Katerinas Magic World

More focused and even more trippy than their first album, "Easter Everywhere" features the 13th Floor Elevators at their best. The songs are eerie, rambling, and potent, so powerful that they overcome the lo-fi production that plagued the Elevators throughout their career. Roky Erickson's vocals are sometimes eerily reminiscent of Robert Plant. This is a heavily psychedelic album and shows a San Francisco influence; at this point in their career the Elevators had played in SF and shared stages with the Jefferson Airplane, among other 60s psych groups.
The difference is that the Elevators mean every word and note. They were really trying to "break on through to the other side," unlike some psych groups who were just in it for the money. As a result "Easter Everywhere" is spookier and edgier than most psychedelia. At times it approaches Syd Barrett territory. Highly recommended.

Recording Quality Geek Note: The import version on Charly has better sound than the Collectables reissue, but not by much. This is because the master tapes for all the Elevators' albums remain undiscovered - or their location is undisclosed at this time, nobody's sure which. It's way past time for somebody to go on a search for the master tapes and do a remastered version, because this CD (as well as the other Elevators' albums) deserves it.
Tracks
1. Slip Inside This House
2. Slide Machine
3. She Lives (In a Time of Her Own)
4. Nobody to Love
5. It's All over Now, Baby Blue
6. Earthquake
7. Dust
8. I've Got Levitation
9. I Had to Tell You
10. Pictures (Leave Your Body Behind)
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More of The Monkees is the second full-length album by The Monkees. It was recorded in late 1966 and released on Colgems label #102 on January 10, 1967.

Monkeemania had reached full swing by the time the album was released. The Monkees' second single, "I'm a Believer", held the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 and they were about to embark on a highly successful concert tour, breaking records at nearly every stop.

As a collective unit, the group began to grow concerned over their musical output, since this album and their debut, The Monkees, featured them limited to just vocals with scattered instrumental contributions. Musical supervisor Don Kirshner had a strict rule that The Monkees were to provide only vocals on his productions, though separate sessions produced by Michael Nesmith himself usually featured Peter Tork on guitar.

Another factor added to the tension between the band and Kirshner. Unbeknownst to the four members, More of The Monkees was rushed to be released (to cash in on the band's popularity) while the group was out of town. Individual members of the band, particularly Nesmith and Tork, were upset with the songs selected for the record, leading Nesmith to later say that More of The Monkees was "the worst album in the history of the world." The public did not seem to mind, as the album later went on to sell more than five million copies, becoming their most successful album in sales.
Tracks
1. She
2. When Love Comes Knockin' (At Your Door)
3. Mary, Mary
4. Hold on Girl
5. Your Auntie Grizelda
6. (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone
7. Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)
8. Kind of Girl I Could Love
9. Day We Fall in Love
10. Sometime in the Morning
11. Laugh
12. I'm a Believer
13. Don't Listen to Linda [prev unreleased version]
14. I'll Spend My Life With You [Alternate Version)
15. I Don't Think You Know Me [prev unreleased version]
16. Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow) [Alternate Version]
17. I'm a Believer [Alternate Version]
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There are few other albums of the late '60s besides Kangaroo's sole, self-titled affair on which so much talent is evident, but so little coheres into satisfying results. Part of the problem is that, as on so many obscure long-players of the age, there's such a salad of non-complementary styles, running the gamut from redneck country-rock ("Frog Giggin'," "Happy Man") and sunshine pop-spotted psychedelia ("Such a Long, Long Time") to strident folk-rock ("Daydream Stallion") and avowedly sub-Beatlesque sounds ("Happy Man," "Make Some Room in Your Life"). There are also gratuitous insertions of backwards guitars, San Francisco-type acid rock riffing, soul vocal posturing, descendants-of-Mamas & the Papas male-female backup harmonies, and a silly monologue about killing frogs and having sex at the same time. The biggest flaw, however, is the substandard songwriting, which has sky-high ambitions but confused construction and execution. That's not to say there aren't good things about the record, particularly the vibrato folk-rock vocals of Barbara Keith. They're reminiscent to varying degrees of Melanie, Judy Collins, and Buffy Sainte-Marie, though her own personality comes through, as showcased to best effect on the record's highlight, the strident yet haunting folk-rock-psych outing "Daydream Stallion." Unfortunately, that's the only Keith-penned song on the album, which would have been far better had she written and sung lead on more of the material — or, to be cruel, written and sung lead on most or all of it. The other three bandmembers not only come up with nothing to match "Daydream Stallion" — their styles don't even jell well with one another, N.D. Smart II's mediocre countrified numbers sticking out like a sore thumb in the midst of this crossfire of late-'60s rock stews. Fans of Barbara Keith should be aware both that this record is not similar to the ones she would subsequently make during her long career, and that her contributions are usually confined to backup harmonies. It's only when she took the lead vocal — as she did on "Daydream Stallion," the slightly less impressive "The Only Thing I Had," and her wordless scatting on the opening jazzy section of "I Never Tell Me Twice" — that Kangaroo showed any glimmer of something special.
Tracks
01. Such a Long Long Time
02. You're Trying to Be a Woman
03. Daydream Stallion
04. Make Some Room in Your Life
05. Frog Giggin'
06. You Can't Do This to Me
07. If You Got Some Love in Mind
08. I Never Tell Me Twice
09. Tweed's Chicken Inn
10. Happy Man
11. The Only Thing I Had
12. Maybe Tomorrow
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a highly-priced collector's item! TALIX had the typical vintage progressive sound of guitar
versus sax battles...
...some parts of the album are good, i.e. where the guitarist turned up the distortion to the
maximum...
...they are comparable to their label mates NOSFERATU...
...TALIX later became PINGUIN, who released a much more keyboard-based album, called
“Der große rote Vogel” for Zebra in 1972...The band Talix which recorded Spuren (1970) for Vogue changed their name into Pinguin (German spelling for 'penguin') in 1971
Tracks
01. Spuren
02. Jeder Abschied
03. Herbstbegegnung
04. Lieben, Lieben, Lieben
05. Nicht Fur Uns
06. Liebe ist das Gewohnheit
07. Oh Mann
08. Elena
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Originating from Red Lake, Ontario (near the Manitoba border), Mark Paradis (drums/bgrd vocals), John Maciejewski)guitar/vocals), and Don Wilson(bass), traveled throughout Canada's midwest and on a tour east, came to roost in the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec, in September of 1968, They took on a new member, Raymond Cloutier, and began working toward a solid foundation that could spring them into a successful career.
The popularity of the group spread throughout Quebec. They were fortunate to appear with groups like the Vanilla Fudge and Tommy James and the Shondells. At each per­formance, their style, termed by a newspaper reviewer as "an evolution of Classical rock", gained them fans and wide acceptance. From their own website.
Tracks
01. Pursuit
02. Stranger
03. Sun Shines in the Winter
04. Dil Kusha
05. Of Lambs & Wolves
06. Eyes of Nature
07. Seasons of Change
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This is one of the stranger progressive albums to come out of the sixties, and that’s saying something considering there was some awfully weird stuff put out back then. This one isn’t one of those really whacked-out American psych albums like Joe Byrd’s American Metaphysical Circus or Fresh Blueberry Pancake, although there were clearly some psychedelic stimulants involved in the artistic process. Instead, the Brits seem to have trolled through some traditional American folk numbers and either adapted them for the times, or used them as inspiration. The result is something that is not only nearly unclassifiable; it also lacks much of a point of reference in anything of its day or since.
The album was the follow-up to British artists Michael English and Nigel Waymouth’s first attempt at translating their poster and design art to music. By this second album Michael English had abandoned the band though, and Waymouth only played a nominal role. Instead Waymouth recruited a young Mike Batt (the Wombles, Steeleye Span) on piano and accordion, Michael Mayhew on guitar, guitarist Tony McPhee of the Groundhogs, Michael Ramsden (the Silkie) on vocals, drummer Andy Renton (another Wombles alumnus) and session musician Eddie Tripp along with the Heavy Metal Kids and violinist Freddie Ballerini. This eclectic and rather unrelated crew put together nine of the ten tracks that make the album, combined with a strange recorded-voice intro that sounds like some mid- twentieth century southern American politician’s stump speech.

