Doro - Fear No Evil (Limited Edition 2009)

Doro - Fear No Evil (Limited Edition 2009)

Limited digipak edition of the 2009 album from the German Metal Queen including two bonus tracks ('Wildfire' and 'You Won My Love') plus the enhanced video for 'Herzblut'. Fear No Evil is a step back to her roots without denying any phases of Doro's fantastic career. Just listen to 'The Night Of The Warlock', the anthemic 'Celebrate', the great ballads 'Herzblut' and 'Walking With The Angels' or aggressive tunes like 'Caught In A Battle' - the variety of Fear No Evil is impressive in every way. This is certainly Doro's best album since the '80s! AFM Records.

"Fear No Evil" has become my favorite album from Doro under that name of "Doro." I mean I've liked her albums like "Fight" and "Warrior Soul" along with the early 90s, but she's got more "hard rock" songs among those albums with some songs touching the heavy metal she played with Warlock back in the 80s. However "Fear No Evil" is definitely a heavier album and more metal sounding than her previous outputs, several songs remind me of those 80s metal anthems she played with Warlock. There are even more guitar solos present here for you guitarheads!
The first two songs "Night of the Warlock" and "Running from the Devil" are slow songs but heavy, ballsy and catchy. "Night of the Warlock" is definitely a favorite on this album. "Celebrate" is a kind of cheesy song about the love of rock and metal, but I love it. "Caught in a Battle" was a surprise, it's probably the heaviest song I've ever heard Doro sing on, with defined double-bass drumming and high speed and fast guitar riffs. A little on the short side, but a fun headbanging listen. "On The Run" is a nice rocker with a catchy chorus - I find this to be an awesome driving song! Probably my favorite track on the whole album. "I Lay My Head Upon My Sword" is a fairly catchy midtempo song, a bit softer than the previous but a good listen. The ballads "Herzblut," "It Kills Me," "Long Lost For Love," and "Walking With The Angels" remind me again of why Doro Pesch is my favorite vocalist of all time - her rocking singing voice is sexy; gritty, powerful despite aged, but her ballad voice is so soothing, emotional and has this power that gives me chills up and down my spine. "Herzblut" is a very beautiful listen despite being in German, it reminds me of "Fur Immer" as far as feel goes and atmosphere. Buuuut the album's highlight has to be the duet with former Nightwish frontlady Tarja Turunen on "Walking with the Angels" - very interesting combo but their vocals surprisingly work and fit beautifully together! My favorite metal ladies on the same track...and I will use it again: gives me chills up and down my spine.
Overall, I think this is Doro's more metal album, has a lot of hard rockers, ballads, catchy lyrics and more guitar riffs and of course Doro's magnificent performance that reminds us of why she's the metal queen!...K.Movans

German heavy metal/hard rock goddess Doro Pesch is best-known for her years with the band Warlock, but she has had a long solo career and continued to command a small but loyal following (especially in Europe) long after Warlock's demise. Pesch, who only uses her first name professionally, was born in Dusseldorf, Germany, on June 3, 1964. Although she grew up in a country where German is the primary language, Pesch fluently speaks English and has done most of her singing in English, something she has in common with the Scorpions, Accept, and other German headbangers. Pesch was only in her late teens when, in the early '80s, she started singing lead for an obscure Dusseldorf-based metal band called Snakebite. But in 1983, she left Snakebite and became the lead singer for Warlock, a forceful yet melodic fantasy metal outfit along the lines of Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Ronnie James Dio. At the time, heavy metal and hard rock were very male-dominated, but thanks to various ladies of loudness — including Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, Heart, Girlschool, Lita Ford, and the Runaways — headbangers had grown more comfortable with the idea of women singing aggressive, balls-to-the-wall rock. But there weren't that many women singing gothic fantasy metal and getting into lyrics about witches, demons, ghosts, or sorcerers; Jett, Benatar, Ford, and Heart's Ann Wilson were mainly singing about love, romance, and sex. So when Pesch belted out Warlock's fantasy-oriented lyrics and did so with as much aggression as Ozzy Osbourne or Ronnie James Dio, she stood out. After playing the Dusseldorf club scene for several months and acquiring a small local following, Warlock recorded a demo and was signed by the independent Mausoleum label; after that, the band ended up recording for Mercury/Polygram (where Pesch remained for 11 years). Warlock's debut album, Burning the Witches, was released on Mercury in 1984 and was followed by Hellbound in 1985, True As Steel in 1986, and Triumph & Agony in 1987. That year, Warlock toured Europe as an opening act for Dio, but Warlock didn't tour the United States until 1988 (when the band opened for Megadeth on an extensive North American tour). Although Warlock had an enthusiastic cult following, it wasn't the huge following the headbangers were hoping for. So in 1989, the name Warlock was put to rest and Pesch started billing herself as a solo artist. As a solo act, she didn't inundate listeners with the sort of gothic fantasy themes that Warlock was known for. Released in 1989, Pesch's debut solo album, Force Majeure, is more pop-metal/hard rock than gothic fantasy metal — the album is closer to Crimes of Passion-era Pat Benatar than Iron Maiden, Queensrÿche, or King Diamond. The singer's second album, Doro (which contains her cover of the Electric Prunes' psychedelic hit "I Had Too Much to Dream") was released by Mercury in 1990 and was followed by her third solo album, True at Heart (a European release), in 1991. A few years after that, Pesch and similar artists suffered a major setback. When grunge icons Nirvana and Pearl Jam exploded commercially in 1992 and 1993, alternative rock became rock's primary direction and all of a sudden, the styles of metal and hard rock that had been huge in the '80s were out of vogue. There were still plenty of metal bands getting signed to major labels, but they were alternative metal bands — not pop-metal hair bands and not gothic fantasy metallers in the Sabbath/Priest/Maiden tradition. In this brave new rock world, the women who defined heavy rock were folks like Babes in Toyland, L7, 7 Year Bitch, and Hole's controversial Courtney Love; Pesch, like Benatar, Wilson, and Ford, was considered part of metal/hard rock's Old School. Nonetheless, Pesch continued to command a small but loyal following — especially in Europe — and kept touring and recording as a solo artist. In 1993, two Pesch albums were released by Polygram in Europe: Angels Never Die (her fourth solo album) and Doro Live (her first live album and fifth album overall). In 1995, Polygram released Machine II Machine in Europe; that year, her contract with Polygram ended and she signed with WEA in Europe. It was also in 1995 that Pesch made her acting debut with a role on the German television series Verbotene Liebe (Forbidden Love). The headbanger's next album, Love Me in Black, came out on Warner Bros. in Europe in 1998; that year, she parted company with WEA and signed two deals — one with Koch in the U.S., the other with SPV Steamhammer in Europe. In 1999, Pesch recorded Calling the Wild, which was released in both Europe and the U.S. in 2000. Calling the Wild was her first North American release since 1990's Doro; True at Heart, Angels Never Die, Doro Live, Machine II Machine, and Love Me in Black had only been released in Europe, although the CDs were sold in U.S. stores as imports.

320 @
129 MB

Tracklist:

01. The Night Of The Warlock 5:42
02. Running From The Devil 3:35
03. Celebrate 4:54
04. Caught In A Battle 3:08
05. Herzblut 4:38
06. On The Run 4:40
07. Walking With The Angels 4:53
08. I Lay My Head Upon My Sword 3:36
09. It Kills Me 4:27
10. Long Lost For Love 3:25
11. 25 Years 4:46
12. Wildfire (Digipak bonus) 04:24
13. You Won My Love (Digipak bonus) 04:12

Bob Seger - Beautiful Loser (1975) (1995)

Bob Seger - Beautiful Loser (1975) (1995)

"Beautiful Loser" was the last album Bob Seger recorded before hooking up with the Silver Bullet Band and finally breaking through to mass popularity after spending the better part of a decade laboring as a relative unknown. Five songs from this 1975 release would appear on "Live Bullet" a year later, the album that was the springboard from Seger's leap to the big time. The backing band is credited as the "Muscle Shoals Rythm Section," and they give Seger strong backing for his excellent voice on what is mostly a batch of mid-tempo rock numbers. The highlights include "Katmandu," which sounds like it should have been a classic rockabilly number from the late 50s, the ballads "Jody Girl" and "Fine Memory," as well as "Travelin' Man" and "Beautiful Loser," recorded as seperate tracks here but which would be combined so memorably on the live album. Only a couple of obvious filler songs and the album's brief length (9 tunes, just over 30 minutes) keep it out of 5 star territory. Overall, a strong set of songs from a vetrean journeyman rocker who was on the cusp of stardom when it was released...B. D. Rubendall

Beautiful Loser winds up sounding more like Back in '72 than its immediate predecessor, Seven, largely because Bob Seger threaded reflective ballads and mid-tempo laments back into his hard-driving rock. He doesn't shy away from it, either, opening with the lovely title track. And why shouldn't he? These ballads were as much a part of his success as his storming rockers, since his sentimental streak seemed all the more genuine when contrasted with the rockers. If anything, Beautiful Loser might err a little bit in favor of reflection, with much of the album devoted to introspective, confessional mid-tempo cuts. There are a couple of exceptions to the rule, of course -- "Katmandu" roars with humor, and his cover of "Nutbush City Limits" shames Tina Turner's original -- but they are the only full-throttle rockers here, with "Black Night" coming in as a funky, swaggering cousin. It's the exact opposite of Seven, in other words, and in its own way, it's just as satisfying. Occasionally, it might be a little too sentimental for some tastes, but it's all heartfelt and he's written some terrific songs here, most notably the album's heart of "Jody Girl" and "Travelin' Man." Seger had started turning inward, searching his soul in a way he hadn't since the since-disowned Brand New Morning, and in doing so, he was setting the stage for his first genuine blockbuster...S. T. Erlewine

