The Bandits

"And They Walked Away" 2003



















The band's first release was the Honey Records' 2001 "Beatin Planks" compilation album, which featured two songs by The Bandits: "Take It An' Run" and "Free Me Rain." The line up at the time consisted of John, Gary, Scott and Tony, with Neil Crosbie on drums. The band brought in Swee on drums, and throughout 2002 auditioned for a second guitarist. Among those who auditioned was Gareth Spencer, but the band chose Ritchie, who lived in Wallasey at the time.

The Bandits had their own club night, The Bandwagon, which became very popular and launched the professional careers of The Coral, The Zutons, The Hokum Clones, The Stands, Tramp Attack, and, of course, The Bandits. The club night was known for its wild west posters and stickers, designed by Scott. Bandwagon nights, mostly held at The Zanzibar Club on Seel Street, Liverpool, often sold out, and featured some of the days' most prominent bands, including The Libertines and others.

The Bandits signed a record deal with Warners, and released a succession of singles throughout 2002 and 2003, before releasing their only album 'And They Walked Away', after which they broke up.

John Bandit - Vocals
Gary Bandit - Rhythm Guitar
Scott Bandit - Bass Guitar
Tony Bandit - Organ
Ritchie Bandit - Lead Guitar
Swee Bandit - Drums

by George (Orange Is In)

Orange Is In "Come and Take It" 2007
















Come and Take It, the second release from orange is in, dares listeners to leave the pop music herd behind and head for the greener pastures of hard-driving American rock.

The six-song CD builds on the solid foundation of Another Lame Semi-Tragedy, while simultaneously moving the music into new territory. Come and Take It was named one of the top 10 releases of 2007 by Houston Calling.

George Kovacik: vocals
Jeff Balke: bass
Chris Rogers: guitar
Steve Salazar: drums
Amy Price: violin, vocals

DL

by Apostrophe

Popol Vuh "Hosianna Mantra" 1973

Florian Fricke pioneered the use of synthesizers in German rock, but by the time of Hosianna Mantra he had abandoned them (eventually selling his famous Moog to Klaus Schulze). While In den Gärten Pharaos had blended synths with piano and African and Turkish percussion, Hosianna Mantra focuses on organic instrumentation. Conny Veit contributes electric guitar, but other than that, Fricke pulls the plug and builds the album around violin, tamboura, piano, oboe, cembalo, and Veit's 12-string, often with Korean soprano Djong Yun's haunting voice hovering above the arrangements. As the album's title suggests, Fricke conceived of Hosianna Mantra as a musical reconciliation of East and West, a harmonization of seemingly opposed terms, combining two devotional music traditions. That notion of cultural hybridity resonates throughout. On "Kyrie" droning tamboura, simple piano patterns, ethereal, gull-like guitars, and yearning oboe ebb and flow before coalescing in a passage of intensity and release. The epic title track adds another dimension to the fusion, emphasizing a Western rock sound with Veit's spectacular playing to the fore, simultaneously smoldering and liquid, occasionally yielding to Djong Yun's celestial vocals. Above all, Fricke envisioned this as sacred music, intimately linked to religious experience; however, as his musical synthesis of disparate religious traditions indicates, he was seeking to foment a spiritual experience beyond the specificity of any particular faith. Indeed, Fricke called this album a "mass for the heart" and that aspect can be heard most succinctly on the melancholy "Abschied" and the gossamer-fragile "Segnung," which blend an austere hymnal sensibility with a more mystical vibe. Julian Cope has said that Hosianna Mantra sounds like it was made in a "cosmic convalescent home" -- an excellent description underscoring the timeless, healing quality of this music, which is far removed from the everyday world and yet at one with it. [A Japanese version added a bonus track.] ~ Wilson Neate, All Music Guide

by Brian Andrew Marek #20

The Village Green Preservation Society's first recordings





















In the middle of a rehearsal this evening, Kate and I decided to fire up the four track and make a couple of impromptu recordings. Kate played bass and sang, I played amplified acoustic guitar and sang and overdubbed some drums, and Tom contributed some additional percussion with his collar (that's Tom the dog, not that guy who shows up on everybody's friends list). The results can be found on the Village Green Preservation Society page. Enjoy!

http://www.myspace.com/tvgps

BaM

by Brian Andrew Marek #19

Arc "Arc...At This" 1971
UPGRADE



















I've listened to my old copy of this album so many times that I'd almost gotten used to "Hello Hello Monday" abruptly cutting off at 5:52. As I'd seen complaints about the same before on the internet, I can only assume that pretty much all the versions floating around come from the same incomplete source. But, lo and behold, I recently ran across a copy of the track which was complete, albeit encoded at a lower bitrate, so I took the missing bits from that and grafted them onto the end of my existing version. Consequently, there will be a slight reduction in sound quality for the last minute or so of "Hello Hello Monday", but I'm proud to say that the edit itself is sonically invisible. So until somebody pops up with a pristine, complete vinyl rip or some enterprising label reissues this on CD (I'm assuming nobody has), this is probably as good as it gets. Enjoy!

by Peter #2

Richard Thompson "Racehorse Angel"
Paradise Theatre, Boston, November 7, 1986

Very belatedly here is another Richard Thompson concert. This is recorded in Boston in July 1986. I think that this tour was one of his best for guitar solos.

01. When The Spell Is Broken (R Thompson)
02. The Angels Took My Racehorse Away (R Thompson)
03. Two Left Feet (R Thompson)
04. Missie How You Let Me Down (R Thompson)
05. Wall Of Death (R Thompson)
06. Long Dead Love (R Thompson)
07. Al Bowlly's In Heaven (R Thompson)
08. Fire In The Engine Room (R Thompson)
09. Open Fire (C Gregson) Clive Gregson - Lead Vocal
10. Valerie (R Thompson)
11. Nearly In Love (R Thompson)
12. Bird Town (D Thomas/R Thompson) David Thomas - Lead Vocal
13. End Of The Rainbow (R Thompson)

DL

If anyone has a request for a particular year etc. then I would be happy to respond.

Great blog. Keep up the good work.

Best wishes

Peter

Dr. Strangely Strange

"Strangely Strange But Oddly Normal"


"Strings In The Earth And Air"





http://www.myspace.com/drstrangelystrange

by MJF #17

The Corries "Heritage"















Quality 192KPS

1. Sheriffmuir
2. Sound The Pibroch
3. Kate Dalrymple/Petronella
4. Where Two Hawks Fly
5. Bluebells Of Scotland
6. Headless Cross
7. Rattlin' Roarin' Wullie
8. Jack O' Hazeldean
9. Black Douglas
10. Wha Wadnae Fecht For Charlie
11. Helen Of Kingconnel
12. Scots Wha Hae
13. Isle Of Skye
14. I Know My Love/The Lark In The Morning
15. Shetland Tunes Medley
16. Man's A Man
17. Westering Home
18. Dowie Dens O' Yarrow
19. News From Moidare
20. Garten Mother's Lullaby

by ulaes #3

I have another album I would like to share with Time Has Told Me.

Michael Gately "Gately's Cafe" 1972




















I can't find much information on the Web about this release. I picked it up on the strength of the cover alone. Familiar names Al Kooper and Paul Kossoff appear in the credits, but it's Gately's songwriting and voice that is really compelling. At times Beatlesque, occasionally psychedelic, sporadically CSNY-ish, but often completely unique, Gately's Cafe is one of the great oddball releases in my collection.


Best regards,
ulaes

by ericbkk #3

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings
"Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival"
Golden Gate Park, Speedway Meadows (Banjo Stage)
San Francisco, CA 6 Oct.'07






















Gillian (with a hard G, please) Welch first appeared on the folk scene as a young singer/songwriter armed with a voice and sensibility far beyond her years, earning widespread acclaim for her deft, evocative resurrection of the musical styles most commonly associated with rural Appalachia of the early 20th century. Welch was born in 1967 in Manhattan and grew up in West Los Angeles, where her parents wrote material for the comedy program The Carol Burnett Show. It was as a child that she became fascinated by bluegrass and early country music, in particular the work of the Stanley Brothers, the Delmore Brothers, and the Carter Family.

