Forgotten pearl No. 2

ZZEBRA - Zzebra

Zzebra in its original incarnation was an amalgamation of two brilliant bands. Terry Smith and Dave Quincey from If and Lasissi (Loughty) Amao from Osibisa. Liam Genockey and John McCoy were brought in on drums and bass, and Gus Yeadon on keyboards and vocals. Ken Burgess produced and Tony Taverner engineered.
Gus Yeadon was not happy in the band and when Ken's old friend and partner, Tommy Eyre, returned from recording in the USA with Mark-Almond, he was invited to see them play at London's Marquee club with a view to joining.
Eyre recalls, "The band was absolutely electric. The combination of jazz, serious heavy rock and Nigerian folk music was incredible. The highlight of the evening though was an unaccompanied guitar section in the middle of "Hungry Horse" Terry Smith attempted an incredibly speedy rising line that ended up in a mis-fretting. He grunted and tried again. Still missed the last couple of notes. As hot as the Marquee club was, Terry was wearing a thick heavy woolen overcoat. He took a huge slug from it, laid it on the ground and then played the line perfectly and at double the speed! That's when I knew I wanted to play with that band!"
Zzebra was a hard-working road band and its improvisational nature coupled with the sheer power of the rhythm section allowed it to constantly experiment without losing the audience. Many new songs were composed this way...

Personnel:

Loughty Amao - percussion, sax, flute, vocals

Liam Genockey - drums, vocals

Dave Quincey - sax

Terry Smith - guitar

Gus Yeadon - piano, guitar, vocals

Steve Byrd - guitar

Tommy Eyre - keyboards, flute, vocals

Alan Marshall - vocals

John McCoy - bass

Tracks

1 Cobra Woman 6:16

2 Mr J. 4:20

3 Mah Jong 5:13

4 Ife 6:23

5 Spanish Fly 4:21

6 Amuso Fi 5:19

7 Rainbow Train 5:08

8 Hungry Horse 6:46

LINK:

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Forgotten pearl No. 1

Pete Brown & Piblokto - Things May Come And Things May Go, But The Art School Dance Goes On Forever

Following his shock sacking as leader of The Battered Ornaments on the eve of their prestigious support slot at The Rolling Stones' Hyde Park concert, vocalist and one-time Cream lyricist Pete Brown set about forming a new band, Piblokto! Retaining the services of Battered Ornaments' drummer Rob Tait, he recruited Scottish guitarist Jim Mullen, bassist Roger Bunn and organist Dave Thompson and released the single "Living Life Backwards"/"High Flying Electric Bird" (HAR5008). This was followed in mid-1970 by the LP, "Things May Come And Things May Go But The Art School Dance Goes On Forever", an album that to this day is regarded as one of the finest of the progressive era. A lot more commercial than the LP he made with the Battered Ornaments ("A Meal You Can Shake Hands With In The Dark"), it nonetheless was a varied work containing jazz-tinged rock alongside laid-back folk melodies and all augmented by Brown's witty, questioning and poetic lyrics.

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Tracks
1. Things May Come And Things May Go, But The Art School Dance

2. High Flying Electric Bird

3. Someone Like You

4. I Walk For Charity, Run For Money

5. Then I Must Go And Can I Keep

6. My Love's Gone Far Away

7. Golden Country Kingdom

8. Firesong 9. Country Morning

10.Flying Hero Sandwich (bonus)

11.My Last Band (bonus)

LINK:

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Next @ RockAnthology - Forgotten pearls

Dear friends,

I am going to be very busy next 30 days organising Rock`n`Bikers Festival 4th Shadow Days but will still find some time to post some forgotten pearls.

Here is the list of future posts:

ALCATRAZ - Vampire State Building

AUDIENCE - House On The Hill

TOAD - Same

ACHE - Green Man

TROYKA - Same

ZZEBRA - Same

BLACKSTONE - On The Line

ROBERT SAVAGE - The Adventures Of Robert Savage Vol. 1

PETE BROWN & PIBLOKTO - Things My Come...

