Saturday, January 31, 2009

EDGAR WINTER - ENTRANCE 1970

Edgar Winter came out of the chute kicking with this remarkable record filled with jazz, blues and a little old-fashioned rock & roll. The record follows an established theme throughout its first side, stringing the songs together without breaks, highlighted by dreamy keyboard and sax work, plus Winter's smooth vocalizations. But jazz isn't the only thing Edgar brings to the party. His first recorded version of the old J.P. Loudermilk tune "Tobacco Road" has a few nice punches in it (although the live version with White Trash a few years later would prove the definitive one). "Jimmy's Gospel" plays on his early church influences, while "Jump Right Out" is the predecessor of half a dozen "jump up and dance" numbers Winter would pepper his records with in years to come. ~ Michael B. Smith, All Music Guide




Tracks :

Entrance
Where Have You Gone
Rise to Fall
Fire and Ice
Hung Up
Back in the Blues
Re-Entrance
Tobacco Road
Jump Right Out
Peace Pipe
A Different Game
Jimmy's Gospel

Link : @

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Artwork Included

Friday, January 30, 2009

[BY REQUEST] BLOOD , SWEAT & TEARS - CHILD IS FATHER TO THE MAN 1968

Most people remember Blood Sweat & Tears as the incarnation led by the gravel-voiced white blues of David Clayton-Thomas. During his tenure as leader, the hits "Spinning Wheel," "And When I Die," and "Hi-De-Ho" helped to bring pop/rock/jazz to mainstream audiences. BS&T's debut, Child is Father to the Man, didn't feature Clayton-Thomas, nor did it spawn any hits, yet its remarkable influence—due primarily to Al Kooper—opened the door not only for the latter day BS&T but also for such '70s pop/rock/jazz mavericks as Steely Dan and early Chicago.

Producer, session organist, guitar player, and Dylan bandmate Al Kooper put the band together with the idea of incorporating his love of jazz (especially Maynard Ferguson) into a working jazz-oriented rock band. Kooper originally wanted to make this happen in Britain, but after a few shows with a handful of musicians in New York, Kooper formed the original BS&T.

As the group's self-appointed leader, the former Blues Project member intended to create a sound that utilized horns as much as rock guitar. Unlike R&B groups, the horns were not used to accent choruses; they played complex arrangements that flowed throughout, and Kooper and guitarist Steve Katz gave them room to solo. What is interesting about this record, unlike the more commercially successful followup, Blood Sweat and Tears II, is that it lacks the sappy commercialism that imbued tracks like "You Made Me So Very Happy."

Child is Father to the Man is not only one of the finest jazz/rock hybrids, it is one of the finest records of the late '60s, standing up along side the Rolling Stones' Beggar's Banquet, the Beatles' White Album, the Velvet Underground self titled, Van Morrison̢۪s Astral Weeks and Dylan's John Wesley Harding. It boasts many choice cuts from Kooper, as well as covers of Tim Buckley, Harry Nilsson and Gerry Goffin & Carole King. Though the album is enveloped with a great horn sound, the drops of Kooper's organ recall Jimmy Smith, while Katz plays some smokin' guitar solos that rival much of San Francisco's acid rock of the period.

Interestingly enough, Kooper also wanted to bring symphonic composition into the band's sound as well. Classical styles appear in the mix, but they do not copy the chamber pop of the Beatles, the Bee Gees, or Left Banke. Kooper uses a piano based style of composition that uses elements of 18th Centaury composers rather than arranging a pop piece into a chamber composition as George Martin would do with the Beatles. Unlike the rest of the record, the opening "Overture" mixes a healthy dose classical composition with pyschedelic grooves of laughter.

Then music works into Kooper's legendary blues grooves on "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" and "I Can't Quit You." But tracks such as the Buckley cover "Morning Glory" and the Kooper-penned "My Days are Numbered" feature a blazing jazz sound that works within the pop sound. "My Days are Numbered" features a bass and horn interchange that shows off just how brilliant an arranger Kooper could be.

Unlike the work of fusion giants who began to appear at this time, BS&T started from a rock environment, which formed the backbone of the group's music. Still, this record's progressive vibe and sound will be of interest to jazz fans looking for a little something out of the ordinary. Child is Father to the Man is one of the most original, eclectic, and brilliant recordings to come out of late-'60s rock and '70s fusion.
By Trevor MacLaren (http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=18914)

Tracks :

Overture
2.I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
3.Morning Glory
4.My Days Are Numbered
5.Without Her
6.Just One Smile
7.I Can't Quit Her
8.Meagan's Gypsy Eyes
9.Somethin' Goin' On
10.House in the Country
11.Modern Adventures of Plato, DioGenes & Freud, The
12.So Much Love / Underture
13.Refugee From Yuhupitz - (TRUE instrumental)
14.I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know - (demo)
15.Modern Adventures of Plato, DioGenes & Freud - (demo)


Link : @

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DICKEY BETTS - ATLANTA'S BURNING DOWN 1978

Dickey Betts joined the Allman Brothers Band as second lead guitarist and singer in the late '60s. In addition to matching bandleader Duane Allman lick for lick, Betts also wrote such memorable songs as "Revival" (number 92, 1971) and the instrumental tour de force "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." After Duane Allman was killed in a road accident in 1971, Betts and Allman's brother Gregg shared leadership of the band, with Betts writing and singing the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man" (number two, 1973). Members of the band began solo careers in 1973, and Betts released his first solo album Highway Call, in 1974. The Allmans split up in 1976, and Betts formed Dickey Betts and Great Southern. The Allmans reformed in 1978, with Betts contributing "Crazy Love" (number 29, 1979), "Angeline" (number 58, 1980), and "Straight From the Heart" (number 39, 1981). But they split again, and both Betts and the Allmans were inactive for several years. Betts returned with the Dickey Betts Band and Pattern Disruptive in 1988, and in 1989 he and a couple of members of his backup band joined a second, more permanent re-formation of the Allmans. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Tracks :

Good Time Feeling
Atlanta's Burning Down
Leavin' Me Again
Back on the Road Again
Dealin' With the Devil
Shady Street
You Can Have Her
Mr. Blues Man

Link : @

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

SHARKS - FIRST WATER 1973

Sharks was a band formed by ex-Free bass player, Andy Fraser, upon his second (and final) departure from Free, in late 1972. They were signed to Island Records and were that label's Great White Hope for the 1970s.[citation needed] The band was highly rated by critics, especially for Chris Spedding's guitar work. The initial line-up consisted of Andy Fraser (bass, piano), Snips (vocals), Chris Spedding (guitar) and American, Marty Simon (drums).