The best description I can think of for the music here is something akin to a blend of Buckwheat Zydeco’s musical style combined with Joe Byrd’s Americana psych and a little dose of Reverend Glasseye & His Wooden Legs’ off-kilter folk showmanship. It’s a real mixed bag.

The traditional folk tune “Colinda” is the most accessible track on the album, if you can imagine that tune sung as a Cajun love song. The Woody Guthrie standard “Riding In My Car” (titled “Car..Car” here) is recognizable but has a piano line that sounds like one of those nineteenth-century player- pianos and a tinny vocal track from someone trying really hard to sound like a bijou hayseed. The spoon & washboard percussion combined with ball-horns completes the strange arrangement. It’s inconceivable that this rendition of Guthrie’s classic was meant to be taken seriously.

The other ‘cover’ (so-to-speak) is “Fare Thee Well”, a fleshed-out and psyched-up version of an old American Negro spiritual that is set to a decent blues guitar riff and stark piano. Even this one dips into psych territory on the instrumental passages, with some feedback and vocal echoing to make it sound both creepy and more intense.

The rest of the tracks were apparently written by Waymouth with some help from Mayhew and Batt, and they vacillate between more Cajun-sounding music, blues and psych. None of them really stands out much. by Clemofnazereth
Tracks
1. Telephone Budreaux (1:00)
2. Colinda (2:57)
3. Chicken Run (5:51)
4. Big Bo Peep (3:28)
5. Blue Narcissus (4:40)
6. Car-Car (2:10)
7. Milk Shake Knock (2:14)
8. Wall (4:47)
9. You for Ophelia (4:59)
10. Fare You Well (8:50)
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After Bathing at Baxter's was released in 1967 and is the third album by the San Francisco rock band Jefferson Airplane. Unlike Surrealistic Pillow, released earlier the same year, After Bathing at Baxter's is classified as psychedelic rock because it eschews the more commercial type pop songs, such as "Somebody to Love", that appeared on the earlier LP. As such, it was a watershed album; Jefferson Airplane was now a much heavier rock group. Jorma Kaukonen's electric guitar was especially more to the forefront in both volume and tone.

Divided into "suites", this musical shift is typified by lengthier and more experimental compositions such as the nine-minute instrumental "Spare Chaynge" and Grace Slick's mammoth and unusual "rejoyce", a homage to James Joyce's novel "Ulysses", with its quirky arrangement and Jack Casady's stentorian bass-line. Many of the album tracks reflect the band's heavy use of the drug LSD. The cover art is by artist Ron Cobb.

Although it peaked in the top twenty, the album failed to garner the same commercial appeal as it's predecessor, mainly due to its experimental sound. The first single, The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil, barely missed the top forty mark, stalling at #42 while the second release, Watch Her Ride, went to #61 on Billboard. Both singles however, made it to the top forty in Cash Box Top 100. The band would return to major commercial success the following year with the more concise Crown of Creation.
Tracks
1. The Ballad Of You & Me & Pooneil (4:35)
2. A Small Package Of Value Will Come To You, Shortly (1:34)
3. Young Girl Sunday Blues (3:32)
4. Martha (3:26)
5. Wild Tyme (3:08)
6. The Last Wall Of The Castle (2:40)
7. Rejoyce (4:00)
8. Watch Her Ride (3:11)
9. Spare Chaynge (9:11)
10. Two Heads (3:13)
11. Won't You Try/Saturday Afternoon (5:02)
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More than two decades on, it's hard to believe that Simple Minds were once regarded as the coolest band in the world. Between 1979 and 1984 they delivered a string of devastating albums before willingly succumbing to the dark side and hamfistedly embracing stadium rock.
In 1978, however, the outfit, which was still a vehicle for Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill's compositions, were performing a collection of exciting but derivative pop tunes in Glasgow and, occasionally, Edinburgh venues. This is not to deny the band's popularity, which consequently saw them supporting voguish bands such as Siouxsie and The Banshees, and eventually signed to Bruce Findlay's Zoom records.
This, their debut release (ignoring the Saints and Sinners/Dead Vandals single, released, with a slightly different line up, as Johnny and the Self-Abusers), contains ten songs recorded pretty much beat for beat and note for note as they were played live. Their stilted performance on The Old Grey Whistle Test denies the energy evident on live bootlegs from this period, and the studio recordings fall somewhere between these extremes. However, the quality of the musicianship is clear and the accomplished playing of each member of the band formed the foundation for their more experimental and interesting work that was to follow.
The album is only worth buying if you are a completist (obviously) and possibly for the Velvet Underground derived Pleasantly Disturbed.
Tellingly, when Jim Kerr married Chrissy Hynde, this was the one Simple Minds album that he asked her not to play. Of course, they hadn't yet recorded Once Upon A Time... By F. Pearson
Tracks
1. Someone
2. Life in a Day
3. Sad Affair
4. All For You
5. Pleasantly Disturbed
6. No Cure
7. Chelsea Girl
8. Wasteland
9. Destiny
10. Murder Story
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Fresh after leaving Kraftwerk in the fall of 1971 for what they perceived to be a lack of vision, guitarist Michael Rother and drummer Klaus Dinger formed their own unit and changed the face of German rock forever -- eventually influencing their former employer, Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk. The 1974 album Autobahn was a genteel reconsideration of the music played here. Neu created a sound that was literally made for cruising in an automobile. While here in the States people were flipping out over "Radar Love" by Golden Earring, if they'd known about this first Neu disc, they would never have bothered. Dinger's mechanical, cut time drumming and Rother's two-note bass runs adorned with cleverly manipulated and dreamy guitar riffs and fills were the hallmarks of the "motorik" sound that would become the band's trademark. On "Hallogallo", which opens the disc, the listener encounters a timeless rock & roll sound world. The driving guitar playing one chord in different cadences and rhythmic patters, the four-snare to the floor pulse with a high hat and bass drum for ballast, and a bassline that is used more for keeping the drummer on time than as a rhythm instrument in its own right. These are draped in Rother's liquidy, cascading single note drones and runs, so even as the tune's momentum propels the listener into a movement oriented robotic dance, the guitar's lyrical economy brings an aesthetic beauty into the mix that opens the space up from inside. The tense ambient soundscape of "Sonderangebot" balances things a bit before the slower-than-Neil Young "Weissensee" opens with a subtle industrial clamor and opens up into a lyrical exploration of distorted slide guitar aesthetics with an uncharacteristic drum elegance that keeps the guitar in check. "Im Glück" tracks a restrained, droning path through the textural palette of the guitar, treated with whispering distortion and echo. All hell breaks loose again on Dinger's "Negativland" as an industrial soundscape eventually gives way to a bass and guitar squall as darkly enticing as anything on Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures. It's really obvious now how the JD's sound was influenced by this simply and darkly delicious brew of noise, bass throb, percussive hypnosis, and an oddly placed, strangely under-mixed, guitar. Rother's style had as much to do with not playing as it did with virtuosity, and his fills of open chords, stuttered cadences, and broken syntax provided a much needed diversion for the metronymic regularity of the rhythm section. Rother didn't riff; he painted a mix with whatever was necessary to get the point across. His mannerisms here are not to draw attention to himself, but rather to that numbing, incessant rhythm provided wondrously by Dinger. Neu's debut album was driving music for the apocalypse in 1971
Tracks
01. Hallogallo (10:07)
02. Sonderangebot (4:51)
03. Weissensee (6:46)
04. Im Glück (6:53)
05. Negativland (9:47)
Listen.

This is the first chapter (or prologue if you wish) to the Far East Family Band group, one of the Japanese prog precursors. The album was released under this name, but has the same line-up than FEFB’s Cave Down To Earth album. The TRC semi-legit reissue of this album present a glove hanging from a clothesline and even manages to misspell the name of the group (For Out ;-) and even forget the album's name, avoids staring the tracks and the line-up, but the transcription was rather good as the sound is quite satisfying (even though I never saw or heard the original vinyl). The line-up includes future new age stars Kitaro, Myi[&*!#]a and Akira Ito, so this album also has its historical importance.
Just two sidelong tracks on this album, but both are excellent and not holding any lengths or are not indulging in themselves. Both are a bit influenced by Pink’s psychedelic Floyd influences as well as a good dose of early 70’s UK proto-prog sound, but there is an undeniable personal feel as well, lying in an Indian music influence. Definitely lying in the last rays of the hippy culture, this album radiates a contagious happiness much the same way that Sweet Smoke was doing in their short discography.

