2000mustangs - The Classic Rock Blog

ponedjeljak, 31.08.2009.

Novos Baianos - Acabou Chorare (1972) (2000)

A classic album recorded in 1972 by this very important group from Bahia, creating an original mix of Forro, Samba, Rock, and Baiao. A must !!! Highlights are tracks: 'Preta Pretinha', 'Tinindo Trincando', 'Brasil Pandeiro', 'Besta E Tu', 'Misterio do Planeta", etc ... Classico gravado em 1974 por este importantissimo grupo Brasileiro dos anos 70, notorio por ministrar em sua musica a fusao do Forro, com Samba, Rock e Baiao. Um epico da MPB indispensavel na colecao de qualquer admirador da MPB. Destaque para as faixas: 'Preta Pretinha', 'Tinindo Trincando', 'Brasil Pandeiro', 'Besta E T', 'Misterio do Planeta', etc ... Fantastico !!! ***** A classic album recorded in 1974 by this very important group from Bahia, creating an original mix of Forro, Samba, Rock, and Baiao. A must !!! Highlights are tracks: 'Preta Pretinha', 'Tinindo Trincando', 'Brasil Pandeiro', 'Besta E Tu', 'Misterio do Planeta', etc. Som Livre.

I heard this charming album in 1977 and fell in love. 27 years later I'm still in love. I just painstakingly transferred my old cassette taped off a scratched LP onto a CD and then found Novos Baianos on Amazon! Not many musicians compose tunes that stand the test of time. This is refreshingly different Brazilian Fusion Pop music, there's even a bit of jazz rock in the arrangements. I would describe this as 2 husky seductive voices with classic Brazilian accoustic guitaring backed by a tight electric rhythm section. The lyrics sound so lovely, they transcend all language barriers, though I would love a translation. I heard this at a time when I was deeply into fusion, funk and Paul Simon, but good music is good music. This is an essential part of anyones music collection...buy it...A. Slistra

2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Brasil Pandeiro 3:55
02 Preta Pretinha 3:24
03 Tinindo Trincando 3:25
04 Swing De Campo Grande 3:10
05 Acabou Chorare 4:12
06 Mistério do Planeta 3:38
07 A Menina Dança 3:54
08 Besta É Tu 4:24
09 Um Bilhete para Didi 2:53
10 Preta Pretinha 3:23

Procol Harum - A Salty Dog (1969) (40th Anniversary Remaster)

Digitally remastered and expanded edition of the British Progressive/Pop band's third album, originally released in 1969. Rightly lauded as Procol Harum's masterpiece, A Salty Dog is one of the high spots of late '60s Rock culture; an unmissable musical voyage, a brilliant example of how to fuse classical music with Rock and a tremendously rewarding experience, enhanced here with six bonus tracks selected by band leader Gary Brooker. When you listen to the album, it becomes clear - from the sweeping title track that opens the album, to the serene 'Pilgrims Progress', which brings it to a conclusion, that A Salty Dog is quite simply Procol's most rewarding album. 16 tracks. Salvo. 2009.

This album, the group's third, was where they showed just how far their talents extended across the musical landscape, from blues to R&B to classical rock. In contrast to their hastily recorded debut, or its successor, done to stretch their performance and composition range, A Salty Dog was recorded in a reasonable amount of time, giving the band a chance to fully develop their ideas. The title track is one of the finest songs ever to come from Procol Harum and one of the best pieces of progressive rock ever heard, and a very succinct example at that at under five minutes running time -- the lyric and the music combine to form a perfect mood piece, and the performance is bold and subtle at once, in the playing and the singing, respectively. The range of sounds on the rest includes "Juicy John Pink," a superb piece of pre-World War II-style country blues, while "Crucifiction Lane" is a killer Otis Redding-style soul piece, and "Pilgrim's Progress" is a virtuoso keyboard workout. [A Salty Dog was reissued by Repertoire Records in 1997 with enhanced sound and the lost B-side "Long Gone Geek," a Robin Trower guitar workout par excellence.]...B. Eder

Procol Harum - A Salty Dog (1969) (40th Anniversary Remaster 2009)

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size:155 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 A Salty Dog 4:41
02 The Milk of Human Kindness 3:47
03 Too Much Between Us 3:45
04 The Devil Came from Kansas 4:38
05 Boredom 4:34
06 Juicy John Pink Mono Version 2:08
07 Wreck of the Hesperus 3:49
08 All This and More 3:52
09 Crucifiction Lane 5:03
10 Pilgrims Progress 4:32
11 Long Gone Geek 3:18
12 Goin' Down Slow (live in the USA, April 1969) 7:48
13 Juicy John Pink (live in the USA, April 1969) 2:39
14 Crucifiction Lane (live in the USA, April 1969) 4:35
15 Skip Softly (My Moonbeams) / Also Sprach Zarathustra 5:29
16 The Milk of Human Kindness (take 1; raw track) 3:47

nedjelja, 30.08.2009.

Jeronimo - Time Ride (1972) (10-track Remaster 2002)

Jeronimo was founded in 1969 and in '69/'70 they had their first two hits "He Ya" and "Na Na Hey Hey". With these two chartbreakers, Jeronimo climbed to the number 1 position in almost all European countries.

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 101 MB
Genre : Hard Rock. Krautrock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01.Time Ride (3:54)
02.There Are People (6:36)
03.Blind Man (4:23)
04.To Be Alone (5:34)
05.Sunshine (3:35)
06.Indian River (5:26)
07.Do You Still Remember (3:46)
08.Ice Dream (3:24)
09.Gone (4:19)
10.Kind of Feelin (3:37)

subota, 29.08.2009.

It's a Beautiful Day - Marrying Maiden (1970) (1994)

After their wonderful debut from 1969, Linda LaFlamme left replaced by Fred Webb. Here, the songs tend to be softer and shorter than on their debut, and also more eclectic. You won't find any rockers here like "Wasted Union Blues". There's a few stinkers on this album as well, like "The Dolphins", but some great songs like "Essence of Now", "Soapstone Mountain", and "Good Lovin'". The atmospheric "Let a Woman Flow" features some of the most ridiculous lyrics I have ever heard ("I let a woman flow to her own natural rhythm") and you know what's silly was they weren't trying to make the song funny. Still, aside from the lyrics, it's actually quite a pleasant song. "Don and Dewey" is in honor of the R&B duo by the same name (Don "Sugarcane" Harris was the violinist in that duo having played with the likes of Little Richard and Frank Zappa). Dutch prog rock band Alquin happened to do a lengthy cover of that song off their 1973 album The Mountain Queen. Two songs features Jerry Garcia on pedal steel, "Hoedown" and "It Comes Right Down To You", which have, not surprisingly a country-ish flavor, especially since the Dead did release two country-ish albums at the same time, Workingman's Dead and American Beauty. It's strange that Marrying Maiden should be It's a Beautiful Day's best selling album even though it's not as good as their first. The music does have a rather dated sound, and the lyrics, just like their first, is still hippie fluff. I do like the back cover which features the band in what looks like a hippie's house. But be careful, just like the reissue of their first album, don't buy this album on the San Francisco Sound label because the money will go in the greedy hands of Matthew Katz and none of the band members will receive royalties for this...A. Cyrieview

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 90 MB
Genre : Rock, Folk, Psychedelic Ccountry
2000mustangs

Line-up:

*Pattie Santos - percussion, vocals
*Val Fuentes - drums, vocals
*Fred Webb - french horn, keyboards, vocals
*David LaFlamme - flute, violin, guitar, vocals
*Mitchell Holman - bass, harmonica, vocals
*Hal Wagenet - guitar, vocals
*Richard Olsen - clarinet (guest)
*Jerry Garcia - banjo (Hoedown), pedal steel (guest)

Tracklist:

01 Don and Dewey 5:16
02 The Dolphins 4:30
03 Essence of Now 3:20
04 Hoedown 2:29
05 Soapstone Mountain 4:20
06 Waiting for the Song 1:03
07 Let a Woman Flow 4:04
08 t Comes Right Down to You 3:14
09 Good Lovin' 3:59
10 Galileo 3:02
11 Do You Remember the Sun? 3:14

petak, 28.08.2009.

AC/DC - Live (1992) (Japan Remaster 2CD Collector's Edit 2003)

Double CD collector's edition of AC/DC's 1992 live album digitally remastered and reissued in a special digipak plus a 16 page full color booklet containing all original album art, many unpublished photos, classic memorabilia and new 2003 liner notes. 23 tracks. Epic.

AC/DC Live captures a fine performance by the heavy metal titans, as they run through their biggest hits with fire and energy. Featuring two discs of prime material, the "Special Collector's Edition" is actually preferable to the regular version, simply because it adds more first-rate music to an already worthwhile album...S. Erlewine

Despite the fact that the band's best days were obviously behind them, a live album for AC/DC was all but completely necessary. After all, the group's first live release, If You Want Blood You've Got It, was recorded at a time when AC/DC was nothing more than a cult act that had yet to produce many of its future rock staples. Though recorded well into their career on the Razor's Edge 1991 tour, AC/DC Live surprisingly captures the hype and excitement that made AC/DC such a hit in their heyday. The set list wisely overlooks the songs from the band's mid-'80s slump and concentrates on hard rock hits such as "Hells Bells," "Back in Black," "Highway to Hell," and "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap." Brian Johnson's voice may not be as strong as in the early '80s, but he still sounds competent in his role. All too often, a live album is a cheaply made, rushed recording that only serves as a testament to a band's decline. AC/DC Live, however, shows what makes this band different from their peers -- here they are still entirely capable of pulling off a great live show. This ranks among the best live metal albums of the '90s. [In February 2003, the American distribution rights to AC/DC's back catalog transferred over to Epic, their new label. Epic reissued the band's catalog as remastered digipacks containing lavish, expanded booklets with plenty of rare photographs, memorabilia, and notes. Although the digipacks may wear a little too easy, the sound is terrific -- clean and muscular, enhancing the raw qualities of the original record -- and the packaging is loving, making the reissues necessary for collectors.]...B. Weber

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 302 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

CD 1

01 Thunderstruck 6:35
02 Shoot to Thrill 5:23
03 Back in Black 4:28
04 Sin City 5:40
05 Who Made Who 5:15
06 Heatseeker 3:37
07 Fire Your Guns 3:40
08 Jailbreak 14:43
09 The Jack 6:57
10 The Razor's Edge 4:35
11 Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap 5:02
12 Moneytalks 4:29

CD 2

01 Hells Bells 6:01
02 Are You Ready 4:34
03 That's the Way I Wanna Rock 'N' Roll 3:57
04 High Voltage 10:33
05 You Shook Me All Night Long 3:54
06 Whole Lotta Rosie 4:30
07 Let There Be Rock 12:17
08 Bonny 1:03
09 Highway to Hell 3:53
10 T.N.T. 3:48
11 For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) 7:17

četvrtak, 27.08.2009.

Jefferson Airplane - After Bathing at Baxter´s (1967) (Remaster Edit 2003)

Originally released in 1967 (same year but 10 months after Surrealistic Pillow), this RCA/BMG Heritage remastered reissue adds 4 bonus tracks 'The Ballad Of You Me and Pooneil' (live-long version previously unreleased), 'Martha' (single version-mono), 'Two Heads' (alternate version-previously unreleased) & 'Things Are Better In The East' (demo version-previously unreleased). Includes 12-page booklet with extensive liner notes, detailed track listing & rare photos.
Jefferson Airplane tried hard, on this 1967 utterly noncommercial followup to their phenomenally successful classic Surrealistic Pillow. Having made RCA millions of dollars with PILLOW, the Airplane took full advantage of their newly-minted blank check to create what may be the purest example of musical psychedelia to come out of the Sixties.