At the start of 1973, they embarked on a UK tour and also made an appearance on the BBC TV programme Old Grey Whistle Test. On the 19 February 1973, on the way back to London from a gig in Cleethorpes, the band's car skidded and hit a tree. Fraser suffered injuries to his wrist and, during recuperation, had second thoughts about the band. The tour continued to the end of April but Fraser had some difficulties playing with the injury. Sharks' debut album, First Water, was released in April but Fraser left shortly afterwards and the band began searching for a replacement. Those considered included Tom Robinson, Ric Gretch and Boz Burrell. Mick Jagger then recommended a bass player from Memphis, Busta Cherry Jones, who joined in July 1973, along with ex-Audience keyboard player Nick Judd.

A new UK tour with this line-up began in September 1973 and ran through until March 1974, when their second album, Jab It in Yore Eye, was released. The band then toured America during April & May 1974. On their return to the UK, the band began recording their third album, to be titled Music Breakout. However, Simon was fired and replaced by Stuart Francis and Jones returned to the States. Island didn't like the masters for the third album and the band folded in October 1974.

Spedding continued his session work and solo career, whilst Snips joined Ginger Baker in the Baker Gurvitz Army and then went solo.

In 1993, Spedding and Snips began recording together again as Sharks, although the album, Like a Black Van Parked on a Dark Curve..., wasn't released until 1995. There was a one-off gig in London, in December 1995, featuring Snips, Spedding, Jackie Badger (bass), Blair Cunningham (drums) and Nick Judd (keyboards) but the band has not re-surfaced since.

Tracks :

World Park Junkies
Follow Me
Ol' Jelly Roll
Brown Eyed Boy
Snakes And Swallowtails
Drivin' Sideways
Steal Away
Doctor Love
Broke A Feeling

Link : @

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

[BY REQUEST] TERRY BROOKS & STRANGE - HIGH FLYER / NO EXIT

Brook's earlier material reflected a distinctive hard rock and psych edge, whereas his later stage material bounced all over the spectrum. Written, produced and arranged by Brooks, 1981's "High Flyer" was divided into 'Earth' and 'Space' side. The 'Earth' side featured three rock tracks while the 'Space' side showcased four of Brooks 'softer' efforts. Normally I wouldn't subject someone to a track-by-track description of an album, but based on its wrongheaded quotient this one deserved a little more insight. 'You Will Be Loved' started the album off with a patented slice of Brooks hard-rock moves. Complete with manic vocals, mind-numbing fast and crude guitar and dumb-as-a-doorknob lyrics you either loved it, or hate it. No in-betweens with respect to this one. Similarly 'Child of the City' and 'Rock and Roll Woman' both showcased Brooks' longstanding love of echoplex, sophomoric lyrics and headache inducing leads. Mind you Brooks could certainly play guitar, but he didn't have much of a style other than loud, fast, and largely tuneless. Starting off side two 'What Kind of Man' was clearly intended to showcase Brooks' as a deep and insightful artist ... Okay, 'My Lady and Me' sported cheesy synthesizers, hysterically funny female backing vocals, and had-to-hear-to-believe lyrics ('my lady and me are from another galaxy; we're here to teach love you see'). Complete with spoken word segment and an attempt at a falsetto (disturbing to say the least - our cat was not thrilled), 'Love of the Ages' underscored the fact Brooks wasn't born to sing ballads. The title track melded spacey lyrics, a surprisingly funky rhythm and a touch of Brooks' guitar prowess.
(http://www.geocities.com/badcatrecords/BROOKSterry.htm)

Tracks :

"High Flyer" track listing:


You Will Be Loved
Child of the City
Rock and Roll Woman
What Kind of Man
My Lady and Me
Love of the Ages
High Flyer

"No Exit" track listing:

Bottom line
Woman
Mr. strange
It's a beautiful day
Rock the world
Down and dirty blues

Link : @

No Artwork

Monday, January 26, 2009

THE SACRED MUSHROOM - S/T 1969

Sacred Mushroom -- led by future Pure Prairie League member Larry Goshorn (guitar/vocals) and featuring brother Danny Goshorn (vocals) -- were a short-lived rock/blues quintet based in Cincinnati, OH. Their efforts coalesce on this, the band's self-titled debut (and only) long-player. The album contains a blend of proficient originals as well as a pair of well-chosen cover tunes, such as the blues standard "Mean Old World" and the Kinks' "I'm Not Like Everybody Else." While their name conjures images of late-'60s psychedelic or acid rock, Sacred Mushroom's roots were decidedly more bluesy than trippy. Likewise, their harder-edged performance style is well served by the tight and somewhat pop-driven arrangements, resembling artists such as the Allman Joys, Kak, or the pre-Blue Öyster Cult Stalk-Forrest Group. A few of the Larry Goshorn-penned tunes are certifiably lost classics. These include the up-tempo rocker "Catatonic Lover," which features some lyrical chord changes reminiscent of "3/5's of a Mile in 10 Seconds" by Jefferson Airplane, and the Chicago blues-style waltz "All Good Things Must End." The latter is highlighted by some inspired harp playing from Rusty Work. The opening track, "I Don't Like You," is a funky rocker spotlighting the Goshorn Brothers' tight harmonies as well as Larry's distinctive lead electric guitar licks. Another standout is their reworking of "I'm Not Like Everybody Else." The track retains a timeless pop sensibility that incorporates interweaving acoustic and electric guitar lines. "Lifeline," the most extended track on the disc, recalls the electric blues of seminal Fleetwood Mac or Stan Webb's Chicken Shack. Along the same lines is the blues boogie rendering of "Mean Old World," which might easily be mistaken for an obscure version by a mid-'60s lineup of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.