320 @
77 MB

Tracklist:

01. Beautiful Loser 3:29
02. Black Night 3:24
03. Katmandu 6:09
04. Jody Girl 3:41
05. Travelin' Man 2:41
06. Momma 3:22
07. Nutbush City Limits 3:57
08. Sailing Nights 3:18
09. Fine Memory 2:56

Blue Oyster Cult - Tyranny and Mutation (1973) (Remaster Edit 2001)

Blue Oyster Cult - Tyranny and Mutation (1973) (Remaster Edit 2001)

This is another of the great remastered reissues of the first four Blue Öyster Cult albums which Sony put out on the Columbia/Legacy label. They include lyrics, photos, and liner notes by Lenny Kaye. They also contain additional tracks, and on this release that includes three live cuts and one outtake from the album session. In addition the albums have been digitally remastered and sound better than ever. "Tyranny and Mutation" was recorded in 1972 and released in February of 1973. It was produced by Murray Krugman and Sandy Pearlman. This remastered CD was released on June 26th of 2001. Bruce Dickinson produced the remastered versions. One odd note about this album is that is their only album where the group is listed as The Blue Öyster Cult.
The album was originally going to be titled "The Red and The Black", and each side retains the subtitle from that original plan. The first four tracks (side one on the LP) are called "The Black" (physical, sensual, aural activation). It opens with "The Red & The Black", which is a new version of "I'm On the Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep" from their first album. This version is heavier and has more drive to it, and it is this version that appears on two of their live albums and that they still play today. It continues with "O.D.'d On Life Itself", "Hot Rails To Hell", and "7 Screaming Diz-Busters". All of these are regular concert fare for the group, and all are hard driving rock.
The next four tracks (side two on the LP) were titled "The Red" (phantasmagorical id-teasers and supernatural beings). It opens with "Baby Ice Dog" which is the first collaboration that the group did with Patti Smith. That is followed by "Wings Wetted Down", "Teen Archer", and "Mistress of the Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl)". These pieces are much different than those on side one. They are more mysterious and melodic then the pieces in "The Black". My personal favorites on this album are the closing pieces to each section.
The remastered CD has an additional section which is the bonus tracks. There is a live version of "Cities on Flame with Rock And Roll" from a promotion album called "Blue Öyster Cult Bootleg EP" (the other songs from that release are available on the "Workshop of the Telescopes" compilation CD). The next track is a studio outtake from the recording sessions called "Buck's Boogie"; the live version appears on "On Your Feet or on Your Knees". The final two bonus tracks are live versions of "7 Screaming Diz-Busters" and "O.D.'d on Life Itself", which come from a "bootleg" made by the band to give to friends and family which was titled "Blue Öyster Cult in the West".
The group consists of Eric Bloom (vocals, stun guitar, synthesizers), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals, keyboards), Allen Lanier (keyboards, rhythm guitar), and Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (guitar, vocals). This album is a solid four stars, and as with many of their albums, it improves each time you listen to it...m. Mandel

On Tyranny and Mutation, the Blue Öyster Cult achieved the seemingly impossible: They brightened their sound and deepened their mystique. The band picked up its tempos considerably on this sophomore effort, and producers Sandy Pearlman and Murray Krugman added a lightning bolt of high-end sonics to their frequency range. Add to this the starling lyrical contributions of Pearlman, rock critic Richard Meltzer, and poet cum rocker Patti Smith (who was keyboardist Allen Lanier's girlfriend at the time), the split imagery of Side One's thematic, The Red and Side Two's The Black, and the flip-to-wig-city, dark conspiracy of Gawlik's cover art, and an entire concept was not only born and executed, it was received. The Red side of Tyranny and Mutation is its reliance on speed, punched-up big guitars, and throbbing riffs such as in "The Red and the Black," "O.D'd on Life Itself," "Hot Rails to Hell," and "7 Screaming Diz-Busters," all of which showcased the biker boogie taken to a dizzyingly extreme boundary; one where everything flies by in a dark blur, and the articulations of that worldview are informed as much by atmosphere as idea. This is screaming, methamphetamine-fueled rock and roll that was all about attitude, mystery, and a sense of nihilistic humor that was deep in the cuff. Here was the crossroads: the middle of rock's Bermuda triangle where BÖC marked the black cross of the intersection between New York's other reigning kings of mystery theater and absurd excess: the Velvet Underground and Kiss -- two years before their first album -- and the " 'it's all F#$&%* so who gives a rat's ass" attitude that embodied the City's punk chic half-a-decade later. On the Red Side, beginning with the syncopated striations of "Baby Ice Dog," in which Allen Lanier's piano was as important as Buck Dharma's guitar throb, elements of ambiguity and bluesy swagger enter into the mix. Eric Bloom was the perfect frontman: he twirled the words around in his mouth before spitting them out with requisite piss-and-vinegar, and a sense of decadent dandy that underscored the music's elegance, as well as its power. He was at ease whether the topic was necromancy, S&M, apocalyptic warfare, or cultural dissolution. By the LP's end, on "Mistress of the Salmon Salt," Bloom was being covered over by a kind of aggressively architected psychedelia that kept the '60s at bay while embracing the more aggressive, tenser nature of the times. While BÖC's Secret Treaties is widely recognized as the Cult's classic album, one would do well to consider Tyranny and Mutation in the same light. On the 2001 remastered version, Legacy added live versions of "Cities on Flame With Rock & Roll," "7 Screaming Diz-Busters," and "O.D.'d on Life Itself," as well as a studio read of Buck Dharma's "Buck's Boogie," but they add little to the power and sinister majesty of the original album...T. Jurek

320 @
152 MB

Tracklist:

01 The Red and The Black 4:24
02 O.D.'D on Life Itself 4:47
03 Hot Rails to Hell 5:11
04 7 Screaming Diz-Busters 7:01
05 Baby Ice Dog 3:28
06 Wings Wetted Down 4:12
07 Teen Archer 3:57
08 Mistress of the Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl) 5:08
09 Cities on Flame With Rock & Roll Live / Bonus 4:44
10 Buck's Boogie previously unreleased / Bonus / Studio Version 5:21
11 7 Screaming Diz-Busters Live / previously unreleased / Bonus 14:00
12 O.D.'D on Life Itself Live / previously unreleased / Bonus 4:52

Bob Seger - Night Moves (1976) (1999)

Bob Seger - Night Moves (1976) (1999)

Bob Seger recorded the bulk of Night Moves before Live Bullet brought him his first genuine success, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that it's similar in spirit to the introspective Beautiful Loser, even if it rocks harder and longer. Throughout much of the album, he's coming to grips with being on the other side of 30 and still rocking. He floats back in time, turning in high-school memories, remembering when wandering down "Mainstreet" was the highlight of an evening, covering a rockabilly favorite in "Mary Lou." Stylistically, there's not much change since Beautiful Loser, but the difference is that Seger and his Silver Bullet Band -- who turn in their first studio album here -- sound intense and ferocious, and the songs are subtly varied. Yes, this is all hard rock, but the acoustic ballads reveal the influence of Dylan and Van Morrison, filtered through a Midwestern sensibility, and the rockers reveal more of Seger's personality than ever. Seger may have been this consistent before (on Seven, for example), but the mood had never been as successfully varied, nor had his songwriting been as consistent, intimate, and personal. Thankfully, this was delivered to a mass audience eager for Seger, and it not only became a hit, but one of the universally acknowledged high points of late-'70s rock & roll. And, because of his passion and craft, it remains a thoroughly terrific record years later...S.T. Erlewine

320 @
85 MB

Tracklist:

01. Rock and Roll Never Forgets 3:52
02. Night Moves 5:25
03. The Fire Down Below 4:28
04. Sunburst 5:13
05. Sunspot Baby 4:38
06. Main Street 3:43
07. Come to Poppa 3:11
08. Ship of Fools 3:24
09. Mary Lou 2:56

Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band - Nine Tonight: Live (1981)(1989)

Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band - Nine Tonight: Live (1981)(1989)

Features the title-track contribution to the Urban Cowboy movie soundtrack and an effective cover of "Trying to Live My Life Without You."

