STICKY POST
Friday, 9. March 2007, 06:05:04
THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THIS BLOG IS TO PROMOTE
(AND PROMOTE ONLY!) MUSICS AND ARTISTS I ENJOY...
IF YOU LIKED WHAT YOU HEAR, BUY IT!
Thursday, 22. May 2008, 04:19:19
STEVE HILLAGE
MOTIVATION RADIO (1977 - 2007 REMASTER)
320 KBPSThose in tune with being transported through music will want to station themselves near the speakers for Motivation Radio. Call it the "light side of the moon," this album draws the listener into its own astral plane with a glossy and gauzy sound similar to Pink Floyd without the darkness, or Alan Parsons Project without the dorkiness. The new age/space ideology isn't far removed from Gong's original alternate reality (remember the Octave Doctors?), spelled out best during the album's true point of transmigration, "Saucer Surfing." Hillage's guitar work is typically transcendent, Giraudy's keyboards a vital component (note the Doctor Who-isms of "Searching for the Spark"), and Joe Blocker's drums a frequent breath of change. Steve Hillage doesn't have the vocal presence to reach out to listeners; at best, he can meet them halfway. Motivation Radio works as well as it does because it draws listeners to that halfway point (and beyond), steering them with spiritual signposts and rewarding them with rapturous music. It's a remarkably smooth journey, more accessible than L, if equally cosmic. Again, it was an idiomatic cover tune, "Not Fade Away," that became the single; though an odd way to end the record, it wouldn't have made any sense in the middle. The rest of the record is a contiguous collection of music. So tune in and bliss out. 1. Hello Dawn
2. Motivation
3. Light In The Sky
4. Radio
5. Wait One Moment
6. Saucer Surfing
7. Searching For The Spark
8. Octave Doctors And The Crystal Machine
9. Not Fade Away (Glide Forever)
Bonus Tracks
10. Leylines To Glassdom (Tonto Version)
11. Salmon Song (Original "Power Trio" backing track)
12. Golden Vibe (Alternate Mix)
LINK
password: MOODSWINGS
DO NOT MISS SUNDAY AT THE MOVIES' FIRST POST ON MAY 25TH... SUNDAY IS MOVIE DAY AT MOODSWINGS! 
Wednesday, 21. May 2008, 00:41:30
JOHN LUTHER ADAMS
EARTH AND THE GREAT WEATHER
(A SONIC GEOGRAPHY OF THE ARCTIC) (1994)
320 KBPSThis vast landscape of sound, described by Adams as being “as close to religion as I get,” is a celebration of Alaska that will appeal to anyone who has ever been awed by nature.
Earth and the Great Weather is a moving seventy-five-minute musical evocation of Alaskan peoples, wildlife, and weather. Subtitled “A Sonic Geography of the Arctic,” Adams’s writing is based on the aural mood unique to each place and each moment. Innovatively tuned strings, thunderous percussion interludes and voices are deftly woven with the sounds of loons, cranes, wind, waves, thunder and glacial cracking (all recorded by Adams himself) into a sonic tapestry of epic proportions. 1. The Place Where You Go To Listen
2. Dreams oO Winter
3. Pointed Mountains Scattered All Around
4. The Circle Of Suns And Moons
5. The Circle Of Winds
6. Deep And Distant Thunder
7. River With No Willows
8. One That Stays All Winter
9. Drums Of Fire, Drums Of Stone
10. Where The Waves Splash, Hitting Again And Again
LINK #1
LINK #2
password: MOODSWINGS
DO NOT MISS SUNDAY AT THE MOVIES' FIRST POST ON MAY 25TH... SUNDAY IS MOVIE DAY AT MOODSWINGS!
