05-11-06 - 12-11-06
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Music Emporium - 1969 - Music Emporium
Music Emporium - 1969 - Music Emporium
Track listing
01. Nam Myo Renge Kyo (2:35)
02. Velvet Sunsets (2:34)
03. Prelude (2:04)
04. Catatonic Variations (1:56)
05. Times Like This (1:57)
06. Gentle Thursday (3:46)
07. Winds Have Changed (2:11)
08. Cage (5:08)
09. Sun Never Shines (4:00)
10. Day Of Wrath (3:20)
Line-up
- Bill "Casey" Cosby / vocals, keyboards
- Dave Padwin / guitar
- Carolyn Lee / bass, background vocals
- Dora Wahl / drums
MUSIC EMPORIUM biography
Initially called The CAGE, this trippy West Coast psych band from the 60’s were quite sophisticated for their time. They started off in 1968 when keyboardist Bill Cosby joined forces with guitarist Dave Padwin and two female musicians, namely bassist Carolyn Lee and drummer Dora Wahl. All four were either classically trained or seasoned club veterans, Cosby himself being a UCLA music major. Evolving smack in the middle of the flower power era, they played their blistering rockers and wispy melod...Initially called The CAGE, this trippy West Coast psych band from the 60’s were quite sophisticated for their time. They started off in 1968 when keyboardist Bill Cosby joined forces with guitarist Dave Padwin and two female musicians, namely bassist Carolyn Lee and drummer Dora Wahl. All four were either classically trained or seasoned club veterans, Cosby himself being a UCLA music major. Evolving smack in the middle of the flower power era, they played their blistering rockers and wispy melodies quite convincingly, borrowing from jazz, classical music, avant-garde and rock. On the psychedelic side, they were definitely more song oriented than, say, early PINK FLOYD; although they did pour a mean dose of organ on their self-titled LP, released in 1969. Unfortunately, a year later Cosby got drafted and the band broke up.
Their album is a fascinating testimony of a different time and place. Highly organ dominated, it has just about everything one would expect from a late 60’s album: driving rhythms, heavy guitar riffs, trippy Farfisa organ and cool, groovy male/female vocals by Cosby and especially Lee who delivers her druggy, cosmic lyrics with style. Their solos are concise and they know how to lock into a groove without jamming aimlessly, as did so many bands of that era. They also know how to structure songs that best display their strengths although in retrospect, it is their softer tunes that seem to have aged better, especially those with a nice gothic/classical feel.
Track listing
01. Nam Myo Renge Kyo (2:35)
02. Velvet Sunsets (2:34)
03. Prelude (2:04)
04. Catatonic Variations (1:56)
05. Times Like This (1:57)
06. Gentle Thursday (3:46)
07. Winds Have Changed (2:11)
08. Cage (5:08)
09. Sun Never Shines (4:00)
10. Day Of Wrath (3:20)
Line-up
- Bill "Casey" Cosby / vocals, keyboards
- Dave Padwin / guitar
- Carolyn Lee / bass, background vocals
- Dora Wahl / drums
MUSIC EMPORIUM biography
Initially called The CAGE, this trippy West Coast psych band from the 60’s were quite sophisticated for their time. They started off in 1968 when keyboardist Bill Cosby joined forces with guitarist Dave Padwin and two female musicians, namely bassist Carolyn Lee and drummer Dora Wahl. All four were either classically trained or seasoned club veterans, Cosby himself being a UCLA music major. Evolving smack in the middle of the flower power era, they played their blistering rockers and wispy melod...Initially called The CAGE, this trippy West Coast psych band from the 60’s were quite sophisticated for their time. They started off in 1968 when keyboardist Bill Cosby joined forces with guitarist Dave Padwin and two female musicians, namely bassist Carolyn Lee and drummer Dora Wahl. All four were either classically trained or seasoned club veterans, Cosby himself being a UCLA music major. Evolving smack in the middle of the flower power era, they played their blistering rockers and wispy melodies quite convincingly, borrowing from jazz, classical music, avant-garde and rock. On the psychedelic side, they were definitely more song oriented than, say, early PINK FLOYD; although they did pour a mean dose of organ on their self-titled LP, released in 1969. Unfortunately, a year later Cosby got drafted and the band broke up.
Their album is a fascinating testimony of a different time and place. Highly organ dominated, it has just about everything one would expect from a late 60’s album: driving rhythms, heavy guitar riffs, trippy Farfisa organ and cool, groovy male/female vocals by Cosby and especially Lee who delivers her druggy, cosmic lyrics with style. Their solos are concise and they know how to lock into a groove without jamming aimlessly, as did so many bands of that era. They also know how to structure songs that best display their strengths although in retrospect, it is their softer tunes that seem to have aged better, especially those with a nice gothic/classical feel.
Necronomicon - Tips Zum Selbstmord
Track listing
01. Prolog (7.32)
02. Requiem Der Natur (10.49)
03. Tips Zum Selbstmord (4.46)
04. Die Stadt (7.18)
05. In Memoriam (6.57)
06. Requiem Vom Ende (7.46)
Total Time 44:08
Line-up
Walter Sturm / Guitar, Vocals
Norbert Breuer / Guitar, Vocals
Harald Bernhard / Drums
Bernhard Hocks / Bass, Vocals
Fistus Dickmann / Organ, Synth, Vocals
It's always difficult reviewing Krautrock, simply because Krautrock, as a genre, tends not to patch directly into the generally accepted definition of Prog Rock - it's much closer to psychedelia. It also tends to be inconsistent - when it's good, it can be stunning, but when bad, falls into directionless, amateurish noodling that can be plain embarrassing.When approaching this album, I had to rid myself of all the hype surrounding it - much of which, one might suspect, comes from people who own a copy and want to make a fortune selling it on, and take it for what it is. What it is, is a concept album by a group of guys who had been together for little over a year, performed a few gigs and, thanks to the economic backing of a friend, managed to get into a small studio armed with basic recording equipment (a 2-track Reel-to-Reel) and release what would turn out to be one of the most expensive Prog Rock albums ever.So it's with calm ears and a fresh pair of Sennheisers that I dive into this highly prized work which, for those who don't like long reviews, really is very, very good indeed - but probably not worth the £1,000+ price tag of an original. .In summary, so you can skip the tech stuff, it's a Masterpiece for what it is. I hardly ever make this distinction, as I prefer to guage against the "Classic" Prog bands - the justification is in the review below, and no apologies for the length ;0).A highly reverbed and slightly manic voice improvises as if testing the microphone, then vocalises the first riff in "Prolog", which is picked up with a bang by the band, and, surprisingly, dropped in a heartbeat, the guitarist appearing to start it, but then tailing off, as if in shame - or possibly disgust. It could be either, given the subject matter of the lyrics. A deeply reverbed and wah-drenched, partially Hendrix-inspired solo follows, angular and jerky, pained and edgy.A hard series of chords punches through, and a new, tight, heavy riff follows - great headbanging stuff, but you do have to be able to cope with the rough production and knowledge that the band played this entirely live in the studio.A keyboard joins in, and we get flavours of Iron Butterfly before the vocals come in - and these are of a great quality, with good tones on the high notes and reasonable harmony. There's nothing new or particularly interesting about the ensuing guitar solo - what is of more interest are the unfolding and very powerful riffs - there's a whole wonderland of stealable material in here for bands running out of ideas and needing a little-known source...The dark tension and clear layers make for a very emotionally draining landscape, and the sudden ending makes you feel like you've fallen off a cliff."Requiem Der Natur" begins with huge, hollow and sinister keyboards, coloured with sparkly sounds, before a mellow acoustic guitar brings us to an earthy and folky flavoured section of beautiful drifting sound with flavours of Pink Floyd circa 1968- 1970, but also Necronomicon's very own, very dark style. Around 3:30, there is some deep, chanting vocal "Ahhs", joined by mid and top- range voices in a quasi "Monks meet operatics" kind of style, building and building until the recording equipment can't cope. Just as you think the equipment will expire, around 4:45, the music drops into a sort of jazz-fusion style, with the band right at the edges of their abilities, but pushing very hard in order to express the music - you'd hardly believe the band had only been together for a year, as it operates as a very cohesive unit, each member giving each other the necessary space to grow and improvise - successfully and sometimes unsuccessfully - but that's always the case with live improv.A "Big Bottom" style bass solo follows - although, to be fair, the bassist tries really hard to make the improv interesting and exciting - and succeeds to a fair degree, especially when he gives the cue for the keyboard and guitar re-entry - it really isn't apparent, and you have to listen hard several times to get it, it feels so natural.The Choir section returns - and it feels perfectly natural that it should do so - framing the jazz section very nicely - giving a masterclass in how form can be made to feel spontaneous.The title track begins with one of the most original intros I've ever heard - incredibly simple (but the best ideas often are), then kicking into an uptempo rocker with falsetto from hell that makes Matt Bellamy sound like a Contra bass... There are lots of goodies in here, including tempo changes, guitar solos, enthusiastic guitar panning, and a dark groove that would provoke many nuns into dancing around mooonlit fires sans habits... in my twisted imagination, at least. There are one or two "baddies" in here too - but easily overlooked."Die Stadt", apart from having tuning issues in the acoustic guitar, smacks a little of early Kraftwerk, but darker, naturally, and the intro appears to be a proclamation - Hawkwind style. When the big riff kicks in, it reminds me very much of Mountain in texture, but, true to form, Necronomicon break it all down, with a "cat on a hot tin roof" approach that demonstrates exactly how to go off at tangents and really mean it. One or two timing issues (!) do not spoil the infectious grooves that they settle into, with the now familiar dark keyboard washes and walking bass lines - I get a flavour of Hawkwind's "Master of the Universe" in places. I'm assuming that the spare acoustic was used for the outro ;0)"In Memoriam" is so dischordant, it too appears to have tuning issues, but these are soon resolved, and it's apparent that the heavy dischords are totally intentional. Very rough at the edges to start with, this piece dives around, and a mixed bag of good and truly superb ideas are thrown out, with decorative fill/synchronised runs that pre-empt Prog metal. Once the band have got into their groove, this really is a piece that every fan of Krautrock should hear - deeply and highly emotional, yet carefully worked out, with plenty of space for improv. Almost perfect, despite occasional timing issues. The ending is particularly notable, although I have to admit the falsetto annoys me too.Requiem Vom Ende rounds things off consistenly nicely, despite more tuning issues, which we just have to swallow and live with - after all, it's the music that's important. And what we get from the music is more cavernous sounds, thoughtfully meandering bass, then big, crashing chords of chaos, and over-reverbed voices clearly proclaiming rather than singing, carrying an authoritative tone, but dropping back to a wistful, almost mournful air, carrying a strong flavour of Floyd.Now, around 3:00, is the most powerful moment on the album, a throbbing, pulsating orb of music that grows (and might arguably have benefitted from losing the falsetto voice), grows, drops, and recapitulates. It's at this late point in the song I realise that the main riff is a combination of "Pictures of Matchstick Men" and "Hey Joe". An inspired welding together, that results in a spacious riff with a familiar feeling groove.I won't cover the very end - I'll leave that entirely for your discovery ;o)Here's a clue - it's not at all disappointing!All in all, a most excellent addition to any Prog Rock collection - which doesn't mean you're going to like it. My advice is to get familiar with Krautrock before approaching this album, as those unfamiliar with the genre are likely to be highly disturbed by it.It just scrapes into the Masterpiece category, because I'm concentrating on the music alone, and ignoring technical and execution issues simply because of the low budget live recording. A real mind-blower - but be careful, as in the wrong hands it could be mistaken as simply a blower... source : progarchives.com
01. Prolog (7.32)
02. Requiem Der Natur (10.49)
03. Tips Zum Selbstmord (4.46)
04. Die Stadt (7.18)
