In The Land of Grey and Pink - Caravan - 1971.

I guess if there was one album to totally represent the quintessential Canterbury progressive rock album of all times one would have to look to "In The Land Of Grey & Pink". David Sinclair's wandering keyboard solo's dominate this album with it's wild collection of prog, jazz and psychy elements. Of course the most talked about CARAVAN track "Nine Feet Underground" (22 Mins) epic track adorns the second side of this masterpiece. Once again GENESIS' producer David Hitchcock was brought in to engineer this album with CARAVAN (so too was "Waterloo Lily"). What I still find amazing is that at the time of release (1971) this album did not ever reach any mentionable UK or USA chart position, unlike neighboring albums like TULL's "Aqualung" (4), SOFT MACHINE's "3rd" (18) or CRIMSON's "Larks Tongues In Aspect" (20). The funny thing is that I personally rate "In The Land Of Grey And Pink" in the same lustrous light as those other great albums. In fact I read somewhere that only last year this album finally reached gold status! Without a question the first few CARAVAN albums are killer prog rock and need to be in your collection.

Studio Album, released in 1971

Songs / Tracks Listing
1. Golf girl (5:05)
2. Winter wine (7:46)
3. Love to love you (and tonight pigs will fly) (3:06)
4. In the land of grey and pink (4:51)
5. Nine feet underground: (22:40)
- Nigel blows a tune
- Love's a friend
- Make it 76
- Dance of the seven paper hankies
- Hold grandad by the nose
- Honest I did!
- Disassociation
- 100% proof

Total Time: 43:28

Bonus tracks on remaster (2001):
6. I Don't Know Its Name (6:12)
7. Aristocracy (3:42)
8. It's Likely To Have A Name Next Week (7:48)
9. Group Girl (5:04)
10. Disassociation / 100% Proof (8:35)

Line-up / Musicians
- Richard Sinclair / bass guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
- Pye Hastings / electric. guitars, acoustic guitar, vocals
- David Sinclair / organ, piano, mellotron, harmony vocals
- Richard Coughlan / drums, percussion
- Jimmy Hastings / flute, tenor saxophone, piccolo
- David Grinsted / cannon, bell, wind

http://rapidshare.com/files/291070809/Caravan_2nd.rar

Thanks chris H!

We Say Goodbye...Again!

The hardest part of any friendship is when it's time to say goodbye. As much as we might like things to stay the same, change is an inevitable part of life. The universe may seem huge and the rift between friends on opposite sides of the world may seem a great distance. There are many tools available with which we can communicate, but even without these tools there is a secret that only real friends know, and it is this. All the mountains and valleys in the world cannot separate friends whose hearts are as one.

You and I will meet again,
When we're least expecting it,
One day in some far off place,
I will recognize your face,
I won't say goodbye my friend,
For you and I will meet again”

Vaya Con Dios Our Friend!

A Good Friend's Melody

The time soon comes for parting,
And our time is at an end,
The rest of your life is starting,
And we have no time at all to spend.

You knew one day you'd have to go,
But thought you'd have more time.
We can't reverse time's one-way flow,
But at least you'll have this rhyme.

You had your shining moments,
Upon this life's darkened stage,
And in my book of wonderments,
You'll never be just another page.

Like the exploding of a star,
You've changed us in and out,
Your light will travel with us far,
Past when all other lights go out.

Canada Dry - The Rolling Stones - Oct. 2nd, 1997 Edmonton, Alberta!

Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Canada
Ocotober 2, 1997

Label : A Vinyl Gang Product
Catalog : VGP 206

Disc 1
01. Opening
02. Satisfaction
03. It's Only Rock n' Roll
04. B#*ch
05. Let's Spend The NIght Together
06. Rock And A Hard Place
07. Sister Morphine
08. Anybody Seen My Baby
09. 19th Nervous Breakdown
10. Out Of Control
11. Gimme Shelter
12. Miss You
13. Band Introductions

Disc 2
01. All About You
02. Wanna Hold You
03. Little Queenie
04. Crazy Mama
05. The Last Time
06. Sympathy For The Devil
07. Tumbling dice
08. You Got Me Rocking
09. Honky Tonk Women
10. Start Me Up
11. Jumping Jack Flash
12. You can't Always Get What You Want
13. Brown Sugar

Format : MP3
Bitrate : 320 Kbps
Artwork included

I have had the great pleasure of seeing the Stones in my hometown twice this concert being the second occasion. The night air was chilly and the stage set up gargantuous to say the least. The Stones ran through their setlist with an almost conveyor belt ease dropping in songs from every major period of their career.