Tuesday, 20. May 2008, 01:55:13
CHARLELIE COUTURE
SOUDE - SOUDES (1999)
320 KBPSTwenty years after his debut, French singer/songwriter CharlElie updated his sound by looking to the new wave of post-millennium pop; in the liner notes, he name-checks the Eels, Tricky, Orb, and Ben Harper. The result is one of CharlElie's best albums since the early '80s — a brilliant set of twisted songcraft that balances dark, sampladelic electronic soundscapes with upfront melodies and aggressive, confident vocals together with some bluesy tones to warm up the mix... Highlights include "Je L'aime Quand Elle S'aime" and "Les Idées Contraires." 1. Intro-Soudure
2. Je L' Aime Quand Elle S' Aime
3. Personne Me Soupconne
4. Adulte
5. Les Idées Contraires
6. Encore
7. Cruelle
8. Entre Rêve Et Réalité
9. Soudé/Soudés
10. Soudure
11. Une Main Dans La Mienne
12. Elle N' Ose Pas
13. Soudure 2
14. Partager Ce Bonheur Avec Toi
LINK
password: MOODSWINGS
Monday, 19. May 2008, 01:17:09
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE
THE BLACK PARADE (2006)
320 KBPSBefore I listened to this album, I’d thought of My Chemical Romance as a fairly typical emo band. Okay, one of the best and most promising of the lot but still just another emo act for the kids to rave about... After hearing their third album, The Black Parade, I can say those kids have grown a lot and that I am pleasantly surprised to listen (over and over again) to an album that aims for the epic style of 70s concept albums, but manages to do so in a completely modern fashion even if influences from (for example) The Who or Queen have to be noticed... Anyway, it’s a triumph, one of the best rock records of recent years. One you'd be really wrong not to try!1. The End.
2. Dead!
3. This Is How I Disappear
4. The Sharpest Lives
5. Welcome To The Black Parade
6. I Don't Love You
7. House Of Wolves
8. Cancer
9. Mama
10. Sleep
11. Teenagers
12. Disenchanted
13. Famous Last Words
14. Blood
LINK
password: MOODSWINGS
Sunday, 18. May 2008, 13:11:45
S U N D A Y
B O N U S !
KING'S X
DOGMAN (1994)
320 KBPSAfter taking a harder and more frequently metallic approach on its self-titled fourth album, King's X continued in that vein on its next project, Dogman. Through it all, the Christian headbangers remained very recognizable and continued to make recordings that were impressive, even if they did fall short of the glory of Gretchen Goes to Nebraska (which remained their best album). Showing an awareness of the mid-'90s alternative rock scene, guitarist Ty Tabor had grown increasingly aggressive — and yet, brute force is hardly the only thing this album has to offer. King's X was still a band that thrived on harmonic nuances and benefited from the influence of the Beatles and progressive rock. And like before, the band addresses spiritual concerns without trying to force its beliefs on anyone. "Complain," "Don't Care," "Black the Sky," and other heavy yet melodic offerings speak of a search for spiritual fulfillment, but never does King's X point the finger at non-Christians.1. Dogman
2. Shoes
3. Pretend
4. Flys And Blue Skies
5. Black The Sky
6. Fool You
7. Don't Care
8. Sunshine Rain
9. Complain
10. Human Behaviour
11. Cigarettes
12. Go To Hell
13. Pillow
14. Manic Depression
LINK
password: MOODSWINGS
Sunday, 18. May 2008, 04:00:00
ROBERT PLANT & THE STRANGE SENSATION
MIGHTY REARRANGER (2005)
320 KBPSOn Mighty Rearranger, the core of the band Robert Plant showcased on 2002's Dreamland — and named the Strange Sensation — is a full-blown expanded lineup that shares the bill with him. Guitarists Justin Adams and Skin Tyson, drummer Clive Deamer, keyboardist John Baggot, and bassist Billy Fuller help Plant give listeners his most musically satisfying and diverse recording since, well, Led Zeppelin's Physical Grafitti. The reference is not a mere platitude to Plant's pedigree. The songs, production, and sequencing of the album overtly incorporates those sounds as well as those of Eastern modalism, Malian folk, guitar rock, R&B, and others, for inspiration — and why shouldn't they? Mighty Rearranger opens with "Another Tribe," a sociopolitical ballad that touches upon the textural string backdrops from Zep's "Kashmir" and is fueled by Moroccan bendir drums. Adams' guitar shifts it over to rock in the middle, but never crowds the crystalline lilting vocal. The single, "Shine It All Around," sports Deamer's crunch and crack drums, while Adams' canny emulation of Jimmy Page's Les Paul toneography fills Plant's sung and moaned lines with ferocity. But it is "Freedom Fries," with its startling percussive syncopation and juxtaposition of roots rockabilly blues and hard rock — à la "Black Dog" — that breaks the record wide open and shatters the sensual tension with pure Dionysian RAWK swagger. On "Tin Pan Valley," Baggot's whispering keyboard lines under Plant's nocturnal moan set a mood — slippery, sexy, undulating — before Deamer cracks through with cymbal and snare work that not only emulates John Bonham, but evokes his power, unfurling the Zep talons deeper into the core of