By request: Marsupilami - Arena (Great Progressive Rock UK 1971)

Size: 90.5 MB
Bitrate: 256
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included
Source: Japan 24-Bit Remaster

This concept album about the drama of the gladiator's arena during the Roman Empire is the second of two intriguing albums Marupilami recorded in the early 70s. The pair of proto-prog albums are of almost equal strength, and both are worth investigating. While the first album wins marks for being such a unique work and sounding like very little like anything that came before it, Arena's greater variety in terms of instrumentation probably tips the scale in its favour.

Prelude To the Arena: The Undertones Of Violence In A Drifting Generation begins with some threatening noises from lead vocalist Fred Hasson over some frenzied attacks but soon settles down into a truly beautiful melancholic passage with acoustic guitar, flute and mellotron. Fast-paced jazzy vocals and a great electric piano solo from Leary Hasson take this piece home

The second track Peace Of Rome: They Manufactured Death To Keep The Peace, has a nice, dark mid-section led of course by organ and flute, before a searing special from Dave Laverock (actually the best guitar solo I've heard from him) takes the music to a new level. Marsupillami's longest song The Arena (The Fighting, The Killing, The Mother Of Fornication) doesn't start off so well but after a couple of minutes becomes an outstanding organ-dominated psychedelic improvisation, drawing heavily from Eastern themes, with drummer Mike Fouracre also making his presence felt. This track loses momentum, but again resolves itself towards the end, even if the very last notes of the song seem unbearably harsh

Time Shadows (Lay Low The Past, The Future Brings Hope) is a sombre, almost eerie affair, with Jessica Stanley Clarke's flute and Leary Harsson's organ doing a good job in building up an atmosphere (Fred Hasson's harmonica works rather less well). It eventually breaks into jazzy flute driven prog. There's some nice piano playing, and another pleasing surprise when a saxophone kicks in to good effect. Laverock's jazz guitar solo is also of note, while the ferentic stomping conclusion to the piece ensures that a good time is had by all.

The closer Spring is another strange one With a pastoral acoustic guitar/organ/flute opening giving way to a veritable cacophany of sound for more than a minute before a beautiful almost soft-rock passage comes into play. This portion is rather remiscent of Camel's tamest moments which is perhaps no surprise given that future Camel stalwart Peter Bardens produced this album. There's a harmonica solo, a powerful jam with an eerie conclusion and a restatement of the soft-rock passage before the show shuts down.

By and large Arena is an album that doesn't really follow any precedents, which is exactly what makes it, to my mind, so darned fresh. ... 80% on the MPV scale [progarchives.com]

01. Prelude To the Arena (5:23)
02. Peace Of Rome (7:01)
03. The Arena (12:55)
04. Time Shadows (11:16)
05. Spring (9:16)

1. https://rapidshare.com/files/917613112/Marsupilami.rar
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2. http://uploadmirrors.com/download/0RCTJYGL/Marsupilami.rar
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Pesky Gee - Exclamation Mark (Progressive Rock UK 1969)

Size: 77 MB
Bitrate: 256
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included
Source: Japan 24-Bit Remaster

Named after an instrumental by another local band, Pesky Gee! would appear from their discography to be a one shot combo, who then quietly disappeared. They are in fact an early version of Black Widow, the line up who recorded this album going on unchanged to start work on that band's debut album "Sacrifice". Female vocalist Kay Garrett would however leave the band before "Sacrifice" was completed.

The title "Exclamation mark" came about as a result of one of those infamous record company mix ups (as led to ELO's debut album being called "No answer" in the US, and the title of Man's album track "Spunk rock" being hilariously changed to "Spunk box" - the wrong word was changed!), the original intention being that the title should be similar to that of Patrick Moraz debut album.

The band's first release was a single, both sides of which are included on this album, after which a couple of line up changes took place, the most important being the arrival of Jim Gannon (who actually came from a band called Broodley Hoo, who's instrumental "Pesky Gee!" gave the band its name). With no less than seven full time band members, Pesky Gee! recorded the rest of this album in one late night session. It is probably fair to say that neither the band nor their record label Pye were overwhelmed by the results, and the band's recording contract was at an end.

Those familiar with the work of Black Widow will be pleased to learn that this is a sort of lost album by them. The music is admittedly noticeably more primitive, the overall impression being of a band desperate to get something out there. There is though a pleasing naivety in the organ driven sounds and sax infused instrumental passages. The opening "Another country" for example, which runs to some 7½ minutes, has a fine organ solo followed by sax backed by some lead guitar. The song itself is not particularly memorable, but the lengthy instrumental break is enjoyable.

As a whole, the music tends to wander between blues rock, jazz rock, and just plain rock. The instrumental "Pig's foot" delves deeply into freeform jazz territory, with organ sax and guitar taking consecutive leads. The band's version of Donovan's much covered "Season of the witch" on the other hand features the first appearance of female vocalist Kay Garrett delivering a Janis Joplin like blues.

The two tracks which made up the forerunning single, "A place of heartbreak" and the cover of Vanilla Fudge's "Where is my mind" (a touch ironic given Vanilla Fudge's reputation was built on covering other people's songs) are actually admirably adventurous for a single release. Garrett takes lead vocal on both, the songs demonstrating how the singles market in the late 1960's and early 70's was so much more exciting then (even if this release did not actually chart!). There is a marked similarity here between the vocals of Garrett and those of Sonja Kristina of Curved Air.

The album also includes a cover of "Piece of my heart", a song originally written for Aretha Franklin's sister Erma, but made famous by Janis Joplin. The song has since been covered by many artists, the version here being a decent but undistinguished submission.

"Dharma" for one" is one of the most exciting pieces on the album, sounding like a cross between Chicago and Santana. After the brief pop infused "Peace of mind" we close with a rather prosaic cover of the anthem "Born to be wild".

