* Selim Atakan – piano, flute
* Murat Buket – lute
* Cengiz Onural – guitar, stringed violin
* Tugrul Bayrak – bass
* Tayfun Duygulu – soprano saxophone, clarinet
* Halis Butunley – percussion, vocals

Track List:
01. Vira Vira
02. Inatci
03. Beklemek
04. Oyle Sevdik Seni
05. Irmak
06. Anne
07. Dalgaci Mahmut
08. Eski Asklar
09. Deliler
10. Umut
11. Gece Yarilari
12. Saril Bana

Link in comments.

Sakalli's Pick, Turkish

Grobschnitt – Solar Music Live (1978) (@256)

12 May 2007

10 comments

(Review from progarchives.com)

“Do you hear solar music? Do you hear solar music?” is the musical question being asked here and if this Grobschnitt live album doesn’t space you right out, it’s time to call up NASA and rent a space shuttle.

Of all the live albums in my personal collection I would have to rank Grobschnitt’s “Solar Music – Live” as one of the all time classics. I have adored this album for years and was happy to hear that Eroc of the band had re-mastered the original recording adding an extra 13 mins void off of the earlier CD pressings. “Solar Music – Live” rests on its own as yet another one of Grobschnitt’s greatest moments and is a fantastic voyage into the heart of the sun. The concert essentially runs as 1 long piece of music offering great guitar, bass and keyboard interplay. Although “Solar Music” does appear on the studio album “Ballermann” it is live where we get to hear the theatrics and the pure energy Grobschnitt were able to muster up. Keyboard work is highly atmospheric and paves a great path for the magical electrical guitar work present on this album.

Line-up:
- Stefan Danielak / guitar, vocals
- Joachim H. Ehrig / synthesizer, drums, vocals
- Wolfgang Jäger / bass
- Volker Kahrs / keyboards, vocals
- Gerd Kühn / guitar, vocals

Track List:
01. Solar Music I (4:38)
02. Food Sicore (3:52)
03. Solar Music II (6:03)
04. Mühlheim Special (10:43)
05. Otto Pankrock (6:26)
06. Golden Mist (10:56)
07. Solar Music III (12:26)
08. The Missing 13 Minutes (13:08)
09. Vanishing Towards The East (0:35)

Links in comments.

Grobschnitt, Sakalli's Pick

Electric Light Orchestra – Time (1981) (@256)

12 May 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

OK, “Time” might not be the most challenging album you’ll ever hear, but it is a masterpiece of symphonic pop, and a fine concept album. Jeff Lynne gathers together some of his strongest compositions ever, adds some delightful orchestration, and comes up with an album full of tracks which stand up well as great pop songs individually. Where “Time” really succeeds though is that the songs come together to form an album which demands to heard as a complete piece.

It may seem sacrilegious to mention “Supper’s ready” in the same breath, but the basic idea is the same, a number of individual pieces segued together with occasional recurring themes, to create a much stronger whole. The main difference here is that virtually any of the tracks would have enjoyed success as a single.

After the brief overture of “Prologue”, we dive straight into the totally infectious “Twilight”, and the mood for the album is set. “The way life’s meant to be” has more than a hint of George Harrison about it, “Hold on tight” is a Wizzard like romp through a wall of sound, and “Here is the news” has some truly inspired satirical lyrics.

There are several slower ballad style songs, of which “Ticket to the moon” is the highlight. This pained sci-fi love song bemoans the fact that the ticket is “just one way”, Lynne giving one of his most emotive performances ever. “21st Century man” paints a reflective picture of the future (now the now!), while “Another heart breaks” is primarily an instrumental piece, broken only by the repeated title.

There is a real temptation to dismiss “Time” as a pop album, and to judge it on a superficial basis. To do so is a real injustice, this is a truly superb piece of work by any standards. Lynne’s attention to detail is constant throughout, indeed, it is ironic that were it not for the fact that his compositions are so commercially successful, he would undoubtedly gain far more recognition as a musical genius.

Line-up:
- Jeff Lynne / lead vocals, backing vocals, electric & acoustic guitars, piano, synthesizers
- Richard Tandy / piano, electric piano, synthesizers, guitar
- Bev Bevan / drums, percussion
- Kelly Groucutt / bass guitar, backing vocals

Track List:
01. Prologue (1:15)
02. Twilight (3:35)
03. Yours Truly, 2095 (3:15)
04. Ticket to the Moon (4:06)
05. The Way Life’s Meant to Be (4:36)
06. Another Heart Breaks (3:46)
07. Rain is Falling (3:54)
08. From the End of the World (3:16)
09. The Lights Go Down (3:31)
10. Here is the News (3:49)
11. 21st Century Man (4:00)
12. Hold on Tight (3:05)
13. Epilogue (1:30)

Links in comments.

Bev Bevan, Electric Light Orchestra, Jeff Lynne, Kelly Groucutt, Richard Tandy

ZZ Top – Tres Hombres (1973) (@256)

11 May 2007

(Review from wikipedia, allmusic.com)

ZZ Top formed as a blues-rock trio in 1969 in Houston. The group members are Billy Gibbons (guitar, lead vocals), Dusty Hill (bass, lead vocals), and Frank Beard (drums, percussion). They hold the distinction of being the only rock band still composed of its original members after more than 35 years and until September 2006, the same manager/producer, Bill Ham.

The origin of the band’s name was not officially known for many years. The band derived the name from blues musician B.B. King. They wanted to call themselves Z.Z. King, but that sounded too similar to their blues legend hero. They figured that “King” was at the “top” so thus settled on ZZ Top. “Z” was chosen so their fans’d be able to find their albums easily, at the end of the rack.

Tres Hombres is the record that brought ZZ Top their first Top Ten record, making them stars in the process. It couldn’t have happened to a better record. ZZ Top finally got their low-down, cheerfully sleazy blooze-n-boogie right on this, their third album. As their sound gelled, producer Bill Ham discovered how to record the trio so simply that they sound indestructible, and the group brought the best set of songs they’d ever have to the table. On the surface, there’s nothing really special about the record, since it’s just a driving blues-rock album from a Texas bar band, but that’s what’s special about it. It has a filthy groove and an infectious feel, thanks to Billy Gibbons’ growling guitars and the steady propulsion of Dusty Hill and Frank Beard’s rhythm section. They get the blend of bluesy shuffles, gut-bucket rocking, and off-beat humor just right. ZZ Top’s very identity comes from this earthy sound and songs as utterly infectious as “Waitin’ for the Bus”, “Jesus Just Left Chicago”, “Move Me on Down the Line” and the John Lee Hooker boogie “La Grange”.

Line-up:
- Billy Gibbons – guitar, lead vocals
- Dusty Hill – bass, lead vocals
- Frank Beard – drums, percussion

Track List:
01. Waitin’ For The Bus
02. Jesus Just Left Chicago
03. Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers
04. Master Of Sparks
05. Hot, Blue And Righteous
06. Move Me On Down The Line
07. Precious And Grace
08. La Grange
09. Shiek
10. Have You Heard

Link in comments.

ZZ Top

East of Eden – Jig-a-Jig (1971) (@256)

11 May 2007

(Info from sleeve)

East of Eden were pioneers of jazz-rock fusion but they had many more strings to their collective bow. Led by brilliant violinist Dave Arbus, who also played trumpet and flute, this innovative British group were much inspired by the music of jazz legend Charles Mingus. They offered a skillful blend of mystical themes with a rock feel that allowed plenty of room for improvisation.

It wasn’t until the band had a surprise commercial success with the atypical hit single “Jig-a-Jig” that a wider public began to appreciate their efforts. Ironically the hit encouraged the band to move into a more mainstream rock style. They subsequently recorded two albums but they were unable to sustain the interest generated by the chart hit. Potential pop fans were confused by the contrast between the band’s novelty hit and their avant garde image. As a result, the band was demoralised and suffered from sever personnel problems. By 1972 the line-up had changed completely and East of Eden was a different group.

This is an album built around Jig-a-Jig, adding a re-arranged medley and a selection of previously released tracks from their first two studio albums.

