2000mustangs - The Classic Rock Blog

srijeda, 29.04.2009.

Old Records Never Die: The Mott the Hoople/Ian Hunter Anthology (2 CD Remaster 2008)

After all these years, Mott the Hoople and their iconoclastic frontman, Ian Hunter, may not have gotten the true box set they deserve, but finally there is a cross-licensed double-disc anthology courtesy of Shout Factory. These two discs contain 32 cuts referencing Mott from the hardscrabble Atlantic years through their Columbia Records heyday and into Ian Hunter's critically celebrated solo career (he did score a hit album with 1979's You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic), which was immortalized by the hit "Cleveland Rocks," a version of which became the theme song for The Drew Carey Show. The first disc is completely devoted to Mott, showcasing one tune each from their Atlantic albums (including "Death May Be Your Santa Claus," {"Rock and Roll Queen," and "Walking with a Mountain"). The set then dives headlong into the glorious Columbia albums and virtually every song you'd ever want is here -- "All the Young Dudes," "Sweet Jane," {"Roll Away the Stone," "Honaloochie Boogie," "All the Way from Memphis," etc. -- with the exception of two: missing are the sultry original Mott version of the Bad Company hit (writer Mick Ralphs was in both bands) "Ready for Love" and the poignant lament "I Wish I Was Your Mother." These are tough omissions, but you won't notice when listening. Disc two is devoted to Ian Hunter's solo material, again across label lines, so Columbia as well as Chrysalis tracks are here -- including a cut each from the never issued in the United States LPs All American Alien Boy and Overnight Angels, all the way through to his Yep Roc debut, 2007's Shrunken Heads. Sure, there are a few cuts that might have made the grade but that's quibbling, since all of what's here does deserve to be. This is an excellent collection with great sound and good historical notes, and is sold for a dynamite price point... T. Jurek

Mott the Hoople are one of the great also-rans in the history of rock & roll. Though Mott scored a number of album rock hits in the early '70s, the band never quite broke through into the mainstream. Nevertheless, their nasty fusion of heavy metal, glam rock, and Bob Dylan's sneering hipster cynicism provided the groundwork for many British punk bands, most notably the Clash. At the center of Mott the Hoople was lead vocalist/pianist Ian Hunter, a late addition to the band who developed into its focal point as his songwriting grew. Hunter was able to subvert rock & roll conventions with his lyrics, and the band -- led by guitarist Mick Ralphs -- had a tough, muscular sound that kept the group firmly in hard rock territory, even when flirting with homosexual imagery and glammy makeup. However, their lack of success meant that they inevitably splintered apart in the '70s, with Ralphs forming Bad Company and Hunter launching a cult solo career

With Mott the Hoople, guitarist/vocalist Ian Hunter established himself as one of the toughest and most inventive hard rock songwriters of the early '70s, setting the stage for punk rock with his edgy, intelligent songs. As a solo artist, Hunter never attained the commercial heights of Mott the Hoople, but he cultivated a dedicated cult following.

Hunter was born in Owestry, Shropshire, but was raised in cities throughout England since his father worked in the British Intelligence agency called MI5 and had to move frequently. Eventually, the family returned to Shrewsbury, where the teenaged Hunter joined a band called Silence in the early '60s. Silence released an album, but it received no attention. In the years following Silence, Hunter played in a handful of local bands and worked a variety of jobs.

In 1968, Hunter began playing bass with Freddie "Fingers" Lee and the duo played around Germany. Shortly afterward, Hunter became the vocalist for Mott the Hoople. During the next six years, Hunter sang and played piano and guitar with the band, becoming its lead songwriter within a few albums. Although few of their records sold, Mott the Hoople was one of the most popular live bands in England. In 1972, David Bowie produced their breakthrough album, All the Young Dudes, which brought the band into the British Top Ten and the American Top 40. For the next two years, the group had a consistent stream of hits in both the U.K. and the U.S

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 318 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

CD 1

01 Rock and Roll Queen 5:07
02 Walkin' with a Mountain 3:49
03 Whisky Women 3:40
04 Sweet Angeline 4:51
05 Death May Be Your Santa Claus 4:53
06 All the Young Dudes 3:33
07 Sweet Jane 4:22
08 Sucker 5:02
09 All the Way from Memphis 5:04
10 Honaloochie Boogie 2:45
11 Violence 4:49
12 Ballad of Mott the Hoople (26th March 1972, Zürich) 5:25
13 Roll Away the Stone 3:09
14 Crash Street Kidds 4:31
15 The Golden Age of Rock 'N' Roll 3:25
16 Saturday Gigs 4:20

CD 2

01 Once Bitten Twice Shy / Ian Hunter 4:45
02 Who Do You Love / Ian Hunter 3:52
03 3,000 Miles from Here / Ian Hunter 2:50
04 You Nearly Did Me In / Ian Hunter 5:48
05 Justice of the Peace / Ian Hunter 3:02
06 Cleveland Rocks / Ian Hunter 3:50
07 Just Another Night / Ian Hunter 4:38
08 Ships / Ian Hunter 4:11
09 When the Daylight Comes / Ian Hunter 4:26
10 Old Records Never Die / Ian Hunter 4:16
11 Central Park N' West / Ian Hunter 4:00
12 Speechless / Ian Hunter 3:51
13 Women's Intuition / Mick Ronson 6:31
14 The Artful Dodger / Ian Hunter 4:22
15 Still Love Rock and Roll / Ian Hunter 4:35
16 Words (Big Mouth) / Ian Hunter 5:03

utorak, 28.04.2009.

Chicago - Chicago III (1971)(Remaster Edit 2002)

Chicago's third effort, much like the preceding two, was initially issued as a double LP, and is packed with a combination of extended jams as well as progressive and equally challenging pop songs. Their innovative sound was the result of augmenting the powerful rock & roll quartet with a three-piece brass section — the members of whom are all consummate soloists. Once again, the group couples that with material worthy of its formidable skills. In the wake of the band's earlier powerhouse successes, Chicago III has perhaps been unrightfully overshadowed. The bulk of the release consists of three multi-movement works: Robert Lamm's (keyboards/vocals) "Travel Suite," Terry Kath's (guitar/vocals) "An Hour in the Shower," and James Pankow's (trombone) ambitious and classically influenced "Elegy." While the long-player failed to produce any Top Ten hits, both Lamm's rocker "Free" — extracted from "Travel Suite" — as well as the infectious "Lowdown" respectively charted within the Top 40. "Sing a Mean Tune Kid" opens the album with a nine-plus minute jam highlighting the impressive wah-wah-driven fretwork from Terry Kath (guitar/vocals) and some decidedly rousing syncopated punctuation from the horns. Lamm's highly underrated jazzy keyboard contributions are notable throughout the tune as he maneuvers Peter Cetera's (bass/vocals) bouncy basslines and the equally limber percussion of Danny Seraphine (drums). "What Else Can I Say" reveals much more of the band's fusion beyond that of strictly pop/rock. The supple and liberated waltz bops around the playful melody line and is further bolstered by one of the LP's most elegant brass arrangements as well as some equally opulent backing vocal harmonies. "I Don't Want Your Money" is a hard-hittin' Kath/Lamm rocker that packs a bluesy wallop lying somewhere between Canned Heat and the Electric Flag. Again, Kath's remarkably funkified and sweet-toned electric guitar work hammers the track home.
Although "Travel Suite" is primarily a Lamm composition, both Seraphine's "Motorboat to Mars" drum solo and the acoustic experimental "Free Country" balance out the relatively straightforward movements. These include the aggressive "Free" and the decidedly more laid-back "At the Sunrise" and "Happy 'Cause I'm Going Home." Kath's "An Hour in the Shower" reveals the guitarist's under-utilized melodic sense and craftsmanship. His husky lead vocals perfectly complement the engaging arrangements, which blend his formidable electric axe-wielding with some equally tasty acoustic rhythm licks. In much the same way that the Beatles did on the B-side medley from Abbey Road (1969), Chicago reveals its rare and inimitable vocal blend during the short "Dreaming Home" bridge. Chicago III concludes with Pankow's six-part magnum opus, "Elegy." Its beautiful complexity incorporates many of the same emotive elements as his "Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon" from their previous long-player. The ironically cacophonous and tongue-in-cheek "Progress" contains both comedic relief as well as an underlying social statement in the same vein as "Prologue, August 29, 1968" from Chicago Transit Authority (1969). The final two movements — "The Approaching Storm" and "Man vs. Man: The End" — are among the most involved, challenging, and definitive statements of jazz-rock fusion on the band's final double-disc studio effort. As pop music morphed into the mindless decadence that was the mid-'70s, Chicago abandoned its ambitiously arranged multifaceted epics, concentrating on more concise songcrafting.

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 163 MB
Genre : Brass Rock
2000mustangs

Line-up:

Robert Lamm – keyboards, vocals
Terry Kath – guitar, vocals
Peter Cetera – bass, vocals
Danny Seraphine – drums
Lee Loughnane – trumpet
James Pankow – trombone
Walter Parazaider – woodwinds

Tracklist:

01 Sing A Mean Tune Kid 09:20
02 Loneliness Is Just A Word 02:40
03 What Else Can I Say 03:15
04 I Don't Want Your Money 04:49
05 Flight 602 02:46
06 Motorboat To Mars 01:32
07 Free 02:17
08 Free Country 05:48
09 At The Sunrise 02:50
01 Happy 'Cause I'm Going Home 07:30
11 Mother 04:33
12 Lowdown 03:38
13 A Hard Risin' Morning Without Breakfast 01:54
14 Off To Work 00:47
15 Fallin' Out 00:55
16 Dreamin' Home 00:51
17 Morning Blues Again 01:13
18 When All The Laughter Dies In Sorrow 01:05
19 Canon 01:07
20 Once Upon A Time ... 02:36
21 Progress? 02:36
22 The Approaching Storm 06:28
23 Man Vs. Man: The End 01:33

ponedjeljak, 27.04.2009.

Bob Dylan - Together Through Life (2009)

By all accounts Together Through Life arrived quickly, cut swiftly by Bob Dylan and his touring band in the fall of 2008, surprising the label upon its delivery a couple months later, then rushed into stores in April '09, just a half year after the release of the monumental archive project Tell Tale Signs. Given the speed of its creation, it fits that that album has a spontaneous, kinetic kick, feeling so alive that it's a little messy, teeming with contradictions, crossed signals and frayed ends. That liveliness turns Together Through Life into a much lighter affair than its weighty predecessor Modern Times, which was tinged with doom and had thematic unity, two things missing from this comparatively breezy affair. If Together Through Life is about any one thing it is, as its title and cover photo elliptically suggest, the enduring power of romance, how it provides sustenance and how its absence can make life hard. But all this suggests that Dylan has turned in a meditation of the meaning of life and love here, when its core charm is its very modesty. It's an old-fashioned 10 tracks, clocking in at 45 minutes, a simple set of songs co-written with Robert Hunter - Jerry Garcia's lyricist and previous Dylan collaborator, co-writing the irresistibly jaunty "Silvio" in 1988 - and delivered without adornment, its clean yet earthy production slyly emphasizing the musical variety here. Sonically, this is right in line with Dylan's 2000s albums, the sound of a well-lubricated traveling band easing into the same chords they play every night, but this isn't strictly roadhouse rock & roll: Dylan remains fixated on pre-rock & roll American music, emphasizing the blues but eager to croon love-struck ballads. In this context, David Hidalgo's accordion - which appears so often it soon ceases to be noteworthy - can suggest a romantic stroll down Parisian streets or a steamy sojourn with Doug Sahm on a Tex-Mex border town, but everything here is recognizably, thoroughly Dylan's mythic picturesque America that stretches from the hazy past to the barbed present. While the music is proudly, almost defiantly, rooted in the past, with Dylan borrowing Willie Dixon's "I Just Want To Make Love To You" for the riotous "My Wife's Home Town," there's no avoidance of the present here, with Bob even going so far as to turn the omnipresent catch phrase "It's All Good" into a mordantly funny rocker. Dylan's not just aware of the modern-day vernacular he's wound up with an album that fits the spirit of '09: it's troubled but hopeful, firmly in favor of love and romance, but if that fails there are always romantic dreams and sardonic jokes to get you through life...S. Erlewine

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 242 MB
Genre : Folk- Pop
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

CD 1

01 Beyond Here Lies Nothin' 3:50
02 Life Is Hard 3:39
03 My Wife's Home Town 4:15
04 If You Ever Go to Houston 5:48
05 Forgetful Heart 3:42
06 Jolene 3:50
07 This Dream of You 5:54
08 Shake Shake Mama 3:37
09 I Feel a Change Comin' On 5:25
10 It's All Good 5:27

CD 2

01 Theme Town Radio Hour (Interview Recorded in Studio B) 60:00

Caravan - In The Land Of Grey And Pink (1971) Remaster Edit 2001)

Remastered reissue of the British progressive rock act's 1971 album. Featuring the original 5 tracks and 5 bonus tracks, 'I Don't Know It's Name', 'Aristocracy', It's Likely To Have A Name Next Wee, 'Group Girl' and 'Dissassociation/100% Proof' (new mix). Standard jewel case. 2001 release.

