Edit - October 4, 2012 Well it's been two years now that the blog is dead. Please note that very few if any of the links are still good. This blog is now a historical artifact, I hope someone can make use of the information provided here.

Touch - Touch (1969)

"Discovering a treasure long buried and finding with delight it was all that the rumors made it to be. That is how I would describe Touch. Over the years we have heard of its legend status, but it was only heard by a few of the members of the prog community. It turns out it is a heavy foundation to what prog became in the 70's.

In 1968 a group of musicians from the West Coast of the United States came together to record this shining example of what we now call symphonic prog rock. Yes, it immersed in the psychedelic sound and yes, has some extremely poppish moments but in the end you can't deny that you have heard prog rock. This album is NOT proto-prog it is prog.

The keyboards played by Don Gallucci are certainly on par with what Keith Emerson was doing with the Nice at the same time, some great organ sounds and piano. He uses a variety of organs to achieve different moods since that would be his only choice at the time. The arrangements are very symphonic especially when you consider the time.

I contend that when you listen to "Friendly Birds" you will hear the origins of Yes and Genesis. There are parts of "Alesha and Others" and "Seventy Five" where I swear it is Jon Anderson signing. (Part of this is borne out in the liner notes where it states members of Yes consider this an early influence). I hear Pink Floyd and Kansas in other parts. (Again Kerry Livgren states Touch and the song "Seventy Five" were a major influence on his writing). I can hear where Uriah Heep were influenced in the music.

If anyone out there cares about the origins of this great music we embrace you cannot ignore this CD. Having undergone a re-master process and re-released in 2003 by UK Eclectic records you now can experience this again.

It has been unburied and the legend of this CD has to come to light. This album was written and recorded in 1968 and released in early 1969 before In the Court of The Crimson King. Unlike Piper at the Gates of Dawn and Freak Out this music is very structured using classical and jazz influences as well as having some of trappings of the psychedelic bands of the time. In other words it sounds more like the music from the period of 1970-75 than the music that came before it. It was also written and recorded in Los Angeles, Ca not England.

The only reason this CD is not well known is because the group refused to tour and it faded quickly after a successful start in 1969 because the record company would no longer support it. It is too bad because there are a couple of live in the studio tracks in the bonus section which showed these fine musicians could have pulled it off on stage. If they had then this album would be the album everyone would point to.

Ignore it at your own peril when speaking of the beginnings of the genre. It is essential to everyone who listens to prog." (Garion81 progarchives.com)

1. We Feel Fine (4:41)
2. Friendly Birds (4:53)
3. Miss Teach (3:29)
4. The Spiritual Death Of Howard Greer (8:52)
5. Down At Circ's Place (4:00)
6. Alesha And Others (3:05)
7. Seventy Five (11:12)
8. We Finally Met Today (3:43)
9. Alesha And Others [alternative version] (3:17)
10. Blue Feeling (11:46)
11. The Spiritual Death Of Howard Greer [alternative version] (8:07)
12. The Second Coming Of Suzanne (12:17)

John Bordonaro - Drums
Don Gallucci - Keyboards
Bruce Hauser - Bass
Jeff Hawks - Vocals
Joey Newman - Guitars

OK then, see you later

Pacific Sound - Forget Your Dream! (1972)

Pacific Sound is a band formed by four dudes in the French-speaking part of Switzerland in the 1960s. They were happily gigging away doing covers of their favorite British Invasion bands and West Coast psychedelic groups, hence the name. Talked into writing their own material, they released a single which was well received, and that led to the recording of this album, their only one. Released originally on Switzerland's Splendid! label, two of their label mates were After Shave and Country Lane. No great lost treasure of Krautrock or anything, this is nonetheless a mighty fun album, full of great early Procul Harum-like Hammond organ riffs and some really good guitar playing. The louder you play this the better it will sound!

1. Forget Your Dream
2. Erotic Blues
3. Drive My Car
4. Thick Fog
5. Gyli Gyli
6. Ceremony For A Dead
7. If Your Soul Is Uncultivated
8. Gates Of Hell
9. The Drug Just Told Me
10. The Green Eyed Girl
11. Ballad To Jimi

Roger Page - Keyboards
Diego Lecci - Drums
Mark Treuthardt - Guitars, Bass
Chris Meyer - Vocals

Alright see ya.

Oxford Circle - Live At The Avalon 1966

"Oxford Circle was a legendary psychedelic blues band primarily due to the fact that drummer Paul Whaley and vocalist/fuzz guitarist Gary Lee Yoder were members of the cult proto-metal band Blue Cheer. This set "Live at the Avalon 1966" contains 14 live cuts in good sound quality for the time period. In addition it also contains four studio cuts. "Foolish Woman" a garage/psychedelic favorite and "Troubles" another band original appear here in both studio and live versions. These are the strongest group originals on the disk. The live cuts are mostly classic blues or British blues/rock covers. Versions of "You're A Better Man Than I" (Yardbirds) and "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" (Animals)and some songs by Van Morrison illustrate that their main influences were British blues/rock bands of the mid to late sixties with a California psychedelic take. Blues covers "Baby Please Don't Go" and "I'm A Man" are especially energetic. The Yardbirds-like rave-up at the end of the latter contains some Jeff Beck inspired guitar work by lead guitarist Dehner Patten with some psychedelic fuzz and distortion added by Yoder. Drummer Whaley is solid throughout and it easy to imagine why Dickie Peterson tapped him to fill the drum chair in the power trio Blue Cheer. Jim Keylor's bass is noticeable now and again weaving in and out of the guitar histrionics. Yoder's harmonica pops up occasionally and gives the proceedings a bluesier feel. The band broke up after Whaley left to join Blue Cheer. Yoder and Patten reunited to form Kak another psychedelic band before Gary Lee Yoder also joined Blue Cheer. Fans of California's psychedelic scene and rare blues/garage rock will find this to be a hidden treasure. Kudos to Ace/Big Beat for unearthing this rare psychedelic gem and providing great liner notes with a detailed history and pictures of the band. " (boogaloojeff amazon.com)

1. Mystic Eyes
2. Since You've Been Away
3. You're A Better Man Than I
4. Soul On Fire
5. I Got My Mojo Working
6. Baby Please Don't Go
7. Foolish Woman
8. Troubles
9. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
10. Today
11. Silent Woman
12. Little Girl
13. Hoochie Coochie Man
14. I'm A Man
15. Foolish Woman
16. Mind Destruction
17. The Raven
18. Troubles

Gary Yoder - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
Dehner E. Patten - Vocals, Guitar
Paul Whaley - Vocals, Drums
Jim Keylor - Vocals
Jack Hills - Saxophone
Bruce Turley - Organ

Later

Fotheringay - Fotheringay 2 (2008)

Been a long time since I posted any British folk!

38 years after the band had broken up and decades after Sandy Denny and Trevor Lucas had passed away, guitarist Jerry Donahue was given access to tapes that had been recorded for a second album. Donahue did a brilliant job of remastering the tapes, and he and the other surviving members of the band, rhythm section members Pat Donaldson & Jerry Conway, did a little discreet overdubbing. Only complaint - the use of a wildly inappropriate saxophone solo on one of the tracks. All these tracks are infinitely superior to the later versions of the songs that appeared on compilations or on Sandy Denny's solo albums. I have always loved that Fotheringay album and have to say that this is probably better. Except for that damn saxophone.

1. John The Gun
2. Eppie Moray
3. Wild Mountain Thyme
4. Knights Of The Road
5. Late November
6. Restless
7. Gypsy Davey
8. I Don't Believe You
9. Silver Threads And Golden Needles
10. Bold Jack Donahue
11. Two Weeks Last Summer

Sandy Denny - guitar, piano, vocals
Trevor Lucas - guitar, vocals
Jerry Donahue - guitar, vocals
Pat Donaldson - bass, vocals
Gerry Conway - drums

Bye!

Island - Pyrrho (1975-1976)

This is the same Swiss band that put out the excellent album "Pictures" in 1977. Not altogether sure what is going on here because there are no liner notes at all. Pyrrho was an ancient Greek philosopher and the inside cover says "Based on a story by Akron" So I'm assuming this is a concept album, maybe even written to accompany a performance of some kind. The first disc is 14 nameless tracks listed as a "home recording". The second disc is the material performed live the following year. The music is comparable to that found on "Pictures" though not as dark and obviously lacking any studio wizardry. Also there's a bass player on both discs. For archival material from 35 years ago the sound is pretty good. Complex keyboard driven progressive rock, classical/jazzy, with excellent musicianship throughout. The label, Z-Records, is actually a CD store in Switzerland and this is their only release, so I'm suspecting this is quite a rarity outside of Switzerland - well probably in Switzerland too!