Definitely worthy of investigation, even essential, especially in regards with the Japanese prog scene, this album deploys its charms to the listener and despite some obvious inspiration that are not concealed enough, the charms are operating an aural seduction to your brains. Recommended for those enjoying the early 70’s pastoral hippy ambiances. By Sean Trane
Tracks
1. Too Many People (17:55)
2. Nihonjin (19:52)
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Orange Crate Art is a 1995 album by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks released on Warner Bros. Records, where Parks has been contracted since 1967.

Nearly 30 years after their legendary collaboration on the ill-fated Smile project, Wilson and Parks teamed up again for this Orange Crate Art, which in essence, is really a Van Dyke Parks album, full of his dense, complex songwriting and lush orchestrations, while featuring Brian Wilson on vocals. The album's title refers to the sun-drenched, idealized paintings that grace wooden fruit crates, and its theme is a nostalgic view of the history of California.

Given the history of its principals, the album came with high expectations, but upon release it received mixed critical reviews and had lackluster sales, failing even to chart. Nonetheless, Orange Crate Art still remains an interesting curio for most Wilson and Parks devotees.
Tracks
1. Orange Crate Art
2. Sail Away
3. My Hobo Heart
4. Wings of a Dove
5. Palm Tree and Moon
6. Summer in Monterey
7. San Francisco
8. Hold Back Time
9. My Jeanine
10. Movies Is Magic
11. This Town Goes Down at Sunset
12. Lullaby
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Mutantes (ou Don Quixote) is the second album by the Brazilian tropicalia band Os Mutantes. The album was originally released in 1969 (see 1969 in music) and reissued in 1999 on Omplatten Records. It shows a more polished approach to their first album, maintaining the sense of humour while keeping the experimental aspects, such as fusing different genres, studio trickery as well as using found objects and samples from television and movies, alive.
Tracks
1 Dom Quixote
2 Não Vá Se Perder por Aí
3 Dia 36
4 Dois Mil E Um
5 Algo Mais
6 Fuga No. II
7 Banho de Lua (Tintarella di Luna)
8 Rita Lee
9 Mágica
10 Qualquer Bobagem
11 Caminhante Noturno
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"The Picadilly Line's The Huge World Of Emily Small is one of those albums that just seems to have slipped under the radar of most UK pop psych collectors. As such, it has never been re-issued in any form! The band (essentially a duo led by Rod Edwards and Roger Hand, who would later record as Edwards Hand) flourished briefly in the late '60s releasing this one album. With them is the cream of UK session men including Danny Thompson (bass), Alan Hawkshaw (keys), Herbie Flowers (bass) and Harold McNair (flute). The Picadilly Line even managed an appearance at The Middle Earth club in London, the then hallowed centre of the UK psychedelic scene. The album is breezy post-Sgt. Pepper psychedelic pop with plenty of swinging London vibes, orchestration and evocative whimsical lyrics. Reference points are a psychedelic Hollies, Chad and Jeremy (circa Of Cabbages and Kings) Nirvana, Kaleidoscope (UK), World Of Oz, Donovan and The Bee Gees. Filled with beautiful dreamy vocal harmonies and elaborate electric and acoustic arrangements, this is a real trip back to the height of UK Flower Power. All material is original except for a great version of Dylan's 'Visions of Johanna' and The Everly Brothers' 'Gone, Gone Gone.'
Tracks
1. Emily Small (The Huge World Thereof)
2. Silver Paper Dress
3. At The Third Stroke
4. Can You See Me
5. Your Dog Won't Bark
6. How Could You Say You're Leaving Me
7. Gone Gone Gone
8. Twiggs
9. Tumble Down World
10. Visions Of Johanna
11. Come & Sing A Song
12. Her Name Is Easy
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The Sonics are an American garage rock band, originating from the early and mid-1960s. Among The Sonics' other contemporaries were The Kingsmen, The Wailers, The Drastics, The Dynamics, The Regents, and Paul Revere & the Raiders. This movement is credited with founding Seattle's well-known music scene which survives to the present.

The Sonics' sound is noticeably rougher, cruder, and more brutal than that of their musical peers, and among those in the know The Sonics are sometimes regarded as the first punk rock group, though well before the punk movement took off in the late 1970s. Although they had a fairly standard instrumental line up for the time, The Sonics made their unique sound with wild arrangements, often disturbing lyrics, peppered with screaming and howling, and electric guitars played through amplifiers customized to achieve the harshest tones possible. Although their chief period of success was coincident with the release of Gibson's first fuzzbox, The Sonics' fuzzy sound was their own creation.

The songs they played were a mixture of garage rock standards ("Louie, Louie", "Have Love, Will Travel"), early rock and roll ("Jenny, Jenny", "Skinny Minnie") and original compositions such as "Strychnine", "Psycho", and "The Witch", all based upon simple chord sequences, played hard and fast.

The lyrics of The Sonics' original material dealt with early '60s teenage culture; cars, guitars, surfing, and girls (in songs like "The Hustler", "Boss Hoss" and "Maintaining My Cool") alongside darker subject matter such as drinking strychnine for kicks, witches, psychopaths, and Satan (in the songs "Strychnine", "The Witch", "Psycho", and "He's Waitin'", respectively).
Tracks
1. Cinderella
2. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
3. Skinny Minnie
4. Let the Good Times Roll
5. Don't You Just Know It
6. Jenny, Jenny
7. He's Waitin'
8. Louie, Louie
9. Since I Fell for You
10. Hitch Hike
11. It's All Right
12. Shot Down
13. Hustle
14. Witch [Alternate Take]
15. Psycho [Live]
16. Witch [Live]
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Many listeners got their first taste of the Residents on the "Dr. Demento" radio program back in late 1979 or 1980. The song was "The Laughing Song" and I never forgot how wonderfully bizarre it was.
Louisiana swamp rats who relocated to San Francisco (a good choice, given the musical tolerance the Bay Area has boasted over the years) and created a stir with never revealing their identities and making head size eyeballs famous, the Residents specialized in proto-synth programming that predated Devo and just about every cutting edge artist, with the possible exception of Can, the German experimental legends. While comedy is the main focal point of these twisted genius' work, they also experiment with sounds and textures never before attempted or replicated. In fact, "Eskimo", their biggest selling album, is somewhat serious, a five part soundscape that defies description in print.
For those not quite ready to take the plunge with "Eskimo", "The Commercial Album" is a good starting point as each selection is exactly one minute long, making up forty snippets of amazing hooks, noises, and even the occasional pretty tune. Fans of electronic music like NIN, meet your roots. Reznor could never have created his work without these pioneers. As so often is the case, some of the world's most obscure artists also act as the most influential. Laugh along, but don't forget the new ground that is constantly being broken as you listen to "The Commercial Album". Also, pick up "Duck Stab/Buster & Glen", the other Residents' masterwork.By Scott
Tracks
1. Easter Woman (1:03)
2. Perfect Love (1:03)
3. Picnic Boy (1:01)
4. End of Home (1:04)
5. Amber (1:02)
6. Japanese Watercolor (1:02)
7. Secrets (1:03)
8. Die in Terror (1:03)
9. Red Rider (1:02)
10. My Second Wife (1:02)
11. Floyd (1:03)
12. Suburban Bathers (1:04)
13. Dimples and Toes (1:03)
14. The Nameless Souls (1:04)
15. Love Leaks Out (1:04)
16. Act of Being Polite (1:03)
17. Medicine Man (1:04)
18. Tragic Bells (1:03)
19. Loss of Innocence (1:04)
20. The Simple Song (1:02)
21. Ups and Downs (1:04)
22. Possessions (1:03)
23. Give it to Someone Else (1:03)
24. Phantom (1:04)
25. Less Not More (1:03)
26. My Work is So Behind (1:04)
27. Birds in the Trees (1:04)
28. Handful of Desire (1:04)
29. Moisture (1:04)
30. Love Is... (1:03)
31. Troubled Man (1:04)
32. La La (1:04)
33. Loneliness (1:04)
34. Nice Old Man (1:04)
35. The Talk of Creatures (1:04)
36. Fingertips (1:04)
37. In Between Dreams (1:04)
38. Margaret Freeman (1:03)
39. The Coming of Crow (1:04)
40. When We Were Young (1:02)
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The band was founded in Liverpool in 1980 when bassist Chris Layhe (who had been in a couple of local rock bands including Elanor and Blind Owl) answered an advertisement for a musical collaborator placed by 20 year old Ian McNabb. The two got together and started writing and in 1981 recorded a six-song independently released cassette (Ascending). Ian then pulled in drummer Chris Sharrock (who had previously drummed for the Cherry Boys) and the trio began playing as The Icicle Works. In 1982 they released the independent single "Nirvana". The following year, the Icicle Works were signed to the Beggars Banquet label, who issued the single "Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)" on their subsidiary label Situation Two.