Listening to AFTER BATHING AT BAXTER'S is literally a trip. Bizarrely torqued lyrics are wedded to experimental recording techniques, sound montages, and off-center tempos and rhythms to provide the listener with an auditory hallucination. Everything goes, and so it went at BAXTER'S. It was all new, avant-garde to excess, and it largely failed to reach its fullest potential.
Most art does fail, but there's no question that BAXTER'S cross-pollinated with many other performers and musical styles. The influence of BAXTER'S can be heard in "Revolution 9" by The Beatles, and on many other recordings of the era. BAXTER'S may have sold relatively poorly compared to PILLOW, but it was heard by the Airplane's contemporaries, and it clearly served as a wellspring of inspiration. An aficionado's album, AFTER BATHING AT BAXTER'S is a ghost in the machine that remains haunting even today...J. H. Minde

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

Tracklist:

01 The Ballad Of You & Me & Pooneil 4.35
02 A Small Package Of Value Will Come To You, Shortly 1.34
03 Young Girl Sunday Blues 3.35
04 Martha 3.26
05 Wild Tyme (H) 3.10
06 The Last Wall Of The Castle 2.40
07 Rejoyce 4.03
08 Watch Her Ride 3.11
09 Spare Chaynge 9.12
10 Two Heads 3.13
11 Won't You Try / Saturday Afternoon 5.07
12 The Ballad Of You & Me & Pooneil (Live - Long Version) 11.07
13 Martha (Mono Single Version) 3.29
14 Two Heads (Alternate Version) 3.19
15 Things Are Better In The East (Demo Version) 6.40

The Move - Shazam (1970) (15-track Remaster 2001)

Compared to the Move's long-gestating 1968 eponymous debut, their 1970 sophomore effort Shazam is unified. It was not culled from sessions from a period of 14 months but instead largely made at one time...but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's any easier to get a handle on the album. The Move changed greatly in the period between their first albums, with original bassist Chris "Ace" Kefford leaving in a cloud of acid in 1968. In his absence, rhythm guitarist Trevor Burton jumped over to bass, beginning an odd period where the group was cutting songs, most penned by Roy Wood but a few written by David Morgan, a fellow Birmingham-based songwriter signed to the publishing company of Move lead singer Carl Wayne. Pulled between these two camps, the Move finally had a true hit single with Wood's gorgeous, watery psychedelic epic "Blackberry Way," not long after Burton left the band and Richard Price was pulled in as his replacement so the band could earn money by touring cabarets in Europe. Here, the band grew muscular and weirder, traits that are showcased on the short-yet-sprawling Shazam. Throwing out the concise constructions and meticulous miniatures of their psychedelic singles, the Move concentrate on heavy progressive rock on Shazam. With the exception of the gentle, string-laden "Beautiful Daughter" -- quite clearly a holdover from previous sessions due to both its sweetness and brevity -- none of the six songs here clock in under five minutes, with two sprawling over seven and "Fields of People" inching toward the 11-minute mark. To what extent this was an intentional experiment or a way of coping with a lack of material is hard to tell; of these six, only the thunderous opener "Hello Susie" truly qualifies as a new Wood original, as "Beautiful Daughter" dates earlier and "Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited" itself is a reworked, expanded version of a song from the debut. "Hello Susie" also points the way to the heavy, hooky rock & roll the Move would patent on Message from the Country, and it does feel different than either this new "Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited" or the three covers that make up the second side of Shazam. All these four songs are arranged so the band can dabble in color and texture, shifting from guitars as heavy as their Brummie cohorts Black Sabbath to fragile harmonies. It's wildly inventive music and, as pure sound, the Move may never have been better than they are here, as there are more ideas in each of these long, languid jams than most bands have in a career. Once again, the sheer number of ideas can be intimidating upon first listen and there may be so many that some listeners may never get past this rush of invention, but Shazam rewards repeated spins many times over.

Line-up

Roy Wood (vocals, lead guitar, bass, cello, oboe)
Bev Bevan (drums, vocals)
Rick Price (vocals, bass guitar)
Jeff Lynne (vocals, piano, guitar)

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: ca. 167 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. Hello Suzie 4:51
02. Beautiful Daughter 2:51
03. Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited 7:40
04. Fields of People 10:58
05. Don't Make My Baby Blue 6:02
06. The Last Thing on My Mind 8:09
07. So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star (Bonus) 3:00
08. Stephanie Knows Who (Bonus) 3:03
09. Something Else (Bonus) 2:24
10. I'll Be Me (Bonus) 2:37
11. Sunshine Help Me (Bonus) 5:12
12. Piece of My Heart [prev. unissued live EP outtake] (Bonus) 4:03
13. Too Much in Love [prev. unissued live EP outtake] (Bonus) 2:27
14. Higher and Higher [prev. unissued live EP outtake] (Bonus) 3:31
15. Sunshine Help Me [prev. unissued live EP outtake] (Bonus) 6:34

Frankie Miller - Falling In Love (1979) (Remaster Edit 2006)

(issued in the U.S. as: A Perfect Fit)

Love is the keynote theme of this excellent selection that includes Miller's treatment of Bob Marley's ‘Is This Love’, hotly pursuded by ‘If I Can Love Somebody’, ‘And It's Your Love’, ‘A Woman To Love’ and ‘Falling In Love With You’. The later three Miller originals show how the feisty young Scots born singer was developing as a writer. There is a strong rock drive to most tracks and the famed Miller vocals retain their cutting edge. Ron Aspery of Back Door guests on sax and Paul Carrack plays keyboards.

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 141 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 When I'm Away from You 3:25
02 Is This Love 2:54
03 If I Can Love Somebody 2:48
04 Darlin' 3:08
05 And It's Your Love 3:57
06 A Woman To Love 3:39
07 Falling in Love With You 4:38
08 Every Time a Teardrop Falls 2:37
09 Pappa Don't Know 3:42
10 Good To See You 5:01
11 Something about you (bonus) 2:58

srijeda, 26.08.2009.

Jeronimo - Jeronimo (1971) (Remaster 2002)

Grab This Sweet Slice of Heavy Tuffness!!
In 1970 Jeronimo and Steppenwolf toured successfully through Germany and in the same year Jeronimo partook in the legendary "Progressive Pop Festival" in Cologne. Following that, Jeronimo shared the headlines with such groups as Deep Purple and Golden Earring at various European open-air festivals.

Jeronimo:
*Michael Koch (guitar, vocals)
*Gunnar Schäfer (bass, vocals)
*Manfred "Ringo" Funk (drums, percussion, vocals)

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 97 MB
Genre : Hard Rock. Krautrock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01.Sunday's Child 04:26
02.Shades 03:26
03.Reminiscenses 01:00
04.How I'd Love To Be Home 04:32
05.End Of Our Time 04:10
06.Understanding 04:07
07.Silence Of The Night 03:38
08.Hugudila 07:50
09.You Know I Do 05:30
10.Save Our Souls (SOS) 03:31

Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East (1971) (2CD Deluxe Edit 2003)

THE FILLMORE CONCERTS contains the Allman's 1971 live recording, THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND AT THE FILLMORE EAST. It also includes material omitted from the original LP, plus previously edited tracks that have been restored to their original length.
2003 saw the release of a two-disc edition entitled At Fillmore East [Deluxe Edition]. It compiled all the released versions of the Fillmore material, some material from the collection Duane Allman: An Anthology and the Dreams box set, and remixed the material with a better soundstage than the 1992 release The Fillmore Concerts.

There has never been a better showcase for improvisational rock than this 1971 concert recording, and few (if any) live rock albums are in its rank. With only two studio albums (and plenty of touring) under their belt, the Georgia sextet tore into the Fillmore East with road-tested buoyancy. Titanic guitarist Duane Allman was at the peak of his powers, pushing his foil, Dickey Betts, to unsurpassed peaks. Vocalist-keyboardist Gregg Allman would have been a star in any other setting; here he's merely one more component in a brilliant ensemble. Duane Allman died shortly after At Fillmore East shippedmore…, and the Brothers haven't scaled such heights since. But, then, neither has anyone else...Bob Hope

The original Live At The Fillmore East album is one of the finest live documents of the rock era, capturing the original line-up of one of the 70s' tightest outfits before they were cruelly robbed of Duane Allman and Berry Oakley. Taken from five 1971 performances at New York's fabled Fillmore East, the extended and effortlessly melodic workouts of 'In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed' and 'Whipping Post' remain definitive recordings. The dual guitar interplay of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts glides effortlessly over the propulsive rhythm section of Oakley and twin drummers Jaimoe and Butch Trucks, while Greg Allman's powerful blues voice and melodic keyboard work provides the icing on the cake...Robert Hoffnung

Line-up

Gregg Allman (vocals, piano, organ)
Duane Allman (guitar, slide guitar)
Dickey Betts (guitar
Berry Oakley (bass)
Jai Johanny Johanson (drums, congas, timbales)
Butch Trucks (drums, tympani)

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kb/s
Size: ca. 307 MB
Genre : Southern Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

CD 1

01. Statesboro Blues 04:17
02. Trouble No More 03:46
03. Don't Keep Me Wonderin' 03:38
04. In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed 13:10
05. One Way Out 05:15
06. Done Somebody Wrong 04:17
07. Stormy Monday 10:39
08. You Don't Love Me 19:26

CD 2

01. Hot 'Lanta 05:32
02. Whipping Post 22:44
03. Mountain Jam 33:58
04. Drunken Hearted Boy 07:34

utorak, 25.08.2009.

Grateful Dead - Blues For Allah (1975) (Remaster Edit 2006)

The last time the Dead ever had the courage to really experiment was this on album, the fruit of their year-long hiatus from touring. It has a particular jazz-rock feel characterised by the fertile mix of effects pedals from Garcia meeting some memorable electric piano from Keith Godchaux. The album is self-confident, tender, funny, and sparkles in a very un-Dead-like way. A lot of it is laughing music.Stand-out tracks are the lithe Franklin's tower, the melancholy Crazy Fingers - with Garcia's best ever recorded solo, a beautiful unstated Zen sequence to really contemplate - and the longmore…, atmospheric Blues for Allah. The album, of course, got lost pretty quickly. it was never a commercial smash and the Dead never cut quite such intelligent music again. But, for once, in some mysterious way, they seemed ahead of the pack, not a plodding note in sight (or sound). This is vital...Rudy Rondo

Line-up

Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals
Bob Weir - guitar, vocals
Keith Godchaux - keyboards, vocals
Donna Jean Godchaux - vocals
Phil Lesh - bass
Bill Kreutzmann - drums
Mickey Hart - drums

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size ca.: 180 MB
Genre : Psychedelic Rock, Folk Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. Help On The Way/Slipknot! 7.21
02. Franklin's Tower 4.33
03. King Solomon's Marbles 5.16
04. The Music Never Stopped 4.36
05. Crazy Fingers 6.42
06. Sage And Spirit 3.06
07. Blues For Allah 12.44
08. Groove #1 (Instrumental Studio Outtake) (Bonus) 5.45
09. Groove #2 (Instrumental Studio Outtake) (Bonus) 7.35
10. Distorto (Instrumental Studio Outtake) (Bonus) 8.14
11. A To E Flat Jam (Instrumental Studio Outtake) (Bonus) 4.39
12. Proto 18 Proper (Instrumental Studio Outtake) (Bonus) 4.18
13. Hollywood Cantata (Studio Outtake) (Bonus) 4.14

The Move - Flowers In The Rain (Limited Remaster Edit EP 2007)

2007 Digitally Remastered Edition that Commemorates the 40th Anniversary of this Portentous Release and the Kick off of a Move Reissue Programme by the Salvo Label. The Supplementary Tracks on this CD Single Are "Beautiful Daughter", Taken from the Newly Discovered Original Master Tape of the Move's Second Album "Shazam"; A Previously Unreleased Edit of "Feel Too Good", Taken from the Move Box Set (Available February 2008); And a Previously Unheard Instrumental Mix of the Hit Single "Fire Brigade", which is Exclusive to this Release.

Codec: flac
Size: 69 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Flowers In The Rain (alternate mix) 2.42
02 Beautiful Daughter (album version) 2.37
03 Feels Too Good (radio edit) 2.20
04 Fire Brigade (instrumental) 2.20

ponedjeljak, 24.08.2009.

Vanilla Fudge - Rock'n'Roll (1969) (11-track Remaster 1996)

This is Vanilla Fudge's best album, and their last. Fudge was a very important band in heavy rock in the late sixties. They had a sound similer to Grand Funk Railroad with more Hammond organ worked in. Influenced Deep Purple and every heavy group who followed...T, Bunderaker

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 110 MB
Genre : Psych. Rock
2000mustangs

Line-up:

- Carmine Appice / drums
- Tim Bogert / bass
- Vince Martell / guitar, lead vocals
- Mark Stein / organ, keyboards

Tracklist:

01. Need Love (4:58)
02. Lord In The Country (4:34)
03. I Can't Make It Alone (4:46)
04. Street Walking Woman The Beat (6:12)
05. Church Bells Of St. Martins (4:39)
06. The Windmills Of Your Mind (6:03)
07. If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody (6:19)
08. Good Good Lovin' (Bonus) (2:59)
09. Shotgun (Bonus) (2:29)
10. Where Is My Mind (Bonus) (2:41)
11. Need Love (7" version) (Bonus) (2:39)

nedjelja, 23.08.2009.

Anna Netrebko ~ Souvenirs (2008)

Soprano superstar Anna Netrebko steps away from the operatic stage to create her most personal and intimate album yet. Souvenirs is a gorgeous collection of short and sparkling pieces that allow Anna to display her amazing voice and temperament
“This recording is like a bridal bouquet, bursting with variety and colours,” says Anna Netrebko. “I want it to create a wonderful array of emotions – passion, fun, love, tenderness.”
The album includes repertoire from all over the world: songs in French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Latin, Czech, Yiddish, Spanish and – of course – Russian. These are pieces that are very close to Anna’s heart and include treasures by Dvorák, Grieg, Carlos Guastavino, Reynaldo Hahn, Offenbach, Richard Strauss, as well as rarely performed songs by Rimsky-Korsakov. For this special project, Anna is accompanied by conductor Emmanuel Villaume and the Prague Philharmonia. Villaume is well-known as the director of the Spoleto Festival (USA) and is a regular guest at major opera houses such as the Teatro La Fenice and the Met. He has previously worked with Anna in concert and is a perfect match for her passionate artistry. On this album Anna Netrebko has a few stunning guests to partner with her: Elina Garanca for Offenbach's Barcarole, Andrew Swait for Andrew Lloyd Webber's “Pie Jesu” (Requiem), Piotr Beczala for Heuberger's “Im Chambre Séparée”. Stunningly talented, gorgeous and intelligent, Netrebko already has the music world at her feet making this one of THE albums of 2008, eagerly awaited by her legions of fans as well as all music lovers worldwide. ”

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 142 MB
Genre : Classical
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Heia, in den Bergen 03:28
02 Im Chambre Separee 04:08
03 Meine Lippen, sie kussen so heiss 05:43
04 Depuis le jour 05:21
05 Belle nuit, o nuit d'amour (Barcarolle) 03:47
06 Cacilie, op. 27 no. 2 02:03
07 Solveigs Sang 05:04
08 Lorsque je n'etais qu'une enfant 02:10
09 Kdyz mne stara matka, op. 55 no. 4 03:10
10 Wiegenlied, op. 41 no. 1 04:17
11 Ne veter, veya s visoti, op. 43 no. 2 02:13
12 Plenivsis' rozoy, Solovey, op. 2 no. 2 03:18
13 Schlof sche, mein Vogele 03:37
14 Pie Jesu 03:47
15 L'Enamouree 03:26
16 La rose y el sauce 02:30
17 La tarantula e un bicho mu malo 01:37
18 Il bacio 03:47