I can't think of enough superlatives to describe the show! It was incredible, awesome, phenomenal, over the top! Our seats were outstanding - row five on the floor just to the right of center stage. How totally amazing it was to see them so close up - unforgettable!!!

The Stones kicked off the show with the usual numbers; "Satisfaction", "IORR",
"B#*ch","Let´s Spend..."and "Rock And A Hard Place".At this point it was clear that also the Stones,especially Mick, were on a good mood too. Mick thanked us all and told us that the night was not as cold as he had expected. Well, he had all the lights to warm him up...
We also got to hear "Crazy Mama", the second song performed on the satellite stage, instead of Let It Bleed. The CyberVote winner was my absolute favorite Stones song, Gimme Shelter...I was so thrilled to hear them play it live, and Lisa Fischer's voice...WOW!

AND...we got to see the much-anticipated propane cannons - which shot huge flames about 50 feet into the air during Jumpin' Jack Flash.

A very strange and interesting crowd that night. I guess for 60,000 people out to watch a then 30 year old band that should be assumed. My guess is 25% of the people there hadn't been to a concert since their kids were born. 10% of those had dragged their kids out to this show. 50% hadn't been to more than one show a year since they were still popping zits. About 1 in 2 patrons were impaired beyond belief. 24 % were out to enjoy the evening. My friends and I were there for the music. We felt outnumbered. And yes, if you're doing the math, we did make up 1% of the crowd. (hyperbole alert!)

Now while oil may be rising back to an all-time high, concert etiquette has got to be at an all-time low. And getting worse. Let me give you a short-list of the annoyances:

Your ticket has a section, row number and seat...it's not rocket-science to figure out where you're supposed to be sitting. If you don't know where your seat is, recognize that I don't work here and really don't give a sh*t if you find it, except to get you away from me.

While the patron in front of you may like beer, it's unlikely they use it as a cologne. If you can no longer keep your beer in the cup, it's time to stop drinking.

If you're gonna clap, get rhythm.

If you're gonna sing the words out loud, get laryngitis.

It's about $130 cheaper to chat with your girlfriend/boyfriend/bunkmate/significant other/hooker on hire OUTSIDE the venue, than inside. And you'll hear just as much. I'll hear more.

If you talked through the song, don't clap. You're not fooling me and you're only expanding your disrespect to the artist.

By now you might be wondering why this surly b*astard even bothered to head out on that chilly fall evening. Well, I like the music and have great respect for The Stones. To paraphrase Denis Leary; you see this scar on my wrist? I got that when American Idol hit the air.

OK but did I enjoy the show that cold evening long ago?
Hell yes...and I would go again in a second!

http://www.gigasize.com/get.php/230879/CanD_F_CD_1_FLAC.zip
http://www.gigasize.com/get.php/3198268711/CanD_F_CD_2.zip

Artwork:
http://www.gigasize.com/get.php/231840/CanD_Art_Front.JPG
http://www.gigasize.com/get.php/231838/CanD_Art_Back.JPG
http://www.gigasize.com/get.php/231841/CanD_Art_Inner.JPG

Catholic Boy - Jim Carroll Band - 1980.

Rest in Peace, Jim
I am very sad to let you know that Jim Carroll died on September 11, 2009.