Later that year, The Icicle Works' released their biggest UK hit, 1983's "Love Is a Wonderful Colour", which was a Top 15 single in the UK Singles Chart. Their debut eponymous album (1984) followed shortly thereafter, reached number 24 on the UK Albums Chart and reached the Top 40 on the [[United States|U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Also appearing on the U.S. Top 40 singles chart at around the same time (and hitting the Canadian Top 20) was "Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)", a retitled and slightly remixed version of the band's Situation Two release of 1983.


[edit] Touring Years: 1985-1988
After the release of their self-titled debut album the Icicle Works struggled to match their initial commercial success. However, they continued to receive critical acclaim as a live band and secured a loyal fan base both in the UK and abroad. Some[who?] have attributed the lack of commercial success to The Icicle Works' change in sound over the years, from an initial 'new wave' feel to a more straight-ahead (but then-unfashionable) rock sound inspired by Neil Young, The Doors, and the Ramones, amongst others.[citation needed]

In September 1984 the band issued the single "Hollow Horse", which continued to be a live favourite and the folk-rock inspired "Seven Horses". The band continued to enjoy acclaim in the UK, US and Japan but struggled to reclaim their initial chart success
Tracks
01. Hollow Horse (4:05)
02. Perambulator (3:59)
03. Seven Horses (4:19)
04. Rapids (4:28)
05. Windfall (4:16)
06. Assumed Sundown (5:53)
07. Saint's Soujourn (4:31)
08. All the Daughters (Of Her Father's House) (4:32)
09. Book of Reason (3:48)
10. Conscience of Kings (5:15)
Listen.

John Coltrane left behind a legacy of experimental and extremely spiritual work whose timeless quality still reverberates today. After his untimely death many poseurs came out to stake their claim as the next Coltrane. Many tried and many failed. Then in 1969 a former sideman of Coltrane's, Pharoah Sanders, stepped out from the shadow of his mentor and recorded Karma, which bore the soul of Coltrane's musical and spiritual passion.

Karma was released four years after his first record as a leader, Pharoah's First (1965). While working with Coltrane, Sanders began to develop an aggressive tone that ripped into an anarchaotic passion owing as much to Coltrane as Albert Ayler. His records as a leader did not always reflect the raw energy that would show up on Coltrane classics such as Ascension. His 1966 Impulse! debut, Tauhid, is a great example of this. Sanders let the work take on a generalized groove that worked with the mood created in each piece. In doing so, he created not only his best pre-Karma record, but one of his finest overall. After Coltrane's death, Pharoah worked with his widow Alice before setting to work on what would become Karma.

As with many records of the mid to late-'60s/early '70s, Karma is based primarily around the first of two album tracks, "The Creator Has a Master Plan." The track is one of the finest and best-executed and edited jams ever caught on record, though many critics would and will argue with that statement. The master plan of tracks on contemporaneous Miles Davis records like In a Silent Way or Bitches Brew was created by the editing and production efforts of Teo Maceo. Recordings like Free Jazz or Ascension, in contrast, worked by virtue of the way they tore down sonic and musical boundaries. Sanders incorporates these values into "The Creator," making it more than just a loose jam; no matter where Sanders goes, he is in total control. Even as the piece peaks into volatile eruptions roughly sixteen minutes in, he saddles the passion and works the track back into the initial groove that was comprised its first movement.

"Creator" comes in at 32:47 and wastes not a single note. Opening with a virtual rush of sound, it then quiets down and drops a brief riff from A Love Supreme. The tune then works itself into a groove that would later be known as acid jazz, working with Eastern percussion and allowing the bass to float close to the front of the mix. This first section relies on a modal two-chord structure that keeps the tone bouncy and meditative. At eight minutes Leon Thomas begins a chant-like vocal that varies lines from the mantra "The creator has a master plan, peace and love for every man." The vocals drop and the third movement becomes an unrelenting Coltranesque blitz that tears the mellow mood apart, only to combine the angst and mellowness in the next movement and settle back into a reprise of the first fourteen minutes.

"Colors," on the other hand, is a shorter and more structured piece that features some solid and well-executed chops. Again Leon Thomas sings, and Ron Carter takes over the duties of Richard Davis and Reggie Workman.


Love or hate the music of Pharoah Sanders, you cannot deny the man's vision after hearing this record. His is an absolute genius approach to arrangement and performance. Though Sanders would release many great records and even mellow his distinctive tenor sound down, Karma is a record that deserves to be heard by any serious jazz fan.
Tracks
01. The creator has a master plan
02. Colors
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Saturnalia was a rock group produced by Yardbirds legend Keith Relf. This reproduced vinyl version of their album Magical Love is a duplicate of the original picture album released on Matrix Records in 1969.

With a man named Adrian Hawkins and woman named simply Aletta heading up the vocal duties, their sound was assorted and fascinating combination of psychedelic rock. I preferred what they sounded like with Hawkins at the helm; Aletta’s voice was off key and irritating for the most part. The music in total bordered on pre-prog-rock with a strong leaning towards hard rock, albeit a different slant than what was available in that era. I am sure some folks would consider this as weird music, I prefer to say they were making music that was original and off the beaten path, which for me personally is very appealing.

Besides the tripped out artwork on both sides of the LP, a booklet is included that tells the story of the band with an outline of each individual personality including their astrological sign a full explanation of all the elements, fire and water and such. It is all very much what 1969 was all about. Old hippies (and new) will love this album! It seems there is always so much more to talk about besides the music when I receive an album with so much color and character. This is what collectors live for so snag it up before they disappear. by Keith Hannaleck.
Tracks
1. Magical Love
2. She Brings Peace
3. And I Have Loved You
4. Winchester Town
5. Traitor
6 .Soul Song
7. Princess And The Peasant Boy
8. Dreaming
9. Step Out Of Line
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Just like Eno, Klaus Schulze, and other eventual-individualists, the Greek composer Vangelis initially started out in a rock band, Aphrodite's Child. This was their third and final album. The band members were not on speaking terms during its recording in 1970, and had already split up by the time of its release in 1972. Despite this, 666 remains their most memorable album and has cultivated its own following as an acknowledged psych classic. The original storyline of text-writer Costas Ferris concerned a circus troupe that throws a show in a circus tent based on the Apocalypse of the Book of Revelations, filled with spectacular lights and sounds. However, while the show is going on in the circus tent, the real Apocalypse begins to occur outside, the audience believing it to be part of the show. At the end, the big tent disappears, and the two 'shows' unite in a melding of illusion with reality.
From the opening chant of "The System" (whose actual words are, in case you are trying to figure it out, "We've got the system, to fuck the system") dissolving into the peppy "Babylon" with Demis Roussos jovially singing "Fallen fallen fallen is Babylon the Great!" amidst canned cheering, this is an album that quickly establishes itself as out to keep the listener's attention by any means necessary. For whatever eccentricities Vangelis managed to later inject into his solo work, these were quite present and accounted for in much larger amounts here. Take the funny voiceovers, ranging in demeanor from 'David Hemmings - Narrator' to 'Arthur Brown - Ringmaster' to 'John Lennon - Stoned'; one of these even alerts the listener that the song is changing ("That was 'The Wedding of the Lamb'...Now comes 'The Capture of the Beast'"). Take the idiosyncratic "shdeedledee doodledum" vocals that mercilessly puncture "Break." Or take "Loud, Loud, Loud," with a boy somberly reciting (as if he were Linus in "A Charlie Brown Christmas") poetry lines about circus horses and shouting freaks while Vangelis gently plonks down practically Velvet Underground-like repetitive piano lines.