Emmerich Kálmán (1882 - 1953)
The Gypsy Princess (Die Csárdásfürstin)
Act 1
1 Lied: "Heia, heia, in den Bergen ist mein Heimatland"

Richard Heuberger (1850 - 1914)
Der Opernball
2 Im chambre séparée

Franz Lehár (1870 - 1948)
Giuditta
Act 4
3 Meine Lippen, die küssen so heiss

Gustave Charpentier (1860 - 1956)
Louise
Act 3
4 "Depuis le jour"

Jacques Offenbach (1819 - 1880)
Les Contes d'Hoffmann
Act 2
5 Barcarolle

Richard Strauss (1864 - 1949)
Vier Lieder, Op.27
6 2. Cäcilie

Edvard Grieg (1843 - 1907)
Peer Gynt, Op.23
7 Solveig's song

André Messager (1853 - 1929)
Fortunio
8 L'orsque j'etais enfant

Antonín Dvorák (1841 - 1904)
Ciganské melodie (Gypsy Melodies), Op.55
9 4. Kdyz mne stara matka (instr. by Jiri Teml)

Richard Strauss (1864 - 1949)
Fünf Lieder, Op.41
10 1. Wiegenlied

Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844 - 1908)
11 'T was Not the Wind, Op.43, No.2 - orchestrated by Andreas N. Tarkmann

12 Captivated by the Rose (The Nightingale), Op.2, No.2 [Plenivshis rozoď soloveď] (orchestrated by Andreas N. Tarkmann)

Anonymous
13 Schlof sche, mein Vögele (orchestrated by Friedrich Meyer)

Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948 - )
Requiem
14 Pie Jesu

Reynaldo Hahn (1874 - 1947)
15 L'enamourée - orchestrated by Andreas N. Tarkmann

Carlos Antonio Guastavino (1912 - )
La rosa y el sauce
16 instr. Giullo Espel

Jerónimo Giménez (1854 - 1923)
La Tempranica
Edition Claudio Prieto
17 Nş 2 Tiempo de zapateado "La tarántula e un bicho"

Luigi Arditi (1822 - 1903)
18 Il Bacio

Caravan - If I Could Do It All Over Again...(1970) (2001)

Caravan followed up their eponymous debut with the cryptically titled If I Could Do It All Over Again I'd Do It All Over You in the fall of 1970. If I Could Do It All Over Again contains significant progressions over the first album. These include the intricacy with which compositions are sculpted around some of the finest instrumental improvisation in British rock at the time -- or arguably since. Caravan's uncanny ability to create a montage that effortlessly maneuvers through acoustic folk and electric progressive rock is best exemplified on the "With an Ear to the Ground" suite. The extended instrumental passages weave in and out of each other, creating a hypnotic and otherwise psychedelic soundscape that would become a trademark of the European progressive rock movement. Another epic, "For Richard," quickly found solid standing as the Caravan live performance-closer for decades after first appearing on this album. Juxtaposed against these pieces are several shorter works, which in essence clear the palette for the longer ones. The title track as well as "Hello, Hello" are perfect examples of how Caravan was able to one-up many of its progressive contemporaries, creating shorter and more accessible songs for radio airplay -- resulting in a guest appearance on BBC TV's Top of the Pops program,..L. Planer

The Japanese reissue offers seven bonus tracks: unreleased versions of "A Day in the Life of Maurice Haylett," "For Richard," "Warlock," and "Limits," and demos of "As I Feel I Die," "Clipping the 8th (Hello Hello)," and "Why? (And I Wish I Were Stoned).

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 108 MB
Genre : Prog. Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 If I Could Do It All over Again, I'd Do It All over You 3:07
02 And I Wish I Were Stoned/Don't Worry 8:20
03 As I Feel I Die 5:06
04 With an Ear to the Ground You Can Make It/Martinian/Only Cox/Reprise 9:54
05 Hello, Hello 3:45
06 Asforteri 1:21
07 Can't Be Long Now/Francoise/For Richard/Warlock 14:21
08 Limits 1:35

Jethro Tull - Rock Island (1989) (Remaster Editi 2006)

Remastered edition of this 1989 album. Following the success of Crest Of A Knave, which won a Grammy in the hard-rock category, group leader Ian Anderson responded two years later with Rock Island, a record that re-imagined Jethro Tull as a modern-rock act. Features ''Another Christmas Song'', ''Rattlesnake Trail'' and more.

"Rock Island" is an album for those Jethro Tull fans who are more inclined toward the heavy rock side of Tull over their folkier, accoustic side. It opens with the fast paced rocking "Kissing Willie" and is followed by the riffy "The Rattlesnake Trail" complete with Martin Barre's searing guitar fills.
Then comes my personal favorite from the album "Ears of Tin." It's one of those 'stop-go' songs. The verses are melodic, featuring mandolin and flute while the refrains contain pulsating hard rock. Next is "Undressed to kill," a slow, steady rocking song. Then comes the title song, which is fairly subdued until the fast paced instrumental break.
"Heavy Water" is another moderate to slow paced rocker, which is followed by the subdued and melodic "Another Christmas Song." Then comes the another of my personal favorites: the slow, brooding "The Whaler's Dues." Between Martin Barre's jagged electric guitar fills and Ian Anderson's wheezing flute, the song just gets under your skin and stays there.
The last two songs from the original release, "Big Riff and Mando" and "Strange Avenues" are lackluster, in my opinion. But overall, "Rock Island" is a consistently enjoyable album. The song quality might not be as high as on their previous release, "Crest of a Knave," but it has the advantage (or disadvantage, depending on taste) of containing far fewer ballads than 'Crest.'
There are many who believe that the quality of Jethro Tull's music began a permanent decline following "Aqualung" in 1971 or "A Passion Play" in 1973. However, the music on "Crest of a Knave," "Rock Island" and "Catfish Rising," Tull's 1987, 1989 and 1991 releases, convinces me that Ian Anderson's songwriting has, if anything, improved over time.

As with most Tull albums, you'll need to give this one a half dozen spins in your CD player before familiarity breeds enjoyment...M. Denver

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 137 MB
Genre : Prog. Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Kissing Willie 3:33
02 The Rattlesnake Trail 4:01
03 Ears of Tin 4:55
04 Undressed to Kill 5:23
05 Rock Island 6:54
06 Heavy Water 4:12
07 Another Christmas Song 3:31
08 The Whaler's Dues 7:53
09 Big Riff and Mando 5:59
10 Strange Avenues 4:13
11 Christmas Song Live / Bonus 3:06
12 Cheap Day Return/Mother Goose Live / Bonus 3:09
13 Locomotive Breath Live / Bonus 3:38

subota, 22.08.2009.

The Hollies - Romany (1972) (20-track Digipack Remaster 2007)

This EMI expanded CD edition of the Hollies' Romany album appeared some seven years after the Magic Records expanded edition, and the two do not overlap entirely. The difference is in the bonus tracks -- gone are Tony Hicks' "A Better Place" (which was released on the 1973 album Out on the Road) and Mikael Rickfors' "The Last Word" and "Don't Leave the Child Alone," but in their place are an alternate acoustic take of "Magic Woman Touch," the lost single "Papa Rain," and the group's rendition of the Eagles' "Witchy Woman." Both CDs total 20 songs, but this one is a little over three minutes longer in overall running time, and those outtakes are well worth owning, even if it means keeping two versions of the expanded edition around -- the harmony singing and the timbre of the acoustic version of "Magic Woman Touch" make it one of the prettiest recordings ever to emanate from this group's orbit, and that is saying something given the Hollies' track record; "Papa Rain" would have made a somewhat brooding, moody single, a bit reminiscent in tone of the darker side of Crosby, Stills & Nash; and "Witchy Woman" (which was then a new song) gets a punchy, enthusiastic performance that pushes the harmonies hard and also allows Tony Hicks, Bernie Calvert, and Bobby Elliott to show off some of their more intense playing. And the version of "Oh Granny" featured here is the rarely heard remix, with Terry Sylvester's vocals replacing Allan Clarke's. The sound throughout this edition, incidentally, is considerably improved over the Magic Records edition, with boosted volume and a lot more detail revealed in the playing and singing -- though the Magic edition offers a heavier bass, which some people prefer. The earlier CD is perfectly acceptable, however, and either can safely be said to be superior to anything that Sony Music might ever have issued on the basic album in America (which they never got around to issuing on CD, anyway)...B. Eder

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

Tracklist:

01 Won't You Feel Good That Morning 3:23
02 Touch 5:13
03 Words Don't Come Easy 3:46
04 Magic Woman Touch 3:20
05 Lizzy and the Rainman 3:19
06 Down River 4:09
07 Slow Down 2:57
08 Delaware Taggett and the Outlaw Boys 3:11
09 Jesus Was a Crossmaker 3:46
10 Romany 5:28
11 Blue in the Morning 3:22
12 Courage of Your Convictions 3:38
13 The Baby Bonus 3:55
14 Magic Woman Touch Bonus / Acoustic Version 4:03
15 Indian Girl Bonus 3:19
16 If It Wasn't for the Reason Bonus 3:19
17 Papa Rain previously unreleased / Bonus 4:09
18 Witchy Woman previously unreleased / Bonus 3:38
19 Oh Granny Terry Sylvester Vocal Version 2:43
20 I Had a Dream Bonus 3:32

petak, 21.08.2009.

Warren Zevon - The Envoy (1982) (Remastered 2007)

While moderation was never Warren Zevon's strong suit, his efforts to clean himself up in the early '80s resulted in two of his finest albums, 1980's literate but corrosive Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School and the following year's explosive live set Stand in the Fire. It seemed as if the wired chaos of Zevon's personal life had been channeled into his art on those LPs, but after another bout with the bottle and another attempt at sobriety, Zevon tried another approach at merging his music and his life on 1982's The Envoy. On The Envoy's best songs, Zevon tackles his dangerous appetites head on; "Charlie's Medicine" is a chilling requiem for a drug dealer who used to sell him dope, "Jesus Mentioned" is a spare but curiously moving meditation on the death of Elvis Presley, who "went walking on the water with his pills," and the ragged but right " Ain't That Pretty at All" is an unlikely but powerful recovery anthem in which he howls "I'd rather feel bad than not feel anything at all." When Zevon confronts his own demons on The Envoy, the album is intense and compelling stuff, but unfortunately there aren't enough of these moments to prop up the rest of the set, which is smart and literate but not especially exciting. Novelist Thomas McGuane co-wrote "The Overdraft," a hard-charging rocker that unfortunately doesn't make much sense, while the languid "The Hula Hula Boys" plays like a joke in which the punch line got lost, and the two love songs, "Let Nothing Come Between You" and "Looking for the Next Best Thing," manage to sound at once heartfelt and like lesser variations on themes he'd covered with greater strength before. The Envoy would prove to be Zevon's last album for five years after he took another stumble into addiction, but while it's an often brave and ambitious disc, the high points don't quite redeem its weaknesses. [In 2007, Rhino Records gave The Envoy its belated debut on CD in a remastered and expanded edition featuring new liner notes from David Wild and four bonus tracks recorded during the album's original sessions. There's an alternate take of "Let Nothing Come Between You" with some alternate lyrics and a sloppy pass at the Troggs' "Wild Thing" that's fun but hardly revelatory. More interesting are "Word of Mouth," a taut and rhythmic instrumental, and "The Risk," which sounds like it wasn't quite finished but walks a provocative line between Zevon's tales of romance and self-destruction; it would have made a nice coda for the album, and is the one really essential new track on this edition.]...M. Deming

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 103 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist

01 The Envoy 3:13
02 The Overdraft :44
03 The Hula Hula Boys 3:02
04 Jesus Mentioned 2:45
05 Let Nothing Come Between You 3:41
06 Ain't That Pretty at All 3:35
07 Charlie's Medicine 4:51
08 Looking for the Next Best Thing 3:41
09 Never Too Late for Love 4:46
10 Word of Mouth prev. unreleased / Bonus / Outtake 4:01
11 Let Nothing Come Between You prev. unreleased / Bonus / Alternate Take 3:40
12 The Risk prev. unreleased / Bonus / Outtake 2:34
13 Wild Thing prev. unreleased / Bonus / Outtake 2:29

četvrtak, 20.08.2009.