05. In Memoriam (6.57)
06. Requiem Vom Ende (7.46)
Total Time 44:08
Line-up
Walter Sturm / Guitar, Vocals
Norbert Breuer / Guitar, Vocals
Harald Bernhard / Drums
Bernhard Hocks / Bass, Vocals
Fistus Dickmann / Organ, Synth, Vocals
It's always difficult reviewing Krautrock, simply because Krautrock, as a genre, tends not to patch directly into the generally accepted definition of Prog Rock - it's much closer to psychedelia. It also tends to be inconsistent - when it's good, it can be stunning, but when bad, falls into directionless, amateurish noodling that can be plain embarrassing.When approaching this album, I had to rid myself of all the hype surrounding it - much of which, one might suspect, comes from people who own a copy and want to make a fortune selling it on, and take it for what it is. What it is, is a concept album by a group of guys who had been together for little over a year, performed a few gigs and, thanks to the economic backing of a friend, managed to get into a small studio armed with basic recording equipment (a 2-track Reel-to-Reel) and release what would turn out to be one of the most expensive Prog Rock albums ever.So it's with calm ears and a fresh pair of Sennheisers that I dive into this highly prized work which, for those who don't like long reviews, really is very, very good indeed - but probably not worth the £1,000+ price tag of an original. .In summary, so you can skip the tech stuff, it's a Masterpiece for what it is. I hardly ever make this distinction, as I prefer to guage against the "Classic" Prog bands - the justification is in the review below, and no apologies for the length ;0).A highly reverbed and slightly manic voice improvises as if testing the microphone, then vocalises the first riff in "Prolog", which is picked up with a bang by the band, and, surprisingly, dropped in a heartbeat, the guitarist appearing to start it, but then tailing off, as if in shame - or possibly disgust. It could be either, given the subject matter of the lyrics. A deeply reverbed and wah-drenched, partially Hendrix-inspired solo follows, angular and jerky, pained and edgy.A hard series of chords punches through, and a new, tight, heavy riff follows - great headbanging stuff, but you do have to be able to cope with the rough production and knowledge that the band played this entirely live in the studio.A keyboard joins in, and we get flavours of Iron Butterfly before the vocals come in - and these are of a great quality, with good tones on the high notes and reasonable harmony. There's nothing new or particularly interesting about the ensuing guitar solo - what is of more interest are the unfolding and very powerful riffs - there's a whole wonderland of stealable material in here for bands running out of ideas and needing a little-known source...The dark tension and clear layers make for a very emotionally draining landscape, and the sudden ending makes you feel like you've fallen off a cliff."Requiem Der Natur" begins with huge, hollow and sinister keyboards, coloured with sparkly sounds, before a mellow acoustic guitar brings us to an earthy and folky flavoured section of beautiful drifting sound with flavours of Pink Floyd circa 1968- 1970, but also Necronomicon's very own, very dark style. Around 3:30, there is some deep, chanting vocal "Ahhs", joined by mid and top- range voices in a quasi "Monks meet operatics" kind of style, building and building until the recording equipment can't cope. Just as you think the equipment will expire, around 4:45, the music drops into a sort of jazz-fusion style, with the band right at the edges of their abilities, but pushing very hard in order to express the music - you'd hardly believe the band had only been together for a year, as it operates as a very cohesive unit, each member giving each other the necessary space to grow and improvise - successfully and sometimes unsuccessfully - but that's always the case with live improv.A "Big Bottom" style bass solo follows - although, to be fair, the bassist tries really hard to make the improv interesting and exciting - and succeeds to a fair degree, especially when he gives the cue for the keyboard and guitar re-entry - it really isn't apparent, and you have to listen hard several times to get it, it feels so natural.The Choir section returns - and it feels perfectly natural that it should do so - framing the jazz section very nicely - giving a masterclass in how form can be made to feel spontaneous.The title track begins with one of the most original intros I've ever heard - incredibly simple (but the best ideas often are), then kicking into an uptempo rocker with falsetto from hell that makes Matt Bellamy sound like a Contra bass... There are lots of goodies in here, including tempo changes, guitar solos, enthusiastic guitar panning, and a dark groove that would provoke many nuns into dancing around mooonlit fires sans habits... in my twisted imagination, at least. There are one or two "baddies" in here too - but easily overlooked."Die Stadt", apart from having tuning issues in the acoustic guitar, smacks a little of early Kraftwerk, but darker, naturally, and the intro appears to be a proclamation - Hawkwind style. When the big riff kicks in, it reminds me very much of Mountain in texture, but, true to form, Necronomicon break it all down, with a "cat on a hot tin roof" approach that demonstrates exactly how to go off at tangents and really mean it. One or two timing issues (!) do not spoil the infectious grooves that they settle into, with the now familiar dark keyboard washes and walking bass lines - I get a flavour of Hawkwind's "Master of the Universe" in places. I'm assuming that the spare acoustic was used for the outro ;0)"In Memoriam" is so dischordant, it too appears to have tuning issues, but these are soon resolved, and it's apparent that the heavy dischords are totally intentional. Very rough at the edges to start with, this piece dives around, and a mixed bag of good and truly superb ideas are thrown out, with decorative fill/synchronised runs that pre-empt Prog metal. Once the band have got into their groove, this really is a piece that every fan of Krautrock should hear - deeply and highly emotional, yet carefully worked out, with plenty of space for improv. Almost perfect, despite occasional timing issues. The ending is particularly notable, although I have to admit the falsetto annoys me too.Requiem Vom Ende rounds things off consistenly nicely, despite more tuning issues, which we just have to swallow and live with - after all, it's the music that's important. And what we get from the music is more cavernous sounds, thoughtfully meandering bass, then big, crashing chords of chaos, and over-reverbed voices clearly proclaiming rather than singing, carrying an authoritative tone, but dropping back to a wistful, almost mournful air, carrying a strong flavour of Floyd.Now, around 3:00, is the most powerful moment on the album, a throbbing, pulsating orb of music that grows (and might arguably have benefitted from losing the falsetto voice), grows, drops, and recapitulates. It's at this late point in the song I realise that the main riff is a combination of "Pictures of Matchstick Men" and "Hey Joe". An inspired welding together, that results in a spacious riff with a familiar feeling groove.I won't cover the very end - I'll leave that entirely for your discovery ;o)Here's a clue - it's not at all disappointing!All in all, a most excellent addition to any Prog Rock collection - which doesn't mean you're going to like it. My advice is to get familiar with Krautrock before approaching this album, as those unfamiliar with the genre are likely to be highly disturbed by it.It just scrapes into the Masterpiece category, because I'm concentrating on the music alone, and ignoring technical and execution issues simply because of the low budget live recording. A real mind-blower - but be careful, as in the wrong hands it could be mistaken as simply a blower... source : progarchives.com
Your Download-Link :
Labels: innocent76, N 
The Mindbenders - s/t
Remaining together following the departure of frontman Wayne Fontana, the Mindbenders got off to one of the most promising starts any band could enjoy, when their debut single "A Groovy Kind of Love" soared to number two in the U.K. and topped the chart in America. And had the group only succeeded in locating a decent follow-up, they might well have developed into one of the finest British bands of the late '60s. Instead, a series of disastrous choices of 45s condemned them to the ranks of rank also-rans, and it is only later that the sheer quality of their other work — material hitherto lost on two Mindbenders LPs — had been re-evaluated sufficiently to let listeners state that here was one of the greatest of all Britain's post-beat bands. A Groovy Kind of Love album totally failed to capitalize on the success of its title track, floundering to a lowly number 92, while a second song by "Groovy" composers Carole Bayer and Toni Wine, "Ashes to Ashes," scarcely improved on that in the singles' listings. It made number 55, although Fontana did still try to capitalize on it, repressing the Groovy Kind of Love album with "Ashes to Ashes" replacing "Don't Cry No More." (Later in the year, "Ashes to Ashes" hit number 14 in Britain, but only after the vaguely Spector-ish "Can't Live With You (Can't Live Without You)" had struggled to break the Top 30.The Mindbenders made their final American tour in July 1966, kicking off in Atlanta on Independence Day, in front of a capacity 25,000 crowd. It was a shame they were only the opening band. James Brown was the headliner and, while Eric Stewart remembered, "we went down quite well," a more memorable show came when the Mindbenders played the Fillmore West later in the tour. "The liquid light show was great and really worked with our act, which was a lot heavier than on our records." Stewart himself had developed into a very strong songwriter in his own right, contributing one song ("My New Day and Age") to the newly emergent prog rock favorites Family, and coming up with another, "Yellow Brick Road," which has been described as "the best record Traffic never made." For singles, however, the Mindbenders continued looking outside for new material. It was not necessarily a bad decision; their taste, after all, remained impeccable. Their final release of 1966, "I Want Her, She Wants Me," for instance, was written by the Zombies' Rod Argent and was handed to the Mindbenders a full year before it reappeared on the Zombies' own Odyssey & Oracle album. Fighting hard to keep abreast of the changing currents, the Mindbenders next embarked on their most audacious yet strangely prescient move yet, a full-blown concept album. No matter that, several months before Sgt. Pepper and even longer before SF Sorrow and Tommy, nobody had even heard of concept albums, the Mindbenders' With Woman in Mind remains a gem in that genre. And yet, despite the presence of both "I Want Her, She Wants Me" and "Ashes to Ashes," plus a startling new Graham Gouldman song, the lascivious "Schoolgirl" is an undiscovered gem as well. Unreleased in America, it did little anywhere else and disappeared as quickly as the accompanying single, yet another Bayer/Wine composition, "We'll Talk About It Tomorrow." Faltering ratings and drooping self-confidence, of course, were not necessarily an insurmountable hurdle. The group was invited to contribute two songs to the soundtrack of Sidney Poitier's movie To Sir, With Love — "number one hitmakers the Mindbenders" are seen performing live in the school gymnasium, airing "It's Getting Harder All of the Time" and "Off and Running," both sides of their next single. Unfortunately, not even major celluloid exposure could break the group's run of bad luck. Neither could an infusion of new blood, after drummer Ric Rothwell quit to be replaced by Paul Hancox. By the end of the year, the band was reduced to recording covers of current American hits, which could be rush released in Britain in the hope of beating out the original. Art had been reduced to a crapshoot and, even as the first of the Mindbenders' efforts, a version of the Boxtops' "The Letter." ground its way to number 42 in September 1967 (the competition, by the way, reached number five), it was clear that the end was in sight. The Mindbenders made one final stab at reversing their fortunes, re-recording "Schoolgirl" and pulling out every psychedelic rock trick in the book. A BBC ban (that lasciviousness again), however, kept the single a good arm's length from either the radio or the charts and, when a reading of Robert Knight's "Blessed Are the Lonely" followed "Schoolgirl" into the dumper, in March 1968, Bob Lang quit (he would reappear as a member of soft rockers Racing Cars in the mid-'70s). He was replaced by Graham Gouldman, in which form the band cut one final single "Uncle Joe, the Ice Cream Man." The Mindbenders then broke up, calling it a day at the Liverpool Empire on November 20, 1968, the last night of a U.K. tour with the Who, Arthur Brown, and Joe Cocker. Stewart and Gouldman, however, would continue working together, first as partners in the newly launched Strawberry Studios, then as one half of 10cc.