the album. The beautiful balladry of "All the King's Horses" offers solid proof of Plant's ability to reference the English folk tradition with elegance and taste, and his continued acumen for fine lyric writing. The acoustic guitars purposely kiss the same space that Page did on "Over the Hills and Far Away" and "Goin' to California," but are balanced by Adams' pastoral electric country fills. But here's the important part: the Zeppelin spirit that is seemingly ever present here takes nothing away from the startling imagination and creativity on Mighty Rearranger — it actually serves, rather than houses, the songs it adorns. And it's the songs, like the sultry slow stroll of "The Enchanter" and the North African-flavored rocker "Takamba," that matter. Plant and Strange Sensation have painstakingly and energetically crafted an album that takes his full history into account, yet offers something living, breathing, and actually new. This is big rock music making an appearance on the scene agian. It's music that is full of itself, sneers at the competition, and pushes forward by acknowledging the full breadth of the music's tarted-up history. The dramatic "Let the Four Winds Blow" touches everything from early rock & roll to droning Delta blues to biker soundtrack music in a dramatic and utterly serious song. The title track uses the Malian guitar plank and turns it back on itself, pointing its gaze toward John Lee Hooker, Skip James, and the piano blues of Otis Spann. The album closes with Baggot's barroom blues piano that propels Plant to pay a brief barrelhouse tribute to Ray Charles on "Brother Ray." Mighty Rearranger is a literate, ambitious, and sublimely vulgar exercise in how to make a mature yet utterly unfettered rock & roll album that takes chances, not prisoners, and apologizes for nothing. 1. Another Tribe
2. Shine It All Around
3. Freedom Fries
4. Tin Pan Valley
5. All The Kings Horses
6. The Enchanter
7. Takamba
8. Dancing In Heaven
9. Somebody Knocking
10. Let The Four Winds Blow
11. Mighty Rearranger
12. Brother Ray
LINK
2005 BBC2 CONCERT (2005)
224 KBPSA great radio session which provides a worthy addition to the Mighty Rearranger album. The sound is great, musicianship's top notch and Mr. Plant, as usual, sings just perfectly... Get it!1. Intro
2. Another Tribe
3. Shine It All Around
4. Black Dog
5. Freedom Fries/Morning Dew/That's The Way/All The King's Horses
6. Tin Pan Valley/Takamba
7. Gallows Pole
8. Mighty Rearranger/Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
9. The Enchanter
10. Whole lotta Love
11. Outro
LINK
password: MOODSWINGS
Saturday, 17. May 2008, 03:56:17
RON THAL
THE HERMIT (1997)
320 KBPSThis is quite an interesting album - while Thal's unique guitar style is instantly recognizeable (if you have heard "The Adventures of Bumblefoot" or any of his other recordings), he ventures into singing on this album. Usually, when great guitarists try to sing, it fails miserably (i.e. Steve Vai, Joe Satriani (at times his singing is tolerable, though)). However, Thal actually does a great job on vocals - he actually has quite a dynamic range.
One of Ron Thal's personal favorite songs on the album, "I Can't Play the Blues," is a cut on his ability to play with emotion. It's nice to see that some artists don't take themselves completely seriously, but that couldn't be further from the truth - Thal's playing is full of emotion, which, at least to me, is the key to any good music. 1. Zero
2. Hermit
3. Fatback
4. Freak
5. Sweetmeat
6. I Can't Play The Blues
7. Gray
8. Unsound
9. Goodbye
10. Rowboat
11. Hangup
12. Every Time I Shake My Head (It's Like Christmas)
LINK
BUMBLEFOOT
UNCOOL (2000)
320 KBPSQuirky and experimental modern-rock mixed with 70's lounge, flavored with innovative fretless-guitar and synth-guitar. Picture an urban metal band getting unruly at a karaoke bar, or Tom Jones singing with Mr. Bungle - that's Bumblefoot's "Uncool" CD. Riding the fence between romantic and hostile, classy and profane, like a musical take-off from the script of a future Austin Powers film. Intense yet lighthearted, entertaining with a hint of bottled-up anger, a fragile balance on the verge of exploding.1. Intro
2. Go
3. T Jonez
4. My World Is You
5. Crunch
6. I Hate Me More Than I Love You
7. Kiss The Ring
8. Delilah
9. Dominated
10. R2
11. Ronald's Comin' Back Now
12. Maricona
13. Mine
14. Heart Attack
15. Girl Like You
16. Finale
17. We Don't Care
LINK
password: MOODSWINGS
Friday, 16. May 2008, 10:43:55
OMAR RODRIGUEZ-LOPEZ & DAMO SUZUKI
PLEASE HEAT THIS EVENTUALLY (2006)
320 KBPSA two tracks/25 minutes jam session on a song from Omar Rodiguez-Lopez's album "Se Dice Bisonte, No Bufalo", this EP does not surprise as how demanding and experimental Omar's music can be. And demanding it is, indeed, but also quite rewarding once you've managed to get into... Granted, ex-Can's Damo Suzuki's vocals are an acquired taste but, even if you cannot stomach his un-melodic trance, the rest (aka the music) might very well lead you into territories of great pleasure and entertainment.