The Hollies - Hollies (1974) (21-track Digipack Remaster 2005)

In retrospect this could be the best ever non-greatest hits Hollies CD. If it isn't it comes pretty close. This remastered addition adds great sound quality and bonus tracks. This CD was the first release of the recently reunited Hollies with Allan Clarke. Its obvious that both sides were energized and happy with the reunion. At this time the various members of the Hollies were writing separately. What they lacked in writing unity was offset by the great songs that Clarke brought back to the band including Curly Billy and Don't Let Me Down. Obviously, without the reunion these songs would have landed on an Allan Clarke solo release. Clearly, Clarke brought back to the band his "A-list" of material (this is also confirmed by the lack of strong Clarke originals on subsequent solo releases until the late 70's).
Listening to these songs today they all hold up very well. I was somewhat surprised at how fresh they sounded. Besides the previously mentioned Clarke orginals, I love "Falling, Calling", "Out on the Road", "Down on the Run" and "Its a Shame, its a Game". And then there is the huge hit, "The Air That I Breathe". Simply one of the most beautiful recordings ever by an band. The brilliance of this song I feel has lead to some under-appreciation of this entire CD. Give this CD another listen (especially in this new remastered version). Too often the success of Hollies singles has lead people to believe they didn't make fine albums. This one is a great example of that...J. Ohyde

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 178 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Falling Calling 03:16
02 I's A Shame, I'ts A Game 03:44
03 Don't Let Me Down 04:22
04 Out On The Road 02:58
05 The Air That I Breathe 04:14
06 Rubber Lucy 04:13
07 Transatlantic Westbound Jet 03:14
08 Pick Up The Pieces Again 04:00
09 Love Makes The World Go Round 03:48
10 The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee 04:27
11 Born A Man - (bonus) 02:59
12 No More Riders - (bonus) 02:58
13 Son Of A Rotten Gambler - (bonus) 04:07
14 Layin' To The Music - (bonus) 02:32
15 Out On The Road (1st version) - (bonus) 02:57
16 Mr. Heartbreaker - (bonus) 03:28
17 Slow Down - Go Down - (bonus) 03:53
18 Transatlantic Westbound Jet (1st version) - (bonus) 04:45
19 Mexico Gold - (bonus) 03:52
20 Tip Of The Iceberg - (bonus) 04:06
21 Down On The Run 03:52

srijeda, 19.08.2009.

VA - Fender 50th Anniversary Guitar Legends (1996)

The half-century history of the Fender guitar and its role in popular history is documented on this collection featuring such Fender-powered hits as Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water," Buddy Holly's "That'll Be the Day," Dire Straits' "Sultans of Swing," Jimi Hendrix's "Spanish Castle Magic," Nirvana's "Come as You Are" and Dick Dale's "Miserlou."...J. Ankeny

This CD is notable for the breadth of the music it contains. As a blues fanatic, I thoroughly enjoyed While We Cry and Frosty, which prompted me to buy the CD's by Collins and Sheppard. But what blew me away was how I also enjoyed some of the older and newer pop stuff, including the Nirvana cut. They even throw in a commemerative guitar pick!...D. Jellinc

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 157 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. That’ll Be The Day - Buddy Holly 2.10
02. Sultans Of Swing - Dire Straits 5.47
03. The Telephone Song - The Vaughan Brothers 3.27
04. Let It Rain - Eric Clapton 5.17
05. Something To Talk About - Bonnie Raitt 3.46
06. Spanish Castle Magic - Jimi Hendrix 3.00
07. Damn Right, I’ve Got The Blues - Buddy Guy 4.29
08. Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple 5.38
09. Come As You Are - Nirvana 3.38
10. Take It So Hard (Live) - Keith Richards 4.26
11. Misirlou - Dick Dale 2.15
12. Rainy Day Woman - Waylon Jennings 2.30
13. Where Were You - Jeff Beck 3.15
14. Stranger In This Town - Richie Sambora 6.15
15. Surfin’ U.S.A. - The Beach Boys 2.27
16. While We Cry - Kenny Wayne Shepherd 6.17
17. Frosty - Albert Collins 3.22

utorak, 18.08.2009.

Canned Heat - Living The Blues (1968) (Digipack Remaster Edit 2007)

2007 Reissue of the blues rock outfit's second, originally released on Liberty in 1968. Features guest appearances from John Mayall, Dr. John, Joe Sample and John Fahey. Also features the hit 'Going Up The Country', the 20 minute epic 'Part henogenesis' and the original cover art. Nine tracks. Comes packaged in a double gatefold digipak.

Some have dismissed Canned Heat's third album Living the Blues (1968), primarily owing to the nearly three-quarter-hour long "Refried Boogie" jam that inhabits the second half of the effort. However, that did not stop it from scoring in the Top 20, which was not bad for a double LP. One obvious reason for its accomplishments is that the remainder of the title continues in the same solid vein as their previous LP, Boogie With Canned Heat (1968), issued merely a few months earlier. The quintet of Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson (guitar/vocals), Larry "The Mole" Taylor (bass), Henry "Sunflower" Vestine (guitar), Aldolfo "Fido" Dela Parra (drums), and Bob "The Bear" Hite (vocals) return with the same aggressive blend of amplified rock with rhythm and blues. They also churn out some impressive self-penned tunes, as well as unique derivations of tunes, such as their interpretation of Charley Patton's "Pony Blues." Immediately the inspired interplay between Wilson and Vestine proves as successful a combination here as it had on the band's prior outings. The organic and lighter "Goin' Up the Country" became the Heat's second major single, and is arguably best-remembered for its prominence in the film Woodstock (1970) and its subsequent triple-LP soundtrack. Expanding beyond their own formidable instrumental prowess, British blues guitarist John Mayall sits in -- on piano no less -- for a short yet effective rendition of Jimmie Rodgers' "Walking by Myself." Augmenting the combo on the original "Boogie Music" is another rising ivory-tickler known to many as the "Gris-gris man," and still to others as Mac Rebennack. However, it's Dr. John under which the Creole-based pianist garnered the most attention. "One Kind Favor" [aka "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean"] is another standard that is given a decidedly modern workout. The sidelong, nine-movement epic "Parthenogenesis" is an experimental suite that allows each band member copious room to move. Among the more interesting sections include the respective sonic trademark of guitarist John Fahey, who backs up Wilson's Jew's harp twangfest on "Nebulosity," as well as the return of Mayall on "Bear Wires," the latter being a sly play on the title of Mayall's concurrent platter, Bare Wires (1968)...L. Planer

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 201 MB
Genre : Rock, Blues Rock
2000mustangs

Line-up

Bob Hite – vocals
Alan Wilson – Slide Guitar, vocals, Harmonica
Henry Vestine– Lead guitar
Larry Taylor – Electric Bass
Fito de la Parra – drums

Tracklist:

CD 1

01 Pony Blues 3:51
02 My Mistake 3:25
03 Sandy's Blues 6:49
04 Going Up the Country 2:54
05 Walking by Myself 2:34
06 Boogie Music 3:08
07 One Kind Favor 4:49
08 Parthenogenesis:
Nebulosity/Rollin' and Tumblin'/Five Owls/Bear Wires 20:05

CD 2

01 Refried Boogie 40:51

Jeronimo - Cosmic Blues (1970) (Remaster 2003)

Here's another good band from Germany. It's really hard to find enough info about groups from this period, and also about Jeronimo.

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 87 MB
Genre : Hard Rock. Krautrock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01.News(3:01)
02.The Key(3:00)
03.Hands(2:40)
04.So Nice to Know(2:03)
05.Na Na Hey Hey(3:37)
06.Let the Sunshine In(1:57)
07.Highjack(2:58)
08.Number 5(5:22)
09.No No No(3:53)
10.Never Goin' Back(2:37)
11.The Light Life Needs(2:14)
12.Heya(5:54)

ponedjeljak, 17.08.2009.

Mink DeVille - Le Chat Bleu (1980) (20-track Remaster 2003)

2003 remastered reissue of 1980 album features 20 tracks including 9 bonus tracks, 'Savoir Faire' (Live In NY 1982), 'Slow Drain' (Slow Drain (Live In NY 1982), 'This Must Be The Night' (Live In NY 1982), 'Bad Boy' (Live In NY 1982), 'Lipstick Traces' (Live In NY 1982), 'Just To Walk That Little Girl Home' (Live In Holland 1984), 'Heaven Stood Still' (Live In Germany 1995), 'Save The Last Dance For Me' (Live In Holland 1984) & 'Willy DeVille & Doc Pomus Interview' (The Robert Klein Show, Nov. 2, 1980). All bonus tracks previously unreleased.

Mink DeVille's third album, Le Chat Bleu, originally issued in 1980, was the kind of modest, updated, steamy, Latin-tinged R&B-soul affair that didn't seem like the likeliest candidate for the deluxe expanded CD treatment. As the 21st century got into gear, though, it seemed like almost anything went, and Le Chat Bleu got almost doubled in length on the Australian expanded edition. This updated version does straighten out the original body of the album in one important way: it includes both the Cajun stomp "Mazurka" (which appeared on the LP when it was first released, in France) and the funky "Turn You Every Way but Loose" (which replaced "Mazurka" when it was belatedly issued in the U.S., and nicks a riff from the Doors' "L.A. Woman"). The real attraction for those who already own the previous versions of the album, though, are the eight previously unissued live bonus tracks. All eight are live performances of different songs from Le Chat Bleu, five recorded in New York in 1982, two in Holland in 1984, and one in Germany in 1995; "Mazurka," "That World Outside," and "Turn You Every Way but Loose" are the only songs from the original album not represented by live counterparts. In the usual way such things go, these aren't essential additions for anyone but serious DeVille fans, but there's a nice loose, fun vibe to the live stuff that's a little different in tone than the more considered studio arrangements, particularly on the 1982 cuts. Also on the CD is a six-minute interview with DeVille and Doc Pomus from the November 2, 1980, edition of The Robert Klein Show, as well as liners with some historical notes and DeVille's own recollections of making the record...R. Unterberger

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 225 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 This Must Be the Night 2:52
02 Savoir Faire 3:10
03 That World Outside 3:01
04 Slow Drain 3:30
05 You Just Keep Holding On 2:48
06 Lipstick Traces 2:49
07 Bad Boy 2:50
08 Mazurka 2:31
09 Just to Walk That Little Girl Home 3:54
10 Heaven Stood Still 2:56
11 Turn You Every Way But Loose 3:39
12 Savoir Faire prev. unreleased / Bonus 3:05
13 Slow Drain prev. unreleased / Bonus :03
14 This Must Be the Night prev. unreleased / Bonus 2:59
15 Bad Boy prev. unreleased / Bonus 3:28
16 Lipstick Traces prev. unreleased / Bonus 4:33
17 Just to Walk That Little Girl Home prev. unreleased / Bonus 4:46
18 Heaven Stood Still prev. unreleased / Bonus 3:40
19 Save the Last Dance for Me prev. unreleased / Bonus 4:44
20 Wily DeVille and Doc Pomus Interview prev. unreleased / Bonus 6:01

nedjelja, 16.08.2009.

Santana - Santana (1969) (2CD Remaster Legacy Edit 2004)

Before the arrival of Carlos Santana's eponymous band, the San Francisco rock scene drew the inspiration for its jam-oriented music mainly from blues, rock, and Eastern modalities. Santana added Latin music to the mix, forever changing the course of rock & roll history. On Santana's groundbreaking debut album, the group mixes Latin percussion with driving rock grooves. Santana's unique guitar style, alternately biting and liquid, vies with the multiple percussionists for the sonic focus. Unlike later efforts, Santana's first album features an abundance of loose collective compositions based on a couple of simple riffs ("Jingo," "Soul Sacrifice"). This approach allows for Santana and his bandmates to flex their improvisational muscles to fine effect. The high energy level on SANTANA is infectious--the laid-back feel of other '60s S.F. groups was clearly not for Carlos and company.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 150 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

The Sony Legacy Edition of Santana's 1969 self-titled debut album is exactly the kind of deluxe treatment that the repackaging and remastering of a classic album deserves. Fine liner notes by Hal Miller guide the listener through the historical journey of this record. First, there is a stunningly remastered version of the original album, front and center with alternate takes of "Savor" and "Soul Sacrifice" added, as well as a studio jam. Musically, Santana is the spot on the map marking the point where everything came together, mutated, and changed. Here Afro-Cuban son, blues, rock, jazz, and funk collided head on, and decided to become something else. Gregg Rolie's swirling, atmospheric organ provided the sonic root equation. Santana's guitar provided the frenzied flight, and Michael Shrieve's Elvin Jones/Roy Haynes-inspired driving kit work provided a dynamic commensurate with the visceral nature of rock. This was not aided, but made possible and furthered by the percussion work of Joe Areas and Michael Caravello, and anchored to earth only by David Brown's rock-solid, dirty-assed bassing. Sure, "Evil Ways" was a monster single, but it doesn't begin to tell the story of the album. Interestingly, with the all the bonus material added, the album doesn't even tell the story of the album. What does offer the key is disc two, which includes the band's original studio sessions for the album -- before the addition of Shrieve and Areas to the band. These tracks, almost all of which appeared in different form on the final version, revealed a talented, original, but loosely focused and slightly timid jamming ensemble that put together some compelling riffs and ideas, but hadn't jelled in a studio setting. Add to this Santana's complete Woodstock performance (with four previously unreleased tracks which took place before the album's release date) and the listener gets floored just contemplating the final release. That in four months, this band had gone from being green and naďve to becoming command performers. This is a remarkable, welcome, and definitive addition to the Santana catalog and raises the watermark for all reissues as well...T. Jurek

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 310 MB
Genre : Rock, Latin Rock
2000mustangs

Line-up

Carlos (guitar, vocals)
Gregg Rolie (organ, piano, vocals)
David Brown (bass guitar)
Michael Shrieve (drums)
Michael Carabello (timbales, congas, percussion)
Jose 'Chepito' Areas (timbales, congas, percussion).