This disc is as difficult to classify as its main architect is. Is this a Punk disc? If so, then what's the keyboard guy from Blue Oyster Cult doing playing on a couple of the songs? Is it a straight early 80's Rock album? Not with scorching guitar sounds, unconventional vocals and brutally "street" New York subject matter like this. Is it some sort of hip-hop precurser? No way, although reporting on life in the seedy urban jungle, as this disc does constantly, later became a rap music hallmark. And this Jim Carroll guy--confessional author? bowery poet? former junkie? lead singer of a smokin' band? This disc gives an emphatic "all of the above" answer to these questions. The disc occupies a rare stand-alone subcategory in the Rock world that defies further pigeon-holing, and its intensity and drive make it one of the best things to ever crawl out of New York in the past 22+ years.
Jim's singing is actually 80% Lou Reed-style speak-singing (mostly in tune with the music) , with about 20% of Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" era phrasing and tendency to change the pitch upward at the end of a phrase thrown in for good measure. The words matter to Jim: his voice is mixed up front, and he speak-sings clearly to make sure you get what he's written. He even repeats the entire lyrics of "Three Sisters" and "People Who Died" twice. The words are funny, thought-provoking, harrowing, surreal and sometimes disturbing. There are lots of strange vignettes taking place on the lower side of New York life. There are clever double meanings and quoteable rejoinders. There are no 'We're Gonna Rock Tonight' songs, no songs about cars, no 'I Want You, Baby' songs--the disc is nearly free of Rock cliches. Here's a witty example of his writing from the song "Three Sisters"---read this and think about whether he's describing a woman, or whether just maybe this 'Miranda' refers to the rights that the police are required to advise to suspects:"Though I don't understand her/I love my sister,her name is Miranda/the boys from Uptown, they can't stand her/ the more she denies them, the more they demand her/ but she just wanna lay in bed all night, reading Raymond Chandler".
The music is clearly Punk-influenced, but this isn't a total screaming thrash-fest, as American early 80's Punk had become. The two-guitars-bass-drums lineup are augmented at times by the afore-mentioned keyboards and even a sax on "City Drops Into the Night". "Day and Night" sounds positively mainstream with its female backing vocals, slow tempo and sythesizer wash, and almost seems out of place with the rest of the material--like maybe the record company wanted a song to promote as a single. The grittier sounds of the guitars prevail in most songs. The tempos are fast, the soloing miminal, and the production packs a solid whallop. "City Drops Into the Night" seems to be about twice as long as it needed to be to make its point, but other than this minor lull, the disc demands your attention and is hard driving right up the the final abrupt cutoff at the end of "Catholic Boy". The match with the lyrics/vocals is exceptionally good.
This is an overlooked but highly recommended disc from the dawn of the 80's that is sure to provide you with riveting listening material for years to come. It's a must for Manhattan-ites and those planning to visit.

"Wicked Gravity" (Jim Carroll) – 4:56
"Three Sisters" (Carroll, Terrell Winn) – 3:19
"Day and Night" (Carroll, Allen Lanier) – 2:22
"Nothing Is True" (Carroll, Brian Linsley) – 3:29
"People Who Died" (Carroll) – 4:59
"City Drops into the Night" (Carroll, Steve Linsley, Brian Linsley) – 7:23
"Crow" (Carroll, Terrell Winn) – 3:02
"It's Too Late" (Carroll, Wayne Woods) – 3:04
"I Want the Angel" (Carroll, Brian Linsley) – 2:49
"Catholic Boy" (Carroll) – 3:03

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5BSPPYKL

The Orient Express - Self Titled - 1969.

Here's another group from the sixties focusing on exploring the sounds of India and the Middle East. While it's well past a cliche to be doing that, especially by 1969, these folks do it quite well. The Orient Express grabbed a few ethnic acoustic instruments and modal ideas, and set out melding it with the 1967 vintage of the San Fran psych rock ballroom sound (with a hint of Syd Barrett's Floyd too). Along with the sitars, this band tries to play most of the guitar parts as f they are sitars too. Most of the tracks manage to work themselves into a whirling dervish-like frenzy. It's mostly instrumental, but we do get vocals from a fellow that sounds like he's channeling some of the less cuddly Hindu gods.

The first three tracks all work on the wild, strobe lit, sound quite amazingly, while the echoing canvas of "Birds Of India" takes a little more leisure, occasionally slipping into polyrhythmic insanity. "Caravan Of Silk" sound like the perfect music for enter an evil lair in some twisted low-budget (but great) adventure film, and "Azaar" eventually pulls out all the stops for a full frontal assault. Strangely enough the most pop friendly tracks appear near the end, with "For A Moment" and "A Little Star" sounding like tracks tailor made for the left-of-center, freakier radio stations (did AM radio have left of the dial?). With "Cobra Fever," we get a nice come down track along, which could end up in the aforementioned adventure film as the villain is plotting our hero's doom.

There's something mildly exploitative sounding about the Orient Express, but they tend to work up such a head of steam that I really don't care. It's like exotica for the turned on crowd.

Originally from Europe this band moved to the States. Guy Duris was actually born on the Left Bank and later met Golesorkhi, who had been decorated by the Shah of Iran for his drumming and was interested in applying Eastern rhythms to Western music, in Iran. They met Bruno Giet, a Belgian pilot and guitarist, in Paris while travelling around Europe. Soon the three members headed for America and settled in New York's East Village initially but ended up in California where their album was recorded. It's powerful Eastern-influenced psychedelia similar to Kaleidoscope.