The medley starts with ‘Ramadhan’, a feature for Ron Gaines’ North African sounding soprano sax. The hypnotic rhythmic pulse is based on a theme by John Coltrane. On the original ‘Snafu’ album this was preceded by a piece of backward running tape called ‘Xhorkom’ best forgotten, as they say in ‘Spinal Tap’. ‘In The Snow For A Blow Pt 1′ is a medley featuring Ron Gaines on electric and acoustic alto sax. Dave Arbus switches to trumpet and tenor sax for a melodic line based on the Charles Mingus theme variously known as ‘Better Git It In Your Soul’, ‘Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting’ and ‘Slop’. Drummer Geoff Britton is called upon to play in different time signatures and solos in rather heavy handed fashion.

Line-up:
- Dave Arbus / electric violin, flute, saxophone
- Geoff Nicholson / guitars, vocals
- Ron Gaines / saxophone, keyboards, vocals
- Andy Sneddon / bass guitar
- Geoff Britton / drums

Track List:
01. Jig-A-Jig
02. Nympenburger
03. Medley (Ramadhan/In The Snow For A Blow Pt.1/Better Git It In Your Soul/Pt.3)
04. Northern Hemisphere
05. Gum Arabic / Confucius
06. Isadora
07. Leaping Beauties For Rudy / Marcus Junior
08. Jig-A-Jig (Bonus 7″ Version)
09. Marcus Junior (Bonus 7″ Version)

Link in comments.

East of Eden

Electric Light Orchestra – Xanadu (Original Soundtrack) (1980) (@256)

11 May 2007

(Review from amazon.com)

The film “Xanadu” received what I consider the best movie review of all time on its release in 1980: a single sentence that read… “In a word, Xana-don’t”!

Perhaps the most lasting legacy of the film, however, rests in this soundtrack – a uniformly strong collection of tracks from the former girl-next-door-gone-bad Olivia and the legendary Electric Light Orchestra, a fusion rock band of operatic depth (alongside the Moody Blues, Yes and Queen – ELO ranks as rock-opera royalty.) Thrown in for fun and easy digestion are guests like Kelly (“Whenever I’m Away from You”) Sir Cliff Richard (the sweet easy listening classic “Suddenly” – a top 20 hit with Olivia) and the punkish sound of the Tubes (“Dancin’” – a pop-punk confection with an irresistible hook that gets lost when viewing the unwatchable scene on film or video.) Far superior to that other camp cult classic – “Can’t Stop the Music” – Xanadu, the soundtrack, accomplishes a romantic, sweeping vision that the film could only struggle with. ELO’s contributions are terrific – essential ELO songs in my opinion, from “All Over the World” and “I’m Alive” to the title song performed with Olivia (a gold selling, top 5 treat.) Stronger still is Newton-John, who comes into her own here in a passionate, forthcoming way. The astounding #1 track “Magic” remains one of the singer’s shining moments, and Livvy takes unexpected risks in her delivery, at once gutsy and shy and always singing from the heart. Her “Xanadu” is pitch perfect, and “Suddenly” is every adult contemporary artist’s dream song…a lilting ballad of fresh love and hopeful romanticism.

Line-up:
1-4: Electric Light Orchestra
5: Electric Light Orchestra & Olivia Newton-John
6/9: Olivia Newton-John
7: Olivia Newton-John/ Cliff Richard
8: Olivia Newton-John/ The Tubes
10: Olivia Newton-John/ Gene Kelly

Track List:
01. I’m Alive
02. The Fall
03. Don’t Walk Away
04. All Over The World
05. Xanadu
06. Magic
07. Suddenly
08. Dancin’
09. Suspended In Time
10. Whenever You’re Away From Me

Link in comments.

Bev Bevan, Electric Light Orchestra, Jeff Lynne

Silberbart – 4 Times Sound Razing (1971) (@256)

10 May 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

Silberbart is a trio, bass, guitar and drums…it lacks any type of influence: electronic, jazz or eastern that could define a lot of the bands in the krautrock genre. This is straight out heavy psyche-freak out. The albums starts off with Chub-Chub-Cherry, wich at the very beggining you know its going to blast off, the song goes on pretty typical, verse-chorus-verse.. The guitar jumping around, very foust and loud, while on the back you hear a loud and very solid bass and drum line. Brain Brain gets you going with some crazyness, its a pretty long track, for the first 3 mins you hear Hajo singing while the bass and drums go along with him very slow and soft…and then everything justs burst out! right before they start building it up again. and they go off into the heavy stuff. The next two songs: God and head tear of a drunken song kind of follow the same structure, they start like a “normal” rock song and saving all the really heavy and wild stuff for the end, same type of motion as in the first song: guitar over bass and drums, but they never get down, they always keep it interesting. They heavily maintain the rock portion of the music, all the lyrics are in english, the voice is highpitch and it gets along pretty well with the music. all the instruments are finelly equilibrated, not one covers the sound of another at any time.

Line-up:
- Hajo Teschner / vocal, guitars
- Werner Klug / bass
- Peter Bahrens / drum, percussion

Track List:
01. Chub Chub Cherry (4:23)
02. Brain Brain (16:16)
03. God (10:07)
04. Head Tear of the Drunken Sun (12:00)

Link in comments.

Canned Heat – Canned Heat Blues Band (1996) (@192)

09 May 2007

(Review from memphismojo.com)

A little tear came to my eye when the editor brought me a stack of CDs. There at the top was Canned Heat – the boogie band that peaked my interest in R&B, gulp, 30 years ago. “Could this be the same band? I mean, aren’t they all dead?” I asked him. He shook his head, told me three of the original members are on the album and to have fun. And I did.

Singer Bob Hite, guitarists Alan Wilson and, recently, Henry Vestine, have gone to their reward, but the rhythm section of drummer Fito de la Parra and acoustic bassist Larry Taylor remains. And that’s one fine engine to have in your band and it boogies better than ever. The new Heat has slide guitarist/harp player Robert Lucas on vocals, Greg Kage on electric bass and lead guitarist Junior Watson has been a Canned Heat-er for a while now. Vestine, who died in December of ’97, made this his last work, playing on every cut and his sound remained distinctive to the end.

The Canned Heat of the late ’90s is pretty good and so’s the album, if you can look at them with a fresh eye and not with 1968-vision. The band that played Woodstock was magic and unique in their time. The new Heat isn’t magic, but it is a better-than-average blues band doing a good job of keeping the franchise boogying.

Lucas adds some energy with his slide playing, singing and original songs, but to be honest, the originals are only average at best. A version of Elmore James “Stranger” is excellent and a great opener for the CD, but I winced when I saw they had re-done Canned Heat classics “Going Up the Country” acoustically, “Boogie Music” and “One Kind Favor” here. But darned if they didn’t pull em off and in the process, saved the album.

Line-up:
* Adolfo de la Parra – Drums on all tracks, Woodblock on track 12
* Larry “The Mole” Taylor – Acoustic Bass on tracks 2, 4, 6, 8 & 9
* Henry “The Sunflower” Vestine – Lead Guitar
* Robert Lucas – Vocals, Slide Guitar, Harmonica
* Junior Watson – Lead Guitar
* Greg Kage – Electric Bass on tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 & 11
with
* Juke Logan (Organ on track 4)
* Brenda Burns (Vocals on track 7)

Track List:
01. Stranger
02. Quiet Woman
03. Iron Horse
04. Jr.’ s Shuffle
05. Creole Queen
06. Keep It To Yourself
07. Boogie Music
08. Going Up The Country
09. See These Tears
10. One Kind Favor
11. Oh Baby
12. Gorgo Boogie

Link in comments.

Canned Heat

Electric Light Orchestra – Discovery (1979) (@256)

09 May 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

By the time of “Discovery”, Jeff Lynne had indeed discovered the formula for writing highly infectious hit singles. Any prog tendencies ELO previously had, had long since been abandoned, the band producing the sophisticated pop of groups such as 10CC. Indeed, most of the music on this album makes 10CC look like the creators of complex symphonic prog.

It may therefore seem that there is no point in even considering this album, but with the foregoing scene setting in mind, this is a very proficient and highly enjoyable album. We have the straight pop of “Shine a little love”, the superb power pop of “Confusion”, the melodic ballad “Midnight blue”, and the wall of sound “Don’t bring me down”.

The Beatles influences which Lynne cherishes so dearly and makes no apologies for, are clearest on the whimsical but compulsive “The diary of Horace wimp”. Also worthy of mention is “Last train to London”, an upbeat song of long distance love.

