Rolling Stones - December's Children (1966) (Japan Mini LP 2006)

Rolling Stones - December's Children (1966) (Japan Mini LP 2006)

Before this 1966 blues-rock masterpiece, the Stones were the best of the many British bands living out their Muddy Waters dress-up fantasies. They continue giving new life to old songs, such as Arthur Alexander's soul tearjerker "You Better Move On" and the Nat King Cole standard "Route 66," but there are several exciting new developments. Keith Richards and Mick Jagger discover their songwriting talents, coming up with the enduring "Get Off My Cloud" and "As Tears Go By" as well as the underappreciated "I'm Free." And drummer Charlie Watts focuses the swing-jazz fills that have defined the Stones as much as the writing, voices, and guitars...S- Knopper

The last Stones album in which cover material accounted for 50 percent of the content was thrown together from a variety of singles, British LP tracks, outtakes, and a cut from an early 1964 U.K. EP. Haphazard assembly aside, much of it's great, including the huge hit "Get Off of My Cloud" and the controversial, string-laden acoustic ballad "As Tears Go By" (a Top Ten item in America). Raiding the R&B closet for the last time, they also offered a breathless run-through of Larry Williams' "She Said Yeah," a sultry Chuck Berry cover ("Talkin' About You"), and exciting live versions of "Route 66" and Hank Snow's "I'm Moving On." More importantly, Jagger-Richards' songwriting partnership had now developed to the extent that several non-A-side tracks were reasonably strong in their own right, such as "I'm Free" and "The Singer Not the Song." And the version of "You Better Move On" (which had been featured on a British EP at the beginning of 1964) was one of their best and most tender soul covers...R.Unterberger

flac
155 MB

Tracklist:

01 She Said Yeah 1:35
02 Talkin' About You 2:31
03 You Better Move On 2:40
04 Look What You've Done 2:16
05 The Singer Not the Song 2:23
06 Route 66 2:40
07 Get off of My Cloud 2:56
08 I'm Free 2:24
09 As Tears Go By 2:46
10 Gotta Get Away 2:07
11 Blue Turns to Grey 2:29
12 I'm Moving On 2:13

Humble Pie - Performance, Rockin' the Fillmore (1971) (Japan SHM CD 2006)

Humble Pie - Performance, Rockin' the Fillmore (1971) (Japan SHM CD 2006)

Japanese pressing reissue. No Extras. 2006.

When it comes to live albums, there's a standard in the music industry. It's Humble Pie's "Performance: Rockin' the Fillmore." Released in 1971, this is not an album people merely listen to; it is an album that can only be experienced. The intensity of the British supergroup's live show can be attributed to the electric chemistry generated between vocalist Steve Marriott and guitar god Peter Frampton. Formerly of Small Faces, Marriott's soulful rock 'n' roll voice is the perfect foil to Frampton's jazz-rock style.
The seven-song album is an exhilarating slice of Humble Pie history. Almost all of the songs include extended solos and improvisational tangents that would never be allowed on a studio album. Unpredictable tracks like "Stone Cold Fever" are refreshing and keep the listener actively engaged until the end. The band also showcases its musical stamina on the marathon jam, "I Walk On Gilded Splinters." This 23-minute epic features Marriott's dynamic range as he seamlessly shifts from demonic lows to primal, high-pitched wails that only fellow English rocker Robert Plant could rival.
The closing anthem, "I Don't Need No Doctor," is one of the group's most recognizable songs. Brimming with uncontrollable energy, this guitar-driven rocker spotlights Frampton's expressive, spellbinding solos. With every note, the listener is continually drawn into Humble Pie's other worldly sound.
Although the album is filled with standouts, the band really shines on the Ray Charles cover, "Hallelujah (I Love Her So)." The potent combination of Marriott's mile-high vocal range and Frampton's quick, clear solos make this rock-oriented cover a classic in its own right...Manfred Mandel

320 @
169 MB

Tracklist:

01. Four Day Creep 3.46
02. I'm Ready 8.31
03. Stone Cold Fever 6.21
04. I Walk On Gilded Splinters 23.28
05. Rolling Stone 16.10
06. Hallelujah 5.10
07. I Don't Need No Doctor 9.15

Rolling Stones - Out Of Our Heads (1965) (Remaster US Version 2002)

Rolling Stones - Out Of Our Heads (1965) (Remaster US Version 2002)