source: allmusic.com
Your Download-Link :
Labels: innocent76, M
Friday, November 10, 2006
Holy River Family Band - 1996 - Haida Dieties
Holy River Family Band - 1996 - Haida Dieties
01 Fragrance Of Flowers And Herbs
02 Eztetl
03 Green Corn Dance
04 The Vision Quest Of The Sanpoil
3 member band from Sweden including Jens Unosson (The Spacious Mind) mixing eastern world music influences with some pretty tripped-out space like imagery. Tranquil almost mesmerizing in parts with a wonderful array of percussive and string interplay. Background synth landscapes paint continued sonic imagery creating some enormous sounds. Haida Deities would actually make a great sountrack with its highly sculptured landscaped sounds. Of course a full complement of world instruments are used …..drums, congas, tablas, bombo leguero, flutes, pipes, jews harp, electric piano, electirc organ, synthesizers, 12 & 6 string guitars, saz, oud, surna, violin, bass and even hurgy-gurdy. This stunning album will almost cetainly appeal to any fan of space - psych music.....Music for your young mind
Enjoy !
01 Fragrance Of Flowers And Herbs
02 Eztetl
03 Green Corn Dance
04 The Vision Quest Of The Sanpoil
3 member band from Sweden including Jens Unosson (The Spacious Mind) mixing eastern world music influences with some pretty tripped-out space like imagery. Tranquil almost mesmerizing in parts with a wonderful array of percussive and string interplay. Background synth landscapes paint continued sonic imagery creating some enormous sounds. Haida Deities would actually make a great sountrack with its highly sculptured landscaped sounds. Of course a full complement of world instruments are used …..drums, congas, tablas, bombo leguero, flutes, pipes, jews harp, electric piano, electirc organ, synthesizers, 12 & 6 string guitars, saz, oud, surna, violin, bass and even hurgy-gurdy. This stunning album will almost cetainly appeal to any fan of space - psych music.....Music for your young mind
Enjoy !
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come - 1971 - Galactic Zoo Dossier
Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come - 1971 - Galactic Zoo DossierTracks :
1. Intro (0:52)*
2. Internal messenger (4:05)
3. Space plucks (2:53)
4. Space plucks (0:51)*
5. Galactic zoo (2:32)
6. Metal monster (1:46)
7. Simple man (3:06)
8. Night of the pigs (1:03)
9. Sunrise (6:49)
10. Trouble (2:01)
11. Begins (1:09)
12. Galactic zoo (continued) (3:05)
13. Space plucks (continued)**
14. Galactic zoo (continued)**
15. Creep (4:06)
16. Creation ~ Gypsy escape (7:20)
17. Noise (0:15)*
18. No time (6:13)
Bonus tracks on cd releases:
19. No STEREO efect (0:02)
20. Metal monster (1:47)
21. Space pucks (including Dem Bones) (5:51)
22. Sunrise (6:32)
Total Time: 62:18
* Not available on LP
** Not available on CD
Line-up
- Arthur Brown / vocals
- Julian Brown / vocals
- Phil Curtis / bass
- Andy Dalby / guitar
- Michael Harris / keyboards
- Phil Shutt / bass
- Martin Steer / drums
Releases information LP Polydor 2310 130 / CD Voiceprint VP 135 (1993) / CD Blueprint BP 135 (1997)
I'm sure a few of you know who Arthur Brown is. He had a hit in 1968 with "Fire". While he might be thought of as a one-hit wonder, all the albums he's done up to 1973 are well worth having. 1971's Galactic Zoo Dossier is that prime example. By this time, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown was history, the psychedelic scene was over, in place of the new, burgeoning prog rock scene, and Brown was in a new band called Kingdom Come (nothing to do with the '80s Led Zep clone band with the same name). This band, as it turns out, was a fixture in the British free festival scene, just like Gong, Hawkwind and (more than a decade later) Ozric Tentacles. I can only imagine how a Kingdom Come show might've been, but judging from the pictures included on the poster that comes with the original LP of Galactic Zoo Dossier, it looked like it was a sight to behold. Believe me when I tell you that Galactic Zoo Dossier is simply one of the most twisted albums you'll ever hear. Forget The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (actually don't, as that 1968 album is actually quite good), this album is WAY more demented, twisted, and out there! Just listen to cuts like "Internal Messenger", "Metal Monster", "Night of the Pigs", "Creep" and "Creation". "Creep" features some spoken dialog that sounds like it came off Hawkwind's Space Ritual. "Creation" is so far out there, it gives many Krautrock bands of the time a run for their money. Other goodies here include the mellow "Simply Man", the instrumental "Gypsy Escape", and "Sunrise". If you own the Supernatural Fairy Tales CD box set that was issued by Rhino Records (the box set is devoted entirely to progressive rock, with artwork by famed Yes, Asia, and Uriah Heep cover artist Roger Dean), you're already familiar with one of the songs off Galactic Zoo Dossier, and that is "Sunrise". The only reject cut on Galactic Zoo is "Trouble". That song was apparently sung by guitarist Andy Dalby, and was definately written by him. Pretty cheesy number with some really badly written lyrics ("I would like to write a song/To tell the world what is wrong with it today/I would like to write a book/If that were all it took, To make its troubles go away"), you can tell right away that Arthur Brown wouldn't dare write anything that bad. Luckily the song doesn't last very long, as the rest of the album is simply incredible. Totally strange to say the least, and if you want music that doesn't play it safe, then this album is for you.
Review by Proghead (Ben Miler)
1. Intro (0:52)*
2. Internal messenger (4:05)
3. Space plucks (2:53)
4. Space plucks (0:51)*
5. Galactic zoo (2:32)
6. Metal monster (1:46)
7. Simple man (3:06)
8. Night of the pigs (1:03)
9. Sunrise (6:49)
10. Trouble (2:01)
11. Begins (1:09)
12. Galactic zoo (continued) (3:05)
13. Space plucks (continued)**
14. Galactic zoo (continued)**
15. Creep (4:06)
16. Creation ~ Gypsy escape (7:20)
17. Noise (0:15)*
18. No time (6:13)
Bonus tracks on cd releases:
19. No STEREO efect (0:02)
20. Metal monster (1:47)
21. Space pucks (including Dem Bones) (5:51)
22. Sunrise (6:32)
Total Time: 62:18
* Not available on LP
** Not available on CD
Line-up
- Arthur Brown / vocals
- Julian Brown / vocals
- Phil Curtis / bass
- Andy Dalby / guitar
- Michael Harris / keyboards
- Phil Shutt / bass
- Martin Steer / drums
Releases information LP Polydor 2310 130 / CD Voiceprint VP 135 (1993) / CD Blueprint BP 135 (1997)
I'm sure a few of you know who Arthur Brown is. He had a hit in 1968 with "Fire". While he might be thought of as a one-hit wonder, all the albums he's done up to 1973 are well worth having. 1971's Galactic Zoo Dossier is that prime example. By this time, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown was history, the psychedelic scene was over, in place of the new, burgeoning prog rock scene, and Brown was in a new band called Kingdom Come (nothing to do with the '80s Led Zep clone band with the same name). This band, as it turns out, was a fixture in the British free festival scene, just like Gong, Hawkwind and (more than a decade later) Ozric Tentacles. I can only imagine how a Kingdom Come show might've been, but judging from the pictures included on the poster that comes with the original LP of Galactic Zoo Dossier, it looked like it was a sight to behold. Believe me when I tell you that Galactic Zoo Dossier is simply one of the most twisted albums you'll ever hear. Forget The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (actually don't, as that 1968 album is actually quite good), this album is WAY more demented, twisted, and out there! Just listen to cuts like "Internal Messenger", "Metal Monster", "Night of the Pigs", "Creep" and "Creation". "Creep" features some spoken dialog that sounds like it came off Hawkwind's Space Ritual. "Creation" is so far out there, it gives many Krautrock bands of the time a run for their money. Other goodies here include the mellow "Simply Man", the instrumental "Gypsy Escape", and "Sunrise". If you own the Supernatural Fairy Tales CD box set that was issued by Rhino Records (the box set is devoted entirely to progressive rock, with artwork by famed Yes, Asia, and Uriah Heep cover artist Roger Dean), you're already familiar with one of the songs off Galactic Zoo Dossier, and that is "Sunrise". The only reject cut on Galactic Zoo is "Trouble". That song was apparently sung by guitarist Andy Dalby, and was definately written by him. Pretty cheesy number with some really badly written lyrics ("I would like to write a song/To tell the world what is wrong with it today/I would like to write a book/If that were all it took, To make its troubles go away"), you can tell right away that Arthur Brown wouldn't dare write anything that bad. Luckily the song doesn't last very long, as the rest of the album is simply incredible. Totally strange to say the least, and if you want music that doesn't play it safe, then this album is for you.
