Sunday, June 18, 2006

This time on the hard rock end of things

Wow, I forgot how great this is!! This is Shooting Star's 1981 album Hang On For Your Life. Mostly hard rockin' tracks like the FM radio fave "Breakout" but there are few more introspective ballads (I sound like a critic, call me Dave Marshmallow) and songs that swing a bit to the prog side. It's basically an album that almost everyone can be happy with. Check out the drums on "You've Got Love" and you can't help but be impressed. These guys were no slouches on their instruments.





http://rapidshare.com/files/286619/SS-HOFYL.rar



To the person I promised "Oh Well" by these guys, I don't have it, and I apologize for saying I did (I really thought I did!!!) but I do have damn near everything else by this Detroit gang o' ruffians including this one that I ripped a week or so ago. Nothing spectacular here, just good ol no frills classic hard rock with a touch of boogie and r n b thrown in for good measure.
This is the Rockets LP from 1982 Rocket Roll on Elektra records.







http://rapidshare.de/files/23445110/the_R_-_R_Ro_82.rar



These guys are gods in my opinion. Gotta be one of the heaviest LPs from 1977. It's Dirty Tricks with Hit & Run and side one of this album is a masterpiece, with side two not too far behind that status. The best comparison I can give is heavy U.F.O. from the Force It era ( the guitars have that thick Schenker rhythm sound and Johnny Fraser Binnie has Michael's style down pat, but his off beat time signatures make the sound his own) and Kenny Stewart sings a lot like Phil Moog, (with a tiny touch of Percy thrown in), but is much wilder and spontaneous. The rhythm section of Terry Horbury (bass) and Andy Bierne (skins) are tight and hold it all together very solidly. There is one problem I have with the album and that's Tony Visconti's bass heavy production which gets a bit to soupy and spoils a few moments. He was definetly not the guy for this band. But he couldn't spoil the whole show and the band outshines the one downside to this nearly perfect slab of early metal. The title track is a stone classic and by itself worth the time of the download!!!

http://rapidshare.de/files/23424262/DT_-_HR.rar




It's wouldn't be an update without some prog or psych and today is no exception. This is a great live album called Focus Live at the Rainbow but it should have been called the Jan Akkerman show!! Jan is all over this with a stunning display of guitar virtuousity. The highlight in my opinion is the speed metal version of Hocus Pocus which could pass as one of the earliest examples of the genre. Akkerman's fingers must have been smoking after this show!! The band gets introduced in a very novel way during the song too. This one is one file because it wouldn't split properly and it deserves to be played straight through anyway (good excuse huh?). If you like Focus, and great guitar playing, you'll love this.




http://rapidshare.de/files/23430632/F_-_Lat_e_ainbo.rar






And this is one I ripped for myself, but figured somebody may dig it. City Boy's 1977 LP Young Men Gone West. Stunningly produced by Mutt Lange, it reminds me of 10CC (especially the wit of the lyrics and titles, and the style shifts thoughout each song). My favorite song is Dear Jean which could be passed off as a Queen outtake (the vocalist pulls a Mercuryesque trick here and there throughout) and is the only really heavy song on here. Bad For Business is pretty amazing and The Man Who Ate His Car (love that title) is also brilliant. Not my usual kind of post but hey, variety is the spice of blog life.



http://rapidshare.de/files/23454420/C_By_-_Y_M_G_W__77_.rar



And now for a couple I can't find covers for:

Beck Bogert & Appice - the Unreleased 2nd LP (AKA Working Version). Decent quality for 8 of the 9 tracks, the final being passable, this is the album they were working on when the band disintegrated. Nothing here is exactly up to the quality of the "1st" album, but it is interesting to imagine what could have been. The ideas are there for an album that with some polish could have surpassed that lone self titled LP.


http://rapidshare.de/files/23442856/BBA-2_unr.rar


Hard Meat - same (1970 Warner Bros.). Interesting album, it reminds of Pink Floyd's post- psych pre-prog (i.e.:Atom Heart Mother, Obscured By Clouds) period in places. The album starts out a a good note with the rockin' Through A Window and then goes into the lazy Floydian mellowdom for the next three songs. Side two's first song Run Shaker Life is another really good song that clocks in over 10 minutes and flows into Universal Joint which again gives me the deja-Floyd. The final track, a cover is Dylan's Most Likely You'll Go Your Way.....(And I'll Go Out of Mine Not To Hear Another Goddamned Cover Version of This) is predictable but enjoyable, especially toward the middle where they do shake the song up a bit. Not a glowing review, but this is really not a bad album and does have some nice laid back songs with a few more rockier moments intersperced. This was ripped from pretty crappy vinyl and it does have a bit o noise throughout ('specially the quieter moments) but I did what I could do, and this album ain't easy to get these days (I guess there is a CD reissue believe it or not, and it has the bands other LP on it too!).

http://rapidshare.de/files/23426863/H_M__70_.rar



Okay, I'm drained for a few days. Happy Dad's Day to you dads out there. My kids let me play on the old computer all day as my present (we's po' folks) and it's been a very relaxing, enjoyable trip down memory lane (and tomorrow my neck will hurt from headbangin' to Dirty Tricks) and I hope everybody digs the stuff as much as I do.