In 1965, the Stones finally proved themselves capable of writing classic rock singles that mined their R&B/blues roots, but updated them into a more guitar-based, thoroughly contemporary context. The first enduring Jagger-Richards classics are here -- "The Last Time," its menacing, folky B-side "Play With Fire," and the riff-driven "Satisfaction," which made them superstars in the States and defined their sound and rebellious attitude better than any other single song. On the rest of the album, they largely opted for mid-'60s soul covers, Marvin Gaye's "Hitch Hike," Otis Redding's "Cry to Me," and Sam Cooke's "Good Times" being particular standouts. "I'm All Right" (based on a Bo Diddley sound) showed their 1965 sound at its rawest, and there are a couple of fun, though derivative, bluesy originals in "The Spider and the Fly" and "The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man."...R. Unterberger

320 @
55 MB

Traacklist:

01 Mercy, Mercy 2:47
02 Hitch Hike 2:26
03 The Last Time 3:42
04 That's How Strong My Love Is 2:25
05 Good Times 1:59
06 I'm All Right 2:25
07 (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction 3:43
08 Cry to Me 3:09
09 The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man 3:07
10 Play With Fire 2:15
11 The Spider and the Fly 3:39
12 One More Try 1:58

Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet (1968)

Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet (1968) (Japan Mini LP 2006)

One of 22 albums to be released in "The Rolling Stones The Sixties Cardboard Sleeve Collection" reissue series. All albums feature DSD mastering from 2002 and cardboard sleeve case designs.

The Stones forsook psychedelic experimentation to return to their blues roots on this celebrated album, which was immediately acclaimed as one of their landmark achievements. A strong acoustic Delta blues flavor colors much of the material, particularly "Salt of the Earth" and "No Expectations," which features some beautiful slide guitar work. Basic rock & roll was not forgotten, however: "Street Fighting Man," a reflection of the political turbulence of 1968, was one of their most innovative singles, and "Sympathy for the Devil," with its fire-dancing guitar licks, leering Jagger vocals, African rhythms, and explicitly satanic lyrics, was an image-defining epic. On "Stray Cat Blues," Jagger and crew began to explore the kind of decadent sexual sleaze that they would take to the point of self-parody by the mid-'70s. At the time, though, the approach was still fresh, and the lyrical bite of most of the material ensured Beggars Banquet's place as one of the top blues-based rock records of all time...R. Unterberge

320 @
95 MB

Traacklist.

01 Sympathy For The Devil 6:18
02 No Expectations 3:56
03 Dear Doctor 3:22
04 Parachute Woman 2:20
05 Jigsaw Puzzle 6:06
06 Street Fighting Man 3:16
07 Prodigal Son 2:52
08 Stray Cat Blues 4:37
09 Factory Girl 2:09
10 Salt Of The Earth 4:47

Rolling Stones - Goats Head Soup (1973)

Rolling Stones - Goats Head Soup (1973) (Japan Mini LP 2005)

Sliding out of perhaps the greatest winning streak in rock history, the Stones slipped into decadence and rock star excess with Goats Head Soup, their sequel to Exile on Main St. This is where the Stones' image began to eclipse their accomplishments, as Mick ascended to jet-setting celebrity and Keith slowly sunk deeper into addiction, and it's possible hearing them moving in both directions on Goats Head Soup, at times in the same song. As Jagger plays the devil (or, dances with Mr. D, as he likes to say), the sex and sleaze quotient is increased, all of it underpinned by some genuinely affecting heartbreak, highlighted by "Angie." This may not be as downright funky, freaky, and fantastic as Exile, yet the extra layer of gloss brings out the enunciated lyrics, added strings, wah-wah guitars, explicit sex, and violence, making it all seem trippily decadent. If it doesn't seem like there's a surplus of classics here, all the songs work well, illustrating just how far they've traveled in their songcraft, as well as their exceptional talent as a band -- they make this all sound really easy and darkly alluring, even when the sex'n'satanism seems a little silly. To top it all of, they cap off this utterly excessive album with "Star Star," a nasty Chuck Berry rip that grooves on its own mean vulgarity -- its real title is "Starf*cker," if you need any clarification, and even though they got nastier (the entirety of Undercover, for instance), they never again made something this dirty or nasty. And, it never feels more at home than it does at the end of this excessive record...S. T. Erlewine

320 @
110 MB

Tracklist:

01 Dancing With Mr. D. 4:52
02 100 Years Ago 3:58
03 Coming Down Again 5:54
04 Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) 3:26
05 Angie 4:32
06 Silver Train 4:26
07 Hide Your Love 4:11
08 Winter 5:29
09 Can You Hear the Music 5:31
10 Star Star 4:23

