Buckingham Nicks - Deluxe Edition - 1975.

A 21 track expanded album collection and including a very comprehensive and informational twelve page color booklet and printable disc label.

Tracklist:
01 - Crying In The Night
02 - Stephanie
03 - Without A Leg To Stand On
04 - Crystal
05 - Long Distance Winner
06 - Don't Let Me Down Again
07 - Django
08 - Races Are Run
09 - Lola (My Love)
10 - Frozen Love
11 - Crying In The Night (Single Version)
12 - Dont Let Me Down Again (Mono Single Edit)
13 - Sorcerer
14 - Garbo
15 - Cathouse Blues
16 - That's Alright
17 - Candlebright (aka Nomad)
18 - Without You
19 - Lola My Love (Live)
20 - Races Are Run (Live)
21 - Rhiannon (Live)

This collection begins with the ten tracks that comprise the self titled album from Buckingham Nicks, their only commercially released album. While the album saw several vinyl issues, spurred on in part by curiosity after Mac became hugely successful, it has never seen any legitimate commercial release in the digital age. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks own the full rights to the album and have come close to releasing it several times. Sources close to the pair state that Stevie very much wants it to be released but that Lindsey is the reluctant party.
The source for these tracks as they appear here is the original DLedin 16 bit vinyl rip of the album. This effort is considered to be one of the few consensus “must haves” in the crowded internet music trading pool. This is due not only to the fact that the album has never been released on CD (some bootleggers have made quite a bit of money as a result), but also because the quality of DLedin’s work here is
magnificent. It is significantly better than any of the myriad for profit bootlegs that have materialized over the years. In fact, as bold of a statement as it may seem, there is ample evidence to suggest that a commercial CD release from the original master tape would fail to live up to the lofty aural standard set by the “needledrop”. First off, original album producer Keith Olsen stated that when preparing the digital master for an aborted 1999 release of the work, it was
necessary to bake the master reel due to oxide flaking of the tape. This statement could lead one to assume with some probability that even ten years ago the analog master had suffered some deterioration. Even more compelling evidence can be found by way of two tracks that have seen commercial distribution. The first s “Stephanie” from the promotional compact disc “Lindsey Buckingham Words and Music”. The second is “Long Distance Winner” which appeared on Stevie’s “Enchanted” box set. Please find those tracks and compare them to their corresponding offerings here. The results will speak for themselves.

Tracks eleven and twelve are Galemark vinyl rips of two BN singles. The first,
“Crying in the Night”, is more than a simple remix. The original session for the album track is retained, but is augmented with at least two extra guitar tracks from Lindsey (and/or perhaps session ace Waddy Wachtel) and some additional backing vocals. As a result, the song takes on a more aggressive nature that belies the
album’s laid back SoCal feel. The second single included here is “Don’t Let Me Down Again”. This one is not a rerecording or remix, but simply a single edit which relieves the track of twenty seconds of soloing at the end, making it more “radio friendly”. This drop came from a white label promo 45, having the stereo edit on one side and a mono fold down on the flip side. The mono is chosen here to present the song in it’s full 1970’s AM transistor radio glory!

The next six tracks are demo recordings which have circulated extensively under the misnomer “The Coffee Plant Demos”. This title is in reference to a small storeroom in the San Francisco coffee plant of Lindsey’s father, where they installed a used Ampex four track recorder. “Sorcerer” and “Garbo” are widely reported to have
been written after the couple moved to Los Angeles, and the tapes themselves have several characteristics that allude to them having multiple points of origin.

Speaking of foreshadowing, the last three tracks of this set are fascinating in large part for the way in which they point to the future. This small live set remarkably is not the only live recording that exists of Buckingham Nicks, but is far and away the one with the best quality. Even with a good basic tape to work with, Galemark still had a lot of remastering work to do. The tape suffered many dropouts, not just the fine and complete type, but also large patches of tape where there was mal-alignment, causing fluctuations in the frequency curve. These were corrected or minimized as much as possible.

rapidshare.com:
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Thanks to Quality Dave.

Never Before - The Byrds - Compilation.

