Monday, September 28, 2009

JONI MITCHELL - CLOUDS 1969

Clouds is the 1969 second album by Joni Mitchell. It is sparsely arranged, with little more than Mitchell's voice and solo acoustic guitar for accompaniment. All Music describes "Songs to Aging Children Come" as featuring "perhaps the most remarkably sophisticated chord sequence in all of pop music", employing chords chromatically related by tritone or thirds.

Particularly well known are the songs "Both Sides Now", which Mitchell had written for others but sung herself for the first time on this record, and "Chelsea Morning".

The cover art depicts Mitchell's home town of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, showing the South Saskatchewan River that flows through the city, and the Bessborough Hotel, an historic railway hotel built in the days before asphalt-surface highways. In the self-portrait, Mitchell holds the floral emblem of the Province of Saskatchewan: the "western red lily" (aka prairie lily or Lilium philadelphicum var. andinum).

In 1970 Clouds won the Grammy for best folk album of 1969.






Tracks:


"Tin Angel" – 4:09
"Chelsea Morning" – 2:35
"I Don't Know Where I Stand" – 3:13
"That Song About the Midway" – 4:38
"Roses Blue" – 3:52
"The Gallery" – 4:12
"I Think I Understand" – 4:28
"Songs to Aging Children Come" – 3:10
"The Fiddle and the Drum" – 2:50
"Both Sides Now" – 4:32

Link : @

Artwork Included



Friday, September 25, 2009

JAMES GANG - RIDES AGAIN 1970

By virtue of containing "Funk #49," if for no other reason, RIDES AGAIN, the second album from Cleveland rockers the James Gang, was one of the templates for '70s American blues/boogie rock. While there's no denying that cuts like the aforementioned iconic riff monster and the driving "Woman" are full of long-haired, shirtless, amps-on-11 abandon, there are a number of acoustic-based moments on the album as well, making it plain that neither singer/guitarist Joe Walsh, nor the rest of the James Gang, were one-trick ponies. The folky fingerpicking of "Ashes, the Rain and I" and the easygoing strum of "There I Go Again" provide a nice contrast to the band's harder-edged tunes.











Tracks :

1. "Funk #49" (Fox, Peters, Walsh) – 3:54
2. "Asshtonpark" (Fox, Peters, Walsh) – 2:01
3. "Woman" (Fox, Peters, Walsh) – 4:37
4. "The Bomber: Closet Queen" (Fox, Peters, Walsh)
5. "Tend My Garden" (Walsh) – 5:45
6. "Garden Gate" (Walsh) – 1:36
7. "There I Go Again" (Walsh) – 2:51
8. "Thanks" (Walsh) – 2:21
9. "Ashes, the Rain and I" (Peters, Walsh) – 5:00

Link : @

Artwork Included

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

TAMAM SHUD - EVOLUTION 1969

n the late ’60s, director Paul Witzig traveled the globe, 16mm camera in tow, shooting silent footage of some of Australia’s top surfers on the shores of North Africa, Puerto Rico, France and Portugal, as well as in locations all over their homeland. The end result was Evolution, and though the IMDb doesn’t list any Witzig works outside of being a camera operator on Bruce Brown’s classic surf documentary The Endless Summer, enthusiasts of the sport tell a remarkably different tale.

Evolution is thought of by aficionados as one of the crucial surf films for a few reasons – chief among them the lack of dialogue, and how Witzig allowed the skill of his subjects and the depth of its soundtrack to guide the narrative. As one of the bands contracted for its soundtrack, Tamam Shud created an album’s worth of material, composed to projections of the raw footage Witzig collected on his shoots. It’s not a film I’ve seen, nor is it readily available outside of VHS bootlegs, but if the music here is any indication, I’m sold.

