Saturday, 14 July 2012
Blood, Sweat & Tears - Child is Father to The Man (US 1968)
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Child Is Father to the Man is the debut album by Blood, Sweat & Tears, released in February 1968. It reached number 47 on Billboard's (North America) Pop Albums chart.
Widely regarded as a classic fusion of jazz, rock and roll, psychedelia and classical music, Child Is Father to the Man is one of bandleader Al Kooper's most enduring works. The album introduced the idea of the big band to rock and roll and paved the way for such groups as Chicago. Kooper left the band after this album, changing the nature of the group.
Child Is Father to the Man peaked at #47 on Billboard's (North America) Pop Albums chart. It failed to generate any Top 40 singles in the United States, although "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" and "I Can't Quit Her" found some play on progressive rock radio.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 264 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
The title is a quotation from a similarly titled poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins, slightly misquoting a poem by William Wordsworth called "My Heart Leaps Up".
The album was re-released in the UK in 1973, entitled "The First Album" on Embassy Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records (catalogue number EMB 31028) with an identical track listing and the same picture on the front of the sleeve. The rear had new sleeve notes written by English DJ, Noel Edmunds.
Writing for Allmusic, critic William Ruhlman wrote the album was "Al Kooper's finest work, an album on which he moves the folk-blues-rock amalgamation of the Blues Project into even wider pastures, taking in classical and jazz elements (including strings and horns), all without losing the pop essence that makes the hybrid work. This is one of the great albums of the eclectic post-Sgt. Pepper era of the late '60s, a time when you could borrow styles from Greenwich Village contemporary folk to San Francisco acid rock and mix them into what seemed to have the potential to become a new American musical form... This is the sound of a group of virtuosos enjoying itself in the newly open possibilities of pop music. Maybe it couldn't have lasted; anyway, it didn't."
01."Overture" (Kooper) – 1:32
02."I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" (Kooper) – 5:57
03."Morning Glory" (Larry Beckett, Tim Buckley) – 4:16
04."My Days Are Numbered" (Kooper) – 3:19
05."Without Her" (Harry Nilsson) – 2:41
06."Just One Smile" (Randy Newman) – 4:38
07."I Can't Quit Her" (Kooper, Irwin Levine) – 3:38
08."Meagan's Gypsy Eyes" (Steve Katz) – 3:24
09."Somethin' Goin' On" (Kooper) – 8:00
10."House in the Country" (Kooper) – 3:04
11."The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud" (Kooper) – 4:12
12."So Much Love/Underture" (Gerry Goffin, Carole King) – 4:47
Bonus Tracks:
13."I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" [demo version - mono] (Kooper) – (6:10)
14."Refugee from Yuhupitz (Instrumental)" [demo version - mono] (Kooper) – (3:44)
15."I Can't Quit Her" [demo version - mono] (Kooper, Levine) – (3:00)
16."Morning Glory" [demo version - mono] (Beckett, Buckley) – (4:11)
17."Somethin' Going On" [demo version - mono] (Kooper) – (5:19)
18."The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud" [demo version - mono] (Kooper) – (5:03)
[edit] 2002 remastered edition bonus tracks13."Refugee from Yuhupitz (Instrumental)" [demo version - mono] (Kooper) – (3:44)
14."I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" [demo version - mono] (Kooper) – (6:10)
15."The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud" [demo version - mono] (Kooper) – (5:03)
1. https://rapidshare.com/files/79227024/Blood.rar
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2. http://uploadmirrors.com/download/DGYNVISU/Blood.rar
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The Impressions - Selftitled (Classic R&B US 1963)
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The first Impressions LP was one of the finest debuts of any '60s soul act, though it excelled in part because it featured a backlog of chart singles (five had charted previously, and "It's All Right" became the sixth after it was quickly added to the original program). Curtis Mayfield wrote all but two of the songs, stretching back to 1961's "Gypsy Woman" (which he'd actually written at the age of 14) but mostly including strong 1962-1963 material like the hit "Little Young Lover," "Grow Closer Together," "I'm the One Who Loves You," and "Minstrel and Queen." "It's All Right" was easily the best song here, accented by the group's sublime harmonies, arranger Johnny Pate's swinging horn section, and Mayfield's precise guitar work. The group also showed an unsurprising reverence for classic doo wop, beautifully remaking "Never Let Me Go," a Top Ten R&B hit for Johnny Ace in 1954.
The Impressions is the debut album by the American soul music group of the same name. It produced no less than six chart hit singles, including their biggest hit, the Billboard top ten pop smash "It's All Right", and the top 20 Hit, "Gypsy Woman". After the departure of original Impressions lead singer Jerry Butler to a successful solo career, and the other original members, brothers Arthur and Richard Brooks, the remaining original members, Curtis Mayfield, Sam Gooden and Fred Cash, choose not to replace them. Instead, they scaled down to a trio, and went on to become one of America's top R&B vocal groups.