Tracks:
01. Wayside/Back In Time
02. Elvis Presley Blues
03. No One Knows My Name
04. Didn't Leave Nothin' But The Baby (w/ Emmylou Harris)
05. Throw Me A Rope
06. I Want To Sing That Rock And Roll
07. Pocahontas
08. Look At Miss Ohio
09. Key To The Kingdom
10. Knuckleball Catcher
11. Caleb Meyer
12. Queen Jane Approximately

DL

128 kbps

"This one is a little chatty because there are plenty of rude people at free festivals... not much I could do about it." : ~ Taper el diletante.

Acknowledgements to Brokedown Engine blog for these files.


Gillian Welch "Strawberry Festival"
Yosemite CA, 30th Aug.'97 (SBD)















Tracks:
01. Tear my stillhouse down
02. One more dollar
04. Wichita
05. My morphine
06. By the mark
07. Orphan Girl
08. White Freightliner Blues
09. Annabelle
10. Acony Bell
11. Caleb Meyer
12. A new-dug grave

No sign of track 3, unfortunately, but the sound on this bootleg is very clear.

DL

128 kbps.

Cheers.

by hermanthegerman

Bert Jansch & John Renbourn "Bert and John" 1966





















This upload is NOT marred by abrupt endings as the one you link to in your artists index (your link hasn´t improved). find it posted here at jpdaoldfart´s acoustic-blog (blog on hiatus). check also the nice David Bromberg Live-DLP (some great fiddle tunes and blues).

acousticplus.blogspot.com

Battlefield Band

"Across The Borders" 1997





















Recorded during their three concerts in Edinburghs Queens Hall during the Edinburgh International Festival, not only does it show them at their live best, but there is a lot of newly recorded material, plus - and this is a big plus - it includes tracks recorded with their guests - Alison Kinnaird, Seamus Tansey, Eric Rigler, Kate Rusby and The Radio Sweethearts.

1. Miss Sarah MacManus/The Appropiate Dipstick/Cape Breton Fiddlers Welcome To Shetland
2. Tramps & Hawkers
3. Snow On The Hills/Xesus and Felisa
4. The Concert Reel/The Green Mountain with Eric Rigler
5. The Arran Convict with Seamus Tansey
6. My Home Town/Kalabakan with Eric Rigler
7. Tuireadh Iain Ruaidh (The Lament For Red-haired Iain) with Alison Kinnaird
8. The Trimdon Grange Explosion
9. Simon Thoumire's Jig/Shake A Leg/R L Gan Ainm
10. Miss Kate Rusby with Eric Rigler
11. The Green And The Blue with Eric Rigler and Kate Rusby
12. Donnie MacGregor/The Clumsy Lover
13. Woe Be Gone/Bubba's Reel/Frank's Reel with Alison Kinnaird
14. Six Days On The Road with The Radio Sweethearts
15. In And Out The Harbour/The Top Tier/Sleepy Maggie/Molly Rankin

Reups by MJF

Kingston Trio "The Capitol Years"

Placed all the Hamish Imlach Albums I have to a Rapidshare folder
These are all the Albums, not just the ones I posted (don't want to poach on anyones DL's).

MJF

Ron Sexsmith

Vienna, Austria [Feb 23, 1998]





















Rich Hopkins and the Luminarios opened this concert here. And after the usual intermission
to rebuild the stage (just 45 minutes...) out of a sudden and without any introduction Ron and his band entered the stage with a coversong of his fellow-countryman and one of his heroes, Leonard Cohen...

Together with Rich and the Luminarios we had to leave the venue after about half-an-hour,
so this is the only recorded part of the headliner Ron Sexsmith.

01. crowd/instruments 0:55
02. Heart With No Companion (Cohen) 3:48
03. Strawberry Blonde 3:47
04. ...our first time in Vienna... 1:13
05. An Honest Mistake 2:45
06. Secret Heart 4:20
07. Several Miles 4:36
08. Clown In Broad Daylight 2:26
09. Love Minus Zero / No Limit (Dylan) 2:38

Ron Sexsmith - guitar, vocals
Bill Bonk - bass, piano, accordion, backing vocals
Don Kerr - drums, cello, backing vocals

total time: 26:34 mins

DL

by Brian Andrew Marek #18

Pete Dello - Into Your Ears (1971) + 10

"a supreme piece of melodic sensitivity, not just a worthy successor of the way initiated with Honeybus and Dello's unique conception of pop, but the perfect culmination of a very personal way of understanding songs as conveyors of the most intimate emotions, full of charm, caprice and beauty" - an uncredited quote found on the Internet, perfectly describing this perfect album
I can't give this album measured praise and won't attempt to. This is, simply put, an exquisite collection of songs - as melodic as McCartney, uncluttered in its arrangements, and featuring lyrics that alternate between direct simplicity and an almost Syd Barrett-like ability to convey a deep emotional resonance that bypasses conscious thought entirely. Like much great art, it's bittersweet and melancholy yet somehow leaves you feeling full of hope and joy in the end.

Of particular interest to me is the song "Uptight Basil" which, if one reads between the lines, seems to explain why Pete quit Honeybus (and, for that matter, why there'd never be a sequel to "Into Your Ears"). Dello, for all his "crazy" lyrics and whimsicality, was far too sane to play ball in an industry that puts artists on a treadmill and squeezes them dry of their creativity like so many oranges. He'd clearly rather be winding that clock, making that bed or sweeping that floor than "lighting up our misty winter's night" as a falling star, burning up in the stratosphere. And who could blame him?

I simply have nothing negative to say about this record, except that even with ten bonus tracks, I still find myself wanting more when it's all over.

This album has been available at Time Has Told Me for just over two years, and as far as I know, the current link is still available, but I ran across a copy of the latest remaster which features not two but TEN bonus tracks and figured my fellow Dellomaniacs would like to make an upgrade. Now I just need to save up some money to buy the Spanish double LP virgin vinyl reissue (insert Homer Simpson drool noise here)...

01. It's What You've Got [0:03:18.23]
02. There's Nothing That I Can Do for You [0:02:38.27]
03. I'm a Gambler [0:03:17.72]
04. Harry the Earwig [0:02:24.50]
05. Do I Still Figure in Your Life [0:02:42.50]
06. Uptight Basil [0:02:43.56]
07. Taking the Heart Out of Love [0:02:56.27]
08. On a Time Said Sylvie [0:02:26.63]
09. A Good Song [0:03:03.15]
10. It's the Way [0:02:09.14]
11. Go Away [0:02:26.36]
12. Arise Sir Henry [0:02:44.08]
13. Uptight Basil (Magic Valley version) [0:02:29.26]
14. Taking the Heart Out of Love (Magic Valley version) [0:03:23.00]
15. I'm a Gambler (Magenta version) [0:03:28.29]
16. Go Away (Lace version) [0:02:30.31]
17. Working Class Man (Red Herring) [0:02:43.03]
18. Tattered Robe (Magenta) [0:03:40.20]
19. I'm a Gambler (Lace version) [0:03:32.27]
20. Delighted to See You (previously unreleased demo) [0:02:34.02]
21. Hold Up, Fold Up (previously unreleased) [0:03:25.66]
22. Texas Candy (previously unreleased) [0:02:17.35]

BaM

Amit Erez

Hi,
We’re Anova Music, a record label and artists management company from Tel Aviv, Israel.
One of our artists, Amit Erez has won the ‘vox populi’ prize in the International Independent Awards of 2008 in the category of best song by a singer/songwriter, with his song “Postcard”
We’ve just released a new video of the song, and we’re proud to reveal it to you. (Here) also available in Youtube.