“Discovery” is very much a continuation of “Out of the blue”, indeed any of these tracks would have been equally at home on that album. There is no attempt to move on from the successful formula of that album, this is simply more of the same. Such formulaic writing cannot however be relied upon forever.

Line-up:
- Bev Bevan / drums, roto toms, percussion
- Kelly Groucutt / bass guitar, vocals, backing vocals
- Jeff Lynne / lead vocals, backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars, piano and synthesizer, strings and choir arrangements
- Richard Tandy / grand piano, all synthesizers, electric piano and clavinet, strings and choir arrangements

Track List:
01. Shine a Little Love (4:42)
02. Confusion (3:42)
03. Need Her Love (5:09)
04. The Diary of Horace Wimp (4:17)
05. Last Train to London (4:31)
06. Midnight Blue (4:20)
07. On the Run (3:56)
08. Wishing (4:14)
09. Don’t Bring Me Down (4:08)
10. On the Run (Bonus Home Demo)
11. Second Time Around (Bonus Home Demo)
12. Little Town Flirt (Bonus Del Shannon Cover)

Link in comments.

Bev Bevan, Electric Light Orchestra, Jeff Lynne, Kelly Groucutt, Richard Tandy

Canned Heat – Canned Heat (1967) (@256)

09 May 2007

9 comments

(Review from wikipedia, drfeelgood.de, allmusic.com)

Canned Heat formed in Los Angeles in 1965 as a blues-rock/boogie band. The importance of the group lies not only with their blues-based music, but with their efforts to reintroduce and revive the careers of some of the great old bluesmen, and their improvisational abilities. The band took their name from Tommy Johnson’s 1928 “Canned Heat Blues”, a song about an alcoholic who has desperately turned to drinking Sterno, which is generically called canned heat.

Canned Heat’s got its own flavor, its own identity, and not many rock bands can cut them on the energy and musicianship. It’s pointless to complain that they do a lot of things old bluesmen have done before, since they make it no secret that this is their point of departure. Indeed, Vestine and Hite have two of the largest blues record collections extant, Wilson is an authoritative researcher into early blues, and the band was begun as a sort of tribute to the music they love.

Their debut was released shortly after their appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival, and features performances of several blues covers. The dearth of original material on Canned Heat was less of a result of any songwriting deficiencies, but rather exemplifies their authentic renderings of traditionals.

Line-up:
- Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson (guitar/vocals)
- Larry “The Mole” Taylor (bass)
- Henry “Sunflower” Vestine (guitar)
- Bob “The Bear” Hite (vocals)
- Frank Cook (drums)

Track List:
01. Rollin’ and Tumblin’ (Muddy Waters) – 3:11
02. Bullfrog Blues (William Harris) – 2:20
03. Evil Is Going On (Willie Dixon) – 2:24
04. Goin’ Down Slow (St. Louis Jimmy Oden) – 3:48
05. Catfish Blues (Robert Petway) – 6:48
06. Dust My Broom (Robert Johnson/Elmore James) – 3:18
07. Help Me (Sonny Boy Williamson II) – 3:12
08. Big Road Blues (Tommy Johnson) – 3:15
09. The Story of My Life (Guitar Slim) – 3:43
10. The Road Song (Floyd Jones) – 3:16
11. Rich Woman (Dorothy LaBostrie/Millet) – 3:04

Link in comments.

Canned Heat

Embryo – Father, Son and Holy Ghost (1972) (@192)

09 May 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

Somewhere in the musical cavern sandwiched between perhaps Amon Düül II and Miles Davis lies a very underrated band from Germany called Embryo. This is not prototypical German underground prog but very much eastern world influenced raga psych progressive rock (best way I can describe). Embryo utilize a fantastic range of instruments with marimba, vibraphone, flutes, saxophone, violin, a very versatile percussion arsenal on hand.

After their Rache album, Embryo will go in a frenzy recording three albums worth of music in 8 months time but their label only released this one as the rest was deemed too uncommercial for release.

“Father Son & Holy Ghosts” is the third album released by Embryo and marks for this music lover one of the finest pieces of work to have come out of Germany in 1972. It is well in the line of their first two, ever diving deeper into eastern influences producing some of the earliest examples of fusion music (ethnic folk & jazz-prog) much worth the investigation.

Line-up:
- Christian Burchard / drums, vibes, percussion, marimbaphone, vocals
- Edgar Hofmann / violin, soprano saxophone
- David King / bass, flute, alto marimba, vocals
- Sigi Schwab / acoustic & electric guitars, veena, tarang

Track List:
01. The Special Trip (5:56)
02. Nightmares (0:58)
03. King Insano (4:48)
04. Free (6:19)
05. The Sun Song (8:48)
06. Marimbaroos (2:56)
07. Forgotten Sea (9:09)

Link in comments.

Embryo

Electric Light Orchestra – Out of the Blue (1977) (@256)

09 May 2007

“Out of the blue” should have been ELO’s crowning achievement. The band were at the peak of their success, Jeff Lynne had found the found the formula for creating hit singles at will, and they had sufficient material to justify a double LP set.

While this is indeed a highly enjoyable set, it is the use of that formula which is the main shortcoming of the album. Virtually every track here has a verse/chorus structure, the sole exception being the instrumental “The whale”. Consequently the album has a very commercial feel, and a disappointing lack of anything beyond fairly simplistic pop. Even the four part “Concerto for a rainy day” which occupies side three is just made up of four related pop songs about the weather.

Don’t misunderstand me, the quality of the songs is undeniable. Who for example can fail to find pleasure in songs such as “Mr Blue sky”, “Wild west hero” etc. There are wonderfully crafted songs with perfect hooks, intriguing lyrics, and melodies other bands would die for. They guaranteed ELO success in the singles chart regardless of which tracks were actually selected for release.

The bargain bins in the record shops a couple of years later though told the fuller story. “Out of the blue” must have enjoyed the dubious accolade of being the most traded-in LP in the history of rock. Not because it’s a poor album, but because it is a sickly as saccharine. This album does not stand up well to repeated listening. Play it once every two or three years at most, otherwise it quickly becomes over familiar and lacking in depth. Had they simply made this a single LP release, it may have been deserving of a different fate, but a double album release is usually taken as an indication that a band has something important to say. The problem here is that ELO, and Jeff Lynne in particular, were simply sating the same thing over and over again.

Take any song here, play it a couple of times, and you’ll be able to sing along to it. It is a fair bet you’ll also find it enjoyable, if invariably unchallenging, to listen to. Play it a few more times though, and you’ll quickly tire of it. And there lies the point from a prog perspective. The lasting appeal of prog is that the music does not usually reveal itself fully until you have heard an album many times. The enjoyment grows with each listen. We can therefore safely conclude that “Out of the blue” represents the definition of an anti-prog album!

Line-up:
- Jeff Lynne / lead vocals, backing vocals, lead guitar, slide guitar, rhythm guitar, Gibson EDS 1275, Les Paul Custom, Marauder, Ovation 1615/4, 1619/4, Wurlitzer E.P. 200, Mini-moog, percussion, orchestra and choral arrangements
- Bev Bevan / Slingerland drums, Remo Roto Toms, Avedis Zildjian Cymbals, Slingerland ‘Bev Bevan’ drumsticks, Remo drum heads, gong, various percussion instruments, backing vocals
- Melvyn Gale / William Lewis cello
- Kelly Grocutt / vocals, backing vocals, Gibson G.3 bass, percussion
- Mik Kaminski / Barcus Berry violin
- Hugh McDowell / William Lewis cello
- Richard Tandy / Polymoog, Mini-moog, ARP 2600, Odyssey, Omni, Sequencer, minus noise mixer, Wurlitzer E.P. 200, Yamaha C 7B piano, SLM concert spectrum, mellotron M 400, Hohner clavinet, Gibson S.G. custom guitar, orchestra and choral arrangements

Track List:
01. Turn to Stone (3:48)
02. It’s Over (4:08)
03. Sweet Talkin’ Woman (3:48)
04. Across The Border (3:52)
05. Night in the City (4:02)
06. Starlight (4:30)
07. Jungle (3:51)
08. Believe Me Now (1:21)
09. Steppin’ Out (4:38)
10. Standing in the Rain (4:20)
11. Big Wheels (5:10)
12. Summer and Lightning (4:13)
13. Mr.Blue Sky (5:05)
14. Sweet is the Night (3:26)
15. The Whale (5:05)
16. Birmingham Blues (4:21)
17. Wild West Hero (4:40)

Links in comments.