In the early Sixties there was a stir going on musically in the brand new world of Pop and Rock music around the area of the quiet Cathedral City of Canterbury in Kent . The catalyst for all of this, which was to be wittily called " The Canterbury Sound", stemmed from a band calling themselves "The Wilde Flowers" ( appropriate sixties misspelling like " The Beatles " and "The Byrds".) Formed in 1963 the band imploded in 1967, splitting into two major fractions, one side ,the more avant-garde Jazz/Rock fusion minded musicians, Robert Wyatt,Hugh Hopper, Kevin Ayers, going off to form " Soft Machine " which later begat such bands as ''Gong'', "Kevin Ayers and The Whole World" ,Matching Mole ,etc. While the other more Pop/Rock members Richard Coughlan,Pye Hastings , David Sinclair , and his bass playing cousin Richard Sinclair , went off and formed "Caravan".
The four members of Caravan went off and did what every self respecting band did in that much beloved era , went into retreat in the country " To get it together" After a year camping just outside nearby seaside resort Whitstable , rehearsing every night in a nearby church hall , and fighting off starvation, they became one of the tightest little musical outfits in the British Isles without even playing a gig. In 1968 they were snapped up by American Record label Verve who released their first album Caravan (1968) . Which went completely unnoticed by the record buying public, which is hardly surprising as nobody had heard of them , and there was next to no publicity as Verve went bust anyway .
This was all put right ,when with great enthusiasm the giant Decca records signed up our young heroes recording contract, and not only prepared them for their second album , but sent them out on the road to get them in the public eye . This included not only playing any place that would have them, but at such major events as the Kraalingen Pop Festival at Rotterdam in Holland in front of 250,000 people on the same bill as" Pink Floyd", "Jefferson Airplane","Santana", and" Frank Zappa", admittedly "Caravan" were on first on the second morning ,so most of the people were probably asleep, but some of them must of taken notice as Holland has always been a stronghold for "Caravan" fans.
Caravan's second album the wonderfully titled " If I Could Do it Again I Would Do It All Over You" ( 1970) which was released to a far greater fanfare and critical acclaim. Enabling the band to enlarge their following and develop their natural talents . After six months on the road promoting the album the band were ushered back into Air London studio's , under the inspirational eye of young producer David Hitchcock to record a follow up album. When the band came back out of the studio and released the results to it's waiting public they had come out with what many people consider to be a seminal moment from the early Seventies .
" In The Land Of The Grey And Pink"(1971) has one of the most unique and instantly recognisable sounds in the history of rock , perhaps a little whimsical for some,but then that is a lot of its charm. In those fondly remembered days of innocence , anything written by any member of the band was considered a band composition , and songwriting royalties equally shared amongst the band members, a far cry from today's mercenary contracts. On" In the land of the Grey and Pink", what you actually get is three of Richard Sinclair's finest ever songs , one from Pye Hastings ( According to Pye that was fair enough as he had written most of the first two albums) , and then side two of the vinyl album was taken up by the one twenty-two minute opus " Nine Feet Underground " which came in five separate movements,with four bridges , and was mainly written by David Sinclair, with the others linking all the parts together, and adding bits here and there.
The album opens with 'Golf Girl' a wonderful song of love ( There were no songs of war,hate or politics' in the Caravan repertoire, just songs of idealised life that we can all relate to in our happier moments) about Richard Sinclair's future wife . This song should be played regularly in all of Pattaya's many golf bars , no song could improve the atmosphere in a bar more. "Golf Girl" is followed by another Richard Sinclair song " Winter Wine" a song of fairy tales and dreams which weaves along perfectly with the feeling of well being laid down by the first song. Next up is the Pye Hastings's composition " Love To Love You ( And Tonight Pigs Will Fly)" . The lyrics to this very hummable song are extremely naughty , not smutty, or crude,just enjoyably naughty.The title track another Richard Sinclair number is a nursery rhyme set to music as if sung to children , including one of the most beautiful piano solo's ever put down on tape ,and lyrics that would soften the most jaded soul, about " Not leaving your Dad out in the rain ,those nasty grumbley Grimblies, and cleaning your teeth in the sea" the songs final verse is sung in bubble as you would to sing to a six month old baby , quite delightful.
The albums epic "Nine Feet Underground" is a stunning display of exactly how well the members of Caravan had mastered their chosen instruments , including the duel lead vocals of Pye Hastings and Richard Sinclair. Obviously it is mainly David Sinclair's keyboard's that are in the fore through out, deservedly so as he was on a par with any player of his day , the piano, Hammond organ and the mellotron are all given thorough workouts in the space allowed in Nine Feet Underground's twenty two minutes, but this does not detract from the jazzy bass work of Richard Sinclair, the melodic lead guitar work from Pye Hastings , or the rock solid drumming of Richard Coughlan.There is also room for Pye's brother Jimmy Hastings to come in and add some flute and tenor saxophone .
Although the albums was not a great commercial success at the time it has never been taken out of print and sells steadily to this day,Decca have just released a remastered version with thirty minutes of extra music , including two tracks that were recorded at the time but had to be left off because of time limitations , demo versions of two of the Richard Sinclair songs, plus an alternative ending to "Nine Feet Underground " where "Caravan" prove that they could rock as hard as any of their contemporaries if they wanted to .
The commercial failure of the album was to lead to great internal stresses within the Caravan ,and David Sinclair was to pack up his keyboards and leave almost immediately ,going off to search for his musical ideal with Robert Wyatt in "Matching Mole" . Cousin Richard lasted one more album ,'Waterloo Lily' (1972) before he cast off to roam afield in the musical world ,later forming "Hatfield and the North" , before joining "Camel" Caravan stumbled on ,but were to never match the magnificence of ' In The Land of The Grey and Pink" Only reforming for one off gigs in the nineties for financial reasons...K. Fletcccher

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 170 MB
Genre : Prog. Rock
2000mustangs

Line-up:

Richard Sinclair - bass guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
Pye Hastings - electric. guitars, acoustic guitar, vocals
David Sinclair - organ, piano, mellotron, harmony vocals
Richard Coughlan - drums, percussion
Jimmy Hastings - flute, tenor saxophone, piccolo
David Grinsted - cannon, bell, wind

Tracklist:

01. Golf girl (5:05)
02. Winter wine (7:46)
03. Love to love you (and tonight pigs will fly) (3:06)
04. In the land of grey and pink (4:51)
05. Nine feet underground: (22:40)
06. I Don't Know Its Name (6:12)
07. Aristocracy (3:42)
08. It's Likely To Have A Name Next Week (7:48)
09. Group Girl (5:04)
10. Disassociation (8:35)

nedjelja, 26.04.2009.

Camel - Camel (1973) (Remaster Edit 2002)

Camel was still finding its signature sound on its eponymous debut album. At this point, Peter Bardens and his grand, sweeping organ dominate the group's sound and Andrew Latimer sounds tentative on occasion. Furthermore, the music fluctuates uncertainly between arty improvisations, jazz-inflected rhythms, and uninspired rock numbers. There are hints of promise scattered throughout the album, yet the record never gels into something special. [Universal U.K.'s 2002 pressing adds two bonus tracks: "Never Let Go" and the previously unreleased "Homage to the God of Light."]...D. Jehnzen

This 1973 album was the first by English prog band Camel and features their distinctive brand of progressive rock with subtle jazz-rock textures. Although this debut (like so many others) has a sound that was not yet fully developed and is harder rocking than their other albums, enough of the Camel sound is in place that it makes for great listening. The musicians on this debut comprise the classic Camel lineup including great guitarist Andy Latimer (vocals on Slow Yourself Down and Separation); keyboardist Peter Bardens (Hammond organ, mellotron, VCS3, acoustic piano, and vocals on Never Letmore… Go), great drummer Andy Ward; and bassist Doug Ferguson (vocals on Mystic Queen and Curiousity. All of the guys are fantastic musicians and the vocals are not bad at all, although they do not seem very confident about their vocal abilities. Andy Latimer is a great guitarist and easily quotes from range of styles. I also like Pete's use of the synthesizers and the mellotron - he was a very tasteful player and knew exactly where certain sounds worked best on this album. I guess it is worth noting that synthesizer use is pretty scarce on this album, although synthesizers would be used a lot on subsequent albums. Sadly Pete Bardens passed away in 2002, and this reissued album was dedicated to him. The seven tracks on the album are all in the 4-7 minute range and are great examples of Camels jazzy, yet very English, brand of progressive rock. In fact, the instrumental track Six Ate is probably the best illustration on the album of Camel's ability to seamlessly mix jazzy and prog styles together. For those of that are wondering, there is a rock side to Camel on this debut, which really comes through with Andy's guitar work - especially on the thunderous and riff-heavy Separation and instrumental track Arubaluba. Other tracks that are great include the spacey Mystic Queen, and my personal favorite Never Let Go, which features haunting parts played on the acoustic guitar and a ton of glorious mellotron with string setting, before breaking into a vigorous rock workout. Believe it or not, Never Let Go features a sprightly mellotron solo. In that this instrument was notoriously difficult to play, it was never used as a solo instrument but more as a sustained backdrop. I guess it shows you just how good Pete was. The remaining tracks are also excellent and feature tight musicianship. This remastered album features excellent sound quality, along with the restored cover art, a few band photos, and loads of liner notes. There are two bonus tracks including a single version of Never Let Go and a 19'01" live track entitled Homage to the God of Light. Homage to the God of Light was recorded on October 29, 1974 at the Marquee Club. The live track is pretty well recorded and is a great jam. All in all, this is a great Camel album and is very highly recommended along with Mirage (1974); my personal favorite, The Snow Goose (1975); Moonmadness (1976); and Rain Dances (1977), which features Richard Sinclair on bass/lead vocals.

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 140 MB
Genre : Prog. Rock
2000mustangs

Line-up:

Andy Ward - drums, percussion
Doug Ferguson - bass, vocal (2 & 6)
Peter Bardens - keyboards, vocal (5)
Andy Latimer - guitar, vocal (1 & 4)

Tracklist:

01. Slow Yourself Down (4:45)
02. Mystic Queen (5:40)
03. Six Ate (6:05)
04. Separation (3:57)
05. Never Let Go (6:22)
06. Curiosity (5:56)
07. Arubaluda (6:29)
08. Never Let Go (Single Version) (3:36)
09. Homage to the God of Light (Live at The Marquee Club) (19:01)

subota, 25.04.2009.

Blue Oyster Cult - Some Enchanted Evening (1978) (Remaster Edit 2007)

An Incredible live album just got a whole lot better.Finally the missing songs have been added, making this a more complete live document. The mix sounds better with this remaster. I want to thank Legacy for releasing this with the bonus DVD, which is very good quality for it's time, and the fact that it's a board mix to 3/4" video tape. We finally get a real B.O.C. concert experience with this release, and it's a great one!

According to Lenny Kaye -- a rock hero and historian who gets his facts ruler straight -- Some Enchanted Evening is the mighty beast that is Blue Öyster Cult's best-selling record, with numbers signifying double platinum. Yeah, small potatoes by today's standards, but then the music industry is self-destructing anyway; these totals sum up not only the BÖC faithful, but those who were initially turned onto the band through this wonder of a cut-up live record. And the reason? Because it kicks serious rock & roll ass, that's why. This new deluxe edition from Legacy restores Some Enchanted Evening to its intended double-LP length. The Cult had released its first live record, On Your Feet or on Your Knees in 1975, just three years earlier with only two studio offerings in between. Wondering why? There were two absolute smashes -- Agents of Fortune (1976) and Spectres (1977) -- in between. The grueling touring they took on in support of these albums dictated a rest, and thus Some Enchanted Evening was assembled and released. This restored version contains 14 cuts -- doubling the length of the original -- and includes a full-length, wild and wooly DVD of a BÖC performance of the band playing live in Maryland that same year (some rest -- they toured to support the live record, too). The DVD is worth it because BÖC were as much about giving a show as Kiss; they just didn't need to be corny about it because they were all great musicians. The lasers alone are worth the price of admission here, and to see the interaction of the band with their show's pyrotechnics is anything but studied. It was instinctive and led to a performance captured on film that was actually typical in terms of its intensity, focus, professional '70s work ethic, and sheer rock & roll abandon. The CD bonus tracks include the classic "ME 262," "Hot Rails to Hell" "(This Ain't The) Summer of Love," and the climax of the Some Enchanted Evening show "5 Guitars." Staples in the band's covers stable include "Born to Be Wild" and an alternate of "We Gotta Get Out of This Place." In other words, this new edition, apart from the absolutely glorious DVD, puts back all the early classics that appeared and were left off for marketing reasons -- the biz thinking that folks wouldn't plunk down the cash for another live double with songs that repeated. The Deluxe Edition of Some Enchanted Evening lifts the album's original profile in stellar sound and excellent video production. It can't be recommended highly enough...TJurek

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size:170 MB
Genre : Hard Rock
2000mustangs

Line-up

Line-up

Eric Bloom - Vocals / Guitar / Piano
Joe Bouchard - Vocals / Guitar / Bass
Albert Bouchard - Drums / Vocals
Donald (Buck Dharma) Roeser - Lead and Rhythm Guitars / Vocals
Allen Lanier - Keyboards / Guitars.

Tracklist:

01 R.U. Ready 2 Rock 6:08
02 E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) 5:17
03 Astronomy 8:29
04 Kick out the Jams 3:07
05 Godzilla 4:13
06 (Don't Fear) The Reaper 6:10
07 We Gotta Get out of This Place 4:35
08 Me 262- Bonus 3:23
09 Harvester of Eyes - Bonus 4:34
10 Hot Rails to Hell - Bonus 5:00
11 (This Ain't The) Summer of Love - Bonus 2:47
12 5 Guitars - Bonus 8:33
13 Born to Be Wild - Bonus 6:33
14 We Gotta Get out of This Place - Bonus / Alternate Version 4:35

Guns N' Roses - Get In The Ring (2009)

Artist: Guns N’ Roses
Title Of Album: Get In The Ring
Year Of Release: Jan 30, 2009
Label: Fake Records Compilation
Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 183 MB
Genre : Hard Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. Get In The Ring 05:41
02. Out Ta’ Get Me 04:24
03. Catcher In The Rye 05:53
04. Dust N’ Bones 04:58
05. Symphaty For The Devil 07:37
06. You Ain’t The First 02:36
07. You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory 03:35
08. Shotgun Blues 03:23
09. The Garden 05:22.
10. 14 Years 04:21
11. Down On The Farm 03:29
12. Garden Of Eden 02:42
13. Sorry 06:15
14. Attitude 01:27
15. You’re Crazy (Acoustic Version) 04:10
16. One In A Million 06:09
17. Think About Me 03:52
18. My Michelle 03:40

petak, 24.04.2009.

Van Halen - Van Halen (1978) (Gold Disc Remaster 2001)

2001 gold disc reissue of Van Halen's self-titled debut album released in 1978. It is considered to be one of the most famous debut albums. The album has sold over ten million copies in the United States alone and it is considered to be one of the most successful debuts by a hard rock band. Along with 1984, it gives Van Halen two original (not a greatest hits) albums with Diamond status in sales -- a feat achieved by only four other rock bands: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Def Leppard. 11 tracks.

