KATE & ANNA McGARRIGLE 1975

Debut albums simply aren't supposed to be as accomplished and beautifully crafted as Kate & Anna McGarrigle's first record, which is as lovely and superbly realized as folk-rock gets. While producers Joe Boyd and Greg Prestopino assembled an all-star crew to back up the McGarrigle sisters (including Lowell George, Tony Levin, Steve Gadd, and Bobby Keys), nothing steals the spotlight away from Kate and Anna, both of whom sing with a pure clarity that's never so pretty it fails to reflect the real world, harmonize with an uncanny grace, and write songs that are clever, witty, wise, and often deeply moving. Lots of folkies have written movingly about the troubling ties of home (as in "My Town" and "Talk to Me of Mendocino"), a good number have sung about the ache of a broken heart (like in "Heart Like a Wheel," famously covered by Linda Ronstadt), some can communicate bitter resignation or sly, sarcastic wit ("Go Leave" and "Jigsaw Puzzle of Life"), and no more than a few can express the joys of grown-up eros ("Kiss and Say Goodbye"). Kate & Anna McGarrigle is a record that manages to make all these emotions ring true, and never with one canceling out another. Quite simply a nearly perfect record, and if you're not a fan, repeated listenings to this album might make you one. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

Tracks :

1. "Kiss and Say Goodbye" – 2:47 - Kate
2. "My Town" – 2:57 - Anna
3. "Blues in D – 2:43 - Kate
4. "Heart Like a Wheel" – 3:08 - Anna
5. "Foolish You" – 3:02 - Wade Hemsworth
6. "Talk to Me of Mendocino" – 3:08 - Kate
7. "Complainte pour Ste-Catherine" – 2:48 - Anna/Philippe Tatartcheff
8. "Tell My Sister" – 3:37 - Kate
9. "Swimming Song" – 2:26 - Loudon Wainwright III
10. "Jigsaw Puzzle of Life" – 2:29 - Anna
11. "Go Leave" – 3:19 - Kate
12. "Travellin' on for Jesus" – 2:42 - traditional, arranged by J. Spence

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Artwork Included

GORDON JACKSON - THINKING BACK 1969

Gordon Jackson's only album sounds a little like a Traffic LP with a singer who isn't in the band. The similarity is really no surprise, since Traffic men Steve Winwood, Dave Mason, Jim Capaldi, and Chris Wood all played on the record, and Mason produced. Other notables with connections to the Traffic family tree or Marmalade label also appeared, including Luther Grosvenor; Rick Grech, Jim King, and Poli Palmer of Family; and Julie Driscoll. There's a languid, minor keyed jazz-folk-psychedelic vibe to the songs, which have a meditative, spontaneously pensive air, appealingly sung by Jackson. Touches of Indian and African music are added by occasional tabla and sitar. What keeps this from being as memorable as Traffic or some of the other better late-'60s British psychedelic acts is a certain meandering looseness to the songs that, while quite pleasant, lacks concision and focus. That was a quality also heard in the album from the same era by fellow Marmalade artist Gary Farr, Take Something With You, and while Thinking Back is better and more original than Farr's effort, the songs are more interesting mood pieces with a yearning, mystic tone than they are outstanding compositions. At times this is like hearing psychedelic sea shanties (as on "My Ship, My Star"), such is the lilt of the tunes, though hints of blues and more playful pop-psych whimsy are heard in cuts like "Me and My Dog." ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Tracks :


# 1) The Journey
# 2) My Ship, My Star
# 3) Me And My Dog
# 4) Song For Freedom
# 5) Sing To Me Woman
# 6) When You Are Small
# 7) Snakes And Ladders

Bonus Tracks:

# 8) A Day At The Cottage (non-album B-side)
# 9) My Ship, My Star (demo)
# 10) Song For Freedom (single mix)
# 11) Sing To Me Woman (single mix)
# 12) Me And My Dog (long version)

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Artwork Included

LAKE - LAKE 1977

Lake was a German rock music band that formed in the early 1970s under the name Tornados, changing their name to Lake in 1973. They mostly covered material by other bands in their early years, but released three singles, Come Down/We're Gonna Rock, King Of The Rock'n Roll Party, and Sailor. In 1975 they were joined by lead singer James Hopkins-Harrison, who gave them their signature sound for the remainder of their recording career.

