Saturday, 18 April 2020
Renewed links 3
Hello Folks,
here are some new links for expired albums. You will find the links (Flac & mp3) with the 'Search' function.
The Spongetones - Beat Music 1982 (2008 Air Mail Recordings, Japan
Pop, Pop Rock, Psychedelic Pop, Vocal: Bee Gees - Bee Gees' 1st (2007 Reprise, stereo, mono, unissued Tracks) 2CD
"Bee Gees' 1st" was a psychedelic rock album with the cover designed by Klaus Voormann who had previously done the cover for "Revolver" by the Beatles.
On January 23, 2007 Reprise Records reissued "Bee Gees 1st" as a 2 CD set with both stereo and mono mixes on one disc and a bonus disc of unreleased songs and alternate takes.
"Bee Gees 1st" peaked at #7 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart and at #8 on the UK Albums Chart. In Germany the album peaked at #4. (Discogs)
There is nothing to say about this album except maybe that this album presents all songs in mono and also in stereo. Hope you will enjoy it. (Frank)
Pop Rock: Barclay James Harvest – "All Is Safely Gathered In" An Anthology 1967-1997 (Eclectic Discs) 5 Disc Box
Barclay James Harvest are not one of the easiest bands to categorise, the task even harder when describing a box set that covers their entire career up to 1997 over 5 discs. To describe them as Symphonic Prog would certainly cover some of their material and in their earlier days resorted to using an Orchestra on many tracks giving them a Symphonic sound in the most literal sense. They were once described as a poor man's Moody Blues (and retaliated by writing a song of the same name) and while there may be similarities on some material I have always preferred Barclay James Harvest. Towards the end of the seventies the band started to take a more mainstream AOR approach to their song writing leading to Wolly Wolstenholme leaving the band. This line continued for pretty much the rest of their recorded output.
The contents of this beautifully packaged box set are well chosen and all their albums are represented here, though not always with the same version that would appear on the final album giving long term fans who already own all the catalogue incentive to invest in this. For example their Everyone is Everybody Else album, a fan favourite has 5 tracks from it here, but only Crazy City is the actual album version. Child of the Universe being an alternative version, Negative Earth and The Great 1974 Mining Disaster being the original mix. For No One is the version that appears on their excellent first Live album. Another fan favourite is the Once Again album and that is well represented with 4 tracks here, all being the original album version in this case. The material is also pleasingly augmented by single A and B sides.
The songs are presented chronologically and most readers here will probably enjoy the first 3 discs best, being their more Progressive material and it's towards the end of disc 3 where we start to enter into their more mainstream Rock phase. However disc 5, titled The Wheat and the Chaff is a full CD of totally unreleased and rare recordings. The liner notes state that "When listened to in the context of the preceding four CDs in this set, they tell their own interesting story..".
Naturally any compilation, even one as comprehensive as this one is going to leave out tracks that fans feel should have been included but an excellent job has been done here. The casual listener of the band has a chance to pick up most of the important tracks but also giving something for the die hard completionists. An added interest is the sixty page booklet accompanying this excellent package which is well worth investing in. (Nightfly, progarchives.com)
Flac
mp3@320
Friday, 17 April 2020
Renewed links 2
As you know, a lot of links are expired. I will upload new links from time to time so that in the future all will available again.
Here are some new links for expired albums:
Here are some new links for expired albums:
You will find the links with the 'Search' Function. More will follow in the next days.
Frank
Request: Pop Rock from Australia: Axiom - The Axiom Archive 1969-1971 (2004 Raven Records)
Quite simply, Axiom was an Australian supergroup whose time was far too short-lived, due to a number of personal circumstances and career mishaps. The band was fronted by future Little River Band lead singer Glenn Shorrock, whose early roots and development of a distinctive vocal style are
prominently on display here in full throttle, along with a band whose sound could easily appeal to fans of Traffic, Blind Faith, and the Faces. Much of this stuff has remained out of print or hard to find since the advent of the compact disc, so Raven had the good sense to compile nearly their entire released legacy onto one disc.
I have already posted the album on the old blog. Just great pop music from the late sixties, early seventies and absolutely recommendable. Enjoy.(Frank)
Flac
mp3@320
Wednesday, 15 April 2020
Power Pop/Pop Rock: Ian Lloyd - Goose Bumps 1979 (Scotti Brothers Records, Japan Promo) Vinyl
Managed by Bud Prager in 1979 (the man who represented Foreigner, Deena Miller -- daughter of Rolling Stones producer Jimmy Miller -- Leslie West, and many others), the former singer for Stories was produced by a man instrumental in Aerosmith's comeback, the late Bruce Fairbairn. With help from members of the Cars, Foreigner, and former Aerosmith guitarist Jimmy Crespo, this album had all the elements for the breakthrough disc that Ian Lloyd deserved. "Slip Away" was written by Ric Ocasek and should have been a big Cars hit since it really didn't conquer radio on behalf of Lloyd. Ben Orr is on bass and backing vocals, Ric Ocasek pipes in on backing vocals and rhythm guitar, and Jimmy Crespo plays the very new wavey guitar -- it's Aerosmith meets the Cars with Stories lead vocalist! Russ Ballard's "First Heartbreak" sounds like a lost girl group classic with T.Rex overtones. A smart cover like the Bee Gees' "Holiday gets all synthed up, while the Zombies' "Time of the Season," always a welcome title, gets a respectable and unique reading by Stories former lead singer. "Open Soul Surgery" definitely goes the Foreigner route, though Lou Gramm and Mick Jones are on other tracks like "Love Stealer" and "She Broke Your Heart." Side one is very good, but side two fares even better, the title track, "Goose Bumps," with a solid riff and creepy vocal by the singer, and something even more key -- hooks different from the other 11 songs. There are substantial melodies all over this disc, solving the problem of his Polydor outing three years prior.