Particularly fine examples of their marriage of Eastern and Western music are Train To Bombay and For A Moment. This album is highly recommended. They did not release any singles on Mainstream.
This act should not be confused with Liz Damon's Orient Express, who were from Hawaii and played cabaret music. They issued one album Liz Damon And The Orient Express (Anthem) 1970, and at least three singles: Loneliness Remembers/Quiet Sound (Anthem 51005) 1970, All In All/Walking Backwards Down The Road (Anthem 51006) 1970, and 1900 Yesterday/You're Falling In Love (White Whale ).
Fuzz Acid & Flowers
Highly recommended. Turn on the light show and trip.

01.Fruit of the dessert
02.Dance for me
03.Layla
04.Bird of India
05.Train to Bombat
06.Caravan of silk
07.Azaar
08.For a moment
09.Impulse (42 Drums)
10.A little star

http://www.mirrorcreator.com/files/0LLB2Y95/Orient_Express.rar_links

Shredder - Wackers - 1973.

Shredder began as a side project for head Wackers Bob Segarini and Randy Bishop, but morphed into a full-fledged Wackers album and, ironically, probably the one that best captured their freewheeling live spirit. It also scored their sole hit, Day and Night, which leads off the record. A rollicking end to a true rock ‘n’ roll band.

The Wackers' third album (recorded in 1973 after the band had relocated to Montreal from California) has a distinctly British pop sensibility, both in Randy Bishop's faux-camp vocals and its stripped-down production. "Eventually, Even You Even ... Full DescriptionMe" sounds both like early David Bowie and a template for the Britpop explosion of the 1990s, while the tropical textures of "The Beach Song" recall mid-period Kinks, and "It's My Life" rivals the Raspberries in its pure unashamed pop exuberance.

Recording information: Montreal, Canada (1973).

The Wackers: Kootch Trotchim (guitar, bass guitar); Ernie Earnshaw (drums); Randy Bishop, Robert Segarini, J. P. Lauzon.

Additional personnel: Jerry Mercer (drums); Jack Schaefer, Frankie Hart.

Rolling Stone: "SHREDDER mixes charm and snafu but ends with the best faux-David Bowie ballad of '73, 'Last Dance.'"

Day & Night
Hey Lawdy Lawdy
I'll Believe in You
Put Myself to Sleep
Eventually, Even You Even Me
Coming Apart
It's My Life
Beach Song
Buck Duckdog Memorial Jam
Last Dance

www.megaupload.com/?d=LSRAQJAJ

Wackering Heights - Wackers - 1971.

Guitarist and singer/songwriter Bob Segarini formed the Wackers in 1970 in Montreal, Canada. The artists he pulled together for this new group were guitarist, keyboardist, and bassist Randy Bishop; pianist and guitarist Michael Stull; bassist and guitarist Bill Trochim; and drummer Spencer Earnshaw. After three years, the lineup lost Stull, and drummer Gerry Mercer was brought in to help out. All of the members came into the act with plenty of experience. After recording four albums, the group called it quits in 1974.

The Wackers completed their debut album, Wackering Heights, in 1971 under the Elektra label. Two more albums followed, Hot Wacks and Shredder, each a year apart. In 1974, the group's last year together, Wack 'n' Roll was recorded. That fourth album, created during the slow death of the Wackers, was never to have a release date. Some of the tunes from the group during it lifespan include "I Don't Want My Love Refused," "White House," "No Place for the Children," "Body Go Round," and "Country Queen."

After the group fell apart, each of the members went on with a career in music. Lead singer Bob Segarini stepped into the world of solo performing and recorded several albums of his own.
Produced by Gary Usher of Byrds fame, the Wackers’ 1971 debut was out of step with the heavy (Led Zep) and heavily produced (Pink Floyd) fare in fashion at the time, full of jangly guitars, three-part harmonies and rock ’n’ roll attitude. The predictable result: mediocre sales but great critical acclaim! And, boy, does this record sound good now! I had the vinyl of this wonderful album. Great, great rock and soaring harmonies.

1 Travelin' Time Bishop, Coolidge, Segarini 2:53
2 Body Go Round Segarini 2:58
3 Don't Be Cruel Blackwell, Presley 2:59
4 Country Queen Bishop, Segarini 3:17
5 Strangers Bishop, Segarini 3:29
6 Don't Put Down the Singer Bishop 3:17
7 I Don't Want My Love Refused Segarini, Stull 2:48
8 White House Stull 3:39
9 I Like Bishop, Bishop, Segarini 2:07
10 On the Way Up Bishop, Segarini 3:26
11 Such a Good Thing Bishop, Segarini, Stull 3:14
12 No Place for the Children

http://rapidshare.com/files/174281078/753_Wackers_-_Wackering_Heights__1971_.rar

Love Heals - The Complete Recordings - Colours - 1967.