01."It's All Right" (Curtis Mayfield)
02."Gypsy Woman" (Mayfield)
03."Grow Closer Together" (Mayfield)
04."Little Young Lover" (Mayfield)
05."You've Come Home" (Mayfield)
06."Never Let Me Go" (Joseph Scott)
07."Minstrel and Queen (Queen Majesty)" (Mayfield)
08."I Need Your Love" (Richard Brooks)
09."I'm the One Who Loves You" (Mayfield)
10."Sad, Sad Girl and Boy" (Mayfield)
11."As Long as You Love Me" (Mayfield)
12."Twist and Limbo" (Mayfield)
1. https://rapidshare.com/files/4056958761/The_Impressions.rar
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Dave Davies - The Album That Never Was (UK 1967-69)
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Dave Davies' "album that never was" sadly must remain so, but what we have here is as close a proximity to it as the tape vault allows us.
The (brief) story is as follows:- 'Death Of A Clown', a track originally cut for the Kinks' 1967 album 'Something Else' was picked off as a likely opening for Dave Davies' solo career. Dave, lead guitarist, occasional vocalist and younger brother to the group's undisputed guiding light Ray, was hoping to try a direction for himself, and at first, it seemed as if his wish was feasible. 'Death Of A Clown' was a smash hit, Dave was duly seen on 'Top Of The Pops', but later events led him on a somewhat more erratic path.
'Suzannah's Still Alive' appeared in November that year, but for some inexplicable reason, it failed to crack the top 20, and Dave's solo stardom faltered. Nonetheless, all during 1968 rumour and counter rumour of an impending Dave solo album were spread and a cheeky title, 'A Hole In the Sock Of' evolved although that name was also given to other unfinished Kinks' projects. All that did appear was 'Lincoln County', another fabulous song, which was issued in August and backed by 'There Is No Life Without Love'.
Then, in January 1969, 'Hold My Hand' c/w 'Creepin' Jean', a brilliant double-header, led off what was to have been a definite release for the l.p., but the continuing commercial failure of Dave's singles doubtlessly killed off the project. It should also be noted that the Kinks themselves were struggling to sell records, and two innovative albums, 'The Village Green Preservation Society' and 'Arthur' were released to barely a murmur. These factors also conspired to doom Dave's solo ambitions.
At least twelve tracks were cut for the album, but over a long-ish period of time, probably at the tail end of Kinks' sessions. Many, such as 'The Shoemaker's Daughter' and 'Crying' are now completely lost, if indeed they were ever completed, and thus assembled here are all that can still be traced. Eight sides, of course, come from those solo singles, two of which, 'Funny Face' and 'Love Me Till The Sun Shines' also appeared on 'Something Else' alongside 'Death Of A Clown'. The remaining five, however, were recorded specifically for Dave Davies' releases and all could well have been on the final solo album.
The other two tracks, 'This Man He Weeps Tonight' and 'Mindless Child Of Motherhood', later appeared on the flip of two Kinks' singles, 'Drivin" and 'ShangriLa' respectively. While the first of these was definitely scheduled for Dave's album, there's some doubt about the origins of 'Mindless'. However, its recording date and Dave's pre-eminence on it suggests that it would have been included.
A Hole in the Sock of Dave Davies refers to an unreleased album of solo material by Dave Davies, lead guitarist and co-founder of British rock band The Kinks. Apparently the album was, at least for a time, intended to be released under the name Lincoln County, however, numerous names have been applied to it, including The Album That Never Was.
In July 1967, Dave Davies readied his first solo single, credited entirely under his name (although co-written by his brother and fellow Kinks member Ray Davies), entitled "Death of a Clown". In the past, as a member of The Kinks, Dave Davies had only released his own compositions on B-sides and as part of larger LPs. The Kinks' record label sensed potential sales in a solo release from the overlooked Davies, and issued "Death of a Clown" as his debut. Although credited to Davies, it was technically a Kinks recording, as his backing band was, in fact, The Kinks.
Upon release, "Death of a Clown" unexpectedly rose to number two on the UK Singles Chart. Wanting to profit off the new buzz that was suddenly surrounding Davies, a solo LP was scheduled for release some time in 1968 or 1969.
A follow-up single, "Susannah's Still Alive", was released in November 1967. However, it only reached number 20 on Melody Maker. The release of the solo album was held back, and it was decided to wait and see how another single would fare. As anticipation grew for the release of the new LP, fans nicknamed it A Hole in the Sock Of. The name was based on a remark Ray Davies had made to a reporter during an interview about the title of Dave's forthcoming solo album and was, although meant ironically, taken serious. The title was a send up possibly to the Beatles ambitious "A Day in the Life" or Traffic's "Hole In My Shoe".
"Lincoln County" was chosen as the next single but failed to chart. With subsequent singles meeting the same result, a combination of Davies' own disinterest in continuing and Pye's decision to stop killed off any hopes of an album.
In a 1999 interview, Davies stated that:
I was quite surprised when management and the record company wanted me to make an album. I thought it was quite daunting. There were a couple of tunes I liked - 'Suzannah's Still Alive,' 'Lincoln County' - but it had to feel right, and it didn't feel right. I did a few songs in a demo studio and I knocked out three or four songs, and one of them was 'Creeping Jean,' and I started to get very depressed about the whole idea. One of the last songs I recorded then was 'I'm Crying,' so you can tell what frame of mind I was in.