After decades of poorly manufactured European bootleg reproductions, Larry Goshorn has reissued Sacred Mushroom. Additional information can be found at http://www.goshornbrothersmusic.com/CD_mushroom_frame.htm. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide

Tracks :

1. I Don't Like You
2. You Won't Be Sorry
3. Catatonic Lover
4. All Good Things Must Have An End
5. I'm Not Like Everybody Else
6. I Take Care
7. Mean Old World
8. Lifeline

Link : @

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GANDALF THE GREY - THE GREY WIZARD AM I 1972

One could make the argument that J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings fantasy trilogy (published 1954-1955) had as significant a formative influence on the emergent hippie generation as did Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) or Joseph Heller's Catch-22 (1961). Certainly you can hear it in the twee archaisms of British folk from the era and in the more whimsical, otherworldly strains of British psychedelia (the Incredible String Band comes immediately to mind), and, in time, it would saturate '70s prog rock. It is right there, too, as a catalyst in American folk-rock (perhaps Simon & Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair/Canticle," probably the Byrds' "Renaissance Fair") and Baroque pop (Sagittarius' Present Tense, Love's "Forever Changes"), and ultimately in its acid folk (Perry Leopold's dark masterpiece Christian Lucifer). But Chris Wilson took the inspiration to its logical extreme on The Grey Wizard Am I. His nom de guerre, appropriated from the novels, is the ultimate homage, while many of the lyrics on the album were directly inspired by Tolkien's imaginary landscapes as well, and even by some of his characters. The remainder convert the ins and outs of Wilson's bohemian life in Greenwich Village into a sort of fantasy world of its own. And it is all quite delightfully, if earnestly, done -- or, to be less precious about it, The Grey Wizard Am I is often a transfixing, bewitching little relic, particularly on such songs as "My Elven Home," "Go and See," and "Sunshine Down the Line." It's not likely to have a wide appeal -- anything this eccentric, unworldly, and chimeric, no matter how well done, probably has a limited audience -- and there is not a great deal of melodic variation from song to song to push it into the upper echelon of similar recordings. Nevertheless, The Grey Wizard Am I is a lovely little pastry for fans of obscure '60s and '70s folkadelica, ideal music for playing dress-up to, or for daydreaming. ~ Stanton Swihart, All Music Guide


The Grey Wizard Am I
My Elven Home
From the Grey Havens
Here on Eighth Street
Go and See
The Christmas Song
Old Town Church
The Home Coming (The Sun Is Down)
I Don't Know Why the People
Mr. Joe's
Sunshine Down the Line
The Future Belongs to the Children
A Young Girl Just Died
Before Tomorrow
The Shadow of Tomorrow
An Elven Song of Love [*]

Link : @

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Saturday, January 24, 2009

A EUPHONIOUS WAIL - S/T 1973

Heavily influenced by San Francisco bands (Big Brother and the Trucking Company and The Jefferson Airplane quickly come to mind), the Santa Rosa, California-based A Euphonious Wail was roughly five years behind creative and popular tastes. Not that it stopped a struggling Kapp Records from signing the quintet.

Built around the talents of drummer Doug Hoffman, keyboardist Bart Libby, singer Suzanne Rey, singer/guitarist Steve Tracy and bassist Gary Violetti, the band's self-titled 1973 debut teamed them with producer Brian Ingoldsby (Lowell Levinger of Youngbloods fame reportedly also helped out). while "A Euphonious Wail" had a couple of moments, for the most part the LP was surprisingly lame and uninspired. As lead vocalists Rey and Tracy had decent, if unexceptional voices (though Rey tended to screech in the higher registers). The same type of limitations were true of the band as songwriters (all but Hoffman contributing material). Taken individually guitar and keyboard propelled rockers such as "Pony", "We've Got the Chance", "When I Start To Live" and "F#" weren't bad, but stretched over an entire album, there simply wasn't much to stand out. The band were even less successful when they tried slowing things down - check out the lame ballads "Did You Ever" and "I Want To Be a Star". (The Michael Hawes cover drawing was interesting. Depending on how you looked at it you saw something completely abstract, or possibly obscene.) Needless to say, the album vanished without a trace, followed in short order by the banD.
(http://www.geocities.com/badcatrecords/EuphoniousWail.htm)

Tracks:

1.) Pony (John Brandenburg Jr.) - 4:36
2.) We've Got the Chance (Bart Libby - Suzanne Ray) - 4:09
3.) Did You Ever (Steve Tracy) - 3:41
4.) When I Start To Live (Steve Tracy) - 4:50
5.) F# (Steve Tracy) - 3:36
6.) Chicken (Gary Violetti - Bart Libby) - 4:32
7.) Night Out (Gary Violetti - Suzanne Rey) - 2:49
8.) Love My Brother (Gary Violetti - Suzanne Rey) - 4:40
9.) I Want To Be a Star (Bart Libby) - 5:29

Link : @

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Thursday, January 22, 2009

MARTIN CARTHY - CROWN OF HORN 1976

Martin Carthy MBE is an English folk singer and guitarist who has remained one of the most influential figures in British traditional music, inspiring contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon and later artists such as Richard Thompson since he emerged as a young musician in the early days of the folk revival.
Performing with The Imagined Village at Camp Bestival - 20th July 2008

He was born in Hatfield on May 21, 1941 and grew up in Hampstead, North London. After leaving school, he worked behind the scenes at the open air theatre at Regent's Park as a prompter, then an assistant stage manager (ASM) on a tour of The Merry Widow, and then at Theatre in the Round in Scarborough. He then sang in coffee bars. He became a resident at The Troubadour Folk Club in Earls Court in the early 1960s. He joined Redd Sullivan's Thameside Four in 1961. He is a renowned solo performer of traditional songs in a very distinctive style, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar; his style is marked by the use of alternative tunings, and a strongly percussive picking style that emphasizes the melody. His debut album, Martin Carthy, was released in 1965, and also featured Dave Swarbrick playing fiddle on some tracks, although he was not mentioned in the album's sleeve notes. Carthy's arrangement of the traditional ballad Scarborough Fair was adapted, without acknowledgment, by Paul Simon on the Simon and Garfunkel album recording Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme in 1966.