Tracklist:

CD 1

01 Waiting 4:07
02 Evil Ways 4:00
03 Shades Of Time 3:13
04 Savor 2:47
05 Jingo 4:23
06 Persuasion 2:36
07 Treat 4:46
08 You Just Don't Care 4:37
09 Soul Sacrifice 6:42
10 Savor prev. unreleased / Alternate Take 2 2:57
11 Soul Sacrifice prev.unreleased / Alternate Take 4 8:50
12 Studio Jam prev. unreleased 7:09

CD 2

01 Fried Neckbones prev. unreleased 7:41
02 Soul Sacrifice prev. unreleased 9:06
03 Persuasion prev. unreleased 3:52
04 Treat prev. unreleased 6:49
05 Shades Of Time prev. unreleased 2:29
06 Jingo prev. unreleased 5:20
07 Waiting Live / prev. unreleased 4:44
08 You Just Don't Care Live / prev. unreleased 4:55
09 Savor Live 5:25
10 Jingo Live / prev. unreleased 5:14
11 Persuasion Live / prev. unreleased 3:05
12 Soul Sacrifice Live 11:49
13 Fried Neckbones Live 7:13

Al Stewart - Year Of The Cat (1976) (25th Anniversary Edit 2001)

Year of the Cat is the seventh album by Al Stewart, released in 1976 and engineered by Alan Parsons. It features the hit single (and one of his best-known songs) also called "Year of the Cat", which runs for six and a half minutes and was co-written by Peter Wood. The other single from the album is "On the Border", which is another of Stewart's most well-known songs.

Al Stewart had found his voice on Past, Present & Future and found his sound on Modern Times. He then perfected it all on 1976's Year of the Cat, arguably his masterpiece. There is no overarching theme here, as there was on its two immediate predecessors, but the impossible lushness of Alan Parsons' production and Stewart's evocative continental narratives give the record a welcome feeling of cohesion that keeps the record enchanting as it moves from "Lord Grenville" to "Midas Shadow" to "Broadway Hotel," before it ends with the haunting title track. Along the way, Stewart doesn't dwell too deeply in any area, preferring to trace out mysteries with his evocative lyrical imagery and a spinning array of self-consciously sophisticated music, songs that evoke American and European folk and pop with a deliberate grace. This could be unbearably precious if it didn't work so well. Stewart is detached from his music, but only in the sense that he gives this album a stylish elegance, and Parsons is his perfect foil, giving the music a rich, panoramic sweep that mimics Stewart's globe-trotting songs. The result is a tremendous example of how good self-conscious progressive pop can be, given the right producer and songwriter -- and if you're a fan of either prog or pop and haven't given Al Stewart much thought, prepare to be enchanted...S. Thomas

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: ca. 131 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Lord Grenville 5.03
02 On The Border 3.22
03 Midas Shadow 3.11
04 Sand In Your Shoes 3.05
05 If It Doesn't Come Naturally, Leave It 4.32
06 Flying Sorcery 4.22
07 Broadway Hotel 3.58
08 One Stage Before 4.41
09 Year Of The cat 6.49
10 On The Border (LIVE) (Bonus) 3.49
11 Belsize Blues (Bonus) 3.30
12 Story Of The Songs (Bonus) 9.43

subota, 15.08.2009.

The Frost - Rock and Roll Music (1969) (2006)

The Frost's second album on Vanguard, Rock and Roll Music, has the 1969 Dick Wagner four years before he would tour as part of the Lou Reed Rock & Roll Animal Band. The title track, recorded live at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit by engineer Ed Friedner, has an incessant chant over a bellowing guitar foundation. It is a good, raw picture of early Wagner music, a vital document of a Michigan band that helped shape that scene. "Sweet Lady Love" is the group in the recording studio with a tune that rocks like latter day Guess Who around the time of their Live at the Paramount LP. Producer Sam Charters balances the live tracks with the studio ones, á la John Simon's vision for Janis Joplin's Cheap Thrills. An acoustic ballad, "Linda," is placed in between that hard rock and is a far cry from the nice madness of side two's live tracks. In fact, the delicacy of Dick Wagner's voice and guitar playing might've found some chart action if it wasn't put in the context of a near metal album. Wagner sounds more like a British folky, say solo Paul McCartney, than American contemporary songwriters/singers James Taylor and Jonathan Edwards. "Linda" also sounds more like the type of music one would expect to hear on Vanguard. The parallels between Lou Reed and Frost cannot be ignored. Reed's signature tunes during RR Animal were "Sweet Jane," "Lady Day," and "Rock & Roll." Wagner's titles, "Rock and Roll Music" and "Sweet Lady Love," are side by side here -- just an eerie premonition of the shape of things to come. "Black Train" on this album has the same vibe as the Velvet Underground's "Train Coming Round the Bend" off of Loaded, though the style and melody are different. "Help Me Baby," on the other hand, has a throbbing Blue Cheer bassline from co-singer and bassist Gordy Garris and rhythm guitarist Don Hartman, as well as a Grand Funk style blitz. "Donny's Blues" opens side two, almost eight minutes of the band vamping with Hartman on vocals and harmonica. It melts into the song the Animals made famous for Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, "We Gotta Get Out of This Place." Vanguard should go through the vaults and expand the live segments of this recording. One can feel the framework which would benefit Alice Cooper when the Rock & Roll Animal Band moved on to back that rock star. And Dick Wagner played a big role in writing some of Alice's biggest hits when they collaborated. The Frost has glimpses of the sound that would be so instrumental in defining '70s hard rock...J. Viglione

The version of "We Got To Get Out of This Place" on this album is indeed a mess, but that's because it's a butchered, shortened version of the whole live performance, which can now be heard on *The Best of the Frost,* which, despite its title, consists of the live tracks from the Grande Ballroom not included on this record. If you dig Dick Wagner -- and hard-rock-guitar nuts certainly should -- the so-called Best of is the place to hear him stretch out with the Frost. "We Got To Get Out of This Place" is 17 minutes long on that record -- but it finally makes sense!...M. Milo

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 110 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Line-up

D. Wagner : lead guitar & vocals
D. Hartman : rhythm guitar, harmonica & vocals
G. Garris : bass & vocals
B. Rigg : drums

Tracklist:

01 Rock and Roll Music 2:46
2 Sweet Lady Love 3:00
03 Linda 3:03
04 Black Train 2:40
05 Help Me Baby 6:41
06 Donny's Blues 7:47
07 We Got to Get out of This Place 12:08

petak, 14.08.2009.

Free - Heartbreaker (1972) (Japan Mini LP 2002)

Remastered reissue of 1973 album includes six bonus tracks, 'Wishing Well' (U.S. mix). 'Let Me Show You' (B-side), 'Muddy Water' (alternative vocal), 'Hand Me Down/Turn Me Round' (prospective album track), 'Heartbreaker' (rehearsal version) & 'Easy On My Soul' (rehearsal version). 2002.

Free's return in 1972 was scarred by any number of traumas, not least of all the departure of bassist Andy Fraser and the virtual incapacity of guitarist Paul Kossoff -- one-half of the original band and the lion's share of their spirit as well. But did their erstwhile bandmates let it show? Not a jot. The hastily recruited Tetsu Yamauchi and vocalist Paul Rodgers himself filled the breach instrumentally, and probably 50 percent of the ensuing Heartbreaker ranks among Free's finest-ever work. Of course, any record that can open with the sheer majesty of "Wishing Well," Rodgers' so-evocative tribute to Kossoff, is immediately going to ascend to the halls of greatness, all the more so since Kossoff himself is in such fine form across both this cut and the next three; completing side one of the original vinyl, "Come Together in the Morning," "Travellin' in Style," and "Heartbreaker" add up to the band's most convincing sequence of songs since the days of Fire and Water. Further into the disc, two contributions from another new recruit, keyboard player John "Rabbit" Bundrick, fall a little flat, a fate they share with the previously unreleased "Hand Me Down/Turn Me Round," one of the 2002 remaster's six bonus tracks. But a pair of solo Rodgers songs, "Easy on My Soul" and "Seven Angels," close the album with as much emotion as it opened on, and one could well argue that after such a treat the aforementioned bonus tracks are all but unnecessary, especially as the first few simply offer outtakes, alternates, and B-sides from the sessions themselves. As the CD wraps up, however, two final tracks reveal what happened once the album was completed, peeping into the band's rehearsal room on the eve of their summer tour of Japan to catch "Heartbreaker" and "Easy on My Soul" in such rough but eloquently heavenly form; this most emotionally weighted of Free's albums could demand no deeper coda. Dave Thompson,

Line-up :

* Paul Rodgers - Vocals
* Paul Kossoff - Guitar
* John "Rabbit" Bundrick - Keyboards
* Tetsu Yamauchi - Bass
* Simon Kirke - Drums

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size ca.: 148 MB
Genre : Blues Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. Wishing Well 3.43
02. Come Together In The Morning 4.43
03. Travellin' In Style 4.02
04. Heartbreaker 6.15
05. Muddy Water 4.18
06. Common Mortal Man 4.10
07. Easy On My Soul 3.47
08. Seven Angels 5.12
09. Wishing Well (Bonus US Mix) 3.42
10. Let Me Show You (Bonus Single B-Side) 3.04
11. Muddy Water (Bonus Alternate Vocal) 4.20
12. Hand Me Down/Turn Me Round (Bonus) 3.00
13. Heartbreaker (Bonus Rehearsal Version) 5.44
14. Easy On My Soul (Bonus Rehearsal Version) 8.41

Gary Moore - Have Some Moore: The Best Of (2CD Remaster Set 2002)

"Have Some Moore: The Best Of" is a compilation album by Gary Moore. Released in 2002, the 2 CD album contains a total of 32 tracks combining a large portion of Moore's most popular rock and blues rock music.

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 341 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

CD 1

01 Still Got the Blues 6:10
02 Separate Ways 4:53
03 One Day 3:59
04 Falling in Love With You 4:04
05 Parisienne Walkways 3:12
06 Need Your Love So Bad 7:20
07 Empty Rooms 4:14
08 Where in the World 5:17
09 Crying in the Shadows 4:58
10 Still in Love With You 5:53
11 Midnight Blues 6:26
12 The Loner 5:52
13 Always Gonna Love You 3:55
14 Like Angels 7:30
15 Nothing's the Same 5:03
16 Johnny Boy 3:12

CD 2

01 Over The Hills And Far Away 5:22
02 Out In The Fields 4:18
03 After The War 4:07
04 Wishing Well 4:06
05 Run For Cover 4:08
06 Friday On My Mind 4:16
07 Military Man 5:38
08 Reach For The Sky 4:37
09 Emerald 4:06
10 Wild Frontier 4:14
11 Running From The Storm 4:45
12 Thunder Rising 5:47
13 Ready For Love 4:27
14 Devil In Her Heart 3:27
1. Living On Dreams 4:03
16 Oh Pretty Woman 4:24

četvrtak, 13.08.2009.

Mink DeVille - Return to Magenta (1978) (1996)

Mink Deville's second and third albums, Cabretta and Return to Magenta, were combined on a single disc by Raven Records in 1997. It's an ideal way for serious Deville fans to replace their original vinyl editions of both albums. Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Though Mink DeVille toured with the likes of Elvis Costello in the late 70s, their music derived much more from the latin-flavored pop soul of 1960s New York than the angry sounds of London circa 1978. With Phil Spector's arranger Jack Nitzche on board as producer, Willy DeVille and his band turned out two superb LPs before DeVille split up the band and relocated (temporarily) to France. The debut mixes DeVille's letter-perfect Brill Building song constructions with a cover (Barry & Greenwich's "Little Girl") and titles from the pen of Moon Martin ("Gunslinger" and "Cadillac Walk"). Throughout, Nitzche recreates some of the highlights of the Spector sound (lots of castanets!), but without the modulating mass of instruments. DeVille's singing stretches an amazing range of tough to tender, and the band kicks in with some great instrumental backing. The followup LP isn't as strong as the debut, though it reaches some of the same heights. The ballads, "Guardian Angel," "Just Your Friend," and "I Broke That Promise" are, in particular, quite moving...H. Perboliom

Codec: ogg
Size: 106 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Guardian Angel 3:19
02 Soul Twist 2:32
03 "A" Train Lady 3:29
04 Rolene 3:51
05 Desperate Days 2:49
06 Just Your Friends 4:11
07 Steady Drivin' Man 3:40
08 Easy Slider 3:53
09 I Broke That Promise 3:03
10 Confidence to Kill 1:53

Mink DeVille - Cabretta (1977) (1997)

Cabretta, known as Mink DeVille in the United States, was the 1977 debut album by Mink DeVille. A modest best-seller, Cabretta was selected number 57 in the Village Voice's 1977 "Pop & Jazz Critics Poll." A single from the album, “Spanish Stroll,” was a top-20 hit in the U.K.

American Hit Network said of the album, "Under-promoted, under-appreciated and ultimately under-sold, Cabretta is a sleeper masterpiece that sounds as good today as it did in 1977." They added: Like all truly great rock and roll, the songs mix fantasy and longing... "Venus of Avenue D" and "Spanish Stroll" find their romance in the street, and both walk that line between lust and longing, in the feeling of getting turned on by somebody. Willy DeVille’s character is tough as nails on the outside, but the hard surface doesn’t run deep enough to cover the heart that he wears on his sleeve. Even a casual listen to the album’s closing track, "Party Girls," makes this abundantly clear. DeVille’s a leather-jacketed romantic who looks so tough, but desperately wants the world to love him.

Codec: ogg
Size: 117 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Venus of Avenue D 4:57
02 Little Girl 4:19
03 One Way Street 2:50
04 Mixed up, Shook up Girl 3:44
05 Gunslinger 2:09
06 Can't Do Without It 3:15
07 Cadillac Walk 3:14
08 Spanish Stroll 3:38
09 She's So Tough 2:30
10 Party Girls 4:30

srijeda, 12.08.2009.

