New Mirror Site

With all the things goin` on in the world , i thought it prudent to set up a mirror site :
set your bookmarks - if anyone knows any other "cool" host blogsites , please let me know !
Mirror Site = Akashaman`s Kosmos II

Rabbitt - A Croak And A Grunt In The Night - Capricorn Records - `77

ok ,as promised here is the 2nd & last Rabbitt LP from 77. this one might be better , hard to say they both are so good. came out pretty clean , lp is in ex shape ! - turn it up ~ enjoy


Musicians:
Trevor Rabin: Vocals, guitars, piano, electric piano, harmonica, tubular bells, string arrangements, producer
Neil Cloud: Drums, percussion
Duncan Faure: Vocals, rhythm guitar, organ, piano
Ronnie Robot: Bass
Margaret Singana: Guest vocals on 'Tribal Fence'
Patric van Blerk: Producer
Julian Laxton: Remix engineer
Peter Thwaites and Greg Cutler: Engineers
Release information:
South Africa: 1977, Jo'Burg Records, TJL 13014
* USA & Canada: 1977, Capricorn , CP 0190


Comments:


'Tribal Fence' is a cover of the Freedoms Children track from the album Astra. The Rabbitt version features the incredible vocal talents of Margaret Singana, who was the lead singer on The Warrior album by Ipi 'N Tombia in 1973. Trevor has worked with Margaret on a number of her albums.
Margaret Singana also recorded a very powerful version of 'Tribal Fence' which is available on the Lady Africa compilation CD.
The Rollers re-recorded 'Working For The People' in 1980 (on 'Voxx'). Similarily, Rabin re-did 'Hold On To Love' as 'Hold On To Me' for his 1989 solo album 'Can't Look Away', which featured Duncan Faure on backing vocals.
-- Hannes, Bay City Rollers Discography website


Review:


I was a little young when Rabbitt were at their peak and had not yet developed an interest in music. All I remember about them was my grandmother complaining about the racket these long haired boys were making when they appeared on Pop Shop. So when I came across "A Croak.." about a year back, I though I'd better check out what the fuss was all about.
My initial reaction was that they are not as hard rock as I expected. There are hints of Jazz in the intro to "Everybody's Cheating" but the over all feel of the album is one of 70's glam rock which I suppose it was. The use of the piano on a number of tracks is reminiscent of Billy Joel and Elton John of the same era.
There are some nice rock ballads and some quite tuneful pop numbers some almost Beatles-esque. One highlight for me is the cover of Freedoms Children's "Tribal Fence" where they are joined by Margaret Singana. It is a up tempo version and one I find less "busy" than the Freedoms Children version, but does not have the same depth as the original.
"A Love You Song" is the vehicle for a great guitar work out for (I presume, as the album I bought didn't have any sleeve notes) Trevor Rabin and is the other highlight of the album. You can see why supergroup Yes took him on.
Overall this is a solid album but I must say that I was a little disappointed. I guess you had to be there to have really appreciated this, or maybe my grandmother just psychologically scarred me for life. [John Samson, July 2000]  


Rabbitt - A Croak And A Grunt In The Night - Capricorn Records - `77
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps - includes high rez cover scans


Tracks:


T.C. Rabin In D-Minor (Rabin) [0.24]
I Sleep Alone (Rabin) [2.52]
A Croak And A Grunt In The Night (Rabin/van Blerk) [2.37]
Everybody's Cheating (Rabin/van Blerk) [4.10]
Sugar Pie (Rabin) [3.22]
Searching (Rabin) [4.13]
Working For The People (Rabin/Robot/Faure/Cloud) [4.21]
Pollyman (Rabin) [2.23]
Schumann (Trad. arr. Rabin) 0.21]
Hold On To Love (Rabin/van Blerk) [4.06]
Dingley's Bookshop (Faure) [2.10] theme from a TV series
Never Gonna Ruin My Life (Rabin) [0.56]
Tribal Fence (MacKay) [3.51] featuring Margaret Singana
Gift Of Love (Rabin/van Blerk/Robot) [3.44]
Lonely Loner Too (Faure) [3.35]
Take It Easy (Rabin) [3.40]
A Love You Song (Faure) [1.46]


DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

Rabbitt - Boys Will Be Boys - `76 - Capricorn Records

DAMN THESE GUYS WERE GOOD ! i know , u never heard of them but i bet you have heard of YES , eh ? well , trevor rabin played in yes , singer/guitarist - well this was his first band , from south africa !
from what i understand they were quite the stir back in the day ! [google that shit ! ] screamin girls the whole bit ! - check them out & let me know what YOU think - i friggin love this LP -------- oh & i have their 2nd one up next ,[ if i start getting some feedback ?!] so there :P  : total power pop & the like here KIDZ ~ does it get any better than this ? not any more



Comments:
Locomotive Breath
Rabbitt covered the Jethro Tull classic 'Locomotive Breath' in 1972 and released it as a single. It was number 96 in the LM Radio Top Hits of 1972. I guess you could say it was a runaway smash!
Patric van Blerk engaged Trevor on a session to play guitar on a version of Jethro Tull's 'Locomotive Breath' he had wanted to do. The recording session had Errol Friedman playing guitar (Ronnie Robot's brother), Fransua Roos on keyboards (who did the arrangement), Lou "Moose" Forer (from Suck) on bass and Cedric Samson on drums. The single was put out under Rabbitt and took off into the charts (it made the LM top ten).
-- The History Of Contemporary Music Of South Africa(1994, Toga)
The lyrics were "cleaned-up" for the SA censors: "his woman and his best friend" were now "travelling to the sun" and "the all-time winner" had got him by..."the hands"!
When Rabbitt re-recorded this track in 1975 for the 'Boys Will Be Boys!' album, the original Jethro Tull lyrics returned; a brave move at the time!