Disc 1 Home Recording 1975

14 Unnamed Tracks

Güge Meier - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
Egon Eggler - Bass, Vocals
Dani Rühle - Guitar, Vocals
Beni Jäger - Lead Vocals, Percussion
Peter Scherer - Keyboards, Vocals

Disc 2 Live Version 1976

24 Unnamed Tracks

Beni Jäger - Lead Vocals, Percussion
René Fisch - Saxophone, Vocals
Alfio Sacco - Bass, Vocals
Güge Meier - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
Peter Scherer - Keyboards, Vocals

Bye!

Mogul Thrash - Mogul Thrash (1970)

"This progressive jazz-rock combo's lone release is largely of interest to John Wetton and Asia fans, as evidenced by mentions of it on various web pages throughout the net. However, it is worth noting that this group may also be of tremendous interest to all British rock, blues and jazz enthusiasts, as it sported a blinding pedigree of musical luminaries of its era. Firstly, jazz keyboardist extraordinaire, Brian Auger, produced and guest-starred on the album; he played piano on "St. Peter". Secondly, saxophonist Roger Ball, later a mainstay in the Average White Band is a well-recognised name on the British session scene, for he has contributed to the recording of albums by such prominent artists as Kiki Dee, Dana Gillespie, Bryan Ferry, Gordon Giltrap, Vinegar Joe and more. John Wetton, of course, went on to find fame and glory with such noteworthy rock acts as Roxy Music, Family, Uriah Heep, Asia, King Crimson, Wishbone Ash, and so forth. Guitarist James Litherland's name instantly brings to mind 70's jazz-rock giant Colosseum, although he's also recorded with Long John Baldry, Bandit, Alexis Korner and Leo Sayer.

The band's sound was primarily brass-driven and very jazzy, akin to the likes of Colosseum, Keef Hartley Band, If and others in the same vein; it was also greatly reliant on guitar and saxophone jamming, which has been, in turn, responsible for many a goosebump tingling down the spine of any serious prog-jazz nut worth his salt (including yours truly), over the years... Not to be missed!" (www.alexgitlin.com)

1. Something Sad (7:32)
2. Elegy (9:37)
3. Dreams Of Glass And Sand (5:07)
4. Going North, Going West (12:00)
5. St. Peter (3:39)
6. What's This I Hear (7:17)
7. Sleeping In The Kitchen (2:45)

James Litherland - Guitar and Vocal
John Wetton - Bass, Guitar and Vocal
Bill Harrison - Drums
Malcolm Duncan - Tenor Saxophone
Michael Rosen - Trumpet, Mellophone and Guitar
Roger Ball - Alto, Baritone and Soprano Saxophones
Brian Auger - Piano Track 5

See you later!

Annexus Quam - Osmose (1970)

German band Annexus Quam's first album is a strange one. Good, but strange nonetheless. A "Kosmische" stew of avant-garde, jazz fusion and rock with great lashings of guitar, and unusual use of brass and woodwind instruments and psychedelic studio effects. And then there's the wordless vocals and weird chanting! All in all a very satisfying, lysergic album probably best listened to with headphones. Damn I don't even own a pair I should really get some. Take the more jazzy parts of Pink Floyd's "Atom Heart Mother" and go all krautrocky on them and you may have an idea of what this sounds like.

1. Osmose I (4:15)
2. Osmose II (3:11)
3. Osmose III (10:36)
4. Osmose IV (18:20)

Uwe Bick - Singer, Vocals, Percussion
Jürgen Jonuschies - Bass, Vocals, Percussion
Werner Hostermann - Clarinet, Vocals, Percussion
Peter Werner - Guitar, Vocals, Percussion
Hans Kämper - Guitar, Vocals, Percussion
Ove Volquartz - Saxophone, Flute
Harald Klemm - Flute, Vocals, Percussion, Trumpet, Trombone

Bye, and have a happy Labor Day if you're American, or have a happy regular day if you're not!

Various Artists - White Lace And Strange-Heavy Psych And Power Fuzz From The USA '68-'72

"By the end of the sixties psychedelia was pretty much a spent force. Bands were looking for something simpler and more earthy. Crosby, Stills & Nash had gone all acoustic and harmonious, The Band had achieved a return to classic Americana, and James Taylor was showing the world you could be laid back and hip at the same time. However, not everyone wanted to ditch their fuzzboxes just yet. Inspired by such outfits as Cream, Blue Cheer, Hendrix and the nascent Led Zeppelin, what we have here is a collection of American bands moving sideways out of psych into something less cosmic and far heavier. This amalgam of blooze rock and heavy riffing is loud and nasty but it pre-dates metal. It’s full of attitude, but it certainly isn’t punk. It’s pretty tripped out, but it’s not really psychedelia. It’s got elements of all three, but it’s something quite unique. It’s the sound of guitar, bass and drums (and the occasional Hammond organ) just as it was meant to be, cranked up and in your face. No frills, just power chords and stomping riffs from a time before it all got bogged down by Spandex, pyrotechnic stageshows and satin tour jackets. This is old school, heavy, uncompromising guitar rock. Stamp on that Big Muff and solo till your brain drops out." (Liner notes, Nick Saloman)

1. Third Power - Persecution
2. Thunder & Roses - White Lace & Strange
3. The Hook - Dimples
4. The Power Of Zeus - It Couldn't Be Me
5. Banchee - John Doe
6. Brother Fox & The Tar Baby - Steel Dog Man
7. The Lemonade Charade - Hideaway of Your Love
8. Genesis - Angeline
9. Blue Mountain Eagle - Loveless Lives
10. Mount Rushmore - Someone Else's Games
11. The Illinois Speed Press - Get in the Wind
12. The Fields - Bide My Time
13. Road - Spaceship Earth
14. Eden's Children - Knocked Out
15. T.I.M.E. - I Think You'd Cry
16. Underbeat - Darkness
17. The Yellow Payges - I'm a Man
18. Lincoln Street Exit - Time Has Come, Gonna Die
19. The Uniques - My Babe
20. The Fort Mudge Memorial Dump - The Seventh Is Death

Oops forgot to mention, 8 Days In April is starting it's 6th year today!

Bobby Beausoleil & The Freedom Orchestra - Lucifer Rising (Early 70's)

Bobby Beausoleil was active in the underground music scenes in San Francisco and Los Angeles in the 1960's. He somehow became an associate of the Manson Family and murdered a drug dealer in 1969. Unfortunately for him, a couple of the Manson girls were with him and because of the Manson connection he was sentenced to the maximum and is still in prison today. All the music on these two discs credited to the Freedom Orchestra was created by men who were imprisoned at the State Prison in Tracy, California during the 1970's. The music is real dreamlike at times, and who knows how to dream better than a prisoner. I have scanned the entire booklet and the lengthy liner notes are a fascinating read. Or you can just google his name and get a butt-load of information on Beausoleil's involvement with Manson and film maker Kenneth Anger.

Anyway, the music;

The soundtrack on disc one walks the often dark and shadowy realms between orchestral music, experimental electronic music, and exploratory psychedelic rock. Imagine Walter Carlos jamming with the late 60’s Pink Floyd and a small rag tag orchestra and you might have an idea of what it sounds like. This is evocative, brilliant stuff that doesn’t need a film to go with it to be enjoyed. What it does need is a willingness to lay back, close your eyes and float into a lost past that had its roots in the Summer of Love, when everything was about freedom, and ended in a place where freedom was at a premium. This lost past was a time when experimenting was part of the very fabric of youthful life, and music was one thread in that vast fabric. Beausoleil’s soundtrack, with its washes of primitive electronics, raucous percussion, whooping horns, bluesy guitar, and hypnotizing organ seems both earthy and cosmic at the same time. There’s not much more that I can say about it, because no description would really accurately capture the nature of the music. This needs to be heard.

Disc two kicks off with two vintage tracks of Beausoleil’s original band, The Orkustra. The first of these recordings, Punjab’s Barber, sounds somewhat as if Sun Ra had decided to play rock music instead of jazz, still with lots of horns and a classical influence, belied only by the electric guitar snaking through the mix. The second of these, Flash Gordon, is more of an electric romp, with a touch of hoedown twang to the avant-classical rock sound. From there, we move onto The Magic Powerhouse of OZ, with their original recordings for the Lucifer Rising soundtrack from 1967. This is different music altogether from the soundtrack Beausoleil would eventually produce. This is much rougher, and doesn’t display the electronic experimentation that would form the backbone of the eventual soundtrack. Still, it’s a fascinating listen; a great, big, loud stew of rock and experimental jazz. Chaotic, almost orchestral style drumming propels 60’s electric guitar jamming while horns and a flute punch their way through the mix. Again, the avant-jazz, Sun Ra influence can be heard as the band stretches out, exploring the possibilities. This is a true and unique time capsule; a glimpse into the wild experimentation that was going on in the Summer of Love; a glorious and somewhat dark celebration of sound, freed from the constraints of rock, classical, and jazz, yet incorporating all three.