Not an easy EP to listen to, "Please Heat This Eventually" still is a must-have for anyone showing some interest to The Mars Volta (Omar's band for those who didn't already know) and/or experimental/jammy music.1. Please Heat This Eventually, Pts. I, II & III (Side A)
2. Please Heat This Eventually, Pts. IV, V & VI (Side B)
LINK
password: MOODSWINGS
Friday, 16. May 2008, 01:35:47
NEAL SCHON
BEYOND THE THUNDER (1995)
320 KBPSLet Neal Schon take you beyond the frenzy of the storm to a quieter place, as the renowned guitarist of Journey and Santana explores new textures in this lush, melodic album. "Beyond The Thunder," says Schon, "is one of the best things I've done." With quiet power, Neal glides through cool jazz licks, worldbeat rhythms and soulful songs like "Send Me An Angel." As lead guitarist with the band Journey, Neal's dazzling guitar work was legendary. With his debut Higher Octave Music album, he creates a lush and lyrical sound that still throws off sparks! Beyond The Thunder stirs the soul with emotional, yet technical playing that guitarist and non-guitarists alike will come back to.1. Big Moon
2. Bandalero
3. Cool Breeze
4. Zanzibar
5. Send Me An Angel
6. Boulevard Of Dreams
7. Espanique
8. Carribean Blue
9. Someone's Watching Over Me/Iguassa Falls
10. Deep Forest
11. Call Of The Wild
LINK
password: MOODSWINGS
Thursday, 15. May 2008, 11:38:03
JOHN ZORN
MARK FELDMAN - VIOLIN
SYLVIE COURVOISIER - PIANO
MASADA RECITAL (2004)
320 KBPSWhat is truly wonderful about the Masada songbook is how fluid and adaptable it is. “Abidan,” one of the more popular pieces in the book, has been interpreted by the original quartet, solo guitar, voice, and string trio. With Courvoisier and Feldman at the helm it takes on, as does the entire programme, the feeling of a classical recital. But the difference is that while there is a distinct new music feel about the approach the duo takes, there is still plenty of room for improvisation; with Zorn a fundamental for Masada has always been collective improvisation within a somewhat structured foundation. The context may change, but the face remains the same.
Like all Masada recordings the emotional range is far-reaching and diverse. The pieces range from the playful yet melancholic “Kanah” to the more dramatic “Socoh,” with its chordal crashes and delicate passages countered with complex rapid-fire movements. “Mahshav” is tender and lyrical, with Courvoisier elegantly developing the theme before Feldman enters for poignant interplay. “Karet” comes from a freer place, with a short and intense theme setting the space for a spirited collective improvisation that is all the more remarkable for the way in which Courvoisier effortlessly shifts between the keyboard and the strings of the piano.