Review by Proghead (Ben Miler)
Labels: A, B, K, Lost In Tyme
Jade Warrior - 1971 - Jade Warrior
Jade Warrior - 1971 - Jade Warrior
01. Traveller (2:40)
02. Prenormal Day At Brighton (2:45)
03. Masai Morning (6:44)
04. Windweaver (3:43)
05. Dragonfly Day (7:45)
06. Petunia (4:46)
07. Telephone Girl (4:54)
08. Psychiatric Sergeant (3:08)
09. Slow Ride (2:36)
10. Sundial Song (5:08)
- Tony Duhig / guitars
- Jon Field / percussion, flutes
- Glyn Havard / bass, vocals
Review
Jade Warrior's first album following Tony Duhig and Jon Field's emergence out of the psychedelic July captures them abandoning the best of that band's whimsical moodiness in favor of a symphonic spirituality epitomized from the outset by the soaring guitars that ecstatically slice through the opening "Traveller." Reminiscent, in places, of a less-precious successor to Quintessence and the Incredible String Band in that moods and esotericism do sometimes get the better of the band's more conventional music impulses, Jade Warrior is nevertheless a remarkable album, all the more so since its makers could readily have given the likes of Jethro Tull and the Moody Blues some serious competition in the mellifluous prog stakes. Glyn Havard's vocals themselves can sound extraordinarily Ian Anderson-ish in places, with Field's wielding of the flute and some distinctly edgy tempos only furthering that impression. Elsewhere, however, the same tools combine to induce emotions that range from trance to terror, an accomplishment that means highlights of the album are difficult to single out. Although the ten tracks are clearly delineated, the song titles are little more than passing impressions of the music's own sensations, rendering Jade Warrior one of those rare albums that is best experienced as a seamless whole.
~Dave Thompson, Allmusicguide
Biography
Jade Warrior was an eclectic group led by Jon Field and Tony Duhig, who met during the 1960s while working in a factory. The two did not immediately but spent several years improving their musical skills, Field on percussion, Duhig on guitar. They finally created a group named July, with Tom Newman, Chris Jackson and Alan James. Newman would later engineer (Mike Oldfield's landmark album Tubular Bells. July released one album of eccentric psychedelic pop in 1968, then folded.
After the demise of July, Duhig traveled to Iran, where he met guitarist and future bandmate Glyn Havard. Field remained in England, learned to play flute and created the Jade Warrior identity while writing music for a friend's dance drama. Jade warriors were the samurai of ancient Japan, cultured killers well schooled in arts ranging from poetry to murder. Duhig and Havard returned from the Middle East and contacted Field. The trio adopted the Jade Warrior name. Duhig and Field created most of the music, with Havard playing bass and contributing lyrics and vocals. This initial formation, supplemented at times by guitarist David Duhig and drummer Alan Price, signed with Vertigo Records and released three albums in three years: Jade Warrior, Released and Last Autumn's Dream. The band's sound combined a straightforward rock style with the sudden tempo changes and experimental instrumentation typical of early '70s art rock bands. Jade Warrior developed a loyal but small following. Vertigo canceled its contract, although the band had recorded nearly two albums worth of followup material. Most of this work was squelched for 25 years. The albums Eclipse and Fifth Element were recorded in 1973 but not released until 1998.
The group was on the verge of breaking up when Island Records offered a three album deal that eventually stretched to four records. But the change in labels reflected a similar shift in the band's sound. Island wanted to emphasize instrumentals. This left little room for Havard, who left the band. Jade Warrior became a duo, as Duhig and Field played numerous instruments to realize their increasingly exotic musical vision. The music became increasingly dreamlike, pushing a lighter jazz sound to the forefront. During the Island period of 1974 through 1978, Jade Warrior albums featured myriad percussive sounds but drum kits were rarely in evidence. The band liked to create a soothing, ethereal feel, then shatter it with gongs and unexpectedly raucous electric guitar, usually from guest David Duhig, Tony's brother. The albums featured occasional celebrity guests such as Steve Winwood, but Jade Warrior had a style of its own. The band's foray into what would later be labeled world and ambient music parallels the excursions of Brian Eno, who described Floating World as an important album.
During the 1980s, Field and Tony Duhig released a pair of albums, Horizon (1984) and At Peace (1989) but couldn't rise beyond cult status. Duhig was under a great deal of stress during much of this period. He opened a recording studio, mortgaging his house for funds. The studio flopped and Duhig's lender foreclosed the house.
Field became a session player, but after meeting bassist Dave Sturt, he took steps to revive Jade Warrior. He recruited guitarist Colin Henson. Tony Duhig was about to rejoin the fold when he died of a heart attack. Field and the others carried on, releasing two albums on Red Hot Records, Breathing the Storm and Distant Echoes, the latter featuring a guest appearance by former King Crimson violinist David Cross. The band began another album in 1996, but it has never been finished. Field, Henson and Sturt scattered to live in different parts of England and showed no inclination to finish the project.
~Casey Elston, Allmusicguide
01. Traveller (2:40)
02. Prenormal Day At Brighton (2:45)
03. Masai Morning (6:44)
04. Windweaver (3:43)
05. Dragonfly Day (7:45)
06. Petunia (4:46)
07. Telephone Girl (4:54)
08. Psychiatric Sergeant (3:08)
09. Slow Ride (2:36)
10. Sundial Song (5:08)
- Tony Duhig / guitars
- Jon Field / percussion, flutes
- Glyn Havard / bass, vocals
Review
Jade Warrior's first album following Tony Duhig and Jon Field's emergence out of the psychedelic July captures them abandoning the best of that band's whimsical moodiness in favor of a symphonic spirituality epitomized from the outset by the soaring guitars that ecstatically slice through the opening "Traveller." Reminiscent, in places, of a less-precious successor to Quintessence and the Incredible String Band in that moods and esotericism do sometimes get the better of the band's more conventional music impulses, Jade Warrior is nevertheless a remarkable album, all the more so since its makers could readily have given the likes of Jethro Tull and the Moody Blues some serious competition in the mellifluous prog stakes. Glyn Havard's vocals themselves can sound extraordinarily Ian Anderson-ish in places, with Field's wielding of the flute and some distinctly edgy tempos only furthering that impression. Elsewhere, however, the same tools combine to induce emotions that range from trance to terror, an accomplishment that means highlights of the album are difficult to single out. Although the ten tracks are clearly delineated, the song titles are little more than passing impressions of the music's own sensations, rendering Jade Warrior one of those rare albums that is best experienced as a seamless whole.
~Dave Thompson, Allmusicguide
Biography
Jade Warrior was an eclectic group led by Jon Field and Tony Duhig, who met during the 1960s while working in a factory. The two did not immediately but spent several years improving their musical skills, Field on percussion, Duhig on guitar. They finally created a group named July, with Tom Newman, Chris Jackson and Alan James. Newman would later engineer (Mike Oldfield's landmark album Tubular Bells. July released one album of eccentric psychedelic pop in 1968, then folded.
After the demise of July, Duhig traveled to Iran, where he met guitarist and future bandmate Glyn Havard. Field remained in England, learned to play flute and created the Jade Warrior identity while writing music for a friend's dance drama. Jade warriors were the samurai of ancient Japan, cultured killers well schooled in arts ranging from poetry to murder. Duhig and Havard returned from the Middle East and contacted Field. The trio adopted the Jade Warrior name. Duhig and Field created most of the music, with Havard playing bass and contributing lyrics and vocals. This initial formation, supplemented at times by guitarist David Duhig and drummer Alan Price, signed with Vertigo Records and released three albums in three years: Jade Warrior, Released and Last Autumn's Dream. The band's sound combined a straightforward rock style with the sudden tempo changes and experimental instrumentation typical of early '70s art rock bands. Jade Warrior developed a loyal but small following. Vertigo canceled its contract, although the band had recorded nearly two albums worth of followup material. Most of this work was squelched for 25 years. The albums Eclipse and Fifth Element were recorded in 1973 but not released until 1998.
The group was on the verge of breaking up when Island Records offered a three album deal that eventually stretched to four records. But the change in labels reflected a similar shift in the band's sound. Island wanted to emphasize instrumentals. This left little room for Havard, who left the band. Jade Warrior became a duo, as Duhig and Field played numerous instruments to realize their increasingly exotic musical vision. The music became increasingly dreamlike, pushing a lighter jazz sound to the forefront. During the Island period of 1974 through 1978, Jade Warrior albums featured myriad percussive sounds but drum kits were rarely in evidence. The band liked to create a soothing, ethereal feel, then shatter it with gongs and unexpectedly raucous electric guitar, usually from guest David Duhig, Tony's brother. The albums featured occasional celebrity guests such as Steve Winwood, but Jade Warrior had a style of its own. The band's foray into what would later be labeled world and ambient music parallels the excursions of Brian Eno, who described Floating World as an important album.
During the 1980s, Field and Tony Duhig released a pair of albums, Horizon (1984) and At Peace (1989) but couldn't rise beyond cult status. Duhig was under a great deal of stress during much of this period. He opened a recording studio, mortgaging his house for funds. The studio flopped and Duhig's lender foreclosed the house.
Field became a session player, but after meeting bassist Dave Sturt, he took steps to revive Jade Warrior. He recruited guitarist Colin Henson. Tony Duhig was about to rejoin the fold when he died of a heart attack. Field and the others carried on, releasing two albums on Red Hot Records, Breathing the Storm and Distant Echoes, the latter featuring a guest appearance by former King Crimson violinist David Cross. The band began another album in 1996, but it has never been finished. Field, Henson and Sturt scattered to live in different parts of England and showed no inclination to finish the project.
~Casey Elston, Allmusicguide
Labels: J, Lost In Tyme
Silver Sunshine
Like a heavy hammer onto anvil down from Ether's starry meadows, the sounds of Silver Sunshine are gradually engulfing this planet Earth. With their heads floating in the mist of Europe's original psychedelic and progressive eras, the boys formed under the winter sun of San Diego, CA in the year 2001. They released their SDMA-nominated, eponymous debut album in 2004 on Empyrean Records, followed by "A Small Pocket of Pure Spirit" - their evolved EP in 2005 on the same label. Since then, they've toured the west coast of the U.S. twice and shared the stage with many friends like: Dungen, Winter Flowers, Earthless, Jennifer Gentle, Jana Hunter, Bigelf, Persephone's Bees, The Black Keys, The Sunshine Fix, All Night Radio, Green Milk From the Planet Orange and DMBQ to name a few.
This San Diego foursome's S/T debut is an audacious introduction to a band who sound as if they'd time-warped from an alternate universe where it's always 1967 (but with better production values). A lot of influences here including The Move, Tomorrow, The Beatles, The Kinks, Pink Floyd, The Zombies and more. Like fellow modern-day lava lamplighters the Green Pajamas and the Soundtrack of Our Lives, Silver Sunshine filter dazzling psych-pop hooks through swirling, vertiginous atmospheres and lysergic ruminations: romantic infatuation as sensory-overload acid trip ("I See the Silver Sunshine"); haunted obsessions with ghostly babes ("Nightmares"); nocturnal strolls through the fields of an overactive imagination ("Greenfield Park"). The best among the many standout tracks here is the bracing, raga-flavored opener, "Velvet Skies," which is obviously influenced by "Tomorrow Never Knows," replete with backwards guitars). Trippy old-school sound effects like phased guitars and vocal harmonies sung from echo chambers plastered with black-light posters of Arthur Lee and Syd Barrett and then soaked in blessed reverb are a big part of the freakout fun. The Floydian cuckoo clocks, chimes, and chirping birds that dot the landscape make you wonder whether Silver Sunshine are winking at a grand, album-length inside joke, but XTC alter egos the Dukes of Stratosphear sounded pretty terrific having a laugh too.
