Tuesday, October 27, 2009

BLUE OYSTER CULT - FIRE OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN 1981

Back in 1981, with the release of Blue Oyster Cult's "Fire of Unknown Origin", the tone was set for where 80's rock was supposed to go. Of course, the way Blue Oyster Cult set it was based on heavy guitars, pounding drums, and the occasional keyboards. We all know it didn't go they way they planned, what with the hair-metal scene and arena rock and such, but you can't blame Blue Oyster Cult for trying. In fact, you should praise them because not only is this album one of the high points of their great discography, but it is one of the highs of intelligent 80's rock and roll.

The Cult was still reeling from the biggest spoiler in their discography, their horrid attempt to make another commercial hit, "Mirrors". Although "Cultosaurus Erectus" had done a good job in giving them back their heavy image, they still needed to return to their early album's sounds. That might be why "Fire Of Unknown Origin" was welcomed, because of it's early 70's reminiscent crunching guitars. Another reason for this album's soaring popularity was the Buck Dharma penned "Burnin' For You", which was originally recorded for his first solo album, but he reluctantly agreed to release it under the Blue Oyster Cult name when Sandy Pearlman refused to release the album with it.

The thing that makes this album one of their best is their realization of their strengths. Instead of chasing after another radio hit, like they had done on "Mirrors", they return to their roots with crunchy riffs ("Heavy Metal"), and almost-ballad vocally powered songs ("Fire Of Unknown Origin"). The sci-fi movie themes that usually come with their albums are also present, most notably in "Joan Crawford". "Don't Turn Your Back" also deserves some recognition for Dharma use of pop lyricism, but still being able to pull off the rock n' roll image.

There are albums by Blue Oyster Cult that stand miles ahead of this, but this is an almost incredible turnaround from their previous attempts at chasing their "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" fame.

Review by Chris H
COLLABORATOR Math Rock Team

Tracks :

1. Fire Of Unknown Origin (4:11)
2. Burnin' For You (4:30)
3. Veteran Of The Psychic Wars (4:50)
4. Sole Survivor (4:04)
5. Heavy Metal: The Black And Silver (3:19)
6. Vengeance (The Pact) (4:41)
7. After Dark (4:25)
8. Joan Crawford (4:54)
9. Don't Turn Your Back (4:02)


Link : @

Artwork Included

Saturday, October 24, 2009

TRAFFIC - JOHN BARLEYCORN MUST DIE 1970

Although JOHN BARLEYCORN MUST DIE was originally intended as Steve Winwood's post-Blind Faith solo debut, Winwood and producer/label head Chris Blackwell first drafted Jim Capaldi to provide lyrics, and then Chris Wood dropped by to add his familiar reeds, and almost by accident, Traffic was reborn.

This was a different, and better, Traffic than the ill-fated quartet lineup with Dave Mason, which never entirely settled on an artistic direction. The sound of JOHN BARLEYCORN MUST DIE, on the other hand, remained the template for the rest of the reunited band's career--long, organically developed songs with a subtle jazz-rock feel, powered by Capaldi's percussion and Winwood's organ. "John Barleycorn," a traditional English folk song about the process of brewing ale (not, as the liner notes mistakenly claim, a call for temperance), here becomes a pastoral reverie carried along by flute and acoustic guitar, and proves to be the record's highlight. However, the quality of the other songs, particularly the instrumental opener, "Glad," and the outstanding ballad "Empty Pages," is nearly as high.

http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1590902/a/John+Barleycorn+Must+Die.htm




Tracks :

1. "Glad (Winwood)" 6:59
2. "Freedom Rider" (Capaldi/Winwood) 5:30
3. "Empty Pages" (Capaldi/Winwood) 4:34
4. "I Just Want You to Know" (Capaldi/Winwood) 1:30
5. "Stranger to Himself" (Capaldi/Winwood) 3:57
6. "John Barleycorn" (Traditional/Winwood) 6:27
7. "Every Mother's Son" (Capaldi/Winwood) 7:08
8. "Sittin' Here Thinkin' of My Love" (Capaldi/Winwood) 3:33
9. "Backstage and Introduction (live)" (Capaldi/Winwood) 1:50
10. "Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring (live)" (Capaldi/Winwood/Wood) 6:56
11. "Glad (live)" (Winwood) 11:29

