Archive for July, 2007

(Review from wikipedia, amazon)

Fleetwood Mac were arguably the most popular band in Europe at the time. However, Peter Green, the frontman of the band, was not in good health. He had been spiked with LSD in Munich, which began the onset of his schizophrenia. In Munich, Green penned what would be his last hit with Fleetwood Mac, “The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Prong Crown)” (which was later recorded by Judas Priest). Green’s mental stability deteriorated, and he wanted to give all of the band’s money to charity. The rest of the band did not concur. Green decided to leave the band. His last show with Fleetwood Mac was on May 20, 1970.

The band, somewhat reluctantly, kept on without Peter Green and despite press reports suggesting Danny Kirwan would assume leadership, the media-savvy Fleetwood took over as business manager of the band. In September 1970, Fleetwood Mac released Kiln House.

Their first album without Peter Green, finds the remaining members trying to maintain the band’s guitar-heavy, blues-rock approach, with the burden falling on Spencer and Kirwan. The result was an album that is a mother lode of riffs, tributes, and all-out joyfulness. Spencer and Kirwan really led each other to new displays of vibrato magic and chunky chord displays that made it a ‘different’ sound. More importantly, the vocals (especially Spencer’s eclectic identity changes) make this more approachable.

Spencer’s composing skills were rejuvenated with a variety of styles, including his recognized bottleneck work and piano. The tunes start off with the Elvis-splashed “This is the Rock”, a nifty shuffle that reminds us about the heart of the matter of this thing called rock ‘n roll. With an off-beat percussion tumbling away, “Station Man” displays the group’s voices against challenging squawks of slide and lead, and salsa-thick chords that literally chomp away like a hand saw through wood.

Spencer always enjoyed displaying a variety of alter egos on stage and he keeps the engine stoked with a couple of humorous numbers, including the country-western “Blood on the Floor” and the raucous, sneering “Hi Ho Silver”. Going back to rock’s early influences, he and Kirwan buzz on guitar as Buddy Holly and the Crickets get a salute with “One Together” and “Buddy’s Song”.

When Kirwan took the microphone to sing, he could be charming and mild, or tough and aggressive. On “Jewel Eyed Judy”, he does both, and the guitars sting and burn with pain from a broken heart. His guitar playing was really something to admire, especially with his wah-wah splashes and laser-beam lead lines that offset Spencer’s fire on “Tell Me All the Things You Do”. Both men show delicate touches on “Earl Gray” and throughout this entire set, Mick Fleetwood toned down the drumming in the more muted style that he would use with the future incarnation of the band in the ’80′s and ’90′s. With chimes and a romantic chorus behind him, Spencer sails off with a final Holly-like vocal on “Mission Bell”.

After the release of the album, the band went through a series of line-up changes abandoning its bluesy roots and headed towards a totally different pop direction. John McVie and Mick Fleetwood remained the only consistent members. Ironically, those two had the least influence in the band’s musical direction.

Line-up:
* Jeremy Spencer – guitar, vocals, piano
* Danny Kirwan – guitar, vocals
* John McVie – bass
* Mick Fleetwood – percussion, drums
with
* Christine McVie (Perfect) – piano, back vocals, artwork

Track List:
01. This Is The Rock – 2:45
02. Station Man – 5:49
03. Blood On The Floor – 2:44
04. Hi Ho Silver – 3:05
05. Jewel Eyed Judy – 3:17
06. Buddy’s Song – 2:08
07. Earl Gray – 4:01
08. One Together – 3:23
09. Tell Me All The Things You Do – 4:10
10. Mission Bell – 2:32

Link in comments.

Danny Kirwan, Fleetwood Mac

Rainbow – Finyl Vinyl (1978-84) (@256)

30 Jul 2007

(Review from wikipedia, amazon)

By April 1984, Blackmore and Glover had reformed the Deep Purple “Mark II” line-up and Rainbow was disbanded. A final Rainbow album, Finyl Vinyl, was pieced together from live tracks and B-sides of singles. The album contained the instrumental Weiss Heim, widely available for the first time.

Primarily culled from the Joe Lynn Turner era but also featuring selections with Ronnie James Dio and Graham Bonnet, Finyl Vinyl offers a haphazard alternate history designed for hardcore fans. For those fans, the album is actually quite a treat. Rainbow always sounded better on stage than they did on the studio — rawer, harder, alive — and songs that sounded half-baked in the studio, such as selections from Difficult to Cure, sound right here. That’s not to say that it’s a perfect album — the outtakes are interesting, but not particularly remarkable, the sequencing doesn’t make sense. But it rocks harder and more convincingly than many latter-day Rainbow releases. For the devoted, it’s a welcome addition to the band’s canon and it’s a nice way to close a career.

Line-up:
* Vocals: Joe Lynn Turner (1-5,9,10) , Graham Bonnet (6,7), Ronnie James Dio (11,12)
* Guitar: Ritchie Blackmore
* Bass: Roger Glover (all except 11,12), Bob Daisley (11,12)
* Drums: Chuck Burgi (1,2,3,8), Bobby Rondinelli (4,5,9,10), Cozy Powell (6,7,11,12,13)
* Keyboards: David Rosenthal (1,2,3,8,9,10), Don Airey (4,5,6,7,13), David Stone (11,12)

Track List:
01. Spotlight Kid (Live Tokyo 1984)
02. I Surrender (Live Tokyo 1984)
03. Miss Mistreated (Live Tokyo 1984)
04. Jealous Lover (1981/B-side of Can’t Happen Here Single)
05. Can’t Happen Here (Live Boston 1981)
06. Since You’ve Been Gone (Live Monsters Of Rock Festival, Castle Donington, England 1980)
07. Bad Girl (Outtake/B-side of Since You’ve Been Gone Single)
08. Difficult to Cure (Live Tokyo 1984)
09. Stone Cold (Live San Antonio 1982)
10. Power (Live San Antonio 1982)
11. Man on the Silver Mountain (Live Atlanta 1978)
12. Long Live Rock’n'Roll (Live Atlanta 1978)
13. Weiss Heim (Outtake/B-side of All Night Long Single)

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Bob Daisley, Bobby Rondinelli, Cozy Powell, David Rosenthal, Don Airey, Joe Lynn Turner, Rainbow, Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover, Ronnie James Dio

Shiver – Walpurgis (1969) (@320)

30 Jul 2007

(Info from Crack in the Cosmic Egg, progressiveworld.net)

Originally released in 1969, Swiss band Shiver sole self-produced album contained a wide range of psychedelic and progressive styles. Crudely recorded, and often shoddily played, it would seem to be an anthology recorded over a long period. It also contains both tracks that were issued as a single: “Hey Mr. Holy Man”/”The Peddle.” It also features the very first time the famous designer H. R. Giger delivered some of his art to become an album sleeve.

Longer progressive tracks alternate with shorter, more commercial sounding pieces. The opening instrumental “Repent Walpurgis” reminds of early Procol Harum or even Ekseption. The sound is very bluesy, highlighting both Hammond organ and distorted guitar. “What’s Wrong About The Blues” sounds like thousands of other blues songs from that period: repetitive and with tons of improvised harmonica playing. A bit in the tradition of similar projects from that era, “Hey Mr. Holy Man” is a ballad backed by Hammond organ and choir, whilst someone narrates on top of it. A rhythmic version of the classic “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” follows. The album closes with the flip for Shiver’s only single, the instrumental “The Peddle,” which once again is a mean blues song featuring piano, guitar and an organ.

Line-up:
* Dany Ruhle – guitar, harmonica, vocals
* Jelly Pastorini – organ, piano
* Mario Conza – bass, flute, vocals
* Roger Maurer – drums, vocals
* Peter Robinson – lead vocals

Track List:
01. Repent Walpurgis
02. Ode To The Salvation Army
03. Leave This Man Alone
04. What’s Wrong About The Blues
05. Hey Mr. Holy Man
06. Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
07. No Time
08. The Peddle

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Fleetwood Mac – Live in Boston Volume 1-2-3 (1970) (@256)

30 Jul 2007

(Review from allmusic, wikipedia)

Live in Boston (also known as “Live at the Boston Tea Party”) is a three-part album by British blues rock band Fleetwood Mac, recorded during a legendary extended weekend stand in 5th-7th February 1970, these live recordings from the three guitar lineup of Fleetwood Mac. This official release puts practically all the available tracks into this 3CD set.

Volume One, taken from the first set, is a Peter Green bonanza. Kicking off with a sharp “Black Magic Woman”, then weaving his liquid guitar lines into an achingly slow cover of Duster Bennett’s “Jumping at Shadows,” and finally breaking into a formerly unavailable 25 minute version of “Rattlesnake Shake,” the disc’s centerpiece, Green sings and plays with restrained authority. The extended jam on “Shake” proves that Green was a master improviser, referencing his blues roots even when flying off on spontaneous tangents no less riveting than those of the Allman Brothers or the Grateful Dead. Jeremy Spencer takes the lead on two rollicking Elmore James covers, “I Can’t Hold Out” and “Got to Move”, the latter seeing the light of day after being hidden in the vaults for 29 years. The set closes with Green’s proto-metal “The Green Manalishi” in a riotous 13-minute version that leaves the original four-minute single looking limp.

Volume Two starts strong with a floating “World in Harmony”, the only Peter Green/Danny Kirwin co-written track in the Fleetwood Mac catalog and one that interestingly never appeared on a studio album. An abbreviated but aggressive “Oh Well” (the rocking opening only) segues into a half hour “Rattlesnake Shake” that’s more raucous, driving and intense than the lower key, and slightly stiffer version on Volume One. The Kirwin/Green interplay here is stunning as they push each other past previous limits, driven by the forceful rhythm section of John McVie and Mick Fleetwood. Jeremy Spencer runs through terse versions of “Stranger Blues” and “Red Hot Mama”, two hot and jittery Elmore James covers. But the show becomes slipshod with his 50′s doo-wop tribute “Teenage Darling” complete with faux-Elvis singing that is pandering and irritating. The band jogs through a few revved up, enthusiastic but hardly essential Little Richard covers, redeemed by Fleetwood’s driving drums and Green’s wiry leads weaving through ten minutes of “Jenny Jenny”. It may have been a blast at the time, but the tracks don’t translate well without the visual impact of the three guitarists flailing away. The set ends with a heretofore unheard twelve minute jam simply entitled “Encore”, where Joe Walsh of opening band the James Gang, adds a fourth guitar. Intermittently interesting, the quadruple guitars trading leads and riffs make for some predictably cluttered and unfocused music. Followers of the band during these early years might find this of passing curiosity, but for most people, you had to be there.

Volume Three is a goldmine, as it features a whopping six tracks-over 35 minutes-worth of newly found material. Most importantly, almost all of this music is of exceptional quality. Unfortunately the album’s centerpiece, an intense, eleven minute, slow blues cover of B.B. King’s “If You Let Me Love You,” is marred by Peter Green’s dead microphone, giving his vocals a hollow quality. But his guitar attacks with startling clarity, as he alternately pushes and lays back with style and moderation. Green deftly massages his solo, and the band gives him plenty of room to navigate, making this one of the most impassioned performances on all three discs. An instrumental version of Danny Kirwin’s “Coming Your Way” is another recent addition, and throughout its seven minutes, the dueling guitars of Kirwin and Green spar with Mick Fleetwood’s tribal drums creating a rhythmic whirlwind that frustratingly fades away before it’s over. Jeremy Spencer whips out four Elmore James covers with a lately discovered version of “The Sun is Shining” a highlight, as his buzz-saw slide slices through the tune. A few Little Richard oldies crop up, and a frayed but propulsive version of “Tutti Frutti” where the band relaxes and rocks with class and restraint, shows how innovative they could be even working with the most basic three chord material. A remarkably subtle, weekend closing, eight minute “On We Jam” is the final unearthed cut, and proves that even with three talented guitarists sharing leads, the improvisational skills of this band were second to none.

Line-up:
* Peter Green – Guitar, Vocals
* Jeremy Spencer – Guitar, Vocals, Piano
* Mick Fleetwood – Percussion, Drums
* John McVie – Bass
* Danny Kirwan – Guitar, Vocals

Track List:
Volume One
01. Black Magic Woman – 6:45
02. Jumping at Shadows – 4:48
03. Like It This Way – 4:28
04. Only You – 4:23
05. Rattlesnake Shake – 24:38
06. I Can’t Hold Out – 6:35
07. Got to Move – 3:25
08. The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Prong Crown) – 12:52
Volume Two
01. World in Harmony – 4:10
02. Oh Well – 3:12
03. Rattlesnake Shake – 25:36
04. Stranger Blues – 3:55
05. Red Hot Mama – 4:03
06. Teenage Darling – 4:16
07. Keep A-Knocking – 4:56
08. Jenny Jenny – 7:40
09. Encore Jam – 13:25
Volume Three
01. Jumping at Shadows – 4:17
02. Sandy Mary – 5:21
03. If You Let Me Love You – 10:30
04. Loving Kind – 2:57
05. Coming Your Way – 7:06
06. Madison Blues – 4:49
07. Got to Move – 3:56
08. The Sun Is Shining – 3:11
09. Oh Baby – 4:26
10. Tiger – 3:44
11. Great Balls of Fire – 3:16
12. Tutti Frutti – 6:45
13. On We Jam – 7:56

Links in comments.

Danny Kirwan, Fleetwood Mac, Live, Peter Green

Rainbow – Bent Out of Shape (1983) (@256)

29 Jul 2007

(Review from allmusic.com)

With Joe Lynn Turner on board, Rainbow tried one crossover record and one no-frills hard rock record — which meant that Bent out of Shape, their third album with Turner, provided a fine opportunity to get a little arty. Not that the band has turned into Genesis or even returned to the mystical pretensions of its early work; they have merely broadened their horizons. Ironically, that means that they’ve retreated, at least partially, to the radio-ready sound of Difficult to Cure, but this time, they aren’t just trying for a crossover hit. As producer, Roger Glover has widened their sonic horizon without losing sonic muscle, making sure that the album is, at its core, hard rock. His production works, since the record hits pretty hard even when it gets a little fruity, which it does quite often — the stately, silly church organs that “Can’t Let You Go”, the fugue-like cadences of “Fire Dance”, the mock-classical instrumental “Anybody There”. Those instrumental flourishes highlight Bent out of Shape’s true strength, which is its sonics — the record sounds good and the music flows well.

However, beneath that surface, there’s not much there — the songs don’t have strong hooks, or are memorable in and of themselves. It sounds good and has some prime Ritchie Blackmore performances, plus it rocks pretty hard — all essential ingredients for a good Rainbow record, even if this time it adds up to a record that’s merely solid, not remarkable.

Line-up:
* Joe Lynn Turner – vocals
* Ritchie Blackmore – guitar
* David Rosenthal – keyboard
* Roger Glover – bass
* Chuck Burgi – drums

Track List:
01. Stranded – 4:29
02. Can’t Let You Go – 4:24
03. Fool for the Night – 4:04
04. Fire Dance – 4:30
05. Anybody There – 2:44
06. Desperate Heart – 4:37
07. Street Of Dreams – 4:28
08. Drinking With The Devil – 3:44
09. Snowman – 4:33
10. Make Your Move – 5:25

Link in comments.

David Rosenthal, Joe Lynn Turner, Rainbow, Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover

Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks (1977) (@256)

29 Jul 2007

(Review from allmusic.com)

While mostly accurate, dismissing Never Mind the Bollocks as merely a series of loud, ragged midtempo rockers with a harsh, grating vocalist and not much melody would be a terrible error.

Already anthemic songs are rendered positively transcendent by Johnny Rotten’s rabid, foaming delivery. His bitterly sarcastic attacks on pretentious affectation and the very foundations of British society were all carried out in the most confrontational, impolite manner possible.

Most imitators of the Pistols’ angry nihilism missed the point: underneath the shock tactics and theatrical negativity were social critiques carefully designed for maximum impact. Never Mind the Bollocks perfectly articulated the frustration, rage, and dissatisfaction of the British working class with the establishment, a spirit quick to translate itself to strictly rock & roll terms.

The Pistols paved the way for countless other bands to make similarly rebellious statements, but arguably none were as daring or effective. It’s easy to see how the band’s roaring energy, overwhelmingly snotty attitude, and Rotten’s furious ranting sparked a musical revolution, and those qualities haven’t diminished one bit over time. Never Mind the Bollocks is simply one of the most inspiring rock records of all time.

Line-up:
* Johnny Rotten – lead vocals
* Steve Jones – guitar, bass, backing vocals
* Paul Cook – drums
* Glen Matlock – bass guitar and backing vocals (Anarchy in the UK)
* Sid Vicious (John Simon Ritchie) – bass guitar (Bodies)

Track List:
01. Holidays in the Sun – 3:22
02. Bodies – 3:03
03. No Feelings – 2:51
04. Liar – 2:41
05. God Save the Queen – 4:11
06. Problems – 3:20
07. Seventeen – 2:02
08. Anarchy in the U.K. – 3:32
09. Submission – 4:12
10. Pretty Vacant – 3:18
11. New York – 3:07
12. E.M.I. – 3:10

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Fleetwood Mac – Blues Jam in Chicago Volume 1-2 (1969) (@192)

29 Jul 2007

(Info from wikipedia)

Fleetwood Mac In Chicago/Blues Jam In Chicago vols 1 & 2 was the result of a recording session in early 1969, at Chess Records in Chicago (home to Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, et al) with Fleetwood Mac and some of their Chicago blues mentors.

The first volume, recorded at Chess Record’s Ter-Mar complex in Chicago, pairs Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac with some of the Windy City’s blues legends including Willie Dixon, Otis Spann, Buddy Guy, and David “Honeyboy” Edwards. Put together on short notice, and recorded in one day, the sessions have something of a ramshackle feel, but the energy of the performances transcends any shortcomings on this date. Dixon oversaw the proceedings, and can be heard during the between-song banter giving directions and chastising Walter “Shakey” Horton for missing his cues. Since the Peter Green-led Fleetwood Mac was so directly influenced by Chicago blues, the session acts as a kind of stylistic homecoming for the band. Bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood contribute driving rhythms while guitarists Danny Kirwan and Jeremy Spencer lend both rhythms and the occasional lead. Green’s stunningly fluid guitar work is at the fore, as usual. But the real treat is picking out the Chess players–Otis Spann’s piano on “I Got the Blues,” J.T. Brown’s tenor sax on Elmore James’s “I Can’t Hold Out,” or Guy and Edwards, who go toe-to-toe with Green on “Red Hot Jam,” one of the session’s indisputable highlights.

Like volume one, volume two documents collaborations between some of Chess Records’ most prominent bluesmen and the late-1960s version of Fleetwood Mac. Given that the Peter Green-led Fleetwood Mac was already deeply rooted in Chicago blues, the project proved to be a natural for the group, with Green’s blues-drenched leads and the chops of Mick Fleetwood (drums), John McVie (bass), Danny Kirwan and Jeremy Spencer (guitars) providing a perfect framework for contributions by Willie Dixon, Otis Spann, and David “Honeyboy” Edwards, among others. Green and company bring an edge to the proceedings, playing with the kind of muscle and unbridled energy associated with rock music. Volume two has greater variety in the lineup than volume one, with Dixon substituting on bass for McVie on a number of tracks, along with much swapping of vocal duties. The latter move gives the second installment the edge over the first, with Edwards singing on his own tunes (“Honey Boy Blues” is a highlight), and the inimitable Spann singing “Someday Soon Baby” and “Hungry Country Girl.” This is one of the finer snapshots of British blues-rock meeting its source.

Line-up:
* Peter Green – vocals, guitar
* Jeremy Spencer – vocals, guitar, slide guitar
* Danny Kirwan – vocals, guitar
* John McVie – bass guitar
* Mick Fleetwood – drums
with
* Otis Spann – vocals, piano
* David “Honeyboy” Edwards – guitar
* Buddy Guy – guitar
* Walter “Shakey” Horton – harmonica
* J. T. Brown – tenor saxophone)
* Willie Dixon – acoustic bass guitar
* S.P. Leary – drums

Track List:
CD1
01. Watch Out
02. Ooh Baby
03. South Indiana (take 1)
04. South Indiana (take 2)
05. Last Night
06. Red Hot Jam (take 1)
07. Red Hot Jam (take 2)
08. I’m Worried
09. I Held My Baby Last Night
10. Madison Blues
11. I Can’t Hold Out
12. Bobby’s Rock
13. I Need Your Love
14. Horton’s Boogie Woogie
15. I Got The Blues
CD2
01. World’s In A Tangle
02. Talk With You
03. Like It This Way
04. Someday Soon Baby
05. Hungry Country Girl
06. Black Jack Blues (Bonus)
07. Everyday I Have The Blues
08. Rockin’ Boogie
09. My Baby’s Gone
10. Sugar Mama (Bonus take 1)
11. Sugar Mama (take 2)
12. Homework (Bonus)
13. Honey Boy Blues
14. I Need Your Love (Bonus take 1)
15. Horton’s Boogie Woogie (Take 2)
16. Have A Good Time
17. That’s Wrong
18. Rock Me Baby

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Danny Kirwan, Fleetwood Mac, Otis Spann, Peter Green

Rainbow – Straight Between the Eyes (1982) (@256)

29 Jul 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

By 1982, Rainbow had abandoned any pretences of making challenging music, and opted for a straight (between the eyes?) forward heavy rock approach. The line up showed relative stability from the previous album, the only change being David Rosenthal’s installation on keyboards in place of Don Airey.

Most if not all of the tracks here are simply vehicles for Joe Lynn Turner’s fine vocals, and Blackmore’s irresistible guitar work. The opening “Death alley driver” for example is an extremely ordinary rock song, brought to life by some superb guitar. “Bring on the night” is similarly prosaic in composition, but has some good old fashioned phasing.

There are a couple of notable deviations from the guitar rock which dominates the album. “Stone cold” is a fine organ based rock ballad which affords Turner the opportunity to display his vocal dexterity. The songs has the distinct sound of “Perfect strangers” era Deep Purple, not surprising given that 40% of that line up are here. “Tearing out my heart” has a similar style, very much in the mould of some of Magnum’s power rock. The final track, “Eyes of fire” sees the band finally reverting to the style and sound of “Stargazer” and “Eyes of the world”. This 6Â˝ minute piece has a distinct eastern feel, and a hint of “Kashmir” perhaps. While Blackmore’s guitar work is been reasonably strong throughout the album, he finds an extra gear here.

Line-up:
- Joe Lynn Turner / vocals
- Ritchie Blackmore / guitar
- Bobby Rondinelli / drums
- David Rosenthal / keyboard
- Roger Glover / bass

Track List:
01. Death Alley Driver (4:45)
02. Stone Cold (5:19)
03. Bring on the Night (Dream Chaser) (4:08)
04. Tite Squeeze (3:16)
05. Tearin’ Out My Heart (4:06)
06. Power (4:27)
07. Miss Mistreated (4:30)
08. Rock Fever (3:52)
09. Eyes of Fire (6:36)

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Bobby Rondinelli, David Rosenthal, Joe Lynn Turner, Rainbow, Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover

Bulent Ortacgil – Benimle Oynar Misin? (1974) (@256)

28 Jul 2007

(Review from ortacgil.com, sozluk.sourtimes.org)

Ortacgil started playing the guitar in high school. With a bunch of his classmates, they ended up playing under various names. Influenced mainly by The Beatles, Cat Stevens, Donovan and Bob Dylan, he published his first single, called “Anlamsiz” while still in highschool. It wasn’t until 1974, he released his first studio album.

Every once in a while, you hear a record for the very first time and it becomes instantly ingrained into your memory. You intuitively know every note before it comes, you can hum along from start to finish, you feel that it has always been with you and will stay with you for eternity. His absolutely phenomenal 1974 debut “Benimle Oynar Misin?” is considered a landmark album in Turkey. Ortacgil’s songs are written and arranged simply and tastefully, with his voice and gorgeous fingerpicked guitar playing in the forefront of almost every track, and sparse accompaniment on piano, trumpet, saxophone, strings, and several other instruments played by a long list of sidemen and women. The music on this record follows in the tradition of British folk singers and folk rock bands. The mood is melancholic, but with a strong underlying sense of hope and joy.