The Byrds' early demos recorded at World Pacific Studios by Jim Dickson in 1964 were (I think) first released on "Preflyte" (1969), revealing wonderful things like `You Showed Me' that should have been re-recorded for the first or second albums.

But "Never Before" was the first album to open Columbia's vaults and offered a tantalizing hint of the treasures to be found there. Subsequently these treasures were richly explored on the Boxed Set, and additional gems have come to light on the Expanded Edition reissues of the original albums.

I still have fond memories of "Never Before," and if it were available today at a reasonable price would probably pick it up. However, all or nearly all of its contents are now available elsewhere -- with improved mixes at that -- so you would have to be a pretty dedicated collector to pay top dollar for this.

Though I no longer own "Never Before," the following is to the best of my recollection what is here. Where I am unsure of something I've said so -- and will update this if I can nail a questionable track down.(All references to the Boxed Set are the first [1990] box)

(1) 'Mr. Tambourine Man'
This is a stereo mix of the original monaural single version, which runs 2:16 compared to the 2:29 album mix. (I think both versions are from the same take.) This "Never Before" track is on the Boxed Set; see the Boxed Set reviews if interested in my take on it.

(2) 'I Knew I'd Want You'
The "Never Before" contents list describes this as a "new stereo remix," which implies it is a remix of the Columbia release and not one of World Pacific Studios demos. This song was the flip of the `Tambourine Man' single, so I suspect this stereo remix is also from that single, made at the same time as the `Tambourine Man' stereo remix above.

I can find nothing matching this track's description on the Expanded "Tambourine Man" album or anywhere else. Whatever this is, it appears to remain unique to "Never Before"

(3) 'She Has A Way'
Available on the Boxed Set and Expanded "Tambourine Man".
Boxed Set booklet: "Although this track was first recorded by Jim Dickson as an acoustic demo, this superior second version, using the electric 12-string for the instrumental hook, was recorded during the "Mr. Tambourine Man" LP session, but remained unreleased until its appearance on "Never Before"."

(4) 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue'
This 1965 unreleased single is available in monaural on the Boxed Set and in stereo on the Expanded "Turn!" album.

(5) 'Never Before'
Available as `The Day Walk' on both the Boxed Set and Expanded "Turn!" album.
Boxed Set booklet: "`The Day Walk' was the original working title of the track later renamed `Never Before' by Gene Clark for the Murray Hill release. This version [Boxed Set] is from the original eight-track master and is presented here for the first time ever in beautiful wide stereo."

(6) 'Eight Miles High' [alternate]
This "previously unreleased" alternate version is probably the same RCA alternate as the bonus track on Expanded "5D" album.

(7) 'Why' [alternate take]
This "previously unreleased" alternate take is a bonus cut on the Expanded "5D" album.

(8) 'Triad'
On the Boxed Set and Expanded "Notorious Byrd Brothers" album. Boxed Set booklet: "This cut, surviving from the Notorious sessions, was the last Byrds recording made with David Crosby's involvement before his departure from the original group."

(9) 'It Happens Each Day'
On the Boxed Set and Expanded "Younger Than Yesterday".
Boxed Set booklet: "org. release "Never Before". Remixed from the original eight-track master, this track is presented here [Boxed Set] for the first time in beautiful wide stereo."
(Too bad this great track was bumped for `Mind Gardens' on "Younger Than Yesterday.")

(10) 'Lady Friend'
This version is apparently still unique to "Never Before" -- though that is not necessarily a good thing.
"All Music Guide To Rock" says of this: "...'Lady Friend,' one of Crosby's best compositions, is ruined by a ham-fisted drum track overdubbed in the 1980s (it was restored to its original version on the Boxed Set)".

Boxed Set booklet: "Remixed from the original eight-track master, this [Boxed Set version] is `Lady Friend's' first appearance in wide true stereo with no additional overdubs."

I think the Boxed Set mix is also used on Expanded "Younger Than Yesterday" and "Essential Byrds". For those who are interested, the original monaural single seems to be on the import album, "The Byrds: Definitive Collection".

(11) 'I Know My Rider'
On the Boxed Set and Expanded "5D". Boxed Set booklet: "Remixed from the original eight-track master for its inclusion here [Boxed Set] in wide true stereo. `Rider' was an out-take from the "5D" Lp sessions."