Link : @

Artwork Included

Friday, October 23, 2009

CAMEL - MIRAGE 1974

With their second album, Mirage, Camel begin to develop their own distinctive sound, highlighted by the group's liquid, intricate rhythms and the wonderful, unpredictable instrumental exchanges by keyboardist Pete Bardens and guitarist Andy Latimer. Camel also distinguish themselves from their prog rock peers with the multi-part suite "Lady Fantasy," which suggests the more complex directions they would take a few albums down the line. Also, Latimer's graceful flute playing distinguishes several songs on the record, including "Supertwister," and it's clear that he has a more supple technique than such contemporaries as Ian Anderson. Camel are still ironing out some quirks in their sound on Mirage, but it's evident that they are coming into their own. ~ Daevid Jehnzen, All Music Guide








Tracks :

1. Freefall
2. Supertwister
3. Nimrodel/The Procession/The White Rider
4. Earthrise
5. Lady Fantasy: Encounter/Smiles for You/Lady Fantasy

Link : @

Artwork Included

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

BLUE OYSTER CULT - ON YOUR FEET ON YOUR KNEES (LIVE) 1975

BÖC's "On Your Feet Or On Your Knees" is another of those albums that doesn't see the light of day too often in my house these days but when it does I really enjoy the trip. I remember quite vividly listening to the opening notes of "The Subhuman" in 78 Records (a notable record store in Perth, Western Australia) the day I first spotted the cover photo of the church and limo shot through a fisheye lens in 1976. I walked out of 78's with the album about two minutes later.

As far as progressive goes, there is not a lot for the die-hard prog fan on this album, though there are smatterings of good keyboard work throughout. But if you are looking for fast- paced, crunching guitars backed by a driving rhythm section in a live setting this is an album for you. Similarly, if you want that raw, largely-untouched-at-the-mastering-stage 1970's live sound then again this is an album for you. And if you appreciate your rock a little quieter OYFOOYK has the gem of a track "(Then Came The) Last Days Of May", which features some top guitar work and vocals by Donald 'Buck Dharma' Rooser. At the end the album is rounded out with the Mars Bonfire's classic "Born To Be Wild", which is the perfect finisher for a riotous album full of good rocking fun.

In my mind OYFOOYK is a rock masterpiece, five stars all the way! Then when I look from a progressive perspective it would struggle to get three stars. Overall I reckon OYFOOYK deserves four stars as a rocking live set that conveys the vitality of the various performances (the tracks are strung together from a number of different shows) along with the band's energy.

If the classic live sound is your cup of tea OYFOOYK is an album that should be sought out. If you haven't heard it as yet I am sure you will not be disappointed when you do get the chance.

Review by T.Rox

1. Subhuman
2. Harvester of Eyes
3. Hot Rails to Hell
4. Red and the Black
5. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters
6. Buck's Boogie
7. Then Came the Last Days of May
8. Cities on Flame With Rock & Roll
9. Me 262
10. Before the Kiss, a Redcap
11. Maserati GT (I Ain't Got You)
12. Born to Be Wild

Link : @

Artwork Included

Sunday, October 11, 2009

FAILURE!!!

My Epson dx4050 just died , it won't print and it won't scan , so you'll have to be patient until i get it fixed , i don't like posting music without covers... It may take a while ..


Update - DEAD beyond repair !!!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

RORY GALLAGHER - DEUCE 1971

Deuce was released in 1971 and is the second album by Rory Gallagher. In contrast with his previous album, Rory Gallagher which he believed to have an organised sound, Deuce was an effort by Gallagher to capture the energy of a live performance. recorded at Tangerine Studios in Dalston with Gerry McAvoy on bass guitar and Wilgar Campbell on drums and percussion. In order to capture the feeling of a live performance that Gallagher wanted, he would often record immediately before or after live performances while keeping production at a minimum. Deuce was remastered from the original master tapes in 1997 by Colin Fairly at Tony Arnold's Courthouse Facilities in Dorset. The remastered album was released in 2000 with the bonus track "Persuasion".