When compared to Bob Seger And The Silver Bullet Band's 1981 powerful live album "Nine Tonight", Peter Frampton's "Frampton Comes Alive"--often considered the greatest live album of rock and roll--appears standard and uninspired.
"Nine Tonight" is an incredible, emotionally charged live set from one of rock and roll's most captivating (yet under-appreciated) performers, Bob Seger. Few times in rock music--especially in the seventies and eighties--does there come along an artist with the ability to captivate a large stadium audience, while at the same time putting on a classic rock and roll show; at the time "Nine Tonight" was released, a stereotype surrounded rock musicians like Bob Seger...that the music, no matter how great it may sound in a studio recording, would always be overshadowed by rowdy crowds filling stadiums only for the parties.
But Bob Seger, with the thundering and flawless Silver Bullet Band, broke that sterotype with an almost magical ability to connect with an audience, to speak to thousands of people in a concert arena as if he were speaking solely with each individual person in the audience. "Nine Tonight" captures that magic. With each time you listen to the album, you get a sense that Bob Seger is trying to send a message solely to you, yet you still feel the intense excitement of a live performance. Any Silver Bullet fan knows that Seger and company are some of the best rock and roll performers to experience live. But for anyone with a taste for wonderful live music, I strongly recommend "Nine Tonight." You won't be disappointed...B Sturguess

320 kB/s
170 MB

Tracklist:

01. Nine Tonight 5:14
02. Trying to Live My Life Without You 4:03
03. You'll Accomp'ny Me 4:12
04. Hollywood Nights 4:49
05. Old Time Rock & Roll 5:17

Just take those old records off the shelf
I'll sit and listen to 'em by myself.
Today's music ain't got the same soul
I like that old time rock 'n' roll

Don't try to take me to a disco
You'll never even get me out on the floor
In ten minutes I'll be late for the door
I like that old time rock 'n' roll

Still like that old time rock and roll
That kind of music just soothes the soul
I reminisce about the days of old
With that old time rock and roll

Won't go to hear them play a tango
I'd rather hear some blues or funky old soul
There's only one sure way to get me to go
Start playin' old time rock and roll

Call me a relic, call me what you will
Say I'm old-fashioned, say I'm over the hill
Today's music ain't got the same soul
I like that old time rock and roll

Still like that old time rock and roll
That kind of music just soothes the soul
I reminisce about the days of old
With that old time rock and roll

Still like that old time rock and roll, That kind of music just soothes the soul
I reminisce about the days of old
With that old time rock and roll

Still like that old time rock and roll, That kind of music just soothes the soul
I reminisce about the days of old
With that old time rock and roll

Still like that old time rock and roll
That kind of music just soothes the soul
I reminisce about the days of old
With that old time rock and roll

Still like that old time rock and roll

06. Main Street 4:12
07. Against the Wind 5:27
08. The Fire Down Below 4:47
09. Her Strut 3:57
10. Feel Like a Number 4:10
11. Fire Lake 3:51
12. Betty Lou's Gettin' out Tonight 2:59
13. We've Got Tonight 4:55
14. Night Moves 5:44
15. Rock & Roll Never Forgets 3:35
16. Let It Rock Edited for CD 6:18

Alice Cooper - Schools Out (1972) (Gold CD Remaster Edit 2009)

Alice Cooper - Schools Out (1972) (Gold CD Remaster Edit 2009)

Thanks to Thor for this share!

Our 24K + series will bring you classic music in delux packaging with the see through slip cases (ala DCC), using original graphics, all beautifully reproduced. We only use the original master tape which is played back on a specially constructed vintage tube playback deck. Here's where the "plus (+)" comes in: The analog masters are put through our new "Kensei Audio Transformer," which adds true "breath of life" to the music, making our new 24K + Gold CD series the best sounding music you can buy, period!

School's Out catapulted Alice Cooper into the hard rock stratosphere, largely due to its timeless, all-time classic title track. But while the song became Alice's highest-charting single ever (reaching number seven on the U.S. charts) and recalled the brash, three-and-a-half-minute garage rock of yore, the majority of the album signaled a more complex compositional directional for the band. Unlike Cooper's previous releases (Love It to Death, Killer), which contained several instantly identifiable hard rock classics, School's Out appears to be a concept album, and aside from the aforementioned title track anthem, few of the other tracks have ever popped up in concert. That's not to say they weren't still strong and memorable; while such cuts as "Gutter Cat vs. the Jets," "Street Fight," "My Stars," and "Grande Finale" came off like mini-epics with a slightly progressive edge, Alice Cooper still managed to maintain their raw, unrefined punk edges, regardless. Other highlights included the rowdy "Public Animal #9," the mid-paced "Luney Tune," and the sinister, cabaret-esque "Blue Turk."...G. Prato

320 @
85 MB

Tracklist:

01 School's Out 3:28
02 Luney Tune 3:39
03 Gutter Cat vs. The Jets 4:39
04 Street Fight 0:53
05 Blue Turk 5:35
06 My Stars 5:49
07 Public Animal #9 3:54
08 Alma Mater 4:17
09 Grande Finale 4:35

Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies (1973) (2CD Deluxe Edit 2001)

Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies (1973) (2CD Deluxe Edit 2001)

Rock star opulence came to an explosive head in 1973 when the Alice Cooper Group hit #1 on the U.S. and worldwide charts with Billion Dollar Babies, their sixth and most successful album. Produced by Bob Ezrin, it is also one of the best rock ’n’ roll records of all time, and the subsequent tour became the biggest rock production to date. Capitalizing on the album’s themes of good-old decadence and horror, the show climaxed with a guillotine execution of Alice. The album and the tour made the band into the world’s preeminent pied pipers of teenage trash culture.

Now, a few decades later, we have given Billion Dollar Babies the deluxe Rhino treatment—the complete remastered album in its entirety remixed by Ezrin himself, plus an entire second disc of 14 rare and previously tracks. The latter includes 11 live cuts from the infamous Billion Dollar Babies tour, two outtakes from the album sessions, and “Slick Black Limousine,” a rare U.K. single. Housed in a digi-pak that duplicates all original album art, it also features an expanded booklet of lyrics, new liner notes, and tons of rare photos!...Rhino Records

For me Alice Cooper's career divided neatly into two parts: Alice Cooper the band and Alice Cooper the solo artist. I never was captivated by his solo career, but the Alice Cooper band was one of the best rock bands of the early Seventies. From 1971's Love It To Death through 1973's Billion Dollar Babies, the band produced a series of rock solid albums--and I even saw them in concert twice, including their Billion Dollar Babies Tour.
That's what makes this reissue such a treat. The second disc provides killer live versions of eight of the ten album tracks--only "Generation Landslide" and "Mary Ann" are not included. One track each is also included from their three earlier albums: Love It To Death ("I'm Eighteen"), Killer ("Dead Babies") and School's Out ("My Stars"). In addition you get the Elvis-inspired outtake "Coal Black Model T," which eventually evolved into "Slick Black Limousine" (also included here). The other outtake is "Son of Billion Dollar Babies," which is essentially an alternate take of "Generation Landslide" minus the lyrics from the second half of verse two.
The expanded 24-page booklet is also a treat. [Check out the photo on page 11 of Donovan recording the title track with Alice!]
Sure, Alice Cooper is probably most remembered for the mascara, boa constrictors and guillotines. However, if you listen to the music, you'll discover one of the tightest rock bands of the era...S.Vrana

320 @
226 MB

Track List:

CD 1

01 Hello Hooray 4:14
02 Raped and Freezin' 3:15
03 Elected 4:05
04 Billion Dollar Babies 3:39
05 Unfinished Sweet 6:17
06 No More Mr. Nice Guy 3:05
07 Generation Landslide 4:31
08 Sick Things 4:18
09 Mary Ann 2:19
10 I Love the Dead 5:08

CD 2

01 Hello Hooray (Live Version) 3:04
02 Billion Dollar Babies (Live Version) 3:47
03 Elected (Live Version) 2:28
04 Eighteen (Live in 1973 Version) 4:50
05 Raped And Freezin' (Live Version) 3:14
06 No More Mr. Nice Guy (Live Version) 3:07
07 My Stars (Live Version) 7:32
08 Unfinished Sweet (Live Version) 6:01
09 Sick Things (Live Version) 3:16
10 Dead Babies (Live Version) 2:59
11 I Love The Dead (Live Version) 4:48
12 Coal Black Model T (Outtake) 4:28
13 Son Of Billion Dollar Babies (Generation Landslide) (Outtake) 3:45
14 Slick Black Limousine (Remastered UK Release) 4:26

Thin Lizzy - Still Dangerous: Live at Tower Theatre Philadelphia 1977 (2009)

Thin Lizzy - Still Dangerous: Live at Tower Theatre Philadelphia 1977 (2009)
(Previously Unreleased Live Album)

Thanks to Thor for this share!

Thin Lizzy's Live and Dangerous album ranks among the most beloved and, if you believe the gossip, the most controversial concert recording of its age. On the surface, it is dynamic -- four vinyl sides of pure Lizzy gold. But underneath, who knows what studio trickery was employed to make the electricity crackle so loudly? The band shrugged and said very little; the producer claimed a lot, and the truth could be anywhere in between. Well, stop fighting. Live and Dangerous was a compilation drawn from a string of gigs recorded during 1976-1977; Still Dangerous zeroes in on just one, from the tail end of that span, and if you truly believe there are any critical differences between the two, then maybe you should find other ways of occupying your time. Seven songs (but not performances) carry over from one disc to the other -- you can probably guess which ones they are -- and in terms of energy, drive, and sheer exhilaration, there's not a sliver of daylight between them. "Jailbreak," all howling sirens and screaming guitars, is sensational (even if Phil Lynott does muff the occasional line); "Dancing in the Moonlight" is as coiled and sensuous as it ought to be; "Don't Believe a Word" is manic defiance. And then there's that indelible moment of magic that raised a Lizzy concert so high above the competition that it wasn't even worth going to see another band, a soaring "Cowboy Song" slipping deftly and deliberately into "The Boys Are Back in Town," while the entire audience self-combusts with joy. In other words, Live and Dangerous is still one of the greatest live albums ever made. And Still Dangerous is one of the greatest concert recordings. It's as simple, and brilliant, as that...D. Thompson

320 @
128 MB

Line-Up:

Phil Lynott: Vocals, Bass
Scott Gorham: Guitar
Brian Robertson: Guitar
Brian Downey: Drums

Tracklist:

01 Soldier of Fortune 5.23
02 Jailbreak 4.28
03 Cowboy Song 5.04
04 The Boys Are Back in Town 4.45
05 Dancing in the Moonlight 4.08
06 Massacre 3.02
07 Opium Trail 4.51
08 Don't Believe a Word 2.25
09 Baby Drives Me Crazy 6.11
10 Me and the Boys 6.55
11 Bad Reputation (Hidden Track) 4.19
12 Emerald (Hidden Track) 4.36

Alice Cooper - Welcome To My Nightmare (1975) (Remaster Edit 2002)

Alice Cooper - Welcome To My Nightmare (1975) (Remaster Edit 2002)

Rhino’s 2002 release of Welcome To My Nightmare has been remastered and includes three previously unreleased bonus tracks: alternate versions of “Devil’s Food,“ ”Cold Ethyl,” and “The Awakening.”