Even if you don’t understand a word of Turkish, this could be one of the most moving and engrossing records you may have heard. With its amazingly naive sound and unique atmosphere, it’s truly too beautiful to put into any words.

After this album, Ortacgil got married and took a 10-year break from his music career, working as a chemical engineer before his come back in the late 80s.

Line-up:
* Bulent Ortacgil – acoustic guitar, vocals
with
* Onno Tunc – bass
* Cezmi Basegmez – drums
* Ergun Pekakcan – piano
* Attila Ozdemiroglu – vibraphone, flute, tombom
* Nukhet Ruacan – vocals
* Erol Duygulu – sax
* Metin Orser – trumpet
* Tuncer Ozcan – trumpet
* Erdogan Ergun – trumpet

Track List:
01. Gunaydin
02. Kediler
03. Benimle Oynar Misin?
04. Olmali mi Olmamali mi
05. Sik Latife
06. Hersey Sevgiyle Baslar
07. Suna Abla
08. Dort Kisili Dus
09. Anlamsiz
10. Yagmur
11. Yuzunu Dokme Kucuk Kiz
12. Sen Varsin
13. Bahar Turkusu
14. Gunaydin II

Link in comments.

Sakalli's Pick, Turkish

Fleetwood Mac – Pious Bird of Good Omen (1969) (@256)

28 Jul 2007

(Info from wikipedia)

The Pious Bird of Good Omen is mostly a compilation of Fleetwood Mac’s non-studio album material, released in 1969.

The highlight of the album is undoubtedly, the guitar-based instrumental “Albatross”. It has been suggested that the piece is associated with the metaphorical use of the word albatross to mean a ‘wearisome burden’. The use of the word “Albatross” to mean an encumbrance (literally around somebody’s neck) is an allusion to Coleridge’s poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (1798). It is unclear whether or not Fleetwood Mac intended the song title to reference this meaning, or if it simply refers to the sea bird; but the title of the album it appears on, The Pious Bird of Good Omen, definitely alludes to and quotes from the Coleridge poem.

Line-up:
* Peter Green – vocals, guitar, harmonica
* Jeremy Spencer – vocals, slide guitar
* Danny Kirwan – vocals, electric guitar on tracks 7 and 10
* John McVie – bass
* Mick Fleetwood – drums
with
* Eddie Boyd – vocals, piano on tracks 4 and 9

Track List:
01. Need Your Love So Bad (Version #2 (Remake), Take 2-Complete Version/Remix)
02. Rambling Pony (Complete Master Version/Remix)
03. I Believe My Time Ain’t Long (Master Version With Studio Talk/Remix)
04. The Sun Is Shining
05. Albatross
06. Black Magic Woman
07. Jigsaw Puzzle Blues
08. Like Crying
09. Need Your Love So Bad (Version #1: Take 1-False Start)
10. Need Your Love So Bad (Version #2: Take 1, Take 2)
11. Need Your Love So Bad (Take 3)
12. Need Your Love So Bad (USA Version)

Links in comments.

Danny Kirwan, Eddie Boyd, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green

Rainbow – Down to Earth (1979) (@256)

27 Jul 2007

(Review from wikipedia, amazon, allmusic.com)

Blackmore attempted to replace Dio with Ian Gillan, but Gillan turned him down, so after a series of auditions ex-Marbles vocalist Graham Bonnet was recruited instead. Cozy Powell stayed but Daisley and Stone were both fired, replaced by keyboardist Don Airey and bassist Roger Glover. It is somewhat ironic as Blackmore had instigated the sacking of Glover from Deep Purple in 1973.

The departure of Ronnie James Dio gave Ritchie Blackmore a chance to reinvent Rainbow, which he does to a certain extent on “Down to Earth”. Blackmore tones down some of the excess of the Dio years, particularly in terms of fantastical lyrics, and turns to straight-ahead hard rock, only occasionally adorned by prominent synthesizers.

Rainbow has a distinct idea, primarily through the guitar artistry and mystical sensibility of Ritchie Blackmore. He sounds invigorated on the album, turning in muscular performances and strong solos on each cut; clearly, the reunion has revitalized him.

The album is kicked off by the awesome opening rocker, “All Night Long”. The stylings in this track are strongly reminiscent of seventies Kiss. Bonnet even sounds like he’s mimicking Paul Stanley in places. “Eyes Of The World”, is one that rightfully gets a lot of praise. A keyboard/organ solo kicks off the track, and backs the rest of the hard-rocking song. The song is similar to Gates Of Babylon from the band’s album that came immediately before this one. Next up “No Time To Lose”. Of all the tracks on this album, this is probably the one that sounds the most like David Coverdale-era Deep Purple. The fourth song the album serves up is the classic “Makin’ Love”. On this song, the band slows down the pace of the music dramatically, but still rocks hard. Track five is the big hit on the album, “Since You’ve Been Gone”. Interestingly, this isn’t a Rainbow original, but rather a cover of a Russ Ballard song. Next comes “Love’s No Friend”. This is more straight-up classic hard rock, this one featuring an awesome backing organ pattern paired up with Blackmore’s guitar mastery. We get more straight-up hard rock in the next track, the Ufo-esque Danger Zone. Back when Blackmore rocked hard, he rocked with the best of them, and perhaps no track epitomizes that the way this one does. And closing things out is “Lost In Hollywood”. The fast-paced guitar riffs and fast vocals from Bonnet make this an excellent rocker. In the middle of the track, we even get some keyboard usage not unlike that of Electric Light Orchestra! The closing track on an album should be one that will leave a lasting impression on the listener, and this one does just that.

After this album; Cozy Powell quit, disliking Blackmore’s increasingly pop metal direction. Bonnet subsequently became disgruntled at the domination of Blackmore and Glover and also left to go solo. Once again strapped for a vocalist, Blackmore found his man in American singer Joe Lynn Turner, who along with new drummer Bobby Rondinelli signaled a true career rebirth for Rainbow.

Line-up:
* Graham Bonnet – vocals
* Ritchie Blackmore – guitar
* Don Airey – keyboard
* Roger Glover – bass
* Cozy Powell – drums

Track List:
01. All Night Long – 3:53
02. Eyes of the World – 6:42
03. No Time to Lose – 3:45
04. Makin’ Love – 4:38
05. Since You Been Gone – 3:25
06. Love’s No Friend – 4:55
07. Danger Zone – 4:31
08. Lost in Hollywood – 4:51

Link in comments.

Cozy Powell, Don Airey, Rainbow, Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover

Happy the Man – Happy the Man (1977) (@256)

27 Jul 2007

8 comments

(Review from progarchives.com)

Happy the Man’s namesake recording is one of the most relevant and peculiar in the history of progressive. Brilliant compositions, incredible arrangements, top-notch musicianship, fluid collective functioning: the best ingredients you can ask for in a progressive meal.

The diversity of musical ideas that appear on the album is no small degree based on its influences: Canterbury’s pleasant freshness, Gentle Giant’s harmonized dissonances, 76-77 Camel’s melodic taste, accademical stuff (Gershwin, Grieg), even some hints of Zappa-esque bizarreness and Retrun to Forever’s colourful fusion. Yet, the overall result isn’t derivative at all, but an original one.

Kit Watkins’ keyboard playing combines Emerson’s fire and Bardens’s texturial sensibility in a unique style, and in my humble opinion, he’s the most prominent masters in this band of talents. The rhythm section deals with all these complex time signatures with incredible ease and precise energy; meanwhile, Whitaker’s guitars and Wyatt’s wind instruments exhibit absolute finesse in their solos and harmonic parts. Many times it happens that Wyatt plays keyboards too (grand and electric pianos), and so he and Watkins interplay cleverly for the benefit of melodic lines and the enhancement of ambiences.

The repertoire comprises reflective pieces (‘Starborne’, ‘Hidden Moods’) as well as explicitly energetic ones (‘Stumpy Meets the Firecracker in Stencil Forest’, ‘Knee Bitten Nymphs in Limbo’) and evocative ones (the sung tracks, 3 and 7): some tracks lay somewhere in the middle, like the longest ones (tracks 4 and 9, which are the most amazing ones), and we can even find an exquisite excercise in mysterious crescendo (‘Carrousel’). There’s always room for pyrotechnics in the hands of Watkins, Whitaker and Wyatt, but the impressive solos are never too long, always making sense as part of each track as a whole: somehow, these five guys manage to show their skills unabashedly without betraying the integrity of each piece.

Line-up:
- Stanley Whitaker / six and twelve string guitars, vocals
- Kit Watkins / mini-moog, acoustic piano, Fender rhodes, A.R.P., Hammond organ, Hohner clavinet, flute, marimba
- Frank Wyatt / sax, flute, piano, keyboards, vocals
- Rick Kennell / bass
- Mike Beck / drums

Track List:
01. Starborne (4:22)
02. Stumpy Meets the Firecracker in Stencil Forest (4:16)
03. Upon the Rainbow (Befrost) (4:42)
04. Mr. Mirror’s Reflection on Dreams (8:54)
05. Carousel (4:06)
06. Knee Bitten Nymphs in Limbo (5:22)
07. On Time as a Helix of Precious Laughs (5:22)
08. Hidden Moods (3:41)
09. New York Dream Suite (8:32)

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Frank Wyatt, Happy the Man, Kit Watkins, Stanley Whitaker

Fleetwood Mac – Mr. Wonderful (1968) (@256)

27 Jul 2007

(Info from wikipedia, amazon)

Like the first album, “Mr Wonderful” was an all-blues album, but this time they had a few more frills. It was produced to sound as if it were twenty years older than it really was. The band also added horns and featured a friend of the band’s on keyboards, Christine Perfect (later Christine McVie) of Chicken Shack.

Peter Green stated the purpose of the album was to recreate the sound of a south side chicago blues club. Raw and rough, the album does just that.

Line-up:
* Peter Green – vocals, guitar, harmonica
* Jeremy Spencer – vocals, slide guitar
* John McVie – bass
* Mick Fleetwood – drums

Track List:
01. Stop Messin’ Round
02. I’ve Lost My Baby
03. Rollin’ Man
04. Dust My Broom
05. Love That Burns
06. Doctor Brown
07. Need Your Love Tonight
08. If You Be My Baby
09. Evenin’ Boogie
10. Lazy Poker Blues
11. Coming Home
12. Trying So Hard to Forget
13. Stop Messin’ Round (Bonus Takes 1, 2 & 3)
14. Stop Messin’ Round (Bonus Take 5)
15. I Held My Baby Last Night (Bonus)
16. Mystery Boogie (Bonus)

Links in comments.

Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green

Rainbow – Long Live Rock 'n' Roll (1978) (@256)

27 Jul 2007

(Review from amazon, wikipedia)

The line-up for Rainbow was never a stable one, with Ritchie Blackmore being the one constant. After firing Bain and Carey, Blackmore had difficulty finding replacements he liked. Blackmore originally chose Mark Clarke from the band Tempest, but once in the studio Blackmore disliked his playing so much that he fired Clarke on the spot and played bass himself on all but three songs on this album. For these tracks he finally settled on Australian Bob Daisley (of later Ozzy fame).

The title track is a fan favourite and one of the strongest tunes from this era–a heavy rock tune written for arenas. As for Lady Of The Lake – here the band goes for an ultra-melodic rock assault on the senses, which speaks of the devil being personified as a woman. L.A. Connection is more of a straight-up kind of rock and roll song, featuring the piano tinglings of keyboardist David Stone. “Gates of Babylon” is a mammoth track featuring the Bavarian String Ensemble,as synthesizer and strings combine for a symphonic big-rocksound.

The second side kicks off with “Kill The King”, which was already a staple part of the tour setlists, opening Rainbow concerts since mid-1976. It first appeared on the live album On Stage in 1977, this was the first time it was done in the studio. Blackmore opens the thunderous “The Shed (Subtle)” with a fluid, effects-laden bluesy solo. With this track the band gives us a mid-fast hard rocker with a slightly more “raw” sound than the other tracks featured here. “Sensitive To Light” is one of the most interesting tracks on the album because, while it is obviously a straight-up power rocker, Dio’s vocal style hints back at the work he did in Elf, this fusion of styles only makes this track better. The album closes with “Rainbow Eyes” — a seven-minute epic that features a string quartet, flute, and Dio’s euphonic balladry.

After the release and extensive world tour in 1977–78, Blackmore decided that he wanted to take the band in a new commercial direction away from the “sword and sorcery” theme. Dio did not agree with this change and left Rainbow. He would go to replace Ozzy Osbourne as the lead singer in Black Sabbath. Dio would later form his own self-titled band.

Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – vocals
* Ritchie Blackmore – guitar/bass
* David Stone – keyboard
* Bob Daisley – bass
* Cozy Powell – drums

Track List:
01. Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll – 4:21
02. Lady of the Lake – 3:39
03. L.A. Connection – 5:02
04. Gates of Babylon – 6:49
05. Kill the King – 4:29
06. The Shed (Subtle) – 4:47
07. Sensitive to Light – 3:07
08. Rainbow Eyes – 7:11

Link in comments.

Bob Daisley, Cozy Powell, Rainbow, Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio

Rainbow – Live in Germany (1976) (@256)

26 Jul 2007

(Review from seaoftranquility.org, amazon)

For most die-hard Rainbow fans, “On Stage” is the definitive live Rainbow album. “Live in Germany” album is a great companion piece to the “On Stage” record recorded from the same tour, although that recording was taken mostly from shows in Japan.

The set lists from the two albums are fairly similar, but this one is more complete, and contains lengthier jams. Many thought the omission of the legendary “Stargazer” from the On Stage album to be sheer blasphemy, but thankfully this set has it, as well as “Do You Close Your Eyes”. The rest of the set list is the same. Here, songs like “Mistreated”, “Catch the Rainbow”, and “Man on a Silver Mountain” take on even more epic proportions (take one look at the bloated song lengths below!) , with lengthy guitar jams from Blackmore, lots of keyboard noodling from Carey, as well as pyrotechnic drum explorations from Powell. Dio of course, was the man back then as well no matter how you look at it.

So, if you want to hear a band just discovering the peak of their powers, definitely check this set out, even if you already have Rainbow’s On Stage. The only downside is that this live album isn’t as well produced as “On Stage”. Sadly, this line-up would change after this tour, with both Carey and Bain getting the boot from the band.

Line-up:
* Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar
* Tony Carey – Keyboards
* Jimmy Bain – Bass
* Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
* Cozy Powell – Drums

Track List:
CD1
01. Kill the King – 5:25
02. Mistreated – 16:00
03. Sixteenth Century Greensleeves – 7:50
04. Catch the Rainbow – 14:50
CD2
01. Man on the Silver Mountain – 13:37
02. Stargazer – 17:10
03. Still I’m Sad – 15:00
04. Do You Close Your Eyes – 9:45

Links in comments.

Cozy Powell, Jimmy Bain, Live, Rainbow, Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio

Home – Home (1972) (@256)

25 Jul 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

This selftitled release was in fact the band’s second album, coming a year after their debut. The opening “Dreamer” offers the reassurance that the band’s sound has changed little, the distinctive guitar sound of Laurie Wisefield and the harmonic vocals of main songwriter Mick Stubbs remaining the essence of the band.

“Knave” is one of the band’s most effective ballads, Stubbs fine vocals being backed by some excellent piano. “Fancy lady, Hollywood child” is the first time non band member David Skillin’s name appears on the songwriting credits.

As a rule, the songs on the first side of the album are slightly less developed than on the first album. “Rise up” for example is a pleasant folk like piece, with similarities to the work of Magna Carta. “Dear Lord” is a soft, optimistic song with good piano, and one of Stubbs best vocal deliveries, helped by a strong melody.

Side two has just three tracks. “Baby friend of mine” sees the band return to the slightly more complex structures of their first album, the track having an effective mixture of acoustic and electric guitar. “Western front” develops from a soft piano and steel guitar opening to a powerful conclusion which links into the final song “Lady of the birds”. This, the longest track recorded by the band up to this point, gives a firm indication of the harder sound which would appear on the next album. The core of the track is a much looser section dominated by bass with guitar inflections, which leads to an evolving build up with fine guitar work towards the tracks conclusion. The guitar solo here is reminiscent of the Outlaws’ magnificent “Green grass and high tides”, if somewhat briefer. The double fade on the ending was a feature several tracks of the time.

Line-up:
- Mick Cook / Drums, Percussion, vocals
- Mick Stubbs / Electric guitar, 12 string guitar, keyboards, lead vocals
- Cliff Williams / Bass guitar, vocals
- Laurie Wisefield / Electric guitar (lead), Acoustic guitar, steel guitar, vocals

Track List:
01. Dreamer
02. Knave
03. Fancy lady, Hollywood child
04. Rise up
05. Dear Lord
06. Baby friend of mine
07. Western front
08. Lady of the birds

Link in comments.

Laurie Wisefield

Amon Duul II – Phallus Dei (1969) (@256)

25 Jul 2007

(Review from vintageprog.com)

Amon Duul II evolved logically enough from Amon Duul, an experimental German 60′s jam-oriented band with political lyrics. Several members decided to drop the political side of the group in favour of more focus on the music, so they broke out of the band and formed Amon Düül II that quickly would become one of the leading and most important kraut rock bands. Their debut “Phallus Dei” is very representative for the earliest phase of their career, with the exception for the German lyrics that would be dropped after this album. They played a very psychedelic kind of progressive rock that varied between long improvisations and jams and then to more structured and song-oriented tracks. The violin of Chris Karrer was an important trademark in the band’s sound, and his vocals sound often like a crazy and more energetic Frank Bornemann. Renate Knaup contributed with some weird female vocals that often came to the fore on the most experimental parts. The opener “Kanaan” reveals some of their occasionally eastern influences, but “Den Güten, Schönen, Wahren” is more representative for their overall sound. “Luzifers Ghilom” is an overlooked goodie that demonstrates their talent for combining complex and sophisticated musical structures with a rough and unpolished attitude. The short “Henriette Krotenschwanz” features some operatic vocals from Knaup, but it’s of course the 20-minute title-track that stands as the classic from the album. It starts as an intense and energetic jam session, but evolves gradually into more structured riffs and themes before finally climaxing with a very powerful violin riff and vocals from Karrer.

Line-up:
- Peter Leopold / drums, percussion, piano
- Shrat / bongos, violin, vocals
- Renate / vocals, tambourine
- John Weinzierl / bass, guitar
- Chris Karrer / violin, guitar, sax, vocals
- Falk Rogner / organ, synth
- Dave Anderson / bass
- Dieter Serfas / drums, electric cymbals

Track List:
01. Kanaan
02. Den Guten, Schönen, Wahren
03. Luzifers Ghilom
04. Henriette Krotenschwanz
05. Phallus Dei
06. Freak Out Requiem I (Bonus)
07. Freak Out Requiem II (Bonus)
08. Freak Out Requiem III (Bonus)
09. Freak Out Requiem IV (Bonus)
10. Cymbals in the End (Bonus)

Links in comments.

Amon Duul, Amon Duul II, Dave Anderson

Rainbow – On Stage (1976) (@256)

25 Jul 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

This is how a live album, indeed a live performance should be. It was perhaps a fortunate quirk of fate that with an at the time very limited repertoire to chose from, Blackmore and his new colleagues decided to significantly elongate the tracks they selected for live rendition.

Most of the material here is taken from the first album when the band was called Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow. Once the marketing people had ensured their public was aware of the legendary guitarist’s prime place in the band, the name was quickly abbreviated.

The highlight of the set is the 15+ minute version of “Catch the Rainbow”, which affords Blackmore space to extend his input to the track significantly. To his credit, he does not attempt to add blistering licks, but maintains the integrity of this beautifully melodic piece. Ronnie James Dio takes to opportunity to encourage some crowd participation, but even this is done tastefully.

Blackmore also lays claim to the Coverdale/Hughes era Deep Purple song “Mistreated” from the “Burn” album. Once again, the song is significantly extended to 13 minutes. The piece suits Dio’s vocal style well, while Blackmore develops what was in any case one of his finest solos while a member of DP.

Both “Sixteenth Century Greensleeves” and the cover of Jeff Beck and the Yardbirds’ “Still I’m sad” are considerably longer than their studio counterparts. The latter also regains the vocal refrain omitted from the first Rainbow album.

There have been further live offerings from Rainbow since this early release, and while they are of a consistently high standard, none has managed to recapture the power and excitement of “On Stage”.

Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
* Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar
* Tony Carey – Keyboards
* Jimmy Bain – Bass
* Cozy Powell – Drums

Track List:
01. Kill the King – 5:32
02. Medley: Man On The Silver Mountain/Blues/Starstruck – 11:12
03. Catch The Rainbow – 15:35
04. Mistreated – 13:03
05. Sixteenth Century Greensleeves – 7:36
06. Still I’m Sad – 11:01

Links in comments.

Cozy Powell, Jimmy Bain, Live, Rainbow, Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio

McChurch Soundroom – Delusion (1971) (@256)

25 Jul 2007

(Info from Crack in the Cosmic Egg)

Starting deceptively in folk-rock realms, “Delusion” moves around a lot, never sitting comfortably within any genre, and is largely instrumental, bridging psychedelic, hard-rock and fusion, being variably comparable to Gomorrha, Thirsty Moon and other such bands. The closest album to compare is Gravy Train’s superb debut, which similarly featured flute in a variety of rock and fusion styles.

Line-up:
- Sandy McChurch [Sandro Chiesa] / vocals, flute
- Heiner Althaus / guitar
- Alain Veltin / organ
- Kurt Hafen / bass
- Norbert “Nobbi” Jud / drums

Track List:
01. Delusion
02. Dream Of A Drummer
03. Time Is Flying
04. What Are You Doin
05. Trouble Part 1
06. Trouble Part 2

Link in comments.

Alan Parsons Project – Pyramid (1978) (@256)

25 Jul 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

Alan Parsons Project’s third album references to pyramid power and ancient Egypt surface repeatedly, the album is called “a view of yesterday through the eyes of today”. The theme of rise and fall is prominent throughout.

One of the highlights in Alan Parsons Project’s career, ‘Pyramid’ establishes a fusion of both their previous albums : The idea is not cloning themselves for the sake of it, but mainly reaffirming their own signature sound, by managing to write and produce a repertoire that flows solidly from beginning to end, although there’s not a continuous link between all nine tracks.

‘Voyager’ kicks off the album as a reflective starter, leading to ‘What Goes Up…’ (a meditation on the futility of all earthly things), then leading to ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’ (a final melancholy thought upon determination for resurgence): the threesome are really very well integrated, thus stating the duality of ups and downs as the central point of ‘Pyramid’. Next, ‘One More River’ reincides on the strength of determination in a pop-rock context, only to be segued into ‘Can’t Take It With You’, which reminds us that by our time of dying, we shall leave all the things we struggled for behind us – the opening whistling feels quite creepy, actually. ‘In the Lap of the Gods’ is the most splendorous number in the album, a dazzling manifestation of symphonic progressive where the orchestra, choir, and rock band interact with full majesty. Its abrupt end is followed a couple of seconds later by the bang of a gong, which is where the funny ‘Pyramania’ starts (something like Alan Parsons Project’s version of Supertramp’s ‘Dreamer’): its folly ambience is accurate for the lyrics, which mock at the new age pseudo-mystical stuff. ‘Hyper-Gamma-Spaces’ shows APP drawing closer to the electronic ambiences of J-M Jarre and Kraftwerk, while getting “rockier” than the former and not as “robotic” as the latter. This lush electronic exercise seems to be a celebration of the cosmic powers of creation and regeneration, but before things get too exulting, here comes ‘Shadow of a Lonely Man’. This overwhelming symphonic ballad is nothing but a self-pitying, dramatic portrait of riches to rags, which serves as a reminder of the fact that all men and all things, no matter how grandiose, share a common fate of death and oblivion.

All things must pass, and ‘Pyramid’ states it beautifully.

