20-05-07 - 27-05-07

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Tool Shed - 1971 - Skyscape Music

Tool Shed - 1971 - Skyscape Music

Track Listing:
1. The Kingdome Come
2. Angle in her Walk
3. Variations on Cannabis
4. Candlelight
5. Time and Changes
6. As You Really Are
7. Court Roger
8. Piano and Choir Sonata
9. Fall Away
10. Baby Blues
11. Travelin' Blues
12. The Wave


TOOL SHED (New York City, NY)

"Skyscape Music" 1971 (RPC 19291) [500p]
"Skyscape Music" 199 (no label, Austria) [300p; altered cover]

Desoriented urban college dorm hippie-folk album with some good and strange tracks like "Angels in her walk" that go deep, and a pretty interesting LP all over. Actually a various artists college project LP from NYC but usually referred to only as "Tool Shed". [PL]

Friday, May 25, 2007

Cherrystones - Entertaining the Unobvious (2004) + Crawl Back To Mine (2006)

Wow! Limited edition mix CDs from DJ Cherrystones!

This is one of two heavy, heavy DJ party mixes featuring super-tough drums and hard funky hip hop breaks galore! Garage punk, glam rock, percussive 70s metal, Turkish jams, uptempo soul and so much more!

Even better than his essential Cherrystones compilations! YOU NEED THESE MIXES!!! Very highly recommended!

MAXIMUM HEAVY-OSITY!

Second in the series of Cherrystones' legendary psychedelic street-freak mixes.

"I dread the day that I die," Gareth Goddard says solemnly, "because I think, 'What the hell's going to happen to my collection?'" (interview with DJ Cherrystones)

DOWNLOAD

The Mystery Trend - So Glad I Found You (1966-1967; compilation released 1999)

Quality: 3.5 out of 5

Trip-O-Meter: 3.5 out of 5

The Mystery Trend's place in music history exists in a strange twilight. I suppose that they're best known for having a place on the Nuggets box set (with their lone single "Johnny Was A Good Boy") and for naming their band off of misinterpreted lyrics out of Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" (they should more accurately be The Mystery Tramps). Otherwise, they are now basically a footnote to the San Francisco scene, but still they were there at the start of the scene, playing along with the early Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead. The band unfortunately never really found an opportunity to put out any more than a Verve Records single, and this compilation consists of their entire recorded output, the vast majority of which was unreleased until the 1990's. As this is basically everything, it's a little spotty. But the high points are truly spectaular, however, and I feel like if The Mystery Trend had found the opportunity to put together a proper album, it may have been a true classic.

The Mystery Trend does share some similarities with their San Francisco bretheren. The vocal sound is extremely strong and layered, often resembling the Jefferson Airplane at their best. The winding guitar leads also recalls many of the bands from that era. There's a freak-folky sound right in line with the Dead and the Airplane's debut albums. If you're open to the San Francisco scene, there is definitely something here to grab your attention.

The true charm, however, rests in the little differences. The Mystery Trend was a bit older than the rest of the crowd and skipped over some West Coast psychedelic pitfalls. First off, jamming was completely ignored by The Mystery Trend. They were truly fascinated by the art of the pop song, and their strong writing (usually in the hands of keyboardist.vocalist Ron Nagle and guitarist/vocalist Bob Cuff) often recalls that of Burt Bacharach or the Brill Building. Only one track here passes the three minute mark, and that one only makes it to four.

Standing out even more is The Mystery Trend's atypical sound. Psychedelia in general relies on quite a bit of reverb and echo to create a strange vibe. The guitars here are very dry and brittle sounding. Still, they manage to cut right through the powerful rhythm section to make a strong impression. This sound is mixed with Ron Nagle's also bone-dry clavinet. The band may be playing the same notes as their more-poular peers, but the sound ends up being very different. If nothing else, this makes their recordings worth a listen or two. For a fun comparison pair their cover of the Who's "Substitute" along with the original.

The songs, while often strong, remain a mixed bag. This is understandable as this disc is the band's complete recordings and they were never trying to produce an entire album. Both sides of their only single, which included "Johnny Was A Good Boy" and "House On The Hill," are standouts. Even better still are the should-have-been single "Carl Street" (presented in two versions), the lyrically biting "Mercy Killing," and the Bacharach influenced "There It Happened Again." These high points make up for some of the lesser tracks like the dull instrumental "Mambo For Marion," and the annoying "Carrots On A String" (which also shows up twice for some reason). The otherwise average "Shame, Shame, Shame" is notable for including what must be one of the earliest uses of a wah pedal on guitar.

If you can track this one down, So Glad I Found You is a worthwhile and important release that clears up some of the smoke surrounding this formerly enigmatic band from the initial burst of San Francisco psychedelia.

Buy Me:
The Mystery Trend- So Glad I Found You

Listen To Me:
Part One
Part Two

Review From Dr. Schluss' Garage Of Psychedelic Obscuities
(all links should be working now; please visit!)