He has also been involved with many musical collaborations. He has sung with The Watersons since 1972, was twice a member of the UK electric folk group Steeleye Span, was a member of the legendary Albion Country Band 1973 line-up, with members from the Fairport Convention family and John Kirkpatrick, that recorded the seminal 'Battle of the Field' album, and was part of the innovative Brass Monkey ensemble, which mixed a range of brass instruments with Carthy's guitar and mandolin and John Kirkpatrick's accordion, melodeon and concertina.

For many years Carthy has enjoyed a creative partnership with fiddle player Dave Swarbrick and, more recently, Waterson:Carthy has provided the forum for a successful partnership with partner Norma Waterson together with their daughter Eliza Carthy.

In June 1998 he was appointed an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours. He was named Folk Singer of the Year at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2002, and again in 2005 when he also won the award for Best Traditional Track for 'Famous Flower of Serving Men'. In the 2007 Folk Awards Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick won "Best duo".

Tracks :

1.Bedmaking, The
2.Locks and Bolts
3.King Knapperty
4.Geordie
5.Willie's Lady
6.Virginny
7.Worcestershire Wedding, The
8.Bonny Lass of Anglesey
9.William Taylor the Poacher
10.Old Tom of Oxford
11.Palaces of Gold

Link : @

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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

MEIC STEVENS - OUTLANDER 1970

Meic Stevens may not be a familiar name in much of the world, but in his native Wales the singer-songwriter's stature is often compared to that of Bob Dylan. A local legend whose psych-folk influence can be heard in such contemporary Welsh groups as Super Furry Animals and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Stevens also founded his country's first independent record company, the estimable Sain label.

Stevens sang mostly in his native language, a political act not unlike speaking Basque in Spain or Cherokee in the U.S. His one English-language album is 1970'sOutlander, an outstanding marriage of musicianship and eclecticism. Arising from the same fertile soil as the work of the late-'60s icons, Stevens's album nonetheless manages to avoid easy comparisons. Its jazz-Indo-psych ragas merge seamlessly with its acid folksongs and Dylan-esque meditations on relationships and politics. Performed by a remarkable cast of musicians hand-picked by English rock tastemaker Ian Samwell, Outlander was created with a minimum of rehearsal and consists largely of first takes.

Greeted with critical acclaim upon Outlander's U.K. release, Stevens traveled Stateside for a two-week tour in the summer of 1970. But the album never crossed the Atlantic; its very first U.S. release is this expanded, remastered Rhino Handmade issue. Copies of the LP have fetched upwards of $500 on the collectors' market, a testimony to the enduring quality of its songs. Now, fans can enjoy the original album in its entirety, along with nine bonus tracks, including outtakes, alternate versions, and the 1970 B-side "Blue Sleep."

Tracks :

01. Rowena

02. Love Owed

03. Left Over Time

04. Lying To Myself

05. The Sailor And Madonna

06. Oxblood

07. Yorric

08. Midnight Comes

09. Ghost Town

10. Dau Rhosyn Coch

11. Ballad Of Old Joe Blind

12. GREAT HOUDINI

13. ALL ABOUT A DREAM (Bonus)

14. EVENING COMES UP (Bonus)

15. UPON THE MOUNTAIN (Bonus)

16. WHERE HAVE ALL MY PEOPLE GONE (Bonus)

17. YORRIC (Early Version) (Bonus)

18. THE SAILOR AND MADONNA (Early Version) (Bonus)

19. BLUE SLEEP (Bonus)

20. BALLAD OF JOE BLIND (Alternate Version) (Bonus)

Link : @ Re - Up

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Monday, January 19, 2009

MOSES GUEST - LIVE STAGES 2001

With a loping opening "Intro Jam" that bears more than passing resemblance to the meandering work of the late Jerry Garcia, Moses Guest alternates between tightly crafted, if innocuous, alternative Southern rock songs by singer/guitarist Graham Guest and obligatory improvisations that spiral up through the scales, ascending toward the final choruses. Owing much to '70s arena rock, Moses Guest manages to retain a feel of intimacy in its performances, recorded live in Colorado and Arkansas. The lyrics find occasional moments of wisdom inside the clichés. Most of the original material, though, is negligible, imagery pulled from a stock collection of songwriting truth. For genuine jam band authenticity, the band includes "I Know You Rider," a folk cover popularized by the Grateful Dead, with a fast shuffling arrangement just different enough to be fresh, but familiar enough so as not to offend the hippie traditionalists. ~ Jesse Jarnow, All Music Guide

Tracks :

Intro Jam
Over the Car/Under the Stairs
How Does It Feel?
Cellophane Man
Stealin'
Boogie Heartache/Right Down
Deeper
I Know You Rider

Link : @

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Saturday, January 17, 2009

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE - BALAKLAVA 1968

Balaklava was the second album recorded and released by psychedelic folk group Pearls Before Swine, in 1968.

For the album, original group members Tom Rapp, Wayne Harley and Lane Lederer were joined by Jim Bohannon, who replaced Roger Crissinger. Like the group’s previous LP on ESP-Disk, "One Nation Underground", it was recorded at Impact Sound in New York City. Recordings probably took place in early 1968 – although some CD reissues state that it was recorded in 1965, this appears to be an error. Lederer left the group during, or shortly after, the recordings, and the basic group was augmented by studio musicians.

Rapp has stated [1] that he wanted to produce a themed anti-war album, and chose the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava in 1854 as an example of the futility of war. The album was dedicated to Private Edward Slovik, the only US soldier executed for desertion in the Second World War. The front cover, a detail of "The Triumph of Death" by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, showed a grotesque allegorical depiction of the horrors of war, while the back cover showed a photograph of a young girl at an anti-war protest. The cover also included the quote ”Only the dead have seen the end of war” by George Santayana, together with surreal and horrific drawings by Jean Cocteau. Incidentally, the cover contributed to the mystique surrounding the group - there were few if any photographs of its members published, and Pearls Before Swine did not perform in concert before 1971.