Bev Bevan, Electric Light Orchestra, Jeff Lynne, Richard Tandy

Electric Light Orchestra – Live at the BBC (1973-76) (@320)

08 May 2007

(Review from hometheaterhifi.com)

“Live At The BBC” covers concerts performed by the band for transmission by the BBC and includes two quite different periods in ELO’s development. From early in 1973, when they were still an arty, experimental rock/classic fusion ensemble, we have songs based around the first two ELO albums. Shortly after this period (in 1974), there are tracks from another concert. The later period of the Electric Light Orchestra is represented by a summer of 1976 concert when they were heading towards their most successful rock/pop period and the all-conquering “Out Of The Blue” album.

The audio on these tracks is, quite simply, superb. The BBC engineers captured every nuance, and the sound is crystal-clear. The concerts were performed in front of respectful audiences, and there are nice introductions from the shows’ comperes. Although live shows, the sound is much more like in a studio, playing to invited fans, so the BBC must have had mic feeds ahead of the band’s own mixing desk. But being live concerts brings us those variations in the set which are unobtainable from normal studio albums. It is these moments which produce the magic of “In The Hall Of The Mountain King” – two versions! The original studio album version of this track always sounded a little flat, but Jeff and the gang really bring it to life on “Live At The BBC”.

I would have liked more ‘showcase’ performances from individual members of the band. Mik Kaminski’s “Violin Solo / Orange Blossom Special” seems to be over before it’s begun! And the sleeve-notes, while adequate, could have usefully catalogued the albums and respective dates to help plot the progression through the band’s various phases. It’s best to ignore the repeated quote of “Oh No Not Susan” as a typo.

Of all the live material from the original Electric Light Orchestra which is available on CD, this album has to be about the best. They are terrific performances backed by fantastic sound quality.

Line-up:
* Jeff Lynne / guitar, vocals
* Bev Bevan / drums and percussion, backing vocals
* Melvyn Gale / cello
* Kelly Groucutt / bass, vocals
* Mik Kaminski / violin
* Hugh Mc Dowell / cello
* Richard Tandy / piano, moog, guitar
* Louis Clark / string arrangements
* Mike Edwards / cello
* Mike de Albuquerque / bass, backing vocals

Track List:
CD1:
01. From The Sun To The World
02. Kuiama
03. In The Hall Of The Mountain King
04. Roll Over Beethoven
05. King Of The Universe
06. Bluebird Is Dead
07. Oh No Not Susan
08. New World Rising
09. Violin Solo / Orange Blossom Special
10. In The Hall Of The Mountain King
11. Great Balls Of Fire
CD2:
01. Fire On High
02. Poker
03. Nightrider
04. Medley from “On The Third Day”
05. Showdown
06. Eldorado
07. Poor Boy (The Greewood)
08. Illusions In G Major
09. Strange Magic
10. Evil Woman
11. Ma Ma Ma Belle

Links in comments.

Bev Bevan, Electric Light Orchestra, Hugh McDowell, Jeff Lynne, Kelly Groucutt, Mik Kaminski, Richard Tandy

Caravan – Cunning Stunts (1975) (@256)

08 May 2007

12 comments

(Review from progarchives.com)

“Cunning Stunts” is the last of the great Caravan albums. The school playground humour of the title, and the rather nondescript sleeve disguise an excellent work which features many fine moments. The jazz influence which came to the fore on “Waterloo Lily” is seldom in evidence here, the album being among the band’s most accessible releases, while retaining a significant depth of Canterbury progressive.

“The show of our lives” is a majestic opener, complete with chiming bells contributing to a veritable wall of sound. The stately pace and choral vocals give an almost stage show feel to the track. “Lover” and “No backstage pass” combine well to form a beautiful 10 minute piece which was to become a regular feature of their live set.

The “Dabsong concerto” occupies virtually all of side 2 of the LP. It carries many of the Caravan trademarks, with some fine instrumental work. It does tend to drift a bit midway through, but is brought back together by a reprisal of “The show of our lives” to end the track.

Overall, a slightly more commercial album than their previous offerings, but another classic Caravan release nonetheless.

Line-up:
- Richard Coughlan / drums, percussion
- Pye Hastings / vocals, guitars
- Geoff Richardson / viola, guitars, flute
- David Sinclair / keyboards
- Mike Wedgwood / basses, vocals, congas
+ Jimmy Hastings / brass arrangements

Track List:
01. The Show of Our Lives (5:47)
02. Stuck in a Hole (3:09)
03. Lover (5:08)
04. No Backstage Pass (4:35)
05. Welcome the Day (4:03)
06. Dabsong Conshirto (Pt. 1 the Mad Dabsong… (18:01)
07. The Fear and Loathing in Tollington Park (1:09)

Link in comments.

Caravan, Dave Sinclair, Jimmy Hastings

AC/DC – Back in Black (1980) (@256)

07 May 2007

(Review from wikipedia, popmatters.com)

Back in Black was the first AC/DC album recorded without former lead singer Bon Scott, who had died in February 1980. The band considered disbanding following Scott’s death, but ultimately decided to continue and shortly thereafter hired Brian Johnson as their new lead singer and lyricist. Though the Young brothers had begun work on this album prior to Scott’s death, and Scott had written lyrics for potential new songs, the decision was made to redo the album from scratch upon hiring Johnson. The result of the band’s determined efforts was of course, 1980′s Back in Black.

The record opens with the memorable tolling intro to “Hells Bells”, ominous and foreboding in its somber tribute to the fallen Scott. The world is introduced to Johnson’s howling vocal shortly thereafter, and listeners can once again experience the power chord crunch of Angus Young’s brilliant guitar work. The rock radio staples “Shoot to Thrill”, “You Shook Me All Night Long”, “Shake a Leg” and “Have a Drink on Me” are as potent now as they were when first heard in 1980, while the songs “What Do You Do for the Money Honey”, “Givin’ the Dog a Bone”, “Let Me Put My Love into You” and “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” fill out the album in true AC/DC fashion. Together these nine songs make a tremendous record, but the crown jewel of Back in Black is undoubtedly the title track, the opening to which lays claim to being one of the two most recognized riffs in hard rock history, (the second being Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”). Few songs, (and albums), have ingrained themselves more into the collective consciousness of music fans, nor have motivated greater numbers of fledgling teenage air guitarists to purchase real instruments. Equally important is the impact Back in Black generated in bridging the gap between metal and the music mainstream. Bands from Metallica to Queens of the Stone Age owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to their Aussie counterparts for opening up previously inaccessible media outlets and broadening metal’s overall fan base.

Much of Back in Black’s success comes from its content having transcended time and musical genres. The fact that the songs still resonate as strongly as they do, while garnering consistent radio airtime, signifies that the album has evolved over two decades into something more than just a rock record. Back in Black, like the band that created it, has become an institution.

Line-up:
* Brian Johnson — lead vocals
* Angus Young — lead guitar
* Malcolm Young — rhythm guitar, backing vocals
* Cliff Williams — bass guitar, backing vocals
* Phil Rudd — drums

Track List:
01. Hells Bells – 5:12
02. Shoot to Thrill – 5:17
03. What Do You Do for Money Honey – 3:35
04. Given the Dog a Bone – 3:32
05. Let Me Put My Love into You – 4:15
06. Back in Black – 4:15
07. You Shook Me All Night Long – 3:30
08. Have a Drink on Me – 3:59
09. Shake a Leg – 4:06
10. Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution – 4:15

Link in comments.

AC/DC, Brian Johnson

Bachman-Turner Overdrive – Four Wheel Drive (1975) (@256)

07 May 2007

(Review from wikipedia, amazon.com)

The precursor to Bachman-Turner Overdrive was the band Brave Belt, formed in 1970 by Randy Bachman and Chad Allan (both of The Guess Who), Robbie Bachman and Fred Turner. An original plan included Keith Emerson of The Nice, though he was dropped due to illness. After two moderately successful Brave Belt albums, Allan was replaced by Tim Bachman, the third of the Bachman brothers, and the band changed its name to Bachman-Turner Overdrive. After two studio albums, Tim Bachman left because of limited performance skills and personal lifestyle issues, and was replaced by Blair Thornton. With their modified line-up, the band steadily produced successful albums through the mid-1970s.

