2000mustangs - The Classic Rock Blog

četvrtak, 31.12.2009.

Rolling Stones - Live Licks (2004) (Remaster Series)

The Rolling Stones have built themselves a fine conundrum with this double-disc anthology culled from performances on their 40th Anniversary tour of 2002-03, releasing arguably their most comprehensive and compelling live recording at a moment in history when it seems to matter least. The Stones' by now overwhelming spate of live albums has consistently been the most disappointing part of their considerable oeuvre, but the band--particularly the chunky/bluesy twin guitar locomotion of Keith Richards and Ron Wood--are in a form here that rivals the halcyon touring behind Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street. Befitting this tour's anniversary aims, they tackle material that ranges from their original Brit Invasion roots ("Satisfaction," "Paint It Black") through 70's superstardom (with Sheryl Crow guesting on "Honky Tonky Women") and a middle-age that was anything but staid. Disc two is largely given over to paying energetic, loving tribute to roots heroes like B.B. King ("Rock Me, Baby"), Otis Redding ("That's How Strong My Love Is") and even Hoagy Carmichael (Richards' raggedly sweet "The Nearness of You"), concluding the show with Mick Jagger's voice triumphantly being joined by soul legend Solomon Burke on a buoyant, gospel-fervent version of his "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love."...J. McCulley

Since 1977, when the double-live Love You Live offered a live souvenir of the 1976 Black and Blue tour, the Rolling Stones made a habit of documenting their recent tour with a live album released a year later. It's as reliable as clockwork, but in the early days of the 2000s there was a spanner in the works -- the Stones hadn't released an album of new material since 1997. Undaunted, the group launched a full-scale international tour in 2002. At its core, it was a greatest-hits tour, but it was a greatest-hits tour with a difference -- the group switched up venues, playing clubs, arenas, and stadiums, and they played with their set lists too, throwing in never-performed album tracks, cult favorites, and covers into the mix with the old warhorses. This tour was lavishly chronicled in the excellent 2003 four-DVD set Four Flicks, but there still wasn't an audio document of this blockbuster tour until the double-CD Live Licks appeared in late 2004. This doesn't mix things up as much as either the tour or the DVD, where the forgotten gems sat alongside the familiar. Instead, the first disc is devoted to the songs you know by heart, the second to fan favorites, covers, and tunes never before on another Stones live album ("Beast of Burden," believe it or not, is among those songs). While the song selection on the latter initially seems haphazard -- why two album tracks from Tattoo You ("Neighbours," "Worried About You")? why is Keith singing Hoagy Carmichael? why isn't the version of "Rock Me Baby" the storied version with Malcolm and Angus Young of AC/DC jamming with the Stones? -- it actually holds together very well as it spins, demonstrating the depth of the band's catalog and their musicality. Most surprisingly, this album is convincing proof that the Rolling Stones sounded better on this tour than they had in years. They still boast an enormous number of auxiliary musicians, but these are players that have been with the Stones for years, if not decades, so all 13 musicians sound comfortable with each other as a band, which makes the music supple and strong. While the Stones haven't abandoned their arena-ready, cinematic shtick, it no longer sounds cartoonish, it sounds natural; the band has the ability to make this large-scale arena rock sound as if it were being played in a packed bar. In other words, this is how a veteran band sounds when it's not coasting. Not that this makes for an essential Stones album -- these are the kind of differences that matter only to longtime fans -- but it is a thoroughly enjoyable one, and one that nearly justifies yet another version of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." [There are two versions of Live Licks -- an American and British version. There is one difference between the two releases: on the U.S. version, the computer-animated Japanese woman is wearing a bikini top, on the U.K. version she is not.]...S. Erlewine

Rolling Stones - Live Licks (2004) (Remaster Series 2009)

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 250 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

CD 1

01 Brown Sugar 3:50
02 Street Fighting Man 3:43
03 Paint It Black 3:45
04 You Can't Always Get What You Want 6:46
05 Start Me Up 4:02
06 It's Only Rock 'N' Roll (But I Like It) 4:54
07 Angie 3:29
08 Honky Tonk Women 3:24
09 Happy 3:38
10 Gimme Shelter 6:50
11 (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction 4:55

CD 2

01 Neighbours 3:41
02 Monkey Man 3:41
03 Rocks Off 3:42
04 Can't You Hear Me Knocking 10:02
05 That's How Strong My Love Is 4:45
06 The Nearness of You 4:34
07 Beast of Burden 4:09
08 When the Whip Comes Down 4:28
09 Rock Me, Baby 3:50
10 You Don't Have to Mean It 4:35
11 Worried About You 6:01
12 Everybody Needs Somebody to Love 6:35

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Deep Purple - In Rock (1970) (24K Gold Disk Remaster)

Anyone familiar with this album knows it is a sonic assault. Anything other than a minimalist approach to remastering it would result in a over the top compressed mess. Steve Hoffman did a great job in this remaster. Played on an HDCD player, the album is a pleasure to listen to and not too harsh. Hoffman has missed the mark on other albums he remastered but not on this one. Get it while you can. F. Reim (Somerdale, NJ)

The Deep Purple In Rock album always sounded to me like it was recorded in a carpeted band practice room somewhere (which I guess it sort of was, heh) with the engineer turning everything up to 11. It's great to listen to from the original tapes for once. Every other version I've ever heard sounds like someone tried to fix the sound using limiting and EQ (which is totally the wrong approach) rather than just accept it for what it is. Long version of the first song is on there, never fear. Original tapes from De Lane Lea Studios via Abbey Road vault. These Gold discs are being manufactured right now. Steve Hoffman