Line-up:
- Stuart Elliott / drums, percussion
- Ian Bairnson / guitars
- David Paton / guitars, bass, vocals
- Alan Parsons / acoustic guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Eric Woolfson / keyboards
- Duncan MacKay / keyboards
- Andrew Powell / orchestra & choir arranger and conductor
- Colin Blunstone / vocals
- Dean Ford / vocals
- David Paton / vocals
- Lenny Zakatek / vocals
- Jack Harris / vocals
- John Miles / vocals

Track List:
01. Voyager (2:24)
02. What Goes Up… (3:31)
03. The Eagle Will Rise Again (4:20)
04. One More River (4:15)
05. Can’t Take It With You (5:06)
06. In The Lap Of The Gods (5:27)
07. Pyramania (2:45)
08. Hyper-Gamma-Spaces (4:19)
09. Shadow Of A Lonely Man (5:34)

Link in comments.

Alan Parsons, Alan Parsons Project, Andrew Powell, David Paton, Eric Woolfson

Rainbow – Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow (1975) (@256)

24 Jul 2007

(Review from wikipedia, amazon)

In 1974 Blackmore became infuriated at the funk/soul elements being introduced to Deep Purple by David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes as well as with the rejection from his bandmates of his suggestion to record a cover for inclusion in Stormbringer, and originally intended to record “Black Sheep of the Family”, a song written and recorded by the band Quatermass, as a solo single to express his ideas that were being suppressed in Deep Purple.

During recent US tours, Deep Purple’s support band had been Elf and Blackmore had been impressed by Elf’s singer, one Ronnie James Dio. Blackmore and Dio found they had such a creative rapport that a full album’s worth of music was soon composed and they recorded it with Elf as a session band. Emboldened by the experience, Blackmore decided to leave Deep Purple and form his own band around Elf, effectively taking it over minus their guitarist and renaming it Rainbow. The name of the band was inspired by the Hollywood Bar and Grill called the Rainbow which catered to rock stars, groupies and rock enthusiasts.

Rainbow’s music was different from Deep Purple’s. The music was more directly inspired by classical music and Dio wrote lyrics about medieval themes. Dio possessed a versatile vocal range capable of singing both hard rock and lighter ballads. Although Dio never played a musical instrument on any Rainbow album, he is credited with writing and arranging the music with Blackmore in addition to writing all the lyrics himself.

While a classic rock power album, their debut’s much more bluesy than their later material. This is because this is essentialy “an Elf album with Blackmore”.

The opener, Man On The Silver Mountain, is a solid classic hard rocker that would go on to become one of the band’s biggest hits, as well as a fan favorite. “If You Don’t Like Rock ‘N’ Roll” is the most bluesy track on the album. Another one of the excellent bluesy tunes here is “Black Sheep Of The Family”. And, of course, who could forget the gloomy yet melodic stylings of songs like “Self Portrait” and “Catch The Rainbow”? These are underrated classic rock masterpieces. “The Temple Of The King” and “Sixteenth Century Greensleeves” hint at a medieval sound, something that fascinated Blackmore. A short but sweet instrumental Yardbirds cover, “Still I’m Sad” finishes off the album.

Line-up:
- Ronnie James Dio – vocals
- Ritchie Blackmore – guitar
- Micky Lee Soule – keyboard
- Craig Gruber – bass
- Gary Driscoll – drums

Track List:
01. Man on the Silver Mountain – 4:42
02. Self Portrait – 3:17
03. Black Sheep of the Family (Steve Hammond) – 3:22
04. Catch the Rainbow – 6:27
05. Snake Charmer – 4:33
06. The Temple of the King – 4:45
07. If You Don’t Like Rock ‘n’ Roll – 2:38
08. Sixteenth Century Greensleeves – 3:31
09. Still I’m Sad – 3:51

Link in comments.

Rainbow, Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio

Cat Stevens – Teaser and the Firecat (1971) (@192)

24 Jul 2007

(Review from allmusic.com, wikipedia)

Basically, Teaser and the Firecat’s songs came in two modes: gentle ballads that usually found Cat Stevens and second guitarist Alun Davies playing delicate lines over sensitive love lyrics, and up-tempo numbers on which the guitarists strummed away and thundering drums played in stop-start rhythms. There were also more exotic styles, such as the Greek-styled Rubylove, with its twin bouzoukis and a verse sung in Greek, and Tuesday’s Dead, with its Caribbean feel.

Cat Stevens seemed to have worked out some of his big questions, to the point of wanting to proselytize on songs like Changes IV and Peace Train, both stirring tunes in which he urged social and spiritual improvement. Meanwhile, his love songs had become simpler and more plaintive. And while there had always been a charming, childlike quality to some of his lyrics, there were songs here that worked as nursery rhymes, and these were among the album’s most memorable tracks and its biggest hits: Moonshadow and Morning Has Broken, the latter adapted from a hymn.

The overall result was an album that was musically more interesting than ever, but lyrically dumbed-down. Cat Stevens continued to look for satisfaction in romance, despite its disappointment, but he found more fulfillment in a still-unspecified religious pursuit that he was ready to tout to others. And they were at least nominally ready to listen: the album produced three hit singles and just missed topping the charts. His previous album “Tea for the Tillerman” may have been the more impressive effort, but “Teaser and the Firecat” gave more surface pleasures to more people.

“Teaser and the Firecat” is also the title of a children’s book written and illustrated by Cat Stevens. The story features the title characters from the album cover, top-hatted young Teaser and his pet Firecat, who attempt to put the moon back in its place after it falls from the sky. It was published in 1972.

Line-up:
* Cat Stevens – guitar, keyboards, vocals
with
* Alun Davies – guitar
* Larry Steele – bass, congas
* Gerry Conway – drums
* Hervey Burns – drums
* Rick Wakeman – piano
* Andreas Toumazis – bazouki
* Angelos Hatzipavli – bazouki
* Del Newman – string arrangements

Track List:
01. The Wind – 1:42
02. Rubylove – 2:37
03. If I Laugh – 3:20
04. Changes IV – 3:32
05. How Can I Tell You – 4:24
06. Tuesday’s Dead – 3:36
07. Morning Has Broken – 3:20
08. Bitterblue – 3:12
09. Moonshadow – 2:52
10. Peace Train – 4:04

Link in comments.

Cat Stevens, Gerry Conway, Rick Wakeman

Spirit – Spirit (1969) (@256)

23 Jul 2007

(Review from progarchives.com, amazon)

With this debut album, Spirit created a product of its time: an inventive psychedelic rock hovering between Syd Barrett-Floyd, early The Who, but also developed some highly original sounds of their own. Spirit was not just another garage rock band: they had two jazz players John Locke and drummer Ed Cassidy (a journeyman much older than the rest of the members). This very drummer was the step father of teenage wonder Randy California which turned out to be a brilliant guitarist, being invited on many records and was a one-time pupil of Jimi Hendrix. The rest of the line-up comprises of bassist Mark Andes (not to be confused with his brother Matt, both would have lengthy careers) and singer Jay Ferguson whose voices was one of the best of the era and responsible for a lot of song-writing on this album.

After the opening Fresh Garbage (their first hit and an ecological ode) and the Floyd-like Uncle Jack, the albums really gets going with the amazing Mechanical World with its off-beat rhythm and superb ambiances. Followed by the instrumental Taurus, one realizes that Spirit has a lot more than most Los Angeles groups of their generation. “Girl In Your Eye” floats along beautifully, with sitar shadowing the melody. The album continues its path into Straight Arrow with its crazy jazz (almost free jazz) ending. After another semi-jazzy track Topanga Windows, the album seems to rest a bit on its laurels, with a bunch of rather unexceptional songs (with the exception of a jazzy mid-song solo section into Gramophone Man) until the closing almost 11-min monster Elijah with its repeated bass-piano riff and the continuous soloing from the band and its free-jazz mid-section which is reminiscent at times of Crimson’s Moonchild. This track was always a popular live item.

The band’s blend of so many different types of music is incredible – and their debut from 1968 is where it all began.

Line-up:
- Mark Andes / bass, vocals
- Randy California / bass, guitar, vocals
- Ed Cassidy / percussion, drums
- Jay Ferguson / percussion, keyboards, vocals
- John Locke / keyboards

Track List:
01. Fresh Garbage 3:11
02. Uncle Jack 2:43
03. Mechanical World 5:14
04. Taurus California 2:37
05. Girl in Your Eye 3:15
06. Straight Arrow 2:51
07. Topanga Windows 3:36
08. Gramophone Man 3:49
09. Water Woman 2:11
10. Great Canyon Fire in General 2:46
11. Elijah 10:49
12. Veruska (Bonus) 2:51
13. Free Spirit (Bonus) 4:28
14. If I Had A Woman (Bonus) 3:12
15. Elijah (Bonus alternate take) 9:42

Links in comments.

Journey – Infinity (1978) (@256)

23 Jul 2007

(Review from allmusic.com)

By 1977 Journey had reached a creative crossroads, with three underwhelming studio albums under their belt and little to show in the way of commercial success. At the prodding of manager Herbie Herbert, who felt a major shakeup was needed in order to reignite their spark, the band was convinced to audition and eventually recruit the services of former Alien Project vocalist Steve Perry. Sure enough, adding him to the band just prior to the sessions for Infinity proved to be a stroke of genius, and a move that undeniably altered the course of history for the fledging Bay Area act.

Released in January of 1978, Infinity easily proved to be the band’s most cohesive work to date. Dead and buried were the jazz fusion overtones of previous offerings, and with the new songwriting combo of Perry/Neal Schon leading the march, the band set out to completely redefine their sound. Traditional pop arrangements were now adopted, cutting out the unnecessary musical fat, and allowing each bandmember to play to his strength: Perry’s soaring, whale of a voice, Schon’s scorching fret work, and Gregg Rolie’s subtle keyboard arrangements.

Enlisting eccentric producer Roy Thomas Baker (already famous for guiding the likes of Queen and Nazareth to giant commercial triumphs of their own) also proved to be a rewarding move for the boys. With newfound confidence, Journey crafted a record that could finally land them on the radio. Loaded with future FM staples like “Wheel in the Sky” (which hit the Top 50 in April of 1978), “Lights” (which quietly peaked at number 68 that August), and “Anytime” (pretty much a flop, crawling to number 83 in July), Infinity introduced Journey to an entirely new audience.

Even non-singles like “Patiently (the first tune Perry ever wrote with Schon) and “Somethin’ to Hide” were leaps and bounds beyond the band’s previous accomplishments. And, ultimately, though Infinity merely introduced the band to mainstream radio (it was the never-ending tour on which the band embarked on to support it that drove the disc past the platinum plateau), it effectively cemented their rep as one of America’s most beloved (and sometimes hated) commercial rock/pop bands. With over 170 shows under their belts, Journey had just begin to hit their stride.

Line-up:
* Steve Perry – co-lead vocals
* Neal Schon – guitar (acoustic and electric), vocals, producer
* Gregg Rolie – keyboards, co-lead vocals, producer
* Ross Valory – bass, vocals, producer
* Aynsley Dunbar – drums and percussion, producer

Track List:
01. Lights – 3:10
02. Feeling That Way – 3:27
03. Anytime – 3:28
04. La Do Da – 3:01
05. Patiently – 3:20
06. Wheel in the Sky – 4:12
07. Somethin’ to Hide – 3:26
08. Winds of March – 5:04
09. Can Do – 2:39
10. Opened the Door – 4:34

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Nekropsi – 10 Yilda Bir Cikar Sayi 2 (2006) (@256)

23 Jul 2007

After a 10-year hiatus, last year Nekropsi stroke back with their 2nd album.

Nothing like their debut; this comperatively shorter album is comprised by various musical approaches like krautrock, electronic, post-punk, psychedelic, experimental, etc.

Line-up:
- Cem Omeroglu / guitar, vocal, bubu
- Cevdet Erek / drums, darbuka, bendir, ziller, vocal, shaker, typewriter
- Tolga Yenilmez / guitar, vocal, effects, sampling, bass, baglama
- Kerem Tuzun / bass, vocal

Track List:
01. Harf Devrimi (4:52)
02. Erciyes Sokta (5:13)
03. Foklar (3:54)
04. BABA (3:55)
05. PAPA (3:50)
06. Harf Devrimi 2005 (4:11)
07. Yok var (3:32)
08. Ebo (5:10)
09. Die Neue Papa (5:10)
10. Baglama (4:42)

Link in comments.

Nekropsi, Turkish

Elf – Trying to Burn the Sun (1975) (@192)

22 Jul 2007

(Review from allmusic)

Recorded while the band was evolving slowly into the Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Trying to Burn the Sun is the third and final release from Elf. After writing and recording a few singles for Blackmore, Dio and Elf were solidly moving in a heavier musical direction, no doubt influenced by Deep Purple and the British supergroup’s lead guitarist. Standout cuts include “Wonderworld” and “Streetwalker”, two cuts that were somehow placed at the tail end of the record, despite their strong melodies and musicianship. Because the Rainbow debut was released during the same year, this record was slightly overlooked, even though the band had established a small amount of momentum in Europe and Japan especially.

Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
* Steve Edwards – Guitar
* Gary Driscoll – Drums
* Mark Nauseef – Percussion
* Craig Gruber – Bass
* Mickey Lee Soule – Piano

Track List:
01. Black Swampy Water – 3:43
02. Prentice Wood – 4:37
03. When She Smiles – 4:54
04. Good Time Music – 4:30
05. Liberty Road – 3:22
06. Shotgun Boogie – 3:07
07. Wonderworld – 5:03
08. Streetwalker – 7:07

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Elf, Ronnie James Dio

Elf – Carolina County Ball (1974) (@192)

22 Jul 2007

(Review from amazon)

Although Elf’s debut album didn’t get them any major recognition, since the band began touring with Deep Purple as an opening act, which caused them to gain some slightly increased popularity.

The group’s second album featured the inclusion of a new, separate bass player (Dio played bass and did vocals on the first album), as well as the replacement of Dio’s cousin, guitarist David Feinstein. The group released their second album circa 1974. In America the album was called L.A. 59, in other countries it was called Carolina County Ball.

The band serves up more of the same blues rock that was on their debut, but this time around, the band’s sound is considerably more polished. The second album improves on the formula of its predecessor in practically every way imaginable. Every song on this album is good, even if the songs never really got any recognition. If you liked the first album, you’re going to like this one even more. Most bands go their entire career trying to find their sound and fail terribly every time, but Elf found it on their second album, which is remarkable.

If you’re going to listen to one Elf album, make it this one. No other release captures the band in their prime the way this one does.

Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
* Steve Edwards – Guitar
* Gary Driscoll – Drums
* Craig Gruber – Bass
* Mickey Lee Soule – Piano

Track List:
01. Carolina County Ball – 4:46
02. L.A.59 – 4:21
03. Ain’t It All Amusing – 5:01
04. Happy – 5:28
05. Annie New Orleans – 3:01
06. Rocking Chair Rock ‘n’ Roll Blues – 5:36
07. Rainbow – 4:00
08. Do the Same Thing – 3:10
09. Blanche – 2:31

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Elf, Ronnie James Dio

Nekropsi – Mi Kubbesi (1996) (@256)

22 Jul 2007

(Review from progarchives.com, progreviews.com)

The band went through personnel changes after the demo, also marked a change in musical direction. Nekropsi released their first full-fledged album “Mi Kubbesi” in 1996 on the Ada Label.

“Mi Kubbesi” is mostly instrumental (with occasional chanting) full of complex twists and turns. Nekropsi offers a unique blend of heavy bass riffs with the highest of calibre drumming/percussion richly swarmed with multiple guitar passages. Songs dip in and out of many different moods, tempos and forms which is one of the strengths of this listen.

In terms of progressive rock influences, it is a cross between King Crimson’s intensity (nothing here really approaches that band’s compositional complexity, though) and Pink Floyd’s spaciness. There’s also somewhat of a loose jam feel that brings vague space-rock influences to mind. In a blend of middle-eastern and western influences, the exhuberance is always nicely tempered by atmospheric passages. The odd juxtaposition of folk and metal influences, though, pretty much guarantees that this one is difficult to compare to most other prog out there.

Line-up:
- Cem Omeroglu / guitar, vocal
- Cenk Turanli / bass, vocal
- Cevdet Erek / drums, darbuka, bendir, vocal
- Tolga Yenilmez / guitar, vocal, effects, sampling, bass

Track List:
01. Crying Game (2:43)
02. Fok (4:43)
03. Efsane (6:29)
04. Carsi (1:15)
05. 94 Kor (2:58)
06. Derinlik (5:49)
07. Dimli Mi (6:26)
08. Lim (2:07)
09. Hindu (2:19)
10. Carklar (5:20)
11. Ateis (2:46)
12. Goc (5:20)
13. Kubbealti (0:32)
14. Yollar (8:39)
15. Son (5:11)
16. 41 (9:35)

Link in comments.

Nekropsi, Turkish

Nekropsi – Speed Lessons Part 1 (1992) (Demo) (@192)

22 Jul 2007

(Info from progarchives.com)

Nekropsi arrived on the Istanbul scene in 1989 with drummer Cevdet Erek and guitarist Erem Tanyeri; with the addition of guitarist Cem Omeroglu and bassist Umut Gurbuz a year later, the band issued a thrash-metal demo titled “Speed Lessons Part 1″ which sold 700 copies in local music stores and by mail.

Only would interest Nekropsi fans for historical reasons.

Line-up:
* Cem Omeroglu – Vocals, Guitar
* Cevdet Erek – Drums
* Erem Tanyeri – Guitar
* Umut Gurbuz – Bass

Track List:
01. The Pure
02. Honest Mind
03. Make Me Believe
04. Why Doldrums

Link in comments.

Nekropsi, Turkish

Marshall Tucker Band – Long Hard Ride (1976) (@256)

22 Jul 2007

(Review from rollingstone.com, amazon)

It sounds like the plot of a classic American Western saga: Six young men ride out of the South Carolina uplands seeking fame and adventure, dazzling crowds and creating a legend along the way. Actually, the above scenario describes Marshall Tucker Band?s rise to mass popularity in the mid-1970s. Like true Sunday-matinee cowboy heroes, the band made it thanks to a restless spirit and a tender heart, blazing a country-rock trail for later artists to follow.

The instrumental introduction to “Walkin’ the Streets Alone”, in which Toy Caldwell’s guitar speaks with the grace of both country-jazz and blues, captures the essence of the Marshall Tucker Band of date. Although failing to hit the highs of last year’s “Searchin’ for a Rainbow”, “Long Hard Ride” reflects the band’s refined instrumental attack. The best songs here are primarily acoustic and move with an organic country-rock quality not unlike the Grateful Dead’s.

When their songs push beyond simple homilies, the Tuckers use their fluid Southern synthesis to evoke unabashedly American images much like the Band’s. At other times, the songs remain nothing more than solid contenders. Toy Caldwell usually makes the difference. The creative core of the band, he’s clearly the standout, with a guitar solo that slides off the vocal chorus and spirals above a propulsive band sound. Such spirit helps Long Hard Ride reaffirm Marshall Tucker’s status as a thoroughbred.

Line-up:
* Tommy Caldwell – Bass, Vocals
* Toy Caldwell – Guitar, Vocals
* Jerry Eubanks – Flute, Saxophone, Sax, Vocals
* Doug Gray – Guitar, Percussion, Vocals
* Paul Hornsby – Organ, Piano, Clavinet
* George McCorkle – Banjo, Guitar, Bass
* Paul Riddle – Drums
with
* Charlie Daniels – Fiddle, Violin
* Jerome Joseph – Percussion, Conga
* John McEuen – Banjo, Mandolin

Track List:
01. Long Hard Ride
02. Property Line
03. Am I The Kind of Man
04. Walkin’ The Streets Alone
05. Windy City Blues
06. Holding on to You
07. You Say You Love Me
08. You Don’t Live Forever

Link in comments.

Marshall Tucker Band

Elf – Elf (1972) (@256)

21 Jul 2007

(Review from allmusic, wikipedia, amazon)

Ronnie James Dio had accumulated an extensive rock & roll résumé (longer than he’d like to admit, actually) performing with a number of groups, ranging from doo-wop in the late ’50s to psychedelic rock in the ’60s. But it wasn’t until Elf, he took his first tentative steps toward hard rock.

Elf was founded in 1967 by singer Ronnie James Dio, keyboardist Doug Thaler, drummer Gary Driscoll, and guitarists Nick Pantas and David Feinstein. The band was originally called The Electric Elves, but was shortened to The Elves and finally Elf in early 1970s.

Elf’s self-titled debut album was produced by Deep Purple members Roger Glover and Ian Paice, who happened to see Elf auditioning in 1972. For the next few years, the band enjoyed mild success as an opening act for Deep Purple.

If you’re looking for hard rock in the vain of Dio’s solo, Rainbow, or Black Sabbath material, you’re not going to find it here. This isn’t hard rock, it’s bluesy rock.

The honky tonk piano playing of Mickey Lee Soule dominates most if the songs. In fact, tracks like “Hoochie Koochie Lady”, “First Avenue” and “Sit Down Honey” sound more like the Rolling Stones than Black Sabbath, and it’s only occasionally (“I’m Coming Back to You,” “Gambler Gambler”) that the band produces truly stripped-down, gritty hard rock. “Never More” is perhaps the album’s most interesting track, starting with lilting piano and a dramatic delivery from Dio before launching into a driving hard rock riff in the vein of his work with Rainbow and Sabbath in later years.

Line-up:
* Ronnie James Dio – lead vocals, bass
* David Feinstein – lead & rhythm guitars
* Micky Lee Soule – keyboards
* Gary Driscoll – drums

Track List:
01. Hoochie Koochie Lady
02. First Avenue
03. Never More
04. I’m Coming Back For You
05. Sit Down Honey
06. Dixie Lee Junction
07. Love Me Like A Woman
08. Gambler, Gambler

Link in comments.

Elf, Ronnie James Dio

Yes – Keys to Ascension (1996) (@256)

21 Jul 2007

(Review from progarchives.com, wikipedia)

Jon Anderson’s enduring falsetto has left an indelible mark on progressive rock; his distinctive rich vocals are unparalleled and continue to entertain audiences worldwide. These two discs offer exceptional live tracks as well as excellent studio work. The “classic lineup”, which is on tour currently working their way through their huge volume of music, is in stellar form on each of these wonderful two discs sets. Yes, you will hear many of the songs that you have heard repeatedly on live albums before but I sincerely promise that they will not disappoint. Every time you do hear these songs they have something new to offer, a subtle nuance or atmosphere that features another instrument in their all-start lineup, or Anderson approaching his vocals in different way. They always manage to keep you interested with incredibly good musicianship and lead vocals that have not faltered after nearly thirty-five years.

By the end of 1995; Billy Sherwood, Tony Kaye and Trevor Rabin had left Yes. The band surprised and delighted fans by reforming with the classic 1970s lineup of Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Alan White, Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman after 15 years; for a three-night live performance in the California town of San Luis Obispo in 1996. The resulting live recordings were released, together with new music, on the Keys to Ascension albums.

The tracks included are some of Yes’ true classics, i.e. “Siberian Khatru”, “Starship trooper”, “Revealing science of God”, etc., all performed flawlessly. The highlight of the live set is undoubtedly “Awaken”. This sleeping giant does indeed awaken, the rendition here being slightly slower in parts, bringing out the full majesty of the piece. In particular, the powerful section towards the end becomes a cacophony of magnificent fanfares with a wall of sound lifting things ever higher, before Jon Anderson brings us slowly back to earth with the peaceful conclusion. A genuinely awesome piece.

There does appear to be some liberal overdubbing of the performance, especially in respect of the vocals, but give the lengthy sabbatical enjoyed by the band, this is perhaps forgivable.

The last two tracks featured studio recordings of new compositions recorded in the autumn of 1995 until early 1996. “Be The One” is a wonderful, melodious YesWork. By its beauty, this song reminds of “&Y&I”, although in some parts it rocks like “Siberian”. “That, That Is” is a lengthy epic, going on with many changing tempos and melodies — perhaps a goodbye to the FM and AOR times.