Nick Drake - Bryter Layter (1970) (Japan SHM CD Remaster 2008)

With even more of the Fairport Convention crew helping him out -- including bassist Dave Pegg and drummer Dave Mattacks along with, again, a bit of help from Richard Thompson -- as well as John Cale and a variety of others, Drake tackled another excellent selection of songs on his second album. Demonstrating the abilities shown on Five Leaves Left didn't consist of a fluke, Bryter Layter featured another set of exquisitely arranged and performed tunes, with producer Joe Boyd and orchestrator Robert Kirby reprising their roles from the earlier release. Starting with the elegant instrumental "Introduction," as lovely a mood-setting piece as one would want, Bryter Layter indulges in a more playful sound at many points, showing that Drake was far from being a constant king of depression. While his performances remain generally low-key and his voice quietly passionate, the arrangements and surrounding musicians add a considerable amount of pep, as on the jazzy groove of the lengthy "Poor Boy." The argument could be made that this contravenes the spirit of Drake's work, but it feels more like a calmer equivalent to the genre-sliding experiments of Van Morrison at around the same time. Numbers that retain a softer approach, like "At the Chime of a City Clock," still possess a gentle drive to them. Cale's additions unsurprisingly favor the classically trained side of his personality, with particularly brilliant results on "Northern Sky." As his performances on keyboards and celeste help set the atmosphere, Drake reaches for a perfectly artful reflection on loss and loneliness and succeeds wonderfully...N. Raggett

The second album from Nick Drake came in 1970, and while not quite as melancholy as his debut, Five Leaves Left, there are certain brooding qualities that continued to propagate the Nick Drake mystique. Horns, flute, and strings arrangements lift such songs as "At the Chime of a City Clock" and "Hazy Jane I" and "II" out of the realm of sad, folk-guitar music into something jazzier and lighter, while the beautiful piano and simple guitar of "One of These Things First" laments what could have been without sounding like a song of despair. But two tracks featuring John Cale on various instruments (such as viola and harpsichord) have the dark fragility of "Pink Moon": the lovely "Fly" is a fragile apparition, and "Northern Sky" is a dreamy, brooding plea for long-lasting love. Definitely not the same mood music as his starker work, but still a fine showcase for Nick Drake...L. Fleming

Codec: flac
Size: 220 MB
Genre : Folk
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Introduction 1:31
02 Hazey Jane II 3:46
03 At the Chime of a City Clock 4:45
04 One of These Things First 4:51
05 Hazey Jane I 4:29
06 Bryter Layter 3:21
07 Fly 3:01
08 Poor Boy 6:08
09 Northern Sky 3:46
10 Sunday 3:43

Golden Earring - Live (1977) (Remaster Edit 2001)

Import remastered reissue of the long running Dutch rock act's 1977 album.

25 years have passed since this double live performance from the Netherlands premier rock band, still going strong today. Great guitar & bass soloing with my favorite Radar Love version. Remaster sounds fine, except for 2 serious glitches in the recording process: a 1 second "drop-out" at 1:06 on track 2 and a "scratch" in the mix at 8:45 on track 8.
Overall, my favorite live Golden Earring ahead of "Something Heavy Going Down" and "Last Blast Of The Century".
..D. Bumann

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: ca. 199 MB
Genre : Hard Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

CD 1

01. Candy's Going Bad 5.06
02. She Flies on Strange Wings 8.10
03. Mad Love's Comin' 9.53
04. Eight Miles High 10.01
05. Vanille Queen 11.44

CD 2

01. To the Hilt 6.55
02. Fightin' Windmills 8.26
03. Con Man 9.09
04. Radar Love 11.17
05. Just Like Vince Taylor 6.24

ZZ Top - Fandango (1975) (Remaster Edit 2006)

Blessed with their first full-fledged hit album, ZZ Top followed it up with Fandango!, a record split between a side of live tracks and a side of new studio cuts. In a way, this might have made sense, since they were a kick-ass live band, and they do sound good here, but it's hard not to see this as a bit of a wasted opportunity in retrospect. Why? Because the studio side is a worthy successor to the all-fine Tres Hombres, driven by "Tush" and "Heard It on the X," two of their greatest songs that build on that album by consolidating their sound and amplifying their humor. If they had sustained this energy and quality throughout a full studio album, it would have been their greatest, but instead the mood is broken by the live cuts. Now, these are really good live cuts -- and "Backdoor Medley" and "Jailhouse Rock" were fine interpretations, making familiar songs sound utterly comfortable in their signature sound -- and Fandango! remains one of their better albums, but it's hard not to think that it could have been even better. [The 2006 reissue of the album adds three live tracks: "Jailhouse Rock," "Tush," and "Heard It on the X."]...S. T. Erlewine

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 96 MB
Genre : Blues Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01Thunderbird 4:10
02 ailhouse Rock 1:55
03 Medley: Backdoor Love Affair/Mellow Down Easy 9:51
04 Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings 2:44
05 Blue Jean Blues 4:44
06 Balinese 2:36
07 Mexican Blackbird 3:05
08 Heard It on the X 2:25
09 Tush 2:17
10 Heard It on the X Live / Bonus Track 2:36
11 Jailhouse Rock Live / Bonus Track 1:52
12 Tush Live / Bonus Track 3:42

utorak, 11.08.2009.

Willy Deville - Pistola (2008)

Pistola being DeVille's 2008 release and his latest record showcases an artist that marches to his own beat and I must say that I admire this immensely. Songs that stand out on this release are "So So Real", "You Got The World In Your Hands" and "Been there done that". The booklet is really nice with a glossy touch to the paper, quality photos of DeVille and lyrics that are easy to read. For each track we also get a listing of whom plays what...B. Viberg

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

Tracklist:

01. So So Real 4:16
02. Been There Done That 4:09
03. When I Get Home 3:21
04. Louise 3:54
05. The Band Played On 4:42
06. You Got The World In Your Hands 4:04
07. I Remember The First Time 4:08
08. Stars That Speak 5:19
09. I'm Gonna Do Something The Devil Never Did 5:45
10. The Mountains Of Manhattan 3:42

Willy DeVille - Willy DeVille Live (1993) (2001)

Live solo release for lead singer of Mink DeVille features 15 tracks recorded in June & October 1993 at The Bottom Line, New York & The Olympia Theatre, Paris. Includes Ben E. King's 'Stand By Me' as well as 'Hey! Joe' made famous by Hendrix. Album is dedicated to the memory of Steve Douglas (sax player member of the Wrecking Crew worked with Phil Spector, Ramones, Dylan, Ry Cooder, Mickey Hart & Mink DeVille).

"Willy DeVille Live" is a live recording of Willy DeVille and the Mink DeVille Band. The recordings were made in June 16-17, 1993 at the Bottom Line in Greenwich Village, New York, and in October, 1993 at the Olympia Theatre in Paris. Willy DeVille Live was not released in the United States. According to Eagle Rock Entertainment, "The soul-chorus/brass mixture with its impressive orchestration assured the album the number one sales chart position in Spain." The album was dedicated to Steve Douglas, who played saxophone on the first three Mink DeVille albums and produced Le Chat Bleu. Douglas died shortly before the album came out.

I've been a DeVille fan since he first broke in the late 70s and have seen him countless times in NYC -- including the date that this album is recorded at. At first, I wasn't really taken with the idea of a live album of his, because its release seemed like a throw-away, "let's just get this out there" kind of effort. I knew it was out for a long time, but the preceeding review prompted me to order it and check it out. Simply put, I was totally blown away by this thing. Only in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that a live recording would capture Willy's gut-wrenching vocals and both the subtle nuance and raw power of the band. I saw these shows and they were incredible experiences. The CD captures it all -- perfectly. Great performances, very good sound quality. It ranks up there with his very best studio albums and is, quite possibly, his finest release ever. This thing kicks like you couldn't imagine and even if you're not a big fan of Willy's, check it out if you like ballsy deliveries and a Grade-A band. Simply fabulous...J. Acustom

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 153 MB
Genre : Rock, Americana
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. Lilly's Daddy's Cadillac 4:33
02. This Must Be The Night 3:10
03. Savoir Faire 3:01
04. Cadillac Walk 5:57
05. Bamboo Road 5:07
06. Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl 5:55
07. Heart And Soul 4:24
08. Can't Do Without It 3:46
09. Maybe Tomorrow 3:25
10. I Must Be Dreaming 4:59
11. Heaven Stood Still 3:21
12. Demasiado Corazon 3:51
13. Spanish Stroll 6:11
14. Stand By Me 4:16
15. Hey Joe 5:05

Willy Deville - Cadillac Walk: The Mink DeVille Collection (2001) (2007)

The definitive collection of the original Mink DeVille, who rose from the mid-70s New York punk/new wave scene to international renown. 22 24-bit digitally remastered tracks including the hits 'Spanish Stroll', 'Cadillac Walk', 'Just Your Friends', 'Soul Twist' & all the best tracks from the group's three Capitol albums. Over 70 minutes of music.

Prior to this year I couldn't have named one song by Mink Deville. I happened to pick up a punk compilation one day which had "Spanish Stroll" as one of the tracks. Then I was hooked. The group was early on identified with the punk movement because of their performances at various punk venues. But Mink Deville has no ties to the Ramones or the Velvet Underground. This is essential rock n' roll and smooth ballads. Willie Deville's vocals and the instrumentation introduce a bluesy Spanish flavor with even an occasional accordion thrown in the mix...J. Alfano

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size:162 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. Spanish Stroll 3:38
02. Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl 3:44
03. She's So Tough 2:30
04. Cadillac Walk (2001 Digital Remaster 3:14
05. Gunslinger 2:09
06. Venus Of Avenue D 4:57
07. Little Girl 4:19
08. "A" Train Lady 3:29
09. Guardian Angel 3:19
10. Confidence To Kill 1:53
11. Soul Twist 2:32
12. Desperate Days 2:49
13. I Broke That Promise 3:03
14. Just Your Friends 4:11
15. You Just Keep Holding On 2:57
16. This Must Be The Night 2:50
17. Savoir Faire 3:08
18. Mazurka 2:30
19. Turn You Every Way But Loose 3:35
20. Bad Boy Mink DeVille - Bad Boy probehören 2:47
21. Just To Walk That Little Girl Home 3:52
22. That World Outside 2:59

ponedjeljak, 10.08.2009.

Kiss - Destroyer (1976) (Japan Mini LP 2006)

Digitally remastered Japanese reissue of the band's top 20 - 1976 album in a miniaturized LP sleeve limited to theinitial pressing only. Ten tracks, including the top 10 smash 'Beth', plus the classics 'Do You Love Me', 'Shout ItOut Loud' and 'Detroit Rock C --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Who would have thought that the makeup-wearing purveyors of simple, catchy guitar riffs and inane lyrics just right for adoloscent boys would be capable of a concept album? The result is one of their finest efforts. Released in 1976, the million seller came directly on the heels of their breakthrough live album, Alive. Realizing it would be futile to try and recreate that success in the studio, they began to experiment, under the guidance of producer Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper). The album makes use of everything from a boy's choir ("Great Expectations") and non-musical sound effects (the untitled closing track), to an orchestra during "Beth" -- drummer Peter Criss's touching ballad about being away from a loved one while playing with the boys. After the opening crescendo of the anthem "Detroit Rock City," singer/guitarist Paul Stanley opens up his explosive voice and from there the album is a colorful portrait of the decadence and hardships of the rock and roll lifestyle...S. DeLuca

With their 1976 album Destroyer, the band's fifth release in two years, Kiss began to expand their fan base by shedding a bit of their edge, taking on a more melodic sound and a less menacing image. The Peter Criss ballad "Beth," written for his wife, is the most sentimental love ballad the group ever recorded, and songs like "Detroit Rock City" and "Shout It Out Loud" had the kind of arena-rock punch that kept subscriptions to the Kiss Army at an all-time high. Despite, or because of, the blatantly commercial direction the band seemed to be heading in, 1976 was the most creatively rewarding period in its lengthy career. In addition to releasing Destroyer, the band pumped out the equally touted album Rock and Roll Over, which included the pounding "Take Me" and the groovin' "Calling Dr. Love." The only finer year was 1978, when the band starred in the classic B-grade flick Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park...J. Wiederhorn

Codec: flac
Size: 217 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Detroit Rock City 5:17
02 King of the Night Time World 3:21
03 God of Thunder 4:17
04 Great Expectations 4:24
05 Flaming Youth 3:00
06 Sweet Pain 3:21
07 Shout It out Loud 2:50
08 Beth 2:49
09 Do You Love Me 3:40
10 Outro 1:25

nedjelja, 09.08.2009.

Kansas - Monolith (1979) (Japan Mini LP Remaster 2008)

Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this 1979 album from the American heartland Prog Rockers comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. Sony. 2008

Seven-album Kansas cardboard sleeve reissue series featuring the albums "Kansas," "Song For America," "Masque," "Leftoverture," "Point Of Know Return," "Two For The Show," and "Monolith." 2008 Remastering featured on "Monolith" and "Two For The Show."