Any band that has the audacity to begin its debut album with the bass player plucking quarter notes on an open E-string had better deliver, and Van Halen do -- with a vengeance. Honing their craft on the club scene for years, Van Halen emerged in 1978 with an instant classic that featured the blistering guitar work of Eddie Van Halen, the madcap histrionics of frontman David Lee Roth, and the pounding, pulsating groove of bassist Michael Anthony and drummer Alex Van Halen. From the memorable introduction of the hard-rock classic "Runnin' with the Devil," Van Halen is a non-stop barrage of primal music, ranging from seminal rockers ("Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love," "I'm the One") and covers (the Kinks' "You Really Got Me") to blues revisions ("Ice Cream Man") and surprising poignancy ("Jamie's Crying," "Little Dreamer"). For all its pomp, the album had the musical distinction of introducing the world to the influential guitar work of Eddie Van Halen, who belongs in a lineage of guitarists that includes Charlie Christian, Chuck Berry, and Jimi Hendrix. What Van Halen are really all about, however, is fun, and it was their role as irreverent saviors of good time rock 'n' roll that made them such an integral part of the rock lexicon...S. DeLuca

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 83 MB
Genre : Hard Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Runnin' With the Devil 3:37
02 Eruption 1:42
03 You Really Got Me 2:37
04 Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love 3:49
05 I'm the One 3:46
06 Jamie's Cryin' 3:30
07 Atomic Punk 3:01
08 Feel Your Love Tonight 3:42
9 Little Dreamer 3:22
10 Ice Cream Man 3:19
11 On Fire 3:01

Tom Petty - Damn The Torpedoes (1979)(Remastered 2001) [SHM-CD] [Limited Release] (2009)

Cardboard sleeve reissue from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers featuring the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD players). Part of a eight-album Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers SHM-CD cardboard sleeve reissue series featuring the albums "Damn The Torpedos," "Hard Promises," "Long After Dark," "Southern Accents," "Pack Up The Plantation," "Let Me Up (I've Had Enough)," "Full Moon Fever," and "Into The Great Wide Open." Also features 2001 remastering.

Description of SHM-CD

The high quality SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) format features enhanced audio quality through the use of a special polycarbonate plastic. Using a process developed by JVC and Universal Music Japan discovered through the joint companies' research into LCD display manufacturing, SHM-CDs feature improved transparency on the data side of the disc, allowing for more accurate reading of CD data by the CD player laser head. SHM-CD format CDs are fully compatible with standard CD players.

Not long after You're Gonna Get It, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' label, Shelter, was sold to MCA Records. Petty struggled to free himself from the major label, eventually sending himself into bankruptcy. He settled with MCA and set to work on his third album, digging out some old Mudcrutch numbers and quickly writing new songs. Amazingly, through all the frustration and anguish, Petty & the Heartbreakers delivered their breakthrough and arguably their masterpiece with Damn the Torpedoes. Musically, it follows through on the promise of their first two albums, offering a tough, streamlined fusion of the Stones and Byrds that, thanks to Jimmy Iovine's clean production, sounded utterly modern yet timeless. It helped that the Heartbreakers had turned into a tighter, muscular outfit, reminiscent of, well, the Stones in their prime -- all of the parts combine into a powerful, distinctive sound capable of all sorts of subtle variations. Their musical suppleness helps bring out the soul in Petty's impressive set of songs. He had written a few classics before -- "American Girl," "Listen to Her Heart" -- but here his songwriting truly blossoms. Most of the songs have a deep melancholy undercurrent -- the tough "Here Comes My Girl" and "Even the Losers" have tender hearts; the infectious "Don't Do Me Like That" masks a painful relationship; "Refugee" is a scornful, blistering rocker; "Louisiana Rain" is a tear-jerking ballad. Yet there are purpose and passion behind the performances that makes Damn the Torpedoes an invigorating listen all the same. Few mainstream rock albums of the late '70s and early '80s were quite as strong as this, and it still stands as one of the great records of the album rock era...S. Thomas

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 90 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Refugee 3:22
02 Here Comes My Girl 4:26
03 Even the Losers 4:00
04 Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid) 4:25
05 Century City 3:45
06 Don't Do Me Like That 2:44
07 You Tell Me 4:34
08 What Are You Doin' in My Life? 3:26
09 Louisiana Rain 5:53

četvrtak, 23.04.2009.

Heaven & Hell (Black Sabbath ft. Dio) - The Devil You Know (2009)

Previously known simply as "Black Sabbath With Ronnie James Dio Singing and Vinny Appice Drumming," Heaven and Hell excel at ye olde power-dungeon plod. Too bad Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler's most churning riffs tend to last mere seconds, before getting buried under attention-deficit arrangements and Dio's theatrical mythopoeia — which gets tiring when so many songs exceed six minutes. Here and there, gothic-dirge effects and emotionally spent choruses shine through. More pressingly: Is "Eating the Cannibals" a secret update of Total Coelo's 1983 New Wave novelty "I Eat Cannibals"? The world may never know.

It's almost a blessing that, for legal reasons, this four-piece can't call itself Black Sabbath. It only serves to hammer home the point that with Ronnie James Dio up front and Vinny Appice in back, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler express a very different side of their musical personalities than they ever did with Ozzy Osbourne on vocals and Bill Ward on drums. Where the original lineup was an ultra-heavy blues band, with a rhythm section that never failed to swing (OK, they failed a little bit on "Sweet Leaf"), when Dio came on board in 1980 the group was reinvented as a heavy metal juggernaut. While Iommi's riffs remained crushingly heavy, the rhythms got faster on songs like "Neon Knights," "Turn Up the Night," and "Mob Rules," and the lyrics abandoned the earthly concerns of "Paranoid" and "Hand of Doom" for Dio's abstract symbolism and myth-making. These differences became more stark with each album (Heaven and Hell, Mob Rules, and 1992's reunion disc Dehumanizer), and now, The Devil You Know confirms once and for all this lineup's unique take on the genre it helped invent.
This is a heavier album than any of its three predecessors; whether it's due to the bandmembers' advancing age or the influence of anxieties felt throughout the world outside the studio, it's the closest in spirit to the first two Black Sabbath albums, themselves forged in the psychic darkness that was the tail end of the 1960s. It's not until "Eating the Cannibals," track seven of ten, that the band revs into high gear the way it did on "Neon Knights" and "Turn Up the Night" 20-plus years ago. The songs that begin the album, and make up the bulk of its running time, are like slow-motion avalanches, Iommi's riffs and Appice's drumming punishing the listener like medieval monks scourging unbelievers. Dio's lyrics, too, seem to embody an almost Old Testament world-view, positing a universe of darkness, fire, and despair. His voice is as powerful as ever, but he's no longer offering self-esteem lessons the way he once did; he seems consumed by fear and doubt. This gives The Devil You Know a feeling of genuine doom that leaves little opportunity for the catharsis provided by classic heavy metal. While the Osbourne-fronted and Dio-fronted versions of Black Sabbath are, again, very different bands, this is an album that matches its moment every bit as perfectly as Paranoid did back in 1970...P.Freeman

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 123 MB
Genre : Heavy Metal
2000mustangs

Line-up

Tony Iommi
Ronnie James Dio
Geezer Butler
Vinnie Appice

Tracklist:

01 Atom and Evil 5:13
02 Fear 4:45
03 Bible Black 6:27
04 Double the Pain 5:23
05 Rock and Roll Angel 6:02
06 The Turn of the Screw 5:00
07 Eating the Cannibals 3:34
08 Follow the Tears 6:09
09 Neverwhere 4:32
10 Breaking into Heaven 6:53

srijeda, 22.04.2009.

Tommy James And The Shondells - Anthology (1989) (2007)

2007 Digitally Remastered Extensive Anthology of One of the Groups to Regularly Score Hit Singles at the Top of the Pop Charts in the 1960's. With Hits Like "Hanky Panky", "i Think We're Alone Now" (Covered in the '70's by Lene Lovich), "Mony Mony" (Covered in the '80's by Billy Idol), "Crimson and Clover" (Covered in the '80's by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts), "Crystal Blue Persuasion", "Sweet Cherry Wine", "Draggin' the Line" and Many More, the Shondells were Truly Trailblazers who Cut a Successful Mold for a Upstarts that Appeared in their Wake. Includes a Fantastic Lineup of 27 Great Songs!

Another great example of what Rhino does so well, Anthology brings together no less than 27 of Tommy James and the Shondells' nuggets on one disc. Along with good liner notes from Parke Puterbaugh, who interviewed James extensively (James himself contributes a slew of fun and informative anecdotes about many of the songs) and the usual skilled remastering job, it makes for one heck of a collection. James himself sums up his own appeal best of all: "We were really having fun, and you can hear it in the grooves." "Hanky Panky" understandably kicks things off, but the collection really doesn't take off until the just-plain-irresistible "I Think We're Alone Now," notably (and some would argue memorably) covered by Tiffany in the late '80s. The original is barely two minutes long, but packs in everything from a killer opening bassline and dramatic pauses to a totally killer chorus, James and company transforming Ritchie Cordell's song into a glistening gem. The fact that so many of his hits were beneficiaries of later remakes -- "Mony Mony" by Billy Idol, "Crimson and Clover" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, "Draggin' the Line" by R.E.M. -- is even better testimony to their appeal, and hearing the originals all in place confirms why they were smashes. If a number of selections are paler shadows of some of these greats, the arrangements are rarely less than anything but pure pop fun -- the almost delirious addition of swirling strings, flutes, and even harp to many songs gives them even more cheery flair. The fact that they were able to make woozy, psych-influenced delights like "Crimson and Clover" and still maintain their status as major hit artists on the charts is testament enough to their appeal...N.Raggett

Tommy James and the Shondells were a vastly underrated band when they hit the charts in 1966 and 1967, and Tommy was one of the best song writers of the that era. Many music critics dismissed their music as insignificant and inconsequential, but they were actually innovative recording artists with a sophisticated sound, who were years ahead of their time. Like most greatest hits compilations, this CD leaves out some important songs, but it is a more representative collection than most. Hanky Panky is a classic rock song, but much of the early Tommy James sound is a blend of rock and beautifulmore… melody such as my favorite track, the beautiful up-tempo Mirage, I Like The Way, Gettin' Together, and Out Of The Blue which are outstanding, underrated songs. The classic I Think We're Alone Now, It's Only Love, Run, Run Baby Run, and Love's Closin' In On Me are also excellent up-tempo songs that make you feel good.The Tommy James Sound was a perfect match for psychedelic arrangements, and Crimson And Clover was a brilliant early psychedelic song which had a profound effect on the evolution of rock music for many years. Sugar On Sunday and Sweet Cherry Wine are two other beautiful tracks. His maturation and versatility was exhibited in Crystal Blue Persuasion and Draggin' The Line, a more sophisticated hard rock song than the earlier infectious, up beat Mony Mony.This CD contains few weak tracks and is an outstanding collection of songs by one of the great rock bands of the 1960's and 1970's. The photos included with the CD are also excellent.

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 171 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Hanky Panky 2:59
02 Say I Am (What I Am) 2:37
03 It's Only Love 2:05
04 I Think We're Alone Now 2:08
05 Baby, Baby I Can't Take It No More 2:17
06 Mirage 2:30
07 I Like the Way 2:42
08 Run, Run, Baby, Run 2:18
09 Gettin' Together 2:18
10 Real Girl 2:18
11 Love's Closin' in on Me 2:17
12 Out of the Blue 2:22
13 Get out Now 2:08
14 (I'm) Taken 2:28
15 One Two Three and I Fell 2:21
16 Mony Mony 2:45
17 Somebody Cares 2:22
18 Do Something to Me 2:28
19 Crimson and Clover 3:23
20 Sugar on Sunday / Tommy James 3:19
21 Crystal Blue Persuasion 3:45
22 Sweet Cherry Wine 4:09
23 Loved One 4:02
24 Ball of Fire 2:53
25 She 2:03
26 Gotta Get Back to You 3:01
27 Draggin' the Line 2:45

utorak, 21.04.2009.

Roger McGuinn - Roger McGuinn/Peace On You (Remastter Edit 2004)

In July 2004, BGO released the first two solo albums, originally issued in 1973 & 1974, from The Byrds front man.

Roger McGuinn's 1973 self-titled solo debut was in most respects a breath of fresh air after the final days of the Byrds, in which the group was floundering in directionless mediocrity. In a sense, it's a back-to-basics album that emphasizes much of what McGuinn does so well: his forceful reedy vocals, his guitar playing, and his skills at both writing earnest folk-rock material (usually with future Bob Dylan collaborator Jacques Levy here) and interpreting unusual traditional and contemporary songs. Never was it folkier than on the acoustic "I'm So Restless," which benefited from harmonica bymore… Dylan himself (about whom the song was partially about). All four of the other original Byrds play on "My New Woman," which is virtually a reunion of the original quintet, with the addition of saxophone by jazzman Charles Lloyd; David Crosby makes unobtrusive cameos on some other tracks. As likable as it is, however, the album isn't an unqualified triumph. Some of the songs aren't so hot, some of the Moog synthesizer (by McGuinn) is unnecessary, his vocals sometimes seem to have been recorded with too much brittleness, and none of this is as good as the best of the Byrds. Unexpected influences make themselves heard in the Beach Boys harmonies of "Draggin'" (with Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys on piano and backup harmonies), the Vietnam blues of "Hanoi Hannah," and the gospel-rock of "Stone."

The solo career of this great rock artist took a while to gather some steam; his 1976 album, Cardiff Rose, showed that with at least some consistent production and a tight backing ensemble, he could put across a powerful musical vision without having to rely totally on re-creating the sound of the Byrds. For this 1974 album his focus is as wandering as a glaucoma patient who has just gone through a two-hour field test. Many different influences come into his musical world, like strange cooks passing through a kitchen and dropping odd things into the stew. There is heavy collaborating with songwritermore… Jacques Levy, who like McGuinn was part of Bob Dylan's chaotic music world during this period. While Levy has fans who feel he brought great riches to the kingdoms of artists such as McGuinn, the offerings from the McGuinn and Levy songwriting team on this album, such as "Together" and "The Lady," are packed with corny images and shallow sentiments — in other words, not exactly what one is used to hearing from McGuinn in his practically angelic role as a lead vocal spokesman for the Byrds. A bit of Turtles sauce goes in courtesy of vocal contributions from Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman — it doesn't add much, but at least doesn't detract, which is more than can be said for the song contributions of session pro Al Kooper or the wimpy Dan Fogelberg. The title of the former artist's tune is a gift to critics and the public alike: "(Please Not) One More Time." One Donnie Dacus offers another pair of nothing songs, while the album's title number, courtesy of country singer Charlie Rich and hyped to the hilt via the album's artwork, is also pretty much a disappointment, a one-idea song that badly muddles the all-important opening track parade. [The 2004 CD reissue on Sundazed adds a previously unreleased McGuinn-Levy composition, "Rock & Roll Time," as a bonus track, and also includes historical liner notes with quotes from McGuinn.]