Reprise files imply that Reprise received tapes of this album, under the title Lincoln County, in July 1969 while it was still considered for release by the band. By September of that year the decision was made not to release the album. Throughout 1970, reports of a reworked version with new material were discussed; the possibility of issuing Dave's LP as the second half of a 2-LP set was raised, but by the close of that year all talk of the LP's release had ceased. Oddly, tapes of this LP were not officially logged into Reprise's official master tape log until 1972, as part of their contractual settlement after The Kinks moved to RCA. Short of the existence of this acetate in their vaults, there is no other indication that Reprise ever seriously considered this LP for release in its entirety. All songs were mixed (in the case of "Susannah's Still Alive", remixed) in stereo for this release. The track listing given here is per Doug Hinman.
01. Death Of A Clown stereo mix (3:12), recorded Jun 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
02. Love Me Till The Sun Shines mono mix (3:15), recorded early-to-mid 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
03. Susannah's Still Alive mono mix (2:21), recorded Aug 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
04. Funny Face mono mix (2:17), recorded Jun 1967 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
05. Lincoln County mono mix (3:11), recorded Mar 1968 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
06. There Is No Life Without Love mono mix (2:00), recorded probably Jan 1968 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
07. Hold My Hand mono mix (3:18), recorded Dec 1968 at Polydor Studios, London
08. Creepin' Jean mono mix (3:13), recorded Dec 1968 at Polydor Studios, London
09. Mindless Child Of Motherhood mono mix (3:13), recorded May 1969 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
10. This Man He Weeps Tonight mono mix (2:41), recorded May-Jun 1969 at Pye Studios (No. 2), London
Bonus Tracks:
11.Come on Now
12.Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight
13.I Am Free
14.What's in Store for Me
15.I'm Not Like Everybody Else
16.Party Line
17.You're Lookin' Fine
18.Mr. Reporter
19.Wicked Annabella
20.Mr. Shoemaker's Daughter
21.Strangers
22.Rats
1. https://rapidshare.com/files/1084973498/Dave_Davies.rar
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2. http://uploadmirrors.com/download/VDTZDS33/Dave_Davies.rar
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John Lee Hooker - Concert at Newport (Classic Album US 1963)
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Source: Japan 24-Bit Remaster
He was beloved worldwide as the king of the endless boogie, a genuine blues superstar whose droning, hypnotic one-chord grooves were at once both ultra-primitive and timeless. But John Lee Hooker recorded in a great many more styles than that over a career that stretched across more than half a century.
"The Hook" was a Mississippi native who became the top gent on the Detroit blues circuit in the years following World War II. The seeds for his eerily mournful guitar sound were planted by his stepfather, Will Moore, while Hooker was in his teens. Hooker had been singing spirituals before that, but the blues took hold and simply wouldn't let go. Overnight visitors left their mark on the youth, too: legends like Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charley Patton, and Blind Blake, who all knew Moore.
Hooker heard Memphis calling while he was still in his teens, but he couldn't gain much of a foothold there. So he relocated to Cincinnati for a seven-year stretch before making the big move to the Motor City in 1943. Jobs were plentiful, but Hooker drifted away from day gigs in favor of playing his unique free-form brand of blues. A burgeoning club scene along Hastings Street didn't hurt his chances any.
In 1948, the aspiring bluesman hooked up with entrepreneur Bernie Besman, who helped him hammer out his solo debut sides, "Sally Mae" and its seminal flip, "Boogie Chillen." This was blues as primitive as anything then on the market; Hooker's dark, ruminative vocals were backed only by his own ringing, heavily amplified guitar and insistently pounding foot. Their efforts were quickly rewarded. Los Angeles-based Modern Records issued the sides and "Boogie Chillen" -- a colorful, unique travelogue of Detroit's blues scene -- made an improbable jaunt to the very peak of the R&B charts.
Modern released several more major hits by "the Boogie Man" after that: "Hobo Blues" and its raw-as-an-open wound flip, "Hoogie Boogie"; "Crawling King Snake Blues" (all three 1949 smashes); and the unusual 1951 chart-topper "I'm in the Mood," where Hooker overdubbed his voice three times in a crude early attempt at multi-tracking.
But Hooker never, ever let something as meaningless as a contract stop him for making recordings for other labels. His early catalog is stretched across a road map of diskeries so complex that it's nearly impossible to fully comprehend (a vast array of recording aliases don't make things any easier).
Along with Modern, Hooker recorded for King (as the geographically challenged Texas Slim), Regent (as Delta John, a far more accurate handle), Savoy (as the wonderfully surreal Birmingham Sam & His Magic Guitar), Danceland (as the downright delicious Little Pork Chops), Staff (as Johnny Williams), Sensation (for whom he scored a national hit in 1950 with "Huckle Up, Baby"), Gotham, Regal, Swing Time, Federal, Gone (as John Lee Booker), Chess, Acorn (as the Boogie Man), Chance, DeLuxe (as Johnny Lee), JVB, Chart, and Specialty; before finally settling down at Vee-Jay in 1955 under his own name. Hooker became the point man for the growing Detroit blues scene during this incredibly prolific period, recruiting guitarist Eddie Kirkland as his frequent duet partner while still recording for Modern.