The album itself starts with a recording of “Trumpeter Landfrey” (his name was in fact Martin Lanfried) [2] [3], one of the original buglers from the 1854 battle. Together with the recording of Florence Nightingale later on the album, this was taken from an archive 1890 cylinder recording, which had been reissued on 78rpm records in the 1930s.

The recording segues into "Translucent Carriages", one of Rapp’s most lasting songs (which he performed, for instance, at the Terrastock 6 Festival in 2006). Simply performed with acoustic guitar, it is rendered otherworldly by breathing noises and whispered lines of commentary, including the quote from the ancient Greek historian Herodotus - "In peace, sons bury their fathers / in war, fathers bury their sons."

"Images of April", in contrast, is an evocation of nature, featuring dubbed bird song. After "There Was A Man", a simpler story-based folk song, another highlight is "I Saw The World". Its innocent but heartfelt lyric (Rapp was just 21 at the time) - "I saw the world spinning like a toy / Hate seems so small compared to it all, so why don’t you do joy ?" - is supplemented by overdubs of natural sounds including waves, as well as wind chimes and a lush string arrangement. "Guardian Angels" is a ballad recorded deliberately to sound as it if it were on a scratchy 1920s 78rpm record, and was presented as such ("recorded in Guadelope, Mexico, in 1929…" ) on the sleeve.

The generally less artistically successful second side of the original LP starts with a version of Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" , followed by Rapp’s original "Lepers and Roses", a complex ballad full of allegorical classical references. After the archive recording of Florence Nightingale, the final track, "Ring Thing", is a dramatic evocation of Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' with crashing gongs and bagpipe drones. At the end, the sound of a tape spooling backwards through the album takes the listener back to "Trumpeter Landfrey" – the message seeming to be that the cycle of war and confusion is destined to continue.

The album repeated its predecessor’s critical success on the underground college scene of the late 1960s, and has subsequently been regularly rated most highly of all Rapp’s albums. Following the album's release, Rapp extricated himself from his ESP contract and signed with Reprise Records. After seven further albums he retired from music in the mid-1970s to qualify and work as a lawyer, returning to perform and record occasionally after the mid-1990s. Balaklava has been reissued several times on CD since the 1980s.

1. "Trumpeter Landfrey" – 0:35
2. "Translucent Carriages" – 4:00 (Herodotus/Harley/Rapp)
3. "Images of April" – 2:44 (Rapp)
4. "There Was a Man" – 2:59 (Rapp)
5. "I Saw the World" – 3:28 (Rapp)
6. "Guardian Angels" – 3:02 (Rapp)
7. "Suzanne" – 5:01 (Cohen)
8. "Lepers And Roses" – 5:23 (Rapp)
9. "Florence Nightingale" – 0:17
10. "Ring Thing" – 2:20 (Tolkien/Rapp)

Link : @

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Artwork Included

Friday, January 16, 2009

BOB SEGER - SMOKIN' O.P.S 1972

A much requested official CD reissue for an album that was difficult to locate even when it was out on vinyl in 1972, Smokin' O.P.'s finds Bob Seger covering "other people's" favorites, including a few of his own. Accompanied by a tough three piece band with Skip Van Winkle's churning organ often more prominent than guitar, Seger sizzles through a short but intense 35 minute set of nine tunes. Even when reinterpreting warhorses such as "Bo Diddley," "Turn on Your Lovelight" and "Let it Rock," the band charges through with such a crisp, no-nonsense attack. These versions sound fresh, if not quite new, upon this album's remastered reissue in 2005, 33 years after it was recorded. The feeling is that these tunes were already crowd favorites, so the recording has a live electricity to it, only enhanced by subsequent years of slicker music from Seger. The slow burn rearrangement of the once folksy "If I Were a Carpenter" captures the singer at his most vibrant, mixing sensitivity with leathery, roiling rock that explodes into a throbbing crescendo, all in about 3 ½ minutes. The mood only eases up for Leon Russell's "Hummin' Bird" and Seger's one new composition "Someday," a "Turn the Page" styled piano ballad with strings. It is "Heavy Music" in the best sense. The album remains a potent example of Bob Seger at his most raw, when he was young and hungry and sounded it. --Hal Horowitz  

Tracks : 

1. Bo Diddley - Bob Seger, McDaniel, Elias
2. Love the One You're With - Bob Seger, Stills, Stephen
3. If I Were a Carpenter - Bob Seger, Hardin, Tim
4. Hummin' Bird - Bob Seger, Russell, Leon
5. Let It Rock - Bob Seger, Berry, Chuck
6. Turn on Your Love Light - Bob Seger, Scott, Joseph Wade
7. Jesse James - Bob Seger, Traditional
8. Someday - Bob Seger, Seger, Bob
9. Heavy Music - Bob Seger, Seger, Bob 

Link : @

Ripped By : evermoreblues
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Wednesday, January 14, 2009

FROGWINGS - CROAKIN' AT TOAD'S 2000

One pleasing development in contemporary music, serving as a counterpoint to the proliferation of vacuous, lightweight teen pop acts, is the resurgence of jam bands. Near the end of their career, the Grateful Dead, the quintessential jam band, found themselves enjoying unexpectedly wide popularity among much younger fans. Then the band called Phish inherited many of their fans with their strongly improvisational music, honed by countless live performances. so that Phish has become the kind so-called cult band that the Grateful Dead was. That, in turn, had paved the way for a host of younger jam bands, some outstanding and some not so much so. Among the first-rate groups carrying on the jazz-inspired tradition of extended instrumental improvisations, are The String Cheese Incident, Moe and Strangefolk.

This week we have a very impressive recording from what could be described as a super-group jam band, comprised of fairly well-known musicians of two generations. They call themselves Frogwings, and their new CD is Croakin’ at Toad’s.

