The Motels - Shock (1985) (1990)

The Motels - Shock (1985) (1990)

Released on Capitol Records in 1985, Shock was the Motels' fifth studio album (not including their unreleased Apocalypso album from 1981). "Shame," the lead single, peaked at No. 21 on the Pop Singles Chart. The title track was remixed and released as single, peaking at No. 84 on the Pop Singles Chart. Produced by Richie Zito, the album reached No. 36 on the Pop Albums Chart. Soon afterward the Motels disbanded and Martha Davis went solo, releasing her Policy album in 1987. Reissued on CD in the US in 1990, Shock is long out of print and difficult to find.

With Shock, the Motels attempted to move squarely into the MTV-sponsored pop/rock mainstream, adding harder guitars and bigger hooks. Although their makeover isn't entirely successful, the best moments on the album -- "Shame," "Cries and Whispers" and the title track -- are enjoyable mainstream rock.

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Line-up

Arthur Barrow - Synthesizer, Fretless Bass
Martha Davis - Guitar, Vocals
Brian Glascock - Percussion, Drums
Michael Goodroe - Bass
Martin Jourard - Keyboards, Saxophone
Guy Perry - Guitar
Scott Thurston - Guitar, Keyboards

Tracklist:

01 Shock 04:32
02 Shame 04:14
03 Hungry 04:22
04 Annie Told Me 04:23
05 Icy Red 04:33
06 New York Times 03:59
07 State of the Heart 04:45
08 My Love Stops Here 03:49
09 Cries and Whispers 04:12
10 Night by Night 04:42
11 Hideen Track - Shock (Single Remix) 04:11

Supertramp - Brother Where You Bound (1985) (Remaster Edit 2002)

Supertramp - Brother Where You Bound (1985) (Remaster Edit 2002)

This is the last great Supertramp album. I loved Breakfast, Paris, Crime of the Century. When this album came out, many people felt it was all over without Hodgson. However, this album was a statement that the band could continue and do it right, right bloody well right. This cd has some great songs namely the title tune which is truly one of Supertramp's most ambitious compositions. The other songs are fine as well namely Cannonball with wonderful instrumental work. If they would have continued along this path, I would have been happy. Yet, since this cd they have put out jazz lite tuneless heaps of garbage. Let's be honest superfans, this cd is leaps and bounds better than anything they have put out since. And it is a shame because this album reveals this band had great potential even without the wonderful Hodgson. And to those out there who don't feel as though this band is progressive, just listen to this gem. Yes I'm talking about pebozo a.k.a. pedroza, daniel. I'm still waiting for Davies and the gang to go back to this aggressive, progressive approach...R. Neoprog

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320 @

Tracklist:

01. Cannonball 7.40
02. Still In Love 4.28
03. No Inbetween 4.41
04. Better Days 6.12
05. Brother Where You Bound 16.30
06. Ever Open Door 3.06

Bob Dylan - Nashville Skyline (1969) (Remaster 2003)

Bob Dylan - Nashville Skyline (1969) (Remaster 2003)

John Wesley Harding suggested country with its textures and structures, but Nashville Skyline was a full-fledged country album, complete with steel guitars and brief, direct songs. It's a warm, friendly album, particularly since Bob Dylan is singing in a previously unheard gentle croon -- the sound of his voice is so different it may be disarming upon first listen, but it suits the songs. While there are a handful of lightweight numbers on the record, at its core are several excellent songs -- "Lay Lady Lay," "To Be Alone With You," "I Threw It All Away," "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You," as well as a duet with Johnny Cash on "Girl From the North Country" -- that have become country-rock standards. And there's no discounting that Nashville Skyline, arriving in the spring of 1969, established country-rock as a vital force in pop music, as well as a commercially viable genre. [In 2003, Columbia/Legacy reissued 15 selected titles from Dylan's catalog as hybrid SACDs, playable in both regular CD players and Super Audio CD players. Each title is packaged as a digipak, containing the full original artwork. On each of the titles, and on each of the layers, the remastered sound is spectacular, a considerable upgrade from the initial CD pressings.] ....Thomas

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152 MB

Tracklist:

