LOREENA McKENNITT - Live in Paris & Toronto

Loreena McKennitt is in her element in front of an audience, telling interesting stories about the songs and assembling a topnotch backing band. This is her first live release available to the public, and uses material from three concerts (one from Paris and two from Toronto) to put together a complete show. As with The Book of Secrets tour, the first half is The Book of Secrets in its entirety, arranged in the same order as the studio CD. This material is covered on the first CD, and it has never sounded better. The live performance seems to breathe new life into the tracks and some songs, such as "Dante's Prayer" and "Skellig," sound better than the studio recordings. The second CD is more of an overview of her career, featuring songs from her back catalog. Again, the tracks seem to benefit when played in front of an audience; in particular, "The Lady of Shalott" and "All Souls Night" are brilliant. The musicianship on this live CD is excellent, and her band is very tight, as though they had been playing together for years. The sound of the CD is amazing; while maintaining the warmth of a live performance, McKennitt is still able to present a crisp, clean recording — a remarkable feat. Also worth noting is the packaging, which includes notes by McKennitt, wonderful photos, and details of how the whole package was put together. This CD is ideal for fans and is actually a good place for newcomers to start.



LINK:
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MARILLION - Script For a Jester`s Tear

At the time, Marillion's remarkable, full-fledged 1983 debut Script for a Jester's Tear was considered an odd bird: replete with Peter Gabriel face paint and lengthy, technical compositions, Marillion ushered in a new generation of prog rock that bound them forever to the heroics of early day Genesis. Intricate, complex, and theatrical almost to a fault, Script for a Jester's Tear remains the band's best and sets the bar for their later work. Filled with extraordinary songs that remained staples in the band's live gigs, the album begins with the poignant title track, on which Fish leads his band of merry men on a brokenhearted tour de force that culminates with the singer decrying that "…the game is over." "He Knows You Know,," a song sprinkled with drug paranoia and guilt; as the song veers to its chorus, Fish announces, "Fast feed, crystal fever, swarming through a fractured mind." If "The Web" hints at a grain of commercialism, "Garden Party" is a joyous anthem that showcases Marillion at the peak of its powers. Bogged down by some hilariously over-the-top British poetry, "Chelsea Monday" may be one of the album's lesser moments (if there are any), but the magical "Forgotten Sons" concludes the opus magnificently. A vital piece for any Marillion head and an essential work for any self-respecting first- or second-generation prog rock fan.

Tracks

1 Script for a Jester's Tear 8:42

2 He Knows You Know 5:07

3 The Web 9:10

4 Garden Party 7:17

5 Chelsea Monday 8:17

6 Forgotten Sons 8:22

LINK:

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OMEGA - Time Robber

The most successful Hungarian rock band in history, Omega was formed in 1962 in Budapest by a group of friends. The lineup changed several times during Omega's early years and there was no consistent music style to speak of. Like with many other rock groups of the early '60s, the band's repertory largely consisted of songs by popular British bands of the period. Only in 1967, when they were joined by Gábor Presser (keyboards, vocals), did they began recording their own songs and issue a few singles. Presser's mixture of rock with elements of jazz and folk proved to be a winning formula. In 1968, John Martin, the manager of the Spencer Davis Group, invited them for a tour in Great Britain, where they recorded the album Omega: Red Star From Hungary for the Decca label. Later that year, they issued their first Hungarian LP Trombitás Frédi és a Rettenetes Emberek (Trumpeter Freddy and the Terrible People) that became their first golden album. The band sealed their success with two subsequent LPs: 10,000 Lépés (10,000 Steps) (1969) and Éjszakai Országút (On the Highway at Night) (1970). Their 1969 song "Gyöngyhajú lány" (The Girl With Pearls in Her Hair) became their first international hit and it was reworked by the Scorpions into "White Dove" in the mid-'90s.
In 1971, keyboardist Gábor Presser and drummer József Laux left the band to form another group, Locomotiv GT. Presser was an especially sensible loss since he authored most Omega compositions at the time. Also, lyricist Anna Adamis followed her husband Laux to his new band. The breakup issue was later reflected in Omega's 1971 song "Hütlen Barátok" (Unfaithful Friends). With László Benkö, who was the band's original keyboardist and then played trumpet and flute, reassuming his initial position and Ferenc Debreceni becoming the new drummer, Omega reached its final lineup: János Kóbor (vocals), Tamás Mihály (bass, vocals), Ferenc Debreceni (drums), György Molnár (guitars), and László Benkö (keyboards, vocals). While under Presser, the band's sound tended to be somewhat psychedelic and fuzzy; with the new leadership, Benkö's classically influenced keyboards and Molnár's guitar assumed a much greater focus.
Omega's fourth album, 200 évvel Az Utolsó Háború Után (200 Years After the Last War) (1972), was not released due to censorship problems. However, the band featured some songs from that forbidden album on Elö Omega, an LP recorded with some very basic equipment during a concert tour. The group became a frequent guest in East Germany and even recorded some songs in German. In 1973, producer Peter Hauke arranged a three-year contract for them with the West German label Bacillus. To expand its potential audience, Omega began to produce albums in two separate versions: English and Hungarian. Beginning with Time Robber (1976) and its Hungarian counterpart, Idörabló, released a year later, the band shifted toward progressive rock, with lengthy instrumental interludes, surging organ solos, and various electronic "space sounds." More albums in the similar style followed: Skyrover (and its Hungarian version Csillagok útján [1978]), Gammapolis/Gammapolisz (separate English and Hungarian versions, 1979), and Working (1980) (released in Hungary as Az Arc [The Face] [1981]). However, the band's 1980s albums began to show the obvious signs of creative stagnation. Soon after its 13th album, Babylon (1987), and a great concert on the occasion of the group's 25th anniversary, Omega disbanded.
The early '90s saw the resurgence of interest in Omega. All of its albums and even previously unreleased recordings were issued on CD. In 1994, the band reunited for a big concert at the Budapest Népstadion with ex-Omega members Gábor Presser and Tamás Somló, as well as Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine from the Scorpions performing as guest stars. The concert was tremendously successful despite the pouring rain and it was later released on two CDs as Omegakoncert — Népstadion 1994. Inspired by the enthusiastic reception, the musicians went on to produce a new album in 1995, Trans and Dance, and its shortened English version Transcendent (1996). The record that marked a return to Omega's hard rock roots featured contributions from Gábor Presser and guitarist Tamás Szekeres. In 1998, Omega recorded another album, Egy életre Szól. The same year, the bandmembers were distinguished with the Hungarian National Award. On September 4, 1999, Omega gave another big concert at the Népstadion that was issued on the double CD Omega Koncert Népstadion 1999.