This is one of those albums you put on, enjoy, but do not really find a reason to go back to. There is nothing wrong with the music as such, but then again there is little to catch the imagination either. For a first effort, and bearing in mind that the recordings date from about 40 years ago, credit is due to Pesky Gee! For coming up with something which demonstrates a willingness to push the boundaries a little further.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Jim Gannon / guitar
- Jess Taylor / organ
- Kay Garret / lead vocals
- Clive Jones / saxophone
- Bob Bond / bass
- Clive Box / drums and percussion
- Kip Trevor / vocals

01. Another Country (7:37)
02. Pigs Foots (4:39)
03. Season of the Witch (8:22)
04. A Place of Heartbreak (3:00)
05. Where is My Mind (3:00)
06. Piece of My Heart (2:50)
07. Dharma For One (4:02)
08. Peace of Mind (2:19)
09. Born To Be Wild (4:20)

1. https://rapidshare.com/files/2342081956/Pesky_Gee.rar
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2. http://uploadmirrors.com/download/1GY0WNHG/Pesky_Gee_1.rar
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By request: MAN - 2 Ozs. of Plastic with a Hole in the Middle (Progressive Rock UK 1969)

Size: 108 MB
Bitrate: 256
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Artwork Included
Source: Japan 24-Bit Remaster

This release sees Man rely less on the Hammond and harmonized vocals, and more on hard-driven guitar. Its compositional ambitions are perhaps a bit greater — it opens with "Prelude" and "The Storm," an extended jam that became ever longer and even more free form over the years as a concert favorite. "It Is as It Must Be" circles around the monster groove of a two-chord guitar vamp, while "Spunk Rock" struts over a jagged floor of overdriven guitar and yelped vocals. If nothing else, both the song and the album can be said to live up to their names.

Man were one of the most promising rock bands to come out of Wales in the early '70s. Along with Brinsley Schwarz, they helped establish the core of the pub rock sound, but they played louder and also had a progressive component to their work that separated them from many of their rivals. The group originated as a Four Seasons-cum-Beach Boys vocal outfit, based in Swansea, Wales, called the Bystanders, who began experimenting with a tougher, more progressive sound on-stage. They were encouraged to pursue this direction, and Man were formed — Micky Jones (lead guitar, vocals), Deke Leonard (guitar, vocals), Clive John (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Ray Williams (bass), and Jeff Jones (drums).

Their first release, Revelation, issued in 1969 on Pye, was a concept album that yielded a successful European single, "Erotica," which contained the sound of an orgasm and thus failed to chart in England. Their second album, 2 Ozs. of Plastic with a Hole in the Middle, showed a slightly new direction for the band, with a nearly live-in-the-studio sound and more creative interplay between the guitars, that some critics compared to early Quicksilver Messenger Service and other West Coast bands. Deke Leonard, in particular, whose playing was heavily influenced by Mick Green of the Pirates, became the star of the group by popular acclaim. When their contract with Pye Records ended in 1969, the group signed with United Artists-Liberty, with a new rhythm section consisting of Terry Williams on drums and vocals and Martin Ace playing bass. Their third album, Man, was a critical success, and their follow-up, 1971's Do You Like It Here, Are You Settling In, yielded several popular concert numbers.

In February 1972, the group appeared at the Greasy Truckers' Ball, a benefit concert held in London that was taped for posterity, alongside Brinsley Schwarz and Hawkwind. Their performance was so impressive that United Artists chief Andrew Lauder (who was also responsible for helping the post-Roy Loney Flamin' Groovies get their sound together) encouraged them to do a full live album. The result was Live at the Padget Rooms, Penarth, the band's breakthrough album, even though it was originally released in a limited-edition pressing of 8,000 copies. The album became a much sought-after collector's item in England, and suddenly the group had the attention of most of the record-buying public.

Unfortunately, it was at after the release of that album that Deke Leonard decided to exit the lineup to pursue a solo career, which he launched with the successful album Iceberg. Man were making a reputation for themselves and their next album, Be Good to Yourself at Least Once a Day, yielded some good songs (including "Bananas"). At that point, Pye released a retrospective of their first two albums, while the group's current lineup began shifting again — Deke Leonard was back for Rhinos, Winos and Lunatics, and Slow Motion led to the group's first American tour. They followed this up with their first serious misstep, a hookup with Quicksilver's John Cippolina as producer for what proved to be a disappointing album, Maximum Darkness. The Welsh Connection, released by MCA in 1976, marked the end of the original group's history, although the band did get one more album out, entitled All's Well That Ends Well.

01. Prelude / The Storm (12:24)
02. It Is as It Must Be (8:30)
03. Spunk Box (5:52)
04. My Name Is Jesus Smith (4:06)
05. Parchment and Candles (1:52)
06. Brother Arnold's Red and White Striped Tent (5:06)
07. A Sad Song [Bonus] (5.16)
08. Walkin' the Dogma [Bonus] (6.08)
09. My Name Is Jesus Smith [Bonus] (5.15)

1. https://rapidshare.com/files/4018774265/MAN.rar
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2. http://uploadmirrors.com/download/186F4TPA/MAN.rar
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By request: Julian's Treatment - A Time Before This (Superb Progressive UK 1970)

Size: 105 MB
Bitrate: 256
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Incuded
Source: Japan 24-Bit Remaster

Julian Jay Savarin was a British author who wrote his share of music. In the early '70s, he also involved himself in music, by applying his sci-fi know-how to lyrics and playing organ. He assembled a band called JULIAN'S TREATMENT, with him on organ, Australian-born Cathy Pruden on vocals, and a couple other guys handling the usual (guitar, bass, drums, flute). "A Time Before This" originally released in 1970 on the Youngblood label, is an interesting combination of prog and late '60s psychedelia, with spacy organ, and of course, sci-fi oriented lyrics. I've heard this band compared with everything from EARTH & FIRE to SANDROSE to The United States of America (the late '60s psychedelic electronic rock act with Joe Byrd and Dorothy Moskowitz).