Line-up:
- Jon Anderson / vocals
- Chris Squire / bass and vocals
- Rick Wakeman / keyboards
- Alan White / drums
- Steve Howe / guitars and vocals

Track List:
CD1
01. Siberian Khatru (Live) (10:16)
02. The Revealing Science of God (Live) (20:12)
03. America (Live) (10:28)
04. Onward (Live) (5:48)
05. Awaken (Live) (18:33)
CD2
01. Roundabout (Live) (8:30)
02. Starship Trooper (13:05)
03. Be The One (Studio) (9:50)
04. That, That is (Studio) (19:14)

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Alan White, Chris Squire, Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe, Yes

Philip Lynott – The Man and His Music (@256)

19 Jul 2007

15 comments

(Review from allmusic.com, wikipedia)

There have always been an abundance of rare Thin Lizzy and Phil Lynott tunes circulating over the years — whether it be obscure b-sides, BBC Sessions, or demos that were never planned for public consumption in the first place. For those in search of the uncommon, this seven-disc box set is highly recommended. While the discs are credited solely to ‘Philip’, the majority of the material is indeed Thin Lizzy. And while many bootlegs’ sound quality widely varies, the majority of the Man and His Music series is sonically up to snuff.

Volume one of the set goes by the title of ‘The Early Years,’ which collects tracks from 1969 through 1973 (although the opening selection, a Lynott poem titled “Dublin,” is from 1980). A rarely heard track from Lynott’s pre-Lizzy band, Skid Row, titled “New Places, Old Faces,” kicks things off — which sees Lynott uncharacteristically croon along with a flute (!). Also interesting is Lizzy’s first-ever single, “The Farmer,” which sounds as if the group is trying to be the Band. An early BBC session showcases a few tracks that would later become Lizzy standards, including “The Rocker” and “Suicide” (with the latter containing completely different lyrics than the version which would later appear on Fighting). But probably the best track on this inaugural volume is a one-off reunion in 1980 of Lizzy’s original lineup (Phil Lynott-Brian Downey-Eric Bell), for a tribute to Jimi Hendrix titled “A Song for Jimi.” If Thin Lizzy’s earlier bluesy direction (sans twin guitar melodies), is your favorite era, then there are more than just a few highlights here.

The second volume focuses entirely on Lizzy’s twin guitar lineups (in other words, Scott Gorham plus whoever else was passing though at the time). Kicking things off is the rare b-side of the “Rosalie” single, “Halfcaste” (one of the group’s few reggae experiments), before five tracks from a 1975 BBC Session follow — including a great version of “It’s Only Money” — as well as the rarely performed “Rock N’ Roll With You” (also of note, “Baby Drives Me Crazy” is included, but erroneously listed as “Sha La La”). You’ll also find such uncommon goodies as a ripping live version of “Me and the Boys” (which was never recorded in the studio) from 1978, the punk-inflected “Just the Two of Us” (a great outtake from the Black Rose sessions), the un-P.C. rocker “Don’t Play Around” and the slow burning blues of “Memory Pain”.

Volume three focuses primarily on solo material by Lynott. Kicking things off is one of the last songs ever released by Lynott during his lifetime, a 12″ version’ of “Nineteen”, which sounds closer to Flashdance than Jailbreak. Elsewhere, you’ll find an interesting duet of the old country standard, “Tennessee Stud”, between Lynott and the Pogues, Terry Woods, as well as the touching “A Tribute to Sandy” (for Fairport Convention’s Sandy Denny), a latter-day live version of “Whiskey in the Jar” as well as one of Lizzy’s finest b-sides, the bluesy “A Night in the Life of a Blues Singer”. Other highlights include a version of “Daddy Rolling Stone” from Johnny Thunders’ So Alone (which Lynott guested on), as well as a track by the short-lived Lizzy/Sex Pistols supergroup, the Greedies (the forgettable “A Merry Jingle”). But the most intriguing selections are several tracks that Lynott recorded with Huey Lewis’ backing band, the News, in November of 1985 (“Can’t Get Away”, “Still Alive” and “One Wish”), just two months before his passing.

Volume four is probably the biggest hodgepodge of the bunch, as it includes a helping of tracks from the early ’70s, before forwarding straight to the early ’80s. Included are several unreleased demos from 1982, “Don’t Let Him Slip Away” and “Hate” (it’s uncertain if these tracks were marked for a Thin Lizzy album, or a Lynott solo outing), as well as BBC radio sessions — “Return of the Farmer’s Son”, “Little Darling” and a version of “Still in Love With You” with different lyrics, among others. Also included are three tracks from Lizzy’s last ever show (Nuremburg, on September 4, 1983) — “Jailbreak”, “Thunder and Lightning” and “Rosalie.”

The fifth volume is title “1978″. Some Thin Lizzy fans assume that 1978 was a year in which the band took a sabbatical from the recording studio, as the only release that year was a live album, the classic “Live and Dangerous”. But this proved hardly to be the case. In fact, the group indulged in several recording sessions at the start of the year in a few studios. The plan was to record a multitude of originals that Phil Lynott had penned, which would later be put in a big ‘pool’, with certain tracks being doled out to three separate projects — a new Thin Lizzy studio album (Black Rose), Gary Moore’s next solo release (Back on the Streets), and Phil Lynott’s debut solo album (Solo in Soho). While many of these tracks did turn up on the three aforementioned albums, several slipped through the cracks — most of which are on display here. While quite a few of these numbers will be familiar to Lizzy fans (“Waiting for an Alibi”, “Ode to a Black Man”, “Are You Ready”, “Parisienne Walkways”, etc.), this collection is the only place you’ll find such previously unheard tracks as “Blackmail” (a fine original that could’ve easily found its way on a Lizzy album), “Cold Black Night” (which contains music identical to the 1977 Lizzy hit, “Dancing in the Moonlight”), and an original penned by Rainbow’s Jimmy Bain, “Rocklila”. The disc is rounded out by several late-’60s era demos, recorded in a Dublin studio.

Volume 6 starts off with Ghetto Woman, a previously unreleased track, dates from late 1973. Hate is also a previously unreleased track but this is from the Black Rose Recording sessions of January 1978. Tracks 3-9 are all different versions of the songs that were later released on the Black Rose album. Parisienne Walkways and Black Rose have Huey Lewis on harmonica. Got To Give It Up and Toughest Street In Town have different lyrics. This volume comes to a close with several Thunder and Lightning demos. These recordings are some of the earliest recordings that John Sykes did with Thin Lizzy. Bad Habits has a completely different guitar solo in it. Baby Please Don’t Go has different lyrics and also Mama Don’t Like It was the ‘working title’ for the song that eventually became Someday She’s Gonna Hit Back. Also included is Chosen One, another ‘working title’ as released later as Holy War.

The main portion of Volume 7 is from a show in Cork City, Ireland and has sections from both the soundcheck as well as the actual show. Also included is part of a soundcheck from the Hammersmith Oden. All three segments are excellent soundboard recordings.

Lynott’s last years were dogged by drug and alcohol dependency, and on the night of December 25, 1985, he was rushed to hospital suffering from a heroin overdose. He died of heart failure and pneumonia on January 4, 1986 at the age of 36.

A life-size bronze statue of Philip Lynott was unveiled on Harry Street, off Grafton Street, Dublin in 2005. The ceremony was attended by former band members Gary Moore, Brian Robertson, Brian Downey and Scott Gorham, and by Lynott’s mother. The attending Thin Lizzy members paid tribute with a live performance. His grave in St. Fintan’s cemetery in Sutton is regularly visited by family, friends and fans.

Track List:
CD1 (Early Years)
01. Dublin (Spoken) (BBC 1980)
02. New Faces, Old Places (B-Side Of Skid Row’s Debut Single, 1969)
03. The Farmer
04. I Need You (B-Side Of ‘Farmer’)
05. Spot Light Greetings (Magazine Greeting)
06. Broken Dreams (B-Side Of ‘Randolph’s Tango’)
07. A Ride In The Lizzy Mobile
08. Here I Go Again (B-Side Of ‘Rocker’, Worldwide Release)
09. The Rocker
10. Things Ain’t Working Out Down
11. Slow Blues
12. Gonna Creep Up On You
13. Suicide (BBC
1973)
14. Little Darling (Capital Radio Station)
15. A Song For Jimi (Tribute To Hendrix, 1980)
CD2 (Sun Goes Down)
01. Halfcaste (B-side of Rosalie, 1974)
02. She Knows (BBC In Concert session, 1975)
03. It’s Only Money (BBC)
04. Still In Love With You (BBC)
05. Rock N Roll With You (BBC)
06. Sha La La (BBC)
07. Me And The Boys (B-side of Rosalie/Cow Girl’s Song, 1978)
08. With Love (from the Jailbreak album)
09. Just The Two Of Us (second single from Black Rose album)
10. Dublin (early Thin Lizzy, beefed up by Philip Lynott/Midge Ure, 1979/80)
11. Don’t Play Around (Thin Lizzy from 7 inch Killer On The Loose)
12. Trouble Boys (Thin Lizzy 1981 single back by Memory Pain)
13. Memory Pain (Thin Lizzy 1981 single back by Trouble Boys)
14. Angel Of Death (Thin Lizzy 1981 Hammersmith, bonus track on Cold Sweat, 1983)
15. The Sun Goes Down (Thin Lizzy extended version bonus track on single)
CD3 (Solo and Sessions)
01. Nineteen (dub mix B-side of 12 inch 19)
02. Tennessee Stud (with Terry Woods of Pogues fame)
03. Whisky In The Jar (Thin Lizzy live in Cork 4/13/80 w/Scott/Snowy/Midge)
04. Somebody Else’s Dream (B-side of Together)
05. A Tribute To Sandy
06. Beat Of The Drum (B-side of Old Town)
07. Stop Messing Around (Gary Moore live May 1985 with Phil)
08. Out In The Fields (Gary Moore live Apollo 1985 with Phil)
09. A Night In The Life Of A Blues Singer (B-side of 12 inch 19)
10. A Merry Jingle (the Greedy Bastards! aka The Greedies)
11. Daddy Rolling Stone (Johnny Thunder)
12. We Are The Boys (extra medley version)
13. Spanish Guitar (Gary Moore, 1979 single w/Phil on vocals)
14. Can’t Get Away (with The News)
15. Still Alive (with The News)
16. One Wish (with The News)
CD4 (Don’t Let Him Slip Away)
01. Don’t Let Him Slip Away (1982, unreleased version 1)
02. Look What The Wind Blew In (1971 BBC session)
03. Return Of The Farmer’s Son (1971 BBC session)
04. Going Down (June 1973 RTE session)
05. Dublin (June 1973 RTE session)
06. Things Ain’t Working Out Down On The Farm (June 1973 RTE session)
07. It’s Only Money (Peel Sessions, alternate version)
08. Little Darling (Peel Sessions, alternate version)
09. Still In Love With You (Peel Sessions, different lyrics)
10. Jailbreak (1983 Nuremburg, the last gig)
11. Thunder And Lightning (1983 Nuremburg, the last gig)
12. Rosalie (1983 Nuremburg, the last gig)
13. Hate (1982 unreleased)
14. Don’t Let Him Slip Away (1982, unreleased version 2)
CD5 (1978)
01. Rockula (1978 Ramport Studios)
02. A Night in the Life of an Old Blues Singer (1978 Ramport Studios)
03. Ode to a Black Man (1978 Goodearth Studios)
04. Spanish Guitar (1978 Goodearth Studios)
05. Cold Black Night (1978 Ramport Studios)
06. Parisenne Walkways (1978 Goodearth Studios)
07. Are You Ready (1978 Goodearth Studios)
08. Black Mail (1978 Goodearth Studios)
09. Waiting For An Alibi (1978 Goodearth Studios)
10. Fanatical Fascists (1978 Goodearth Studios)
11. Leaving Town
12. Mama & Papa (Trend Studios 1967-69)
13. Ageing (Trend Studios 1967-69)
14. It’s Really Worthwhile (Trend Studios 1967-69)
15. Dublin (Trend Studios 1967-69)
16. The Friendly Ranger (Trend Studios 1967-69)
CD6
01. Ghetto Woman (1973 Unreleased)
02. Hate (1978 Ramport Studios)
03. With Love (1978 Ramport Studios)
04. Parisienne Walkways (1978 Ramport Studios)
05. Black Rose (1978 Ramport Studios)
06. Got To Give It Up (1978 Ramport Studios)
07. Toughest Street In Town (1978 Ramport Studios)
08. Don’t Believe A Word (1978 Ramport Studios)
09. Bad Habits (Thunder & Lightning Demo)
10. Baby Please Don’t Go (Thunder & Lightning Demo)
11. Mama Don’t Like It (Thunder & Lightning Demo)
12. Chosen One (Thunder & Lightning Demo)
CD7 (Snowed in Cork)
01. Hey You (Soundcheck 1980 Cork)
02. Waiting For An Alibi (Soundcheck 1980 Cork)
03. Chinatown (Soundcheck 1980 Cork)
04. Didn’t I (Soundcheck 1980 Cork)
05. Are You Ready (Live 1980 Cork)
06. Chinatown (Live 1980 Cork)
07. Rosalie (Rose Of Tralee) (Live 1980 Cork)
08. Waiting For An Alibi (Live 1980 Cork)
09. Jailbreak (Live 1980 Cork)
10. Don’t Play Around (Soundcheck 1980 Hammersmith)
11. We Will Be Strong (Soundcheck 1980 Hammersmith)
12. Sweet Heart (Soundcheck 1980 Hammersmith)
13. Hey You (Live 1980 Hammersmith)

Links in comments.

Brian Robertson, Eric Bell, Gary Moore, John Sykes, Phil Lynott, Scott Gorham, Snowy White, Thin Lizzy

Streetwalkers – Live (1977) (@256)

19 Jul 2007

10 comments

Request of Plastic Geordie.

(Review from amazon, Patrick Little)

Family’s six-year career was wrapped up with a farewell album and tour in 1973, and it wasn’t long after that Roger Chapman and John “Charlie” Whitney jumped right back into the game. The main songwriters of Family obviously had more to say musically, but felt that the Family name and image had run its course, forming Streetwalkers.

The band’s live album provides a fitting last testament to the tenure of Streetwalkers as one of rock’s most underappreciated bands.

The Streetwalkers in concert seems like a more accurate view of the band. Raunchy and rocking, thick melodies and occasional gentle moments, the band was basically a powerful rock machine. While the album arrangements tended to be a little muddy, here there is lean simplicity, still handling all the quick changes in tempo and tune.

Roger Chapman growls, wails, shouts, implores, and banters as only he can. Twin guitarists Charlie Whitney and Bob Tench rarely dual but instead compliment each other, layering riffs and conjuring solos that support instead of undermine the songs. Whitney often seems content to let Tench have the spotlight, but when you really listen to Whitney’s work on slide and double-necked guitar, it’s clear that he was one of rock’s now forgotten guitar masters, a player who knew what he didn’t play was sometimes as important as what he did play. Tench gets to stretch his vocal chords more than on the studio sets, showing that in any other line up (sans Chapman) he might be the lead vocalist. The supporting cast-Mickey Feat on bass, David Dowle on drums, and Brian Johnston on keyboards-are steady if not flashy. The keyboards do contribute to a fuller sound, though not as much energy as the guitars.

Tench’s voice is clearly more audible here, which is nice. They couldn’t keep him down, out here on the stage! He sings lead on choruses of “Dice Man”, and adds interesting second-vocals on “My Friend the Sun”, though they get a little carried away on the “distance”. It’s almost as if they’ve played that song way too much, and they have begun to stretch it.

Line-up:
* Roger Chapman – vocals
* John “Charlie” Whitney – guitar
* Bob Tench – guitar, vocals
* Mickey Feat – bass, vocals
* Brian Johnstone – keyboards
* David Dowle – drums, percussion

Track List:
01. Chilli con Carne
02. Crazy Charade
03. Walking on Waters
04. Toenail Draggin’
05. Mama Was Mad
06. Me an’ Me Horse an’ Me Rum
07. Dice Man
08. My Friend the Sun
09. Run for Cover
10. Burlesque
11. Can’t Come In

Links in comments.

Charlie Whitney, Live, Roger Chapman, Streetwalkers

Curved Air – Second Album (1971) (@224)

19 Jul 2007

Request of François.

(Review from vintageprog.com, progarchives.com)

Curved Air’s “Second Album” (what an imaginative title!) was even better than the debut but it also demonstrated the tensions between the two songwriters in the band, Darryl Way and keyboard-player Francis Monkman. All of Way’s compositions were on side one of the album, while Monkman’s was on the second side.

As a whole, the album is lighter than their debut with the exception of the 13 minute “Piece of Mind”. This is a rather elongated piece, based around what might otherwise have been a good 5-6 minute song. Kristina certainly gives a fine vocal performance, the tumbling fast singing sections being particularly striking. The track moves through rather jazzy piano and some distinctive brass. There is some goods synth too, but the overall impression is of a track being stretched beyond its natural length.

Of the other tracks, “Jumbo” is a lovely violin dominated ballad which might have made for a successful single. The title is perhaps a bit unfortunate, conjuring images of elephants rather than the intended aeroplanes and their romantic “flying me home” connotation. “Puppets” is another ballad, with a sparse backing to high delicate vocals.

“Young mother” has an almost early Genesis like sound at times, but the sharing of the main melody by vocals and violin gives the track an intriguingly different feel. On the down side, “You know” is an average pop track on the lines of “Stretch” from their first album. “Bright summer’s day ‘68” is a short throwaway song with strange, shouted and distorted vocals.

This is a decent “second” album by the band, which relies less on the violin and more on the keyboards.

Line-up:
- Sonja Christina / vocals
- Darryl Way / vocal, piano, vocals
- Francis Monkman / guitar, keyboards
- Ian Eyre / bass
- Florian Pilkington Miksa / drums

Track List:
01. Young Mother (5:55)
02. Back Street Luv (3:38)
03. Jumbo (4:11)
04. You Know (4:11)
05. Puppets (5:26)
06. Everdance (3:08)
07. Bright Summer’s Day 68 (2:54)
08. Piece of Mind (12:52)

Link in comments.

Curved Air, Darryl Way, Francis Monkman, Live, Sonja Kristina

Philip Lynott – Live in Sweden (1983) (@192)

18 Jul 2007

(Info from allmusic.com, nolifetilmetal.com)

A month and a half before Thin Lizzy was to play their last shows ever in September of 1983, Philip Lynott played a series of solo concerts throughout Sweden – spotlighting his work with Lizzy, as well as tracks from his two early ’80s solo albums and several rarities. With Lynott handling vocal chores and alternating between bass and rhythm guitar, his fine backing band included of Lizzy bandmates guitarist John Sykes, drummer Brian Downey.

Although Lizzy’s line-up around this time was primarily heavy metal-based (as evidenced by their most recent album, Thunder and Lightning), the short-lived Lynott solo band opted to focus on more melodic material. Highlights include a great version of the spacious reggae-tinged title track from Lynott’s solo debut, 1980′s Solo in Soho, the rarely performed Lizzy ballad “Sarah”, “Parisienne Walkways” (a Lynott original that Gary Moore had scored a hit with), plus a pair of previously unreleased compositions, “A Night in the Life of a Blues Singer” and “Look into these Eyes”. Lynott is clearly having a good time throughout (perhaps relieved that he could finally try other musical styles outside of Lizzy), as he quotes lyrics from Grandmaster Flash’s “the Message”, Jimi Hendrix’s “If 6 was 9″, and the Police’s “Every Breath You Take” during the set.

With a clear sound and uncommon tracklisting, Live in Sweden 1983 is a real treat for Lynott fans. Disc one was recorded live in Orebro, Sweden, August 15, 1983. Disc two was recorded on the very next night in Avesta, Sweden.

Track List:
CD1 (1st Night)
01. Yellow Pearl (4:38)
02. Old Town (4:19)
03. Sarah (3:32)
04. A Night In the Life of a Blues Singer (6:52)
05. Look In These Eyes (7:31)
06. Parisienne Walkways (6:20)
07. Solo in Soho (5:56)
08. King’s Call (5:31)
09. Baby Drives Me Crazy (7:30)
10. The Boys Are Back In Town (5:52)
11. Still In Love With You (9:45)
CD2 (2nd Night)
01. Yellow Pearl (3:59)
02. Old Town (4:12)
03. Sarah (3:58)
04. A Night In the Life of a Blues Singer (6:25)
05. Look In These Eyes (5:04)
06. Parisienne Walkways (5:45)
07. Solo in Soho (1:56)
08. Baby Drives Me Crazy (10:02)

Links in comments.

John Sykes, Live, Phil Lynott, Scott Gorham

Mr Bungle – California (1999) (@256)

18 Jul 2007

(Review from progreviews.com, amazon)

Some would say this is Mr Bungle’s most normal album. But really, what does that mean? In the world of Mr Bungle, “normal” is a relative measure. A “normal” Mr Bungle song might still be the craziest music you’ve ever heard.

What’s amazing about California – and what sets it apart from the previous two Mr Bungle albums – is that despite its utter refusal to conform to expectations, it still manages to be surprisingly accessible. California is, in fact, nothing if not consistently melodic; and even more, its melodies are hardly foreign or even particularly weird. Instead, it’s the juxtaposition of entirely dissimilar musical styles (and the melodies that go with said styles) that gives California its edgy weirdness.

Any given song on this album may vacillate spastically between doo-wop, 50s crooning, heavy metal, surf, big-band, lounge, prog, video game music, gamelan… sometimes in the space of just a few measures. The only exception is “Retrovertigo”, which is weirdly straightforward. Take “Ars Moriendi”, for example: its starts with some Eastern melodies punctuated by intermitted metal riffing, then swings into a goofy big-band section interspersed with accordion soloing. Before long it disintegrates into thrash-metal alternated with (or filtered through) circus music, and continues in that vein for the rest of the song, transitioning constantly between styles to create a nervous, spastic, and, uh, clinically insane feel.

“California” proved to be Mr Bungle’s last studio album. After the dissolution of Mr. Bungle, the members have gone on to numerous different projects.

Line-up:
- Mike Patton / vocals, keyboards
- Trevor Dunn / bass
- Danny Heifetz – Drums
- Bar McKinnon – Saxophone
- Trey Spruance – Guitar
with
- Michael Peloquin / harmonica
- David Phillips / pedal steel
- William Winant / drums, tympani
- Bill Banovetz / horn
- Sam D. Bass / cello
- Carla Kihlstedt / violin, viola
- Eyvind Kang / violin, viola
- Marika Hughes / cello
- Henri Duscharme / accordion
- Timb Harris / trumpet
- Larry Ragent / horn, French horn
- Aaron Seeman / piano
- Jay Steebley / cymbalom
- Ben Barnes / violin, viola

Track List:
01. Sweet Charity (5:05)
02. None of Them Knew They Were Robots (6:03)
03. Retrovertigo (4:59)
04. The Air-Conditioned Nightmare (3:55)
05. Ars Moriendi (4:10)
06. Pink Cigarette (4:55)
07. Golem II: The Bionic Vapour Boy (3:34)
08. The Holy Filament (4:04)
09. Vanity Fair (2:58)
10. Goodbye Sober Day (4:29)

Link in comments.

Mr Bungle

Philip Lynott – The Philip Lynott Album (1982) (@256)

18 Jul 2007

(Review from amazon)

In 1982 Lynott’s second solo album (again recorded with a lot of guest stars) was released.

“Old Town” is the major single off this record for good reason. It has that wistfulness that the best of Thin Lizzy is known for — a song about lost love, longing and rememberence. “Little bit of water” , “Cathleen” , and “Together” are other highlights. The album also included the “Top of the Pops” theme song version of “Yellow Pearl”.

Coupled with “Solo in Soho” this album is a good taste of Philip Lynott for the Thin Lizzy fan and people who have a passing interest in this fabulous songwriter.

Lynott also did some solo touring in support of his album.

Track List:
01. Fatalistic Attitude (4:31)
02. The Man’s A Fool (2:58)
03. Old Town (3:27)
04. Cathleen (3:34)
05. Growing Up (5:00)
06. Yellow Pearl (Top of the Pops Version) (2:58)
07. Together (3:39)
08. Little Bit of Water (3:35)
09. Ode to Liberty (The Protest Song) (5:48)
10. Gino (4:10)
11. Don’t Talk About Me Baby (4:30)

Link in comments.