Rabbittmania

This is great rock album, but unfortunately the "rabbitt-mania" that followed the boys appearances on the then brand-new medium of TV, meant that serious rock music-lovers ignored the band because they "only attracted 14-year old groupies". I was sixteen and liked "14-year old groupies" so it was cool!
What a pity, though for some, to miss out on such rock classics as 'Hard Ride', 'Lifeline', 'Savage', etc.

Charlie

'Charlie', was a huge radio hit, but did very little to win over the rock fans.
"As dogs go you're groovy
not as predictable as some
but you're not as paranoid as Lady Marmalade
and really much more fun"

I knew Rabbitt, and so far as I know, Charlie was Trevor's dog, but I'm not certain of this.

-- Mandy Vose, September 1999

I co-produced this track with Patric van Blerk and Charlie is not a 'dog'. He is actually Patric's close friend and partner [Charles Coetzee]. 'Lady Marmalade', lyrics from the song, is their persian cat.
-- Julian Laxton, November 1999

Awards

'Boys Will Be Boys' became a gold record (25 000 copies sold) faster than any other South African record.
Rabbitt won a Sarie award, the South African equivalent of a Grammy award, for Best Contemporary Pop Music.
Engineer Julian Laxton, producer Patric van Blerk, and Trevor himself all received Saries. Trevor's was for best arranger.
Nearly all these great tracks (and others) can be found on Rabbitt - The Hits CD released by Gallo in 1996.

Review:
 Kurt Shoemaker, Texas, May 2001

If I had heard Rabbitt's 'Boys Will Be Boys' before hearing Rabbitt's 'The Hits' the boys would have lived up to my expectations for a rockin' band. Before I bought 'The Hits' I had heard 'Charlie' and knew that they had covered 'Locomotive Breath', so after all the praise sung about Rabbit I expected some power pop of higher proof than on 'The Hits'.
'The Hits' is a nice CD at a nice price, but the rocking content is somewhat diluted by slower, sentimental numbers. Ballads are all well and good, but if 'Boys Will Be Boys' is typical of their other albums, Rabbitt would be better served by a reissue program of LPs on CD. I expected something rockier and 'The Hits' is a tad on the glossy side.
However, 'Boys Will Be Boys' rocks. It is not raw rock, but rather has the polished production I associate with their sound (at times reminiscent of 10cc). 'Boys Will Be Boys' should be a listener's introduction to Rabbitt, to be followed by 'The Hits'. It has creative songs and wonderful musicianship.
Six of the ten songs from 'Boys Will Be Boys' are on 'The Hits', but their impact there is diluted by the number of wistful, pretty songs on 'The Hits'. In their original line-up, the songs on 'Boys Will Be Boys' add up to a nice rocking album with a few slower interludes that set apart the up-tempo numbers.
The four songs on 'Boys Will Be Boys' that are not on 'The Hits' mostly git up and go. Songs like 'Something's Going Wrong with My Baby' and 'Looking for the Man' add jump to the album. Overall, 'Boys Will Be Boys' is like a 33 minute rocking live set that also has a few slow numbers thrown in for close dancing.
Don't get me wrong, Rabbitt's 'The Hits' is essential to my South African music collection -- just as 'Boys Will Be Boys' is essential music, too. This album rules, ok?    
[ rock.co.za/files/rabbitt_boys.html ]

Musicians:
Trevor Rabin: Vocals, guitars, keyboards, producer, arranger
Neil Cloud: Drums, percussion
Duncan Faure: Keyboards, lead vocals on 'Hard Ride'
Ronnie Robot: Bass

Patric van Blerk: Producer
Julian Laxton: Producer, engineer
Strings by Pro Arte, led by Bram Verhoef
Solo violin on 'Hard Ride' by Godfrey Rabin (Trevor's father)


Rabbitt - Boys Will Be Boys - `76 - Capricorn Records
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010 
MP3 @ 320 kbps - includes high rez cover scan

Tracks:
Something's Going Wrong With My Baby (Rabin) [4.45]
Savage (Rabin) [4.43]
Lifeline (Rabin/Van Blerk) [6.00]
Locomotive Breath (Ian Anderson) [3.35]
Hard Ride (Rabin) [4.05]
Baby's Leaving (Rabin) [2.20]
Eventides (Rabin) [2.34]
Looking For The Man (Rabin/Van Blerk) [4.00]
Death Of Tulio (Rabin) [0.22]
Charlie (Rabin/Van Blerk) [2.35]

DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

Sky - Dont Hold Back - `70 - RCA Records

well , this one is for knack fans ...wait , were there any knack fans ? ha - just joshing , this is a great LP with `ol doug on bass & vox. ya , we lost him recently , so here is my tribute to the man & his mission ! - let me know what u think of tis 70`s gem ! - take off and fly will ya ?

I have to admit here that I was never a huge fan of the Knack. It would be accurate to say that in 1979, ‘My Sharona’ was nothing less than a blight on my senior year of high school, the kind of song that sent me flying to change the radio dial whenever it came on. It wasn’t until a few years later, when I heard their cover of the Kinks’ ‘The Hard Way’ that I softened in my appraisal of the band (which would have happened eventually since they were right up my power pop alley).
Anyway, it was early last year, on a digging/DJing trip to Washington DC that my man DJ Birdman turned me on to the fact that the Knack wasn’t Doug Fieger’s first band. That honor goes to the group you’re hearing today, Sky.
Fieger came of age in Detroit, where in the late 60s, he apparently sent a letter off to uber-producer Jimmy Miller (Rolling Stones, Traffic among many others) and suggested that if he were ever to come to the Motor City, he should drop in and hear Fieger’s band, that being Sky. Miller took him up on his offer, and at the ripe old age of 17, Fieger and his bandmates were spirited off to the UK where they recorded their debut album, ‘Don’t Hold Back’ in 1970. They would record a second LP with Miller (this time back in the States) before breaking up in 1972.
I grabbed the Sky album out of sheer curiosity, but was blown away when I actually heard it. Doug Feiger and his bandmates were making music with the same kind of proto-power pop sting as contemporaries like Big Star and the Raspberries. This is not to suggest that they sound anything like either of those bands, but rather that the benefit of hindsight suggests that they were all sailing in the same general direction.
The sound of Sky is a mix of 1970-appropriate heavy guitars, mixed with some great hooks. They were clearly ahead of their time, which is probably what doomed them to obscurity.
The three tunes featured today are fairly representative of the sound of that first album. ‘Goody Two Shoes’, ‘How’s that Treating Your Mouth Babe’ and ‘One Love’ all have the same tight, choppy guitar riffs that with a tiny bit less of the ‘stadium filling’ vibe would resurface as the decade progressed with Grin, Dwight Twilley, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers i.e. the earlier, rockier end of what would eventually morph into new wave and power pop.
I don’t know if any of the Sky material has ever been reissued on CD, but it ought to, since it’s quite good.
I hope you dig it, and you raise a glass in memory of Doug Fieger. [ larry ]