01 Girl from the North Country 3:44
02 Nashville Skyline Rag 3:14
03 To Be Alone With You 2:10
04 I Threw It All Away 2:26
05 Peggy Day 2:05
06 Lay Lady Lay 3:21
07 One More Night 2:25
08 Tell Me That It Isn't True 2:43
09 Country Pie 1:39
10 Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You 3:23

Uriah Heep - Demons And Wizards (1972) (14-Track Japan Minl LP 2007)

Uriah Heep - Demons And Wizards (1972) (14-Track Japan Minl LP 2007)

K2 24Bit Japanese digitally remastered limited edition issue of the album classic in a deluxe, miniaturized LP sleeve replica of the original vinyl album artwork. Includes bonus tracks tracks 'Why (Extended Version)', 'Rainbow Demon (Single Edit)', 'Proud Words On A Dusty Shelf (Outtake)', 'Home Again To You (Demo)' and 'Green Eye (Demo)'.

This is the album that solidified Uriah Heep's reputation as a master of gothic-inflected heavy metal. From short, sharp rock songs to lengthy, musically dense epics, Demons and Wizards finds Uriah Heep covering all the bases with style and power. The album's approach is set with its leadoff track, "The Wizard": It starts as a simple acoustic tune but soon builds into a stately rocker that surges forth on a wall of sound built from thick guitar riffs, churchy organ, and operatic vocal harmonies. Other highlights include "Traveller in Time," a fantasy-themed rocker built on thick wah-wah guitar riffs, and "Circle of Hands," a stately power ballad with a gospel-meets-heavy metal feel to it. Demons and Wizards also produced a notable radio hit for the band in "Easy Livin'," a punchy little rocker whose raging blend of fuzz guitar and swirling organ made it feel like a 1970s update of classic 1960s garage rockers like the Electric Prunes or Paul Revere & the Raiders. However, the top highlight of the album is the closing medley of "Paradise" and "The Spell": The first part of the medley starts in an acoustic folk mode and slowly adds layers of organ and electric guitar until it becomes a forceful slow-tempo rocker, while the second half is a punchy, organ-led rocker that includes an instrumental midsection where choral-style harmonies fortify a killer, Pink Floyd-style guitar solo from Mick Box. All in all, Demons and Wizards works both as a showcase for Uriah Heep's instrumental firepower and an excellent display of their songwriting skills in a variety of hard rock styles. As a result, it is considered by many fans to be their finest hour and is definitely worth a spin for anyone with an interest in 1970s heavy metal. [The 2003 reissue of Demons and Wizards on Sanctuary truly lives up to the oft-overused moniker "Expanded Deluxe Edition." The package includes the original liner notes, new reminiscences from group members Ken Hensley and Mick Box, liner notes by Uriah Heep expert Dave Ling, good documentation of the bonus tracks, and printed lyrics. The real bonus for fans is the inclusion of five additional tracks: a previously unreleased extended version of "Why," a previously unreleased single edit of "Rainbow Demon," "Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf" (an outtake which Ken Hensley re-recorded and included on his solo debut), and two demos, "Home Again to You" and "Green Eye."]...T. Sendra

The album's approach is set with its lead-off track, "The Wizard": it starts as a simple acoustic tune but soon builds into a stately rocker that surges forth on a wall of sound built from thick guitar riffs, churchy organ, and operatic vocal harmonies. Other highlights include "Traveller in Time," a fantasy-themed rocker built on thick wah-wah guitar riffs, and "Circle of Hands," a stately power ballad with a gospel-meets-heavy metal feel to it. Demons and Wizards also produced a notable radio hit for the band in "Easy Livin'," a punchy little rocker whose raging blend of fuzz guitar and swirling organ made it feel like a 1970s update of classic 1960s garage rockers like the Electric Prunes or Paul Revere & the Raiders. However, the top highlight of the album is the closing medley of "Paradise" and "The Spell": the first part of the medley starts in an acoustic folk mode and slowly adds layers of organ and electric guitar until it becomes a forceful slow-tempo rocker, while the second half is a punchy, organ-led rocker that includes an instrumental midsection where choral-style harmonies fortify a killer, Pink Floyd-style guitar solo from Mick Box. All in all, Demons and Wizards works both as a showcase for Uriah Heep's instrumental firepower and an excellent display of their songwriting skills in a variety of hard rock styles. As a result, it is considered by many fans to be their finest hour and is definitely worth a spin for anyone with an interest in 1970s heavy metal.