Tamam Shud (meaning “the end” in Persian, so claims their liner notes) existed in an earlier incarnation as the Sunsets, and frontman Lindsay Bjerre had been commissioned to write original music for Witzig’s previous surf doc, The Hot Generation. The nature of this working relationship must have been a trusting one, as it’s hard to imagine a whole film playing out to hard psych this undeniably cool. Bjerre’s band (Zac Zytnik on guitar, Peter Barron on bass, and drummer Dannie Davidson) were joined in the studio by Peter Lockwood and Michael Carlos of the band Tully, whose group’s music also appeared in Evolution. Though their music sounds a bit out of the moment for its 1969 studio date, its blues structures and full, lively arrangements survive any sort of serious aging for all but the most detail-oriented collector.

Chunks of Australia’s underground rock history are only now becoming known to world audiences, with Aztec’s dynamite reissue series, and long-rumored compilations by early Lobby Loyde groups like the Wild Cherries coming to the fore. That said, there doesn’t seem to be much historical mention of Tamam Shud, even in the collectors’ niches of record, and no earlier reissues barring a Radioactive label offering of dubious legality. Evolution should do well to right that wrong. This is an astounding, wild, free sounding album, steeped in the Beatles and Hendrix in just the right ways, much as it is with inspiration from the sun, surf and sand – the sand especially, as the organic and gritty production of Evolution gives the feeling of granular, between-the-toes crunch. The big, rounded, feedback-studded fuzz on the guitars here is astounding, with a hollow-body or possibly acoustic origin that works its way into the composition of slow, evocative minuets like “I’m No One” and “Jesus Guide Me,” and billows throughout the heart and veins of the harder tracks that surround them.

There are plenty of mistakes in the playing, but somehow they only add to the character of these tracks, which flow out of the performers as easily as breath. Songs sound as if they’d just been written, as melodies climb the scales with trepidation before locking into bass runs and expressive, lyric soloing. Bjerre’s clear, high tenor, which counts off most of the songs here, fits impressively alongside the guitar tones, with a bit of a yodeling quality in spots that puts him in the class of belters like Family’s Roger Chapman, but with a more palatable, less manic range. He’s still able to break off a scream or two, but that’s not where he’s heading, so when it does happen, it makes the moment that much more righteous. Moreover, he knows when to hold back and let the guitars do the talking, as graceful lines open their parachute into tastefully wild psychedelic scatter. As a group, their album plays out as effortless, beatific rock, a successful and non-excessive jam session with incredible character and one-of-a-kind surge, even going as far as to imbue surf guitar with more modern, even progressive, influences, as the tension created in album closer “Too Many Life” suggests.

This Japanese reissue of Evolution, part of EM Records’ surf soundtrack series, includes 1971’s Bali Waters EP, three cleaner songs with the progressive tack reaching to the fore. Bjerre sounds as strong as he did on the album, but the band is a little more reined in, with a polish that still evokes a surfborne spirit. These three tracks are fine, but not as gloriously blasted out as the album, as if the group was waiting for their career to foment. Still, it’s not a bad way to finish off such a satisfying album, a true surprise in a time where hundreds of psych reissues of almost random quality surface at ridiculous prices. It’s nice to roll with a winner now and again.

Tracks :

01. Music Train
02. I´m No One
03. Mr Strange
04. Lady Sunshine
05. Falling Up
06. Feel Free
07. It´s a Beautiful Day
08. Jesus Guide Me
09. Rock on Top
10. Slow One And The fast One
11. Too Many Life
12. Bali Waters
13. Got a Feeling
14. My Father Told Me