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 161 MB
Genre : Folk Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 I'm So Restless 3:09
02 My New Woman 2:30
03 Lost My Driving Wheel 4:24
04 Draggin' 3:39
05 Time Cube 3:18
06 Bag Full of Money 3:21
07 Hanoi Hannah 2:53
08 Stone 3:04
09 Heave Away 3:05
10 M' Linda 2:45
11 The Water Is Wide 3:10
12 Peace on You 4:05
13 Without You 4:07
14 Going to the Country 3:16
15 (Please Not) One More Time 3:23
16 Same Old Sound 3:33
17 Do What You Want To 3:00
18 Together 3:39
19 Better Change 2:58
20 Gate of Horn 2:46
21 The Lady 4:18

ponedjeljak, 20.04.2009.

Traffic - Heaven Is In Your Mind (1967) (Remaster Edit 2008)

In January 1968, United Artists Records released a reconfigured American version of Traffic's debut album Mr. Fantasy under the new title Heaven Is in Your Mind, but after the first pressing reverted to calling it Mr. Fantasy. In 2000, Island reissued two CD versions, one titled Mr. Fantasy containing the British track listing in mono, the other titled Heaven Is in Your Mind with the U.S. track listing in stereo. Both albums contained bonus tracks, making their contents similar (but not quite identical). Actually, the album originally called Heaven Is in Your Mind was the superior version even before this development brought the two editions into stark comparison, since the changes actually improved the record by adding strong singles. But just as important as the substitutions was the sequencing, which banished the British-flavored novelty songs to the middle of Side Two; "Dear Mr. Fantasy," which would turn out to be the best-remembered song on the album, was moved to a climactic position as the penultimate cut on Side Two. The result de-emphasized Traffic's pop-psychedelic style (a hangover from the influence of Sgt. Pepper) and promoted its abilities as a jamming blues-rock outfit, talents that were abetted by Jimmy Miller's production and that helped launch them as an album act in the U.S. The 2000 reissue includes as bonus tracks the two deleted Dave Mason songs and two songs from the Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush soundtrack. Island's decision to reissue both versions could easily confuse consumers; the U.S. stereo version, once again known as Heaven Is in Your Mind, is really the one to own if you're only buying one. William Ruhlmann

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 114 MB
Genre : Psychedelic Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Paper Sun 3:26
02 Dealer 3:13
03 Coloured Rain 2:46
04 Hole in My Shoe 3:04
05 No Face, No Name, No Number 3:38
06 Heaven Is in Your Mind 4:22
07 House for Everyone 2:05
08 Berkshire Poppies 2:59
09 Giving to You 4:18
10 Smiling Phases 2:44
11 Dear Mr. Fantasy 5:33
12 We're a Fade, You Missed This 0:53
13 Utterly Simple 3:17
14 Hope I Never Find Me There 2:09
15 Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush 15:45
16 Am I What I Was or Am I What I Am 16:45

nedjelja, 19.04.2009.

10cc - Bloody Tourists (1978) (Remaster Edit 2002)

Digitally remastered 2002 reissue of their top 75 1978 albumwith 'Nothing Can Move Me' added as a bonus track. 13 trackstotal, also featuring the top 50 hit 'Dreadlock Holiday', plus 'For You And I', 'Last Night', 'Take These Chains' & 'Tokyo'. A Mercury Records release.

After proving they could keep 10cc alive as a duo act with 1977's successful Deceptive Bends, Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman pressed on in 1978 with Bloody Tourists. Although it scored some notable hits, it was a less consistent and less memorable affair than its predecessor. The problem with Bloody Tourists is that it feels like a group of session musicians trying to come up with songs in the 10cc style instead of a proper 10cc album. The eccentric humor that once flowed freely feels forced on this album: "Reds In My Bed" is a lame stab at Cold War satire that never really succeeds in saying anything while "Shock On The Tube (Don't Want Love)" tries to be daring with its tale of a subway sex fantasy and instead comes off as smutty and dull. Another problem is that the music propping up these narratives is lacking in both hooks and inspiration: the backing track for "Take These Chains" is a dull attempt at rockabilly that sounds like an especially poppy Eagles outtake and "The Anonymous Alcoholic" has a disco-parody portion that merely sounds like a mediocre example of the music it is supposedly sending up. However, the album's singles present a few bright moments: "For You And I" is a lovely ballad that fortifies its attractive melody with some strong vocal harmonies and "Dreadlock Holiday" chronicles the exploits of a hapless tourist in Jamaican against a catchy pop-reggae backdrop. Sadly, these are the first two tracks on the album so when they have passed there isn't much to look forward to. In the end, Bloody Tourists is competent enough to keep the 10cc's hardcore fans happy but the casual listener is advised to track down its hits on a compilation.

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 123 MB
Genre : Prog. Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Dreadlock Holiday 4:31
02 For You and I 5:25
03 Take These Chains 2:41
04 Shock on the Tube (Don't Want Love) 3:48
05 Last Night 3:20
06 Anonymous Alcoholic 5:51
07 Reds in My Bed 4:14
08 Lifeline 3:30
09 Tokyo 4:33
10 Old Mister Time 4:36
11 From Rochdale to Ocho Rios 3:48
12 Everything You Wanted to Know About!!! 4:31
13 Nothing Can Move Me 4:04

subota, 18.04.2009.

Ozzy Osbourne - Black Rain (2007)(2 CD Tour Edition)

To a certain extent, Ozzy Osbourne doesn't need to make new music -- and to a certain extent he hasn't, choosing to not record an album of original material in the years immediately after the reality TV show The Osbournes once again turned him into a household name. At the peak of Ozzy's fame in the early '80s, he was a boogeyman, embodying all the dangers of rock & roll, but the TV show made him safe, even cuddly -- a punch line at the White House Foreign Correspondent's Dinner -- which just helped him rake in the money, particularly since in addition to riding the wave of The Osbournes, his annual OzzFest tour turned into an institution of sorts, helping launch new bands while tending to his metal credibility. Now, that is a rock & roll machine, one driven entirely by personality, not new musical product, and one that was nearly in perpetual motion, never needing new grist for the mill to turn a profit. Yet there's always a risk that an enterprise like that could grow a bit stale, even with the occasional box sets, live albums, and cover records to keep things humming. And so, Ozzy finally got around to a new album original material, releasing Black Rain in the summer of 2007, a full six years after Down to Earth, his last album of originals, and well past the sell-by date of his TV show -- proof that this record isn't about cashing-in, it's about keeping the Osbourne machine rolling.

Black Rain was released just a year and half before Ozzy's 60th birthday, and he does sound like a veteran -- he can't wail like he used to, opting for a lower-register growl, but perhaps the biggest indication that he's getting on in years is that he doesn't rock as hard as he once did. Sure, longtime axeman Zakk Wylde is here playing some mean guitar, but this isn't as heavy as he was even a decade ago, lacking both the gut-level punch and monster riffs of even his post-Randy Rhoads work. Certainly, this level of heaviosity is missed, but it's also true that if Ozzy really strived for a brutal attack he might wind up sounding older than he already does here, so hearing him ease into a hazily dark, vaguely psychedelic heavy rock as reminiscent of Lennon as it is of Sabbath is oddly appropriate. Nothing on Black Rain could really qualify as an Osbourne classic, but there's something curiously comforting about Ozzy relaxing a little bit and singing songs that are strangely age-appropriate -- something that's not respectable, necessarily, something that is still metal, but something that isn't quite as heavy as before, yet retaining that swirling, circular melodies and murky grind that has been his stock and trade for nearly 40 years. If the music feels a bit older, so do Ozzy's lyrics. He spends a startling amount of time addressing the ills of the world, ranging from terrorism to consumerism, and for once his fondness for gloomy doomsday imagery jibes with the conventional-held opinion of the state of the world (although he never gets as apocalyptic as Cormac McCarthy's The Road, or the Left Behind series, for that matter, which frankly is a relief). This unintentional zeitgeist piggybacking helps Black Rain feel timely and appropriate, which is a mildly shocking turn of events, and helps the album feel something closer to a work of art than a piece of product for the Ozz machine. It's hardly a perfect record -- producer Kevin Churko, who engineered Osbourne's Under Cover and also produced Cheap Trick's 2006 Rockford, has a long history of pop editing and engineering, including credits on Britney's Oops!...I Did It Again, Shania Twain's Up!, and Celine Dion's New Day Has Come, and all that history is evident in the album's slightly too punchy and precise sound. But even if Black Rain is a bit clean, a bit soft in the center, it's far from an embarrassment, and it's surprisingly likeable -- kind of like Ozzy himself in the new millennium, really, so it's nice that he finally has an album that lives up to his well-scrubbed, reputable persona. S. T. Erlewine

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 165 MB
Genre : Heavy Metal
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

CD 1

01 Not Going Away 4:32
02 I Don't Wanna Stop 3:59
03 Black Rain 4:42
04 Lay Your World on Me 4:16
05 The Almighty Dollar 6:57
06 11 Silver 3:42
07 Civilize the Universe 4:43
08 Here for You 4:37
09 Countdown's Begun 4:53
10 Trap Door 6:35

CD 2

01 I Don't Wanna Stop Live (Bonus) 3:44
02 Not Going Away Live (Bonus) 4:36
03 Here for You Live (Bonus) 4:51
04 Nightmare (Bonus) 4:40
05 I Can't Save You (Bonus) 3:30
06 Love to Hate (Bonus) 3:56

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Authorized Bootleg - Live Cardiff 1975 (2009)

Part of Universal's Authorized Bootleg series, this disc captures a concert Lynyrd Skynyrd gave at the Cardiff Capitol Theatre in Wales on November 4, 1975. Skynyrd was supporting their third album, Nuthin' Fancy, and they were operating like a well-oiled machine, giving a tight, focused set that draws pretty equally from Second Helping and Nuthin' Fancy. Surprises aren't the order of the day here, either in song selection or performance -- it's an efficient, entertaining concert by a working band determined to give their paying audience a good show. And that they do -- not a great show, but a good one, one that satisfies even if it's not necessarily memorable...T. Erlewine

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 113 MB
Genre : Southern Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist

01 Double Trouble 3:01
02 I Ain't the One 3:48
03 The Needle and the Spoon 4:41
04 Saturday Night Special 5:24
05 Gimme Three Steps 5:27
06 Whiskey Rock-A-Roller 3:57
07 Call Me the Breeze 5:35
08 Sweet Home Alabama 5:27
09 Free Bird 12:19

petak, 17.04.2009.

The Moody Blues - Octave (1978) (Remaster Edit 2008)

Digitally remastered and expanded edition of this classic 1978 album from the British Pop/Rock band includes five bonus live tracks and a 16 page booklet. The Moody Blues may not be mentioned in the same breath as The Kinks, The Who, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, but they are more than deserving of being compared to those influential bands. From their beginnings in the '60s to the millennium, The Moody Blues have continued to create exceptional music and expand their devoted fanbase with each new generation. Universal. 2008.

The remastered, upgraded, and expanded CD edition of the Moody Blues' Octave rates a separate review from its predecessor, offering as it does over a quarter of an hour of new material, as well as a much finer analog-to-digital transfer of the original album, something the CD version has needed for many years. From the opening of "Steppin' in a Slide Zone," the difference in sound quality is like stepping from a flat, two-dimensional screening of a movie into a 3-D screening; layers of vocal and instrumental nuance that were previously hidden in the mix are now more fully exposed, with the result that we are getting to hear this record the way the bandmembers did as they experienced it in playback in the studio. And for the first time, the record's quality, at least in its execution, comes through -- some of the songwriting is shaky, as one might expect coming off of a five-year hiatus from working in a group context (with several members' respective songbags depleted); but now one can hear what the members put into those songs to make them acceptable, and as it turns out they did succeed, in large measure. One striking element is precisely how "right" John Lodge's bass seems on numbers as varied in quality as Ray Thomas' "Under Moonshine" and Justin Hayward's "Had to Fall in Love." Upon its original release in mid-1978, this reviewer remembers being struck by the seeming lack of cohesion in the sound which, as it turned out, was a result of Mike Pinder's departure before the completion of the album, which explained the presence of saxes and horns on various tracks. Those instruments and the tracks they appear on -- "Driftwood," "Top Rank Suite," "I'm Your Man," "Survival" -- sounded the least like the band we all remembered, but at least here they have some of the energy that the members obviously put into them. "Driftwood"'s richness of tone, along with that of "Had to Fall in Love" and even Mike Pinder's lone compositional contribution, "One Step Into the Light," all benefit from the new transfer. And one can now make out Justin Hayward's acoustic guitar on "The Day We Meet Again" -- that is the side of their sound, along with Lodge's McCartney-esque bass work and Graeme Edge's drumming, that makes a Moody Blues record, even without the full complement of voices one expected up to that time on their records. The producers have also added a quintet of live tracks recorded at the Coliseum in Seattle and The Summit in Houston, TX, along the tour that accompanied the release of this album. Apparently done in two-track, they couldn't be remixed to 21st century standards, but there's a lot of kinetic energy in the playing, even from newly added keyboardist Patrick Moraz, who can already be heard adding his own flourishes to the new repertory. Preserved here are two songs, "I'm Your Man" and "Top Rank Suite" -- the latter offering Hayward a chance to stretch out on guitar, which greatly improves it from its studio original -- that disappeared from the band's set list following this tour; and three, "Steppin' in a Slide Zone," "Driftwood," and "The Day We Meet Again," that have endured a lot longer than the album did in most fans' estimations. "Driftwood" offers another opportunity for Hayward and Lodge to stretch out, compared to the studio rendition, and is a long-awaited recognition of this song's worth as it was established on that tour. And "The Day We Meet Again," despite some less-than-optimum recording and an ending that is a little flat on-stage, was one of the highlights of that tour's set, and is a good showcase for Moraz's playing. The accompanying annotation is extremely thorough and informative. One wishes, however, that the art department had sprung for two more pages, so the text wouldn't have been quite so small, and also would have been more judicious than to put black lettering over dark background images on some pages. And they've left the lyrics in as well...B. Eder

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 168 MB
Genre : Prog. Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Steppin' in a Slide Zone 5:29
02 Under Moonshine 5:00
03 Had to Fall in Love 3:42
04 I'll Be Level with You 3:48
05 Driftwood Full Version 5:03
06 Top Rank Suite 3:42
07 I'm Your Man 4:21
08 Survival 4:09
09 One Step into the Light 4:29
10 The Day We Meet Again 6:24
11 Steppin' in a Slide Zone prev. unreleased / Bonus / Live 1979 4:59
12 I'm Your Man prev. unreleased / Bonus / Live 1979 4:53
13 Top Rank Suite prev. unreleased / Bonus / Live 1979 4:29
14 Driftwood prev. unreleased / Bonus / Live 1979 5:04
15 The Day We Meet Again prev. unreleased / Bonus / Live 1978 7:16

četvrtak, 16.04.2009.