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150 MB

Line-up

David Byron - vocals
Ken Hensley - acoustic, electric and slide guitar, vocals, keyboards, percussion
Mick Box - lead guitar,Backing vocals.
Gary Thain - bass guitar(except for track one
Lee Kerslake - drums, percussion, vocals
Mark Clarke - bass guita

Tracklist.

01 The Wizard 3:00
02 Traveller in Time 3:25
03 Easy Livin' 2:37
04 Poet's Justice 4:15
05 Circle of Hands 6:25
06 Rainbow Demon 4:25
07 All My Life 2:44
08 Paradise 5:10
09 The Spell 7:31
10 Why prev. unreleased / Bonus 10:34
11 Rainbow Demon prev. unreleased / Bonus 3:36
12 Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf Bonus 2:51
13 Home Again to You prev. unreleased / Bonus 5:36
14 Green Eye prev. unreleased / Bonus / Demo Version 3:46

Don McLean - American Pie (1971) (12-track Remaster 2003)

Don McLean - American Pie (1971) (12-track Remaster 2003)

This is supposedly the best sounding pressing of American Pie. It seems to be the consensus that MFSL fell down on the job with this CD, American Pie has the grand title of being the worst MFSL disc made, and the original vinyl sounds a bit muddy (judging from what others say, I do not own either one). It would seem that Doug Schwartz did it right with the 2003 remaster, no compression used, and not harsh, like many recent remasters can sound...D. Jellinc

Don McLean's second album, American Pie, which was his first to gain recognition after the negligible initial sales of 1970's Tapestry, is necessarily dominated by its title track, a lengthy, allegorical history of rock & roll, because it became an unlikely hit, topping the singles chart and putting the LP at Number One as well. It has been 31-plus years between the release of the original ten-track album, and this 12-track edition containing two bonus recordings from the same sessions. "American Pie" has remained as much a cultural touchstone as a song, sung by everyone from Garth Brooks to Madonna, its title borrowed for a pair of smutty teen comedies, while the record itself has earned a registered three million plays on U.S. radio stations. There may not be much more to note about it, then, except, perhaps, that even without a crib sheet to identify who's who, the song can still be enjoyed for its engaging melody and singable chorus, which may have more to do with its success than anything else. Of course, the album also included "Vincent," McLean's paean to Van Gogh, which has been played two million times. Nothing else on the album is as effective as the hits, but the other eight original songs range from sensitive fare like "Till Tomorrow," to the sarcastic, up-tempo "Everybody Loves Me, Baby." American Pie -- the album -- is very much a record of its time; it is imbued with the vague depression of the early '70s that infected the population and found expression in the works of singer/songwriters. "American Pie" -- the song -- is really a criticism of what happened in popular music in the '60s, and "Vincent" sympathizes with Van Gogh's suicide as a sane comment on an insane world. "Crossroads" and "Empty Chairs" are personal reflections full of regret and despondency, with the love song "Winterwood" providing the only respite. In the album's second half, the songs get more portentous, tracing society's ills into war and spiritual troubles in "The Grave" and "Sister Fatima." "Aftermath," the first of the bonus tracks, continues that theme, while the melodic "Mother Nature" is more hopeful, and might have become another hit if included on the initial album. The songs are made all the more poignant by the stately folk-pop arrangements and McLean's clear, direct tenor. It was that voice, equally effective on remakes of pop oldies, that was his salvation when he proved unable to match the songwriting standard set on Tapestry and this collection. But then, the album has an overall elegiac quality that makes it sound like a final statement. After all, if the music has died, what else is there to say?... W. Ruhlmann

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255 MB

Tracklist:

01 American Pie 8:33
02 Till Tomorrow 2:14
03 Vincent 3:59
04 Crossroads 3:38
05 Winterwood 3:10
06 Empty Chairs 3:25
07 Everybody Loves Me, Baby 3:34
08 Sister Fatima 2:33
09 The Grave 3:12
10 Babylon 1:42
11 Mother Nature - Bonus 5:10
12 Aftermath - Bonus 4:03

Buffalo Springfield - Buffalo Springfield Again (1967) (1990)

Buffalo Springfield - Buffalo Springfield Again (1967) (1990)