Frogwings could be described as a kind of offshoot of the Allman Brothers Band, with founding member Butch Trucks on drums, and the current percussionist and bassist from the Allmans, Marc Quinones and Otiel Burbridge, also among the ranks of the Frogwings. Other members include Butch Trucks' nephew, the teenage guitar phenomenon Derek Trucks, who has already put out a very impressive solo albumm of his own, plus guitarist Jimmy Herring of another jazzy rock band The Aquarium Rescue Unit, Kofi Burbridge, Otiel's brother on flute and keyboards, and vocalist and harmonica man John Popper from Blues Traveler, a blues-rock band which enjoyed considerable success in its own right. Making it an even more appropriate album for a jam band is the fact that Croakin’ at Toad’s was recorded live, appropriately at a venue called Toad’s, located in New Haven, Connecticut.

Naturally, expectations for a band with the players on the calibre of Frogwings would be high, and the group fully lives up to those promises. Herring and the younger Trucks are great guitarists, Popper's fancy harmonica work adds some spice, and little touches like Kofi Burbridge's occasional flute add a lot to the sound. But while there may be some jam bands around with more technically skilled players, Frogwings really knows how to get up a groove and run with it -- in two cases on this CD for a quarter hour or more -- while keeping things interesting and showing great musical interaction. The two really long jams are instrumentals, but even the vocal tracks, sung by Popper, allow plenty of room for musical interaction, further enhanced by presence of the live audience.

With four of the seven players in Frogwings either members of the Allman Brothers or associated with the group, there is naturally a musical resemblance between the styles of the two bands, but that is nothing to complain about, with the Allmans having been responsible for some of the great rock jams going back to the early 1970s. Frogwings sometimes brings in a little Latin influence, incorporates the blues, thanks to John Popper, and can get a bit jazzy, owing to the inclinations of the two guitarists.

The album begins with one of its longest jams, and one of its best. The instrumental track Kick n Bach starts with a slow groove reminiscent of the Allmans' In Memory of Elizabeth Reed. <<>> It provides ample solo opportunities, including for Otiel Burbridge with his simultaneous bass and vocals similar to his work with the Aquarium Rescue Unit... <<>> before the piece picks up and gets into a Latin-influenced beat for the second guitar solo, which I am guessing was played by Herring. <<>>

The first of the vocals is a John Popper composition called Hurdy Gurdy Fandango. This upbeat song has much briefer solos but still provides a chance for good instrumentalizing... <<>> ... especially by percussionist Quinones. <<>>

Pattern is a joint composition by John Popper and Otiel Burbridge that is one of the highest energy rockers on the album with some musical homage paid to various Southern bands of the past. It's a track that has it moments, but does not rank as the album's most memorable. <<>>

The bluesier side of Frogwings comes out on Just One, another John Popper composition. Popper puts in one of his best performances on the CD, both vocally and on harmonica. <<>>

Also in the Southern Rock musical tradition is a joint band composition called Ganga, which the group really sinks their teeth into, including the Allmanesque dual lead guitar lines. <<>>

The album's longest jam, at over 16 minutes in length is another instrumental, this one by Herring and Otiel Burbridge. Eddie's Got a Boyfriend has a melodic line that sounds like a school-yard taunt of the title. Though the playing is quite good throughout, this is one instance where a bit more succinctness might have been helpful. <<>>

For me, the most interesting track on the CD is Deviant Dreams, in which Frogwings break out of their stylistic mode some, with some distinctive lyrics and a kind of progressive-rock direction. Otiel Burbridge is heard on his flute. <<>>

The album ends with Among Your Pillows, not its strongest track, but one marked by good instrumental work nonetheless. <<>>

Frogwings represents a kind of dream-team jam band, with members of the Allman Brothers, Blues Traveler and the Aquarium Rescue Unit combining forces in a great live album marked by solid playing and the kind of musical interaction that makes a jam band performance so memorable. And the fact that this is a live recording enhances the experience and leads the players to a higher level musically. Their material is, for the most part, worthwhile, though in a jam band situation like this, the compositions take a back seat to the improvisations by the players involved, and the latter are all world-class. (by George Graham http://georgegraham.com/reviews/frogwing.html )

Tracks :

1.Kick N Bach
2.Hurdy Gurdy
3.Pattern
4.Eddie's Got a Boyfriend
5.Just One
6.Ganja
7.Deviant Dreams
8.Among Your Pillows

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Monday, January 12, 2009

KOSSOFF, KIRKE, TETSU & RABBIT - S/T 1972

Comprising guitarist Paul Kossoff, drummer Simon Kirke, bassist Tetsu Yamauchi, and keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick, Kossoff/Kirke/Tetsu/Rabbit made one self-titled album in the early '70s. In a way, it was an interim/side project for Free, formed by Kossoff and Kirke after Free broke up (temporarily, as it turned out) in spring 1971. While Free singer Paul Rodgers performed for a while with Peace and Free bassist Andy Fraser formed Toby, Kossoff/Kirke/Tetsu/Rabbit recorded an album for Island in autumn 1971. By the time it was released in April 1972, however, Free had re-formed, with Yamauchi and Bundrick themselves joining Free for that group's final album, 1973's Heartbreaker. The Kossoff/Kirke/Tetsu/Rabbit album itself suffered from the predictable problems of less impressive vocals and songwriting than Free had featured. As such, despite the top-flight musicians involved, it's a footnote to the Free story, with a more laid-back and less bluesy feel than the early Free albums on which Kossoff and Kirke had played.

Tracks :

01 Blue Grass (Bundrick) 5:09
02 Sammy's Alright (Bundrick) 4:06
03 Anna (Kirke) 3:43
04 Just for the Box (Kossoff) 3:31
05 Hold On (Kirke/Kossoff) 5:24
06 Fool's Life (Bundrick) 4:28
07 Yellow House (Bundrick) 3:26
08 Dying Fire (Kirke) 4:32
09 I'm on the Run (Bundrick) 4:34
10 Colours (Burgess/Kossoff) 4:54

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Sunday, January 11, 2009

GOV'T MULE - GOV'T MULE 1995

Gov't Mule (pronounced Government Mule) is a southern rock/jam band formed in 1994 as an Allman Brothers Band side project.
This is the debut album by Gov't Mule. It has a very jam oriented feel to it and was mostly recorded live in the studio with many tracks running into each other. "Mule" is still a concert favorite, and "Rockin' Horse" was later recorded by The Allman Brothers Band when Warren Haynes rejoined the group for the album Hittin' the Note.