While the first two Bachman-Turner Overdrive albums were serviceable examples of authentic 70′s chug, this album finds the band hitting its stride, both in terms of writing and playing. With its Twin Towers of Tonnage, Randy Bachman and Fred Turner, as always commandeering the assault on your inner ear, songs like the title track, “Hey You”, “Quick Change Artist,” and “Lowland Fling” hammer home our heroes’ raison detre: plug in, turn up, and leave your cerebral cortex at the door.

This album is most often overlooked, mainly because all of the attention was focused on the singable “na na na naa”‘s of one of Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s biggest hits in “Hey You”. But the rest of the album is made up of the band’s lunch-pail rock & roll sound, combining ample amounts of factory-made blues to street-dirty guitar rock.

Line-up:
* Randy Bachman – acoustic guitar, guitar, vocals
* Robbie Bachman – percussion, drums, background vocals
* C.F. Turner – bass, vocals
* Blair Thornton – guitar, background vocals, slide guitar

Track List:
01. Four Wheel Drive (Bachman, Thornton) – 4:20
02. She’s a Devil (Thornton, Turner) – 4:43
03. Hey You (Bachman) – 3:34
04. Flat Broke Love (Turner) – 3:56
05. She’s Keepin’ Time (Bachman) – 4:09
06. Quick Change Artist (Bachman, Turner) – 3:19
07. Lowland Fling (Bachman, Thornton) – 5:20
08. Don’t Let the Blues Get You Down (Turner) – 4:11

Link in comments.

Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Randy Bachman

Ten Years After – Cricklewood Green (1970) (@192)

06 May 2007

(Review from amazon.com)

‘Cricklewood Green’ is, for the most part, a bombastic rockfest. In fact, the three tune, fifteen minute opening salvo stack up nicely against any other trio of songs from any rock and roll disc. But any album aspiring to greatness must demonstrate diversity, and ‘Cricklewood Green’ does that as well, although I could have lived with the rockfest through a double-album of this electrifying material! In my mind of minds I imagine Alvin Lee felt the same, and included songs such as ‘Year 3000 Blues’, the lone country-rock number in the set, and ‘Me and My Baby’ a Steve Miller sound-alike track and the lone jazz-rock number, simply to show everyone that Ten Years After was much more than a one-genre pony. As if that wasn’t enough, one other genre is also explored with the acoustic folk-rock number titled ‘Circles’, which adds more than just diversity. The sweet chorus, “Doesn’t/does it matter what I do…” mixes with the bittersweet sentiments and smooth-as-a-smoothie melody to produce what we in the music review business call ‘a beaute’.

The remainder of the disc builds on the solid rock foundation established by the band in four previous albums. The two longest tracks on the disc, ’50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain’ and ‘Love Like a Man’ are epics in composition and performance.

‘Sugar the Road’ opens the disc, and it is the prototypical opening number for an album or a concert, featuring great basic and lead guitar riffs, fun lyrics, cowbells, etc. ‘Working On the Road’, another gritty rocker, follows, with the sweet chorus, “I’ve got a feeling for home…”. ’50,000 Miles…’ opens with a restrained acoustic intro which builds in nicely structured gradients into an anthemic rocker, very reminicent of Tom Petty’s best work, and ending with a fine, distorted, fuzzy guitar lead. ‘Love Like a Man’ returns to the melodic guitar hooks and fleshy fretwork from maestro Alvin, in addition to a great sounding bass bridge. The original vinyl finished with the lumbering rocker ‘As the Sun Still Burns Away’, which builds steam like a locomotive, and winds up in a fog of psychedelic sound effects.

Line-up:
* Alvin Lee – guitar, vocals, harp
* Leo Lyons – bass
* Chick Churchill – keyboard
* Ric Lee – drums

Track List:
01. Sugar the Road – 4:06
02. Working on the Road – 4:18
03. 50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain – 7:39
04. Year 3,000 Blues – 2:27
05. Me and My Baby – 4:18
06. Love Like a Man – 7:32
07. Circles – 3:59
08. As the Sun Still Burns Away – 4:44

Link in comments.

Alvin Lee, Ten Years After

Electric Light Orchestra – A New World Record (1976) (@256)

06 May 2007

Electric Light Orchestra – A New World Record (1976) (@256)

(Review from progarchives.com)

The progression, if it can be called that, of ELO from their early prog influenced roots through the prog pop of “Eldorado” to becoming a singles focused pop rock band was pretty much completed with this album.

When you bear in mind that “Livin thing” was recently voted number one in Q magazine’s “guilty pleasures – uncool songs that are OK to love” you get a pretty good indication of how far they had shifted. That said, this is still a highly enjoyable and undoubtedly accomplished album. Yes, we have the sophisticated 10CC type pop in songs such as “Rockaria” (the inspiration for Genesis “Duchess” perhaps), “so fine” and indeed “Livin’ thing”. Jeff Lynne does however craft such songs with great attention to detail. The longevity of such numbers is no co-incidence, they sound as fresh and appealing today because they have been put together with a great deal of care and attention. Listen closely to any of these pop songs and you’ll find a lot more going on than is at first apparent.

The album also contains some fine, slightly more intricate album tracks. “Mission (A new world record”) is a fine space ballad, the precursor to the band’s “Time” album. The closing “Shangri-La” has a supreme melody and an effective double ending. The chorus lyric “My Shangri-La has gone away, faded like the Beatles on Hey Jude” may be a little corny, but it reflects the major influence of the Beatles music on Lynne’s compositions.

Among the remaining tracks are a routine ballad (“Telephone line”) and a reworking of the classic Move track “Do ya”. The version here is extra heavy with some wonderful guitar riffs.

There is no question this is a pop orientated album. It is however unfair to simply label it as such without recognising the quality of the compositions, the production, and the performances. This is an album of very high quality.

Track List:
01. Tightrope (5:04)
02. Telephone Line (4:37)
03. Rockaria! (3:13)
04. Mission (A World Record) (4:25)
05. So Fine (3:55)
06. Livin’ Thing (3:31)
07. Above The Clouds (2:17)
08. Do Ya’ (3:44)
09. Shangri-la (5:33)

Link in comments.

Bev Bevan, Electric Light Orchestra, Hugh McDowell, Jeff Lynne, Kelly Groucutt, Mik Kaminski, Richard Tandy

Nazgul – Nazgul (1976) (@192)

06 May 2007

Request of anonymous.

(Info from krautrock.com, pugachov.ru)

Great lost gem of spacey and meditative electronic music released in the 70′s as a strictly limited edition for distribution at various art galleries. 4 long tracks of droning ambience that’s easily as good as any current space rock outfit could put together; i.e. Magnog, Labradford or anything else on Kranky. There are slow organs, synths, even horns and funeral drums. Very dark sounding and spooky.

Track List:
01. The Tower of Barad-Dur
02. The Dead Marches
03. Shelob’s Lair
04. Mount Doom

Link in comments.

Jethro Tull – Roots to Branches (1995) (@256)

06 May 2007

(Review from amazon.com)

Roots to Branches was an instant classic from the moment I first heard it. I bought it the day it came out and today it remains on my top three Jethro Tull releases of all time, usually occupying the very top spot and for good reason. Each song sounds at once as if it had always existed in some classic rock time capsule that had just been unearthed, and Eastern influences swirl throughout much of the record like the smoke from a hookah, hanging in the air with poetic grace. With Roots to Branches Ian Anderson found music that perfectly suited the changes in his voice and used it to great effect, sounding not unlike old wood polished with a deep finish over a period of many years.

The songs themselves are well crafted and rich in texture. Roots to Branches builds up slowly from out of the darkness and casts shadowy chords across a lyrical landscape of ever changing beliefs with a mixture of sadness and sarcasm. Rare and Precious Chain snakes its way through a hypnotic rhythm, with enchanting results, while Out of the Noise runs rampant in pursuit of playful disregard to any musical boundaries. This Free Will has a weight to it you can virtually feel, and the song Valley is a deeply moving track set to a parable about the haves and have nots laid bare against a background of moral inconsistencies. It’s one of my favorites in a record filled with favorites. Dangerous Veils dances wildly about in strip tease fashion, Beside Myself sounds refreshingly familiar and new all at once, and Wounded, Old and Treacherous is mischievous and devilishly good. At Last, Forever, Stuck out in the August Rain, and Another Harry’s Bar seem to me to be incredibly beautiful odes to love and mortality told with a sense of wistfulness and melancholy.