BLACK CAT BONES - Barbed Wire Sandwich

Mr. ALBERT SHOW - Warm Motor

ANALOGY - Same

2066 & THEN - Reflections Of The Future

COSMIC TRAVELERS - Live At Hawaii

NORMAN HAINES BAND - Den Of Inquity

CRESIDA - Same

Comming soon...

These are MUST HAVE albums so download them and enjoy!!!

OTPRILIKE OVAKO - Live @ RockAnthology

This is a 25 min cut from Rock Anthology radio show that I hosted at December 28th, 2002. My guests were dear friends from Otprilike Ovako, a band from Split performing, with some changes in line up, for more than 30 years. This was completly drunk show as it was in between Christmas and New Year and we were all more than "happy".

Download and have fun - last song can be used for your next New Year occasions...

LINK:

h!!p://www.megaupload.com/?d=VCC281TV

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PECO PETEJ & NEW BLUES POWER - Live In Split

In my opinion one of the greatest drummers of all times, Peco Petej, in 2002 performed together with a gorup of youngsters under a name Peco Petej & New Blues Power in his hometown Split, Croatia. This concert was broadcasted at Croatian radio 2nd programe and here is that recording. More than 70 minutes of solid blues. This is a real rare stuf and was never published.

Line Up

Petar "Peco" Petej - drums

Darko Madzar - guitar

Branko Dragicevic - guitar

Sinisa Matesic - bass & vocals

+ special guest

Kreso Oremus - harp

Tracks

1. statesboro blues (3:43)

2. steady rolling man (3:13)

3. travelin riverside blues (5:30)

4. you dont love me (3:36)

5. dirty shame (4:36)

6. walking blues (3:56)

7. one way out (7:08)

8. blow wind blow (4:05)

9. got my mojo working (3:58)

10. spoonful (6:48)

11. rolling man (3:42)

12. this is it (3:06)

13. low down dirty man (4:49)

14. good morning little schoolgir (2:27)

15. empty arms (5:02)

16. full time lover (6:40)

17. shake your money maker (3:27)

18. words of wisdom by Peco (0:22)

LINK:

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KORNELYANS - Not An Ordinary Life

KORNI GRUPA did it again, this time under the different name: they made excellent record. "Not An Ordinary Life" was aimed for the Western market; all the titles and lyrics are in English, and the band changed it's name (temporarily) from KORNI GRUPA to KORNELYANS. It wasn't huge success, though. However, album do not contain any bad tracks. Overall, band moved towards the symphonic sound, compared to its predecessor, but jazz-fusion influences are still evident, as well as almost funky bass lines. Highlights of this record are synths (used more often then on "Korni Grupa") and excellent guitar work, both electric and acoustic, where electric guitar solos are pushing the boundaries in a same vein as PFM did it in their finest moments. Vocals are more than good, and English pronunciation is...not that bad, at least not for the band from behind the Iron Curtain in early seventies.

Very much recomended to prog fans!!!

(If you like this album and want more go to one of the first posts I did and download their first and even better album)

Line-up/Musicians

- Kornelije Kovac / keyboards

- Josip Bocek / guitar

- Bojan Hreljac / bass

- Vladimir Furduj / drums

- Zlatko Pejakovic / lead vocals

Tracks

1. rising (2:15)

2. not an ordinary life (10:22)

3. generation 1942 (6:56)

4. fall of the land of woman (5:32)

5. temporary parting (4:00)

6. man with a white flag (11:48)

LINK:

h!!p://www.megaupload.com/?d=6243I9PD

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GRATEFUL DEAD - The Best Of (1970 - 1978)

This is my sellection from "Workingman`s Dead", "American Beauty", "Wake Of The Flood", "The Mars Hotel","Blues For Allah", "Terrapin Station" & "Sharedown Street" albums by Grateful Dead.