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Kensington Market (Canada)

Kensington Market - 1968 - Avenue Road

Tracks:
1 I Would Be The One
2 Speaking Of Dreams
3 Colour Her Sunshine
4 Phoebe
5 Aunt Violet's Knee
6 Coming Home Soon
7 Presenting Myself Lightly
8 Looking Glass
9 Beatrice
10 Girl Is Young

Personnel:
Alex Darou - bass
Luke Gibson - 2nd lead singer
Gene Martynec - lead guitar, electric piano, writer & singer
Keith McKie - chief composer, lead singer, guitar
Jimmy Watson - drums, sitar

Yes, Kensington Market were one of the most well-respected groups on the scene in late-1960s Canada; yes, this album came out on a big label (Warner Brothers); and yes, it was produced by a major figure, Felix Pappalardi, then hot with Cream. This doesn't mean, though, that this is anything more than a very ordinary late-1960s rock LP, leaning towards the gentle pop/rock side without being too mainstream. In keeping with the times, a lot of attention was paid to varying the styles and arrangements, from airy-fairy pop-psychedelia ("Looking Glass") and jugbandish good-time rock with echoes of the Lovin' Spoonful ("Beatrice") to folk-rock-pop ("Speaking of Dreams" is rather like 1966-1967 Elektra-produced folk-rock with a poppier slant) and somberly orchestrated, introspective tunes that never lost sight of pop harmonies and vague psychedelic sentiments. The tunes just weren't outstanding, though, from either vocal or compositional perspectives, and the group didn't have a personality to set them apart from much similar middling pop/rock on the market in 1968. Kensington Market were artier, more ambitious, and somewhat more melancholic than the typical good-time group of the era, but not so much so that the album demands rediscovery. ~by Richie Unterberger



Kensington Market - 1969 - Aardvark

Tracks:
1 Help Me
2 If It Is Love
3 I Know You
4 The Thinker
5 Half Closed Eyes
6 Said I Could Be Happy
7 Ciao
8 Ow-ing Man
9 Side I Am
10 Think About The Times
11 Have You Come To See
12 Cartoon
13 Dorian

Keith McKie - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar (1967-1969)
Alex Darou - Bass Guitar (1967-1969)
Jimmy Watson - Drums, Percussion, Sitar(recording only) (1967-1969)
Eugene Martynec - Lead Guitar, Piano (1967-1969)
Luke Gibson - Backup Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Harmonica (1967-1969)
John Mills-Cockell - Synthesizer (1969)


Kensington Market was a Toronto, Canada based rock band, active from 1967-1969. Named after a downtown Toronto neighbourhood, it was formed by singer/songwriter and guitarist Keith McKie (born November 20, 1947 in St Albans, England, immigrated to Canada in April 1953), formely with The Vendettas, with guitarist and pianist Eugene Martynec (born March 28, 1947 in Germany) from Bobby Kris & The Imperials. The original line up was completed with former Vendettas' bass player Alex Darou (born January 6, 1943 in Sault St. Marie, Ontario) and drummer Jimmy Watson (born August 23, 1950, Belfast, Northern Ireland). Former Luke & The Apostles frontman, singer/songwriter Luke Gibson (born November 5, 1946 in Toronto) was added later in 1967, and the synthesizer player John Mills-Cockell (born May 19, 1943 in Toronto) was a member in 1969.

Brought together around May 1967 by musical entrepreneur Bernie Finkelstein, the Market debuted at the Night Owl on June 4 and performed initially in Toronto coffeehouses like the Red Gas Room and high schools. In mid-August, after the dissolution of "Luke And The Apostles", the Market recruited Luke Gibson by which time they had already released two singles for Stone Records. These singles achieved minimal success but Finkelstein was able to sign them to Warner Brothers in New York City. In 1968, the Market did the soundtrack to the NFB film "The Ernie Game." Later that year, they released the album Avenue Road(Produced by Felix Pappalardi), followed by a tour of the United States. In 1969, keyboardist John Mills-Cockell joined, and their follow-up, 'Aardvark', was released, once again produced by Pappalardi, followed by their second US tour. However, this wasn't done in enough time to save the splintering band who split that same year.

The Ghost - 1970 - When You Are Dead - One Second

Not to be confused with the new Japanese band this Birmingham collective recorded their only album in 1970, which displays a lot of influences. West Coast US acid rock, early progressive music and folk all rub shoulders on this polished album, originals of which are now highly sought after by collectors.

Great Airplane like male/female vocals..

Tracks

1. When You’re Dead (4:25)
2. Hearts And Flowers (2:54)
3. In Heaven (3:21)
4. Time Is My Enemy (4:06)
5. Too Late To Cry (5:04)
6. For One Second (5:25)
7. Night Of The Warlock (4:22)
8. Indian Maid (4:21)
9. My Castle Has Fallen (2:57)
10. The Storm (3:36)
11. Me And My Loved Ones (4:09)
12. I’ve Got To Get To Know You (4:02)

The Ghost formed in Birmingham in the late sixties. They started out playing a heavish sort of blues-rock before they met up with singer Shirley Kent who'd already recorded two tracks on a charity EP, The Master Singers And Shirley Kent Sing For Charec 67 (Keele University 103) in 1966. Paul Eastment had earlier played in Velvett Fogg.