Stylistically, 666 dunks the listener's head into a pretty eclectic kettle, primarily characterized by the psychedelic rock of the period. On the more mellow side of this lies "The Four Horsemen" and "Aegian Sea," resembling Pink Floyd during the Saucerful of Secrets - Meddle era, with Roussos' voice approximating a European Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon) on the former. However, the band also gets pretty electric. Guitarist Koulouris and drummer Sedaris particularly tear it up, if briefly, on "The Battle of the Locusts/Do It," and the band indulges in a side-long jam "All the Seats Were Occupied." "Altamont," on the second disc, is also a splendidly heavy track, pounding away like the hammer of Hephaestos. Indeed, it would have been great to hear Christian Vander and Jannick Top of Magma '76 get their hands on a groove such as this. Also represented are dalliances into ethnic folk (e.g., "The Seventh Seal," "The Marching Beast") and soul, albeit at least one instance of this ("The Beast") sounds inexorably like 70s porn music.

But what would any proper review of this album be without mention of its piece de resistance? Behold, the infamous "8," with guest vocals from famed Greek actress Irene Papas accompanied solely by improvised ritualistic percussion by Vangelis. This track was deemed blasphemous by parent label Mercury Records because of Papas' simulated orgasm, as she chants away cyclically "I was I am I am to come" with a level of fierce possession that gave Diamanda Galas a career. However, I am quite impressed with Papas' emotional abandon in delivering her alpha-omega mantra, constantly varying with astonishing creativity parameters of intonation, volume, rhythmic accentuation.

Speaking from the distance of impartiality, one would have to see 666 as essentially a charming timepiece. However, one can't help but champion the basic sense of musical freedom heard here and the playing is pretty solid. If nothing else, this is worth it just to hear the guy who wrote "Chariots of Fire" get in touch with his inner-psych-child and rock out. By Joe from Ground and sky
Tracks
1. The System — 0:23
2. Babylon — 2:47
3. Loud, Loud, Loud — 2:42
4. The Four Horsemen — 5:54
5. The Lamb — 4:33
6. The Seventh Seal — 1:30
7. Aegian Sea — 5:22
8. Seven Bowls — 1:29
9. The Wakening Beast — 1:11
10. Lament — 2:45
11. The Marching Beast — 2:00
12. The Battle of the Locusts — 0:56
13. Do It — 1:44
14. Tribulation — 0:32
15. The Beast — 2:26
16. Ofis — 0:14
17. Seven Trumpets — 0:35
18. Altamont — 4:33
19. The Wedding of the Lamb — 3:38
20. The Capture of the Beast — 2:17
21. 8 — 5:15
22. Hic and Nunc — 2:55
23. All the Seats Were Occupied — 19:19
24. Break — 2:58
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Originally known as Plant and See, a four-piece from Fayetteville, North Carolina. They were enjoying some success with a 45 and LP under their belt when their label White Whale went under and they were marooned. Determined to continue they got another contract which meant a change of name - so they chose to adopt the name of Lowery's native American tribe.
A strange album which came with a big cardboard insert for the 'Overdose' game, a kind of 'Monopoly' for stoned people! The lyrics are obviously drug-related (You Gotta Be Stoned, Veronica High) and the music is rather bluesy with some sound effects.
Tracks
1. Tone Deaf
2. Veronica High
3. People Get Ready
4. You Gotta Be Stoned
5. Tone Deaf Jam
6. Streets of Gold
7. Whole World Is Down on Me
8. Whole World Is Sunny Upside Down
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Duncan Browne's "Give Me Take You" is one of those rare albums where humanity, mytholgy, poetry, spirituality and the innocence of childhood somehow all converge into a wondrous work that seems out of place in this world. The beauty of this album is haunting and once you hear it, it is tough to forget the experience. Duncan charted his own classical arrangements and choir and did it with a stark yet amazingly beautiful compactness that works even better than Robert Kirby's work on Nick Drake's "Five Leaves Left."

When Rolling Stone's producer Andrew Loog Oldham signed Duncan to his Immediate Records label (the original label), Oldham knew he had a magic like what Oldham had set to vinyl in songs like "Lady Jane" and "As Tears Go By." But Duncan did not have any lyrics and so on this album Duncan recruited his friend from art school, David Bretton. His poetry is part and parcel of this album. It is the perfect stylistic companion to this recording. Bretton's imagery possesses all of the majesty and power of other British poets of the time -- like Keith Reid with Procol Harum, Peter Sinfield with King Crimson, et al. But where these wordsmiths sometimes wandered into the vague and ponderous, the same can never be said about David Bretton; his only excess is in the sometimes bright innocence of youth -- of which he can be forgiven, especially considering that this album was a product of the Sixties and he was but a lad himself.

The production of this album is both at once beautiful and raw. By the time Andrew Loog Oldham was finished with it, he was tired of it. His company was falling apart, he was in financial ruin and so he cut the sessions short. But that is an asset not a detriment to this album. It left all of the beautiful baroque and other classical embellishments penned by a young Duncan Browne to stand without being buried in over-production. The gorgeously airy choir which joins in from time to time can be overbearing on a track or two but this is by no means a warning to avoid this album. Do so, and you will miss one of the greatest English folk-classical albums ever recorded.

Like I said, if I had to give up every album and get down to just a handful -- this would be one of the last albums in the stack. There are few recordings that I could ever place alongside this one -- let alone, above it.

David Bretton's inside look at the project in this reissue's liner notes make it even more special. (Duncan passed away from cancer in 1993 and David's remembrances are even more appreciated because of Duncan's death.) I give the reissue high marks and would end this by saying that if you love the music of Nick Drake, Sandy Denny, Lindisfarne, The Left Banke's "Walk Away Rene" and the near classical edge of the Stone's songs earlier mentioned -- don't miss this treat. Yes it's a rarety but then you don't find wondrous gemstones laying all about on the ground, do you???
Tracks
1. Give Me, Take You
2. Ninepence Worth of Walking
3. Dwarf in a Tree (A Cautionary Tale)
4. Ghost Walks
5. Waking You, Pt. 1
6. Chloe in the Garden
7. Waking You, Pt. 2
8. On the Bombsite
9. I Was, You Weren't
10. Gabilan
11. Alfred Bell
12. Death of Neil
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Consistent follow-up by late sixties soul drenched sunny popsike crew.
With eight short FM-formatted songs per side this seems like their ultimate (or desperate) grasp for stardom. Except for the 1st narrated 'soundtrack' intro, the songs definitely sound chart-friendly and obviously bear strong hit-potential; some tracks should have been, some might have been, but most simply weren't, which is a shame because they're all compact and cleverly composed. The main themes emphasise won and lost love and the obvious sikedelik escapism from it all. A big plus goes to the vocals which are crystalline clear, powerfully strong and lavishly arranged. A professionally produced and remarkably fresh sounding album.
Tracks
1.The Invasion Of Helios
2.Cool It
3.Hello Yesterday
4.Trust Somebody
5.Don't Make Me Leave You
6.What Became Of Yesterday's Hero
7.Welcome To The World
8.Help Yourself
9.It's Getting Harder
10.Who Can Teach A Songbird How To Sing
11.Everything Comes Sooner Or Later
12.Cleo
13.Don't Jump To Conclusions
14.Popcorn Double Feature
15.Walking In Different Circles
16.I Don't Want To live This Way
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Drum Circus is a shortlived Swiss band founded by the great drummer Peter Giger. The band he formed had three drummers (!) and many other musicians, including Joel Vandroogenbroeck, from Brainticket, playing Organ, Piano, Flute and Sitar. Carole Muriel from Brainticket appears also in the band doing vocals. Other curious thing about their only album is that the lyrics of two songs were written by the LSD guru Timothy Leary. After all this definition one can only think that the music contained in this album is rather crazy and in fact it is. If you like drumming/percussion, you will love this album.
The sidelong eponymous track, Magic Theatre, has many things and ideas included. The lyrics are inspired in the Tibetan Book of The Dead, written by Leary. The sound is varied, with a percussion intro, nice organ, good flute and drum passage, some drums with a collective chanting and then fantastic sitar sounds that are very skillfully played, along with some crazy saxophone, mridanga (indian percussion) and indian-inspired chanting. Then are some avant-garde parts with percussion, sax improvisation and great organ sounds. After some jamming, there is some spoken phrases interpreted by the singers like in a play. After that a calm part with sitar, flute and percussion. Then some jazzy parts, with jazzy piano and saxophone, plus very good drumming. In the end there is the return of the theme under the spoken part.