They achieved modest success in much of Europe from the mid-1970s through the early 1980s, particularly in Germany where they were named artist of the year by the German Phono Academy in 1977. That same year, their self-titled debut album reached #22 in the US and the single Time Bomb reached #13, which would prove to be their greatest success in the US. They toured the US in the late 1970s as the opening act for various headline acts, including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Oak Arkansas, and Neil Young.

Tracks :

01 - On the Run
02 - Sorry to Say
03 - Time Bomb
04 - Chasing Colours
05 - Do I Love You
06 - Key to the Rhyme
07 - Jesus Came Down
08 - Between the Lines

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Artwork Included

THE WICKED LADY - THE AXEMAN COMETH 1968 - 1972

Wicked Lady exemplifies the "record collector" bands that gain new life through reissues: in this case, Kissing Spell's albums The Axeman Cometh and Psychotic Overkill. Their appearance marked some belated recognition for the power trio, which Northampton singer-guitarist Martin Weaver formed in 1968 with drummer "Mad" Dick Smith and bassist Bob Jeffries. However, Wicked Lady never came within a whisper of the stratospheric status attained by Cream, or the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The band's liberal use of feedback -- and large biker following -- kept them relegated to clubs, even during the twilight hours of the psychedelic era. Awash in drink and drugs, Wicked Lady split up in 1970, but Smith and Weaver soon regrouped with new bassist, Del "German Head" Morley. The new lineup duly set about documenting its existence, as captured on Psychotic Overkill -- whose feel is looser than Axeman Cometh. The effect is a shotgun marriage of Black Sabbath-style rifferama, supported by a less risk-taking rhythm section. Weaver's vocal style lacks charisma, but his wah-wah and fuzz-driven guitar style carries the day. The highlights include a bluesy cover of Hendrix's "Voodoo Child," the sex 'n' drugs snapshot of "Sin City," and the howling, 21-minute epic, "Ship Of Ghosts." But Wicked Lady's erratic ways proved too difficult for clubowners, who eventually refused to let them play. (At one gig, the band reportedly played the same song over and over until an irritated management pulled the plug on them.) Wicked Lady imploded in 1972, but Weaver rebounded that same year by joining the Dark, a more psychedelic- and progressive-outfit. Their Round The Edges album became a Holy Grail for collectors -- because only a handful of copies were made for band members and their associates. (Kissing Spell reissued the album in 1991.) Weaver next teamed with classically-trained keyboardist Dave "Doc" Wadley -- who'd worked with a pre-Sabbath Tony Iommi -- in the Mind Doctors. Kissing Spell also reissued On The Threshold Of Reality, an album of laidback instrumental "head" music.Weaver most recently surfaced on the re-formed Dark's Anonymous Days (1996), which featured material written in the 1970s and 1990s. ~ Ralph Heibutzki, All Music Guide

Tracks :

01 - Run The Night.mp3 9.55 MB
02 - War Cloud.mp3 14.04 MB
03 - The Axeman Cometh.mp3 12.68 MB
04 - Life And Death.mp3 18.41 MB
05 - Wicked Lady.mp3 11.20 MB
06 - Out Of The Dark.mp3 18.88 MB
07 - Rebel.mp3 6.60 MB
08 - Living On The Edge.mp3

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Artwork Included

MORMOS - THE MAGIC SPELL OF MOTHER'S WRATH 1972

Out of the remains of a super psychedelic rock band called SPOILS OF WAR, which develop an extra-cerebral rock containing dreamy folk rock, acid rock and electronic collages, and whose albums fetch fortunes, James Cuomo formed Mormos. The group moved to France and concentrated on the European scene playing a folk-rock that was rather complementary to the kind of the old world. Their sound on the first album can be likened to Incredible String Band, whuile their excellent second album MAGIC SPELL OF MOTHER'S WRATH... delved into a mixture of jazz and folk, somehow stepping between The Pentangle and John Martyn. Their only two albums are highly revered in folk circles but certainly deserve the proghead's attention.