10cc - Alive In Japan (1993)(Remaster Edit 2002)

I like the song selection and performance. I especially like the segue from "The Things We Do For Love" to an excellent version of The Beatles, "Across the Universe." The Bullets Medley is excellent. While I don't like the cover version of "Paperback Writer" so much (a slightly reggae version ala Dreadlock Holiday)-- the encore of "Slow Down" rocks...L. Gripelkey

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 206 MB
Genre : Art Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

CD 1

01. The Wall Street Shuffle 4:51
02. I'm Mandy Fly Me 5:48
03. Good Morning Judge 3:06
04. Welcome to Paradise 5:26
05. The Things We Do for Love 3:39
06. Across the Universe 4:08
07. The Stars Didn't Show 4:46
08. Art for Art's Sake 8:03
09. Paperback Writer 4:00
10. Shine a Light in the Dark 5:25


CD 2

01. Feel the Benefit 14:29
02. Dreadlock Holiday 6:03
03. I'm Not in Love 6:41
04. The Bullets Medley: Rubber Bullets / Silly Love / Love Is a Minestrone 7:43
05. Slow Down 5:45

srijeda, 15.04.2009.

Bob Dylan & The Band - Before The Flood (1974) (Remaster Edit 2009)

Dylan has issued a large number of live albums in his day, but 1974's Before the Flood deserves special mention because of the presence of the Band behind him. Dylan had recently brought the Band into the studio to record the chart-topping (yet still somehow underappreciated) Planet Waves, which was the first (and, as it turned out, only) studio record he made after leaving Columbia for Asylum. He then asked them along on the subsequent tour, which at the time became the most successful rock tour in history. The fruits of that partnership are contained on this two-CD set, which actually ignores Planet Waves completely in favor of older classics. Although the album includes several strong collaborations, the highlights ironically come during Dylan's solo-acoustic portion, which yields powerful and gritty versions of "Don't Think Twice" and "It's Alright Ma," and during the Band's own exhilarating numbers with Dylan sitting out...M. Greilsamer

Bob Dylan and the Band both needed the celebrated reunion tour of 1974, since Dylan's fortunes had been floundering since Self Portrait and the Band stumbled with 1971's Cahoots. The tour, with its attendant publicity, definitely returned both artists to center stage, and it definitely succeeded, breaking box office records and earning great reviews. Before the Flood, a double-album souvenir of the tour, suggests that these were generally dynamic shows, but not because they were reveling in the past, but because Dylan was fighting the nostalgia of his audience -- nostalgia, it must be noted, that was promoted as the very reason behind these shows. Yet that's what gives this music such kick -- Dylan reworks, rearranges, reinterprets these songs in ways that are still disarming, years after its initial release. He could only have performed interpretations this radical with a group as sympathetic, knowing of his traits as the band, whose own recordings here are respites from the storm. And this is a storm -- the sound of a great rocker, surprising his band and audience by tearing through his greatest songs in a manner that might not be comforting, but it guarantees it to be one of the best live albums of its time. Ever, maybe...S. Thomas

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 212 MB
Genre : Folk-Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

CD 1

01 Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine) 3:16
02 Lay Lady Lay 3:00
03 Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 3:09
04 Knockin' on Heaven's Door / The Band 3:30
05 It Ain't Me Babe 3:15
06 Ballad of a Thin Man 3:29
07 Up on Cripple Creek 4:57
08 I Shall Be Released 3:19
09 Endless Highway / The Band 4:45
10 The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down 4:05
11 Stage Fright 4:22

CD 2

01 Don't Think Twice, It's All Right 3:34
02 Just Like a Woman 4:46
03 It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) 5:12
04 The Shape I'm In 3:33
05 When You Awake 2:54
06 The Weight 4:20
07 All Along the Watchtower 2:58
08 Highway 61 Revisited 4:05
09 Like a Rolling Stone 6:06
10 Blowin' in the Wind 3:46

The Hollies - Another Night (1975) (Remaster Edit 2004)

Out of print in the U.S. this '04 reissue features the hit 'I'm Down' and 7 bonus tracks 'Hello Lady Goodbye', 'Another Night' (live), '4th of July Asbury Park (Sandy)' (live), 'I'm Down' (live), 'Come Down to the Shore', 'Born to Run' and 'Why Don't You Call'. 17 tracks in all.

When "Another Night" was released way back in the seventies, critics blasted it and signaled as the end of the Hollies' long line of hits. I have always disagreed; "Another Night" contains some of the best tunes they ever recorded, and the addition of seven extra tunes makes this a classic CD. It's all here: their soaring unparalleled harmonies, restrained musicianship, and their haunting arrangements. "Another Night" is a great song, with a hypnotic opening and dynamic rhythmic pulse; "Sandy" written by Bruce Springsteen, is gorgeous and surpasses the writer's version; "Lonely Hobo Lullabye" is a mournful yet poignant look at wandering; "I'm Down," is typical Hollies harmonies soaring above a great melody; "Give Me Time," joins that list of Hollies greats; the live versions of "Another Night" and "Sandy" are not as good as the studio tracks, but entertaining nonetheless. I even liked their cover of Springsteen's "Born to Run." The Hollies were one of the great bands of the sixties/seventies, and have given us such wonderful classics as "Air That I Breathe," "He Ain't Heavy" and "Long Cool Woman." ...Michael Butts

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size ca.: 150 MB
Genre : Classic Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. Another Night 3.57
02. 4th July, Asbury Park (Sandy) 4.11
03. Lonely Hobo Lullaby 4.18
04. Second Hand Hang-Ups 4.32
05. Time Machine Jive 3.19
06. I'm Down 4.13
07. Look Out Johnny (There's A Monkey On Your Back) 3.35
08. Give Me Time 3.11
09. You Gave Me Life (With That Look In Your Eyes) 3.52
10. Lucy 5.12
11. Hello Lady Goodbye (Bonus) 3.56
12. Another Night (Bonus)(Live) 3.40
13. 4th July, Asbury Park (Sandy) (Bonus)(Live) 4.11
14. I'm Down (Bonus)(Live) 4.04
15. Come Down To The Shore (Bonus) 3.51
16. Born To Run (Bonus) 4.08
17. Why Don't You Call? (Bonus) 3.17

Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970) (2 CD Deluxe Edition 2009)

2009 digitally remastered and expanded deluxe edit of the classic sophomore album from the Heavy Metal kingpins led by Ozzy Osbourne. Originally released in 1970, Paranoid still stands as an important milestone in the history of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. This ultimate edition features a beautifully remastered version of the album plus an alternate version of the album including instrumental mixes and alternate recordings. Majestic Metal, indeed.

Though most of Black Sabbath's classic material from this album ("War Pigs," "Iron Man," "Fairies Wear Boots," and the title track) can also be found on the collection We Sold Our Soul for Rock & Roll, Paranoid is essential for the completist. One of the best albums from one of the bands to define heavy metal, this album is chock-full of the best stuff from Sabbath's Osbourne years. (Where else will you be able to hear "Rat Salad?") The music isn't exactly complex, but it doesn't need to be; its importance lies in its evocative power, with which any teenager will be able to identify...G.Williams

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 197 MB
Genre : Heavy Metal
2000mustangs

Traccklist:

CD 1 - Original Album

01. War Pigs 7:58
02. Paranoid 2:54
03. Planet Caravan 4:34
04. Iron Man 5:57
05. Electric Funeral 4:53
06. Hand Of Doom 7:08
07. Rat Salad 2:31
08. Fairies Wear Boots 6:14

CD 2 - Bonus Tracks

01. War Pigs (Instrumental) 8:02
02. Paranoid (Alternative lyrics version) 2:52
03. Planet Caravan (Alternative lyrics version) 6:04
04. Iron Man (Instrumental) 5:59
05. Electric Funeral (Instrumental) 4:54
06. Hand Of Doom (instrumental) 7:17
07. Rat Salad (Alternative Mix) 2:32
08. Fairies Wear Boots (Instrumental) 6:17

ponedjeljak, 13.04.2009.

Camel - Rain Dances (1977) (Remaster Edit 2009)

Camel's classic 5th album from 1977 has been digitally remastered and expanded with the single version of "Highways To The Sun" and six songs recorded live for the BBC In Concert show.

The band's fifth release, Rain Dances is Camel at its best, offering the most consistent and representative package in their saga. The addition of Caravan-cofounder Richard Sinclair proves profitable, as do a few colorist touches by Brian Eno on "Elke." MEL COLLINS' woodwinds are among the highlights, especially on "Tell Me" and the title track. From beginning to end, this project flows gracefully. Matthew Plichta

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 174 MB
Genre : Prog. Rock
2000mustangs

Track list:

01. First Light 4:59
02. Metrognome 4:19
03. Tell Me 4:07
04. Highways Of The Sun 4:30
05. Unevensong 5:35
06. One Of These Days I'll Get An Early Night 5:54
07. Elke 4:28
08. Skylines 4:26
09. Rain Dances 2:58
10. Highways Of The Sun (Single Version) 4:00
11. First Light (BBC "Sight & Sound" In Concert) 5:01
12. Metrognome (BBC "Sight & Sound" In Concert) 4:56
13. Unevensong (BBC "Sight & Sound" In Concert) 5:47
14. Skylines (BBC "Sight & Sound" In Concert) 5:36
15. Highways Of The Sun (BBC "Sight & Sound" In Concert) 4:59
16. One Of These Days I'll Get An Early Night (BBC "Sight & Sound" In Concert)

nedjelja, 12.04.2009.

Genesis - Nursery Cryme (1971) (Remaster Edit 2008)

2008 digitally remastered and expanded two disc (Hybrid SACD + PAL/Region 0 DVD) pressing of this classic 1971 album from one of Rock's most successful bands. Disc One features the remastered version of the album on an SACD Hybrid disc which is playable on both normal CD and SACD 5.1 Surround players. The DVD features the album in DTS 5.1 Surround Sound plus rare video extras including music clips and an interview. From their Progressive Rock beginnings to their commercial superstardom, Genesis created some of the most challenging, creative and rewarding albums of their generation. This special edition not only offers bonus material, but also allows the listener to experience the album as never before! EMI.

If Genesis truly established themselves as progressive rockers on Trespass, Nursery Cryme is where their signature persona was unveiled: true English eccentrics, one part Lewis Carroll and one part Syd Barrett, creating a fanciful world that emphasized the band's instrumental prowess as much as Peter Gabriel's theatricality. Which isn't to say that all of Nursery Cryme works. There are times when the whimsy is overwhelming, just as there are periods when there's too much instrumental indulgence, yet there's a charm to this indulgence, since the group is letting itself run wild. Even if they've yet to find the furthest reaches of their imagination, part of the charm is hearing them test out its limits, something that does result in genuine masterpieces, as on "The Musical Box" and "The Return of the Giant Hogweed," two epics that dominate the first side of the album and give it its foundation. If the second side isn't quite as compelling or quite as structured, it doesn't quite matter because these are the songs that showed what Genesis could do, and they still stand as pinnacles of what the band could achieve...S.T. Erlewine

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 91 MB
Genre : Prog. Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 The Musical Box 10:24
02 For Absent Friends 1:43
03 The Return of the Giant Hogweed 8:09
04 Seven Stones 5:09
05 Harold the Barrel 3:00
06 Harlequin 2:53
07 The Fountain of Salmacis 7:54

Leonard Cohen - Ten New Songs (2001)

Plenty of artists have gone on very public spiritual quests, only to apply them, ever so briefly, to their art before moving on to the next fleeting interest. Leonard Cohen, however, clearly found what he was looking for when he began training at a California Zen Buddhist monastery several years ago, and that's profoundly apparent on his first new album in nearly nine years. As its title indicates, Ten New Songs is pure, plainspoken Cohen, free of any frills that might distract from the prose poems within. It may well be the sexagenarian singer-songwriter's most spare, unadorned album to date, with minimal synthesizer daubings (from Sharon Robinson, who also co-wrote most of the songs here) forming virtually the only accompaniment. Such subtlety only heightens the impact of desolate songs like "A Thousand Kisses Deep," which looks askance at the pleasures of the flesh, and "That Don't Make It Junk," a song that praises the reclamation of spiritual debris. Through it all, Cohen's raspy voice, which has grown even more frayed with the passage of time, serves as the perfect vessel for carrying these burnished gems. There's much to unravel in pieces like "In My Secret Life," but the point is to join in the process of unraveling, whether or not you eventually reach the "answer" within...D. Sprague

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 120 MB
Genre : Folk Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 In My Secret Life 4:55
02 A Thousand Kisses Deep 6:29
03 That Don't Make It Junk 4:28
04 Here It Is 4:18
05 Love Itself 5:26
06 By the Rivers Dark 5:20
07 Alexandra Leaving 5:25
08 You Have Loved Enough 5:41
09 Boogie Street 6:04
10 The Land of Plenty 4:35

subota, 11.04.2009.

Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (1966) (40th Anniversary Edit)

If you need some pointy-headed pundit to sell you on the merits of Pet Sounds, your money might be better spent on an ear specialist. Brian Wilson's gift to 20th-century music elevated this pop album into a beguiling musical and emotional cogency that still operates outside pop culture's fickle space-time continuum--and limited critical lexicon. There's never been another record to compare (Rubber Soul, its inspiration, is close; Sgt. Pepper's, its response, misses the point), and certainly no album has been as dissected, overanalyzed, and predigested for public consumption. In 1997 Capitol Records devoted an entire four-disc box set, The Pet Sounds Sessions, to its thorough deconstruction. The techno-marvel centerpiece of that project--the album's first true stereo mix, painstakingly conjured out of multitape session sources by producer-engineer Mark Linett (under Wilson's supervision)--was at once heresy and revelation. Now the label has gratifyingly seen fit to offer both mixes on a single disc (along with alternate versions of "Hang On to Your Ego," the original title of "I Know There's An Answer"), an idea that should please the orthodox and heretics alike. And while the album has always clearly been The Brian Wilson Show featuring the Beach Boys, David Leaf's concise new notes attempt to be more inclusive of a wider band perspective. The result (three of the five band members claim credit for the album title) sometimes resembles Rashomon. If Pet Sounds forever crystallized the band's various creative (in)differences, it also became Wilson's grand karmic joke on his band mates; its burgeoning reputation (Mojo magazine's panel of pop experts once elected it greatest album of all time) guaranteed they would sing its songs--and praises--until the end. And if putting two different versions of the same album on one disc seems like overkill, look at the bright side: it's a perfect excuse to listen to the glorious Pet Sounds twice...J. McCulley

The best Beach Boys album, and one of the best of the 1960s. The group here reached a whole new level in terms of both composition and production, layering tracks upon tracks of vocals and instruments to create a richly symphonic sound. Conventional keyboards and guitars were combined with exotic touches of orchestrated strings, bicycle bells, buzzing organs, harpsichords, flutes, theremin, Hawaiian-sounding string instruments, Coca-Cola cans, barking dogs, and more. It wouldn't have been a classic without great songs, and this has some of the group's most stunning melodies, as well as lyrical themes which evoke both the intensity of newly born love affairs and the disappointment of failed romance (add in some general statements about loss of innocence and modern-day confusion as well). The spiritual quality of the material is enhanced by some of the most gorgeous upper-register male vocals (especially by Brian and Carl Wilson) ever heard on a rock record. "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "God Only Knows," "Caroline No," and "Sloop John B" (the last of which wasn't originally intended to go on the album) are the well-known hits, but equally worthy are such cuts as "You Still Believe in Me," "Don't Talk," "I Know There's an Answer," and "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times." It's often said that this is more of a Brian Wilson album than a Beach Boys recording (session musicians played most of the parts), but it should be noted that the harmonies are pure Beach Boys (and some of their best). Massively influential upon its release (although it was a relatively low seller compared to their previous LPs), it immediately vaunted the band into the top level of rock innovators among the intelligentsia, especially in Britain, where it was a much bigger hit. [Capitol issued an LP edition in 2008.]...R.Unterberger

The Beatles adored it, and the Rolling Stones took out an ad in the British music papers urging everybody to buy it: Pet Sounds is not only the Beach Boys' best album but also one of the undisputed classics of the '60s. Written (save for an adaptation of the old folk song "Sloop John B.") by head Beach Boy Brian Wilson and a young advertising copywriter named Tony Asher, the album is a melancholy meditation on adulthood, desire, and failed romance. Featuring stunning melodies ("God Only Knows"), intricate vocal arrangements ("Wouldn't It Be Nice"), and innovative instrumentals ("Let's Go Away for Awhile"), Pet Sounds was, in 1966, also a staggering technical accomplishment. Working the old-fashioned way -- that is, without the benefit of synthesizers and samplers -- Wilson created a rich, symphonic sound by blending multiple vocal tracks and conventional keyboards and guitars with harpsichords, flutes, and Hawaiian-tinged strings, then added a panoply of sound effects: bicycle bells, Coca-Cola cans, a Theremin, barking dogs. Although only a moderate hit upon its release, Pet Sounds has proved hugely influential over the years. In 1997 it was rereleased as a four-CD box set, including one disc of a never-before-heard stereo mix. The 2006 reissue marks the first release of the stereo version (plus the mono original) on a single CD...S. Simels

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 177 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Wouldn't It Be Nice 2:25
02 You Still Believe in Me 2:34
03 That's Not Me 2:30
04 Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder) 2:54
05 I'm Waiting for the Day 3:06
06 Let's Go Away for Awhile 2:21
07 Sloop John B 3:00
08 God Only Knows 2:52
09 I Know There's an Answer 3:11
10 Here Today 2:55
11 I Just Wasn't Made for These Times 3:15
12 Pet Sounds 2:23
13 Caroline No 2:54
14 Hang on to Your Ego Bonus Track 3:03
15 Wouldn't It Be Nice Stereo Mix 2:33
16 You Still Believe in Me Stereo Mix 2:36
17 That's Not Me Stereo Mix 2:31
18 Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder) Stereo Mix 2:58
19 I'm Waiting for the Day Stereo Mix 3:06
20 Let's Go Away for Awhile Stereo Mix 2:24
21 Sloop John B Stereo Mix 2:59
22 God Only Knows Stereo Mix 2:54
23 I Know There's an Answer Stereo Mix 3:18
24 Here Today Stereo Mix 3:07
25 I Just Wasn't Made for These Times Stereo Mix 3:21
26 Pet Sounds Stereo Mix 2:37
27 Caroline No Stereo Mix 2:53

Pls.post with artist & title !!!

Pls.post with artist & title !!!

U2 Podaci o korisniku

Peter Fox - Stadtaffe (2008)

I find German difficult to listen to in any musical genre as I'm not a native or fluent speaker. The language sounds harsh to my ears. In spite of this, I do enjoy German music in limited doses. Rammstein anyone?
However this CD is classified, it is pleasingly lyrical. Because of this, I would get expect Peter Fox to gather many international fans.
Somewhere in the world (I will let you, the reader, discover where) this CD genre is listed as reggae. I would not classify this music as such since it does a disservice to both reggae and Peter Fox and may either disappoint or turn people off to listening. I also find referring to this CD as dance music as trivializing. This CD is not "boom-sha-ca-la-ca" or "bump and grind" American MTV tripe. However, it does make you want to move!
If you have a chance to view Peter Fox's video of "schwarz zu blau" (a title on this CD) - it will be clear the intent is neither classically reggae nor dance music. This video is currently played on German MTV and the CD (Stadtaffe) is currently #2 in our local German large electronics retail store...J. Pand

Fantastic album! Every song is good - a rarity nowadays... I heard "Alles Neu" first in October when travelling thru amsterdam. I hunted it down when I got back to the states and EVERYONE who has heard it loves it. My husband immediately stole my copy. Strangers have asked my husband when he is stopped at traffic lights what it is he is listening to. I speak no german, but the translated lyrics I have read have impressed me as well. Witty with a viral beat, and a respectful nod to real music (que the strings!) - you will not be able to get this album out of your head. I fully expect it to catch fire on a global level...Heather Kippa

Peter Fox is an awesome artist. The melodies, rhythms and production of are top notch. I speak German and so can appreciate the lyrics (more or less as I'm not fluent). He has a great sound. If the best songs were played at a club in the U.S., the dancefloor would be full. An A+ effort from the underappreciated German music scene...R. G. Shaw

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 92 MB
Genre: Electronic, Hip Hop, Reggae
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Alles Neu (4:18)
02 Schwarz Zu Blau (3:35)
03 Haus Am See (3:36)
04 Kopf Verloren (3:21)
05 Das Zweite Gesicht (3:53)
06 Der Letzte Tag (3:42)
07 Ich Steine, Du Steine (3:16)
08 Lok Auf 2 Beinen (3:44)
09 Stadtaffe (3:39)
10 Fieber (Feat. K.I.Z.) (3:32)
11 Schuttel Deinen Speck (2:51)
12 Zucker (Feat. Vanessa Mason) (3:13)
13 Shostakovitchovitch (Instr.) (7:49)

14 Saint Tropez (Instr.) (3:35)

petak, 10.04.2009.

Bob Dylan - The Basement Tapes (1975) (Remaster Edit 2009)

The Basement Tapes can be heard as a manifesto for the '90s' underlying Americana agenda or as the greatest album never intended for commercial release. Homegrown 1967 recordings taped in the Band's fabled Big Pink hermitage in Saugerties, New York, many of the 24 songs resonated across American and English rock and folk long before their belated 1975 release through studio interpretations by the Byrds, Fairport Convention, Manfred Mann, Peter, Paul & Mary, and numerous other acolytes, as well as through myriad unauthorized bootlegs. Good as the covers were, Dylan and the Band rolled their own with an extraordinary coherence that sounds only more authentic in these rough-hewn, intimate, always musical performances, which dovetail with Dylan's stark John Wesley Harding and the Band's stunning debut, Music from Big Pink as well as the presciently lo-fi The Band. At a time when most rock culture was entranced with its post-atomic origins, these songs sounded timeless, plunging into pre-industrial folk, turn of the (20th) century barrelhouse and blues, and crackling, vintage rock & roll excursions with offhand verve and a thrilling disregard for what was hip. Time has only reinforced their visionary power...S.Sutherland

The official release of The Basement Tapes -- which were first heard on a 1968 bootleg called The Great White Wonder -- plays with history somewhat, as Robbie Robertson overemphasizes the Band's status in the sessions, making them out to be equally active to Dylan, adding in demos not cut at the sessions and overdubbing their recordings to flesh them out. As many bootlegs (most notably the complete five-disc series) reveal, this isn't entirely true and that the Band were nowhere near as active as Dylan, but that ultimately is a bit like nitpicking, since the music here (including the Band's) is astonishingly good. The party line on The Basement Tapes is that it is Americana, as Dylan and the Band pick up the weirdness inherent in old folk, country, and blues tunes, but it transcends mere historical arcana by being lively, humorous, full-bodied performances. Dylan never sounded as loose, nor was he ever as funny as he is here, and this positively revels in its weird, wild character. For all the apparent antecedents -- and the allusions are sly and obvious in equal measures -- this is truly Dylan's show, as he majestically evokes old myths and creates new ones, resulting in a crazy quilt of blues, humor, folk, tall tales, inside jokes, and rock. The Band pretty much pick up where Dylan left off, even singing a couple of his tunes, but they play it a little straight, on both their rockers and ballads. Not a bad thing at all, since this actually winds up providing context for the wild, mercurial brilliance of Dylan's work -- and, taken together, the results (especially in this judiciously compiled form; expert song selection, even if there's a bit too much Band) rank among the greatest American music ever made...S. T. Erlewine

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 177 MB
Genre : Folk- Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

CD 1

01 Odds and Ends 1:47
02 Orange Juice Blues (Blues for Breakfast) / The Band 3:39
03 Million Dollar Bash 2:32
04 Yazoo Street Scandal / The Band 3:29
05 Goin' to Acapulco 5:27
06 Katie's Been Gone / The Band 2:46
07 Lo and Behold! 2:46
08 Bessie Smith / The Band 4:18
09 Clothes Line Saga 2:58
10 Apple Suckling Tree 2:48
11 Please, Mrs. Henry 2:33
12 Tears of Rage 4:15

CD 2

01 Too Much of Nothing 3:04
02 Yea! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread 2:15
03 Ain't No More Cane / The Band 3:58
04 Crash on the Levee (Down in the Flood) 2:04
05 Ruben Remus / The Band 3:16
06 Tiny Montgomery 2:47
07 You Ain't Goin' Nowhere 2:42
08 Don't Ya Tell Henry / The Band 3:13
09 Nothing Was Delivered 4:23
10 Open the Door, Homer 2:49
11 Long Distance Operator / The Band 3:39
12 This Wheel's on Fire 3:52

četvrtak, 09.04.2009.

10cc - The Original Soundtrack (1975) (Remaster Edit 2008)

Japanese reissue of this 1975 album from British Art Rockers 10cc featuring two bonus tracks; 'Channel Swimmer' and 'Good News'. Original Soundtrack, which is not a soundtrack to anything in particular, was the release that made the band an FM Rock radio staple. 10 tracks including 'The Second Sitting For The Last Supper', 'Life Is A Minestrone' and the massively successful 'I'm Not In Love'. Mercury...Universal. 2008

10cc's third album, The Original Soundtrack, finally scored them a major hit in the United States, and rightly so; "I'm Not in Love" walked a fine line between self-pity and self-parody with its weepy tale of a boy who isn't in love (really!), and the marvelously lush production and breathy vocals allowed the tune to work beautifully either as a sly joke or at face value. The album's opener, "Une Nuit a Paris," was nearly as marvelous; a sly and often hilarious extended parody of both cinematic stereotypes of life and love in France and overblown European pop. And side one's closer, "Blackmailmore…," was a witty tale of sex and extortion gone wrong, with a superb guitar solo embroidering the ride-out. That's all on side one; side two, however, is a bit spottier, with two undistinguished tunes, "Brand New Day" and Flying Junk," nearly dragging the proceedings to a halt before the band rallied the troops for a happy ending with the hilarious "The Film of Our Love." The Original Soundtrack's best moments rank with the finest work 10cc ever released; however, at the same time it also displayed what was to become their Achilles' heel — the inability to make an entire album as strong and memorable as those moments.

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 93 MB
Genre :Art Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Une Nuit a Paris 8:40
02 I'm Not in Love 6:06
03 Blackmail 4:28
04 The Second Sitting for the Last Supper 4:25
05 Brand New Day 4:04
06 Flying Junk 4:14
07 Life Is a Minestrone 4:42
08 The Film of My Love 5:07
09 Channel Swimmer 2:56
10 Good News 3:50

srijeda, 08.04.2009.

The Who - The Who Sell Out (1967)(2CD Deluxe Edition, 2009)

Japanese only deluxe 2 CD SHM paper sleeve pressing. The SHM-CD [Super High Material CD] format features enhanced audio quality through the use of a special polycarbonate plastic. Using a process developed by JVC and Universal Music Japan discovered through the joint companies' research into LCD display manufacturing SHM-CDs feature improved transparency on the data side of the disc allowing for more accurate reading of CD data by the CD player laser head. SHM-CD format CDs are fully compatible with standard CD players.

Originally released in December 1967, The Who Sell Out arrived at the tail end of a remarkable year in popular culture. As well as being forever immortalised as the moment when the counterculture and the "Love Generation" went global, 1967 produced tremendous musical upheavals as "pop" metamorphosed to "rock", elevating the likes of Cream, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, Traffic and the West Coast groups to prominence--both on the underground scene and the commercial arena. The homage to pop-art is evident in both the advertising jingles and the iconic sleeve design--created by David King (art director at the Sunday Times) and Roger Law (who invented Spitting Image) producing four giant images for each band member--Odorono deodorant, Medac spot cream, Charles Atlas and Heinz baked beans. This remastered edition of Sell Out features the following:Stunning reissue of the classic Who album from 1967, now upgraded to a greatly expanded 2 CD version in the acclaimed Deluxe edition range, remastered from the original stereo and mono masters for the first time. The first official re-release of the mono mix (in the US and UK) since 1967, eleven previously unreleased songs and/or mixes.