The sound, production, songwriting and performance on their follow up EP "A Small Pocket Of Pure Spirit" has definitley evolved from their first full length and Silver Sunshine seem like they're finding their own sound. Kicking off this CD is "144,000", a freaked-out psych-pop number. I hear a slight Dungen influence but more bouncy with some great tempo changes and some seering wah-wah leads. Next is "Waiting For The Sun" which starts with a dreamy, echoed mellotron flute passage that suddenly bursts into a chugging rythm with a great, sweeping mellotron string melody. There are floaty psychedelic effects all over this song and parts of it remind me of Jeff Lynne's Idle Race. The third song, "She's The Reason" shows their love of the Beatles that was ever so present on their first album. This song sounds like a cross between post Sgt. Pepper/Magical Mystery Tour Beatles, Emitt Rhodes and Jimmy Campbell's Rockin' Horse including some nice wurlitzer electric piano. A great pop rock n' roll tune. Next we move on to "Another Day" a beautiful McCartney-esque ballad with acoustic guitar, mellotron strings and gorgeous harmonies. Finally we have the closer, "Hiroshima Never Again". This song doesn't quite live up to the caliber of the previous songs but still good in it's own right. This is a freaked out instrumental groove jam with delayed wah-wah guitar and more wurlitzer for good measure. My favorite part of this track is the middle percussion break down with the sweeping sound effects including moaning girls, police sirens and fuzzed out guitars. There is a darker sound to these five songs which seems to work well for Silver Sunshine. I'm really looking forward to their next full length but until then, this will do just fine. A Small Pocket Of Pure Spirit indeed.
This Tour EP is a 5 song compilation with songs from their first album and their follow up EP along with an unreleased home demo. This new track, Winter Witch, is a great freaky folk psych tune with Mellotron, flute and leslied acoustic guitar.
So what's on the horizon for Silver Sunshine? Richard Vaughan(guitar/vocals), Conor Riley(guitar/Mellotron/ARP/organ/vocals), Stuart Sclater(bass), and David Hurley(drums/flute/Moog/various noisemakers) are curently working on their next full length album and according to Vaughan: "It seems our inspiration has moved from the green fields into the weird woods." Expect a darker sound on their second album, more progressively psychedelic and organic, similar to their new live experience - sometimes heavy, sometimes gentle, always freaked.
Silver Sunshine Tour EP - Superb Psych/Prog/Folk
Sendspace Link
Rapidshare Link
01. 144,000
02. Waiting For The Sun
03. Winter Witch
04. Nightmares
5. Merry Go Round
This San Diego foursome's S/T debut is an audacious introduction to a band who sound as if they'd time-warped from an alternate universe where it's always 1967 (but with better production values). A lot of influences here including The Move, Tomorrow, The Beatles, The Kinks, Pink Floyd, The Zombies and more. Like fellow modern-day lava lamplighters the Green Pajamas and the Soundtrack of Our Lives, Silver Sunshine filter dazzling psych-pop hooks through swirling, vertiginous atmospheres and lysergic ruminations: romantic infatuation as sensory-overload acid trip ("I See the Silver Sunshine"); haunted obsessions with ghostly babes ("Nightmares"); nocturnal strolls through the fields of an overactive imagination ("Greenfield Park"). The best among the many standout tracks here is the bracing, raga-flavored opener, "Velvet Skies," which is obviously influenced by "Tomorrow Never Knows," replete with backwards guitars). Trippy old-school sound effects like phased guitars and vocal harmonies sung from echo chambers plastered with black-light posters of Arthur Lee and Syd Barrett and then soaked in blessed reverb are a big part of the freakout fun. The Floydian cuckoo clocks, chimes, and chirping birds that dot the landscape make you wonder whether Silver Sunshine are winking at a grand, album-length inside joke, but XTC alter egos the Dukes of Stratosphear sounded pretty terrific having a laugh too.
The sound, production, songwriting and performance on their follow up EP "A Small Pocket Of Pure Spirit" has definitley evolved from their first full length and Silver Sunshine seem like they're finding their own sound. Kicking off this CD is "144,000", a freaked-out psych-pop number. I hear a slight Dungen influence but more bouncy with some great tempo changes and some seering wah-wah leads. Next is "Waiting For The Sun" which starts with a dreamy, echoed mellotron flute passage that suddenly bursts into a chugging rythm with a great, sweeping mellotron string melody. There are floaty psychedelic effects all over this song and parts of it remind me of Jeff Lynne's Idle Race. The third song, "She's The Reason" shows their love of the Beatles that was ever so present on their first album. This song sounds like a cross between post Sgt. Pepper/Magical Mystery Tour Beatles, Emitt Rhodes and Jimmy Campbell's Rockin' Horse including some nice wurlitzer electric piano. A great pop rock n' roll tune. Next we move on to "Another Day" a beautiful McCartney-esque ballad with acoustic guitar, mellotron strings and gorgeous harmonies. Finally we have the closer, "Hiroshima Never Again". This song doesn't quite live up to the caliber of the previous songs but still good in it's own right. This is a freaked out instrumental groove jam with delayed wah-wah guitar and more wurlitzer for good measure. My favorite part of this track is the middle percussion break down with the sweeping sound effects including moaning girls, police sirens and fuzzed out guitars. There is a darker sound to these five songs which seems to work well for Silver Sunshine. I'm really looking forward to their next full length but until then, this will do just fine. A Small Pocket Of Pure Spirit indeed.
This Tour EP is a 5 song compilation with songs from their first album and their follow up EP along with an unreleased home demo. This new track, Winter Witch, is a great freaky folk psych tune with Mellotron, flute and leslied acoustic guitar.
So what's on the horizon for Silver Sunshine? Richard Vaughan(guitar/vocals), Conor Riley(guitar/Mellotron/ARP/organ/vocals), Stuart Sclater(bass), and David Hurley(drums/flute/Moog/various noisemakers) are curently working on their next full length album and according to Vaughan: "It seems our inspiration has moved from the green fields into the weird woods." Expect a darker sound on their second album, more progressively psychedelic and organic, similar to their new live experience - sometimes heavy, sometimes gentle, always freaked.
Silver Sunshine Tour EP - Superb Psych/Prog/Folk
Sendspace Link
Rapidshare Link
01. 144,000
02. Waiting For The Sun
03. Winter Witch
04. Nightmares
5. Merry Go Round
posted by Gathering_Of_The_Tribe [anonymous user]
Silver Sunshine - A Small Pocket Of Pure Spirit [EP]
01 144,000
02 Waiting For The Sun
03 She's The Reason
04 Another Day
05 Hiroshima Never Again
Silver Sunshine's self-titled debut album was at its best when the group stuck close to its influences -- the tough end of British psychedelia like the Move, the Who, and Pink Floyd. The follow-up EP, A Small Pocket of Pure Spirit, is also heavily influenced by the same era and is just as successful in dragging the past into the present. The album dragged in spots due to a couple of weak songs. No similar problems here as all five songs are quite good and varied. The opening "144,000" sounds like it could have come from the album, and if it had, it would have been among the best songs there with its lighter-waving chorus and electric guitar work. "She's the Reason," a bouncy Zombies-influenced ballad, would have been a standout too. A nice surprise is the lovely "Another Day," which is a pastoral acoustic ballad with gorgeous fake strings and vocal harmonies that shows a new dimension to the band. Only the instrumental throwaway "Hiroshima Never Again" fails to impress. Silver Sunshine don't have the luxury of being on a label like Rainbow Quartz or Not Lame, which seem to be repositories for bands with similar influences. They do have the distinction of being better than most of them, however. Hopefully fans of the style will look outside their narrow boundaries and give the group a chance. They will most likely be quite impressed.
Silver Sunshine - 2004 - Silver Sunshine
01. Velvet Skies
02. I See the Silver Sunshine
03. Trinkets
04. Way Up in the Big Sky
05. Nightmares
06. If I Had the Time
07. Greenfield Park
08. Girl
09. When She Wakes Tomorrow
10. Miranda May
11. Merry Go Round
01 144,000
02 Waiting For The Sun
03 She's The Reason
04 Another Day
05 Hiroshima Never Again
Silver Sunshine's self-titled debut album was at its best when the group stuck close to its influences -- the tough end of British psychedelia like the Move, the Who, and Pink Floyd. The follow-up EP, A Small Pocket of Pure Spirit, is also heavily influenced by the same era and is just as successful in dragging the past into the present. The album dragged in spots due to a couple of weak songs. No similar problems here as all five songs are quite good and varied. The opening "144,000" sounds like it could have come from the album, and if it had, it would have been among the best songs there with its lighter-waving chorus and electric guitar work. "She's the Reason," a bouncy Zombies-influenced ballad, would have been a standout too. A nice surprise is the lovely "Another Day," which is a pastoral acoustic ballad with gorgeous fake strings and vocal harmonies that shows a new dimension to the band. Only the instrumental throwaway "Hiroshima Never Again" fails to impress. Silver Sunshine don't have the luxury of being on a label like Rainbow Quartz or Not Lame, which seem to be repositories for bands with similar influences. They do have the distinction of being better than most of them, however. Hopefully fans of the style will look outside their narrow boundaries and give the group a chance. They will most likely be quite impressed.
posted by sub_commandante_marcos
Silver Sunshine - 2004 - Silver Sunshine
01. Velvet Skies
02. I See the Silver Sunshine
03. Trinkets
04. Way Up in the Big Sky
05. Nightmares
06. If I Had the Time
07. Greenfield Park
08. Girl
09. When She Wakes Tomorrow
10. Miranda May
11. Merry Go Round
posted by Opa-Loka
Labels: by Friends and Visitors of this Blog, S
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Nick Castro and the Poison Tree - Further From Grace
SAAH030 CD
Release Date: June 7, 2005Nick Castro - Voice, Piano, Organ, Guitar, Mijwiz, Whistles
The Poison Tree:
Otto Hauser - Percussion, Dumbek, Trap-Kit
Helena Espvall - Flute, Cello, Percussion
Chris Smith - Bass
Adam Hershberger - Flugelhorn
Meg Baird - Lap Dulcimer on "Sun Song"
Josephine Foster - Voices on "Sun Song"
Track Listing:
01 Sun Song (4:09)
02 To This Earth (3:29)
03 Unborn Child (3:40)
04 Won't You Sing To Me (4:26)
05 Waltz for a Little Bird (4:18)
06 Guilford (5:13)
07 Music for Mijwiz (2:42)
08 Deep Deep Sea (8:09)
09 Walk Like a Whisper (4:29)
Beaming warmly from the underground enclaves of Los Angeles, CA like a lambent ray of soft sunlight, the music of Nick Castro is breathing fresh life and pristine wonderment into an old sound. Castro released a beguiling album called A Spy in the House of God in 2004 on his own imprint Records of Ghaud, and it caused quite a stir in the new acid folk circles. Imagine a melding of More-era Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett solo and a touch of Incredible String Band with modern fractured folk sound weavers like the Tower Recordings and maybe you are in the right sphere. For his follow up, Castro has assembled a cast of players calling themselves The Poison Tree, boasting amongst its ranks underground folk icons Josephine Foster and members of Espers. It is a heavenly match as evidenced on Further From Grace, a simply mystical sophomore effort illustrating with a feathery wallop that Castro is a major voice amongst the new insurgence of THC troubadours.