Tracks

1 House of Cards, Pt. 1

2 Time Robber

3 House of Cards, Pt. 2

4 Invitation

5 Don't Keep Me Waiting

6 An Accountant's Dream

7 Late Night Show

LINK:

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MILES DAVIS - In a Silent Way

Listening to Miles Davis' originally released version of In a Silent Way in light of the complete sessions released by Sony in 2001 (Columbia Legacy 65362) reveals just how strategic and dramatic a studio construction it was. If one listens to Joe Zawinul's original version of "In a Silent Way," it comes across as almost a folk song with a very pronounced melody. The version Miles Davis and Teo Macero assembled from the recording session in July of 1968 is anything but. There is no melody, not even a melodic frame. There are only vamps and solos, grooves layered on top of other grooves spiraling toward space but ending in silence. But even these don't begin until almost ten minutes into the piece. It's Miles and McLaughlin, sparely breathing and wending their way through a series of seemingly disconnected phrases until the groove monster kicks in. The solos are extended, digging deep into the heart of the ethereal groove, which was dark, smoky, and ashen. McLaughlin and Hancock are particularly brilliant, but Corea's solo on the Fender Rhodes is one of his most articulate and spiraling on the instrument ever. The A-side of the album, "Shhh/Peaceful," is even more so. With Tony Williams shimmering away on the cymbals in double time, Miles comes out slippery and slowly, playing over the top of the vamp, playing ostinato and moving off into more mysterious territory a moment at a time. With Zawinul's organ in the background offering the occasional swell of darkness and dimension, Miles could continue indefinitely. But McLaughlin is hovering, easing in, moving up against the organ and the trills by Hancock and Corea; Wayne Shorter hesitantly winds in and out of the mix on his soprano, filling space until it's his turn to solo. But John McLaughlin, playing solos and fills throughout (the piece is like one long dreamy solo for the guitarist), is what gives it its open quality, like a piece of music with no borders as he turns in and through the commingling keyboards as Holland paces everything along. When the first round of solos ends, Zawinul and McLaughlin and Williams usher it back in with painterly decoration and illumination from Corea and Hancock. Miles picks up on another riff created by Corea and slips in to bring back the ostinato "theme" of the work. He plays glissando right near the very end, which is the only place where the band swells and the tune moves above a whisper before Zawinul's organ fades it into silence. This disc holds up, and perhaps is even stronger because of the issue of the complete sessions. It is, along with Jack Johnson and Bitches Brew, a signature Miles Davis session from the electric era.

Tracks

1 Shhh/Peaceful 18:16

2 In a Silent Way/It's About That Time: In a Silent Way/It's About ... 19:52

LINK:

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AL DI MEOLA - Land oOf The Midnight Sun

One of the guitar heroes of fusion, Al di Meola was just 22-years-old at the time of his debut as a leader but already a veteran of Chick Corea's Return to Forever. The complex pieces (which include the three-part "Suite-Golden Dawn," an acoustic duet with Corea on "Short Tales of the Black Forest," and a brief Bach violin sonata show di Meola's range even at this early stage. With assistance from such top players as bassists Jaco Pastorius and Stanley Clarke, keyboardist Barry Miles, and drummers Lenny White and Steve Gadd, this was a very impressive beginning to di Meola's solo career.

