Hello my friend II

To avoid misunderstandings, I do not mean the whole community but a very special person.

Frank

Hello my friend...

There are a lot of solutions for keep zippyshare work all over the web in nearly every country. I don't want to be impolite, but it's not on my side to upload to different hosters only to make it more convenience for people who are too comfortable to check the web for solutions. And by the way: hosters like mediafire or mega costs money the more space will used. I think i do my best to give the best i can.(This is not meant to all of you, it's meant to a very special person, i am really angry about.)

Greetings

I added some renewed links:

Dan Penn -The Fame Recordings (2012 Ace)

The Merseybeats - I Think Of You 1963-65 (The complete recordings 2002 The Bear Family)

Improved Sound Limited - The Final Foreword 1966-73 (2003 Longhair)

The Merseys - A & B Sides, Rarities & More 1964-1968 (1995 Oxford Records)

Toni Vescoli - Information 1971 (2012 Big Pink)

DennyGerrard-SinisterMorning1970(2008 Esoteric)

The Bards - The Moses Lake Recordings 1968

The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go 1964 (1986 Motown)

Clifford T No more R'n'R Flac

The National Gallery - Performing Musical Interpretations Of The Paintings Of Paul Klee 1968

Vagrants - I Can't Make A Friend 1965-1968 (2011 Light In The Attic)

Denny Doherty - Watcha Gonna Do 1970 (2018)

Church Of The Cosmic Skull - Science Fiction (2018 Kozmic Artifactz
 
The Simple Image - Spinning Spinning Spinning (The Complete Simple Image) (2001 His Master's Voice)


You find the artists with the ''search'' function.

Pop/Power Pop: The New Pornographers - Electric Version (2003, Mint, Matador)

Three years after the sonic honey of Mass Romantic, the New Pornographers come up smiling once more with their sophomore effort and Matador debut, Electric Version. These beloved indie rockers stick with the syrupy goodness found on their first album, but opt to turn the amps up for a brighter, slicker sound, hence the title.

It's a kitschy play on the band's power pop, and Carl Newman and secret member Dan Bejar keep their clever lyrical twists in tune. Twiddling riffs and organs dance with Neko Case's sunny harmonies on the rollicking "It's Only Divine Right" and "From Blown Speakers." The energy is there, but Electric Version captures a new kind of energy from the New Pornographers. While Mass Romantic was a little more quirky in spirit, Electric Version is more polished. They took just under a year to create this album, so naturally a fresh confidence would transpire and "The Laws Have Changed" highlights the New Pornographers' musical growth. This album standout is bold as brass, drenched in Case and Newman's perky vocals. "All for Swinging You Around" takes things further with wacky synth beats and tripped-up percussion, Velocity Girl-style, but its the band's own glossed-over rock & roll on "Miss Teen Worldpower" that truly represents the smooth emotion and might behind the New Pornographers' sound. Electric Version is an enjoyable and easy listen, chock-full of hungry hooks and brimming with indie rock's classic humility. (MacKenzie Wilson, allmusic.com)

Ha ha, some reviews make me smile, like this one of Mr. Wilson (But i like it). Anyway, the New Pornographers present here such a powerful album that it is a real pleasure. Ideas over ideas, awesome hooks, great melodies, the rhythm guitars fire the songs forward. What more do you want ? The album is just great pop. Enjoy.(Frank)

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60s inspired Psychedelic Pop: The Eyes Of Mind - Tales Of The Turquoise Umbrella 1984 (Closer Records, Vinyl)

Another dose of giddy psychedelic revivalism from Greg Shaw's LA stable. Produced by Mark Wirtz (whose credits in the genre's original era include Keith West's Tomorrow, a legendary British psych band), the quartet takes the Edwardian flower power route path down the paisley road. Guitarist Jamie Phelan has a pleasant, fragile voice; the Eyes avoid slavish re-creation in favor of a subtler melodic evocation of the innocence and positivity of '60s pop. Loverly.(Ira Robbins, Trouserpress.com)

The band was clearly inspired by the psychedelic sound of the sixties. They skillfully mixed it with a very melodic power pop sound. 

Enjoy.(Frank)

Credits for rips goes to Angelo of PPC. Thank you!!!

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Lazy Smoke Flac links fixed!