The Byrds - Byrdmaniax (1971) (Remaster Edit 2000)

The Byrds - Byrdmaniax (1971) (Remaster Edit 2000)

Byrdmaniax has been sidelined ever since its original 1971 release, when it arrived in the wake of the triumphant Untitled. At the time, the group's musical diversity was beginning to suggest uncertainty, but in hindsight--and with the inclusion here of three contemporaneous bonus tracks--there is much to savor. Highlights include Roger McGuinn's poignant "Kathleen's Song" and the band's striking cover of Jackson Browne's "Jamaica Say You Will." Skip Battin was never better than on "Citizen Kane," a collaboration with maverick Kim Fowley. Original tracks are enhanced by a sensitive alternate version of McGuinn's "Pale Blue" and, particularly, by Bob Dylan's "Just Like a Woman." Byrdmaniax may not be the pick of the Byrds' canon, but it sits well in Sony's imaginative repackaging of this much-loved band's catalog. --Patrick Humphries

Byrdmaniax has been sidelined ever since its original 1971 release, when it arrived in the wake of the triumphant Untitled. At the time, the group's musical diversity was beginning to suggest uncertainty, but in hindsight--and with the inclusion here of three contemporaneous bonus tracks--there is much to savor. Highlights include Roger McGuinn's poignant "Kathleen's Song" and the band's striking cover of Jackson Browne's "Jamaica Say You Will." Skip Battin was never better than on "Citizen Kane," a collaboration with maverick Kim Fowley. Original tracks are enhanced by a sensitive alternate version of McGuinn's "Pale Blue" and, particularly, by Bob Dylan's "Just Like a Woman." Byrdmaniax may not be the pick of the Byrds' canon, but it sits well in Sony's imaginative repackaging of this much-loved band's catalog. --Patrick Humphries

Byrdmaniax has been sidelined ever since its original 1971 release, when it arrived in the wake of the triumphant Untitled. At the time, the group's musical diversity was beginning to suggest uncertainty, but in hindsight--and with the inclusion here of three contemporaneous bonus tracks--there is much to savor. Highlights include Roger McGuinn's poignant "Kathleen's Song" and the band's striking cover of Jackson Browne's "Jamaica Say You Will." Skip Battin was never better than on "Citizen Kane," a collaboration with maverick Kim Fowley. Original tracks are enhanced by a sensitive alternate version of McGuinn's "Pale Blue" and, particularly, by Bob Dylan's "Just Like a Woman." Byrdmaniax may not be the pick of the Byrds' canon, but it sits well in Sony's imaginative repackaging of this much-loved band's catalog...P. Humphries

Ahhh! The much maligned BYRDMANIAX, recently likened by a UK journalist to what the Byrds would sound like if Richard Carpenter was producing. Background story: The Byrds' previous album (UNTITLED) is a (relative) critical/commercial success which provides the band with a much needed upswing in fortunes. By the time of the recording of this, the follow-up, they're having personal problems and are out on the road a lot. Producer Terry Melcher plasters results in orchestrations (Phil Spector LET IT BE-style) to help disguise sub-standard performances (he says), band know nothing until record released (they say). Results? Pretty good, on the whole. "Kathleen's Song" (held over from UNTITLED) is all the better for Melcher's overdubs - it's achingly beautiful - as is the not-dissimilar "Pale Blue". Other highlights include Skip Battin's "Absolute Happiness" and the Clarence White sung "Jamaica (Say you Will)". Other tracks ain't so wonderful, but the album's far from being the dog it's been rumoured to be for so long. The bonus tracks consist of another UNTITLED-era recording ("Just Like a Woman"), an alternate version ("Pale Blue") and an out-take - a version of Gene Clark's "Think I'm Gonna Feel Better"*. What we don't get is the rumoured alternate take of "Jamaica" which Clarence White always said to be vastly superior to the album version...B. Jules

320 @
104 MB

Tracklist:

01. Glory, Glory 4:05
02. Pale Blue 2:24
03. I Trust 3:21
04. Tunnel Of Love 5:00
05. Citizen Kane 2:39
06. I Wanna Grow Up To Be A Politician 2:05
07. Absolute Happiness 2:41
08. Green Apple Quick Step 1:52
09. My Destiny 3:40
10. Kathleen's Song 2:42
11. Jamaica Say You Will 3:31
12. Just Like A Woman 4:06
13. Pale Blue (Alternate Version) 2:36
14. Think I'm Gonna Feel Better 2:34