Gary Moore, Jimmy Bain, Mark Knopfler, Mel Collins, Phil Lynott, Pierre Moerlen, Scott Gorham

Dice – The Four Riders Of The Apocalypse (1977) (@192)

17 Jul 2007

(Info from Gibraltar)

Dice are a Swedish symphonic five piece band who existed in the late ’70s. Overall, their sound is closest to Yes and Gentle Giant, with bits of Focus and maybe a hint of the Canterbury scene.

Recorded in 1977, “Four Riders” is an instrumental tour de force. The music changes constantly and never gets boring, moving from slow organ builds to fluid synth lines. The writing is strong and there are no vocals.

Line-up:
- Per Andersson / drums, percussion
- Leif Larsson / keyboards, Mellotron
- Örjan Strandberg / guitars
- Fredrik Vildö / basses, acoustic guitar

Track List:
01. War / Overtune
02. War / Fronts
03. War / Battle
04. War / Deserted
05. Disease
06. Greed
07. Death / Requiem
08. Death / Dance of Devils
09. Death / Transition
10. Death / Heaven

Link in comments.

Mr Bungle – Disco Volante (1995) (@256)

17 Jul 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

Mr Bungle certainly are something different. It’s kind of hard to progress during the nineties, and not to do something that has been done e million times back in the seventies. They play a weird, highly experimental avant prog, mixing many different genres, moods and influences often over the course of one song.

The album barely has any metal, and very few funky parts. The focus here is blending of the different genres while maintaining harmony and neatness of the sound. Jazz, death metal, funk, techno, space rock, RIO, and psychedelia – all on a single album, creating an incredible sound unlikely anything I’ve ever heard before. This album is very whole and should be viewed as a single piece of music rather than a compilation of songs. This is the kind of album whose compositions don’t make sense out of context. Disco Volante is Mr Bungle’s crowning achievement. This is avant garde as it should be, maintaining perfect harmony no matter how noisy it gets, staying beautiful without any melody, having every note in its place.

It’s a masterpiece. Clearly some of the best stuff to come out of the 90′s. It takes quite some time to fully appreciate every song: some you will get right away and some will require a few tries. All compositions are fully accomplished. The musicianship is great, however there is no technical show off, a problem of so many other bands. Soloing is not the point of the album, it’s all very compact, with nothing extra and nothing missing.

Line-up:
- Trevor Dunn / bass, vile
- Mike Patton / organ, ocarina, vocals, microcassette
- Trey Spruance / pipa, keyboards/organs, guitar, electronics
- Danny Heifetz – percussion, woodblock
- Bar McKinnon / clarinet, drums, keyboards
with
- William Winant / percussion, bongos, cymbals, glockenspiel, Jew’s-Harp, tabla, xylophone, kanjira, sistrum
- Graham Connah / piano
- Theobald Brooks Lengyel / reeds (multiple)
- Lisandro Adrover / bandoneon

Track List:
01. Everyone I Went To High School With Is Dead (2:44)
02. Chemical Marriage (3:09)
03. Sleep (Part II): Carry Stress In The Jaw (8:59)
04. Desert Search For Techno Allah (5:24)
05. Violenza Domestica (5:14)
06. After School Special (2:47)
07. Sleep (Part III): Phlegmatics (3:16)
08. Ma Meeshka Mow Skowz (6:06)
09. The Bends (10:28)
…a) Man Overboard
…b) The Drowning Flute
…c) Aqua Swing
…d) Follow The Bubbles
…e) Duet For Guitar and Oxygen Tank
…f) Nerve Damage
…g) Screaming Bends
…h) Panic
…i) Love On The Event Horizon
…j) Re-Entry
10. Backstrokin’ (2:27)
11. Platypus (5:07)
12. Merry Go Bye Bye (12:58)

Links in comments.

Mr Bungle

Thin Lizzy – BBC Radio One Live in Concert (1983) (@256)

17 Jul 2007

(Info from wikipedia)

Recorded August 28th, 1983, at the Reading Festival, this show marked the band’s final performance in Britain. It makes for an authentic Lizzy live experience.

Track List:
01. Jailbreak
02. Thunder and Lightning
03. Waiting for an Alibi
04. Are You Ready
05. Baby Please Don’t Go
06. A Night in the Life of a Blues Singer
07. The Holy War
08. The Sun Goes Down
09. Emerald
10. The Cowboy Song
11. The Boys Are Back in Town
12. Suicide
13. Rosalie Medley: Rosalie/Dancing in the Moonlight/The Cowgirl Song
14. Still in Love With You

Links in comments.

John Sykes, Live, Phil Lynott, Scott Gorham, Thin Lizzy

Philip Lynott – Solo in Soho (1980) (@256)

16 Jul 2007

8 comments

(Review from allmusic.com)

Philip Lynott had already guided Thin Lizzy for over a decade and nine studio albums before embarking on his first solo effort, Solo in Soho, in 1980.

Always the life of any party, Lynott would hold court in the studio, preaching an open-house policy which led to collaborations with countless fellow musicians and party animals (Huey Lewis, Gary Moore, Ultravox’s Midge Ure, etc.) and which led to a star-studded solo debut.

Recorded by the regular band without any outside guests, opener “Dear Miss Lonely Hearts” is the great, lost Thin Lizzy track — a Lynott masterpiece — from its immaculate songwriting, to its innocently romantic tell-tale lyrics. “King’s Call” is slightly less inspired, but benefits from a laid-back vibe and typically fluid guitar solo from Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler. From here on out, Lynott introduces a wild assortment of new sounds and styles, including the gorgeous string overkill of “A Child’s Lullaby”; the saxophone and synthesizer-led pop of “Tattoo” and “Girls,” respectively; the reggae swing of the title track (a shameless re-write of Elvis Costello’s “Watching the Detectives”); the Spanish guitar of “Jamaican Run”; and even the full-on electronic dance music of “Yellow Pearl”. The darker “Ode to a Black Man” revisits more familiar hard rock turf (and even shares some lyrics with “Didn’t I” from Lizzy’s Chinatown album of the same year), while “Talk in 79″ brings the album to a close with a muscular bassline, topped with Lynott’s husky voice delivering free-form poetry.

Track List:
01. Dear Miss Lonely Hearts – 4:11
02. King’s Call – 3:40
03. A Child’s Lullaby – 2:43
04. Tattoo (Giving It All Up for Love) – 3:21
05. Solo in Soho – 4:15
06. Girls – 4:00
07. Yellow Pearl – 4:06
08. Ode to a Black Man – 4:06
09. Jamaican Rum – 2:43
10. Talk in ’79 – 3:00

Link in comments.

Gary Moore, Jimmy Bain, Mark Knopfler, Phil Lynott, Scott Gorham

Lou Reed – New York (1989) (@256)

16 Jul 2007

(Review from allmusic.com)

New York City figured so prominently in Lou Reed’s music for so long that it’s surprising it took him until 1989 to make an album simply called New York, a set of 14 scenes and sketches that represents the strongest, best-realized set of songs of Reed’s solo career. While Reed’s 1982 comeback, The Blue Mask, sometimes found him reaching for effects, New York’s accumulated details and deft caricatures hit bull’s-eye after bull’s-eye for 57 minutes, and do so with an easy stride and striking lyrical facility.

New York also found Reed writing about the larger world rather than personal concerns for a change, and in the beautiful, decaying heart of New York City, he found plenty to talk about — the devastating impact of AIDS in “Halloween Parade”, the vicious circle of child abuse “Endless Cycle”, the plight of the homeless in “Xmas in February” — and even on the songs where he pointedly mounts a soapbox, Reed does so with an intelligence and smart-assed wit that makes him sound opinionated rather than preachy — like a New Yorker.

When Reed does look into his own life, it’s with humor and perception; “Beginning of a Great Adventure” is a hilarious meditation on the possibilities of parenthood, and “Dime Store Mystery” is a moving elegy to his former patron Andy Warhol.

Reed also unveiled a new band on this set, and while guitarist Mike Rathke didn’t challenge Reed the way Robert Quine did, Reed wasn’t needing much prodding to play at the peak of his form, and Ron Wasserman proved Reed’s superb taste in bass players had not failed him.

Produced with subtle intelligence and a minimum of flash, New York is a masterpiece of literate, adult rock & roll.

Track List:
01. Romeo Had Juliette – 3:09
02. Halloween Parade – 3:33
03. Dirty Blvd. – 3:29
04. Endless Cycle – 4:01
05. There Is No Time – 3:45
06. Last Great American Whale – 3:42
07. Beginning of a Great Adventure – 4:57
08. Busload of Faith – 4:50
09. Sick of You – 3:25
10. Hold On – 3:24
11. Good Evening Mr. Waldheim – 4:35
12. Xmas in February – 2:55
13. Strawman – 5:54
14. Dime Store Mystery – 5:01

Links in comments.

Lou Reed

Thin Lizzy – Life (1983) (@256)

16 Jul 2007

(Info from wikipedia)

“Life” was recorded during their farewell tour in 1983, principally on Hammersmith Odeon. Phil Lynott had felt reluctantly that it was time to disband the group after the 1983 tour and to mark the occasion, ex-Lizzy guitarists Eric Bell (1970-73), Brian Robertson (1974-78) and Gary Moore (1978-79) joined the band on stage at the end of these gigs to do some numbers. This was called as “The All-Star Jam”.

Line-up:
* Phil Lynott: Bass, vocals.
* Scott Gorham: Guitar
* John Sykes: Guitar, backing vocals.
* Brian Downey: Drums, percussion.
* Darren Wharton: Keyboards, backing vocals.
* Eric Bell: Guitar (“The Rocker”).
* Gary Moore: Guitar (“Black Rose”, “The Rocker”).
* Brian Robertson: Guitar (“Emerald”, “The Rocker”).
* Snowy White: Guitar (“Renegade”, “Hollywood”, “Killer on the Loose”).

Track List:
CD1
01. Thunder and Lightning – 5:11
02. Waiting for an Alibi – 3:17
03. Jailbreak – 4:08
04. Baby Please Don’t Go – 5:02
05. The Holy War – 4:53
06. Renegade – 5:45
07. Hollywood (Down on Your Luck) – 4:10
08. Got to Give It Up – 7:04
09. Angel of Death – 5:56
10. Are You Ready – 3:00
CD2
01. The Boys Are Back in Town – 4:53
02. Cold Sweat – 3:08
03. Don’t Believe a Word – 5:12
04. Killer on the Loose – 5:00
05. Sun Goes Down – 6:45
06. Emerald – 3:27
07. Black Rose – 6:40
08. Still in Love With You – 9:00
09. The Rocker – 4:47

Links in comments.

Brian Robertson, Eric Bell, Gary Moore, John Sykes, Live, Phil Lynott, Scott Gorham, Snowy White, Thin Lizzy

Mr Bungle – Mr Bungle (1991) (@256)

15 Jul 2007

(Review from progarchives.com, allmusic.com)

Formed in 1985, they released 4 demo’s before being signed to a major label. During those years there were numerous line-up changes most notably the replacement of Danny Heifetz on percussion and Clinton “Bar” McKinnon on tenor sax.

When “Mr. Bungle” was released on August 13, 1991, it featured the sounds of funk, death metal, ska, video games, carnivals and much more. It is a dizzying, disconcerting, schizophrenic tour through just about any rock style the group can think of, hopping from genre to genre without any apparent rhyme or reason, and sometimes doing so several times in the same song.

Mr. Bungle’s debut may not be the easiest album to listen to (although Disco Volante is a much harder listen on first try), it’s an interesting timepiece that shows a band expanding from their early days and planting the seeds to what their next album, their most recognized work Disco Volante, would become. If you want pure avant-garde insanity, go with Disco Volante. If you want accessible and catchy music, go with California. And if you want something that has elements of both, then go with this album, you probably won’t be disappointed.

Line-up:
- Mike Patton – Vocals
- Danny Heifetz – Drums
- Trey Spruance – Guitar
- Trevor Dunn – Bass
- Clinton “Bar” McKinnon – Tenor Saxophone
- Theobald Brooks Lengyel – Alto & Bari Intonation
- David Shea – Turntables

Track List:
01. Quote Unquote – 6:56
02. Slowly Growing Deaf – 6:59
03. Squeeze Me Macaroni – 5:38
04. Carousel – 5:13
05. Egg – 10:38
06. Stubb (a Dub) – 7:19
07. My Ass Is on Fire – 7:47
08. The Girls of Porn – 6:42
09. Love Is a Fist – 6:01
10. Dead Goon – 10:02

Link in comments.

Mr Bungle

Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Tarkus (1971) (@256)

15 Jul 2007

8 comments

(Review from progarchives.com)

Emerson, Lake & Palmer heads into uncharted territory on “Tarkus”, pushing the limits of music that a trio might aspire to. One gets the sense that Emerson, Lake & Palmer approached “Tarkus” as their magnum opus (until the next magnum opus, anyway), and it’s this spirit of elevated creativity that fuels “Tarkus”.

The side-long “Tarkus” starts with a clear beginning, in the spirit of creation with a single sound that soon explodes into life, and from there the band fuses Emerson’s instrumental passages (often held together by improvisation) with Lake’s songs (not far removed from his work with King Crimson). The arrangements themselves are at best bone and sinew, Emerson’s piano providing the color against Palmer’s superlative, dry drumming and Lake’s incidental bass lines. When the band does reach sublime heights, it’s often on the strength of Lake’s stalwart voice, resolute in a maelstrom of sound. Note that the inner gatefold features what purports to be a visual interpretation of the “Tarkus” story; if you can make heads or tails out of it, let me know.

The second side seeks to defuse the pomposity of the previous saga with the irreverent “Jeremy Bender”, to be savored as a cherished oddity. “Bitches Crystal” returns to the haunting grounds of side one, and remains a favorite among fans. What follows next is a miniature epic: “The Only Way” (which questions God) and the instrumental “Infinite Space”, which follows a more structured and restrained path than the explosive moments around it (they would revisit this style on songs like “Jerusalem”, perhaps the remnant of some fiery country parson still in their blood). The wonderful “A Time And A Place” (file under epic) and “Are You Ready Eddy?” (which immortalizes engineer Eddy Offord) close the album, every ounce of energy drained.

By turns funny, profound and profane, “Tarkus” marks the arrival of greatness in the annals of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Line-up:
- Keith Emerson / Hammond organ, St. Marks church organ, piano, celeste, Moog synthesizer
- Greg Lake / vocals, bass, electric & acoustic guitar
- Carl Palmer / drums, assorted percussion

Track List:
01. Tarkus
02. Jeremy Bender
03. Bitches Crystal
04. The Only Way (Hymn)
05. Infinite Space (Conclusion)
06. A Time And A Place
07. Are You Ready Eddy?

Link in comments.

Carl Palmer, ELP, Greg Lake, Keith Emerson

Thin Lizzy – Thunder and Lightning (1983) (@256)

15 Jul 2007

(Review from wikipedia, amazon)

Thunder and Lightning is the twelfth and final studio album of Thin Lizzy. Following the departure of Snowy White and the appointment of John Sykes, there was a longer delay between 1981′s Renegade and this album, released in March 1983. Thunder and Lightning offered a heavier sound and guitar tone than previous albums, influenced by the guitar playing of John Sykes. However, the actual songwriting (except for “Cold Sweat”) was completed before he joined the band.

The swan song from the band delivers like a white-hot burning pile of anvils. The title track will want to make even the most calm individual break a pool que over someone nearby’s head at the sheer intensity and voracity of the production. After that the band delivers a collection of well made hard rock and roll. There is no filler on this release and each song is unique unto itself and a credit to the often maligned genre. In the meantime, Gorham’s heavy vibrato-laden melodic solos hit even harder as Sykes extraordinary blistering technique pushes Gorham’s work completely out of the envelope. The wonderful Lynott vocal melodies are hard at work here as well, bringing unexpected hooks to songs such as “This is the One”, “Bad Habits”, “Sun Goes Down” and “Baby Please Don’t Go”.

After a farewell tour in 1983, Lynott dissolved Thin Lizzy and focused on his solo career.

Line-up:
* Brian Downey – drums, percussion
* Scott Gorham – guitar, backing vocals
* Phil Lynott – bass, vocals
* John Sykes – guitar, backing vocals
* Darren Wharton – keyboards, backing vocals

Track List:
01. Thunder and Lightning – 4:55
02. This Is the One – 4:02
03. The Sun Goes Down – 6:18
04. The Holy War – 5:13
05. Cold Sweat – 3:06
06. Someday She Is Going to Hit Back – 4:05
07. Baby Please Don’t Go – 5:11
08. Bad Habits – 4:05
09. Heart Attack – 3:38

Link in comments.

John Sykes, Phil Lynott, Scott Gorham, Thin Lizzy

Frame – Frame of Mind (1972) (@256)

14 Jul 2007

(Info from Crack in the Cosmic Egg)

Strongly interconnected with fellow Marburg band Pell Mell, though the musical connection is not always so obvious, Frame exhibited a style that had very little in common with them really, being much more influenced by the late-60′s heavy psychedelia and blues rock by the likes of Deep Purple or Vanilla Fudge. Only some of the rhythmic structures hinted at the Pell Mell connection. Mixing in folky styles and progressive touches into their heavy rock style, their sole album “Frame of Mind” bore the unmistakable stamp of Dieter Dierks at the mixing desk, with great use of dynamics and stereo dimension. Really varied, steering away from the mainstream of early-70′s rock, with many classic moves and excellent vocals, all giving it that something special, it’s an album that’s still amazingly fresh even today. Andy Kirnberger was a featured guest on early Pell Mell albums, after Frame’s demise he went on to the vastly inferior Hardcake Special whilst Cherry Hochdorfer and Wolfgang Klaus moved to Pell Mell.

Line-up:
* Andy Kirnberger – guitars, vocals, piano
* Cherry Hochdorfer – organ, piano, mellotron, spinet
* Peter Lotz – bass, vocals, percussion
* Dieter Becker – vocals, percussion
* Wolfgang Claus – drums, percussion

Track List:
01 – Frame of Mind – 4.13
02 – Crusical Scene – 4.03
03 – All I Really Want Explain – 11.21
04 – If – 5.11
05 – Winter – 5.40
06 – Penny For An Old Guy – 3.12
07 – Childrens Freedom – 2.34
08 – Truebsal – 0.19

Link in comments.

Blues Brothers – Briefcase Full of Blues (1978) (@256)

14 Jul 2007

(Info from wikipedia)

The Blues Brothers began as an affectionate joke-cum-tribute to R&B music, and taken in that spirit it retained its entertainment value. It was founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live. Belushi and Aykroyd, respectively in character as lead vocalist “Joliet” Jake Blues and harpist/vocalist Elwood Blues, fronted the band, which was composed of well-known and respected musicians. The band made its debut as the musical guest on the April 22, 1978, episode of Saturday Night Live.

The band then began to take on a life beyond the confines of the television screen : They recorded their first album, Briefcase Full of Blues, in 1978 while opening for comedian Steve Martin at Los Angeles’ Universal Amphitheatre. The album liner notes fleshed out the fictional back story of Jake and Elwood, having them growing up in a Roman Catholic orphanage in Rock Island, Illinois and learning the blues from a janitor named Curtis. Their blood brotherhood was sealed by cutting their middle fingers with a string said to come from the guitar of Elmore James.

While the music of the Blues Brothers is based on R&B, blues, and soul; it also drew heavily on rock and jazz elements, usually taking a blues standard and bringing a rock sound and style to it. The band could be drawn into three sections: the four-man horn section, the traditional rock instruments of the five-man rhythm section, and the two singing brothers. The sound of the band was a synthesis of two different traditions: the horn players all came from the clean, precise, jazz-influenced sound of New York City; while the rhythm section came from the grittier soul and blues sound of Chicago and Memphis. The success of this meld was due both to Shaffer’s arrangements and to the musicians’ talents.

Line-up:
* Elwood Blues – Vocals, Harmonica
* “Joliet” Jake Blues – Vocals
* Matt “Guitar” Murphy – Lead Guitar
* Steve “The Colonel” Cropper – Guitar
* Donald “Duck” Dunn – Bass guitar
* Paul “The Shiv” Shaffer – Keyboards, Background Vocals
* Steve “Getdwa” Jordan – Drums, Background Vocals
* Lou “Blue Lou” Marini – Tenor & Alto Saxophones
* Tom “Triple Scale” Scott – Tenor & Alto Saxophones
* Tom “Bones” Malone – Tenor & Baritone Saxophones, Trombone, Trumpet, Background Vocals
* Alan “Mr. Fabulous” Rubin – Trumpet, Background Vocals

Track List:
01. Opening: I Can’t Turn You Loose – 1:50
02. Hey Bartender – 3:01
03. Messin’ With the Kid – 3:35
04. (I Got Everything I Need) Almost – 2:50
05. Rubber Biscuit – 2:57
06. Shot Gun Blues – 5:23
07. Groove Me – 3:46
08. I Don’t Know – 4:14
09. Soul Man – 3:28
10. ‘B’ Movie Box Car Blues – 4:08
11. Flip, Flop & Fly – 3:38
12. Closing: I Can’t Turn You Loose – 0:51

Link in comments.

Blues Brothers

Skin Alley – Two Quid Deal (1972) (@160)

14 Jul 2007

(Review from allmusic.com)

After a strong showing in the early ’70s, Skin Alley shifted their musical gears a bit. There was still a strong progressive rock base to their songwriting, but their folk and rock tendencies came to the fore more than ever before.

Their deft instrumental technique screamed “progressive” but never overshadowed the songs with unnecessary noodling or overt showings of musical dexterity. And that’s the thing — there are “songs” here. With most of the tunes clocking in under the four-minute mark, there’s no room for overindulgence. The arrangements are concise and even the instrumental numbers show a deliberately sophisticated restraint.

Line-up:
* Nick Graham – Bass, Piano, Flute, Keyboards, Vocals
* Bob James – Guitar, Flute, Saxophone
* Krzysztof Henryk Justkiewicz – Keyboards, Accordion, Piano, Organ
* Tony Knight – Drums, Percussion, Vocals

Track List:
01. Night Time
02. Bad Words and Evil People
03. Graveyard Shuffle
04. Nick’s Seven
05. Skin Valley Serenade
06. So Glad
07. So Many People
08. Sun Music
09. The Demagogue-Sun Music

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Nick Graham, Skin Alley

Thin Lizzy – Renegade (1981) (@256)

13 Jul 2007

(Review from starling.rinet.ru, wikipedia)

I am somewhat puzzled by the general critical opinion that finds Renegade to be the weakest Thin Lizzy album ever and spooks away potential listeners. Too many reviews had led the public to believe that the record is weakened by a lack of melodies and by modernistic production values that take away the energy of the Lizzy of old.

Apart from the prominent synthesizer backup on the album opener, ‘Angel Of Death’, you could hardly distinguish the actual production from other Lizzy albums. Same guitars, same real drums – same hard-rockin’ style. It has actually been one my favorite Lizzy albums for a long time.

It was also their last album with guitarist Snowy White. By his own admission, White was more suited to playing blues than heavy rock and he quit by mutual agreement the following year.

Line-up:
* Phil Lynott: Bass guitar, vocals
* Scott Gorham: Guitars, backing vocals
* Darren Wharton: Keyboards, organ, mini moog, backing vocals
* Brian Downey: Drums, percussion
* Snowy White: Guitars, backing vocals

Track List:
01. Angel of Death – 6:18
02. Renegade – 6:08
03. The Pressure Will Blow – 3:46
04. Leave This Town – 3:49
05. Hollywood (Down on Your Luck) – 4:10
06. No One Told Him – 3:36
07. Fats – 4:04
08. Mexican Blood – 3:41
09. It’s Getting Dangerous – 5:30

Link in comments.

Phil Lynott, Scott Gorham, Snowy White, Thin Lizzy

Thin Lizzy – Chinatown (1980) (@320)

13 Jul 2007

(Review from amazon, fretplay.com)

After Gary Moore checked out, the band’s tour lineup briefly consisted of guitarist/keyboardist Midge Ur and guitarist Dave Flett before the band settled on a lineup of guitarist Snowy White (best known as a touring guitarist for Pink Floyd) and teenage keyboard virtuoso Darren Wharton. Entering the 80s, Lynott was looking to expand the band’s sound.