Tracks :

1. "Grinnin' in Your Face" (Son House) - 1:35
2. "Mother Earth" (Chatman/Simpkins)- 8:13
3. "Rockin' Horse" (Haynes/Woody/Pearson/Allman)- 4:06
4. "Monkey Hill" (Haynes/Woody)- 4:40
5. "Temporary Saint" (Haynes) - 5:44
6. "Trane" (Haynes/Woody/Abts) - 7:28
7. "Mule" (Haynes/Woody/Abts) - 5:39
8. "Dolphineus" (Haynes/Woody/Abts) - 2:03
9. "Painted Silver Light" (Haynes) - 7:07
10. "Mr. Big" (Rodgers/Fraser/Kirk/Kossoff) - 6:06
11. "Left Coast Groovies" (Haynes/Woody/Abts) - 6:52
12. "World of Difference" (Haynes) - 10:15

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Saturday, January 10, 2009

FUREKAABEN _ 2nd LP 1971

From hippie collective formed around guitarist and singer Hans Vinding. Furekaaben came from Denmark, famous for also releasing the legendary Moses LP! Drifting HEAD music. Exotic trippy dreamy textures with tabla, zither, Indian flutes, acoustic guitar, cello, etc. A real acid-psychedelic jewel out of the Scandinavian psych scene. The real deal for fans of Wooden Wand & The Vanishing Voice, No Neck Blues Band, Surburned Hand, the Black Velvet Fuckere collective and Tower Recordings.










Tracks :

Instrumental
Mandsang
Christine

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Thursday, January 8, 2009

THE FORT MUDGE MEMORIAL DUMP - S/T 1970

Fort Mudge Memorial Dump was a band from Walpole, Massachusetts, that started playing by 1969, gathering a good number of fans. They got filed into the 'Boston Sound', among the Ultimate Spinach, the Beacon Street Union, Orpheus, Tangerine Zoo, ecc. With good technique and better ideas, they recorded a very sought-after LP in which the voice of Caroline Stratton stands out to some Jefferson Airplane affinity. Guitarist Dean Keady, with his jazzy effects, leads the band. This is a very much anticipated release and a sure buy for all collectors.







Tracks :

Mr. Man
Crystal Forms
Actions Of A Man
Blue's Tune
The Seventh Is Death
What Good Is Spring?
Tomorrow
Know Today
Questionable Answer
The Singer

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Wednesday, January 7, 2009

THE END - INTROSPECTION 1969

Although Introspection bombed due to a belated release, collectors have since heralded the End's album as one of the finest from the brief British psychedelia wave. Produced by Rolling Stone Bill Wyman in early 1968, the spirit of the era (or maybe that of the previous summer) is sonically created with sumptuous results. Colin Giffin and Nicky Graham's gentle harmony vocals tread a similar path to Odessey and Oracle-era Zombies, while sessionman Nicky Hopkins' harpsichord, a pumping Hammond, Terry Taylor's searing Cream-like fuzztone guitar leads, psychedelic duel-ragas, and floating Mellotron re-create the colors of a rainbow. The overall effect is psych pop rather than acid-inspired mayhem, although the drifting ambience of the production, lyricism, and instrumentation could not be anything else but a product of psychedelia. A majority of the numbers were clearly influenced by the Their Satanic Majesties' Request sessions that Wyman had been undertaking -- and indeed Wyman co-wrote two songs -- although the the End's more commercial pop edge forged a sound distant from the Rolling Stones. With an abundance of moods, tones, and a gloriously over-the-top production, Introspection is a superb period piece, and rightfully deserves it's near-classic status. [This version of the album contains bonus material.] ~ Jon "Mojo" Mills, All Music Guide

Tracks :

1. Dreamworld
2. Under The Rainbow
3. Shades Of Orange
4. Bromley Common
5. Cardboard Watch
6. Introspection - Part One
7. What Does It Feel Like ?
8. Linen Draper
9. Don't Take Me
10. Loving , Sacred Loving
11. She Said Yeah
12. Jacob's Bladder
13. Introspection - Part Two
14. Shades Of Orange - Mono Single Version - Bonus Track
15. Loving, Sacred Loving - Mono Single Version - Bonus Track

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Tuesday, January 6, 2009

CRAZY MABEL - CRAZY MABEL 1971

Excellent live album by British sextet that was only released in Germany & Netherlands containing first class progressive rock with jazzy touch, superb hard guitar work.

Tracks :

1. Intro/Crazy Mabel
2. Keep On Rolling'
3. Driving Song
4. Beat Goes On
5. Rag And Bone an
6. It`s Alright Ma
7. You've Never Had It
8. Sleepy Feeling
9. Tea Time
10. Splitting




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Monday, January 5, 2009

[BY REQUEST] GILES FARNABY'S DREAM BAND - S/T 1973

A UK project by Giles Farnaby, instigated in 1971, that aimed to create a wonderful broth of electric folk music with strong medieval influences. The music is played with a combination of early and modern instruments (primarily made up of flutes, violins and various horns). An entirely unique sound is conjured up using the diverse instrumentation available to a band of the 1970's and tunes originally written for country dances way back in 1651. An interesting find - for those brave enough to indulge - and much like early Gryphon. Freak Emporium
In 1973 an LP called Giles Farnaby's Dream Band was released on Argo Records. The band consisted of a one-off collaboration between three respected British early music ensembles: St. George's Canzona, Trevor Crozier's Broken Consort and the choral group The Druids. Backing them were three jazz musicians: Jeff Clyne (bass guitar), Dave MacRae (electric piano) and Trevor Tomkins (drums).