Tracks

1 The Wizard 6:46

2 Land of the Midnight Sun 9:10

3 Sarabande from Violin Sonata in B Minor 1:20

4 Love Theme from "Pictures of the Sea" 2:25

5 Suite-Golden Dawn: Morning Fire/Calmer of the Tempests/From Ocean ... 9:49

6 Short Tales of the Black Forest 5:41

LINK:

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STEELY DAN - Can`t Buy a Thrill

Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were remarkable craftsmen from the start, as Steely Dan's debut, Can't Buy a Thrill, illustrates. Each song is tightly constructed, with interlocking chords and gracefully interwoven melodies, buoyed by clever, cryptic lyrics. All of these are hallmarks of Steely Dan's signature sound, but what is most remarkable about the record is the way it differs from their later albums. Of course, one of the most notable differences is the presence of vocalist David Palmer, a professional blue-eyed soul vocalist who oversings the handful of tracks where he takes the lead. Palmer's very presence signals the one major flaw with the album — in an attempt to appeal to a wide audience, Becker and Fagen tempered their wildest impulses with mainstream pop techniques. Consequently, there are very few of the jazz flourishes that came to distinguish their albums — the breakthrough single, "Do It Again," does work an impressively tight Latin jazz beat, and "Reelin' in the Years" has jazzy guitar solos and harmonies — and the production is overly polished, conforming to all the conventions of early-'70s radio. Of course, that gives these decidedly twisted songs a subversive edge, but compositionally, these aren't as innovative as their later work. Even so, the best moments ("Dirty Work," "Kings," "Midnight Cruiser," "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again") are wonderful pop songs that subvert traditional conventions and more than foreshadow the paths Steely Dan would later take.

Tracks

1 Do It Again 5:56

2 Dirty Work 3:08

3 Kings 3:45

4 Midnight Cruiser 4:08

5 Only a Fool Would Say That 2:57

6 Reelin' in the Years 4:37

7 Fire in the Hole 3:28

8 Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me) 4:21

9 Change of the Guard 3:39

10 Turn That Heartbeat Over Again 4:58

LINK:

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PATTY SMITH - Horses

It isn't hard to make the case for Patti Smith as a punk rock progenitor based on her debut album, which anticipated the new wave by a year or so: the simple, crudely played rock & roll, featuring Lenny Kaye's rudimentary guitar work, the anarchic spirit of Smith's vocals, and the emotional and imaginative nature of her lyrics — all prefigure the coming movement as it evolved on both sides of the Atlantic. Smith is a rock critic's dream, a poet as steeped in '60s garage rock as she is in French Symbolism; "Land" carries on from the Doors' "The End," marking her as a successor to Jim Morrison, while the borrowed choruses of "Gloria" and "Land of a Thousand Dances" are more in tune with the era of sampling than they were in the '70s. Producer John Cale respected Smith's primitivism in a way that later producers did not, and the loose, improvisatory song structures worked with her free verse to create something like a new spoken word/musical art form: Horses was a hybrid, the sound of a post-Beat poet, as she put it, "dancing around to the simple rock & roll song."

Tracks

1 Gloria 5:57

2 Redondo Beach 3:26

3 Birdland 9:15

4 Free Money 3:52

5 Kimberly 4:27

6 Break It Up 4:04

7 Land: Horses/Land of a Thousand Dances 9:25

8 Elegie 2:56

9 My Generation [live] 3:16

LINK:

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OZRIC TENTACLES - Jurrasic Shift

The Ozric Tentacles are a truly curious bunch in that they have this unerring tendency and uncanny ability to make great scads of progressive and space music that has true heart — there are very few times when one can connect fabulous technical skill with such a strongly emotional core, and never mind the mystical triggers. Aside from this — sort of typical marked praise — there is the Ozric ability to blend ideas and styles, causing fairy-light synthesizer washes to turn into dub riddims, which then support jazz elements that fade away to another dose of the fairy-light synthesizer washes, except that this time they're riding on top of the dub. This is definitely music you can groove to, trance to, meditate to, or just be to. [The 2003 reissue features the bonus track "Feng Shui."]

Tracks

1 Sunhair 5:43

2 Stretchy 6:51

3 Feng Shui 10:24

4 Half Light in Thillai 5:35

5 Jurassic Shift 11:04

6 Pteranodon 5:40

7 Train Oasis 2:45

8 Vita Voom 4:47

9 Feng Shui [live] 10:55

LINK:

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GRACE SLICK - Manhole

Manhole was the last of the experimental Jefferson Airplane, and Grace Slick's first official solo album. While Bark and Long John Silver, the final stages of the original Airplane, displayed the excessive psychedelic nature of the musicians within the confines of their group format, Blows Against the Empire, Sunfighter, and Baron Von Tollbooth and the Chrome Nun allowed for total artistic expression. Manhole concluded this phase with 1974's other release, the Jefferson Starship's Dragonfly. By taking the name from Paul Kantner's Blows Against the Empire solo project, Dragonfly began the renewed focus on commercial FM which would turn into Top 40 airplay. Manhole is the antithesis of that aim, but is itself a striking picture of Grace Slick as the debutante turned hippy being as musically radical as possible. To the kids who think she's the cool singer on the mechanical Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, Manhole is an alien concoction, but it works on many levels as great head music. The title track itself is almost 15-and-a-half minutes of orchestrated underground rock with Craig Chaquico on lead guitar; Jack Casady on bass, along with Ron Carter; voices from David Crosby, David Freiberg, Slick and Paul Kantner; mandolin by Peter Kaukonen; and a 42-piece orchestra (51, if you include the fragments of the Airplane/Starship onboard). It's fun stuff, but looking back one wonders how they maintained a distribution deal for Grunt records with R.C.A., the material being so far from commercial. The title track has a left-hand piano part which "was stolen from an improvisation by Ivan Wing," Slick's father, and the epic is rife with Spanish/English by the singer, translated in the booklet with Slick's "phonetic Spanish spelling." Again, this is total underground excess, but it is actually more than listenable than it looks on paper, and for fans, it has the serious/eccentric nature of this woman who emerged as a big, big star due to her quirky personality having the talent to back it up. Attacks on the government and Clive Davis in the elaborate booklet only prove all involved were not out to make friends, but songs like "Come Again? Toucan" are compelling and intriguing, more so than some of what would constitute 1981's Welcome to the Wrecking Ball, which contained more elements of guitarist Scott Zito than the star. On Manhole, the music is wonderfully dense, macabre, exhilarating, and totally out there. This is a great portion of music from the lead singer of one of America's great music groups. Maybe David Freiberg's "It's Only Music" deserved to be on an Airplane project or solo LP of his own, but it sounds great and works. "Better Lying Down" is Grace Slick and Pete Sears re-writing Janis Joplin's "Turtle Blues," a nice change of pace from the heavy instrumental backing of the other tracks. Slick is in great voice, and reflecting on the album years after it was recorded, the conclusion is that Manhole has much to offer fans. Compare this to Deep Space — recorded live at the Hollywood House of Blues in the 1990s to see the difference between capturing the time and trying to recapture the magic. Despite the eye toward success and the more serious nature of that later project, it just doesn't have the charm of this artifact from the glory days. It's also a far cry from the 1980s, when Slick returned with three more solo outings: Dreams, Welcome to the Wrecking Ball, and Software, projects which differ vastly from Manhole. The hard rock of Wrecking Ball and the synths and post-Kantner Starship feel of producer Peter Wolf's collaborations on Software show a woman dabbling with other rock formats. Put those three discs in a boxed set with Manhole, and you have true culture shock from a major counterculture figure. Manhole is orchestrated psychedelia at its finest with the voice from "White Rabbit" stretching that concept across two sides.

Tracks

1. Jay

2. Theme from the Movie "Manhole"

3. Come Again; Toucan

4. It's Only Music

5. Better Lying Down

6. Epic (#38)

LINK:

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SPIRIT - Spirit Of 76

This 1975 release on Mercury has Randy California and Ed Cassidy's names imprinted boldly on the cover as Spirit, and the 25 songs — starting with "America the Beautiful/The Times They Are a Changin'" and concluding with "The Star Spangled Banner" — are more than just a sly tribute to the bicentennial. They are the most fluid and satisfying statement by the California/Cassidy version of the band, who would be together for another 20 years before California's untimely passing. As ethereal and icy as Feedback, the album Cassidy recorded with the Stahely brothers, there are all sorts of hidden meanings projected throughout this double-vinyl LP. Randy California gives more than a few nods to his work with Jimi Hendrix — covers of "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Hey Joe" are two of Hendrix's more notable and triumphant revisions — while "The Star Spangled Banner" has a smart vocal, separating it from California's more famous ex-bandmate's Woodstock instrumental rendition.
This double-record set was the first of four albums by Spirit for the Mercury label in the mid-'70s, all released between 1975-1977. This is the second album Ed Cassidy and Randy California put together after Cassidy recorded the Feedback disc in 1972 for Epic. The 1973 album came out in 1981 as Potatoland on Line Records in Germany and is not usually put in proper chronological order. What is musically interesting about this is that Randy California on Spirit of '76 sounds like the 1972 Stahely brothers version of Spirit. No, the jazz is not here, but his use of acoustic guitar and effects on his electric guitar makes for less bite and more soothing, spacy sounds. It is arguably the best full album the Randy California/Ed Cassidy Spirit recorded without the other original members. A terrific anthem, "One by One," was recorded in 1993-1994 and might be the duo's best song, but this album remains a major achievement for Randy California, a long and elaborate vision put over four sides of vinyl. The tragedy is that no hit single obtained airplay that could have given this project wider exposure. There are more covers than usual too, and unique arrangements — the pair's understanding of "Happy," for example. It is interesting that producer Jimmy Miller played the drums and recorded the Rolling Stones' version of "Happy" with Keith Richards, with their Exile on Main St. demo track becoming a hit. Drummer Ed Cassidy takes Miller's role, with Randy California being Richards, and they do a nice, mutated version still faithful to the spirit of the original Keith Richards jam with his producer. The depth and intrigue built into the grooves and packaging of Spirit of '76 was a fine direction for this Spirit, and it is too bad Randy California felt so bitter about the industry to lose focus. As Jimi Hendrix kept the recorders rolling, California should have done the same thing over the years, capturing his live magic, seeking out that audience the Grateful Dead tuned into. Spirit of '76 is the best example of California veering off into different directions and coming up with satisfying sounds. Two albums later, Mark Andes would bring his brother, Matt Andes, from Jo Jo Gunne into the fold and re-form with Cassidy, California, and John Lockefor 1976's Farther Along. But that would be a short-lived fusion of multiple songwriting talents. On Spirit of '76, Randy California has all systems go to paint spacy pictures like "Urantia," or the very interesting take on Rufus Thomas' "Walking the Dog." The covers of three of the songs Hendrix covered would remain in the Spirit set for the rest of their days, and they are here in elegant studio versions. Spirit of '76 remains the key to understanding the group who toured as Spirit for the better part of the three decades that the group existed, the stepdad and the guitar prodigy on their own. It's an offbeat work of art that works just beautifully.