I have to admitt that I have never been a fan of Dead. Actualy I love their first 3 albums but when they started with too much country influenced songs, that wast yust too much for me. Once I took all their albums from my friend "Poor" (by the way, he is Dead`s great fan and even has all their Dick Picks and many more) and compiled this double CD. Hope you will like it.

Tracks

CD 1

1. high time (5:15)

2. new speedway boogie (4:07)

3. cumberland blues (3:18)

4. black peter (5:44)

5. easy wind (5:00)

6. truckin (5:03)

7. let me sing your blues away (3:18)

8. row jimmy (7:15)

9. stella blue (6:26)

10. here comes sunshine (4:40)

11. eyes of the world (5:21)

12. weather report suite (12:43)

13. china doll (4:10)

14. unbroken chain (6:46)

CD 2

1. scarlet begonians (4:19)

2. money money (4:24)

3. ship of fools (5:30)

4. help on the way - slip knot! (7:21)

5. the music never stopped (4:34)

6. medley: blues for allah (12:32)

7. estimated prophet (5:38)

8. sunrise (4:06)

9. terrapin station part1 (16:19)

10. shakedown street (4:58)

11. serengetti (2:03)

12. i need a miracle (3:36)

LINKS:
CD1

h!!p://www.megaupload.com/?d=VQPIDXH6

CD2

h!!p://www.megaupload.com/?d=3SUQMAJ0

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COSMIC DEALER - Crystalizasion

Five musicians formed a band in Dordrecht in1968, called The Floating Fudge Featuring The Cosmic Dealer. The members were: Angelo Santoro (bass guitar), Ad Vos (drums), Frans Poots (vocals, flute, sax), Bas van der Pol (vocals, guitar, ex-Hawks) and Jan Reynders (vocals, guitar, ex-Hawks).
In 1970 they changed their name to Cosmic Dealer. In 1971 they released to singles, The scene/Child of the golden sun and Head in the clouds/Find your way on Negram. Both singles weren't a big success.
The two singles were followed by the release of Cosmic Dealer's debut album, Crystallization. The music is a mixture of psychedelic and progressive music, completed with some hardrock. The album was produced by Eddy Ouwens. The band toured regularly and did a performance in a TV show, but the album didn't sell well. The same year Bas van der Pol left the band (who sadly passed away) and was replaced by Leen Leendertse, with him they recorded a few demo tracks. A little while later Angelo Santoro left the band. Cosmic Dealer struggles along, but a year later it is decided to stop.
In 1973 the band was reformed. This time Frans Poots was replaced by Ed Boender. Leen Leendertse was also no longer a member of the band, but Angelo Santoro had returned. There was also a new vocalist, Kees de Blois. With these members the group started to work on new material and recorded a few demos. But it lasted not for long, because in the spring of 1973 the band had already split up again, and this time for ever.

LINK:

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YOUNG FLOWERS - Live 69

Another important group that was musical pioneer of late 60’s when Danish rock became more and more ambitious. This power rock trio (Peer Frost: guitar, Peter Ingemann: bass, Ken Gudman: drums) presents blues-based psychedelic rock coloured with hippie atmosphere of that time.
Their first album Blomsterpistolen [The Flower Pistol] begins with crazy sound Overture that evolves into Take Warning where the musicians (and especially Frost) show their superior talent. Most of the compositions were used for a series of three TV programs for teenagers presenting the story of aliens that landed on the Earth and whose weapon were guns shooting flowers. Two compositions are sung in Danish. There is a cover version of Bob Dylan’s Down Along The Cove and B.B. King’s You Upset Me Baby. The musicians often reach out for poetry of Walt Whitman – on Blomsterpistolen there are 3 compositions with lyrics of this American poet.
Second album was recorded with Niels Skousen (guitar) who later cooperated with Ingemann on several albums. It presents similar excellent music, a bit heavier, mainly due to frequent guitar jamming. The last track Kragerne Vender is a freeform jam session with Maxwells and Steen Claësson from Burnin’ Red Ivanhoe. In 1969 the group composed three compositions for Jens Jørgen Thorsens movie “Quiet Days In Clichy” - Behind The Golden Sun, Menilmontant and Party Beat. The last one you can find on Sonet/Polygram CD reissue.
The musicians remained very active, Frost played in Rainbow Band/Midnight Sun and Savage Rose; Gudman in e.g. Culpeper’s Orchard, Mo-I-Rana, Savage Rose. Ingemann played with Skousen in Musikpatruljen also as a duo and guest musician. He played in No Name (album Fødelandssange - 1972), Dream City, as a session musician with folk-rock singer Sebastian.

