Archive for the ‘CLASSIC ALBUMS’ Category

The JAM – ” Fire and Skill ” 6Cd Set of Live Recordings

Posted: October 18, 2015 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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All the details on the 6CD “Fire and Skill” Jam box, which features six previously unreleased concert recordings

Named after the legendary sign painted on Paul Weller’s amp, Fire And Skill is a superb six disc boxed set – featuring six previously unreleased concerts, one from each year of The Jam’s major-label career.

Starting with an incendiary early gig at London’s famous 100 Club from 1977, A Music Machine show from 1978, featuring most of the 2nd album – ‘This Is The Modern World’, Reading University show in 1979 – playing material from their breakthrough album ‘All Mod Cons’, Newcastle City Hall in 1980 – previewing songs from forthcoming album ‘Sound Affects’, London’s legendary Hammersmith Palais show in 1981 – part of The Jam’s four consecutive nights, previewing material from the forthcoming final album ‘The Gift’ and one of the band’s final ever gigs at Wembley Arena in 1982.

Packaged in mini, lift-off lid box this set includes a separate hard-back book and individual gatefold wallets for the discs, as well as new essay, period photos and rare memorabilia. All audio has been remastered at Abbey Road.

‘Fire & Skill: The Jam Live’, a 6 CD deluxe box set, will be released on Universal/Polydor on 30th October 2015.

It’s 40 years since classic The Jam line-up first started touring. The band had a phenomenal impact on pop music and wider youth culture. In their short career, they influenced a generation with their music, style, politics and inspiration.With Somerset House’s current exhibition and Universal Music’s recent CD ‘About The Young Idea’ which both trace the band’s story in hits and images – Universal/Polydor now announce a live box set that follows the journey through incendiary concert recordings.

1.) Starting with an early gig at London’s famous 100 Club from 1977, the show featured took place 10 months after they first played the venue in November 1976, and was recorded for broadcast on American radio ahead of the trio’s inaugural visit to US in October 1977 for a six-date tour.

2.) A Music Machine show from 1978, featuring most of the 2nd album – ‘This Is The Modern World’. This was The Jam’s sixth live show of the year and one of four low-key shows in the capital to fanfare their new ‘News Of The World’ single under the banner ‘The London Blitz’.

3.) Reading University – Feb 1979. Playing material from their breakthrough album ‘All Mod Cons’, this was The Jam’s first live appearance of 1979, and found the band in a radically different place to their showcase at the Music Machine 12 months before. In that time, their third album, ‘All Mod Cons’, had been released to critical acclaim, and their status as one of the New Wave’s most musically substantial and exciting bands had been secured. And Paul Weller was still only 20 years old…

4.) Newcastle City Hall – October 1980, previewing songs from forthcoming album ‘Sound Affects’. In the time between the show at Reading University (on Disc 3) and this appearance at Newcastle City Hall 20 months later, there had been more extraordinary developments in the group’s world. ‘Setting Sons’, their fourth album, had given them a Top 3 hit with ‘The Eton Rifles’, which was followed in February 1980 with the stirring Number 1 single, ‘Going Underground’. After three years on Polydor, The Jam had finally become the biggest group in the UK.

5.) London’s legendary Hammersmith Palais – December 1981. Part of The Jam’s four consecutive nights, previewing material from the forthcoming final album ‘The Gift’. The shows took in the form of a ‘60s soul revue, showcasing new acts including Bananarama, Department S and TV21.

6.) One of the band’s final ever gigs at Wembley Arena – December 1982. Late in 1982 The Jam announced they were splitting up – there would, though, be a final chance for fans to experience The Jam’s astonishing live shows, with a 14-date ‘farewell’ tour announced. The centrepiece was a five-night stand at Wembley Arena, the 10,000-capacity shed next to the London football stadium (the recording here is from the second date), the biggest live venue in the capital.

* Packaged in mini, lift-off lid box with 72-page, colour hard-back book.* Individual gatefold wallets for the discs, designed as facsimiles of the original tape boxes.