Tracks

Disc: 1

1. America the Beautiful/The Times They Are a Changing

2. Victim of Society

3. Lady of the Lakes

4. Tampa Jam, Pt. 1

5. Mauna Loa

6. What Do I Have?

7. Sunrise

8. Walking the Dog

9. Tampa Jam, Pt. 2

10. Joker on the Run

11. When?

12. Like a Rolling Stone

Disc: 2

1. Once Again

2. Feeling in Time

3. Happy

4. Jack Bond

5. My Road

6. Tampa Jam, Pt. 3

7. Thank You Lord

8. Urantia

9. Guide Me

10. Veruska

11. Hey Joe

12. Jack Bond, Pt. 2

13. Star Spangled Banner

LINKS:

Disc 1

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Disc 2

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By request: PRETTY THINGS - S.F. Sorrow + Live @ Paradiso

Who could ever have thought, going back to the Pretty Things' first recording session in 1965 — which started out so disastrously that their original producer quit in frustration — that it would come to this? The Pretty Things' early history in the studio featured the band with its amps seemingly turned up to 11, but for much of S.F. Sorrow the band is turned down to 7 or 4, or even 2, or not amplified at all (except for Wally Allen's bass — natch); and they're doing all kinds of folkish things here that are still bluesy enough so you never forget who they are, amid weird little digressions on percussion and chorus, and harmony vocals that are spooky, trippy, strange, and delightful, and sitars included in the array of stringed instruments, plus an organ trying hard to sound like a Mellotron. Sometimes one gets an echo of Pink Floyd's Piper at the Gates of Dawn or A Saucerful of Secrets, and it all straddles the worlds of British blues and British psychedelia better than almost any record you can name. The album, for those unfamiliar, tells the story of "S.F. Sorrow," a sort of British Everyman — think of a working-class, luckless equivalent to the Kinks' Arthur, from cradle to grave. The tale and the songs are a bit downbeat and no amount of scrutiny can disguise the fact that the rock opera S.F. Sorrow is ultimately a bit of a confusing effort — these boys were musicians, not authors or dramatists. Although it may have helped inspire Tommy, it is, simply, not nearly as good. That said, it was first and has quite a few nifty ideas and production touches. And it does show a pathway between blues and psychedelia that the Rolling Stones, somewhere between Satanic Majesties, "We Love You," "Child of the Moon," and Beggars Banquet, missed entirely. [The CD reissue on Snapper adds four valuable songs from their 1967-1968 singles ("Defecting Grey," "Mr. Evasion," "Talkin' About the Good Times," and "Walking Through My Dreams"). This version of "Defecting Grey" is the original, long, uncut five-minute rendition, and not of trivial importance; it's superior to the shorter one used on the official single.]

Tracks

1. S.F. Sorrow Is Born

2. Bracelets Of Fingers

3. She Says Goood Morning

4. Private Sorrow

5. Balloon Burning

6. Death

7. Baron Saturday

8. The Journey

9. I See You

10. Well Of Destiny

11. Trust

12. Old Man Going

13. Loneliest Person

14. Defecting Grey

15. Mr. Evasion

16. Talkin' About The Good Times

17. Walking Through My Dreams

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+ Surprise...

Pretty Things - Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL) March 29, 1969

Tracks
1. Instro (fade in)

2. Talking about the good times, part 1

3. Talking about the good times, part 2

4. Alexander

5. Renaissance Fair

6. SF sorrow is born

7. She says good morning

8. Mr. Evasion (cuts off)
Time: 34:21

Source: Soundboard -> Reel-To-Reel Master -> CDR (#2) -> EAC -> Flac (level 8) -> Dime
Sound quality: A++

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Line up:
Phil May: Lead Vocals

Dick Taylor: Lead guitar, Vocals

Wally Allen: Bass, Vocals

John Povey: Keyboards, Vocals

John 'Twink' Alder : Drums

Prof. Stoned sez:
This has been available much longer on various boots in inferior quality.But the difference in soundquality of the old source and this new one couldnot be bigger. From D- to A++.The old source was taken from a 37 year old broadcast, which was probably recorded with a mic in front of a transistor radio.This one is a digital copy of the original pre-fm VPRO mastertape. An amazing discovery that will fill many hearts with joy, I'm sure.
But it's not just the recording quality that makes this so outstanding.The pretties were rawking like the devil was on their heels~~!This recording makes the Stones live album "Get yer ya-ya's out" sound like a tea party (sorry stonesfans!).What an awesome rockband this was. And what a shame they got so little recognition.
I maintained the titles that the original seed provided.I'm not sure whether Tr. 1 is correctly titled.The "Hyde and Psych" boot named this track "Why?", but then that boot also incorrectly listed Tr.8 as "I see you".
Anyway, dig this!
And many many thanks to the man who -with a lot of patience- managed to unearth this great piece of history. And also to the one I downloaded this from (I do not remember from where)!!!