"The Coming of the Mule" is an instrumental piece with guitar that sounds like it came off a FOCUS album, as well as classically-influenced organ. "Phantom City" has more of that late '60s psychedelic vibe, complete with phasing (like you hear from the Small Faces' "Itchycoo Park" or the BEATLES' "I Am the Walrus"). "The Black Tower" is a bit more laid back, showing that Cathy Pruden was truly the lady for this album. "Alda, Dark Lady of the Outer Worlds" has Pruden singing like an evil lady. "Altarra, Princess of the Blue Women" is another mellow piece, with that cosmic atmosphere. "Fourth From the Sun" has a somewhat more jazzy-bent, especially from the drum department.

Anyways, original LPs of "A Time Before This" don't exactly grow on trees, but recently, Akarma had reissued this on CD with the original artwork, in a wonderful digipak (that is, featuring miniaturized LP-type packaging), but unfortunately they forgot to give us information on who was in the band, or the lyrics to the songs. Also they wrongly give the album a 1972 copyright (perhaps 1972 was the year of the album's American release, which was released here on Decca, with a totally different cover - 1970 was the original British release on Youngblood). Anyway, this is truly a wonderful, forgotten prog/psych gem worth looking for.

Julian's Treatment absorbs all the juiciness, art heaviness, kind craziness and inspirational pleasantness out of the late 60s/early 70s period, to create an album that's stunning as a complex and eurhythmic progressive rock fundamental spice, as a psychedelic (the archaic, bluesy, kaleidoscopic or hard-taunting kinds, it doesn't matter; maybe a bit neurotic as well, though you grow rather reluctant to that impression) adventure, as a hard fantasy and as a gulping powerful, dominating, yet also expressive and passioned music moment. I can't even name it a debut, not only because Julian's Treatment released only two storming and (en)chanting - without being a...(en)chant(ment) - the second being credited as Savarin's, but because it sounds just like taken from the oven, in a hot and strong taste: music with drops of dazzle, rock with hard work and special feelings smoking out of it, plus a sort of eclectic taste that can't stay like that without being called, at least, artistic. Perilously and mystifyingly, that is.

With the above euphoric paragraph concluded, I think we can put a reminder on the fact that this album, as well as Julian's Treatment itself, can't be called an easy thing up in the treasures of progressive rock, but it sure is lovely to discover, out of the depths of the genre. It's considerably far from classic prog rock, though it, complexly, belongs to that authentic time and development. In rest, it doesn't defy in styles, it only focuses on them with a compelling lush. A Time Before This is most likely the best of the two that you can adore, notable being its "Plus Version" re-release in 1990, marking how well, clairvoyant, apart from their time and taste, but also obscure and hard to prefer these guys were - mostly thanks to this epic music-gram.

A Time Before This struggles a bit, being full-bounded and complicated, with its styles and shapes, but pulls in the end a victorious mount. The most living ideas are that J'sT plays psychedelic with spae airs, without fragility and never with absurd spots, plus that it plays an untypical kind of hard prog rock, keen on caramelizing its strong roots rather than jamming with thirst. Despite these already good reflection, there is a crave for many other flavors, the most kicking one being symphonic - in fact, the first "chapter" can be called psych, but the next ones fade in favor of art rock or symphonic fantasy. Was earlier mentioning that the psych can also contour some dark blues, one that's not impressive, but neither wrong. Folk happens to break into more than the "musical story", lovely flutes arousing like jasmine contrasts, a dance occasionally breathing out melancholic emotions. A main thought will also becomes that of A Time Before This being a concept of mystic, fantastic themes, still music turns out greater. Reading that the band is using sci-fi ideas, I like to believe character like "Adia", the "Oracles" or "the Mule" are good for a story-tale or for a mythical expression. Lastly, the musicians of Julian's Treatment are ones you couldn't write enough about - very talented. Savarin seems the prog genius, but for sure Cathy Pruden is a vocalist I truly love.

With all this, A Time Before This sounds of an impeccable creativity. And, given the influences, they're one step close to having originality as well. I guess Earth & Fire, Sandrose or Rare Bird are good/fit analogies, though I've yet to find out how they sound. Pink Floyd and Omega touch some psych spots, but they're absolutely the wrong prog idols to talk about (same with the small folk being Tull-ish, this folk is beyond popular taste). As a strange thought, I hear some ELP twisted fuses and jams - instead, two pieces are convincingly close to Aphrodite's Child and 666's own rock tale, thanks to powerful narration. Ending on the same loose note, I haven't heard such dark-flavored, candle-burning moments of fantasy and improvised poetry (incantations-like) since Os Mundi, which was a long time ago. All the twelve chapters are generous and have craft, they flow intensely, they charm you possessively. It can be a fascinating world, musically adapted, if you like your prog deeper, more reaming, and close to breathless. [progarchives.com]

01. First Oracle
02. The Coming of the Mule
03. Phantom City
04. The Black Tower
05. Alda, Lady of the Outer Worlds
06. Altarra, Princess of the Blue Women
07. Second Oracle
08. Twins of the Centauri
09. Alkon, Planet of Centauri
10. The Terran
11. Fourth from the Sun
12. Strange Things
13. A Time Before This

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By request: Incredible String Band - Wee Tam (Great Folk UK 1968)

Size: 88.6 MB
Bitrate: 256
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included
Source: Japan 24-Bit Remaster

Wee Tam and the Big Huge is the fourth album by the Incredible String Band, released in Europe as both a double LP and separate single LPs in November 1968. In the US, however, the two discs were released separately as Wee Tam and The Big Huge.