What makes this interpretation of the Masada songbook so appealing, much like many other recordings in the project, is its uncompromising blend of elegance and fire, lyricism and more abstract expressionism. Feldman and Courvoisier make the perfect duo for the concept, able to navigate complex written passages with aplomb while working hand-in-glove during the improvised sections with unfailing empathy. As good as the other entries in the Masada 10 Years series have been, Volume Four: Masada Recital may be the most compelling yet, a completely organic blend of passion and intellect that continues to assert the Masada project as the most significant work of John Zorn's long and varied career. 1. Kanah
2. Socoh
3. Mahshav
4. Karet
5. Abidjan
6. Malkut
7. Azekah
8. Nezikin
9. Karaim
10. Hath-Arob
11. Aravot
12. Mahlah
LINK #1
LINK #2
password: MOODSWINGS
Thursday, 15. May 2008, 03:25:01
JACO PASTORIUS
INVITATION
LIVE WITH THE WORD OF MOUTH BIG BAND (1982)
320 KBPSElectric bassist Jaco Pastorius' Word of Mouth big band made two recordings for Warner Bros. during its short life, of which is this is the superior one. The large ensemble (five trumpets including Randy Brecker, five reeds with solo space for Bobby Mintzer on tenor and soprano, four trombones, two French horns, Toots Thielemans on harmonica, drummer Peter Erskine, percussionist Don Alias, and Othello on steel drum) performs a variety of superior material. Although Pastorius takes his share of solo space, and the sound of a big band backing a bass soloist is rather unusual, he does not excessively dominate the music. Pastorius contributed some of the pieces (most notably "Liberty City"), is showcased on "Amerika," and also plays such tunes as "Invitation," "The Chicken," "Sophisticated Lady," "Giant Steps," and Gil Evans' "Eleven." 1. Invitation
2. Amerika
3. Soul Intro - The Children
4. Continuum
5. Liberty City
6. Sophisticated Lady
7. Reza - Giant Steps - Reza (Reprise)
8. Fannie Mae
9. Eleven
LINK
password: MOODSWINGS
Wednesday, 14. May 2008, 15:26:17
JOHN ZORN
THE BOOK OF ANGELS VOL.9
SECRET CHIEFS 3
XAPHAN (2008)
320 KBPSSpectacular arrangements of Masada compositions by mad alchemist Trey Spruance, mastermind of Secret Chiefs 3 and one of the most brilliant musicians around. Drawing upon an astonishing array of musical styles from Exotica and Surf to Ethiopian Funk and Gypsy Swing, Trey ’s colorful orchestral arrangements perfectly compliment the lyricism and dynamic rhythmic complexity of Zorn ’s evocative Book of Angels. Featuring some of the best musicians from the Bay Area, LA and Seattle scenes, this is one of the most compelling installments in the entire Masada series.1. Balberith
2. Labbiel
3. Barakiel
4. Shoel
5. Bezriel
6. Hamaya
7. Sheburiel
8. Kemuel
9. Akramachamrei
10. Asron
11. Omael
LINK #1
LINK #2
password: MOODSWINGS
Wednesday, 14. May 2008, 06:37:29
THE CARDIGANS
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOON (1997)
320 KBPSA 16-track collection chock-full of B-sides and other rarities, the Cardigans' Other Side of the Moon is both a fun listen and proof that the Cardigans are odder and more subversive than chart hits like "Lovefool" might indicate. For one thing, they have a wicked sense of humor, as indicated by their cover choices. Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back in Town" takes on a whole new cast when reconfigured into a slinky, disco-tinged bossa nova, and the a cappella revision of Ozzy Osbourne's "Mr. Crowley" is just weird. (Some members of the group have roots in Sweden's black metal scene, explaining their long-standing Ozzy Osbourne fixation: demos of "Iron Man" and "War Pigs" are also included, and the bizarre 16-minute "Cocktail Party Bloody Cocktail Party" is self-explanatory.) The original tracks are all quite good, with most of them as solid as any of the tunes on their proper albums. The petulant "I Figured Out" and a rocked-up alternate version of "Carnival" are particular gems. Other Side of the Moon is a handy collection for those fans who weren't obsessed enough to track the original singles down.1. War [First Try]
2. I Figured Out
3. Plain Parade
4. Laika
5. Pooh Song
6. Mr. Crowley
7. Emmerdale
8. Boys Are Back in Town
9. Carnival [Puck Version]
10. Nasty Sunny Beam
11. Iron Man [First Try]
12. Blah Blah Blah
13. Losers [First Try]
14. Country Hell
15. After All
16. Cocktail Party Bloody Cocktail Party
LINK
password: MOODSWINGS
Tuesday, 13. May 2008, 12:22:18
SCARLETT JOHANSSON
ANYWHERE I LAY MY HEAD (2008)
192 KBPSIn 2006 Scarlett Johansson said she wanted to make an album of Tom Waits' covers. In 2008 the album's finaly available.