Tracks :

1 Homeside
2 Walk in the light of the Lord
3 October song
4 Plastered in Paris
5 Doves are white
6 Cows in my colourbook
7 Hush
8 No 5 in the book
9 Rit yellow
10 Lady of night
11 Magic Stone
12 Hey Gilles

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Artwork Included

PENGUIN CAFE ORCHESTRA - BROADCASTING FROM HOME 1984

Broadcasting from Home is the fourth album by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and was released in 1984 on E.G. Records. The opening song was named after PCO leader Simon Jeffes found a discarded harmonium in an alleyway in Japan.

The original Vinyl record was pressed by EMI from a damaged master and had a distinctive click on it in track one - neither Virgin or EMI would pay to restore this, ignoring multiple requests and fans therefore had to wait until the DVD's release to hear it again.

Tracks :

Side one

1. "Music for a Found Harmonium" - 3:36
2. "Prelude & Yodel" - 3:51
3. "More Milk" (Jeffes, Geoffrey Richardson) - 3:10
4. "Sheep Dip" (Jeffes, Richardson) - 3:57
5. "White Mischief" - 5:48
6. "In the Back of a Taxi" - 3:21

Side two

1. "Music by Numbers" (Jeffes, Richardson) - 4:41
2. "Another One from the Colonies" (Jeffes, Neil Rennie) - 3:04
3. "Air" - 4:20
4. "Heartwind" (Jeffes, Ryuichi Sakamoto) - 4:11
5. "Isle of View (Music for Helicopter Pilots)" - 4:29
6. "Now Nothing" - 2:59

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Artwork Included

PENGUIN CAFE ORCHESTRA - PENGUIN CAFE ORCHESTRA 1981

Penguin Cafe Orchestra was the second album by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and was recorded at the Penguin Cafe between 1977 and 1980. By this time the line-up for the band had expanded greatly, with contribution including Simon Jeffes, Helen Leibmann, Steve Nye, Gavyn Wright of the original quartet, as well as Geoff Richardson, Peter Veitch, Braco, Giles Leamna, Julio Segovia and Neil Rennie. All pieces were composed by Simon Jeffes except for "Paul's Dance" (Jeffes and Nye), "Cutting Branches" (traditional), and "Walk Don't Run" (by J. Smith).

This release is widely considered as the critical best produced by the Orchestra, its whimsy and eclecticism making it inherently more approachable than the previous, more serious-minded initial album.

The cover painting is by Emily Young.

Tracks :

1. Air à Danser - 4:30
2. Yodel 1 - 4:07
3. Telephone and Rubber Band - 2:28
4. Cutting Branches for a Temporary Shelter - 3:09
5. Pythagoras's Trousers - 3:18
6. Numbers 1-4 - 6:57
7. Yodel 2 - 4:34
8. Salty Bean Fumble - 2:11
9. Paul's Dance - 1:45
10. The Ecstasy of Dancing Fleas - 4:01
11. Walk Don't Run - 3:01
12. Flux - 1:48
13. Simon's Dream - 1:48
14. Harmonic Necklace - 1:12
15. Steady State - 3:36