The album is considered by many to be, along with its predecessor The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter, the best work the band ever produced. Consisting of a very varied selection of songs by Robin Williamson and Mike Heron, with intriguing and poetic lyrics, the album is rich with eclectic and adept instrumentation and arrangements. Around 15 instruments are featured, played mainly by the two band members Williamson and Heron but also, in supporting roles, on a few tracks by Rose Simpson and Licorice McKechnie.

Williamson explained the title as follows:- "I saw a man with a huge big dog, [and] we knew somebody called Wee Tam, in Edinburgh. It seemed like it was a good idea in terms of one person looking up at the stars - Wee Tam and the Big Huge, just like the vastness of the universe."

The Incredible String Band were fairly busy in the latter half of 1968. With their popularity and reputation growing on both sides of the Atlantic, they began selling out large venues like the Fillmore and the Royal Albert Hall. In November 1968, Wee Tam and the Big Huge was released. It was the band's most ambitious album to date, conceived as a double LP. The album reflected an even wider variety of influences than the previous two releases and was packed to overflowing with classic songs. It was a first for the band in that it was recorded as an ensemble, i.e. with less overdubs than before and much more use of Rose Simpson and Licorice McKechnie, (girlfriends of the two respective songwriters at that time).

01."Job's Tears" (Williamson) - 6:40
02."Puppies" (Heron) - 5:30
03."Beyond the See" (Heron) - 2:16
04."The Yellow Snake" (Williamson) - 2:04
05."Log Cabin Home in the Sky" (Heron) - 4:00
06."You Get Brighter" (Heron) - 5:44
07."The Half-Remarkable Question" (Williamson) - 5:01
08."Air" (Heron) - 3:12
09."Ducks on a Pond" (Williamson) - 9:17

1. https://rapidshare.com/files/2527316825/IncredibleString.rar
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By request: The Incredible String Band - The Big Huge (Great Album UK 1968)

Size: 87.6 MB
Bitrate: 256
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
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Source: Japan 24-Bit Remaster

Orignally issued as a double LP set in 1968 in the U.K, Wee Tam and the Big Huge was split into two LP's for the U.S. market in 1969 to no avail; they didn't sell. Hannibal remastered them for CD in 1994 and reissued them as a double CD. Collector's Choice has brought them back into print and has added absolutely nothing to the package, except for making the original lyrics so small that even a magnifying glass may not help.

The music on these two albums is ultimately kinder than the Incredible String Band's earlier albums, The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter and The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion. While the band didn't give up their use of many Eastern string and reed instruments, they did employ somewhat more conventional Western folk song structures, making the ease-of-listening factor much higher. Robin Williamson and Mike Heron, who founded the band with Rose Simpson and Licorice McKechie, began to move toward the forefront of the collective here, asserting their often-complementary but sometimes clashing styles — not to mention vocals — over the gorgeous voices of the two women (typical).

The songs on the first half of the set, the Wee Tam half, are somewhat stronger, but those on the latter half possess a certain spaciness and childishness that is charmingly anarchic in spirit — and execution. What sets this record apart from the first two is that here the Incredible String Band accepted their mantle as a band, that they could let the excess fall by the wayside and actually write somewhat conventional songs without giving up either their love for arcane music, quirky (at best) humor, or for the possibilities of acid culture to inform any kind of artistic venture.

Wee Tam and the Big Huge is not the innocent venture of a host of hippies in love with making weird but wonderful music from the wreckage of the distant past. Here, the mysticism of the present era (the 1960s) is fused together with progressive as well as ancient folk music styles to produce conceptually progressive (art)work from the anarchy. Wee Tam and the Big Huge is the sound of a band coming into its own, for better and worse.

01."Maya" (Williamson) - 9:24
02."Greatest Friend" (Heron) - 3:30
03."The Son of Noah's Brother" (Williamson) - 0:16
04."Lordly Nightshade" (Williamson) - 5:13
05."The Mountain of God" (Williamson) - 1:51
06."Cousin Caterpillar" (Heron) - 5:15
07."The Iron Stone" (Williamson) - 6:33
08."Douglas Traherne Harding" (Heron) - 6:15
09."The Circle Is Unbroken" (Williamson) - 4:47

1. https://rapidshare.com/files/2813178559/Incredible_String.rar
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2. http://uploadmirrors.com/download/1DER2EZD/Incredible_String.rar

By Request: Ian Matthews - Tigers Will Survive (Great Folk Album UK 1971)

Size: 82.4 MB
Bitrate: 256
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included
Source: Japan SHM-CD Remaster

Tigers Will Survive is the 1971 album by country rock/folk rock musician Ian Matthews. Former Fairport Convention bandmate Richard Thompson sat in on guitar and accordion.

Tigers Will Survive, Ian Matthews' second release of 1971, and fifth in less than three years, continues the Anglo-American folk-rock that he began in 1968 with Fairport Convention. Following his departure from the band in early 1969, Matthews' style quickly veered from the British traditional direction that Fairport was headed, gravitating more toward the American singer/songwriter scene that was the source for much of the group's material in their early days, keeping him closer to the mid-Atlantic mix of What We Did on Our Holidays (his last record with the band).

If You Saw Thro' My Eyes, his previous album, reunited him with members of his old band, as well as others from the revolving Fairport/Fotheringay cast, but this time out, with the exception of Richard Thompson's accordion on a couple of tunes (credited as Woolfe J. Flywheel), he opts for the backing of the English rock band Quiver. And while it may lack some of the cohesive personality of its predecessor, Tigers Will Survive still shares its primarily acoustic sound, augmented by a strong rhythm section and touches of electric guitar.