Sky - Dont Hold Back - `70 - RCA Records
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps
- includes high rez cover scans


Goodie Two Shoes
Take Off And Fly
Rockin' Me Yet
I Still Do
Make It In Time
One Love
There In The Greenbriar
How's That Treating Your Mouth Babe
Homin' Ground
Feels Like 1000 Years


DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

The World of Terry Jacks and The Poppy Family - `76 - London Records

Man i love these guys ! partridge family meets the manson family , ha - the poppies can get pretty dark for such a flowery band ..... don`t  let this one fool ya. for those who havent heard much of da poppies , u will be amazed - the production is really good with lots of cool sounds drifting in & out half the time. they always did a lot with so little. terry was a great writer , producer. and susan`s voice is just haunting ! doesnt get any better than this one kids ! let me know what ya think ! 
[ cause i got more poppies ! ] -------------  where is everyone at ? ! lol


Susan Jacks' voice became highly recognizable when "Which Way You Goin' Billy" climbed the charts in 1970, and her husband hit number one in 1974 after they divorced with a remake of a song once performed by the Kingston Trio, "Seasons in the Sun." The meticulous songwriting, production, and arranging skills of guitarist/mastermind Terry Jacks (who later had a huge solo hit with the classic pop single "Seasons in the Sun") lift these recordings above the work of many of the group's better-known contemporaries. Singer Susan Jacks has a beautiful voice that sometimes sounds like (but predates) Karen Carpenter, but is eminently more soulful. Although characterized in the liner notes as a "soft pop" band, the Poppy Family was also capable of a somewhat tougher sound that sometimes recalled Surrealistic Pillow-era Jefferson Airplane and folkier material in the Kenny Rogers & the First Edition/Roger McGuinn vein. Throughout, Jacks frames the songs with creative, if often dated, arrangements that compare favorably to his obvious influences, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and Phil Spector.

The World of Terry Jacks and The Poppy Family - `76 - London Records
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps - includes high rez cover scans

seasons in the sun
i`m gonna love you too
today i started loving you again
remember the rain
the love game
shadows on my wall
sail away
where evil grows
if you go away
rock n roll
of cities and escapes
someone must have jumped
i`m so lonely here today
a good thing lost
concrete sea

DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

The Cyrkle - Neon - `69 - Columbia

i havent forgotten about the 60`S pop ! here is some old cyrkle for yaz - they dropped their red rubber balls & experimented a bit. fun ride - enjoy


The band was formed by guitarists and lead singers Don Dannemann and Tom Dawes (bass guitar), who met while studying at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. The other members were Earl Pickens on keyboards and Marty Fried on drums. They were originally a "frat rock" band called The Rhondells but were later discovered and managed by Brian Epstein, who was better known as manager of The Beatles. Epstein's partner was New York attorney Nathan Weiss, who heard the band in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Labor Day in 1965. He became their manager and renamed them. John Lennon provided the unique spelling of their new name, which is a reference to the circular roundabout located in downtown Easton. They were produced by John Simon.
In the summer of 1966, they opened on fourteen dates for the Beatles during their U.S. tour. On August 28, they headed the opening acts performing prior to The Beatles at Dodger Stadium. The other artists who appeared were Bobby Hebb, The Ronettes, and The Remains Before touring with The Beatles, The Cyrkle had a successful engagement at the Downtown Discotheque in New York City
The Cyrkle is best known for their 1966 song "Red Rubber Ball," which went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was co-written by Paul Simon of Simon and Garfunkel and Bruce Woodley of The Seekers. It was released on the Columbia record label. The band had one more Top 20 hit, "Turn-Down Day," later in 1966. After the release of their debut album, Red Rubber Ball, they recorded a second album, Neon, in late 1966, and a movie soundtrack, The Minx, in 1967. They followed that with various singles and then disbanded in late 1967.
Both Dawes and Danneman became professional jingle writers after The Cyrkle disbanded. Dawes later wrote the famous "plop plop fizz fizz" jingle for Alka-Seltzer. Danneman wrote jingles for Continental Airlines and Swanson Foods. He penned the original 7Up Uncola song In 1977, Dawes produced Foghat [ wiki]


Tom Dawes – (born July 25, 1944, Albany, New York – died October 13, 2007, New York, New York) – lead vocals, lead guitar, bass
Don Dannemann – (born May 9, 1944, Brooklyn, New York) – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Marty Fried – (born Martin Fried, 1944, Wayside, New Jersey) – drums, vocals – (now[when?] a bankruptcy lawyer in Southfield, Michigan)
Earle Pickens – keyboards (first album) – a general surgeon in Gainesville, Florida)
Michael Losekamp – keyboards, vocals (second album) – an engineer for AT&T and an active musician in Columbus and Dayton, Ohio)
Jon Alexander – (born April 29, 1950), Brooklyn, New York (keyboards)


There are some excellent cuts on this album as well as a few clunkers. During that time of the 60's many a band tried some sort of novelty and the Cyrkle was no exception. Problem Child and Weight of Your Words come to mind.
However there was some beauty. Michael Losekamp singing The Visit (She Was Here) is a great track. Maybe it should have been a release. I Wish You Could Be Here, In my opinion just never received the air time it should have. It is a beautiful song and Don Dannemans voice made a good song better.
Terry's Theme and Camaro give the album some good balance.
Don't Cry No Fears, No Tears Coming Your Way, might have been a top twenty song had it been released.
All in all it is a good album and a die hard Cyrkle fan would want this for their collection.