* Includes new essay, period photos, rare memorabilia and set of five postcard prints.* Remastered at Abbey Road.* Featuring stunning live versions of all the band’s classic hits and favourites of which only 11 tracks previously released.

 

MATTHEW SWEET and SUSANNA HOFFS – ” Under The Covers ” 6 LP Set

Posted: October 18, 2015 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Out next week, SDE Editor Paul Sinclair takes a look at the 6LP vinyl edition of the new Susanna Hoffs & Matthew Sweet set Completely Under The Covers.Please note, contrary to what I said in the video, the bonus tracks ARE included in the vinyl box! The 4CD box and 6LP vinyl set are out on 23 October 2015.
6LP Coloured vinyl box

Susanna Hoffs, a founding member of The Bangles and co-conspirator Matthew Sweet released three full volumes of their Under The Covers series between 2006 and 2013, on which the two teamed up to pay homage to many of the singles (and album deep cuts) from the 60s, 70s, and 80s which informed and shaped their own musical destinies. The Beatles, Dylan, Fairport Convention, Neil Young, The Beach Boys, The Who, Grateful Dead, Fleetwood Mac, Carly Simon, The Ramones, The Clash, The Pretenders, The Smiths and Prince are amongst the 57 acts covered. With guest appearances from Lindsey Buckingham, Steve Howe, Van Dyke Parks and Dhani Harrison, this 60 song package contains all three albums and fifteen previously-hard-to-get bonus tracks plus a 48 page booklet with annotation by Sweet and Hoffs, all gathered together for the first time on 4 CDs in card wallets in a clamshell box.

• Demon Music Store Pre-order: Completely Under The Covers

Matthew Sweet and Susanne Hoffs: Completely Under The Covers

 

4CD box

Disc: 1
1. I See The Rain
2. And Your Bird Can Sing
3. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
4. Who Knows Where The Time Goes?
5. Cinnamon Girl
6. Alone Again Or
7. The Warmth Of The Sun
8. Different Drum
9. The Kids Are Alright
10. Sunday Morning
11. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
12. Care Of Cell 44
13. Monday, Monday
14. She May Call You Up Tonight
15. Run To Me
16. Village Green Preservation Society
17. I Can See For Miles

Disc: 2
1. Sugar Magnolia
2. Go All The Way
3. Second Hand News
4. Bell Bottom Blues
5. All The Young Dudes
6. You’re So Vain
7. Here Comes My Girl
8. I’ve Seen All Good People: Your Move/All Good People
9. Hello It’s Me
10. Willin’
11. Back Of A Car
12. Couldn’t I Just Tell You
13. Gimme Some Truth
14. Maggie May
15. Everything I Own
16. Beware Of Darkness

Disc: 3
1. Dreaming
2. Marquee Moon
3. I Wanna Be Sedated
4. Baby Blue
5. You Say You Don’t Love Me
6. (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding
7. You Can Close Your Eyes
8. Melissa
9. Killer Queen
10. A Song For You

Disc: 4
1. Sitting Still
2. Girls Talk
3. Big Brown Eyes
4. Kid
5. Free Fallin’
6. Save It For Later
7. They Don’t Know
8. The Bulrushes
9. Our Lips Are Sealed
10. How Soon Is Now
11. More Than This
12. Towers Of London
13. Killing Moon
14. Trouble
15. Train In Vain
16. You’re My Favorite Waste of Time
17. I Would Die 4 U

LOU REED – ” Berlin ” Released 44 Years Ago Today 14th October 1973

Posted: October 16, 2015 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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42 years ago “Berlin” by Lou Reed is released on  14th October 1973,  Berlin may be a great album, it’s just not an easy one to listen to. It’s intensely dark in its lyrical content, charting the doomed relationship of Caroline and Jim following them through drug addiction, domestic violence and suicide. Not the cheeriest of subjects for a concept album.  First released in 1973, it was a commercial failure but became a cult classic. Berlin came hot on the heels of Lou Reed’s glam rock masterpiece Transformer. Anyone expecting a commercial follow-up was non-plussed to say the least.