Colours launched onto the scene in 1968 with a stunningly glorious Psychedelic masterpiece of L.A studio wizardry. A super group before the name was coined, Colours was the brainchild of Gary Montgomery and Jack Dalton, two hard-working, former Motown songwriters who also penned songs for The Turtles, Nino & April and The Moon. This magical mystery tour-de-force of Psychedelic Beatlesque pop also features the talents of Derek & The Dominos bassist Carl Radle. This first-ever CD issue of their long-out-of-print albums (Colours and Atmosphere) is supplemented by long-lost '67 Dalton & Montgomery recordings cut just months before they formed Colours. 1969's Atmosphere features former Beach Boy David Marks around the same time he was a member of The Moon, another band with many connections to Colours. The 16-page colour booklet also includes rare, unpublished photos and comprehensive liner notes that feature the participation of original band members.

I bougnt the LP when it first came out, played it to death, and then spent the next FORTY YEARS searching for it, in LP, cassette, CD, whatever. It never appeared.And then, miracle of miracles, out comes the REAL CD. This was exceptional pop music, and the extensive liner notes will clue you in to the whole history. This is intelligent pop - great arrangements, harmonies and melodies.

I'm taking it with me to the desert island!

From album Colours (1968):
01.Bad Day At Black Rock, Baby - 3:26
02.Love Heals - 2:36
03.Helping You Out - 3:00
04.Where Is She - 2:25
05.Rather Be Me - 3:37
06.I'm Leaving - 2:47
07.Brother Lou's Love Colony - 4:29
08.I Think Of Her (She's On My Mind) - 2:12
09.Lovin' - 1:39
10.Cataleptic - 2:08

`67 Dalton & Montgomery (bonus tracks):
11.Don't You Realize - 1:55
12.Tommorrow's Women - 2:06
13.All At Once - 1:42
14.Right Or Wrong - 1:51
15.She'll Be The One - 2:36
16.She Just Wanted Kisses - 2:07

From album Atmosphere (1969):
17.Angie - 3:17
18.God Please Take My Life - 6:05
19.When Will You Be Coming Home? - 2:28
20.I Tried To Make You Love Me Last Night - 3:31
21.Grey Day - 3:54
22.Smillin' In Toronto - 4:09
23.Hyannis Port Soul (Lost You To The Wind) - 2:18
24.Run Away From Here - 1:59
25.It's Time To Tell You - 4:04
26.Announcement - 1:56
27.I'll Be Your Friend - 2:17
28.You're High - 2:37

Colours:
*Chuck Blackwell (drums, percussion)
*Jack Dalton (guitar)
*Rob Edwards (lead guitar)
*Gary Montgomery (keyboards)
*Carl Radle (bass)

http://lix.in/-53274c

password: xara

Thanx to phrock!

Miss Butters - The Family Tree - 1968.

A Classic of West Coast Psychpop. And a Much Sought after Gem....after The Breakup of San Francisco Garage Groups the Brogues ("Ain't No Miracle Worker"), Most Members Went on to Quicksilver Messenger Service....bassist Bill Whittington Formed the Family Tree with Bob Segarini of the Ratz and the Enigmatic Lee Michaels....the Latter Soon Dropped Out, and a Couple of Innovative Singles for the Mysterious La Based Mira Label Brought them to the Attention of Not Only RCA, but Sunbury Music's Dick Campbell and his Friend and Big Hope, Harry Nilsson....with Input from Harry (At this Time Being Hailed as a Genius by the Beatles Nd Writing Songs for Everyone from the Monkees and the Turtles on Down) the Band Embarked on the Semi-conceptual Album "Miss Butters"....an Amazing Semi-lost Gem of West Coast Psychpop Genius on a Par with Harry Nilsson's Own Records of the Period. Miss Butters is a lost classic from the 60s. It's an amazing record, really, and the real, first rock opera that got lost in the rush of releases of the day. It tells the story of Miss Butters, from birth without a father (He had died out on his farm, before he had a chance to hold his baby girl in his arms) to death (Miss Butters passed away, and we were instructed to write a card) and in between, growing up, becoming a teacher (Mrs. McPheeny would have wanted it that way) and losing in love. It's got great harmonies and nice flashy touches of orchestration.