The other songs are good also. Now It Hurts You is short, but has excellent sitar, organ and drumming. The vocals are strange in this song. Papera is a rather jazzy song with some soft saxophone arrangement and good piano. Percussion is always present and very interesting. The song has some changes during it.

La-Si-Do is the strangest song with strange vocals and dominated by percussion, with many different sounds generating a good combination.

Groove Rock is really groovy, with superb saxophone soloing and great organ and percussion backing the solo. The song is jazzy and the highlights are the superb drumming and the great saxophone.

All Things Pass has interesting piano and percussive sounds. The singing is inspired. The piano arrangement is somewhat jazzy and the drumming parts are very improvisational, with the usage of the less used parts of the drums, like cymbals.

Overall is a nice album with a great mix of psychedelic indian influences and jazz and impressive drumming. The sound is not so much varied and some shorter songs resemble the long suite, but this is a little common for their genre (Krautrock).
Tracks
1. Magic Theatre (21:32)
2. Now It Hurts You (2:48)
3. Papera (3:32)
4. La-Si-Do (2:22)
5. Groove Rock (8:44)
6. All Things Pass (3:25)
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“The atmospheric pop band the Chameleons formed in Manchester, England, in 1981 from the ashes of a number of local groups: vocalist/bassist Mark Burgess began with the Cliches, guitarists Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding arrived from the Years, and drummer John Lever (who quickly replaced founding member Brian Schofield) originated with the Politicians. After establishing themselves with a series of high-profile BBC sessions, the Chameleons signed to Epic and debuted with the EP Nostalgia, a tense, moody set produced by Steve Lillywhite which featured the single "In Shreds."
The quartet was soon released from its contract with Epic, but then signed to Statik and returned in 1983 with the band's first full-length effort, Script of the Bridge. What Does Anything Mean? Basically followed in 1985, and with it came a new reliance on stylish production; following its release, the Chameleons signed to Geffen and emerged the following year with Strange Times. The dark, complex record proved to be the Chameleons' finale, however, when they split following the sudden death of manager Tony Fletcher; while Burgess and Lever continued on in the Sun & the Moon, Smithies and Fielding later reunited in the Reegs. In 1993, Burgess surfaced with his proper solo album Zima Junction. He and his band the Sons of God toured America the following year.
Tracks
1. Don't Fall
2. Here Today
3. Monkeyland
4. Second Skin
5. Up the Down Escalator
6. Less Than Human
7. Pleasure and Pain
8. Thursday's Child
9. As High as You Can Go
10. Person Isn't Safe Anywhere These Days
11. Paper Tigers
12. View from a Hill
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Changing Hearts improves slightly on the band’s debut by opening the sound up with guitars to breathe a little freer. The compact arrangements, fast rhythms and repetitive melodies remain, but the end result is more varied and more fun. “Like Papers on a Rock” and a cover of The Beatles’ “Rain” are two of the album’s better tracks, and both show the band’s willingness to try something different. In trying to find a parallel for this music, I still struggle to get unstuck from Polyrock’s idiosyncratic sound; Wall of Voodoo mostly comes to mind. As with their debut, roughly half of the songs are instrumentals. That doesn’t cost the record the momentum you might think, though trying to distinguish between a “Slow Dogs” and “Hallways” could hurt your brain. In the field of alternative rock circa 1981, Polyrock fell on the artistic side of the fence. Their melodies are actually meticulous textures, crafted to achieve correct angles like a sonic sculpture. Presumably, that was the Glass influence at work, though the pop market was never going to accept a Glass factory the way they did Warhol’s tenants. The Heads’ success, which Polyrock might have shared, was predicated on the band’s energy as much as their strangeness. Watching David Byrne sing was like watching James Brown; you kept waiting for the guy to hit the wall and collapse. Polyrock never generated that kind of energy; perhaps they were too rigid. It’s the same reason why Utilitarianism never caught on, I suppose; it just wasn’t “sexy” enough. Changing Hearts may not be a sexy record, but it’s fundamentally sound as an amalgam of art and rock, perhaps reason enough to place Polyrock on a tiny pedestal of their own
Tracks
1. Changing Hearts
2. Love Song
3. Quiet Riot
4. Cries & Whispers
5. Mean Cow
6. In Full Circle
7. Like Papers on a Rock
8. New U.S., The
9. Slow Dogs
10. Hallways
11. Rain
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Jayne Casey's post-Big in Japan endeavor, Pink Military, was quickly snapped up by Virgin after critical accolades showered their 1979 single "Blood and Lipstick." Nearly a year later, and sporting a new rhythm section, Pink Military released the wonderfully moody Do Animals Believe in God?. The LP would become both their debut effort and swan song. Alternative beats which border on darkwave inform much of this set, and Casey keeps the mood sweet and melancholy, but imbues the songs with an edge that barely conceals her sharper points. This works to wonderful effect on many of the songs, but most especially on "I Cry," which crossed U.K. post-punk ethics with a smidgen of Nico and a little Rocky Horror Picture Show thrown in for kicks. "Did You See Her?," the album's lone single, keeps the vocal range low but brightens the vibe with some lighthearted synth. Elsewhere, the band continues to shine on "Back on the London Stage," as well as on the dramatic title track -- sung, incidentally, by an unidentified bandmember. Pink Military only falters when they step into the more experimental waters of "Living in a Jungle" and "War Games." Sadly, this wonderful album fared poorly, leaving Casey to regroup and redefine the band's dimension, burying Pink Military and giving birth to the new era of Pink Industry in 1982
Tracks
1 Degenerated Man
2 I Cry
3 Did You See Her
4 Wild West
5 Back on the London Stage
6 After Hiroshima
7 Living in the Jungle
8 Dreamtime
9 Wargames
10 Heaven/Hell
11 Do Animals Believe in God?
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I wouldn't want to join the - no doubt existent - bunch of fans who'd claim Sea Shanties to be the true epitome of heaviness and that one best heavy album in the world so unjustly forgotten by future (and neglected by contemporary) generations. Rather, it falls into that category of important and innovative records that prove things we "wouldn't like to know". Think the Pretty Things' S. F. Sorrow as the first example of 'rock opera' rather than the world-famous Tommy, think the Silver Apples as pioneers of synthesizers rather than Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Stevie Wonder, think numerous faceless garage bands as the first real punks before you-know-who, etc., etc. All these albums and bands have one thing in common - they were all innovative, but they didn't manage to balance their inventiveness and innovation with solid songwriting craft and 'mass appeal' (the latter understood in the positive sense here). Thus, it's only natural, if certainly unjust and a bit sad, that they were forgotten and replaced by their more witty colleagues who were able to make their achievements produce a real revolution in mass conscience.

Same goes for High Tide's debut album. Much as I love Stand Up and, to a lesser extent, Led Zeppelin II, Sea Shanties has definitely gotta occupy the title of heaviest album in 1969. Guitarist Tony Hill had apparently been paying close attention to Hendrix, as the distorted, scorching tones he employs on the record are certainly borrowed off Jimi's experimental noisemaking off Are You Experienced, except that Tony doesn't use them for noisemaking, he uses them as the base for the actual melodies. However, the style of his playing is anything but Hendrix - this is not a bluesy album by any means, and Tony's grumbling wall-rattling riffs can only be compared to what that other Tony would start doing in about a year. In other words, think Black Sabbath playing style crossed with the dirtiest of Hendrix guitar tones. But that's only one element; Simon House's driving electric violin throws in a certain degree of 'artsiness', even "proggishness", as the man battles with Tony's guitars, and Tony's vocals are so close to Jim Morrison's that some of the 'softer' parts on the album could easily be mistaken for lost Doors' outtakes. Er, "Outtakes From The Forgotten Doors" - I think that sounds pretty nifty, doesn't it?

Anyway, the first song, 'Futilist's Lament', would be enough to bawl over anybody. A smashing, mastodontic, grunge-and-everything-else-predicting riff almost rips out of your left speaker, and as you screaming run for cover into the shelter of the right speaker, another, an even heavier and poisonous riff rips out of it, too, throwing you back to the wall where your family will be gathered to scrape you off with a toothbrush. (That's what happened to me, don't ask me how I got my poor remains together). Then, however, the second riff goes away, replaced by House's twiddling violin, and as Tony starts to sing in his devastating, Morrison influenced tone about the perils and dangers of life, you can easily understand why this album didn't make much of an impact in 1969: for that period, it was so unbelievably hardcore and radical that promoting such a thing might have caused one serious problems.