The Cyrkle - Neon - `69 - Columbia
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps - includes high rez cover scan


1. Don't Cry, No Fears, No Tears Comin' Your Way
2. The Visit
3. Weight of Your Words
4. I Wish You Could Be Here
5. It Doesn't Matter Anymore
6. Two Rooms
7. Our Love Affair's in Question
8. I'm Happy Just to Dance With You
9. Problem Child
10. Please Don't Ever Leave Me
11. I'm Not Sure What I Wanna Do


DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

Emitt Rhodes - Dunhill Records - `70

i have no idea why i havent posted this LP yet , probably cause i know most of you have it , ha - this is one of my FAVORITE moments in record collecting when i found this one for the first time - it blew me away & for 50 cents , ha .-  pure pop here ,  ala MR C From the B`s !  pure greatness - OH & he recorded this at home as well , played all instruments !
*** even says "recorded at home" on the dead wax ! with fancy scrolls around the lettering. very cool ~ !
enjoy ~ [ PS , I HAVE THE CD VERSION OF THIS , IT SUX - THERE IS NO PUNCH - YOUR WELCOME ]


***********

Why Emmit Rhodes is not a household name is beyond me. After his 60s Byrds/Beatles experiment Merry Go Round, he spent the early 70s making do it yourself, McCartney pop.
This may sound derivative, but Rhode's writting and craftsmenship are so above parr, whether he has transended his influences is irrelevent. The music simply sounds THAT good.
Most of his songs are short, piano driven confections. His guitar leads have tbe spare bite of George Harrison, but without large studio productions behind them, making them more even more powerful. When he plays bass-and he plays everything on his albums- his slides and fills are unusual, often leaving space and sneaking in right behind or ahead of the beat. But the playing is so natural, Rhodes makes it seem like his timing choices are the only correct options.
His writting is melodic, which lends itself to the spareness of his music. Like McCarteny, he has an instinctive feel for melody--this music works on the heart, not the head. Like looking at Chinese art, you'll appreciate the simplicity, and then find it is not so simple.
If you are not sold, consider this: when I was a kid my best friend and I used to trade records, 100s of them. This is the only album we would have physical tug of wars over. I won--don't worry. I have since made him a copy. [ amazon ]

Emitt Rhodes - Dunhill Records - `70
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps - includes high rez cover scan

1. With My Face on the Floor
2. Somebody Made for Me
3. She's Such a Beauty
4. Long Time No See
5. Lullabye
6. Fresh as a Daisy
7. Live Till You Die
8. Promises I've Made
9. You Take the Dark Out of the Night
10. You Should Be Ashamed
11. Ever Find Yourself Running
12. You Must Have

DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

Psychedelic Psoul - The Freak Scene - `67 Columbia Records

i thought i heard someone say bring the freak back !? - ha , well - this one is pretty far out kids. this is a reissue not an original - sounds great ! some heavy bass on this one - headphones if ya got em ! - enjoy [ 134 downloads & NO COMMENTS ! whats wrong with u peeps ?! ]


This is quintessential extreme example of early experimental psy. Very obscure, so information is sparse but I’d guess it came out quite early in 67. The bass playing is original and unusual and dominates the mix in an album dominated by lyrics and bass. The vocals and vocal production (thin, nasal and processed) is the albums main weakness. Despite its faults and lack of good songs, its still somehow works and remains a fascinating and unusual micro-selling psy gem. [ mykepsych ]


Having enjoyed some success with their 1966 studio project The Deep, the following year the song writing/performing team of Mark Barkan and Rusty Evans decided to take another stab at making some money off of the public's growing interest in psychedelia and political activism. Signed by Columbia, the duo pulled together most of the studio pros who'd worked with them on the earlier project (reportedly including guitarist David Bromberg), resulting in the release "Psychedelic Psoul".
A lot of critics have labeled this as nothing more than a sophomore The Deep release. There are clearly similarities between the two albums, but I'll tell you that (contrary to popular opinion) I think The Freak Scene project is the stronger of the two. Material such as 'The Subway Ride Thru Inner Space', 'Butterfly Dream' and 'My Rainbow Life' offered up a great mixture of over-the-top psych lyrics, stoned vocals and wild studio production effects. The biggest difference with the earlier album was that tracks such as '... When In the Course of Human Events (Draft Beer, Not Students)' and 'Behind the Mind' added a bit of social and political commentary to the acid-drenched mix. It may be an exploito offering, but it's first rate exploito and is actually better than 75% of the non-exploito competition. [ RDTEN1 ]


at first listen i thought this one was a sham. it sounds slapped together in a drug-fueled weekend, using sound effects and flower power poetry/messages to make it stand up as psychedelic.
one day i was in such a mood that this was the only album i felt like listening to, and so i did over and over, and that is where it happened. i realized that i really enjoy this one, despite it's usually half-assed songwriting and slapdash feel/recording.
one thing about the sparse instrumentation is that the excellent bass playing practically carries the whole band. guitars usually stay in the background, and everything else, sans vocals & feedback/sound effects, take a back seat to the always prominent bass playing.
i can't give this more than 3 and a half because for every great tune ["a million grains of sand", "behind the mind", "butterfly dream"] there are one or two throwaway tunes ["subway ride thru inner space", "mind bender"] though the whole thing whizzes by quickly, 12 songs in a half an hour, so i'm more intrigued by the record as a whole, rather than being disappointed by a track i don't like. i love these kind of albums.
for those who like the pop in their sike, ideas, rather than some poorly recorded garage band content to just thrash away at "hey joe", this one may be of interest to you. [ a owens ]


Psychedelic Psoul - The Freak Scene - `67 - Columbia Records
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps - includes high rez cover scan


1 A Million Grains of Sand
2 "When In Course Of Human Events" (Draft Beer, Not Students) / Interpolation: We Shall Overcome
3 Rose of Smiling Faces
4 Behind the Mind
5 The Subway Ride Thru Inner Space
6 Butterfly Dream
7 My Rainbow Life
8 The Center of My Soul
9 Watered Down Soul
10 Red Roses Will Weep
11 Mind Bender
12 Grok!


DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

Max Webster - Universal Juveniles - Mercury - `82

well , goin a bit out of order but here is the last ! max webster LP , with rush starring on one track , battle scar. more guitar oriented than previous , some mighty licks here-in , ha
enjoy




Terry Watkinson [ KEYS ] has left at this point leaving Kim to pretty much run the show. Watkinson does play on the song "Battle Scar" but it wasn't recorded at the same time as the rest of the album. Gotta love the album cover with Mitchell on the run wearing a bright yellow body suit with white boots on. Haha. "In The World Of Giants" opens with some speed of light guitar work from Kim before the rest of the band comes in. Not a bad uptempo tune. "Check" is one of my top three songs on here. It's a short pedal to the metal rocker. Guitar riffs to open as Kim tells his story with passion.Classic WEBSTER. "April In Toledo" has grown on me somewhat. I like the chorus and those earlier words "She's taking a break from my face." "Juveniles Don't Stop" is a straight forward rock tune. "Battle Scar" doesn't sound like it belongs for a reason.We have two bands in the studio(RUSH & MAX WEBSTER) playing this song together, so it's much more powerful.It opens with low end guitar and bass as heavy drums come in and then Kim starts to sing. Geddy comes in vocally 1 1/2 minutes ripping it up with those high pitched screaming vocals like he did in the seventies.Check him out 4 1/2 minute in as well. Great finale to this one. A friend of mine saw MAX WEBSTER at "Maple Leaf Gardens" on New Years eve play this song, and he watched in amazement as Geddy came out on stage playing his teardrop bass, and then he started to sing to the roar of the home town faithful. "Chalkers" features some nice bass throughout. The title of the album comes from a line in this song. "Drive And Desire" opens with some nice drum work as guitar comes in grinding then vocals.Good tune. "Blue River Liquor Shine" is my other top three track along with "Battle Scar" if your keeping track at home.Drum intro as vocals and strummed guitar follows.Something uplifting about this track.I think it's Kim's soaring vocals actually. "What Do You Do With The Urge" features in your face vocals with lots of piano. The best parts of "Cry Out Your Life" are the guitar solos before 3 minutes and 5 minutes in. I would suggest any of their four earlier albums to this one,but RUSH fans will want to hear "Battle Scar" for sure. [sinkasotentree ]


Max Webster - Universal Juveniles - Mercury - `82
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320kbps - includes high rez scans


Line-up / Musicians


Kim Mitchell - guitars and vocals
Garry McGracken - drums
Dave Myles - bass
Pye Dubois - lyrics


also playing:
Geddy Lee , Neil Peart , Alex Lifeson  and Terry Watkinson on "Battle Scar"
Dave Stone - synths
Doug Riley - piano


1 - In the World of Giants
2 - Check
3 - April In Toledo
4 - Juveniles Don't Stop
5 - Battle Scar
6 - Chalkers
7 - Drive and Desire
8 - Blue River Liquor Shine
9 - What Do You Do With the Urge
10 - Cry Out Your Life


DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

Max Webster - Hangover [DEBUT] - Mercury Records - `76

OK : as promised , here is the max webster debut ~ next up , "universal juveniles" with battle scar on it ! then i might do kim mitchells solo with go for a soda on it ;
these guy are pretty bizarre , so hang on - fans of prog & quirky /zanny / smart music in general will digg this. all i know is kim mitchell can play his ass off , as can rest of band [ their own asses respectively ! ]
ha -- enjoy


Line-up / Musicians


Paul Kersey - drums
Mike Tilka - bass
Kim Mitchell - guitars and vocals
Terry Watkinson - keyboards and vocals


Debut album from one of the most original groups coming from Canada, and certainly a bloody stunner that stayed in the subconscious of almost every teenager from Toronto, but of all Canada as well. This writer remembers being a fan as far back as possible, buying the debut album and playing it until the vinyl became almost transparent. These guys were all very exciting on stage with their energetic music, stage antics (leader Mitchell being a very athletic young man) and their imaginative and original songwriting. They even managed to get the girls started with their glitter outfits. Webster (these guys were looking for a name like Jethro Tull - this is the only real explanation about their name) was always the thing of two songwriters even though guitarist Mitchell was much more prolific than keyboardist Watkinson, but Mitchell's tracks were always written with Pye Dubois' lyrics (Rush fans will remember him) and the group found a home on Anthem Records, which is also well known to us progheads.
How could any teen getting drunk and ignore the opening Hangover track (to which the weird square heads refer to on the artwork). This track, starting out on a heavily distorted and feedback guitar is a stunning start and a fitting intro into the crazy world of Max Webster. To describe their sound is rather uneasy as they could range from early Queen, have 10 CC's best inspirational moments, with quirky songwriting The Cars would not have denied. Not very progressive you might say, but please bear with me for Webster is always changing tempo, sometimes cramming so many idea into one track that others groups would make a whole album out one of their songs. Their constant rhythm changes were quite impressive, almost (certainly IMHO) progressive but the typical chord progressions of what made classic prog bands their trade is a bit absent in their albums. Hangover is then followed by another killer track Here Among The Cats, another live favorite and also a fave of mine (since back then all young dudes were the cats). Next is a rather different-sounding (because written by KB-man Watkinson) followed a typical slow Webster track - there will be a few in the following albums, but they were quite at ease with those too, even if their forte were full-blown rock party tracks. The first wax side is ended by another stunner (and maybe the definitive pop side of Webster) with the stunning Toronto Tontos, which came some seven years before The B-52's Rock Lobster. A stunning témoignage that these guys were also ahead of their time, this track is truly a joyful moments of musical delirium.
The second side starts with one of the obsessions from the quartet, their lunatic bizarrerie, as if they were coming of our natural satellite planet, the Moon: for the next four albums, there will always be a track making reference to it, maybe explaining how lunatically strange these guys could be. This is another highlight of the album but hardly the only one, since most of the first side of the album are classics. Only Your Nose Knows and the lengthy (almost 8 min) Lily are also excellent and typical tracks while Summer's Up has a bit of Zappa feeling in it.
Maybe this group is not a prog icon per se, but all progheads loving intelligent rock and pop should get a load of this superb band that never got the recognition it deserved until it was dying. [ sean trane ]


