Monday, April 30, 2007

Monday Monday

Some soulful rock to start your work week (unless you are one of those lucky enough not to have to work). These guys are another band from the label that gave us Big Star (Ardent). Nice stuff, not too soft, not hard by any means, just really good acoustic based rock. From 1973 here's the Hot Dogs with Say What You Mean.





http://depositfiles.com/files/813304










Now on to harder stuff. Here's Babe Ruth's self titled 1975 LP with their great version of the theme from Fistful of Dollars. I guess a logical progression from their intriguing "the Mexican" from the First Base LP. Always liked these guys, from Jenny Hahn's powerful vocals to the general tightness of the band.





http://depositfiles.com/files/813287








Fear Itself's self titled (and only) LP from 1969 treads the same waters as most early San Fran bands (wheater or not they were from that neck of the woods or not). Ellen McIlwaine definetly sounds like Grace from the Airplane a time or two (if not more) and the band pulls a lot of the same moves as many of those Haight Ashbury type bands (including the annoying habit of feeling the need to do one goofy novelty type tune with that 30's ragtime or jugband sound. I cannot count how many great psych albums are marred by that unnerving penchant by these bands). Anyways, some nice West Coast groovin' contained herein.




http://depositfiles.com/files/813295







Couldn't find a cover for this one, nor do I know if it exists. This band (the) Shag being a notable presence on many festival bills during the late sixties and for sure releasing at least one single during their existance (the one pictured, sadly not contained on this album) this album maybe a comp of sorts or a reissue. This one kinda threw me for a loop as the first track, "Gypsies In the Forest" sounds like it might have been a Jethro Tull outtake with a different singer during the Mick Abrahams period. Bluesy prog/psych stuff with quite a bit of charm. Then the second track began. Whoa....if it weren't for the singer being so recognizable, I'd swear it was a different band!! Hard rock, actually quite jammin' hard rock with loud fuzzy guitars up high in the mix, blastin' forth some grade A tunes. Stunned I tried to find some info on the band, as usual other that what I gave you above I couldn't find out much. But here's another of those finds I get so happy about. Any info? Please share!!



http://depositfiles.com/files/813306


And finally, I am finally getting my album collection posted on a site called GEMM. I have about 50 on there already, but I plan on getting several hundred up by this weekend. I am going to be moving before summer ends and I would like to avoid moving as many of these as possible. Some have been posted here, some will surprise. I didn't just collect psych, prog and hard rock (although there are plenty of those) but there are many genres (country, jazz, new wave--all kinds of stuff). Next post I will give the address of the website and hopefully you can grab some goodies cheap (by no means am I giving them away, but I'm not pricing them anywhere near book values, there will be lots of 1-2 dollar albums there).

Back soon.

TT-

Thursday, April 26, 2007

It ain't 100% but it's working.......

UK studio musicians make a record. How many times has that happened? And turn out good? Yep that narrows it a bit. This is the 1971 LP from Ugly Custard. Instrumental stuff with a bluesy hard rock feel. Great hammond organ sounds!



http://depositfiles.com/files/803352











More Burnin' Red Ivanhoe by request. We're still in '71 on this one. Danish prog with a Canterbury feel.






http://depositfiles.com/files/803337













Another request for some UK hard boogie rock. Here's Stray's 1974 LP Move It. If you dig mid 70's Status Quo (like Piledriver) give this a try.








http://depositfiles.com/files/803334










This is a really amazing unknown psych 45. Got this from a friend and had to share it. A new fave or mine.









http://depositfiles.com/files/803333


Sorry 'bout that. Link is fixed!












And I've seen the 1st Salvation LP posted at several blogs over the past year or so, but I have yet to see this, their much harder to find 2nd LP, Gypsy Carnival Caravan, posted anywhere. I'm probably wrong, I don't every blog out there, but as far as I know..........

Anyways, here it is in all it's popsike glory. Handles of Care is great with lotsa fuzzed out guitar and Yuk Yuk is a psychedelic classic.





http://depositfiles.com/files/803336


More later...........

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Please excuse the delay........

Hi all,

just a brief note to say I am experiencing technical difficulties (computer is acting up again).

I am devoting all the time I can to fixing it, and I should be back late Thursday or early Friday.

I have some cool stuff lined up when I get the computer to behave.

Back soon.....

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

More hard rockin' stuff


Japanese hard rock and psych from 1971. Amazing stuff and supposedly their rarest. This is Mops with Iijanajka.
Great stuff.