Further From Grace bewitches with an intoxicating mood sustained throughout. Instrumentation is lush and exotic, but in the hands of Nick Castro and The Poison Tree, otherwise disparate implements such as flugelhorn, lap dulcimer and mijwiz are deftly melded into a pan-cultural elixir comprised of American and British folk traditions, classical balladry and Middle Eastern. Masterful songwriting, ornamented by Castro's ardent vocals and dreamlike lyrics, are relieved by hypnotic and utterly stoned instrumental passages. Opening with "Sun Song", ripe with visions of Castro's native California as filtered through a heavy-lidded hashish haze, Further From Grace weaves along through song after striking song, melody after beautiful melody. Instrumental excursions like "Music for Mijiwiz" kick up acoustic mini-ragas along the way, until the whole journey cascades into the shimmering, hum-along outro of "Walk Like a Whisper".
Induced by flourishes of psychedelic 60's folk bards like Tom Rapp (Pearls Before Swine) and Bert Jansch, laced with flashes of Amon Düül-like acoustic communal atmosphere (circa Paradieswärts Düül), Further From Grace is a graceful tab of Nick Castro's own heady universe, an acid-folk masterpiece advancing today's sound into sparkling new frontiers.
Yesterday's Thoughts - Searchin In Shadows
Greece's garage band, that's gonna blow your mind out out with their fuzzy guitar sound, backed uo by gorgeous organ and dynamic vocals. Straight from the past, straight from the heart.
The Yesterday's Thoughts were formed in September of 1997. They started playing covers of their favorite 60s garage/punk standards, but soon they began composing their own songs. 4 such original tracks are featured in the band's debut 7inch EP, released by Action Records. During the recording sessions their bass player was Stelios Adamoudas, who left the band right afterwards and was replaced by Lefteris Galanis.
The Yesterday's Thoughts drag their inspiration from the 60s garage/punk and psychedelic scene, and that's the feeling of their debut EP.
FORMAT: LP
TITLE: "Searching in Shadows"
Limited Edition of 1000 copies
After their EP (1999 - Girl You're Gonna To Cry) before 2 years this is their first full LP. The band keeps their spirit with haunting vocals and wild organ. They welcome you at their Garageland.
Labels: innocent76, Y
Heldon I & III
Titles:
1/ Zind (2: 18)
2/ Back to Heldon (8: 31)
3/ Northernland Lady (6:57)
4/ Ouais Marchais mieux qu'en 68 (Le voyageur) (4: 22)
5/ Circulus Vitiosus (8: 43)
6/ Ballade pour Puig Antich (révolutionnaire assassiné en Espagne) (2: 19)
Musicians:
Richard Pinhas: AKS synth, 1957 Gibson Les Paul guitar
Alain Renaud: guitar (3)
George Grunblatt: VCS3 synth (4)
Patrick Gauthier: piano and VCS3 synth (4)
Coco Roussel: drums (4)
Pierrot Roussel: guitar bass (4)
Gilles Deleuze: voice (4)
Heldon - 1975 - It's always Rock and Roll
Titles:
1/ ICS Machnique (4: 11)
2/ Cotes de cachalot à la psylocybine (8: 35)
3/ Méchamment rock (3: 33)
4/ Cocaine Blues (9: 42)
5/ Aurore (18: 13)
6/ Virgin Swedish Blues (7:27)
7/ Ocean Boogi (5: 53)
8/ Zind Destruction (8: 22)
9/ Doctor Bloodmoney (16: 49)
Musicians:
Richard Pinhas: ARP & VCS3 synthé, guitars, bass, tapes, mellotron
George Grunblatt: mellotron, guitars (2 & 7)
Patrick Gauthier: ARP synth (9)
Gilbert Artman: drums (3)
Jean My Truong: drums (9)
Ariel Kalma: indian harmonium (5)
Between 1974 and 1982, Frenchman Richard Pinhas recorded at least twelve LPs either under the Heldon name or his own, alternating between guitars and keyboards himself and accompanied by a variety of associates on guitars, drums and analog synthesizers. This double CD reissue includes Heldon's very first release, Electronique Guerrilla, and their third, It's Always Rock 'n' Roll (itself a double LP originally). These releases are sometimes referred to as Heldon I and Heldon III (Heldon II, otherwise known as Allez Teia, was recorded earlier in 1975). In spite of the rather aggressive album titles, these early recordings are mellow to the point of ambient, and inscrutably (or perversely), there's very little music in the entire program which would be considered rock & roll by any stretch of the imagination. (Very unobtrusive drums appear only on several of the later tracks on the Rock 'n' Roll reissue.) Most musical biographies of Heldon/Pinhas speak of the Eno/Fripp influence, and indeed, Pinhas encouraged the connection in early interviews by referring to the two English musicians in terms bordering on hero worship. But Pinhas is too modest. Much of the better-known electronic trance music that Pinhas and Heldon seem to be imitating, e.g., early Tangerine Dream, Soft Machine, Fripp and Eno, etc., actually comes after these early Heldon recordings -- or is occurring at roughly the same time. Aside from Fripp/Eno's No Pussyfooting, only the first edition of Fripp's King Crimson band could be considered as an obvious influence, but Pinhas doesn't use vocalists, and seldom demonstrates any delusions of prog-rock grandeur on these releases. If Pinhas is paying homage to Fripp on these recordings, then he is also extending Fripp as well, with the wailing sustain of Pinhas' heavily processed guitar gliding over the top of a number of looped and sequenced synthesizer patterns to good effect. By later standards, the electronic equipment used by Heldon is almost laughably antique, and the concepts may also seem simple and predictable to a more sophisticated audience. Nonetheless, there is a purity and conviction to this music, and a dark, slightly sinister element perhaps best exemplified in the long "Dr. Bloodmoney," a title inspired by the great sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick. Like Dick, Pinhas has a talent for messing with your head, and combines overlapping patterns in such a way that time itself sometimes seems suspended. ~ William Tilland, All Music Guide
Bio:
Led by guitarist Richard Pinhas, the French group Heldon released seven groundbreaking albums, melding electronic and rock forms, from 1974 to 1978. Pinhas also recorded six albums under his own name. Pinhas was heavily influenced by Robert Fripp; this shows in his guitar playing, and in the titles of several of his compositions. While early LPs sometimes evoked the sound of Fripp and Eno, Heldon evolved in its own direction. The release of Heldon IV: Agneta Nilsson saw the group heading toward a more intense, menacing sound. Heldon V: Un Reve Sans Consequence Speciale was the first to feature the "classic" lineup of Pinhas, drummer Francois Auger, and keyboard player Patrick Gauthier. These three would be the key personnel on Heldon's last four albums. The entire Pinhas/Heldon catalog was reissued on CD by Cuneiform, several featuring bonus live tracks. ~ Jim Dorsch, All Music Guide
Rhinoceros - 1968 - Rhinoceros
RHINOCEROS (1968)
01. WHEN YOU SAY YOU'RE SORRY (Gerber)
02. SAME OLD WAY (Finley)
03. APRICOT BRANDY (Weis/Fonfara)
04. THAT TIME OF THE YEAR (Gerber)
05. YOU’RE MY GIRL (I Don’t Want To Discuss It) (Cooper/Beatty/Shelby)
06. I NEED LOVE (Williams)
07. I'VE BEEN THERE (Gerber/Finley)
08. BELBUEKUS (Weis/Finley)
09. ALONG COMES TOMORROW (Gerber)
10. I WILL SERENDADE YOU (Finley)
Produced By PAUL A. ROTHCHILD
JOHN FINLEY – Vocals
ALAN GERBER – Vocals.Piano
DANNY WEIS – Guitar, Piano
DOUG HASTINGS – guitar
MICHAEL FONFARA – Organ, Piano
JERRY PENROD – Bass
BILLY MUNDI – Drums, Percussion
Rhinoceros: Story Albums Discography
Barry Ryan - Singing The Songs Of Paul Ryan
Barry Ryan
ALBUMS:
1 SINGS PAUL RYAN (MGM MGM-C(S) 8106) 1968 SC
2 BARRY RYAN (Polydor 583 067) 1969
3 ELOISE (Polydor 2872 109) 1982
45s: 1 Goodbye/I'm So Sad (MGM MGM 1423) 1968 - 2 Eloise/Love I Almost Found You (MGM MGM 1442) 1968 2 3 Love Is Love/I'll Be On My Way Dear (MGM MGM 1464) 1968 25 4 The Hunt/Oh, For The Love Of Me (Polydor BM 56348) 1969 34 5 Magical Spiel/Caroline (Polydor BM 56370) 1970 49 6 Kitsch/Give Me A Sign (Polydor 2001 035) 1970 37 7 It Is Written/Annabelle (Polydor 2001 154) 1971 - 8 Can't Let You Go/When I Was A Child (Polydor 2001 256) 1971 32 9 From My Head To My Toe/Alimony Money Blues (Polydor 2001 335) 1972 - 10 I'm Sorry Susan/LA Woman (Polydor 2001 362) 1972 - 11 Do That/Summer's Over (Dawn DNS 1109) 1975 - 12 Where Were You/Making Do (Private Stock PVT 70) 1976 - 13 Brother/Life's So Easy (Private Stock PVT 87) 1977 -
Reissue 45s: 14 Eloise/Love Only Comes Tomorrow (Polydor 2001 630) 1976 - 15 Eloise/(Flip by different artist) (Old Gold OG 9440) 1984 -
Reissue 45s: 14 Eloise/Love Only Comes Tomorrow (Polydor 2001 630) 1976 - 15 Eloise/(Flip by different artist) (Old Gold OG 9440) 1984 -
Barry along with his brother, Paul, who were both identical twin sons of Marion Ryan, a fifties pop singer, were signed by Decca in 1965. With neat long hair and carefully selected fashionable clothes they were skilfully marketed by Decca although thankfully none of the slushy songs written for them (I haven't bothered to list them in this book) met with much success. In 1968 Barry Ryan went solo and Paul took to songwriting. An early result of this new partnership was Eloise, a stunning single with its melodramatic vocal style and heavily orchestrated backing. This was certainly Barry's magnum opus and he soldiered on for several years after without achieving the same heights again.