more reviews here - www.progarchives.com


Max Webster - Hangover
Studio Album, released in 1976
All Trax From WAX - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps includes high rez scans ; front / back / lyrix / kim !


Songs / Tracks Listing :


1 - Hangover (4:36)
2 - Here among The Cats (3:07)
3 - Blowing the Blues Away (3:33)
4 - Summer turning Blue (3:05)
5 - Toronto Tontos (3:40)
6 - Coming Off The Moon (3:38)
7 - Only Your Nose Knows (4.16)
8 - Summer's Up (2:45)
9 - Lily (7:42)


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The Box Tops - Non Stop - Bell Records - `68

well , as most of you know , we lost alex chilton recently so i thought it befitting to lay one of thier lp`s on yaz !
this one is pretty good ! prob the hardest one to find as well. hope u guys enjoy it !  [ sorry its a little scratchy folks ! ]


The Box Tops -- or more precisely Alex Chilton and producer Dan Penn -- were treading water on the third album to be churned out under the group's name in less than a year. The usual blue-eyed soul dominates the program, without anything on the order of "Cry Like a Baby" or "The Letter," although with "I Met Her in Church," Penn and songwriting partner Spooner Oldham were probably trying for something on that level. Sometimes the moods are a bit on the bluesy side ("Choo Choo Train," "Rock Me Baby"), at others on a gentler and poppier one ("Rollin' in My Sleep"). For the first time Chilton had the opportunity to write an LP track, and with "I Can Dig It," he brought out his most gravelly voice for an average midtempo soul belter. That's nothing compared with "Yesterday Where's My Mind," in which he sounds like he's trying to out-gravel the most sandpaper-voiced white singer of the era, Tim Rose; in fact, the track bears more than a passing similarity to "Morning Dew," one of the songs Rose interpreted on his debut album. "Sandman," a luscious ballad by the composer of "The Letter," Wayne Carson Thompson, is the most interesting little-known cut. Overall, though, this, like all of the Box Tops' albums, is a middling product with its share of filler. [The 2000 reissue on Sundazed adds five bonus tracks: two of them mono single versions (of "Choo Choo Train" and "I Met Her in Church"), the others from non-LP 45s. Those non-LP items include a Randy Newman cover ("Let Me Go") on which Chilton sounds like Paul Jones of Manfred Mann, and another of Chilton's earliest self-penned numbers, the soul-pop ballad "Since I Been Gone.."]  -- [ amg ]


The Box Tops - Non Stop - Bell Records - `68 
all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps - includes high rez cover scan

Choo Choo Train

I'm Movin' On

Sandman

She Shot A Hole In My Soul

People Gonna Talk

I Met Her In Church

Rock Me Baby

Rollin' In My Sleep

I Can Dig It

Yesterday Where's My Mind

If I Had Let You In

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MAX WEBSTER - High Class In Borrowed Shoes - Anthem Records - `77

well , i think its time to bring back the ROCK after these last few mellow lp`s ! those of u that know of max are already smiling ! well , keep on smiling , the debut is up next ! - if u really wanna have a good time , know that i have all of max`s lp`s + most of kim`s solos , :P [ yes that includes that KILLER song with geddy lee &  KIM`S "might as well go for a soda" ! ] begging helps .:) - guitar players note that kim can play his ass off ! very underated shredder ! have fun
enjoy this one !




MAX WEBSTER - High Class In Borrowed Shoes - Anthem - ANR-1-1007
Studio Album, released in 1977
all trax from WAX - akashaman - 2010 
MP3  @ 320kbps - includes high rez cover scans + 


Songs / Tracks Listing


1 - High Class In Borrowed Shoes (4:00)
2 - Diamonds Diamonds (3:18)
3 - Gravity (4:53)
4 - Words To Words (3:34)
5 - America's Veins (4:08)
6 - Oh War! (4:25)
7 - On The Road (3:25)
8 - Rain Child (4:22)
9 - In Context Of The Moon (5:13)


Line-up / Musicians
Mike Tilka - bass
Kim Mitchell - guitars and vocals
Terry Watkinson - keyboards and vocals 
Garry McCracken - drums


Max are best described as classic rock meets frank Zappa
and this album shows Max at there wacky best
"the title track", "gravity","in context with the moon"
"america's veins"
and the brilliant "Oh war"are classic hard rock with more changes within the song then usual (thanks to the zappa influence)
Words to words and "On the road" are a couple of fine ballads and exemplify the talents of fifth member lyricist Pye Dubois 
We also get the first taste of the fine singing voice 
Of keyboardist Terry Watkins with the moody melodic "Rainchild"
Also this is Kim Mitchell at his best certainly one of the most underated guitarists he smokes ninety percent of the householdnames Kim's voice is underated as well as he shows versatility between ballad "Diamonds, Diamonds" compared to 
hard rocker "Oh War" - [ andy - amazon ]

[ Review of album by Martin Popoff, taken from his book " The Collectors Guide to Heavy Metal - Volume 1: The Seventies" ]
Max Webster - High Class In Borrowed Shoes - (Anthem '77)