You’re welcome to check our roster, which includes several of Israel’s top and leading alternative acts operating today: Noa Babayof , Rockfour , Eatliz, Eli Rozen , Ruth Dolores Weiss
If you’re interested in more details – please don’t hesitate to contact me and I’ll be happy to supply you with bios, pics and sounds


Best Regards,

Yossi Ben Gigi
Web Interactive Manager
Anova Music

Nick Drake Bootleg Collection

DL 1
DL 2
DL 3
DL 4
DL 5

by Trompo

Hi friend, thanks for all music.
This link for the blog.

Bob Theil "So Far" (UK 1980/2)






















DL

Trompo, from Spain

The Beatles Covers Project

Vol.1
01 Why Don't We Do It In the Road - Lloyd Cole (Mar 13, 1990, Opera House, Wakefield, England)
02 Hey Bulldog - Elvis Costello (May 6, 2007, The Fillmore, Denver, CO)
03 All I've Got to Do - T Bone Burnett (Oct 24, 1984, Rockefeller's, Houston, TX)
04 I Feel Fine - Peter Case (Oct 29, 1986, Nijmegen, Holland)
05 Two of Us - John Wesley Harding and Jon Auer (July 2, 2007, Thumbs Up, Yokohama, Japan)
06 One After 909 - The Smithereens (Apr 17, 1984, Cafe Rox, Stockholm, Sweden)
07 Don't Let Me Down - The Pretenders (Jul 7, 1987, Montreaux, Switzerland)
08 The Ballad of John and Yoko - Robyn Hitchcock & The Minus 5 (Oct 6, 2006, FAB Club, Tokyo, Japan)
09 My Sweet Lord - Bruce Springsteen (Dec 3, 2001, Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ)
10 For No One - Joe Jackson (Jan 14, 2001, CCH2, Hamburg, Germany)
11 No Reply - Steve Earle (May 26, 2000, Municipal Hall, Colne, UK)
12 Rain - Grateful Dead (Oct 9, 1994, U.S. Air Arena, Landover, MD)
13 Here Comes the Sun - Belle & Sebastian (Dec 2001, The Point Depot Dublin Ireland December 2001
14 And Your Bird Can Sing - Yonder Mountain String Band (Apr 14, 2004, Cuesta College Blakeslee Auditorium, San Luis Obispo, CA)
15 Blackbird - Crosby, Stills and Nash (NOV 18, 1989, United Nations General Assembly Hall, New York, NY)
16 If I Needed Someone - James Taylor (Feb 6, 1970, Syracuse, NY)
17 Strawberry Fields Forever - Noel Gallagher (Nov 7, 2006, Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON)
18 Give Me Some Truth - Marshall Crenshaw (Mar 5, 1986, The Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA)
19 Things We Said Today - Nancy Griffith (Nov 17, 1994, Gene Autry Museum, Los Angeles, CA)
20 Help - U2 (Oct 9, 1987, Carrier Dome, Syracuse University, Syracuse,NY)
21 All Things Must Pass - The Waterboys (Jul 31, 2003, Radio Bremen, Bremen, Germany)
22 A Day in the Life - Sting (Jun, 1993, Timothy White Sessions, Chicago, IL)

Vol.2
01 It Won't Be Long - Richard Thompson (Oct 7, 2004, Bimbos 365 Club, San Francisco, CA)
02 You Won't See Me - Mike Bloomfield (Feb 19, 1971, Swing Auditorium, San Bernadino, CA)
03 I Need You - Natalie Merchant (Nov 30, 2001, The Joint, Las Vegas, NV)
04 I've Just Seen a Face - David Bromberg (Mar 3, 1972, Free Music Store, WBAI-FM, New York, NY)
05 A Hard Day's Night - Otis Redding (1967, Birmingham, AL)
06 Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey - Soundgarden (Jul 6, 1989, Maida Vale Studios, London, UK)
07 I've Got a Feeling - Pearl Jam (Feb 18, 1992, Sorpasso, Milano, Italy)
08 Come Together - Prince (Nov 18, 2006, Club 3121 @ the Rio Hotel, Las Vegas, NV)
09 Let Me Roll It - Drive-By Truckers (Sep 22, 2004, Starr Hill Music Hall, Charlottesville, VA)
10 Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) - Ron Sexsmith (Nov 11, 2006, Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, UK)
11 I'm Only Sleeping - Jeff Tweedy (Nov 12, 1998, Lounge Ax, Chicago, IL)
12 I'm So Tired - Elliott Smith (May 18, 1998, Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA)
13 Happiness is a Warm Gun - The Breeders (Apr 1, 2004, Spaceland, Silver Lake, CA)
14 Within You Without You - Patti Smith (Feb 23, 2007, Toads Place, New Haven, CT)
15 I'll Be Back - Shawn Colvin (Dec 3, 2006, NDR2, Hamburg, Germany)
16 Something - Bob Dylan (Nov 13, 2002, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY)
17 Yesterday - Elvis Presley (Aug 3, 1969, Las Vegas International, Las Vegas, NV)
18 While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Todd Rundgren (Apr 27, 2004, Lisner Auditorium, Washington, DC)
19 Revolution - Gov't Mule (Sep 20, 2001, Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA)
20 Hey Jude - Of a Revolution (Apr 6, 2005, Agganis Arena, Boston, MA)

DL

Tim Hardin

"Nine" 1974

Recorded in England during 1973, Tim Hardin's Nine album -- which was actually his seventh or eighth, depending upon how and where one started counting and what one counted -- has a most unexpected complement of players, including Peter Frampton, Andy Bown of Status Quo, future Strawbs member John Mealing, Jimmy Horowitz, Lesley Duncan, Sue Glover, and Madeline Bell, and also the most heavily produced sound of any of his records. Tim Hardin 1 and Tim Hardin 2 may have had orchestral accompaniment dubbed on, but here Hardin is working with a full electric band and a coterie of backup singers, and some orchestral and sax accompaniment. The resulting album is not that far from Hardin's classic Verve Records releases in terms of content, a mix of confessional originals interspersed with a handful of covers, of which the best is a wrenchingly moving interpretation of James Taylor's "Fire and Rain." This proved to be Hardin's final finished studio album, and there is a real sense -- for all of the thick electric band sounds all over this record -- of someone singing his insides out. Some of what's here is a shadow of the kind of writing that he did a decade earlier, although none of it is dull or predictable, and other songs, such as "Person to Person," possess haunting resonances from those early days. It's all surprisingly good listening, and that goes double for fans of Hardin, though they may also be disturbed by some of what they hear and read. The album's original closer, "While You're on Your Way," expresses a depth of longing and sadness that could easily have been Hardin's musical epitaph. The CD reissue, in addition to offering excellent sound and nicely detailed notes (which tell of Hardin's physical deterioration), also includes the accompanying single "Judge and Jury," which was never on the album. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Tim Hardin: Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Peter Frampton: Guitar
Madeline Bell: Vocals
Andy Bown (Status Quo): Bass
Sue Glover: Vocals
Jimmy Horowitz: Keyboards
Lesley Duncan
Bob Cohen: Guitar
David Katz: Strings
Mike Driscoll: Drums
John Mealing (Strawbs): Keyboards
Liza Strike: Vocals

Dog loves Glastonbury Fes

by ericbkk #2

Mike Harding "Folk/Comedians" (BBC Radio 2)















Mike Harding has a weekly radio show on BBC Radio 2, presenting the best of folk, roots & acoustic music.

This edition of the show,broadcast 20 Sept.2006, was devoted to Folk/Comedians, most of whom seem to come from the North. MH himself
performs at the end.