How, in fact, can you promote a record that has 'Death Warmed Up' as its second track? It's a sprawling nine-minute jam that only gets heavier and heavier and heavier as it progresses, until you get the feeling that all the room is burning up in flames and start getting visions of Mr Hill with scorched, charred fingers and thick black smoke coming out of the amplifiers. It also gets rather boring once you got used to it, OR it gets totally unlistenable once you find out you can't get used to it. Either way, it's not a chef-d'oeuvre of music-making, but it is melodic, in the long run, and you can headbang to it like no other composition from 1969...

It's all quite typical of the other four songs as well. Classically-influenced, medievalistic compositions (the classical influence is especially well seen on the quieter moments, such as the first section of 'Pushed But Not Forgotten') with well-constructed, but not instantly memorable vocal melodies that all eventually transform into this dirty, stinkin', rotten, exciting sludge. Some, like 'Walking Down Their Outlook', are a bit 'uptempo', but the other ones are normally and predictably slow, just like any selected classic Black Sabbath song would sound. If anything, the album suffers from a total lack of diversity: I like the sound in general, but it's a bit too much bleeding on the ears for me to be able to take all of it in one go, and a more 'lightweight' interlude or two would have certainly benefited the general look of the thing, especially since Hill and House can do 'lightweight' interludes, as 'Pushed' proves.

But then again, it's the very point of the record to be consistently HEAVY. In terms of 'musical purpose', this is a radical opposite to something like the Stooges' Funhouse - that album was defiantly 'anti-artsy' (which made it artsy by definition, but that's another matter), while Hill, House and company certainly pretend this to qualify as an art-rock, in parts even prog-rock experience, but that doesn't mean I gotta enjoy it any less than the Stooges' masterpiece. I probably enjoy it even more, although it depends on the mood: if you're in for a bit of 'caveman' heaviness, go for the Stooges, if you're more inclined towards this leaden Goth heaviness, High Tide's your bet. In fact, while not too many songs on here relate to 'sea' thematics, the sound, at times, is so apocalyptic and thunderstormy that it fits right in with the album cover. But I bet you anything you don't hear that kind of 'sea shanties' at sea. Not often, at least. Review from HERE.
Tracks
1. Futilist's Lament
2. Death Warmed Up
3. Pushed But Not Forgotten
4. Walking Down Their Outlook
5. Missing Out
6. Nowhere.
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And the unearthing of various psychedelic-era obscurities continues. In this case, the chosen representatives — reflecting turn of the century interest in a comparatively little-known Latin American '60s scene — were from Venezuela; a teenage trio signed for a three-album contract that only recorded the one in 1968. The sparse liner notes indicate that it was pretty much the band's standard set, and as such, reveals that they were essentially a cover group with a fondness for soul — the sole original, "Gonna Ride," kicks things off. It's actually a surprisingly blasting number once it hits the chorus, guitarist Alvaro Falcon going certifiably crazy via overdubs (in interesting contrast, the band's also good at simply cutting out fully for dramatic pauses). Bassist/singer Jesus Toro's slight accent tinges an otherwise standard-enough rock/blues delivery of the time, while the whole song ends on a wonderfully bemusing let-the-tape-slow-down note. After that, it's a reasonably standard selection in terms of musicians to reinterpret, though with admittedly sometimes intriguing song choices as representatives. For instance, though Jimi Hendrix was clearly an obvious influence on the group, tackling "Highway Child," "51st Anniversary," and "Stone Free" instead of "Purple Haze" and "Foxy Lady" showed more originality then than Lenny Kravitz now. Similarly, trying out Cream's notorious example of proto-arena-wank, "Toad" is clearly either inspired or flat-out nuts, right down to drummer Richard Rumaitre's over-the-top Ginger Baker impression. Not everything is a surprise — there's the Leiber & Stoller standard "Kansas City," Procol Harum's "Whiter Shade of Pale," Robert Johnson-via-Cream's "Crossroads," and so forth. But sometimes, the juxtapositions are surprisingly inspired — if "When a Man Loves a Woman" won't supplant Percy Sledge's take, credit to Toro for trying his best, and to the band as a whole for balancing implied heft with just enough restraint.
Tracks
1 Gon'na Ride Falcón, Toro 3:00
2 High Way Child Hendrix 3:02
3 When a Man Loves a Woman Wright 3:27
4 Kansas City Leiber, Stoller 4:57
5 If You Need Me Picket 2:31
6 Toad Baker 4:05
7 Stone Free Hendrix 3:34
8 Crossroads Johnson 4:28
9 Whiter Shade Brooker, Reed 3:54
10 51st Anniversary Hendrix 3:14
11 I'm Sorry Womack 3:18
12 Sweet Soul Music
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Led by guitarist/vocalist Tony Tecumseh, Afterglow formed in August of 1965 when Tecumseh and drummer Larry Alexander teamed with a bassist to form a trio dubbed the Madallions.

Soon they added vocalist Gene Resler and the band played several shows, usually at a local pizza parlor, before they went their separate ways to attend college. They re-formed in 1966, adding new bassist Ron George and keyboardist Roger Swanson.

That fall, Afterglow began recording with producer Leo Lukla at his Golden State Recorders studio, but due to their studies, they were unable to complete an album until late 1967; the resulting eponymous record appeared early the following year on MTA Records. Afterglow was ignored at the time and the group broke up shortly afterward, but the record became a favorite of psychedelic collectors and was reissued by Sundazed Records in 1995.buy here.
Tracks
01. Morning
02. Dream Away
03. Susie's Gone
04. Mend This Heart of Mine
05. Afternoon
06. Chasing Rainbows
07. By My Side
08. It's a Wonder
09. Love
10. Riding Home Again
11. Meadowland of Love
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Boudewijn de Groot has always been Holland's top singer. He and Lennaert Nijgh are responsible for some of Holland's best songs ever! L. Nijgh was Boudewijn's lyricist. This album contains some beautiful arrangements. Just listen to the folky sounds of voor de overlevenden, the psych tones of lied voor een kind... and the carnivalesque sounds of Maas en Waal. Boudewijn still makes music and still scores #1 albums! L. Nijgh unfortunately passed away a few years ago. Boudewijn honored his memory, performing a marathon concert where he and band played all songs he and Lennaert wrote together!
Tracks
01. voor de overlevenden
02. lied voor een kind dat bang is in het donker
03. de wilde jager
04. naast jou
05. testament
06. de vrienden van vroeger
07. ze zijn niet meer als vroeger
08. zonder vrienden kan ik niet
09. het land van maas en waal
10. verdronken vlinder
11. beneden alle peil
12. ken je dat land
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This album was a throw together as the band's lead singer David Aguliar left after "The Inner Mystique". The band's producer Ed Cobb had enough too, and so with guitarist Mark Loomis taking on the lead vocals this is what it produced. It's showing that the group is leaving the roots of the blues, and psychedelia behind, and going into more hard rock ala Steppenwolf. Songs like "Fireface", and "Devil's Motorcycle" are evident that the group is going for a harder sound, and other songs like "Flowers" show that psychedelia hasn't been ruled out, but it's also branching into a folk, and country rock sound, and then "I Don't Need No Doctor" shows that they want thier psychedelic sound more tougher. "Sitting There Standing" I thought was done like in thier early days, but here it is on album #3, and "Loose Lips Synch Ships" sounds like circa 1966, so what's the story here? Well this was about as unorganized as "The White Album" according to the critics. I feel that it was a pretty well effort put together, but unfortunatly this was the last we would hear from the group until 2000. BY DR Hayes
Tracks
1. Uncle Morris
2. How Ya Been
3. Devil's Motorcycle
4. I Don't Need No Doctor
5. Flowers
6. Fireface
7. And She's Lonely
8. Don't Need Your Lovin'
9. Sitting There Standing
10. Blues Theme
11. Loose Lip Sync Ship
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The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter was the third album by the Incredible String Band, released in March 1968. It is regarded by many critics as a quintessential example of hippie culture, with its promotion of ideas such as communal living, eastern mysticism and pantheism; though this slightly undermines the inherent skill of musicianship found on the album.