With the 1975 disintegration of the original Alice Cooper group, Alice was free to launch a solo career. He wisely decided to re-enlist the services of Bob Ezrin for his solo debut, Welcome to My Nightmare, which was a concept album tied into the story line of the highly theatrical concert tour he launched soon after the album's release. While the music lost most of the gritty edge of the original AC lineup, Welcome to My Nightmare remains Alice's best solo effort -- while some tracks stray from his expected hard rock direction, there's plenty of fist-pumping rock to go around. The disco-flavored, album-opening title track would be reworked on the stage as more of a hard rock tune, while "Some Folks" dips into cabaret territory, and "Only Women Bleed" is a sensitive ballad that became a Top Ten hit. But the rockers serve as the album's foundation -- "Devil's Food," "The Black Widow," "Department of Youth," and "Cold Ethyl" are all standouts, as is the more tranquil yet eerie epic "Steven." Despite this promising start to Cooper's solo career, the majority of his subsequent releases were often not as focused and were of varying quality...G. Prato

Originally released on LP in 1975 and reissued on CD in 2002, Welcome to My Nightmare is, quite simply, a shock rock masterpiece. It is also a conceptual effort that, like other Alice Cooper releases of the '70s, generated some controversy. Often described as the arena rock equivalent of a horror movie, this album didn't offend those who understood where Cooper was coming from. His fans realized that gems like "Cold Ethyl" and the spooky title song weren't really promoting evil; Alice Cooper is merely a character, and Welcome to My Nightmare gives listeners a guided tour of the character's dark, twisted mind. Arguably, this reissue is arena rock's version of a Bela Lugosi or Vincent Price film; in fact, Price himself makes a guest appearance on "The Black Widow," a creepy number that pays tribute to a very deadly spider. But for all of the album's dark subject matter, Cooper is surprisingly sensitive and tender on the ballad "Only Women Bleed." A major pop hit, the song really struck a chord with female listeners and was covered by everyone from Carmen McRae to Lita Ford to Etta James. Nonetheless, Cooper was still controversial in 1975, and fundamentalist ministers kept insisting that he was taking America straight to hell. Produced by Bob Ezrin, Nightmare marked the first time that Cooper was billed as a solo artist -- and without the Alice Cooper Band he became slicker, more polished, and less gritty. Nonetheless, this album is conceptually brilliant. Thanks to Rhino, Nightmare now has 14 tracks instead of 11; hardcore collectors will be glad to know that Rhino has added alternate takes of "Cold Ethyl," "Devil's Food," and "The Awakening." But even those who aren't hardcore collectors should obtain Welcome to My Nightmare, which remains a textbook example of mid-'70s shock rock...Henderson

320 @
128 MB

Tracklist:

01 Welcome To My Nightmare 5:20
02 Devil's Food 3:35
03 The Black Widow 3:37
04 Some Folks 4:17
05 Only Women Bleed 5:49
06 Department Of Youth 3:20
07 Cold Ethyl 2:56
08 Years Ago 2:51
09 Steven 5:46
10 The Awakening 2:31
11 Escape 3:27
12 Devil's Food prev. unreleased / Bonus / Alt. Version 5:13
13 Cold Ethyl prev. unreleased / Bonus / Alt. Version 2:56
14 The Awakening prev. unreleased / Bonus / Alt. Version 4:20

T.Rex - T. Rex (1970)(Remaster Edit 2005)

T.Rex - T. Rex (1970)(Remaster Edit 2005)

While it was the fifth T. Rex album (and though it was the first on which the act was billed as "T. Rex" rather than Tyrannosaurus Rex), T. Rex was the record on which T. Rex mainstay Marc Bolan truly began to come into his own. Most of the previous {Tyrannosaurus Rex} albums had actually done pretty well on the British LP charts, but here Bolan made a determined move away from the cult hippie audience and toward a younger pop/rock one, simultaneously steering away from psychedelic acoustic folk-rock and toward a harder sound with electric guitars. And, remarkably, this was not a sellout: in fact, the music became better, more powerful, and certainly more focused, grounded by basic chugging riffs, but still vested with plenty of lyrical and vocal eccentricity on Bolan's part. None of this is news to Bolan/T. Rex fans, of course; for years most of them have valued the record's blend of basic rock & roll fun ("Is It Love," "One Inch Rock") and more sensitive, at times orchestrally produced pop/rock with lingering traces of his hippie era ("Beltane Walk," "Diamond Meadows"). What they want to know is, what's on the 2004 expanded edition that's worth noting, other than the historical liner notes by Bolan biographer Mark Paytress? That would reside in the nine bonus tracks, highlighted by his first big British hit, "Ride a White Swan" -- and one that set him off on a far harder pop/rock direction and image, though it's not much different from the most electric cuts on T. Rex -- as well as its B-side, a straightforward cover of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues." Less interesting, though good to have in a why-not sort of way, are not-much-different alternate takes of "The Visit" and "Diamond Meadows." Sadly, the packaging doesn't clearly identify what makes the "bonus track" versions of "One Inch Rock," "Seagull Woman," and "The Wizard" different from the ones that appeared on the album, though the "bonus" version of "The Wizard" is certainly missing the opening percussive fanfare of the album rendition. The other two bonus tracks are trifles: a 34-second spoken "Poem" and a similarly brief snippet of "The Children of Rarn," again not marked as to how it's distinguished from the two tracks of that name that open and close the regular T. Rex album...R. Unterberger

320 @
141 MB
Genre : Glam Rock

Tracklist:

01 The Children of Rarn 0:53
02 Jewel 2:46
03 The Visit 1:54
04 Childe 1:37
05 The Time of Love Is Now 2:42
06 Diamond Meadows 1:58
07 Root of Star 2:31
08 Beltane Walk 2:28
09 Is It Love? 2:36
10 One Inch Rock 2:27
11 Summer Deep 1:45
12 Seagull Woman 2:20
13 Suneye 2:07
14 The Wizard 8:52
15 The Children of Rarn 0:38
16 Ride a White Swan Bonus / Single 'A' Side 2:32
17 Summertime Blues Bonus / Single 'B' Side 2:44
18 Poem Bonus 0:36
19 The Visit Bonus / Take 4 1:58
20 Diamond Meadows Bonus / Take 6 1:57
21 One Inch Rock Bonus 2:27
22 Seagull Woman Bonus 2:20
23 The Wizard Bonus 8:34
24 The Children of Rarn Bonus 0:42

Jethro Tull - Rock Island (1989) (Remaster Editi 2006)

Jethro Tull - Rock Island (1989) (Remaster Editi 2006)

Remastered edition of this 1989 album. Following the success of Crest Of A Knave, which won a Grammy in the hard-rock category, group leader Ian Anderson responded two years later with Rock Island, a record that re-imagined Jethro Tull as a modern-rock act. Features ''Another Christmas Song'', ''Rattlesnake Trail'' and more.

"Rock Island" is an album for those Jethro Tull fans who are more inclined toward the heavy rock side of Tull over their folkier, accoustic side. It opens with the fast paced rocking "Kissing Willie" and is followed by the riffy "The Rattlesnake Trail" complete with Martin Barre's searing guitar fills.
Then comes my personal favorite from the album "Ears of Tin." It's one of those 'stop-go' songs. The verses are melodic, featuring mandolin and flute while the refrains contain pulsating hard rock. Next is "Undressed to kill," a slow, steady rocking song. Then comes the title song, which is fairly subdued until the fast paced instrumental break.
"Heavy Water" is another moderate to slow paced rocker, which is followed by the subdued and melodic "Another Christmas Song." Then comes the another of my personal favorites: the slow, brooding "The Whaler's Dues." Between Martin Barre's jagged electric guitar fills and Ian Anderson's wheezing flute, the song just gets under your skin and stays there.
The last two songs from the original release, "Big Riff and Mando" and "Strange Avenues" are lackluster, in my opinion. But overall, "Rock Island" is a consistently enjoyable album. The song quality might not be as high as on their previous release, "Crest of a Knave," but it has the advantage (or disadvantage, depending on taste) of containing far fewer ballads than 'Crest.'
There are many who believe that the quality of Jethro Tull's music began a permanent decline following "Aqualung" in 1971 or "A Passion Play" in 1973. However, the music on "Crest of a Knave," "Rock Island" and "Catfish Rising," Tull's 1987, 1989 and 1991 releases, convinces me that Ian Anderson's songwriting has, if anything, improved over time.

