Track of The Day - Steven Wilson

My choice for today is Deform to Form a Star from Steven Wilsons great solo album ”Grace for Drowning” 

The best Progrock album of 2011 in my opinion.

Two Blue Cheer albums on Sundazed

Did Blue Cheer make the first American Heavy Metal album? Does it really matter? What remains a true fact is that Vincebus Eruptum was louder than anything else on the scene when released in January of 1968. It even sounds brutally loud today. No compromise, it’s in your face music.

On the 30th of January Sundazed Records will release a new MONO remaster of Vincebus Eruptum. Listening to the sound samples on Sundazed page, it realy sounds even more forcefull  and primitive than the Stereo version.

The San Fransico trio of Dick Peterson (bass, vocals), Leigh Stephens (guitar) and Paul Whaley (drums) had started out as a quintet, but after seeing Jimi Hendrix at the Monterey Pop they decided to become a power trio. Former drummer Eric Albronda co-produced the album.

Personal faves are the opening assault of Eddie Cochrans "Summertime Blues" and  the slow groove of  “Out Of Focus” and their storming rendition of  Mose Alisons “Parchment Farm”


TRACK LIST:
1. Summertime Blues
2. Rock Me Baby
3. Doctor Please
4. Out of Focus
5. Parchment Farm
6. Second Time Around  

(The links are the Stereo versions)

Visit the Sundazed Blue Cheer pages for more info and sound samples in Mono

Sundazed will also release the bands second album Outsideinside (August 1968) This time in remasterd Stereo.
The Outsideinside album were little bit “softer” compared with the previous record. A little bit more melodic in places  and had more worked out songs. The album also featured keyboards played by Ralph Burn Kelogg. Otherwise it is the same line-up. 
It is still heavy rock though."Feathers from Your Tree"  and  "Babylon" are good exemples. Why the title? Well, the album were both recorded outside and inside the studio.


TRACK LIST:
1. Feathers from Your Tree
2. Sun Cycle
3. Just a Little Bit
4. Gypsy Ball
5. Come and Get It
6. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
7. The Hunter
8. Magnolia Caboose Babyfinger
9. Babylon 

Visit the Sundazed Blue Cheer pages for more info and sound samples

Sundazed writes that "Both Sundazed compact disc editions are sourced from the original Uni Records reels, complete with their unique original cover designs and feature new essays by Doug Sheppard of Ugly Things magazine." For you vinyl junkies out there, both albums will be avaleble on LP as well.

Tracks of the day - Richard Thompson

Richard Thompson Band Live from Celtic Connections

Here is three clips from the new DVD/Blue –ray from Richard Thompson Band

Filmed at Celtic Connections festival, Glasgow, in January 2011, It features the majority of tracks from his latest album “Dream Attic”, which in itself was a live album of new songs, plus many other live favorites.

 

I saw Thompson for the second time last summer at Göta Källare in Stockholm. It was a great one man acoustic show. One man, one guitar, one bottle of water and a towel. This time around it is the ful band :)

 
This DVD is definitely on my wish list.
Release date is 30th of January

The three songs are:
The Money Shuffle, Here Come Geordie and Wall of Death
Enjoy!

Visit: Richard Thompson 

Track of the day - Steamhammer

Way back in 1989 I borrowed an old copy of the compilation "Fill Your Head With Rock (CBS 1970).
That record opend up many new musical doors for me and I decided to invest further into the more obscure bands that was featured.

One perticular favorite was the track Passin Through by british bluesrockers Steamhammer.

Formed in Worthing, they soon were hired as backing band for Freddie King for a European tour.
In 1969 they released their debut album Reflection. By the time the band made their second album MKII they had become a hot live band in Europe.
Their line-up had settled on Marin Pugh -Guitars, Kieran White -Guitar, Lead Vocals, Mick Bradley-Drums, Steve Davy-Bass and Steve Jolliffe-Sax, Flute, Keyboards.

Through Jolliffe the band got more of a jazz-folk feel mixed in with their take on bluesrock formula..