Line-up:
* Ian Anderson – Vocals, concert flute, bamboo flute, acoustic guitar
* Martin Barre – Electric guitars
* Doane Perry – Drums
* Andrew Giddings – Keyboards
* Dave Pegg – Bass guitar (tracks 3, 5, 11)
* Steve Bailey – Bass guitar (tracks 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

Track List:
01. Roots To Branches – 5:11
02. Rare And Precious Chain – 3:35
03. Out Of The Noise – 3:25
04. This Free Will – 4:05
05. Valley – 6:07
06. Dangerous Veils – 5:35
07. Beside Myself – 5:50
08. Wounded, Old And Treacherous – 7:50
09. At Last, Forever – 7:55
10. Stuck In The August Rain – 4:06
11. Another Harry’s Bar – 6:21

Link in comments.

Dave Pegg, Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull, Martin Barre, Sakalli's Pick

Electric Light Orchestra – Face the Music (1975) (@320)

06 May 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

After surprising us with the sublime Eldorado, Jeff Lynne began to fully appreciate the talent he had for writing commercially successful material. His ear for a strong melody and awareness of how to exploit that melody to the full had until then been largely hidden behind cover versions, rambling but admittedly more progressive epics, and prior to that, the charismatic Roy Wood.

With Face the music, Lynne quickly moved to develop the commercial side of the band’s music further, generally simplifying and shortening the songs while ensuring that the melodies were irresistible and the choruses memorable.

The album opens as it were a continuation of Eldorado with the intense orchestrated instrumental Fire on high. This five minute overture moves quickly through a succession of themes, all the while maintaining a pace which insists upon listener participation of some sort.

Waterfall or minor variations thereof was a popular song title around this time, with 10CC and Paul McCartney, among many others, creating strong material of that name. In most cases the songs are similar, the hypnotic effect of these natural wonders clearly being an inspiration to many songwriters. So it is here that we have a reflective ballad along the lines of Can’t get it out of my head from the previous album.

Evil woman is the most significant track here, although by no means the best. The song represents the template which Lynne would use with ELO to create a long succession of massively successful hit singles. Indeed, Evil woman shot to the high reaches of the singles chart so quickly, Lynne would have had little time to appreciate the monster he had created. It is hard to dislike such a song, it is tuneful, catchy, and enjoyable, but it is as formulaic as the string of singles which saw Status Quo labelled as the band of three chords.

Side two of the LP has a good diversity of material, including the superb dynamics of the more interestingly structured Poker, the cod US Southern rock of Down home town (complete with land of Dixie references) and the dreamy Strange magic. It is One summer dream though which is the piece-de-resistance. This lilting ballad paints a delightful picture of natural perfection.

Aside from the rather lacklustre sleeve illustrations, this is a fine if overtly commercial album. It indicated clearly the path which the band would follow as their star rose ever higher over the coming years.

Line-up:
* Jeff Lynne / guitar, vocals, string arrangements
* Bev Bevan / drums and percussion, backing vocals
* Melvyn Gale / cello
* Kelly Groucutt / bass, vocals
* Mik Kaminski / violin
* Hugh Mc Dowell / cello
* Richard Tandy / piano, moog, guitar, clavinet, string arrangements
* Louis Clark / string arrangements

Track List:
01. Fire on High (5:30)
02. Waterfall (4:27)
03. Evil Woman (4:19)
04. Nightrider (4:23)
05. Poker (3:31)
06. Strange Magic (4:29)
07. Down Home Town (3:54)
08. One Summer Dream (5:47)
09. Fire On High Intro (Early Alternative Mix)
10. Evil Woman (Stripped Down Mix)
11. Strange Magic (US Single Edit)

Links in comments.

Bev Bevan, Electric Light Orchestra, Hugh McDowell, Jeff Lynne, Kelly Groucutt, Mik Kaminski, Richard Tandy

Electric Light Orchestra – The Night the Light Went On (In Long Beach) (1974) (@320)

05 May 2007

12 comments

(Info from wikipedia)

Although this live album was intended as the follow-up to On the Third Day, the original recording was marred by technical issues both on and off the stage.

Pressings of the album were of such poor quality that ELO’s management eventually filed a lawsuit against the production company for compensation. The garish gatefold sleeve of the original album also contributed to its poor reception. The front cover showed a cartoony 50′s-era horror film mob running in terror from an unseen source of light, with the album’s title scrawled across the sleeve. The inside held terribly distorted photos of the band performing onstage.

A 1990s CD remastering and reissue corrected much of the poor sound quality of the original album and restored several songs to their full-length versions. It was discovered that the original LP pressing had been mastered using an inferior copy of the concert (according to the CD’s liner notes, the tape used had been marked ‘Rough Mix, Do Not Use’), hence the muddy sound. However, the original master tape was discovered in the record company’s vault and the album was restored to its intended sound quality.

The album remains one of the few official live recordings of the classic ELO line-up. In this recording the individual musicians are allowed to stretch their “chops” somewhat with the strings taking prominent, improvisational solos. Bev Bevan’s drumming on this album is also drastically different than his simplistic, timekeeping-only playing on ELO’s studio recordings.

Line-up:
* Jeff Lynne – vocals, guitar
* Bev Bevan – drums
* Richard Tandy – keyboards
* Mike de Albuquerque – bass, backing vocals
* Mik Kaminski – violin
* Hugh McDowell – cello
* Mike Edwards – cello

Track List:
01. Daybreaker (Jeff Lynne) – 5:34
02. Showdown (Lynne) – 6:54
03. Day Tripper (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 6:40
04. 10538 Overture (Lynne) – 5:44
05. Mik’s Solo/Orange Blossom Special (Mik Kaminski / E. T. Rouse) – 2:28
06. In The Hall Of The Mountain King / Great Balls of Fire (Edvard Grieg / Jack Hammer & Otis Blackwell) – 8:35
07. Roll Over Beethoven (Chuck Berry) – 4:25

Link in comments.

Bev Bevan, Electric Light Orchestra, Jeff Lynne, Mik Kaminski, Richard Tandy

Santana – Caravanserai (1972) (@256)

04 May 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

“Caravanserai” is Santana’s fourth album, released in 1972, and is a masterpiece of jazz/rock/Latino/space/fusion.

It contains no hits like the previous three albums. It is largely instrumental, beautiful piece of work that shows great amount of talent, imagination and creativity of Carlos Devadip and his backing band. It sounds like a thematic piece, albeit not a “concept”, about mysticism surrounding caravans, desert, sand, sun and moon, day and night, and the universal values of life in general. The music here performed is Santana’s first real foray into jazz-rock. There are plenty of spacey and ambience keyboards (mostly Hammond and piano) and percussion. Bass is a forefront instrument in many moments on the album and it often sounds as played fretless, thus a wonderful melodic sound. Guitar is less dominant than on previous works, but in turn it fits nicely into the overall music journey, with effective and gentle solos right in proper places (Santana is sometimes prone to excessive “guitar hero” pyrotechnics and unnecessary soloing). The compositions are interconnected without pauses, so the listening process goes smoothly and uninterrupted. Musicianship, composing and production are all perfect.

Line-up:
- Carlos Santana / guitars, vocals
- Gregg Rolie / keyboards, vocals
- Michael Shrieve / drums
- Jose ‘Chepito’ Areas / timbales, congas, percussion
- Neal Schon / guitar
- Tom Rutley / bass
- James Mingo Lewis / congas
- Doug Rauch / guitar, bass
- Wendy Haas / piano
- Tom Coster / piano
- Armando Peraza / congas, bongos

Track List:
01. Eternal Caravan of Reincarnation (4:28)
02. Waves Within (3:53)
03. Look Up (To See What’s Coming Down) (2:59)
04. Just In Time To See The Sun (2:19)
05. Song of the Wind (6:02)
06. All the Love of the Universe (7:36)
07. Future Primitive (4:12)
08. Stone Flower (6:14)
09. La Fuente del Ritmo (4:33)
10. Every Step of the Way (9:04)

Link in comments.