The early Freedom Orchestra sessions show considerable advancement in an early approach to the final soundtrack. The electronics are here now, and Beausoliel has taken a more dynamic and planned out approach to the sound, as it careens back and forth between minimalist electronic soundscapes to full out rock jams. The roots of the final soundtrack can be heard in this more primitive, rougher version. Still, it’s intriguing to think that inmates in a prison performed this. Beausoleil either lucked out in finding a group of prison inmates who all happened to be into taking such an way-out approach to music, or his vision truly inspired them. Either way, it makes for a fascinating trip into something almost impossible to imagine. (Jeff Fitzgerald, www.aural-innovations.com)

Disc One
1. Lucifer Rising, Pt. 1 (4:10)
2. Lucifer Rising, Pt. 2 (5:57)
3. Lucifer Rising, Pt. 3 (5:43)
4. Lucifer Rising, Pt. 4 (1:45)
5. Lucifer Rising, Pt. 5 (15:44)
6. Lucifer Rising, Pt. 6 (10:16)

Disc Two
1. The Orkustra - Punjab's Barber [excerpt] (3:02)
2. The Orkustra - Flash Gordon [excerpt] (3:08)
3. The Magick Powerhouse Of OZ - Lucifer Rising (24:21)
4. The Freedom Orchestra - Lucifer Rising Sessions (28:01)

Freedom Orchestra:

Bobby Beausoleil / Electric Guitar, Bass
Richard Sutton / Electric Keyboard, Fender-Rhodes Piano
Steve Grogan / Electric Guitar
Chuck Gordon /Bass
Randall Chalton /Drums
Andy Thurston /Drums
Tim Wills /Fender-Rhodes Piano
Herbie Rascone /Trumpet
Robert Gadbury / "Sparks"

Well gotta go, see you later!

Black Sabbath - In Concert Paris 12-19-70

Not much to say about Black Sabbath I suppose. This is an excellent quality mono soundboard recording of the band doing an inspired performance of songs from their first two albums. If you haven't listened to any old Black Sabbath lately (like me), this is a real treat. I mean, these guys started a style of rock music that has had many imitators and is still going strong today, 40 years later. Motherfuck! It still hasn't got better than their second album, Paranoid!! Thanks to the original releaser from so long ago.


1. Paranoid
2. Hand Of Doom
3. Iron Man
4. Black Sabbath
5. N.I.B.
6. Behind The Wall Of Sleep
7. War Pigs
8. Fairies Wear Boots

Ozzy Osbourne - Vocals
Tony Iommi - Guitars
Bill Ward - Drums
Geezer Butler - Bass

Later!

Alcatraz - Vampire State Building (1971)

"Talking about obscure and underrated releases, this Alcatraz album runs ahead of the pack. This album sounds as shabby and loose as a Kraut album should sound, but it is spiced with jazz, hard rocking psychedelics and some avant-garde. Or if you like, a mix of early Can, Colosseum and Soft Machine.

"Simple Headphone Mind" is a beautiful jazzy track, somewhat similar to Miles Davis' "In A Silent Way". "Your Chance of a Lifetime" is more psychedelic. Spacey guitars and rough echoing vocals complement the jazzy rhythmic standard. At the end of the track they rock out in true anarchistic kraut fashion, seemingly sloppy and unfocussed but still engaging due to its freely rocking vibe.

More heavy psychedelic blues kicks off "Where The Wild Things Are", at least till it settles for a swinging jazz groove with saxophone and guitar solos. A loose free-jazz vibe is maintained throughout. Too bad it fades out after only 3 minutes.

No such premature fade on the 13 minute "Vampire State Building". Memorable riffs and inspired soloing keep this one going effortlessly. Even the drum solo is fun. The song goes in all directions, jazzy, avant-garde, pastoral, spacey and even a part with very compelling vocals, not unlike Colosseum. "Piss Off" is full of aggressive and weird psychedelic effects. "Change Will Come" is more traditionally jazz rock.

The album art and goofy title may not have been their best idea, but the boys in the band sure know how to make a tasty, jazzy, psychedelic krautrock album. It may not be the most recognized album in the scene but they sure made a very unique album that is inspiring and enjoyable all the way."

1. Simple Headphone Mind (10:00)
2. Your Chance Of A Lifetime (5:06)
3. Where The Wild Things Are (3:03)
4. Vampire State Building (13:10)
5. Piss Off (3:18)
6. Change Will Come (6:08)

Rüdiger Berghan - Piano, Vocals
Klaus Holst - Guitar
Klaus Nagurski - Flute, Tenor Saxophone
Ronald Wilson - Bass
Jan Rieck - Drums, Percussion

OK see ya

Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, and The Mothers Of Invention - Bongo Fury (1975)

This mostly live Zappa album, featuring the added talents of avant-garde/psychedelic jazz/beat poet guru Captain Beefheart, is indescribably excellent. Zappa's band lay a lush bluesy backdrop to his and the Captain's abstract lyricism, and the performances as a whole are absolutely awesome. "Carolina Hardcore Ecstasy" will knock you off your feet, while one of my faves "Poofter's Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead" will have you in fits of laughter and amazement over the ingenious rhyming and intonation of the Captain. This joint effort is a mammoth merging of Zappa's raging musical hormones with Beefheart's outerworldly illogic, culminating in the perfect encore - "Muffin Man", which has to be heard to believed. The endless riff and the blistering solo has got to be one of Zappa's finest moments on record. This is the last recorded appearance of "The Mothers Of Invention".

1. Debra Kadabra [Live]
2. Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy [Live]
3. Sam with the Showing Scalp Flat Top [Live]
4. Poofter's Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead [Live]
5. 200 Years Old
6. Cucamonga
7. Advance Romance [Live]
8. Man with the Woman Head [Live]
9. Muffin Man [Live]

Frank Zappa – vocals, guitar
Denny Walley – vocals, slide guitar
Tom Fowler – bass, dancer
Terry Bozzio – drums
Chester Thompson – drums
Captain Beefheart – vocals, harmonica, madness
George Duke – keyboards, vocals
Napoleon Murphy Brock – saxophone, vocals
Bruce Fowler – trombone, dancer

See ya!

Drosselbart - Drosselbart (1970)

"An extremely obscure early Krautrock band with a reputation that is well justified. Their name: Drosselbart means "Itchy Beard" of all things!

According to the Long Hair Music CD reissue, with the story told by Jemima (aka "Mono" a professional singer and spouse to Paul Vincent), Drosselbart were a Munich band that she joined up with in order to prove that she could do more than m-o-r, and that she could make rock in German really work. They barely existed any longer than it took them to compose, rehearse and record the material for the album and a single. They did a few press shows and publicity stunts, but never played live. Contractual obligations meant Jemima couldn't continue with the band, and they folded soon after.

Drosselbart's sole LP is a gem. A varied but cohesive album of heavy psychedelic rock, with lots of weird touches, thick wedges of organ and strange, often outrageously overblown, songs in German. Drawing influences from both American and British 1960's styles (Vanilla Fudge and Pink Floyd mostly), they steeped their music with lots of Teutonic strangeness, akin to early Tomorrow's Gift or Eulenspygel. Although admittedly dated (it still predates much of the early similar stuff from East Germany), Drosselbart's music is still remarkably volatile and surprising, and is one of the earliest examples of the stranger side of Krautrock psychedelia." (Crack In The Cosmic Egg"

1. Inferno - Drosselbart
2. Jemima
3. Liebe ist nur ein Wort
4. Du bist der eine Weg
5. Engel des Todes
6. Böse Buben
7. Vater unser
8. Folg mir
9. Montag
10. Nach einer langen Nacht
11. Der Sommer (Inclusive Der Sturm)
Bonus tracks:
12. An einem Tag im August
13. O'Driscoll

Peter Randt - Vocals, Guitar
Jemina - Vocals
Christian Trachsel - Keyboards
Dietmar Mainka - Guitar
Werner Schüler - Bass
Martin Honemeyer - Drums
Ralf Nowy - Flute

Later!

Ainigma - Diluvium (1973)

"An obscure early band that gained recognition as one of the darkest of heavy German progressives. Little is known about Ainigma, except that they existed for some time before making their sole album DILUVIUM, and the truth is that Ainigma were actually quite typical of the more mainstream Krautrock of the era.

Ainigma played a raw and slightly messy kind of hard-edged bluesy rock, sometimes recalling Frumpy, but with a more psychedelic underlying Vanilla Fudge type sound. Lyrically though Ainigma weren't too hot, and it would have been better if they had sung in German, as the lyrics do come across as somewhat naïve. Featuring chunky organ and guitar, the instrumental feel and production style (or lack of production) draws comparisons with Necronomicon, with a similar stoned feel, featuring long tracks, extensive instrumentals, and a really gloomy atmosphere.