The album is a tragic Rock Opera about a doomed couple, Jim and Caroline, and addresses themes of drug use, prostitution,depression, domestic violence, and suicide.

“The Kids” tells of Caroline having her children taken from her by the authorities, and features the sounds of children crying for their mother. The UK group The Waterboys takes its name from a line in this song

Musically, Berlin differs greatly from the bulk of Reed’s work, due to the use of heavy orchestral arrangements, horns, and top session musicians. Instrumentally, Reed himself only contributes acoustic guitar.

As with Reed’s previous two studio albums, Berlin re-drafts several songs that had been written and recorded previously. The title track first appeared on Reeds Solo Debut album, only here it is simplified, the key changed, and re-arranged for solo piano. “Oh, Jim” makes use of the Velvet Underground outtake “Oh, Gin”.

Lou Reed has never been the most melodious of singers, but his gravelly, nasal, mumble-y singing suits the subject matter perfectly. His voice sounds like he has been there, done that, and adds an air of jaded, cynical depression to the tracks. Who else could carry off lyrics like, ‘Caroline says as she gets up off the floor/You can hit me all you want to, but I don’t love you anymore/ Caroline says while biting her lip/ Life is meant to be more than this, and this is a bum trip’?

“Caroline Says (II)” is a rewrite of “Stephanie Says” from the album VU. The Velvet Underground had also recorded an alternate demo of “Sad Song”, which had much milder lyrics in its original form. “Men of Good Fortune” had also been played by the Velvets as early as 1966; an archival CD featuring live performances of the band playing at Andy Warhols Factory provides the evidence of the song’s age. The CD featuring the early performance of “Men of Good Fortune” is not for sale and can only be heard at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

‘’The Bed’’ sounds like a love song, but is instead about Caroline’s suicide. The words are filled with regret and the soft acoustic sounds help you picture her drifting into unconsciousness.

Berlin is definitely a challenge, and is about as far away from pop, or dinner party music as you can get. But thanks to Ezrin’s production it has a rich, lush sound with the string and horn sections, and backing choir (and occasional cracking guitar solo), showcased best on ‘’Sad Song’’.

Caroline Says II” has been covered by several artists: the Soft Boys, Human Drama, Suede and Siouxsie Sioux in 1993, Mercury Rev and Antony and the Johnsons. Marc Almond also covered the song with his band Marc and the Mambas on the 1982 album Untitled.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN and the E.STREET BAND – ” The Ties That Bind ” River Box Set

Posted: October 16, 2015 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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At last after months and maybe a full year of rumour, Coming December 4th 2015 — The Ties That Bind: The River Collection box set featuring 52 tracks on 4 CDs + 4 hours of never-before-seen video on 2 Blu-rays or 3 DVDs.

Columbia Records will release Bruce Springsteen’s ‘The Ties That Bind: The River Collection’ on December 4th.  A comprehensive look at ‘The River’ era, the set contains 52 tracks on 4 CDs with a wealth of unreleased material, and 4 hours of never-before-seen video on 3 DVDs. It is comprised of the original ‘The River’ double album; the first official release of ‘The River: Single Album;’ a CD of 1979/80 studio outtakes; a two-DVD film of never-released, newly edited multi-camera footage from Springsteen’s famed 1980 show in Tempe, AZ, long rumored but never-before-seen; rare tour rehearsal footage; a brand new documentary “The Ties That Bind” about ‘The River;’ and a coffee table book of 200 rare or previously unseen photos and memorabilia with a new essay by Mikal Gilmore.

‘The River,’ was Bruce Springsteen’s fifth album, was released on October 17,th 1980 as a double album and reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. In his notes, Gilmore calls ‘The River’ Springsteen’s “pivotal album—[the] hinge between the ambitious commotions that had preceded it and the more succinct musical riots, and sometimes terrifying storytelling, that followed.”