Due in part to personnel problems which saw Bruce Palmer and Neil Young in and out of the group, Buffalo Springfield's second album did not have as unified an approach as their debut. Yet it doesn't suffer for that in the least -- indeed, the group continued to make major strides in both their songwriting and arranging, and this record stands as their greatest triumph. Stephen Stills' "Bluebird" and "Rock & Roll Woman" were masterful folk-rockers that should have been big hits (although they did manage to become small ones); his lesser-known contributions "Hung Upside Down" and the jazz-flavored "Everydays" were also first-rate. Young contributed the Rolling Stones-derived "Mr. Soul," as well as the brilliant "Expecting to Fly" and "Broken Arrow," both of which employed lush psychedelic textures and brooding, surrealistic lyrics that stretched rock conventions to their breaking point. Richie Furay (who had not written any of the songs on the debut) takes tentative songwriting steps with three compositions, although only "A Child's Claim to Fame," with its memorable dobro hooks by James Burton, meets the standards of the material by Stills and Young; the cut also anticipates the country-rock direction of Furay's post-Springfield band, Poco. Although a slightly uneven record that did not feature the entire band on several cuts, the high points were so high and plentiful that its classic status cannot be denied...R. Unterberger

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79 MB

Tracklist:

01. Mr. Soul 2:35
02. A Child's Claim to Fame 2:09
03. Everydays 2:38
04. Expecting to Fly 3:39
05. Bluebird 4:28
06. Hung Upside Down 3:24
07. Sad Memory 3:00
08. Good Time Boy 2:11
09. Rock & Roll Woman 2:44
10. Broken Arrow 6:13

The Motels - No Vacancy (Best Of) (1990)

The Motels - No Vacancy (Best Of) (1990)

Led by the charismatic Martha Davis, The Motels were one of the most successful and acclaimed bands to emerge from the fertile Los Angeles new wave scene, reaching the Top Ten in 1982 with their biggest hit, "Only the Lonely." Davis formed the group in 1972 while living in Berkeley, CA, recruiting guitarist Dean Chamberlain and bassist Richard d'Andrea; originally dubbed the Warfield Foxes, they became the Motels upon relocating to L.A., but despite interest from a number of record labels, the group suffered through endless lineup changes, finally disbanding in 1976. Davis soon formed a new Motels roster with guitarist Jeff Jourard, his saxophonist/keyboardist brother Marty, bassist Michael Goodroe, and drummer Brian Glascock; signing to Capitol, in 1979 the group issued their self-titled debut LP, scoring a minor hit with the ballad "Total Control." Guitarist Tim McGovern, formerly of the Pop, replaced Jeff Jourard prior to the release of the 1980 sophomore effort Careful. After Capitol rejected the Motels' third album, All Four One, McGovern exited, and the group re-recorded the album with guitarist Guy Perry and assorted session musicians. This time the label relented, releasing All Four One in 1982; the album eventually went gold on the strength of the atmospheric "Only the Lonely," which ascended to the number nine spot...D. Jellinc

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161 MB

Tracklist:

01 Danger 3:24
02 Only the Lonely 3:16
03 Celia 3:05
04 Shame 4:09
05 Careful 3:29
06 Suddenly Last Summer 3:40
07 So L.A. 3:35
08 Cries and Whispers 4:09
09 Icy Red 4:28
10 Apocalypso 3:30
11 Total Control 3:51
12 Take the L 3:40
13 Trust Me 3:24
14 Remember the Nights 3:06
15 Bonjour Baby 3:25
16 Little Robbers 3:54
17 Annie Told Me 4:18
18 Kix 2:14
19 Whose Problem? 3:54

Uriah Heep - Demons And Wizards (1972) (Remaster Edit 1996)

Uriah Heep - Demons And Wizards (1972) (Remaster Edit 1996)

Demons and wizards and bears, oh my! After finding their musical stride with 1971's Look at Yourself, Uriah Heep followed up a year later with this, their first foray into the lyrical realm of dungeons, dragons, and whatnot. David Byron's intermittent falsetto is in full effect by the time the chorus comes thundering in on heavy hits such as "Easy Living" and "Traveler in Time." But the 'ard 'n' 'eavy Brit rockers also had their sensitive side, as evidenced by the more reflective Ken Hensley-penned tracks like "Circle of Hands" and "All My Life."...Robo Kopp