Link : @

Artwork Included



Saturday, September 19, 2009

POLLEN - POLLEN 1976

Pollen's sole LP from 1976 is simply the best progressive rock album that came out of Quebec in the '70s. More progressive than Harmonium or Octobre, but a lot less derivative than Morse Code, the group recorded only six songs, but they are strong enough to stand among the very classics of the genre. Led by Jacques Tom Rivest's passionate (though not overtly theatrical) singing, the group's music was clearly shaped from the combined influences of Genesis, Yes, and Gentle Giant, with a particular emphasis on the contrapuntal keyboard style of the latter. And yet, if the results sound like typical British prog, they also have a distinctive Quebecois quality. Drummer Sylvain Coutu, guitarist Richard Lemoyne, and keyboardist Claude Lemay (who would later make a fortune as Celine Dion's bandleader) were all highly talented musicians and sensible arrangers. The album kicks off with the mean, tricky synthesizer line of "Vieux Corps de Vie d'Ange," a half hour's worth of epic material compacted into seven tight minutes, featuring Rivest's most angst-driven, desperately hopeful vocals. "L'Étoile" combines a strong ballad melody and powerful instrumental developments to create a hippie anthem that seems to be Pollen's answer to Morse Code's "Le Pays d'Or." "L'Indien"'s ecological despair focuses on an acoustic melodicism that brings to mind Harmonium's Si On Avait Besoin d'une Cinquième Saison. "Tout'l Temps" and "Vivre la Mort" work out as polar opposites. The first one, with lyrics by Raôul Duguay, is surprisingly upbeat and capped off with an anthological keyboard solo. On the contrary, "Vivre la Mort" is dark and menacing. The album ends with the ten-minute epic "La Femme Ailée," the group's most complex song, a virtuoso showcase. Pollen was recorded very professionally to start with, and ProgQuébec's reissue highlights its hi-fi quality better than the previous Kozak reissue, long out of print. This album belongs in any prog rock fan's collection. It contains no weak tracks and can stand the comparison with pretty much any British or Italian classic of the genre. Highly recommended. ~ François Couture, All Music Guide
Tracks :
Vieux Corps de Vie d'Ange
L' Etoile
L' Indien
Tout'l Temps
Vivre la Mort
La Femme Ailée
Link : @
Artwork Included

Sunday, September 13, 2009

COLOSSEUM - THOSE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE SALUTE YOU 1969

Colosseum's debut album is a powerful one, unleashing each member's instrumental prowess at one point while consolidating each talent to form an explosive outpouring of progressive jazz/rock the next. Those Who Are About to Die Salute You is coated with the volatile saxophone playing of Dick Heckstall-Smith, the thunderous keyboard assault of Dave Greenslade, and the bewildering guitar craft of James Litherland. Together, Colosseum skitters and glides through brisk musical spectrums of freestyle jazz and British blues, sometimes held tightly in place by Greenslade's Hammond organ, while other times let loose by the brilliancy of the horn and string interplay. Each song sparks its own personality and its very own energy level, giving the band instant notoriety upon the album's release in 1969. Not only did Colosseum sound different from other jazz fusion bands of the era, but they could easily take the unconventional elements of their style and churn them into palatable and highly significant musical thoroughfares. Some of the more compelling tracks include "Walking in the Park," led by its powerful trumpet segments, and "Pretty Hard Luck," which embarks on a stylish blues excursion with colorful keyboard sections on the periphery. "Beware the Ides of March" borrows a page out of J.S. Bach's notebook and turns his classical poignancy inside out, while "Mandarin" and "Backwater Blues" are created with the perfect jazz and blues friendship in mind, representing Colosseum's fused sound spotlessly. Best of all, the album never strays from its intensity or its creativity, the very foundation that the band is built on. Their next album, Valentyne Suite, mirrors the same instrumental congruity as Those Who Are About to Die, and is equally entertaining. ~ Mike DeGagne, All Music Guide

Tracks :

Walking in the Park
Plenty Hard Luck
Colosseum
Mandarin
Debut
Beware the Ides of March
The Road She Walked Before
Backwater Blues
Those About to Die

Link : @

Artwork Included

Saturday, September 12, 2009

JOHN PHILLIPS - JOHN, THE WOLF KING OF L.A 1969

The first solo album of the architect of the Mamas & Papas sound, John Phillips, was certainly one of the more heralded events at the dawn of the 1970s. Phillips, the primary songwriter and vocal arranger for all of the group's great records, however, was not exactly a great lead vocalist. Phillips knew this, and, according to his book, Papa John, he purposely buried his voice in the mix. This proved to be a bit of tragedy, because underneath it all, this is an excellent album. Songs such as "April Anne," "Malibu People," and "Holland Tunnel" bear out what a fine songwriter he really was, and indeed, these are some of the finest songs of his career. The performances on this record are spectacular. Backed by an all-star group of musicians (most of Elvis Presley's band, including James Burton, as well as the Wrecking Crew, among others), the record's decidedly country feel is crafted to the extreme. Mamas co-founder Denny Doherty has always felt that had the Mamas & Papas recorded this album, it would have been one of their finest. There's no doubt. ~ Matthew Greenwald, All Music Guide