“We Will Be Strong” starts the album off in a good hard rock style. The fast pace of “Sweetheart” will get your blood pumping with guitar harmonies. “Sugar Blues” defines the word ‘fun’ here. It’s like hard rock meets swing style. You get caught up in to it immediately. “Killer on the Loose” is probably the heaviest song of the album and yet another fan favorite. If “Having a Good Time” is the party song, “Genocide” would be the political protest song. Both rocking tunes, along with the closer “Hey You”. One ballad in all of the nine tracks — “Didn’t I” is a beautiful track led by Lynott’s soulful voice.

Surrounded in an aura of cocaine imagery, street fights, and dirty sex; “Chinatown” is tragically overlooked by many Thin Lizzy fans.

Line-up:
* Scott Gorham: Guitars, Vocals.
* Phil Lynott: Bass guitar, Keyboards, Vocals.
* Snowy White: Guitars, Vocals.
* Brian Downey: Drums, Percussion.
with
* Darren Wharton: Keyboards, Vocals.
* Midge Ure: Keyboards, Vox Organ.
* Tim Hinckley: Electric Piano.

Track List:
01. We Will Be Strong – 5:11
02. Chinatown – 4:43
03. Sweetheart – 3:29
04. Sugar Blues – 4:22
05. Killer on the Loose – 3:55
06. Having a Good Time – 4:38
07. Genocide (The Killing of the Buffalo) – 5:06
08. Didn’t I – 4:28
09. Hey You – 5:09

Link in comments.

Phil Lynott, Scott Gorham, Snowy White, Thin Lizzy

Vas – Offerings (1998) (@256)

13 Jul 2007

(Info from wikipedia)

Vas was a group, composed of Persian born vocalist Azam Ali and American percussionist Greg Ellis.

On Offerings, Vas take one step beyond the repertoire of Indian-flavored, hymn-like songs created on their widely adored debut album Sunyata. Again Ali radiantly sings soothing melodies of words in no language other than her own spontaneous emotion. A bit reminiscent of Madredeus’s Teresa Salguiero, her tone is melancholic and soulful, but her chanting unrolls a Persian tapestry woven of her hammered dulcimer and Ellis’s cadences on tabla, udu, frame drum, zils, and more. Guest artists Steve Stevens (nylon-string guitar), cellist Hans Christian, singer Omar Faruk Tekbilek, and violinist Nabil Azzam deepen the Middle Eastern hues.

Line-up:
* Azam Ali – Vocals, Voices, Psaltery, Tanpura, Dulcimer (Hammer), Frame Drum
* Greg Ellis – Dumbek, Gong, Tabla, Vocals, Voices, Bells, Shaker, Tombak, Zills, Temple Bells, Nagara, Riqq, Udu, Frame Drum
with
* Nabil Azzam – Violin, Arabian Violin
* Hans Christian – Cello, Sarangui, Nyckelharpa
* Steve Stevens – Acoustic Guitar
* Omar Faruk Tekbilek – Vocals, Voices, Ney, Zurna

Track List:
01. Svarga
02. Roya
03. Varuna
04. The Promise
05. Ellora
06. Temple Of The Maiden
07. Leyli
08. Veiled
09. Wajad
10. A Garland Of Breath
11. Mist Weaving

Links in comments.

Vas

Skin Alley – To Pagham and Beyond (1970) (@256)

12 Jul 2007

(Review from allmusic.com)

Skin Alley boldly announced their arrival with their debut. Three months after it hit the shops, the group was back in the studio working on its follow-up. It was at this point that bandmember Thomas Crimble departed for Hawkwind, with ex-Atomic Rooster bassist/flutist Nick Graham taking his place.

This shake-up in the lineup led to an equally momentous shift in sound, as the new-look band now moved toward a more improvisational style. Still, their influences hadn’t changed, and their love of American blues was if anything even more evident on their second album, To Pagham & Beyond, than their first.

The point was driven home on the opening track, “Big Brother Is Watching You”, with its focus on the riff and wailing harmonica. This was a blues that fed into R&B and then rock & roll; “Easy to Lie”, in contrast, exquisitely illustrated the links between the blues and jazz, the stripped-back blues suddenly exploding into inspired improvised jazz passages before fading back into minimalistic blues. “Sweaty Betty” takes the opposite approach, its pure jazz agilely slipping into revved-up R&B-flavored rock. As for R&B itself, “Walking in the Park” is not just a tribute to Stax, but a perfect rendition of its style, and explains just how the band landed on that label later in its career (the first white group to garner such an honor). Yet this was only one of Alley’s angles; elsewhere in the set they travel into Canterbury territory, albeit in a tough fashion far removed from that scene’s comparatively laid-back sound. And then there’s the epic “Take Me to Your Leader’s Daughter,” the set’s most inspired number, combining Arab-flavored passages, tribal drumming, and jazzy turns with stunning flute, piano, and brass solos.

Line-up:
* Thomas Crimble – Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
* Nick Graham – Bass, Flute, Keyboards, Vocals
* Bob James – Guitar, Saxophone
* Krzysztof Henryk Justkiewicz – Keyboards
* Alvin Pope – Drums

Track List:
01. Big Brother Is Watching You (6:52)
02. Take Me To Your Leader’s Daughter (8:55)
03. Walking In The Park (6:51)
04. The Queen Of Bad Intentions (6:54)
05. Sweaty Betty (8:11)
06. Easy To Lie (5:22)

Link in comments.

Nick Graham, Skin Alley

Thin Lizzy – Black Rose (1979) (@256)

12 Jul 2007

(Review from allmusic.com)

Brian Robertson was replaced by Gary Moore prior to the album’s recording. For the first time, rock/blues guitarist Gary Moore stayed in the band long enough to record an album having had previous stints in 74 and 77 as well as working with Lynott in the rock band Skid Row in the late 60s and early 70s. He fits in perfectly with Lizzy’s heavy, dual-guitar attack.

Black Rose also turned out to be the band’s most musically varied, accomplished, and successful studio album. Lizzy leader Phil Lynott is again equipped with a fine set of originals, which the rest of the band shines on — the percussion-driven opener “Do Anything You Want To,” the pop hit “Waiting for an Alibi,” and a gentle song for Lynott’s newly born daughter, “Sarah”. Not all the material is as upbeat, such as the funky “S&M,” as well two grim tales of street life and substance abuse — “Toughest Street in Town” and “Got to Give It Up”. Black Rose closes with the epic seven-minute title track, which includes an amazing, complex guitar solo by Moore that incorporates Celtic themes against a hard rock accompaniment. Black Rose: A Rock Legend is one of the ’70s lost rock classics.

Line-up:
* Brian Downey – drums, percussion
* Scott Gorham – lead guitar, backing vocals
* Phil Lynott – bass, vocals, twelve-string guitar
* Gary Moore – lead guitar, backing vocals

Track List:
01. Do Anything You Want To – 3:53
02. Toughest Street in Town – 4:01
03. S&M – 4:05
04. Waiting For An Alibi (Lynott, Moore) – 3:30
05. Sarah – 4:20
06. Got to Give It Up – 4:24
07. Get Out Of Here – 3:37
08. With Love – 4:38
09. Roisin Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend – 7:06

Link in comments.

Gary Moore, Phil Lynott, Scott Gorham, Thin Lizzy

Skin Alley – Skin Alley (1969) (@256)

12 Jul 2007

(Review from progressiveworld.net)

In 1969 there were few bands playing jazz-rock fusion. The musicians that inhabited these out of the ordinary groups played a highly developed style of music well beyond their years. They in fact sounded light-years ahead of their contemporaries. When I think of 1969, the first thought that comes to mind is not jazz-rock fusion. Music like this just does not seem to fit in to that timeframe and that is the very reason why many of you have probably never heard of this band and their music.

With a brilliant combination of keyboard arrangements, a well-timed rhythm section, flawlessly positioned guitar, vocals that grab your attention and a touch of the divine with the flute, Skin Alley defined the term progressive. This was the beginning of the jazz-rock fusion sound, yet it sounds like it is so knew and fresh even today. This album is a glorious blend of rock and jazz with a dollop of classical for taste. Anyone that can appreciate artistry that is beyond exceptional would praise this recording. There are necessarily any prerequisites for listening to music that is so interesting. If you happen to like rock with just about every other style fused into it you will certainly embrace this great album more than the casual less particular listener would.

Line-up:
* Thomas Crimble – bass, mellotron, vocals
* Bob James – guitar, alto saxophone, flute, vocals
* Krzysztof Henryk Justkiewicz – organ, piano, harpsichord, mellotron, vocals
* Alvin Pope – drums, congas, timpani

Track List:
01. Living In Sin (4:39)
02. Tell Me (4:40)
03. Mother Please Help Your Child (4:13)
04. Marsha (7:25)
05. Country Aire (2:15)
06. All Alone (8:17)
07. Night Time (5:37)
08. Concerto Grosso (Take Heed) (0:28)
09. Highway (4:19)

Link in comments.

Skin Alley

Moody Blues – On The Threshold Of A Dream (1969) (@256)

12 Jul 2007

(Review from progarchives.com, vintageprog.com)

If you haven’t heard this album yet, you’re in for a treat.

Alluding to the listener’s likely state of mind, “On The Threshold of a Dream” features a brilliant succession of songs, instrumental segues and spoken poems. I haven’t heard a more cogent case for Moody Blues’ unusual approach to songwriting — allowing each of the five members to follow their own muse within the context of a group effort — than on this album.

What ties “Threshold” together is its swift pacing, using seamless segues to connect the band’s individual contributions into a cohesive whole. This technique prevents a musical morass from forming, a problem that plagued subsequent albums.

“Threshold” is symphonic and beautiful with great atmosphere, and the mellotron sounds heavenly. It proves that you don’t necessarily need 1200 time-changes in each song to make good music.

Line-up:
- Justin Hayward / guitars, vocals
- John Lodge / bass guitar, vocals
- Michael Pinder / keyboards, vocals
- Ray Thomas / harmonica, flute, vocals
- Graeme Edge / drums, percussion

Track List:
01. In the beginning (2:07)
02. Lovely to see you (2:34)
03. Dear diary (3:56)
04. Send me no wine (2:21)
05. To share our love (2:53)
06. So deep within you (3:07)
07. Never comes the day (4:43)
08. Lazy day (2:43)
09. Are you sitting comfortably? (3:30)
10. The dream (0:57)
11. Have you heard? pt. 1 (1:28)
12. The voyage (4:10)
13. Have you heard? pt. 2 (2:26)

Link in comments.

Graeme Edge, John Lodge, Justin Hayward, Mike Pinder, Moody Blues, Ray Thomas

Zarathustra – Zarathustra (1971) (@256)

11 Jul 2007

Request of anonymous.

(Info from progarchives.com)

Zarathustra were a 5 piece energetic heavy progressive rock band, formed in Hamburg. Their intense rock is strongly melted with progressive tendencies thanks to the use of massive electric organ parts, long instrumental and technical structures, extended jam and adventurous climax. With intelligence and constant creativity, the band was pertaining to the evolution of rock music, particularly sensitive to new approaches from everywhere, British late 60s style to psychedelic feel and krautrock experimentations.

Line-up:
- Ernst Herzner / lead vocals
- Michael Just / bass, vocals
- Klaus Werner / organ
- Wolfgang Behrmann / drums, percussion

Track List:
01. Eternal Light
02. Mr. Joker
03. Past Time
04. Nightmare
05. Sad Woman
06. Ormued

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Jefferson Airplane – Volunteers (1969) (@256)

11 Jul 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

While Bathing at Baxter’s and Crown of Creation showed the bands psychedelic experimental side then Volunteers was one that showed off their songwriting skills more like Surrealistic Pillow. Except the songs were taking a bold new direction. Gone were the pretty love songs now we had some angry songs and wistful songs of a land being destroyed. The Airplane, Paul Kantner in particular, had become a political animal. The album starts off with one of the more angry songs entitled We Can Be Together. The song has many phases to it but mostly a declaration against society pitting younger freaks against the establishment. “We are forces of Chaos and Anarchy, Everything they say we are we are and we are very proud of ourselves” “All your private property is target for your enemy and your enemy is we”.

The song contains some great vocal harmonies and shifts that take it beyond a standard song yet it doesn’t go off on any tangents of psychedelia either. The second song is traditional hymn arranged by guitarist Jorma Kaukonen. He shines showing off a beautiful lead over acoustic and soulful voice. This is old blues not the one you grow up on in England in the late 60′s. This is the blues of Honky Tonks and trains yet Kaukonen finds a way to bridge that with the present decade. The third song is a cute little country song with Jerry Garcia playing pedal steel guitar. The lyrics to this song have to be drug induced because the last thing I am sure I’ll see is Paul Kanter doing what he says here “Well I gotta get back to work now and clear away some logs”.

The next song is one of two Grace Slick compositions on the album. The music is startling different than any thing else on the album. It crashes gets softer and harder finally ending in a great jam. Grace Slick’s voice soars on this song as well. She always said she wanted her voice to sound like a guitar and here she achieves it.

“Turn My Life Down” is the only composition written by Kaukonen. Sung by Marty Balin who’s presence on this album is noticeably lacking. The vocals are inspired about this sad little introspective song. “I see the Shadows, Softly Coming, taking me into a place, where they turn my life down:” In the middle Kaukonen shifts the song from one direction to the other and plays an upbeat solo at the end of these very somber lyrics.

“Wooden Ships”, co-written by Paul Kantner, David Crosby and Steven Stills, is really a mini epic. The first part like a dialog sung with three different voices into a sort of chorus. After a couple of verses Jorma Kaukonen gives one of his best solos as member of the Airplane, one that reminds me of something Steve Hackett might have done. Not a lot of notes but a soaring almost synthesized sound that really captures the spirit of the song.

Eskimo Blue Day is written by Slick again. A really haunting intro that breaks into a very jazzy song structure. It has a completely different kind of musical break and solo that returns to the song for one final verse. Again Slick’s voice is used as another instrument here.

Overall sound is much more mellow and soft than on earlier works and is dominated by fine piano chords played by studio session maestro Nicky Hopkins. Still, vocal performances and Kaukonen’s solo guitar parts heard on this album rank among their best ever. Indeed, his revolutionary and highly original approach to electric guitar is rarely met, so one wonders how come this genius musician never reached stardom that he deserves.

Line-up:
- Marty Balin / guitar, vocals
- Jack Casady / bass
- Spencer Dryden / drums
- Paul Kantner / guitar, vocals
- Jorma Kaukonen / guitar, vocals
- Grace Slick / keyboards, vocals

Track List:
01. We Can Be Together (5:48)
02. Good Shepherd (4:21)
03. The Farm (3:15)
04. Hey Fredrick (8:26)
05. Turn My Life Down (2:54)
06. Wooden Ships(5:52)
07. Eskimo Blue Day (6:31)
08. A Song For All Seasons (3:28)
09. Meadowlands (1:01)
10. Volunteers (2:02)

Link in comments.

Jack Casady, Jefferson Airplane, Jorma Kaukonen

Thin Lizzy – Live and Dangerous (1978) (@256)

10 Jul 2007

9 comments

(Review from allmusic.com)

Released in 1978, just as the hot streak starting with 1975′s Fighting and running through 1977′s Bad Reputation came to an end, Live and Dangerous was a glorious way to celebrate Thin Lizzy’s glory days and one of the best double live albums of the 70s. Of course, this, like a lot of double-lives of that decade isn’t strictly live; it was overdubbed and colored in the studio.

But even if there was some tweaking in the studio, Live and Dangerous feels live, containing more energy and power than the studio albums, which were already dynamic in their own right. It’s this energy, combined with the expert song selection, that makes Live and Dangerous a true live classic.

Line-up:
* Brian Downey – drums, percussion
* Scott Gorham – lead guitar, backing vocals
* Phil Lynott – bass guitar, lead vocals
* Brian Robertson – lead guitar, backing vocals
with
* John Earle – saxophone on “Dancing in the Moonlight”
* Huey Lewis – harmonica on “Baby Drives Me Crazy”

Track List:
01. Jailbreak – 4:31
02. Emerald – 4:18
03. Southbound – 3:44
04. Rosalie/Cowgirl’s Song – 4:00
05. Dancing in the Moonlight (It’s Caught Me in Its Spotlight) – 3:50
06. Massacre – 2:46
07. Still in Love With You – 7:40
08. Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed – 3:32
09. Cowboy Song – 4:40
10. The Boys Are Back in Town – 4:30
11. Don’t Believe a Word – 2:05
12. Warrior – 3:52
13. Are You Ready – 2:40
14. Suicide – 5:00
15. Sha La La – 4:18
16. Baby Drives Me Crazy – 6:36
17. The Rocker – 3:58

Links in comments.

Brian Robertson, Live, Phil Lynott, Scott Gorham, Thin Lizzy

Eloy – Tides Return Forever (1994) (@256)

10 Jul 2007

(Review from amazon)

The Tides Return Forever marks Eloy comeback to its classic musical spirit. Klaus Peter Matziol is now a permanent member again and it pays off big time.

The overall sound is very Eloy-ish but more contemporary. The Day of Crimson Skies features some really nice synth work by Gerlach and some good guitar work by Bornemann. Though the structure is quite simple it still keeps the classic Eloy atmosphere.

Fatal Illusions starts off in typical Eloy fashion: atmospheric and mystic before the band kicks in in a very spacey section. Then the band starts the real song with Klaus bassplying taking the leading role. There is a nice mellow middle section before the band kicks in again with an excellent guitar/synth solo.

Childhood Memories is a beautiful song. it starts off with just percussion and guitar and keyboards build up a really pensive and melancholic atmosphere. Lyrics are very poetic (dedicated to Frank’s mother) and there is a lovely synth solo at the end, though it’s a pity it fades away rather quick.

Generation of Innocence is a heavy track. The main riff is very heavy indeed though vocals are quiet mellow and Gerlach’s synth gives it a symphonic feel. There is a beautiful guitar solo and some outstanding synth soloing towards the end.

The Tides Return Forever is mainly acoustic. It’s quite dark, not in terms of depressing but in terms of atmosphere. A particularly evocative song with a female chorus in the middle section that is really awesome.

The Last in Line is the more poppy song in this album. There is a lot going on here, especially regarding synths, vocals, drums and lyrical content.

Last track Company of Angels is the pinnacle of the record. It features a great chorus melody, some inspiring synth work, very good guitar solos, incredible bassplaying and solid drum work. It’s a song dedicated to Jeanne d’Arc and it lives up to the expectations as the epic and symphonic atmosphere really shines in every second of the song.

One of Eloy’s best albums in years and one that sees Eloy creating those classical eternal and infinite atmospheres.

Line-up:
- Frank Bornemann / vocals, guitars
- Michael Gerlach / keyboards, vocals
- Klaus-Peter Matziol / bass
- Nico Barretta / drums
- Peter Beckett / vocals (5-6-7)
- Tom Jackson / vocals (5-6-7)
- Bettina Lux / backing vocals (6)
- Steve Mann / acoustic guitar solo (5)
- Dirk Michaelis / acoustic guitar (3)
- Suzanne Schätzle / backing vocals (6)
- Jocelyn B. Smith / vocals (5)
- Miriam Stockley / vocals (7)
- Ralf Vornberger / acoustic guitar (5)

Track List:
01. Day of Crimson Skies
02. Fatal Illusions
03. Childhood Memories
04. Generation of Innocence
05. Tides Return Forever
06. Last in Line
07. Company of Angels

Link in comments.

Eloy

Thin Lizzy – Peel Sessions (BBC Broadcasts: 1972-77) (@256)

10 Jul 2007

(Info fom nolifetilmetal.com)

“The Peel Sessions” features raw and wild versions of great Lizzy songs recorded between 1972 and 1977 for John Peel’s 70′s BBC radio show, providing a great historical overview of the band’s development.

Despite being recorded live, the musicianship is tight and the band sounds excellent on each and every track. As with most BBC releases, the production is a bit more raw than the studio versions. This actually enhances the Thin Lizzy cuts, especially the older material.

Track List:
01. Whiskey in the Jar (Recorded: Nov 14/72)
02. Rosalie (Recorded: May 29/75)
03. Suicide (Recorded: May 29/75)
04. Emerald (Recorded: Feb 12/76)
05. Cowboy Song (Recorded: Feb 12/76)
06. Jailbreak (Recorded: Feb 12/76)
07. Don’t Believe a Word (Recorded: Sep 23/76)
08. Little Darling (Recorded: Apr 4/74)
09. Still in Love With You (Different Lyrics) (Recorded: Apr 4/74)
10. Vagabonds of the Western World (Recorded: Jul 31/73)
11. Little Girl in Bloom (Recorded: Jul 31/73)
12. Killer Without a Cause (Recorded: Aug 1/77)
13. Bad Reputation (Recorded: Aug 1/77)
14. That Woman’s Gonna Break Your Heart (Recorded: Aug 1/77)
15. Dancing in the Moonlight (Recorded: Aug 1/77)

Links in comments.

Brian Robertson, Eric Bell, Live, Phil Lynott, Scott Gorham, Thin Lizzy

Kansas – Two for the Show (1978) (@256)

09 Jul 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

‘Two for the Show’ is a perfect portrait of the energy and clever interplaying that were always featured in Kansas’ brightest moments; it also shows the six members at the top level of their creativity, physical strength and emotional drive.

Walsh and Steinhardt shine in their singing roles, creating an effective bridge between the band and the crowd. The instrumental stuff is performed with every piece located in the right place, yet there’s a healthy amount of room for some freedom (guitar and violin solos mostly): a special mention goes to Ehart’s powerful drumming, which should be more considered in the prog circles, since his precision and tightness are really awesome.

Since it is one of their emblematic numbers, ‘Song for America’ serves as an accurate opener, though the interlude should have been played in its entirety. Some tracks are benefited by the arranged extension offered here: ‘Portrait (He Knew)’ (linked to ‘Carry On Wayward Son’) bears a heavily hard guitar duel in its expanding ending theme, ‘Journey from Mariabronn’ comprises an extra guitar lead, the exciting “beyond words” medley of ‘Mysteries and Mayhem’-'Lamplight Symphony’-'The Wall’ sounds as if its components had been originally written during a sole compositional effort, and last but not least, the incendiary ‘Magnum Opus’. This aforesaid suite is introduced by a long, sombre prelude that eventually gives way to the first chords. There are more violin parts in this rendition than in the original studio version; the explosive end sounds as terrifying as a massive vehicle crash, and as hypnotic as a Prokofiev’s wild dream. Other highlights are being mentioned right away. The majestic ‘Closet Chronicles’ sounds pretty close to the origina lstudio version but definitely more ballsy. The acoustic portion that starts with ‘Dust in the Wind’, connected to Williams’ acoustic guitar solo (something like Hackett with country flavors) and Livgren’s grand piano solo (stylish and well-ordained), until the whole band rejoins for the closing section of the beautiful ballad ‘Lonely Wind’ (one of those overlooked Kansas gems), which in this live rendition sees its last third immensely surpass the emotional charge that had been delivered in the studio version.

Line-up:
- Phil Ehart / drums, percussion
- Dave Hope / bass
- Kerry Livgren / keyboards, guitars
- Robby Steinhardt / lead vocals, violin
- Steve Walsh / lead vocals, keyboards
- Rich Williams / acoustic & electric guitars

Track List:
01. Song for America (7:31)
02. Point of know return (3:07)
03. Paradox (4:09)
04. Icarus – Borne on the wings of steel (5:56)
05. Portrait (He knew) (5:20)
06. Carry on wayward son (4:36)
07. Journey from Mariabronn (8:55)
08. Dust in the wind (acoustic guitar solo) (6:18)
09. (piano solo) Lonely wind (4:29)
10. Mysteries and mayhem (4:00)
11. Excerpt from Lamplight symphony (2:39)
12. The wall (4:53)
13. Magnum opus (11:17)

Links in comments.

Kansas, Kerry Livgren, Live, Steve Walsh

Thin Lizzy – Bad Reputation (1977) (@256)

09 Jul 2007

(Review from allmusic.com)

As the front cover suggests, most of the tracks feature only three-quarters of the band, with guitarist Brian Robertson only playing on tracks 3 and 6. He had missed most of the previous tour following an injury sustained in a brawl and this album turned out to be his last studio effort with Lizzy.