Hello Folks,
after Don, a reader of the blog gave me in his comment the tip that the Flac links are in mp3, i fixed the links immidiately. Sorry for the inconvenience :-(

greetings

Frank

Beatles influenced Rock/Pop/Psychedelia: Lazy Smoke - Corridor Of Faces 1968 (1997 Arf Arf)

Lesser imitations of the early Beatles aren't hard to find, but it's much tougher to locate diligent imitators of the group's late-'60s sound. Here is one unheralded example, offeringa collection of mid-tempo, accessible late-'60s rock

sung by a vocalist with a remarkable resemblance to John Lennon. But the songs, while not bad, are really unmemorable once the record's finished, making this more of an oddity than something to avidly seek.

The CD reissue on Arf! Arf! adds a dozen previously unreleased acoustic demos by leader and songwriter John Pollano, mixing different versions of songs from the album with compositions that didn't make it onto the LP; these make his fixation with John Lennon '67-68 sound even clearer.(Richie Unterberger, allmusic.com)

Very influenced by the Beatles, the band plays a mixture of rock and pop, enriched with light psychedelic sounds. Enjoy.(Frank)

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70s Lennon inspired Pop/Psychedelia: Athanor - Flashback (2013 Guerssen)

What do you get when you cross a Lennon fixated high school English teacher who now teaches a college level Beatles class with a meticulous harmony fiend with a writing background for Crawdaddy magazine?
The answer of course is Chicago duo Athanor. Pat yourself on the back if you already knew that, because I sure as hell didn't before this Guerssen promo fell into my hands.
Athanor released three 45s in small quantities between 1973 and 1975, most of which went out to record labels and radio station before subsequently disappearing.

Enough copies found their way into collector's hands for the seed of a reputation to take root and now Guerssen have emerged from the rock and roll mine clutching another chunk of gold with this essential collection made up of both sides of their three 45s, demos recorded throughout the seventies and early eighties and a new (well, newer) track recorded in 2006.
The three 45s paint are particularly interesting pieces of proto-powerpop, especially considering Greg Herriges and Rick Vittenson's musical interests of the time didn't extend past the late sixties - essentially they were one of the architects of powerpop, but were seemingly oblivious to the fact that they had a peer group at the time.

There's a huge Beatles influence evident throughout, less obvious on the first single which is a fuzzy, but enjoyable relic full of twelve string acoustics, over the top wah wah leads, spot on vocal harmonies and the odd merseybeat style guitar riff.
Things get a whole lot more Beatlesque on "Urizen" - the A-side of their second single which is a much more forceful and psychedelic affair with some sublime backwards guitars.
Last single "Habits" ups the heavy psych factor again impressively but the fidelity of it and it's B-Side are average at best - unfortunate as these are probably the most fully realized tracks that the duo recorded.

Personal complications got in the way of an album being made, but the duo did sporadically get together to demo new tracks which make up the second half of this collection.
They're a surprisingly varied selection of fully fledged tracks that occasionally betray the times in which they were made (especially the abysmally titled, but actually rather good "Rock Me Roll Me" which sounds like it's been lifted straight off Lennon's "Double Fantasy") , but at their best (the moody acoustic numbers "Hidden Monsters" and "Like a River Flows") match the quality of their previously released material with aplomb. (Nathan Ford, active-listener.blogspot.com)

Athanor offer first class pop music here. In some pieces you can clearly hear the influence of the Beatles and especially John Lennon. The compilation has (imho) no fillers, the quality of the songs is great. Absolutely recommendable. Enjoy:(Frank)

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70s Folk Rock, Psychedelic Pop/Rock: Anonymous - Inside the Shadow 1976 (2013 Machu Picchu)

Inside the Shadow was more or less the sole product of Anonymous, a studio project put together by Indianapolis, Indiana musician Ron Matelic when he was offered a recording contract and a modest budget to make an album. Released in an unceremoniously tiny batch of 300 copies in 1976, the album would go on to be one of the more sought-after rarities among private-press psych enthusiasts, eventually seeing reissues and bootleggings of various quality until a proper reissue in 2013. The disarming compositions of Inside the Shadow have grown to legendary status based on their unique timelessness and blend of hazy jamming and clear-eyed songwriting.