They recorded their album at the end of 1969, spawning their first 45 at the end of the year. When You're Dead was a strong song with a clear US West Coast influence. It was hardly Chart material, though, so predictably sales were poor. The album came out in January 1970. There's a clear contrast between the folk pieces that Shirley Kent sings on like Hearts And Flowers and Time Is My Enemy, which in style recall Sandy Denny's heyday in Fairport Convention, and the blues-rock numbers contributed by the rest of the band, of which For One Second sounds the strongest. Also worth checking out is the powerful Too Late To Cry. The album has now become a major collector's item, partly on account of its rarity but also on account of the breadth of its appeal to fans of both blues-rock and folk.

The band returned to the studio in Spring 1970 to record I've Got To Get To Know You. Another track from their album, For One Second, was put on the flip, but when the 45 failed to sell the band slowly began to fall apart. Shirley Kent left to pursue a solo career and eventually released an album in 1975, Fresh Out, under the pseudonym Virginia Tree. I haven't heard it but it's reputedly folkier than Ghost's output and featured former band members Paul Eastment and Terry Guy on three of the tracks. After Kent's departure, the remaining band members soldiered on for a while using the name Resurrection but this later incarnation of the band didn't make it onto vinyl.

Download Link :
ghost_-_when_you__900_re_dead_-_one_second__1970_.rar

Kevin Ayers And The Whole World - 1970 - Shooting At The Moon

I'm not completely familiar with this one yet and have not reviewed it yet, but there was a request in the Bananamour comments, so here it is. The following review is from the All Music Guide, but they don't seem to like it much. They gave it 2 stars, but my first impression is that this is probably another 4 star album.

From All Music:

Following the release of his solo debut, Joy of a Toy, Kevin Ayers created the Whole World to take the album on the road. In retrospect, the band was a kind of Brit supergroup, comprised of young Mike Oldfield (bass/guitar), Lol Coxhill (sax), Mick Fincher (drums, occasionally subbed by Robert Wyatt), and David Bedford (keys/arrangements). Following the tour, the band found itself in the studio, and in October 1970 Ayers introduced the world to the Whole World with the release of his follow-up, Shooting at the Moon. A snapshot of the era, the album is saturated with original ideas, experimentation, and lunacy, all powered by the bottled grape. It is this very "headiness" that propels and simultaneously hinders the work, resulting in a project overflowing with potential, much of which remained underdeveloped. Flushed and flustered, the band dissolved a little more than a year after it formed, leaving only Moon as its legacy. Somewhere on The Moon is a solid, unique pop record; however, Ayers and producer Peter Jenner (known for his production of Roy Harper's best '70s output) have presented the material in the guise of progressive, arty rock. Shorn of its excesses, meanderings and filler, Moon is easily one of Ayers' better releases. As it stands, the album serves more as a curiosity piece peppered with some of Ayers' best pop tunes in early stages, not yet molded by later collaborations and live performances. Ayers' music is at its zenith when he's crooning (in his lovely, flat baritone) warm, daft ditties, so simplistic yet singular in nature. Moon is blessed with several of these: the uninhibited concert staple, "May I?"; "The Oyster and the Flying Fish," a folky duet with Bridget Saint John that foreshadows Ayers' 1974 collaboration with Campbell Cramer (aka Lady June); and Ayers' timeless classic, "Clarence in Wonderland," in one of its shortest (at only two minutes) incarnations. Written on the beach in 1966, this whimsical ditty is a carefree summer's day in a capsule. No songs in Ayers' discography are more representative of his amiable musical nature than these. But Ayers' pop songs are embedded in lengthier structures, overwhelmed and obscured by the framework of the album. The band's prog-like excursions -- "Rheinhardt and Geraldine," "Pisser Dans un Violon," and the atmospheric "Underwater" -- are interesting at times, but ultimately come off as unfocused filler that serves to frustrate the listener (note the end of "Rheinhardt"). In particular, "Pisser" and the album's title track (a reworking of the Soft Machine's "Jet Propelled Photograph") are very much in the tradition of early British avant-garde fusion; ripe with free or loose structures, providing a fertile ground for unbridled improv that often lacks payoff.

Buy Me:
Kevin Ayers And The Whole World - Shooting At The Moon

Listen To Me:
Kevin Ayers And The Whole World - Shooting At The Moon

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Kevin Ayers - 1973 - Bananamour

Quality: 4 out of 5

Trip-O-Meter: 3 out of 5 (5 for "Decadence")

By the time of this release, Kevin Ayers had spent far more time as a solo artist than as part of the Soft Machine. The sound here still occassionally recalls that band, but there is a much more folky quality permeating much of this disc and the songwriting here is much stronger than his first solo recordings. Still, Ayers does not strive for any kind of unified vibe here. We find a psychedelic drone-fest along side an attempt to recreate a Stax Records sound. It's a little hit or miss, and probably less than the sum of its parts, but fortunately most of the parts are pretty strong. Production-wise, Bananamour recalls other albums of it's time, especially glam rockers like T. Rex and Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie, but Ayers sensibilities mostly remain in the 60's.