(12) 'Why' [single version/ stereo mix]
There is a different stereo mix of the 'Why' single on Expanded "5D"; unlike this one, it is faithful to the monaurel mix and is by far the one I prefer.
This "Never Before" mix is on the Boxed Set, where the booklet describes it as "45 version" and "Remixed true stereo version from "Never Before"." (See Boxed Set reviews for a description of this mix and why I do not prefer it.)

(13) 'She Don't Care About Time' [Unreleased Single version]
This version of 'Time' was the flip side of the unreleasd 1965 single 'Baby Blue'. This track is monaural with opening countdown on the Boxed Set, and in stereo without countdown on Expanded "Turn!".

(14) 'Flight 713' [instrumental]
My memory of this track fails me so I can't confirm this but... I suspect this is the instrumental listed as `John Riley - instrumental version 1' on Expanded "5D".
"All Music Guide To Rock" describes the "Never Before" track as "a taut, almost jazzy piece."

[CORRECTION 5/11/06: Johnny Rogan's book "Timeless Flight Revisited" says 'Flight 713' "was discovered at the end of the studio tape for 'Get To You'." This places it in the "Notorious Byrd Brothers" sessions, making it a different work entirely from "5D's" 'John Riley' instrumental. Since 'Flight 713' is not a bonus cut on the Expanded "Notorious" CD, it is apparently still unique to "Never Before". Rogan calls it: "An effective instrumental that might have been developed into a strong song ... a welcome glimpse into McGuinn and Hillman's post-Crosby studio tinkering." Rogan also explains why I don't remember this track: I owned the original vinyl album, and this is among the bonus cuts later added to the CD version.]

(15) 'Psychodrama City'
Available on Boxed Set and Expanded "5D".
Boxed Set booklet: "Remixed from the original eight-track master [for the Boxed Set], this version, actually in demo form, contains the full guitar intro which was deleted from the "Never Before" release. It is also presented for the first time in wide stereo."

(16) 'Don't Make Waves' [Single Version/Stereo Mix]
Title song for movie of same name, this was the flip of the single 'Have You Seen Her Face'. It is a bonus track on Expanded "Younger Than Yesterday."

(17) 'Moog Raga'
Available on Expanded "Notorious Byrd Brothers."

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Released - Jade Warrior - 1971.

It isn't easy to define the music of Jade Warrior. At times they sound like Jethro Tull, but they often venture into jazz-fusion, & then again into an ethnic influence involving primitive percussion sounds,& just to totally confuse matters they sometimes drift into an oriental love ballard.The sheer diversity of their music & the fact that they arose from 1970,[& being well ahead of their time], made them somewhat unique & they remain so even to this day.
Those familiar with an early style called acid rock will enjoy the way-out electric guitar style of the late Tony Duhig especially on the track "Minnamoto's Dream". The Jethro Tull likeness can be heard from the beginning on "Three-Horned Dragon King" the opening track,& again on "Eyes on You",-but there the similarity with other bands ends-,while the beautiful "Bride of Summer" & "Yellow Eyes" have a tranquil far eastern air. The light rock song "Reason to Believe" provides a not so serious interlude before the 14 minute long "Barazinbar" which has an exotic African sounding rhythm that becomes totally hypnotic until it dissipates into a free jazz-like jam, & to round the album off with a bizzare twist "Minnamoto's Dream" reoccurs with a lightly different ending.
It would be fair to say that about half of this album rocks,in the style of the early seventies,and I mean IT ROCKS, the rest of the music is a unique blend of jazz & ethnic influences as well as some oriental themes & a touch of psychadelic. This amazingly diverse & musically rich combination was produced largely by the band's three main members during their early years,Jon Field's flute & percussion,& Glyn Havard's vocal's & bass, together with Duhig's guitar made Jade Warrior a group apart from most other bands at a time when many musical barriers were being broken.
I recommend "Released" as an introduction to Jade Warrior & to anyone wanting to hear a fine example of the band's earlier work.