LINK:

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OSIBISA - Woyaya

The second album from Osibisa picks up where their stunning debut had left it, and goes a step further. Still produced by Tony Visconti and also doned with a stupendous Roger Dean artwork, there are few minor line-up changes but nothing that changed the band’s superb sound.
Thunder and lightning opens up the first side and the track evolves with a superb flutes and slow African chants, before gradually picking up speed via their infectious conga beats. A constant progression leading to ecstasy, this song is real master strike and probably their peak in their lengthy discography. Coming up next is Y Sharp with its infernal rhythms and Fender Rhodes, and great guitars. Spirits Up Above ( a Holand Rasshaan Kirk cover) has a slow divinities invocation chants intro and soon develops into a frenzied and transient fast groove, making you wonder about that voodoo stuff. Survival is where these guys really come loose and let their African influences reeling down your brains before the tracks engage is some killer jazz-rock with spine-chilling chants and superb brass section providing the dramatic impact, breaks, counterpoints and a Coltrane-influenced sax solo. I have yet to meet someone that did not fall for these guys and no proghead should resist. Their joy and enthusiasm is so communicative that even KKK members would love it. Move On is almost explanatory, and hovers between Santana and African jazz. Rabiatu is yet another supeb moment where the flute dominates the speedy rhythms and great chants, interrupted by a percussive break when some whistles announces a great crescendo. Up last is the title track, another one of those signature tracks, which they played throughout their whole career, but it is a sing- along and of a lesser interest to progheads.
Although after this stunning album, Osibisa will change musical direction (but gradually so), they will become more commercial but also more downright African at times and will have an international hit in Sunshine Day in 76, but always retain certain integrity until the end of the decade. If you should want to investigate them further, I cab only advise you to work chronologically.

Tracks

1 Beautiful Seven 6:45

2 Y Sharp 6:21

3 Spirits Up Above k 7:18

4 Survival h 6:19

5 Move On 4:34

6 Rabiatu 5:07

7 Woyaya 4:27

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LINK:

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JOHN MAYALL - A Hard Road

Eric Clapton is usually thought of as John Mayall's most important right-hand man, but the case could also be made for his successor, Peter Green. The future Fleetwood Mac founder leaves a strong stamp on his only album with the Bluesbreakers, singing a few tracks and writing a couple, including the devastating instrumental "Supernatural." Green's use of thick sustain on this track clearly pointed the way to his use of this feature on Fleetwood Mac's hits "Albatross" and "Black Magic Woman," as well as providing a blueprint for Carlos Santana's style. Mayall acquits himself fairly well on this mostly original set (with occasional guest horns), though some of the material is fairly mundane. Highlights include the uncharacteristically rambunctious "Leaping Christine" and the cover of Freddie King's "Someday After a While (You'll Be Sorry)."

Tracks

1 A Hard Road 3:12

2 It's Over 2:51

3 You Don't Love Me s 2:50

4 The Stumble 2:54

5 Another Kinda Love l 3:06

6 Hit the Highway 2:17

7 Leaping Christine 2:25

8 Dust My Blues 2:50

9 There's Always Work 1:38

10 The Same Way 2:11

11 The Supernatural 2:57

12 Top of the Hill 2:40

13 Someday After a While (You'll Be Sorry) 3:02

14 Living Alone 2:23

LINK:

h!!p://www.megaupload.com/?d=UP89M4LY

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JADE WARRIOR - Released

If Jade Warrior's second album has any overwhelming flaw, it is that its predecessor traveled so far off the conventional beaten tracks of early-'70s prog that anything less than absolute reinvention could only be regarded as a rerun of past glories. To write off Released as little more than a slapdash shadow of Jade Warrior, however, is to overlook the leaps and bounds that the band did make. The opening "Eyes On You" journeys in on a positively spiky guitar and horn duel, while Glyn Havard's vocals have taken on tones that are far-removed from the Jethro Tull-shaped nuances with which they were once most readily compared. Staggering, too, are the almost bluesy guitar work-outs that leap unexpectedly in and out of the mix, overwhelming all but the most ferocious elements elsewhere in the arsenal — judging only by the crescendo that closes it, "Three Horned Dragon King" could not have been better named. Similarly, "Water Curtain Cave" is as much a melting of souls as it is a gentle song, while other numbers tackle light jazz and classical prog without once vacating the band's accustomed framework of brilliance. Again, there is little here that Jade Warrior itself did not predict, but the unerring delivery of those predictions is a marvel in itself.

Tracks

1 Three Horned Dragon King

2 Eyes on You

3 Bride of Summer

4 Water Curtain Cave

5 Minnamoto's Dream

6 (We Have) Reason to Believe

7 Barazinbar 8 Yellow Eyes

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LINK:

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AFTER TEA - Joint House Blues

After Tea was founded in 1967 by Hans van Eyck and Polle Eduard, both ex-members of the Tee Set. The group produced three moderate hits in 1967-1968: "Not Just A Flower In Your Hair", "We Will Be There After Tea" and "Snowflakes on Amsterdam". The most important composer Hans van Eyck left shortly after the recordings of the first LP, "National Disaster" and subsequently rejoined the Tee Set.
Martin Hage was next to leave, replaced firstly by Pierre van der Linden (later to Focus, Trace), and later by Ilja Gort. In 1969, German keyboard player Uly Grun joined the group. That same year, Ray Fenwick departed for a solo career. He later returned to England to rejoin his 60s bandmates the Spencer Davis Group. He was replaced by ex-Baroques guitarist Ferry Lever. In 1971, the group finally split up. However, just four years later, Polle Eduard, Ferry Lever and Ilja Gort reunited once again to record the single, "Mexico", under the After Tea monicker. Polle Eduard continued his career as songwriter by penning a few for Nico Haak, and subsequently recorded an album of Dutch songs one year later, in 1976. Ilja Gort worked as a producer for Basart.

Discography

National Disaster Decca 1968

After Tea Decca 1969

After Tea Negram 1970

Joint House Blues Negram 1971

LINK:

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EELA CRAIG - One Niter

It took EELA CRAIG five years between full blown LPs. They did release a single in 1974 ("Stories"/"Cheese") that totally turned away from the bluesy/jazzy psych and prog of their debut, and was to define their symphonic prog sound of the late '70s (specifically "Hats of Glass" as both were re-recorded for that album). By 1976, they were finally recording for Vertigo Records in Germany, giving them exposure outside of Austria. The band now started going hog-wild on all sorts of equipment. The original LP shows the band members with all their gear on the back cover (an analog keyboard lover's dream come true). There's vocalist/keyboardist Hubert Bognermayr (hard to miss him since he was partially bald, although he was always like that, and he was still in his 20s when "One Niter" came out) with a Hammond organ, two VCS-3 synthesizers, a Wurlitzer electric piano, and a couple keyboards I can't recognize (looks like I see an RMI electric piano, but can't be sure). Bassist Gerhard Englisch is standing next to an amplifier, and two bass guitars are standing by it (including a Rickenbacker). Frank Hueber is seen playing his drum set. Vocalist and guitarist Fritz Riedelberger is seen holding a Gibson "The Les Paul", keyboardist/flautist Hubert Schnauer is seen standing next to a vibraphone, and a custom made Mellotron 400 courtesy of EMI, with a black top, and Harald Zuschrader is seen playing his Mini Moog, and although hard to see, I think it's a Hohner D-6 clavinet (as plent is used throughout the album). This photo is taken in some place in the countryside (I wouldn't mind living), with some overgrown vegetation, and some small valley down below. Love the picture of giant sculpture of a telephone, makes me wonder where that is, and if it's still there?
Well, not only was the band going hog-wild on their equipment, it also shows they now had three guys handling keyboard duty as well as the usual other prog rock gear. They were going for a more funky-brand of prog rock, often dominated by the clavinet. "Circles" is a four movement suite that starts off with some really loud and startling Mellotron brass, before things quiet down with some synthesizer and very pleasant flute. Then they go in to a killer jam dominated by clavinet and Moog. Then they go in to a gentle ballad. This is where the vocals first appear, courtesy of guitarist Fritz Riedelberger. Then they go back to the Mellotron and pick up speed. "Loner's Rhyme" is the track Hubert Bognermayer handles the vocal duties. The band goes in to an extended solo, including some great Moog solos and funky clavinet, as well as Hammond organ. "One Niter Medley" is a five movement suite, starts off with synthesizer and Mellotron, before you hear a short song from Bach with an experiment in phasing. After that the band goes in to funky jam, before mellowing out with string synths. "Venezuela" is a nice acoustic song with Fritz Riedelberger handling vocals. "Way Down" starts off with some really nice flute and some droning keyboard in the background. Once again they go in to a funky jam before mellowing out and the vocals kick in.
A totally wonderful album to have in your collection.

Tracks

1. Circles: (13:59)

2. Loner's rhyme (9:23)

3. One niter medley: (11:03)

4. Venezuela (3:30)

5. Way Down (7:16)

LINK:

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THE TRIPSICHORD MUSIC BOX

The Tripsichord Music Box was one of the many San Francisco bands managed and produced by self-styled psychedelic svengali Matthew Katz — despite a slim body of recorded work that stands among the most atmospheric and cosmic to emerge from the Bay Area scene in the post-Summer of Love era, they are sadly best-known as one of the so-called "fake Grape" units unleashed on unsuspecting audiences after Katz lost control of his former protégés, the legendary Moby Grape. Originally dubbed the Ban, Tripsichord Music Box formed in Lompoc, California in 1963 — the group was founded by singer/guitarist Tony McGuire, bassist Frank Straight, keyboardist Oliver McKinney, and drummer Randy Guzman (sometimes credited as Randy Gordon to avoid conflict due to his parents' management of the act). According to the book Acid, Fuzz & Flowers, the Ban signed to the Brent label to release their lone single, the garage rock stomper "Bye-Bye," splitting soon after when McGuire was drafted to serve in Vietnam; the remaining threesome then recruited singer/bassist David Zandonatti, with Straight moving to lead guitar. Rechristening themselves the Now, they relocated to Los Angeles, sharing Sunset Strip stages with local acts including the Seeds and the Strawberry Alarm Clock before signing to Milton Berle's Embassy label for the 1967 effort "I Want." The single attracted little attention, however, and the Now relocated to San Francisco. There they connected with Katz, who essentially discovered Jefferson Airplane along with Moby Grape — Katz soon signed the band to his San Francisco Sound label, rechristening them the Tripsichord Music Box. In late 1967 the group recorded three tracks — "You're the Woman," "It's No Good" and "The Family Song" — later included on the Fifth Pipedream: The San Francisco Sound, Vol. 1 compilation. When Moby Grape severed ties to Katz, he laid claim to their name, forcing Tripsichord Music Box to play a series of live dates under the Moby Grape aegis — the deception ultimately prompted McKinney to quit the band in 1969, with guitarist Bill Carr signing on in his place. Around this same time, Zandonatti's high school friend Ron McNeeley also began sitting in on vocals, and after a 1969 single, "Times and Seasons," Tripsichord dropped the "Music Box" from their name in time to cut their sole full-length, a self-titled cult classic issued in 1970. Their dark yet ethereal music found few takers, however, and the band relocated to Utah, splitting when Zandonatti and McNeely joined the Sons of Mosiah, a Mormon musical troupe managed by future U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch. Ironically, Guzman later played drums in a legitimate incarnation of Moby Grape.