Pete Townshend originally planned The Who Sell Out as a concept album of sorts that would simultaneously mock and pay tribute to pirate radio stations, complete with fake jingles and commercials linking the tracks. For reasons that remain somewhat ill defined, the concept wasn't quite driven to completion, breaking down around the middle of side two (on the original vinyl configuration). Nonetheless, on strictly musical merits, it's a terrific set of songs that ultimately stands as one of the group's greatest achievements. "I Can See for Miles" (a Top Ten hit) is the Who at their most thunderous; tinges of psychedelia add a rush to "Armenia City in the Sky" and "Relax"; "I Can't Reach You" finds Townshend beginning to stretch himself into quasi-spiritual territory; and "Tattoo" and the acoustic "Sunrise" show introspective, vulnerable sides to the singer/songwriter that had previously been hidden. "Rael" was another mini-opera, with musical motifs that reappeared in Tommy. The album is as perfect a balance between melodic mod pop and powerful instrumentation as the Who (or any other group) would achieve; psychedelic pop was never as jubilant, not to say funny (the fake commercials and jingles interspersed between the songs are a hoot). [The 2009 reissue included an additional CD of bonus material.]...R.Unterberger

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 360 MB
Genre : Hard Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

CD 1: Original Stereo Album

1. Armenia City In The Sky Incl. Two “Radio London” Jingles
2. Heinz Baked Beans Incl. “More Music” Jingle
3. Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand Acoustic/Radio London Jingle
4. Odorono Incl. Radio London ‘Smooth Sailing’ Jingle
5. Tattoo Incl. ‘Church Of Your Choice’ Radio London Jingle
6. Our Love Was Incl. Pussycat/Speakeasy/Rotosound Jingles
7. I Can See For Miles
8. I Can’t Reach You Incl. Charles Atlas Commercial
9. Medac a.k.a. Spotted Henry
10. Relax
11. Silas Stingy
12. Sunrise
13. Real (1 & 2)
14. Rael - Naive Incl. John Mason’s Cars
15. Someone’s Coming Incl. Radio London ‘Weather Word’ Jingle
16. Early Morning Cold Taxi incl. Radio London News Bulletin Jingle
17. Jaguar incl. Extra Wonderful Radio London Jingle
18. Coke After Coke
19. Glittering Girl
20. Summertime Blues Previously Unreleased
21. John Mason Cars
22. Girl’s Eyes Incl. Bag O’ Nails Jingle
23. Sodding About Previously Unreleased
24. Premier Drums Full Version Previously Unreleased
25. Odorono Final Chorus
26. Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand Mirasound Version
27. Things Go Better With Coke
28. In The Hall Of The Mountain King
29. Top Gear
30. Rael (1 & 2) Remake Version - Incl. Track Records Jingle

CD 2: Original Mono Album

1. Armenia City In The Sky
2. Heinz Baked Beans
3. Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand Mono Version
4. Odorono Original Version
5. Tattoo
6. Our Love Was
7. I Can See For Miles
8. I Can’t Reach You
9. Medac a.k.a. Spotted Henry (mono)
10. Relax (mono)
11. Silas Stingy (mono)
12. Sunrise (mono)
13. Rael (1 & 2) Incl. Track Records Run-Off Groove
14. Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand U.S Single Version
15. Someone’s Coming U.K Single Mix
16. Relax Early Rehearsal
17. Jaguar Original Mono Mix
18. Glittering Girl Previously Unreleased Version
19. Tattoo Early Mono Mix
20. Our Love Was Take 12 Rejected Mono Mix
21. Rotosound Strings With Final Note
22. I Can See For Miles Early Mono Mix
23. Rael Early Mono Mix
24. Armenia City In The Sky Isolated Backwards Tracks
25. Great Shakes Unreleased US Radio Commercial

utorak, 07.04.2009.

Van der Graaf - World Record (1976)(Remaster Edit 2005)

Released in the latter half of 1976 as a half-hearted attempt at some sort of commercial focus in the U.K. and U.S., World Record suffers from several ailments: there was much tension in the band at this point, particularly between leader Peter Hammill and keyboardist Hugh Banton. In the end, the band would split apart, with Banton and wind player David Jackson leaving, while Hammill and drummer Guy Evans recruited replacements. World Record is very much a divided record, sounding beautifully clean, but lacking in both performance and focus. Evans plays as well as ever, but without the creative spark of earlier records; Hammill, meanwhile, was responsible for the rambling, scattered "Meurglys III (The Songwriter's Guild)," a lumbering piece named after one of his guitars. Of the cuts present, the best are the operatic "Masks," which mines one of Hammill's favorite themes, that of identity, and "Wondering," written in collaboration with Banton. "Wondering" is beautifully hymn-like until the very end, when it suddenly becomes querulous and uncertain, ending the album both with a note of hope and a desperate question. [This version of the album contains the bonus tracks "When She Comes" and "Masks."]...S. McDonald

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 156 MB
Genre :prog. Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklost:

01 When She Comes 8:02
02 A Place to Survive 10:05
03 Masks 7:01
04 Meurglys III (The Songwriter's Guild) 20:50
05 Wondering 6:49
06 When She Comes Bonus 8:13
07 Masks Bonus 7:23

ponedjeljak, 06.04.2009.

Genesis - Trespass (1970) ( Remaster Edit 2008)

2008 digitally remastered and expanded two disc (Hybrid SACD + PAL/Region 0 DVD) pressing of this classic 1970 album from one of Rock's most successful bands. Disc One features the remastered version of the album on an SACD Hybrid disc which is playable on both normal CD and SACD 5.1 Surround players. The DVD features the album in DTS 5.1 Surround Sound plus rare video extras including music clips and an interview. From their Progressive Rock beginnings to their commercial superstardom, Genesis created some of the most challenging, creative and rewarding albums of their generation. This special edition not only offers bonus material, but also allows the listener to experience the album as never before! EMI.

Genesis' first truly progressive album, and their first record for the Charisma label (although Trespass was released in America by ABC, which is how MCA came to have it), is important mostly as a formative effort. Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, and Michael Rutherford are here, but the guitarist is Anthony Phillips and the drummer is John Mayhew. Gabriel, Banks, Phillips, and Rutherford are responsible for the compositions, which are far more ambitious than the group's earlier efforts ("Silent Sun," etc.). Unfortunately, much of what is here is more interesting for what it points toward than what it actually does -- the group reflects a peculiarly dramatic brand of progressive rock, very theatrical as music, but not very successful. The lyrics are complex enough but lack the unity and clarity that would make Genesis' subsequent albums among the most interesting of prog rock efforts to analyze. Gabriel's voice is very expressive but generally lacks power and confidence, while the conventional backup vocalizing by the others is wimpy, and Phillips' playing is muted. Tony Banks' keyboards are the dominant instruments, which isn't that bad, but it isn't the Genesis that everyone came to know. The soft, lyrical "Visions of Angels" and "Stagnation" are typical, gentle works by a band that later learned how to rock much harder. Only one of the songs here, "The Knife" -- which rocks harder than anything else on Trespass and is easily the best track on the album -- lasted in the group's concert repertory past the next album...B. Eder

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 98 MB
Genre : Prog. Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Looking for Someone 7:00
02 White Mountain 6:44
03 Visions of Angels 6:50
04 Stagnation 8:45
05 Dusk 4:15
06 The Knife 8:55

nedjelja, 05.04.2009.

Jefferson Starship - Jefferson's Tree Of Liberty (2008)

The legendary Jefferson Starship is at it again. Moving forward by reaching back, and in doing so, daringly casting a light for a new generation of change-makers riveted by the group's first new studio album in a decade, Jeffersons' Tree Of Liberty. The 18 song CD finds the group harnessing rare gems from the great folk tradition that inspired the rock n' roll hall of fame band more than 4 decades ago. The brainchild of singer/songwriter/band co-founder Paul Kantner (and co-produced by band manager Michael Gaiman, recurring Jefferson Airplane/ Jefferson Starship fixture and Quicksilver Messenger Service founder David Freiberg and Paul Kantner), the album mixes it up with Jefferson's trademark knack for defying fans' expectations as well as their own, introducing a soaring new female voice on many of the songs, Cathy Richardson, and tapping rock icon and original Jefferson treasure Grace Slick to appear on the album's mesmerizing `Easter Egg' bonus track.

Tree of Liberty is everything you've ever loved about Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship - Paul Kantner's ringing 12 string Rickenbacker, the soaring harmonies, this collecton is a call to arms, to dream, to go to the edge and beyond. Jeffersonians past, present, future, are present and accounted for. It's an album of rebels and revolutionary anthems - across the times, across the oceans, across the continents - 19 soul rousing and blood pumping songs. Who would've thought the lustiest and loudest collection of songs would be made by (mostly) wooden instruments? Who would've thought the most passionate album to be released this year would come from Jefferson Starship? Lest you think this is a dreary collection of political polemic dirges, think again. This is an album to listen to with people, and sing along with. It kicks off with a rousing nod to " Volunteers" before it settles into the Weaver's classic " Wasn't That A Time." Cathy Richardson has the vocal chops and power of Grace Slick, but with a gritty undertone. David Laflamme's violin soars above the acoustic guitars and martial drums. Another Weavers classic, " Santy Anno," a lusty sea shanty, makes you feel the waves rolling with the banjo and squeezebox. David Frieberg takes a solo turn on Dino Valenti's poignant " Cowboy OnThe Run," with beautiful pedal steel guitar by Barry Sless and piano by Chris Smith. It's pure Nashville. It would take all day to hit all the highlights. But I would be remiss not giving a shout out to longtime Jefferson collaborators Darby Gould on Richard Thompson's " Genesis Hall," Diana Mangano's full throttle support on " The Royal Canal" - beloved to Pogues' fans as " The Auld Triangle." As befitting a guy born on St. Patrick's Day, Paul O'Kantner gruffly sings the prison lament of Irish Rebel Brendan Behan, with a dirty ole man " heh heh" during the part about the women's prison, followed with a storming " Rising Of The Moon" . The mash up of Bob Marley's " Redemption Song" with John Lennon's " Imagine" somehow works, heartfeltly delivered by Cathy Richardson. If there is one song to pick as a " single" - if things like that are still done - it's this one. Marty Balin contributes " Maybe For You" if anybody needed to reminded of his talent with a love song. I miss his sweet tenor. It's too bad he's not singing on the rest of the songs. Jack Casady makes an appearance on bass with his Armageddon-announcing rumble. Darby Gould's acapella version of Sandy Denny's " Quiet Joys of Brotherhood" sent shivers down my spine. Only one thing could top it, and that's Grace Slick singing " Surprise..." Some of Grace's best work was singing backup and harmony, as she is here. Too bad my CD says " Untitled" and there's no additional information as there are for the other songs. Surprise, indeed. This is one of the best releases of the year. If you love great songs, passionate singing and playing, need reminding that all evil needs to triumph is for good people to do nothing, then Tree of Liberty is for you. Lay your money down...Thor Jarc

Line-up

Paul Kantner – vocals, 12-string acoustic guitar, banjo, glass harmonica, 'George Harrison' lead guitar, 12-string electric guitar
David Freiberg – vocals, acoustic guitar, washboard guitar
Cathy Richardson – vocals, harmonica, acoustic guitar
Chris Smith – piano, bass, squeezbox, drone, pennywhistle, string synthesizer
Slick Aguilar – tremolo & 'Soldano' electric guitar on "Genesis Hall", lead guitar on "Maybe for You"
Prairie Prince – drums, snare, kick, bodhran
Donny Baldwin – drums (supporting tour)
Darby Gould – vocals on "Genesis Hall", "In a Crisis", and "The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood"
Diana Mangano – vocals on "Royal Canal" and "Commandante Carlos Fonseca"
Marty Balin – acoustic guitar on "Maybe for You", vocals on "Maybe for You"

Featuring

David Grisman – mandolin on "Frenario" and "Pastures of Plenty"
Grace Slick – background vocals, vocals on "Surprise" (uncredited)

Additional Personnel

Jack Casady – bass on "Maybe for You"
T Lavitz – keyboards on "Maybe for You"
Jack Traylor – acoustic guitar on "Surprise", vocals on "Surprise" (uncredited)
David LaFlamme – violin on "Wasn't That a Time"
Michael Gaiman – flat-picked acoustic guitar on "Wasn't That a Time"
Michael Eisenstein – acoustic guitar on "Wasn't That a Time"
Barry Sless – pedal steel guitar on "Cowboy on the Run" and "In a Crisis"
Alexander Kantner – electric bass guitar on "On the Threshold of Fire"
Paul Lamb – french horn on "On the Threshold of Fire"
The Wailin' Cowgirls (Cathy Richardson, Linda Imperial) – vocals on "Cowboy on the Run"
The I-Jays (Paul Kantner, David Freiberg, Darby Gould) – vocals on "Imagine Redemption"

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 153 MB
Genre : Folk- Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Wasn't That a Time 2:38
02 Follow the Drinking Gourd 3:04
03 Santy Anno 3:13
04 Cowboy on the Run 4:33
05 I Ain't Marchin' Anymore 3:12
06 Chimes of Freedom 3:53
07 Genesis Hall 3:13
08 Kisses Sweeter Than Wine 3:29
09 Royal Canal (The Auld Triangle) 3:17
10 Rising of the Moon 2:07
11 Frenario 4:06
12 In a Crisis 4:44
13 Maybe for You 2:51
14 Comandante Carlos Fonseca 3:24
15 Pastures of Plenty 3:22
16 Imagine Redemption 3:13
17 On the Threshold of Fire 4:49
18 The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood 2:58
19 [Untitled] 4:52

subota, 04.04.2009.

Black Sabbath - Live At Hammersmith 1981 (Limited Collector's Edit 2007)

Released just weeks after The Dio Years, this single-disc Rhino Handmade edition of the original double LP, Live At Hammersmith Odeon, features Dio, Iommi, Butler and Appice getting hot one December night in London during Sabbath's 1981 tour for Mob Rules. Previously unreleased, the concert spotlights Sabbath as they storm through 14 of the Dio-era's best, including "Neon Knights," "Heaven And Hell," "Children Of The Sea" and "Country Girl." The band also performs several pre-Dio classics including "Paranoid," "Children Of The Grave" and a white-hot version of "War Pigs." Live At Hammersmith Odeon is available as an individually numbered limited edition of 5,000 copies. Live At Hammersmith Odeon completely sold out on the day of release. In the 9 years of Rhino Handmade, this is the quickest a title has ever sold out.

Live at Hammersmith Odeon is a live Black Sabbath album recorded at three concerts between December 31, 1981 and January 2, 1982, during the Mob Rules tour. It was released on May 1, 2007 in a limited edition of 5000, which sold out immediately. The songs "Country Girl" and "Slipping Away" make their debut on official live releases. The CD was released only as a digipak, featuring a mini reproduction of a tour programme. Although there is a UK tour progamme for the 'Mob Rules' dates, the one included with this release is actually that for the January 1981 UK dates, which were part of the Heaven and Hell tour. (The cover photo is also from the 'Heaven and Hell' tour.)
The album was released on Rhino Handmade in a limited edition of 5,000 numbered copies, timed to coincide with the release of Black Sabbath: The Dio Years and with the world tour of Heaven and Hell. On May 2, 2007, Tony Iommi's official website posted a notice stating all 5,000 copies had sold out; apparently, the final copies sold on the May 1, 2007, the day of its release.