Tracklist:
1.Birthday/Dirgeday
2.Melancholy Vaudeville Man
3.Any Other Baby
4.Sideshow
5.Mrs. McPheeny
6.Butter's Lament
7.Simple Life
8.Slippin' Thru My Fingers
9.Nine To Three
10.Lesson Book Life
11.Nickelodeon Music
12.Miss Butters
13.The Underture

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=T8Y95WDL

Cellophane Symphony - Tommy James and The Shondells - 1969/70.

Cellophane Symphony, credited to Tommy James & the Shondells, came only seven catalog numbers after the Crimson & Clover album, but oddly got a Top Ten hit in between the four hits that the earlier disc spawned. "Sweet Cherry Wine" is as good a pop song as one will ever hear, hitting the Top Ten in April of 1969, five months after "Do Something to Me" and five months before "Sugar on Sunday," both from Crimson & Clover (though it was the Clique who clicked with their version of "Sugar on Sunday"). This beautiful song, "Sweet Cherry Wine," is the epitome of peace, love, and '60s understanding, with a sound that is very much like TJ's own version of "Sugar on Sunday." The radio attention to a single on the highly experimental Cellophane Symphony is equally extraordinary because the album is very much like Tommy James doing his own Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. There are oddities, like side one's closer, "Papa Rolled His Own," which could be "When I'm Sixty Four" meets "You Know My Name, Look up the Number"; two Beatles offbeat ditties; and the almost as wacky "On Behalf of the Entire Staff & Management," which ends side two. In between is some lovely pop music, which one finds after they trip their way through the amazing nine and a half minutes of the title track. The instrumental song "Cellophane Symphony" is early Pink Floyd meets "20,000 Light Years From Home" when the Stones gave Satanic Majesties Request. It is the only title credited to the entire band, followed by two of five Ritchie Cordell/Tommy James co-writes: the poppy and excellent "Makin' Good Time" and the beautiful "Evergreen." Covered in keyboards and acoustic guitar, "Evergreen" is Tommy James being the folky and the pop star, a unique look at this underrated and important artist. It's a perfect setup to "Sweet Cherry Wine," which is the standout track, the subtle intro exploding into a chorus of the best type of anti-war sentiment: "Let's just get along." Pete Lucia writes two songs with James, one being the amazing "Changes," which opens side two, while Mike Vale helps James on "Loved One," making this a very special collection of ten songs wrapped up in a stunning black-and-white psychedelic cover of a hatch shell, empty benches, and cool '60s photography. Though Tommy James is all over the book Bubblegum Music Is the Naked Truth, he is beyond just an artist who hit with that genre. He's an artist whose value is evident on his country album, My Hed, My Bed, and My Red Guitar, as well as other catalog treats, like this disc with its strong compositions "Loved One," "The Love of a Woman," and the Richard Grasso/Tommy James hit that is a true pop classic, "Sweet Cherry Wine."

A1 Cellophane Symphony (9:37)
A2 Makin' Good Time (2:41)
A3 Evergreen (2:07)
A4 Sweet Cherry Wine (3:57)
A5 Papa Rolled His Own (1:46)
B1 Changes (5:36)
B2 Loved One (4:02)
B3 I Know Who I Am (3:25)
B4 The Love Of A Woman (4:29)
B5 On Behalf Of The Entire Staff & Management (3:53)

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=A5V5RWOS

Crimson and Clover - Tommy James and The Shondells - 1969.

Crimson and Clover is a highly underrated album. Not until recently has it begun to garner the recognition it deserves as a forgotten classic. Hopefully someday Crimson and Clover will be mentioned in the same breath as such classic albums as Odessey and Oracle ,Pet Sounds and Forever Changes (Now let's not go overboard!!!). If you honestly dig psychedelic guitars and swirling, distorted keys, pick up a copy of Crimson and Clover on vinyl while they are still fairly cheap. You will be in for a rockin' good treat!

Tracklisting:
A1 Crimson & Clover (5:26)
A2 Kathleen McArthur (2:41)
A3 I Am A Tangerine (3:25)
A4 Do Something To Me (2:28)
B1 Crystal Blue Persuasion (4:01)
B2 Sugar On Sunday (3:19)
B3 Breakaway (2:45)
B4 Smokey Roads (2:39)
B5 I'm Alive (3:12)

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=CKIMRTFJ

Emitt Rhodes - Self-Titled - 1970.