Compilation appearances include: There You Go on The Mod Scene (CD), Pop Inside The '60s, Vol. 2 (CD), Sixties Lost And Found, Vol. 3 (LP) and Sixties Explosion, Vol. 1 (CD); Gotta Go Out To Work on A Whiter Shade Of Pale (LP); I Can't Make A Friend on Electric Sugar Cube Flashbacks (CD).
Review by w*w.revola.co.uk
When Paul and Barry Ryan split as a performing duo in 1968 nobody expected to hear from them again. Their fine Britpop singles and overlooked semi-Freakbeat/Pop albums weren't selling, they were trapped on a cabaret circuit they loathed. The image of the handsome swinging, singing twin brothers was under severe strain. So when Barry reappeared at the end of the year and scored a colossal worldwide hit (reaching number one in six countries!) with the epic, Paul-penned "Eloise" it was akin to a particularly unlikely phoenix rising from the ashes. The single was a stunning five and a half minute tour de force of grandiose orchestral pop and Uber-Jim Webb-ism which sounded unlike anything else in the charts at the time, and is fondly remembered and covered worldwide still! The subsequent entirely Paul-penned album, imaginatively entitled Barry Ryan Sings Paul Ryan, received rave reviews and has become something of a cult favourite amongst fans of contemporary orch-pop works by Scott Walker, Glen Campbell and even Tom Jones. Other hits including "Love Is Love" and "The Hunt" followed into the '70s, as did five more solo albums, none of which have ever been reissued on CD.... until now! "Barry Ryan: Singing The Songs Of Paul Ryan (1968-69)" couples that classic debut with its remarkable eponymous 1969 follow-up and adds two ultra-rare tracks found only on the German version of the second album, all remastered for your sonic delight! It also features in-depth liner notes containing new interview material with Barry, previously unseen photographs, rare cuttings and memorabilia. A great rediscovery awaits
Tracklist...
Barry Ryan Sings Paul Ryan:
01 Theme To Eutopia
02 Why Do You Cry My Love
03 The Colour Of My Love
04 Crazy Days
05 Eloise
06 My Mama
07 I Will Bring You Love
08 Love Is On The Way
09 What's That Sleeping In My Bed?
10 You Don't Know What You're Doing
11 Kristan Astra Bella
Barry Ryan:
12 The Hunt
13 Sunday Theme
14 Swallow Fly Away
15 Sunrise In The Morning
16 Isn't That Wild
17 Man Alive
18 Makin' Eyes
19 No Living Without Her Love
20 Sea Of Tranquillity
21 See You
22 Feeling Unwell
23 Where Have You Been?
Bonus Tracks:
24 Look To The Right, Look To The Left
25 Oh For The Love Of Me
Cheers! PT1 PT2
This Album it's not available for Downloading,
But you can Buy it here :
http://www.revola.co.uk/
Reason : At Comments
Barry Ryan Sings Paul Ryan:
01 Theme To Eutopia
02 Why Do You Cry My Love
03 The Colour Of My Love
04 Crazy Days
05 Eloise
06 My Mama
07 I Will Bring You Love
08 Love Is On The Way
09 What's That Sleeping In My Bed?
10 You Don't Know What You're Doing
11 Kristan Astra Bella
Barry Ryan:
12 The Hunt
13 Sunday Theme
14 Swallow Fly Away
15 Sunrise In The Morning
16 Isn't That Wild
17 Man Alive
18 Makin' Eyes
19 No Living Without Her Love
20 Sea Of Tranquillity
21 See You
22 Feeling Unwell
23 Where Have You Been?
Bonus Tracks:
24 Look To The Right, Look To The Left
25 Oh For The Love Of Me
Cheers! PT1 PT2
This Album it's not available for Downloading,
But you can Buy it here :
http://www.revola.co.uk/
Reason : At Comments
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Asylum Choir - Look Inside The Asylum Choir
The Asylum Choir
Personnel: MARC BENNO vcls, drms A
LEON RUSSELL vcls, gtr, keyb'ds A
ALBUMS: 1 LOOK INSIDE THE ASYLUM CHOIR (Smash 67107) 1968 2 THE ASYLUM CHOIR II (Shelter 8910) 1971
NB: (1) reissued in 1971 (Smash SRS-67107, group photo cover), (2) also issued in Holland (Philips 6369107) 1971. (2) reissued in 1974 (Shelter 2120), 1976 (Shelter 52010) and 1979 (MCA 684).
45s: 1 Soul Food/Welcome To Hollywood (Smash 2188) 1968 2 Indian Style/Icicle Star Tree (Smash 2204) 1969 3 Straight Brother/Tryin' To Stay Alive (Shelter 7313) 1971
A Los Angeles-based venture, which for Russell and Benno represented a largely unsuccessful journey into psychedelia. After a first single as Le Cirque, their debut album was released. This sold badly, partly because the cover featured a toilet roll, but mainly because the music was quite patchy. A mix of pop, R&B and psych, with arrangements (especially on the second side). Smash later reissued it with a group cover. Benno and Russell wrote all the songs, with the assistance of Greg Dempsey (Daughters Of Albion), Bill Boatman, Jerry Riopelle and the mysterious Markham and Wilson, who may have played on the backing group.
Although the second album was recorded in April 1969, Mercury did not release it on their Smash subsidiary and Russell bought the tapes to release it on his own Shelter label two years later. It's bluesier than the debut and contains some good songs (notably an anti Vietnam song Ballad To A Brother).
Russell and Benno's involvement is the main reason why collectors seek out these albums.
Born in 1947 in Dallas, Benno would later play with The Doors (on L.A. Woman), Rita Coolidge and Rick Roberts. He also released three excellent albums on A&M between 1970 and 1972, recorded with Ry Cooder, Jesse Ed Davis and Clarence White. Afterwards he disappeared only to return in 1979 with Lost In Austin (with Eric Clapton). In the nineties, he has recorded two good texas blues albums.
(Vernon Joynson/Stephane Rebeschini)
NB: (1) reissued in 1971 (Smash SRS-67107, group photo cover), (2) also issued in Holland (Philips 6369107) 1971. (2) reissued in 1974 (Shelter 2120), 1976 (Shelter 52010) and 1979 (MCA 684).
45s: 1 Soul Food/Welcome To Hollywood (Smash 2188) 1968 2 Indian Style/Icicle Star Tree (Smash 2204) 1969 3 Straight Brother/Tryin' To Stay Alive (Shelter 7313) 1971
A Los Angeles-based venture, which for Russell and Benno represented a largely unsuccessful journey into psychedelia. After a first single as Le Cirque, their debut album was released. This sold badly, partly because the cover featured a toilet roll, but mainly because the music was quite patchy. A mix of pop, R&B and psych, with arrangements (especially on the second side). Smash later reissued it with a group cover. Benno and Russell wrote all the songs, with the assistance of Greg Dempsey (Daughters Of Albion), Bill Boatman, Jerry Riopelle and the mysterious Markham and Wilson, who may have played on the backing group.
Although the second album was recorded in April 1969, Mercury did not release it on their Smash subsidiary and Russell bought the tapes to release it on his own Shelter label two years later. It's bluesier than the debut and contains some good songs (notably an anti Vietnam song Ballad To A Brother).
Russell and Benno's involvement is the main reason why collectors seek out these albums.
Born in 1947 in Dallas, Benno would later play with The Doors (on L.A. Woman), Rita Coolidge and Rick Roberts. He also released three excellent albums on A&M between 1970 and 1972, recorded with Ry Cooder, Jesse Ed Davis and Clarence White. Afterwards he disappeared only to return in 1979 with Lost In Austin (with Eric Clapton). In the nineties, he has recorded two good texas blues albums.
(Vernon Joynson/Stephane Rebeschini)
Track Listing
Side 1
Welcome to Hollywood
Welcome to Hollywood
Soul Food
Icicle Star Tree
Death of the Flowers
Indian Style
Side 2
Episode Containing 3 Songs: N.Y. Op. Land of Dog Mr. Henri the Clown Thieves in the Choir
Episode Containing 3 Songs: N.Y. Op. Land of Dog Mr. Henri the Clown Thieves in the Choir
Black Sheep Boogaloo
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Volume 3 : A Child's Guide to Good and Evil
With their soaring psychedelia, achingly pure folk-rock and Zappa/Beefheart strangeness, these seminal underground gems from the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band--Part One, Vol. 2 and A Child's Guide To Good & Evil--can be seen as encyclopedic primers of the late-'60s Los Angeles musical experience.
The band reached a creative peak with A Child's Guide To Good And Evil, which offered an enthralling patchwork of material ranging from sumptuous harmony pop (Eighteen Is Over The Hill) to off-the-wall eccentricity (Our Drummer Always Plays In The Nude).
Ron Morgan now became more or less an unofficial member of the band. The back-cover picture shows front: Shaun Harris (bass), middle: Bob Markley (percussion) and top: Ron Morgan (lead guitar, electric sitar).Danny Harris involvement with this album was minimal or non-existent.
Download Link :
http://rapidshare.com/files/2047307/WCPAEB1968Vol3AChild_sGuideToGood_Evil.rar
Ron Morgan now became more or less an unofficial member of the band. The back-cover picture shows front: Shaun Harris (bass), middle: Bob Markley (percussion) and top: Ron Morgan (lead guitar, electric sitar).Danny Harris involvement with this album was minimal or non-existent.