Though the album was recorded in two weeks during the mid-'70s, the production and direct influences would suggest it was made much earlier, as the closest parallels are the intricate vocal harmonies of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young or later Hollies, Byrds-like folk-rock, and the bristling psychedelia of '60s Bay Area stalwarts like Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and the earliest guitar ramblings of the Grateful Dead. Though disco was in full swing, Anonymous was offering heavy-handed psych-folk workouts like the cosmic rumble of "Shadow Lay" and the gloom-tinged prog pop of album opener "Who's Been Foolin'?" "Pick Up and Run" expands on the Byrds' 12-string electric guitar musings, pushing out all hints of the country roads they would later walk down in favor of far darker fields of dreamlike prog and layers of interlocking vocals. The album plays out in an unintentional song cycle,

with songs just complex enough to fold into each other but pop-minded enough to stand out as singular entities as well. "Sweet Lilac" in particular shines through, with vocalist Marsha Rollings taking center stage as tight harmonies from Glenn Weaver and Matelic blend into a wall of sun-kissed guitar hooks. Much as the musicians were living in the 1970s imagining a different era with these songs, the wintry Midwest surroundings of Indiana might have similarly come into play in their dreaming up of summery California-sounding jams such as this. The band went through some lineup changes after this album, changing their name to J. Rider, making another record (entitled No Longer Anonymous),

and playing a few gigs before disappearing into the ether. Inside the Shadow stands as one of the more brilliant artifacts of painfully obscure psychedelia. Though it arrived late to the party, its nuanced layers of influence and innovation put it in the same esteemed category as private-press acid folk classics by the likes of Tony, Caro and John, Mark Fry, Ithaca, and Comus. As unknown as those reference points may be, the driven feel of purpose, hope, and inspiration that fuels the album makes it as strong or stronger than any of the better-known bands it takes influence from. (Fred Thomas, allmusic.com)

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Folk Rock/Jangle/Psychedelic Pop: The Leaves - Hey Joe 1966 (1993 One Way Records)

This is one hell of a debut album, especially for a group that only lasted for about a year after its release. The Leaves perform some superb folk-rock in a Byrds/Beatles vein ("Just a Moment," "Girl From the East"), excellent lyrical garage punk ("Words," "Tobacco Road"), and solid hard rock ("Hey Joe," "Too Many People"),

and cross swords with the Rolling Stones ("You Better Move On," "Back On the Avenue" -- the latter a ripoff of the Stones' "2120 South Michigan Avenue") and Bob Dylan ("Love Minus Zero"). The sound isn't exactly consistent, given the gamut of influences at work here, from Bo Diddley ("Dr. Stone") to primitive psychedelia ("War of Distortion"), but there isn't a bad song on the disc, and the CD reissue has about the best sound ever heard on this material,

bringing out the guitars in a genuinely crisp and vivid fashion. Maybe the strangest and best track in that regard is their cover of "He Was a Friend of Mine," which incorporates elements of both the Searchers' "When You Walk In the Room" and the Byrds' "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" into its structure and beat -- the guitars are a real kick there. The bonus tracks may have come from vinyl sources rather than tape, but they hold up very well for sound quality. Anyone who enjoyed the first two Byrds albums must own this disc. (Bruce Eder, allmusic.com)

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Rock, R'n'B, Soul, Pop: The Pretty Things - Electric Banana 1967 (1990 Repertoire)

As chart activity became slim for the Pretty Things around 1967, they started a sideline of recording songs specifically for film soundtracks. This compilation features their vocal contributions to these projects, and consists mostly of fairly pedestrian psychedelic-tinged rock of a lower standard than either their 1967-68 singles or the S.F. Sorrow album. Highlights are the driving fuzzy rocker "Alexander" and an early version of the S.F. Sorrow track "I See You." (Richie Unterberger, allmusic.com)

Of course these recordings can't be compared to their classics, but there are some songs that are catchy, like 'Street Girl', 'Grey Skies', 'I Love You', 'Love , Dance And Sing', 'A Thousand Ages From The Sun', just to name a few. Enjoy.(Frank)

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Wrong Flac 'zippy' Link for the ''Maypole'' album

Hello Folks,
yesterday i made a mistake with the ''Zippy'' Flac link of the 'Maypole' album. For those of you who haven't noticed it yet, it's now fixed. I am sorry for that. Thanks to John 1953 for the tip.