Also, as was the case with that album, the toughest moment is courtesy of Richard Farina, whose "House of Unamerican Blues Activity Dream" brings an edginess and anger to Matthews' characteristically pretty and reflective tone, though his self-penned title track is close behind. Elsewhere, the beautiful "Morning Song" and Phil Spector's "Da Do Ron Ron" (without a change in gender) are high points for Ian Matthews, the songwriter and interpreter, respectively. The former is among the two or three best songs he'd written, while the latter, a wonderful a cappella rendition of the Crystals' classic, bolstered only by hand claps, brings a lightness and energy to the record. Tigers Will Survive, though just a rung below If You Saw Thro' My Eyes, is another fine effort for Matthews.

01."Tigers Will Survive" (Ian Matthews)
02."Midnight on the Water" (Ian Matthews)
03."Right Before My Eyes" (Peter Lewis)
04."Da Doo Ron Ron" (Phil Spector/Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich)
05."Hope You Know" (Ian Matthews)
06."Please be My Friend" (Ian Matthews)
07."Never Again" (Ian Matthews)
08."Close The Door Lightly" (Eric Andersen)
09."House of Unamerican Blues Activity Dream" (Richard Fariña)
10."Morning Song" (Ian Matthews)
11."The Only Dancer" (Pete Carr)

1. https://rapidshare.com/files/686959580/Ian_Matthews.rar
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2. http://uploadmirrors.com/download/OVXDWSPK/Ian_Matthews.rar
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By request: Hookfoot - Selftitled (1st Album UK 1971)

Size: 93.3 MB
Bitrate: 256
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included
Source: Japan 24-Bit Remaster

The 1st of four excellent studio albums by this very underrated British band.

Prior to working under the name Hookfoot, they served as Elton Johns backing band in the late 60s. But for those who dislike Elton's music, "Don't let it Bring You Down", because their music sounds nothing like the 'Rocket Man's!

It's a perfect fusion of hard rock, blues and jazz, done far better than many of their contemporaries at that time. The opening track 'Bluebird' originally penned by Stephen Stills while he was with Buffalo Springfield, is the best album opener ever! This fast paced heavy version will definitly please you. The harp playing is fantastic.
Then you have a ballad like 'Mystic Lady', which evokes 'Steely Dan' type vocal harmonies, before there was a 'Steely Dan'.

Ian Duck and Caleb Quaye are both brilliant guitarists, and Caleb makes great use of the Leslie, much like Joe Walsh. He's also a great acoustic player. At times when the two of them use their twin lead attack they remind me of 'Wishbone Ash' a little, especially on 'Mystic Lady'.
The rhythm section of Dave Glover-Bass, and Roger Pope-Drums are among the best to come out of England at the time.

There is also a cool jazz excursion called 'Wim Wom' where Caleb switches between guitar and keyboard.
These songs are all very well played, and won't disappoint even the most critical.
In the previous review by 'zombeels', he said "great version of Neil Young's 'Down by the River' ". That song never appeared on this album, although a great version of Neils 'Don't Let it Bring You Down' does.

Here are the liner notes, word for word, by Elton John: "For the last three years, Hookfoot and I have been friends. We've all struggled together, and at last their first album is ready. For me they are potentially the best new English band. This album is only the beginning".
Elton was right, because each album they released was super, I only wish they would have received more recognition for their material.

I think it's interesting to note that Caleb Quaye is the son of popular 1940's-50's jazz musician Cab Kaye. Cab's father (also named Caleb Quaye) was from Ghana. He was a well known jazz percussionist in the 1930's-40's.
Hookfoot's Caleb Quaye is also the older brother (by 26 years, and a different mother) of the more recent UK jazz/reggae and 'BRIT Award' winning artist Finley Quaye.

I think if Neil's 'Crazy Horse' was impregnated by a heavier bluesy 'Steely Dan', and that bastard child was raised by Cactus, his name would be 'Hookfoot'.

01. Bluebird 4:00
02. Mystic Lady 5:08
03. Movies 4:52
04. Nature Changes 5:32
05. Wim-Wom 3:20
06. Don't Let It Bring You Down 4:05
07. Coombe Gallows 3:07
08. Crazy Fool 4:50
09. Golden Eagle 5:32

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2. http://uploadmirrors.com/download/1YDIY60U/Hookfoot.rar
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Not to be missed: The Texas Tornados - Live at Gruene Hall, Texas 1992 (Bootleg)

Size: 90 MB
Bitrate: 320
mp3
Found in OuterSpace
No Artwork

Douglas Wayne Sahm (November 6, 1941 – November 18, 1999), was a musician from Texas. Born in San Antonio, Texas, he was a child prodigy in country music, but became a significant figure in blues, rock and other genres. Today Sahm is considered one of the most important figures in what is identified as Tejano music. He was the founder and leader of the 1960s rock and roll band the Sir Douglas Quintet, and later with Augie Meyers, Freddy Fender and Flaco Jimenez in The Texas Tornados, and also in Los Super Seven supergroup.

Sahm was proficient on dozens of musical instruments and was a lifelong baseball fan.

Country prodigy: 1940s and 1950s
Sahm began his musical career singing and playing steel guitar, mandolin and violin as "Little" Doug Sahm. He made his radio debut at the age five and released his first record "A Real American Joe" at age eleven. On December 19, 1952, he played on stage with Hank Williams Sr. at the Skyline Club in Austin, Texas. It was Hank Williams's very last performance. Williams died 11 days later (New Year's Eve, 1952) on the road to his next show in Canton, Ohio.

He is said to have been offered a permanent spot on the Grand Ole Opry, but his mother wanted him to finish junior high.