Greetings to Tomica from Zagreb, Croatia






Tracks :

April Anne
Topanga Canyon
Malibu People
Someone's Sleeping
Drum
Captain
Let It Bleed, Genevieve
Down the Beach
Mississippi
Holland Tunnel

Link : @

Artwork Included

Sunday, September 6, 2009

DAVID & THE DORKS - THE MATRIX / AFTERNOON 1970

Jerry Garcia & Friends were advertised to play at the Matrix in San Francisco on December 15, 16 & 17, 1970. This group, who are also referred to as David & the Dorks, were;

* David Crosby - guitar, vocals
* Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals
* Phil Lesh - bass, vocals
* Mickey Hart - drums

The group had a couple of studio rehearsals and played the three shows at the Matrix in San Francisco in December 1970 and a set at a show at Pepperland in San Rafael later in the month. At the later show Garcia introduced the group at one point as David and the Ding-A-Lings. In response Crosby called them Jerry and the Jets.

Link : 1 2 3
Artwork Included

Thursday, September 3, 2009

MADRIGAL - SUNSHINE & BAKED BEANS 1970

The members of Madrigal met while junior high school students and formed in 1968. Peter Boynton (piano, organ, bass, vocals, keyboards), Rick Henderson (guitar, vocals), Arvo Lepp (lead guitar), Don Simpson (drums, vocals) and John Swainson (guitar, bass, vocals) released the single "I Believe in Sunshine" in 1970 and Sunshine and Baked Beans the same year. After breaking up in 1973, a very changed version of Madrigal re-formed two years later.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dpfexqq5ldfe~T0













Tracks :

I Believe In Sunshine
Picture Frame
Boog
Television Nightmare
Lady
Lovely Lady
The Diddler Song
Weekend
Tell Her That
You Got It Wrong

Link : @

Artwork Included

AZTEC TWO-STEP - SEE IT WAS LIKE THIS... 1989

This folk-influenced duo from the USA, comprising songwriters Rex Fowler (vocals/guitar) and Neal Shulman (vocals/guitar), met at an ‘open mike’ night at a Boston folk club in 1971. Taking their name from a line in the Lawrence Ferlinghetti poem ‘A Coney Island Of The Mind’, Aztec Two-Step made its recording debut on Elektra Records in 1972. Aztec Two-Step showcased their informal style and featured admirable support from several exemplary associates, including Elaine McFarlane, John Seiter (both ex-Spanky And Our Gang), John Sebastian, Doug Dillard and Jerry Yester, the latter of whom also produced the set. Shulman and Fowler moved to RCA Records for a number of mid-70s releases which, while accomplished, featured a less interesting supporting cast and lacked the charm of that first set.

Following 1980’s Times Of Our Lives the duo concentrated on live work for a number of years, but returned to the studio in the mid-80s to record the warmly-received Living In America. The 1989 Flying Fish release “See It Was Like This...” featured acoustic re-recordings of a selection of the duo’s 70s material. An album of new studio material, “Of Age”, was released in 1993, and was followed by a 25th anniversary live collection. Aztec Two-Step carried on into the new millennium with no sign of their cult popularity abating, and remained a solid live draw on the folk circuit. The duo released a new studio album in 2004, Days Of Horses, which saw Shulman taking on a greater share of the songwriting duties.