If Thin Lizzy got a bit too grand and florid on Johnny the Fox, they quickly corrected themselves on its 1977 follow-up, Bad Reputation. Teaming up with the legendary producer Tony Visconti, Thin Lizzy managed to pull of a nifty trick of sounding leaner, tougher than they did on Johnny, yet they also had a broader sonic palette. Much of this is due, of course, to Visconti, who always had a flair for subtle dramatics that never called attention to themselves. He puts this to use in dramatic effect here, to the extent that Lizzy sounds stripped down to their bare bones, even when they have horns pushing them forward on “Dancing in the Moonlight” or when overdubbed vocals pile up on the title track. Of course, they were stripped down to a trio on this record, lacking guitarist Brian Robertson, but Scott Gorham’s double duty makes his absence unnoticeable. Plus, this is pure visceral rock & roll, the hardest and heaviest that Thin Lizzy ever made, living up to the promise of the title track. And, as always, a lot of this has to do with Phil Lynott’s writing, which is in top form whether he’s romanticizing “Soldiers of Fortune” or heading down the “Opium Trail.” It adds up to an album that rivals Jailbreak.

Line-up:
* Brian Downey – drums, percussion
* Scott Gorham – lead guitar, guitars
* Phil Lynott – bass, vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica
with:
* Brian Robertson – lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards (tracks 3-6)
* Mary Hopkin-Visconti – backing vocals on “Dear Lord”
* John Helliwell – sax, clarinet

Track List:
01. Soldier of Fortune – 5:18
02. Bad Reputation – 3:09
03. Opium Trail – 3:58
04. Southbound – 4:27
05. Dancing in the Moonlight (It’s Caught Me in Its Spotlight) – 3:26
06. Killer Without a Cause – 3:33
07. Downtown Sundown – 4:08
08. That Woman’s Gonna Break Your Heart – 3:25
09. Dear Lord – 4:26

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Brian Robertson, Phil Lynott, Scott Gorham, Thin Lizzy

Vashti Bunyan – Just Another Diamond Day (1970) (@256)

09 Jul 2007

(Review from allmusic.com)

About five years after briefly surfacing as part of Andrew Loog Oldham’s stable, Vashti — now billing herself with her full name, Vashti Bunyan — made her only album. A folkier and more serious-minded effort than her initial mid-’60s recordings, it is a pleasing yet overly dainty slice of British rock-tinged folk, produced by Joe Boyd. A certain similarity to some other acts under Boyd’s supervision, such as the Incredible String Band and Fairport Convention, was assured by contributions from the Incredible String Band’s Robin Williamson and Fairport Convention’s Dave Swarbrick and Simon Nicol. For good measure, there were string and recorder arrangements by Robert Kirby, who had done some string arrangements for Nick Drake, another Boyd-produced artist.

Comprised solely of original material, Just Another Diamond Day contained dignified yet slightly sad ruminations with a pastoral, indeed rural feel, imbued with images of solitary meditations upon rain, wind, sunsets, and open fields. The drum-less, acoustic arrangements yielded an intimate ambience well-suited for Vashti’s fragile, measured, almost despondently wispy vocals. These were rather in the manner of Marianne Faithfull’s highest and most whispery early efforts, albeit with far folkier setting and more vivid lyrics. CD issue of this album is enhanced by four bonus tracks that, with an oh-so-slight poppier bent, actually rate as the best material on the disc: the 1966 B-side “Love Song,” a pair of unreleased 1966-1967 acetates, and a 1969 version of “Iris’ Song” (to be redone as “Iris’s Song for Us” on the album). It’s too bad, though, that the other three songs from her official 1965-1966 singles weren’t added, as well, to make this a more complete retrospective.

Track List:
01. Diamond Day
02. Glow Worms
03. Lilly Pond
04. Timothy Grub
05. Where I Like to Stand
06. Swallow Song
07. Window Over the Bay
08. Rose Hip November
09. Come Wind Come Rain
10. Hebridean Sun
11. Rainbow River
12. Trawlerman’s Song
13. Jog Along Bess
14. Iris’s Song for Us
15. Love Song (Bonus B-side)
16. I’d Like to Walk Around in Your Mind (Bonus)
17. Winter is Blue (Bonus)
18. Iris’s Song Version Two (Bonus alternate)

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Gong – Expresso II (1978) (@256)

08 Jul 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

Nothing like the psychedelic-era Gong with Daevid Allen, the album has a pretty original fusion tendency, without spacy textures, and with a rather “drums & percussion” preponderance. It is fully instrumental.

The elegant, magic and sophisticated mixes of xylophone, vibraphone, marimba, glockenspiel and tubular bells are absolutely delightful: they occupy a substantial place, since they are played by 3 musicians. Compared to Ruth Underwood’s or Ed Mann’s performance, the percussions here are more melodic and they less consist in the same note played many consecutive times at an infernal speed: so, many notes are more sustained and resonant. The drums are quite fast & refined. There are some excellent violin parts, especially on “Soli”, a courtesy of Darryl Way. On “Heavy tune”, the electric guitar solos rather have a Steve Hillage style. Holdsworth’s electric guitar solos on “Sleepy”, “Soli” and “Three blind mice” are excellent. On “Sleepy”, there is a wah-wah bass arrangement which sounds like the one Goblin use on the “Suspiria” album.

Line-up:
- Mireille Bauer / marimbas, vibraphone
- Francois Causse / congas
- Allan Holdsworth / rhythm guitar
- Bon Lozaga / acoustic guitar
- Benoit Moerlen / glockenspiel, vibes, xylophone, tubular bells, claves
- Pierre Moerlen / drums, glockenspiel, xylophone, tubular bells, timpani
- Hansford Rowe / bass, rhythm guitar
- Mick Taylor / electric guitar
- Darryl Way / violin

Track List:
01. Heavy Tune (6:22)
02. Golden Dilemma (4:51)
03. Sleepy (7:17)
04. Soli )7:37)
05. Boring (6:23)
06. Three Blind Mice (4:47)

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Allan Holdsworth, Darryl Way, Gong, Pierre Moerlen

Weed – Weed (1971) (@320)

08 Jul 2007

(Info from Crack in the Cosmic Egg)

Between the release of Uriah Heep’s albums “Salisbury” and “Look At Yourself”, in 1971, Ken Hensley went to Germany to record an album for a project simply called “Weed”.

This “concept” album related to an infamous rock’n'roll habit! Unfortunately the album sleeve didn’t list the line-up. Aside from Ken Hensley, some members of the 1970/71 Virus line-up were also involved, Bernd Hohmann and Werner Monka at least and possibly their rhythm section as well. All six tracks were composed by the concert promoter Bobo Albes and Phillips’ household producer Rainer Goltermann made sure the sessions in the Windrose Studios in Hamburg were preserved for posterity. The album comprised straight-forward heavy progressive blues-rock with twin guitars and organ to the fore, culminating in the excellent, long instrumental title track. Weed can be compared to other German heavy progsters of the era, such as Zarathustra, Blackwater Park, Epitaph and Armaggedon, as well as Ken Hensley’s similarly obscure (Head Machine) album Orgasm dating from 1969 or 1970.

Track List:
01. Sweet Morning Light
02. Lonely Ship
03. My Dream
04. Slowin’ Down
05. Before I Die
06. Weed

Link in comments.

Ken Hensley

Black Oak Arkansas – Black Oak Arkansas (1971) (@256)

08 Jul 2007

(Review from allmusic.com)

Produced by Iron Butterfly’s Lee Dorman and Mike Pinera, Black Oak Arkansas introduced a three-guitar thunderstorm underpinning the scary basso profundo growls of lead singer Jim “Dandy” Mangrum. This was a sound unlike any other on the then-nascent Southern rock scene. With songs like “Hot and Nasty,” “Lord Have Mercy on My Soul,” and an otherworldly cover of Guy Mitchell’s hit “Singing the Blues,” Black Oak found a cult following through incessant touring with the likes of the Allman Brothers Band. This is not pretty music, but it does have a propulsive kick to it, with the guitars going in several directions at once while Jim Dandy’s Howlin’ Wolf-influenced vocals lay out a strange blend of macho sexual and religious imagery. Although the sound would quickly become cartoonish over subsequent releases, this initial release contained the spark of the new and different.

Line-up:
* Jim “Dandy” Mangrum – Vocals, Washboard
* Pat Daugherty- Bass
* Wayne Evans – Drums
* Harvey Jett – Banjo, Guitar, Piano, Vocals
* Stanley Knight – Guitar
* Ricky Reynolds – Guitar

Track List:
01. Uncle Elijah
02. Memories At The Window
03. The Hills Of Arkansas
04. I Could Love You
05. Hot And Nasty
06. Singing The Blues
07. Lord Have Mercy On My Soul
08. When Electricity Came To Arkansas

Link in comments.

Black Oak Arkansas

Thin Lizzy – Johnny the Fox (1976) (@256)

08 Jul 2007

(Review from allmusic.com, amazon)

Released during the band’s peak years (the mid- to late ’70s), the album is highlighted by the twin guitar attack of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson and Lynott’s own songwriting.

The overall tone of the album is looser — funkier even than on any previous Thin Lizzy effort. The only successful single was the predictable pounding of “Don’t Believe a Word”, but there are richer and unexpected highlights scattered throughout. The gentle strains of “Borderline” reveal a melodic grace not usually associated with the band. The easy roll of “Old Flame” likewise unearths heart-on-your-sleeve romanticism.

What’s interesting about Johnny the Fox is that it’s hardly a rote repetition of Jailbreak but instead an odd, fitfully successful evolution forward. All the same strengths are still here — the band still sounds as thunderous as a force of nature, Phil Lynott’s writing is still graced with elegant turns of phrase, his singing is still soulful and seductive — but the group ramped up the inherent drama in Lynott’s songs by pushing them toward an odd, half-baked concept album.

Line-up:
* Brian Downey – drums, percussion
* Scott Gorham – lead guitar, guitars
* Phil Lynott – bass, vocals, acoustic guitar
* Brian Robertson – lead guitar, guitars

Track List:
01. Johnny – 4:26
02. Rocky – 3:42
03. Borderline – 4:35
04. Don’t Believe a Word – 2:18
05. Fools Gold – 3:51
06. Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed – 3:43
07. Old Flame – 3:10
08. Massacre – 3:01
09. Sweet Marie – 3:58
10. Boogie Woogie Dance – 3:07

Link in comments.

Brian Robertson, Phil Lynott, Scott Gorham, Thin Lizzy

Thin Lizzy – Fighting (1975) (@256)

07 Jul 2007

(Review from allmusic.com)

It’s hard not to interpret the “fighting my way back” chorus of the title track on Thin Lizzy’s fifth album as the band’s way of bouncing back from the uncommonly subdued Night Life. If that record was smooth and relaxed, Fighting is a tense, coiled, vicious rock & roll album, as hard as Vagabonds’s toughest moments but more accomplished, the sound of a band truly coming into its own. There are two key forces at work. First, there’s the integration of guitarists Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, who get to unleash furious playing on every track here. It’s hard not to thrill at their harmonizing twin-lead interplay, which is enough to excuse the rather pedestrian nature of their original tunes here (Robertson penned the boogie “Silver Dollar,” Gorham the closer “Ballad of a Hard Man”). That’s especially true because of the other development here: the full flourishing of Phil Lynott as a rock & roll poet. Whether he’s writing hard-charging rockers like “Wild One”, jazzy Springsteen-isms of “For Those Who Love To Live” or combining both on “Freedom Song”, his songs manage to be both mythic and commonplace, and when delivered by the vital, visceral lineup he has here, they’re invigorating. Strangely enough, that leap forward as a writer is somewhat overshadowed by a triumph of the band, in how they completely steal Bob Seger’s “Rosalie” turning it into their own anthem, but that again is a testament to the strength of this incarnation of Thin Lizzy, who truly begin their classic era with this dynamic album.

Line-up:
* Brian Downey – drums, percussion
* Scott Gorham – guitar
* Phil Lynott – bass, vocals, acoustic guitar on Wild One
* Brian Robertson – guitar, backing vocals
with
* Roger Chapman (from Family) – backing vocals on ‘Rosalie’
* Ian McLagan (from The Faces) – piano on Silver Dollar

Track List:
01. Rosalie (Seger) – 3:11
02. For Those Who Love to Live (Downey, Lynott) – 3:08
03. Suicide (Lynott) – 5:12
04. Wild One (Lynott) – 4:18
05. Fighting My Way Back (Lynott) – 3:12
06. King’s Vengeance (Gorham, Lynott) – 4:08
07. Spirit Slips Away (Lynott) – 4:35
08. Silver Dollar (Robertson) – 3:26
09. Freedom Song (Gorham, Lynott) – 3:32
10. Ballad of a Hard Man (Gorham) – 3:14

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Brian Robertson, Phil Lynott, Roger Chapman, Scott Gorham, Thin Lizzy

Head Machine – Orgasm (1970) (@256)

07 Jul 2007

(Info from geocities.com)

During his time with Gods and Toe Fat, Ken Hensley recorded an album for a specific project called Head Machine. At this time, Hensley played mainly guitar again, as in the beginning of his career. The producer of the album “Orgasm” was David Paramor, who also produced The Gods’ albums.

The music is good, but not outstanding, and the style is something between The Gods and Toe Fat. Hensley describes this project as a “mercenary” one, which means that they were involved only for the money, professionally speaking. He states that it wasn’t really his band, and there are some doubts about the songwriting credits, since on the album it’s written that Paramor composed all the songs, but there’s definitely a “Ken Hensley touch” on them. It is one of the heaviest records that Hensley has ever been involved.

Line-up:
* Ken Leslie (Ken Hensley) – organ/piano/guitar/vocals
* John Leadhen (John Glascock) – bass guitar
* Brian and Lee Poole (Brian Glascock and Lee Kerslake) – drums
* Mike Road (?) – percussion

Track List:
01. Climax – You Tried To Take It All
02. Make The Feeling Last
03. You Must Come With Me
04. The Girl Who Loved, The Girl Who Loved
05. Orgasm
06. The First Time
07. Scattering Seeds

Link in comments.

John Glascock, Ken Hensley, Lee Kerslake

Birth Control – Backdoor Possibilities (1976) (@256)

07 Jul 2007

(Review from vintageprog.com, progarchives.com)

“Backdoor Possibilities” is an excellent concept based on a story about a corporate businessman who is trapped by his own success and who ultimately reflects on his life before meeting death in a subway.

The album could equal even Gentle Giant when it comes to complexity and weird time-changes, and it’s pretty obvious that Gentle Giant were a great inspiration for this album. Zeus B. Held is heavy on the Moog and string-synth here, and he comes up with loads of cool, varied and unusual sounds. Three of the six tracks are divided into several parts, so you can be sure that you won’t get any straightforward stuff. And all of the tracks are absolutely outstanding complex mid-70′s progressive rock.

Highlights on the album include the opener “One First of April” and the closing number “No Time to Dye”. The latter also mixes a very Yes-like chorus in at the end. “Beedeepees” is probably the most Gentle Giant-sounding track they ever recorded, both in sound and structure. “Futile Prayer” is a melodramatic ballad where drummer Noske’s vocal unfortunately is a bit more accented than on the other tracks, but the song is still great. The melodic and powerful “Behind Grey Walls” have a strong Genesis-influence while the instrumental “La Cigüena de Zaragoza” is jazzier with a cool sax-part at the end.

Line-up:
- Peter Föller / basses, vocals
- Bruno Frenzel / guitars, vocals
- Zeus B. Held / keyboards, Tenor sax, tubular bells, vocals
- Bernd Noske / drums, percussion, lead vocals

Track List:
01. One first of April – Prologue
02. One first of April – Physical and mental short circuit
03. One first of April – Subterranean escape
04. Beedeepees – Film of life
05. Beedeepees – Childhood flash-back
06. Beedeepees – Legal labyrinth
07. Futile prayer
08. La Cigüena de Zaragoza – The farrockaway ropedancer
09. La Cigüena de Zaragoza – Le moineau de Paris
10. La Cigüena de Zaragoza – Cha cha d’amour
11. Behind grey walls
12. No time to die
13. Fall down (Bonus Single A-Side)
14. Laugh or Cry (Bonus Single B-Side)

Link in comments.

Birth Control

Thin Lizzy – Night Life (1974) (@256)

06 Jul 2007

(Review from wikipedia, allmusic)

The group initially had problems matching the success of “Whiskey in the Jar”, and after a disastrous gig, where a drunken Bell walked offstage, leaving Lynott and Downey alone onstage, Bell left the group by mutual consent. His immediate replacement was Lynott’s former Skid Row band mate and guitarist Gary Moore who stayed long enough to record a number of tracks including the single “Little Darlin’” and “Still In Love With You” and securing a new record deal with Phonogram Records. After this Lynott and Downey regrouped, recruiting Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson as guitarists to make what was arguably the classic (and most successful commercially) Thin Lizzy lineup.

The album that in many ways kicked off their classic era – is in many ways a complete anomaly within their catalog. It’s a subdued, soulful record, smooth in ways that Thin Lizzy never were before and rarely were afterwards. To be sure, the title Night Life is accurate but not in the sense of this providing a soundtrack for a night out on the town – quite the opposite actually. This is the soundtrack for an intimate night in, either alone or as a pair, since it has moments ideal for either contemplation or seduction. There are still some moments of tough, primal rock & roll — there’s the funky workout of “It’s Only Money” and the nasty “Sha-La-La,” both excellent showcases for Gorham and Robertson — but they stick out among the jazzy, soulful whole, even if they never quite disrupt the mood. And its that mood that’s so appealing about Night Life – it’s a warm, soulful sound that resonates in ways Thin Lizzy’s earlier records didn’t. And it’s not just because of the feel of the music, either, it’s due to Phil Lynott’s increasing growth as a songwriter. Much of this is quite sentimental – especially the closing “Dear Heart” – but it’s never saccharine or sappy, it’s big-hearted and effecting, best-heard on the gently propulsive, utterly addictive opener “She Knows” and the easy-rolling jazzy “Showdown”. These may be the high watermarks on this album, but they’re not the only highlights, they’re just the most immediate, representative signs of the charms of this underrated gem of a record.

Line-up:
* Brian Downey – drums, percussion
* Scott Gorham – guitar
* Phil Lynott – bass, vocals, guitar
* Brian Robertson – guitar, backing vocals
with
* Frankie Miller – joint lead vocals on “Still In Love With You”
* Gary Moore – lead guitar on “Still In Love With You”

Track List:
01. She Knows – 5:13
02. Night Life – 3:57
03. It’s Only Money – 2:47
04. Still in Love With You – 5:40
05. Frankie Carroll – 2:02
06. Showdown – 4:32
07. Banshee – 1:27
08. Philomena – 3:41
09. Sha La La – 3:27
10. Dear Heart – 4:35

Link in comments.

Brian Robertson, Gary Moore, Phil Lynott, Scott Gorham, Thin Lizzy

Fuat Saka – Lazutlar (1997) (@256)

06 Jul 2007

(Info from haydut.cmpe.boun.edu.tr, sozluk.sourtimes.org)

Fuat Saka had his first music education from his father who played tanbur. He later had education in arts (painting) in Istanbul, music in France and Germany.

Besides scoring for theatres and films, he gave many solo concerts and made arrangements for Turkish and international artists. He also composed the music of Karadeniz (Blacksea) part of the popular Turkish folklore show, “Sultans of the Dance”.

Fuat Saka fuses anatolian blacksea tunes with many music genres. Improvising Blacksea traditional folk songs in his works, he composes poems of well-known Turkish poets.

Line-up:
* Fuat Saka – 12-string guitar, guitar, bass, percussions, bouziki, ovation guitar, e organ, piano, saz, string
* Zaza Miminoschvili – guitar, godin guitar
* Sami Civici – Accordion
* Herbert Koschmieder – Saxaphone, Flute
* Stefan Happel – bass
* Mustafa Sirtli – Blacksea Kemenche
* Muhammet Yakupoglu – Blacksea Kemenche
* Yusuf Tunan Kurtisev – Clarinet

Track List:
01. Lazutlar (3:25)
02. Uy Tirabzon Uy Tirabzon (3:06)
03. Rap Atma (4:47)
04. Tskals Napoti Chamohkonda (2:04)
05. Dere Boyu Kavaklar (4:45)
06. Hekimoglu (3:47)
07. Kurbani (4:37)
08. Gokteki Yildizlari (4:37)
09. Aman Of Aman Ey (3:31)
10. Derule (2:31)
11. Lazosani Berepe (1:56)
12. Ay Vuriyi (3:42)
13. Cilveloy (4:36)
14. Yaylanin Soguk Suyu (5:00)
15. Lazutlar Remix (3:25)

Link in comments.

Fuat Saka, Turkish

Toe Fat – Toe Fat II (1970) (@256)

06 Jul 2007

(Info from sleeve)

Not long after their debut album’s completion, Toe Fat suffered the shake-ups which saw first Hensley and then Kerslake fired. They were replaced by Alan Kendall (from Glass Menagerie) on guitar and Brian Glascock, who’d of course been the original drummer in the Gods before Kerslake.

After a successful US tour they returned to the UK where they continued to gig heavily, and then it was back into Abbey Road where they proceeded to cut their follow-up album: But lacking Hensley’s songs, they found it tougher going this time around (NB: Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green puts in an uncredited appearance on one track, the bluesy “There’ll Be Changes”). However, they managed to complete the album – virtually on the eve of their second US tour, which they headlined – although the pressures of a relentless gigging/recording schedule had begun to get to Bennett, who was suffering from Glandular Fever. Nonetheless, he pulled around and the jaunt was a huge success, setting them up for the release of their eagerly-awaited second album.

Just as the album was about to come out – it all fell apart, their American management went public, and all their artists who weren’t actually established chart names (including Toe Fat) were dropped from the roster.

Consequently, by the time “Toe Fat Two” hit the stores, the band had more or less called it a day. With no band to promote it, the album sunk without a trace.

Line-up:
- John Glascock – bass
- Cliff Bennett – guitar/vocals
- Alan Kendall – guitar
- Brian Glascock – drums

Track List:
01. Stick Heat
02. Indian Summer
03. Idol
04. There’ll Be Changes
05. New Way
06. Since You’ve Been Gone
07. Three Time Loser
08. Midnight Sun

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John Glascock, Peter Green, Toe Fat

Thin Lizzy – Shades of a Blue Orphanage (1972) (@256)

05 Jul 2007

(Review from amazon)

Thin Lizzy’s second album was named after the musicians’ previous bands (Bell’s Shades of Blue and Lynott and Downey’s Orphanage).

It’s a fascinating, all-over-the-map album by a band that hadn’t yet found its own voice (although in retrospect hints of the band’s ultimate direction can be heard here). Things get off to a roaring start with “The Rise and Dear Demise of the Funky Nomadic Tribes”, which segues from Yes-derived staccato unison riffing into a funk-guitar workout influenced by Jimi Hendrix and James Brown. From there it’s on to “Buffalo Gal”, a melancholy folk-ish plaint that anticipates the working class Irish poetry Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott would develop to great effect later in the ’70s; other stylistic detours include stabs at faux rockabilly (“I Don’t Want to Forget How to Jive”), Mellotron-drenched confessional ballads (the title tune), and even a sort of visionary art-punk (“Call the Police”).

Line-up:
* Eric Bell – guitar
* Brian Downey – drums, percussion
* Phil Lynott – bass, vocals, acoustic guitar
with
* Clodagh Simonds – harpsichord, mellotron

Track List:
01. The Rise & Dear Demise of the Funky Nomadic Tribes – 7:06
02. Buffalo Gal – 5:30
03. I Don’t Want to Forget How To Jive – 1:46
04. Sarah – 2:59
05. Brought Down – 4:19
06. Baby Face – 3:27
07. Chatting Today – 4:19
08. Call the Police – 3:37
09. Shades of a Blue Orphanage – 7:06

Link in comments.

Clodagh Simonds, Eric Bell, Phil Lynott, Thin Lizzy

Toe Fat – Toe Fat (1970) (@256)

05 Jul 2007

(Info from sleeve)

After Gods dissolved, Hensley, Kerslake and Glasscock moved on to the heavy rock outfit Toe Fat led by 60s soul exponent Cliff Bennett.