James Gang - Rides Again (1970)

James Gang - Rides Again (1970) (SHM-CD 2009)

With their second album Rides Again, the James Gang came into their own. Under the direction of guitarist Joe Walsh, the group -- now featuring bassist Dale Peters -- began incorporating keyboards into their hard rock, which helped open up their musical horizons. For much of the first side of Rides Again, the group tear through a bunch of boogie numbers, most notably the heavy groove of "Funk #49." On the second side, the James Gang departs from their trademark sound, adding keyboard flourishes and elements of country-rock to their hard rock. Walsh's songwriting had improved, giving the band solid support for their stylistic experiments. What ties the two sides of the record together is the strength of the band's musicianship, which burns brightly and powerfully on the hardest rockers, as well as on the sensitive ballads...S. Erlewine

Joe Walsh is one of the most underappreciated musicians in rock music. Whether it be his work with The James Gang, The Eagles or solo work, he consistently makes quality and inspiring rock music. He may have been at his best with this Ohio-based band and Rides On is their finest effort. The album kicks off with a rock classic, the manic "Funk #49" which has a great riff. "The Bomber" shows off Mr. Walsh's guitar prowess with some wicked slide work. The first five tracks are classic arena rock, but the band shows there diversity with the second five tracks that form a song suite of sorts. They are more in the country-rock vein and show a softer side as opposed to the heaviness of the first five tracks. The James Gang never achieved the commercial success they deserved, but Rides Again is a great place to start to get an idea of the quality of this group.

320 @
80 MB

Tracklist:

01 Funk #49 3:54
02 Asshtonpark 2:01
03 Woman 4:37
04 The Bomber: Closet Queen/Cast Your Fate to the Wind 5:40
05 Tend My Garden 5:45
06 Garden Gate 1:36
07 There I Go Again 2:51
08 Thanks 2:21
09 Ashes, the Rain and I 5:00

Tom Petty - Hard Promises (1981)

Tom Petty - Hard Promises (1981)(Limited SHM CD 2009)

“ Cardboard sleeve reissue from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers featuring the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD players). Part of a eight-album Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers SHM-CD cardboard sleeve reissue series featuring the albums "Damn The Torpedos," "Hard Promises," "Long After Dark," "Southern Accents," "Pack Up ThePlantation," "Let Me Up (I've Had Enough)," "Full Moon Fever," and "Into The Great Wide Open." Also features 2001 remastering.

Damn the Torpedoes wasn't simply a culmination of Tom Petty's art; it happened to be a huge success, enabling him to call the shots on its successor, Hard Promises. Infamously, he used his first album as a star to challenge the record industry's practice of charging more for A-list artists, demanding that Hard Promises should be listed for less than most records by an artist of his stature, but if that was the only thing notable about the album, it would have disappeared like Long After Dark. Instead, it offered a reaffirmation that Damn the Torpedoes wasn't a fluke. There's not much new on the surface, since it continues the sound of its predecessor, but it's filled with great songwriting, something that's as difficult to achieve as a distinctive sound. The opener, "The Waiting," became the best-known song on the record, but there's no discounting "A Woman in Love (It's Not Me)," "Nightwatchman," "Kings Road," "Insider," and "The Criminal Kind," album tracks that would become fan favorites. If Hard Promises doesn't have the sweep of Damn the Torpedoes, that's because its predecessor was blessed with good timing and an unusually strong set of songs. Hard Promises isn't quite so epochal, yet it has a tremendous set of songs and a unified sound that makes it one of Petty's finest records...S. Thomas

320 @
92 MB

Tracklist:

01 The Waiting 3:58
02 A Woman in Love (It's Not Me) 4:21
03 Nightwatchman 3:59
04 Something Big 4:44
05 Kings Road 3:26
06 Letting You Go 3:24
07 A Thing About You 3:32
08 Insider 4:23
09 The Criminal Kind 4:00
10 You Can Still Change Your Mind 4:15

Steppenwolf - Steppenwolf (1967) (MFSL Remaster Edit 1997)

Steppenwolf - Steppenwolf (1967) (MFSL Remaster Edit 1997)