One of Sahm's earliest recordings was rejected by Mercury Records in 1953. Also in the mid-1950s, he started sneaking into San Antonio R&B clubs such as the Tiffany Lounge and the Ebony Lounge, and he was soon performing at the same venues.

Sahm formed his first band, the Knights, in 1957. Later in the decade, Sahm joined up with Spot Barnett's band playing mostly black San Antonio blues clubs. In 1960, Sahm travelled across the country promoting a record.

He met Freddy Fender around 1958 and Roy Head of Roy Head and The Traits from San Marcos, TX in 1959 when they shared the stage at a sock hop in San Antonio's Municipal Auditorium.

Sir Douglas Quintet: 1960s
In 1965, prompted by record producer Huey Meaux, Sahm formed the Sir Douglas Quintet with childhood friend Augie Meyers. They chose the group's name in an effort to make the band seem British to benefit from the British invasion. This image had its problems, particularly Sahm's Texas accent and that two fifths of the band were Hispanic. Some early publicity photos were shot in silhouette to hide this fact.

The band had a top 20 US hit with the 12-bar blues "She's About a Mover" and a lesser hit with "The Rains Came," the former also reaching the Top Twenty in the UK.

The band broke up after a bust for marijuana possession in Corpus Christi, Texas. Doug moved to San Francisco and formed the Honkey Blues Band, then later re-formed the Sir Douglas Quintet with a new lineup. Eventually Augie Meyers rejoined the quintet and they released the successful single and album "Mendocino". The record contained the song "At the Crossroad" with the legendary Sahm line "You just can't live in Texas if you don't have a lot of soul".

Bob Dylan stated, "Look, for me right now there are three groups: Butterfield, The Byrds and the Sir Douglas Quintet."

Atlantic years: 1970s
In 1973, Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records bought Sahm's contract and produced his solo debut Doug Sahm and Band, an album featuring Bob Dylan, Dr. John, David Bromberg and Flaco Jiménez.

"Then in October 1972, Dylan was in the studio with Doug Sahm..........Dylan having been friendly with Sahm since the mid-sixties and having expressed enthusiasm for the Sir Douglas Quintet on more than one occasion"

Sahm continued recording both as a solo artist and with the Sir Douglas Quintet. During this period, Sahm also had a couple of minor motion picture roles. In 1972, he and the Quintet appeared with Kris Kristofferson in Cisco Pike and in 1979 he was featured in More American Graffiti.

Sahm was also a sought-after session musician, appearing on releases of other artists including, The Grateful Dead. He sang backing vocals on Willie Nelson's 1977 gospel album, The Troublemaker.

About a Mover: 1980s
In 1983, Sahm and Meyers signed with the Swedish Sonet label, and made several extensive European tours that revitalized their careers. The single "Meet Me In Stockholm" from their Midnight Sun LP went platinum and was one of the biggest selling records ever in Scandinavia. After an accident in 1985, Doug moved to Canada and then returned to Texas in 1988.

A Texas Tornado: 1990s
In 1990 Sahm formed Tex-Mex supergroup the Texas Tornados with Freddy Fender, Augie Meyers and Flaco Jimenez. The group recorded four albums and won a Grammy.

Sahm also appears on the 1993 Uncle Tupelo album Anodyne on the song "Give Back the Key to my Heart". Sahm recorded a Grammy-winning solo album, The Last Real Texas Blues Band and recorded with yet another new formation of the Sir Douglas Quintet for SDQ '98.

Sahm died of a heart attack in his sleep in a motel room in Taos, New Mexico on November 18, 1999.

A posthumous album, The Return of Wayne Douglas, was released in 2000. Sahm's son, Shawn Sahm, continues in his father's footsteps as the leader of his band, Shawn Sahm & The Tex Mex Experience. Father and son appeared together on the cover of the Rolling Stone in 1968.. The surviving members of the Texas Tornados (Augie Meyers and Flaco Jimenez) reunited with Shawn Sahm on the 2010 release, Esta Bueno. Doug Sahm's other son, Shandon, played drums for The Meat Puppets from 1999 to 2002, and is their current drummer as of 2010.

More Doug Sahm Biography + Diskography: http://www.laventure.net/tourist/sdq_hist.htm

THE TEXAS TORNADOS
Live Gruene Hall, Texas
Doug Sahm, Freddie Fender, Augie Myers, Flaco Jiminez

Doug Sahm - vocals, guitar, bajo sexto
Augie Meyers - vocals, Vox organ, accordion, acc.guitar
Freddy Fender - vocals, guitar
Flaco Jimenez - accordion, vocals
Louis Ortega - guitar
Ernie Durawa - drums
Speedy Sparks - bass (?)
with Esteban Steve Jordan 'El Parche'

01. Who Were You Thinking Of ? (Glaser/Gauvin/Pelletier)
02. Hey Baby (Que Paso ?) (Augie Meyers/Bill Sheffield)
03. Laredo Rose (Rich Minus)
04. Soy De San Luis (Santiago Jiminez Snr)
05. Only One (Freddy Fender)
06. Mendocino (Doug Sahm)
07. Wasted Days & Wasted Nights (Freddy Fender/W.Duncan/Meaux)
08. Is Anybody Going to San Antone (Dave Kirby/Glen Martin)
09. Shes About A Mover (Doug Sahm)
10. 96 Tears (Rudy Martinez) > Crazy Crazy Baby (T-Bone Walker) (fades out at
start of Crazy Baby)

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Picture of the day (1974)

Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on The Edge of Town (US 1978)

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Darkness on the Edge of Town is the fourth album by Bruce Springsteen, released in the late spring of 1978. The album marked the end of a three year period of forced hiatus from recording brought on by contractual obligations and legal battling with former manager Mike Appel. Although the album did not produce high charting singles it nevertheless remained on the charts for 97 weeks. In September 2010 a documentary film chronicling the making of Darkness was first shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. Quoting Springsteen as saying “More than rich, more than famous, more than happy – I wanted to be great”, reviewer Stephen Whitty of the Newark Star-Ledger commented: "For many fans, that long journey pulled onto the Turnpike here."