Ayers' for the most part does a fine job balancing his own psych-folk muse with concessions to glam rock and a singer-songwriter sound on Bananamour. The opening "Don't Let It Get You Down (For Rachel)" is a solidly constructed example with the core song very much recalls Carnaby Street pop, but the female vocals, watery guitar, and fluid bass guitar shift the vibe a little more into the 70's. Many of the best tracks here follow an acoustic template with perhaps a nod or two to contemporary sounds. "Shouting In A Bucket Blues" is a rolling number with great sad sack lyrics and a touch of glam guitar from Gong's Steve Hillage. Later we find "Oh! Wot A Dream" recalling some of Dylan's dream lyrics filtered through Ayers' Cambridge sensibilites and featuring a duck sound on the rhythm track. Although the Soft Machine is firmly in Ayers past, band alumni Mike Ratledge shows up on organ for the somewhat derivative "Interview" (although some strange dissonance and amusing lyrics save this sort of bluesy number), while Robert Wyatt provides harmony vocals to the lilting "Hymn."

The centerpiece and perhaps best track on the album is also somewhat of an anamoly. "Decadance" drones along with almost a kraut-rock vibe, with a bed of delayed guitars, droning analog synths (maybe these were borrowed from Gong too?), and mostly metronomic beats. It's by far the most psychedelic song on the album, and Ayers' absurdist lyrics completely match the music. There's an alternate mix of "Decadence" in the bonus section that is interesting for a comparison, but inferior to the album version and not essential.

The only misstep is the aforementioned Stax knockoff, "When Your Parents Go To Sleep." First off, bassist Archie Leggett gets the lead vocal instead of Ayers and this obscures much of the charm of Ayers' lyrics. The big problem is that the five minute track seriously disrupts the flow of the album, and probably would have been better as a B-side. This is not to say it's a bad song. There's a groovy horn section here and the rhythm section works hard to live up to an MGs sort of vibe. It would have been a great B-side, but sticks out like a sore thumb in the context of Bananamour. I'd probably enjoy "Interview" much more if this track did not precede it.

The album proper concludes with the majestically orchestrated, bad joke of a song (literally and intentionally) "Beware Of The Dog." It a silly track, but short and a perfect way for Ayers to end his album. It's kind of like Ayers' version of the Looney Tunes "T-That's All Folks" closer.

Excluding the alternate mix, the bonus tracks here reveal a unexpected obsession with tropical islands, reggae, and calypso. "Take Me To Tahiti" and "Carribean Moon" reference this directly in their titles while "Connie On A Rubber Band" is arranged with a reggae beat. All three are predictable breezy and make for an enjoyable sundrenched aural dessert after Bananamour.

Ayers' would soon depart Harvest Records to work out his prog-rock mojo on Island Records. Bananamour was an undeserved commercial flop and in fact Ayers would never experience any large scale success. This is unfortunate as Bananamour is a strong testament to his songwriting skills.

Buy Me:
Kevin Ayers - Bananamour

Listen To Me @ 256 :
RapidShare : Part 1 ~ Part 2
or
SendSpace : Part 1 ~ Part 2

Review From:
Dr. Schluss' Garage Of Psychedelic Obscurities

Gravy Train (1971)

Gravy Train were a Rock group from Lancashire, England, formed by vocalist and guitarist Norman Barratt in 1970. Together with J.D. Hughes (keyboards, vocals, wind), Lester Williams (bass, vocals) and Barry Davenport (Drums) they made 4 studio albums. The first 2 were released under the label Vertigo and the latter 2 by Dawn Records.

The band was dissolved in 1974. Little is known what happened with its members except for Norman Barratt who appeared in Mandalaband for their second and last album in 1978. He went on to found the Barratt Band, which recorded albums in the early 1980s.

There is a big confusion concerning Norman Barratt or Norman Barrett, who is credited so in Vertigo releases.


Starting like your typical Vertigo act, Gravy Train's first album sounds faintly like early Jethro Tull, mainly due to similar flute lines, but without a dominating personality like Ian Anderson. Hard-rock riffing is alternated with more quiet and melodic moments and the flute is high in the mix throughout. The tracks are not at all "folky" as some dealers' lists describe them. Some of the music sounds like any old power trio. A nice track is "Dedication To Syd" (Barrett), a quiet but highly atmospheric experimental piece.

1) The New One
2) Dedication To Sid
3) Coast Road
4) Enterprise
5) Think Of Life
6) Earl Of Pocket Nook

DOWNLOAD

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

The Peanut Butter Conspiracy

The Peanut Butter Conspiracy - Spreading From The Ashes

I take the pass from nikos1109 and here it is

One of the legendary 'food bands' of the late 60s acid boom (alongside Strawberry Alarm Clock, Electric Prunes, Chocolate Watch Band, Lemon Pipers, Vanilla Fudge etc) the Conspiracy sprang from the same folk rock roots as their contemporaries Jefferson Airplane (with whom they shared a drummer, Spencer Dryden) under the name of the Ashes, hence the title of this fine 26-track compilation. It's a great set of previously unreleased PBC demos and outtakes including tracks by The Ashes. Compiled with the full cooperation of the band, and laden with pix and scribblings from the era, this is a West Coast psych-lovers' technicolor dream.