"Born to be Wild," the anthemic single that leapt off this album in the summer of '68 (heavy-metal thunder, indeed), is one of the most overexposed songs in rock history, famous as much for its inclusion on the soundtrack of the hippie epic "Easy Rider" as for its inclusion on the soundtrack to that film's parodic Yuppie twin "Lost in America." So you may have to take it on faith that both single and album were among the year's biggest breaths of fresh air. The first roots-rock, neo-classic signs -- before Dylan's NASHVILLE SKYLINE or the Beatles' WHITE ALBUM -- that psychedelia might be choking on its own whimsy and pretension, STEPPENWOLF proved that three-chords-and-a-cloud-of-dust verities might be the way to go instead. A first-rate blues band gone Hollywood hard rock, Steppenwolf (fronted by perpetually sunglassed singer-guitarist John Kay) were capable of revving up Chuck Berry to alarming speeds, delivering convincing Muddy Waters covers, and writing concise dollops of what we would now call power pop -- which is in fact the mix you find on this still highly exciting debut album. Ignore those who claim these guys invented the phrase "heavy-metal thunder," however -- as usual, William S. Burroughs did it first...S. Simels

320 @
108 MB

Tracklist:

01 Sookie Sookie 3:09
02 Everybody's Next One 2:53
03 Berry Rides Again 2:45
04 Hoochie Coochie Man 5:07
05 Born to Be Wild 3:28
06 Your Wall's Too High 5:40
07 Desperation 5:35
08 The Pusher 5:43
09 A Girl I Knew 2:39
10 Take What You Need 3:28
11 The Ostrich 5:43

Scorpions - In Trance (1975) (Remaster Edit 2007)

Scorpions - In Trance (1975) (Remaster Edit 2007)

Out of print in the states. Japanese pressing of the Scorpions 3rd album from 1975 and featuring Uli John Roth. BMG.

The original version of the album cover clearly showed the cover model's bare breast hanging down towards the guitar. Later releases have the breast blacked out so that it is not visible. This is the first of many Scorpions album covers that have been censored.

The Scorpions' third release, In Trance, continues to display their high-energy music, which is impossible to ignore. With the eyebrow-lifting "Dark Lady" as the opening track, the album immediately captures the listener's attention and keeps it all the way until the end. The interesting title track is clearly the best song of the album, but singles such as the fast-paced "Robot Man" and the hard-rocking "Top of the Bill" also stand out as highlights. Excellent singing and powerful music make this the best Scorpions recording working with Uli Jon Roth...B. Weber

320 @
85 MB

Tracklist:

01 Dark Lady 3:30
02 In Trance 4:47
03 Life's Like a River 3:54
04 Top of the Bill 3:26
05 Living and Dying 3:24
06 Robot Man 2:47
07 Evening Wind 5:06
08 Sun in My Hand 4:25
09 Longing for Fire 2:44
10 Night Lights - Instrumental 3:14

ZZ Top - Fandango (1975) (Remaster Edit 2006)

ZZ Top - Fandango (1975) (Remaster Edit 2006)

Blessed with their first full-fledged hit album, ZZ Top followed it up with Fandango!, a record split between a side of live tracks and a side of new studio cuts. In a way, this might have made sense, since they were a kick-ass live band, and they do sound good here, but it's hard not to see this as a bit of a wasted opportunity in retrospect. Why? Because the studio side is a worthy successor to the all-fine Tres Hombres, driven by "Tush" and "Heard It on the X," two of their greatest songs that build on that album by consolidating their sound and amplifying their humor. If they had sustained this energy and quality throughout a full studio album, it would have been their greatest, but instead the mood is broken by the live cuts. Now, these are really good live cuts -- and "Backdoor Medley" and "Jailhouse Rock" were fine interpretations, making familiar songs sound utterly comfortable in their signature sound -- and Fandango! remains one of their better albums, but it's hard not to think that it could have been even better. [The 2006 reissue of the album adds three live tracks: "Jailhouse Rock," "Tush," and "Heard It on the X."]...S. T. Erlewine

320 @
96 MB
Genre : Blues Rock

Tracklist:

01 Thunderbird 4:10
02 Jailhouse Rock 1:55
03 Medley: Backdoor Love Affair/Mellow Down Easy 9:51
04 Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings 2:44
05 Blue Jean Blues 4:44
06 Balinese 2:36
07 Mexican Blackbird 3:05
08 Heard It on the X 2:25
09 Tush 2:17
10 Heard It on the X Live / Bonus Track 2:36
11 Jailhouse Rock Live / Bonus Track 1:52
12 Tush Live / Bonus Track 3:42