Tracks:
Roaring Jelly - Valerie Wilkins
Cosmotheka - Pity To Waste The Cake
Tony Capstick - Capstick Comes Home
Vin Garbutt - Fell Off The Back Of a Boat
Billy Connolly - Glasgow Accents
Billy Connolly - Stainless Steel Wellies (Govan 'Dunne' Blues)
Jake Thackray - Leopold Alcocks
Bernard Wrigley - The Secret Life of Walter's Mittens
Les Barker - Guide Cats For The Blind
Derek Brimstone - She Loved a Portuguese
Mike Harding - Mrs Ackroyd's Funeral

DL from RS.com [single mp3 file @128 kbps. 57 min.]
Mike Harding Show Homepage


Cheers.

by Brian Andrew Marek #17

- The Three Hendri -
These days, a saturated market means Elvis impersonators need a gimmick, hence the midget Elvis, the Mexican Elvis, the nudist Elvis - for all I know, there's an Amish Elvis out there. A similar thing happened in the early '70's, when Jimi Hendrix was the dead man everybody wanted to be. Thus, I give you the Female Hendrix, the Hoser Hendrix and the Hendrix with the Pimp Name - collectively, I call them the Three Hendri.

- The Female Hendrix -
- Char Vinnedge of Billy Cox's Nitro Function -
Billy Cox's Nitro Function suffered from Spencer Davis Group syndrome, where the ostensible titular head of the band actually plays more of a support role. In this particular case, it probably seemed necessary to sign and/or market the band, as Mr. Cox was, of course, a long time friend of Jimi Hendrix who participated in the Band of Gypsys and other post-Experience Hendrix projects. The real musical focal point of the group, however, was guitarist/vocalist Char Vinnedge, formerly of the reportedly excellent all-girl Chicago band the Luv'd Ones. Her distaff tones do much to give this album a unique flavor, referencing Jimi without complete apeing him.

"Billy Cox's Nitro Function" 1972
























- The Hoser Hendrix -
- Frank Marino of Mahogany Rush -
One day when I'm old and grey and feeble, I'm gonna open one of those cheap roadside attraction museums, and mine is going to be dedicated to the urban legends and tall tales of rock 'n' roll. Somewhere amongst exhibits like The Ham Sandwich That Killed Mama Cass, Morrison's "Little Jim" Live in Miami and The Rod Stewart Stomach Pump will be a mural depicting Frank Marino in a drug-induced coma being taught guitar by the ghost of Jimi Hendrix. To put it another way, this well-worn version of Marino's story is complete balderdash, but it's too imbedded into the rock 'n' roll consciousness to ever really go away.

But even the hard facts are pretty amazing: Canadian drug enthusiast Frank Marino taught himself how to play guitar while in the hospital (but not in a coma) recovering from a bad trip and went on to record the first Mahogany Rush album at the tender age of 16! Marino managed to make a long career out of his Hendrix obsessions, but I give the nod to the debut simply because later offerings were produced far too slickly.

Mahogany Rush "Maxoom" 1973























- The Hendrix with the Pimp Name -
- Velvert Turner of Velvert Turner Group -
Subliminalsounds:
"Of the various myths and legends that have sprung up since Jimi Hendrix's death in 1970, one of the most enigmatic and enduring concerns his relationship with Velvert Turner, the New York born axeman who claimed both to be friend and protege of the late guitarist. More evidence comes courtesy of ex-Television guitarist Richard Lloyd, who not only listened to a lengthy telephone conversation between the pair when the Hendrix was playing in New York, but generally hung out with Turner at the time he was receiving lessons from Hendrix. Commenting on this, Lloyd says "They used to use a large mirror for the lessons because Jimi was left handed and Velvert was not. Velvert used to come to my house after the lessons and show me what Jimi had taught him" Supported by Prescott Niles (later to form The Knack) and Tim McGovern, both of whom cropped up on Randy California's Kapt Kopter album, Turner produced two different musical versions of his album with the same sleeve and catalogue number, distinguishing them only by their matrix numbers. This, then, is the "heavier" version (matrix no. 16741) with crazed, heavy solo guitar overdubs rather than the "soul" version (matrix no. 16951) with the second lead guitar overdubs removed. The Velert Turner album may be just another small piece in the Hendrix jigsaw, but it also happens to be a pretty good guitar album too."

"Velvert Turner Group" 1972






















BaM

Bert Jansch

"Live at the 12 Bar" 1996





















This official bootleg is a recording made at the legendary 12 Bar Club, a hot spot for British folk revival artists, and Bert Jansch is certainly one of the premier artists of the genre. With time, Jansch's guitar playing has only improved upon his unique finger-picking style, which baffled all in the heyday of his Transatlantic label debut. Jansch is peerless in his consistency of making astonishing records, and his performances in the studio are always animated and lively -- true documents of his art. Where other artists seize the studio or dabble in over-production, Jansch has always been dogmatic in his pragmatist approach. Hence, this live recording is a fantastic representation of his outstanding ability. Few others can step on a stage and perform a set as compelling as the one documented here, and he thrives in the live context. Old staples are given the familiar Jansch treatment, which involves not so much playing the songs as rewriting them on the spot, one could say. On that particular day, Jackson C. Frank's "Blues Run the Game" and the traditional ballad "Curragh of Kildare" were given particularly haunting treatments by the Scotsman's baritone. Jansch originals stand taller than ever, and most fans will agree that the traditional arrangements he does may as well be his compositions -- as it is his hand that brings them so to life. ~ Sylvie Harrison, All Music Guide

by Brian Andrew Marek #16

"Flash" 1971





















ripped from vinyl by BaM, by request

After my comments disparaging Flash's other albums while reviewing "In the Can", I was surprised by the amount of enjoyment I got from their self-titled debut while ripping it from vinyl (so thank you, "anonymous", for requesting it)! Once I got past the fact that there are tracks entitled "Children of the Universe" and "Dreams of Heaven" (for all the cheesiness of the titles, they're not bad musically), I was able to dig the prog-pop of their "hit" (and it really deserved a quote-free status) "Small Beginnings", the gentle acoustic trippiness of "Morning Haze" and the "what if Cressida had recorded a third album" vibe of "The Time It Takes". So, a pleasant listen - but, as my heart still belongs to "In the Can", I'll fill this out with some reviews I found on Flash's own website...

BaM

ALBUMS REVIEWS

by Tommy Schönenberg

Excellent progressive rock band formed by former Yes-members Peter Banks and Tony Kaye. It would then may not come as a surprise that the music of Flash sounds quite much like Yes. This was their debut-album and their classic release. Cheerful and energetic progressive rock in the vein of "Yours Is No Disgrace". Any lover of Yes will eat up tracks like "Small Beginnings", "Children of the Universe" and not at least the fantastic "Dreams of Heaven". The latter is just as good as any of Yes' best moments, and that's not a joke! There's also some shorter and relaxed tracks here, but it's of course in the long tracks the group really shines. The performance is great, and besides the excellent playing of both Kaye and Banks you'll also notice the powerful bass- playing of Ray Bennett. Wonderful stuff for all fans of progressive rock.

http://www.ajudavirtual.com.br/hard/fff.htm

by Bob Eichler

Flash was one of the first branches off the Yes family tree, with Peter Banks and Tony Kaye banding together after getting the axe from Squire and Anderson (who apparently wasn't all peace, love and brotherhood in his younger days). Unsurprisingly, Flash's first album sounds a lot like Yes from around the same time. In fact, with its extended composition, thick bass, flashy guitar and swirling organ work, "Small Beginnings" sounds like it could be a lost track from The Yes Album. "Morning Haze" has a more laid-back acoustic guitar and percussion sound and focuses heavily on the vocals. "Children of the Universe" returns to the early Yes sound, but unfortunately has lyrics that are so goofy ("Ya hoo cha hoo cha!") that they make Jon Anderson sound downright rational. After a chaotic opening section, "Dreams of Heaven" also settles down into a fairly Yessy song. "The Time it Takes" is a quiet, somewhat ambient song that washes away the end of the album on simulated ocean waves. The only real downside to this album is Colin Carter's nasal and nondescript vocals - they just grate on me for some reason. Fortunately, there are a lot of lengthy instrumental sections. After this disc, the band would lose Kaye, and their sound would drift a little further from the Yes sound on their second and particularly their third album. Those who think Banks and Kaye were "throwaway" members of Yes should give this disc a listen. It might have been interesting to see where the band would have gone had the original line-up remained intact.

