No Commercial Potential

Ed Mann - "Get Up" (1988)

2010-01-31T21:45:00.001-05:00

Track listing:

1. this is tomorrow (e.mann)
2. shattered illusion (e.mann)
3. god saves the elephants (e.mann)
4. get up (e.mann)
5. by chance (e.mann)
6. the final tone (e.mann)

Personnel:

Ed Mann: percussion, keyboards
Walt Fowler: trumpet, flugelhorn
Bruce Fowler: trombone
Mike Hoffman: guitar
Doug Lunn: bass
Chad Wackerman: drums
Xander Mann: vocals

Enjoy!
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Mike Stern - "Who Let The Cats Out" (2006) @320

2008-04-06T23:39:00.000-04:00

More than two decades into his solo career, Mike Stern, on his 13th album as a leader, continues to prove why he's earned so many "Best Jazz Guitarist" honors through the years. Stern's skills are undeniable, and new ideas never fail to materialize when he's at work. But what makes Stern stand out from the pack of virtuosic guitar technicians is that he always insists on letting his, and his support team's, abilities serve the music, not vice versa. On Who Let the Cats Out?, Stern and his well-chosen crew spill out lick upon impressive lick, but they never get so carried away with themselves that they lose sight of the tune's purpose and structure. Grandiosity is never a factor here, although there are dozens of occasions to applaud these musicians' chops. Richard Bona, the Cameroonian bassist, has worked with Stern before, but here he is given an expanded role, appearing on four tracks and contributing his falsetto-style, scat-like vocals to three of them: On "All You Need," one of the prettiest tracks on the record, Bona provides an uplifting sensuality. He also shines on "We're with You," a ballad featuring Stern on acoustic guitar. Devoid of pyrotechnics, this song of support to those hurting utilizes synth-derived orchestration and a mournful, quiet tone to bring home its emotionalism. Drummer Dave Weckl -- who alternates throughout with the excellent Kim Thompson -- is another major pacesetter here: On "Texas," the often-overdriven Weckl restrains himself, his no-frills drums and Me'Shell NdegéOcello's creative bass chasing Stern's skronky slide while Gregoire Maret's harmonica provides the necessary borderland flavor. The title track, a quasi-swing/bop showpiece, finds Stern -- peeling out some of his most blazing, how'd-he-do-that? riffs -- and trumpet great Roy Hargrove trying to outdo each other and calling it a draw. Stern's soloing throughout the record is, in fact, ceaselessly imaginative: Whether within a total funk exercise like "Roll with It," which borrows Victor Wooten from the Flecktones for bass duties and spotlights sexy sax from Bob Malach, or the moody ballad "KT," on which Stern's guitar escalates in intensity alongside Jim Beard's soulful organ, Stern finds his place within the song's architecture, then rises several levels above what's required of him to present something unexpected and rewardingly original. Only on "Blue Runway," the eight-and-a-half-minute closer, with Anthony Jackson taking over the bass, do the players allow themselves to approach tediousness. Overextending themselves as they shift into hyperdrive, they turn the piece into a jam for its own sake. An anomaly, it doesn't by any means detract from the album's overall quality.

Track listing:

01 Tumble Home
02 KT
03 Good Question
04 Language
05 We're With You
06 Leni Goes Shopping
07 Roll With It
08 Texas
09 Who Let The Cats Out?
10 All You Need
11 Blue Runway

Personnel:

Mike Stern electric and acoustic guitars
Bob Franceschini: saxophone (1-4,9-11)
Jim Beard: piano, organ, synthesizer, clavinet
Chris Minh Doky: acoustic bass (1,6,9)
Kim Thompson: drums (1-3,6,7,9,10)
Roy Haegrove: trumpet (2,9)
Meshell Ndegeocello: bass (2,8)
Dave Weckl: drums (3,5,8,11)
Richard Bona: bass, vocals (3-5,10)
Gregoire Maret: harmonica (5,8)
Victor Wooten: bass (7)
Bob Malach: saxophone (7)
Anthony Jackson: bass (11).

Enjoy!
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Missing Links

2007-06-16T17:12:00.000-04:00

Well it seems as the worst in human nature rears its head more and more these days. Some people have nothing better to do on a Sunday afternoon than to find pleasure in destroying other people's efforts. Yet another hit was made and content is suffering here. I do not have the time and patience (let alone bandwidth) to replace the files depleted on this blog. Sorry, but that is where it stands. Now, I know that quite a few of you out there got some of these before they were deleted, so if anyone wants an album that is gone, I implore one of you that have gotten your hands on it in time to please upload it to www.sharebee.com and place the link(s) in the comments of this post along with some of the info for the album. If any of you want one of these missing albums, please leave a comment here on this post and hopefully someone will come through with some replacement links for you. I will be more than happy to post new material on this blog, but as far as reuploads are concerned, that is it, it is up to the rest of you to help each other out from now on. I am not trying to come off like an asshole or anything here, it is just too much effort to keep replacing 60-70 links every 2 weeks in order to keep things running smoothly. Good luck.

by request: Lonnie Liston Smith - "Renaissance" [1977] @ 256

2007-04-15T01:54:00.000-04:00

A massively sweet groover from Lonnie and the Cosmic Echoes -- smoother and warmer than some of his earlier albums, with a really soulful fusion vibe! Lonnie plays acoustic piano and "electric colorations" -- working with a group that includes brother Donald on flute and vocals, Dave Hubbard on trumpet, and Leon Pendarvis on clavinet -- and the whole thing's got a laidback, superdope feel that shows Lonnie totally at the top of his game! There's still a nice degree of spirituality to the set. ~ DustyGroove.com

With a jacket adorned by mystical symbols of every faith and tribe Smith could think of, Renaissance is a pleasant paean to Peace, Love and Understanding that goes down easily and almost tracelessly. Smith doubles on acoustic piano and Rhodes electric piano, the latter often tarted up by gentle period Echoplex effects, and brother Donald Smith provides ethereal flute and occasional vocals. The Smiths are at their most ingratiating when sailing along in a semi-Brazilian groove on "Mardi Gras" and "A Song of Love" that pre-echoes a similar direction that Pat Metheny would take. Otherwise, the mildly spacy funk patterns and lightweight age of Aquarius atmosphere rise not too far above the level of hip '70s makeout music. Still, you could do a lot, lot worse in that genre. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide

Tracklisting:
1. Space Lady (6:40)
2. Mardi Gras (Carnival) (6:03)
3. Starlight and You (5:23)
4. Mongotee (5:43)
5. Song of Love (4:05)
6. Between Here and There (2:39)
7. Renaissance (4:48)

Line-Up:
- Lonnie Liston Smith / Author, Guitar, Main Performer, Electronics, Mixing, Piano (Electric), Vocals, Producer, Piano
- Kenneth Bichel / Moog Synthesizer, Synthesizer
- Leon Pendarvis / Clavinet
- Dave Hubbard / Flute, Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)
- Wilby Fletcher / Drums
- Lawrence Killian / Conga
- Gene Bertoncini / Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic)
- Al Anderson / Bass
- Bob Thiele / Mixing, Producer
- Donald Smith / Flute, Vocals
- Guilherme Franco / Percussion

Keep Listening!!!!

Lanvall - "The Pyromantic Symphony" [1997] @ 192

2007-03-30T17:49:00.000-04:00

Review taken from Guitar Nine Records:

On The Pyromantic Symphony, German guitarist/composer Lanvall plays melodic prog rock with some symphonic leanings (featuring instrumentation such as violin, flute, harp and pipe organ). The music is tasteful and smooth rock, with the songs reminiscent of Gandalf and Moongarden. The instrumental parts are mellow but interesting, and a choir conducted by Elisabeth Presenhuber provides vocals for all but two of the tracks. Most tracks feature some electric guitar, while "The Crystal Entrance" and "July Evening" do not contain guitar parts. Rock Hard magazine wrote, " An inexhaustible richness of ideas in harmony, melody and dynamics ... 'Castles In The Air' is an indescribable hymn beyond space and time."

Highly Recommended

Tracklisting:
1. The Crystal Entrance (2:31)
2. Castles in the Air (6:42)
3. The eternal Dream to Fly (10:40)
4. Island in the Stream (7:37)
5. Shadowchasing Moon (13:49)
6. July Evening (4:05)
7. The Final Enchantement (6:04)

Total Time: 46:28

Line-Up:
- Lanvall / Electric Guitar, 6 & 12 String Acoustic Guitar, Classical Guitar, Mandolin, Piano, Keyboards, Pipe Organ, Production, Pre-production
- Ulbi Ulbricht / Bass
- Thomas Schaufler / Drums
- Astid Stockhammer / Violin
- Elisabeth Presenhuber / Flute, Choir Conducting

Keep Listening!!!!

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French TV - "This Is What We Do" [2006] @ VBR 245

2007-03-28T16:46:00.000-04:00

Review taken from ProgressoR:

Prolusion. "This is What We Do" is the ninth proGduction by FRENCH TV, which (as every Prog lover should know like their ABC!) 'broadcasts' from the USA. The history of this fantastically innovative group begins in 1981; their debut took place in 1984, and since 1994 they, thankfully, release one CD in two years on average. If you are curious to read the other French TV-related reviews on this site or at least to see my rating on each of the band's albums, please click here.

Analysis. French TV is back with nothing else but the Fifth Element of the first water in their bag. In other words, it's extremely innovative music, which avoids any precise definitions, and particularly those originating from classic progressive genres. Although the tendency to constantly change their primordially original style was always typical of this band, "What They Do" this time out does not remind me of anything they've done before or anything else in general. Can you remember how bizarre The Gates of Delirium from Yes's "Relayer" sounded when you heard it the first time? Does this frantic epic still sound both fresh and unusual to you? And, knowing all this, do you really find it to be the work of classic symphonic Art-Rock? Well if so, you will most likely perceive "This is What We Do" much in the same way, despite the fact that no parallels can be drawn on the field that true freethinkers work on, i.e. between the cited examples in our case. Trust me, there is neither snobbery nor dirty trick in these my discrepant assertions, and it was I myself to whom I've addressed all the above questions and their daughterly contradictions first. Many years passed until I realized that The Gates of Delirium is woven throughout not only of symphonic fabrics, but features elements of many progressive genres: from Art-Rock and Jazz-Fusion to Prog-Metal and even RIO-like forms, even though the former seem to be prevalent. There is a similar picture on the general stylistic level, much of the music arousing vivid associations with the gold vintage sound of the '70s and, at the same time, having a wonderful futuristic sense. The violin and various woodwinds however, impart a certain chamber sense to FTV-9, while the brass instruments make the Jazz-Fusion component more distinct in places, particularly in the middle of each of the first two compositions, Colorless Green Ideas Sleep Furiously and Ska Face, both, unlike the other tracks, featuring guest trombone players. The centerpiece My Little Cicada is notable for a longish episode with atmospheric violin- and acoustic guitar-laden arrangements, which can relatively be referred to symphonic Space Rock. In the beginning of Look at the Bears the organ somewhat calls to mind a theme from "Pictures at an Exhibition", but not for long, soon giving way to the clarinet and bass exercising new methods in Chamber Rock. On the Theme from ESPN X-treme can be found some Classical-like movements, though it's some exotic stringed instrument (reminds me of Turkish Saz), which probably should be regarded as the main factor discriminating this piece from the others. With the exception of these peculiarities, the compositions have much common ground between themselves, each coming with no thematic sections as such, but consisting exclusively of ever-changing, both highly eclectic and cohesive arrangements. With an average track length of 10+ minutes, there is more than enough time to develop themes and push them through countless twists and turns. Not a second is wasted and no direct nods to the past either! The music is abundant in everything that a profound Prog head can dream of. Best tracks include all five of the tracks present, each showing that there are few bands on the contemporary scene on a par with French TV in their intelligent ability to construct long polymorphous compositions, that would be equally cerebral and fascinating. It's like reading a thrilling sci-fi to listen to what these monsters of Prog do here.

Conclusion. Dear reader, you shouldn't be a mathematician or rocket scientist to comprehend this album. Just give it one listen, and it will grow on you with each successive one. The music just breathes with a living energy, which is always a sign of genuine inspiration. Beginner? At least remember this name, French TV. It will forever be stamped in any yet-to-be written Rock Encyclopedia. Sounds pathetic? I weighed my every word before putting it here.

Highly Recommended!!!

Tracklisting:
1. Colorless Green Ideas Sleep Furiously (10:19)
2. Ska Face (8:24)
3. My Little Cicada (11:48)
4. Look at the Bears (8:10)
5. Theme from ESPN X-treme (13:01)

Total Time: 51:42

Line-Up:
- Mike Sary / bass, voice
- Warren Dale / keyboards, winds, reeds, mallets
- Chris Smith / guitars, violins, exotic strings
- Jeff Gard / drums

With:
- Steven Dale / trumpet (1 & 2)
- Pam Thompson / trombone (2)
- Paolo Botta / keyboards (3)

** Full Cover and booklet scans included

Keep Listening!!!!

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Tangerine Dream - "Force Majeure" [1979] @ 320

2007-03-28T00:04:00.000-04:00

What's that? You say that the planet is about to be destroyed to make way for an interstellar expressway, and I'm only allowed to bring ONE Tangerine Dream disc to Tralfamadore? Bummer.... Guess I'll have to learn to live without all my other TD CDs.... Do they have good pizza there?

If (perish the thought!) I were to be limited to a single recording from Tangerine Dream, Force Majeure would soon make the final cut. Why does this 1979 release stand above its brethren in my esteem? Well, I've always been a big fan of band founder Edgar Froese's lead guitar work, and there is more guitar on Force Majeure than on most TD albums. Though guitar is not a mainstay of TD's synthesizer-dominated sound, it imparts a vital human element and extra level of interest when it appears, and Froese is a subtle master of the instrument. Add to the equation the inclusion of a living, breathing, adept drummer in Klaus Krieger, plus some of the strongest songwriting yet from Froese and Franke, and you have a truly superlative session from these stalwart psychedelic synth sorcerers.

Each of the disc's three tracks is quite strong. The opening title piece starts off in a scary fashion, yet never sticks to a single mood or theme for too long. "Force Majeure" is as brilliant, cinematic, and varied a suite as any in TD's accomplished oeuvre, and my single favourite piece from the band. There are sections of impressive power via soaring lead, contrasted with others of uplifting splendor, all woven together in a splendid whole. Krieger's drums are a particularly welcome and effective addition here.

The second and shortest track, "Cloudburst Flight," is also a winner. This one features a lovely, sensitive acoustic guitar opening section, that melds into a tour de force of driving synths, drums, and almost frantic lead, before ending on a very peaceful and evocatively beautiful note. The music well suits the title -- one can easily imagine a sudden, powerful storm that vents its fury upon a summer day, before it rolls away to leave the earth refreshed, and the air clear and clean. Brilliant!

The final number, "Through Metamorphic Rocks," is another longer suite, and pure vintage TD that delves through varied moods and soundscapes. There is more great lead guitar and drums, in a majestic opening section that segues into real horror soundtrack territory, replete with a synthesized night-black, hell-bound train, a gibbering madman (demon?), and howling wolves -- or could that be the baying of Cerberus?

Force Majeure is a terrific Tangerine Dream album, and quite simply their best, for my money. The songwriting is superb, and the inclusion of drums and generous amounts of Froese's guitar makes this perhaps the most accessible TD disc for "mainstream" prog fans. A masterpiece of psychedelic progressive rock, without question -- highly recommended, indeed! On to Tralfamadore!

Fans of symphonic progressive rock will definitely find this an easy album to get into.

--- review taken from Peter Rideout @ Prog Archives

This is a CD rip, don't let the pics of the vinyl covers and the clear vinyl disc fool you, I just think the original cover looks better and the clear vinyl looks cool.

Highly Recommended!!

Tracklisting:
1. Force Majeure - 18:18
2. Cloudburst Flight - 7:21
3. Thru Metamorphic Rocks - 14:15

Total Time: 39:54

Lineup:
- Edgar Froese / synthesizer, bass, guitar, composer, keyboards, producer, mixing
- Christopher Franke / keyboards
- Edgar Meyer / cello, engineer
- Klaus Kruger / drums

Keep Listening!!!!

Link is in comments....

French TV - "The Violence of Amateurs" [1999] @ 320

2007-03-27T23:49:00.000-04:00

Review by hdfisch (Dieter Fischer) @ Prog Archives:

This album by US Band French TV is one of the most enjoyable and funny RIO albums I’ve ever listened. You realize immediately that bass player Mike Sary and the musicians he gathered around him love Progressive Rock but instead of taking it completely serious they’re dealing with this music genre showing an incredible amount of humour. Although the mix of styles is at times really adventurous bringing a bit of Mr. Bungle (whose music I usually don't enjoy that much BTW) into one’s mind, the degree of oddity and weirdness never reaches an unbearable level.

The opener The Kokonino Stomp is already the best example for their funny humour, groovy disrupted jazz lines on guitar and sax combined with strange keyboard sounds like ringing, tooting etc., then a solo on banjo and bar piano sound before they include a short funny nonsense vocal part. Really a stunningly great piece. Next highlight The Secret Life Of Walter Riddle starts with an oddly whistled march and continues with an awesome mix of jazz and hardrock having some strange sounds in between like barking and yowling. Then some encore after the question “Are you ready for more music?”. Just great and although it’s quite weird stuff it’s still rather accessible. The Odessa Steps Sequence is the first of two cover songs they’ve included here. Originally played by the band Volare whose drummer Brian Donahue is playing on here in two tracks as well, it’s actually the only one on this album in a convential prog vein, but not without offering some quite intricate music especially in its second part. As well a fantastic track and a welcome break from weirdness. Next one Mail Order Quarks is more a soft and pending jazz rock piece with sax in its first part and acoustic guitar, flute, vibes, violin and percussion in its second one. Initially a very nice and dreamy one but with an excellent progression towards its end. Very nice one but now it’s time to come back to some more crazy stuff with Tiger Tea starting with some Caribbean feeling and overall in a similar vein as the second track, an odd, funny and jazzy piece. Joosan Lost/The Fate is the second cover song taken from Swedish band Zamla Mammas Manna but perfectly adapted to their typical style and lasting more than 20 minutes. This one starts with a funny tango-alike sound that segues slowly into a lengthy part filled with a fiercely performed accumulation of all kind of free form music with spacey sounds before it returns to the initial theme. Another highlight of this great album.

As a SUMMARY I can say that The Violence Of Amateurs is an absolute excellent RIO album showing great musicianship. I’m almost seduced rating it with 5 stars, but since not all the compositions are originally by them, it would be overrated. Anyway an excellent addition to any prog collection and I’m giving it 4,5 stars!

Highly Recommended!!

Tracklisting:
1. The Kokonino Stomp (4:41)
2. The Secret Life Of Walter Riddle (8:13)
3. The Odessa Steps Sequence (8:41)
4. Mail Order Quarks (10:26)
5. Tiger Tea (12:15)
6. Joosan Lost / The Fate (21:40)

Total Time: 65:56

Line-Up:
- Mike Sary / bass, percussion
- Dean Zigoris / guitar, keyboards, vocal, percussion, synth guitar, noise, and "yé, old analogue synthesizer"
- Bob Douglas / drums (1,5)
- Greg Acker / flute, sax, Hawaiian nose flute, percussion (1,3-5)
- John Encifer / keyboards
- Eugene Chadbourne / banjo
- John Robinson / keyboards, '1/4" jack noise' (1,3,5,6)
- Brian Donohue / drums (2,3,6)
- Steve Good / saxes, clarinets (2)
- Chris Vincent / drums, vocal, percussion & "Popsicles" (4)
- Cathy Moeller / violin (4)
- Kirk Davis / vocal, percussion, "unbridled enthusiasm" (4)

Keep Listening!!!!

Links are in comments...

Infected Mushroom - "Merlin" [2002] @ 256

2007-03-21T04:38:00.000-04:00

I have seen this "album" circulating on several p2p networks for awhile now. In searching the official website and other sites, I have come to the conclusion that this is not an official album at all, but more of a fan compilation album consisting of several singles that appeared on other albums (with the exception of Psycho, which is on their debut album "The Gathering"). It contains some pretty good tracks and it is a shame some of them never actually made the official releases. Some highlights include Dream Theatre, which was the first song I ever heard from the group, and as I explained in the B.P. Empire post, actually got by accident looking for songs by the group of the same name, Dream Theater. The title track, Merlin is pretty good too, featuring some nice acoustic guitar in the intro. Classical Mushroom is probably the highlight of the album, and it is a damn shame that this song was not included on the album that bears the same name, as it is quite a bit better than at least 2 of the tracks that did make the cut for that album. It had one of the most talented synthesizer lines I have ever heard on a trance album, musically speaking. Angel Johnatan is another highlight, VERY different to hear a track like this on a trance album, as the last half of it features what I would call an Irish dance tune, Infected Mushroom style, complete with pennywhistle and fiddle! The album closes with the well known Infected Mushroom remix of Hallucinogen's Gamma Goblins.

A very enjoyable album, whether or not it is an official release does not matter to me, it is alot better than some of their releases, particularly the newest one, Vicious Delicious. I had a chance to hear the newest album in its entirety the other day, and I must say that I am filled with disappointment, as Infected Mushroom has veered way off the course, probably trying to appeal to a wider audience. I really hate to mention the dreaded phrase "sell-out", but it is hard to dance around that term when listening to the new album. Enjoy this look into Infected Mushroom's less celebrated past...

Very Highly Recommended!!

Tracklisting:
1. Merlin (6:41) [from In My Brain compilation]
2. Look at Me (8:28) [from Voojo Rituals]
3. Dream Theatre (7:53) [from Space Mantra]
4. Psycho (8:42) [from The Gathering]
5. Where is S (10:29) [from Destination Goa 7]
6. Clssical Mushroom (9:19) [from ISRaliens 2]
7. Muddy Effect (7:59) [from Deck Wizards - Enhanced Reality]
8. Angel Johnatan (7:16) [from Yahel - For The People]
9. Gamma Goblins (7:40) [Unreleased track]

Total Time: 74:27

Keep Listening!!!!

Links are in comments...

Infected Mushroom - "Converting Vegetarians" [2003] @ 256 & 320

2007-03-09T00:42:00.000-05:00

Review compiled from 2 articles at The Free Press & Sputnik Music:

Infected Mushroom's roots lie in the tradition of anthemic, melody-driven trance music. This electronic dance genre is characterized by a relentless, thumping bass line and a much faster tempo than the hip hop music that currently dominates American dance floors. The focus in trance is on woven, intricate melodies and a steadily rising urgency crashing like a wave in final, ecstatic epiphanies.

Unfortunately for the Mushroom, hip-hop has a stifling grip on the U.S. dance scene. The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy and Daft Punk are probably the most recognizable electronic dance groups stateside. And though these are all British groups, each draws heavily on hip-hop rhythm, loop and vocal techniques. Ironically, the major exception to this rule is the U.S. electronic group Crystal Method. Anyone who liked the highly melodic Vegas album should take a serious look at Infected Mushroom.

For five years, Infected Mushroom has been the gold standard in a subset of Trance called goa, or psychedelic trance (psytrance), defined by saw-toothed, or "squelchy," processed sound, moody soundscapes and prominent bass lines. The band's first major contribution to the scene came with their 2000 sophomore release, Classical Mushroom. Standout tracks on that album like Bust a Move, The Shen and Mushi Mushi did for the Israeli dance scene what Freebird and Sweet Home Alabama did for redneck rockers.

After a luke-warm effort with their 2001 B.P. Empire, the band struck gold again with Converting Vegetarians, a two-CD effort, in 2003. Many fans consider this the group's masterpiece, and it remains to be seen whether the new album can escape its long shadow.

Converting Vegetarians offers several excellent Psytrance tracks, especially Song Pong, Semi Nice and Yanko Pitch. Some of the weirdest and most compelling tracks the band has released to date also appear on the album's second disc (The Other Side) - Especially Jeenge, Ballerium and Shakawkaw - representing a commitment to downtempo tracks, territory that most Psytrance groups will never dare to touch - or maybe they will, now that the godfathers have shown them the way.

The Other Side blows The Trance Side out of the water. From the second the introductory title track comes in, the listener is hooked by the sonic mutations achieved in the first motif of the disc. It is obvious that Infected Mushroom takes a turn in style when the beat enters. Instead of a typical dance beat, we are introduced to a breakbeat already a lot more stimulating than most of the beats featured on The Trance Side.

Another obvious change is the addition of vocals. As they often do, they add a whole lot of variety to the music. The tracks on disc 2 are still saturated with synthesizer melodies, but with the newly acquired sound implementing a much broader selection of instruments, the synths hold a much more textural presence rather than trance-inducing. One of my favorite moments on the disc occur in the title track where we hear the vocalist's voice transformed into a sampled and programmed beat box. Something I have never heard before to say the least.