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132 MB

Tracklist:

01. The Wizard 3.00
02. Traveller In Time 3.25
03. Easy Livin' 2.37
04. Poet's Justice 4.15
05. Circle Of Hands 6.25
06. Rainbow Demon 4.25
07. All My Life 2.44
08. Paradise 5.10
09. The Spell 7.31
10. Why (single b-side) 4:53
11. Why (unedited version) 7:39
12. Home Again to You (out-take) 5:28

Deep Purple - The Book Of Taliesyn (1969) (12 track-Remaster Edit 2000)

Deep Purple - The Book Of Taliesyn (1969) (12 track-Remaster Edit 2000)

Remastered reissue of 1968 album with 5 bonus tracks 'Oh No No No' (Studio Out Take), 'It's All Over' (BBC Top Gear Session), 'Hey Bop A Re Bop' (BBC Top Gear Session), 'Wring ThatNeck' (BBC Top Gear Session), 'Playground' (Remixed Instrumental Studio Out Take) all previously unissued. 2000 release. Standard jewel case.

A year after the innovative remake of "You Keep Me Hanging On," England's answer to Vanilla Fudge, was this early version of Deep Purple, which featured vocalist Rod Evans, and bassist Nick Simper, along with mainstays Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, and Ian Paice. This, their second album, followed on the heels of "Hush," a dynamic arrangement of a Joe South tune, far removed from the flavor of one of his own hits, "Walk a Mile in My Shoes." Four months later, this album's cover of Neil Diamond's Top 25, 1967 gem "Kentucky Woman," went Top 40 for Deep Purple. Also like Vanilla Fudge, the group's own originals were creative, thought-provoking, but not nearly as interesting as their take on cover tunes. Vanilla Fudge did "Eleanor Rigby," and Deep Purple respond by going inside "We Can Work It Out" -- it falls out of nowhere after the progressive rock jam "Exposition," Ritchie Blackmore's leads zipping in between Rod Evans smooth and precise vocals. As Vanilla Fudge was progressively leaning more towards psychedelia, here Deep Purple are the opposite. The boys claim to be inspired by the Bard of King Arthur's court in Camelot, Taliesyn. John Vernon Lord, under the art direction of Les Weisbrich, paints a superb wonderland on the album jacket, equal to the madness of Hieronymous Bosch's cover painting used for the third album. Originals "The Shield" and "Anthem" make early Syd Barrett Pink Floyd appear punk in comparison. Novel sounds are aided by Lord's dominating keyboards, a signature of this group.

Though "The Anthem" is more intriguing than the heavy metal thunder of Machine Head, it is overwhelmed by the majesty of their "River Deep, Mountain High" cover, definitely not the inspiration for the Supremes and Four Tops 1971 hit version. By the time 1972 came around, Deep Purple immersed themselves in dumb lyrics, unforgettable riffs, and a huge presence, much like Black Sabbath. The evolution from progressive to hard rock was complete, but a combination of what they did here -- words that mattered matched by innovative musical passages -- would have been a more pleasing combination. Vanilla Fudge would cut Donovan's "Season of the Witch," Deep Purple followed this album by covering his "Lalena"; both bands abandoned the rewrites their fans found so fascinating. Rod Evans voice was subtle enough to take "River Deep, Mountain High" to places Ian Gillam might have demolished. The CD contains an additional five tracks...J. Viglione

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148 MB

Tracklist:

01 Listen, Learn, Read On 4:04
02 Hard Road (Wring That Neck) 5:13
03 Kentucky Woman 4:44
04 Exposition/We Can Work It Out 7:07
05 The Shield 6:06
06 Anthem 6:31
07 River Deep, Mountain High 10:12
08 Oh No No No prev. unreleased / Bonus / Studio Outtake 4:25
09 It's All Over prev. unreleased / Bonus / BBC Top Gear Session 4:14
10 Hey Bop-A-Rebop prev. unreleased / Bonus / BBC Top Gear Session 3:31
11 Hard Road (Wring That Neck) prev. unreleased / Bonus / BBC Top Gear Session 4:42
12 Playground prev. unreleased / Bonus / Remixed Instrumental Studio Out Take 4:29

Jefferson Starship - Red Octopus (1975) (Legacy Remaster Edit 2005)