As with most Tull albums, you'll need to give this one a half dozen spins in your CD player before familiarity breeds enjoyment...M. Denver

320 @
137 MB

Tracklist:

01 Kissing Willie 3:33
02 The Rattlesnake Trail 4:01
03 Ears of Tin 4:55
04 Undressed to Kill 5:23
05 Rock Island 6:54
06 Heavy Water 4:12
07 Another Christmas Song 3:31
08 The Whaler's Dues 7:53
09 Big Riff and Mando 5:59
10 Strange Avenues 4:13
11 Christmas Song Live / Bonus 3:06
12 Cheap Day Return/Mother Goose Live / Bonus 3:09
13 Locomotive Breath Live / Bonus 3:38

Blue Oyster Cult - Spectres (1977) (Remaster Edit 2007)

Blue Oyster Cult - Spectres (1977) (Remaster Edit 2007)

Blue Öyster Cult scored big with Agents of Fortune and its now-classic rock hit, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper." It took the album into the stratosphere and the band's profile with it; it put them in the visible pop space they'd tried for years to get to. But upon arrival, they found that kind of success difficult to respond to. Not only did the Cult want to respond, they wanted to cement their place. Spectres is not the masterpiece that Agents of Fortune is, but it didn't need to be. However, upon hearing Spectres again, the album offers proof that the commercial and creative bent of Agents of Fortune was still in place at certain moments, and the band laid out a major single in the opening cut, "Godzilla," a tune -- however silly it may be -- that is every bit as memorable as "(Don't Fear) The Reaper." It's not the only big number here either: "Goin' Through the Motions" and the truly spooky "I Love the Night" by Buck Dharma also scored. The former track is a wonderful blend of Tommy James & the Shondells, Boston, and Mott the Hoople's roots rock glam attack. Written by Eric Bloom and Ian Hunter, it's a stunning single. It sounds less like the Cult than anything they'd recorded, but as a classic rock & roll single it succeeds in spades. And "I Love the Night" (with its guitar part resembling "Reaper" for a moment) is one of rock & roll's truly strange and seductive love songs. There is more spook and darkness here, of course, in the album's closer, "Nosferatu." As a closer, "I Love the Night" may have been a better choice, but this track has all those layered harmonies, a reverbed piano, Dharma's power chords, and lyric fills that never lose their sense of menace and once more, a story. BOC were the only band in their league, walking the line between AOR rock and metal, and offering such detailed narratives. Spectres also contains tunes that were ready-made for touring, which is what the Cult did immediately after, resulting in the wildly successful live album Some Enchanted Evening. In sum, the only reason Spectres is not regarded as a classic is because it followed Agents of Fortune. Other than the false funk of "Searchin' for Celine," it's flawless as a finely tuned tome that begins with sci-fi humor and ends with gothic horror -- all of which can be hummed to. [The Legacy edition of Spectres includes four previously unreleased bonus demos recorded during the album sessions. The hip thing is that these bonus cuts are really worth it and not add-ons from the dead-dogs file: the rocker "Dial M for Murder," the would-be single "Night Flyer," Albert Bouchard's "Please Hold," and a fun (and raw) cover of the Ronettes' "Be My Baby."]...T. Jurek

320 @
122 MB

Tracklist:

01 Godzilla 3:41
02 Golden Age of Leather 5:52
03 Death Valley Nights 4:08
04 Searchin' for Celine 3:36
05 Fireworks 3:12
06 R.U. Ready 2 Rock 3:44
07 Celestial the Queen 3:26
08 Goin' Through the Motions 3:12
09 I Love the Night 4:24
10 Nosferatu 5:27
11 Night Flyer - previously unreleased 3:49
12 Dial M for Murder - previously unreleased 3:11
13 Please Hold - previously unreleased 2:47
14 Be My Baby - previously unreleased 3:01

Michael Rother - Sterntaler (1978) (2007)

Michael Rother - Sterntaler (1978) (2007)

The second solo album from Krautrock legend Michael Rother (Kraftwerk, Harmonia, Neu!) was originally released in 1978. Featuring Jaki Leibzeit of Can on drums and produced by Conny Plank (Kraftwerk, Ash Ra Tempel, Brian Eno, Devo) Sterntaler is wildly ahead of its time. Rother himself handles duties on guitar, syth, piano, bass and more creating transcendent and trance-inducing ambient rock of the highest level. A Krautrock classic that ventures beyond the limitations of its genre into the territory of pioneering electronica. Hugely influential.

Sterntaler marked the beginning of Michael Rother's deep preoccupation with introspective melodies projected outward. Where Flammende Herzen was full of anthemic instrumental rock that was constructed to be just that, Sterntaler is more reflective even if its drive is as insistent and mechanically accurate. Again collaborating with producer Conny Plank and Can's drummer, Jaki Leibzeit, Rother set out with Sterntaler to create true electronic rock music -- even if what he came up with was the first real ambient trance music. Unlike his former bandmates in Kraftwerk and Harmonia who had wholeheartedly embraced electronic music as an end in and of itself, Rother was deeply entrenched in the idea that the entire idea for synthesizers and drum machines was to make rock & roll itself more futuristic. What's so odd about that notion is his method of composition. On the opener, "Sonnenrad," his signature electric guitar sound plays melodies that are almost folk-like in their simplicity over his trademark Motorik percussion and rhythmic churn. On "Blauer-Regen" Leibzeit's cymbals mark the simple chord changes on an introspective ballad filled with the sounds of falling rain cascading down through the guitars. "Stremlinien" and the title track are more hypnotic rock tracks with veritable choruses of guitars all playing the same notes in harmony over a cut-time drumbeat and Leibzeit's percussive embellishments. Keyboards swim through the mix, creating a chords progression -- though it feels like one phrase over and over again -- and Rother concentrates on using a slide guitar to control and advance dynamics in the swirl. This is awesome driving music, perfect maybe for the Autobahn, but certainly for American two-lane blacktops during the first flush of fall...Thom Jurek

320 @
123 MB
Genre : Ambient, Krautrock

Tracklisti:

01. Sonnenrad (6:04)
02. Blauer Regen (3:11)
03. Stromlinien (8:12)
04. Sterntaler (6:47)
05. Fontana Di Luna (6:39)
06. Orchestrion (3:41)
07. Lichter Von Kairo [1993] (6:44)
08. Patagonia Horizont [1993] (6:08)
09. Südseewellen [1993] (Extended Dance Remix) (5:08)

Big Brother & The Holding Company - Selftitled (1967) (Remaster Edit 2008)

Big Brother & The Holding Company - Selftitled (1967) (Remaster Edit 2008)

The debut, self-titled album from Big Brother & the Holding Company is an evolving paradigm, ten tracks initially issued on Mainstream Records, a label that would have success in 1968 with "Journey to the Center of the Mind" by Ted Nugent's Amboy Dukes. Unfortunately for Janis Joplin and Big Brother & the Holding Company, the respectable performances and all of the material on this disc are undercut by a weak production that sounds rushed. Recorded on December 12, 13, and 14 of 1966, it's quite telling that perhaps the best two songs from the sessions, Peter Albin's tribal-sounding "Coo Coo," and Janis Joplin's fiery "The Last Time," were only available on a 45 rpm and played as treats on FM radio "rare tape" nights. Those two songs have an intensity and drama missing from laid-back album cuts like "Easy Rider" and "Intruder." Big Brother's strength sans Janis was their ability to experiment and rely heavily on ideas to make up for their lack of musical prowess. Sad to say, there is little of that experimentation here. Even a potential science fiction Peter Albin composition, "Light Is Faster Than Sound," comes off like an audition tape instead of the hit it could have been had it the cosmic explosion of a "Journey to the Center of the Mind." The album does contain interesting studies of future classics, like Moondog's "All Is Loneliness" (the street poet eventually signing with Columbia himself), and Joplin's creative arrangement of "Down on Me," making it more of an entertaining textbook than a deep musical experience. It was the lack of product from superstar Janis Joplin which kept putting an emphasis on this release with little else available to satisfy rabid fans who couldn't get enough Janis. Columbia picked up the album and re-issued it in its original form, then reissued it again with "The Last Time" and "Coo Coo" added...J. Viglione

320 @
78 MB

Tracklist:

01. Bye Bye Baby 2.35
02. Easy Rider 2.21
03. Intruder 2.25
04. Light Is Faster Than Sound 2.29
05. Call on Me 2.32
06. Women Is Losers 2.01
07. Blindman 2.00
08. Down on Me 2.02
09. Caterpillar 2.15
10. All Is Loneliness 2.15
11. Coo Coo [Single] 1.59
12. Last Time [Single] 2.17
13. Call on Me [Alternate Take] 2.42
14. Bye Bye Baby [Alternate Take] 2.39

Manfred Mann - World of Mann: The Very Best of...(2CD Remaster Edit 2006)

Manfred Mann - World of Mann: The Very Best of...(2CD Remaster Edit 2006)

Digitally Remastered Anthology Comprehensively Surveys the Entire Recording Career of One of the Most Endearing and Enduring Figures in Rock Music. The Tracks Date Back to 1964 with the Group Manfred Mann's First Single "5-4-3-2-1" to the Earth Band's Unique 2004 Version of the Super Furry Animal's Song "Demons" (Retitled as "Demons and Dragons"). It also Includes a Rare Recording by Mike D'abo of Manfred Mann of "Handbags and Gladrags", which He Composed and Became a Hit for Rod Stewart as Well as the Stereophonics a Generation Later as Well as Finding Fame as the Theme to the Hit TV Show "The Office" .