The album also has a some realy good jams with some great guitar and flute palying. Passin Through is one of those.
It has this "1969" feeling all over it. Hard to discribe but it is heavy rock before Sabbath hit the sceen.:)
The band made two more albums, loosing one member per album. Mountain (1970) has some great live tracks and they were down to a trio for their last effort Speech in 1972.  

Jolliffe later joined Tangerine Dream for their Cyclone album in 1978 and Pugh was a member of Armagedon with ex-Yardbird Keith Relf and plays on that bands 1975 self titled debut album.

Passin Through
As a bonu, here is the 16 minute jam Another Traveling Tune from the same album.


Enjoy!

Two Terry Riley classics re released on Esoteric recordings

One of my favorite reissue labels, Essoteric recordings, will release two great recordings by the inventive composer/musician Terry Riley on 30th of January.

In C  was written in 1964 and is highly considered the breakthrough for minimal music or minimalism. It is a contuios piece and on this recordning it lasts for 42 minutes. On the surface it sounds very repetetive and although the pulse for the most part stays the same, the music slowly changes throughout the piece. This is not background music by any means. It requiers your attention and it realy pays off. While listening you feel caught up in a friendly web of sound.

The piece is based upon 53 short phrases.The length of each phrase varies. Each player enters individualy. At the very begining of the piece a pulse is set on piano and marimba playing the C note for reapeated eighth notes.And as each musician plays each phrase gradually the music changes shape.
There is no set duration for In C.  Performances can last from 15 minutes to several hours.

In C has been recorded a number of times. This perticular recording is from 1968 and performed Riley and members of the Center of the Creative and Performing Arts of SUNY Buffalo. The 11 piece ensemble plays saxophone, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, clarinet, flute, viola, trombone, vibraphone and marimbaphone.

In C  (an excerpt)

Rainbow in Curved Air 
Released in 1969, Rainbow in Curved Air consist of two legthy pieces. The title track and  Poppy Nogood And The Phantom Band. This is a true solo album with Riley playing all the instruments. Overdubbing and using tape loops to create a sea of sounds. Riley used electronic keyboards and percussion that he recorded than looped. The tapes were than replayed while he improvised over the cycle that the loops creates.It gives the piece both a jazzy feel and creates an ambient beauty. A free form ambient voyage with a sound of its own.  
Poppy Nogood And The Phantom Band ads saxophone to the mix. This piece is more disonant and takes a little longer to get into but effort is worth it.



It's very hard to really catogorise this music. Is it jazz? Is it avantgarde? Is it electronic music? In fact it is all it and much more at the same time. It has been very influential and you can clearly hear where Pete Townshend got the inspiration for the synthloops on Won't get fooled again and Baba O'Riley  on Who's next.

When I first bought and old CD copy a few years ago it made me change the complete set up of my record collection. Since it didn't fit any genre I decided to abondon musical genrers all together and go for a strictly alphabetic aproach :)  Music is music it as simple as that and sometimes you hear something that realy changes ones way of thinking.

I realy look forward to these remasters. Specialy Rainbow deserves an upgrade. My old CBS CD sounds a bit flat. The Esoteric people do a very good job on their releases so my expectations are very high.  Both albums are highly recomended.

Visit: Esoteric Recordings and Terry Riley

Track of the day - Cat Stevens

 

One of my all time favorites with some realy great lyrics.
Cat Stevens - On The Road To Find Out ( Live 1971)

Sony/Legacy to release the first six Rory Gallagher albums

This Monday, January the 16th Sony/Legacy will release what hopefully will be the first batch the Rory Gallagher solo albums. Rory Gallagher, Deuce,Live in Europe, Blueprint and Irish tour 74 have all been remastered from the original 1/4 inch mastertapes. Very little has been published about these releases. I picked up the following through amazon.co.uk:

"...As Daniel Gallagher, Rory’s Nephew and producer of the re-issues states: "What better way to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Rory Gallagher's solo career than with the release of his first six solo albums, re-mastered from the original 1/4 inch master tapes?”
The titles have all been re-mastered, use enhanced versions of the original release artwork with sleeve notes from, amongst others, Donal Gallagher, Rory’s brother and former tour manager."

The Gallagher cattalogue was last re released by BMG in 1998-1999. This time they have gone back to the original artwork and the original masters. They are digipaks and they look great. A great improvement over the previous CD versions.