Jefferson Starship - Red Octopus (1975) (Legacy Remaster Edit 2005)

Technically speaking, Red Octopus was the first album credited to Jefferson Starship, though practically the same lineup made Dragon Fly, credited to Grace Slick/Paul Kantner/Jefferson Starship. The difference, however, was crucial: Marty Balin was once again a fully integrated bandmember, writing or co-writing five of the ten tracks. And there can be little doubt that it was Balin's irresistible ballad "Miracles," the biggest hit single in the Jefferson Whatever catalog, that propelled Red Octopus to the top of the charts; the only Jefferson album to chart that high; and the best-selling album in their collective lives. This must have been sweet vindication for Balin, who founded Jefferson Airplane but then drifted away from the group as it veered away from his musical vision. Now, the collective was incorporating his taste without quite integrating it: "Miracles," with its strings and sax solo by non-bandmember Irv Cox, was hardly a characteristic Airplane/Starship track. But then, neither exactly was Papa John Creach's showcase, "Git Fiddler," or bassist Pete Sears' instrumental "Sandalphon," which sounded like something from an early Procol Harum album. Slick has three strong songs, among them the second single "Play on Love." Like Dragon Fly, Red Octopus reflected a multiplicity of musical tastes; there were ten credited songwriters, seven of whom were in the band. If there is any consistency in this material, it is in subject matter (love songs). The album is more ballad-heavy and melodic than the Airplane albums, which made it more accessible to the broader audience it reached, though "Sweeter Than Honey" is as tough a rocker as the band ever played. [The 2005 reissue of Red Octopus contains four bonus tracks including the single version of "Miracles" and songs recorded live at Winterland in 1975.]...W. Ruhlmann

320 @
142 MB

Tracklist:

01 Fast Buck Freddie 3:30
02 Miracles 6:53
03 Git Fiddler Instrumental 3:11
04 Al Garimasu (There Is Love) 4:17
05 Sweeter Than Honey 3:23
06 Play on Love 3:46
07 Tumblin' 3:29
08 I Want to See Another World 4:36
09 Sandalphon Instrumental 4:11
10 There Will Be Love 5:08
11 Miracles - Bonus / Single Version 3:30
12 Band Introduction- Live / prev. unreleased / Bonus 1:15
13 Fast Buck Freddie - Live / prev. unreleased / Bonus 3:35
14 There Will Be Love- Live / prev. unreleased / Bonus 4:58
15 You're Driving Me Crazy - Live / prev. unreleased / Bonus 6:45

Cheap Trick - Dream Police (1979)(Remaster 2006)

Cheap Trick - Dream Police (1979)(Remaster 2006)

Exclusive Japanese limited edition digitally remastered reissue of this 1979 album, packaged in a miniature LP sleeve featuring .four bonus tracks: 'The House Is Rockin'' (Live), 'Way Of The World' (Live), 'Dream Police' (Alternate Mix) and 'I Know What I Want'. CBS 2006.

Dream Police shows the band expanding into longer, more complex songs and incorporating orchestration on several tracks. Sessions for Dream Police were completed before the recording of their previous release, the live album At Budokan. Epic Records held off on releasing Dream Police to capitalize on At Budokan's unexpected success. "Need Your Love" was actually introduced to the public as a track on At Budokan. "I Know What I Want" is sung by bassist Tom Petersson, and is the only Cheap Trick studio track to feature someone other than Robin Zander on lead vocals. The group originally planned to have Petersson sing "Voices", but it was later recut with a slower tempo and Zander on vocals... An expanded edition of Dream Police was released in 2006 with four bonus tracks.

At Budokan unexpectedly made Cheap Trick stars, largely because "I Want You to Want Me" had a tougher sound than its original studio incarnation. Perversely -- and most things Cheap Trick have done are somehow perverse -- the band decided not to continue with the direct, stripped-down sound of At Budokan, which would have been a return to their debut. Instead, the group went for their biggest, most elaborate production to date, taking the synthesized flourishes of Heaven Tonight to extremes. While it kept the group in the charts, it lessened the impact of the music. Underneath the gloss, there are a number of songs that rank among Cheap Trick's finest, particularly the paranoid title track, the epic rocker "Gonna Raise Hell", the tough "I Know What I Want", the simple pop of "Voices", and the closer, "Need Your Love". Still, Dream Police feels like a letdown in comparison to its predecessors, even though it would later feel like one of the group's last high-water marks...S. Erlewine