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 182 MB
Genre :Heavy Metal
2000mustangs

Line-up:

Tony Iommi - guitar
Ronnie James Dio - vocals
Geezer Butler - bass
Vinnie Appice - drums

Tracklist:

01 E5150 01:17
02 Neon Knights 04:37
03 N.I.B. 05:16
04 Children Of The Sea 06:07
05 Country Girl 03:53
06 Black Sabbath 08:24
07 War Pigs 07:40
08 Slipping Away 03:18
09 Iron Man 07:05
10 The Mob Rules 03:33
11 Heaven And Hell 14:24
12 Paranoid 03:21
13 Voodoo 05:44
14 Children Of The Grave 05:01

Van der Graaf - The Quiet Zone...(1977)(Remaster Edit 2005)

The two faces of Van Der Graaf Generator's final album before their 27-year split, The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome, were greeted by the U.K. New Musical Express magazine with the headline "Hum-Along-a-Hammill" -- a testament to the sheer musicality of the record. At a time when Van Der Graaf's stock was at an all-time commercial high through the patronage of sundry punk rockers (Johnny Rotten was an especially vocal admirer), the group might have been expected to turn all instruments onto fiery stun and lay waste to every ear that chanced to come close. Instead, they turned in a record of majestic melody, following the lead laid down by the preceding LP's "Wondering" and moving as far from the old madness and intensity as they could possibly go. Nine songs on a single LP? They'd not been that generous since their debut -- which is also (perhaps not coincidentally) this album's own closest relative. The 2005 remaster retains that spirit. No less than three bonus tracks append the original disc, beginning with the studio version of the live favorite "Door" that previously graced the Box box set, then following through with a demo of the tremulous "The Wave" and, finally, "Ship of Fools," the super-scarce B-side to the France-only "Cat's Eye" single. All easily slip into the framework of the main attraction and, though listeners didn't know it at the time, VDGG's farewell was complete...D. Thompson

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 124 MB
Genre :prog. Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Lizard Play 4:31
02 The Habit of the Broken Heart 4:39
03 The Siren Song 6:05
04 Last Frame 6:17
05 The Wave 3:15
06 Cat's Eye/Yellow Fever (Running) 5:21
07 The Sphinx in the Face 5:58
08 Chemical World 6:12
09 The Sphinx Returns Instrumental 1:30
10 Door Bonus 3:28
11 Ship of Fools Bonus 3:03
12 The Wave previously unreleased / Bonus / Demo Version 3:43

Bob Seger - Like A Rock (1986) (1995)

Many people condemn this album as being Seger's attempt to reinvent himself as an '80s rocker. It's true that the omnipresent synthesizers sound a little dated today, but if you're willing to overlook them, you'll discover a treasure trove of music that got surprisingly little recognition for its inventiveness and power. "American Storm" is essentially an update of Seger's earlier song "Even Now," displaying all the glorious driving beats and hard-sung lyrics that made that song such a hit. "The Aftermath" and "Sometimes" follow up in that vein, with a relentless rhythmic pulse--driving music if ever there was any. "Miami" is something of a departure for Seger, a smooth, almost soft-rock song that casually tells a compelling tale--a notable foreshadowing of the style he would explore in depth with his album "The Fire Inside." The other work is less notable, although "The Ring" is one of the most lyrically brilliant stories Seger's told. "Like a Rock" sounds the most like the "original" Bob Seger, and would easily be the best song on the album if we hadn't all heard the chorus so darn much (and I agree... someone at Chevy should be fired for that). Overall, this CD represents Seger's first real departure from his classic-rock roots, and that might initially turn people away from buying it. If you take it on its own terms, however, there's a lot to like about this album--and a surprising amount of the original Bob Seger sound to boot...R. Richards

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 100 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. American Storm 4.18
02. Like A Rock 5.57
03. MIami 4.41
04. The Ring 5.36
05. Tightrope 4.31
06. The Aftermath 3.31
07. Sometimes 3.32
08. It'sYou 4.03
09. Somewhere Tonight 4.25
10. Fortunate Son 3.21

petak, 03.04.2009.

Genesis - Foxtrot (1972) (Remaster Edit 2008)

Although better known for their platinum-selling pop of the 1980s, Genesis in 1972 were a prog-rock band struggling to be heard. Early that year the band were saved from the brink of oblivion when their third album, Nursery Cryme, became a hit in Italy. So this time, Genesis set out to make their most balanced, ambitious, and artistically successful album -- the one the band forever after felt it had to top. Opening with an eerie, drawn-out Mellotron solo that announces the "Watcher of the Skies" and closing with the triumphant strains of the 23-minute epic suite, "Supper's Ready," Foxtrot makes a strong case for the surreal theater-rock Genesis was developing in the early '70s. Orchestral keyboards dominate amid a variety of textures, but Steve Hackett's bizarre, singing guitar sounds hold their ground throughout, and Peter Gabriel's surreal lyrics and idiosyncratic voice lend the band the personality that burned itself into people's memory...I. McGrath

Foxtrot marked a decisive point in Genesis's career. An emerging art-rock band who were building up a growing cult following with a busy touring schedule, this album was an artistic and commercial landmark; it was their first album to chart. Including the classic "Watcher of the Skies" and Peter Gabriel's whimsically compassionate slice of life, "Get 'Em Out by Friday," the album's highlight is the ambitious sidelong epic "Supper's Ready." Comprising seven linked subsections, it was inspired apparently by a frightening experience where Gabriel's wife, Jill, felt she was possessed, and is a story of two lovers and the struggle between good and evil. Certainly it was the most innovative and entertaining piece the band had produced to date. The relatively rough production values could be seen as either detracting somewhat from the impact of the album or adding a pleasantly rough edge to what might otherwise be a somewhat prim sound...J. Swift

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 117 MB
Genre : Prog. Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Watcher of the Skies 7:19
02 Time Table 4:40
03 Get 'Em out by Friday 8:35
04 Can-Utility and the Coastliners 5:43
05 Horizon's 1:38
06 Supper's Ready 22:58

četvrtak, 02.04.2009.

Van der Graaf - Godbluff (1975)(Remaster Edit 2005)

Van Der Graaf Generator's first album following their post-Pawn Hearts hiatus, 1975's Godbluff, could have been a major disappointment -- reunions were still viewed with suspicion in those days, all the more so since Peter Hammill's recent solo career had effortlessly carried the band's banner into the future. There was a chemistry between the group members, however, that no one player could ever recapture, and from the moment the needle touched the fanfare grooves of the opening "Undercover Man," it was clear that Van Der Graaf were still generating all the friction and fury they had ever pledged. The 2005 remaster recaptures the thrill of hearing Godbluff for the first time, sweeping aside the muffled miasma of earlier CD reissues with a clarity that lifts every nuance into earshot; indeed, thrilling though the bonus tracks are (recorded live in Rimini, Italy, on the re-formed band's first tour), the drop in sound quality is positively paralyzing, and it takes at least a few minutes for your senses to adjust. Once they have, it's business as usual, of course -- two cuts from Hammill's Silent Corner and the Empty Stage album are given the full-band treatment, and emerge even stronger than the original studio versions ever could. In fact, the only possible complaint about this album (which can then be applied to the reissue series as a whole) is that there hasn't been a single release of the full Rimini concert...D. Thompson


Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 133 MB
Genre :prog. Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 The Undercover Man 7:32
02 Scorched Earth 9:43
03 Arrow 9:47
04 The Sleepwalkers 10:41
05 Forsaken Gardens Live / previously unreleased / Bonus 7:57
06 A Louse Is Not a Home Live / previously unreleased / Bonus 12:48

Janis Joplin - Joplin in Concert (1972)(1998)

About half of this two-record set features Janis Joplin with Big Brother & the Holding Company in 1968, performing songs like "Down on Me" and "Piece of My Heart." The rest, recorded in 1970, finds her with her backup group, Full Tilt Boogie, mostly performing songs from I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! Joplin puts herself out on-stage, both in terms of singing until her voice is raw and describing her life to her audiences. Parts of this album are moving, parts are heartbreaking, and the rest is just great rock & roll...W. Ruhlmann

Since Joplin was known primarily as a live performer, her studio work was often viewed as a kind of compromise at best. Cheap Thrills had some live vocals and simulated a Big Brother concert effectively, but it never claimed to be the genuine (i.e. 'live') article. So in 1972, about a year and half after her death, Columbia assembled these tracks from several different live performances with Big Brother and Full Tilt Boogie. It's "live,"--although some of the Big Brother tracks, notably "Down On Me" sound like they may have been doctored a bit--but somehow it doesn't quite convey the excitement of a Joplin concert the way "Cheap Thrills" did. There are several great moments though. "All Is Loneliness" is completely recast here. Where it had been a kind of an eerie chant, with a brief vamp, on the Mainstream lp, it now is now an extended vocal improvisation--among the best on record. Someone once said that no one sang the words "lonely" or "loneliness" with as much feeling as Janis. This track bears that assertion out. Although I loved "Pearl" and had great respect for the musicianship of Full Tilt, Joplin in Concert helps make the case for those who insist that Big Brother showcased Joplin in a way that her other bands could not match. She sounds like she's having the time of her life on "Road Block" and "Flower In the Sun." "Ego Rock" from a 1970 reunion concert has her in a classic blues one-upmanship battle with Nick Gravenites. She sounds much less strained here than on the Full Tilt Boogie tracks (also from '70). The FTB numbers, culled from tapes made during a Canadian train tour in the summer of '70, seem rawer than the Big Brother sides. It may have been a riotous time, but vocally, all that partying seems to have taken its toll. She tries to reach those high notes at the end of "Try," but she just can't pull it off. If these were the only extant tracks from her last days, you probably would have justified in saying that her voice was shot. The fact that she would go into the studio a few months later and record the triumphant "Pearl" proves otherwise...G. Kallahann

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 176 MB
Genre : Blues, Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

Big Brother & the Holding Co.

01 Down on Me 3:07
02 Bye Bye Baby 4:27
03 All Is Loneliness 5:45
04 Piece of My Heart 4:09
05 Road Block 2:59
06 Flower in the Sun 3:03
07 Summertime 4:45
08 Ego Rock / Nick Gravenites 8:02

Full Tilt Boogie Band

09 Half Moon 5:14
10 Kozmic Blues 5:45
11 Move Over 6:37
12 Try (Just a Little Bit Harder) 7:51
13 Get It While You Can 7:04
14 Ball and Chain 8:03

srijeda, 01.04.2009.

Bob Dylan - Dylan and the Dead (1989) (Remaster Edit 2009)

Featuring Bob Dylan together with the Grateful Dead, the live Dylan & the Dead has an intriguing selection of songs, including staples like "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" and more obscure gems like "Joey," although both artists have done better. Stephen...T. Erlewine

For a man openly hostile to tie-dyed nostalgia, Bob Dylan's 1987 summer tour with the Grateful Dead was a confounding event indeed. The result on this concert recording is Dylan warbling across the usual Dead groove: neither rock nor roll. No new compositions emerged from the summit, so their repertoire is limited to an unsurprising list of chestnuts ("All Along the Watchtower," "Knocking on Heaven's Door," etc.). Their meandering version of Dylan's "I Want You" would be a vicious parody of the original if it weren't so sadly true. And if these were the stadium tour's best performances, pity anyone who actually sat through one of these concerts with a clear head...S. Appleford

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 100 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Slow Train 4:57
02 I Want You 4:04
03 Gotta Serve Somebody 5:50
04 Queen Jane Approximately 6:38
05 Joey 9:14
06 All Along the Watchtower 6:26
07 Knockin' on Heaven's Door 6:52

T. Rex - The Slider (1972)(2CD Remaster Edit 2002)

Buoyed by two U.K. number one singles in "Telegram Sam" and "Metal Guru," The Slider became T. Rex's most popular record on both sides of the Atlantic, despite the fact that it produced no hits in the U.S. The Slider essentially replicates all the virtues of Electric Warrior, crammed with effortless hooks and trashy fun. All of Bolan's signatures are here -- mystical folk-tinged ballads, overt sexual come-ons crooned over sleazy, bopping boogies, loopy nonsense poetry, and a mastery of the three-minute pop song form. The main difference is that the trippy mix of Electric Warrior is replaced by a fuller, more immediate-sounding production. Bolan's guitar has a harder bite, the backing choruses are more up-front, and the arrangements are thicker-sounding, even introducing a string section on some cuts (both ballads and rockers). Even with the beefier production, T. Rex still doesn't sound nearly as heavy as many of the bands it influenced (and even a few of its glam contemporaries), but that's partly intentional -- Bolan's love of a good groove takes precedence over fast tempos or high-volume crunch. Lyrically, Bolan's flair for the sublimely ridiculous is fully intact, but he has way too much style for The Slider to sound truly stupid, especially given the playful, knowing wink in his delivery. It's nearly impossible not to get caught up in the irresistible rush of melodies and cheery good times. Even if it treads largely the same ground as Electric Warrior, The Slider is flawlessly executed, and every bit the classic that its predecessor is... S. Huey

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 280 MB
Genre : Glam Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

CD 1

01 Metal Guru 2:29
02 Mystic Lady 3:14
03 Rock On 3:26
04 The Slider 3:22
05 Baby Boomerang 2:16
06 Spaceball Ricochet 3:36
07 Buick Mackane 3:34
08 Telegram Sam 3:45
09 Rabbit Fighter 3:55
10 Baby Strange 3:06
11 Ballrooms of Mars 4:07
12 Chariot Choogle 2:45
13 Main Man 4:20
14 Cadillac Extended Play 3:53
15 Thunderwing Extended Play 3:46
16 Lady Extended Play 2:12

CD 2

01 Metal Guru Bonus Track 2:32
02 Mystic Lady Bonus Track 3:22
03 Rock On Bonus Track 3:37
04 The Slider Bonus Track 3:28
05 Thunderwing Bonus Track 2:58
06 Spaceball Ricochet Bonus Track 3:43
07 Buick Mackane Bonus Track 3:49
08 Telegram Sam Bonus Track 2:30
09 Rabbit Fighter Bonus Track 4:02
10 Baby Strange Bonus Track 3:00
11 Ballrooms of Mars Bonus Track 4:13
12 Cadillac Bonus Track 3:31
13 Main Man Bonus Track 6:06
14 Lady Bonus Track / Extended Play 2:01
15 Sucken Rags Bonus Track / Extended Play 3:59

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