Once tied in with Vee-Jay, the rough-and-tumble sound of Hooker's solo and duet waxings was adapted to a band format. Hooker had recorded with various combos along the way before, but never with sidemen as versatile and sympathetic as guitarist Eddie Taylor and harpist Jimmy Reed, who backed him at his initial Vee-Jay date that produced "Time Is Marching" and the superfluous sequel "Mambo Chillun."
Taylor stuck around for a 1956 session that elicited two genuine Hooker classics, "Baby Lee" and "Dimples," and he was still deftly anchoring the rhythm section (Hooker's sense of timing was his and his alone, demanding big-eared sidemen) when the Boogie Man finally made it back to the R&B charts in 1958 with "I Love You Honey."
British blues bands such as the Animals and Yardbirds idolized Hooker during the early '60s; Eric Burdon's boys cut a credible 1964 cover of "Boom Boom" that outsold Hooker's original on the American pop charts. Hooker visited Europe in 1962 under the auspices of the first American Folk Blues Festival, leaving behind the popular waxings "Let's Make It" and "Shake It Baby" for foreign consumption.
Back home, Hooker cranked out gems for Vee-Jay through 1964 ("Big Legs, Tight Skirt," one of his last offerings on the logo, was also one of his best), before undergoing another extended round of label-hopping (except this time, he was waxing whole LPs instead of scattered 78s). Verve-Folkways, Impulse, Chess, and BluesWay all enticed him into recording for them in 1965-1966 alone! His reputation among hip rock cognoscenti in the States and abroad was growing exponentially, especially after he teamed up with blues-rockers Canned Heat for the massively selling album Hooker 'n' Heat in 1970.
Eventually, though, the endless boogie formula grew incredibly stagnant. Much of Hooker's 1970s output found him laying back while plodding rock-rooted rhythm sections assumed much of the work load. A cameo in the 1980 movie The Blues Brothers was welcome, if far too short.
But Hooker wasn't through; not by a long shot. With the expert help of slide guitarist extraordinaire/producer Roy Rogers, the Hook waxed The Healer, an album that marked the first of his guest star-loaded albums (Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt, and Robert Cray were among the luminaries to cameo on the disc, which picked up a Grammy).
Major labels were just beginning to take notice of the growing demand for blues records, and Pointblank snapped Hooker up, releasing Mr. Lucky (this time teaming Hooker with everyone from Albert Collins and John Hammond to Van Morrison and Keith Richards). Once again, Hooker was resting on his laurels by allowing his guests to wrest much of the spotlight away from him on his own album, but by then, he'd earned it. Another Pointblank set, Boom Boom, soon followed.
Happily, Hooker enjoyed the good life throughout the '90s. He spent much of his time in semi-retirement, splitting his relaxation time between several houses acquired up and down the California coast. When the right offer came along, though, he took it, including an amusing TV commercial for Pepsi. He also kept recording, releasing such star-studded efforts as 1995's Chill Out and 1997's Don't Look Back. All this helped him retain his status as a living legend, and he remained an American musical icon; and his stature wasn't diminished upon his death from natural causes on June 21, 2001.
01. I Can't Quit You Now Blues
02. Stop Baby Don't Hold Me That Way
03. Tupelo
04. Bus Station Blues
05. Freight Train Be My Friend
06. Boom Boom Boom
07. Talk That Talk Baby
08. Sometime Baby You Make Me Feel So Bad
09. You've Got To Walk Yourself
10. Let's Make It
11. The Mighty Fire
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Isaac Hayes - The Isaac Hayes Movement (Soul US 1970)
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The Isaac Hayes Movement was the third studio album released by Isaac Hayes. Released in 1970, it was the follow-up to "Hot Buttered Soul", Hayes' landmark 1969 album. Marvell Thomas had come up with "The Isaac Hayes Movement" as a name for Hayes' backup ensemble. He modeled the name after the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Similar in structure to Hot Buttered Soul, The Isaac Hayes Movement features only four long tracks, all with meticulous, complex and heavily orchestrated arrangements. However, unlike the previous album, this time all four songs are reworked covers of others' material. This includes Jerry Butler's "I Stand Accused", which features a nearly five-minute long spoken intro that precedes the actual song, and The Beatles' "Something", which features violin soloing by John Blair. The other two songs included on the album were the Bacharach-David song, "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" and Chalmers and Rhodes' "One Big Unhappy Family".
Released in March 1970,The Isaac Hayes Movement spent a total of seven weeks at #1 on Billboard's Soul Albums chart and remained in the top ten until the last week of November in that year. The album also reached #1 on the Jazz Albums chart and spent 75 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at #8. An edited version of "I Stand Accused" was released as a single in July 1970. It reached #23 on the Soul Singles chart and #42 on the Pop chart.
Although this is Isaac Hayes' third long-player, he had long been a staple of the Memphis R&B scene -- primarily within the Stax coterie -- where his multiple talents included instrumentalist, arranger, and composer of some of the most beloved soul music of the '60s. Along with his primary collaborator, David Porter, Hayes was responsible for well over 200 sides -- including the genre-defining "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby," "Soul Man," "B-A-B-Y," "Hold On, I'm Comin'," and "I Had a Dream." As a solo artist however, Hayes redefined the role of the long-player with his inimitably smooth narrative style of covering classic pop and R&B tracks, many of which would spiral well over ten minutes.