Opening up the second track Elation Station is another noticeable change in music: The major key. Thus far, over an hour and twenty minutes into the album, we've only heard dark-sounding movements, making Elation Station quite a relief for the listener. While this mood swing only lasts for this song, Drop Out introduces us to another style altogether. Slightly more downtempo and less involving than what we've heard thus far, we enter into a more trip-hop style. Granted, it is still distant from the trip hop gods of Portishead and Massive Attack, it is definitely a slight nod to the genre pioneered by these bands. The song also features an acoustic guitar passage which adds to the ever-growing eclectricness of The Other Side. After what is probably my favorite sythesizer melody on the entire 2+ hour album, we are treated to more guitar, only this time it is a tasteful distorted guitar solo. The sixth track Blink features more trip hop stylings featuring Michelle Adamson, the vocalist famous within the trance culture. She has also sang with such acts as Shpongle (Tales of the Inexpressible), Astrix, Ott, Younger Brother, and not to forget her solo effort in Fallen Angel (2005).

Another one of my favorite tracks off The Other Side is Pletzurra. Another song leaning to the downtempo end of the spectrum features a jazzy piano phrase with eventually crescendos into an eerie and haunting choral progression that yields images of a Tibetan monk. Out of nowhere enters a blinding emulated banjo melody followed by a calm outro. one of the most progressive electronic songs I've ever heard.

One thing that IM producers must have really spent a lot of time messing with was the vocals on each of the songs. I Wish, one of the shorter and weaker songs on the album, contains tons of purposefully de-tuned vocals with tons of effects. This is commonplace throughout the vocals of the disc.

The second disc of Converting Vegetarians is one of my favorite electronic disc of all time. So much variety rooted in such good music prooves to me that while psytrance may not appear to be a genre prided in musicianship, the producers can nonetheless put out a disc that will appeal to fans of such things as musicianship and forward-thinking music in general.

Very Highly Recommended!!

Tracklisting:
CD 1 (The Trance Side):
1. Albibeno (7:03) [256 kbps]
2. Hush Mail (7:01) [256 kbps]
3. Apogiffa Night (8:08) [256 kbps]
4. Song Pong (8:36) [256 kbps]
5. Chaplin (6:54) [256 kbps]
6. Echonomix (7:43) [256 kbps]
7. Scorpion Frog (8:00) [256 kbps]
8. Deeply Disturbed (8:26) [256 kbps]
9. Semi Nice (6:09) [256 kbps]
10. Yanko Pitch (8:13) [256 kbps]

Total Time: 76:13

CD 2 (The Other Side):
1. Converting Vegetarians (5:39) [320 kbps]
2. Elation Station (5:34) [320 kbps]
3. Drop Out (5:14) [320 kbps]
4. Avratz (10:23) [320 kbps]
5. Blink (5:32) [256 kbps]
6. Shakawkaw (4:08) [320 kbps]
7. Pletzturra (6:44) [320 kbps]
8. I Wish (3:00) [320 kbps]
9. Ballerium (7:17) [256 kbps]
10. Selecta (5:21) [256 kbps]
11. Illuminaughty (4:50) [256 kbps]
12. Elevation (5:15) [256 kbps]
13. Jeenge (7:02) [256 kbps]

Total Time: 75:59

Infected Mushroom is:
- Erez Aizen / Lyrics, Producer, Mixing, Mastering, Guitars
- Amit Duvdevani / Lyrics, Producer, Mixing, Mastering

Converting Vegetarians guests are:
- Michele Adamson / Vocals, Lyrics
- Dan Lavi / Guitars
- Berry Sakharof / Additional guitars

Keep Listening!!!!

Links are in comments...

Laura Nyro - Christmas And The Beads Of Sweat @ 320

2007-03-08T20:10:00.000-05:00

Time for some great female performers and where better to start with Laura Nyro.

I'll leave it to All Music Guide to comment:

"Laura Nyro's third Columbia effort is easily the equal of her previous two. The overwhelming strength of her song writing and distinctive arrangements fuel Christmas and the Beads of Sweat. Her unmistakable style of delivery maintains the continual examination of herself as a performer.

The results are uniformly interesting and provocative as she continues to draw upon her love of jazz, folk, and R&B — which would inform Nyro's next album ,Gonna Take a Miracle, featuring the soul vocal trio LaBelle. Conceptually, this album is as potent as her previous effort, New York Tendaberry, but in a much different way. Rather than hanging together thematically, Christmas and the Beads of Sweat features two inclusive and distinctive sides of music — with different musicians and producers for each.

The first five tracks feature Nyro backed by the Swampers from Muscle Shoals, AL, and include the talents of Roger Hawkins (drums), Eddie Hinton (guitar), Dave Hood (bass), Barry Becktt (vibraphone), and Jack Jennings (percussion), with Arif Mardin producing. While this pairing might seem initially incongruous, the quintet had been concurrently working with the likes of Dusty Springfield and Cher and had gained a rightful reputation as a consummate backup band.
The final four pieces are steeped in noir more atypical of her previous efforts. The all-star cast of New York City session heavyweights are led by Felix Cavaliere (producer) and features fellow Rascals member Dino Danelli (drums), Ralph McDonald (percussion), Chuck Rainey (bass), Cornell Dupree (guitar), Duane Allman (guitar), and Alice Coltrane (stringed harp), among others.

As with all of Nyro's recordings, at the heart of this effort are her ageless compositions and arrangements. A motif connecting such disparate tunes as the upbeat "When I Was a Freeport and You Were the Main Drag" to the hauntingly beautiful "Christmas in My Soul" and "Beads of Sweat" is the aching hollowness that came with the disillusionment that Vietnam, Kent State, and racial relations brought upon America in 1970. As she had done with "Save the Country" some four years earlier, Nyro's cathartic expressionism is captured at its most fervent on this album."

Enjoy!

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Pork Pie - Transitory 1974 @

2007-03-08T19:53:00.000-05:00

Pork Pie was the fusion band of keyboardist Jasper van't Hof during the 70's with this being the best of their output. This brand of fusion comes with a jazz bent, with the band featuring Charlie Mariano on reeds, J. F. Jenny Clarke on bass and the recently departed Aldo Romano on drums.

The rock element comes from the guitar of Philip Catherine, he of Focus fame.

You cannot review this band without a comment about Mariano. A true innovator, he played with amoung others, Charles Mingus before moving to Europe, where he has lived for several decades. His music has encompassed straight jazz, fusion, oriental and he has experimented with a large range of alternative instruments. Here he displays complete command of the nagaswaram, the instrument you can see him playing on the back cover. Most of all he is a lyrical and attractive player.

Not much needs to be said about Catherine, a brilliant guitarist, but I think more at home here in a jazz setting than in a true rock band. Let's face it, Focus were not very "rock". I have great respect for Romano, more than a percussionist, a fine composer and band leader in his own right. He went on to make many good, but totally overlooked albums, including "Alma Latina", 1983, with Catherine. With the ever present Jenny-Clark on bass, they make a formidible rhythm section.

It must be said that of all the fusion bands that plied their trade in the 70's this is one of the very best and this is one excellent album, with its mix of ambient, jazz with some eastern influences, courtesy of Mariano.

Charlie Mariano - Reeds, flutes
Philip Catherine - Guitars
Jasper van't Hof - Keyboards
J.F. Jenny-Clarke - Bass
Aldo Romano - Drums
Ivanir Do Nascimento - Percussion

Enjoy!

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Davey Graham - Midnight Man 1966 @320

2007-03-08T01:45:00.000-05:00

Name checked by all the great guitarist, noteably Bert Jansch and even Paul Simon, as the father of the acoustic guitar, this is his follow-up to his landmark album " Folk, Blues & Beyond".

This from his record companies website:

"When Davy Graham's previous album, "Folk Blues and Beyond…", was issued by Decca in 1964, it collected praises from many people and for many different reasons. The Folk press (almost to a critic) hailed its release as an event of major importance; but then, so did most of the Rhythm and Blues publications. Guitarist brought it, listening to the solos and accompaniments with considerable excitement - and some of the even began to follow Davy around, studying his methods and technique. (So far being able to emulate him). Meanwhile, copies of the record were usually to be found lying in the backs of those dusty, message- covered vans that beat around groups used to travel round from one job to the other. And finally, and certainly the most satisfying praise of all, a general audience of fans brought it in sufficient quantities to make the need for a second album an inevitability.

Since making the first album, Davy has been actively changing and extending himself musically - several results of which can be heard within these newer performances. He has been travelling again (to Ibiza, then through the Aegean and on to Constantinople), listening carefully to all the musical sounds en route. He has been deeply engrossed in the writings of Ouspensky. And - in bizarre contrast - he has been experimenting with an amplifier to put a different sound in to two or three of his solos. Also, he has been absorbing some unusual (for him, at least) sources of inspiration (i.e. The Beatles, Oscar Brown, Jnr. and Jimmy Hughes), lettings his own imagination first of all combine with, and then gradually take over from and initial curiosity. I think such involvements have been, if somewhat surprisingly, a great success; as have his experiments with conventional blues and modern jazz pieces, and - of course - the incredible excursion with Lalo Schifrin's "The Fakir", which seems fairly certain to be the instrumental 'hit' on this album… just as "Maajun" was on his previous one.

If anything and in conclusion, I would say that the second Davy Graham album (here enclosed) is more extrovert and more aggressive, musically, than the first one was; although I realise that this could be the logical result of his increased experience and growing maturity as an artist. However, I don't believe it will disappoint any of his original fans; and it ought to bring him plenty of new ones…together with several more guitarists who want to know how to manage to do all he does during "The Fakir"!

Take a listen to a true legend.

Enjoy!

Link in comments.

Infected Mushroom - "B.P. Empire" [2001] @ mostly 320

2007-03-07T21:14:00.000-05:00

I had first found out about this group, and indeed the electronic music world completely by accident a few years ago. I was searching around on the now defunct AudioGalaxy network for some tracks by the progressive metal band Dream Theater, and happened upon a track that struck my eye, as I had never heard of a song named "Infected Mushroom". Well, as it turns out, the person had labeled the track "Title - Artist" and it was in reality a track named Dream Theatre by the Goa Trance group Infected Mushroom. As you can imagine, at first I was disappointed, but in time, the track grew on me and opened up a whole new world of music into my (at the time) narrow scope of tastes. Here is some background information from one of their websites followed by a review from Discogs.com:

Infected Mushroom are Erez Aizen and Amit Duvdevani (also known as Duvdev). Erez was born in 1980 and had a classical music background. He learned how to play the organ at 4 and started toying with music and computers by 11. He started making music at his late grandmothers house with an impulse tracker, which had come into his hands by chance. Erez then had no clue that the music he was producing was in fact trance; he just referred to it as impulse music. At 15, Erez was a member of the legendary Shidapu band, which collaborated with DJ Jorg to form Shiva Shidapu. He released 3 albums and numerous tracks under these names. Now when he is not working with Duvdev, he also releases solo tracks under the name I-Zen.

Duvdev, born in 1974, has a similar musical background. He played the piano for about 9 years, before he took a turn towards new wave/ punk rock. He played keyboard and wrote most of the material for a local band near Haifa known as Enzyme. One of the bands that Duvdev played with was a punk rock band named Infected Mushroom. In 1991, a week before he had to join the army, Duvdev went to his first trance party. That experience changed his life and from that time onwards all he could think of was trance. After spending a year in India, he decided to make music himself. He worked with Roy, a Shidapu member, on 4 tracks but never actually got around to releasing them. Soon after this, he started working with Erez. Together they released a few tracks as Shidapu & Duvdev, which were more on the happy and simple side of trance. They then started concentrating on their new project using a more percussive drum with whiplash kicks and mellow grooves calling it "Infected Mushroom", from the punk band.

The duo from Israel has rocked the trance world with each album release. Their "Gathering" album occupies a place in the "most played trance album" list and is the perfect starting point for any new hard psytrance. With their album "BP Empire", they have improvised a new soundscape and shown why they are among the top trance acts ever. -- Infected Mushroom.de

A pretty epic trance album. Infected Mushroom stands out from most Goa artists due to their use of guitar and piano in the songs - as well as other live instruments from time to time. But this is why I like Infected Mushroom so much... Because of how much they sound different then the other trancers out there.

Stand outs for me on this album are "Never Ever Land" (awesome acoustic guitar mixed in the beats), "Tasty Mushroom" (has a classical feel to it) and of course the monster known as "Dancing With Kadafi" which uses so many different styles and instruments its crazy.

Goa and Psy lovers should pick this one up right away. -- Reticulum_Flux @ Discogs.com

Highly Recommended!!

Tracklisting:
1. Never Ever Land (7:46)
2. Unbalanced (Baby Killer Remix) (7:15)
- Featuring: Crazy D
3. Spaniard (7:38) (192 kbps)
4. B.P. Empire (7:19)
5. Funchameleon (6:55)
6. Tasty Mushroom (6:56)
7. Noise Maker (7:39)
8. P.G.M (Prehistoric Goa Mood) (7:21)
- Featuring: Crazy D
9. Dancing With Kadafi (10:22)
- Featuring: Crazy D, Yonatan
10. B.P. Empire (Deep Mix) (Bonus Track) (7:37) (192 kbps)
11. B.P. Empire (Original) (Bonus Track) (7:40) (192 kbps)
12. Roll Us A Giant (Bonus Track) (10:36) (192 kbps)

Total Time: 95:04

Keep Listening!!!!

Links are in comments...

Keith Jarrett - Death And The Flower 1973 @320

2007-03-06T19:54:00.000-05:00

Something different again, I hope you're keeping up. Here's a prime slice of the early Keith Jarrett with the great quartet featuring Dewey Redman on sax and Charlie Haden on bass.

Jarrett is, of course, the most prominent pianist of the last 30 years. and has been prolific. From the time he was first heard with Charles Lloyd to his more recent output which has included his take on the classics and in an astonishing range of settings, Jarrett has been in front of the pack as a supreme innovator and improviser.

He is equally well known for his Standards Trio and his solo work. If there's enough interest, I will post some of these.

I often prefer Jarrett in this setting, he was not so indulgent with this band.

Keith Jarrett - Piano, Soprano Saxophone Osi Drum, Indian Flutes, Percussion
Dewey Redman - Tenor Saxophone, Percussion
Charlie Haden - Bass
Paul Motian - Drums, Percussion
Guilherme Franco - Percussion

Recorded on October 9 & 10, 1974

Enjoy!

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Levi Smith's Clefs - Empty Monkey [1970] @192 (Aussie rock)

2007-03-06T19:21:00.000-05:00

Firstly, a confession. This band comes from Adelaide, South Australia, my home city.

That out the way, what we have here is a brilliant slab of rock and Hammond driven blues topped off by the brilliant vocalist, Barrie McAskill, the only constant in the group's ever changing lineup. In trying to describe his vocal style, think of Chris Farlowe, circa Colosseum.

Many such bands of this era fell victim to making an album of 10 variations of the one tune, toppedwith some drivel, known as filler, all rather wearing on the listener. No such problem here. All members of the and are excellent musicians, having honed their skills on the then thriving pub circuit.

Before this album was made the band had moved to Australia's biggest city, Sydney and had performed constantly at the notorious Whisky A Go Go club.

Its fair to say that live, Levi Smith's Clefs were awesome and not surprisingly, had a very strong live following. This observation, however, maybe affected by the years and my love of the band! (another disclaimer).

After opening with a truly excellent instrumental, the band gets into full swing with the original "Shotgun" before getting to the album's centrepiece, a rather surprising version of the Beatles "You Can Do That". I can assure you that at over 11 minutes, the Lennon McCartney tune is only recognizable at the beginning and end, when McAskill adds his raspy vocals, the middle is full of great solos and invention, no dull bits. Stunning.

More stabs at blues-rock follow before the album concludes with the rather jazzy, instrumental title track.

McAskill, Inez Amaya - vocals
Michael Carlos - organ
John Blake - drums
Mick Jurd - guitar

Richard Lockwood - flute sax
Robert Taylor - drums

Enjoy!

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Calexico - China Theatre, Stockholm 2003 @192

2007-03-06T17:46:00.000-05:00

This band is a spin off from Howie Gleb's Giant Sand and was originally just a side project. However growing interest and success led to founders Joey Burns and John Convertino making the break and Calexico became a band in its own right.

This is Americana at its best, Covertino's great songs arranged with the assistance of drummer Burns and with a real Tex Mex influence. Here the brass compliments the music and enhances the songs.

This was an FM broadcast which has been released as a double CD, but also appears as a free download from the band. All hail Calexico!

Joey Burns
John Convertino
Jacob Valenzuela
Martin Wenk
Volker Zander
Paul Niehaus

Guests:
Nicolai Dunger v
Thomas Tjärnkvist g

Enjoy!

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Miles Davis - From Pangaea To Agharta And Somewhere In Between 1975 @ 256

2007-03-06T04:41:00.001-05:00

The last Miles electric post was popular, so here'a another.

Recorded March 1974 and February 1975, it has some moments in commom with "Get Up With It", Miles mammoth double from that time. Sadly no attempt at that album's sombre "He Loved Him Madly", but great stuff all the same.

I do not think that this is the complete album, so if anyone knows how to get it, let me know.

30 March 1974

Miles Davis - tp, org

Dave Liebman - ss, ts, fl

Azar Lawrence - ts

Pete Cosey - g, perc

Reggie Lucas, Dominique Gaumont - g

Michael Henderson - el-b

Al Foster - d

James Mtume Foreman - cga, perc

8 February 1975

Miles Davis - tp, org

Sonny Fortune - ss, as, fl

Pete Cosey - g, perc

Reggie Lucas - g

Michael Henderson - el-b

Al Foster - d

James Mtume Foreman - cga, perc

Enjoy!

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John Lee Hooker, Miles Davis, Taj Mahal - The Hot Spot 1990 @320

2007-03-06T03:10:00.000-05:00

No, your eyes do not deceive you and this is not some shoddy compilation, its a soundtrack to a very good film, directed by Denis Hopper.

For the soundtrack of this very film noir piece, he thought he'd see if he could get together a dream band. First, he brought in the great Jack Nitzsche, he of Rolling Stones and Neil Young fame.

Then Nitzsche managed to secure the above 3, along with slide genius, Roy Rogers and occasional Neil Young cohort, Tim Drummond.

Even though a soundtrack, its an excellent album in its own right, with Hooker's trademark moaning and Miles just perfect stabs of trumpet.

Its worth getting for the lineup alone!

Enjoy!

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Christy Moore - Prosperous 1972 @ 192

2007-03-06T02:07:00.000-05:00

The album that started it all, the revival of traditional Irish music (which assumes, of course, that it needed reviving) and most importantly, led to the formation of the great Irish traditional band, Planxty. (see "Cold Blow And The Rainy Night", below).

A bunch of mates collect in a hotel, how Irish, and record, crudely, a belter of an album. Truly a great album.

1 - The Raggle Taggle Gipsies; Tabhair Dom Do Lamh
2 - The Dark-Eyed Sailor
3 - I Wish I Was in England

4 - Lock Hospital

5 - James Connolly

6 - The Hackler from Grouse Hall

7 - Tribute to Woody

8 - The Ludlow Massacre
9 - A Letter to Syracuse

10 - Spanchillhill

11 - The Cliffs of Dooneen

12 - Rambling Robin

Dave Bland - Concertina
Kevin Conneff - Bodhran
Andy Irvine - Organ, Mandolin
Dónal Lunny - Bouzouki, Guitar
Christy Moore - Guitar, Vocals
Liam O'Flynn - Whistle (Instrument), Uillean Pipes

Enjoy!

Link in comments.

(Video) Don McLean - Vincent (Live Beat Club).mpg Format (3 Min. 53 Sec.)

2007-03-05T21:02:00.000-05:00

I found this in winmx not long ago. Not only do I love this song myself, but I figured flowerjewel would Love to have this as well. I also hope others who visit this blog will enjoy it. I'm not sure what year this is from, but the quality is very good.

Don McLean wrote Vincent in 1971 after reading a book about the life of artist Vincent Van Gogh. In the 1970s, the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam played the song daily and a copy of the sheet music, together with a set of Van Gogh's paint brushes, is buried in a time capsule beneath the museum.

The song itself was an even bigger international hit than American Pie. In 1972, it reached number 1 in the UK and number 12 in the USA.

I hope you like it as much as I do!

Enjoy!

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Go-Betweens - Before Hollywood (Remastered) 1983 @ 192

2007-03-05T02:33:00.000-05:00

The Go-Betwe4ens are one of lost treasures in modern music. Wonderful songs from 2 hugely talented songwriters in Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, they produced a stunning clutch of albums to a largely deafening silence.

As the following from All Music Guide highlights, this album features "Cattle And Cane", one of the best songs written in the last 40 years. that is not a flippant comment, it really is that good. Bono, he of U2, has said that it is one of the best 10 songs ever. I agree.

That's not to suggest the the rest of he album is filler, far from it.

"The Go-Betweens were already a good band well before they made Before Hollywood, but this second album is what proved for many listeners that they were great. For good reason — both Robert Forster's and Grant McLennan's singing sounds much more honestly theirs, finding their own voices, while collectively the trio create a series of intricate, surprising melodies and songs which balance past and present beautifully. Strange as it may sound, the band's peers at this point could and did range from the Cure (for both melancholic intensity and guitar — check some of the electric work on "Ask") to more obvious cohorts such as Orange Juice, but the Go-Betweens already had their own identity firmly established. For many the album's reputation rests on the presence of one song alone, and understandably so: "Cattle and Cane." Arguably the band's absolute highlight of its earliest years and one of the early-'80s' utter classics, the combination of McLennan's nostalgia-laden but not soppy lyric, his flat-out lovely singing and overdubbed backing vocals, and the catchy, beautifully elegant acoustic/electric arrangement is simply to die for. There are plenty of other songs that demonstrate the threesome's collective strength. "Two Steps Step Out" is a prime example, with sudden tempo shifts, from a more straightforward beat on the chorus to the sudden breakdown on the brisk chorus, and McLennan's lovelorn lyric and quietly impassioned singing making it an instant winner. Another McLennan winner is "Dusty in Here," soft piano from Bernard Clarke adding just enough to the spare but warm arrangement. Forster gets his own share of memorable moments, not least of which is the title track, not to mention the edgy, desperate "By Chance" and slightly calmer "On My Block." Lindy Morrison's abilities as a drummer are similarly improved, the at-times strident work of Send Me a Lullaby here replaced with a good balance between impact and steady swing."

Sadly Grant McLennan passed away in May 2006, so there will be no more great songs from this band.

Enjoy!

Links in comments.

Miles Davis - Another Unity 1975 @320

2007-03-04T23:16:00.000-05:00

Time for a total change of pace. I fact I couldn't really get further away from recent posts.

This is Miles, probably the most important jazz musician ever, deep in his electric phase, long improvisations , often dense and dark. To me this is the most interesting period of his electric phase and just before the drugs forced his 5 year departure from the music business.

In the early 70's many critics claimed he ha sold out to commercialism by going electric and regarded the music as not worthy of his legacy. History has shown them wrong on all counts. This has no commercial value in the sense of mass sales and is, in many ways, closer aligned to the avant-garde than mainstream or even fusion.

This live show , with excellent sound quality, features a stunning band with the twin guitars of Pete Cosey and Reggie Lucas and a rhythm section to die for, ex-Motown bassist Michael Henderson, percussionist Mtume and legendary drummer Al Foster.

Enjoy!!

Links in comments.

New links, old posts.

2007-03-04T19:38:00.000-05:00

The following posts from the October 2006 archive now have new working links:

Steve Goodman - Jessie's Jig And Other Favourites

David Bromberg - David Bromberg

Richard Thompson - Two Letter Words 1994 @ 192

2007-03-04T19:17:00.000-05:00

What can one say about Thompson, simply one of the finest guitarists and songwriters, period. After leaving Fairport Convention many years ago he has forged his own style and created an astonishing body of work, including some with former wife, Linda Thompson.

This a fan club release and captures Thompson in fine form live.

To hear his acoustic guitar at its best, listen to "1952 Vincent Black Lightning", a tale of a girl's doomed love affair with a motorbike and a crim. Classic.

His electric prowess can be heard on the wonderful "Wall Of Death", with its huge, crunching chords and superb lead guitar.

If you don't know or have not heard Thompson, get this and the other Thompson I posted earlier.

Enjoy!!

Links in comments.

John Fahey - America 1971 @ 192

2007-03-04T19:09:00.000-05:00

More guitar magic from the late Mr Fahey. This is the CD re-release, so this All Music Guide review is appropriate:

"In some respects this was Fahey at his most ambitious; two of the four songs ("Mark 1:15" and "Voice of the Turtle") clock in at around the 15-minute mark, and one of the others is entitled "The Waltz That Carried Us Away and Then a Mosquito Came and Ate Up My Sweetheart." It's actually typical of his work of the period, however: inventive acoustic guitar instrumentals that draw from folk and blues, with a sedate presentation that has a relaxing effect. The CD reissue, however, transforms it into an entirely different work. America was originally envisioned as a double LP, but around half of the material remained unreleased when it was cut down to a single disc; the CD restores the other nine songs that would have been included on the original program, pushing the length of the album to 79 minutes. The additional tracks are pretty similar in feel to the ones chosen for the original release, though perhaps more eclectic, including a Skip James cover, the third movement of Dvorak's "Eighth Symphony," and "Amazing Grace." The song "America" (oddly omitted from the original America album) is a rare example of Fahey on the 12-string, and includes some pleasing passages of muted notes."