Recovering from legal troubles and the stress of the breakthrough success of Born to Run, Springsteen released a somewhat less commercial album, Darkness on the Edge of Town.

In terms of the original LP's sequencing, Springsteen continued his "four corners" approach from Born to Run, as the songs beginning each side ("Badlands" and "The Promised Land") were martial rallying cries to overcome circumstances, while the songs ending each side ("Racing in the Street", "Darkness on the Edge of Town") were sad dirges of circumstances overcoming all hope. Unlike Born to Run, the songs were recorded by the full band all at once, frequently soon after Springsteen had written them. Steven Van Zandt received a credit for production assistance for helping Springsteen tighten the arrangements from Born to Run's epic sound.

This collection of songs, each of which Springsteen sang in the first person, was given unity by several recurring themes. The words “darkness” / “dark” appear in six of the tracks, while nine of them feature the “night” / “tonight”. “They” are mentioned in eight songs, with a general suggestion of nameless people who exert a negative influence. “Work” / “worked” / “working” form part of six songs, and so do the words “dream” / “dreams”. Six is also the number of songs in which Bruce and his characters are found “driving” / “racing” / “riding”, or mentioning the names of cars. There are references to “blood”, "born", "love" / "loved" in four of the tracks. In the song "Racing in the Street," Springsteen alludes to Martha & the Vandellas' Dancing in the Street with the lyric "Summer's here and the time is right for racing in the street," which is similar to the Rolling Stones similar appropration of the lyric in the song "Street Fightin' Man".

The album failed to generate any hit singles, with "Prove It All Night" barely making the Top 40 in the U.S. and follow-up "Badlands" not charting in the top 40.

At the time, Darkness claimed the number one slot on NME album of the year ranking. In 2003, the album was ranked number 151 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The same year, the TV network VH1 named Darkness on the Edge of Town the 68th greatest album of all time.

The cover shot and inner sleeve photo were taken by photographer Frank Stefanko inside Stefanko's Haddonfield, New Jersey home. Springsteen says, "...when I saw the picture I said, 'That's the guy in the songs.' I wanted the part of me that's still that guy to be on the cover. Frank stripped away all your celebrity and left you with your essence. That's what that record was about."
A reissue box set was released in November 2010. This had initially been planned for 2008, to mark the 30th anniversary of the original album's release, but was delayed presumably due to Springsteen's numerous other 2008 projects. By January 2009, Springsteen's manager, Jon Landau, was saying the project was still in the works: "When we can find six weeks to sit down and finish it I'm sure we will."

A documentary entitled "The Promise: the Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town" has been produced for the box set. The documentary premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in the fall of 2010 and aired on HBO on October 7, 2010.

01."Badlands" – 4:01
02."Adam Raised a Cain" – 4:32
03."Something in the Night" – 5:11
04."Candy's Room" – 2:51
05."Racing in the Street" – 6:53
06."The Promised Land" – 4:33
07."Factory" – 2:17
08."Streets of Fire" – 4:09
09."Prove It All Night" – 3:56
10."Darkness on the Edge of Town" – 4:30

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Santana - Caravanserai (Classic Album US 1972)

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Caravanserai is the fourth studio album by Santana released in October 1972. It marked a major turning point in Carlos Santana's career as it was a sharp departure from his critically acclaimed first three albums. Original bassist David Brown left the group in 1971 and was replaced by Doug Rauch and Tom Rutley, while original percussionist Michael Carabello left and was replaced by Armando Peraza. Keyboardist/vocalist Gregg Rolie, who was having a falling-out with Santana, was replaced by Tom Coster on a few songs. Caravanserai reached the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart in 1972.

The sound contrasted greatly with Santana's trademark fusion of salsa, rock, and jazz, and concentrated mostly on jazz-like instrumental passages. All but three tracks were instrumentals, and consequently the album yielded no hit singles. The album is the first among a series of Santana albums that were known for their increasing musical complexity, marking a move away from the popular rock format of the early Santana albums towards a more contemplative and experimental jazz sound. While Caravanserai is regarded as an artistic success, the musical changes that began on its release in 1972 marked the start of a slide in Santana's commercial popularity.

It was the last Santana album to feature Gregg Rolie and Neal Schon, who went on to form Journey the following year.

Drawing on rock, salsa, and jazz, Santana recorded one imaginative, unpredictable gem after another during the 1970s. But Caravanserai is daring even by Santana's high standards. Carlos Santana was obviously very hip to jazz fusion -- something the innovative guitarist provides a generous dose of on the largely instrumental Caravanserai. Whether its approach is jazz-rock or simply rock, this album is consistently inspired and quite adventurous. Full of heartfelt, introspective guitar solos, it lacks the immediacy of Santana or Abraxas. Like the type of jazz that influenced it, this pearl (which marked the beginning of keyboardist/composer Tom Coster's highly beneficial membership in the band) requires a number of listenings in order to be absorbed and fully appreciated. But make no mistake: this is one of Santana's finest accomplishments.