I really like several of Manfred Mann's most popular songs and wanted them all in one collection. This collection offers them all: The Mighty Quinn, Do-Wah Diddy, Pink Flamingo, Blinded by the Light (full version), Spirits in the Night, and Runner. It ends with a rousing live edition of The Mighty Quinn. The mastering is excellent--but there are absolutely NO liner notes past the general track information. You'd think with such a career spanning set there would be some brief history inside...D. W. Kelly

320 @
288 MB

Tracklist:

CD 1 (Manfred Mann)

01 54321 2:00
02 Hubble Bubble (Toil & Trouble) 2:25
03 Do Wah Diddy Diddy 2:24
04 Sha La La 2:33
05 Come Tomorrow 2:45
06 Oh No Not My Baby 2:22
07 The One in the Middle 2:40
08 If You Gotta Go, Go Now 2:31
09 Pretty Flamingo 2:35
10 Just Like a Woman Stereo Version 2:50
11 Semi-Detached Surburban Mr. James 2:33
12 Ha! Ha! Said the Clown Stereo Version 2:28
13 Sweet Pea 3:08
14 The Mighty Quinn Stereo Version 2:51
15 My Name Is Jack Stereo Version 2:55
16 Fox on the Run 2:46
17 Ragamuffin Man 3:09
18 Handbags and Gladrags / Michael d'Abo 4:12

CD 2 (Manfred Mann's Earth Band)

01 Blinded by the Light 7:06
02 Davy's on the Road Again 3:38
03 Demolition Man 3:46
04 You Angel You 3:46
05 Joybringer 3:24
06 For You 3:52
07 Spirits in the Night 6:27
08 Don't Kill It Carol 3:55
09 The Runner 3:44
10 Lies (Through the 80s) 4:36
11 Father of Day Father of Night 3:02
12 Questions / Manfred Mann's Earth Band 3:58
13 California / Manfred Mann's Earth Band 3:45
14 Redemption Song (No Kwazulu) 4:12
15 Pleasure and Pain 5:40
16 It's All Over Now Baby Blue 4:28
17 Demons and Dragons 3:28
18 Mighty Quinn / Live 3:36

Uriah Heep - Very 'Eavy...Very 'Umble (1970) (Remaster Edit 2003)

Uriah Heep - Very 'Eavy...Very 'Umble (1970) (Remaster Edit 2003)

2003 remastered reissue of 1970 album with deluxe packaging includes an expansive booklet with rare memorabilia & photo's, plus eight bonus tracks, 'Bird Of Prey' (US album version), 'Born In A Trunk' (previously unreleased vocal version), 'Come Away Melinda' (previously unreleased version), 'Gypsy' (previously unreleased extended version), 'Wake Up (Set Your Sights)' (previously unreleased version), 'Born In A Trunk' (previously unreleased instrumental version), 'Dreammare' (BBC session) & 'Gypsy' (BBC session).

I love the early Uriah Heep material as much as the next mid-Boomer, but "Salisbury" and "Very 'eavy, Very 'umble" would be an extremely redundant combination to purchase. If one is not familiar with U. Heep, better to pair either of these early recordings with a "Best of U. Heep" or one featuring the current U. Heep lineup of musicians.
The album art for "Very 'eavy, Very 'umble" was actually used on the U.S. release of "Salisbury" (or I have my vinyl LPs in the wrong sleeves, but I think not). The cobweb face guy was also projected onto the drum kit's double bass drum heads for an interesting lighting effect.
Unless one is an extreme U. Heep fan, either of these early albums would be a great investment; either, but not both together...m. Osterbuhr

Line-up

David Byron Lead Vocals
Ken Hensley Organ, Slide Guitar, Mellotron, Piano, Vocals
Mick Box Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Paul Newton Bass, Vocals
Ollie Olsson Drums (Dreammare & Lucy Blues)

320 @
183 MB

Tracklist:

01. Gypsy 6.38
02. Walking In Your Shadow 44.30
03. Come Away Melinda 3.49
04. Lucy Blues 5.10
05. Dreammare 4.40
06. Real Turned On 3.39
07. I'll Keep On Trying 5.27
08. Wake Up (Set Your Sights) 6.28
09. Bird Of Prey (US Album version) 4.08
10. Born In A Trunk (prev. unreleased vocal version) 4.32
11. Come Away Melinda (prev. unreleased version) 4.16
12. Gypsy (prev. unreleased extended version) 7.07
13. Wake Up (Set Your Sights) (prev. unreleased version) 6.31
14. Born In A Trunk (prev. unreleased instrumental version) 4.35
15. Dreammare (BBC session) 3.08
16. Gypsy (BBC session) 5.14

Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties (1974) (Remaster Edit 2001)

Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties (1974) (Remaster Edit 2001)

While the speed-freak adrenaline heaviness and shrouded occult mystery of Tyranny and Mutation is the watermark for Blue Öyster Cult's creative invention, it is Secret Treaties that is widely and critically regarded as the band's classic. Issued in 1974, Secret Treaties is the purest distillation of all of BÖC's strengths. Here the songs are expansive, and lush in their textures. The flamboyance is all here, and so are the overdriven guitar riffs provided by Buck Dharma and Eric Bloom. But there is something else, texturally, that moves these songs out from the blackness and into the shadows. Perhaps it's the bottom-heavy mix by producer and lyricist Sandy Pearlman, with Allen Lanier's electric piano and Joe Bouchard's bass coming to rest in an uneasy balance with the twin-guitar attack. Perhaps it's in the tautness of songwriting and instrumental architectures created by drummer Albert Bouchard, Bloom, and Don Roeser (Buck Dharma). Whatever it is, it offers the Cult a new depth and breadth. While elements of psychedelia have always been a part of the band's sound, it was always enfolded in proto-metal heaviness and biker boogie. Here, BÖC created their own brand of heavy psychedelic noir to diversify their considerably aggressive attack. Listen to "Subhuman" or "Dominance and Submission." Their minor chord flourishes and multi-tracked layered guitars and Bouchard's constantly shimmering cymbals and snare work (he is the most underrated drummer in rock history) and elliptical lyrics -- that Pearlman put out in front of the mix for a change -- added to the fathomless dread and mystery at the heart of the music. Elsewhere, on "Cagey Cretins" and "Harvester of Eyes" (both with lyrics by critic Richard Meltzer), the razor-wire guitar riffs were underscored by Lanier's organ, and their sci-fi urgency heightened by vocal harmonies. But it is on "Flaming Telepaths," with its single-chord hypnotic piano line that brings the lyric "Well, I've opened up my veins too many times/And the poison's in my heart in my heart and in my mind/Poison's in my bloodstream/Poison's in my pride/I'm after rebellion/I'll settle for lives/Is it any wonder that my mind is on fire?" down into the maelstrom and wreaks havoc on the listener. It's a stunner, full of crossing guitar lines and an insistent, demanding rhythmic throb. The set closes with the quark strangeness of "Astronomy," full of melancholy, dread, and loss that leaves the listener unsettled and in an entirely new terrain, having traveled a long way from the boasting rockery of "Career of Evil" that began the journey. It's a breathless rock monolith that is all dark delight and sinister pleasure. The 2001 remastered edition includes three unreleased cuts from the same sessions that focus on the rave-up side of the band's temperament but were incompatible with the album's aesthetic. Also included is the 45 version of "Career of Evil" and its B-side, a studio version of the band's cover of Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild." While the Cult went on to well-deserved commercial success with Agents of Fortune an album later, the freaky inspiration that was offered on their debut, and brought to shine like a black jewel on Tyranny and Mutation, was fully articulated as visionary on Secret Treaties...T. Jurek

320 @
128 MB

Tracklist:

01 Career of Evil 4:00
02 Subhuman 4:38
03 Dominance and Submission 5:22
04 ME 262 4:47
05 Cagey Cretins 3:16
06 Harvester of Eyes 4:41
07 Flaming Telepaths 5:19
08 Astronomy 6:28
09 Boorman the Chauffer previously unreleased / Bonus 3:12
10 Mommy previously unreleased / Bonus 3:32
11 Mes Dames Sarat previously unreleased / Bonus 4:06
12 Born to Be Wild Bonus / Non LP Single (Single B-Side) / Version 3:40
13 Career of Evil Bonus / Single Version 3:00

The Smiths - Rank (1986) (2006)

The Smiths - Rank (1986) (2006)

Recorded live by the BBC at the National Ballroom, Kilburn, England on 23rd October 1986 during The Smiths' "The Queen Is Dead" tour, "Rank", the only officially released live concert, has many drawbacks, most of which could have been avoided. But first, the plus points:There's a nice mix of songs, albeit predominately from their later years. There's the catchy ones, such as "Panic", "Ask", "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side", as well as those which reward perseverance, such as "Rusholme Ruffians" and "I Know It's Over".The Smiths were often bootlegged, but the sound quality on "Rank", despitemore… sounding a bit tinny and confined, is better than you will find on almost all of them, probably only with the exception of their performance at The Apollo Theatre, Oxford, England on 18th March 1985 (also recorded by the BBC, and has been broadcast on radio in the past, so watch out for it).Now the negative points:This is not the complete concert! "I Want The One I Can't Have", "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out", "Shakespeare's Sister", "Frankly, Mr. Shankly", "Never Had No One Ever", "Meat Is Murder" and "How Soon Is Now?" were all played at this concert, so why oh why aren't they here?Morrissey's harmless comments during the show have also been cut. These would add nicely to the atmosphere, so once again, why aren't they here?Finally, I expect any officially released live concert to have a seamless changing between tracks (even if a concert has been edited, it's still do-able). For the most part, the track changes are pretty seamless, but, in the middle of the CD, there's a fade-out then a fade-in between tracks, which really destroys the continuation - was this really necessary?!Conclusion: "Rank" is the only official way to hear The Smiths live, which, for all its faults, makes it essential. Alternatively, you could watch out for the full "Rank" concert to be broadcast on radio, as it has been in the past (including recently on the digital BBC Radio 6).