The album was a major commercial success in the UK, staying in the charts for 27 weeks with a peak of #5. It has sold 800,000 copies in the UK to date. In the U.S., the ISB always remained underground and the album struggled to #161 on the Billboard 200. However, it was nominated for a Grammy in the folk music category.

The album featured a series of vividly dreamlike Robin Williamson songs, such as "The Minotaur's Song", a surreal music-hall parody told from the point of view of the mythical beast, and its centrepiece was Mike Heron's "A Very Cellular Song", a 13-minute reflection on life, love and amoebas; its complex structure incorporated a Bahamian spiritual ("I Bid You Goodnight") and an adaptation of a Sikh hymn ("May the pure light within you"). It had a layered production, using multi-track recording techniques and a very wide array of instruments from all corners of the world, including sitar, gimbri, shenai, oud, harpsichord, panpipes and kazoo.

The album's cover art - which on original LP issues was the back cover, as the front showed just Williamson and Heron - consists of a photograph taken on Christmas Day 1967. It shows both musicians, their girlfriends Licorice McKechnie and Rose Simpson, friends Roger Marshall and Nicky Walton, several children of their friend Mary Stewart, and Robin's dog Leaf.

Regarding the title, Mike Heron said at the time:- "The hangman is death and the beautiful daughter is what comes after. Or you might say that the hangman is the past twenty years of our life and the beautiful daughter is now, what we are able to do after all these years. Or you can make up your own meaning - your interpretation is probably just as good as ours."

Tracks
01. Koeeoddi There (4:41)
02. The Minotaur's Song (3:18)
03. Witches Hat (2:30)
04. A Very Cellular Song (12:55)
05. Mercy I Cry City (2:40)
06. Waltz of the New Moon (5:01)
07. The Water Song (2:47)
08. Three Is a Green Crown (7:40)
09. Swift as the Wind (4:50)
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"Alien Soundtracks" begins with the slow upfade of a droning guitar and cymbal roll, building in intensity as it slowly pans from left to right. The c umulative anxiety this creates in the listener suddenly apexes dead-center as a slightly overdriven, mono drum track attacks in an odd, mechanical rhythm. Here is Chromosome Damage. The quality of this piece mirrors basement, garage or war ehouse space recordings as the air around the instruments reeks of distant mic placement. This piece actually sounds like a decent live recording, complete wit h vocals fighting to escape the din of garage acid rock.

You're fighting out on the streets
Put you with all the theives and cheats
Going off to fight in a war
I don't know why but I do know more

Synth drones, effected guitar, samples from old television ads, and fade-in of a nother garage-esque jam (featuring backward drums, classic fender guitar sounds with phase shifter, and Moog synth bass) finalize this extraordinary song. At one point, the backwards drugs - I mean, drums - abruptly reverse without the jam missing a beat , showcasing a mastery of tape editing unlike most others of the era . I can only imagine what their recording sessions were like - this record defin es project studio experimentation under the knife!

Steve Tupper (Subterranean) recently told me that this record was recorded entire ly "at home", most likely on a 1/2" eight track. Creative genius b egan with several jam sessions recorded on tape by whatever means necessary, whi ch were then carefully combed for basic tracks and cleverly edited with a healthy dose of experimental inquisitiveness. Overdubbing was completed on the cream of t he crop, and hands-on mixing occurred in the style of "everyone grab a knob and twist!" More editing, more effects, and more manipulation followed until finally... an absolute masterpiece! Every blessed moment includes garage-sounding jams, intros of noise, TV cutups, drones, fun with tape delays, and loads of ins pired effects.

The quintessential piece on "Alien Soundtracks" is Nova Feedback, wh ich concludes side one of the original LP. Nova Feedback opens with a multi tr ack pan-o-rama of guitar drones and noodling, which fades fast in to quick edit s followed closely by a bass and drum track that makes one's eyelids heavy and n eck go limp. A mono drum track is then introduced as a simple steady high hat beat with kick drum accents and phase shifter (this was the first time I ever heard phase shifter on drums - such an experience!). The entire ensemble is fleshed out with a soaring, slowly panned guitar drone accompanied by the perfect lead mel ody riff - the combination of so much creativity makes the head swim helplessly! W ho needs drums - I mean, drugs - when you can get so stoned listening to this piec e of sensory excellence?

Adding to its obvious appeal is that this record has an unusual fidelity, in gener al. The unique combination of low-fi and hi-fi sounds makes this recording difficu lt to pin down - it doesn't sound like a studio album, but most of the tracks are really well recorded, none-the-less. The mix is defined and refined, the edits are flawless, and the effects are tasteful and add to the beauty of the recorded track . But it's a far cry from Steely Dan - I'm sure no one knew what to think of this album when it came out... except, of course, that they had to have it.
Tracks
01. Chromosome Damage (3:42)
02. The Monitors (2:23)
03. All Data Lost (3:22)
04. SS Cygni (3:38)
05. Nova Feedback (5:58)
06. Pigmies in Zee Park (6:07)
07. Slip it to the Android (4:01)
08. Pharoah Chromium (3:28)
09. ST37 (2:12)
10. Magnetic Dwarf Reptile (3:30)
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David Peel is a New York-based musician who first recorded in the late 1960s, with Harold Black, Billy Jo White and Larry Adams performing as The Lower East Side Band. Though his raw, acoustic "street rock" with lyrics about marijuana and "bad cops" appealed mostly to hippies at first, the sound and DIY ethic make him an important, if little-credited, early performer of punk rock. He has performed with artists ranging from B. B. King to the Plastic Ono Band.
Tracks
1. Mother Where Is My Father?
2. I Like Marijuana
3. Here Comes a Cop
4. I've Got Some Grass
5. Happy Mother's Day
6. Up Against the Wall
7. I Do My Bawling in the Bathroom
8. Alphabet Song
9. Show Me the Way to Get Stoned
10. We Love You
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The genesis of Low lies in both the foundations laid by Bowie's previous album Station to Station, and music he intended for the soundtrack to The Man Who Fell to Earth. When Bowie presented his material for the film to Nicolas Roeg, the director decided that it would not be suitable. Roeg preferred a more folksy sound, although John Phillips (the chosen composer for the soundtrack) described Bowie's contributions as "haunting and beautiful". Elements from these pieces were incorporated into Low instead. The album's cover, like Station to Station, is a still from the movie: the photographic image, juxtaposed with the album's title, formed a deliberate pun on the phrase "low profile".
Following the release of the cocaine-fueled Station to Station, Bowie began to rekindle his interest in art. As a recovering cocaine addict (although he never fully dropped the habit and continued to use sporadically during recording and mixing) his songwriting on Low tended to deal with difficult issues; many of the songs concern lethargy, depression, estrangement, or self-destructive behaviour. Producer Tony Visconti contended that the title was partly a reference to Bowie's "low" moods during the album's writing and recording.
The format of the album was unusual for its time: side one contained short, direct song-fragments; side two comprised longer, mostly instrumental tracks. On these tracks help was lent by ex-Roxy Music keyboardist and conceptualist Brian Eno, who brought along his EMS 'suitcase' AKS synthesizer (Bowie was later given this particular synthesizer as a birthday present after a friend obtained it in an auction). Often incorrectly given credit as Low's producer, Eno was responsible for a good deal of the direction and composition of the second side of the album and actually wrote the theme and instrumentation for "Warszawa" while Bowie was in Paris attending court hearings against his former manager. Eno in turn was helped by producer Tony Visconti's four-year-old son who sat next to Eno playing A, B, C in a constant loop at the studio piano. This phrase became the "Warszawa" theme. On Bowie's return Eno played him the work which impressed Bowie who then quickly composed the vaguely Eastern European-sounding lyrics.
Although the music was influenced by German bands such as Kraftwerk and Neu!, Low has been acclaimed for its originality and is considered ahead of its time, not least for its cavernous treated drum sound created by producer Visconti using an Eventide Harmonizer.On the release of Low, Visconti received phone calls from other producers asking how he had made this unique sound, but would not give up the information, instead asking each producer how they thought it had been done.
Tracks
01. Speed of Life (2:46)
02. Breaking Glass (1:51)
03. What in the World (2:23)
04. Sound and Vision (3:03)
05. Always Crashing in the Same Car (3:29)
06. Be My Wife (2:55)
07. A New Career in a New Town (2:51)
08. Warszawa (6:20)
09. Art Decade (3:43)
10. Weeping Wall (3:26)
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