Track Listings
1. Time Is After You
2. Love's Last Ground [#]
3. Is There Anything I Can Do
4. Eventually [#]
5. Dark On You Now
6. Winds Up High [#]
7. Free [#]
8. Big Bummer
9. Light Bulb Blues [#]
10. Let's Take Our Love [#]
11. Enchanted World [#]
12. I'm Falling [#]
13. Flight of the Psychedelic Bumble Bee [#]
14. Foolhearted Woman [#]
15. Shirley Can You Come Out & Play [#]
16. 1-9-6-7
17. So Lonely [#]
18. Floating Dream
19. Shuffle Tune [#]
20. Moment of Happiness [#]
21. Hangman [#]
22. Roses Gone
23. Make Someone Happy [#]
24. Naturally (Wintry Ways) [#]
25. Taste of Something New [#]
26. You Should Know [Live][#]

@256

peanut_butter_conspiracy_-_spreading_from_the_ashes___65__67_.part1.rar

peanut_butter_conspiracy_-_spreading_from_the_ashes___65__67_.part2.rar

Enjoy

Posted by JANISFARM

The Peanut Butter Conspiracy - 1968 - The Great Conspiracy

They sound like a cross between the Mamas and Papas and the Byrds with a bit of Airplane thrown in for good measure...but end up sounding quite unique ..a large part due to the beautiful voice of Sandi Robison.

It is also the strength of the songs...very melodic... and the lyrics are rarely hippy drippy and often quite insightful.

Very similiar to Jefferson Airplane( female vocalist male backing members- drummer of PBC was lured to the Airplane-etc). Comparisons aside- this is excellent well written with great vocals from female singer Sandy who has since passed on. The songs are steeped deep in the San Fransisco sound- part pysche-part acid rock pastoral folk. For psyche summer of love "hippie" or sixties fans its a must own.

Tracks
1 Turn on a Friend (To the Good Life) 2:21
2 Lonely Leaf 3:53
3 Pleasure 3:26
4 Too Many Do 6:34
5 Living, Loving Life 3:20
6 Invasion of the Poppy People 0:40
7 Captain Sandwich 2:10
8 Living Dream 4:20
9 Ecstacy 6:19
10 Time Is After You 3:04
11 Wonderment 4:12

Bonus
12 I'm a Fool 2:36
13 It's So Hard 2:33
14 Peter Pan 3:17

The Great Conspiracy (1968) -- the second long-player from the Los Angeles-based Peanut Butter Conspiracy -- was much more of a reflection of their live sound as compared to their debut effort, the pop-driven Peanut Butter Conspiracy Is Spreading (1967). The quintet was literally born circa 1964 out of the Ashes, another burgeoning L.A. rock combo whose personnel featured soon-to-be Jefferson Airplane drummer Spencer Dryden. After solidifying the lineup of Lance Fent (guitar), Jim Voight (drums), Al Brackett (bass), John Merrill (guitar), and Barbara "Sandi" Robinson (vocals), they inked a deal with Columbia Records, which assigned staff producer Gary Usher to work with them. His well-meaning but over the top production style diffused the band, which came off sounding more like the Mamas & the Papas than the Jefferson Airplane or It's a Beautiful Day -- both of whom also sported female lead singers. However, by the time of this release the Conspiracy were sonically asserting themselves with a decidedly hipper approach. This is especially evident on the stretched-out and psychedelic "Too Many Do" and the deliciously trippy "Ecstasy" -- which sports frenzied and wiry fretwork similar to that of Quicksilver Messenger Service string man John Cipollina. Equally inspired are "Lonely Leaf" and the somewhat paranoid and darkly guilded "Time Is After You." These contrast the somewhat ersatz hippie fodder "Turn on a Friend (To the Good Life)," the 38-second throwaway "Invasion of the Poppy People," or the simply wretched "Captain Sandwich."

Download Link :

peanut_butter_conspiracy_1968_-_the_great_conspiracy.rar

Posted by nikos1109

Monday, May 21, 2007

Cathy Young - A Spoonful Of

BIO
Canadian Icon singer/guitarist from the late ‘60s. Billboard Magazine picked 'A Spoonful Of Cathy Young' as it's 'Pick of the Week' in 1969.
Young received Juno Award for 'Most Promising Female Vocalist 1973' in March, 1974.
She was also nominated for a Juno Award in the category of 'Best Female Artist 1974' in March, 1975.

Young toured consistently from 1979 to 1995 and diversified into Theatre & Television work including roles in the Canadian touring version of 'Jesus Christ Superstar' (as Mary Magdalene) and vocal work on 'Rita MacNeil & Friends'.
She has also been a featured performer on various 5 Star Cruise Lines, and at the highest rated hotels in the world including the Sheraton in Hong Kong , the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok , and The Annabelle Hotel in Cyprus.
..........................................................
I have been blessed to be able to travel this earth and meet so many unforgettable human beings along the way. I must credit the gift I have received, the music in my heart.
Music is a precious treasure and it has afforded me all the opportunities to experience this amazing world of ours.
We can communicate with each other through the Universal language that is music... may the music bring you Peace.
xo
Cathy
http://cathyyoungmusic.com/

Singles
1973 Set Me Free (GRT)
1974 Eagle (GRT)
Albums
1969 A Spoonful Of Cathy Young (Mainstream - USA)
1973 Travel Stained (GRT)