http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/flash-flash.htm

by Joe McGlinchey

Flash approximates what a more overtly proggy release from the very first line-up of Yes might have sounded like. Released in 1972 with ex-Yes members Peter Banks on guitar and Tony Kaye on keyboards, this is a decent, under-recognized prog album. Every extended piece, "Small Beginnings" and "Children of the Universe" have some great playing (especially by Banks, who definitely makes his presence felt), energetic hooks, and enthusiastic harmonies. "Dreams of Heaven" is a bit more unbalanced, relying primarily on its harmonic-laden, anthemic chorus. The other two tracks are more laid back efforts. "Morning Haze," the one track with (frail) lead vocals from bassist Ray Bennett, is a short, interlude number that sounds at points like Crosby, Stills & Nash or the Grateful Dead around American Beauty. It has an informal jam-at-a-picnic feel, with Banks inserting playful acoustic guitar passages all along the way. The closer, "The Time It Takes" is soft and fades the album out with a whisper. One drawback of the album is the poor sound (and it definitely sounds of the period), but the material and performances are quite good.

http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/flash-flash.htm

by Clayton Walnum

If you like Yes's early sound, then you'll surely go bonkers over Flash, because there is no other band on the planet that better had that Yes sound down. That Flash should sound so much like early Yes is no surprise when you realize that two members of the band -- Peter Banks and Tony Kaye -- were members of the original Yes lineup.

The story goes like this: Sometime after the recording of Yes's second album, A Time And A Word, Peter Banks left Yes and was immediately replaced by the now legendary Steve Howe. (This fast switcheroo is why, although Peter Banks played on the A Time And A Word album, Steve Howe's picture is on the cover. Another prog mystery solved!) After recording The Yes Album, keyboardist Tony Kaye was unhappy with the band's direction (it's been said that the other members of Yes wanted Kaye to experiment with more electronics, while Kaye was perfectly happy with his Hammond organ, thank you very much) and so he left the band, too. Peter Banks and Tony Kaye teamed up, and Flash was born. The Banks/Kaye partnership was to last only one album, though, after which Kaye quit Flash to form the band Badger. Banks and Flash went on to record two other studio albums, but each was a step further in the wrong direction, although each had its moments.

The first Flash album, however, is a great piece of 70s style prog rock, featuring long compositions, lots of guitar and keyboard flash (hmmmm), and complex Yes-like arrangements. The first track, "Small Beginnings," which clocks in at almost 10 minutes, is very reminiscent of the Yes composition "Yours Is No Disgrace," starting with a speedy, trademark guitar riff and featuring some hot organ playing by Kaye. The high-octane verses give way to the requisite prog changes, including a mellow centerpiece, before roaring back into gear for a final verse. If it wasn't for the vocalist -- who sounds nothing like Jon Anderson -- you would swear this cut was performed by Yes itself. Great stuff!

The album includes a couple of less Yes-like tracks, such as the acoustic "Morning Haze" (nice background harmonies on this one) and "The Time It Takes" (a relaxing closer for the album). Still, tracks like the nine-minute "Children of the Universe" and the 13-minute "Dreams of Heaven" feature plenty of those cool unison guitar and keyboard riffs, as well as happy, infectious, bouncy beats and arrangements that tread back deep into Yes territory. On these other long tracks, you'll hear jazzy, cooking guitar interludes that sound very much like Banks' style on the first Yes album. Kaye's piano comping in these sections is outstanding. Kaye was (and is) such a talented player, one has to wonder why he has always been content to stay in the background.

Bottom line: No fan of Yes can be without at least the first Flash album. For all intents and purposes, this is Yes circa 1969-70. You may ask yourself, though, how such a great album ended up with such a terrible cover.

http://www.progressiveworld.net/flash.html


Biff Rose "The Thorn in Mrs. Rose's Side" 1968





















This unlikely album was a notable influence on David Bowie's "Hunky Dory" period - not only did he cover "Fill Your Heart" (officially) and "Buzz the Fuzz" (on bootleg), but several of the originals (particularly in the arrangements) owe a clear debt as well. Biff Rose's sound is rather middle of the road (but agreeably and catchily so), his lyrics are quirky, and his piano playing is quite lively - no wonder Bowie had to hire Rick Wakeman! Naive, sweet and just plain weird, Biff Rose is about as unclassifiable a singer/songwriter as you'll run across.

BaM

by Brian Andrew Marek #15

Bargain Basement sneak preview...

Brian Andrew Marek (lead and harmony vocals, drums, acoustic guitar, keyboards, autoharp and percussion),
Kjle Risch (electric guitar)
Dan O'Connell (bass guitar and harmony vocals)
with special guest artiste:
Kate Mittendorf (occasional harmony vocals and percussion)

http://www.myspace.com/bargainbasementmusic

Brian Andrew Marek said...
Well, flattery will get Lizardson everywhere, so here's a sneak preview of the Bargain Basement album project I'm presently at work on. There's still a couple of songs missing and a few small tweaks to be made, but I think this ten song sampler makes for good listening. Just for fun I've thrown in "The Rise and Dear Demise of Borax Poindexter and the Centipedes from Centauri", our homage/rip-off/parody of Ziggy-era Bowie which is just too silly and derivative for the album!

Enjoy, and please remember that your comment and criticisms are most welcome as I'm certainly not going to review this myself!

DL

Love and music,

BaM

Brian Andrew Marek

http://www.myspace.com/brianandrewmarek

Thanks always Brian,
We love your own music also!
Keep you up and keep us excited!!

Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell | Making Shine from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.

by Brian Andrew Marek #14

by Paul #16

Buffy Sainte-Marie "It's My Way"
1964 LP released on CD 1992 @160kbs





















Buffy Sainte-Marie, a Canadian Cree Indian, was an active participant in the early 1960s US and Canadian folk music scene as both a performer and a song writer. This was her first album in 1964 and I actually bought a copy not long after that. Fortunately, it was released on CD in 1992 and some unknown person has ripped the CD.
Buffy had lots to say and she said it powerfully in a clear vibrato voice. This LP is a pleasant mix of folk music e.g. protest songs "Now that the buffalo's gone" and "The Universal Soldier" (she wrote both), songs of life e.g. Cod'ine inspired by a short period of addiction, and traditional songs e.g. The Old Man's Lament" (better known as "Rocking the Cradle" or "None of my own"), Cripple Creek and "The Incest Song". Strangely, two of these songs are claimed on the CD reverse as being written and composed by Buffy Sainte-Marie which must have been news to her!
There is lots on the WWW about Buffy for anyone who wants to know more about this very accomplished lady. In the meantime, enjoy her music.

Tracklist
01 Now that the Buffalo's Gone
02 The Old Man's Lament
03 Ananias
04 Mayoo Sto Hoon (traditional Hindi)
05 Cod'ine
06 Cripple Creek
07 The Universal Soldier
08 Babe in Arms
09 He Lived Alone in Town
10 You're Gonna Need Somebody on your Bond
11 The Incest Song
12 Eyes of Amber
13 It's My Way

amazon.com

by Paul #15

Gordon Bok, Ann Mayo Muir & Ed Trickett
"The First Fifteen Years" 1992
2CD Set @ 192kbs MP3

Last year GeoX started to post a series of Gordon Bok albums and promised more. Unfortunately, they stopped after the sixth so I will start posting some of the missing ones which I have managed to collect over the years. Here is their 1992 two-CD compilation as this will give readers a good idea as to whether they want more of the same.