As a result, it's one of the better albums of its type (certainly a "grower"), and one that is definitely worthy of its reputation." (Crack In The Cosmic Egg)

1. Prejudice
2. You Must Run
3. All Things Are Fading
4. Diluvium
5. Thunderstorm
6. Diluvium (Instrumental)

Willi Klüter - Organ, Vocals
Wolfgang Netzer - Guitar, Bass, Choir
Michael Klüter - Drums
Michael Freise - Acoustic Guitar

Bye!

Siloah - Sukram Gurk (1972)

"In this album, the obscure Germans of Siloah explore a new musical direction that has almost nothing in common with the acid-bucolic-primitive-folk of their beginning. The music is highly concentrated on complex, melodic progressive rock psychedelica dominated by electric organs' powerful chords. The album is proggier and much more structured that their previous one. The opening theme starts as a humorous proggy pop ballad then carries on an ultra expressive organ section focused on serene melodies. "Magic Carpet Ride To The Alps" is a grooved out, sensual organic improvisation, strictly instrumental with a discreet experimental touch. "Feast Of The Pickpockets" is a gorgeous dream-like, spacy dramatic interlude for warm organic tones. "Stony" is another psychedelic improvisation sustained by furious keyboards and a frantic freak 'n' roll action. Obviously recommended for krautrock fans despite it's not a classic. Nicely made! " (Philippe progarchives.com)

1. Milk Blue Mind
2. Magic Carpet Ride To The Alps
3. Feast Of The Pickpockets
4. Stony
5. A Landlady's Dessert - Bonus Track
6. She Is On My Mind

Thom Argauner - Organ, Vocals
Florian Laber - Bass, Vocals
Markus Krug - Drums
Blacky Zumstein - Percussion


OK see you next week!

Siloah - Sukram Gurk (1972)

Can - Paris, 12 May 1973

Fantastic sounding bootleg featuring Can's classic lineup.

Disc One:
1. Whole People Queueing
2. One More Night

Disc 2:
1. Spoon/Stars And Lines
2. Vitamin C

Holger Czukay - Bass
Michael Karoli - Guitar
Jaki Liebezeit - Drums
Irmin Schmidt - Keyboards
Damo Suzuki - Vocals

Separate Flacs-Artwork 206 MB Is anybody downloading this - according to HotFile there have been no downloads. It's not lame or anything there should at least have been a few. Next week I think I'll go back to RapidShare even if they don't reward downloaders anymore they are still fast and reliable - and fast and easy to upload to.

Talix - Spuren (1971)

This has never been officially released on CD and the vinyl goes for big bucks. Originally released on the Vogue label, Talix's label-mates were Nosferatu and Andromeda. When I started blogging in 2005, this was a legendary album - no one in the sharity community had ever heard it. In 2006 I requested that if any of my blog visitors had this would they please share it. There was no response, which is what i expected. Then, six months later "Dave" sent me the album as separate .wav files, with covers. I couldn't believe it. Apparently it had been released as a bootleg CD at some time in the past. I posted the album in Mp3 format @ a bitrate of 320. Luckily I held on to the .wav files, this is the first time ever in a lossless format. It's been on a couple Russian torrent sites as .flac, but those are just my Mp3 files converted, I don't know why people do that. Anyway, the music - nothing here is going to shock anybody, but this is a good album of vintage German psych, very quirky, mostly based on guitar and saxophone with lashings of keyboard and flute. This was their only release as Talix - they renamed themselves Pinguin and released a real nice keyboard-based album called "Der Grosse Rote Vogel" in 1972.

01. Spuren
02. Jeder Abschied
03. Herbstbegegnung
04. Lieben, Lieben, Lieben
05. Nicht Fur Uns
06. Liebe ist das Gewohnheit
07. Oh Mann
08. Elena

Volker Plitz - Keyboards
Klaus Gebauer - Vocals
Markus Schaub - Guitar
Joe Voggenthales - Guitar
Elmar Kart - Saxophone, Flute
Tom Wohlert - Bass
K.D. Blahak - Drums

Bye!

Emma Myldenberger - Emma Myldenberger (1978)

"Initially formed by a number of street musicians in Hirschberg, 1977, with the desire to create something more than just folk music, Emma Myldenberger quickly established a rich folk-rock style, totally acoustic, featuring female vocals and a penchant for blending in many other ethnic musics than just German folk. Really, their eponymous debut was much like a throw back to the progressive Kraut-folk albums of several years earlier, akin to Bröselmaschine, Hölderlin or Emtidi, yet with an otherworldly medieval feel, embellished by Middle-Eastern ethnic musics, notably with Biber Gullatz's distinctive oboe playing, their concoction was unique. Especially, it was amazing in that everything was acoustic!

The second album, TOUR DE TRANCE, with considerably longer tracks and much more instrumental interplay, broke even more ground with a uniquely styled music that even went beyond the pioneering music of Between or the Third Ear Band, mysteriously ethnic and medieval, not really rock but with a lively rock energy, and an abundance of solos, surprising for what was still a totally acoustic ensemble. Emma Myldenberger were indeed pioneers that were pushing beyond the frontiers of established progressive, folk and world musics. But, for some unknown reason, they split before the end of the decade.

Three Emma Myldenberger members later became the nucleus of the equally innovative Radio Noisz Ensemble. Biber Gullatz is nowadays much sought after as a session musician, working in jazz, ethnic and new-age musics." (Crack In The Cosmic Egg)

01 - Narrentantz
02 - Oboenstück
03 - Emmarokkoko
04 - Unter Der Linden
05 - Fraw Emma Myldenberger
06 - Opus IV
07 - Eines Morgen
08 - In Meines Vaters Garten
09 - Colchiques
10 - Emma Myldenberger
11 - Ein Mädchen, Das Ins Wasser Fällt
12 - Polka
13 - Sauflied

Anne Goßlau - Violin, Flute, Banjo, Vocals
Biber Gullatz - Oboe, Flute, Crumhorn, Guitar, Ocarina, Glockenspiel, Vocals
Gaby Kinscherf - Vocals, Flute, Glockenspiel, Percussion
Michel Meyer - Guitar, Mandolin, Autoharp, Vocals
Reines Pauker - Guitar, Percussion, Vocals
Topsi Tkacz - Bass, Guitar, Vocals
Sepp Niemeyer - Drums, Bongos
Wastl Gassert - Congas, Percussion

EAC-Separate FLACs-Log-Cue-Scans 365 MB (Thanks to Original Releaser)

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BYE!

Plainsong - In Search Of Amelia Earhart (1972)

"By 1972 Ian Matthews had played in four different incarnations within three years. He’d left Fairport Convention for his own band, Ian Matthews Southern Comfort, put out two solo LPs for Vertigo Records, and then started the band Plainsong.

It is probably fair to say that Plainsong - In Search Of Amelia Earhart is the pinnacle of his work in the ’70s. Working with producer Sandy Robertson (Hard Meat, Steeleye Span, Shirley Collins), Ian and bandmates, notably Andy Roberts who shared vocals on the album created an a-typical British folk album conceived around the idea of the legends surrounding Amelia Earhart and her supposed demise. Not all of the songs on the album are directly about Amelia Earhart. But the album carries that somber, mellow tone that so much great folk music of the early ’70s was in touch with. Many of the songs are about seeing and reaching for light, whether they be the light of day or the light of death. So in a way the album is more about the way people felt about, cared about and thought about Amelia Earhart and her death. That she is still considered a heroine of aviation and a distinctly american hero keeps the mystery of what happened to her in the greater cultural imagination.

Matthews and mates’ album does a great job of melding the more roots style of American folk with his rockier British folk sound on the album, even including a southern gospel tune, “I’ll Fly Away.” While Matthews has five originals on the album, they all sound perfectly in tune with the covers the band performs.

I think the best cover on the album is of Judy Henske’s “Raider.” Matthews brings a distinctly British folk vibe to this American’s gothic folk tune. It is a near perfect British/American acid folk creation.