With David Sitek of TV On The Radio's fame producing, she delivers an amazing debut. Far from what actresses deliver when they make an album, Anywhere I Lay My Head is a dreamy and artsy album. Scarlett's kind of disincarnated voice fits Tom Waits' universe perfectly even more as Sitek's musical constructions are just the perfect background to serve it.
Notable guests are Yeah Yeah Yeahs' guitarist and David Bowie... Who can go wrong with these people?
All in all, this album, though not flawless, is an excellent surprise where one could have feared another unsavoury actress gone singing's album. Try it!1. Fawn
2. Town With No Cheer
3. Falling Down
4. Anywhere I Lay My Head
5. Fannin Street
6. Song For Jo
7. Green Grass
8. I Wish I Was In New Orleans
9. I Don't Wanna Grow Up
10. No One Knows I'm Gone
11. Who Are You
LINK
password: MOODSWINGS
Tuesday, 13. May 2008, 00:07:58
GLENN HUGHES
BURNING LIVE IN JAPAN (1996)
320 KBPSAn excellent live album that showcases the From Now On album, proves once again what a fine set of songs were on the Hughes-Thrall release and one again underlines what fine songs Deep Purple produced post the Ian Gillan era. Personally I think it’s a shame there is no Trapeze song here as that would have offered a more complete representation of Hughes career to that point but I doubt many people would be dissatisfied with the set list performed here. The album sounds great, the band solid and Hughes in fine form. A superb example of just how good a rock singer Glenn Hughes is.1. Burn
2. Liar
3. Muscle and Blood
4. Lay My Body Down
5. From Now On
6. Into the Void
7. Still in Love with You
8. Coast to Coast
9. This Time Around
10. Owed to G
11. Gettin Tighter
12. You Keep on Moving
13. Lady Double Dealer
14. I Got Your Number
15. Stormbringer
LINK #1
LINK #2
password: MOODSWINGS
Monday, 12. May 2008, 05:55:14
PETER GABRIEL
BIRDY SOUNDTRACK (1985 - 2002 REMASTER)
320 KBPSPeter Gabriel's first foray into soundtracks was for Alan Parker's contemplative film Birdy and is a successful companion piece, providing a backdrop that is moody and evocative. Nearly half of the album's dozen tracks incorporate threads from material found on Gabriel's 1982 Security set, including "Close Up," which makes use of keyboard passages from "Family Snapshot," and "The Heat," which is a reworking of "The Rhythm of the Heat" and builds to a frenzied percussive crescendo. Material specially written for this project includes the murky opening track, "At Night," the tribal "Floating Dogs," and "Slow Marimbas," a track which would become part of future live performances. The fact that Birdy is comprised of all instrumentals means that listeners whose familiarity with Gabriel is limited to "Sledgehammer" and "In Your Eyes" will be largely disappointed.1. At Night
2. Floating Dogs
3. Quiet And Alone
4. Close Up (From Family Snapshot)
5. Slow Water
6. Dressing The Wound
7. Birdy's Flight (From Not One Of Us)
8. Slow Marimbas
9. The Heat (From Rhythm Of The Heat)
10. Sketch Pad With Trumpet And Voice
11. Under Lock And Key (From Wallflower)
12. Powerhouse At The Foot Of The Mountain (From San Jacinto)
LINK
password: MOODSWINGS
Sunday, 11. May 2008, 06:43:05
S U N D A Y
MEGAPOST
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American Southern rock band. The band became prominent in the Southern United States in 1973, and rose to worldwide recognition before several members were killed in a plane crash in 1977, including lead vocalist and primary songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, near McComb, Mississippi. The band regrouped in 1987 for a reunion tour with Johnny Van Zant, Ronnie Van Zant's younger brother, at the helm, and continues to record music today.
THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION (1991)
320 KBPSIt was only fitting that the ultimate Southern rock institution, Lynyrd Skynyrd — certainly one of the more tragic stories in rock & roll history — should be one of the first bands to benefit from a comprehensive box set. Following the format of the highly successful Led Zeppelin box set, this three-disc, 47-song anthology provides a near-perfect career retrospective, complete with a carefully researched booklet with meticulous historical essays and rare photos for the new and rabid fan alike. The latter will probably be most interested in disc one, which features a number of early demos dating back as early as 1970 and not featured in prior collections, as well as an embryonic demo of "Freebird" minus its extended-jam coda. The nine-minute version from the band's milestone debut, Pronounced is also featured here, of course, as is most of the material from the group's next album, Second Helping, generally regarded as their career peak. Disc two alone could serve as a greatest-hits set, as classic after classic is rattled off in mind-blowing succession. And even when the creative fires finally begin to wane somewhat as the set approaches the Nuthin' Fancy and Gimme Back My Bullets material (recorded at a time when the band was plagued by overwork and escalating drug abuse), the set wisely offers alternate versions and live renditions to keep things interesting. The first half of disc three alternates never-before-heard concert performances with other, equally inspired live versions. Its second half is dominated by the unintentional swan song Street Survivors. Released only three days before the fateful plane crash, the album saw a re-energized Skynyrd achieving a new level of maturity, power, and purpose. Although most box sets tend to be a bit too much for the casual fan to swallow, this one feels just right. DISC 1
1. Free Bird (Demo)
2. Junkie (Demo)
3. He' S Alive (Demo)
4. One More Time (Original Version)
5. Gimme Three Steps (Original Version)
6. Trust (Original Version)
7. Comin' Home
8. Mr. Banker (Demo)
9. Down South Jukin (Demo)
10. Truck Drivin' Man (Demo)
11. I Ain' T The One (Demo)
12. Poison Whiskey (Demo)
13. Tuesday' S Gone
14. Things Goin' On
15. Free Bird
DISC 2
1. Sweet Home Alabama
2. Was I Right Or Wrong?
3. Workin' For Mca
4. Don' T Ask Me No Questions
5. Swamp Music
6. The Ballad Of Curtis Lowe
7. the needle and the spoon
8. Call Me The Breeze
9. Saturday Night Special
10. Made In The Shade
11. Am I Losin'
12. On The Hunt
13. Same Old Blues
14. Double Trouble (Live)
15. Roll Gypsy Roll
16. All I Can Do Is Write About It (Acoustic)
17. Four Walls Of Raiford (Undubbed Demo)
DISC 3
1. Gimme Back My Bullets (Live)
2. Searchin' (Live)
3. Simple Man (Live)
4. Crossroads (Live)
5. T For Texas (Live)
6. Whiskey Rock-A-Roller (Live)
7. Ain' T No Good Life
8. What' S Your Name (Alternate Mix)
9. Georgia Peaches
10. What' S Your Name
11. I Never Dreamed
12. I Know A Little
13. Honky Tonk Night Time Man
14. That Smell
15. You Got That Right
LINK #1
LINK #2
LINK #3
ENDANGERED SPECIES (1994)
320 KBPSOkay, it's the latter-day band with lots of replacement members, but this is a great record, and this time out there are no repertory problems. This is Skynyrd's "unplugged" album, with the band performing most of its best-known songs without amplification, on an array of instruments that includes mandolin. The songs come off very strong and surprisingly natural in this setting, and it's all good enough and different enough to make Endangered Species a necessary addition to the collection of any fan of the original band.1. Down South Jukin'
2. Heartbreak Hotel
3. Devil In The Battle
4. Things Goin' On
5. Saturday Night Special
6. Sweet Home Alabama
7. I Ain't The One
8. Am I Losin'
9. All I Have Is A Song
10. Poison Whiskey
11. Good Luck, Bad Luck
12. The Last Rebel
13. Hillbilly Blues
LINK
password: MOODSWINGS
Saturday, 10. May 2008, 15:14:14
RORY GALLAGHER IS ALIVE!