Tracks :

1. "I'm Not Awake Yet" - 5:24
2. "Used to Be" - 5:06
3. "Don't Know Where I'm Going" - 2:42
4. "Maybe I Will" - 4:15
5. "Whole Lot of People" - 4:57
6. "In Your Town" - 5:47
7. "Should've Learnt My Lesson" - 3:36
8. "There's a Light" - 5:59
9. "Out of My Mind" - 3:05
10. "Crest of a Wave" - 6:00
11. "Persuasion" - 4:42 (Bonus track on 1999 reissue)

LInk : @

Artwork Included

CROSBY & NASH - ANOTHER STONEY EVENING 1971

This is a wonderful snapshot of Crosby & Nash in their early post-CSNY days. The performances are complimented by some wonderful banter between the duo and audience; almost like Nash playing Abbott to Crosby playing Costello.

The song selection is a splendid mix of early Crosby nuggets from If I Could Only Remember My Name ("Laughing", the sweet "Traction In The Rain") and Nash from his Songs For Beginners period. In fact, Nash's version of "I Used To Be A King" is quite Neil Young-esque in delivery. It is also interesting to hear studio-enhanced material like "Orleans" stripped down to its bare essentials. Even the nuggets like a blissful "Wooden Ships" shines. There isn't a dud moment, and each song is braced with a combination of heart, humility and intimacy that is often rare in live recordings.

Kudos to the Grateful Dead Organization for releasing a first-class CD of their musical breathren. And Kudos to David and Graham for making such wonderful music.

info by John J. Wood







Tracks :

1. Anticipatory Crowd
2. Deja Vu
3. Wooden Ships
4. Man in the Mirror
5. Orleans
6. I Used to Be a King
7. Traction in the Rain
8. Lee Shore
9. Southbound Train
10. Laughing
11. Triad
12. Where Will I Be?
13. Strangers Room
14. Immigration Man
15. Guinevere
16. Teach Your Children
17. Exit Sounds

Link : @

Artwork Included

Thursday, October 1, 2009

MAGGIE BELL - QUEEN OF THE NIGHT 1974

When Maggie Bell's group Stone The Crows broke up in 1973 it was time for Britain's finest female singer to launch her solo career. Since her earliest days in Glasgow, the Scots lass with the soulful voice had been impressing audiences with her powerful and passionate style. She was used to singing with bands, but now she was thrust into the spotlight on her own. It meant more freedom, but more responsibilities, and it wasn't always an easy task. She set to work on two albums (produced by the legendary Jerry Wexler), 'Queen Of The Night' (1973) and Suicide Sal'(1975), both now re-issued by Repertoire. They gave her the chance to choose her favourite material and work with the best musicians. Among the artists on 'Queen Of The Night' were Boggle Young and Cornell Dupree (lead guitars), John Hughey (pedal Steel) Chuck Rainey (bass) and Steve Gadd (drums). The Sweet Inspiration provided background vocals.

Critics and fans praised the results, and she set out on the road to promote the albums. There would be some problems along the way, as Maggie later discovered, but it was nothing she couldn't handle.

Maggie Bell was born in Glasgow (January 12, 1945) and came from a musical family. As a teenager she sang with local dance bands, then went to Germany in the mid-sixties to sing at US airforce bases. Returning to Scotland, she and the band's guitarist Leslie Harvey, formed a new group called Power which later became Stone The Crows. They were managed by Mark London and Peter Grant, the man behind Led Zeppelin. After Leslie was accidentally electrocuted on stage in 1972, the heart went out of the group. They worked for a while with fellow Scots guitarist Jimmy McCulloch, but broke up after a year. Explains Maggie: "When Leslie died, it was never the same. The band continued for a while, then we agreed it was the end of an era. Colin Allen, our drummer, was offered a job with Focus and Jimmy joined Wings. Meanwhile, Peter Grant and Mark London said they would help me to make a solo album.