Greetings
Frank

Pop/Soul/Rock/R'n'B/Psychedelic Pop: The Rascals - Anthology 1965-1972 (1992 Rhino Records) 2 CD

Boasting all of the Rascals' essential hits as well as many enjoyable album tracks, this two-CD set does a fine job of summarizing the New Yorkers' accomplishments. Whether the Rascals are tearing into rockers like "You Better Run" (covered by Pat Benatar in 1980) and the Olympics' "Good Lovin'" (a frat rock staple) or expressing their love of soul music (both Northern and Southern) on "Groovin'," "A Beautiful Morning" and "I've Been Lonely Too Long," the package shows us just how dynamic they could be.

The Rascals' cover of Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour" is hard to resist, and it should be noted that their version of Sir Mac Rice's "Mustang Sally" was recorded before the song became a major hit for Pickett. Sadly, things broke down for the Rascals commercially in the early '70s, but the socially aware soul-pop songs "Love Me," "Saga of New York" and "Brother Tree" show that they still had some creative life left in them. And they indicate that with the right guidance and input (working with someone like Curtis Mayfield, maybe?), the band could have made a comeback and become an important part of the '70s soul-pop scene. From obvious choices to surprises, Anthology: 1965-1972 is a package that both rock and soul aficionados should savor. (Alex Henderson, allmusic.com)

Biography:
The Rascals, along with the Righteous Brothers, Mitch Ryder, and precious few others, were the pinnacle of '60s blue-eyed soul. The Rascals' talents, however, would have to rate above their rivals, if for nothing else than the simple fact that they, unlike many other blue-eyed soulsters, penned much of their own material.

They also proved more adept at changing with the fast-moving times, drawing much of their inspiration from British Invasion bands, psychedelic rock, gospel, and even a bit of jazz and Latin music. They were at their best on classic singles like "Good Lovin'," "How Can I Be Sure," "Groovin'," and "People Got to Be Free." When they tried to stretch their talents beyond the impositions of the three-minute 45, they couldn't pull it off, a failure which -- along with crucial personnel losses -- effectively finished the band as a major force by the 1970s.

The roots of the Rascals were in New York-area twist and bar bands. Keyboardist/singer Felix Cavaliere, the guiding force of the group, had played with Joey Dee & the Starliters, where he met Canadian guitarist Gene Cornish and singer Eddie Brigati. Brigati would split the lead vocals with Cavaliere and also write much of the band's material with him.

With the addition of drummer Dino Danelli, they became the Rascals. Over their objections, manager Sid Bernstein (who had promoted the famous Beatles concerts at Carnegie Hall and Shea Stadium) dubbed them the Young Rascals, although the "Young" was permanently dropped from the billing in a couple of years.

Time Peace: The Rascals' Greatest Hits
After a small hit with "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore" in 1965, the group hit number one with "Good Lovin'," a cover of an R&B tune by the Olympics, in 1966. This was the model for the Rascals' early sound: a mixture of hard R&B and British Invasion energy, with tight harmony vocals and arrangements highlighting Cavaliere's Hammond organ. After several smaller hits in the same vein, the group began to mature at a rapid rate in 1967, particularly as songwriters. "Groovin'," "Beautiful Morning," "It's Wonderful," and "How Can I Be Sure?" married increasingly introspective and philosophical lyrics to increasingly sophisticated arrangements and production, without watering down the band's most soulful qualities. They were also big hits, compiled for the 1968 LP release Time Piece: The Rascals' Greatest Hits, and provided some of the era's most satisfying blends of commercial and artistic appeal.

During the summer of 1968, almost as if to prove they could shake 'em down as hard as any soul revue, the Rascals made number one with one of their best songs, "People Got to Be Free." An infectious summons to unity and tolerance in the midst of a very turbulent year for American society, it also reflected the Rascals' own integrationist goals. Not only did they blend white and black in their music; they also, unlike many acts of the time, refused to tour on bills that weren't integrated as well.

Freedom Suite
"People Got to Be Free," surprisingly, was the group's last Top 20 hit, although they would have several other small chart entries over the next few years, often in a more explicitly gospel-influenced style. The problem wasn't bad timing or shifting commercial taste; the problem was the material itself, which wasn't up to the level of their best smashes.