‘The River: Single Album’ is the 10-track album that Springsteen recorded in 1979 as a follow up to 1978’s ‘Darkness On The Edge Of Town’ but never released. “The songs lacked the kind of unity and conceptual intensity I liked my music to have. So we went back in the studio,” he wrote in the lyrics/photo book “Songs.” The early sessions marked the beginning of a prolific 18-month long journey of writing and recording. Seven of the 10 titles on ‘The River: Single Album’ eventually appeared on ‘The River,’ some with alternate lyrics and arrangements, with outtakes like “Cindy” and a rockabilly version of “You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)” never released. Now for the first time ‘The River: Single Album’ will be officially available.

The fourth CD on the box set is ‘The River: Outtakes,’ which spans the entire ‘The River’ sessions in 1979 and 1980 and illustrate the depth and variety of Springsteen’s work during this period. Eleven songs are rarities that have never been released before, and for the most part are completely unheard and unknown even to fans, who have long considered Springsteen’s outtakes to be treasured secrets.

“The Ties That Bind” is a brand new 60-minute documentary produced and directed by Grammy and Emmy-winning filmmaker Thom Zimny that features an intimate interview with Springsteen as he reflects on the tumultuous, extended period writing and recording ‘The River.’ The film transitions between Springsteen telling the stories behind the music — and illustrating them with solo acoustic guitar performances — interspersed with period concert footage and rare photos of Bruce and the band in and out of the studio.

The final video component is “Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: The River Tour, Tempe 1980,” a new film produced from footage professionally filmed in 1980 using four cameras and recorded in multitrack audio. The film features 24 songs — 2 hours, 40 minutes — on 2 DVDs from Springsteen’s November 5, 1980 concert at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. Widely regarded as one of Springsteen’s finest performances, this intense show features early live versions of over half of ‘The River’ songs. Also included is 20 minutes of footage from the late September, 1980 River Tour rehearsals held in Lititz, PA, showing Springsteen and The E Street Band working through live arrangements of what was then unreleased material from the upcoming album.

‘The Ties That Bind: The River Collection’ is packaged in a 10” x 12” box with a hardcover 148-page coffee table book containing 200 studio and live photographs — most of which have never been seen before — plus pages from Springsteen’s notebooks, single covers, images and outtakes from the original album package, and other memorabilia documenting the album.

‘The Ties That Bind: The River Collection’ is available for pre-order at Amazon (4CD/3DVDs or 4CD/2Blu-ray) and iTunes.

 

KING CRIMSON – ” In The Court Of Crimson King ” Released 10th October 1969

Posted: October 15, 2015 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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On this date 46 years ago King Crimson released their debut album, In The Court Of The Crimson King.
In the Court of the Crimson King (subtitled An Observation by King Crimson) by the British rock group King Crimson, released on 10th October 1969. The album reached number five on the British charts,

The album is generally viewed as one of the first works to truly embody the progressive rock genre, where King Crimson largely departed from the blues influences that rock music had been founded upon and mixed together jazz and classical symphonic elements. In his 1997 book Rocking the Classics, critic and musicologist Edward Macan notes that In the Court of the Crimson King “may be the most influential progressive rock album ever released”.The Who’s Pete Townshend was quoted as calling the album “an uncanny masterpiece”. In the Q & Mojo Classic Special Edition Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, the album came fourth in its list of “40 Cosmic Rock Albums”.

The album was remastered and re-released on vinyl and CD several times during the 1980s and 1990s. All of these versions were based on tape copies that were several generations removed from the originals. The original first-generation stereo master tapes were thought to be lost, but were finally located in a storage vault in 2003. This led to a much improved remastered CD version (see below), released in 2004. Recorded at Wessex Sound Studios between 21st July and 21st August 1969.

Once again, in time for the album’s 40th anniversary, the album was re-released both on vinyl and CD with newly cut masters approved by Robert Fripp. The CD/DVD set includes a stereo and 5.1 mix done by Steven Wilson, as well as the original mix.