"With My Face On The Floor"
"Somebody Made For Me"
"She's Such A Beauty"
"Long Time No See"
"Lullabye"
"Fresh As A Daisy"
"Live Till You Die"
"Promises I've Made"
"You Take The Dark Out Of The Night"
"You Should Be Ashamed"
"Ever Find Yourself Running"
"You Must Have"

Hawthorne, CA, native Emitt Rhodes made his first mark in the music world in 1967 as the leader of the baroque pop band the Merry-Go-Round. The band achieved some marginal success with the Rhodes-penned "Live" and "You're a Very Lovely Woman," recording one album of Magical Mystery Tour-inspired pop. When the band broke up in 1969, Rhodes set up a home studio in his parents' garage and began his solo career, engineering and playing all instruments himself. The strength of his initial demos, now showing a strong Paul McCartney influence, helped him get signed to ABC/Dunhill. His critically acclaimed, self-titled debut managed to break into the Top 40 in 1971, but pressure from his record company forced him to rush-release a follow-up, Mirror, the same year. Mirror was predictably a lesser effort, barely charting. By the time of the third album, 1973's Farewell to Paradise, Rhodes was running into legal problems with ABC, since he was unable to fulfill his contract, which demanded he deliver a new album every six months. Disillusioned, he retired from the performing side of the business, working instead as an engineer and studio operator for Elektra/Asylum. Though he never released an album since Farewell to Paradise, he continued to write and demo new songs.

Although this probably wasn't meant to be, this album is Emitt Rhodes' definitive statement. Soon after disbanding the Merry Go Round (of "Live" fame) Rhodes scored a solo deal with Dunhill. Rather than recording with a band or using studio musicians (which he did with his first "solo" album American Dream), the multi-instrumentalist decided to build a small, primitive home studio and record the entire affair there, "At Home." The results are, in a word, staggering. Tracks such as "With My Face on the Floor," "Someone Made For Me," and the entire album as a whole showcase Rhodes' genius, and in the end, the songs are probably what most Beatles-maniacs wanted to hear from Paul McCartney's debut album. Rhodes' individuality shines through despite this; the album is a true classic of the period.

Rhodes recorded the album in his home studio. At the time, union rules required that recordings released on major labels must be recorded in proper studios, so the fact that this was a home recording could not be mentioned on the cover. The runout groove of the original LP release on Dunhill Records contained a decorative banner proclaiming, "Recorded at Home." Rhodes wanted to call the album Homecooking, but Dunhill decided to title it Emitt Rhodes.
Rhodes recorded the instruments on a four-track recorder and then approched Dunhill, who gave him a contract. He transferred the four-track instrumental recordings to an eight-track recorder to add the vocals on the four additional channels (and using a better microphone).
The album reached number 29 on the Billboard album chart. The single "Fresh as a Daisy" just missed the top forty. Billboard later called the album one of the "best albums of the decade". The song "Lullabye" was featured in the film The Royal Tenenbaums.
Get it - you won't be disappointed! A true masterwork!

http://rapidshare.com/files/111334412/EmittRhodes.rar.html
Thanx to PPOD.

The Open Mind - selftitled - 1969.

The band was formed in the mid 1960s by four musicians from Putney, South London.
Initially named The Drag Set, they released a little-known single in February 1967"Day and Night"/"Get Out of My Way".

Shortly thereafter, they changed their name to The Open Mind and in July 1969 released a self-titled LP which has since become a highly sought-after collectible.

This band produced one of the finest UK psychedelic albums, which is excellent throughout and hardly contains a bad track.

The music is characterised by some particularly strong psychedelic guitar work and good vocals.

It's impossible really to pull-out particular tracks as highlights - they're almost all equally good.

Fortunately this album was re-released and this has made this classic piece of 60’s Freakbeat much more accessible to collectors of 60’s psychedelia.

The reissue includes their second rare 45 release, which unlike the first wasn't taken from the album and is superb. A blistering 45 with tasty psychedelic fuzz guitar work.

The band, however, is best known for its druggy August 1969 single, "Magic Potion", which did not appear on the album but included in this CD release.

Tracklsting:
01.Dear Louise
02.Try Another Day
03.I Feel the Same Way Too
04.My Mind Cries
05.Can't You See?
06.Thor the Thunder God
07.Horses and Chariots
08.Before My Time
09.Free as the Breeze
10.Girl I'm So Alone
11.Soul and My Will
12.Falling Again
13.Magic Potion [*]
14.Cast a Spell [*]
15.Day and Night [*]
16.Get out of My Way [*]
[*] 45' single releases

The Open Mind:
Mike Brancaccio: Guitar/Vocals
Timothy De Feu: Bass
Phil Fox: Drums
Terry Martin: Guitar/Vocals
*Jon Anderson briefly sang in the band but left before the recordings to form Yes.

http://lix.in/-4a27ee
password: xara

Thanx to phrock!