Tracks :

the hare's maggot
rufty tufty - beau stratagem - appley house
the hole in the wall - the chirping of the nightingale
pathtime with good company
daphne - nonsuch - jack's maggot - childgrove
shewsbury lasses
newcastle brown
helston fury dance - picking of sticks - the butterfly
the indian queen
the happy clown
ratcllife highway
the twenty night of may
the black nad - poor robins's maggot - greensleeves
portbella
the draper's maggot - tower hill
mr. beveridge's maggot - the british toper - london's glory

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Sunday, January 4, 2009

TOTTY - TOTTY 1977

If you like that heavy guitar sound from the mid '70's then Totty is a must! If you're into bands like Neil Merryweather, Montrose, Nitzinger or Highway Robbery then you will love this cd. "From the blistering Southern rock instrumental opener, 'Thus Saith The Lord', to the final chords of 'Somebody Help Me', this explosive album by the Oklahoma-based Totty brothers simply rocks from beginning to end. Dennis and Byron Totty, supported by a revolving door of drummers, rock their way through 9 self-penned tracks as if they're a major headlining act, instead of an obscure duo from Tulsa whose privately-pressed eponymous album from 1977 enjoyed sales of just 50 copies (the number the brothers reportedly pressed!). Rumour has it that the brothers Totty recorded another album later, but it is only on this stylish debut that we are able to make our judgement. Influences are in abundance, but more often than not it is Led Zeppelin's power R&B that we are reminded of, although Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top also spring easily to mind." Here's what the Acid Archives Of Underground Sound had to say about Totty:

Christian powertrio hardrock out of Tulsa with some psych and prog flashes not unlike Truth & Janey. Incessant guitar riffing and soloing throughout, superb bass playing, only weak spot are the vocals which almost drown in the music. A few weaker barrockers, but 3-4 extended killer blowouts make this an essential item for local 70s hardrock fans. The closing 8-minute "Somebody Help Me" is about as good as it gets for me. The band also had a lesser LP "Too" in 1981

Tracks :

1-Thus Saith The Lord
2-T-Town Tears
3-Crack In The Cosmic Egg
4-Love Down By One Share
5-I'Ve Done Made Up My Mind
6-Wicked Truth
7-Trying To Forget You
8-Take Me Away Jesus
9-Somebody Help Me

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Saturday, January 3, 2009

THE DRUIDS - BURNT OFFERING 1970

The Druids were Derby based and ran the Druids Folk Club at the Chestnut pub in Normanton. Other folk clubs at the time were the legendary Peasmouldia, which in its hey day entertained 300 audience every Thursday night. It was at Peasmouldia that John and Keith, along with Bob Fairbrother formed the Springhill Singers, the band that morphed into the Druids with the temporary help of John Squires, who later played with John Leonard, the radio producer responsible for many BBC Radio 2 folk programmes.

It was at the Druids folk club that Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger recruited the band to the Argo label (a sub division of Decca Records) and the next few years included extensive semi pro touring, concerts, radio concerts and folk dances. The first album, Burnt Offering is a collector’s item and copies change hands at fairly inflated prices. The collaboration with the Band of The Scots Guards, Martin Wyndham Reed and several others produced an album, Songs and Music of the Redcoats, which had a very long shelf life and became the song ‘bible’ of the battle re-enactment societies until superceded by Strawhead and the Sharp soundtracks by John Tams. The final album was ‘Pastime With Good Company’, the title coming from a track which didn’t feature on the album. Instead it had been recorded as a ‘folk-pop’ single with a Druids harmony vocal backed by medieval band ‘St George’s Canzona’ and some session musicians who normally played with people like Julie Driscoll: Jeff Clyne on bass, Trevor Tompkins on drums and an American keyboard player called Dave MacRae. It was released and died a death but appeared later on the legendary album by Giles Farnaby’s Dream Band led by Trevor Crozier.

The Druids separated in the early 1970s. Mick Hennessy joined Roaring Jelly, Keith Kendrick went on to a varied career as a full time folkie, Judi Longden disappeared into media land and Dave Broughton went up to the northern tip of Scotland, Caithness, where he continued practising to be a fine fiddler. JA went on to join Muckram Wakes.

Tracks :

thursday night +brian borouhme +frost is all over
the trooper and his horse
sailor's life
general taylor
salvation band
hunting the hare +exile's jig
our captain cried all hands
fare thee well enniskillen
the cuckoo's nest
the boar's head carol
the christmas hare
brisk young widow
the prickly bush
madam bonaparte +roxburgh castle
the farmer's three sons
gabriel john
the butcher and the parson

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Friday, January 2, 2009

DEN ZA DEN - DEN ZA DEN 1977

The 11 tracks on this Yugoslavian obscurity could easily have been outtakes from the second or third Iceberg album, the pulling together of extreme virtuosos on keys, guitar, drums, and bass to perform a pyrotechnic jazz rock of great vigor. Like Iceberg, Den Za Den were influenced by the fusion greats of the 70s like Return To Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Weather Report although the presence of Spanish melodies seem a bit unusual for a Yugoslavian group. As the album progresses, one can't help but be awestruck by the technical prowess here, particularly the drummer who literally rips and tears through the pieces as if possessed by the spirit of Billy Cobham. If you're a fan of synth and guitar solos over fluid fusion rhythms, this odd obscurity is surely worth the trouble finding.






Tracks :

1. Svadba (Dragia Soldatovic - Dena za den) 4:08
2. Galeb (Dragia Soldatovic - Dena za den) 3:56
3. Ciganka (Arian Dema - Den za den) 3:03
4. Zedj (Vladimir Jankulovski - Den za den) 3:30
5. Fatamorgana (Arian Dema - Den za den) 4:02
6. Cocor ritam (Dimitar Cocorovski) 0:59

B
1. A bila je tako draga (Arian Dema - Den za den) 4:06
2. Letnja ljubav (Dragia Soldatovic - Dena za den) 3:25
3. Vodopad (Dragia Soldatovic - Dena za den) 2:41
4. Jutro i noc (Dragia Soldatovic - Dena za den) 3:55
5. Tako treba (Dragia Soldatovic - Dena za den) 5:50

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