For many Smiths fans, Rank is as close as they will get to a live performance from Morrissey, Johnny Marr, and company. Recorded live at The National Ballroom in London in October of 1986, roughly six months before they disbanded altogether, these 14 songs capture the Smiths performing in full-on rock-star mode. Though Grant Showbiz's production and engineering work consistently places Morrissey's voice too loud in respect to the rest of the band, the performance is suitably epic, hit-packed, and engrossing. Morrissey is in fine form, randomly trilling and squawking throughout, providing enough cocky banter and personality that the fact that he's nearly out of breath for half the performance doesn't put a damper on the festivities. Highlights abound: the opening shot of "The Queen Is Dead" bristles with emotion and post-punk fury; "Vicar in a Tutu" sees an energized Morrissey employing interesting, bizarre vocal inflections and a series of endearing growls; "I Know It's Over" is perhaps more harrowing and brittle here than anywhere else in the band's discography, as Morrissey surrenders to emotion while the soil falls over his head. It's hard to tell if Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke were having their best nights, since their contributions are buried deeper in the mix than would seem appropriate. Somehow, Johnny Marr's distinctive, manic jangle manages to escape the production and demand attention, especially on his solo creation "The Draize Train." Still, one has to wonder why "The Draize Train" was included over such staples as "How Soon Is Now," "I Want the One I Can't Have," and the eight other songs that were recorded during the concert but not included on the album. Perhaps they weren't seen as worthy representations, but there is certainly additional time left available on the CD edition, where at least two or three more songs could have been added. It really would be interesting to see how the band tackled "Meat Is Murder," "How Soon Is Now," and "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" that night. Absolute completists might want to track down the bootleg recording ...The Bad Boy From a Good Family, which presents the National Ballroom concert in a more complete light. Rank is an essential part of any Smiths fan's collection, and it's an enlightening live peek at a foursome who many deem the greatest band of the 1980s, and more than a few others deem the last great band period. ~ Tim DiGravina

320 @
128 MB

Tracklist:

01 The Queen Is Dead (Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty) 4:13
02 Panic 3:06
03 Vicar in a Tutu 2:33
04 Ask 3:21
05 Rusholme Ruffians 3:55
06 The Boy with the Thorn in His Side 3:48
07 What She Said 3:43
08 Is It Really So Strange? 3:44
09 Cemetry Gates 3:09
10 London 2:19
11 I Know It's Over 7:47
12 The Draize Train 4:26
13 Still Ill 4:10
14 Bigmouth Strikes Again 5:51

Blue Oyster Cult - Agents Of Fortune (1976) (Remaster Edit 2001)

Blue Oyster Cult - Agents Of Fortune (1976) (Remaster Edit 2001)

If ever there were a manifesto for 1970s rock, one that prefigured both the decadence of the decade's burgeoning heavy metal and prog rock excesses and the rage of punk rock, "This Ain't the Summer of Love," the opening track from Agents of Fortune, Blue Öyster Cult's fourth album, was it. The irony was that while the cut itself came down firmly on the hard rock side of the fence, most of the rest of the album didn't. Agents of Fortune was co-produced by longtime Cult record boss Sandy Pearlman, Murray Krugman, and newcomer David Lucas, and in addition, the band's lyric writing was being done internally with help from poet-cum-rocker Patti Smith (who also sings on "The Revenge of Vera Gemini"). Pearlman, a major contributor to the band's songwriting output, received a solitary credit while critic Richard Meltzer, whose words were prevalent on the Cult's previous outings, was absent. The album yielded the band's biggest single with "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," a multitextured, deeply melodic soft rock song with psychedelic overtones, written by guitarist Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser. The rest of the album is ambitious in that it all but tosses aside the Cult's proto-metal stance and instead recontextualizes their entire stance. It's still dark, mysterious, and creepy, and perhaps even more so, it's still rooted in rock posturing and excess, but gone is the nihilistic biker boogie in favor of a more tempered -- indeed, nearly pop arena rock -- sound that gave Allen Lanier's keyboards parity with Dharma's guitar roar, as evidenced by "E.T.I.," "Debbie Denise," and "True Confessions." This is not to say that the Cult abandoned their adrenaline rock sound entirely. Cuts like "Tattoo Vampire" and "Sinful Love" have plenty of feral wail in them. The 2001 remastered edition contains four bonus cuts: an early version of "Fire of Unknown Origin" and unreleased demo versions of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," "Sally," and "Dance the Night Away." Ultimately, Agents of Fortune is a solid record, albeit a startling one for fans of the band's earlier sound. It also sounds like one of restless inspiration, which is, in fact, what it turned out to be given the recordings that came after. It turned out to be the Cult's last consistent effort until they released Fire of Unknown Origin in 1981...T. Jurek

320 @
105 MB

Tracklist:

01 This Ain't the Summer of Love 2:20
02 True Confessions 2:56
03 (Don't Fear) The Reaper 5:08
04 E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) 3:42
05 The Revenge of Vera Gemini 3:52
06 Sinful Love 3:29
07 Tattoo Vampire 2:41
08 Morning Final 4:30
09 Tenderloin 3:39
10 Debbie Denise 4:13
11 Fire of Unknown Origin - previously unreleased 3:29
12 Sally - previously unreleased / Demo Version 2:39
13 (Don't Fear) The Reaper - previously unreleased / Demo Version 6:19
14 Dance the Night Away - previously unreleased / Demo Version 2:37

Man - Back Into The Future (1974) (Remaster Edit 1993)

Man - Back Into The Future (1974) (Remaster Edit 1993)

Rock music is littered with bands that wrecked on the studio/live double album concept; Man is rare in that their attempt, despite the departure of Clive John, brought them their first real success. The band's tight performance and increasingly ambitious musical experimentation made Back Into the Future the first Man album to chart in the U.K.; when it hit #23, it was to be the band's high-water mark. Despite the band's live reputation, the studio album probably holds greater interest for listeners today. The title track is a lyrical evocation of the album's charming cover art -- a staged before-and-after shot of a railway station in its Edwardian prime, and then in modern decrepitude. The song's wistful glance at the past blurs with dabs of modern psychedelia, and it conveys the post-Sergeant Pepper fascination of British rockers with the costumed grandeur of Empire past. But it is "Ain't Their Fight," with its echoing vocals and windmilling guitar riffs, that stands out as one of the band's most satisfying tracks. Most of the rest of the album is comprised of lengthy instrumentals, but the opening "Never Say Nups to Nepalese" is worth noting for its gloriously crashing crescendo, cheerfully lifted from Pink Floyd's "Echoes." And while the live set uses a male choir to haunting effect in the slow psychedelic jam of "C'mon," it's more typified by the indulgent 21-minute boogie marathon of "Jam Jelly Up Tight." Much like the third record of George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, it must have seemed a great idea when stoned, but it's interminable today. Nonetheless, the album stands up as a fine artifact of the band's heyday...Bob Hope

320 @
174 MB
Genre : Acid Rock, Space Rock

Lineup:

Micky Jones (vocals, guitar)
Terry Williams (drums, 1969-76)
Phil Ryan (keyboards, guitar, 1972-73, 1975-76)
Michael "Will" Youatt (bass, 1972-73)
Alan "Tweke" Lewis (guitar, keyboards, 1973)

Tracklist:

01. A Night In Dad's Bag 4:04
02 .Just For You 5:13
03. Back Into The Future 4:06
04. Don't Go Away 4:00
05. Ain't Their Fight 7:40
06. Never Say Nups To Nepalese 7:32
07. Sospan Fach 3:33
08. C'mon 19:02
09. Jam Up Jelly Tight 21:04

Focus - Hocus Pocus: The Best of...(1994) (Remaster Edit 2001)

Focus - Hocus Pocus: The Best of...(1994) (Remaster Edit 2001)

Reissue of 1994 compilation for the Dutch progressive rock act best known for their 1973 hit single 'Hocus Pocus', featured here alongside 15 other tracks (16 in all) including the U.S. single version of 'Hocus Pocus'. 2001 release. Standard jewel case.

Has it really been over 30 years since this terrific group of musicians from Holland scored a huge success with their "Moving Waves" album, and the highly original signature tune, "Hocus Pocus" ? Time flies--but, in the case of Focus, time has been kind--their music still sounds fresh, melodic and exciting.
The band went through some personnel changes, but the key members were Thijs Van Leer ( keyboards, flute, vocals ), and guitar whiz, Jan Akkerman. I have fond memories of seeing them live in Montreal--an awesome concert.
This CD is an excellent retrospecive of their most memorable numbers. Their music was primarily instrumental,and "progressive" in the most positive sense. The "focus" here--if you'll pardon the pun--was on musicianship--these guys could really play. I suspect Akkerman and Van Leer might have had some classical training in their youth. All their well-known numbers are included--"Harem Scarem", "Sylvia", "Janis" and two different versions of "Hocus Pocus". The 70s was an era where bands flourished who had only the most talented musicians. Later, progressive rock groups were often labelled pretentious--usually by critics who could only appreciate three-chord boogies ! Well--this "pretentious" music gave us some of the most incredible musicians rock has ever had--Steve Howe, Tony Banks, Keith Emerson, Dave Gilmour, Phil Manzanera, Robert Fripp, Daryl Way and--yes--Jan Akkerman. When I hear some of the junk that is selling today, I don't know whether to laugh or cry !
OK--I'm off my soapbox ! Bottom line--Focus were easily one of the best 70s bands, and this CD is a worthy compilation. Recommended...P. Kanata

"Hocus Pocus: The Best Of Focus" is an excellent reptrospective of this underrated progressive rock band. Focus was a number of "Best New Band" awards form music magazines in 1972. The lynch pins of the band were guitarist Jan Akkerman and keyboardist/flutist Thijs Van Leer. The muscianship is excellent and the songs are predominantly instrumental. Their best known song "Hocus Pocus" appears twice in full-length lp version and single version. The song contains a mixture of heavy riffing guitar via Akkerman and some unexpected yodeling interludes. "House Of The King" sounds a little like an early period Jethro Tull outtake as Van Leer plays his flute in the same style as Ian Anderson on the track. Songs like "Anonymous" and "Harem Scarem" feature some great playing by Akkerman as his style varies from metallic riffing to more of a jazz fusion style. He was also adept at more low key playing such as on the tracks like "Janis". Other catchy tracks include "Tommy" and "Sylvia". The combination of guitar, keyboards and flute is both interesting and effective. The music mixes rock, jazz and classical to form a great symphonic progressive rock hybrid. Highly recommended for progressive rock fans!...J. E. Fell