Tracks :

1 Rabbit in the Moon
2 Ballad of Humpty Dumpty and Cinderella
3 Baking
4 The Persecution and Restoration of Dean Moriarty (On the Road)
5 Faster Gun
6 Living in America
7 Cosmos Lady
8 It's Going on Saturday
9 Whiskey Man
10 Dance
11 Johnny's an Angel
12 Highway Song
13 So Easy
14 You've Got a Way
15 Killing Me
16 Almost Apocalypse
17 Prisoner

Link : @

Artwork Included

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

FIELDS - FIELDS 1971

When Graham Field left Rare Bird after the classic "As Your Mind Flies By" he immediately formed his own group. He signed a deal with CBS, and got Alan Barry on guitar and bass and former King Crimson-member Andy McCulloch on drums. Their self-titled debut turned out to be their only album, but it's a minor classic of early British, 70's song-oriented and organ-based progressive rock. Already from the powerful opening chords of "A Friend of Mine" you'll know you're in for yet another one of those many lesser-known but excellent progressive rock records from the 70's. Field's unique and varied sounds on the organ are easily recognizable from Rare Bird, but Fields managed to develop a style of their own. The songs are tighter and more compact, and Barry is a quite different singer from Graham Gould. One of the best songs on the album is the earlier mentioned opener "A Friend of Mine". It starts with Field's ultra-heavy organ-chords before it goes into a very classical-sounding part that evolves into a powerful theme, before the somewhat dramatic vocal part of the song appears. Other highlights includes the structurally similar "Over and Over Again" and the medieval-sounding "Three Minstrels". The inclusion of Mellotron on the instrumental "The Eagles" gives it a symphonic sound and lift that gives the album a very worthy finale. Tracks like "While the Sun Still Shine" and "Not So Good" are maybe of a less complex kind, but the strong melodies and great 70's arrangements makes them a joy to listen to. (http://vintageprog.com/)



Tracks :

1. A Friend Of Mine (4:23)
2. While The Sun Still Shines (3:10)
3. Not The Sun Still Shines (3:04)
4. Three Minstrels (4:22)
5. Slow Susan (3:29)
6. Over And Over Again (5:47)
7. Feelin' Free (3:09)
8. Fair-Haired Lady (2:57)
9. A Place To Lay My Head (3:30)
10. The Eagle (5:12)

Link : @

Artwork Included

CHARLIE DANIELS BAND - FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN 1975

What an unbelievable, trend setting album. At a time when the Rock-Country (Southern Rock) music was coming into its own, this was the benchmark album that all others would come to be measured against. The unique blend of rock and country on this CD is exceptional.

Beginning with "Caballo Diablo", a story about a horse and a man's quest to tame him this album moves through songs of attitude (Long Haired Country Boy), songs of barroom mischief (Trudy), of feelings for home (Georgia) and wanting to roam (Feeling Free), of the 'redneck coaliton' (The South's Gonna Do It Again) to some bluegrass covers with drums (Orange Blossom Special) this CD is terrific.

In my opinion this is Charlie's best project. It stands with fond memories in my youth and as I've grown older it has not diminished. A first class project that showed what southern rock is supposed to be all about. A top notch band with great songs can only mean one thing - a top notch CD.

Add this to your collection even if you don't like Southern Rock or Charlie Daniels, as long as you like music you will enjoy the eclectic nature of this project.

Info ByTheHighlander (Richfield, PA United States)



Tracks :

1. Caballo Diablo
2. Long Haired Country Boy
3. Trudy
4. Georgia
5. Feeling Free
6. The South's Gonna Do It Again
7. New York City, King Size Rosewood Bed
8. No Place To Go
9. Orange Blossom Special

Link : @

Artwork Included

SOURDELINE - LA REINE BLANCHE 1976

Rustic trad vibe, hearkening times past. The album features beautiful bowed and plucked strings from guitar to dulcimer to fiddle, male-female vocals and gorgeous songs.

Tracks :

  1. La Chateau de Chantelle
  2. La Dent du Loup
  3. La Belle est au Jardin
  4. M'en vas a la Fontanle
  5. Ces't a Ville
  6. Mon Petit Frere
  7. La Reine Blanche
  8. J'ai Vou le Loup
  9. Princesse de Rien
  10. Le Chaudron
  11. L'Eglantine est Eclose
Link : @

Artwork Included

 
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