Tracks

1 On the Last Ride 4:42

2 We Have Passed Away 2:45

3 Black Door 2:55

4 The New Word i 4:40

5 Son of the Morning 5:34

6 Short Order Steward 5:04

7 The Narrow Gate i 3:35

8 Fly Baby r 6:26

9 Everlasting Joy 4:19

10 You're the Woman / It's Not Good 6:45

11 Family Song 8:26

12 Times and Seasons 3:23

13 Sunday the Third 3:18

LINK:

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RUSH - Permanent Waves

Since Neil Peart joined the band in time for 1975's Fly by Night, Rush had been experimenting and growing musically with each successive release. By 1980's Permanent Waves, the modern sounds of new wave (the Police, Peter Gabriel, etc.) began to creep into Rush's sound, but the trio still kept their hard rock roots intact. The new approach paid off — two of their most popular songs, the "make a difference" anthem "Freewill," and a tribute to the Toronto radio station CFNY, "The Spirit of Radio" (the latter a U.K. Top 15 hit), are spectacular highlights. Also included were two "epics," the stormy "Jacob's Ladder" and the album-closing "Natural Science," which contains a middle section that contains elements of reggae. Geddy Lee also began singing in a slightly lower register around this time, which made their music more accessible to fans outside of the heavy prog rock circle. The album proved to be the final breakthrough Rush needed to become an arena headliner throughout the world, beginning a string of albums that would reach inside the Top Five of the U.S. Billboard album charts. Permanent Waves is an undisputed hard rock classic, but Rush would outdo themselves with their next release.

Tracks

1 The Spirit of Radio 4:59

2 Freewill 5:24

3 Jacob's Ladder 7:28

4 Entre Nous 4:37

5 Different Strings 3:50

6 Natural Science 9:17

LINK:

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MANO NEGRA - Casa Babylon

Manu Chao's road to Clandestino and Proxima Estación: Esperanza begins here with Mano Negra's swan song album. Conceptually, it marks the first use of radio and TV broadcast samples to create sound collages between tracks so the songs emerge like they would if you were station surfing on the car radio. Lyrically, it's the birth of the internationalist Manu Chao, as overt political messages largely replace the previous rebel rocker sentiments. Musically, Mano Negra returns to the manic rhythmic drive of Puta's Fever and ups the reggae, ska, and Latin ante after testing more mainstream rock waters on King of Bongo. But Casa Babylon goes one step beyond Puta's Fever by crashing together different styles and even lyrics in different languages within the songs. So the racehorse title track blends a Latin feel with motor-mouth rapping and blowsy trombone, while "Senor Ma Tanza" starts fast and furious before settling into funky dub at the end. "El Alkaran" slyly drops lyrics from "La Bamba" into its ecological complaint alongside ragga DJing, while "Hamburger Fields" is surreal pop laced with a bop-bopping vocal hook. Mano Negra doesn't entirely turns it back on rock — "The Monkey Speaks His Mind," "Sant a Maradona" (a tribute to Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona), and "Love and Hate" more than adequately fill the high decibel and hard guitar quotient. But Manu Chao definitely turned a corner here, one that set the stage for his success even as it marked the end of a group that exerted an enormous formative influence on the Latin alternative scene.