This one really isn't hard rock stuff, but it is the band that led to one of the seventies biggest hard rock bands Queen. Some folks called them hard prog, but although it might apply to the first few albums, they seemed to go more in the hard rock direction (and unfortunetly disco toward the end of the decade). As the pic at the left denotes, this was Brian May & Roger Taylor's pre Queen band, and contains some pretty interesting psych and rock. And you can definetly tell it Brian May behind the six string being played here. Some quite tasty licks too, from time to time. From 1969.
This one smokes, folks. A band called Zarpa from Spain that I have become a huge fan of. This is from '78, and is called Los 4 Jinetes Del Apocalypsis. Lotsa fuzzed out space rock here, and was a surprising hidden gem. This one is from 1978.
And sent from a friend of the blog--here's the Nuge at his transition period. At this time with the Motor City being infiltrated by the likes of the Stooges and the MC5, Ted's music began to turn from the psych of the 60's to the sludgey hard rock of the aforementioned bands. Although he would soon refine this sound and tone it down a bit for two underappreciated LPs for Frank Zappa's DiscReet label and then refine it even further for a major label (Epic), this is raw, abrasive, primal scream performed live on a big Gibson ES-335. My favorite track on here, the title track, is probably one of the wildest songs the Nuge can claim responsibility for. Sounds like it was gonna be the live version of "Journey to the Center of the Mind" and Ted got a bit sidetracked. Thanks to PE_35 for this one, Ted Nugent & the Amboy Dukes - Survival of the Fittest : Live.

Friday, April 13, 2007

A motley bunch of music

Can't really think of a theme here, a few are requests, but mostly this is just stuff I've been listening to. Some I've just recently gotten (and will therefore only comment briefly) and it's all pretty interesting. Some of it I had never even heard of before, some I have but had never heard the music before, such as this hard rock from 1975. A US band, and I know nothing about them other than what I need to know. And that is they rock. Fairly heavy for '75, but some of it does sound a bit dated hearing it for the first time some 32 years later. But finding stuff like this is what I live for--if you are the same, give this a shot. Hard rock with a bit of southern influence, especially those twin leads.

http://depositfiles.com/files/768428





Another one I've had for years, and got a request for. This is the band Wings (obviously not the McCartney bunch) with their folk inflenced lone LP from 1969. Crazy Mama & Papas vibe on this one. If fact, if you played it for someone who had never heard Cass & crew, they would be hard pressed to tell them apart at points. They even do one old timey 30's sounding tune like the aforementioned band seemed to enjoy doing from time to time. So my caveat for this one is: if you dig Mamas and Papas, you'll dig, if you don't, you won't.


http://depositfiles.com/files/768427





Way back in this blogs early daze, I did huge post of the Amon Duul stuff with the help of Microdot (you still out there bro?) and I got a cool letter from a fan of the band who asked if I could repost this one because it was one of the few he didn't have. Since it is one of my faves , here it is. This is probably the most diverse album the band had released, it still has the psychy leanings of the earlier stuff at points, but they have gotten a tinge heavier and there is no denying the band as composers and musicians had grown immeasurably by this time. Here is Wolf City from Amon Duul 2.



http://depositfiles.com/files/768420


This is another new one to me. But it is great stuff!! As the Thunderhead above, this one was a great find. 1977 LP, as far as I can tell the sole output from these guys. No info on the net that I could find. But this one is definetly worth checking out. I hear some BTO inflences and it's just good ol 70s hard rock, I can say no more. Try it, you know you wanna!! And BigFootKit has added more to the story of this one in the comments section.





http://depositfiles.com/files/768426









From the 1968 album Tanyet, here's some great psych from the Ceyleib People. Amazing stuff and sounds way ahead of it's time. 3 long songs, that go anywhere from hard rock to classical in the blink of an eye, all the while maintaining that druggy 60's vibe throughout. This one contains a 4th track which is actually the 2nd track supposedly "reprocessed" but it sounds the same to me. But I stuck it in here anyways.







http://depositfiles.com/files/768421







And another request for my grande finale today. I think this came from the old Chrisgoesrock sight from about a year or so ago (so thanks to him, or if not him--whoever it was!!) . Great Dutch (standing corrected from my earlier pronouncment it was Krautrock) prog from 1972 ( I think--there is a text file in the rar) and has a bit of US inflence and a rock vibe going on.


Sorry bout this crappy pic.






http://depositfiles.com/files/768423

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Holy shit!!! Two days in a row!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

You know every once in awhile I just get in one those postin' moods. And I think I have some goodies for ya today. Mostly bands with a "A" but I threw a "C" in there to bumfuddle that whole thing.

Here's the last album to carry the Argent name (except for those Hits LPs and comps and the like). This one is 1975's Counterpoints, and while not their best, it certainly deserves a spin or two. Hindsight being twenty twenty you can kinda hear the end being near on this one. And you know Russ Ballard was the visionary of the group because all the really great songs around this time were on his solo albums. Jim Rodford shines on this album (he soon migrated to arguably the 2nd best lineup of the Kinks after this) with some nice groovin' basslines. Fave of mine is the closer "Road Back Home".

http://depositfiles.com/files/756574





Here's another good 'un from the Rooster. This is 1973's Nice 'N' Greasy. "Ear in the Snow" and "Take One Toke" standout, but a fine platter of heavy keyboard ladden tuneage abounds.




http://depositfiles.com/files/756581













Now for a bit of popsike to groove into Easter Sunday with. The Comfortable Chair, discovered by this cat named Jim Morrison that a few of you knowledgeable readers may have heard of once or twice and produced by his bandmate Robby Kreiger, this is some interesting stuff to be sure. The sole platter executed by these guys and gal, some West Coast sunshine for those cold East coast days.




http://depositfiles.com/files/756578











Here's something you don't see on my blog too often. Latin influenced jazz rock. This was basically an offshoot of the early Santana band and featured Coke Escovado and Neal Schon who we all know left this for a journey that started out promising and then turned into some pretty insipid pop pap thanks to a guy named Steve. But this stuff is some fairly potent latino groovin' by a 14 piece band that made a self titled debut and then this their 2nd and final. Coke went a more jazz-pop direction for the Mercury label after this.



http://depositfiles.com/files/756576





Happy Easter!!