LIVE IN EUROPE (1972 - 1998 REMASTER)
320 KBPSAfter two critically acclaimed but commercially disappointing solo studio albums, Rory Gallagher unleashed this raging live disc in 1972 at the age of 23. It not established him in the States, where he had toured only once previously (with his first band Taste, opening for Blind Faith on their brief tour), and was a worldwide hit. Gallagher blasts through rearranged versions of three Junior Wells songs ("Messin' With the Kid," "I Could've Had Religion," and "Hoodoo Man") and Muddy Waters' "Bullfrog Blues," a holdover from his Taste days, like his fingers are exploding. Even on acoustic tracks like "Going to My Home Town" where Gallagher strums his mandolin with such ferocity it sounds like the strings are going to pop, he attacks with the intensity of a talented young man with something to prove. The songs average about six minutes, but Gallagher and his two-piece never let the energy flag. More crackling than even his best studio work, you can hear the electricity in the air as the Irishman shoots solos scorching with vitality and precision. The 1999 reissue includes two slow blues cuts, "What in the World" and "Hoodoo Man" where the guitarist pulls out his slide tricks, both are worthwhile additions. 1. Messin' With The Kid
2. Laundromat
3. I Could've Had Religion
4. Pistol Slapper Blues
5. Going To My Home Town
6. In Your Town
7. What In The World (Bonus Track)
8. Hoodoo Man (Bonus Track)
9. Bullfrog Blues
LINK
IRISH TOUR (1974 - 1999 REMASTER)
320 KBPSThe companion piece to director Tony Palmer's documentary of the same name, Irish Tour 1974 was recorded that January in Belfast, Dublin, and Cork at a time when precious few performers — Irish or otherwise — were even dreaming of touring the trouble-torn island. Northern Ireland, in particular, was a rock & roll no-go area, but Gallagher never turned his back on the province and was rewarded with what history recalls as some of his best-ever gigs. Irish Tour 1974, in turn, captures some of his finest known live recordings and, while it's impossible to tell which songs were recorded where, across nine in-concert recordings (plus one after-hours jam session, "Back on My Stompin' Ground"), the energy crackling from stage to stalls and back again packs an intensity that few live albums — Gallagher's own others among them — can match. Highlights of a stunning set include dramatic takes on Muddy Waters' "I Wonder Who" and Tony Joe White's "As the Crow Flies," a raw acoustic rendering that is nevertheless totally electrifying. A frustratingly brief snip of the classic Shadows-style "Maritime" (aka "Just a Little Bit") plays the album out in anthemic style and then, of course, there's "Walk on Hot Coals," a marathon excursion that posterity has decreed Gallagher's most popular and accomplished statement — a status that Irish Tour 1974 does nothing to contradict. It's foolish playing favorites, however. Even more than Gallagher's earlier (1972) Live in Europe album, Irish Tour 1974 confirms Gallagher not simply as the greatest bluesman Ireland ever knew, but as one of the island's greatest-ever performers. The 1999 remaster adds nothing in the way of bonus material (shame), but greatly improves the sound quality. 1. Cradle Rock
2. I Wonder Who
3. Tattoo'd Lady
4. Too Much Alcohol
5. As The Crow Flies
6. A Million Miles Away
7. Walk On Hot Coals
8. Who's That Coming ?
9. Back On My Stompin' Ground (After Hours)
10. Maritime
LINK #1
LINK #2
password: MOODSWINGS
Friday, 9. May 2008, 05:56:06
DIONYSOS
LA MECANIQUE DU COEUR (2007)
320 KBPSWith guests as diverse as Emilie Loizeau (French singer), Olivia Ruiz, Arthur H, Grand Corps Malade (French rapper), Rossy de Palma (Spanish actress), Alain Bashung, Jean Rochefort (French actor) or Eric Cantona (ex-soccer player and now actor) one could have had serious doubts about what to expect from Dionysos musical adaptation of its leader's first novel... All doubts are washed away on the first spin while it takes a few more to get how wondrously executed the album actually is. Dionysos' universe has been, since Monster In Love, quite close to Tim Burton's, it doesn't surprise that this one is too. Conceived like a soundtrack, La Mécanique du Coeur is, in my opinion Dionysos' greatest achievement to date. A concept album that, without any hint of progressive music, manages to captivate the listener from begining to end. The many guests doesn't keep it from flowing harmoniously picturing a real artist's universe with both fantasy and grace. A must try!1. Le jour le plus froid du monde
2. La berceuse hip hop du docteur Madeleine
3. When the saints go marchin' in
4. Flamme à lunettes
5. Symphonie pour horloge cassée
6. Cunnilingus mon amour !
7. Thème de Joe
8. L'école de Joe
9. L'homme sans trucage
10. La panique mécanique
11. King of the ghost train
12. Mademoiselle Clé
13. Candy lady
14. Le retour de Joe
15. Death song
16. Tais toi mon coeur
17. Whatever the weather
18. Epilogue
LINK
password: MOODSWINGS
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