This trio put out several albums most of which had a highly eclectic mix of folk material including modern and traditional folk music from many countries and some really beautiful "salt-water" songs based in the north-east of the USA. These three are each excellent singers in their own right but, in combination, they are awesome. Credit for this particular rip belongs to one "Axabum" so many thanks Axa!

Number Nine Bread Street

psychedelicfolk:
Extremely personalised indoor sing along folk.

According to Greyhound Records this is "extremely rare esoteric folk from 1967, the first ever holyground release, produced by mike levon & featuring chris coombes on guitar & harmonica. very sought after, newly remastered, essential !"

According to Rockinworld this is "Holyground label acidfolkrock, (not trad based), but a bit Americanized cool hippie folk and rock."

Reups

Andy M. Stewart, Phil Cunningham, Manus Lunny "Fire in the Glen"
Barrence Whitfield & Tom Russell "Cowboy Mambo"
Barrence Whitfield & Tom Russell "Hillbilly Voodoo"
Bill Fay "Bill Fay"
Bill Fay "Time of the Last Persecution"
Bill Fay Group "Tomorrow Tomorrow and Tomorrow"
Bonnie Raitt "Jabberwocky Club"
Bonnie Raitt "Philadelphia Folk Festival"
Caedmon "Caedmon" (not dead)
Gordon Lightfoot "The Gordon Lightfoot Story"
Gordon Lightfoot "Warner 7 Arts Demos"
Halliard "John Raven/Jolly Machine"
Happiest Band That Ever Played "In the Balancing of Night and Day"
John Denver "John Denver Sings"
John Denver "The John Denver Radio Show"
Judy Dyble "Enchanted Garden"
Planxty "Cold Blow and the Rainy Night"
Ry Cooder "VPRO-radio"
Watersons "Frost and Fire"

Martin Carthy

"Crown of Horn" 1976





















Ashley Hutchings produced this very lively solo album (Tony Cox adds some synthesizer on two tracks, otherwise it's just Carthy's voice and guitar, and, as on "Locks and Bolts," ajust his voice), which relies heavily on his dexterity on guitar. The sound of the latter instrument is pushed very far into the front in the mix of this, perhaps Carthy's best recorded album, with a very "hot" all-acoustic texture. Other songs include "Geordie," "King Knapperty," "Bonny Lass of Angelsea" (featuring some amazingly restrained and tasteful synthesizer), and "Palaces of Gold," the latter an angry, topical original by Leon Rosselson about a mining disaster. The only track that doesn't entirely work is "Willie's Lady," a seven minute epic that, effective as it may be in concert, needed something more than just Carthy's guitar and voice to carry it off on record. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

by ericbkk

Michael Marra "Gaels Blue" 1985










Iain Anderson on BBC Radio Scotland got me interested in Michael Marra, so, of course, the first place I came to looking for MM was THTM, but the MM cupboard was (surprisingly) bare.
A few requests on various music boards also proved fruitless, and my faith in the availability of music on the internet was beginning to waver when I chanced upon some MM on the excellent Hooligan's Lament blog.
This is, I think, the earliest of the MM albums available, and I'll sleep better tonight knowing that the Dundonian Randy Newman's music is available on THTM.

01. Mincin' wi Chairlhi
02. Racing from Newburgh
03. The Angus Man's welcome to Mary Stuart
04. King George's return to sanity
05. Genral Grant's Visit to Dundee
06. Black babies
07. Monkey Hair
08. The Alter Boys
09. Gaels Blue
10. Happed in Mist
11. Ghost of Glasgow
12. Growing Up
13. Mardi Gras Music
14. King is King

DL (RS.com)
160 kbps


Although deriving all his musical influences from the rock and roll canon that includes Tom Waits, Randy Newman and Bob Dylan, Marra's subject matter remains eccentrically Scottish, While lyrically rooted in Scotland, its culture, history and literature, he cannot be pigeoned-holed with a "folkie" image; his musical palette is too varied for that.
A love of jazz and sophisticated pop is always to the fore. He has a a poet's ear for detail and a nimble wit; given an incident Marra will depict it from an angle that illustrates most effectively the daftness and vanity of humankind.
In 1971 he formed his first band, Hen's Teeth, whose line up included Dougie McLean. He played with "legendary" 1970s rock-band Skeets Bolivar and in 1985 released his solo album, Gaels Blue, on his own label

.".. Marra's music is soaked in the Scottish experience, strained through a gauze of ragtime blues-piano and shot with filaments of traditional folk and American voices ... a ghost-white MARRA sits at piano and microphone, delivering caustic visions of the Scottish past and wickedly funny and sometimes achingly poignant, parables of the present in vocals from a Woodbined voice..." Scotland on Sunday

Thanks to Hooligan's Lament blog for the files.

Cheers.

by Brian Andrew Marek #13

Sex Clark Five "Strum & Drum!" 1987

Boy, 1987 may have been a poor year for mainstream rock music (IMHO), but there sure were some weird gems bubbling underneath the surface, thus allowing me to complete my '80's Amerindie trifecta! Sex Clark Five is one of those goofy indie band names that almost makes sense, 'cos Dave Clark Five songs played with Sex Pistols attitude (but not Sex Pistols volume - acoustic guitar is a big driving force here) wouldn't be a bad place to start describing them. But most of the songs are actually SHORTER than your average DC5 (or SP4!) tune (how did ya think they packed twenty tracks into 35 minutes), they play instrumentals that combine surf rock with Eastern exotica, and they do a decent job of using Casiotones to emulate ol' garage band combo organs (and other coolly psychedelic sounds) here and there. The latter two tendencies occasionally bring to mind early Camper Van Beethoven, but the pop songs are a whole different ball o' wax - British Invasion ear candy with some trippy overtones played in the wrong place (Huntsville, AL, assuming they lived in the same town as their vanity label) at the wrong time (the dreaded 1980's). God bless 'em!

DL

BaM

Christy Moore

"The Time Has Come" 1983





















1. The Knock Song
2. Faithful Departed
3. Nancy Spain
4. Lanigans Ball
5. All I Remeber
6. Lakes Of Pontchartrain
7. Don't Forget Your Shovel
8. The Wicklow Boy
9. The Time Has Come
10. Go Move Shift
11. Curragh Of Kildare
12. Sacco + Vanzetti
13. Section31
14. Only Our Rivers Run Free

amazon.com

by Brian Andrew Marek #12

Opal "Happy Nightmare Baby" (1987) + 2





















"Happy Nightmare Baby" is, for my money, the finest hour of the Paisley Underground. David Roback (formerly of the Rain Parade) and Kendra Smith (formerly of the Dream Syndicate) lead you on a journey through the darker side of psychedelia. Chunky T. Rex guitars chop along at languid, drugged tempos while ominous synths (often reminding one of John Paul Jones' psuedo-Eastern arrangements on Led Zep songs like "Friends" and "Kashmir") swoop and dive. Smith's two-feet-in-the-grave deadpan vocals make her sound like the one true heir to Nico. In fact, if pressed to be concise, I'd say that the overall sound of this disc is a perfect, seamless melding of Syd Barrett and the Velvet Underground.

Funnily enough, everything done by this crew before and after "Happy Nightmare Baby", while still a bit trippy, was a great deal mellower, as if this kind of intensity simply couldn't be maintained. "Early Recordings" could be compared to the Cowboy Junkies' "The Trinity Sessions" for its drugged rural ambience, like eating magic mushrooms in a ghost town. After the departure of Kendra Smith, Dave Roback carried on with Hope Sandoval and changed the band's name to Mazzy Star, who, while less critically acclaimed, did manage to bring a taste of the same unsettled bliss to a wider audience.