LINKS:

S.F. Sorrow

h!!p://www.megaupload.com/?d=HKA4YU91

Live At Paradiso (FLAC)

h!!p://www.megaupload.com/?d=1G9FYBM7

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SANTANA - III

Santana III is an album that undeservingly stands in the shadows behind the towering legend that is the band's second album, Abraxas. This was also the album that brought guitarist Neal Schon — who was 17 years old — into the original core lineup of Santana. Percussionist Thomas "Coke" Escovedo was brought in to replace (temporarily) José Chepitó Areas, who had suffered a brain aneurysm, yet who recovered quickly and rejoined the band. The rest were Carlos, organist Gregg Rolie, drummer Michael Schrieve, bassist David Brown, and conguero Michael Carabello. "Batuka" is the powerful first evidence of something being very different. The band was rawer, darker, and more powerful with twin leads and Schon's harder, edgier rock & roll sound paired with Carlos' blend of ecstatic high notes and soulful fills. It cooks — funky, mean, and tough. "Batuka" immediately transforms itself into "No One to Depend On," by Escovedo, Carabello, and Rolie. The middle section is highlighted by frantic handclaps, call-and-response lines between Schon and Rolie, and Carlos joining the fray until the entire track explodes into a frenzied finale. And what's most remarkable is that the set just keeps on cooking, from the subtle slow burn of "Taboo" to the percussive jam workout that is "Toussaint l'Overture," a live staple in the band's set list recorded here for the first time (and featuring some cooking Rolie organ work at its beginning). "Everybody's Everything" is here, as is "Guajira" and "Jungle Strut" — tunes that are still part of Santana's live show. With acoustic guitars, gorgeous hand percussion, and Santana's fragile lead vocal, "Everything's Coming Our Way" is the only "feel good" track here, but it's a fitting way to begin winding the album down with its Schon and Santana guitar breaks. The album ends with a completely transformed reading of Tito Puente's "Para los Rumberos," complete with horns and frantic, almost insanely fast hand drumming and cowbell playing. It's an album that has aged extremely well due to its spare production (by Carlos and the band) and its live sound. This is essential Santana, a record that deserves to be reconsidered in light of its lasting abundance and vision.

Tracks

1. Batuka

2. No One To Depend On

3. Taboo

4. Toussaint L'Overture

5. Everybody's Everything

6. Guajira

7. Jungle Strut

8. Everything's Coming Our Way

9. Para Los Rumberos

LINK:

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RORY GALLAGHER - Defender

Released five years after his last effort (an eternity for the prolific Irish blues guitar slinger who had been churning out at least an album a year throughout the '70s), Defender is another quality blues-rock offering. Although Gallagher is in fine tough form here and it was his debut release for his own indie label, there is little difference between this and some of his less stellar '70s albums like Top Priority and Photo-Finish. The pounding, guitar-heavy opener "Kickback City" sounds more like hairy rockers Bad Company than anything approaching the deep Chicago and country blues Gallagher dearly loved. The quality picks up substantially as the volume subsides on "Loanshark Blues," but by-the-books crunch-rockers like "Failsafe Day" and the unfortunately titled "Road to Hell" don't bode well for Gallagher moving out from an increasingly formulaic pigeonhole. There are a few corkers here like "Continental Op," a blazing riff that stands with Gallagher's best work and revisits his familiar cloak-and-dagger theme. The swampy, less abrasive "I Ain't No Saint" also pushes the quality up a few notches, as does his gritty version of Sonny Boy Williamson's "Don't Start Me to Talking," the bluesiest song on the disc and one of the few times he pulls out his greasy slide. "Seven Days" is the lone acoustic track and it's a good one, with piano and harp accompaniment and Gallagher singing like he means it as he takes the part of a criminal fleeing from the electric chair. The 2000 reissue adds a pair of rugged bonus tracks (along with a cleaner sound mix), which are actually better, or certainly as good as the best cuts on the rest of this competent but hardly essential Rory Gallagher disc.