Had Plainsong truly lasted as a band, their’s no doubt they’d be known as something akin to the British Eagles. But alas, someone’s drinking problem (just whose is never mentioned) got in the way, the band argued, broke up, and never toured the album or made another. This album is a truly great find, search for it and you’ll be rewarded." (Terry Miller lineout.thestranger.com)

1. For the Second Time
2. Yo Yo Man
3. Louise
4. Call the Tune
5. Diesel on My Tail
6. Amelia Earhart's Last Flight
7. I'll Fly Away
8. True Story of Amelia Earhart
9. Even the Guiding Light
10. Side Roads
11. Raider

Ian Matthews - Guitar, Vocals
Dave Richards - Keyboards, Vocals
Andy Roberts - Guitar, Vocals
Bob Ronga - Bass, Vocals

Separate Flacs-Covers 280 Mb

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OK see ya

Mythos - Mythos (1971)

"Mythos were one of the finest of Berlin bands, yet were unfairly overlooked by most of the media. Maybe this was because of the group's leader Stephan Kaske's most unusual strongly accented vocals, who like Jürgen Dollase of Wallenstein, often came across as a strange Kraut Peter Hammill! Aside from his odd vocals, Stephan was also a highly talented multi-instrumentalist, and a visionary.

Mythos were fine purveyors of cosmic Krautrock, covering ground from space-tripping Pink Floyd via Ash Ra Tempel, onto Hawkwind and further by also blending in classical and ethnic themes. Science fiction themes were used as basis for lyrics, though, especially so on the eponymous debut. But the music came first. A magical album, full of invention, yet all the more memorable for the ecological sci-fi proverb that ends the opus "Encyclopedia Terrae"... (Crack In The Cosmic Egg)

"An outstanding first album by the very underground Mythos. Released at the beginning of the 70s, this self title album is in the direct line of the musical inspiration developed in the early years of german krautrock scene for the mythic OHR label. This is a complex german rock music featuring strange vocals, folk & spacey-electronic arrengements to create a very dreamy and mysterious musical universe... It can aslo be a great introduction to the most obscure side of Krautrock. " (phillipe progarchives.com)

"The debut album by Germany's MYTHOS is a pure unadulterated classic space-prog album draped over 5 lush tracks. There are truly many cosmic charms to this space bracelet with some wild nubulas , space vibes and jams. Vocals are slightly distorted when used and somewhat modulated giving the listen a real outer worldly space feel. MYTHOS are clearly lost somewhere in the COSMIC JOKERS / ASH RA TEMPEL camp with dreamy dreamy psych/folk/prog landscapes. MYTHOS manage to create some pretty heavenly space atmospheres with some fantastic synthesizer, flute, spacey guitar and mellotron work throughout. For me this album ranks as a complete album and one of my personal favs from the space-prog category. A definite piece of creative vinyl. " (loserboy progarchives.com)

1. Mythoett (3:08)
2. Oriental Journey (8:16)
3. Hero's Death (9:47)
4. Encyclopedia Terra Part 1 (10:17)
5. Encyclopedia Terra Part 2 (7:24)

Thomas Hildebrand - Drums, Percussion
Stephan Kaske - 6 & 12-string Guitars, Sitar, Flute, Synth, Vocals
Harald Weiße - Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Effects

EAC-Separate FLACs-Covers 246 MB

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Bye!

Steppenwolf - Fillmore West 8-27-68

I was rooting through my stash of data discs looking for something to put on the blog and I found this awesome bootleg that I must have downloaded at least 5 years ago! Maybe longer. Looks like this show was just a couple weeks after "Born To Be Wild" hit the airwaves, and the band is in top form. The sound quality is great for a soundboard recording more than 40 years old! The band is rockin, these guys could really jam, a great live band. A 9+ minute version of "Born To Be Wild". Woo-Hoo!

"Led by John Kay (born Joachim Krauledat, April 12, 1944), Steppenwolf's blazing biker anthem "Born to Be Wild" roared out of speakers everywhere in the fiery summer of 1968, John Kay's threatening rasp sounding a mesmerizing call to arms to the counterculture movement rapidly sprouting up nationwide. German immigrant Kay got his professional start in a bluesy Toronto band called Sparrow, recording for Columbia in 1966. After Sparrow disbanded, Kay relocated to the West Coast and formed Steppenwolf, named after the Herman Hesse novel. "Born to Be Wild," their third single on ABC-Dunhill, was immortalized on the soundtrack of Dennis Hopper's underground film classic Easy Rider. The song's reference to "heavy metal thunder" finally gave an assignable name to an emerging genre. Steppenwolf's second monster hit that year, the psychedelic "Magic Carpet Ride," and the follow-ups "Rock Me," "Move Over," and "Hey Lawdy Mama" further established the band's credibility on the hard rock circuit. By the early '70s, Steppenwolf ran out of steam and disbanded. Nevertheless, they'll be remembered for generations to come for creating one of the ultimate gas'n'go rock anthems of all time." (allmusic.com)

Disc One:
101-Your Wall's Too High (12:50)
102-John Kay Remarks (2:01)
103-Hoochie Coochie Man (5:51)
104-Born To Be Wild (9:13)
105-Desperation (6:20)
106-The Ostrich (9:13)
Disc 2:
201-Tighten Up Your Wig (4:19)
202-Disappointment Number (Unknown) (4:14)
203-Lost And Found By Trial And Error (2:43)
204-Hodge Podge, Strained Through A Leslie (10:11)
205-Resurrection (2:29)
206-Baby Please Don't Go (10:30)
207-The Pusher (6:09)

John Kay - vocals, guitar, harp
Michael Monarch - guitar
Goldy McJohn - keyboards
Rushton Moreve (aka John Russell Morgan) - bass, vocals
Jerry Edmonton - drums, vocals

Separate FLACs-Covers 442 MB

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Later!

Irmin's Way - Opus; Destroy (1976)

"A rediscovery in the mid-1990's, Irmin's Way were an obscure mid-1970's Anglo-German band who recorded an LP in 1976, that remained unreleased and lost until 1995. There's a good deal of mystery about them, except that the band were originally known under a different name, and at the request of the musicians the original name and identity of the musicians has never been disclosed. If this all turns out to be a hoax, it's certainly a convincing one.

For the album release they took on the name Irmin's Way, after the Saxon God that slew a dragon, a name that befitted the album as a conceptual opus steeped in mythology. In the classic tradition of Krautrock bands of the era, Irmin's Way notably drew on the cosmic side of Pink Floyd, close to Belgian's Dragon, or towards Gäa's psychedelic space-tripping. A touch amateurish, i.e. rough 'n' ready, and not that well produced, it is nonetheless a classic of the genre.

According to info from Martin Heide, he says that the real name of Irmin's Way was Tin Pan Alley. Apparently the Ege Sound Studio still exists, and resident engineer Dieter Ege still works there." (Crack In The Cosmic Egg"

Past & Present
Eremite
Alone
Opus; Destroy

EAC-Separate FLACs-Covers 297MB

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Not my rip - thanks to the original uploader/releaser.

Bye!

Deaf - Alpha (1970-1972)

"The Swiss import LP reissue of Alpha brings one of the most interesting, obscure German progressive albums of the early '70s back into print, with all its excitement and intrigue intact. Side one, recorded live between 1970 and 1972, offers some of the wickedest, most chaotic Krautrock moments ever, aside from the one rather conventional (and, by comparison to the rest of the music, rather blasé) blues-based rock number. "No Time" is built out of hypnotic, tribal Can-like beats and free jazz freakouts, while the highly melodic prog keyboards keep the song moving forward. The vocals on "The Galactic Pack of Fönds Kari" are virtually indecipherable (not unlike Damo Suzuki's with Can), but the song speaks volumes on its own, with jump cuts between pop melodic moments and a section stripped to minimalistic Middle Eastern flair. The mammoth title track that takes up the whole second side of the LP (appropriately labeled "The Psychedelic Journey") is where the band turns especially ambitious. At an astounding 22 and a half minutes, the track does its inspiration -- Ravel's Bolero -- proud. It is psychedelic in the true sense of the word, conjuring up an imminently strange wind. The jam sets and maintains an acid-inoculated tone that meanders through demonic medieval chants, exotic Arabic rhythms, strains of organ exorcised from a dark Christian fugue, harnessed feedback, Renaissance orchestration, some progressive Brit-folk strumming, spacy sound effects, and accelerated circus music. Although it does occasionally drift out of focus and is virtually without melody or motif, the song is surprisingly deliberate. By creating a wealth of space, it even provides a sort of disorienting, long-form narrative that a lot of music passing for psychedelia never manages. Since Alpha was only pressed in a limited run the first time around, even most devotees of Krautrock have probably never heard this music. Needless to say, if you can find the 1994 Black Rills reprint, it's well worth it." (Stanton Swihart, All Music Guide)

A few years back I was lucky enough to get a mint copy of the 1994 LP issue from Black Rills Records, and last year I had it professionally transferred to CDR. Aside from one small private forum this is the first time that a quality lossless version has ever appeared on the internet - this is a special gift to my visitors, some of whom have followed this blog for almost five years! I'd still like to keep this kind of rare so I'll delete this post in one week.