Enjoy!!

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John Hartford - Mark Twang 1976 @192

2007-03-04T18:58:00.000-05:00

As requested, more Hathford and in particular, this beauty.

All Music Guide had this to say:

"From the early to mid-'70s, John Hartford let his eccentric genius run wild, creating the cult favorite Aereo-Plain and the lovely, straightforward Morning Bugle. Mark Twang, released in 1976, proved to be the pinnacle of Hartford's artistic run. Unlike the previous albums though, it was stripped down to only Hartford recording live in the studio. The album's themes circle around the Mississippi river, steamboats, and river men. The songs, as usual, run from sentimental to strange, from the romantic to the weird. "Let Him Go on Mama" is a tribute to a river man with the wonderful refrain, "you say he's old fashioned/well that ain't no big deal." "Skippin' in the Mississippi Dew" pays joyful foot stomping, fiddle sawing homage to the mighty river with a barrage of old-fashioned imagery. Hartford's unconventional side rears its head on "Don't Leave Your Records in the Sun," a song complete with imitations of skips and other odd noises a record might make after becoming warped. "Tryin' to Do Something to Get Your Attention" is a fun, if downright peculiar song, that will, for better or worse, get the listener's attention. Perhaps the most bizarre contribution, though, is "Tater Tate and Allen Mundy," a homage in which Hartford attempts to string together every important name that ever graced a bluegrass stage. This song, and album, may seem at odds with the artist's image as a progressive bluegrass musician, but he never drew lines between the old and new — he just followed his muse. Mark Twang may not be the first stopping place for the new Hartford fan, but for those already familiar with his unique talent, it's a must have."

Not really much point in me saying more!!

Enjoy!

Link in comments.

Misty In Roots - Live at the Counter Eurovision 1979 @192

2007-03-04T18:43:00.000-05:00

Time for more reggae and what better than a dose of live Misty In Roots, the politically active band that came to prominance during the musical upheval that followed punk. This is one fine band.

Alll Music Guide has this to say about the band:

"With the gutsy lead vocals and songwriting of Delbert "Ngoni" Tyson and the trumpet playing and vocals of his brother, Wolford "Porko" Tyson, leading the way, Misty in Roots has brought the music of Africa to the United Kingdom. Misty in Roots was formed by the three Tyson brothers, including Duxie Tyson, who died in a swimming accident, as the backup band for Jamaica-born vocalist Nicky Thomas. Leaving Thomas in 1978, the group established itself as one of England's best young live acts with their debut album, Live at the Counter Eurovision. Initially rooted in Jamaican reggae, Misty in Roots has increasingly shifted its focus to the influence of African music. In 1982, the group spent nine months in Zambia. Five years later, they spent an extended period in West Africa. Concern for the environment has been an ongoing inspiration. In 1983, Misty in Roots performed the soundtrack for Earth, a musical documentary examining the effect humans have had on the planet. 1989 saw their last album from this period, Forward, followed by a few years of inactivity. Around the turn of the century, almost ten years later, the band again began to stir and started playing live shows again. In 2002 they released their reunion album, Roots Controller. "

Any reggae fan should have some Misty In Roots, so here is where you start!

Enjoy!!

Link in comments.

Danny O'Keefe - So Long Harry Truman 1975 @ 256

2007-03-04T18:08:00.000-05:00

After the last O'Keefe post there was a request for this one, so here it is.

As with all O'Keefe albums, it was not a commercial success, but artistically, it is a triumph. A seriously good collection of O'Keefe songs from the title track on. There are great ballads, "Quits" and "The Kid", his usual dose of less than serious tracks, "Fiddler's Jambouree", "Steel Guitar" and no filler.

I have to say that one of the reasons I have posted O'Keefe is a need to bring his talent to a wider recognition, while I doubt a few posts on this little blog will make any difference, at least its something. So please, if this is range of your musical radar, take the time to have a listen. I can post other albums, if there is some interest.

To see full album details, simply click on the back cover to enlarge.

In the meantime, enjoy!

Link in comments.

New links in old posts.

2007-03-03T22:43:00.000-05:00

The following old posts are now available again with new, working links:

Back Door - Back Door

Jade Warrior - Jade Warrior

Nick Gravenites with Michael Bloomfield - My Labors

All can be found in the October 2006 archive.

Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs - Live At Sunbury 1974

2007-03-02T00:52:00.000-05:00

As hard rocker Billy passed away on the 27th of February 2007, I thought there should be a tribute post and what better than this hard rocking live album, full of heavy guitar and much jamming.

At this stage they were known as the loudest band around, so crank up the volume to full, you'll get the idea.

This comes from the second stage of his career, he started out as a pure pop singer in the early 60's putting out such titles as "Mashed Potatoes" and even "Over The Rainbow"

By the early 70's, he had transformed himself into a hard, loud and heavy rocker, touring the pub rock circuit. Indeed, some say that pub rock, the mainstay of 70's and 80's music in Australia, owed its existance to Thorpe.

Keep on rocking, Billy. RIP

Enjoy!

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Albert Kuvezin & Yat-Kha - Recovers 2005 @192

2007-03-02T00:31:00.000-05:00

Moscow, August 2004.

Albert Kuvezin has just checked into a hotel having spent 24 hours on a train from Budapest as the result of having been forcibly deported from Hungary along with the rest of his band. Their passports had been stolen from the dressing room of the gig the previous day. Their plea for help from the Russian Embassy resulted in them being frog-marched to the railway station and sent home. Before he can relax he receives a phone call from his co-singer Radik Tiuliush telling him that he has had enough of the rigours of travelling backwards and forwards from Tuva (a 3-day journey just to get to Moscow before an international flight takes them to start a tour).

There are only 2 days to find new passports and a new singer before they are due to begin a US tour. This proves impossible and Albert retreats to Kazyl where he is immediately hassled by mobsters and corrupt government officials. He then crashes his car and ends up in hospital.

Whilst convalescing Albert ponders his band’s future and listens to his record collection. Having spent many years being persecuted under the Soviets for listening to and playing rock’n roll he contemplates the long journey that his love of both Tuvan Folk Music and Western Rock has resulted in. He had toured the world many times playing at some of the great festivals such as Glastonbury, Roskilde, Bloomington, Monterey, Transmusicale, and Sziget. He had played hundreds of club shows and listened to and met some great bands along the way. Bands like his thrash heroes Slayer and folk heroes such as the Chieftains and contemporary artists such as Billy Bragg and many more.

And now Yat-Kha was due to travel to London in October 2004 to record a new album that Albert had been busy writing earlier in the year. As he lay there with music from all around the world blaring out from his newly- acquired PA system Albert decided that he would commit his musical and spiritual journey to tape instead of his new songs. His new album would reflect how music took him from one of the world’s more remote regions to international recognition.

Remote, yes, yet central enough to pick up the currents of international music, even if the international music scene was not yet hip to the growling waves coming from Tuva. He would revitalise himself by re- engaging with his loves of country, blues, rock and just all things music. Although he was due to self-produce his new album Albert made a last minute phone call to the legendary world music producer Ben Mandelson who immediately made time to take overproduction duties. Justin Adams, producer of Tinariwen, joins him on a couple of tracks.

The band began by jamming many of Albert’s favourite tunes and from this came the new album Re-Covers.This is what Albert has to say about the album."The influence of rock on my music and life is obvious but anyway I’ll try to explain a bit more why I have chosen these songs for the covers album. Actually they are relatively to what I try to do for long time since I began to mix Tuvan music and my singing with Western rock.

"When The Levee Breaks" (Led Zeppelin).

It is just on of my favourite band of the all time and I wanted to record more of them though who can compare with them even today?.

"Man Machine" (Kraftwerk).

Remember that time? They were very fresh and unusual between the dominance of rock and punk. Plus very progressive. It is about our relationship with machine world. Almost Folkloric.

"Ramblin’ Man" (Hank Williams).

I don't like when there is too much text in songs but this one is just about my self and my brothers - musicians. It is very close to our souls and spirit of freedom. Actually we are all the travellers on this planet.

"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida " (Iron Butterfly)

Great song because it is simple I respect talented simplicity. Good voice and a guitar riff which always make me interested as a guitarist my self.

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" (Joy Division).

This band wasn't well known in Russia but some band made big name and good career during USSR time copying and imitating the likes of JD. I like the mood and guess our manager Jim likes them very much.

"Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles" (Captain Beefheart).

Of course, 20 years ago I didn¹t know about this man but when got listen it for the first time I thought that it could be me if I was born in USA at that time. But luckily I live in Siberia and like to say: "Hello!" back to those funny days.

"A Song About A Giraffe" (Vladimir Vysotskiy).

The cult figure of Soviet Culture. The actor, poet, and singer he died in 1989 but is still very popular in Russia. His songs are full of sarcasm and humour. They are about the defects of human society and full of love and pain when about native land. This song is just one of hundreds he wrote.

"Orgasmatron" (Motorhead).

I always liked music full of energy. Years ago I liked such kind of lyrics and wrote such my self. Also this is good possibility to remind to politicians who they are.

"Will You Go, Lassie, Go?" ( Mc Peake Family )

When I played with the great Chieftains I began to like Irish music and found some similarity with some Siberian people's music.

"Toccata" (Paul Mauriat).

When I was little boy this melody by the French composer and conductor was played by his orchestra on Soviet T.V. and radio every Sunday and that gave us a very clear and nice holiday emotion for the whole day. This is a kind of connection to that happy time.

"Black Magic Woman" (Carlos Santana version).

One more my favourite artist. This song is somehow connected to Siberian black shaman women whom I like very much.

"Exodus" (Bob Marley).

Again, I love freedom and independence which are also possible through the movement and travels. I love to read about historical peoples movements. Plus I like Bob and reggae.

"PlayWith Fire" (Rolling Stones).

I never liked very much RS and even less The Beatles. In this song I got good motion that gave me feeling to play such riff in the style what I like.

"The Song of Mergen" (Alexei Tchyrgal-ool).

The composer Alexei Baktaevitch Tchyrgal is a great of Tuvan Symphonic music but he also wrote a number of nice songs for different ensembles and bands I am lucky enough to have been working with him and living in his neighbourhood. This song was written for the first movie about Tuva .

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Danny O'Keefe - Breezy Stories [1973] @256 (American singer-songwriter)

2007-03-02T00:19:00.000-05:00

The music business is littered with exceptional talent that never achieves due reconition. Years of graft just never pay off. Danny O'Keefe is one of these artists.

To be fair, he did have some success at the beginning of his career with"Goodtime Charlie's Got The Blues", a song covered by many at the turn of the '70's and had other songs covered by more mainstream artists. But it was fleeting and he became relegated to the ranks of those who put out constant flow of great albums to an ever diminishing level of interest.

However, he did have an advantage over many others in that he had major label support with Atco, Atlantic and Warner Bros. This reflects that those in the know did appreciate his talent.

In addition to being an excellent tunesmith, he also added his own incisive lyrics to the themes of love and relationships. In "Junkman" he directs his venom at the drug dealer, but for me the highpoint of this album is "Mad Ruth-The Babe". A song of love set againt the ball game and in particular, Babe Ruth. A truly great song.

On all his albums, O'Keefe lightens the mood with a few fun songs, usually to a rock 'n' roll beat or a bit of boogie. Here, "Steppin' Out Tonight" and"If Ya Can't Boogie, Woogie (You Sure Can't Rock And Roll)" fulfill this role. Great fun and titles the tell you exactly what the song is about.

One advantage of recording for a major is that you get to make well produced albums with top shelf musicians. No exception here, with a band that includes Donny Hathaway, drummer Burnard Purdie, percussionist Airto, jazz bassist Richard Davis, Dr John, the great guitarist David Bromberg and even the producer Arif Mardin.

This really is a terrific album showcasing O'Keefe's own idiosyncratic songwriting. Great tunes with meaningful lyrics make this a must get album. Its a pity that his career stalled after the wonderful"Global Blues" in 1979 and that he did not make another album until 1999's "Runnin' From The Devil". There is now a new album, "Don't Ask" about to be released.

Keep listening !!!

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Townes Van Zandt - Live At The Old Quarter, Houston, Texas 1977 Var bit

2007-03-01T23:42:00.000-05:00

As this was mentioned in the last Van Zandt post, I'd thought I'd add it.

This from Crescent Blues:

"Barely five years into his recording career in 1973, Townes Van Zandt classics like "Pancho and Lefty," "Rex's Blues" and "Lungs" helped carve out the man's folk hero status among luminaries like Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Steve Earle. Live at the Old Quarter, a set recorded in 1973 and first released in 1977, helped seal his critical reputation -- while perhaps simultaneously driving yet another nail into the coffin of Van Zandt's cult status.

No one can doubt, even in retrospective, the sheer scope of heartfelt invention present in all these songs. "Pancho And Lefty" unfolds like an intimate blessing. Many cheers greeted the song in subsequent live outings. But a desert quiet permeates the Old Quarter, as though the song was a creation only newly revealed. The song tells the spare tale of two separate drifters, one an outlaw the other a musician in a swift and haunting deconstruction of both the outlaw rider and lone musician myth.

"Pancho and Lefty" helped link Van Zant, somewhat unfortunately, with the renegade outlaw country scene. OK, a couple of his other songs didn't help, either. Those who know him only by this signature tune and expect him to be a long lost Hank Williams relative, will be surprised by the delicacy of such great songs as "Rex's Blues" and the Arlo Guthrie-esque humor of "Fraternity Blues."

Like "Pancho and Lefty," the gigantic myth of the Old Quarter occupies small real space, 18 by 38 feet to be exact. On this night, one hundred people packed the room. The recording sounds intimate without trying to replicate intimacy. I would still like to hear Live at the Old Quarter on a beat up and worn cassette, preferably driving down the road at night in a pick-up headin' nowhere. I'd love to hear "Lungs" and "No Place To Fall" with just a touch of hiss and crackle like falling beer bottles. A CD lacks a bit of that pinched-in quality when it comes to sound. Very little music can bear up under such intimacy, but I suspect, nay, I know Van Zandt's can.

For all their delicacy the songs possess many tough edges. Van Zandt deserves the problematic label of "storyteller." His songs narrate without resolving into familiar structures -- except for their random, though plentiful rhyme. His voice at the beginning set, never a strong instrument to begin with, quavers tentatively in spots throughout the first CD. While he would demonstrate consistent confidence in the many subsequent live recordings of his career, those recordings would seldom match the warmth and intimacy Live at the Old Quarter possesses in such abundance. "

Michael Pacholski

1 Announcement Travis
2 Pancho & Lefty VanZandt
3 Mr. Gold and Mr. Mud VanZandt
4 Don't You Take It Too Bad VanZandt
5 Two Girls VanZandt
6 Fraternity Blues VanZandt
7 If I Needed You VanZandt
8 Brand New Companion VanZandt
9 White Freight Liner Blues VanZandt
10 To Live Is to Fly VanZandt
11 She Came and She Touched Me VanZandt
12 Talking Thunderbird Blues VanZandt
13 Rex's Blues VanZandt
14 Nine Pound Hammer Travis
15 For the Sake of the Song VanZandt
16 Chauffer's Blues Hopkins
17 No Place to Fall VanZandt
18 Loretta VanZandt
19 Kathleen VanZandt
20 Why She's Acting This Way VanZandt
21 Cocaine Blues Traditional
22 Who Do You Love? McDaniel
23 Tower Song VanZandt
24 Waiting 'Round to Die VanZandt
25 Tecumseh Valley VanZandt
26 Lungs VanZandt
27 Only Him or Me VanZandt

Enjoy!

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Fela Kuti - Black Man's Cry 1988 @256

2007-03-01T23:12:00.000-05:00

Time to return to World music, here's the originator of Afrobeat in fine form. Note the appearance of Cream's Ginger Baker on this one, although you'll be hard pressed to notice.

Here's an informed review:

"Fela Kuti was the Nigerian born purveyor of funky tribal beats which continue to shake the world's foundations. A recent casualty of the AIDS virus ravaging all of Africa, Kuti lived and played hard. Like Bob Marley, his music had strong consciousness raising power mixed into its heavy afro-funk rhythms. His political messages were not lost on the Nigerian military dictatorship he often sang about, and Kuti was imprisoned on several occasions. Still, he never lost sight of the fact that the music was as important as the message, and his bands were always tight and talented enough to muster much groove. A disciple of James Brown, Kuti masterfully used horns as part of his rhythm section to great affect. He added a strong dose of African percussion, fat bass lines, and some electrified instruments like pianos, organs, or guitars to complicate the rhythm hypnotically. On this live recording, the newly formed Africa '70 is joined by former-Cream drummer and fan, Ginger Baker. Baker, amazingly, fits right in, showing a restraint and intensity seldom found in showy rock drummers during his single solo on "Ye Ye De Smell." But Baker's presence is little more than a side show here, as it is the cumulative power of the band as a whole that really shapes the album's thickly layered grooves. Kuti's prowess on the keyboards is in strong evidence throughout, adding the necessary color and melodic voicing over the throbbing rhythm. His voice is raw with soul power. The band behind him is relentless, pushing forward into some of the hardest funk territory ever explored in the African continent, particularly on Kuti's hit, "Black Man's Cry." As a newly formed unit, this band was out to prove just how bad-ass they really were, and this jamming performance from Kuti's early days demonstrates just how well they succeeded."

John Ballon

1. Let's Start 7:51
2. Black Man's Cry 12:12
3. Ye Ye De Smell 12:35
4. Egbe Mi O 12:15
5. Alu Jon Jonki Jon 12:44
6. Egbe Mi O 7:08

Fela Kuti: Vocals, Keyboards, Saxophone
Ginger Baker: Drums, Percussion
Tunde Williams: Trumpet
Eddie Faychum: Trumpet
Igo Chiko: Tenor Sax
Lekan Animashaun: Baritone Sax
Peter Animashaun: Rhythm Guitar
Maurice Ekpo: Bass Guitar
Tony Allen: Drums
Henry Koffi: 1st Conga
Friday Jumbo: 2nd Conga
Akwesi Korranting: 3rd Conga
Tony Abayomi: Sticks
Isaac Olaleye: Shekere

Enjoy!

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Stephan Micus - Implosions [1977] @320 (world? jazz?)

2007-03-01T02:44:00.000-05:00

This truly is a desert island disc to this contributor.

It has been held a special place since I first heard it many years ago. One of an amazing collection of albums by the enigmatic Micus.Unless you have heard him before, I can assure you that you have heard nothing like this before, mainly because his music comes from another place, literally.

Micus is a master of an ever increasing range of world instruments that he uses, not to play the music of the instruments origin, but rather to create something totally new. For example, the instrument he plays on the cover is a sho, a Japanese mouth pipe organ. The sounds he makes from it are truely modern.

Micus plays all the instruments, as he always does and overdubs to create his sonic pieces.

He has been a long time artist for ECM Records, so the recording and production is second to none.The centerpiece of this album is "As I Crossed The Bridge Of Dreams" and what a centrepiece it is. A long instrumental (all vocals are wordless things of beauty) which slowly builds to a beautiful climax and finale.I cannot recommend this album too highly, it is an important and magnificant.

Enjoy!

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Leo Kottke - Live At The Sydney Town Hall 1976 @320

2007-03-01T02:29:00.000-05:00

This is a concert recording and not released. It was recorded by ABC FM and broadcast uncompressed, as they do.

I helped promote this tour in my home town and can say that he is totally charismatic, a great story teller and dymanic performer.

Did I mention that he is also a great 12 string guitar player? He aslo possesses a deep resonant voice, which he once described as being like "geese farts on a muggy day"!

I am particularly fond of this show, Kottke at his best. Beware, he is fussy about keeping his guitar in tune, especially as he constantly changes his guitar tuning, so he does spend some time on that chore. The upside is that it gives him the opportunity to tell some of his stories, they are worth hearing on their own (in fact I have a collection of them!)

You will note that he performs a version of Paul Siebel's "Louise", who you will see a little down the page. This is a great version.

One point to note, when I ripped this, I did not note all the track titles, so if anyone goes to the trouble, please put the track listing in comments.

A great show.

Enjoy!

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Lonnie Liston Smith - Astral Traveling (Expanded) [1973] @ 224-320 (spacy jazz)

2007-03-01T02:05:00.000-05:00

Time for some funky jazz.

I think this is his finest moment. This Smith should not be confused with organ wizz, Dr Lonnie Smith, a very different beast indeed. This was made a a time when the keyboardist was heavily influenced by Pharoah Sanders and you can hear that in this album. Some of Sanders band are also here, bassist Cecil McBee and percussionist, Mtume. If I recall correctly, it was Smith who provided keyboards to the Sanders classic"The Creator Has A Master Plan"

If you need to gain a detailed background to this album and Smith, I suggest you enlarge the back cover, it should be readable. I just say this, I have listened to this album with great affection for 30 years and still find it fresh and immensely enjoyable.

There is great sax playing from George Barron and wonderful Indian percussion from Badal Roy (former Miles Davis band member).

Enjoy!

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Townes Van Zandt - A Gentle Evening With Townes Van Zandt 1969 @ 320

2007-02-28T23:53:00.000-05:00

One of America's premier songwriters, responsible for a remarkable body of songs, Van Zandt is revered as one of the greats.

This, despite doing all he could to self destruct both in terms of his recording career and of course, lifestyle. He lived hard and this contributed to his early death in 1997 at the age of 52.

The All Music Guide had this to say about this album:

On November 26, 1969, Poppy Records held a showcase at New York City's Carnegie Hall. The diverse bill included comedian Dick Gregory, Philadelphia psych rockers Mandrake Memorial, and a young Texas singer/songwriter named Townes Van Zandt. For years, the tape of this show was lost as the little Poppy label was snapped up by larger companies (United Artists and Capitol). Well worth the rediscovery, this concert reveals the 25-year-old Van Zandt singing with a gentle voice — before it got battered by his hard living. His youthful vocals serve to enhance the poetic lyricism in bittersweet love songs like "Like a Summer's Thursday" and "Second Lover's Song." Accompanying himself just on acoustic guitar, Van Zandt strips his tunes down to their essential elements, and these renditions feel more timeless than their studio versions. "Tecumseh Valley," one of his finest songs, is done in a simple yet sublime rendition. His spare approach also helps to make his sole cover (Pete LaFarge's "The Ballad of Ira Hayes") feel more personal and, consequently, more powerful than the more highly produced version that Johnny Cash had a hit with in 1964. Most of the songs here appeared either on earlier or later Van Zandt albums; only his opening number, the wickedly biting "Talking KKK Blues," hasn't appeared on a Van Zandt record before now. This disc doesn't surpass his greatest live album — the magnificent Live at the Old Quarter — but it does stand as a terrific document, capturing a young man whose talents are fully evident despite his relative inexperience. He had only been a professional musician for some three years when he did this show. Van Zandt's subsequent career proved to be highly influential, even though his self-destructive behavior helped to end his life at the age of 52. This lovely disc offers early evidence of what made Van Zandt such a special musician.

Enjoy, well give it a go, Van Zandt's songs are not exactly cheery!

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John Fahey - Live In Tasmania @ 320

2007-02-28T23:13:00.000-05:00

The inventor of the acoustic guitar genre all of its own, Fahey is one of the most important guitarist, period. Great technique and invention, he was a rare talent.

He also founded Takoma Records and brought the world's attention to such talents as Leo Kottke. Sadly, he was also not really stable and there are many stories of crazy antics.

This album, recorded in my home county, is a rare thing, Fahey live. In case your wondering, Tasmania is an island state, located south of the continent.

All Music Guide:

" John Fahey was well known as a perfectionist who played concerts for over two decades without releasing a live album. It was therefore something of a surprise when he not only recorded a full album in front of an audience, but did so at a concert booked on four days notice, at a hall he had never seen much less checked for acoustics, and with almost all material written on the spur of the moment. Fahey hadn't even planned on visiting Tasmania, but during an Australian concert tour he got drunk on an airplane flight and decided on the spur of the moment that he wanted to record an album there. A hall was booked, an audience rounded up, and the resulting show was recorded. The results were fantastic. The notoriously unpredictable Fahey was in a cheerful mood, playing an outstanding set and genially favoring the audience with a rambling monologue about the strangeness of finding Tasmania less wild and esoteric than he expected. A thoughtful version of "Waltzing Matilda" was a predictable crowd-pleaser, but so were more, er, esoteric pieces like The Approaching of the Disco Void." The transcendent moment of this album, and one of the finest pieces of Fahey's career, is "Indian-Pacific R.R. Blues," a complex work that has elements of ragtime, blues, and Americana strung together into a magical whole. It was a marvelous gift to an audience that had probably never heard of him five days before, and it is fortunate indeed that this concert was not merely recorded, but captured brilliantly so that not a note was lost."