The Isaac Hayes Movement (1970) includes four extended cuts from several seemingly disparate sources, stylistically ranging from George Harrison's "Something" to Jerry Butler's "I Stand Accused" and even Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself." These early Hayes recordings brilliantly showcase his indomitable skills as an arranger -- as he places familiar themes into fresh contexts and perspectives. For example, his lengthy one-sided dialogue that prefaces "I Stand Accused" is halting in its candor as Hayes depicts an aching soul who longs for his best friend's fiancée. Even the most hard-hearted can't help but have sympathy pains as he unravels his sordid emotional agony and anguish.
Hayes' lyrical orchestration totally reinvents the structure of "Something" -- which includes several extended instrumental sections -- incorporating equally expressive contributions from John Blair (violin). Both "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" and the comparatively short (at under six minutes) "One Big Unhappy Family" are more traditionally arranged ballads. Hayes again tastefully incorporates both string and horn sections to augment the languid rhythm, providing contrasting textures rather than gaudy adornment. These sides offer a difference between the proverbial "Black Moses of Soul" persona that would be responsible for the aggressive no-nonsense funk of Shaft (1971) and Truck Turner (1974).
01."I Stand Accused" (Jerry Butler, William Butler[disambiguation needed]) – 11:39
02."One Big Unhappy Family" (Charles Chalmers, Sandra Rhodes) – 5:54
03."I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) – 7:05
04."Something" (George Harrison) – 11:45
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Friday, 13 July 2012
Major Harris - My Way (Great Soul US 1974)
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Source: Japan Mini LP 24-Bit Remaster
My Way contains Major Harris' number one R&B hit "Love Won't Let Me Wait," a smooth exercise in romantic eroticism, and its bouncy successor, "Loving You Is Mellow." The disc features a smooth, aching remake of Blue Magic's "Sideshow," co-written by guitarist Bobby Eli, as were the two previously mentioned singles, "Sweet Tomorrow," and "Just a Thing That I Do." "Each Morning I Wake Up" and "After Loving You" are the best of three compositions by Melvin and Mervin Steals, aka Mystro & Lyric, best known for scribing the Spinners' "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love." The title track is Harris' Philly soul rendition of Frank Sinatra's "My Way," which really doesn't stray that far from the original.
After years of trying, Major Harris finally scored a big hit with the romantic, sensual "Love Won't Let Me Wait" in the summer of 1975. The ballad, with sexy backing vocals supplied by session singer Barbara Ingram, made its mark at number five on the pop charts while topping the R&B chart. He was born into a musical family on February 9, 1947, in Richmond, VA, as Major Harris III. His grandparents worked in vaudeville, his father was a professional guitarist, and his mom led the church choirs. His brother is Joe Jefferson, a Philadelphia songwriter who's responsible for many of the Spinners hits like "Mighty Love," "Love Don't Love Nobody," and "One of a Kind Love Affair." His cousin is longtime Philly stalwart Norman Harris, a guitarist, producer, songwriter, and former record company owner.
An album was produced and released on Atlantic Records. The first release, "Each Day I Wake Up," was credited as being by the Major Harris Boogie Blues Band. When Atlantic later sprung "Love Won't Let Me Wait" on the public, the seductive ballad achieved a million in sales and became the high mark of Harris' career. It was recorded in a darkened Sigma Sound Studio with only a small light at Harris' lyric stand: Barbara Ingram, Carla Benton, and Yvette Benson supplied the backing vocals. M.F.S.B. played on the tracks with that distinctive, prevalent guitar supplied by Bobby Eli, who also produced the session and wrote the song with Gwendolyn Woolfolk (under her pen name of Vinnie Barrett). Subsequent ballads by Harris fared well on the charts for a while, but when the hits dried up Harris went back to the Delfonics. As a solo act he was featured on an excellent live recording with Blue Magic and Margie Joseph, which showed that he was an even better entertainer than recording artist. He now tours with one of the two groups called the Delfonics; his version features original members William Hart and Randy Cain. (The other group includes William Hart's brother, Wilbert (an original member), and two new guys.)
01. Each Morning I Wake Up
02. Love Won't Let Me Want
03. Sweet Tomorrow
04. Sideshow
05. Two Wrongs
06. Loving You Is Mellow
07. Just A Thing That I Do
08. After Loving You
09. My Way
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Fields - Selftitled (Great Folkrock UK 1971)
Bitrate: 256
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Source: Japan Mini LP 24-Bit Remaster
Quickly, Fields was Rare Bird's main keyboard man Graham Field's first (last?) post-Bird project. Bringing at least a little of the early Rare Bird vibe along for the ride, albeit with one keyboardist rather than two, bassist/guitarist/composer/vocalist Alan Barry and drummer Andy McCulloch (between stints in Crimson and Greenslade) shore up the incredibly full sound for a very unique and melodic prog album.
Field and McCulloch shine like you'd expect, but it's Barry who impresses the most here. His pitch-perfect tenor sails over all these great songs and provides a real nice mechanism for exploiting these beautiful melodies. I'd love to know whatever became of Alan Barry after such a powerful performance here. Barry's previous stints as session man for Gordon Haskell's It Is and It Isn't album and as part of one the Giles brothers' pre-GG&F bands are pretty much all I can find on this guy's skimpy resume.