Must have for everyone who is into hippe divas. So beautiful and so underground
cyoung.rar

Cathy_Young__69__A_Spoonful_Of_Cathy_Young__06_Mr._Mouth.mp3

MANY THANKS TO JFLYAWAY FOR ORIGINAL SHARE

Enjoy

Saddhu Brand - 1970 - Whole Earth Rhythm

Saddhu Brand - 1970 - Whole Earth Rhythm

Tracks:
1. Whole Earth Rhythm
2. Dhun
3. Babu Shoda
4. Ha Ha Modi
5. People Brittle
6. I Give You Johnee The Truth
7. Dabi Das' Song

Four hippies go to India in the 1960's, stay for two years & then return to the San Francisco Bay area & this would be the outcome.

With Peter Van Gelder (ex-Great Society) after the long trip to India.
Cosmic sitar folk and psych, trippy female & male vocals, chanting in English and Hindu, lots of ethnic instruments.
An early example of a genre that would become common during the 1970's.

The LP was picked up by UNI (73116) and re-released in 1971 with a new and less blatantly druggy cover.

If the Mid-East vibe is your thing then don't miss out on this L.P. !

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Q65 - Singles A's & B's

Based on sheer musical ability, the Q 65 deserved to be at least as well known as the Pretty Things or the Yardbirds. Indeed, the Dutch quintet could have held their own with either of those groups or the Animals without breaking a sweat, based on the recorded evidence, and they also had room for some of the more countrified blues evident in the work of the Downliners Sect. Yet the Q 65 have remained one of Europe's best-kept star caliber musical secrets for more than 30 years. The Q 65 were Frank Nuyens (guitar, vocals, sax, flute, harmonica), Wim Bieler (vocals, harmonica), Peter Vink (bass), Joop Roelofs (guitar), and Jay Baar drums, who first got together in 1965, in the Hague. The city was known as "the Liverpool of the Netherlands," with a music scene that had been thriving since the end of the 1950s.

Instrumental groups, patterned after the sound of the Shadows had been very big at that time. Peter Vink and Jay Baar had been playing in a blues-based band called Leadbelly's Limited before they hooked up with Wim Bieler, Frank Nuyens, and Joop Roelofs to form the 65 in February of 1965. The group's professed influences were American soul acts like Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett, and Otis Redding, yet somehow, when they performed, what they played came out closer in form and spirit to the likes of the Pretty Things, the Downliners Sect, and the Yardbirds than it did to any of those soul acts, at least at first. They landed a recording contract with Phonogram, a unit of Philips Records, late that year, and put on the Decca label. Their first single, "You 're the Victor," was released in February of 1966. This was a strange record for a band professing an admiration of Sam & Dave or Wilson Pickett, a frantically paced piece of punk-style blues-rock with an infectious Bo Diddley beat, screaming, raspy vocals, and a savage attack on their instruments. The single made No. 11 on the charts in Holland rode the bestseller lists for 13 weeks. The B-side, another original called "And Your Kind," was a more low-key, relaxed piece of blues-rock with slightly more of a soulful feel, but also some crunchy punk guitar.

In May of 1966, with the group now primed for success (including a full-time manager working for them), they released their second single, "The Life I Live." This was a more soulful record that built almost bolero-like in intensity. It was a good enough record to get Phonogram's management interested in promoting the group in England, which led to a publicity stunt that was not only a waste of time, but utterly foolish, sending the group to England by boat and having them come ashore in a rubber lifeboat, a though they'd come across the ocean that way. They were then supposed to play a gig, but as nobody had secured work permits, the group was only able to pose for photographs and press interviews before returning to the Netherlands. The Q 65 were greeted at the shore in Schevenning when they landed (again manning the lifeboat to land) by 30,000 fans, and ended up playing a gig right there at the pier. The band may not have done much for themselves in England, but they garnered a top 10 hit in the Netherlands.

With two successful singles under their belt, the group debut album, Revolution, followed in 1966. Revolution was a powerful blues-rock album that included a snarling rendition of Willie Dixon's "Down in the Bottom," a rendition of Dixon's "Spoonful" that boasted gloriously crunchy acoustic guitars behind a raspy vocal worthy of Howlin' Wolf himself, and a funky version of Allen Toussaint's "Get Out of My Life, Woman," and a handful of originals that were fully competitive with the covers. The highlight, however, was a riveting 14 minute version of Sonny Boy Williamson II's "Bring It On Home." The album sold 35000 copies, a respectable number in the Netherlands, and established group sufficiently to rate a spot playing with the Small Faces, the Spencer Davis Group, the Kinks, and the Pretty Things when they toured Holland.