Enjoy!

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Rain Parade - Explosions In The Glass Palace 1984 @ 192

2007-02-28T21:23:00.000-05:00

One of the best American bands to arrive in the 80's, they formed part of the psychedelic movement of that era. This is a live mini lp and is just brilliant. In giving it 4 1/2 stars, All Music guide said:

"Listeners who were enraptured by this band's first effort should enjoy this follow-up, even though principal member David Roback had already quit. Don't know if this is considered an LP or EP, as it clocks in at a mere 20 minutes, but it's still superior to other recycled psychedelia from L.A.'s Paisley Underground. Layered guitars, special effects, droning vocals, catchy hooks — they're all here. The Rain Parade never broke any barriers during their brief existence, but they really captured the spirit of '60s psychedelic rock better than most."

A long time favourite of mine, I can throughly recommend this album.

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Roy Harper - Lifemask 1973 @ 192

2007-02-28T21:05:00.000-05:00

Friend of many famous English rock musicians, Led Zepplin's "Hats Off To (Roy Harper)" for instance, Harper has a unique style that he utilizes right to this day. An English treasure.

All Music Guide had this to say about this album:

"Lifemask was an emotional if not musical rebirth for Roy Harper, who nearly lost his life in 1972 due to a rare congenital circulatory disorder. When the album was released in early 1973, it showed Harper refining the acoustic music he had perfected on 1971's Stormcock. Some of the songs on the album previously appeared in a motion picture entitled Made, but the sound is nonetheless consistent throughout. "Highway Blues" and "South Africa" are the best-known songs on this set, and have remained concert mainstays for many years. The former is a strong opener and added a touch of synthesizer to Harper's instrumental stable, while the latter was a political comment on apartheid in the guise of a touching love song. "Little Lady" and "Bank of the Dead" (featuring Jimmy Page) are fairly similar in sound and context, but remain pleasant, if not classic, cuts anyway. The album-closing "The Lord's Prayer" is quite possibly the most confounding piece in Harper's catalog. It has all the benchmarks of one of his classics — epic, album-side length, poetically obscure lyrics, many musical movements, and, as usual, guitar help from Jimmy Page. However, despite its potential, the song's a bit boring and doesn't approach Harper's former or future epics in terms of listenability. Despite that, Lifemask remains a strong album from Harper's progressive folk period, even if it is a notch below its predecessor, Stormcock."

Enjoy!

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John Martyn - Live At Leeds 1975 @ 320

2007-02-28T19:05:00.000-05:00

With a cover that mimics The Who's album of the same name, this couldn't be much different. Formerly a folk-ish singer, he discovered electrics (but using his trusty acoustic guitar) and transformed himself into a guitar genius. The change of direction can be heard to great effect on the classic "Solid Air"

This comes later and features the acoustic bass of the great Danny Thompson.

This from All Music Guide:

"Because Island Records didn't feel it was the right time for a live album, Martyn independently released this record from his home. The initial release was a limited edition of 10,000 (which Island did manufacture, though not distribute or promote) that was numbered and signed. Though the album shares its title with the famous Who live collection of the same name, the working title was "Ringside Seat" and photos of Martyn and bassist Danny Thompson in a boxing ring were even taken for a prospective cover, though never used. Recorded February 13, 1975 (the sleeve incorrectly states October), at Leeds University in the U.K., this is John Martyn at a peak in his career. In Thompson, he'd found a perfect foil for his increasingly jazzy textures and their bass and guitar interaction is a particular highlight. Having mastered the echoplex, which was capable of producing waves of echoed and distorted sound, Martyn was doing things with an acoustic guitar that no one had ever done (or has done since). "Outside In" (all 18:57 of it!) is a tour de force showcasing the otherwordly sounds he could coax from this device, and is worth the price of the album alone. The re-released version on Voiceprint/One World includes five bonus tracks ("My Baby Girl," "You Can Discover," "So Much in Love With You," "Clutches," "Mailman") from the show, including the ones Paul Kossoff of Free guested on." .

I confess to having met Martyn when he toured with Bert Jansch. Actually, Bert didn't play that tour as he and Martyn had had just a few drinks on the way over and somehow Jansch had cut his hand!

Enjoy!

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Abdel Aziz El Mubarak - Straight From The Heart 1989 @ 320 (World)

2007-02-21T23:36:00.000-05:00

A complete change of pace. nothing like a change!

Abdel Aziz El Mubarak is Sudanese and plays a popular music like no other. I will not comment much about this album as I am not sure what to say, sufffice I first heard it on a cover CD for Songlines and was smitten.

After months I tracked down the CD and was not disappointed, intense, joyful, danceable all at once.This album was voted by the world music magazine, Songlines, a few years ago as one of the greatest world music albums ever released.Who am I to argue?

Keep listening !!!

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Hoffnung - The Oxford Union Speech (the Bricklayer & Other Stories (Comedy) @ 224

2007-02-21T22:50:00.000-05:00

Gerard Hoffnung was unique, according to him, he was born at the age of 2 and able to play all the instruments in the Orchestra at birth!

He was of German origin but English to his bones, with a wonderful sense of humour. Sadly he died at a young age ( hard to imaging when listening) in the 1950's and there is very little of him recorded.

This comes from the album pictured and represents the only recording that I know of, aside from his concerts.

His concerts......classical, yes; classic.....well, no. I mean, Concerto for Orchestra and vacuum cleaner!

This pearl is known as "The Oxford Union Speech" and is a real unknown gem. Some of his rants are ott, his directions to foreign tourists not really very helpful, and the letters he reads will have you in stitches.

But it is "The Bricklayer" that is the centrepiece, a tale of unbelievable stupidity, you just have to hear it.

I've just posted this as I think it is outstanding and at 25 minutes, not too time consuming.

Do yourself a favour, you won't regret it.

Try not to enjoy... you will fail!!

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David Ackles - Subway To The Country 1970 @ 192

2007-02-15T06:20:00.000-05:00

Another Ackles post!

The late songwriter David Ackles used his third album to further separate himself from the California tunesmith Cosa Nostra. Ackles was always a horse of a different color anyway. While comparisons to Randy Newman are natural and, in places even valid, they fall short of the mark. Ackles' music is much darker, already deeply entrenched in the American Gothic his fourth album would be named after. While the post-Tin Pan Alley stylings of Newman are evident here, Ackles' inspiration is in the original texts and not his Cali counterparts. Other sides of Ackles come from John Stewart and the folk revival, and no less than Scott Walker's early work and Jacques Brel. Subway to the Country portends itself a rootsier record, but it is rooted only in the tradition of American song itself. From the bleak vaudevillian cabaret of "Main Street Saloon" to the shimmering string arrangements and chamber textures in "That's No Reason to Cry" to the surreal muted winds and brass in "Woman River," Ackles is like a Western Kurt Weill. His knowledge of song form and nuance is encyclopedic, and his command over his singing voice is total. He can rumble smooth, swinging blues in the lower register as he does on the latter track, or shift it into loopy swirls and theatrical splashes as he does on "Inmates of the Institution." The most beautiful track on the album, however, is the title track that closes the album. Full of muted tones and colors, the backing orchestra holds itself close to Fred Myrow's arrangement as Ackles promises a lover that if he "Ever gets three bucks together/I'm gonna buy three tickets on a train/And I'll show you the rain." Ackles could milk the drama from a song without effort because he created the drama. Here he seeks in vain for a lighter heart and an older house to hand his song pictures in, but to no avail. Once one is an innovator of such dimension, one always has a restless creative soul, seeking to go ever-deeper levels in the well. Subway to the Country is not the classic that American Gothic is, but it remains a fine testament to Ackles' truly awesome poetic power as both a writer and a singer.

All Music Guise

1 Main Line Saloon
2 That's No Reason to Cry
3 Candy Man

4 Out on the Road
5 Cabin on the Mountain
6 Woman River
7 Inmates of the Institution
8 Subway to the Country

Another fine album from Ackles. "Main Line Salon" and " Candy Man" being prime examples ofAckles dark side, while "Subway to the Country" shows he cold occasionly be optomistic.

Enjoy!

John Hartford - Housing Project 1968 @ 192

2007-02-15T06:08:00.000-05:00

Any late-'60s, major-label country-pop artist calling his album Housing Project was pretty much announcing that commercial success wasn't his utmost priority even before the record had been played. That sensibility was evident in the music as well, which, like much of Hartford's previous RCA work, was off-kilter country-pop with liberal smidgens of bluegrass and intellectual folk-rock lyricism.

It was little less ornately produced than its immediate predecessor, The Love Album, but the arrangements remained chock-full of surprising interjections of backward guitar, squeaky trumpet, gently soaring violins, lightly quasi-psychedelic dissonance (on "Crystallia Daydream" and "Big Blue Balloon"), tinkling keyboards, and the like. The songwriting remained outstanding — a necessity, actually, for this material to work given the limited vocal range of Hartford's talky singing style.

He gets the most out of a little, though, with his odd narrative tales, their laconic wit and satirical dalliances with clichés making it difficult to tell if he's being serious or not — which makes the results all the more nonchalantly charming. The spoken monologue on the title track, as well as the general cunning low-key tone of Hartford's humor, also makes you wonder if Garrison Keillor was a big Hartford fan, though Hartford's music is certainly superior to Keillor's.

Leaving aside the engagingly quizzical nature of the songwriting, there are some tracks that are just fine wistful tunes whether or not you dig into the irony, particularly the aforementioned "Crystallia Daydream" and "Big Blue Balloon." "The Girl With the Long Brown Hair" is Hartford at his most romantic (albeit with tongue in cheek intact), and "The Category Stomp" is Hartford at his most biting, putting a hoe-down dance tune to a lyrical swipe at the late-'60s crazes for pouring all manner of styles into a psychedelic kitchen sink. "The Sailboat Song," by contrast, pointed to the more homespun lyrical and musical path he'd follow after leaving RCA.

All Music Guide

In case your wondering, this sounds nothing like his signature tune, "Gentle On My Mind". Hartford was prolific, especially in later years (he died a few years ago) producing more traditional fare in a solo context. He also made albums with the Dillards when he wanted to stray from that traditional sound. He was a national treasure.

Enjoy!

Link in comments.

Paul Siebel - Jack-Knife Gypsy 1971 @ 256 Paul Siebel - Woodsmoke And Oranges @ 192-224

2007-02-15T05:44:00.000-05:00

A double post !

Despite the undeniably high quality of his songs (which have been covered by the likes of Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Iain Matthews and Waylon Jennings) Paul Siebel is far from being a household name.

However, within folk circles and among songwriters, his two albums - 1969's "Woodsmoke and Oranges" and 1971's "Jack-Knife Gypsy" - are legendary. He'd gathered a handful of fine musicians, including guitarist David Bromberg, violinist Richard Greene, and steel guitarist Weldon Myrick.

Elektra's Jac Holzman recorded ten Siebel originals quickly. Despite (or because of) the small budget and lack of time, Siebel and company crafted an incredible record that still sounds vibrant 30 years after the fact.

The above from the net.

There is very little information about Siebel, but it is undeniable that he produced 2 fine albums that sank without a trace, although he was covered by many, as noted above. He was also covered by David Bromberg, more of whom later.

There is a third album from 1995, if anyone has it I'd love to hear from you.

Enjoy!

Links in comments.

David Ackles - David Ackles 1968 @256

2007-02-15T05:30:00.000-05:00

Ackles' self-titled debut LP introduced a singer/songwriter quirky even by the standards of Elektra records, possibly the most adventurous independent label of the 1960s. Ackles was a pretty anomalous artist of his time, with a low, grumbling voice that was uncommercial but expressive, and similar to Randy Newman's. As a composer, Ackles bore some similarities to Newman, as well in his downbeat eccentricity and mixture of elements from pop, folk, and theatrical music. All the same, this impressive maiden outing stands on its own, though comparisons to Brecht/Weill (in the songwriting and occasional circus-like tunes) and Tim Buckley (in the arrangements and phrasing) hold to some degree too. This is certainly his most rock-oriented record, courtesy of the typically tasteful, imaginative Elektra arrangements, particularly with Michael Fonfara's celestial organ and the ethereal guitar riffs (which, again, recall those heard on Buckley's early albums). As a songwriter, Ackles was among the darkest princes of his time, though the lyrics were delivered with a subdued resignation that kept them from crossing the line to hysterical gloom. "The Road to Cairo," covered by Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger, and the Trinity, is probably the most famous song here. But the others are quality efforts as well, whether the epics tell of religious trial, as in "His Name Is Andrew," or the mini-horror tale of revisiting an old home in "Sonny Come Home."

All Music Guide

I have long been an huge fan of Ackles, who made only 5 albums, all of which fell under the radar. The songs are very rarely cheery, but are a testament to one of the great songwriters of the late 60's, whose full voice is a perfect accompaniment to the songs. "His Name Is Andrew is, to me, the standout track.

1 The Road to Cairo
2 When Love Is Gone

3 Sonny Come Home

4 Blue Ribbons
5 That a Happy Day
6 Down River
7 Laissez-Faire
8 Lotus Man
9 His Name Is Andrew
10 Be My Friend

Enjoy!

Link in comments.

Jim White - No Such Place 2001 (Americana) @320

2007-02-09T22:21:00.000-05:00

In response to a request, here's another Jim White album and again, its brilliant.

From All Music Guide:

"Jim White's sophomore release on David Byrne's Luaka Bop imprint comes four years after the release of Wrong-Eyed Jesus!, an album that introduced him as a quirky, yet clever master of Southern gothic storytelling and lo-fi folk music. No Such Place is a brilliant follow-up and reveals White at his best. It's a bluesy, atmospheric-laced collection of songs about loners, ghosts, devils, love, and angels. Well skilled at providing listeners with a detailed look into his psyche, White simultaneously, and almost undetectably, provokes introspection throughout the album's 13 tracks. His songwriting is best exhibited when the album flows between gentle, dark, and spacy tunes like "Corvair" and "The Wrong Kind of Love," to all-out stompers like "10 Miles to Go on a 9 Mile Road," "Handcuffed to a Fence in Mississippi," and his unique cover of Roger Miller's "King of the Road." No Such Place is a classic storytelling affair. Continuing to draw from a lifetime's worth of experiences, including stints as a religious fanatic, drug addict, taxi driver, fashion model, and professional surfer, White generously offers up a collage of deeply personal thoughts and feelings. Although comparable to Beck's Mutations and Shawn Mullins' Beneath the Velvet Sun, No Such Place breaks new ground by pairing White's unique lyrical twists and vocal stylings with the slick production of Morcheeba, Sweetback co-founder and Sade musician Andrew Hale, DJ/producer Q-Burns Abstract Message, and Sohichiro Suzuki (formerly of Yellow Magic Orchestra and currently with World Standard). The result is a cohesive effort that's bold, bizarre, and beautiful. His tales, often witty and dipped in irony, stream underneath samples of crickets, howls, sirens, whistles, and an ample filling of ambient clings and clangs. White is a master of exposing his world, while singing the majority of his songs under the guise of a third-person narrator. Combining banjos, harmonicas, and jaw harps with thick lo-fi beats, record scratches, and samples, No Such Place is an exciting and fresh collection of music. Add to the mix White's tongue-in-cheek storyteller talents and the result is a strong album that proves that he's closer to finding peace with his past and optimistic about the journey ahead. "

'Nuff fom me, just enjoy!

Links in comments

Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks - Last Train to Hicksville 1973 @ 320

2007-02-08T20:29:00.000-05:00

There was a request for this when I originally posted "Striking It Rich", so I' thought I'd post it now, a little late, but here it is.

Probably not my personal favourite, but good nonetheless. If you're a Hicks fan, I'm sure you'll enjoy.

From Dan Hick's Website:

Tracks:

1 Cowboy's Dream No. 19
2 Lonely Madman
3 My Old Timey Baby
4 Vivando
5 Success
6 Cheaters Don't Win
7 Payday Blues
8 I Asked My Doctor
9 Sure Beats Me
10 The Euphonius Whale
11 Sweetheart (Waitress In A Donut Shop)
12 'Long Come A Viper
13 It's Not My Time

"Last Train To Hicksville" was the last of Dan's albums on Blue Thumb Records with the Hot Licks. It is now available on CD from MCA Records. The original LP sleeve provides the song lyrics, and photos of the sartorially adventurous band in various Pop Star poses.

On this album, Dan revisits "'Long Come A Viper", which he had previously recorded with the Charlatans. The song is an homage to the 1930s "Viper" jazz tunes, and Woody Guthrie's talking blues. Other songs from this album in Dan's present-day repertoire include "Cowboy's Dream No. 19" and the ever-popular "Payday Blues".

Naomi contributes songwriting and lead vocals on "Success". Also featured is John Girton's only Hot Licks tune with lyrics, "Vivando", and the instrumental "Sure Beats Me". Maryann sings "Sweetheart", which was also recorded by Maria Muldaur. (A lyric from the song – "I'm a waitress in the donut shop" – inspired the title of Maria's 1974 Reprise album, "Waitress In A Donut Shop")

Personnel

Dan Hicks – vocal, rhythm guitar
Maryann Price – vocal
John Girton – lead guitars, dobro
Naomi Eisenberg – vocal, violin
Jaime Leopold – string bass
Bob Scott – drums
Sid Page – lead violin, mandolin

Link in comments.

Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks - Striking It Rich 1972 @ 320

2007-02-08T19:31:00.000-05:00

Re-post as the original link failed.

The original LP cover is designed to resemble a matchbook, and indeed, "Striking It Rich" matchbooks were distributed by Blue Thumb as promotional goodies. The album sleeve showcases Dan's talents in prose and graphic art, including an entry coupon for the "Dan Hix Lookalike Contest". One of Dan's most-covered tunes, "Walkin' One And Only", appears on this album.

The most familiar versions of "I Scare Myself" and "Canned Music", arguably Dan's best-known songs, are also here. Maryann and Naomi each take a solo turn, with (respectively) "I'm An Old Cowhand" and "Presently In The Past". John Girton wrote the instrumentals "Flight Of The Fly", "Philly Rag", and "Fujiyama". Jaime Leopold's "Skippy's Farewell" features a memorable "Meet The Band" rap.

Personnel

Dan Hicks – vocals, rhythm guitar

John L. Girton – lead guitar

Sid Page – violin, mandolin

Maryann Price – vocals, rhythm instruments

Jaime Leopold – string bass

Skippy SanchezNaomi Ruth Eisenberg – vocals, second fiddle, rhythm instruments

1 You Got To Believe

2 Walkin' One And Only

3 O'Reilly At The Bar

4 Moody Richard (The Innocent Bystander)

5 Flight Of The Fly

6 I Scare Myself

7 Philly Rag

8 The Laughing Song

9 Canned Music

10 I'm An Old Cowhand (From The Rio Grand)

11 Woe, The Luck

12 Presently In The Past

13 Skippy's Farewell

14 Fujiyama

From Dan Hicks website.

To this contributer, this is Dan's finest moment, although some do not agree. What makes it special are a clutch of classic songs and of course, the violin of Sid Page. If "I Scare Myself" d0sen't affect you nothing will! I remember reading a classical magazine where in a blindfold, a famous volinist was played a part of Sid's solo, he declared that it was impossible to play, couldn't be done. Obviously, no one told Sid! Listen, also, to "Moody Richard" and "Canned Music"

Link in comments.

Enjoy!

Jim White - Wrong-Eyed Jesus 1997 (Americana) @320

2007-02-07T21:38:00.000-05:00

Following the earlier post of Jim White, there was a request for this one.

It is worth buying this for the story in the sleeve notes alone, a long tale of the underbelly of America.

It was David Byrne who saw the potential here and it released on his own label. White has remained an outsider to mainstream American music and he's all the better for it. I cannot imagine a major label releasing this, complete with the sleeve story.

Don't need to say more, see the previous post, except that White made a DVD about this album and its a corker, go to

http://hardcountry.wordpress.com/2007/01/29/divine-guerrilla-scrapping-a-review-of-searching-for-the-wrong-eyed-jesus/

This review leads to a trailer

A must have.

Links and album information in comments

Jim White - Drill A Hole In That Substrate... And Tell Me What You See 2004 (Americana) Var bitrate

2007-02-06T23:47:00.000-05:00

Jim White writes like a Southern gentlemen. When he released his cryptic debut, Wrong-Eyed Jesus, in 1997, he was approaching 40, and with each record his civil invective and genuine yearning for redemption have become more focused, culminating in an eccentric — yet fully realized — body of work that requires no aging to prove itself worthy. Drill a Hole in That Substrate and Tell Me What You See preens like an alley cat with a bellyful of chicken scraps. The thick veil of gloss that co-producers Joe Henry and Tucker Martine use to coat each of the 11 hypnotic tracks is entirely transparent, resulting in a glass-bottom boat ride that's both cathartic and uncomfortably voyeuristic. White's characters are always teetering on the edge of a bridge, faces cast skyward, wondering if whatever it is that's left them might swoop down just seconds before the first shoe drops. He meets his subjects on level ground, allowing them to speak through him as well as serve as their master's mouthpiece. On the spooky Tom Waits-style dirge "Borrowed Wings," the ghosts of doomed Bonnie and Clyde-cursed lovers weep "For in the fallow field where what's reaped is what's sown/There lies a road to ruin and it's paved with our tombstones." It's not all hellfire and brimstone, though, as evidenced by the goofy Barenaked Ladies collaboration "Alabama Chrome" and the bright — almost hopeful — hidden track, "Land Called Home." There's a deep Southern gothic vibe at work here that brings to mind the Spanish moss meanderings of Daniel Lanois' For the Beauty of Wynona, but it's the shadow of Waits that always gets the last word; "If Jesus Drove a Motor Home" sounds like a cross between something off of The Black Rider and the theme to The Sopranos, but it's interesting that despite all of the celebrity guests (Aimee Mann, Bill Frisell, M. Ward), it's White's self-produced tracks that mirror their creator's sewn up — but still bleeding a little — heart.

All Music Guide

Jim White is probably described as left field Americana, typified by his debut , Wrong-Eyed Jesus, a twisted view of American rural life. The cover notes for that album alone justify its purchase. This album is a little more mellow in content, but is no lesser an album for that.

Some great tracks, "Static On The Radio", " If Jesus Drove A Motor Home" typify the album's content.

Highly recommended.

Link in comments.

Robert Fripp & Brian Eno - "Evening Star" (1975) @320

2007-02-06T10:40:00.000-05:00

Evening Star (1975) is an album by the British ambient musicians Robert Fripp and Brian Eno.

The first three tracks are serene, gentle tape-looped guitar textures performed by Robert Fripp and accented with treatments, synthesizer and piano by Brian Eno.

Track four, "Wind on Wind", is an excerpt from Eno’s solo project Discreet Music, which was released after this album. Eno had originally intended Fripp to use the material which became Discreet Music as a backing tape to play over in improvised live performances.

The second half of the album is a dissonant twenty-eight minute piece of drone music titled "An Index of Metals", in which guitar notes are accumulated in a loop, with distortion increasing as the track progresses.

Evening Star", the second collaboration between Robert Fripp and Brian Eno, finds the pair operating in much the same environment as their first collaboration-- Fripp performs as a guitarist, soloing over loops developed via a system of tape looping invented by Eno termed "Frippertronics". The difference is that by this point, Eno's ideas for ambient music were developed muhc further and the album reflects it.

The first side contains four brief tracks-- three Frippertronics performance and one excerpt from the soon-to-be-released "Discreet Music". Fripp's three performances are staggering-- his performance is nothing short of inspired and the loops provide an intriguing bed for him to work on. Of particular note is the title track, "Evening Star", built around a simple clean-tone guitar riff and harmonics, Fripp solos in fuzz tone in an overwhelmingly delicate and powerful mode. The excerpt from "Discreet Music"-- clocking in at just under three minutes of a thirty minute track-- is a great teaser for one of Eno's great pieces and is likely to leave any unitiated thirsting for more (and "Discreet Music" is a worthwhile endeavor).

The second side is one lengthy track-- "An Index of Metals", and finds Fripp layering distorted (although not in the Led Zeppelinish sense) guitar line upon distorted guitar line until a mush of dissonance takes over. The resulting sound is haunting and brooding and develops nicely over the nearly half hour it spans.

This is a work of sheer beauty. The title track is magnificant pastoral of a simple piano progression and Fripp's soaring guitar and is worth the price of admission. The 'second side' is the abstract 'Index of Metals' 20-odd minutes of layered guitar and synth loops under some of the most beautiful axe-work Mr. Fripp has unleashed. The soon-to-be-dubbed "Frippertronics" technique is shown here in all of it's glory, tape saturation and decay...missing in the digital technique adds texture and timbre. No, this is NOT for everybody, but try a taste....it could become one of your favorite albums (as it is mine)

It seems that neither Fripp nor Eno could do no wrong in the mid '70s-- the two were standing on the edge of music and turned out countless brilliant albums, "Evening Star" is no exception. Highly recommended.