1. No Time
2. Run You Off The Hill
3. The Galactic Pack Of Fönds Kari
4. Alpha

Dany Rühle - Guitars, Vocals
Bert Buchmann - Bass
Jack R. Conrad - Flute, Vocals
Jelly M. Pastorini - Organ, Vocals
Güge Jürg Meier - Drums, Percussion

EAC-Separate FLACs-Log-Cue-Covers (Photos) 270MB

Part 1__Part 2__Part 3

Bye!

Haze - Hazecolor-Dia (1971)

"Historically undocumented, there's not a lot we can tell you about Haze. However, Bacillus Records must have deemed them as important, in that they presented the LP in a unique cover - an LP size transparency slide (known as a "dia" in Germany) in the style used by Agfa!

Haze were amongst the first to present the uniquely German "hard-rock" sound, into which they mixed a complex variety of progressive elements, featuring guitars to the fore and quite a bizarre vocalist. They were also typical of the Bacillus Records sound, if more song based than most, venturing on to psychedelic and blues realms.

The sole album released by Haze featured another of those extraordinary artwork sleeves designed by Walter Seyffer of Nine Days' Wonder fame. It was made to look exactly like a slide picture, complete with die-cut cover and an attached transparency picture center of the group Haze on both its front and back covers. What you get here is a photo reproduction of that artwork. Hazecolor-Dia was a Hauke & Dierks production, recorded during April 1971 at the Clerks Studio. All five tracks were written by Dietmar Low. Slow, cleverly-arranged heavy progressive rock numbers, psychedelically fueled with a faint blues tinge, featuring humorous lyrics: A Way To Find Paradise told about a hippy's struggle to get his hashish to smoke! Scherler really had a strange and wild voice (he usually screamed as loudly as he could), adding much to their gutsy freak rock style. Several tracks also featured flute (the flute player is not identified on the cover). Haze, in part, seem to draw inspiration from The Edgar Broughton Band, Arthur Brown, and Captain Beefheart. Their album is recommended for all freak rock fans!" (Crack In The Cosmic Egg)

Kurt Frei - Drums
Christian Scherler - Vocals
Hans-Jürg Frei - Guitar, Organ
Dietmar Löw - Bass
Heinz Schwab - Lead Guitar

01. Peaceful nonsense
02. Fast career
03. Be yourself
04. A way to find the paradise
05. Decision

EAC-Separate FLACs-Log-Scans 301MB

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Bye!

Sameti - Sameti (1972)

"A collection of Munich musicians fronted by Christian "Shrat" Thiele (born 29/3/1946, in Unterpolling) the former Amon Düül II vocalist/percussionist. The band was originally known as Konsameti, and existed over a year before the debut LP, with a constantly changing line-up. In fact, with the two albums billed as Sameti, only Shrat was in common, and as such they amounted to two very different bands...

The original band produced a music with trippy Amon Düül II and bluesy Hawkwind stylings, and in fact the whole album sounds as though it was made in an acid haze. It is especially notable for the stunning tripped-out improvised LP side-long work "Anotherwaytoseeimprovisation". Shrat's vocals, only heard rarely in Amon Düül II, come across as most strange, adding a unique touch to a highly derivative, but most enjoyable, blend of Krautrock styles." (Crack In The Cosmic Egg)

"After the recording of Amon Duul's "Yeti", Dave Anderson leaves the band to join Hawkwind. Dieter Serfas and Christian Shart do the same and decide to form their own project called Sameti in Munich in 1971.. Their first album released for Metronome in 1972 is a great mixture of Hawkwind and Amon Düül II trippy styles with long psych improvisations and a couple of more structured heavy rock songs. For this first musical essay the band features members of Embryo and Amon Düül II with special guests as Robert Eliscu (Popol Vuh) and Jurgen Benz." (progarchives.com)

1. Get Up
2. The Useless Appendix
3. Big Fat Brother Joint
4. To My Confidential Lady
5. Anotherwaytoseeimprovisation

Klaus Götzner - Drums
Walter Bratengeier - Guitar
Eckart Voggenreiter - Bass
Shrat - Vocals, Congas
Bob Eliscu - Oboe, Flute
Jürgen Benz - Saxophone

EAC-Separate FLACs-LOG- Covers

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Don't remember where I got this - thanks to original releaser/uploader!

Bye!

Cornucopia - Full Horn (1973)

"Here is a real nugget from the golden underground German Krautrock era. Fans of AMON DUUL II will likely very much dig this recording with its big sound and heavy progressive tendencies. Musically this album is areal stonker with great bass and guitar lines, keyboard wizardry and a strange overall presence. Album ''Centerpiece'' is the epic 20 mins "Day Of A Daydreambeliever" which mixes VAN DER GRAAF darkness and borrows the musical wierdness from cousins AMON DUUL II. Lead vocalist Wolfgang Kause (Gurker The Goat) has a great voice and very much fits the music. This album also offers a great big and wide sound with fantastic production qualities and excellent speaker seperation. Overall a fantastic album and I would highly recommend to anyone who is into the Krautrock thing! " (loserboy progarchives.com)

1. Day of a Day-Dream Believer (19:50)
- a. Humanoid Robot Show
- b. Hope - Part One
- c. Disillusion
- d. Hope - Part Two
- e. Death of a Clown
- f. D-d-daily Review
- g. Night, Night - Mankind's Motor-Dream
- h. The Sound of National Caughing
2. Morning Sun (version 127) (3:07)
3. Spots On You, Kids (12:37)
4. And the Madness... (4:05)

Wolfgang Bartl - Bass, Backing Vocals
Wolfgang Gaudes - Drums, Percussion, Acoustic Guitar
Christoph Hardwig - Keyboards, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Rudy Holzhauer - Percussion, Troot
Wolfgang Kause - Lead Vocals
Harry Koch - Effects, Percussion, Voice
Kai Henrik Möller - Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals
Jochen Petersen - Saxophones, Flute, Guitar

EAC-Separate FLACs-Log-Scans 297 MB

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Bye!

Guru Guru - Radio Bremen 9-21-71

Recorded on 9-21-71 for Radio Bremen's "Jazz Concert" radio show, this is Guru Guru's classic line-up doing some of their best tunes. The recording is very high quality, this is a great show! Got from a torrent about a year ago, thanks to the original releaser.

1. Program Intro - 1:06
2. Der LSD Marsch - 23:29
3. Bo Diddley - 22:18
4. Spaceship - 16:00

Mani Neumeier - Drums, Vocals, Tapes
Uli Trepte - Bass
Ax Genrich - Guitar

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Bye!

Satin Whale - Desert Places (1974)

"A late addition to the first wave of Krautrock, Satin Whale were no doubt influenced by many of the bands that had preceded them: Jane, Sahara, Os Mundi, et al., blending powerful rock ballads with dramatic instrumentals that featured classical and jazz elements, and a notable comparison with Camel and Canterbury bands, in the use of keyboards and flute.

Their debut on Brain DESERT PLACES is a fine example of this genre, featuring lengthy tracks with surging instrumentals, complex arrangements and quite an individual song style. The strong keyboards, flute and saxophone, all add up to an impressive concoction." (Crack In The Cosmic Egg)

"First album by this rather late Krautrock band was undoubtedly their very best one. Actually the only point of criticism one could quote is the fact that it might have sounded already a bit dated in its year of release. Being much in the vein of early Tull, Iron Butterfly, Cream or The Doors the tracks presented here are a wonderful demonstration of this early Art Rock or Proto-Prog style. The title song is the one reminding the most to Tull with a soaring flute and heavy organ. It's a very powerful and grooving one with a sort of psychedelic blues guitar play that's bringing Cream back to mind. "Seasons Of Life" is even in a stronger psychedelic vein, kinda The Doors meet Cream or Iron Butterfly, very groovin' stuff as well. This record doesn't let your foot stand still only for one second. Though it might be not considered as that much progressive for the year of 1974. (progarchives.com)

1. Desert Places (6:48)
2. Seasons Of Life (6:41)
3. Remember (9:38)
4. I Often Wondered (7:15)
5. Perception (12:56)

Thomas Brück - Bass, Vocals
Gerald Dellmann - Keyboards
Dieter Roesberg - Guitars, Saxophone,Flute, Vocals
Horst Schöffgen - Drums

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Later!