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Artwork Included

FIREFALL - LUNA SEA 1977

After introducing their mild, country-rock charm with 1976's Firefall, Rick Roberts and the band were right back at it a year later with Luna Sea. Following in the footsteps of their debut release, Luna Sea attached the same type of silky harmonies to light, breezy acoustics which confirmed the band's comfortable residence in their genre. Although Firefall's first album contained three hit singles (two of them making the Top 40), Luna Sea has Roberts fully revealing the influences that the Flying Burrito Brothers had on him during his stint with the group. Like their first album, Luna Sea went gold, and it netted them a number 11 hit with the glistening "Just Remember I Love You," with Timothy B. Schmit helping out on background vocals. "So Long" was also a minor hit, while the rest of the tracks are made up of typical love song material that draw more attention from their smooth AM sound than their actual lyrics. Firefall continued their success with 1978's Elan, which also sported a hit in "Strange Way," while the album itself went platinum. ~ Mike DeGagne, All Music Guide






Tracks :

1. Roberts, Rick - So Long
2. Roberts, Rick - Just Remember I Love You
3. Burnett, Larry - Sold On You
4. Roberts, Rick - Someday Soon
5. Firefall - Just Think
6. Burnett, Larry - Getaway
7. Roberts, Rick - Only A Fool
8. Burnett, Larry - Head On Home
9. Burnett, Larry - Piece Of Paper
10. Roberts, Rick/Burnett, Larry - Even Steven
11. Roberts, Rick - Tropical Night
12. Bartley, Jock - Rainforest
13. Burnett, Larry - Ya Never Know
14. Roberts, Rick - Over You

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Artwork Included

RARE AMBER 1969

Reissue of this ultra rare 1969 U.K album originally released on Polydor.Made up of progressive heavy blues rock typical of the time.This re-issue contains the non LP tracks from the band's only &" release.

Tracks:

1. Rare Amber - Malfunction Of The Engine (03:53)
2. Rare Amber - You Ain
3. Rare Amber - It Hurts Me Too (03:37)
4. Rare Amber - Paying The Cost To Be The Boss (03:38)
5. Rare Amber - Night Life (05:19)
6. Rare Amber - Custom Blues (03:14)
7. Rare Amber - Popcorn Man (02:17)
8. Rare Amber - Heartbreaker (02:52)
9. Rare Amber - Solution (07:03)
10. Rare Amber - Amber Blues (02:34)
11. Rare Amber - Blues Never Die (02:08)
12. Rare Amber - Malfunction On The Engine (Diff. Vers.) (03:27)
13. Rare Amber - Blind Love (Unreleased) (02:29)


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Artwork Included

BLOSSOM TOES - WE ARE EVER SO CLEAN 1967

Imagine the late-'60s Kinks crossed with a touch of the absurdist British wit of the Bonzo Dog Band, and you have an idea of the droll charm of Blossom Toes' debut album. Songwriters Brian Godding and Jim Cregan were the chief architects of the Toes' whimsical and melodic vision, which conjured images of a sun-drenched Summer of Love, London style. With its references to royal parks, tea time, watchmakers, intrepid balloon makers, "Mrs. Murphy's Budgerigar," and the like, it's a distinctly British brand of whimsy. It has since been revealed that sessionmen performed a lot of these orchestral arrangements, which embellished the band's sparkling harmonies and (semi-buried) guitars. But the cello, brass, flute, and tinkling piano have a delicate beauty that serves as an effective counterpoint. The group sings and plays as though they have wide grins on their faces, and the result is one of the happiest, most underappreciated relics of British psychedelia.

Tracks:

01.Look At Me I'm You (Godding, Gomelsky)
02.I'll Be Late For Tea (Godding)
03.The Remarkable Saga Of The Frozen Dog (Westlake)
04.Telegram Tuesday (Godding)
05.Love Is (Godding)
06.What's It For (Cregan)
07.People Of The Royal Parks (Westlake)
08.What On Earth (Godding)
09.Mrs Murphy's Budgerigar (Cregan, Westlake)
10.I Will Bring You This and That (Godding)
11.Mister Watchmaker (Godding)
12.When The Alarm Clock Rings (Cregan)
13.The Intrepid Balloonist's Handbook, Volume One (Cregan)
14.You (Godding)
15.Track For Speedy Freaks (or Instant LP Digest) (Godding, Gomelsky, Cregan, Westlake)

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Artwork Included