Track listing

1. "Wind on Water" – 5:30
2. "Evening Star" – 7:48
3. "Evensong" – 2:53
4. "Wind on Wind" – 2:56
5. "An Index of Metals" – 28:36

Personnel

* Robert Fripp - guitar
* Brian Eno - tape loops, synthesizer, piano

Enjoy!
Link in comment:

Tinariwen - Live Womad 2004 (Mali) @ 192

2007-01-31T23:55:00.000-05:00

Tinariwen is a Tuareg group that performs in a Middle Eastern/African style similar to artists like Ali Farka Toure or Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. All of the musicians originating from the southern Sahara, the group's name, meaning "empty places," is a reflection of their lands of origin. The band formed in the rebel camps of Colonel Ghadaffi, as each of the musicians had been forced from their nomadic lifestyle into involuntary military service. Surrounded by a displaced nation of their peers, Tinariwen forged a new style of music, trading their traditional lutes and shepherd's flutes for electric guitars and drums. The style that resulted was dubbed Tishoumaren, "the music of the unemployed." Their music addressed issues such as political awakening, problems of exile, repression of their people, and demands of sovereignty. In a region with no postal or telephone system, their tapes soon became a grassroots voice of rebellion and a rallying point for a disenfranchised nation.

All Music Guide

This is a soundboard and is very good quality, but I could not find a better bit rate, so apologies.

I took the photo at Womadelaide from the same tour. Its shaky for one good reason, you cannot listen to Tinariwen live and remain still. It is hypnotic, rhythmic and above all the sound of 3 Fender guitars and one Fender Bass with singing, chanting underpinned by a single drum.

This is a very different show to the ones I saw here in Adelaide and very different again from their second last album "Amassakoul " This really is an essential purchase, this show only a taster.

None of the tracks are listed and I have not tried to identify them, that would be too much effort, so apologies in advance.

Enjoy!

Link in comments

Planxty - Cold Blow And The Rainy Night @224 1974

2007-01-31T21:08:00.000-05:00

A total change of direction again. From singer-songwriter (Cockburn), reggae-dub (King Tubby), now Irish traditional.

If your belief is that this music is like Foster & Allen or the Irish Rovers, you couldn't be more wrong, so firstly dispel all of those preconceptions from your mind and listen with an open mind. You'll thank yourself for doing so.

Stunning playing from all and some of the best Irish music that you'll hear from the premier band of its genre. They were regarded in their homeland as heroes and I agree.

A few standout tracks: " The Green Fields Of Canada" Truly beautiful, mournful ballad sung so passionately that it'll have you in tears. "Baneasa's Green Glade/ Mominsko Horo" from Andy Irvine, a wonderful song with a great piece of Balkan music attached at the end. Just brilliant!

I cannot recommend this enough.

Andy Irvine
Donal Lunny
Liam O Floinn
Christy Moore

You may notice a few familiar names here, it really was a supergroup, but unlike most such bands, they really did transend their individual parts.

1 Johnny Cope
2 Polkas: Dennis Murphy's Polka/The £42 Cheque/John Ryan's Polka
3 Cold Blow And The Rainy Night
4 "P" Stands For Paddy, I Suppose
5 Reels: The Old Torn Petticoat/The Dublin Reel/The Wind That Shakes The Barley
6 Baneasa's Green Glade/ Mominsko Horo
7 The Little Drummer
8 The Lakes Of Pontchartrain
9 The Hare In The Corn/The Frost Is All Over/The Gander In The Pratie Hole
10 The Green Fields Of Canada

Enjoy!

Link in comments

King Tubby & Scientist - King Tubby's Meets Scientist At Dub Station @ 256 1980's

2007-01-31T20:47:00.000-05:00

King Tubby's Meets Scientist at Dub Station is another master-and-apprentice collaboration. Scientist helps King Tubby update his style to fit the '80s and reggae's digital era. Roots fans will cringe at the digitalized version of the Upsetters' "Return to Django," but much of the album is solid dub with more sonic effects than the average '70s dub album. The dubs work well because the effects that are used don't clutter the tracks. The touches King Tubby and Scientist put on the instrumentals are subtle and well placed. The third track, "Ghetto Dub," is by far the masterpiece of the album. The fuzz-tone guitar is worked and effected, locking up the bass and drums. "Ghetto Dub" alone stands as a reason to buy the album. Reggae and fuzz-toned guitar go together incredibly well, but the combination was not overly used on roots or digital records. King Tubby's Meets Scientist at Dub Station is a consistent album that bridges the gap between King Tubby's roots records and Scientist's electronic dubs.

Matt Whalley, All Music Guide

Soljie - Engineer
Barnabus - Engineer
Desmond Phillips - Compilation, Compilation Producer
Jah Thomas - Arranger, Producer, Compilation Producer, Compilation
King Tubby - Engineer, Mixing, Main Performer
Roots Radics - ?, Musician
Peter Chemist - Engineer
Scientist - Engineer, Performer, Mixing

Enjoy!

Link in comments

Bruce Cockburn - Circles In The Stream 1977 @ 320

2007-01-31T03:53:00.001-05:00

"Recorded live in Toronto in the spring of 1977, 'Circles in the Stream' captures Bruce Cockburn at the peak of his creative powers with a band capable of reaching the highest heights and ready to follow him anywhere."

So it states at the Rounder Records website for the 2005 re-release. In reality this is another Cockburn masterpiece, even though it features live versions (recorded in Toronto) of songs already released on studio albums.

Here, however, Cockburn takes already fine songs to a new level. "Never So Free" is just wonderful, lovely guitar, evocative lryics, great singing. " Deer Dancing Round A Broken Mirror" is a demonstration on just how brilliant and undervalued he is as a fingerpicking guitar player.

There are no weak tracks here, just enjoy a great singer/songwriter/guitarist at the peak of his powers! (So they were right after all)

Tracks:

1 the pipes. the pipes.
2 starwheel
3 never so free
4 deer dancing round a broken mirror
5 homme brûlant
6 free to be
7 mama just wants to barrelhouse all night long
8 cader idris
9 arrows of light
10 one day i walk
11 love song
12 red brother red sister
13 lord of the starfields
14 all the diamonds in the world
15 dialogue with the devil
16 joy will find a way
17 god, bless the children

Bruce Cockburn - vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, dulcimer

Bill Usher - vocals, percussion

Ray MacKay - bagpipe

Pat Godfrey - keyboards

Robert Boucher - bass guitar

Recorded: Massey Hall, Toronto, Canada, 1977

Links in comments

Shpongle - "Nothing Lasts... But Nothing Is Lost" [2005] @ 320 (Psdychedelic Progressive Electronic)

2007-01-26T17:10:00.000-05:00

Review taken from Barcodezine:

The third, and supposedly final Shpongle album, which seems rather a pity because having just discovered Shpongle I am more than a little impressed. Nothing Lasts But Nothing Is Lost has been marketed as an ambient album, but that appears a little misleading -there are far too many uptempo beats littered all over this extraordinary album to call it that.

Simon Posford & Raja Ram are the twosome behind this orgy of ethereal electronica, a 20-track album that sounds like few I’ve encountered before. This is a tour de force of sophisticated, electronic-driven world music, featuring Brazilan beats, flamenco guitars, soaring ethnic vocals and trancey synth tracks that bristle with lush melodies and a rich vein of ideas. From the first track to the last, Nothing Lasts never stops metamorphosing and re-energising itself, each track expertly blended into the next, and more often than not, memorable in their own way.

The album begins in ambient fashion, with Botanical Dimensions, where blurred children’s chants and melodic chimes build into crisp beats and winding bass notations overlapping the sound of Amazonian birdsong. In turn, this drifts into Outer Shpongolia, where vibey acoustic guitars play melodically before enchanting female vocals wind over trippy beats. Later in the track there’s some very clever vocal manipulation, insinuating that Shpongle’s sound is not only captivatingly melodic, but contemporary and explorative. Levitation Nation then explodes into life, a deep club track augmented by a sea of flamenco guitars – beautifully produced – this can’t fail to move you.

Ok, so far you’re probably thinking “So what? This is nothing that Deep Forest, Enigma or Delerium haven’t already done?” But Shpongle soon blast that theory out the window – as Schmaltz Herring sees the duo produce the sort of spikey club trance remix that blows away the manufactured remixed dross that many labels come up with. In other words, this is dancefloor fare that doesn’t sell out, all Shpongle's own work and ideas, and as Schmaltz Herring fades out, it mutates into a haunting, dark piano track that spirals into a feast of weird and wonderful electronic transformations.

Elswhere, …But Nothing Is Lost features weirdly psychedelic synth solos, merged with a mixture of live and programmed percussion, before fascinating with some clever programmed electro-trickery. As the album continues it gets increasingly bizarre, almost too eclectic for its own good, as songs morph themselves inside-out in a state of constant flux, it’s hard to tell where one starts and another ends, but every 3 or 4 minutes it the album tends to return to a consistent theme.

Other highlights? Try Invocation, which is on a par with Natacha Atlas, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say that Shpongle ever reaches the depths of authenticity that Dead Can Dance might provide, they’re too busy getting busy. Besides, Molecular Superstructure is more comparable to Amon Tobin than anything else – another excellent instrumental track.

The totality of Nothing Lasts really is almost undescribable, this is such a rich and varied album – and it never seems to end, it’s like a runaway train of ideas. There’s more going on in this album than 10 Enigma albums, and it’s certainly a kick up the arse for the saccarine sweet dross that Delerium have been producing lately. Both should see it as a challenge to get back to their best.

Very Highly Recommended!!

Tracklisting:
1. Botanical Dimensions (4:37)
2. Outer Shpongolia (2:33)
3. Levitation Nation (3:40)
- Timbales - Ott
4. Periscopes Of Consciousness (1:54)
- Bass - Simon Posford
5. Schmaltz Herring (2:21)
- Timbales - Ott
6. Nothing Lasts... (4:28)
7. Shnitzled In The Negev (4:18)
8. ...But Nothing Is Lost (4:39)
9. When Shall I Be Free? (4:37)
- Bass - Simon Posford
10. The Stamen Of The Shamen (4:11)
11. Circuits Of The Imagination (3:12)
12. Linguistic Mystic (1:36)
13. Mentalism (2:54)
14. Invocation (2:40)
15. Molecular Superstructure (4:47)
16. Turn Up The Silence (3:22)
17. Exhalation (2:16)
18. Connoisseur Of Hallucinations (3:31)
- Electric Guitar - Pete Callard
19. The Nebbish Route (3:36)
- Producer, Written-By, Electric Guitar - Pete Callard
20. Falling Awake (1:50)
- Producer, Written-By - Pete Callard

Keep Listening!!!!

Links are in comments...

Armin Van Buuren - "Shivers" [2005] @ 320 (Trance)

2007-01-24T02:52:00.000-05:00

Armin van Buuren is a happy man, and with good reason. Holding firm at Number 3 in the prestigious public-voted DJ Top 100, he's making the transition from talented young upstart to leading light in the echelons of trance. But it's not just Armin who's growing. Like a fine wine, trance is also aging nicely, leaving behind the awkward uncertainty of its teens to become more confident, self-assured and widely informed. Affronted by the cheesy tag that dogged it for a brief time, real trance has continued to grow unabated, and Armin's output reflects the quality tracks on offer to those looking further than the mainstream chart racks. "I think trance is becoming a broader term for a lot of different genres; it's no longer a specific kind of music within the dance scene," says Armin, widely credited with creating the blueprint track for the genre, Blue Fear, at the tender age of 19. "Trance has elements of all different types of music. I play a lot of tracks that are labelled as progressive, tribal progressive, techno, trance, euphoric trance, vocal trance, melodic progressive. These days it's really hard to label a specific sound. 2004 especially has shown that a lot of styles are mutating and evolving into this all-over new sound, which is basically dance music going back to its roots. There's so much good music out there and I don't want to limit myself to just one style."

This is Armin’s second artist album (his debut artist album 76 was released in 2003 and was nominated for a Dancestar Award for “Best Debut Album” in the US) and features a variety of guest vocalists and producers including Dutch celebrity pianist and composer Jan Vayne, former Genesis (post-Phil Collins) singer Ray Wilson and Justine Suissa, who collaborated with Armin on his smash hit single from 2004, “Burned With Desire.”

Shivers was recorded over the last two years primarily in Amsterdam, San Francisco (with Gabriel & Dresden), Miami (with Markus Schulz and Mic Burns) and New York (with Nadia Ali of iio). The first single from Shivers is the title track and it’s already making its mark on the international trance scene and as a Top 40 hit (Armin’s fifth) in his native Holland.

Other songs on the album of note are “Serenity” which will be the official anthem of Sensation White, the world’s largest indoor rave, and “Golddigger” featuring the luscious vocals of Rosemary’s Sons’ Martijn Hagens. “Shivers is a major step for me into full songwriting,” says Armin. “I was a co-writer on most of the lyrics and was able to workin a variation of styles. Trance will always be the main thing but it brings a different element when you collaborate with artists. It requires more attention to song structure than instrumental tracks. This is a work I’m extremely proud of.”

Highly Recommended!!

Tracklisting:
1. Wall Of Sound (ft. Justine Suissa) (6:25)
2. Empty State (ft. Mic Burns) (7:30)
3. Shivers (7:33)
4. Golddigger (ft. Martijn Hagens) (4:46)
5. Zocalo (ft. Gabriel & Dresden) (8:40)
6. Gypsy (ft. Ray Wilson) (5:24)
7. Who Is Watching (ft. Nadia Ali) (5:08)
8. Bounce Back (ft. Remy & R.Klinkenberg) (7:34)
9. Control Freak (8:08)
10. Serenity (ft. Jan Vayne) (8:52)
11. Hymne (2:46)

Total Time: 72:45

** Track 11 is a hidden track and is part of track 10 on the CD

Stay Tuned For More!!!

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Paul van Dyk - "Out There and Back" (limited edition 2CD set) [2000] @ 256 (Trance)

2007-01-02T23:58:00.000-05:00

Perhaps the finest offering from German trance guru, Paul van Dyk, Out There and Back features some of his most memorable and emotive trance tracks of his career...

The first disc, a seamless mix from beginning to end, opens with the relatively benign, "Vega", then picks up the pace a bit with "Pikes". One of the best tracks, "Another Way", is one of the most straightforward and emotive in the mix, and perhaps my favorite track ever by PvD. "Travelling" and "Columbia" are pure trance bliss. The sweetest moment is when Paul's own wife Natasha provides vocals on "Together We Will Conquer", a lovely and romantic song that illustrates the "softer side" of trance. Another vocal piece, "Tell Me Why" features singer Saint Etienne; it is a bit too pop for me, but a nice track nonetheless. "Face to Face" slows the pace before the first disc begins to wind down (or up depending on your way of looking at it), especially with the next-to-last track, the title-bearing "Out There and Back", which reaches a killer crescendo of ethereal energy before giving way to the (at times repetitivie) closing track, "We Are Alive"

Disc Two opens with the Latin-influenced "Santos" then kicks into high gear almost effortlessly on "Namistai". The feature of this disc is some different tracks, as well as some alternate mixes to some of the tracks already seen on Disc One. Incidentally, this two-disc set is a limited edition, so not all copies you will find will contain this second disc. The original, more stripped-down version of "Another Way" is a quite nice, different rendering of such a great track. I happen to like the Piano Mix of "Face to Face" which has (aha) more piano and a slightly slower feel.

When I bought this set, I was instantly hooked. This was my first taste of trance , and a nice introduction into the genre. Instantly accessible and addictive, PvD's Out There and Back, for me, nicely captures the best elements of the trance genre. I would also add that it is a great album for those who may not have ever given trance a chance, because it is, to my ear, far from typical of the genre, in that it actually focuses a lot on melody and not just rhythm and beats, NOT that it is lacking in either. In closing, I would say this set is Paul van Dyk's true tour-de-force, and the best of his albums I have personally come across.

Very Highly Recommended!!

Tracklisting:
CD 1:
1. Vega (6:03)
2. Pikes (6:59)
3. Another Way (5:24)
4. Travelling (7:10)
5. Avenue (7:29)
6. Tell Me Why (The Riddle) (7:53)
7. Together We Will Conquer (7:23)
8. Face to Face (5:43)
9. Love from Above (5:47)
10. Columbia (5:03)
11. Out There and Back (6:55)
12. We Are Alive (6:28)

CD 1 Total Time: 78:17

CD 2:
1. Santos (7:53)
2. All I Need (4:53)
3. Namistai (8:21)
4. Another Way (Original Version) (5:27)
5. Tell Me Why (Vandit Mix) (7:21)
6. Tell Me Why (Club Mix) (5:54)
7. Face to Face (Piano Mix) (6:13)
8. Together We Will Conquer (Radio Edit) (3:31)

CD 2 Total Time: 49:33

Stay Tuned For More!!!!

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Aphex Twin - "Selected Ambient Works '85-'92" [1992] @ 320

2006-12-28T05:02:00.000-05:00

Two nine foot teddy bears -- a green one and an orange one -- bounce off each other, and roll around. A courier at the door there to pick up a remix of a Lemonheads' track -- the remixer has forgotten about the whole project, and grabs an unfinished song lying around, and gives it to the courier. A tank cruising through the city streets at 45 miles per hour. The man who bought a whole bank building, and lives in its vaults.

It's all part of the Aphex Twin legend. Not actually twins, but one guy named Richard D James. Maybe twins, the cover of the Girl/Boy EP shows a picture of a gravestone that reads "Richard James, November 23, 1968." It's the gravestone of Aphex Twin's stillborn older brother -- soon after, Aphex was born and given the same name. You can't help but be reminded of Elvis Presley's twin brother that died shortly before his birth, buried in an unmarked grave.

Aphex Twin is the Howard Hughes of the electronic world -- a man whose behaviour can so often be as strange as his music. Earlier recordings of strange ambient sounds were inspired by sounds heard in dreams. More recent recordings, like Richard D James Album and the Donkey Rhubard EP (featuring a collaboration with modern classical composer Philip Glass), featured a near perfect synthesis of easy listening, classical leanings, bratty techno, hyperactive drum'n'bass, and other madness. Still more recently, "Come To Daddy (Pappy Mix)" showed a more aggro Aphex Twin in heavy metal mode -- as in the case of Goldie on Saturnzreturn, note the tendency for techno stars to begin singing on certain tracks after they've reached a certain point of celebrity. Aphex Twin has reached it. -- Space Age Bachelor

Review by NatBateman @ Rate Your Music:

On the top of a fortress, given to the highest winds, submitted to the sun, dazzled by the light and never in the corners of shadows, I listen. The first windy notes just have to begin, I suddenly feel wonderfuly in tune with myself. Selected Ambient Works 85-92 will always make me feel like a refugee on a secret island of smoothness, an area of calm, positive vibes. I may be all alone, I do not miss anyone. Something in my mind rule me over my physicality. There is only me, my pleasure and my mind. I forget my body for one time. I penetrate my private territories of loneliness, my paradizes. I feel the wind and the sun, something frozen, some long waves. Well being come inside of me, naturally and I let it come. I forget all that I could need, all that I could want. I close my eyes and I see lands you will never see, fantasies I will never let you see, I visit my own mind as if it was an abandonned light house on the shore under an immense sky and I discover myself, pushing one glass door after an other, increasing each time the size of the immensity that lay inside of me. Without leaving my mind.

This is one of those records that make me be like a total autist, cut from the world, silent, disconnected. Eyes lost nowhere, having in mind images of escaping stronger than my surroundings, I fix a point of reality that I do not even see. Half a content smile on my face: do not even talk to me, I may not even respond anyway. It is a long spiritual experience into my brain, something beyond consciousness and almost on the side of the dreams. With my eyes open.

Very Highly Recommended!!!

Tracklisting:
1. Xtal (4:55)
2. Tha (9:04)
3. Pulsewidth (3:49)
4. Ageispolis (5:21)
5. I (1:15)
6. Green Calx (6:04)
7. Heliosphan (4:54)
8. We Are the Music Makers (7:46)
9. Schottkey 7th Path (5:05)
10. Ptolemy (7:13)
11. Hedphelym (6:03)
12. Delphium (5:28)
13. Actium (7:33)

Total Time: 74:30

Keep Listening!!!!

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Electric Universe - "Silence In Action" [2006] @ VBR 210 (Full-On Goa Trance)

2006-12-22T18:59:00.000-05:00

Taken from PsyNews.org:

One of the definite top releases in 2006 is on its way to you: "Silence in Action" redefines the Electric Universe. Very energetic, pure uplifting fresh Full On psychedelic sound. The perfect dance into the morning. It was produced over a period of 1.5 years, every track is carefully selected and a proven floor burner!

2005 was a very successful year for Electric Universe. Countless live acts all over the globe brought a lot of inspiration for the new, the 8th album "Silence in Action". It contains 10 smash hits from dark night over blissful morning tunes to floating daytime trance. This record brings the unique Electric Universe sound to a totally new level of production quality and content. Ecstatic, psychedelic and Full On. With the track "Tune Up" the album includes amazing vocals from 80ies electro icon Anne Clark, and of course "Meteor" Guitarero Roland Wedig joined with some of his burning chords. The Bomb is a highly explosive guitar fun track, you will see the crowd going totally nuts on that one.

The Self, a killer acid monster, plugs 10.000 Volt into every sound system, please take care of your speaker! And last but not least the closing track Future Excursions, a collaboration with Luca "Four Winds Circle" Szekely is a beautiful hymn for later hours. This record stands out through its highest energy and balance of acid lines, psychedelic melodies and pumping baselines. The usage of latest technology and its innovative sound design give the most futuristic audible results possible in these days. Watch out for the upcoming releases in 2006, Electric Universe-The Remixes, Space Tribe and Electric Universe-ESP colaboration album and Highest Frequencies Compilation.

Tracklisting:
1. Mind Of God (6:44)
2. Tune Up (8:02)
3. The Self (8:54)
4. Multiverse (7:16)
5. Super Position (6:51)
6. Science (8:12)
7. Electric Universe (7:38)
8. The Bomb (7:23)
9. Solar Storm (5:35)
10. Future Excursions (8:51)

Total Time: 75:26

Keep Listening!!!!

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Art of Trance - "The Complete Madagascar Collection" [2002] @ 192 (Trance)

2006-12-22T18:47:00.000-05:00

Review by Jason Birchmeier @ All Music Guide:

As the most recognized guise for Platipus Records chief Simon Berry, Art of Trance has become one of the most esteemed producers of trance, primarily due to the timeless success of "Madagascar" and the growing importance of his record label. Like many of the other mid- to late-'90s producers, Berry discovered his love for electronic dance music after hearing much of the late-'80s Chicago and Detroit tracks that made their way over to Europe. At the age of 19, he followed his impulsive passion and moved to London where he could soak up more of the music he had heard on his record collection. Frequenting clubs such as Troll and Chemistry, he fell in love with Hardfloor's proto-trance classic "Acperience" and set out to make his own take on the sound. The resulting record, Deeper Than Deep, was the first release on his Platipus label and soon caught the attention of Carl Cox. After Cox agreed to remix the track in 1995, it climbed the charts and brought Berry's name to prominent levels. Following this success, Berry collaborated with future Terra Ferma producer Claudio Guisanni as Union Jack, resulting in another hit, "Two Full Moons and a Trout." A year later Berry released a full-length album as Art of Trance on Platipus, Wildlife on One, that furthered his career and also served as one of the first full-length albums to feature the proto-trance sound that was quickly evolving in Germany and the U.K. Unfortunately, just as he was completing his second full-length release in 1997, his studio was burglarized, which was a major setback. Yet he moved on, releasing his biggest hit yet in late 1998, "Madagascar," which climbed the charts with the aid of Ferry Corsten's amazing remix. Then in 1999, his second album, Voice of Earth, finally appeared, solidifying Berry's role within the trance community as one of its top producers.

Highly Recommended!

Tracklisting:
1: Madagascar (Push Mix) (8:00)
2: Madagascar (Ferry Corsten Mix) (6:01)
3: Madagascar (Cygnus X Mix) (6:29)
4: Madagascar (Domination Mix) (8:13)
5: Madagascar (Kumara Mix) (6:23)
6: Madagascar (Transa Mix) (6:23)
7: Madagascar (Original Mix) (7:25)
8: Madagascar (Michael Woods Mix) (7:35)

Total Time: 56:29

Keep Listening!!!!

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Electric Universe - "Unify" [2002] @ 192 (Trance)

2006-12-21T23:55:00.000-05:00

Review taken from MAIA (Music And Image Art):

Being an accomplished name amongst the global trance scene, producer and composer Boris Blenn´s established project Electric Universe stands for immaculate audio quality and stirring melodies. Over the years Electric Universe´s previous albums and dancefloor hits have been a synonym for prime time party moments of anthemic character.

Introducing this album, the title "Solylun" launches in true Electric Universe fashion and also resembles close ties to the artist's residence and work place, the magic island Ibiza. Demonstrating professional improvement in production quality, formally trained audio engineer Boris Blenn has incorporated a plethora of trance FX noises and themes; building on his trademark synth pads and delayed melody grooves, finding expression in tracks such as "Activate" or "Impulse". Building in emotional tension the album cumulates in tracks such as "Exciter", the previously released "Embrace It" and finally "Transmission".