Like another well known keyboard-based 3-piece band, Refugee, Fields only managed this one album before imploding. It's been long out of print but worthy of a search for all keyboard-obsessed melodic, yet heavy prog nuts out there - you know who you are!
You may expect this album to be an ELP type no guitar and organ bashing affair- it most certainly is not. The heavy organ passages are tasteful and really imaginative while every song on the album is soaring and melodic. Alan Barry's high pitched strong and melodic voice begs comparison with Jon Anderson or a higher pitched Gary Brooker and the Procol Harum influence is quite strong on nearly every track. The sparingly used guitar passages are very nicely executed and not one track on this album is a weak link. For pop influenced melodic progrock this is one of the top 3 or 4 and still less expensive than some other great ones. Favourite tracks here include the majestic opener 'A Friend Of Mine," the folk-tinged "Three Minstrels", and the very catchy "While The Sun Still Shines." This is a very adventurous and also very friendly album with a warm, soothing atmosphere to most of it and exciting musicianship and great vocals to the fore.
- Graham Field / acoustic & electric pianos, organ
- Alan Barry / vocals, classical & electric guitars, bass, Mellotron
- Andy McCulloch / drums, tympani, talking drums
01. A friend of mine (4:27)
02. While the sun still shines (3:15)
03. Three minstrels (4:27)
04. Slow Susan (3:44)
05. Over and over again (5:54)
06. Feeling free (3:13)
07. Fair-haired lady (3:02)
08. A place to lay my head (3:37)
09. The eagle (5:23)
+ Bonus
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A must in every collection: Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F. (Classic Punk US 1977)
Bitrate: 256
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Artwork Included
Source: Japan Mini LP 24-Bit Remaster
L.A.M.F. is the only studio album by the American band The Heartbreakers, which included Johnny Thunders, Jerry Nolan, Walter Lure and Billy Rath. The music is a mixture of punk, R&B and rock and roll. The band played a seminal role in the formation of early punk. Thunders and Nolan were previously in the New York Dolls, an important protopunk band. Biographer Nina Antonia states in the L.A.M.F. liner notes that "Johnny and his wise-guys were not a punk band, in the 1976 application of the term, they were N.Y. street punks playing rock n' roll but the kids still pogoed."
The acronym "L.A.M.F." stands for "Like A Mother Fucker", in a 1977 interview in the UK monthly magazine Zigzag Thunders said this originated from New York gang graffiti. Thunders claimed the gangs would add the LAMF tag after writing their gang name. However if they were on another gangs territory they would write "D.T.K.L.A.M.F" (Down To Kill Like A Mother Fucker). The original, vinyl release of the album is notorious for its lackluster sound, despite several attempts to remix it.
The Heartbreakers had been trying to get a record contract in America since their formation in 1975. The group had a strong catalog of songs and had developed a devoted following from their live performances, but the reputations of Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan as unreliable drug addicts made them unattractive to American record labels.
In the fall of 1976, Malcolm McLaren, who had informally managed the New York Dolls in their waning days, invited the band to come to England and participate in the Sex Pistols' Anarchy tour, along with The Clash and The Damned, who were replaced by Buzzcocks shortly after the tour ensued. The band accepted the offer, arriving in London on December 1, the same day that the Pistols made headlines across the UK for swearing at Bill Grundy on live, prime-time television, which precipitated the cancellation of most of the tour.
Stranded in England with little money after the Anarchy tour came to a halt, the band contemplated a retreat to New York, but their manager, Leee Black Childers, convinced them to stay in England, believing that they would be more successful there. After several gigs in London, Track Records offered the Heartbreakers a recording contract.
Curiously, Track asked the band to sign to the company as "The Chris Stamp Band Ltd." a holding company owned by Track, with the proviso that if that holding company went out of business, the rights to any recordings the band made would revert to the band's own business partnership. The band agreed and signed on to Track.
The band prepared for the album with a three-day demo session at Essex Studios in late February 1977, followed by two live shows at London's Speakeasy Club, which were recorded by Track Records for future release. Both the demo sessions and the live shows were intended to be warm-ups for the recording sessions, which took place in March.
Six songs: "All By Myself", "Let Go", "Get Off The Phone", "I Wanna Be Loved", "Can't Keep My Eyes On You", and "I Love You" were recorded at Essex with Track staff producer Speedy Keen. The band then switched to Ramport Studios (owned by The Who) to record eight more songs. During a break in the recording, the Who's Pete Townshend invited the Heartbreakers to appear as extras in the movie version of Quadrophenia.
Mixing the recording was fraught with difficulty. The band went from studio to studio, each member trying their own mixes. Each mix would be considered and rejected, after which various band members returned to the studio to try to remix it. The band was later alleged to have used taxicabs to commute between London and Birmingham, billed to Track Records, to replenish their drug supply. The mixing sessions lasted through the summer of 1977, as they continued playing live.