01."Eternal Caravan of Reincarnation" (Rutley/Schon/Shrieve) – 4:28
02."Waves Within" (Rauch/Rolie/Santana) – 3:54
03."Look Up (To See What's Coming Down)" (Rauch/Rolie/Santana) – 3:00
04."Just in Time to See the Sun" (Rolie/Santana/Shrieve) – 2:18
05."Song of the Wind" (Rolie/Santana/Schon) – 6:04
06."All the Love of the Universe" (Santana/Schon) – 7:40
07."Future Primitive" (Areas/Lewis) – 4:12
08."Stone Flower" (Jobim/Santana/Shrieve) – 6:15
09."La Fuente del Ritmo" (Lewis) – 4:34
10."Every Step of the Way" (Shrieve) – 9:05

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Lou Reed - Berlin (Classic Album US 1973)

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Berlin is a 1973 album by Lou Reed, his third solo album and the follow-up to Transformer. In 2003, the album was ranked number 344 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, though the publication had called the album a "disaster" 30 years prior.

The album is a tragic rock opera about a doomed couple, and addresses themes of drug use and depression. Upon its release, the response of fans and critics was not positive as many were expecting another upbeat glam outing. Despite lukewarm reviews the album reached #7 in the UK album chart (Reed's best achievement there). Poor sales in the US (#98) and harsh criticism made Reed feel disillusioned about the album and in subsequent years he rarely played any Berlin material in his live shows. Over time many have come to consider Berlin to be among Lou Reed's best studio albums as a solo artist.

Musically, Berlin differs greatly from the bulk of Reed's work, due to the use of heavy orchestral arrangements, horns, and top session musicians. Instrumentally, Reed himself only contributes acoustic guitar.

"The Kids" tells of Caroline having her children taken from her by the authorities, and features the sounds of children shouting for their mother. The Waterboys take their name from a line in this song.

As with Reed's previous two studio albums, Berlin re-drafts several songs that had been written and recorded previously. The title track first appeared on Reed's solo debut album, only here it is lyrically simplified, the key changed, and re-arranged for piano. "Oh, Jim" makes use of the Velvet Underground outtake, "Oh, Gin". "Caroline Says (II)" is a rewrite of "Stephanie Says" from VU. The Velvets had also recorded a rather sedate demo of "Sad Song", which had much milder lyrics in its original form. "Men of Good Fortune" had also been played by the Velvets as early as 1966; an archival CD featuring live performances of the band playing at Andy Warhol's Factory provides the evidence of the song's age. The CD featuring the early performance of "Men of Good Fortune" is not for sale and can only be heard at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Reed and producer Bob Ezrin planned a stage adaptation of the album upon its initial release but shelved the plans due to mixed reviews and poor sales. In 2007 Reed fulfilled his original hopes by touring the album with a 30-piece band and 12 choristers. Director Julian Schnabel filmed the concert and released it in 2008 as Lou Reed's Berlin, which opened to strong reviews. The album was digitally re-mastered and re-released on compact disc to commemorate the event.

01."Berlin" – 3:23
02."Lady Day" – 3:40
03."Men of Good Fortune" – 4:37
04."Caroline Says I" – 3:57
05."How Do You Think It Feels" – 3:42
06."Oh, Jim" – 5:13
07."Caroline Says II" – 4:10
08."The Kids" – 7:55
09."The Bed" – 5:51
10."Sad Song" – 6:55

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Carole King - Tapestry (Great Album US 1971)

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Tapestry is a pop album by singer-songwriter Carole King, released in 1971 on Ode Records. It is one of the best-selling albums of all-time, with over 25 million copies sold worldwide In the U.S., it has been certified diamond by the RIAA with more than 10 million copies sold. It received four Grammy Awards in 1972, including Album of the Year. The lead single from the album, "It's Too Late"/"I Feel The Earth Move" was number 1 on the Billboard 100 for five weeks. In 2003, Tapestry was ranked number 36 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

King wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on the album, several of which had already been hits for other artists such as Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (in 1967) and The Shirelles' "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (in 1960). Three songs were co-written with King's ex-husband Gerry Goffin. James Taylor, who encouraged King to sing her own songs, and who also played on Tapestry, would have a #1 hit with "You've Got a Friend." Two songs were co-written with Toni Stern: "It's Too Late" and "Where You Lead".

Tapestry was number 1 on the Billboard 200 for 15 consecutive weeks, and held the record for most weeks at number 1 by a female solo artist for over 40 years until surpassed by Adele's 21 in 2012. It still holds the record for most consecutive weeks at number 1 by a female solo artist. The album has been listed on the Billboard 200 for over 300 weeks between 1971 and 2011, the longest by a female solo artist. In terms of time on the charts, it ranks fifth overall, and in terms of length on the charts for solo musical acts it ranks second. It remains the longest charting album by a female solo artist. Of all the albums by female artists to be certified diamond, it was the first released.

The album was well received by critics; Robert Christgau felt that her voice, raw and imperfect, free of "technical decorum", would liberate female singers while Jon Landau in Rolling Stone felt that King was one of the most creative pop music figures and had created an album of "surpassing personal-intimacy and musical accomplishment".

Along with being selected Album of the Year, it also received Grammys for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Record of the Year ("It's Too Late"), and Song of the Year ("You've Got a Friend"), making King the first solo female artist to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year, and the first female to win the Grammy Award for Song of the Year.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 36 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2001, the VH1 TV network named Tapestry the 39th greatest album ever. In 2003, it was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.

Various artists combined to re-record all the original tracks for more than one tribute album; the first, released in 1995, entitled Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute to Carole King, which was certified gold, and the second, released in 2003, entitled A New Tapestry — Carole King Tribute.

01."I Feel the Earth Move" – 2:58
02."So Far Away" – 3:55
03."It's Too Late" – 3:53
04."Home Again" – 2:29
05."Beautiful" – 3:08
06."Way Over Yonder" – 4:44
07."You've Got a Friend" – 5:09
08."Where You Lead" – 3:20
09."Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" – 4:12
10."Smackwater Jack" – 3:41
11."Tapestry" – 3:13
12."(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" – 3:49
13."Out in the Cold" (bonus track) – 2:44
14."Smackwater Jack" (Live) (bonus track) – 3:21

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