Friday, April 06, 2007

Good Friday to one and all...........

It's Friday and I'm having a revelation (as well as actually getting quite a bit of stuff together to post finally)!!! I'm sitting here watching this Sex & the City show for the first time(too lazy to get up and change the channel--the remote batteries are dead)and it's all clear to me now...This is a show of hope! If you can't find the person of your dreams---move to New York City---because if these 3 skanks can get laid as consistantly as they do, anyone has a shot. I say 3 because there is one lady on there who is quite the babe (I believe her name is Kristen Davis, and of course her character is married to the only goofy looking guy on the show, the 3 skanks all have Greek gods hanging all over them, in fact, in the show I'm watching, the ugliest of the 3 ugly ones has two guys foaming at the mouth over her). So it's either the aforementioned show of hope, or someone's fantasy, I can't figure out which. And this Kim Katrall character....she thinks she is the absolute shit, and I can't for the life of me figure out what it is that guys would go ga-ga over. Maybe 20 years ago, when she was a z-movie actress in that Mannequin movie, but now? She looks like somebody's mom to me (and I'm 40 years old for chissakes). All I know is this show must be written by chicks. They should rename the show 3 Skanks and a City Full of Hard Up Men since the only cute one is no longer "on the prowl". On a scale of one to ten this pooper gets a two as a fantasy, a minus five as anything else. Thank God Scrubs is up next! I need comic relief after this bufoonery.
Well anyways, enough of my sorry ass television show reviews.

Before I jump into the tuneage for today, I would like to pass along a great email from Chas from the band Liquid Smoke, whose album I posted in a Time Travel long ago:

Hi Guys,

Chas again from LIQUID SMOKE. I now have a Music Page on MySpace for Liquid Smoke. There's lots of info and clickables there and some songs from the album to listen to feel free to check it out:

http://www.myspace.com/liquidsmoketheband


And now to what you all come here for:




Someone awhile back requested some Randy Pie and as I was going through some stuff yesterday I found their '75 platter Kitsch. So here it is, for whoever requested it and anyone who wants it. Cool UK seventies rock from the other Pie.
And before some of the fine folks who visit here go apeshit--the deposit files link just gives you the real link.

http://depositfiles.com/files/754106







To continue in my posting of Neil Merryweather and things related, here is the 1971 (or 72 depending on where you get your info) LP by Neil with his girlfriend Lynn Carey (Beyond the Valley of the Dolls) as Mama Lion. The cover is pretty cool in that when you slide out the inner sleeve Lynn and a baby lion are doing something very interesting. And that photo is in the rar, but I decided to save that for your download. As far as the music goes it's early seventies hard rock/soul and Lynn is quite a belter in the Merry Clayton/Jenny Haan style. If that's your bag, then grab this one, cuz you'll dig it.


http://depositfiles.com/files/754214







Nextly (I love that word, just made it up), we have a great Finnish prog band's LP from 1970. This one is finding quite a bit of airtime at Casa de Time Traveller right now. The tracks vary from hard bluesy rock to lite and airy flute ladden soft prog and I am getting blown away by the hard side of these guys. I know nothing much about them and don't care. When they wanna rock they rip it to shreds.


http://depositfiles.com/files/754201









Had a request for the Martha Velez LP Fiends and Angels I posted awhile back--does anyone who grabbed that one care to repost it?--and while I am really down on the repost scene right now, I decided to go one better (at least for those who already have it). Here is the follow up LP Hypnotized from 1972. Just as good as the other, I promise.

http://depositfiles.com/files/753944








For those of you who enjoyed the Lollipop Shoppe LP that was posted awhile back here is a small file with the pre-Lollipop Shoppe 45 by the band (then called the Weeds). Garage punk at it's finest--and it includes two extra versions of the B side "Little Girl" (not the Syndicate of Sound song, but an original).

http://depositfiles.com/files/752782




And for a friend who has graciously volunteered to help out around here with some reposts and stuff here are a couple Russ Ballard albums that he missed out on when Tor sent me the links before. Grab em quick me squabbs cuz somebody doesn't like Russ on blogs. Even though nearly all the original albums are out of print. Here's 1977's At the Third Stoke and '79's Russ Ballard and the Barnett Dogs. Both are great.

http://depositfiles.com/files/753996 Third

http://depositfiles.com/files/754272 Dogs




And finally from that aforementioned friend (SV) here is a repost of the Thundermug Strikes LP by several requests:


http://sharebee.com/9f122e5a


And over at the New & Improved Live and Otherwise blog you can find some more stuff from me--a few NWOBHM singles and yet another Zappa boot by request.

See ya soon!