L.A.M.F. would be released by Track Records on October 3, 1977. Critics praised the music but condemned the mixes; critic Jon Savage wrote in Sounds magazine, "The sounds (mostly) are great, the playing assured, tight, adventurous... so what's the problem? The mixing. The fantasy that they are includes an element of self-destruction, and here's where it operates — they can't seem to get it quite right. Or maybe it's due to that excess of power. Whichever way, some of the songs... sound muddy — irritating 'cause you know how good they could be."
Jerry Nolan apparently agreed with Savage and other critics' concerns about the album's sound. He told the rest of the band that if the album was released "without a proper mix", he would see no reason to remain in the band. Nolan quit during a UK tour, during which time Sex Pistols drummer, Paul Cook, filled in, until Nolan was asked to return as a hired hand. The rest of the Heartbreakers considered both Rat Scabies and former Clash drummer, Terry Chimes, as permanent replacements.
Track Records went into liquidation not long after releasing "It's Not Enough" as the album's second single. The band, with Chimes on drums, recorded a demo of "London Boys" and "Too Much Junkie Business", as an audition for EMI in December 1977, but bassist Billy Rath and second guitarist and vocalist Walter Lure returned to the States soon afterward, effectively halting the Heartbreakers.
After Track Records went out of business, manager Leee Black Childers took possession of all of The Heartbreakers' tapes; the Essex demos, the Speakeasy live recordings and the masters from the L.A.M.F. sessions, including thirty-five reels full of various mixes, from the Track Records offices, thanks in part to the contract provision the band signed early in 1977.
In 1982, the rights to The Heartbreakers' tapes were acquired from Childers, acting on behalf of the band partnership, by Jungle Records, an independent English label. Jungle convinced Thunders and former Generation X bassist Tony James (then with Sigue Sigue Sputnik) to remix L.A.M.F., but the results met with mixed reaction from purists.
Johnny Thunders died in 1991 and Jerry Nolan died in 1992.
The 300-plus available mixes were narrowed down to a shortlist of fifty tracks, and various London-area friends and colleagues of Johnny Thunders, including sometime Thunders collaborator Patti Palladin and journalist Nina Antonia, were asked for their input. The mixes used were primarily what Hauser and company considered to be the "rockier, punchier" versions. This edition of L.A.M.F. was amended with a bonus disc featuring studio outtakes, demo versions of three tracks, and other related tracks and alternate mixes, including demos of "London Boys" and "Too Much Junkie Business" that the band recorded for EMI.
The first edition of what is sometimes referred to as L.A.M.F.: The Lost '77 Mixes was released by Jungle in 1994. Eight years later, a remastered edition, appended with an MPEG video of "Chinese Rocks", was released; this is the version currently in print. Henry Rollins picked L.A.M.F.: The Lost '77 Mixes as the recommended version of the album (over L.A.M.F. Revisited) in his 2005 book Fanatic!.
01."Born Too Loose" (aka "Born to Lose")
02."Baby Talk"
03."All By Myself" (Walter Lure/Jerry Nolan)
04."I Wanna Be Loved"
05."It's Not Enough"
06."Chinese Rocks" (Dee Dee Ramone/Richard Hell) (*see below)
07."Get Off The Phone" (Walter Lure/Jerry Nolan)
08."Pirate Love"
09."One Track Mind" (Walter Lure/Jerry Nolan)
10."I Love You"
11."Goin' Steady"
12."Let Go" (Johnny Thunders/Jerry Nolan)
+ Two Demo Tracks
1. https://rapidshare.com/files/3056350634/Heartbreakers.rar
or
2. http://uploadmirrors.com/download/0WJ41ZKG/Heartbreakers.rar
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Unicorn - Too Many Crooks (Folkrock UK 1976)
Bitrate: 256
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included
Source: Japan 24-Bit Remaster
Incredibly, Unicorn were on the road with Hawkwind when their third album hit the streets -- incredibly, because it is difficult to think of two bands that existed at more extreme ends of the period rock spectrum. But the blending worked, as Unicorn's subtly countrified, folky-edged mantras fed the heads of the Hawkwind faithful with many of the same acoustic energies that fired the headliner's most evocative dreams. And, besides, who wouldn't admire a band like Unicorn, a quintessentially English folk-rock act that just happened to have collided with a love for American country rock, and wound up creating a hybrid that still sounds remarkable today? Widely regarded as Unicorn's finest album (a horrible disservice to Blue Pine Trees, but no matter), Too Many Crooks opens with the near-frenetic energy of "Weekend," and continues on through a greater number of rockers than either of its predecessors.
It's a double-edged sword; the power of the band's earlier albums was their ability to turn up the heat without increasing the volume. But moments like the semi-protracted fade of "Ferry Boat," and the almost-funky flirting of "Disco Dancer" are certainly audience-pleasers in waiting, while "No Way Out of Here" impressed producer David Gilmour so much that he covered it for inclusion on his first solo album. Remastered in 2009, with a bonus B-side added to the fun, Too Many Crooks is a great album. But really, you could say that for everything Unicorn ever did.