The funny thing about 'Queen Of The Night' is that I made two previous albums for Atlantic in New York - one with Felix Pappalardi of Mountain and the other with Felix Cavaliere of the Young Rascals - which were never released."

Maggie is frank about the reasons: "The record company said they weren't good enough. I was quite upset about that! To this day I believe it was wonderful stuff. I think it was down to a load of politics".

Luther Vandross did the vocal backings and there were many other top-notch players involved with these projects. "But it wasn't to be and at this point Jerry Wexler stepped in. He told Atlantic She can sing. I'd like to take over and see if I can make an album with her. And if you don't like it you can burn the tapes!' So we went ahead and made a good album. What more can I say? Jerry had worked with Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles. Just about everybody." Wexler and Bell sat down together and listened to over two hundred songs in the search for suitable material. He's very meticulous about picking the right song. It was the most important time in my life musically. It was to be my first solo album and it had to be right. We got on very well socially and of course, he had worked with Lulu and Dusty Springfield as well. He said that he couldn't believe how when some people get a chance to make an album they really dedicate themselves, while others couldn't care less. Jerry tells everyone to do their homework, including the musicians and arrangers, and that it makes it better for everyone. I learned all the lyrics before I went into the studio. No pieces of paper allowed! He said that's what made Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner so great. They really learned their songs. lf you read from cue sheets it detracts from the music. You have fo learn your craft." Maggie spent two months preparing the eleven songs on Queen Of The Night' before the first note was sung in the studio. The album kicks off in fine style with 'Caddo Queen' which has a real Confederate rock flavour. One of the songs 'Oh, My My' was written by Ringo Starr and Maggie could have had a hit with her version - if Ringo hadn't brought out his own a week earlier. (It got to Number Five in the US chart in March, 1974.) The title song was written by Ronnie Leahy, the Keyboard player with Stone The Crows. I always had it mind to do that song," says Maggie. "'Trade Winds' was another great song that has been covered by many people after I did it, including Randy Crawford. It was written by Ralph McDonald, one of the finest percussion players in America."

Another of her favourites is A Woman Left Lonely.' "That's a real woman's song and it was also covered by Rita Coolidge. It's a country and western thing, a style I'd never done before in my life."

Maggie has always loved John Prine's music and she aired his composition 'Souvenirs' hotly pursued by J.J.Cale's 'After Midnight' a song also associated with Eric Clapton. "We did a Latin American treatment on our version with lots of percussion. 'The Other Side' was done in a kind of Mae West style. 'Hey Mister - can you help me! I'm looking for a ride over to the other side.' It's got a very American, razzmatazz feel.

After all her hard work Maggie was rewarded by rave reviews. It was wonderful. People like Bette Midler said it was the best solo album from a female artist she'd ever heard, and it got great notices in the American magazines. There was even an article about me in Time Magazine! The record got to Number Ten in the charts, so it did really well." She put a new band together with Joe Jammer from Chicago and did a couple of tours of the States joined by Thunder Thighs, who did the doop de doops' on Lou Reed's 'Take A Walk On The Wild Side.'

"Everyone thought they were three black American girls, but one was Jewish, one was Irish and the other was English - from Shepherds Bush! They were a great bunch of girls and it was one of the best tours I'd done in my life." Maggie remembers doing some dates with Earth, Wind & Fire in the Deep South, when the group were at the height of their fame. "I had to open the show and the audiences were all sitting there with their mouths hanging open and doing nuthin'." She hit on an idea to break down their resistance and asked her road manager to make a wooden screen. "I told him that I wanted to sing the first song behind the screen and then come on stage just to see what the response was like. Well, the response was unbelievable! You see they couldn't accept a white woman from Scotland singing the blues. 'Scotland? Where's Scotland - is that near Alaska?' But we used the screen and then it was OK-ha, ha!" Maggie Bell toured Germany in 1975 to promote 'Queen Of The Night' and the response was so good she was encouraged to record her second excellent album 'Suicide Sal'. After some years of touring she settled down with her family and concentrated on acting roles and writing music for films and TV during the Eighties. In recent times she has returned to the road, working with the old Alex Harvey Band and also singing alongside veteran soul man Chris Farlowe.