King Crimson made their live debut on 9th April 1969, and were on the bill for the Rolling Stones at Hyde Park in July 1969 before an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 people.

Initial sessions for the album were held in early 1969 with producer Moody Blues producer Tony Clarke. After these sessions failed to work out, the group were given permission to produce the album themselves. The album was recorded on a 1″ 8 track recorder at Wessex Sound Studios in London, engineered by Robin Thompson, and assisted by Tony Page. In order to achieve the characteristic lush, orchestral sounds on the album, Ian McDonald spent many hours overdubbing layers of  Mellotron and various woodwind and reed instruments.

Some time after the album had been completed, however, it was discovered that the stereo master recorder used during the mixdown stage of the album, had incorrectly aligned recording heads. This misalignment resulted in a loss of high-frequencies and introduced some unwanted distortion. This is evident in certain parts of the album, particularly on “21st Century Schizoid Man“. Consequently, while preparing the first American release for Atlantic Records, a special copy was made from the original 2-track stereo master in an attempt to correct some of these anomalies. (The analog tape copying process usually results in generation loss). From 1969 to 2003, this second-generation “corrected” copy was the source used in the dubbing of the various sub-masters used for vinyl, cassette and CD releases over the years. The original, “first-generation” stereo masters, however, had been filed away soon after the original 1969 mixdown sessions. These tapes were considered lost until 2003.

All songs written by King Crimson, except “I Talk to the Wind“ and “The Court of the Crimson King”, written by Ian McDonald and Peter Sinfield:

King Crimson
  • Robert Fripp – guitars, production
  • Michael Giles – drums, percussion, backing vocals, production
  • Greg Lake – lead vocals, bass guitar, production
  • Ian McDonald – woodwinds (saxophone, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet), keyboards (mellotron, harpsichord, piano, organ), vibraphone, backing vocals, production
  • Peter Sinfield – lyrics, illumination, production

BEACH HOUSE – ” Forever Still “

Posted: October 15, 2015 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Beach_House-2015-Thank_Your_Lucky_Stars_cover_med_res

Last week, Beach House announced release of a second album within a few months  Thank Your Lucky Stars, their follow-up to August’s Depression Cherry that’s coming out this Friday. the band’s website is streaming several cuts from Thank Your Lucky Stars through a Single Finder function. To hear the new tracks, pick your three favorite Beach House songs to date. The website will play “She’s So Lovely”, “One Thing”, or “Majorette”, based on the songs you select.

Beach House also have the Setlist Creator section of their website, which allows fans to influence setlists by making three special requests.

The saga of Thank Your Lucky Stars—the surprise second Beach House record of 2015—started two days ago on the Beach House subreddit, where a sharp-eyed superfan noticed that the band’s site was hosting lyrics and images that appeared to be companion material for a new release (those posts have since been taken down, but you can view captures of the lyrics and images in the comments of the original thread here). Whether or not the band intended to reveal everything at this point isn’t clear, but they have since gone on to confirm and detail the upcoming release, which is out October 16th, and follows less than two months after the stellar Depression Cherry.

In addition to the track listing and cover (which are below), the band has also noted via Facebook that the album is up for preorder already, as baffling as that is to comprehend given the three-to-six month turnaround needed for a major vinyl release. They also went on to detail the album as such:

It was recorded at the same time as “Depression Cherry”, but for us, it’s very much a different record. All of its songs were written after the DC songs. Along the way we realized that we didn’t want it to be released in the traditional manner. Mainly, we just wanted our listeners to hear it first. We will have more info later……

On Twitter, the band has noted that Thank Your Lucky Stars is “not a companion to depression cherry or a surprise of b-sides.” Sure, sure. We’ve heard that one before.