I am realy looking forward to hear them. These albums are must haves for lovers of Classic Blues-rock from the guitaritst that The Irish Times calls a one-man Led Zeppelin. Let's now hope and pray that the Taste albums from 69-71 soon be remastered as well. 

Rory Gallagher (May 1971)

Deuce (Nov 1971)

Live In Europe (May 1972)

Blueprint (Feb 1973)

Tattoo (Aug 1973)

Irish Tour 74 (Jul 1974)

The tracklistings very much follows the 98-99 versions BUT Irish Tour has "Just a little bit" restored as the final track 10. And it is followed by the 30 second "Maritime" song as a "hidden" track

The backcover of Irish Tour 74

Tracks

Rory Gallagher

1. Laundromat– 4:38
2. Just the Smile– 3:41
3. I Fall Apart – 5:12
4. "Wave Myself Goodbye" – 3:30
5. Hands Up – 5:25
6. Sinner Boy– 5:04
7. For the Last Time– 6:35
8. It's You – 2:38
9. I'm Not Surprised– 3:37
10. Can't Believe It's True – 7:16
11. Gypsy Woman – 4:02 (Bonus track)
12. It Takes Time – 3:34

Deuce

1. I'm Not Awake Yet – 5:24
2. Used to Be – 5:06
3. Don't Know Where I'm Going – 2:42
4. Maybe I Will – 4:15
5. Whole Lot of People – 4:57
6. In Your Town – 5:47
7. Should've Learnt My Lesson – 3:36
8. There's a Light – 5:59
9. Out of My Mind – 3:05
10. Crest of a Wave– 6:00

Live In Europe

1. Messin' With the Kid – 6:25
2. Laundromat – 5:12
3. I Could've Had Religion – 8:35
4. Pistol Slapper Blues – 2:54
5. Going to My Hometown – 5:46
6. In Your Town – 10:03
7. What in the World– 7:40 (Bonus track)
8. Hoodoo Man – 6:02 (Bonus track)
9. Bullfrog Blues – 6:47

 Blueprint

1. Walk on Hot Coals– 6:59
2. Daughter of the Everglades" – 6:09
3. Banker's Blues – 4:42
4. Hands Off – 4:27
5. Race the Breeze– 6:51
6. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son– 8:22
7. Unmilitary Two-Step– 2:45
8. If I Had a Reason – 4:27
9. Stompin' Ground  – 3:27 (Bonus track)
10. Treat Her Right  – 4:00 (Bonus track)

Tattoo

1. Tattoo'd Lady – 4:34
2. Cradle Rock – 6:15
3. 20:20 Vision– 4:02
4. They Don't Make Them Like You Anymore – 4:05
5. Livin' Like a Trucker – 4:19
6. Sleep on a Clothes Line – 5:13
7. Who's That Coming – 7:09
8. A Million Miles Away – 6:55
9. Admit It – 4:19
10. "Tucson, Arizona" (bonus track) – 3:47

Irish Tour 74

1. Cradle Rock – 7:38
2. I Wonder Who – 7:52
3. Tattoo'd Lady" – 5:04
4. Too Much Alcohol – 8:30
5. As the Crow Flies– 6:02
6. A Million Miles Away– 9:29
7. Walk on Hot Coals– 11:13
8. Who's That Coming?– 10:05
9. Back on My Stompin' Ground (After Hours) – 5:18
10. Just a Little Bit – 7:43

 


Source: Amazon.co.uk
Visit: The official Rory Gallagher website

Track of the day - Rory Gallagher

Celebrating that Sony is reissueing the first six Rory Gallagher albums on next Monday the 16th and that i recieved the "Irish Tour 74" BD in the mail today. Here is "Walk on hot coals"

And since this clip is a bit short I post the Irish Tour 74 album version. A great version but no moving pictures this time.

Welcome to the Music room

Hello fellow record collector! This blog is dedicated to new music reissues that I am interested in. And some new music that sounds interesting. I am into Classic rock, prog rock jazz, folk, avantgarde among other things. I will post links and soundbites when possible. This is my first venture into the blogosphere there surerly be some errors along the way:) Enjoy