I like to keep busy," says Maggie. "I could never give this business up!"

CHRIS WELCH, London, 1997


Tracks :

Caddo Queen
A Woman Left Lonely
Souvenirs
After Midnight
Queen of the Night
Oh My My
As the Years Go Passing By
Yesterday's Music
We Had It All
The Other Side
Trade Winds

Link : @

Artwork Included

HARRY CHAPIN - VERITIES & BALDERDASH 1974

Harry Chapin's fourth album, VERITIES & BALDERDASH, was his best studio effort and his most commercially successful, working its way up the US charts and eventually going gold. Its success is attributable, in part, to Chapin's excellent batch of tunes, which display his trademark narrative sensibility (Chapin's songs often unfold like short stories), literate wit, and knack for melody. VERITIES & BALDERDASH also works because its arrangements and production move away from the heavily orchestrated drama that mars some the artist's other studio work towards a cleaner sound that highlights the fine songwriting.

Chapin's best-known song, "Cat's in the Cradle," is here. Based on a poem by the artist's wife, the tune is a year-by-year account of a father-son relationship plagued by the father's too-busy schedule (his negligence comes back to haunt him when his grown son becomes too busy to spend time with him). The song is one of Chapin's most affecting and emotionally resonant. The songwriter's attention to character, anecdote, and emotional subtext is also evident in "I Wanna Learn a Love Song" and "What Made America Famous?" The sprightly story-song "30,000 Pounds of Bananas" provides welcome comic relief to this top-notch Chapin release.

Tracks :

Cats in the Cradle
I Wanna Learn a Love Song
Shooting Star
30,000 Pounds of Bananas
She Sings Songs Without Words
What Made America Famous?
Vacancy
Halfway to Heaven
Six String Orchestra

Link : @

Artwork Included

LED ZEPPELIN - FOUR SYMBOLS "IV" 1971

The untitled fourth album by English rock band Led Zeppelin was released on 8 November 1971. No official title is printed on the album, but it is generally referred to as Led Zeppelin IV, following the naming standard used by the band's first three studio albums. The album has alternatively been referred to as Four Symbols, The Fourth Album, Sticks, Zoso, Untitled, The Hermit, Runes, or simply, IV.

Upon its release, Led Zeppelin IV was a huge commercial and critical success. Most of the album's songs are staples on classic rock radio stations, including "Black Dog", "Rock and Roll", "Stairway to Heaven", "Misty Mountain Hop", "Going to California", and "When the Levee Breaks". The album is one of the best-selling albums in history at 37 million units. It has shipped over 23 million units in the United States alone, putting it third on the all-time list. In 2003, the album was ranked 66th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

The album was initially recorded at Island Records's newly opened Basing Street Studios, London, at the same time as Jethro Tull's Aqualung in December 1970. Upon the suggestion of Fleetwood Mac,, the band then moved to Headley Grange, a remote Victorian house in East Hampshire, England, to conduct additional recordings. Here they used the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. Guitarist Jimmy Page later recalled:

We needed the sort of facilities where we could have a cup of tea and wander around the garden and go in and do what we had to do.

This relaxed, atmospheric environment at Headley Grange also provided other advantages for the band. As is explained by Dave Lewis:

By moving into Headley Grange for the whole period of recording, many of the tracks [on the album] were made up on the spot and committed to tape almost there and then.

Once the basic tracks had been recorded, the band later added overdubs at Island Studios, and then took the completed master tapes to Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, CA for mixing. However, the mix ultimately proved to be less than satisfactory, creating an unwanted delay in the album's release. Further mixing had to be undertaken in London, pushing the final release date back by some months.