During 1967, they didn't release any LPs, but did get a solid extended-play single out called Q Blues, which did well at home. Their music during this period reached what was arguably its peak—"Ain't That Lovin' You Babe" is a garage-punk classic worthy of the best American bands of the period, while their version of "Ramblin' On My Mind" thunders and surges with ferocious energy. They were unique in their approach, mixing the sounds of saxes and even an ocarina—an instrument virtually unknown in rock away from the Troggs—into country and Chicago-style blues. The group continued trying to make it as a blues-rock band for most of 1967. Their sound began to change late in the year, just as music was turning psychedelic, and around the time just before Wim Bieler was drafted into the army. His exit heralded the end of the Q 65's classic period. Nuyens, Baar, and Roelofs hooked up with Herman Brood (piano, vocals) and Henk Smitskamp (vocals, bass) to form a new, more psychedelic oriented outfit, which eventually evolved into a group called Circus, which lasted, in varying line-ups, for the year of 1968. Peter Vink, meanwhile, joined a group called Big Wheel, whose line-up included future Focus member Cyril Havermans. In 1969, a second Q 65 album was released, entitled Revival and made up of singles and latter-day tracks. The music was still powerful and very intense—perhaps too much so—if not as accessible. Had the line-up stayed intact, the group might even have found an audience. They still played well, even if it was experimental in nature (and what blues they played was more psychedelic than classic style). They might've given bands like the Creation a run for their money, but the Q 65 split up at just about this point. The Q 65 reformed in 1970 with Beer Klaasse on drums, and signed to Negram Records, staying together for one year and two LPs, Afghanistan and We Are Gonna Make It, which had a slightly more psychedelic orientation.

The Q 65's line-up changed during the early '70s as Nuyens exited to join Baar in a band called Rainman, while the Q 65 continued with a new line-up, featuring John Frederikz on vocals and Joop van Nimwegan on guitar. The original Q 65 reunited in 1980 and toured that year. The group continued in various configurations throughout the middle of the 1980's. Jay Baar passed away in 1990, but a version of the band, with Wim Bieler as leader, continued playing into 1990's. During the early 1970's, Dutch bands such as Ekseption (Holland's answer to The Nice) began getting a tiny bit of exposure in England and America, and in 1973, the floodgates fairly well opened, albeit briefly, with the chart-topping status of Focus. The Q 65 were around a little too early for their own good, in terms of finding any major exposure in England, much less America, but they were at least as worthy of being heard as any number of better known British bands of the period. (allmusic)

CD 1
1 You're the Victor
2 The Life I Live
3 I Despise You
4 From Above
5 Ain't That Loving You Baby (EP Kjoe Bloes)
6 Rambling on My Mind (EP Kjoe Bloes)
7 So High I've Been, So Down I Must Fall
8 Medusa (Circus)
9 Ann
10 Sundance
11 Don't Let Me Fall
12 Sexy Legs
13 Love Is Such a Good Thing
14 I Just Can't Wait
15 Fighting Is Easy
16 Hoonana (Kjoe)
17 Lady of Love (Willem Bieler & Dambuster)
18 Let's Roll
Bonustracks:
19 Feel Her Still (mono)
20 Ridin' On A Slow Train (Circus - alternative long version)
21 From Above (second version)
22 Ann (alternative take)

CD 2
1 And Your Kind
2 Cry in the Night
3 I Was Young
4 No Place to Go (EP Kjoe Bloes)
5 80% O (EP Kjoe Bloes)
6 It Came to Me
7 Where Is the Key
8 Mother Motha's Great Sundance (Circus)
9 Sour Wine
10 World of Birds
11 Crumblin'
12 There Was a Day
13 Night
14 We're Gonna Make It
15 Country Girl Polydor
16 Troubles (Kjoe)
17 Are You Home
Bonustracks:
18 Feel Her Still (stereo)
19 Fairy Tales Of Truth (Circus - alternative version)
20 Happiness (Willem Bieler)
21 I Was Young (without backing vocals)
22 From Above (alternative take)

posted by Kyriakos

TheBadSeeds [McGregor, TX]

Dennis Fehler [Faylor] sent us an e-mail which I think it might be of interest :

"I was searching for the Bad Seeds on google and came across this link:"
http://lost-in-tyme.blogspot.com/2006/12/bad-seeds-liberty-bell.html

"I play / perform with some guys that call themselves TheBadSeeds from McGregor, TX.
The odd thing is I didn’t know there were any other Bad Seeds until the late 1990’s.
Way back when in 1968…, we had to stop performing because several of the members had to serve in the Vietnam war [and we didn’t get back together until 1999]. "

"In the past few years we have tried to make up for lost time, and we are really enjoying the music."

"We are looking for a way to find new friends and fans,
and it appears your blog is perfect for us."
http://thebadseeds.com/
http://thebadseeds.com/catalog
http://thebadseeds.com/theBadSeeds_press_release_2007

It has taken 40 years but theBadSeeds have finally released their original music
“The Bad Seeds - Return”. Unlike other bands that “made it big” way back in the 1960’s and 70’s, theBadSeeds had to wait until 2007 for their time in the sun.

TheBadSeeds are a garage band formed by guitarist Allan Jansen in the fall of 1966 at Kilgore College, in Kilgore, Texas. Allan and college roommate and keyboardist Dennis Fehler immediately began the search for band members. Soon, Kilgore classmate and vocalist Larry Drennan joined Allan and Dennis and the beginning of the band formed quickly. During most of the fall of 1966 other Kilgore musicians auditioned but the band didn’t jell until McGregor, Texas High School classmates Skip Spoonts and Mike Rushing joined to play guitar and bass. The last need was for a good drummer. Over the years, theBadSeeds have performed with numerous drummers and the band joked about having to always find a drummer on “short notice.”
In Kilgore [Allan’s Freshman year] the band came to be quite popular with the Kilgore Rangerettes, who arranged for theBadSeeds to play at several football pep rallies, a few fraternity and sorority parties, and some private parties as well.