Carlos Santana

Bad Company – Straight Shooter (1975) (@256)

04 May 2007

(Review from allmusic.com)

One year after Bad Company’s multi-platinum self-titled debut, the British band returned to London to record a follow-up. Utilizing material written earlier in 1973, vocalist and songwriter Paul Rodgers wrote two acoustic-based rock ballads that would live on forever in the annals of great rock history. “Shooting Star” and the Grammy-winning “Feel Like Makin’ Love” helped Straight Shooter rise quickly through the charts. However, critically and commercially the album never achieved the tremendous success of its predecessor, largely due to the lack of strong follow-up singles and supporting tracks. Simon Kirke stepped out from behind the drum-set to help produce and write “Anna” and “Weep No More,” two slower and less aggressive ballads indicative of the overall diminishing quality of the album. Following the release of Straight Shooter, Bad Company headlined their first North American tour.

Line-up:
* Paul Rodgers – Vocals, Piano, Guitar
* Mick Ralphs – Lead Guitar
* Boz Burrell – Bass Guitar
* Simon Kirke – Drums

Track List:
01. Good Lovin’ Gone Bad
02. Feel Like Makin’ Love
03. Weep No More
04. Shooting Star
05. Deal With the Preacher
06. Wild Fire Woman
07. Anna
08. Call on Me

Link in comments.

Bad Company, Boz Burrell, Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke

Pyramid – Pyramid (1976) (@320)

03 May 2007

9 comments

(Review from planetmellotron.com, progarchives.com)

As written on the back of the cd release: “Personnel Unknown: hammond, electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, mellotron, mini-moog, electric piano and tibetan bells” this is obscure music, played by unknown musicians.

The Pyramid album is one of three concurrent re-releases from the British Psi-Fi label, all apparently originally released in tiny numbers on the German Pyramid label in the mid-’70s. It has been suggested by one or two spoilsports that they are ’90s fakes, but this one sounds far too authentic for that; what is possible is that it was recorded by stoned session men on their day off, supposedly in 1975/76, with the band name tacked on later. It’s basically a half-hour jam, played by musicians who knew what they were doing, ebbing and flowing in all the right places. Tension and release, I believe it’s called…

It sounds like two guitarists, bass, drums and keys, including our beloved Mellotron, which drifts in and out of the album’s single track in best space-rock style. There’s a short choir section at around five minutes, then some strings at ten, more choirs at 18 etc., with a particularly nice (and decidedly authentic) string part starting at around the half-hour mark, lasting until the end of the piece. This is yer typical stoned, trippy sort of mid-’70s stuff, but it’s pretty good at it, and the Mellotron work is nice, if slightly sparse. Recommended for all spaceheads.

Track List:
01. Dawn Defender (33:14)

Link in comments.

Joan Baez – David's Album (1969) (@192)

03 May 2007

(Review from amazon.com)

Joan Baez recorded this album as a gift to her then husband, David Harris, a country music fan, was about to be imprisoned for draft resistance.

Although it was recorded in Nashville, this lovely album does not have an authentic country sound overall. The sound is more like her typical 1960s folk, with a country infusion here and there. The songs include traditionals and gospel songs like Just A Closer Walk With Thee and Poor Wayfaring Stranger (a duet with her sister Mimi Farina), plus pop hits of the time like Green Green Grass Of Home and the work of contemporary songwriters like the Gram Parsons masterpiece Hickory Wind.

There is a melancholy thread running through the album and all the songs are melodious and memorable. The arrangements stick close to the originals but the fiddle, dobro and viola make some of the tracks quite special. The Jordannaires lend beautiful male backing vocals to Will The Circle Be Unbroken, whilst The Tramp On The Street has an additional verse co-written by Baez and Maynard Solomon. One of my favorites is the aforementioned duet with Mimi, where there is a graceful harmonic interweaving of the vocals in the chorus.

The lovely organ renders Just A Closer Walk With Thee quite soulful, as is her version of Hickory Wind. The most country-sounding of the tracks is the uptempo My Home’s Across The Blue Ridge Mountains.

Track List:
01. If I Knew (Nina Dusheck/Pauline Marden)
02. Rock Salt And Nails (Bruce Phillips)
03. Glad Bluebird Of Happiness (Darryl Skrabak)
04. Green, Green Grass Of Home (Curly Putnam)
05. Will the Circle be Unbroken (traditional)
06. The Tramp On The Street (traditional)
07. Poor Wayfaring Stranger (traditional)
08. Just A Closer Walk With Thee (traditional)
09. Hickory Wind (Gram Parsons)
10. My Home’s Across The Blue Ridge Mountains (A.P. Carter/Tom Ashley)

Link in comments.

Joan Baez

Electric Light Orchestra – On the Third Day (1973) (@256)

03 May 2007

Electric Light Orchestra – On the Third Day (1973) (@256)

(Review from progarchives.com)

With “On the third day”, ELO began their migration from the muddled symphonic prog of their second album towards world conquering symphonic pop. Compared to the previous album, only one more “permanent member” (of the classic commercial line-up ) Kaminsky enters. The album consists of two sides of segued songs loosely linked by concept. That concept is based around the birth or creation of the world and its people, hence the title which also reflects the ordinal number of this release.

Opener Ocean Breakup/King Of The Universe are somehow still the fruits of their first astounding album, and can only impress the nay-sayers and its book-ending New World Rising is very impressive and should convince most stubborn and deaf progheads of ELO’s prog credentials. In the meantime we had listened to Bluebird and Susan with its huge Beatles-esque flaunt of strings (and it is a treat especially with Lynne not really hiding his infatuation on the fab Four) especially on the awesome closing minutes. Following this almost uninterrupted flow of music (the tracks are almost linked), comes a huge hit Showdown, really setting in place the future of ELO’s later 70’s music. Deceptively simple and on a descending scale, this track is blood curdling if you dare let yourself get carried away by the easy melodies. This track (originally a non-lp single) has come under different version and the best one is not on this album, though. Apparently a concept album, (I can see a thread between some tracks) but the full story does not pop-up obviously to the eyes, I am not sure this track belonged to the album’s storyline.

Side 2 starts with a rather upbeat instrumental Daybreaker, yet another rather impressive and inventive track (ELO are not virtuosi but these guys are a tight bunch of musos who know a thing or two about arrangements) but unfortunately the more RnR Ma-Ma Belle is rare flaw in an otherwise very good album. 4000 is a rather endearing but hardly perfect pop track that was probably a bold try, but came away flawed, but not failed. The finale of this album is yet another highlight heavily borrowing on you-know-who (nope, not those four ;-) for the main wolf theme although a tiny bit too repetitititititive.

After the average but open-minded proghead, this album will be anything but a masterpiece, but it will still be a bloody good album, much worthy of its collection and I certainly hope this review will set the record straight.

Line-up:
- Bev Bevan / drums
- Michael De Albuquerque / bass
- Mike Edwards / cello
- Mike Kaminski / violin
- Jeff Lynne / guitar, vocals
- Richard Tandy / moog, piano

Track List:
01. Ocean Breakup/King of the Universe (4:05)
02. Bluebird Is Dead (4:25)
03. Oh No Not Susan (2:52)
04. New World Rising/Ocean Break up (Reprise) (4:40)
05. Showdown (4:15)
06. Daybreaker (3:50)
07. Ma-Ma-Ma Belle (3:52)
08. Dreaming of 4000 (5:00)
09. In the Hall of the Mountain King (6:35)

Link in comments.

Bev Bevan, Electric Light Orchestra, Jeff Lynne, Mik Kaminski, Richard Tandy

Electric Light Orchestra – Electric Light Orchestra II (1972) (@256)

03 May 2007

(Review from progarchives.com, amazon.com)

With Roy Wood’s unbelievable departure after their debut, one had to wonder how they might just pull off another album, as stunning as the first one, but Jeff Lynne will pull it off, although he will keep the heavy instrumentation of the debut album to a certain extent, but not always with great success. Only Lynne and drummer Bevan remain from the debut album, Wood being replaced by two cello players and Lynne abandoning the keys to concentrate on guitars and vocals. Tandy on keys and Alburquerque on bass will remain for a few albums to come.