Tracks

1 Viva Zapata 2:02

2 Casa Babylon 2:01

3 The Monkey 2:47

4 Señor Matanza 4:06

5 Santa Maradona [Larchuma Football Club] 3:27

6 Super Chango 2:53

7 Bala Perdida 2:13

8 Machine Gun 4:25

9 El Alakran (La Mar Esta Podrida) 3:50

10 Mama Perfecta 1:54

11 Love and Hate 2:28

12 Drives Me Crazy 3:38

13 Hamburger Fields 3:14

14 La Vida (La Vida Me da Palo) 2:41

15 Sueno de Solentiname 2:54

16 This Is My World 4:48

LINK:

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QUINTESSENCE - In Blissful Company

Quintessence was among the first true progressive rock outfits signed by Island Records. Led by Australian-born Shiva Shankar Jones (keyboards, vocals) and Raja Ram (flute, violin, percussion), the group also included Alan Mostert (lead guitar), Sambhu Babaji (bass), Maha Dev (guitar), and Jake Milton (drums), all of whom, in addition to a common interest in Indian music, also shared the Hindu faith. The group's roots lay in the hippie community in the Notting Hill area, which was to London roughly what Haight-Ashbury was to San Francisco. Their breakthrough performance took place at a festival called Implosion, where they put on a good enough show to get noticed by Island Records, which signed them and got their debut LP, an elaborately packaged concept album entitled In Blissful Company, out before the end of the year. Its mix of rock, jazz, and Indian elements was popular enough at the time with their core audience, especially one track entitled "Notting Hill Gate," a tribute to the hippie community, which found a slightly wider audience; the band subsequently recut the song in a more pop-oriented rendition as a single. The group had a strong reputation from their live work, and their early recordings seemed to build from this base. Quintessence's career reached its commercial peak with their self-titled second album, which got to number 22 on the U.K. charts. They did one more album for Island and then jumped to RCA's new British progressive rock Neon imprint for two LPs in the early '70s. Jones departed soon after the release of the group's second album for the new label, and they split up not long after that. In 1973, Jones became part of the big-band progressive outfit Kala, which recorded one album for the Bradley's label, and in subsequent decades he restarted his own version of Quintessence.

Tracks

1 Giants 4:37

2 Manco Capac 5:17

3 Body 3:34

4 Gange Mai 4:00

5 Chant 3:02

6 Pearl and Bird 3:57

7 Notting Hill Gate 4:38

8 Midnight Mode 9:15

9 Notting Hill Gate [bonus] 2:31

10 Move into the Light [bonus] 3:26

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LINK:

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GREENSLADE - First 2 Albums

Dave Greenslade (keys) and Tony Reeves (bass) formed Greenslade in 1972. The two had previously played together in Colosseum and they recruited Dave Lawson (Episode Six) as vocalist. For a drummer the group added Andrew McCulloch (King Crimson, Crazy World of Arthur Brown) and their Greenslade album was released the following year. A considerably prolific band, they released two more albums in 1973, the first of which was Bedside Manners Are Extra. By the time they recorded a third album, Spyglass Guest, they had added Dave Clempson (Humble Pie) on guitar and Graham Smith on fiddle. The next year Reeves left the band, being replaced by Martin Briley. After releasing Time And Tide in 1975, they broke up in early 1976. A different lineup of the band made a brief attempt at it in 1977, but it just didn't work, however 23 years later in the year 2000, the group re-formed to begin another journey through their style of progressive rock. They released Large Afternoon that year and an album of live recordings from the classic days of the band was also released in 2000.

Tracks

Greenslade

1 Feathered Friends 6:43

2 An English Western 3:26

3 Drowning Man 5:49

4 Temple Song 3:34

5 Melange 7:26

6 What Are You Doin' to Me? 4:40

7 Sundance 8:43

Bedside Manners Are Extra

1 Bedside Manners Are Extra 6:22

2 Pilgrims Progress 7:03

3 Time to Dream 4:49

4 Drum Folk 8:51

5 Sun Kissed You're Not 6:34

6 Chalk Hill 5:25

LINKS:

Greenslade

h!!p://www.megaupload.com/?d=F0IF4YUJ

Bedside Manners Are Extra

h!!p://www.megaupload.com/?d=W6BFMYU6

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Posts in June

Please remember that all the posts in June are requested by Gordon & Pat so all the comments are also directed to them. Hope you are satisfied with their choice and more is still to come. Please find some time to comment the music you download.