320 @
148 MB

Line-up

Robin Zander - lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Rick Nielsen - lead guitars, mandocello, vocals
Tom Petersson - bass, 8 & 12 string bass, lead vocals on "8"
Bun E. Carlos - drums

Tracklist:

01 Dream Police 3:54
02 Way of the World 3:38
03 The House Is Rockin' (With Domestic Problems) 5:11
04 Gonna Raise Hell 9:20
05 I'll Be with You Tonight 3:51
06 Voices 4:22
07 Writing on the Wall 3:27
08 I Know What I Want 4:30
09 Need Your Love 7:40
10 The Hosue Is Rockin' / Live / prev. unreleased / Bonus 6:16
11 Way of the World Live / prev. unreleased / Bonus 4:00
12 Dream Police prev.unreleased / Bonus / No Strings Version 3:53
13 I Know What I Want Live / Bonus 4:44

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991) (Japan Mini LP 2006)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991) (Japan Mini LP 2006)

Limited edition Japanese pressing of the 1991 album comes packaged in a miniature LP sleeve. Featuring some of the band's best known moments ('Under The Bridge', 'Give It Away', 'Breaking The Girl' and 'Suck My Kiss', this was the band's breakthrough album that turned them into worldwide arena superstars. Distriibuted for a limited time in Europe with new UPC number.WB. 2006.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers' best album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik benefits immensely from Rick Rubin's production -- John Frusciante's guitar is less overpoweringly noisy, leaving room for differing textures and clearer lines, while the band overall is more focused and less indulgent, even if some of the grooves drag on too long. Lyrically, Anthony Kiedis is as preoccupied with sex as ever, whether invoking it as his muse, begging for it, or boasting in great detail about his prowess, best showcased on the infectiously funky singles "Give It Away" and "Suck My Kiss." However, he tempers his testosterone with a more sensitive side, writing about the emotional side of failed relationships ("Breaking the Girl," "I Could Have Lied"), his drug addictions ("Under the Bridge" and an elegy for Hillel Slovak, "My Lovely Man"), and some hippie-ish calls for a peaceful utopia. Three of those last four songs (excluding "My Lovely Man") mark the band's first consistent embrace of lilting acoustic balladry, and while it's not what Kiedis does best as a vocalist, these are some of the album's finest moments, varying and expanding the group's musical and emotional range. Frusciante departed after the supporting tour, leaving Blood Sugar Sex Magik as probably the best album the Chili Peppers will ever make...S. Huey

320 @
170 MB

Tracklist:

01 The Power of Equality 4:03
02 If You Have to Ask 3:37
03 Breaking the Girl 4:55
04 Funky Monks 5:23
05 Suck My Kiss 3:37
06 I Could Have Lied 4:04
07 Mellowship Slinky In B Major 4:00
08 The Righteous & The Wicked 4:08
09 Give It Away 4:43
10 Blood Sugar Sex Magik 4:31
11 Under the Bridge 4:24
12 Naked In The Rain 4:26
13 Apache Rose Peacock 4:42
14 The Greeting Song 3:14
15 My Lovely Man 4:39
16 Sir Psycho Sexy 8:17
17 They're Red Hot 1:12

Steve Miller Band - Fly Like An Eagle (1976) (Gold Disc 2001)

Steve Miller Band - Fly Like An Eagle (1976) (Gold Disc 2001)

Fly Like an Eagle is the ninth studio album by the Steve Miller Band and is their best selling album having gone 4x Platinum in the United States.

Steve Miller had started to essay his classic sound with The Joker, but 1976's Fly Like an Eagle is where he took flight, creating his definitive slice of space blues. The key is focus, even on an album as stylishly, self-consciously trippy as this, since the focus brings about his strongest set of songs (both originals and covers), plus a detailed atmospheric production where everything fits. It still can sound fairly dated — those whooshing keyboards and cavernous echoes are certainly of their time — but its essence hasn't aged, as "Fly Like an Eagle" drifts like a cool breeze, while "Take the Money and Run" and "Rock 'n Me" are fiendishly hooky, friendly rockers. The rest of the album may not be quite up to those standards, but there aren't any duds, either, as "Wild Mountain Honey" and "Mercury Blues" give this a comfortable backdrop, thanks to Miller's offhand, lazy charm. Though it may not quite transcend its time, it certainly is an album rock landmark of the mid-'70s and its best moments (namely, the aforementioned singles) are classics of the idiom...d. Jellinc