Brave New World - Impressions On Reading Aldous Huxley (1972)

"Exceptional psych-electronic rock experimentations by another obscure 70's band from Germany. This album is said to be inspired by Aldous Huxley's famous, enchanting writings & mystical philosophy. It's clear that the entirety of the album is assured by a vast arsenal of weird incantations and deep hallucinogenic effects. The content is very colourful, luminous, eclectic and perfectly orchestrated. Nothing is linear or boring and the psych grooves work like magic. It's not easy to understand in one listening the complexity of this release. In some aspects it tends to be near to kraut-experimentations but without the sinister vibe, the ambiences provided are rather optimistic and enthusiastic. The prologue is based on dream-like flute lines and tranced out organic drones. "Alpha Beta Gamma" is an epic, progressive space-rock composition dominated by soft, pop, floating sounding improvisations. "Lenina" is an enigmatic, fragile, celestial song for the flute, moody bass lines, a beautiful aire. "Soma" is a really stoned, kraut, outer space experience, featuring a lot of intergalactic electronic sounds and a massive rocking energy! "The End" is the central piece here, a majestic "cosmic" rock essay with lot of guitars, sax, dreamy flutes and weird effects. Epilogue is a recitation. A mesmeric, highly inspired psychedelic album. A little classic! " (Phillippe progarchives.com)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"A short-lived Hamburg based supergroup project, featuring Irishman John O'Brien-Docker, formerly of Die City Preachers and Marcel, and jazzer Herb Geller, along with a few top local rock and pop musicians.

Brave New World's whole oeuvre was the concept of the Aldous Huxley science fiction novel. An unlikely "supergroup" - and remarkably - the music they created was unprecedented and original. Brave New World blended styles, in such an unlikely manner, and notably during the opening of side two's big opus, hinting at the music later created by the likes of Art Zoyd or Univers Zero. Virtually instrumental, blending medieval musics, electronics, jazz and rock in a dazzlingly complex fusion, a big step beyond early Between, with the Krautrock feel of Annexus Quam, Achim Reichel, Tomorrow's Gift, et al. And, dig that over-amplified Stylophone! An all-time Krautrock classic." (Crack In The Cosmic Egg)

1. Prologue (1:01)
2. Alpha Beta Gamma Delta (7:38)
3. Lenina (4:21)
4. Soma (5:18)
5. Malpais Corn Dance (3:24)
6. The End (17:42)
7. Epilogue (1:28)

Dicky Tarrach - Drums, Percussion
Lucas Lindholm - Bass, Bass Fiddle, Organ, Piano
Herb Geller - Flutes, Cor Anglais, Saxes (Alto, Soprano & Tenor), Organ
Reinhart Firchow - Recorders, Flutes, Ocarina, Stylophone, Percussion, Vocals
John O'Brien-Docker - Guitars, Organ, Percussion, Vocals, Wind Chimes
Esther Daniels - Vocals

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Dexter Gordon, Wardell Gray - Citizens Bop (1946-1952)

I didn't have anything uploaded for this week so I though I'd throw this in - a little off the beaten path for 8 Days, it's awesome music though I'm sure some of you will be glad to get it!

"In November 1946, tenor saxophonist Wardell Gray led a bop quartet that recorded for Sunset Records in Hollywood. The group featured Dodo Marmarosa on piano (who was living on the West Coast at the time after leaving Artie Shaw's band a year earlier); Red Callender on bass; and Chuck Thompson on drums.

Among the tracks recorded that day was Easy Swing, which has a bop line that's virtually identical to Charlie Parker's Steeplechase. Except Steeplechase wasn't recorded yet by Bird and wouldn't be until September 1948. Talk about Bird taking something home from the West Coast after his stay at Camarillo State Hospital! Or perhaps Bird gave the bop line to Wardell for his recording date. We'll never know.

Flash forward to June 1952. Wardell Gray and tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon get together at Swing Time records for another one of their famed tenor battle sessions. The group featured Gerry Wiggins on piano and organ, Red Callender on bass, and Chuck Thompson on drums.

The reason I mention both sessions is that they are fabulous and are available on one CD, which I spotted a week ago tucked away under Wardell Gray's name at iTunes.

The $11.98 download (and CD available on the web) is called Citizens Bop (Black Lion) and offers 12 tracks from three different dates. If you're a fan of Dexter's and Wardell's, and of West Coast bop, this download is breathtaking for the ideas that pour forth and the quality of the remastered sound. I found the Wardell Gray Quartet session from 1946 to be one of Wardell's strongest and most inventive outings.

Most importantly, there are two ballads on this download—one featuring Dexter and the other Wardell.

The Dexter ballad is My Kinda Love (1952) and is one moody, masterpiece with a fabulous tag at the end. Dexter's solo is pure smoke and gives you a hint of where he is heading artistically and where he winds up later in the decade and in the 1960s.

The Wardell ballad is The Man I Love (1946)—but Wardell never once plays the melody as written. Instead, he invents a completely new song off the cuff as the rhythm section comps the chord changes. Seriously smart stuff.

These two tracks, along with the other 10, represent a vivid and spirited West Coast bop document. I spent the last four days listening to the CD several times at each sitting. Despite repeated playing, I never once found myself bored or disappointed.

The CD's only flaw—and it's minor—is Jingle Jangle Jump, a holiday-season jump boogie featuring Wardell and Dexter and a vocal by Gladys Bentley. (Bentley was an openly gay blues singer in the 1920s and 1930s who performed in men's clothes and relocated to California in the 1940s, where she recorded and sang at clubs.) Jingle features upbeat tenor solos, but it's too much of a novelty number for this CD.

Otherwise, the Wardell Gray/Dexter Gordon CD is bop perfect from start to finish." (jazzwax.com)

1. The Rubaiyat—Wardell and Dexter (1952)
2. My Kinda Love—Dexter ballad (1952)
3. Citizens Bop—Wardell and Dexter (1952)
4. One for Prez—Wardell (1946)
5. Jingle Jangle Jump—Wardell + Dexter (1952) w/ vocal
6. Dell's Bells—Wardel (1946)
7. I Hear You Knockin'—Wardell (1952) mimics the early r&b; tenor sound popular then
8. The Man I Love—Wardell (1946)
9. Easy Swing—Wardell (1946)
10. Man with a Horn—Maurice Simon on bari (1952)
11. Blue Lou—Wardell (1947) with Erroll Garner on piano
12. The Rubaiyat—alternate take

Dexter Gordon - Tenor Sax
Wardell Gray - Tenor Sax
Gerry Wiggins - Piano, Organ
Red Callender - Bass
Chuck Thompson - Drums
Gladys Bentley - Vocal track 5
Maurice Simon - Baritone Sax track 10
Dodo Marmarosa - Piano
Erroll Garner - Piano
Jackie Mills - Drums

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 214MB

Part 1__Part 2

Later!

German Oak - Nibelungelied (1972-1976)

"The dark German collective back with completely catchy kraut-improvisations. All tracks deliver menacing heavy, fuzzy psychedelic moments that merit a serious listening. After their amazing and most popular effort, "Nibelungenlied" stresses the free-sonic-destruction dimension of their music. The sound is always dominated by screaming / electric bluesy guitar parts, sound experiments and macabre keyboards effects. "The heroic deeds of Siegfried" is a dark and minimalist, melancholic composition with a subtle "medieval" flavour. The savage percussion announces a delicate, simplistic guitar sequence in a moody tone. "Nibelungenlied I" is an agressive, dynamic guitar orientated composition, featuring really hypnotic, rocking sequences; all in improvisation with a repetitive bass line and some vicious guitar solos. "Gunter & Brunhild", "Hagen von Tronje" & "Siegfried's death" are bluesy-kraut jams with wha wha effects and strangely doomy, sinister atmospheres. Heavy, complex, weird & cool! A "poisoning" masterpiece. This album only has to be avoided by those who can't support an extremely poor, imperfect sound production" (Philippe progarchives.com)

1. The Heroic Deeds Of Siegfried
2. Nibelungenlied I
3. Gunter & Brunhild
4. Hagen von Tronje
5. Siegfried's Death
6. Dankwart, Ruediger & Hildebrand
7. Dietrich von Bern
8. Nibelungenlied II
9. Lament

Franz - Guitar, Vocals
Harry - Bass
Leo - Drums
Ulli - Guitar

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 295MB

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Bye!