A remarkable change in tone on this album are the track's infectious grooves and filtered loops, that in combination with Electric Universe´s warm basslines and soaring melodies make a mesmerizing trance experience for day and night. Unify finishes with two ambient works, "Jetzt" being released on the "Global Psychedelic Chill Out Vol. III". The closing track "Gayatri" is an adaption of a most ancient Sanskrit mantra, which when uttered expands a certain vibration to elevate global consciousness.

A prominent trait of Electric Universe´s music is its undeniably trancey feel and cosmic melodies. This makes Unify a fantastic listening and dancing experience for seasoned fans and new comers alike, who will get a thorough retrospective of many popular trance elements packaged in a well assembled and enthralling tour of the 'Electric Universe'.

Highly Recommended!!

Tracklisting:
1. Solylun (6:49)
2. Activate (6:56)
3. Fire Wire (7:21)
4. Lumiere (8:41)
5. Impulse (7:23)
6. Exciter (8:54)
7. Embrace it (7:38)
8. Transmission (6:39)
9. Jetzt (5:51)
10. Gayatri (8:01)

Total Time: 74:13

Keep Listening!!!!

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Update...

2006-12-21T23:35:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to fill some of you in on what's going on lately. I have been taking kind of a breather from blogging the last few days, alot going on. The christmas season is here, and that is not really all that's going on. The love of my life, our fellow contributor Flowerjewel77 has moved in with me. Finally, things are as they should be! So, needless to say, I have been a little pre-occupied as of late. I have made a few appearances over on the newly founded Prog Not Frog Forum, take a visit over there and see what is going on there, feel free to sign up and make some contributions of your own, if you like! Anyways, I have decided to showcase some of my other tastes on this blog for the next few posts, after all, that was the reason for it's inception in the first place...

I am, at heart, a Progressive Rock fan. That is not to say that that is all that I like, as a few of my posts already have shown here. Electronic music is another thing that I like a bit of as well. Although I am very limited in my knowledge and experience with the genre, there are a few areas that I like, the top few artists imho have been posted already. Orbital, Shpongle, Infected Mushroom are all tops in their respected fields. There are a few more stand out artists, while not quite matching up to the strength of these 3, still deserve to be introduced and heard. That is the purpose of the next few posts. I hope that some of you like this stuff, and if not, maybe you can try something new out and expand your horizons. Still, if it is not your thing, then just wait a few days, and some more Prog/Fusion masterpieces will be back....

Keep Listening!!!!

Katsuhiro Otomo's "Akira" [1988] (Anime)

2006-12-05T03:49:00.000-05:00

Plot summary taken from Movies.com:

AKIRA begins on July 16, 1988, when what was believed to be an atomic bomb was dropped on Tokyo, completely destroying the city and marking the beginning of WWIII. Thirty-one years later, Neo-Tokyo has sprung from the ruins of the old city and is experiencing a prolonged period of civil unrest caused by student uprisings, political instability, and, most destructively, biker gangs. One of the members of these biker gangs, Tetsuo, is detained by the military after a near accident with a strange young boy. After recognizing innate psychic ability in him, the military begins using Tetsuo as a test subject to channel Akira, a source of unimaginable power and the cause of the explosion that destroyed the original Tokyo. However, the military's plan backfires, and instead of locating the source of Akira's power, Tetsuo becomes a medium for it. Endowed with incredible psychic powers that make every one of his destructive impulses a reality, Tetsuo begins to go on a rampage that threatens to completely annihilate Neo Tokyo. Combining a complex science-fiction universe with intricately detailed animation and phantasmagoric images, AKIRA is a stunning visual experience and a disturbing vision of the future.

Review by Marc @ Anime World:

AKIRA is widely considered the definitive classic of anime. Based on the acclaimed manga series by Katsuhiro Otomo, it was the highest-budget anime film ever produced at the time and one of the first of the "modern" anime films to be released in the US, and even as it approaches two decades old it is still a technical tour de force. Its well-realized cyberpunk setting, dark, layered plot, and disturbing vision of power run amok make it far more than just a visual spectacle--it's clear why it has grabbed the guts, eyes, and imagination of two generations of anime fans.

In essence, AKIRA is the sort of film that gets better if you watch it several times, so you can start to pick out some of the plot threads hinted at. Better yet, read the manga first so you're already prepared for it and can just sit back and enjoy the ride.

And what a ride it is. Even putting aside the eye candy, the roller coaster of a story is full of hard-hitting action and all that convoluted plot can be just as much an asset as a hinderance if you look at it right. At the center are a couple of down-to-earth, relatively believable punk kids who give you something to hold on to during the tempest.

Tetsuo is the most interesting of it--an everyday angry kid gifted with psychic powers of truly frightening scale and as tortured by them as he is hollowly empowered. His torment, god complex, and desperate breakdown give an emotional center to events that are otherwise drastically out of human scale.

That scale is, perhaps more than anything, what makes AKIRA so memorable; there are many tales of psychics and power run amok, but few if any that so viscerally portray out-of-control power. Tetsuo's experiences are like the twisted reality of a fever hallucination given form, yet at the same time frighteningly concrete and, eventually, of apocalyptic scale. There are disturbing scenes and images that, love them or hate them, will be burned into your mind well after the film ends.

Otomo obviously has a fascination with this specific sort of uncontrolled power; variations of it are featured prominently in AKIRA, Roujin Z, The Order to Stop Construction, and even to a degree the climax of Metropolis. This idea of a "monster" that grows organically, uncontrollably, and unstoppably, subsuming everything around it, at least for me, taps into something fundamentally frightening in the human subconscious--it is exactly the sort of nightmare image that terrified me as a child. In most of his films, the creature going wild isn't even malicious in its intent, but the image of a sort of "macro scale virus"--growing out of control and becoming one with its surroundings in an effort to survive--is a powerful one.

There are also images of out of control power of an entirely different sort--snapshot scenes of social unrest that look like something right off the nightly news. These capture the eye and the mind for an entirely different reason, since they are exactly the sort of torrent that any of us might one day find ourselves caught up in.

As for the visuals, there's little that needs to be said; truly an animated masterpiece, AKIRA is full, theatrical-quality, Disney-grade animation portraying a dark cyberpunk future, brutal violence of the most realistic sort, and eventually a crescendo of nightmarish supernatural power. The backgrounds are dense and exquisitely detailed, the animation uniformly fluid, and the action razor-sharp and brutally concrete. I have only one complaint: The character designs are faithful to Otomo's originals, which means that nearly all the teenagers look the same, regardless of sex. I exaggerate slightly, but portraying variety among the young isn't his strong point.

The music deserves special note; a unique and powerful mix of traditional Japanese themes and pounding industrial beats, it in and of itself is something of an experimental masterpiece. Some scenes are backed with guttural vocalizing and driving percussion, others with an airy chorus, Buddhist chanting, or even Noh drama, all woven together into something mesmerizing. A soundtrack unlike any other.

In all, AKIRA may feature a plot that is weird, only partially explained, rather confusing, and not for everyone, but the nightmarish, apocalyptic visions will be hard to take your eyes off of, and I'm not exaggerating when I say the lush visuals are the rule by which all other anime is measured. AKIRA is such a classic, and so visually striking, that any anime fan should see it at least once, and many will want to watch it again and again to more fully appreciate the density of the plot.

Very Highly Recommended!!!!

Format: AVI video (Plays with VLC Media Player)

Size: 699 MB

Director: Katsuhiro Otomo

Writer: Izou Hashimoto

Status: On DVD (Click HERE to buy it)

Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Release Year: 1988 (DVD released in 2004)

Running Time: 124 minutes

Rating: R - Contains violence and some profanity. Suitable for viewers aged 16 and older.

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Geinoh Yamashirogumi - "Akira (Official Soundtrack)" [1987] @ 320

2006-12-04T23:20:00.000-05:00

Review taken from Grantgoodmorrow.com:

If I may bend the rules of English for a moment, you can’t NOT pay attention to the Akira soundtrack. It really grabs your attention and puts you into the surreal world that director Katsuhiro Otomo presents in the movie. By the way, don’t listen to the Akira soundtrack if you’re looking for your next fave JPop song because it’s not here.

Scored by Shoji Yamashiro and performed by his group, Geinoh Yamashirogumi, Akira flaunts and exorbitant sense of music structure and composition—it’s as if the songs are penned via mathematical formula. The Yamashirogumi is a musical group that promotes the fusion of traditional instruments with new technology, and the result on Akira is incredible. Synthetic sounds blend with tribal drumming and chanting to form one of the best OST/movie combinations I’ve ever run across.

Fortunately, there are copious liner notes accompanying the CD, detailing what instruments are used, how the track relates to the movie and what sort of mood Yamashiro was looking for. This is good because it’s easy to get lost in some of the songs due to their lengths. However, the notes aren’t always helpful, like when Yamashiro says in his notes for “Winds Over Neo-Tokyo,” “It starts off chromatically with tonal instability, but is actually constructed with pentatonic structure.”

There might be fifteen people who own the Akira OST and can understand that. Thanks for the knowledge, though.

It’s hard to take apart the soundtrack song-by-song because the whole is definitely greater than the sum of the parts. On their own, the songs more than likely won’t make any sense to the listener, and may even be a bit boring. However, when you hear the percussive theme from “Kaneda” show up in “Battle Against Clown,” not only is it really cool, but helps to illustrate the action on the screen (since Kaneda was indeed fighting it out with the Clown gang).

Despite that, there are some standout tracks here, and they deserve a bit of singling out.

The first is Tetsuo’s theme. At over 10 minutes, it does a great job mirroring Tetsuo’s changing character during the course of the movie. Beginning with some percussion via the gamelan (an Indonesian instrument), “Tetsuo” slowly evolves into a hugely complex number through the addition of chanting, more drum lines and synthesizer. A chill quiet falls over the song just past the six-minute mark before reverting to the simple gamelan rhythm of the beginning that repeats to the end.

I’ll be honest; “Dolls’ Polyphony” scares the hell out of me. Yamashiro makes full use of stereo imaging, with the repeated words “piron” and “poron” seeming to come from every direction. The base piron-ing fades out slightly to some more emphatic pirons, in advance of deep male chanting that takes over the song. Put your headphones on, fall asleep with this on repeat and see what kind of crazy dreams you have.

“Shohmyoh,” which is based on Buddhist chanting, also gives me the tinglies, but in a good way this time. As the song progresses, the chanting builds in fervor, with the occasional chime added for punctuation. Synth percussion and guitar slowly begin to appear around the middle, just before a shift in mood around six minutes in. The chanting changes from religious to ritualistic and again builds in passion. The frenetic pace continues all the way to the end, before a heavy drum hit stops everything cold.

With nearly 14:00 of music conforming to the structure used in the traditional Japanese theatre of “Noh,” “Illusion” is more or less a recreation of the Akira storyline as if it were a Noh play. There’s a really cool old-school feel to the song, which is thrown off by a random angry chord at a couple different points. “Illusion,” performed live in studio according to the liner notes, absolutely highlights the Yamashirogumi creed of traditional meeting high tech. The last 30 seconds are pretty intense, as a growling synth is added to the Noh performance.

Saving the best for last, “Requiem” does a fantastic job of recounting each of the preceding tracks, reliving them once again. There’s a brief appearance of Kaneda’s theme, followed by some almost hymnal chanting (replete with Latin lyrics that say, “Tetsuo, rest in peace”) and a bit of pipe organ. At eight and half minutes, a sort of Buddhist mantra blends seamlessly with the hymnal chanting, before being joined by the percussion and vocals found so much in the first few songs. It’s more than 14 and a half dark, brooding and oppressive minutes that still manages to be a soft and gentle ending to a disc full of musical wizardry.

Highly Recommended!!!

Tracklisting:
1. Kaneda (3:12)
2. The Battle Against the Clowns (3:39)
3. Winds Over Neo-Tokyo (2:50)
4. Tetsuo (10:20)
5. Doll's Polyphony (2:57)
6. Shohmyoh (10:12)
7. Mutation (4:52)
8. Exodus From The Underground Fortress (3:20)
9. Illusion (13:58)
10. Requiem (14:25)

Total Time: 69:45

Keep Listening!!!!

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Shpongle - "Tales Of The Inexpressible" [2001] @ 256 (Electronic World Music)

2006-11-27T15:43:00.000-05:00

Shpongle is considered to be one of the most important and influential psychedelic downtempo or Psybient music projects of recent years. The members are Simon Posford (aka Hallucinogen) and Raja Ram (one third of The Infinity Project). Their sound is a mix mainly consisting of sampled eastern ethnic instruments and western contemporary synthesizer-based psychedelic music. Posford is responsible for the synth and studio work while Raja Ram contributes with flute arrangements. They are both responsible for the visionary input. According to one interview, they commonly visualize the music together before they create it, and during the creation process.

Review 1 by Mark Ainley:

The title of the new Shpongle album, Tales of the Inexpressible (however you choose to spell it), is more than appropriate. The first album continues to defy description, and we have long been expecting the second one; it does not disappoint but it is very different than we might have anticipated. There is a strong presence of world music, and lots more vocals, yet the other-worldly is brought into play in more novel ways.

We had no expectations for the first album, and should not have any for this one. Although it is in many ways more accessible to listeners unfamiliar to the world of psychedelic trance and ambient, it may be even more psychedelic than its predecessor. Alan Watts once quoted GK Chesterton as saying “it is one thing to look with amazement at a gorgon or a griffin, a creature who does not exist, but it is quite another thing to look at a hippopotamus, a creature which does exist, but looks as if he does not.” By toying with world music, Simon and Raja (with the help of various cohorts - the live act will have 6 performers, including a cellist) have shown the inherently psychedelic nature of different traditional forms of music already in existence on our planet.

Several numbers have a Latin theme, among them the opening “Dorset Perception,” the second part of “Star shpongled banner,” and much of “My head feels like a Frisbee.” There are nevertheless plenty of Simon’s trademark gurgling voices, “Divine Moments of Truth”-ish digitalized vocals, and freeflow flute playing. The cheering choruses in “Star shpongled banner,” “A new way to say ‘hooray’” and “Room 23” (the title of which will delight conspiracy theorists) add a tremendous sense of upliftment, themselves symbolically becoming the cheers of the DMT elves referred to in Terrance McKenna’s sampled explanations of his favorite alternate reality.

“Shpongleyes” features bouncy rhythms and atonal instrumental madness by Raj’s flute and Simon’s synths, along with the lightest and best breakbeats that I have ever heard. “Once upon the sea of blissful awareness” is a dreamy instrumental soundscape with beautiful singing, illustrating how lounge singing could develop into a more exotic and appreciated art form. The vocalist (I don’t know who she is but she’s got a great voice) sings of seeing beauty, and it is easy to do so when presented with music like this.

The masterpiece of the disc is undoubtedly “Around the world in a tea daze.” The melodies put me in mind of Simon’s early work (very similar to some of the recently released and still unreleased Purple Om tracks), but this is not to say that it is recycled - this is a reminder of the sound of the world from which we are dreaming our present reality, that magical sense of joyful mystery expressed with mind-bending harmony that made so many Hallucinogen tracks so powerful. The sampled male and female singing (the man is singing in Turkish, but a Turk friend of mine said that the woman was not) add a grounding human element, and the last third of the track becomes what could be the best kicking tune I have ever heard - it is a dream Hallucinogen track, with a stunningly driving percussion loop, magically superimposed layers, and a harmonic development that shows how properly constructed melodic music can be psychedelic and uplifting without being cheesy. It is reminiscent of the blend of opera and dance music as in The Fifth Element, when the Diva was singing while the Fifth Element was battling the bad guys, and it is the best piece of music I have heard in eons. A dessert of “Flute fruit” is a welcome come-down after this full-on sensory feast.

Throughout the album, the engineering is so transparent as to make even Simon’s other work sound thick. The layering is astonishingly clear, the sounds incredibly sharp - the production itself sets a new standard for producers of electronic music, let alone the musical content. This album should definitely appeal to experienced musical psychonauts (who may have to open their minds a bit, a process which should not have ceased with the discovery of trance) as well as to people less experienced with the music that those on this list have come to love. May it inspire the musical revolution that it has the potential to.

Review 2 by Iai @ Rate Your Music:

Very few albums in my collection are as effortlessly brilliant as Tales Of The Inexpressible. And effortless is exactly the right word. Shpongle's music stands with one foot in world music and one foot in progressive house/psytrance, and they make the two sound like perfect partners. Nothing on this album is forced. It all flows perfectly, from genre to genre, easy-going gem to easy-going gem. Despite being a record made with dancing in mind, it's relaxing - not to mention mind-expanding (the artwork is a perfect twin for the music), cool, and consistently fantastic.

Very Highly Recommended!!!!

Tracklisting:
1. Dorset Perception (8:12)
- Vocals: Michele Adamson
2. Star Shpongled Banner (8:23)
3. A New Way To Say "Hooray!" (8:32)
4. Room 2ૐ (5:05)
5. My Head Feels Like A Frisbee (8:52)
6. Shpongleyes (8:56)
7. Once Upon The Sea Of Blissful Awareness (7:30)
- Backing Vocals: Michele Adamson
- Vocals: Abigail Gorton
8. Around The World In A Tea Daze (11:21)
- Vocals: Abigail Gorton
9. Flute Fruit (2:09)

Total Time: 69:00

Keep Listening!!!!

Links are in comments...

Orbital - "In Sides (Limited Edition 2CD Set)" [1996] @ 256 (Progressive Electronic Music)

2006-11-25T05:16:00.000-05:00

Review compiled from 2 by Kieran Wyatt & Stuart Muirhead:

"I do not like it. There are too many notes." Thus did the King of Prussia reputedly dismiss one of Mozart's great requiem masses, to the fury of the master composer and freewheeling Shaun Ryder of his day. His Majesty was obviously something of an embryonic Northern Uproar fan, for his is an attitude that persists to this day: that simplicity and honesty are always identical, and that any attempts to map out more complex musical or emotional terrain must therefore be the work of unhealthily perfumed pompadour. Or- more latterly- shandy-drinking student twats.

Well, it's home time for you, Proper Music fans, because this fourth album by Orbital has too much everything: too many notes, too many diversions, a surfeit of colour, invention, spirit, moods, character and humour in every department... and then a little more too. Since "Chime" in 1989, it's always been clear that Phil and Paul Hartnoll were interested in more than simply establishing a bridgehead between rush-mongering rave and techno's spiralling intricacies. Of their contemporaries, Liam Howlett and Leftfield want to win sales and respect for the underground, Aphex Twin and Underworld want to take techno on a dadaist art trip. But, from the lush, ambitious arrangements of Orbital's "brown" album in 1992, and the systems-music experiments on 1994's Snivilisation, you could tell the Hartnolls were playing for bigger numbers. They want to make music that's as accepted on Radio 3 as it is to Pete Tong- 21st century classical music you can dance to. With In Sides, they've succeeded.

It's a long record, but it has to be. Its 70 minutes are comprised of only six recordings, yet each changes its clothes at least twice before the end. This is music so vast that their record company had to invent a new vinyl format to contain it- neither a triple album nor a trio of 12-inchers, but something in between. Each piece gets a side to itself, hence the name.

Yet, for all the scale and ambition of In Sides, its overriding mood is not prog-rock pomp, but quiet industry and ingenuity. Apparently, none of these tracks was conceived as a nine or ten minute monster. The Hartnolls just took ideas, and followed them wherever they went. Insofar as the music is about anything, In Sides describes these everyday departure points- perhaps in more detail, and more strangely, than Orbital had intended. The opener, "The Girl With The Sun In Her Head", was recorded using power from Greenpeace's mobile solar generator, and it commences with an indistinct firing-up cough that could be a conventional generator itself. The tones and patterns that slide in have the winsome flavour of "Halcyon", but there's something ominous hidden in its mood of elation- as if the sun in here head might not be the one in the sky. This is a very Orbital motif: they spot the malaise behind modern ideas of happiness, but also draw beauty from the saddest subjects ("Halcyon" was based on the Hartnoll's mum's addiction to the tranquillizer of the same name). And, already, weird things are happening to the bones of the music. What sounds like a typical bleep-cycle erupts into a full Bryan May-style solo, complete with sampler-spanking fret action. It's unlike anything you've heard on a record- electronica's first bleep axe-out. That track is dedicated to the memory of Sally Harding.

The second track, "P.E.T.R.O.L.", has even more mundane origins: the Hartnolls wrote it for the soundtrack for the video game, Wipeout. It's a pulsing web of tension, mazed over with predatory percussion. But Orbital lift it from a simple commission job by working at its krautrock roots, with all their contradictions of alienation and the love of technology. "P.E.T.R.O.L." is about speed and collision and pursuit, but it's also about the Hartnoll's relationship with the machines they use every day.

Next, the four-part single/EP/overture "The Box" makes an appearance, in yet a fifth version. Of everything here, it's the most puzzling, with clock chimes giving way to spy-theme atmospherics and what sound suspiciously like balalaikas. It's nobody's idea of a single, because it's less of a song than a conundrum: the musical box becomes a Rubik's Cube, which becomes a Pandora's Box of sinister themes. Equally foreboding is "Dwr Budr", where female vocals and ancient Moog-like synths twine around the track's taut "Planet Rock" beats. The title is Welsh for "dirty water", echoing Snivilisation's "Keine Trink Wasser", but flipping its lament for poisoned streams into something more ambiguous. And "Adnans"- originally written for the War Child "Help" LP and here excluded in expanded form- also sidesteps glibness. It plays off a metallic drum tattoo against an electro bassline and 303 noises, which defy convention by being slow and stately. Though it would be an overstatement to describe it as music about the Bosnian War, its mood and pacing owe less to techno than to processional hymns.

"Out There Somewhere" closes In Sides, and it steals more than just its title from The X Files. Just as Mulder believes that, if he can assemble the parts of the mystery, he can make sense of it, so Orbital visit and revisit themes within this tour de force of a track, and try to make sense of their own music. There are passages where Kraftwerk beats run into acid house, and where dub pyrotechnics illuminate the sounds of PiL, Wurlitzer organs and even Orbital's old records. It's like they found the theme that wouldn't let them go, so they fought it for 24 minutes, and then faded it into nothing.

In Sides is, to all intents, Orbital's farewell to techno. The word already seems too small to encompass what this band is about, and it's hard to envisage them going back to the 4/4 dynamics of "Lush". maybe it's harder still to see them revisiting the likes of their two Glastonbury shows, wearing those gnome hats or, well, remixing Northern Uproar. On the evidence of In Sides, though, it's easy to see them going on to make music every bit as moving and lastingly satisfying as the dance records that got them started, and as emblematic of their time as the punk records they listened to before that.

Billed as six unrelated "sound scenarios", In Sides neatly illustrates why Orbital remain light years ahead of the competition. While muich of the album is set on a dial marked "home listening", it is still some way in front of the soporific easy-listening muzak of much of today's ambient fare.

In Sides has a lightness and lucidity that is rare in the rather solemn world of electronic music. It's not too fanciful to claim that Orbital are making something akin to modern chamber music, albeit far less stiff-necked than that description might suggest.

At times, it startles with its raw simplicity, while at others it impresses with its sheer complexity. But in the end, what it comes down to is that only Orbital could mix'n'match the simple and the complex and turn ot something this good.

After all these years, they're still ahead of the pack. Way ahead.

Very Highly Recommended!!!!

Tracklisting:
Disc 1:
1. The Girl With The Sun In Her Head (10:27) (256 kbps)
2. P.E.T.R.O.L. (6:20) (256 kbps)
3. The Box (Parts 1 & 2) (12:29) (256 kbps)
4. Dŵr Budr (9:56) (256 kbps)
5. Adnan's (8:41) (256 kbps)
6. Out There Somewhere? (Parts I & 2) (24:10) (256 kbps)

Disc 1 Total Time: 72:03

Disc 2:
1. Times Fly (Slow) (7:58) (320 kbps)
2. Sad But New (7:29) (320 kbps)
- Vocals: Alison Goldfrapp
3. Times Fly (Fast) (7:53) (320 kbps)
4. The Tranquilizer (6:28) (320 kbps)
5. The Box (Radio Edit) (4:13) (256 kbps)
6. The Box (Untitled Version 1) (7:45) (256 kbps)
7. The Box (Untitled Version 2) (8:39) (256 kbps)
8. The Box (Vocal Reprise) (7:35) (256 kbps)

Disc 2 Total Time: 58:00

The first 30,000 copies sold in the US had this bonus disc. The bonus disc tracks aren't listed on the cover, but on the CD only.

Keep Listening!!!!

Links are in comments...

Richard Thompson - More Guitar 1988 @ 192

2006-11-22T21:20:00.000-05:00

Here we have Britian's greatest songwriter guitarist in fine form from a 1988 concert. Apart from being a brillaint acoustic player, he is exceptional on electric, as his solo on "Can't Win" demonstrates. Without doubt, one of the best guitarist and songwriters period!