01. Weekend
02. Ferry Boat
03. He's Got Pride
04. Keep On Going
05. Too Many Crooks
06. Bullseye Bill
07. Disco Dancer
08. Easy
09. No Way Out Of Here
10. In The Mood
Bonus Track
11. Nothing I Wouldn't Do
1. https://rapidshare.com/files/1118185483/Unicorn.rar
or
2. http://uploadmirrors.com/download/1ENRGZER/Unicorn.rar
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Not to be missed: De De Lind - Io Non So Da Dove Vengo E Non So Dove Mai Andro' Uomo E' IL Nome Che Mi Han Dato (Heavy Progressive Rock, Italy 1972)
Bitrate: 256
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included
Source: Japan 24-Bit Remaster
A true rarity on an unusual label for the Italian prog (Mercury), and for sure one of the longest LP names ever conceived, Io non so da dove vengo e non so dove mai andrò, uomo è il nome che mi han dato is generally considered as one of the top albums in this style. A perfect record, very well played and sung by this band based in Milan.
They began their career in 1969, the odd name coming from a popular Playboy model of the early 60's, and only released three singles in their five years career, the first two closer to the Italian beat of the time, while the third had a good rockier B-side in Torneremo ancora. though still far from their LP sound.
The group was a sextet in the picture on the cover of the 1969 single, reduced to a five-piece in the second, a year later.
The album came in 1973, the vocal parts are short but very well made by singer Paradiso, leaving plenty of room to acoustic atmospheres and the sudden assaults of guitarist Vitolli and flute/sax/keyboards player Trama, and the seven tracks on the album are all highly regarding, with a mention for Smarrimento with a sweet flute introduction, a furious guitar/flute interplay followed by the acoustic guitar based vocal parts that leads to a powerful guitar-driven end.
After the album release De De Lind played at 1973 Rassegna di Musica Popolare held in Rome, and at Be-In festival in Naples, with new drummer Fabio Rizzato.
Singer Vito Paradiso had a short solo career in 1978-80, while the rest of the band has totally disappeared.
Before forming De De Lind drummer Rebajoli had played with New Dada and I Nuovi Angeli, with which he returned after leaving this group.
De De Lind were formed in Milan in 1969 and the name of the band was inspired by a famous Playboy model. After some singles in a "beat" style they turned to progressive and in 1973 they released an excellent debut album with a line up featuring Matteo Vitolli (electric and acoustic guitars, percussion, piano, flute), Gilberto Trama (flute, sax, piano, organ, horn), Vito Paradiso (vocals, acoustic guitar), Eddy Lorigiola (bass) and Ricky Rebajoli (drums, cymbals, percussion). It's an interesting conceptual work that, through the eyes of a dying deserter, tells about the horrors of war. Lyrics perfectly fit the music, even if they could seem a little bit naives, and the result is absolutely good.
The opener "Fuga e morte" (Escape and death) begins with a martial marching beat describing troops going to fight a bloody battle. While the battle rages on a man runs desperately away, trying to escape from the massacre. The rhythm here becomes frenzy and powerful electric guitar riffs underline the anxiety of the fugitive. "I was running along endless paths, I couldn't stop / Dark used to rule / No one with me but worry...". The fugitive feels that he can trust nobody, he's lonely and frightened... "Beware of your neighbour / I've always been told / He could be the enemy / That you have been waiting for a long time...". Then acoustic guitar and flute seem to bring in rest and peace. When sunrays begin to filter in a ancient forest and hope seems to rise, a faceless man shoots the fugitive soldier down. While grey lead bullets take his life away he tries to scream... Too late! His life is fading away.
On "Paura del niente" (Fear of the nothingness) the rhythm calms down again. Life is still hanging on and other images peep out... The souvenirs of a carnival parade and a little boy wearing a mask, an old man on a bench who seems to be carved in the stone, a white carriage passing near the protagonist's house, long chimneys emitting black smoke, a wondering lonely dog looking for a new owner... To die like that seems so unfair and absurd, for the protagonist the wish to meet a sweetheart is still so strong... "I would like to meet you / Just before the sun dies / On another day, again...". Then music takes off again, rebounding forth and back, desperately pulsing, crying, thundering, breathing life again...
The instrumental finale of the previous track melts in "Smarrimento" (Bewilderment) that starts like hanging on a dream on delicate flute passages before the music darkens on heavier guitar riffs... Then soaring vocals on an acoustic guitar arpeggio describe in an almost caustic way a priest at a funeral. The clergyman is between two men in black, his voice is trembling and his look seems lost... "Do you remember, Don Angelo? / You used teaching us to believe in God...".
"Voglia di rivivere" (Wish to live again) begins in an almost dreamy way. The attachment to life of the protagonist is strong, but the time is running over... "My time is running over / With the ghosts of some happy hours... My time is fading away / With the smile of the people who take the last train...". Then comes a short instrumental reprise from the second track that leads to the last piece.
"E poi" (And then) is a beautiful short track and a perfect conclusion for such a good album. The lyrics are the title of this work... "I don't know where I'm coming from / And I don't know where ever I'll go to / Man is the name I was given". [progarchives.com]
01. Fuga e Morte (7:20)
02. Indietro nel Tempo (4:17)
03. Paura del Niente (7:46)
04. Smarrimento (7:59)
05. Cimitero di Guerra (5:19)
06. Voglia di Rivivere (3:35)
07. E poi (2:03)
1. https://rapidshare.com/files/3849797521/DeDeLind.rar
or
2. http://uploadmirrors.com/download/J6CNL4A6/DeDeLind.rar
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