Having decided on a major realignment in musical direction – based largely on the new bluesier material which Hensley was writing – and realizing that a more “progressive” moniker was required to go with their new, heavier style, someone came up with “Toe Fat”. They set out on the UK colleges, pubs and clubs’ circuits where they duly broke in their new material.

They cut their selftitled first album at Abbey Road with Jonathan Peel – who’d produced the Gods’ albums and latter-day Cliff Bennett Band singles – at the controls. Peel brought in noted session flautist/harp-player Moxy (something of an Ian Anderson look alike/sound alike, as Bennett recalls) to augment the band, and the album “Toe Fat” came together with the minimum of fuss.

Line-up:
* Cliff Bennett – Piano, Vocals
* Ken Hensley – Organ, Guitar, Piano, Vocals
* Lee Kerslake – Drums, Vocals
* John Glasscock – Bass, Vocals
with
* Moxy – Flute, Harmonica

Track List:
01. That’s My Love for You
02. Bad Side of the Moon
03. Nobody
04. Wherefors and the Whys
05. But I’m Wrong
06. Just Like Me
07. Just Like All the Rest
08. I Can’t Believe
09. Working Nights
10. You Tried to Take It All

Link in comments.

John Glascock, Ken Hensley, Lee Kerslake, Toe Fat

Grateful Dead – American Beauty (1970) (@256)

04 Jul 2007

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

American Beauty is a strong document of the Grateful Dead’s return to their musical roots. Sporting a full-bodied and intricate sound, thanks to the addition of subtle electric textures; the record is a fusion of bluegrass, rock and roll, folk and country music.

A complete contentment shines through the vocal work on this album. A full contentment. The instrumentation is rich with sound that moves through, under, and into the listener. The positivity of the Dead just can’t be kept down. Look at the cover. “American Beauty” can also be read as “American Reality,” thanks to Mouse Studios. If more of the American reality were this album, we’d all have a lot more to be thankful for.

Line-up:
* Jerry Garcia – guitar, pedal steel guitar, piano, vocals
* Bob Weir – guitar, vocals
* Ron “Pigpen” McKernan – harmonica, vocals
* Phil Lesh – bass guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, vocals
* Bill Kreutzmann – drums
* Mickey Hart – percussion

Track List:
01. Box of Rain – 5:16
02. Friend of the Devil – 3:20
03. Sugar Magnolia – 3:15
04. Operator – 2:21
05. Candyman – 5:12
06. Ripple – 4:10
07. Brokedown Palace – 4:18
08. Till the Morning Comes – 3:13
09. Attics of My Life – 5:09
10. Truckin’ – 5:09

Link in comments.

Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia

John Entwistle – Smash Your Head Against the Wall (1971) (@320)

04 Jul 2007

(Review from allmusic.com, wikipedia)

John Entwistle had been writing tunes since the Who’s second album, the majority of them coming out as album cuts or as B-sides of singles. But in the early ’70s, with the Who becoming even less of an outlet for his songwriting talents, Entwistle forged ahead with his first solo album, Smash Your Head Against the Wall. Musically, it has much of a Who flavor to it, with the strong guitar work, lumbering drums and basslines that define the music. But Entwistle’s many talents (he contributes an entire horn section to “Pick Me Up”) surface on this debut album.

The album itself offers a more downbeat and aggressive view of life than even the Who had to offer at their most pessimistic, as witnessed in the title track (aka “My Size”), the hazy rocker “Heaven And Hell” (which features some sterling acid guitar riffing by Cyrano Langston) and the closing track, “I Believe In Everything”, which ends with a seemingly impromptu chorus of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, to end a sometimes uncompromising album on an unexpectedly happy note. Who bandmate Pete Townshend once said about the album, “We learned more about John from him making an album than we did in all the years he’d ever played bass with us”, a reference to both his quiet demeanor and his then-mostly unknown capabilities as a songwriter.

The album’s bizarre cover strangely resembles an Egyptian sarcophagus – but it is in fact Entwistle wearing a death mask while looking through the chest X-ray of a lung cancer patient.

Line-up:
* John Entwistle – Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Bass, Brass, Percussion, Piano, Keyboards
* Dave Cyrano Langston – Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion, Backing Vocals
* Jerry Shirley – Drums
* Keith Moon – Percussion, Backing Vocals
* Neil Innes – Percussion, Backing Vocals
* Viv Stanshall – Percussion

Track List:
01. My Size
02. Pick Me Up (Big Chicken)
03. What Are We Doing Here?
04. What Kind of People Are They?
05. Heaven and Hell
06. Ted End
07. You’re Mine
08. No. 29 (Eternal Youth)
09. I Believe in Everything
10. Cinnamon Girl (Bonus previously released out-take)
11. It’s Hard to Write a Love Song (Bonus demo)
12. The Haunted Can Be Free (Bonus demo)
13. World Behind My Face (Bonus demo)
14. My Size (Bonus early take)
15. What Kind of People Are They? (Bonus demo)
16. Pick Me Up (Big Chicken) (Bonus demo)
17. No. 29 (Eternal Youth) (Bonus demo)
18. Ted End (Bonus demo)

Links in comments.

John Entwistle, Keith Moon

Gods – To Samuel A Son (1969) (@192)

04 Jul 2007

(Review from allmusic.com)

Their first album, Genesis didn’t make much of an impact, nor did some non-album singles. The Gods disbanded in early 1969, though a second album, To Samuel a Son, was posthumously released.

The Gods’ second album is, like their debut, Genesis, early keyboard-based progressive rock with a psychedelic hangover, vaguely tied into a concept about the experiences of the “Samuel” in the title track. It’s more varied in tone than their first record, though, and more surprisingly, a little lighter in touch, though you can still hear some of the bluster of keyboardist Ken Hensley’s subsequent group, Uriah Heep.

Line-up:
- Ken Hensley / keyboards, vocals
- Joe Konas / guitars, vocals
- Lee Kerslake / drums, vocals
- John Glascock / bass, vocals

Track List:
01. To Samuel A Son (3:29)
02. Three O’ Clock In The Morning (3:16)
03. He’s Growing (2:25)
04. Sticking Wings On Flies (2:39)
05. Lady Lady (3:18)
06. Penny Dear (2:34)
07. Long Time, Sad Time, Bad Time (3:12)
08. Five To Three (2:59)
09. Autumn (3:12)
10. Yes I Cry (2:42)
11. Groozy (3:41)
12. Momma I Need (3:57)
13. Candlelight (2:34)
14. Lovely Anita (3:32)
15. Maria (3:58)

Link in comments.

Gods, John Glascock, Ken Hensley, Lee Kerslake

Thin Lizzy – Thin Lizzy (1971) (@256)

03 Jul 2007

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

The roots of Thin Lizzy can be traced to late 1969 when two former members of Van Morrison’s band Them, keyboardist Eric Wrixon and guitarist Eric Bell, approached bassist Phil Lynott and drummer Brian Downey about forming a band.

While playing local venues around Dublin, Ireland, they began to include some original material into their act and under the name Thin Lizzie released an Lynott penned number called “The Farmer” in 1970, which failed to gain much interest. Shortly after, Wrixon left the group.

Thin Lizzy became a power trio in the image of Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, but Eric Bell lacked the charisma of these groups’ guitarists, forcing vocalist/bassist Philip Lynott to take center stage from day one.

Recorded on a shoestring budget, their self-titled debut is mellow and folk-infused; it sounds nothing like Thin Lizzy at the peak of their popularity. Before the twin lead guitars, Thin Lizzy played a brand of electric folk that was second to none. The band has a more laid back feel here; songs are given the time to tell stories and create images that have a certain resonance, the aural equivalent of old photographs that stir fond, forgotten memories for the listener.

The lyrics are moving beyond simple song lyrics to actual poetry and storytelling put to music. We as listeners are treated to viginettes of characters’ lives, given glimpses of intriguing locales, invited to share in a lot of the emotions being conveyed. All of this conveyed by the voice of Phil Lynott; at turns passionate, longing, and vulnerable.

Line-up:
* Eric Bell – guitar
* Brian Downey – drums, percussion
* Phil Lynott – bass, vocals, acoustic guitar

Track List:
01. The Friendly Ranger at Clontarf Castle – 2:57
02. Honesty Is No Excuse – 3:34
03. Diddy Levine – 3:52
04. Ray-Gun – 2:58
05. Look What the Wind Blew In – 3:16
06. Éire (Lynott) – 2:04
07. Return of the Farmer’s Son – 4:05
08. Clifton Grange Hotel – 2:22
09. Saga of the Ageing Orphan – 3:39
10. Remembering, Pt. 1 – 5:57
11. Dublin – 2:27
12. Remembering, Pt. 2 (New Day) (Bonus) – 5:06
13. Old Moon Madness (Bonus) – 3:56
14. Things Ain’t Workin’ Out Down at the Farm (Bonus) – 4:32

Links in comments.

Eric Bell, Phil Lynott, Thin Lizzy

Who – Endless Wire (2006) (@256)

03 Jul 2007

(Review from amazon)

Nearly a quarter-century (and bassist John Entwistle) passed between what had been considered the Who’s career-capping album, It’s Hard, and this 19-song epic. Built from the triumph of the mini-opera Wire & Glass EP (included here in its entirety), Endless Wire mixes metaphors of music, war, and religion, while showcasing Roger Daltrey’s ageless vocal cords and Pete Townshend at his windmilling best.

Launching with a “Baba O’Riley”-like synth break in “Fragments,” Daltrey asks “Are we breathing out or breathing in?” and Townshend answers with a thrashing, crashing Gibson. When the volume is turned up, there are echoes of three decades ago. “It’s Not Enough” and “Mike Post Theme” conjure images of Entwistle and Keith Moon–the latter song, with its quiet verse and thunderous chorus, recalls “Going Mobile” and longs for Moon to whack it into shape. But the linchpin remains Townshend’s songwriting, whether he’s questioning faith (“Man in a Purple Dress”), showing gratitude for support (“You Stand By Me”), or dreaming of entertaining immortals into eternity (“Out on an Endless Wire”).
By the time it wraps up, Endless Wire turns out to be far better than anyone could have (or should have) expected.

This edition comes with a bonus live CD, recorded at the Vienne Amphitheatre on 17 July 2006.

Line-up:
* Roger Daltrey – lead vocals
* Pete Townshend – guitars, vocals, bass guitar, drums, piano and keyboards, violin, banjo, mandolin, drum machine
* John “Rabbit” Bundrick – hammond organ
* Zak Starkey – drums (on “Black Widow’s Eyes”)
* Pino Palladino – bass guitar
* Peter Huntington – drums

Track List:
CD1
01. Fragments – 3:58
02. A Man in a Purple Dress – 4:14
03. Mike Post Theme – 4:28
04. In the Ether – 3:35
05. Black Widow’s Eyes – 3:07
06. Two Thousand Years – 2:50
07. God Speaks of Marty Robbins – 3:26
08. It’s Not Enough – 4:02
09. You Stand by Me – 1:36
10. Wire & Glass: Sound Round – 1:21
11. Wire & Glass: Pick Up the Peace – 1:28
12. Wire & Glass: Unholy Trinity – 2:07
13. Wire & Glass: Trilby’s Piano – 2:04
14. Wire & Glass: Endless Wire – 1:51
15. Wire & Glass: Fragments of Fragments – 2:23
16. Wire & Glass: We Got a Hit – 1:18
17. Wire & Glass: They Made My Dream Come True – 1:13
18. Wire & Glass: Mirror Door – 4:14
19. Wire & Glass: Tea & Theatre – 3:24
20. We Got a Hit (Bonus extended version) – 3:03
21. Endless Wire (Bonus extended version) – 3:03
CD2 (Bonus Live at Lyon)
01. The Seeker – 2:36
02. Who Are You – 6:58
03. Mike Post Theme – 3:55
04. Relay – 7:40
05. Greyhound Girl – 3:04
06. Naked Eye – 8:26
07. Won’t Get Fooled Again/Old Red Wine – 10:40

Links in comments.

John "Rabbit" Bundrick, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Who

Gods – Genesis (1968) (@256)

03 Jul 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

The Gods are a band that have gone down in any number of ‘rock family trees’ for housing Greg Lake, Mick Taylor but mainly future Uriah Heep members, Ken Hensley and Lee Kerslake. By the time they released their debut, Greg Lake and Mick Taylor had already moved out; principal songwriting and performing duties are therefore shared between Ken Hensley and Joe Konas. Hensley’s dominance certainly offers hints of the direction he would follow with Uriah Heep.

Musically, they were very derivative of Vanilla Fudge, particularly concerning the bombastic vocal harmonies and heavy musicianship, yet brought their own flavour to proceedings. Certainly, The Gods predictably have a very English sound at times; they are often much more polite than Vanilla Fudge, particularly with the slower numbers.

Line-up:
- Ken Hensley – keyboards, vocals
- Joe Konas – guitars, vocals
- John Glascock – bass, vocals
- Lee Kerslake – drums, vocals

Track List:
01. Towards The Skies (3:24)
02. Candles Getting Shorter (4:28)
03. You’re My Life (3:20)
04. Looking Glass (4:18)
05. Misleading Colours (3:38)
06. Radio Show (3:12)
07. Plastic Horizon (3:26)
08. Farthing Man (3:30)
09. I Never Know (5:41)
10. Love And Eternity (2:41)
11. Baby’s Rich (Bonus) (2:45)
12. Somewhere In The Street (Bonus) (2:47)
13. Hey Bulldog (Bonus) (3:01)
14. Real Love Guaranteed (Bonus) (2:29)

Link in comments.

Gods, John Glascock, Ken Hensley, Lee Kerslake

Univers Zero – Heresie (1979) (@192)

02 Jul 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

If their debut album was a slap in the face, this second album can be assimilated to a kick in the arse coupled with an uppercut in the stomach. Univers Zero’s music was never designed for easy thrills and charming melodies to get cosy with a partner, but with this album, the music sinks to the lower instincts of the human mind, uncovering some rather macabre moods. By now, the group is down to a sextet, with Nicaise gone, Trigaux will take on the keyboard duties, while still working his guitars. Another change is the arrival of Guy Segers on bass, and some thirty years later, he is still around the scene, albeit not always as a musician.

As with the debut, the artwork is just as dark and sinister (do not be fooled by the heavy gothic feel, though), fitting the music marvellously well, but certainly not making it more accessible. The side-long “epic”, the 25-min Denis-penned La Faulx is a slow starter and newcomer Segers sings out chants that could easily be written by Vander. Quite a grandiose but doomed and gloomed moment, the track slowly picks up and peaks around the 11 to 13 minutes mark, and resumes a calmer (and repetitive) pace not far from Stravinsky’s most sombre works.

The second side starts off with a collaboration between Denis and Trigaux, the 15 min+ Jack The Ripper, with the harmonium dictating the slow and lugubrious ambiance, with Denis’s percussions providing most of the interest in the early part, before the violin first and the bassoon next bring the track to the next level of intensity. The albums wraps up on the Trigaux-penned En Temps Voulu track which brings many shivers of angst, which pretty well repeats what has been said before.

Hérésie is one of those albums that must be played only when the listener’s moods are suitably ready for it. Compared to the rather short 1313, this 50-minute monster is quite a step upwards and forward in their musical search, but can be a bit long at times. Not recommended for the faint-hearted.

Line-up:
- Michel Berckmans – bassoon, oboe
- Daniel Denis – drums, percussion
- Patrick Hanappier – viola, violin
- Roger Trigaux – guitar, piano, organ, harmonium
- Guy Segers – bass, voice

Track List:
01. La Faulx (25:18)
02. Jack the Ripper (13:29)
03. Vous le Saurez en Temps Voulu (12:56)

Link in comments.

Daniel Denis, Michel Berckmans, Roger Trigaux, Univers Zero

Wolf – Night Music (1974) (@192)

02 Jul 2007

(Review from progarchives.com, gepr)

When Curved Air fell apart in 1972-1973, Darryl Way formed a new band called Wolf who carried on much in the same style as Curved Air. The band compromised of Darryl Way (naturally) on violin and keyboards, Ian Mosley on drums (later to be in Trace, Steve Hackett’s band and of course Marillion), John Etheridge on guitar (later to be a member of Soft Machine) and Dek Messacar on bass (later to be a member of Caravan).

On their third (and alas last) album, John Hodkinson (ex-If) joined on vocals to produce very ripe and intelligent music. With the violin lead, it is in a mold similar to Curved Air but a slightly more refined style. Some of the musical interludes are similar to mid-period Caravan. A fusion style playing, great instrumentation and strong melodies.

Line-up:
- Darryl Way / violin, keyboards
- John Etheridge / guitars
- Dek Messecar / bass
- Ian Mosley / drums
- John Hodkinson / vocals

Track List:
01. The Envoy (6:28)
02. Black September (4:48)
03. Flat 2-55 (6:52)
04. Anteros (4:21)
05. We’re Watching You (5:10)
06. Steal The World (4:18)
07. Comrade Of The Nine (2:43)

Link in comments.

Darryl Way, Ian Mosley, Wolf

Van der Graaf Generator – Godbluff (1975) (@256)

02 Jul 2007

(Review from progarchives.com)

What a comeback! It was as if Van der Graaf Generator had never been away. And of course, in a way, they hadn’t. The group broke up in 1971, only for Peter Hammill to be joined quite frequently on his solo albums by the other three Van der Graaf Generator stalwarts, David Jackson, Hugh Banton and Guy Evans. The lads eventually decided to reform and made up for “wasting” some of their best years together with this excellent album. The second coming of Van der Graaf Generator may have eventually petered out but every one of the four songs on Godbluff was an important addition to the band’s canon.

From its humble origins, The Undercover Man erupts into another one of the haunting, desolate Van der Graaf Generator ballads, with Jackson’s fluttering flute and Banton’s (ahem) enormous organ defining the sound while a certain Mr. Hammill wails and rails away as only he can. The song eventually becomes a monstrous rocker that sounds like the conclusion of some amazing rock opera … except that in the case of Godbluff, the fun is just beginning.

As The Undercover Man fades away, a new monster announces itself … Scorched Earth is a rampaging tune, with Evans let off his leash. Halfway through this discordant angry track, a steady riff establishes itself allowing Jackson and Banton to really cut loose too.

Arrow is a more basic beast that starts off with a bit of a psych jam before evolving into one of the most beautiful, sparse and haunting bits of music Van der Graaf Generator ever recorded (no mean feat, I can tell you!). For the most part of this lovely song, Hammill’s vicious vocals are at odds with the pastoral playing of his colleagues. When the band finally breaks its restraint at around the 5:30 mark, the great riffs floating around the song convalese into a engrossing whole.

The concluding anthem The Sleepwalkers is yet another stimulating work that’s initially tied to a darting medieval melody played by jackson on flute. When, on the 1:30 minute mark, the melody re-emerges with Hammill sings a verse, it really takes my breath away. Then takes a number of strange journeys, with snatches of music hall, jazz and bossa nova, finally settling down into a breezy riff, which Jackson gradually takes over. Hammill then returns while the original flute melody is hinted at. I admit that I love that melody so much that I think Van der Graaf Generator underuse it, but it’s hard to argue with such daring composers.

One is tempted to think that Godbluff gets such rave reviews because Van der Graaf Generator fans were so relieved that the band hadn’t lost it, but it really is one of the band’s finest acheivements.

Line-up:
- Peter Hammill / vocals, guitars, piano
- Hugh Banton / organ, bass
- Guy Evans / drums and percussion
- David Jackson / saxes, flute

Track List:
01. The Undercover Man (7:00)
02. Scorched Earth (10:10)
03. Arrow (8:15)
04. The Sleepwalkers (10:26)

Link in comments.

David Jackson, Guy Evans, Hugh Banton, Peter Hammill, Van der Graaf Generator

Who – Live at Royal Albert Hall (2000) (@256)

01 Jul 2007

(Review from allmusic.com, wikipedia)

After completing the tour of North America in December, 1982, Townshend spent part of 1983 trying to write material for the next studio Who album. By the end of 1983, however, Townshend had declared himself unable to generate material which he felt was appropriate for The Who and he issued a public statement in December, 1983, wherein he announced his decision to leave The Who. With Townshend formally ending The Who as an entity producing new music. Over the years, The Who re-united many times for various concerts.

“Live at the Royal Albert Hall” captures a charity concert for a cancer organization the reunited group performed in November of 2000. This is an exceptional reunion concert, finding the band at their strongest since their early-’80s breakup. Supported by drummer Zak Starkey and longtime keyboardist John “Rabbit” Bundrick, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, and John Entwistle sound reinvigorated, playing such standards as “I Can’t Explain” and “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere” with vigor and energy, as if they haven’t played them countless times. The group also stretches out, as Townshend contributes a new bridge to “The Kids Are Alright” and the band jams through “Magic Bus,” “5:15,” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” showing both dexterity and muscle. While nobody would mistake this show with the careening power and unpredictability of the band at their peak in the ’60s and ’70s, this is an impressive mix of maturity, professionalism, and passion, finding the group regaining their sense of authority and integrity. At three discs, this is a bit long, but for those longtime fans, there’s plenty to like here. After all, it’s very rare for a reunion album to be this good, and it’s even rarer to have one with cameos as good as those here — Townshend’s duet with Paul Weller on “So Sad About Us” and two songs fronted by Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder (“I’m One,” “Getting in Tune”) are as good as those songs by Daltrey, and help make Live at the Royal Albert Hall a really pleasant surprise.

The bonus CD features four songs from The Who’s last concert with John Entwistle before his death, from February 8, 2002.

Line-up:
* John Entwistle – Bass, Vocals
* Roger Daltrey – Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
* Pete Townshend – Guitar, Vocals
* John “Rabbit” Bundrick – Keyboards
* Zak Starkey – Drums

Track List:
CD1
01. I Can’t Explain
02. Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
03. Pinball Wizard
04. Relay
05. My Wife
06. The Kids Are Alright
07. Mary Anne With the Shaky Hand
08. Bargain
09. Magic Bus
10. Who Are You
11. Baba O’Riley [ft. Nigel Kennedy]
CD2
01. Drowned
02. Heart to Hang Onto
03. So Sad About Us [ft. Paul Weller]
04. I’m One [ft. Eddie Vedder]
05. Gettin’ in Tune [ft. Eddie Vedder]
06. Behind Blue Eyes [ft. Bryan Adams]
07. You Better You Bet
08. The Real Me
09. 5:15
10. Won’t Get Fooled Again [ft. Noel Gallagher]
11. Substitute [ft. Kelly Jones]
12. Let’s See Action [ft. Eddie Vedder]
13. My Generation
14. See Me, Feel Me [ft. Bryan Adams & Eddie Vedder]
CD3 (Bonus Tracks)
01. I’m Free
02. I Don’t Even Know Myself
03. Summertime Blues
04. Young Man Blues

Links in comments.

John "Rabbit" Bundrick, John Entwistle, Live, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Who

Think – Variety (1973) (@256)

01 Jul 2007

(Info from Crack in the Cosmic Egg)

A band with unusual origins, Think were actually formed by three Hungarians (who had been touring with the Hungarian Philharmonic Orchestra in Germany) who decided they preferred the “free” West. Upon meeting the producer of Menga Records the idea for a band was formulated. Bizarrely, the group existed only as long as the recording sessions, yet the results were quite an exceptional album that fused together radically different cultures into a complex progressive rock featuring flute, violin and guitars in a richly folk and classical intoned style, hinting at Pell Mell and Eden yet original with an atmospheric beauty.

Line-up:
* Rodrigo Ramor – vocals, percussion
* Frank Voigt – flute, effects
* Gerd Pohl – guitars, vocals
* Ricky Ramor – bass
* Fried Wordehoff – drums, percussion
* Kajo Sandrik – violin, viola, piano, organ, percussion, effects

Track List:
01. Variety
02. Watercorps
03. Drops
04. Draw Conclusions From…
05. Last Door
06. More Drops (Bonus)
07. All That I remember (Bonus)

Link in comments.

Whitesnake – Starkers in Tokyo (Live 1998) (@256)

01 Jul 2007