1. Don't Tempt Me
2. Can't Win
3. Jennie
4. Gypsy Love Songs
5. The Angels Took My Racehorse Away
6. When The Spell Is Broken
7. Shoot Out The Lights
8. I Still Dream
9. Here Without You
10. A Bone Through Her Nose
11. We Got To Get Out Of This Place
12. Jerusalem On The Jukebox

Richard Thompson - guitar, vocals
John Kirkpatrick - button accordion, backing vocals
Clive Gregson - rhythm guitar, organ, backing vocals
Pat Donaldson - bass
Kenny Aronoff- drums
Christine Collister - backing vocals

Links in comments

Enjoy!

Blurt - Blurt 1982 @160

2006-11-22T17:42:00.000-05:00

I'm going out on a limb here, this is just a little extreme, a slab of punk, funk, jazz and avant garde, there is no other band like Blurt. Also apologies for the low bit rate.

This from Peacedogman.com:

"A saxophone may seem like a bizarre weapon of choice for unleashing unspeakable terrors on mankind, but former puppeteer and BLURT frontman Ted Milton has no problem putting it to such use for the duration of this bombastic live performance. His bloodthirsty sax offenses, alternated with abrupt vocal shouts are at best unusual, and at worst, well...down right flatulent. But the unspeakable cacophony somehow settles into a hypnotic groove set against brother Jake Milton's punchy percussion causing many spots to border on the likeable. The band's tightness in pieces like "Ubu" and "My Mother was a Friend of an Enemy of the People" cannot be denied, and strangely enough the German crowd seem to lap up BLURT's car-crash symphonies with fervor.

Visit their website and read about Ted's occasional desire to douse himself in ketchup."

Listen and try to understand......

More Blurt to come......

Enjoy!

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

2006-11-20T00:30:00.000-05:00

First off, The hosting service we use on this site is rapid share. If you do not like them, or disagree with our decision to use it, this is not the place for you. There are hundreds of other blogs you can visit. Click HERE for a giant directory of these other blogs to find one you may like.

The method of posting the links we use is through a link protection service through Lix.in. Lix.in is not a hosting service, merely a redirection site that will lead to the download page when you click the continue button as illustrated here:

Click the continue button immediately when the page loads. If you wait too long, a popup page appears hiding the button. In this case either refresh the page or click the X in the corner of the popup to make the continue button visible again as illustrated here:

This will lead to the download page @ RS.

If you get a zip or rar file that is corrupted, or if a track in the archive is corrupted, this is not due to a bad upload. Usually the cause of this is from high traffic on the RS network, or from downloading alot at one time (if you have are a premium user). Try to get it again at a later time when there may be less traffic on the network, or when you don't have so many transfers incoming (premium users). This will fix the problem.

If you happen to find a dead link, feel free to leave a comment on one of the newer posts letting us know of the problem, and we can try to rectify this. But please, be patient, as some of us may not have the time or connection speed to accommodate all of the re-uploads right away.

And remember, this is a service that we do out of a desire to spread great music to other music lovers. It is something we enjoy doing, and not something that we gain any kind of profit from, no one is giving us a kickback, nor are we making a single cent from any of this, keep this in mind when you feel a desire to make a complaint. Thank You, and as always....

Keep Listening!!!!

Paulo Mendonça - Different Phases [1993](320kb) FunkRock -MR-

2006-11-19T07:06:00.000-05:00

Paulo Mendonça - Different Phases

Great funk-rock from this Swedish singer/guitarist. This album is out of print, but i was lucky enough to get my hands on the original cd which was brought to my attention by a friend of mine who used to own a record-store. I've seen Paulo perform live twice and it was really FANTASTIC. These guys groove !!!!!!

LineUp;
Paulo Mendonça - guitar, vocals
Ove Andersson - bass
Lars Normalm - percussion
Björn Höglund - percussion
Nils Landgren - trombone
Ronny "The Hero from Pello" Lathi - backing vocals
Nana - vocals
Leif Lindvall - trumpet
Magnus Skoglund - trumpet
Vojtek - saxophones
Skintrade - backing vocals
George Bravo - guitarsolo on "The Powerhungry"

Tracks;

Chocolate Chip & Chicken Bone
If You Want My Love
Just In Case
Different Phases
Brother
Get On Up, Come On In
The Powerhungry
3rd Leg
People
Don't Go Where Your Soul Won't Shine

VERY HIGHLY RECCOMMENDED !!!

Link is in comments

Enjoy the ride

Horn Of Plenty - Horn Of Plenty [1996](@320) Jazz-Funk

2006-11-15T11:35:00.000-05:00

Horn Of Plenty

This 9-piece band from Haarlem, Holland. I've seen them once live and they really groove !!!!
Guys, check this one out.
Btw, it's NOT instrumental.

I have this album original, but i'm not able to scan the covers yet, as soon when i got a new scanner, i will add the covers.

LineUp;
Erwin Benjamins - sax
Kenneth Bruce - bass
Marnix Stassen - percussion
Merlijn Snitker - sax
Paul van Schaik (2) - drums
Rodney Calis - horn, trumpet
Super Mac - backing-vocals, rap
Wiboud Burkens - keyboards
Xander Hubrecht - guitar, vocals

Links are in comments

Enjoy the ride

Infected Mushroom - "Classical Mushroom" [2000] @ 256 (Israeli Psychedelic Trance)

2006-11-09T14:26:00.000-05:00

Bio taken from Wikipedia:

Infected Mushroom is an Israeli psychedelic trance duo which has attained significant popularity from the late 1990s to the present time (2006). Formed by Erez Eisen (also known as I.Zen) and Amit Duvdevani (also known as Duvdev) in the city of Haifa, located in the northern parts of Israel, the duo has garnered a large international fanbase. Infected Mushroom are known for their consistent sonic evolution exemplified by the subsequent albums The Gathering (1999), Classical Mushroom (2000), BP Empire (2001), Converting Vegetarians (2003), IM The Supervisor (2004), and Vicious Delicious, scheduled for release in early 2007.

Erez Aizen was born in September 8, 1980 and has early musical training: he learned to play the organ at age 4 and started studying piano in the Haifa Conservatory at the age of 8. At age 11 he started toying with computerized music, first using Impulse Tracker, later moving to more advanced musical composition software. By the age of 18, Eisen had collaborated with DJ Jörg and other notable psytrance artists, and had released 3 albums and a multitude of tracks under different psytrance acts (including Shidapu and Shiva Shidapu).

Amit Duvdevani was born in November 7, 1974 and has a similar musical background. He played the piano for 9 years, starting at the age of 7, before taking a turn towards heavy metal and punk rock. Amit played keyboard and wrote most of the material for a local Haifa punk rock band known as Enzyme. Amit went to his first trance party in 1991, a week before being conscripted into the Israeli army (where he was first nicknamed Duvdev). He has more than once described this experience as life changing - from that time onwards all he could think of was trance music. After he finished his mandatory service, Amit spent a year in India (primarily in Goa), and finally decided to make music himself. He collaborated with a member of Shidapu on 4 tracks but never actually released them.

In 1998, Eisen and Duvdevani began playing together. At first they released a few tracks as Shidapu & Duvdev. These tracks were 'happier' and of the simpler side of trance. Later on, they formed the duo Infected Mushroom and started working on their first album. The name Infected Mushroom was chosen to commemorate a disbanded (1989 to 1993) punk rock band of the same name, which Amit had admired. Tom Cuttingham joined in 2004 to rock the guitar.

As the name suggests, Classical Mushroom was an experiment in combining psychedelic trance with classical music. The album was extremely popular and is one of the most well known albums in the genre today. The guitars on the track "None of this Is Real" were played by Crazy Dan. The third track, "Sailing In The Sea Of Mushroom", took its name from Primus's "Sailing The Seas Of Cheese".

Very Highly Recommended!!!!

Tracklisting:
1. Bust A Move (8:21)
2. None Of This Is Real (6:22)
3. Sailing In The Sea Of Mushroom (8:18)
4. The Shen (8:33)
5. Disco Mushroom (8:46)
6. Dracul (8:00)
7. Nothing Comes Easy (7:26)
8. Mush Mushi (7:36)
9. The Missed Symphony (10:26)

Total Time: 73:46

Keep Listening!!!!

Links are in comments...

Bruce Cockburn - Stealing Fire 1984 @ 256

2006-11-09T02:27:00.000-05:00

After visiting Central America, Bruce Cockburn recorded Stealing Fire, part of which passionately and eloquently details what he'd seen while in Nicaragua and Guatemala. With the opening track, the terse rocker "Lovers in a Dangerous Time," Cockburn conveys both a sense of urgency and uncertainty. There's a brief calm as the second half begins, before a triad of songs written about his time spent in Central America brings the record to a sober conclusion. These three tunes, which, like the majority of the album, sport a tight, worldbeat, folk and rock flavor, are the true highlights of Stealing Fire, and Cockburn at his very best. The first, "Nicaragua," is part observation, part commentary, and part tribute to the Sandinista-led revolution in that country. "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" follows, and is arguably Cockburn's most powerful merging of personal and political feelings. Written after witnessing Guatemalan refugees being chased across the border by gun-wielding helicopters, "Rocket Launcher" evokes not only the pain and suffering of the people, but the conflict between Cockburn's pacifist leanings, and the vengeful anger and hatred incited by such a horrific sight. The Nicaraguan, road-inspired "Dust and Diesel" closes the record with a portrait of a country whose daily contrast of beauty and violence is summed up by the images of people who are proud, hopeful, passionate, afraid, and tired. Stealing Fire, despite a few less than compelling tracks, is the work of an artist at his peak. It also contains some of the most intensely significant material by a singer/songwriter in the 1980s.

All Music Guide

Cockburn is one of the great songwriters, up there, in my view, with the best, including Dylan. In fact, his output is of a constistently high standard, something that Dylan's output isn't. This album is stunning and if "If I Had A Rocket Launcher" dosen't make you question US foreign policy, nothing will.

A classic, from a brilliant songwriter and excellent guitarist.

Posted on the day Rumsfeld finally went!!

Contrast

2006-11-08T22:20:00.000-05:00

CONTRAST

Then

Upset, depressed
Heart distressed
Love unrequited
A heart divided

Neglected, alone
Heartache unknown
Dreams unattained
Relationship strained

Desperate, trapped
Bonds snapped
Soul shatters
Nothing matters

Now

Quickened, awakened
Foundations shaken
Love discovered
Purpose recovered

Joyous, falling
Destiny calling
Dreams returning
Heart is yearning

Dreaming, longing
Sense of belonging
Soul inspired
Newfound desire

Full Circle

2006-11-08T02:47:00.000-05:00

FULL CIRCLE

Somewhere, sometime long ago
I walked away from myself
Meandering along a path
Laid out by someone else

Lost and alone, I strayed
Compromise came with a price
I fear too high for me to pay
I lost my soul in sacrifice

I sought love and acceptance
But found a reasonable facsimile
What was lost in the bargain
Was the one and only me

In search of truth and light
The road of life is far from straight
Winding to the left and to the right
In clever twists of fate

Then, like Paul, on the road to Damascus
A moment of epiphany
But instead of seeing the face of God
I saw the one and only me

Facing ever forward
Upon the path I tread on
I came full circle
And met myself head-on

Klaus Schultze - "X (Deluxe Edition)" [2005-original album: 1978] @ 256

2006-11-08T01:31:00.000-05:00

Writeup taken from Discogs.com:

With a career spanning more than 30 years and over 100 albums, German musician Klaus Schulze is one of the pioneers of electronic music. Born in 1947, Schulze initially made his mark as a drummer, first with the group Psy Free, later with Tangerine Dream (he played on their first album "Electronic Meditation" before he quit) and Ash Ra Tempel (with Manuel Göttsching). In 1971, however, Schulze started a solo career as an electronic musician and released a couple of heavily experimental albums, "Irrlicht" and "Cyborg". 1974's "Blackdance" was the first release where he used a "real" synthesizer, and later in the 70's he would record such landmark electronic albums as "Moondawn", "Mirage" and "X" and embark on several tours, documented across a number of live albums.

In 1978 he set up the label IC (Innovative Communications), and the following year he also launched the pseudonym/project Richard Wahnfried. In the 1980's Schulze continued his hectic release schedule as well as recording several soundtracks and rebuilding his studio (he "went digital" in 1986), and whereas IC was shut down in 1983, the label Inteam was established the following year. In the 1990's Schulze recorded several electronic interpretations of works by classical composers (most notably Wagner) as well as collaborating with opera singers and other classical music performers on his own albums. He also started collaborating with German ambient/techno artist Pete Namlook in the series "The Dark Side Of The Moog" on the latter's Fax label, and steered the Wahnfried project into a more modern techno- and trance-inspired direction. Furthermore, the massive CD sets "Silver Edition" (1993 - 10 CDs), "Historic Edition" (1995 - 10 CDs) and "Jubilee Edition" (1997 - 25 CDs), which almost entirely consisted of previously unreleased material, were released and quickly became sought after collectors' items. These sets were compiled on 50-CD strong "The Ultimate Edition" (2000). In the new millennium Klaus Schulze is still active, and has released more CD-sets (two volumes of "Contemporary Works", consisting of 10 and 5 CD's, respectively) and live albums.

Recorded from January to August 1978 in Frankfurt, except Objet D'Louis, recorded live in Belgium in September 1978.

This is the only release of the album featuring the complete, original recording of "Georg Trakl".

Objet d'Louis is a live performance of "Ludwig II Von Bayern". Played and recorded live in a concert in September 1978 during a show by Klaus Schulze who was accompanied by a classical orchestra of young people.

visit Klaus Schultze's Website

Tracklisting:
Disc 1:
1. Friedrich Nietzsche (24:52)
2. Georg Trakl (26:04)
3. Frank Herbert (10:51)
4. Friedmann Bach (17:59)

Disc 1 Total Time: 79:46

Disc 2:
1. Ludwig II Von Bayern (28:41)
- Conductor: Wolfgang Tiepold
- Orchester: Sinfonie-Orchester Des Hessischen Rundfunks Frankfurt
2. Heinrich Von Kleist (29:32)
- Cello: Wolfgang Tiepold
3. Objet D'Louis (Bonus Track) (21:27)

Disc 2 Total Time: 79:40

Note: This is a 3 part split archive (.rar). Get all 3 parts, then extract

Keep Listening!!!!

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Tony Levin - Pieces of the Sun (2002) @320

2006-11-01T01:36:00.000-05:00

Tony Levins page

Reviews:
Tony Levin's Pieces of the Sun is a refreshing return to his prog rock roots. Of course, he never left them but as a solo artist he has explored new horizons through world music .
Levin has assembled a great band that has provided the background sound to a solid and well played record. The record was written and produced with a prog rock band in mind and not only as a showcase for Levin to play bass.
The songs on this record remind the listener of great tunes by Yes, Genesis, King Crimson but they are original and interesting. After all, Tony Levin has had a starting role in many of these bands music over the years.
In this recording Tony Levin has structured his performance on heavy use of the Stick Bass and in the texture and sounds that this instruments adds to the music.
Mr. Levin and Co. plan to tour behind this album for what promises to be another innovative set of prog material for old and new followers.

The reader probably knows Tony from Peter Gabriel's band and King Crimson, and here he steps out on his own with a rousing set that recalls some of the best work of his employers. Apollo itself is a wonderful 3-part opus with Crimsonic mayhem, lilting Yes/Genesis acoustic passages, and a soaring finale that keeps ascending like the morning star itself. The band is in in top form--Jerry Marotta has a perfect balance of solid groove with just enough chops and flair to wow the listener, Larry Fast coats the compositions in lush synth textures that bring the work of Tony Banks to mind, and Jesse Gress (a new face for me) alternately waxes Beck (Jeff Beck!) and Belew as he proves a versatile foil for Levin. Levin himself, as always, is the consummate musician, never unnecessarily flashy, but always very tasty and anchoring his compositions with rock-solid, unbreakable grooves. He gets quite a bit of mileage out of his arsenal including fretless upright, 5-string bass with "funk fingers", and his well-traveled Chapman Stick. Parts of the album recall the synth-laden, pulsating drama of his former employer Peter Gabriel, especially the title track and the "Fifth Man." For me, the high point was the remake of Synergy's "Phobos", which has one of the hookiest odd-time riffs one will ever hear, and features stunning playing from the whole lineup. Amazing, and highly recommended.

Like John Paul Jones and Jeff Beck, Tony Levin is a musician's musician whose collaborations sparkle (in Levin's case with such eclectics as Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, and Lou Reed), but it's his solo stuff that really sails off the chart. And like the aforementioned players, Levin is anything but an oldies machine; he uses each new recording as a way of further juxtaposing his primary instruments (bass and Chapman stick) against the weirdest, most challenging stuff he can score. Consequently, Pieces of the Sun is, predictably, wholly unpredictable, with Levin and his 2001 touring band lighting into a set of headphone-melting instrumentals best described as pulsing prog-rock built on the kind of awesome playing that, in a concert setting, attracts packs of drooling amateurs to the stage to watch the musician's hands. "Dog One"--an unreleased recording with Gabriel--appears rerecorded here as a jittery, piano-and-guitar speckled opus with muffled call-and-response vocals, while the percussive "Tequila" shines the spotlight on a mournful tenor sax before turning things over to ambient synth and lazy electric guitar. With the exception of the languid and loose closing track, "Silhouette," everything on Pieces of the Sun feels urgent, with Levin once again acquitting himself and his generation of charges of stagnation.

Track Listing: Apollo (6:49) / Geronimo (3:11) / Aquafin (5:13) / Dog One (5:15) / Tequila (5:20) / Pieces of the Sun (7:20) / Phobos (7:08) / Ooze (4:16) / Blue Nude Reclining (3:08) / The Fifth Man (5:47) / Ever the Sun Will Rise (9:08) / Silhouette (4:37)

Musicians:
Tony Levin - Basses, Stick, Cello
Jesse Gress - Guitars
Larry Fast - Synthesizers
Jerry Marotta - Drums

Enjoy!

Ray Charles - "Georgia On My Mind" @ 320 (Compilation/Best-Of)

2006-10-31T21:20:00.000-05:00

This is a compilation album. There are several that go by the same album title on different labels, although I could not find any information about this particular one. So, instead, I decided to just post a biography about Ray's musical life by Richie Unterberger @ All Music Guide:

Ray Charles was the musician most responsible for developing soul music. Singers like Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson also did a great deal to pioneer the form, but Charles did even more to devise a new form of black pop by merging '50s R&B with gospel-powered vocals, adding plenty of flavor from contemporary jazz, blues, and (in the '60s) country. Then there was his singing; his style was among the most emotional and easily identifiable of any 20th-century performer, up there with the likes of Elvis and Billie Holiday. He was also a superb keyboard player, arranger, and bandleader. The brilliance of his 1950s and '60s work, however, can't obscure the fact that he made few classic tracks after the mid-'60s, though he recorded often and performed until the year before his death.

Blind since the age of six (from glaucoma), Charles studied composition and learned many instruments at the St. Augustine School for the Deaf and the Blind. His parents had died by his early teens, and he worked as a musician in Florida for a while before using his savings to move to Seattle in 1947. By the late '40s, he was recording in a smooth pop/R&B style derivative of Nat "King" Cole and Charles Brown. He got his first Top Ten R&B hit with "Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand" in 1951. Charles' first recordings came in for their fair share of criticism, as they were much milder and less original than the classics that would follow, although they're actually fairly enjoyable, showing strong hints of the skills that were to flower in a few years.

In the early '50s, Charles' sound started to toughen as he toured with Lowell Fulson, went to New Orleans to work with Guitar Slim (playing piano on and arranging Slim's huge R&B hit, "The Things That I Used to Do"), and got a band together for R&B star Ruth Brown. It was at Atlantic Records that Ray Charles truly found his voice, consolidating the gains of recent years and then some with "I Got a Woman," a number-two R&B hit in 1955. This is the song most frequently singled out as his pivotal performance, on which Charles first truly let go with his unmistakable gospel-ish moan, backed by a tight, bouncy horn-driven arrangement.

Throughout the '50s, Charles ran off a series of R&B hits that, although they weren't called "soul" at the time, did a lot to pave the way for soul by presenting a form of R&B that was sophisticated without sacrificing any emotional grit. "This Little Girl of Mine," "Drown in My Own Tears," "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "Lonely Avenue," and "The Right Time" were all big hits. But Charles didn't really capture the pop audience until "What'd I Say," which caught the fervor of the church with its pleading vocals, as well as the spirit of rock & roll with its classic electric piano line. It was his first Top Ten pop hit, and one of his final Atlantic singles, as he left the label at the end of the '50s for ABC.

One of the chief attractions of the ABC deal for Charles was a much greater degree of artistic control of his recordings. He put it to good use on early-'60s hits like "Unchain My Heart" and "Hit the Road Jack," which solidified his pop stardom with only a modicum of polish attached to the R&B he had perfected at Atlantic. In 1962, he surprised the pop world by turning his attention to country & western music, topping the charts with the "I Can't Stop Loving You" single, and making a hugely popular album (in an era in which R&B/soul LPs rarely scored high on the charts) with Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. Perhaps it shouldn't have been so surprising; Charles had always been eclectic, recording quite a bit of straight jazz at Atlantic, with noted jazz musicians like David "Fathead" Newman and Milt Jackson.

Charles remained extremely popular through the mid-'60s, scoring big hits like "Busted," "You Are My Sunshine," "Take These Chains From My Heart," and "Crying Time," although his momentum was slowed by a 1965 bust for heroin. This led to a year-long absence from performing, but he picked up where he left off with "Let's Go Get Stoned" in 1966. Yet by this time Charles was focusing increasingly less on rock and soul, in favor of pop tunes, often with string arrangements, that seemed aimed more at the easy listening audience than anyone else. Charles' influence on the rock mainstream was as apparent as ever; Joe Cocker and Steve Winwood in particular owe a great deal of their style to him, and echoes of his phrasing can be heard more subtly in the work of greats like Van Morrison.

One approaches sweeping criticism of Charles with hesitation; he was an American institution, after all, and his vocal powers barely diminished over his half-century career. The fact remains, though, that his work after the late '60s on record was very disappointing. Millions of listeners yearned for a return to the all-out soul of his 1955-1965 classics, but Charles had actually never been committed to soul above all else. Like Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley, his focus was more upon all-around pop than many realize; his love of jazz, country, and pop standards was evident, even if his more earthy offerings were the ones that truly broke ground and will stand the test of time. He dented the charts (sometimes the country ones) occasionally, and commanded devoted international concert audiences whenever he felt like it. For good or ill, he ensured his imprint upon the American mass consciousness in the 1990s by singing several ads for Diet Pepsi. He also recorded three albums during the '90s for Warner Bros., but remained most popular as a concert draw. In 2002, he released Thanks for Bringing Love Around Again on his own Crossover imprint, and the following year began recording an album of duets featuring B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Michael McDonald, and James Taylor. After hip replacement surgery in 2003, he scheduled a tour for the following summer, but was forced to cancel an appearance in March 2004. Three months later, on June 10, 2004, Ray Charles succumbed to liver disease at his home in Beverly Hills, CA.

Tracklisting:
1. Georgia On My Mind (3:42)
2. Yesterday (2:48)
3. Eleanor Rigby (3:01)
4. Busted (2:10)
5. I Can't Stop Loving You (4:20)
6. Ruby (3:55)
7. Come Rain Come Shine (3:37)
8. Crying Time (2:59)
9. What'd I Say (3:59)
10. Unchained My Heart (2:55)
11. I Gotta Woman (6:02)
12. Born To Lose (3:17)
13. Hit The Road Jack (2:02)
14. Yes-Indeed (2:10)
15. Here We Go Again (3:23)
16. Take These Chains From My Heart (3:00)

Total Time: 53:20

Keep Listening!!!!

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Orbital - "The Middle of Nowhere" [1999] @ 192

2006-10-31T19:05:00.000-05:00

Orbital is a British electronic duo formed in 1989 by brothers Paul & Phil Hartnoll. It is on of the very FEW electronic acts that can hold my (a progressive rock fan) interest and stand the test of time as a group that transcends the typical dance-club music trap that most electronica falls into. Here is a short review by Peter Hanks @ Inkblot magazine:

There are moments of pure joy on this record; the kind of moments when you want to pull all your friends into the room and make them listen as they nod their heads and say they like it but don't really understand yet. One of those moments is the transition from the first track, "Way Out" into number 2, "Spare Parts Express." Another is the track "Nothing Left 2."

This album is dancier and darker than In Sides, their previous release. It has a closer affinity to Orbital 2 (aka The Brown Album), the definitive Orbital record. I played this for my girlfriend, who is a newcomer to Orbital, and she remarked how weird it was. That distinctive Orbital sound doesn't seem weird to me anymore, but I suppose it is - it's the weirdness that makes their music endure. Each track is in constant transition, transforming itself around a central theme but never falling into the repetitiveness that plagues so much dance music. These guys worked hard on this record. I notice something new almost every time I listen to it.