Here we go again: I'm posting my version (some tracks downloaded many a moon ago, some ripped from my own vinyl) because the one on Rapidshare is purportedly missing a track. I've also thrown on a couple of bonus tracks, taken from contemporary various artist compilations, on which they cover Syd Barrett and the Doors.

BaM

DL

The Kipper Family

"Since Time Immoral" 1984





















Recorded on location, somewhere or other, near Trunch, Norfolk, England by the Dambuster mobile recording unit.
Produced by Richard Digance, engineered by Dave Bubb
The Company: Sid and Henry Kipper, with family and friends: Annie, Dot, George, Kevin and Len Kipper, Dick Nudds and Chris Sugden - and the vicar.
George Kipper appears courtesy of HM Prisons.

(P) Dambuster Records 1970 (Note that this is the epoch in the UNIX world!)

Tracks:
Introduction by Henry and Sid Kipper
Not Sixteen Til Sunday
The Male Female Highwayman
The Unlaid Maid
The Cricket Match
All on the Shore (The Body)
Hollow Ground
Dido, Fido
The Whistling Monologue
The Village P.I.M.P.
Poor Old Cow
To Be a Pharmacist
Adieu You Pretty Nancy
A Lightweight Dirge

Note to Not Sixteen Til Sunday
This song obviously predates the many printed versions of a superficially similar song, Seventeen Come Sunday. Here, though, the reason for the inclusion of the girl's age is quite clear - obviously earlier collectors and publishers found the idea of a song about under-age sex too much for their prissy sensibilities, and “improved” it almost out of all recognition. The refrain, too, is rescued from the nonsense of Victorian sensibility to something much more meaningful. A full analysis is not possible here, but it should be noted that rhubarb is traditionally an aphrodisiac - “that get you going,” says Henry - while the fiddle is a well known sexual referent, as in Jack Onion, who fiddled so badly that the girls all wept.

Note
Just when you thought there were no great traditional singers to find in England, along comes the Kipper Family (Henry and his up and coming son Sid) singing songs from the rarely heard tradition of Trunch in Norfolk. Unaccompanied they sing unique versions of traditional songs - Not Sixteen Til Sunday, The Unlaid Maid, All on the Shore, The Village P.I.M.P., and of course, their masterpiece Dido Fido which is passing into the tradition - not surprising when you consider the beauty of the lyrics:

There was Dido, Fido, Bonzo and Rex,
Rover and Lassie and Spot,
There was Butch, there was Candy,
There was Patch and there was Sandy,
These were the dogs what I had got.

DL

by Brian Andrew Marek #11

Velvet Monkeys "Rotting Corpse au Go-Go"
[w/bonus materials]





















The Velvet Monkeys were an early '80's Washington, DC band that I find hard to classify but easy to love. The ominous synthesizers suggest goth, the uncertain snarl of the vocals and the buzzsaw guitars lay claim to punk, one may even catch a whiff of the coming paisley underground, but the indelible melodies and simple but effective song structures show their allegiance to lasting pop traditions. Sometimes they drop the trappings entirely and give you a straight dose of infectiously fractured British invasion pop, like on opener "All the Same". Leader Don Fleming later went on to record for Columbia with Gumball.

"Rotting Corpse au Go-Go" was a compilation put out by Shimmy-Disc sometime in the late '80's, with the cassette version boasting some 40 additional minutes of unreleased material. The whole shebang is enclosed here; the basic album was ripped from the vinyl and the bonus tracks from the tape. This was actually one of my first ever ripping projects some five years ago!

BaM

Plethyn

"Blas y Pridd" & "Golau Tan Gwmwl" (1979, 1980)

David Cox:
I recently found a copy of a 22-year old cassette of Plethyn's 1979 recording Blas y Pridd gathering dust in my father-in-law's collection. Plethyn, I found out later, was a legendary folk trio from Powys, Wales, formed in the 1970s by Linda Healy, John Gittins and Roy Griffiths. This was the Welsh-language band's first recording.

The tunes often sound familiar, but not -- in most cases -- the lyrics. Plethyn blends traditional songs with their own compositions in a framework of three voices, guitar and mandolin, often with lyrics by poet/dramatist Myrddin ap Dafydd.

Blas y Pridd is an inspired collection, and is free of the kind of nods to contemporary music styles that often make a record seem dated five years after it's released. (Well, except for the hairstyles on the cover photo!)

"Y Gwylliaid (The Bandits)" is a strong opening effort, a song about legendary Welsh outlaws and the attempts of the local landlord to "see them hanging at the fair," adapting the same traditional tune later used by Billy Bragg in "Thatcherites." Highlights include "Pentre Llanfihangel," a song about the efforts of the people of Wales in the '60s to stop the drowning of Welsh-speaking valleys to provide water for English cities.

Another standout is "Marwnad yr Ehedydd (Dirge for the Lark)," an allegorical song with both traditional and modern lyrics, possibly about the 15th-century Welsh freedom fighter Owain Glyndwr. "Lluen" is about a louse coveted as food by the people of London. I know all this because the CD contains both Welsh lyrics and an English translation.

In 1990, the Welsh-language recording company Sain re-released this album on one 22-song CD along with Golau tan Gwmwl, the band's second album. (Four songs are missing from the original two records.) Both have a traditional (but not dated) sound, although Plethyn tends to stray into more predictable musical territory on the latter. Still, it finishes with a fine version of the traditional song "Deio Bach," followed by the inspired "Tan yn Llyn (Fire in Llyn)," calling for "a nation aflame from the border to the sea."

Throughout the set, these songs in the Welsh "plygain" tradition of folksinging in close harmony sparkle, and the tunes stay with you all day. For fans of traditional folk production values, acoustic instruments, three-part harmonies and authenticity, Plethyn provides real listening enjoyment and a taste of the folk roots of Wales.

Day of Phoenix

"Wide Open N-Way" 1969





















Reckon:
The group was founded in 1968 by Cy Nicklin (later in Culpeper's Orchard) with Karsten Lyng Nielsen, Jess Staehr Nielsen, Ole Prehn and Henrik Friis Nielsen. They released the first single (1969) and participated in different events but in 1969 Cy Nicklin left the group and was replaced by Hans Lauridsen (and Stæhr by Erik Stedt Rasmussen).

In 1970 the band released the LP Wide Open N-Way. The music is psychedelic rock with clear feeling flowing from American bands. The lyrics are all sung in English. I met very different opinions about this album but it is definitely interesting and original work. Its producer (and of the following one) was Tony Reeves, ex-Colosseum bassist. Wide Open N-Way was warmly received and got some interest worldwide. Two years later the group reformed (besides Karsten Lyng and Ole Prehn there were three BRI members: Ole Fick, Jess Stæhr, Bo Thrige Andersen) and recorded the second album. Unfortunately, it presents mediocre rock compositions far behind its predecessor.

by Brian Andrew Marek #10

Rare Bird "Last Tango in Beulah: The Best of 1972-1974"

If you're anything like me, and I know I am, you love Rare Bird's first two albums and consider the rest of their career to be a complete disappointment. They lost organist Graham Field and, with him, much of their originality and ambition. Out went classicism and dual keyboard interplay, in came funk and guitars, and while I have nothing against funk or guitars in the right hands, they just meant a drift towards generic AOR mediocrity for Kaffanetti, Gould and company. Meanwhile Graham - clearly the real brains (or at least the artistic conscience) behind the original Rare Bird - put out one album of rathered good (if mannered) prog rock with the almost eponymous Fields and vanished. Sigh.

But the real kick in the pants is that the three Rare Bird albums after "As Your Mind Flies By" each boast at least a song or two that are worth listening to - but not worth sitting through up to half an hour of tepid lite-funk for. So that's where this compilation comes in - the cream of the crap, if you will. About seventy minutes of latter day Rare Bird that can sit, if not proudly, at least compactly next to your treasured copies of their first two masterpieces.