Tracks :

"Black Dog"
"Rock and Roll"
"The Battle of Evermore"
"Stairway to Heaven"
"Misty Mountain Hop"
"Four Sticks"
"Going to California"
"When the Levee Breaks"

Link : @

Artwork Included

LED ZEPPELIN III 1970

After the thundering success of their first two albums, Led Zeppelin showed that they had more than just a heavy metal side. Led Zeppelin III has an acoustic based, earthy sound and in most places finds the band in a mellow mood. "Immigrant Song" opens the album with a driving kick that belies what will follow. "Friends" and "Celebration Day" show off Jimmy Page's skills on the acoustic guitar while retaining the power of their electric work. "Since I've Been Loving You" is a mournful blues dirge in which Robert Plant bleeds his heart out all over the song. John Bonham contributes the fine "Out On The Tiles". "Gallow's Pole" starts with a slow beat and then builds and builds and picks up speed like water rising in a dam. The water keeps getting higher and then tension builds in the song before it comes bursting free at the end. "Tangerine" is beautiful song that doesn't get many mentions as a great Zep song, but despite its seeming subtlety, it one of the most intricate of their songs and one of their all-time best. III is among the most critically bashed of their albums, but the acoustic nature of it was a precursor to the Unplugged albums of the 90's and the album deserves alot more credit than it gets.

By Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA)



Tracks :

Immigrant Song
Friends
Celebration Day
Since I've Been Loving You
Out on the Tiles
Gallows Pole
Tangerine
That's the Way
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Hats Off to (Roy) Harper

Link : @

Artwork Included

LED ZEPPELIN II 1969

Led Zeppelin II is the second studio album by English rock band Led Zeppelin, released 22 October 1969 on Atlantic Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at several locations in the United Kingdom and North America from January to August 1969. Production was entirely credited to lead guitarist and songwriter Jimmy Page, while it also served as Led Zeppelin's first album to utilise the recording techniques of engineer Eddie Kramer.

The album furthered the lyrical themes established on their debut album, Led Zeppelin (1969). This progress helped create a work that became more widely acclaimed and influential than its predecessor. With elements of blues and folk music, it also exhibits the band's evolving musical style of blues-derived material and their guitar and riff-based sound.

Upon release, Led Zeppelin II earned a considerable amount of sales and was Led Zeppelin's first album to reach number one in the United Kingdom and United States. In 1970, art director David Juniper was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package for Led Zeppelin II. On 15 November 1999, it was certified 12x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales in excess of 12 million copies. Following its initial reception, it has been recognized by writers and music critics as one of the greatest and most influential rock albums recorded. Led Zeppelin II has also been cited by critics as a blueprint for heavy metal bands that followed it. In 2003, the album was ranked number 75 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Tracks :

"Whole Lotta Love"
"What Is and What Should Never Be"
"The Lemon Song"
"Thank You"
"Heartbreaker"
"Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman)"
"Ramble On"
"Moby Dick"
"Bring It On Home"

Link : @

Artwork Included

LED ZEPPELIN 1968

Led Zeppelin is the debut album of English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was recorded in October 1968 at Olympic Studios in London and released on Atlantic Records on 12 January 1969. The album featured integral contributions from each of the group's four musicians and established Led Zeppelin's fusion of blues and rock. Led Zeppelin also created a large and devoted following for the band, with their unique heavy metal sound endearing them to a section of the counterculture on both sides of the Atlantic.

Although the album initially received negative reviews, it was commercially very successful and has now come to be regarded in a much more positive light by critics. In 2003, the album was ranked number 29 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.








Tracks :

Good Times, Bad Times - 2:47
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You - 6:41
You Shook Me - 6:27
Dazed and Confused - 6:26
Your Time Is Gonna Come - 4:34
Black Mountain Side - 2:12
Communication Breakdown - 2:29
I Can't Quit You Baby - 4:42
How Many More Times - 8:28

Link : @

Artwork Included

 
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