Where the self-titled Ian Lloyd disc was mostly penned by the singer, Goose Bumps has a dazzling display of inviting and original tunes from all sorts of contributors. Ian Hunter and Corky Laing collaborate on "Easy Money" -- and this would've been great on a Mott the Hoople or Mountain disc, very different and distinctive, like when Hunter co-wrote "Goin' Through the Motions" for Blue Oyster Cult. "New City Lights" features Michael Brecker on tenor sax while Jim Vallance and Bryan Adams contribute the strong "I'm Ready." Paul DaVinci pens the final tune, "Love Is a Ship"; it is dreamy, another change of pace, and a superb conclusion to an album by a singer who gets help from some serious players, colors and flavors for his music that are more than worthwhile. Coming three years after his self-titled Polydor release, the 1976 disc which retained the services of Stories guitarist Steve Love and also contained performances by Mick Jones, this was the one after the transition album, the one that should have brought Ian Lloyd more hits like "I'm Coming Home," "Mammy Blue," and "Brother Louie." It made some noise but got lost in the rock & roll shuffle, however, Goose Bumps, with its red fingernails scraping across a chalk board cover (perhaps a little too punk for a pop artist), is more than just a solid outing from Ian Lloyd, it is an exemplary record and is worth repeated spins. (Joe Viglione, allmusic.com
mp3@320
Flac
Psychedelic Prog: Jasper Wrath - Jasper Wrath 1971 (2009 Flawed Gems, unofficial Release)
US band JASPER WRATH was formed in 1969, when Jeff Cannata (drums), Michael Soldan (keyboards), and Robert Gianotti (guitars) left their former bands to pursue other musical directions; and with the addition of Phil Stone (bass) the new band was formed.
The first six months or so of it's existence the band concentrated on writing new material, and then sent oout demos to select record companies in New York and Los Angeles. A few weeks later MGM Records contacted the band, and after a live showcase for the label the band landed a record deal. Their debut album was recorded at Phil Ramone's studio over a few weeks, and was issued in 1971.
A short time after the release a national tour is planned, but when Gionatti suddenly decides to leave the band; and a suitable replacement can't be found, the outfit temporarily splits.
Following an excursion in Europe a new line-up is formed. Cannata, Soldan and Stone (now also handling flute) remains from the first line-up, and James Christian (vocals), Scott Zito (guitars); and later Soldan's place as an active member is taken over by Jeff Batter (keyboards, synths).
The reformed Jasper Wrath doesn't issue any new material though; but continue as a live act until 1976. The material made in this second stage of their was later made available on a compilation album released in 1997; including selected tracks from illegal albums issued by the Dellwood label under false names (Ardent House: Coming Back; Zoldar & Clark: The Ghost of Way). (progarchives)
The album offers some interesting songs that don't overstrain the genre ''Prog'' too much. All in all it is an interesting album with good melodies, good vocal lines and partly very good songs. In my opinion the band sounds best when the ''Prog'' parts are reduced. (Frank)
mp3@320
Tuesday, 14 April 2020
60s Pop/Pop Rock: Bee Gees - Brilliant From Birth (1998 Spin, Festival Records) 2 CD Flac
At last, a comprehensive collection of everything the group recorded in their "Australian years," from 1963 to 1966, before their move to England and rapid ascent to international stardom. These two CDs -- an entirely different package from the similarly titled, but much shorter, compilation 1963-1966:
Birth of Brilliance -- include 63 songs, some of which are quite familiar to Bee Gees fans via numerous reissues, but some of which were hard to find outside of Australia, or indeed anywhere. Actually, this turns out to be a mixed blessing, since the rarer tracks are usually way less interesting than the numerous fine Beatlesque ones (such as "Peace of Mind," "Wine and Women," "I Want Home," "All of My Life") that have been pretty easy to acquire on U.S. repackages.
I posted this collection also some years ago on my first blog. A reader asked for a new upload here and here it is. Enjoy.
Frank
Disc2 Flac
A few renewed links...
Hello friends,
I hope you had a nice Easter party despite the difficult world situation because of Corona. I used the holidays to edit some of the accrued comments. Unfortunately, not all of them, just too many. I ask for your understanding. I have renewed the first links that had expired over Easter break and will of course continue to do so in order to make everything available again. This will, of course, take a longer time. I also ask for your understanding. I am very surprised how many of you have been faithful to the blog and I am very pleased about that. Thank you. Okay, here is a list of the first few renewed links:
| Girls - Album (2009 Fantasy).rar |
| Rick Price And Mike Sheridan - This Is To Certify The Gemini Anthology 1970-71 (2004 President Records) |
| The Merseys - A & B Sides, Rarities & More 1964-1968 (1995 Oxford Records) |
| Dick Campbell - Blue Winds Only Know 1965 (2003 Rev-Ola) |
You can find the albums using the search function at the top right of the blog page.
More will follow. Also i will upload new music to the blog within the next days. All the best to all of you and please stay healthy and if it's possible stay at home.
Frank
Friday, 10 April 2020
Hello Folks and Friends
Hello folks and friends!
After a long and difficult time I feel better now. I was very happy about your recovery wishes. Unfortunately I was not able to fulfill all your wishes. But I will continue the blog in some time and will update the links (as good as possible).
Take care of yourself and stay healthy. We will hear from each other again soon with old and new links.
See you soon and stay at home
Frank
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