Track Listings

1. Three horned Dragon King (6:09)
2. Eyes on you (3:05)
3. Bride of Summer (3:19)
4. Water curtain cave (6:28)
5. Minnamoto's dream (5:30)
6. We have reason to believe (3:50)
7. Barazinbar (15:00)
8. Yellow eyes (2:51)
9. Minnamoto's Dream (???)

Total Time: 46:12
Line-up/Musicians

- Tony Duhig / guitar
- Jon Field / flute, congas, percussion
- Glyn Havard / vocals, bass
- Dave Conners / alto & tenor saxes, flute
- Allan Price / drums

http://sharebee.com/a47d9e9e

For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night - Caravan - 1975.

Caravan welcomed back original keyboardist David Sinclair after his short stint with Matching Mole. Bassist Richard Sinclair left at this time, though, dissatisfied that the rest of the band did not want to continue in the jazz-rock vein of Waterloo Lily. Sinclair was replaced by John Perry (Spreadeagle). Thus, the path was cleared for Caravan to return (for an album, at least) to the basic sound that they had patented with In the Land of Grey and Pink. According to the liner notes, Caravan fans in the early 1970s were a particular lot (even the innocuous newcomer, violist Peter Geoffrey, was greeted by the fans with a mixture of suspicion and hostility); they knew what they wanted and it wasn't jazz fusion. I'm partial to the direction the band took on Waterloo Lily, but I do think that For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night is another very good Caravan album. It was the last record, though, of the group's most creative period (though far from the last to feature a lame pun).
In fact, For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night may well be Caravan's most consistently listenable album for me — there's not a single weak track, by my estimates. Every tune seems candy-coated with catchy vocal melodies and the music — the band's most rock-oriented to date — is full of hooks and is quite economical for a band that liked to stretch things out. The "L'Auberge Du Sanglier" suite is weighed down some by the strings and it occasionally labors through its winding 9:46, but that's really the worst I can say. For Girls... is also the most guitar-dominated of any previous Caravan album, contributing to its "rock" feel and also giving it a west-coast (U.S.) jam-band quality in spots. The harmonized "Hoedown," for instance, reminds me of nothing so much as Moby Grape's barn-burning "Hey Grandma." Some of this late-'60s vibe is present elsewhere, like "Surprise, Surprise," and the choruses of "C'thlu Thlu." Everything else is pretty much what fans of earlier Caravan came to know and love.

The 2001 remaster of this album contains over thirty minutes of additional material; unfortunately, all of it is just alternate versions or demos of the music already on the album.

Tracklist:
1. Memory Lain, Hugh/Headloss — 9:19
2. Hoedown — 3:10
3. Surprise, Surprise — 3:45
4. C'thlu Thlu — 6:10
5. The Dog, The Dog, He’s At It Again — 5:53
6. Be Alright/Chance of a Lifetime — 6:38
7. L'Auberge Du Sanglier/A Hunting We Shall Go/Pengola/Backwards/A Hunting We Shall Go (Reprise) — 9:46
8. Memory Lain, Hugh/Headloss (US Mix) — 9:18
9. No! ("Be Alright")/Waffle ("Chance of a Lifetime") — 5:10
10. He Who Smelt It Dealt It ("Memory Lain, Hugh") — 4:43
11. Surprise, Surprise — 3:15
12. Derek's Long Thing — 11:00

total time 78:51

http://rapidshare.com/files/112525499/CARAFOR.rar

The Soft Machine - Selftitled - 1968.

1968 isn't so long ago is it ?

Surviving thus far and having enjoyed more than a passing
association with the Canterbury music scene I seem
to remember Soft Machine with fond affection.
(At my advanced age an old Wolf cannot be quite sure!)

In many ways they were quite unique.

To have their debut album restored to human consciousness
will be a big thrill to all those jaded hippies and bohos
who are still able to gaze upward to the stars and dream.

This was fiercely uncompromising music for those unafraid to listen.
Intelligent; droll; a tad bonkers and very, very English.

'A Certain Kind' finds Bob Wyatt reaching for those top
notes as though his life depended on it. Mr. Ratledge's
churchey organ (A Lowrey Holiday De Luxe no less - and it
was a brave man who chose one of those over a Hammond
I can tell you !!) brings gravitas to the warmly
affecting arrangement. Mr Wyatt also reminds us what a
truly inventive and epic drummer he was.