Line-up

- Jan Akkerman / guitar
- Thijs Van Leer / keyboard, flute, vocals
- Colin Allen / drums
- Hans Eric Cleuver / drums
- Martin Dresden / bass
- Cyril Havermanns / bass
- David Kemper / bass
- Bert Ruiter / bass
- Pierre VanDer Linden / drums

320 @
176 MB
Genre :Prog. Rock

Tracklist:

01. Hocus Pocus (6:42)
02. Anonymus (6:36)
03. House of the King (2:52)
04. Focus [instrumental] (9:49)
05. Janis (3:10)
06. Focus II (4:05)
07. Tommy (Eruption) (3:27)
08. Sylvia (3:33)
09. Focus III (6:09)
10. Harem Scarem (5:53)
11. Mother Focus (3:07)
12. Focus IV (4:01)
13. Bennie Helder (3:33)
14. Glider (4:40)
15. Red Sky at Night (5:49)
16. Hocus Pocus [US Single Version] (3:24)

Fury in the Slaughterhouse - Mono (1993)

Fury in the Slaughterhouse - Mono (1993)

The German band Fury In The Slaughterhouse were already a successful act in their homeland by the time they made their American debut in 1993. The six-piece quickly gathered some attention with the radio track "Every Generation Got Its Own Disease," a dark, brooding cut with a hypnotic guitar line courtesy of Thorsten Wingenfelder. Brother Kai delivered the band's bleak lyrical observations with in a menacing voice that lacked much range. It's pretty standard guitar-driven alternative rock on Mono. There isn't a lot that distinguishes itself save for a couple of tracks like "When I'm Dead andmore… Gone," which samples Led Zeppelin's "D'yer Make'r" and "Won't Forget These Days," where the band lightens things up a bit and serves up their best melody aside from "Every Generation Got Its Own Disease." Mono isn't a bad record. It's just not likely to impress anyone that isn't already a fan.

320 @
117 MB
Genre : Rock

Tracklist:

01 The Brainsong 2:25
02 Every Generation Got Its Own Disease 5:47
03 Dead Before I Was Born 3:02
04 Radio Orchid 4:31

There’s an old lady living in an old house
Since her husband died she hasn’t been out
She lives in her own world with her own little nightmares
And she stopped counting the days

She buys a radio station with her husbands legacy
She does her own show ten hours a day
Plays poems and listens let’s feelings run free
Helps people talk the pain away

So if your world falls down
Can’t see the light of day
Call the lady call the station today
And listen

This is radio orchid listen and cry
To all the others that suffer and die
This is radio orchid listen and cry
Take your lonely heart and let it fly

Sending her message she’s solving the problems
Of millions and millions but who solves hers?
The old lady gets older still lives in the old house
But when she dies we’ll all live alone

05 Waiting For Paradise 4:07
06 Haunted Head and Heart 4:55
07 When I'm Dead and Gone 3:56
08 When God Goes Home 4:47
09 Friendly Fire 4:17
10 Hell Gets You Nowhere 3:48
11 Money Rules 3:55
12 In Your Room 3:05
13 Money Junkie 2:40

Van der Graaf - Pawn Hearts (1971) (Remaster Edit 2005)

Van der Graaf - Pawn Hearts (1971) (Remaster Edit 2005)

I berate myself for waiting ten odd years after I heard of these guys for buying an album. After twenty years of being an on-again, off-again prog fan (to be "prog" is an ambivalent phenomenon in this world!), I broke down and checked these guys out. Know what? There has never been an album like this by any band. This captures a band at the height of their powers and emotions. Peter Hammill sounds like he's going to crawl into your skin. David Jackson is the Rahsaan Roland Kirk of rock. Millions upon millions of people who think they know rock (including myself) have been missing out on something without comparison for years and years now (with the exception of the Italians and the French who propelled this to number one in their countries in the day).
If you are a progressive rock fan, you will lose your mind over this one. As good as anything King Crimson ever did, if not better. A whole different experience than Yes (the lyrics are about obsession instead of transcendence, the music fit-inducing instead of euphoria-inducing). They share the prolonged keyboard excursions of ELP, but Hammill & Co. actually do free jazz whereas ELP were a little too "polished" for that. Jethro Tull, Genesis, Hawkwind . . . all the bigger prog names. _Pawn Hearts_ surpasses most anything any of them ever did.
I've bought three other of their albums on an impulsive week-long spree. None of them live up to the manic magic of this one, but still VDGG will stick in your head no matter what you hear of them. They are completely their own entity...Z. A. Hanson

320 @
150 MB

Tracklist:

01. Lemmings (Including Cog) 11.38
02. Man-Erg 10.24
03. A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers (Medley) 23.12
04. Theme One [Original Version] [Bonus] 3.15
05. W [Alternate Take] [Bonus] 2.02
06. Angle Of Incidents [Previously Unreleased] [Bonus] 44.48
07. Ponker's Theme [Previously Unreleased] [Bonus] 1.28
08. Diminutions [Previously Unreleased] [Bonus] 5.59

Bachman-Turner Overdrive - The Collection (2001)

Bachman-Turner Overdrive - The Collection (2001)

The British import The Collection offers original versions of most of BTO's definitive songs, including "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet," "Roll on Down the Highway," and, of course, "Takin' Care of Business." Though it's not quite as deep a collection as Anthology, this 17-song strong compilation offers plenty for Bachman Turner Overdrive's longtime fans and newcomers...H. Phares

Formed by guitarist/singer Randy Bachman, a former member of The Guess Who, and augmented by his brothers Robbie (drums) and Tim (guitar), and bassist C F 'Fred' Turner, BTO took their name from truckers' magazine Overdrive and laid out their boozy, bluesy stall over the course of two self-titled albums in 1973 and '74.
The first flopped, but the second was massively successful in the USA, as the Overdrive followed in the footsteps of fellow
Canadians The Band and successfully sold American music back to their nearest neighbours. They soldiered on through line-up changes, a split and a bizarre reformation in the '80s when two groups claiming BTO lineage were on the go simultaneously, but their best work was always going to be behind them.
This compilation collates 17 tracks from the '73 - '75 heyday, with the obvious singles shored up by some fine boogie rock essays, including the preposterously titled but nevertheless quite grand 'Rock Is My Life And This Is My Song'. And while you may have to be part of Overdrive magazine's target demographic to fully appreciate cuts like 'Roll On Down The Highway', 'Four Wheel Drive' or 'Shotgun Rider', you can still have plenty of fun pretending that's who you are. They let us rock - and we salute them. Marvellous.

320 @
181 MB

Tracklist:

01 You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet 3:54
02 Roll on Down the Highway 3:58
03 Flat Broke Love 3:48
04 Blue Collar 6:10
05 Takin' Care of Business 4:51
06 Gimme Your Money Please 4:41
07 Welcome Home 5:31
08 Not Fragile 4:06
09 Rock Is My Life and This Is My Song 4:39
10 Four Wheel Drive 4:21
11 Don't Let the Blues Get You Down 4:13
12 Lookin' out for #1 5:20
13 Shotgun Rider 5:21
14 I'm in Love 3:51
15 Sledgehammer 4:34
16 Find Out About Love 4:43
17 Hold Back the Water 5:06

Van der Graaf - The Least We Can Do...(1969)(Remaster Edit 2005)

Van der Graaf - The Least We Can Do...(1969)(Remaster Edit 2005)

Peter Hammill has always had an abiding interest, it seems, in the blurred boundary between the mystical and the scientific, and between the rational and magical mind; this is certainly evident on the debut Van Der Graaf Generator album, even though Hammill had yet to really begin focusing himself on what it was that was driving him (despite the fact that the band's very name referenced a device that resembles a bastard mix of scientific apparatus and shamanic totem). The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other brings those concerns to the fore with ferocity, with time out for a couple of more personal pieces ("Refugees" and "Out of Our Book"). Hammill's lyrics, delivered with all the passion and intent he can muster, reference mysticism, numerology, astrology, various religious pantheons, the Malleus Maleficarum (leading Hammill to conclude, a bit too hopefully, that magic needs to be gray to be balanced), Robert van deGraaf himself (in "Whatever Would Robert Have Said?"), the future of humanity, and surviving ecological catastrophe. This being the start of the 1970s, the hopeful notes are drowned out by the tidal wave of fear, sadness, and despair, despite which, the music does tend to be rather uplifting, thanks to the undercurrent of barely restrained majesty VDGG tended to have (possibly thanks to Hugh Banton, who had been rather used to communicating with God via church and cathedral organs; he brought that expertise to a position more normally occupied by determined B-3 thumpers engaged in battle with show-horse guitarists). [The 2005 remastered edition of the album contains two bonus tracks: the single version of "Refugees" and "Boat of Millions of Years."]...S. McDonald

320 @
122 MB

Tracklist:

01 Darkness (11/11) 7:30
02 Refugees 6:25
03 White Hammer 8:18
04 Whatever Would Robert Have Said? 6:09
05 Out of My Book 4:06
06 After the Flood 11:36
07 Boat of Millions of Years( Bonus) 3:54
08 Refugees (Bonus / Single Version) 5:18