The one unifying factor coursing through Max Webster's magnificent
premiere was a rural warmth that evoked images of. I dunno. carved
cherry wood. In comparison, High Class In Borrowed Shoes, although no
heavier, evokes a sheen of polished aluminum, with its bright,
uncompromising headphone-ready drum sound, its everlite, dewdropped
piano work, and its painstakingly perfect execution. But High Class
sails the same passionate seas of wanton adventure, offering arguably
four metal or hard rock works, most panoramic, scorching and insistent
being America's Veins and the swooping and snatching title track, the
song improbably combining boogie and pomp until circumstance breeds good
fortune. Lyricist Pye Dubois, although not an official noise-making
member of the band (in the great tradition of The Dead's Robert Hunter),
continues to be the Max Webster's philosophical engine and perfect,
crucial soulmate to Kim Mitchell's fluid guitar mathematics, Pye
offering memorable yet cryptically cast aspersions on society's ills and
man's monologue with respect to his allotted space. And as was the case
with the debut, all points of the compass lead to the heart no matter
what the action level, the album scrubbed clean then chiming by way of
elegant Terry Watkinson keyboard work, and absolutely top-of-the-line
pride in craftsmanship on the part of the whole circus. It seems almost
a mixed symbol that the band would so plainly embrace controversy with
the gender-bending weirdness of the cover art, given that all parties
involved, including producer Terry Brown, worked so hard to make Max's
challenges so warmly inviting and simultaneously so state-of-the-art. It
basically stands as more evidence that the complexities of both Max's
message and its medium were beyond marketing comprehension, and
unfortunately, as history would bear out, beyond the market.

DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

Harry Nilsson - Nilsson sings Newman - Pickwick Records - 70

ok kids , back to the early stuff. this one has been said that it should be ranked up there with pet sounds & the like ! it is an epic session. with harry doin all vocals & randy all music & piano its really is a poignant affair. really low key , not too much goin on - so harrys voice really shines here. it really is one of his best vocal recordings , the man could really sing , ha 
this one goes best with your fave beer ! as always , turn it up !


************


Nilsson is dead, while Newman now scores movies like his illustrious forbears. Back in the day, however, for one brief, shining moment, the two aspiring songsters united for this still-unrecognized masterpiece. While each participant was well-skilled in singing and songwriting, Nilsson, arguably the better singer, sang, while Newman, arguably the better songwriter, provided the songs and played piano. Neither was well-known to the public, despite chart successes recognized by at least a sliver of the industry. The resulting album was well-reviewed at the time, but failed to click with the buying public. Mine own vinyl copy was purchased at a garage sale a few years after its release; even then it was a radio station freebee with the signature "Jim Sloane" scrawled in Magic Marker on the album's cover. After a few listens, the album became a frequent play for me and vivid enough to provide me, as a budding high school film maker, with the inspiration for several (unmade) animated films. As I listen to it now, at least two decades removed from my initial infatuation, I find that the album holds up quite well. More lieder recital than "rock'n'roll record," points must be given for sheer timelessness. These two took songwriting seriously; they weren't only in search of the latest hit, though both saw chart success, but each also seemed to pursue songwriting for its own sake. Fact is that I still prefer the versions on this album to several of the tracks on Newman's debut; Nilsson's spontaneous studio-smarts and seeming emotional directness as a singer trump Newman's painstaking orchestral arrangements and studious Fats Domino mumble. Take this, then, as a qualified rave. If you've ever responded to either of these artists, or to great song themselves, then give this a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed. - [ AMAZON ]

Harry Nilsson - Nilsson sings Newman - Pickwick Records - 70/79 

all trax from wax - akashaman 2010

MP3 @ 320 kbps 

1 Vine Street
2 Love Story (you and me)
3 Yellow Man
4 Cowboy
5 Caroline
6 I'll Be Home
7 (So hard) Living Without You
8 Dayton Ohio 1903
9 So Long Dad

DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

Spellbound - EMI records - `78

ok , i got nothing on these guys , but this is a great session here ! i guess its kinda southern rock , but i wouldnt pigeon-hole it there ! . very melodic , lots of keys & vocals.
top notch production & playing ~ these guys had thier shit together for sure : enjoy -- let me know if u heard of this one ! - 
this one cost me a whole dollar ! i bought it mainly cause of the nice shiny colored embossed logo - they dont make em like dat anymore - ha ! - OH , and it sounds good really loud 




Spellbound - EMI records - `78
all trax from wax - akashaman 2010
MP3 @ 320kbps - includes high rez cover scan


Spellbound is :
* Bill Burgess
* David Lenchner
* Ralph Carter 
* Barry Fast 
* James Preston


Just Not A Fool
Our Time Will Come
The Eyes Of Mary
Let It Down Easy
Raise That Silver
Rumor At The Honky Tonk
A Taste Of The Devil
The Way That You Do
The best Is Yet To Come
The Light That Shines


DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

James Griffin & Co. - `74 - Polydor Records

here is one for bread fans. found this recently , and had to share. its really good !
a lot of ballads , but its all well produced & top notch players. - enjoy ~


James Griffin & Co. - `74 - Polydor Records
all trax from wax - akashaman 2010
MP3 @ 320 kbps - includes high rez cover scans !


Breakin' Up Is Easy
Someday
Love You Till the Cows Come Home
She Knows
Father and Son
You'll Get Along
Lifeline
Goin' Back to Boston
Only Now
Love to Light the Way


This is an incredible album from start to finish. One point before going into the songs in depth. Many people have made a point that David Gates wrote all the sugar sweet ballads for the group and Jimmy Griffin wrote more of the punchy material. I think this is so innaccurate. Gates could write rock and wrote some of the heaviest rock by Bread's standards - 'let your love go' and 'mother freedom' were heavier than anything I can hear Jimmy having done. And Jimmy wrote some incredible ballads during Bread's tenure.
This album shows the soft side of Jimmy's writing and each song is absolutely beautiful and poignant. I am so pleased to have purchased ot and would recommend anyone who likes the melodic beautiful ballads of bread to scoop this up, while it is still available.
All the songs are ballads, except for 'love you till the cows come home', which is a really fun rocker. 'She knows' is just about the best song Griffin ever wrote, with beautiful sentimental words and a subtle orchestral backing. On par with this is 'Only now', equally as soft and beautiful.
'Father and son' is a really catchy song, featuring John Miles of all people- (talented guy who wrote 'music'). It seagues into a protracted middle eight ballad section of the song, then reverts back to the up-tempo main section. again, excellent lyrics and really memorable.
'Love to light the way' is an amazing piano ballad with an excellent electric guitar solo. Great falsetto singing and really soothing. 'Breaking up is easy' is also a piano ballad in a similar vein.