TheBadSeeds play cover music by The Kinks, The Doors, The Animals, Wilson Pickett, The Rolling Stones, The Kingsmen, ZZ Top, Jonny Lang, Jimi Hendrix and many more.

In addition to the cover music, forty years later, theBadSeeds perform many original songs that reflect the youthful 1960’s and chronicle the 21st century with the sounds that are uniquely Bad Seeds. TheBadSeeds – Return is the current album that features sixteen of the best of the best Bad Seeds sounds.

TheBadSeeds - Return
1. The 60's (2:53)
2. TV2 (3:29)
3. All Night Baby (3:04)
4. Make Me Feel (2:26)
5. The 4 Bar Blues (4:08)
6. If I Had Known (3:25)
7. Get It (2:48)
8. Don't Know (3:12)
9. Get In or Get Out (3:05)
10. Mad Dog Killer (2:59)
11. My Job (2:06)
12. Heaven (1:54)
13. More or Less (3:18)
14. Romeo (2:52)
15. You Won't Change (3:36)
16. Bo's Place (3:56)

Navigate to: www.thebadseeds.com/itunes

We hope you will find us online and enjoy our sound.

Regards,
--
Dennis Fehler {Faylor}
dfehler@hotmail.com
www.thebadseeds.com

Kevin Ayers - 1969 - Joy Of A Toy

Quality: 4 out of 5

Trip-O-Meter: 4 out of 5

Kevin Ayers is sort of a lesser known musical cousin to Syd Barrett. His distinctive baritone voice exists in the same strange netherworld as Barrett, although Ayers seems much more in control of what he's expressing. Ayers served for one album as the leader of the tripped out and reknown London based Soft Machine (although significantly less reknown than Pink Floyd) and quickly split to start his solo career. Unlike Barrett, Ayers left more for the infamous creative differences, which seems to be accurate in this case. Ayers wanted to explore poppier avenues while the rest of the band soon followed their jazz-fusion, prog-rock muse. And like Barrett's The Madcap Laughs, Ayers created A Joy Of A Toy with the blessing, and even active particiption of his former bandmates.

A Joy Of A Toy has some definite attributes. There is a folkish vibe from the late 60's Cambridge scene audibly present, but Ayers does view into many interesting and sometimes unexpected venues of sound. Ayers' lyrics are uniformily of a high caliber surrealist nature that is worth paying attention to. It's not quite Dylan, but can be quite mindbending. Better yet is Ayers ability to create distinctive musical atmospheres. The are a slew of instruments included in the arrangements of this album including cello, celeste, melodica, Hawaiian guitar, mouth organ, and electronics along with the more conventional rock instrumentation.

A carnival atmosphere begins the album on "Joy Of A Toy Continued," a mostly instumental Soft Machine rewrite that doesn't really resemble its mother song much at all. "The Clarietta Rag" is a full fledged pop song that revises this bouncy feel. "Town Feeling," "The Lady Rachel," and "All This Crazy Gift Of Song" echo, but do not emulate, the acid drenched vibe of Barrett's solo performances. "Girl On A Swing" is truly haunting and provides some truely stirring psychedelic imagery. On Joy Of A Toy, Ayers is much more in control of his facilities than Syd Barrett's somewhat similar solo LPs, but Ayers trades in the mystery of Barrett's unhinged performances for a little more musicality and stability. As I stated before, The Soft Machine's presence is clearly heard and drummer Robert Wyatt provides most of the beats on this album. In fact the floating "Song For Insane Times" features the entire band, and might be considered a Soft Machine band as it contains the complete 1968-1969 line up (who never played together elsewhere as Hugh Hopper was Ayers' replacement).

I've often heard that Ayers is regarded as a bit of a musical slacker. This is hard to dispute on A Joy Of A Toy. The shorter compositions do not at all overstay their welcome, but still tend to rely mostly on a single groove. This becomes a problem on the longer songs. "Stop This Train" comes out on top due to its concept of train travel although the track does not reward close attention. "Oleh Oleh Bandu Bandong" unfortunately more than overstays its welcome. The different iterations of "Religious Experience/Singing A Song In The Morning" in the bonus section are musically pretty cool, but suffers from the fact that Ayers only bothered to write one verse of lyrics.

The bonus tracks here are extremely valuable, and add a considerable amount of music to this 2003 reissue. Among the different versions of "Religious Experience" is an early take that actually features Barrett on lead guitar. His part is slightly disjointed, and absent from the final single, but sounds a lot more together that Barrett's reputation suggests. Also present is "Soon Soon Soon," an album quality outtake and some interesting later versions of "The Lady Rachel."

Buy Me:
Kevin Ayers - Joy Of a Toy

Listen To Me @ 320 :
RapidShare : Part 1 ~ Part 2
or
SendSpace : Part 1 ~ Part 2