Space Hymns - Ramases - 1971.

Pop-psych clashes with acid drenched madness to create a superb album of hippy rock with moogs, sitars and guitars to the fore!

There are many rumors and legends regarding Ramases and his wife, Sel; they were from another planet and departed Earth soon after their second album, Glass Top Coffin, was recorded; Ramases believed he was the reincarnation of the ancient Egyptian god; Ramases eventually killed himself in the 90's. With a bunch of stories like these, there was only one label crazy enough to produce this first Ramases album--Vertigo, and they did. With some of what was to become 10CC backing them, Ramases and his wife, who had been struggling to break into the late 60's psychedelic singles market, recorded the first fully-formed realization of his religious/environmentalist/alien vision. It remains today a wholly successful (albeit predictably strange) venture, and if it doesn't fully live up to the bizarre mythology Ramases invented for himself, it's still interesting and compelling to listen to as an artifact from different days.

Spacey sound effects fade into audibility at the beginning of "Life Child," followed by a grooving acoustic guitar riff. When the band kicks in, it really starts grooving, and when the bassist cranks up the overdrive on his amp, it downright rocks. Ramases bitingly spits out a list of humanity's failings as stewards of the earth, mockingly but sadly referring to us all as "life child." After this opener, you know you're in for a pretty entertaining trip. "Oh Mister" is a lot folkier, with Sel's vocals in the background more noticeable. Hand drums give this one a nice groove, and though the lyrics aren't substantial, they reinforce the first track's implication that Ramases is an observer from afar, trying to make sense of the way human civilization works, and why we do the self-contradictory things we do--probably the most fascinating and dominating concept of the entire album. "Oh Mister" also introduces a couple of the elements of Ramases' sound that get a little grating eventually--Sel's vocals are a bit rough; she often sings in unison with Ramases in a nasaly voice, which makes me wish she'd either not sing, or at least pick out a simple harmony part to soften it up a bit. The other thing is that many of the lyrics on the album are repetitions of the same line, which can sometimes seem a bit boring and lazy, though sometimes it works to great effect.

"And the Whole World" is a really hippie-folk apocalyptic ballad, not unlike the Bee Gees' "I Started a Joke," reaching some surprisingly emotionally accessible heights. "Quasar One" seems to be a hymn to the "home world," and features some gnarly backing from the inventive studio musicians. "You're The Only One" is blasted by another review here, since the lyrics repeat "You're the only one, Joe, the only one" over and over. Yeah, if you're not listening closely this is simply annoying. But in the context of Ramases' conceptual framework, the song eerily illustrates that feeling we all get sometimes--the feeling that you are the only one who is really alive, really real--with a creepy immediacy that makes it one of the most effective cuts on the album. The modal, chant-style "Molecular Delusions" is a pretty ominous depiction of Ramases' quite interesting belief that "We are most probably existing on a molecule inside the material of, perhaps, a living thing in the next size up," though it's repetitive and seems to go on a bit too long.

"Balloon" is moderately catchy folk-rock (which didn't stop the single version from disappearing immediately), and "Jesus" is the kind of generic hippie-Christian folk rock (complete with some really un-adventurous rhymes) that you wouldn't really expect from an alien. The album's closer, though, "Journey To The Inside," is one of the most interesting and trippy tracks, full of spacey synthesizers, pulsing with energy. It ends in turbulence, with clips of Ramases extolling some of his mystical beliefs.

In the end, Space Hymns is a very rewarding experience, full of interesting sounds (thanks to the very creative backing of the studio musicians, which adds many layers to the singer's songs) and some excellent ideas. I wish more of it rocked as hard as "Life Child," which ends up being one of the strongest songs on the album--at the very beginning. It's best listened to closely, on headphones or a decent stereo--otherwise, it may seem less interesting, subtly compelling, and sonically-detailed than it actually is. Repertoire's reissue is typical of their sound and packaging quality--excellent remastering, a beautiful digipak booklet with a small poster of the awesome church/spaceship cover art, and 4 bonus tracks, none of which are essential, as is usually the case with bonus tracks. Recommended for adventurous folk rock fans, and people interested in weirder prog and spacey 70's music. Maybe someday Repertoire will release Ramases' second album, Glass Top Coffin, which has never seen CD reissue...we can only hope and wait.

http://sharebee.com/6c82e909