DOWNLOAD -- HERE --

Sparklehorse - Its a Wonderful Life - 2001

well folks , we lost another good one. the main man behind sparklehorse commited suicide about a week ago. i thought it would be fitting to post an lp of his. i happen to have this one & its one of his best. very minimal music , lo-fi if u will but very spacey & poppy. for those who have never heard them , enjoy ; for those that know of this band , enjoy the LP bonus track  ! -
R.I.P. Sparklehorse's Mark Linkous

***************

Focus can be a difficult thing to maintain in art. Once you've begun creating something, it's easy to find yourself off on some tangent you never saw coming. It takes a certain amount of discretion, and often, a certain amount of objective distance, to decide which roads to continue down and which ones to abandon. In music, this is, of course, where producers come in. Their job is essentially to stop the artist from getting carried away with a questionable idea and to moderate decisions about direction and material.

Past Sparklehorse efforts have been plagued by a certain lack of focus. This doesn't mean they weren't good records-- in fact, 1998's Good Morning Spider was something of a creative triumph, even in spite of its general disorganization. That said, though, hiring an outside producer (not to mention fully ridding himself of all drug habits) seems to have done Sparklehorse frontman Mark Linkous a great deal of good. Superproducer Dave Fridmann has developed a certain Midas Touch over the years, imbuing nearly every album he works on with a distinctive sonic character, and It's a Wonderful Life has his fingerprints all over it.

The most focused Sparklehorse effort yet, the album flows along with the grace of a river occasionally stirred by a rapid or two. The half-songs and quickly squelched ideas of Linkous' past releases are absent in favor of fully fleshed pieces stuffed full of mellotrons, optigans, orchestrons, and sundry humming keyboards. Only once is its flow is only badly disrupted. (We'll get to that in a second.)

The majority of It's a Wonderful Life brims with electro American gothic ballads and fuzzy purees of lo-fi and hi-fi aesthetics. There aren't really any out-and-out rave-ups like "Pig" or "Happy Man," but a few of the mid-tempo numbers display enough bite for commercial radio play. (I'm asking too much, aren't I?) "Gold Day" snags the ear with a concise melodic hook and some snazzy mellotron flutes. And Linkous' defiantly surrealist approach to lyrics is in full effect here, with all manner of references to smiling babies, organ music, birds, and celestial bodies.

In fact, some of the lyrics are so surreal that it's hard to imagine they're even metaphors for anything. When Linkous implores, "Can you feel the rings of Saturn on your finger?" in the Vic Chesnutt-cast-adrift-in-a-post-modern-sound-collage number "Sea of Teeth," it's hard to believe that there's much hidden meaning behind it. Animal imagery also abounds; bees, poison frogs, roosters, dogs, doves, and horses all pop up on the first track. How exactly the line, "I'm full of bees that died at sea," proceeds logically to the title refrain of, "It's a wonderful life," is questionable at best, but the claustrophobic mix of optigan, static, chamberlin, and Linkous' plaintive delivery redeems the lyrical content with beautiful production and shimmering instrumentation.

The soulful PJ Harvey duet "Piano Fire" picks up the energy a bit, proffering lyrical imagery of dusty organs and pianos washing up on beaches, amid a heavily distorted guitar racket and subtly employed electronics. In different places, It's a Wonderful Life conjures recent Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, and Grandaddy, all bands who operate in roughly the same headspace as Linkous. The quietly bleeping "Apple Bed," in particular, recalls some of The Sophtware Slump's more elegiac moments.

Unfortunately, there's that one aforementioned sore thumb that interrupts the otherwise smooth flow of the album, so allow me to preface my next statement with the following diatribe: I love Tom Waits. His music is rarely short of brilliant on some level, and I've long admired his position as one of the most fearless, innovative, and downright unique songwriters on the planet. The man's craft is his genius personified, and I can't get enough of it.

So why does his contribution to It's a Wonderful Life suck so much? "Dog Door" is a miserable distraction. Imagine you're floating down a peaceful river on a raft. It's just you, the trees, the birds, and the fish. You don't have a care in the world. Then, suddenly, the violent hillbillies from Deliverance swoop down out of nowhere, pelting you with rocks and shouting an unmemorable phrase over and over again in an annoying, processed falsetto. That is "Dog Door." Allow me now to sulk like a denied child.

The flow of the album actually picks back up rather easily after "Dog Door" finally, mercifully ends, returning to the eerily placid fare that characterizes the rest of the proceedings with "More Yellow Birds." Soon after, "Babies on the Sun" closes things on a tired, but musically inventive note, with burbling electronics and looped string samples supporting typically cryptic lyrics.

It's a Wonderful Life is a strong offering for Sparklehorse, largely shaking off the excesses of past efforts (maddening Tom Waits collaboration aside) in favor of cohesion and structure. The focus unfortunately keeps Linkous from accessing any truly awe-inspiring standout moments like the ones on past records, but the overall result is a lot more rewarding in the long term.

— Joe Tangari, September 30, 2001


Sparklehorse - Its a Wonderful Life - 2001

all trax from wax - akashaman - 2010
MP3 @ 320kbps

It's a Wonderful Life
Gold Day
Piano Fire
Sea of Teeth
Apple Bed
King of Nails
Eyepennies
Dog Door
More Yellow Birds
Little Fat Babies
Devil's New
Comfort Me
Babies on the Sun
maxine


DOWNLOAD -- HERE --