Download Link :
http://rapidshare.com/files/2047307/WCPAEB1968Vol3AChild_sGuideToGood_Evil.rar
Labels: innocent76, W
Purple Overdose - Reborn
THE BAND:
Costas Constantinou: Electric & acoustic guitars, E–Bow guitar, Lead & backing vocals, Cymbal, effects
Vasilis Kapanikis: Organ, Mellotron, Synthesizer, Flute, and S &T Recorders
Andreas Andriopoulos: Bass guitar
Chris Triantaphilopoulos: Drums & percussion
Stavros Eleftheriou: Congas, Jug & assorted percussion
Costas Constantinou: Electric & acoustic guitars, E–Bow guitar, Lead & backing vocals, Cymbal, effects
Vasilis Kapanikis: Organ, Mellotron, Synthesizer, Flute, and S &T Recorders
Andreas Andriopoulos: Bass guitar
Chris Triantaphilopoulos: Drums & percussion
Stavros Eleftheriou: Congas, Jug & assorted percussion
- GUESTS:
Stelios Drisis: Sitar
Aris Christou: Backing vocals & effects
ALBUM TRACKS :
01. (It’s a) FORTUNE TELLER 12.00
02. GONNA BE TOMORROW, TODAY 4.55
03. NOBODY THERE 8.04
04. HER ARMS EMBRACED THE SUN 8.11
05. FADING SOUND OF LOST THOUGHTS 3.22
06. THE DRONE 1.29
07. LONG WAY DOWN 3.06
08. THE FLIGHT (Part 1) 2.22
09. THE FLIGHT (Part 2) 3.16
10. REBORN 5.00
They're considered by their fans and music experts in Greece and abroad as the one and only band of the 90's which faithfully revives and improves the fine psychedelic music of the 60's and 70's. The band was formed in Athens, Greece in 1987 by Costas Constantinou (born Athens, 1960), a gifted and inspired man who plays guitar, sings, composes music and writes lyrics of exceptional sensitivity and beauty, in the fine tradition of the futuristic psychedelic philosophy. The band recorded their first album which was released in June 1988 andtitled '' E X I T # 4 '' At the beginning of 1990, PURPLE OVERDOSE, started the recording sessions for their next album, which was finally released in April of the same year, again by ''PEGASUS Records'' and titled ''INDIGO''. Another small independent record label outside Athens ,''FIFTH DIMENSION'', asked PURPLE OVERDOSE to record a couple of new songs in order to release a 7''single . They remixed an outtake track from the album ''INDIGO'', '2008 Old View' and recorded a new one 'You Lose It'. On both tracks they hired as organ player an old pal Vasilis Kapanikis (who soon after that joined the band) and on drums the session musician Makis Bellos. The above single was released in 1993 to a limited edition of abt.1000 copies. When their drummer returned from the army PURPLE OVERDOSE started the recording sessions on March 12, 1994 at the studio 'PERIPOU'.. By the end of the sessions on April 7 they realized that they had created an exceptional album which was simply titled ''PURPLE OVERDOSE'' as a sign of their new beginning. The new album was released on June 7,1994 by 'PEGASUS' with an extraordinary cover which was a giant poster of a painting by Iliana Noea. Inside the multicolored cover was a vinyl record with 8 new masterpieces of psychedelic music. PURPLE OVERDOSE'S album received a very warm reception from the Greek musical press and also from abroad, describing it as one of the finest psychedelic albums worldwide. ''PEGASUS Records'' soon after that released their two earlier albums in coloured vinyl (EXIT #4 in yellow and ''INDIGO'' in red). A new album is ready by early 1996. Recorded by the band from December 16, 1995 to February 21, 1996 at PERIPOU' studios with Andreas Troussas once more as recording engineer and co-producer with the band. 'PEGASUS' released the album on May 13,1996 which was titled ''SOLEMN VISIONS''. By mid 1998 they had signed to a new independent small company ''ACTION RECORDS'' and in November of the same year recording sessions began at ''ACTION'' studios in Athens. Recording engineer was Aris Christou. After 180 hours of recordings everything was ready. It's a concept album and the first PURPLE OVERDOSE material to be released on CD. The title of the new album is ''REBORN'' and it was released on April 22,1999. How can one describe a masterpiece? PURPLE OVERDOSE steals the heart of every listener of 'REBORN'. A hopeful message of sensitive and optimistic viewS about the coming of the new century, is the meaning of 'REBORN' . In Spain, magazine 'ATROPOS' rated this album with the maximum and wrote the following as a conclusion to the review….''probably is the best psychedelic band in the world. But what a pity! They are not from England….'' (JAN. 2000). A series of selected performances, electric and unplugged, were recorded in the spring of 2000 in various clubs and the material collected was very good and more than enough for a CD and a double vinyl record set. During September the band spent time remixing the recorded material and the album released February 7th on CD and June 7th 2001 on a limited edition vinyl containing different songs from the CD. The title of the album ,''THE SALMON'S TRIP LIVE! ,was an idea of their manager Steven Panagiotakis trying to describe the 13 hard years of the band's history in the rock scene of Greece, identical to the counter-current voyage of salmon trying to fulfill its destiny in life, against all odds… The band throughout the years deserves an unexpected publicity in Greece and abroad.Many radio stations,especially European and American ones include tracks from the "Salmon's Trip Live" in their playlist. By the June of 2004 a small but devoted new record company from Salonica,"ON STAGE Records" interested to release a tape with early but unreleased recordings and a demo of "Indigo" which recorded in 1989 with alternates.Band agreed and on August 12th a brand new quality vinyl album was available.Soon after a new circle of interviews started in magazines, tracks from this album entered the playlists mostly in USA and Europe (as usually). After all these 19 years, PURPLE OVERDOSE, remains an underground band devoted completely to its dream: The evolution of the futuristic and visionary psychedelic music of the 60's.
Download-Link :
Labels: innocent76, P
The Bolshoi - Friends
Extracts from press releases Autumn 1984 - singer / guitarist Trevor Tanner and drummer Jan Kalicki emerged from deepest Wiltshire to form the Bolshoi. Having hitch-hiked to the darkest wastelands of Woolwich to seek their fame and fortune, the boys recruited bassist Nick Chown and within 3 months had guested live with The Cult, Lords Of The New Church, Wall Of Voodoo, The Redskins, March Violets, culminating with a headline show at Londons famous Marquee club in January 1985, selling it out on word-of-mouth alone.Their first single,’Sob Story’, was released that spring, followed by a mini-album ‘Giants’ which included the irresistably anthemic ‘Happy Boy’. “I don’t think we sound like anyone else” concedes the charismatic Trevor. “That’s not a conscious thing - we simply do what we do. We’re like a ‘real’ band... we’re real people who actually enjoy what we’re doing, work well together and are unaffected by what’s going on musically outside. I’m not saying we’re different, but people have diverse impressions of us. I don’t know what we sound like, and I don’t think anybody else knows what we sound like either!”.Growing to a four piece with the addition of Paul Clark on keyboards, the band continued to build on their live following and finally released a full length album ‘Friends’, in September 1986 which included singles ‘AWay’ (“an understated mini-epic which easily overruns the chronically abbreviated runway of charts ‘80’s style” - Sounds) and ‘Books On The Bonfire’. Sounds again applauded “the musical artistry of this album... this flowing stream of vinyl perfection... if you’ve seen this group you’re already hopelessly addicted”.“So who are these four young men and what makes them so special? Firstly, let us introduce Trevor Tanner, the groups self appointed visionary and lyricist. Outwardly extrovert and with a mesmerising stage presence, The Bolshoi’s lead singer and guitarist belies a dark and pensive nature. He is acutely observant of society’s shortcomings and is not scared to draw attention to them in his songs. Next, Jan Kalicki, the polish connection, on drums - a sensitive and artistic soul. Nick Chown is the affable bass player and last, but not least, is Paul Clark who is a northerner with an appalling sense of humour - something which the whole band share.”“Adventurously entertaining at the best of times, with live performances that dramatically demand attention and equally powerful vinyl workings, The Bolshoi’s subtly humerous melodies, effective dance beat rhythms and memorable choruses easily entice the listener. Sagaciously confident performers, The Bolshoi produce clear, charismatic pop that’s effervescent, bold and ultimately longlasting. They are a very special band”.In January 1987 The Bolshoi released a remix of their finest single so far, AWay, entitled AWay II, which also featured in the soundtrack of Jonathan Demme’s ‘Something Wild’. A hectic touring schedule took them to the USA, across Europe from Norway to Italy, the UK supporting Peter Murphy and Spear Of Destiny as well as headline London dates (in fact the band became very well travelled, with a South American tour and even shows behind the iron curtain in Poland, East Germany Hungary and Russia.)Apart from touring, 1987 saw the band recording new singles, ‘Please’ and ‘T.V. Man’ and their second full length album, ‘Lindy’s Party’ which was released that September. Despite favourable reviews and further international touring it was all over and the band drifted apart. The final postscript is left to Trevor Tanner in his sleeve notes for The Bolshoi’s long overdue ‘Best of’...“Furtive, backward glances from a speeding car, intense apathy followed by spontaneous combustion. Long international flights with visits to the cockpit to discuss philosophy with the Brazilian pilots. Sad, introspective binges in various ‘old mens’ pubs in South London. Ridiculous outbursts, followed by reconstructive surgery. These are some of my immediate recollections of life with The Bolshoi, never the easiest band to be in. From the humble beginnings of a broken face (making too much noise) in the darkest regions of the west country, to the dizzy heights of malaria shot madness, on a ‘chart topping’ tour of South America. It was never, ever dull. I suppose the main thing that kept us together was our friendship, we were all great mates, honest. When we weren’t ‘working’, we spent a lot of time in those aforementioned pub, arguing about anything we could disagree about. I honestly do not know another band who spent as much time together. We were best friends with our management too, like a big, dysfunctional family, always, well nearly always, fun. The question I am most often asked is, “what went wrong?” Well nothing really, it just wasn’t fun anymore. We didn’t want to go into a stuka like spiral of decline (like so many others) so we just ..stopped.
Your Download-Link :
Labels: B, innocent76
And Also The Trees - the evening of the 24th
From a rural village in Worcestershire, England, brothers Simon (vocals) and Justin Jones (guitar) formed And Also the Trees in 1979 with bassist Steven Burrows and drummer Nick Havas. In response to an ad by the Cure looking for support bands on their English tour, the Jones brothers sent a tape and ended up doing several dates and later an entire tour with Robert Smith and co. in 1981. And Also the Trees still hadn't released any material at that point, so the Cure's Lol Tolhurst produced a single ("Shantell") and the band's eponymous debut album, released in February of 1984. Tolhurst's work made the Cure an easy pointer for And Also the Trees' sound, though the fragile beauty of Joy Division and the Chameleons also lend comparisons. The band contributed a session to John Peel's BBC radio show, and Continental critics lavished praise on subsequent albums Virus Meadow (1986), The Millpond Years (1988) and the live LP The Evening of the 24th (released 1987). The notoriously fickle U.K. music press, however, deserted the waning Goth fad and the group was left drifting. Farewell to the Shade, released in 1989, was And Also the Trees' final British release, as well as the only album available in America (on Troy Records). The group moved to the German label Normal for 1992's Green Is the Sea and The Klaxon, released the following year. The Evening Of The 24th Recorded at a Swiss gig for the Virus Meadow tour, Evening captures the Trees in their early prime, with their theatrical/Romantic with a capital R art goth style running at full blast. Simon Jones sings at points like his breath is being ripped from his body, as the band demonstrates solid abilities at being able to create lush musical tapestries as much as full-bodied but elegant thrashers. Justin Jones' ability to flesh out the live sound on his guitar proves especially compelling, using what must have been a fair amount of effects pedals to reproduce the Trees' trademark sonic touches, often sounding like a mandolin producing amped-up folk for a electric post-punk world. Opener "A Room Lives in Lucy" sets the initial tone perfectly, with an especially impassioned vocal from Simon Jones, and the band never lets up throughout, to the cheers of an understandably enthralled crowd. Songs like "Wallpaper Dying" and an especially intense take on "Slow Pulse Boy" sound just fantastic, practically miniature Grand Guignol dramas; early tunes like the debut single "Shantell" have an even more concentrated power live than the sometimes murky studio production allowed. Wrapping up with frazzled, live-wire versions of "So This is Silence" and an thoroughly ominous take on "The Renegade," Evening is that rare live album worth its salt !
Your Download-Link:
Labels: A, innocent76