Almost forgot, I threw up a few slabs of liveage over at my other blog, another Zappa (with Flo & Eddie from 1970), one from the Nuge, and a Bad Company from '74-'75 with a couple demos that are pretty good. Just in case you wanted to know.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Bryon,

I don't know how to thank you for this post. Been searching for BBA (unreleased) & Bad Company (original)live for long. Both your blogs are excellent & I think we won't feel the void of the demise of 8 Days In April.

Here I uploaded some covers for you.

BBA - Working Version

http://rapidshare.de/files
/23474259/Beck__Bogert___Appice_-_Working_Version.zip.html

Hard Meat - Same / Through A Window

http://rapidshare.de/files
/23474359/Hard_Meat_-_Through_A_Window.jpg.html

Aveek

Anonymous said...

thanks for the hard meat lp. and happy fathers day. Bruce

Anonymous said...

Hi bryon,

there is a CD version of Hard Meat, you´re right! And it´s a 2 on 1 with the selftitled debut album. Believe it or not - I have the original CD (maybe you have already found it in my list...). Do you want me to convert it to mp3 and post the link here in the comment section? Or maybe over at the groovy fab forum?

Just drop a short notice here or on my e-mail

Michael

Anonymous said...

I've got the Hrad Meat 2-on-1 CD too. It's on Progressive Line label (Australia), now out of print.

Aveek

Time Traveller said...

Hi Aveek, thanks for the covers! I saw the Hard Meat 2 for 1 CD while looking for a cover to add to the post. The one I saw was 38 dollars or something.

Michael--I will send you an email.

Time Traveller said...

Thanks Piledriver!!

No luck on the Strapps as of yet.


And Bruce--thanks!
I am gonna try to get the CD versions with both albums so stay tuned!

Anonymous said...

Forgot to mention...the Hard Meat & Dirty Tricks LPs are the best ones. Bryon, thanks a lot. Could you please share Haze - Hazecolour-dia (krautrock) & Dogfeet - Same?

Aveek

Anonymous said...

Hi Aveek

I found Hazecolour-dia quite a while ago in the www - can´t remember where. If Bryon doesn´t have a copy I can upload it for you

Michael

Anonymous said...

Hi Michael,

This is Aveek from India. Nice to hear from you. Could you please please upload Haze - Hazecolour-dia & proide us the link? I'm desparately searching for it. Can't wait anymore to listen to this superb slice of German prog-rock. Also, if you have
Dogfeet - Same, you can share that too. That'll be really great!!!

Nice to know our tastes are at same frequency.

Btw, 8 Days In April is back!!! Long live rock n' roll & blog community!!!

Thanks & Regards,
Aveek

Anonymous said...

Sorry, Aveek, I don´t have Dogfeet :-(((
But I will upload the Haze album asap.

I noticed the return of 8 Days In April and I´m more than happy. He offers a lot of (even in Germany!!)very hard to find German Rock that I never dreamed to put my hands upon!

Anything else you are looking for? I have quite a huge collection of both, mp3 and CD/LP - a lot of it is music from late 60s to late 70s, but I love "modern" progressive rock too.
If you are interested in exchanging lists just drop a notice here.

Cheers
Michael

Anonymous said...

Yes, Michael, I too have a huge collection of prog-psych CDs of '70s & I'm totally into progreevive rock. I mostly like heavy progressive rock & heavy psych-rock albums.

My email ID: aveekchatterjee2005@gmail.com

You can email me your album list here. Gimme your email ID too so that I can send mine.

Thanks for your promise for the Haze album, I'm waiting for the link!

Thanks & Regards
Aveek

Anonymous said...

Hi Michael,

Just saw the Haze album on http://jonnhyrobertsblog.blogspot.
com/

The link is:
http://rapidshare.de/files/23586984/HHCD.rar
pw: Jonnhy_Roberts_Blog

It was requested by me a couple of days back. Don't miss the Flower Travellin' Band live bootleg (front cover designed & uploaded by me)& Egg live bootleg on this great new blog!

Regards
Aveek

Anonymous said...

Hi Aveek,

I had just finished uploading the Haze album to rapidshare when I read your latest comment - what a pity...
Anyway, here´s the link:

http://rapidshare.de/files/
23615062/hazydia.rar.html

Just in case something´s wrong with the other...

I´ll send you an e-mail tonight with my CD/LP-list, list of mp3 is still work in progress, maybe I can send you a prliminary version.

Btw, thanks for the link to Johnny´s blog, I´ve been there a few times - very interesting stuff!

Regards

Michael

Anonymous said...

Thanks for uploading the Haze album for me. Since I personally requested you, I'll download your version. Thanks a ton, Michael.

Btw, do you have Spot - s/t album (Swiss heavy prog-rock)? It was posted on Captain Trip's blog (musicforthenations.blogspot.com) which is now closed.

Looking for your album lists.

Regards
Aveek

Anonymous said...

Yes, Aveek, I have "Spot", I downloaded it from Captain Trip´s blog before it closed down.
I´ll upload it for you.

Cheers

Michael

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Michael. I'll wait for the link of Spot - s/t. Thanks a ton!

Waiting for your list!

Aveek

Anonymous said...

Hi Bryon,

here are the links for the CD version of Hard Meat (both albums including artwork):

http://rapidshare.de/files/
23640110/HM2on1_1.rar.html

http://rapidshare.de/files/
23640764/HM2on1_2.rar.html

I´ll send them to your private e-mail too.

Cheers
Michael