Thank Your Lucky Stars track list

1. Majorette
2. She’s So Lovely
3. All Your Yeahs
4. One Thing
5. Common Girl
6. The Traveller
7. Elegy to the Void
8. Rough Song
9. Somewhere Tonight

Beach House Share

T.REX – ” Electric Warrior ” Released 9th October 1971

Posted: October 12, 2015 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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On this day today 9th October 1971 , 44 years ago today – T. Rex:  released the album  Electric Warrior is released.
Electric Warrior was the sixth album by T. Rex, released in the USA on  September 24th, 1971. It reached #32 on the Billboard 200 Top LP’s chart, and reached #1 for several weeks on the UK Albums chart. It features the single, “Get It On”, which reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2003 it was ranked number 160 in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Marc Bolan, in a 1971 interview, said of the album:
“I think Electric Warrior, for me, is the first album which is a statement of 1971 for us in England. I mean that’s… If anyone ever wanted to know why we were big in the other part of the world, that album says it, for me.”

Prior to Electric Warrior’s release, T. Rex (or, as it had mostly been known, Tyrannosaurus Rex) was a folk-rock duo that played acoustic guitar and bongos augmented by the occasional electric and full drum kit. While some of the hippie-prophet philosophy that dominated Tyrannosaurus Rex’s music can still be heard here (especially on the dreamy geneology of “Cosmic Dancer”), Electric Warrior, for the most part, represents a revolution in attitude and approach. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Marc Bolan expanded the band here for a full rock sound, and focused on lean, hook-heavy pop songs that relied on slinky grooves and the riveting energy of early rock & roll. Married to Bolan’s cheeky and charasmatic sexuality and theatrical flair, the results were undeniable.

From the mid-tempo thump of “Mambo Sun” to the crashing yowl of “Rip Off,” Electric Warrior is fuzzy, nasty, and immediately appealing. Songs like “Jeepster” and Get It On “Bang A Gong” pump straight from the elemental heart of rock & roll, yet the songs are fleshed out beautifully with strings, handclaps, backup vocals, and Tony Visconti’s expansive production. Bolan’s glitzy, sexy aesthetic directly sparked the glam movement (he was a huge influence on David Bowie and the creation of his Ziggy Stardust persona), while his punchy, back-to-basics approach also presaged the stripped-down, three-minute song attack of the Ramones and the punk movement in the later ’70s. As a result, Electric Warrior can be seen as one of the most enduring and quietly influential records in the rock canon.

The ORIGINAL ROLLING STONE REVIEW
So elegant, so fey (check the cover of T. Rex, his first on Reprise), Marc Bolan is a stripling, a sylph. Too old to be innocent in today’s world, though his years number 23, he plays to the post-J.F.K. set, yet with enough decadence and sarcasm for any war baby to hum along. He’s been rewarded with three No. One singles in England, where their sense of youth is less pristine (and besides, how old is the average singles consumer anyway?).

Marc is one of the eternally precocious, fated to live outside the world of adults forever. But he is an outsider in another sense, too. Back when T. Rex was known as Tyrannosaurus Rex, Marc sang of and inhabited a medieval world of wizards and unicorns. Now his subject and medium is rock ‘n’ roll, and his outsider’s stance (chronologically young because historically young) enables him to see things with a special clarity and vision. Marc’s lyrics still sound like nursery rhymes, and he sings with a puckish quaver, but he now plays a mean lead guitar.

What Marc seems to be saying on Electric Warrior is that rock is ultimately as quaint as wizards and unicorns, and finally, as defunct. It is a self-contained, completed form, with T. Rex and Black Sabbath, both parodists in their own way, its parentheses. His targets are your common rock & roll cliches, as well as your common pseudo-poetic, pseudo-philosophical rock & roll cliches. E.g. “Monolith,” or Stanley Kubrick meets the Duke of Earl: “And dressed as you are girl/In your fashions of fate/Baby it’s too late,” or “And lost like a lion/In the canyons of smoke/Girl it’s no joke.”