Very Highly Recommended!!!

Tracklisting:
1. Way Out (8:01)
2. Spare Parts Express (10:07)
3. Know Where to Run (9:42)
4. I Don't Know You People (7:47)
5. Otoño (5:48)
6. Nothing Left 1 (7:49)
7. Nothing Left 2 (8:21)
8. Style (6:24)

Total Time: 63:59

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(Video) Gordon Lightfoot - Live In Reno 2002 (DVD-RIP) (1 hr.26 min.41 sec.) .avi Format

2006-10-31T12:09:00.000-05:00

Gordon Lightfoot is the consummate Canadian Icon/Legend in folk music circles. He was born in 1938, in the town of Orillia, Ontario, Canada, an hour and a half drive from Toronto. He still resides there. He was over 60 years old when this DVD was recorded, and he's embarked on yet another tour in 2006. One may ask, why does he still do it? He surely doesn't need the money. If you've ever heard him speak, or seen him perform, you will find the answer. People just don't get as humble and down to earth as this man. While I'm sure he still loves what he is doing, I believe the real reason he still goes on tour is for his fans, those who will never tire of his great music and poetic songs.

Video Details : Rarely do singers have the kind of voice that can touch your soul. Gordon Lightfoot is one of the rare ones. His tender vocals on "If You Could Read My Mind" and his lonely cowboy rendition of "Sundown" can melt your heart. He is also one of popular music's most timeless songwriters, building an amazing career spanning rock, folk and country. Continuing to write songs and tour around the world, this five-time Grammy nominee sings many of his hits in this very special concert from Reno, Nevada. Songs: Don Quixote, I'll Prove My Love, The House You Live In, Sundown, Carefree Highway, Restless, Blackberry Wine, Medley: For Lovin' Me/Did She Mention My Name, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Waiting for You, Fading Away, Rainy Day People, Shadows, If You Could Read My Mind, A Painter Passing Through, Make Way for the Lady, Early Morning Rain, Baby Step Back, Song for a Winter's Night, Canadian Railroad Trilogy, Old Dan's Records, Cold on the Shoulder.

As always............Enjoy!

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Steely Dan - "Aja" [1977] @ 320

2006-10-31T01:29:00.000-05:00

Aja is the third Steely Dan album since songwriters Walter Becker and Donald Fagen discarded a fixed-band format in late 1974. Since then they have declined to venture beyond the insular comfort of L.A. studios, recording their compositions with a loose network of session musicians. As a result, the conceptual framework of their music has shifted from the pretext of rock & roll toward a smoother, awesomely clean and calculated mutation of various rock, pop and jazz idioms. Their lyrics... remain as pleasantly obtuse and cynical as ever.

Aja will continue to fuel the argument by rock purists that Steely Dan's music is soulless, and by its calculated nature antithetical to what rock should be. But this is in many ways irrelevant to a final evaluation of this band, the only group around with no conceptual antecedent from the Sixties. Steely Dan's six albums contain some of the few important stylistic innovations in pop music in the past decade. By returning to swing and early be-bop for inspiration -- before jazz diverged totally from established conventions of pop-song structure -- Fagen and Becker have overcome the amorphous quality that has plagued most other jazz-rock fusion attempts.

"Peg" and "Josie" illustrate this perfectly: tight, modal tunes with good hooks in the choruses, solid beats with intricate counterrhythms and brilliantly concise guitar solos. Like most of the rest of Aja, these songs are filled out with complex horn charts, synthesizers and lush background vocals that flirt with schmaltzy L.A. jazz riffs. When topped by Fagen's singing, they sound like production numbers from an absurdist musical comedy.

The title cut is the one song on Aja that shows real growth in Becker's and Fagen's songwriting capabilities and departs from their previous work. It is the longest song they've recorded, but it fragilely holds our attention with vaguely Oriental instrumental flourishes and lyric references interwoven with an opiated jazz flux. "Aja" may prove to be the farthest Becker and Fagen can take certain elements of their musical ambition.

Lyrically, these guys still seem to savor the role they must have acquired as stoned-out, hyperintelligent pariahs at a small Jewish college on the Hudson. Their imagery can become unintelligibly weird (Frank Zappa calls it "downer surrealism"); it's occasionally accessible but more often (as on the title song) it elicits a sort of deja vu tease that becomes hopelessly nonsensical the more you think about it. Focus your attention on the imagery of a specific phrase, then let it fade out. Well, at least it beats rereading the dildo sequence in Naked Lunch.

The last album, The Royal Scam, was the closest thing to a "concept" album Steely Dan has done, an attempt to return musically to New York City, with both a raunchier production quality and a fascination with grim social realism. The farthest Aja strays from the minor joys and tribulations of the good life in L.A. are the dreamy title cut and "Josie," which hints ominously about a friendly welcome-home gang-bang. The melodramatic "Black Cow" is about love replaced by repulsion for a woman who starts getting too strung out on downers and messing around with other men. "Deacon Blues" (a thematic continuation of "Fire in the Hole" and "Any World") exemplifies this album's mood: resignation to the L.A. musician's lifestyle, in which one must "crawl like a viper through these suburban streets" yet "make it my home sweet home." The title and first lines of "Home at Last" (presumably a clever interpretation of Homer's Odyssey -- I don't get it) put it right up front: "I know this superhighway/This bright familiar sun/I guess that I'm the lucky one."

More than any of Steely Dan's previous albums (with the possible exception of Katy Lied), Aja exhibits a carefully manipulated isolation from its audience, with no pretense of embracing it. What underlies Steely Dan's music -- and may, with this album, be showing its limitations -- is its extreme intellectual self-consciousness, both in music and lyrics. Given the nature of these times, this may be precisely the quality that makes Walter Becker and Donald Fagen the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies. - Michael Duffy, Rolling Stone

Highly Recommended!!!

Tracklisting:
1. Black Cow (5:09)
2. Aja (8:00)
3. Peg (3:55)
4. Deacon Blues (7:37)
5. Home at Last (5:35)
6. I Got the News (5:06)
7. Josie (4:30)
8. FM (Bonus Track) (5:05)

Total Time: 44:57

For artist credits, click HERE

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Where Are You?

2006-10-31T01:03:00.000-05:00

Where Are You?

Through exit signs
And yellow lines
My mind inclines
To think of someone

Passing zones
And siren drones
Silent phones
That never ring
Where are you?

In my car
It’s so bizarre
I’ve been so far
In search of someone

Signal lights
And lonely nights
Wheel gripped tight
And knuckles white
Where are you?

Neon blinking
Hopes are sinking
While I’m thinking
Where is that someone?

Larry Coryell - European Impressions (1978) @320

2006-10-30T16:56:00.000-05:00

This record, half of which was recorded live at the 1978 Montreux Jazz Festival, remains one of the finest documents in the genre of steel-string acoustic jazz guitar. Along with John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola, and a small handful of others, Larry Coryell was a major figure in the field, which saw its heyday throughout much of the '70s and '80s. Here was a new sort of guitar hero, not wailing in front of a wall of Marshall amps, but sitting alone with an acoustic guitar (often a round-backed Ovation), playing music rooted in the improvisational aesthetics of jazz but which often veered all over the stylistic map -- classical, flamenco, 12-tone, rock, and just about anything else. Coryell's opening statement, "Toronto Under the Sign of Capricorn," fits the bill to a T: Beginning with cryptic, atonal lines and rhythmically off-kilter phrases, the piece then segues into a slow, romantic melody before it erupts into a rousing vamp punctuated with flurries of speed-picked, 16th-note fills. The performance is replete with showmanship, but that's not all there is to it; indeed, Coryell's technique is too rough-hewn to be thrilling all on its own. What makes the piece so interesting is its melodic integrity, rhythmic energy, and three-tiered structure. One hears similar qualities on the other two live tracks, "For Philip and Django" and "Rodrigo Reflections," and on three of the four studio cuts, "April Seventh," "Variations on a Theme," and the wonderfully dreamy "Copenhagen Impressions." While one may expect a reversion to straight-ahead jazz on the Horace Silver medley "Song for My Father/Sister Sadie," Coryell doggedly remolds these hard bop standards into his own kind of acoustic guitar music. Essential for guitar buffs, although one has to dig around to locate a copy. ~ David R. Adler, All Music Guide

Track List:

#01 - Toronto Under the Sign of Capricorn
#02 - For Philip and Django
#03 - Rodrigo Reflections
#04 - April Seventh
#05 - Silver Medley - a.Song for My Father, b.Sister Sadie
#06 - Copenhagen Impressions
#07 - Variations on a Theme

Enjoy!
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Nine Inch Nails - "The Fragile" [1999] @ 320

2006-10-30T15:20:00.000-05:00

Review taken from Rolling Stone.com:

The last time Trent Reznor set out to shock the world, he had an easier job. It's been five years since the Nine Inch Nails auteur dropped The Downward Spiral, crunching punk and goth and Depeche Mode and God knows what else into the diary of a teenage death-disco vampire. He had a shocking sound, trampling over dance beats with machine screams fierce and funny enough to kill off the entire "industrial" genre in one stroke. But the world was a much more innocent place in 1994. You remember the carefree days of grunge -- it was a time before Heaven's Gate, before Oklahoma City, before Justine Bateman's announcement that she was accepting Jesus Christ as her personal savior. Michael and Lisa Marie were just a couple of crazy kids in love. Korn was just what white people called maize. Trent has to show and prove for a more jaded world - he's a vampire version of an aging action hero, and he's getting too undead for this shit.

But The Fragile isn't the music of a man going quietly. Trent comes on like an avenging disco godfather returned for the big payback. The Fragile is his version of Pink Floyd's The Wall, a double album that vents his alienation and misery into paranoid studio hallucinations, each track crammed with overdubs until there's no breathing room. The stun-volume guitar riffs, intricate synth squeals and interlocking drum-machine patterns flow together as a two-hour bubble bath in the sewer of Trent's soul. Even beautiful moments like the piano ballad "La Mer" (This blogger's personal favorite track) are full of tension; acoustic bass and an African mbira decorate the piano until a live drum kit shows up to splatter itself all over the studio walls.

There's definitely a prog-rock vibe here: The title comes by way of Yes, after all, and the sequencing was done by Bob Ezrin, who has lorded over rock-opera productions from Lou Reed, Kiss and Pink Floyd. This is the sort of album where you expect Roman numerals in the song titles and a libretto on the gatefold -- clearly, Trent wants to party like it's 2112. But for all the prog textures, Reznor's saving grace is his ear for rhythm; even at his most turgid, he's got a beat. The amazing seven-minute "We're in This Together" builds from an insinuating, muted pulse into screaming beatboxes as Reznor pledges his devotion ("I won't let you fall apart") while bombs drop all around him. He doesn't have much to say about his problems -- "There's no place I can hide/It feels like it keeps coming from inside," that sort of thing. But the physical vitality of the beat offers him a way out.

Now that you mention it, The Fragile does run a little long, doesn't it? But excess is Reznor's chosen shock tactic here, and what's especially shocking is how much action he packs into his digital via dolorosa. When you listen up close, you get engrossed in the buried sonic twists and turns; when you put it on loud, Reznor bangs your head with great rockers like his hilarious slap at ex-chum Marilyn Manson, a song that Rose McGowan will not be pleased to learn is called "Starfuckers Inc." Speeding up nightclubing Bowie beats a la "Dope Show" until they howl for mercy, ladling on the sarcasm and feedback, Trent shows the Korn and Limp Bizkit kids how it's done with a sense of humor. But like the rest of The Fragile, it's New Wave with its finger on the trigger. Reznor doesn't want to get "Closer" here -- he wants to armor himself behind a wall of noise.

Very Highly Recommended!!

Tracklisting:
Left:
1. Somewhat Damaged (4:31)
2. The Day the World Went Away (4:33)
3. The Frail (1:54)
4. The Wretched (5:25)
5. We're in This Together (7:15)
6. The Fragile (4:35)
7. Just Like You Imagined (3:49)
8. Even Deeper (5:47)
9. Pilgrimage (3:31)
10. No You Don't (3:35)
11. La Mer (4:37)
12. The Great Below (5:16)

Right:
1. The Way Out Is Through (4:17)
2. Into the Void (4:49)
3. Where Is Everybody? (5:39)
4. The Mark Has Been Made (5:15)
5. Please (3:30)
6. Starfuckers, Inc. (5:00)
7. Complication (2:30)
8. I'm Looking Forward to Joining You, Finally (4:13)
9. Big Come Down (4:12)
10. Underneath It All (2:46)
11. Ripe (With Decay) (6:34)

Total Time: 103:33

Click HERE for artist credits and ordering info

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Silence

2006-10-27T23:50:00.000-04:00

In the silence may be heard things only the heart and soul can comprehend
Listen close, can you hear it, a love song without end?
In this moment a thousand words are spoken
This sweet tranquility that need not be broken

The mutual feelings that we share
The many ways you show you care
In all you say, and all you do
You’re only saying "I love you"

If not your words, it is your deeds
You fulfill my soul and all its needs
I require nothing more than this
Friendship, love, and your sweet kiss

My heart overcame
My mind overwhelmed
My love, you have taken me
To a whole new realm

Things are so different
Stripped away is my past
I’m in a new world now
And THIS love will last

So this silence, let us hold it
A love story, as destiny told it
Words of beauty, and of love
Echoing to the heavens above.

Grateful Dead - "Beyond Description (1973–1989), Part 3: Blues For Allah" (320 & VBR)

2006-10-27T23:11:00.000-04:00

Review 1 by Dave Connolly @ Progography:

This is a perennial favorite among Dead Heads, and it’s easy to hear why. Graceful melodies that melt like butter, intricate arrangements that build bridges between folk and jazz, what more could anyone ask for? Like the band’s live shows, the album centers on songs that soon drift off into long, instrumental passages. Thus the distinction between “Stronger Than Dirt...” or “Sand Castles & Glass Camels” isn’t that important; these are simply names given to the nameless, organic interplay that arises during the band’s musical communion. Yet the better part of Blues For Allah lies in its songs, some of which (e.g., “Franklin’s Tower”) have ascended to sacrosanct status among fans. As expected, the Hunter/Garcia compositions are wise and winsome, while the lone Weir/Barlow song (“The Music Never Stopped”) is an earthy sermon for the faithful. The lone knock on this album, for me anyway, is the title track. “Blues For Allah” is one of those eerie, experimental epics where good and evil seem to get swirled together in an unholy incantation. Maybe it resonates more deeply when you’re high (of course, so would amplifier hum), but to my ears it just ends things on an odd note. Still, this album provided much fodder for the revolving Dead sets that followed, and remains a staple in the Dead diet. Among their studio albums, Blues For Allah is one of the rare cases where the band brought their stage magic into the studio with them. Perhaps since the band wasn’t touring at the time, that magic had no where else to go.

Review 2 by John Metzger @ The Music Box:

Although it wouldn’t resume a full-fledged touring schedule for another year and a half, the Grateful Dead effectively ended its self-imposed hiatus when it reconvened at Ace’s, a recording studio located above Bob Weir’s garage, in January 1975 - a mere three months after it had performed its "farewell" concert in San Francisco. This time, however, things would be different. Without any songs or even a preconceived notion as to where its journey would lead, the group - which once again included drummer Mickey Hart - began working on its eighth endeavor by crafting its music collaboratively, translating what it had been doing for years on stage into a more controlled environment.

The relaxed atmosphere proved to be cathartic, and although the Grateful Dead was forced at the request of its label to complete Blues For Allah in rapid fashion, the outing became a nearly perfect masterpiece. In one sense, the band further developed the jazz-oriented framework that it had been exploring, however tentatively, on Wake of the Flood. On the other hand, much of the collection was the sound of the Grateful Dead rebuilding itself from scratch, carrying its fables from the Old West into the cosmos where its music long had resided. True, the group had been appropriating Miles Davis' fusion experiments for several years, but liberated from its past, the ensemble fully absorbed these ruminations and re-crafted them into a fresh batch of songs. This, of course, was most notable on the intricate instrumental interludes of Slipknot! and King Solomon’s Marbles as well as on the epic title track (with its space-y meditations and chirping crickets), but in truth, nothing - from the reflective, acoustic beauty of Sage & Spirit to the urgent assault of Help on the Way to the jaunty ride through Franklin’s Tower - was untouched by this bold, new direction. When merged with Robert Hunter's lyrics, which now had turned significantly more abstract - particularly via the subtle political leanings of the tune for which the effort was named as well as on the series of haiku around which the gentle, lilting reggae of Crazy Fingers was constructed - Blues For Allah became a prayer for peace, both in the Middle East as well as around the globe, one that tied disparate cultures together in a way that resonates as powerfully today as when it was initially released.

The six bonus tracks featured on the recent reissue of Blues For Allah offer an insightful glimpse as to how the final album took shape. The indifferently titled Groove #1 and Groove #2 are sterling representations of the Grateful Dead blissfully exploring jazz-fusion, while A to E Flat Jam finds the group returning to more folk and blues-infused fare á la Wake of the Flood; named after the screaming guitar of Jerry Garcia, the lengthy Distorto hints, at times, at Crazy Fingers while also folding in shades of The Beatles’ influence upon the band; Proto 18 Proper delves into a gleeful tropical rhythm; and Hollywood Cantata is an inferior, but no less intriguing, early glimpse at The Music Never Stopped. Taken in total, these loose, but spirited improvisations unquestionably are some of the finest nuggets unearthed for Beyond Description (1973-1989).

Very Highly Recommended!!!

Tracklisting:
1. Help On The Way / Slipknot! (7:20)
2. Franklin's Tower (4:32)
3. King Solomon's Marbles (Pt 1: Stronger Than Dirt & Pt. 2: Milkin' The Turkey) (5:13)
4. The Music Never Stopped (4:34)
5. Crazy Fingers (6:42)
6. Sage & Spirit (3:07)
7. Blues For Allah / Sand Castles & Glass Camels / Unusual Occurances In The Desert (12:33)
8. Groove #1 (Instrumental Studio Outtake) (5:45)
9. Groove #2 (Instrumental Studio Outtake) (7:35)
10. Distorto (Instrumental Studio Outtake) (8:14)
11. A To E Flat Jam (Instrumental Studio Outtake) (4:39)
12. Proto 18 Proper (Instrumental Studio Outtake) (4:18)
13. Hollywood Cantata (Studio Outtake) (4:14)

Total Time: 78:49

Line-Up:
- Jerry Garcia / guitars & vocals
- Donna Godchaux / vocals
- Keith Godchaux / keyboards & vocals
- Mickey Hart / percussion & crickets
- Bill Kreutzmann / drums & percussion
- Phil Lesh / bass & vocals
- Bob Weir / guitars & vocals
- Steven Schuster / reeds & flute

The original Blues For Allah (tracks 1-7) are 320 kbps. Bonus Tracks (tracks 8-13) are VBR 200

Keep Listening!!!!

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Hunters & Collectors - Hunters & Collectors [1981] @224 (primal Australian rock)

2006-10-26T20:52:00.000-04:00

Primal, hypnotic, thundering, original, progressive.

All the above describe the debut album for this great band. There is, I can assure you, no one that sounds like the "Hunters".

They appeared in the wake of punk, when bands took the idea of smashing the droll rock song structure of the late '70's and tried to come up with something new. Many failed, but the Hunters succeded, and did so in grand style.

This is a favourite of mine and the beginning of a series of stunning albums and 12" ep's. They went on to become somewhat of an institution before disbanding in 1998. In doing so they left a fine body of work, with a few blistering live albums and videos tossed in.

"Talking To A Stranger" is a prime example of their sound, aggressive vocals, an incredibly distinctive bassist, perfectly suited to this music, and the harsh, industrial guitar of songwriter and vocalist, Mark Seymour.

The band also had a brass section, and you can hear in the sample that they were no ordinary brass section, trombone, trumpet and french horn, all playing a very different role.

I must add that the low budget clip that accompanied the original release remains, in my veiw , as one of the best film clips ever made, it enhanced the tribal quality of the song.

Steve Goodman - Jessie's Jig And Other Favourites [1976] @256 (American singer - songwriter)

2006-10-26T20:36:00.000-04:00

Goodman did have some success at the beginning of his career with "City Of New Orleans", a hit for Arlo Guthrie in the late 60's. Also, he had major label support (Asylum Records) that enabled him to record with the best musicians the label could muster.

That's where the similiarities with O'Keefe end. Goodman was a fine songwriter, frankly, one of the best. His albums contain a mixture of the serious and the flippant, with perhaps an emphasis on more lighthearted material, with a few covers tossed in, for example, "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie" and reference to old time music, here represented by "Jessie's Jig", with Vasaar Clements and Jethro Burns.

As far as I am aware, he made only half a dozen or so albums before he was cruely struck down with luekemia when still young. He continued to released his own material through Red Pajamas Records after he became seriously ill, mostly cobbled together from what he had recorded and live shows, although his last album "Santa Ana Winds" was made up of unreleased songs.

He died in September 1984, just 36 years old.

A fine songwriter and one that should not be forgotten.

David Bromberg - David Bromberg [1971] @ 192 ( American guitarist, singer -songwriter with a bent)

2006-10-26T20:33:00.000-04:00

Not many artists get requests from established musicians to appear on their first album. So why did George Harrison (you can hear his slide guitar on "The Holdup"), Bob Dylan and bluegrass legend Norman Blake offer their services to this unknown? Because of the fact that he'd already been on dozens of albums as a session player and shown extraordinary talent.

This is, quite simply, one of the best and most confident first albums ever made, and that's saying something.

Lots a humor, great musicians having a ball with terrific songs is probably a good description. I add the ryder that the last song "Sammy's Song" is none of these, explicit and tragic and "Last Song From Selby Jean" isn't all beer and skittles either, just class.

The live version of "Delhia" is, in my view, the definitive one while the aforementioned "The Holdup" co-written with Harrison is brilliant, an unknown gem from the former Beatle.

Truly essential, so do yourself a favour.

Back Door - "Back Door" [1972] var btr (British Blues Jazz Rock)

2006-10-26T20:25:00.000-04:00

This is truely a legendary album. Three great musicians with there own take on the Blues, Ron Aspery on saxes, Tony Hicks on drums and a bass player. And what a bass player. Colin Hodgkinson is a revelation, a true original and it is safe to say that he is up there with Jaco Pastorious as one of the great electric bass players. Just listen to this and the follow-up "8th Street Nites " [1973] to be convinced.
It was because the band had no keyboard or rhythm guitar that Hodgkinson felt the need to take on the role of both bass and rhythm. He uses chords and fast lead lines to fill out these short, gritty tunes and he does it perfectly.
That's not the only reason this is such a good album. Aspery is a tough saxophonist with real jazz credentials and Hicks is a free and inventive drummer. All in all, the complete package.
The album was roughly recorded and independently released. It soon generated a real buzz and picked major label backing. The reviews were universally glowing focusing on the lead and rhythm bass of Hodgkinson and the supburb musicianship of Aspery and Hicks and this mix of blues with a rock feel, but jazzy overtones.
You should do yourself a favour and get this masterpiece.

Jade Warrior - Jade Warrior 1971 @ 192 (British ambient rock)

2006-10-26T05:01:00.000-04:00

Jade Warrior were, in many ways, ahead of their time. 1971 was a time of heavy rock, prog and the last of the psycheledic bands.

Jade warrior went against all this and produced a series of what can only be described as ambient albums, notably "Waves" and "Way Of The Sun" The duo of Jon Field and Tony Duhig played most of the instruments themselves with extensive overdubbing and relied heavily on acoustic instruments. That is not say that they did not look forward, they engaged the cream of the British musicians to assist and dabbled in electronics, such as it was then.

This album is their first excursion into this world and while their blueprint is not fully formed on this album, it gives a clear indication as to what was to come. As the album is a Vertigo release, the cover art is excellent.

Well worth a listen.

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Nick Gravenites with Michael Bloomfield - My Labors & More (with Bloomfield) [1969] @320 (Blues)

2006-10-26T04:53:00.000-04:00

Following on from the Barry Goldberg post, this album again showcases the guitar of Michael Bloomfield. In this case, however, it is a genuine Gravenities album.

Gravenities is an unsung force in the development of US white blues. His biggest claim to fame is being brains behind Janis Joplin's masterpiece, "Pearl" It was Gravenities who organized the band, arranged the tunes and, I think, produced. He also worked for the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Quicksilver Messenger Service and the Electric Flag.

Of his solo work, such as it is, this is the most impressive. Possessor of a soulful voice, he also is a excellent musician and often played with Bloomfield.

This version of the album has additional tracks from "Live From Bill Graham's Fillmore West" The reason for this is simply that half of the original album is live from the same show, this merely brings more of this material together. Just why they did that and not simply re-release the whole album as a second disc is, of course, an example of the mysteries of record company logic.

Nonetheless, these tracks come from a classic album and whilst providing filler, merely make you want the remainder of the album, which features an all star cast including a guest spot on a few tracks from Taj Mahal.

It is the live tracks that stand out here, as they are a good vehicle for Bloomfield to stretch out.

Throughly recommended.

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