'Joy Of A Toy' finds life for the first time here (it's
spirit re-emerged a year or so later in Kevin Ayers'
debut solo album of that same name) and gives a small glimpse
of what was to emerge later in the band's progressively
distilled and refined improvisatory methods.

'So Boot If At All' is the kind of jam that many others
(myself included !) were attempting to emulate in garages all
over the kingdom but delivered here with far greater imagination
and alacrity than most of us could ever have hoped to muster.
The drum solo (!!!) is manfully sustained.

'Pricilla' is a strangely fragile one minute lounge-jazz out-take.
There and gone almost as if it hadn't quite existed at all.

Tiny sketches like this crop up elsewhere.
'Plus Belle Qu'une Poubelle' and 'Box 25/4 Lid'
are both willfully obfuscating miniatures.

The additional inclusion of 'Love Makes Sweet Music'
(Soft Machine meets The Monkees !) and the Zappa-esque
'Feelin', Reelin', Sqealin'' are an absolute hoot of a bonus.

Chas Chandler and Tom Wilson's production skills have also
stood the tests of time and emerged with dignity intact.

To have heard 'We Did It Again' (another quasi-Motherly Invention)
is nothing short of an absolute joy !

If you have even just the smallest spirit of adventure
I entreat you to give this wonderful album a listen.

The rewards are rich.

Highly recommended.

01."Hope for Happiness" (Brian Hopper, arr. Robert Wyatt / Mike Ratledge / Kevin Ayers) – 4:21
02."Joy of a Toy" (Ayers / Ratledge) – 2:49
03."Hope for Happiness (reprise)" (B. Hopper, arr. Wyatt / Ratledge / Ayers) – 1:38
04."Why Am I So Short?" (Hugh Hopper / Wyatt) – 1:39
05."So Boot If At All" (Ratlege / Ayers / Wyatt) – 7:25
06."A Certain Kind" (H. Hopper) – 4:11
07."Save Yourself" (Wyatt) – 2:26
08."Priscilla" (Ayers / Ratledge / Wyatt) – 1:03
09."Lullabye Letter" (Ayers) – 4:32
10."We Did It Again" (Ayers) – 3:46
11."Plus Belle qu'une Poubelle" (Ayers) – 1:03
12."Why Are We Sleeping?" (Ayers / Ratledge / Wyatt) – 5:30
13."Box 25/4 Lid" (Ratledge / H. Hopper) – 0:49

http://uploadmirrors.com/download/1JUFE34J/Soft%20Machine.rar

Local Anaesthetic - Nirvana - 1971.

Nirvana had been around the London music scene since the late 60's, creating psychedelia albums of cult status. By the time of recording Local Anaesthetic, Nirvana had slimmed down to a one man project - founder Patrick Campbell-Lyons. In the original album notes that accompany the CD he states that this album marked the real birth of Nirvana, although it was 'mentally un-balanced'. It was released on the Vertigo label, and if you are familiar with the Vertigo band Gracious, then you'll have an idea of how this album sounds. It's composed of 2 tracks, although the second has been broken into it's 5 component parts on the CD track listing. The first track 'Modus Operandi' has been built up from various musical snippets, similar in approach to the first Gracious album. A soft flute passage will suddenly jump into a boogie rock piece, and then cut to some harpsichord, with no real musical theme connecting any of the different elements. This doesn't necessarily have to be a criticism if the different elements grab your attention, but too much of the music in Modus Operandi just passes you by. It should also be said that Patrick isn't a great vocalist. Again not necessarily a criticism in itself, as some of my most favourite singers from the 70's didn't exactly fit the normal classic vocalist role - but the sections with lyrics feel as if they bog down the inventiveness of some of the instrumental passages.

And this theme continues into the second track Home. It starts with some fabulous almost voodoo sounding congo drums. Then stops. And a harpsichord comes in for no obvious reason, followed by Patrick on vocals again. Unfortunately the greater use of vocals and a more structured song based approach actually makes Home the weaker of the two tracks, in my humble opinion.

Tracklist:
1. Modus Operandi (16:15)
2. Home (19:12)

http://rapidshare.com/files/80203690/nir-la.zip.html