Tracks

1. Kickback City

2. Loanshark Blues

3. Continental Op

4. I Ain't No Saint

5. Failsafe Day

6. Road To Hell

7. Doing Time

8. Smear Campaign

9. Don't Start Me To Talking'

10. Seven Days

11. Bonus Track: Seems To Me

12. Bonus Track: No Peace For The Wicke

LINK:

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GURU GURU - Dance of The Flames

Guru Guru are/were one of the wildest and most imaginative bands to emerge from the 1970`s Krautrock scene and gave definition to the term. Fuelled by a combination of LSD and loud raunchy experimental music, which may seem to be unstructured, it indeed incorporated many styles, from jazz to pop. These influences became more and more evident as the band’s career progressed. Guru Guru was founded 1968 by Mani Neumeier and Uli Trepte, whom had previously played together in the free jazz influenced Irene Schweizer Trio. Mani Neumeier had played from 1966 to 1968 with well known musicians like Peter Broetzmann, Peter Kowald, Champion Jack Dupree, Philly Jo Jones, Alex V. Schlippenbach, Manfred Schoof Quintett, Globe Unity Orchestra, plus other bands at the Berlin Jazz Festival and other European fests and clubs around the world. German Rock Music’s first presence was felt in 1968 and was a movement that later became a worldwide influence on music with acts such as Kraftwerk, Cluster, Amon Düül II, Can, Guru Guru, Faust and Tangerine Dream, to name just a few. Krautrock, as it has become known the world over, became a new way of expression in music and lifestyle. These musicians created a German underground scene that was not influenced by Anglo-American idols and other countries soon took an interest in this new phenomenon. Extensive touring in Europe and the U.S. in early seventies showed that the Krautrock bands possessed enough self-confidence potential to make it on an international level and directly started influencing diverse musicians like Brian Eno and David Bowie, whom claimed that they were fascinated by this new wave of German bands. The will to experiment, producing sound collages, non-song structured music and noise, is seen nowadays as the birth of industrial electronic music. Guru Guru was one of the most popular Krautrock bands in the seventies as well as being one of the most experimental. Mani Neumeier and his ever changing line up of Guru Guru produced some of the most innovative albums in the German music history. Their first four albums UFO, Hinten, Kaenguru and Guru Guru were as experimental as it gets and their music was often referred to as acid-space music - music that follows no rules and is free and inspirational. Guru Guru presently continue to create original sounding albums, completely detached from the mainstream and on stage they are one of the most colourful and energetic bands ever.

Originally Released in 1974, Dance Of The Flames marked the end of an era for Guru Guru with the departure of highly experimental guitarist Ax Grenich. He was replaced by ex-Eiliff guitarist and Persian born Houshang Nejadepour who injected eastern sensibilities into Guru Guru. Dance Of The Flames sounded more fluid and expressive than the previous drugged out musical concoctions by the German Krautrock band. Day Of Timestop is an eye watering demonstration of Nejadepour's light speed electric guitar riffing which is nothing short of dazzling. Drummer Mani Neumeier plays wonderful slashing drums throughout as well as other percussion instruments supported by solid bass work by Hans Hartman. Although the Guru Guru line-up on this album didn't last more than one year, Dance Of The Flames is by far the most intricate and complex album in their extensive and varied catalogue.

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Tracks

1. Dagobert Duck’s 100th Birthday

2. The Girl From Hirschhorn

3. The Day Of Timestop

4. Dance Of The Flames

5. Samba Das Rosas

6. Rallulli

7. At The Juncture Of Light And Dark

8. God’s Endless Love For Men

LINK:

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GENESIS - Selling England By The Pound

Often overshadowed by its immediate successor--The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway--this 1974 album features Genesis concert favorites such as the baroque "Firth of Fifth" and the epic "Cinema Show." It yields the group's first British hit, "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)." Singer Peter Gabriel's heady mixture of dark drama and cryptic commentary is tied to some of the band's most stunning arrangements: Steve Hackett's violin-like guitar melodies on "Firth of Fifth," Tony Banks's synth arpeggios on "The Battle of Epping Forest," and crisp, tight drumming throughout from Phil Collins. Collins makes his Genesis lead vocal debut on the acoustic "More Fool Me." The complex structures and poetic risks taken here may throw fans of later Genesis hits such as the cute "Abacab," but it's well worth coming along for the ride. --James Rotondi

Tracks

1. Dancing With The Moonlit Knight

2. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)

3. Firth Of Fifth

4. More Fool Me

5. The Battle Of Epping Forest

6. After The Ordeal

7. The Cinema Show

8. Aisle Of Plenty

LINK:

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HOT TUNA - The Best Of (double CD)

Hot Tuna was formed as a spin off from Jefferson Airplane. Guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady wanted to explore their acoustic and blues roots which were originally featured as sets within Jefferson Airplane concerts. Originally Airplane drummer Joey Covington and vocalist Marty Balin performed with the band but subsequently left before the recording of Hot Tuna's first self titled lp. The first lp featured acoustic songs performed by Kaukonen and Casady aided by Chicago blues harpist Will Scarlett. The album recorded live features a number of blues covers like "Hestitation Blues", "Know You Rider" and "Winin' Boy Blues" along with the Kaukonen original "Mann's Fate". With the second album also recorded live the band featured some electric music aided by another Airplane member violinist Papa John Creach along with drummer Sammy Piazza. Eventully the group evolved into a power trio that featured mostly electric music on lp but still played some "wooden music" in concert. Later a keybordist was added to flesh out the sound a bit more. This 2 cd set contains most but not all of the essential Hot Tuna tracks from 1970-1978. The band have since reformed a number of times. Among the rarities included here are a non-lp single b-side version of "Been So Long" which had previously appeared in a live version on their second album. An unreleased live version of the blues classic "Rock Me Baby" (an outtake from the "Double Dose" live album) which was often performed with the Airplane is included on the second disk. Highlights include "Hit Single #1", the slinky "Funky #7", and covers like Buddy Holly's "It's So Easy" and Billy Boy Arnold's "I Wish You Would". Kaukonen shows he is equally excellent at a fingerpicking acoustic style or a more piercing acid rock electric style. He is one of the more underrated guitarists from this time period. Casady of course is one the best rock bass players ever. He was reportedly Jimi Hendrix's favorite bass player and his style is similar to the lead bass style of Jack Bruce and John Entwistle.