Climax Blues Band - The Harvest Years 69-72

"Following on the spurs of the British Blues Boom at the end of the sixties was The Chicago Climax Blues Band, shortly after shortened to Climax Blues Band, a little bit underrated and often overlooked band with among others a really outstanding guitarplayer Peter Haycock (who left the band in the beginning of the eighties). This album is a compilation of the highlights from their 3 years (EMI) Harvest-label period, in which short time 5 studio-albums saw the daylight, from which all the songs here are culled. The LP dates from 1975 and had 11 songs on it, this is now on CD expanded to 16. There is an ear for everyone. From straight blues ("Please Don't Help Me", the instrumental "Flight") to heavy rock ("Reap What I Sowed", with soarin guitarplay, "You Make Me Sick") till catchy acoustic folk-pop tinged tunes like "Mole on the Dole" and "That's All", wich proves that this band is undeserved underestimated. They knew how to write and perform a song and also how to play live (hear for yourself on the also excellent "FM/Live" concertalbum, recorded in one take). As a start to get known to this band may serve this compilation. I am sure that upon repeated listening you not only will enjoy this but also make you look out for the original studioalbums which are on CD available (some of which have also bonustracks) and maybe take an interest in their later efforts. This is alltime great music from a great band. They do still exist these days but have only one or two original members, if I am well informed. But from the time way back this album is a fitting document of how good this band actually was. Strongly recommended, even after more than 30 years." (J. Talsma amazon.com)

1. Please Don't Help Me
2. Hey Baby, Everything's Gonna Be Alright Yeh Yeh Yeh
3. Everyday
4. Towards the Sun
5. You Make Me Sick
6. Reap What I've Sowed
7. Shake Your Love
8. Looking for My Baby
9. Flight
10. Mole on the Dole
11. That's All
12. Take Out Some Insurance
13. Wee Baby Blues
14. Crazy 'Bout My Baby
15. Alright Blue
16. Cut You Loose

Colin Cooper - Harmonica, Clarinet, Saxophone, Vocals
John Cuffley - Drums
Peter Filleul - Keyboards, Vocals
Peter Haycock - Guitar, Vocals
Derek Holt - Bass, Guitar, Vocals
Richard Jones - Keyboards
George Newsome - Drums
Art Wood - Keyboards

Part 1__Part 2__Part 3

Later

Lamb - A Sign Of Change (1970)

"The minor San Francisco group Lamb tend to be remembered only for their appearance on the Fillmore: The Last Days concert album, where they were one of several non-star artists on a set dominated by bigger names like the Grateful Dead, Santana, and Boz Scaggs. The band did actually put out three albums in the early 1970s, however, and were quite an interesting group. Not only were they not readily comparable to other acts on the San Francisco rock circuit, but it's debatable whether they could be fairly categorized as a rock band at all. Their music blended jazz, folk, singer-songwriter pop, gospel, and even some classical and avant-garde influences. Certainly the dominant figure was singer Barbara Mauritz, whose bluesy and earthy vocals had considerable resonance, but which could also traverse the band's frequently mystical, poetic lyrics with much delicacy and nuance. Reminiscent in spots of such varied artists as Tim Buckley, Judy Collins (in her art-song phase), David Ackles, and Savage Rose (in that band's most gospel-soaked period), their records were ultimately idiosyncratic enough to defy ready comparison to anyone. And they were, too, ultimately too inaccessible to make much commercial impact, despite plenty of tracks of considerable power, beauty, and enigma. Lamb were formed by the duo of Texan singer Mauritz and multi-instrumentalist (though primarily guitarist) Bob Swanson, who with Swanson (writing both separately and together) was responsible for the band's material. They attracted attention in San Francisco when they opened for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young for a few nights at Winterland in November 1969. Impresario Bill Graham became their manager, and producer David Rubinson, who had worked with notable groups such as Santana and Moby Grape, acted in that capacity for their first record. Their debut album on the Fillmore label, A Sign of Change, was perhaps their most uncompromising and experimental, relying largely on jazz-folk acoustic arrangements and spotlighting Mauritz's impressive voice on impressionistic, dream-like lyrics. They moved over to Warner Brothers (while retaining Rubinson as executive producer) for the follow-up Cross Between, which moved toward slightly more mainstream rock arrangements and a more pronounced gospel feel on several tracks. Yet others were throwbacks to the first album in their obscure but enchanting poesy, sometimes owing more to a classical-influenced art song tradition than conventional pop music. Lamb went yet further toward gospel-rockish material on their third and final album, Bring Out the Sun, which was their most mainstream outing, though hardly mainstream overall, with a couple of tracks again giving vent to their more experimental jazz-folk-classical side. The LP was co-billed to Lamb and Barbara Mauritz, though Swanson was still involved as a composer and instrumentalist on much of the material. Whether or not this co-billing was intended as a transition from Lamb to a solo career, Mauritz was soon recording as a solo, putting out Music Box for Columbia. Her solo career didn't take off, however, although she continued to perform and write (composing the music for many commercials). In the mid-1980s, Bob Swanson returned full-time to photography. [The Lamb founded by Swanson and Mauritz, incidentally, had no relation to either the Christian rock band Lamb that began to record later in the 1970s, or the drum'n'bass duo Lamb that began recording in the late 1990s." (Richie Unterberger - All Music Guide)

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"From Beaumont, Texas originally, Barbara Mauritz was born into a very musical family that claims Gypsy blood. At the age of four she began playing piano and at fifteen started playing in the local clubs. There she met artists like Edgar and Johnny Winter and Janis Joplin, the latter being a close friend of Barbara's sister.

A year later, Barbara moved first to Houston, where she opened for Lightning Hopkins and The American Blues, and then New Orleans. Around this time she started playing guitar and composing songs, but it wasn't long before the attractive "new sounds" coming out from California led her to settle in San Francisco.

There she formed Lamb with Bob Swanson and after being spotted by producer David Rubinson, got to open for CSN & Y at the Winterland for four nights. Suitably impressed, Bill Graham took Lamb under his wing. In 1969 their first album for the Fillmore label, A Sign Of Change was released. Still today it has a unique and very distinctive sound, enhanced by the unusual instrumentation: classical guitars, upright bass, cello, flute, oboe and Barbara's beautiful voice. Traveler's Observation, In My Dreams and The Odyssey of Ehram Spickor are real gems of acoustic psych-rock." (Fuzz Acid & Flowers"

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"First of three albums, this was released 1970, followed by 2nd album Bring Out The Sun, and 3rd album, Cross Between, none of which have yet been available on CD.

Great vocals, dreamy folky bluesy jazzy swirl of songs, minor key, classically tinged, very melodic; not too different than Tim Buckley's Blue Afternoon, Lorca, etc. with a little bit of the haunting Jefferson Airplane (Triad, Wooden Ships, Lather, etc,).

Very dry production, but Barbara Mauritz's awesome voice and band's acoustic chamber pop attack give this a dreamy otherworldly feel.

A true forgotten gem..." (zphage amazon.com)

1. Traveler's Observation
2. Adventures of the Incredible Mr. Sandman
3. In My Dreams
4. Barbara's Soul II
5. Odyssey of Ehram Spickor
6. Preacher's Holiday
7. Where I'm Bound

Barbara Mauritz - Vocals, Guitar, Tambourine
Bob Swanson - Guitar
Bill Douglass - Bass
David Litwin - Wind & String Arrangements
Walter Rapaport - Shepherd
Diva Goodfriend-Koven - Flute
Robert Hubbard - English Horn
Douglas Blumenstock - Cello
Ed Bogas - Viola

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 222MB

Bye!

Demon Thor - Written In The Sky (1974)

"The project of one Tommy Fortman (Englishified version of his real name), Demon Thor were more a borderline pop-rock band on the whole, with a very Anglo-American style. Their finest moment was the conceptual opus WRITTEN IN THE SKY, of which the side-long title track was full of invention, mainly due to being aided by a number of notorious Krautrock musicians, for an apocalyptic rock-opera suite drawing-in elements of the Twenty Sixty Six And Then and Emergency styles. It would be really good if it weren't for the dreadful "gospel" singers towards the end!" (Crack In The Cosmic Egg)

"Essentially the project of British singer/composer/mutli-instrumentalist Tommy Fortman, this second Demon Thor album assembles some sizable Anglo/German/Swiss talent. Guest vocals are handled by Geff Harrison (formerly of I Drive and the legendary Twenty Sixty Six and Then, later with Kin Ping Meh), Peter Bischof (ex-Orange Peel, later with Emergency and Munich) and Gita Walter (don’t know anything about her, but she’s a fine and authoritative rock vocalist). In such illustrious company, Fortman’s own vocals can’t help but seem paltry by comparison, but he’s far from bad, just not in the same league.

This is another album like the Gash album, with one side an absolutely mindblowing, orchestrated suite, and the other side full of junky songs that are an utter waste of time. Especially “Pink Mary,” which is one of the dumbest songs ever written. Though I have a soft spot for “For One Little Moment”, as it’s a spotlight piece for Peter Bischof, and I’ve always been fond of his voice. And “Sweet Caroline” (a Geff Harrison spotlight tune) gets in some of that sumptuous phase-shifting that was Dieter Dierks’ production trademark." (Progbear, last.fm)

1. Written In The Sky
2. Pink Mary
3. For One Little Moment
4. Good Morning
5. Sweet Caroline

Tommy Fortman - Vocals, Instruments
Stephen Nuesch - Organ
Claude Thoman - Drums
Geff Harrison - Vocals
Peter Bischof - Vocals
Gita Walter - Narrator
Veit Marvos - Electric Piano, Synthesizer
Oliver Freytag - Vocals

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 249MB OK bye!