320 @
216 MB

Tracklist:

01 Space Intro 1:14
02 Fly Like an Eagle 4:55
03 Wild Mountain Honey 4:51
04 Serenade 3:13
05 Dance, Dance, Dance 2:17
06 Mercury Blues 3:30
07 Take the Money and Run 3:14
08 Rock 'N Me 3:22
09 You Send Me 2:42
10 Blue Odyssey 0:53
11 Sweet Maree 4:04
12 The Window 4:19

Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow (1967) (Japan 17-track Mini LP 2008)

Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow (1967) (Japan 17-track Mini LP 2008)

Limited Japanese Vinyl Replica Edition Of Jefferson Airplanes Famous LP feat. Jerry Garcia from The Grateful Dead.

Because Surrealistic Pillow was the first album by a San Francisco band to go gold, and because it also spawned two Top Ten singles (the emblematic-of-their-era "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit"), it's tempting to think of Jefferson Airplane as merely hippies with hits. Actually, the band's musical roots were considerably earthier than that might suggest. True, there was a folk-music contingent in the Airplane, at least on the guitar end, but a good half of the group (singer Marty Balin, bassist Jack Casady, and drummer Spencer Dreyden) were seasoned bar-band and studio vets with long experience in R&B and jazz. Which probably explains why these so-called hippies were such a ferocious live act and why this record, against the odds, has dated very little. Chock-full of first-rate songs, the album ranges from exquisite ballads ("Today") to rustic acoustic guitar interludes ("Embryonic Journey") to careening psychedelic apocalypses (the aptly titled "3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds"). Make sure you get the 1996 reissue, which features remastered mono and stereo versions; the mono, out of print for years, is by far the best sound the band ever got on record...S. Simels

320 @
134 MB

Tracklist:

01 She Has Funny Cars 3:10
02 Somebody to Love 2:58
03 My Best Friend 3:01
04 Today 2:59
05 Comin' Back to Me 5:18
06 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds 3:41
07 D.C.B.A. -25 2:37
08 How Do You Feel 3:31
09 Embryonic Journey 1:53
10 White Rabbit 2:30
11 Plastic Fantastic Lover 2:37
12 In the Morning Bonus 6:21
13 J.P.P. McStep B. Blues Bonus 2:37
14 Go to Her Bonus / Version Two 4:02
15 Come Back Baby Bonus 2:56
16 Somebody to Love Bonus / Mono Version / Version 2:58
17 White Rabbit Bonus / Mono Version / Version 5:20

Humble Pie - Town and Country (1969) (Japan Mini LP 2001)

Humble Pie - Town and Country (1969) (Japan Mini LP 2001)

Anyone who thinks of Humble Pie solely in terms of their latter-day boogie rock will be greatly surprised with this, the band's second release, for it is almost entirely acoustic. There is a gently rocking cover of Buddy Holly's "Heartbeat," and a couple of electrified Steve Marriott numbers, but the overall feel is definitely more of the country than the town or city. "The Sad Bag of Shaky Jake" is a typical Marriott country ditty, similar to those he would include almost as a token on each of the subsequent studio albums, and "Every Mother's Son" is structured as a folk tale. On "The Light of Love," Marriott even plays sitar. Peter Frampton's contributions here foreshadow the acoustic-based music he would make as a solo artist a few years later. As a whole, this is a crisp, cleanly recorded, attractive-sounding album, totally atypical of the Humble Pie catalog, but well worth a listen. ...J. Newsom

320 @
105 MB

Trcklist:

01 Take me back 04:54
02 The sad bag of Shaky Jake 03:01
03 The light of love 03:02
04 Cold lady 03:24
05 Down home again 02:58
06 Ollie ollie 00:52
07 Every mother's sun 05:45
08 Heartbeat 02:35
09 Only you can see 03:40
10 Silver tongue 03:22
11 Home and away 05:57
12 79th street blues (Bonus) 03:03
13 Greg's song (Bonus) 04:28