“Jeepster,” which sounds a lot like Carl Perkins, carries the great tradition of Chuck Berry and Beach Boys car songs one step further: “Just like a car/You’re pleasing to behold/I’ll call you Jaguar/If I may be so bold,” while several of Bolan’s specific images are Dylan-derived, like “society’s ditch,” “burning up your feet,” “Egyptian ruby,” and “Mountings of the moon/Remind me of my spoon.”

“Lean Woman Blues,” a takeoff on blues-rock, begins as Marc yells to the band, “One, two, buckle my shoe,” and then goes on to encounter wrong notes, chaotic over-dubbings, distorting guitar, and an extraneous “And I’m Blue” tagged on at the end of every stanza.

In “The Motivator,” Marc considers the aesthetics of government (“I love the velvet hat/You know the one that caused a revolution”), but saves his most profound convictions on you-know-what revolution for “Rip-Off”:

In the moonlight
Fighting with the night
It’s a rip-off
Kissing all the slain
I’m bleeding in the rain
It’s a rip-off
Such a rip-off…
etc., etc., for 16 stanzas.

Marc’s voice, appropriately, is Buddy Holly at several removes; Buddy, notwithstanding his genius, being, via Tommy Roe, the patron saint of bubblegum. At the same time, the combination of an effete vocal and an aggressive back-up is reminiscent of the early Ray Davies and the Dylan of Blonde on Blonde.

All of which goes to show that with Electric Warrior, Marc Bolan establishes himself as the heaviest rocker under 5’4″ in the world today.

TRACKS:
Side one
“Mambo Sun” – 3:40
“Cosmic Dancer” – 4:30
“Jeepster” – 4:12
“Monolith” – 3:49
“Lean Woman Blues” – 3:02

Side two
“Get It On” – 4:27
“Planet Queen” – 3:13
“Girl” – 2:32
“The Motivator” – 4:00
“Life’s a Gas” – 2:24
“Rip Off” – 3:40

CD Bonus tracks:
“There Was a Time” – 1:00
“Raw Ramp” – 4:16
“Planet Queen” (acoustic version) – 3:00
“Hot Love” – 4:59
“Woodland Rock” – 2:24
“King of the Mountain Cometh” – 3:57
“The T. Rex Electric Warrior Interview” – 19:35

30th Anniversary Special Edition CD bonus tracks:
“Rip Off” [Work in Progress] – 2:30
“Mambo Sun” [Work in Progress] – 3:57
“Cosmic Dancer” [Work in Progress] – 5:15
“Monolith” [Work in Progress] – 4:47
“Get It On” [Work in Progress] – 4:43
“Planet Queen” [Work in Progress] – 0:56
“The Motivator” [Work in Progress] – 4:19
“Life’s a Gas” [Work in Progress] – 3:14

UMMAGMA – ” Frequency “

Posted: October 8, 2015 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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A blend of dreampop, prog rock, post-rock, ethereal, nugaze & post-punk within intense landscapes, gossamer vocals and pulsating beats. This Canadian-Ukrainian duo of Alexx Kretov and Shauna McLarnon began in Moscow as an affair with love and sound and has blossomed across borders.

Ummagma are at the forefront of new shoegaze and dreampop… lifts you gently weightless into orbit, to be suspended in a sea of twinkling synthesizer stars…a first class ticket into hyperspace” – UK producer Fran Ashcroft (Damon Albarn, Lords of Acid) . Alongside five original tracks, this EP features remixes from Cocteau Twins legend Robin Guthrie, Wales’ celebrated Lights That Change, and Malcolm Holmes of Orchestral Maneouvres in the Dark (OMD).

Ummagma consists of Shauna McLarnon, who hails from Canada’s Yukon, and Alexander Kretov, who is from Ukraine. Since bursting onto the music scene in 2012, they have made a significant impact on the underground music scene. Their potent combination of uplifting and melancholic textured dreampop, shoegaze, postpunk, ambient and electronica rapidly gaining them a sizeable international following despite the numerous issues they’ve faced living between Canada and Ukraine.