A lot of people call Electric Light Orchestra II an identity crisis point for the band. As a part of Jeff Lynne’s early experimentation trying to find his own sound as frontman, the band would NEVER sound this way again. The album captures the band in a little-known but still excellent era casual fans may never know. Give it some time, and it will grow on you.

Line-up:
- Mike Alberquerque / bass, vocals
- Bev Bevan / drums
- Mike Edwards / cello
- Wilf Gibson / violin
- Jeff Lynne / guitar, vocals, moog synthesizer
- Richard Tandy / moog synthesizer, piano, guitar, harmonium
- Colin Walker / cello

Track List:
01. In Old England Town (Boogie #2)
02. Mama
03. Roll Over Beethoven
04. From the Sun to the World (Boogie #1)
05. Kuiama
06. Showdown (Bonus)
07. In Old England Town (Bonus Instrumental)
08. Baby I Apologise (Bonus)
09. Auntie (Bonus Ma-Ma-Ma Belle Take 1)
10. Auntie (Bonus Ma-Ma-Ma Belle Take 2)
11. Mambo (Bonus Dreaming Of 4000 Take 1)
12. Everyone’s Born To Die (Bonus)
13. Roll Over Beethoven (Bonus Take 1)

Link in comments.

Bev Bevan, Electric Light Orchestra, Jeff Lynne, Richard Tandy

Janis Joplin – I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! (1969) (@256)

02 May 2007

(Review from amazon.com, warr.org, wikipedia)

One thing for sure: Janis ain’t like nothing else. And in addition to being distinctive, she was the first really high-profile female rock singer to carve a completely independent path, making her a feminist icon. Her career was intense and brief. Joplin performed on four albums recorded between 1966 and 1970 — two as the lead singer of San Francisco’s Big Brother and The Holding Company, and two released as a solo artist.

This underrated 1969 recording was Janis Joplin’s first solo studio album after she left Big Brother & the Holding Company. One objection at the time of its release centered on the horn section, which Big Brother loyalists were determined to hate to death. Moreover, the aggregate of musicians backing Joplin–she named the band Kozmic Blues–never solidified as a group, even after earning a warm response on a European tour that spring.

To me this sounds like Janis Joplin, even if for various reasons she seemed to be most happy with her last album, Pearl. She wanted the horns for the album and she got them. The horns add a beautiful powerful melancholic feel to the album. There are artists, like Melissa Etheridge and Janis Joplin, who seem to be at their peak dealing with heart break and sorrows. I feel this album gets to the core of feelings better than any other album Janis worked on.

Track List:
01. Try (Just A Little Bit Harder) – 3:57
02. Maybe – 3:41
03. One Good Man – 4:12
04. As Good As You’ve Been To This World – 5:27
05. To Love Somebody – 5:14
06. Kozmic Blues – 4:24
07. Little Girl Blue – 3:51
08. Work Me Lord – 6:45

Link in comments.

Janis Joplin

Crucis – Los Delirios del Mariscal (1976) (@256)

02 May 2007

(Review from vintageprog.com)

With their second album, Crucis became probably the best produced band from the Argentinean progressive rock scene of the ’70s. The record boasts a powerful and crystal clear sound, and the band’s style had changed slightly to a more polished, jazzier, symphonic and surprisingly Dutch-sounding style of progressive rock. The songs were longer than on on the debut, and guitarist Pino Marrone shows clear influences from Jan Akkerman, Mario Millo and Andy Latimer here. There’s also a much more instrumental focus, as the opener “No Me Separan de Mi” is the only song on the record with vocals. And it’s a truly stunning opening, featuring an instantly memorable vocal melody that makes the core for the instrumental section at the end, where the constant repetition of the theme never really feels repetitive, but powerful and striking. The title-track is a lush, symphonic, airy and atmospheric journey where Marrone delivers some beautiful melodic themes which remind me slightly of Sebastian Hardie. The pace and intensity shifts toward the end of the track, where a much more upbeat and joyful part appears, stuffed with catchy synth-melodies from keyboardist Anibal Kerpel. “Pollo Fritto” brings the band over into jazzier territory, boasting impressive dynamics and beefy riffs along with the complexity that pervaded more or less all of Crucis’ material. “Abismo Terrenal” is the definitive showcase for the band’s instrumental skills, as well as being based around one of their best themes. The lengthy solos, especially from Marrone, are thoroughly impressive in all their intensity and technical brilliance. So in conclusion, “Los Delirios del Mariscal” is one of the essential ones from the Argentinean ’70s progressive rock scene.

Line-up:
- Gustavo Montesano / bass, vocals
- Anibal Kerpel / organ, Moog, Fender Rhodes, keyboards
- Pino Marrone / guitar, vocals
- Gonzalo Farrugia / drums

Track List:
01. No Me Separen de Mi (6:06)
02. Los Delirios del Mariscal (10:10)
03. Pollo Frito (5:45)
04. Abismo Terrenal (12:30)

Link in comments.

Crucis

Crucis – Crucis (1975) (@256)

01 May 2007

(Review from vintageprog.com)

Crucis were one of the best known progressive rock groups from Argentina, and that’s not just because they were one of the few on a major label. Musically they had what it takes to be a good progressive rock group, and that’s a lot. Their self-titled debut from 1975 consists of complex yet accessible progressive rock with a slight rough edge here and there. The opener “Todo Tiempo Posible” is quite representative for the style of this album, starting as a song-based tune built around a killer organ riff, before exploding into a very tight and impressive complex instrumental section toward the end. The instrumental “Mes” maintains this degree of complexity, as well as showing the band’s ear for good melodies and riffs. “Corto Amanecer” and the hard rocking “Ironico Ser” are probably the least interesting songs on the album, but still with enough progressive twists to make them worthwhile. The keyboards on “La Triste Vision del Entierro Propio” toy with some baroque and classical tendencies during the instrumental passages, and these influences are brought even further into the light on the excellent “Recluso Artista”. “Determinados Espejos” is yet another pure instrumental number, but with more focus on jamming and a slightly jazzier approach. This style would be perfected on their second and last album, which in my opinion also was their best. But “Crucis” is still an impressive debut, and the band is probably one of the first you should start with if you want to explore the South American progressive rock scene of the ’70s, as their style will appeal to most progressive rock fans.

Line-up:
- Gustavo Montesano / bass, lead vocals
- Anibal Kerpet / organ, Fender Rhodes, Arp Solina string, Moog, piano
- Pino Marrone / guitar, vocals
- Gonzalo Farrugia / drums, percussion

Track List:
01. Todo Tiempo Posible (4:33)
02. Mes (4:54)
03. Corto Amanecer (2:55)
04. La Triste Visión del Entierro Propio (5:00)
05. Irónico Ser (4:06)
06. Determinados Espejos (6:54)
07. Recluso Artista (6:45)

Link in comments.

Crucis

Ufo – Ufo Live! (1972) (@256)

01 May 2007

(Review from amazon.com)

I heard Ufo for the first time in the early days of FM radio, when the DJ’s could play pretty much whatever they wanted. The local FM station kept playing Rock Bottom and Doctor, Doctor. I purchased the album (Phenomenon) and loved every song on it. I went in search of other Ufo albums, and the record store told me the one before Phenomenon was a live album. I bought it (this one)immediately and literally flew home to check it out. While my initial impression was not as good, over the next few days it began to really grow on me. A very energetic live performance, with excellent playing by all involved. Mogg’s voice is superb and the three musicians shine. Many people seem to be unable to get past the Schenker-era, either pre or post. That’s a shame, because Ufo is a great band, with or without Schenker. The live album is the pinnacle of their pre-Schenker career, with the vastly underrated Flying also worth exploring. Check this one out for a young band blazing away on stage.

Line-up:
* Phil Mogg – vocals
* Mick Bolton – guitar
* Pete Way – bass
* Andy Parker – drums

Track List:
01. C’mon Everybody
02. Who Do You Love
03. Loving Cup
04. Prince Kajuku/The Coming of Prince Kajuku
05. Boogie for George
06. Follow You Home

Link in comments.

Live, Pete Way, Phil Mogg, Ufo

Electric Light Orchestra – Electric Light Orchestra I (1971) (@256)

01 May 2007