More worrisome were their increasingly ambitious albums, such as the 1969 releases Freedom Suite and See, which found Cavaliere in particular trying to expand into jazz, instrumentals, and Eastern philosophy. Not that this couldn't have worked well, but it didn't. They had never been an album-oriented group, but unlike other some other great mid-'60s bands, they were unable to satisfactorily expand their talents into full-length formats.

A more serious problem was the departure of Brigati, the band's primary lyricist, in 1970. Cornish was also gone a year later, although Cavaliere and Danelli kept the Rascals going a little longer with other musicians. The band broke up in 1972, with none of the members going on to notable commercial or artistic success on his own, though Cavaliere remained the most active. (Richie Unterberger, allmusic.com)

I don't want to write too much, because you've probably read enough now, lol. The anthology offers really soo pretty much everything your heart desires if you like the music of the Rascals. With a nice 52 page booklet. Enjoy.(Frank)

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Rock/Psychedelic Rock: Maypole - The Real 1971 (2005 Gear Fab)

The album offers a lot of rock sounds, but always with a great feeling for melody. I think the band was a bit ahead of their time with this album. Of course they used all the ingredients that were common in their time, but they didn't do this at random.

The album sounded very modern for its time. The band consisted of excellent musicians and they knew how to use their skills skilfully. I like the album very much because it is very rocky and never forgets the essence of a song: expression and feeling. You can read the history of the band in the booklet, written by Dennis Tobell, co founder of the band. Enjoy.(Frank)

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Marvelous 60s Pop: Marmalade - There's A Lot Of It About (1968 CBS)

At a time where a lot of bands were going for otherworldly psychedelic ‘mind-crashers’, Marmalade went another direction. They had a very commercial sounding aura about them, and after four failed singles, they finally made the top 10 of the U.K. Charts. Fortunately for them, unlike massive bands like the Small Faces and The Move, Marmalade actually had a top 10 hit in the United States with “Reflections of my Life”, making them a one hit wonder in that country.

What Marmalade captures to do is create commercially sounding pop songs, without going over the top with or sounding too corny (most of the time!) Lead singer Dean Ford really puts them in control with a fantastic voice, and one that is synergistic with the songs themselves. It is too bad that he never never made it big as a solo artist after he left the group in 1974, after doing four albums with them.
As for the songs themselves, lets start with the covers. There is a total of five of them included on here, and I would say three of them were worth recording.

Their version of Big Brother & Holding Company’s “A Piece of my Heart” could have made it big itself. It perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the 60’s. Look up some live BBC songs on Youtube. There are many songs there that have that same feeling as “Piece of my Heart”. It’s easy to get lost in a magical rush of serotonin when Ford sings on this one. The Bob Dylan cover of “I Shall Be Released” might not be for everybody, but for a lot of people it will serve as a song you might listen to constantly for months. So smooth, and includes astounding horns that will make you reverse the songs a few times to hear it again.

Their cover of “Hey Joe” starts a bit boring for sure, the first verse is a little lazy. However, it picks up speed quickly and the last 2/3 of the song is definitely worth it. Their version of The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Summer in the City” is a song that I can take or leave it…Not bad, but not exceptional either. Now, as for the originals, you will mostly be happy with;
There are two particularly psychedelic songs on the album, one of them being the incredible “I See The Rain”, reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix. Ironically, Hendrix stated that “I See The Rain” was the the best song of 1967 for him. Crunchy guitar riffs, and parts of “Hey Joe” noticeable throughout it. I have never read or heard anybody say that, but there is a guitar part in this song that is identical to parts of Hendrix’s version.

The other psychedelic song, “There ain’t no use in Hangin’ on”, is a groovy piece of musical art that will captivate you with its catchiness and impressive guitar parts by lead guitarist William Junior Campbell. Then, we get to tracks like “Station on Third Avenue” and “Chains” both stylistically different, but they will each get you into music mode. “Chains” especially will grab you, with its Rubber Soul sounding maturity.
The opening track, “Lovin’ Things” got them into the charts.  Not a bad song, but the non album single “Wait for me Mary-Anne” is much better and should have replaced “Lovin’ Thing”. However “Lovin Things” did get them their first hit in the UK, peaking at number six.(moofmag.com)

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