‘Frequency’ follows the band’s two debut LPs ‘Antigravity’ and ‘Ummagma’, which they simultaneously released in 2012. This release represents a slight departure from the first two albums, which whisked the listener through the romanticism of first meetings, big love, adventures abroad and optimistic dreaming through to the realities of birth, loss, death and departure. In contrast, ‘Frequency’ explores such themes as space and distance, timelessness, escapism, and the search for tranquility.

Canadian-Ukrainian duo Ummagma have blazed quite a trail for themselves in their short history. They’ve landed press coverage and radio play in more than 50 countries, and have managed to strike an endearing chord with a good number of ‘first wave’ shoegaze and dreampop artists, especially from Creation Records and early 4AD rosters.

All songs written by Alexander Kretov and Shauna McLarnon.
Lyrics and vocals by Shauna McLarnon and Alexander Kretov.

The BEACH BOYS – ” Little Deuce Coupe ” Released 7th October 1963

Posted: October 8, 2015 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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The Beach Boys’ Little Deuce Coupe album was released this day in 1963. Produced by Brian Wilson, the album reached #4 on the charts and featured “Little Deuce Coupe,” “Be True to Your School,” “409” and “Shut Down.”

Terrific production and arrangements by Brian. Last album for David Marks until the 50th anniversary “That’s Why God Made the Radio,” Also, last album in which Al Jardine appeared without a credit. I like the single version of “Be True To Your School” better. I’m surprised the 45 version wasn’t placed on “Shut Down, Vol. 2.”

When you think of ‘concept’ albums, some of the LP’s that first come to mind would be “Tommy” by The Who, “The Wall” by Pink Floyd and probably “Sgt. Peppers” by The Beatles. And you would be correct. 

On Oct. 7, 1963, one of the very first Rock and Roll ‘concept’ records was released. It was the LP “Little Deuce Coupe” by The Beach Boys. It was the bands 4th album and it was about cars.

Here is why some call it one of the first. In the summer of 1963, Capitol Records compiled a “hot rod” compilation album called Shut Down, including the Beach Boys‘ song of the same name and “409”—without their approval or involvement. Brian Wilson wasn’t happy about it so he promptly readied several songs he had already been working on (mainly with radio DJ Roger Christian) and the band quickly went through recording sessions to put “Little Deuce Coupe” on the record shop racks. Eight of the tracks were new, while “Little Deuce Coupe”, “Our Car Club”, “Shut Down” and “409” had all come out on one of their previous three albums.

Happy 52nd Birthday to the LP “Little Deuce Coupe”!!!!

Dr COSMO’S TAPE LAB – ” Coconut Summer Drop-In 432 “

Posted: October 6, 2015 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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“Dr. Cosmo’s Tape Lab “Coconut Summer Drop-In 432”

The Coconut Summer Drop-In 432 is brilliant parody-homage of The Beach Boys Party!, Smiley Smile, and Surf’s Up albums with ukuleles, bongos, casiotone keyboards, and gorgeous harmonies. Studio chatter and party atmosphere on the opener “Ready Steady Beach!” ring with authenticity.

Next the brilliant “Too Hot To Sleep” is a slow stoner theme with Spanish verses, and lovely Smiley weirdness. More gems include “She’s Crazy” and “Andiamo” which are catchy and fun. “High Inside (The Lost Frontier)” channels the song “Surf’s Up” perfectly. The album is peppered with atmospheric filler, but for Beach Boys fan this is a special treat. Highly Recommended.”

Having garnered many plaudits from fans and critics alike, the psychedelic sonic adventurers, Doctor Cosmo’s Tape Lab have wasted no time in recording a fresh batch of home baked audio goodies with their second release of 2015 – Coconut Summer Drop-In 432.

Pop music is once again the order of the day. With an attempt to keep the summer alive, there are twelve brand new sun drenched songs (written & recorded over three weeks in July 2015) that has them reaching for the ukuleles, bongos, and casiotone keyboards creating exotica flavoured fun times from the confines of their home studios in a rain soaked Glasgow.

 

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