Apologies if my choices were too generous or, conversely, if I missed your fave rave.

---
An additional note - I've seen a few comments here recently that, if I'm not just reading too much into them, seem to suggest that my posts here are some kind of desecration to the spirit of Time Has Told Me, presumably because my music choices have not been of a folky or singer/songwriter nature.

Well, I figured it'd be alright because this already struck me as a rather eclectic blog, and I've been turned on to some of these very same band's other albums by it, as well as a wealth of other musical gems in ALL styles. This blog has, in all seriousness, routinely left me saying, "oh my God, how did I live without this album all those years?" It was my first music blog, it remains my favorite, and now that I'm giving back (I hate that expression, it sounds so "corporate community outreach"), it's where I'm doing most of my posting (not counting my own MySpace blog). I'd never want to do it any disservice.

Besides, clearly Lizardson wouldn't be approving my posts for feature in the blog if he didn't feel I was offering something valid - he does not, from what I can tell, post every contribution willy-nilly to the main blog. Sometimes he just approves the comment for reading on the "recommendations" page but does not post it to the main blog. Long story short, if it's up there on the big screen with the pretty picture, Lizardson must've been alright with it.

So, please, if you ain't pickin' up what I'm layin' down, move on to the next entry. Or ask for a refund!

BaM


Thanks always Brian,
THTM is not only for folk music lovers.
I know lot's of people loves your posts.
Keep up!!

Horslips

"Drive the Cold Winter Away" 1976





















At a time when Horslips were rapidly drifting away from their quasi-traditional Irish roots, they unexpectedly delivered this gift-wrapped gem. With the exception of Barry Devlin's electric bass and John Fean's occasional contemporary guitar stylings, this is a solid traditional Irish album and certainly the most autochthonous recording by Horslips. All 13 of the selections are of Irish origin, among them three Turlough O'Carolan tunes including the sprightly "Sir Festus Burke" (it is unclear whether it was ever intended as a Christmas song). It unfolds into a Celtic "wall of sound" featuring Jim Lockhart's harpsichord, with banjo, flute, fiddle and guitar gradually joining in the round. "Thompson's/Cottage in the Grove" is a pair of reels that progress in much the same fashion. This time, the concertina of Charles O'Connor is followed by banjo, piano, whistle, bodhran and bones. The nearest this record gets to familiar holiday carol territory is found in a passage from the hornpipe "Piper in the Meadow Straying," which bears a calculated resemblance to "Don we now our gay apparel" from "Deck the Halls." This was a surprising and risky recording for a mid-'70s rock band, but it definitely rejuvenated them and paved the way for their 1976 tour de force Book of Invasions: A Celtic Symphony. ~ Dave Sleger, All Music Guide

by MJF #16

Kingston Trio "The Capitol Years" [4CD Box]



















At 4 discs and over 100 digitally remastered songs many previously
unreleased. This is the definitive Kingston Trio collection, probably more music
than a casual listener needs, but precious for any fan. Although almost exclusively
traditional exceptions like "Seasons in the Sun" are predictably of minor
interest. This box evidences the full range of their repertoire. "Shady Grove," "Remember the Alamo," "M.T.A.," and the energetic "Coal tattoo" are all able: crew-cuts,striped shirts and all. --Roy Francis Kasten

Disc 1
1. Run Joe 2:33
2. Fast Freight 5:14
3. Tom Dooley 3:03
4. (The Wreck Of The) "John B" 3:32
5. Dodi Lii 2:12
6. New York Girls 2:33
7. They Call The Wind Maria (Live) 4:32
8. Shady Grove/Lonesome Traveler 3:16
9. Little Maggie (Live) 2:27
10. Bay Of Mexico (Live) 3:34
11. Across The Wide Missouri (Live) 3:54
12. Scotch And Soda (Live) 2:15
13. Pay Me My Money Down (Live) 2:21
14. The Tijuana Jail 2:50
15. M.T.A. 3:16
16. All My Sorrows 2:47
17. Good News 2:00
18. Remember The Alamo 3:01
19. Molly Dee 1:45
20. The Unfortunate Miss Bailey (May 1959) 2:10
21. Sail Away Ladies 2:30
22. A Worried Man 2:55
23. The Kingston Trio Sings For 7-UP (Spot #1) 2:26
24. The Kingston Trio Sings For 7-Up (Spot #2)

Disc 2
1. El Matador 2:27
2. The Mountains O'Mourne 2:52
3. Home From The Hill 2:22
4. The World's Last Authentic Playboy 2:41
5. Raspberries, Strawberries 2:13
6. Bimini 2:55
7. Green Grasses 2:23
8. With You My Johnny 2:25
9. Bad Man's Blunder 2:36
10. The Escape Of Old John Webb 2:31
11. Colorado Trail 2:48
12. Buddy Better Get On Down The Line 2:22
13. Coast Of California 2:38
14. Bye Bye Thou Little Tiny Child 2:59
15. A Round About Christmas (Instrumental) 1:31
16. Come All You Fair And Tender Ladies 2:52
17. Bonny Hielan' Laddie 2:47
18. The River Is Wide 3:37
19. Don't You Weep, Mary 2:15
20. Sea Fever 2:58
21. The Golden Spike 1:49
22. Mary Was Pretty 2:04
23. The Wines Of Madeira 3:01
24. Senora 2:59
25. Adieu To My Island 2:43
26. It Was A Very Good Year 3:22
27. You're Gonna Miss Me (Frankie And Johnny) 2:44
28. The Bonnie Ship, The Diamond 2:32
29. Come Along Julie

Disc 3
1. Coming From The Mountains 2:24
2. Oh, Sail Away 3:12
3. Take Her Out Of Pity 2:37
4. Whistling Gypsy 3:04
5. Nothing More To Look Forward To 2:27
6. Weeping Willow 3:20
7. Jesse James 2:37
8. Where Have All The Flowers Gone? 3:03
9. This Little Light (Live) 3:01
10. Chilly Winds (Live) 2:38
11. Oh, Miss Mary (Live) 3:05
12. Roddy McCorley 2:54
13. Five Hundred Miles (Studio Version) 3:02
14. Going Away To Leave You (Studio Version) 2:30
15. Old Kentucky Land 2:00
16. Rocky 2:19
17. One More Town (Non-Orchestral Version) 3:10
18. Away Rio (Non-Orchestral Version) 2:54
19. Pullin' Away (Non-Orchestral Version) 3:16
20. All The Good Times 3:21
21. Darlin' Are You Dreaming 3:02
22. Allentown Jail 2:29
23. Greenback Dollar 2:51
24. Honey, Are You Mad At Your Man? 2:10
25. Long Black Veil 2:28
26. Ginny Glen 2:33
27. The First Time 2:51
28. The New Frontier

Disc 4
1. Reverend Mr. Black 3:06
2. Road To Freedom 2:17
3. River Run Down 2:53
4. One More Round 2:48
5. Run The Ridges 2:44
6. Love Has Gone 3:16
7. Try To Remember 3:09
8. Mark Twain 2:37
9. Desert Pete (Alternate Take) 2:36
10. Ballad Of The Thresher 3:06
11. Two-Ten, Six-Eighteen 2:55
12. Those Who Are Wise 2:51
13. Rider 2:52
14. The Patriot Game 2:45
15. Coal Tattoo 2:33
16. Hobo's Lullaby 3:14
17. Seasons In The Sun 2:53
18. Song For A Friend 2:35
19. Four Strong Winds 2:53
20. Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream 2:07
21. Ann 2:47
22. Let's Get Together 2:28
23. Hard, Ain't It Hard (Live) 3:37
24. Reuben James (Live) 3:19
25. Pullin' Away (Live) 4:12
26. Farewell Captain (Live) 5:04