After the unexpected commercial success of 1977's Point of Know Return, Kansas was faced with the daunting task of following up their hit album. A fine live effort in Two For the Show bridged the gap to Monolith, #6 in what I like to call the "Lucky Seven" (seven consecutive quality albums in a row). This self-produced effort, however, is a portent of major change & eventual schism. A collection of eight 4-6 minute tracks, Monolith's rich packaging suggests a concept album, but the Native American theme so intriguingly presented on the cover is merely hinted at in the lyrics to just one song. This seemingly aborted concept, along with the exclusion of Kerry Livgren's mini-epic "No One Together" from the final LP (shelved for later inclusion on Audio Visions), and the lack of musical cohesion suggests that Monolith was an ambitious project that never came to fruition. Monolith and it's 1980 successor offer Kansas at it's most bi-polar: Livgren's full emergence as a born again Christian contrasted with Steve Walsh's more primal leanings into decidedly secular, straight-ahead rock. However, the mix makes for some fine moments: Livgren's oddly cryptic balladry of "The Other Side," the quality synth-pop of "People of the South Wind," Walsh's beautifully psychotic masterpiece, "Angels Have Fallen," and the blistering hard rock bloozer, "Stay Out of Trouble." The "Icarus" riff is resurrected amongst the ambitious prog of Livgren's "A Glimpse of Home," while Walsh's "Away From You" serves up some hook-laden, harmony infused prog/pop that Mozart would've loved if he were alive 20 years ago. Somewhat misplaced are Walsh's "How My Soul Cries Out For You," a "Heart of the Sunrise" on speed kicker which features an ill-conceived drum solo interrupted by restaurant drive-by audio, and Livgren's attempt to follow up "Dust in the Wind" with the fluffy, Styx-like "Reason to Be." Monolith's jagged path makes it apparent that Kansas would soon be split down the middle by its principle songwriters' respective runs for different borders...S. R. Fleck

Codec: flac
Size: 270 MB
Genre : Prog. Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 On The Other Side 6.25
02 People Of The South Wind 3.40
03 Angels Have Fallen 6.40
04 How My Soul Cries Out For You 5.46
05 A Glimpse Of Home 6.36
06 Away from You 4.26
07 Stay Out Of Trouble 4.15
08 Reason To Be 3.52

subota, 08.08.2009.

Nick Drake - Made to Love Magic (Remaster Collection 2004)

One of the most revered singer-songwriters in rock and folk, Nick Drake left behind a small yet remarkably potent body of work when he took his own life in November 1974, at the age of 26. He released just three official albums between 1969 and 1972, but fans got a broader peek into his work with the 1986 release of Time of No Reply, a collection of previously unheard outtakes and alternate versions that ranks in quality, if not coherence, with his other recordings. Made to Love Magic supplants that now-out-of-print disc; it contains many of the same tracks, all newly remixed, as well as some new versions and one recently discovered song, "Tow the Line." Recorded during his final sessions in 1974 and thought be the last song he penned, it's a stark, acoustic guitar-and-vocal track that's as haunting as the similarly arranged tunes on Pink Moon. The other recordings from this session -- familiar to those who've heard Time of No Reply -- are equally strong and memorable; "Hanging on a Star" appears here in an alternate version from Time of No Reply. The remaining tracks offer small, sparkling revelations. Drake sounds a little mellower than usual on an alternate, extended version of "Three Hours," with the addition of flute and congas, the latter played by future Traffic member "Reebop" Kwaakhu Baah. Recorded in the spring of 1968 at Drake's earliest session -- with fellow Cambridge student Robert Kirby -- the previously unavailable demos of "River Man" (without the orchestration found on Five Leaves Left) and "Mayfair" reveal Drake's talents already in full flower. For this disc's release, Kirby revisited two songs -- "Magic" (titled "I Was Made to Love Magic" on Time of No Reply) and "Time of No Reply" -- to record his original arrangements for the first time. While some fans might be put off by this posthumous tinkering, they'll find his subtle string-and-brass accompaniment in keeping with Drake's artistic intent. Those new to Drake would do best to begin with one of the official albums, yet Made to Love Magic is an enchanting treasure -- an essential insight into the melancholy grace ever-present in Drake's music...L. Vanderloo

All the world's a stage and folk legend Nick Drake--a frail, reclusive romantic whose music was sad but beautifully emancipating and who died young in 1974 in mysterious circumstances--was one of life's reluctant players. As epithets go, the lyrics to Made to Love Magic ("I was born to sail away into a land of never, not to be tied to an old stone grave") aptly convey how Nick Drake's legend continues to gather no moss, even some three decades after his lonely tranquilized farewell. Enthusiastic newcomers should start with any of Drake's three studio albums (Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layter, Pink Moon) and Patrick Humphries' definitive biography but Made to Love Magic is, nevertheless, essential. Consisting of rare and unheard tracks (many of which have even avoided the mucky paws of the keenest bootlegger) and compiled by those closest to him (sister Gabrielle, engineer John Wood, and fellow Cambridge University student and string-arranger Robert Kirby) the album is a labor of love. Lost amateur recordings of Nick Drake at University in Cambridge, outtakes from the Five Leaves Left album, Robert Kirby's unused string arrangements for "Magic" and "Time of No Reply" finally restored, an early rendition of "Three Hours" featuring Rebop Kwaku Baah (Traffic, Can) on percussion and remixed versions of those despairing final songs from July 1974, including the newly discovered "Tow the Line." This is surely the final word on Nick Drake; unless, of course, those Aix-en-Provences tapes and that mythical lost Peel session from August 1969 ever make themselves known...K. Maidment

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 95 MB
Genre : Folk
2000mustangs

Tracklist

01 Rider on the Wheel 2:37
02 Magic 2:45
03 River Man 4:01
04 Joey 3:03
05 Thoughts of Mary Jane 3:38
06 Mayfair 2:11
07 Hanging on a Star 3:23
08 Three Hours 5:11
09 Clothes of Sand 2:31
10 Voices 3:46
11 Time of No Reply 2:48
12 Black Eyed Dog 3:34
13 Tow the Line 2:16

petak, 07.08.2009.

Frankie Miller - The Rock (1975) (Remaster 2003)

The Rock is the third album from Frankie Miller. It features The Memphis Horns and The Edwin Hawkins Singers who supply backing vocals on classic songs like, "A Fool in Love", which enjoyed considerable airplay on both sides of the Atlantic and was a sizeable hit in the USA. "Ain't Got No Money" became the album’s most covered song with notable versions from Cher, Chris Farlowe and Bob Seger. The song, "Drunken Nights In The City", was written for his late-night drinking buddy Jimmy Johnstone, the former (Celtic FC) Scottish footballer. The album was recorded in sight of the prison of Alcatraz in San Francisco, Miller commented that it was only music that had saved him that kind of fate and dedicated the song, The Rock, to the plight of prisoners, a reference to his 2nd cousin Jimmy Boyle.

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 112 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Line-up

Frankie Miller - vocals, rhythm guitar
Henry McCullough - lead guitar, backing vocals
Mick Weaver - keyboards
Chrissy Stewart - bass guitar
Stu Perry - drums, percussion
James Dewar - backing vocals
The Memphis Horns - horn section
The Edwin Hawkins Singers - background vocals

Tracklist:

01. A Fool in Love 3:05
02. The Heartbreak 4:03
03. The Rock 3:33
04. I Know Why the Sun Don't Shine 6:01
05. Hard on the Levee 3:17
06. Ain't Got No Money 2:55
07. All My Love To You 5:37
08. I'm Old Enough 4:52
09. Bridgeton 4:47
10. Drunken Nights in the City 3:56
11 Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever (Single A-Side) 3:27
12 I'm Old Enough (Single B-Side) 3:24

Kate Bush - Hounds of Love (1985) (18-track Remaster 1997)

1997 re-release ncluded 6 bonus tracks- new mixes of "The Big Sky" and "Running Up That Hill", "Be Kind To My Mistakes" (which featured on the opening to the film Castaway starring Oliver Reed and Amanda Donohoe), "Under The Ivy", "Burning Bridge" and "My Lagan Love".

Kate Bush's strongest album to date also marked her breakthrough into the American charts, and yielded a set of dazzling videos as well as an enviable body of hits, spearheaded by "Running Up That Hill," her biggest single since "Wuthering Heights." Strangely enough, Hounds of Love was no less complicated in its structure, imagery, and extra-musical references (even lifting a line of dialogue from Jacques Tourneur's Curse of the Demon for the intro of the title song) than The Dreaming, which had been roundly criticized for being too ambitious and complex. But Hounds of Love was more carefully crafted as a pop record, and it abounded in memorable melodies and arrangements, the latter reflecting idioms ranging from orchestrated progressive pop to high-wattage traditional folk; and at the center of it all was Bush in the best album-length vocal performance of her career, extending her range and also drawing expressiveness from deep inside of herself, so much so that one almost feels as though he's eavesdropping at moments during "Running Up That Hill." Hounds of Love is actually a two-part album (the two sides of the original LP release being the now-lost natural dividing line), consisting of the suites "Hounds of Love" and "The Ninth Wave." The former is steeped in lyrical and sonic sensuality that tends to wash over the listener, while the latter is about the experiences of birth and rebirth. If this sounds like heady stuff, it could be, but Bush never lets the material get too far from its pop trappings and purpose. In some respects, this was also Bush's first fully realized album, done completely on her own terms, made entirely at her own 48-track home studio, to her schedule and preferences, and delivered whole to EMI as a finished work; that history is important, helping to explain the sheer presence of the album's most striking element -- the spirit of experimentation at every turn, in the little details of the sound. That vastly divergent grasp, from the minutiae of each song to the broad sweeping arc of the two suites, all heavily ornamented with layered instrumentation, makes this record wonderfully overpowering as a piece of pop music. Indeed, this reviewer hadn't had so much fun and such a challenge listening to a new album from the U.K. since Abbey Road, and it's pretty plain that Bush listened to (and learned from) a lot of the Beatles' output in her youth. Incidentally, those seeking to hear the full, exquisite sonic range of Hounds of Love (or any of Bush's pre-1990s albums, for that matter) should ignore the U.S.-made EMI America CDs and go for any of the British CD editions, either individually or in the This Woman's Work set; or, better still on Hounds of Love, the boxed edition with bonus tracks released in conjunction with EMI's 100th anniversary in 1997...B. Eder

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 167 MB
Genre : Baroque Pop
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Running up That Hill (A Deal with God) 5:00
02 Hounds of Love 3:02
03 The Big Sky 4:40
04 Mother Stands for Comfort 3:08
05 Cloudbusting 5:09
06 And Dreams of Sheep 2:45
07 Under Ice 2:22
08 Waking the Witch 4:17
09 Watching You Without Me 4:05
10 Jig of Life 4:16
11 Hello Earth 5:59
12 The Morning Fog 2:37
13 The Big Sky Bonus / Meteorogical Mix 7:44
14 Running up That Hill Bonus / 12" Mix 5:45
15 Be Kind to My Mistakes Bonus 3:00
16 Under the Ivy Bonus 2:08
17 Burning Bridge Bonus 4:38
18 My Lagan Love Bonus 2:30

srijeda, 05.08.2009.

Talking Heads - Naked (1988)(Remaster Edit 2006)

Talking Heads' last proper studio album before their protracted breakup finds them returning to the dynamic that produced their best work, with inspired results. As swan songs go, Naked proves to be a pretty good one: Alternately serious and playful, it once again allows frontman David Byrne to worry about the government, the environment, and the plight of the working man as it frees up the rest of the band to trade instruments and work with guest musicians. It's closest in spirit to Remain in Light — arguably too close: The first side is a collection of funky, syncopated, almost danceablemore… tunes; the second, a murky, darkly philosophical rumination on identity and human nature. The major difference is a Latin influence replacing Light's African rhythm experimentation, most evident on the album openers "Blind" and "Mr. Jones," as well as in drummer Chris Frantz's decision to use brushes and softer percussion instruments (as opposed the big beat sound he offered up on Little Creatures and True Stories). With the venerable Steve Lillywhite behind the boards and such luminaries as Johnny Marr, Kirsty MacColl, and Yves N'Djock punctuating the credits, the album sounds technically perfect, but there's little of the loose, live feel the band achieved with former mentor Brian Eno. It's quite a feat to pull of a late-career album as ambitious as Naked, and the Heads do so with style and vitality. But no matter how much the liner notes may boast of free-form invention and boundless creativity, the album's elegiac, airtight tone betrays the sound of four musicians growing tired of the limits they've imposed on one another.

With "Naked," Talking Heads sought to combine the complex rhythmic layering style of an earlier album like "Remain in Light" with the ironic upbeat accessibility of their more recent commercial work such as "Little Creatures." The result is an intriguing hybrid, with a spark all its own. Some Heads fans may prefer the harder edge of their earlier years, but one should not dismiss "Naked's" polished maturity so quickly. The album bubbles and swirls with diverse and rich rhythms, a variety of instruments (such as french piano, brass, and oboe), and wonderful interweavings of twangy guitar sounds. The first half of the album is pure fun, beginning with David Byrne's superb vocal performance on "Blind" and continuing through a series of tongue-in-cheek 80s vignettes like "Mr. Jones" (an updating of the Bob Dylan everyman from the 60s, now grown fat and even more consumerist but having a great time), the catchy "Totally Naked," the atmospheric "Ruby Dear," and the dazzling "Nothing But Flowers." Each of these tunes is a masterful mix of fluid sounds that make you glad to be alive. The album then takes on a gradual but progressively darker tone, beginning cynically with "The Democratic Circus" (you must remember that at the time this album came out, presidential candidates like Gary Hart were dropping like flies in ridiculous public scandals) and proceeding on to the chilling denoument, "Cool Water." The contrast is amazing - while Mr. Jones parties and naturists frolic around nude, real people are suffering and working themselves to death. Personally, I think this was one of the best albums of the eighties...K. Kennedyye

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 133 MB
Genre : New Wave
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Blind 4.58
02 Mr. Jones 4.18
03 Totally Nude 4.10
04 Ruby Dear 3.48
05 Nothing But Flowers 5.31
06 The Democratic Circus 5.01
07 The Facts Of Life 6.25
08 Mommy Daddy You And I 3.58
09 Big Daddy 5.37
10 Bill 3.21
11 Cool Water 5.10
12 Sax And Violins (Bonus) 5.17

utorak, 04.08.2009.