LINKS:

Disc 1

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Disc 2

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TEN YEARS AFTER - Stonedhenge

This is their third album, prepared for CD from the original master tapes. Ten Years After: Alvin Lee (vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano); Mike Vernon (vocals); Chick Churchill (piano, celesta, organ); Leo Lyons (bass guitar); Ric Lee (drums); Count Simon (bongos); Roy Baker (sound effects); The Bird, Reverb , Martin Smith. Ten Years After's third album is one of those artifacts that simply screams late '60s, which is to say its production is more than a little trippy, and it's also all over the stylistic map. "I Can't Live Without Lydia," for example, features keyboardist Chick Churchill making vaguely Brubeck-ian noises on up to four overdubbed pianos simultaneously. The next track, "Skoobly-Ooobly-Doobob," is a brief scat blues improvisation with guitar hero Alvin Lee playing and singing in unison, as Ric Lee's drums, just barely audible, putter about in both stereo channels seemingly at random. The album's centerpiece, of course, is "Hear Me Callin'," a sort of psychedelic take on John Lee Hooker-style blues complete with fashionable phasing effects (it was a substantial radio hit). However, true fans justifiably swear by the 55-second percussion version of "Three Blind Mice" that follows.

Tracks

1. Going To Try

2. I Can't Live Without Lydia

3. Woman Trouble

4. Skoobly-Oobly-Doobob

5. Hear Me Calling

6. A Sad Song

7. Three Blind Mice

8. No Title

9. Faro

10. Speed Kills

LINK:

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TEN YEARS AFTER - Watt

Watt had many of the same ingredients as its predecessor, Cricklewood Green, but wasn't nearly as well thought out. The band had obviously spent much time on the road, leaving little time for developing new material. Consequently, a cover of Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen," recorded live at the Isle of Wight Festival, is included here, as is a short instrumental with the uninspired title "The Band With No Name." Other song titles like "I Say Yeah" and "My Baby Left Me" betray the lack of spark in Alvin Lee's songwriting. Nonetheless, his guitar work is fast and clean (though the licks are beginning to sound repetitive from album to album), and the band continues to cook in the manner exemplified best on Cricklewood Green.

Tracks

1. I'm Coming On

2. My Baby Left Me

3. Think About the Times

4. I Say Yeah

5. Band With No Name

6. Gonna Run

7. She Lies in the Morning

8. Sweet Little Sixteen [Live]

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SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION - SC + Triad

This obscure outfit formed in 1971. Greg Lakespotted their potential and produced their debut album, which was a pretty typical progressive offering with lots of guitar and synthesizer. The follow-up Triad was more of the same. They are classic examples of albums nobody much wanted at the time becoming collectable - which is largely due to the label they appeared on.
After their demise Tristian Margetts resurfaced playing and recording with Greg Lake, but brother Gary quit the music business. Tony Brock was later in Strider and The Babys. In the eighties he was in Rod Stewart's backing band.

Tracks

1st Album: Spontaneous Combustion

1. Speed of Light

2. Listen to the Wind

3. Leaving

4. 200 Lives

5. Down With the Moon

6. Reminder

2nd Album: Triad

7. Spaceship

8. Brainstorm

9. Child Life

10. Love and Laughter

11. Pan

12. Rainy Day

13. Monolith Parts 1,2 & 3

LINK:

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JETHRO TULL - Heavy Horses

Like 1977's Songs from the Wood, Heavy Horses is often unfairly posited as the thematic follow-up to its aforementioned studio predecessor. While Songs from the Wood evokes a magical atmosphere, Heavy Horses is far more earthly. Indeed, on the nine-minute-long title-track--a most poetic ode to the England's plough horses--Ian Anderson sings with the sorrow of afarmhand witnessing modern harvesting equipment coming over the horizon for the first time. One can even forgive him the rather randy line, "Let me find you a filly for your proud stallion seed, to keep the old line going." Sure, there's plenty of prattle about drinking afternoon tea with mice, but tracks like "Moths" and "Acres Wild" mark Heavy Horses as a must-own title in the Jethro Tull canon. --Kevin Maidment

Tracks

1. And The Mouse Police Never Sleeps

2. Acres Wild

3. No Lullaby

4. Months

5. Journeyman

6. Rover

7. One Brown Mouse

8. Heavy Horses

9. Weathercook

LINK:

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