Ozzy Osbourne - Under Cover (2005) (Japan Mini LP 2007)

Essentially an amped-up karaoke night in the Osbournes' basement lair, Under Cover is impeccably engineered and effortlessly played -- ex-Alice in Chains axe slinger Jerry Cantrell provides impressive guitar work throughout, making a strong case as to whether this is his baby or Ozzy's. All of the tracks here, with the exception of "Rocky Mountain Way," "Sunshine of Your Love," "Woman," and "Go Now," appeared on 2005's Prince of Darkness box set. Guest appearances abound, with Mott the Hoople's Ian Hunter choking out his original refrain on "All the Young Dudes" in a style that can only be described as "endearingly awkward homeless man," Mountain's Leslie West turning the amps up to 11 on "Mississippi Queen," and blues-rock wunderkind Robert Randolph laying down some serious pedal steel on "Sympathy for the Devil." The Ozz himself is in good form, but as is the case with much of his later work, he sounds more like the tool than the fist. It's good to give a nod to your inspirations, but when it's a performer like Osbourne, who has made the uncomfortable shift from artist to product, the sentiment -- however genuine -- gets lost in the marketing. ...J. Monger

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 125 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Line-up

Ozzy Osbourne - Vocals
Jerry Cantrell - Guitar
Chris Wyse - Bass
Mike Bordin - Drums

Tracklist:

01 Rocky Mountain Way 4:32
02 In My Life 3:30
03 Mississippi Queen 4:11
04 Go Now 3:42
05 Woman 3:45
06 21st Century Schizoid Man 3:53
07 All the Young Dudes 4:34
08 For What It's Worth 3:20
09 Good Times 3:45
10 Sunshine of Your Love 5:10
11 Fire 4:08
12 Working Class Hero 3:22
13 Sympathy for the Devil 7:11

ponedjeljak, 03.08.2009.

Tito & Tarantula - Little Bitch (2000) (2009)

2000 album on Cockroach Records from the Latin rockers best known for founding the seminal Los Angeles punk band the Plugz.

Imagine Velvet Underground, Rolling Stones, KISS & Bob Dylan put in a mexican blender. This is just too good to be true. It gets better and better after each time I listen to it. I'm hooked. Tito & Tarantula... unbelievable stuff...D. Jellinc

If you liked Tarantism then hopefully you also got Hungry Sally - both very, very good albums. And, if you liked Hungry Sally then you will probably like this as well...eventually. It took a while to grow on me. It is not as accessible an album as the other two or Andalucia, but the more I listen to it the more I get into it. Slow and funky and buzzsaw guitars. This band is very unique and has a great sound that apparently not everyone appreciates - don't understand why they are not bigger here in the US...S. Emeph

Line-up

Tito Larriva - lead vocals, rhythm guitar (
Steven Hufsteter - lead guitar, backing vocals
Lucy LaLoca - bass, backing vocals
Rafael Gayol - drums

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 121 MB
Genre : Rock, Blues Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Everybody Needs 5:25
02 Forever Forgotten & Unforgiven 5:26
03 Crack in the World 3:28
04 Goodbye Sadie 4:42
05 Lady Don' T Leave 4:02
06 Lonely Sweet Marie 3:27
07 Crime & Shame 3:10
08 Bitch 3:08
09 World at My Feet 4:25
10 Super Vita Jane 3:38
11 Dead Person 3:59
12 Silent Train 4:29
13 Regresare 3:16

nedjelja, 02.08.2009.

Kansas - Point Of Know Return (1977) (Japan Mini LP 2008)

Kansas cardboard sleeve reissue series featuring the albums "Kansas," "Song For America," "Masque," "Leftoverture," "Point Of Know Return," "Two For The Show," and "Monolith." 2008

This is the definitive Kansas recording and includes their most famous tune, "Dust in the Wind." The band is in peak form and also churned out the single "Point of Know Return," which is still played daily on classic rock stations. While their pop-oriented approach and standard rock guitar sound helped define the classic rock sound of the '70s, careful listening reveals that this band's talent goes beyond colleagues such as Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Boston. Their arrangements and time signatures more accurately reflect the music of Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. "Paradox" and "The Spider" are both excellent examples of their progressive approach. Unfortunately, the band always struggled to maintain a healthy balance of progression combined with pop. That made for such awkward moments here as "Portrait (He Knew)" and "Lightning's Hand." Yet despite the minor inconsistencies and a dated sound, their interplay and superior musicianship make this both an essential classic rock and progressive rock recording. The 2002 CD reissue adds two bonus tracks: a live 1978 version of "Sparks of the Tempest" and a remix of "Portrait (He Knew)."...R. Taylor Jr

Kansas was another in a line of 70's rock artists from the Midwest who enjoyed some chart success in the mid-70's to early 80's. But they had more in common with prog rockers like Yes, King Crimson and the others than with the earnest rock of Bob Seger and the like. Point Of No Return is the top album in their catalog and contains one of the staples of FM rock radio, the hauntingly beautiful "Dust In The Wind". But this album is more than a one-hit wonder. The title track opens the album with it's pulsating keyboards and other standout tracks include the Albert Einstein tribute, "Portrait (He Knew)", the Orwellian "Sparks Of The Tempest", another ballad "Nobody's Home", "The Spider" and the album's closer "Hopelessly Human". The album is remastered with two live tracks that are alright, but don't add much to the original album...T, Magan

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 125 MB
Genre : Prog. Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Point of Know Return 3:13
02 Paradox 3:50
03 The Spider 2:05
04 Portrait (He Knew) 4:37
05 Closet Chronicles 6:31
06 Lightning's Hand 4:24
07 Dust in the Wind 3:28
08 Sparks of the Tempest 4:19
09 Nobody's Home 4:40
10 Hopelessly Human 7:17
11 Sparks of the Tempest Live / prev. unreleased / Bonus 5:17
12 Portrait (He Knew) prev. unreleased / Bonus / Remix 4:49

subota, 01.08.2009.

Free - Fire And Water (1970) (2CD Deluxe Edit 2008)

2008 digitally remastered and expanded two CD edition of the British Blues-Rock quartet's career-defining 1970 outing, now featuring a total of 23 bonus tracks. Fire & Water was the band's third album and features the hit 'All Right Now'. Disc One contains the original album plus seven bonus tracks including alternate versions, mixes and live performances. Disc Two gathers together 16 alternative versions of songs from the album including live and alternate mixes. Island.

If Fleetwood Mac, Humble Pie, and Foghat were never formed, Free would be considered one of the greatest post-Beatles blues-rock bands to date, and Fire and Water shows why. Conceptually fresh, with a great, roots-oriented, Band-like feel, Free distinguished itself with the public like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple did (in terms of impact, only) in 1970. Free presented itself to the world as a complete band, in every sense of the word. From Paul Kossoff's exquisite and tasteful guitar work, to Paul Rodgers' soulful vocals, this was a group that was easily worthy of the mantle worn by Cream, Blind Faith, or Derek & the Dominos. [Island's 2008 Deluxe Edition included 23 bonus tracks including 2 BBC sessions and an extra disc with different versions and alternate takes of album tracks.]...M. Greenwald

Preceded by their debut "Tons Of Sobs" (recorded in October and December 1968, released in March 1969) and their 2nd album "Free" (recorded in April and June, released in October 1969), FREE's third landmark LP "Fire And Water" was delivered to an expectant public in all its 7-track simplicity and glory on 26th of June 1970 as Island ILPS 9120. Prepped by the edited single of "All Right Now" in May 1970 (Island WIP 6082), which raced up to number 2 in the charts, the album delivered what the public seemed to already know - here was a truly great British band hitting its stride.

CD:
This is the 3rd CD incarnation of the original LP, a 1986 crappy non-remaster, a far better 2001 Remaster with 6 bonus tracks - and now this - a 30-Track 2CD DELUXE EDITION issued on 18 March 2008. For fans who already own the 2001 remaster and probably also have the 4CD "Songs Of Yesterday" Box set that went before it in May 2000, for all its comprehensiveness, this 2CD set offers only 5 Previously Unreleased Tracks. So if you can buy the 2001 remaster for a fiver or less anywhere, why pay Ł15 for this 2CD set - the answer is threefold - the PACKAGING, the EXTRAS (4 out of 5 of them are actually great) and above all - the SOUND - which is the BEST EVER. Here's the breakdown...

PACKAGING:
The booklet contains black & white photos, reproduction of concert tickets, press adverts, in the studio colour photos and a detailed history of the albums path to number 3 in the UK charts in July 1970. The CDs themselves reflect the original `PINK' Island label design on 1st pressings of the LP and the original master tape boxes are pictured underneath the two see-through trays - a nice touch on both counts.

EXTRAS:
There are five previously unreleased versions:
Track 9, Disc 1: "Mr Big", from the BBC's John Peel Show, recorded 15 Jan 1971
(very disappointing, not a great recording, with really muddy sound; it's easy to see why it's been left off previous releases)
Track 7, Disc 2: "Fire And Water" (Backing Track)
(a really interesting `work in progress' from February 1970 mixed in 1999, Take 5 contains studio chatter at the beginning and then the band working nicely through the backing track - Kirke's drumming fantastic, but it ends oddly and abruptly)
Tracks 11, 12 and 13, Disc 2: "All Right Now" (Takes 1, 2 and 3)
All three takes were recorded as part of filmed promotional shorts for "All Right Now" and "The Stealer" in October 1970. Instead of miming, the band played live (the two videos turn up on the "Free Forever" DVD set) and these `live' takes are superb and genuinely deserve the moniker `bonus tracks" - they even include the squeaking of Simon Kirke's drum stool! Fans will have to have these.

SOUND:
Even though the outside packaging seems to be saying that the remaster is 'new', the 20-page booklet confusingly states that the remaster used is the 2001 one done by Peter Mew at Abbey Road - the same as the single disc that's been on the market for years? But the sound on this release is DIFFERENT - IT'S FAR BETTER.

FREE were a `loud' band and the recordings at the 8-track Trident Studios reflected their hairy-arsed live rock band nature - in other words the recorded results were not exactly going to win audiophile gongs. The tapes were then remixed onto the 16-track facility at Island's new studio in Basing Street. But even then, Chris Blackwell, label founder and leader, hated the results. So more mixing was done. But even to this day, the further mixing and remixing before the album was finally released still gave us a less than great sonic result. I mention all of this because the liner notes to this release talk of major audio restoration having gone into the 1999 and 2001 remastering process - and now again on this 2008 version - and man can you HEAR IT!

Take Side 2 of the original album, "Mr Big", "Don't Say You Love Me" and "All Right Now" - when I A/B the sound on my 2001 issue to this 2008 issue, the huge difference is the removal of `almost' all of the hiss that was omnipresent on the 2001 remaster which marred the listen enormously. The result is that instead of being saturated in a rough and ready hissy wall, the band suddenly explodes out of the speakers with an intensity that will thrill fans to their very core! I would describe it like this - it's as if I'm listening to the full power of FREE for the first time. With this new clarity, the opening and eventual build up in "Mr Big" to a guitar crescendo has to be heard to be believed! It's enormous and just AWESOME to hear! The beautiful "Don't Say You Love Me" is truly gorgeous now, especially when the lovely piano addition comes in, while the fantastic anthem that is "All Right Now" has you hearing Kossoff's plectrum scratching off the pick-ups - little guitar flicks before he goes into the big riff, the clarity of Fraser's bass work and other nuances that I've just never heard before. Don't get me wrong, there is `hiss' on these recordings, but the removal of even half of it has made the band come alive to my ears. Wonderful stuff!

To sum up, "Fire And Water" is a great album, and this DELUXE EDITION of it gives the great record a stunning sonic upgrade. Throw in all the live versions and alternate takes around its release, decent liner notes and packaging, all topped off with 4 out of the 5 previously unreleased tracks actually worth owning - then indeed you have something special.

There have been some stunning issues in Universal's DELUXE EDITION series (check out the Whiskeytown "Strangers Almanac" double) and this is another. Regardless of the price, FREE fans will have to own it, and the uninitiated can discover why Britain and the world went mad for the FREE and their `rawk'. What a band!...M. Barry

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 338 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Line-up

*Paul Rodgers - vocals
*Paul Kossoff - guitar
*Andy Fraser - bass
*Simon Kirke - drums

Tracklist:

CD 1

01. Fire And Water 4.02
02. Oh I Wept 4.30
03. Remember 4.28
04. Heavy Load 5.22
05. Mr Big 5.59
06. Don't Say You Love Me 6.05
07. All Right Now 5.37
08. Fire And Water 3.05
09. Mr Big (Previously Unreleased) 5.06
10. All Right Now 5.29
11. Remember 4.49
12. Mr Big 6.37
13. Don't Say You Love Me 5.54
14. All Right Now 5.08

CD 2

01. Fire And Water (US Album Mix) 3.43
02. Oh I Wept (Alternate Vocal Version) 4.31
03. Remember (New Mix) 4.30
04. Don't Say You Love Me (New Mix) 6.26
05. All Right Now (First Version) 3.39
06. All Right Now (Single Version) 4.16
07. Fire And Water (Prev. Unreleased Backing Track) 2.26
08. Fire And Water (Alternate Stereo Mix) 4.12
09. Fire And Water 4.12
10. Don't Say You Love Me 5.56
11. Mr Big 5.56
12. All Right Now 6.24
13. Mr Big #2 5.26
14. All Right Now Take 1 4.28
15. All Right Now Take 2 4.29
16. All Right Now Take 3 4.45