In 1970 heavy metal was just beginning and it was Deep Purple that combined the heaviness and the speed to form what we now know as heavy metal. "In Rock" is one of those seminal albums. Deep Purple's fourth studio album, and the first with the classic Mk II lineup was their breakthrough album. Heavy guitar riffs from Ritchie Blackmore and heavily fuzzed organ from Jon Lord were now the order of the day. The opening track, the fully restored, un-edited, complete, full-length 5:55 version of "Speed King" shows no mercy as it instantly blasts out of the speakers with a raw, unbridled hard rock sound. Also included is the 10-minute epic and all-time concert favorite, "Child in Time"...D. Jellinc

After satisfying all of their classical music kinks with keyboard player Jon Lord's overblown Concerto for Group and Orchestra, Deep Purple's soon to be classic Mark II version made its proper debut and established the sonic blueprint that would immortalize this lineup of the band on 1970's awesome In Rock. The cacophony of sound (spearheaded by Ritchie Blackmore's blistering guitar solo) introducing opener "Speed King" made it immediately obvious that the band was no longer fooling around, but the slightly less intense "Bloodsucker" did afford stunned listeners a chance to catch their breaths before the band launched into the album's epic, ten-minute tour de force, "Child in Time." In what still stands as arguably his single greatest performance, singer Ian Gillan led his bandmates on a series of hypnotizing crescendos, from the song's gentle beginning through to its ear-shattering climax and then back again for an even more intense encore that brought the original vinyl album's seismic first side to a close. Side two opened with the searing power chords of "Flight of the Rat" -- another example of the band's new take-no-prisoners hard rock stance, though at nearly eight minutes, it too found room for some extended soloing from Blackmore and Lord. Next, "Into the Fire" and "Living Wreck" proved more concise but equally appealing, and though closer "Hard Lovin' Man" finally saw the new-look Deep Purple waffling on a bit too long before descending into feedback, the die was cast for one of heavy metal's defining albums...E. Rivadavia

Deep Purple - In Rock (1970) (24K Gold Disk Remaster 2009)

Codec: flac
Size: 264 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs.

Tracklist:

01 Speed King (Long Version) 5:55
02 Bloodsucker 4:15
03 Child In Time 10:22
04 Flight Of The Rat 7:57
05 Into The Fire 3:30
06 Living Wreck 4:34
07 Hard Lovin' Man 7:13

srijeda, 30.12.2009.

Television - Marquee Moon (1977) (Digipak Remaster 2005)

Remastered digipak reissue of classic 1977 debut, includes 5 bonus tracks 'Little Johnny Jewel' (parts 1 & 2), 'See No Evil' (alternate version), 'Friction' (alternate version), 'Marquee Moon' (alternate version) & untitled instrumental. Elektra. 2005.

Rhino's 2005 expanded edition of Television's classic debut, Marquee Moon, features an additional 30 minutes of music, notably the full-length version of the band's first single, "Little Johnny Jewel," which makes its first appearance on CD here. Also included are alternate versions of "See No Evil," "Friction," and "Marquee Moon," along with an untitled instrumental.

It's hard to imagine Television emerging from the same CBGBs scene as the Ramones. Television's meticulous guitar-oriented sound and precise songs seem like the antithesis of the punk aesthetic, but the hallowed, hardscrabble dive is where Tom Verlaine assembled and nurtured this four-man crew in the mid '70s. Marquee Moon is unlike every guitar-hero recording that preceded it, and few since have captured its discipline and charm. Introverts alike, Verlaine and fellow axman Richard Lloyd dispense long, clean lines that seem more appropriate to a SoHo art gallery than a Bowery dive and, unlike so many guitar gods, play extremely well within the context of the song. Adding to the mystique are Verlaine's lyrics, oblique and urbane, which draw on the tradition of another New York downtown band, the Velvet Underground. Despite their lasting influence, the band recorded only one more album, Adventure, before breaking up, only to reunite for a brief tour in 1992. More than 20 years later, the glory of Marquee Moon remains undiminished, and is a must for guitar aficionados and New York rock fans alike. Martin Johnson

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

Lin-up:

Tom Verlaine - lead vocals , guitar
Richard Lloyd - guitar , vocals Fred Smith - bass, vocals
Billy Ficca - drums

Tracklist:

01 See No Evil 3:56
02 Venus 3:51
03 Friction 4:43
04 Marquee Moon 10:40
05 Elevation 5:08
06 Guiding Light 5:36
07 Prove It 5:02
08 Torn Curtain 7:01
09 Little Johnny Jewel, Pts. 1 & 2 7:50
10 See No Evil (Alternate Version) 4:34
11 Friction (Alternate Version) 4:48
12 Marquee Moon (Alternate Version) 10:49
13 Untitled Instrumental Instrumental 3:21

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Alice Cooper - Killer (1971) (24K Gold Disk Remaster)

The album was Remastered in 2009 for Audio Fidelity by Steve Hoffman in HDCD.

The fact that Alice Cooper's fourth release housed the gritty "Halo of Flies" would be reason enough to buy the CD, even if the rest of it were garbage. An essential piece of the rock canon, it may not have served up the hits that his other releases did, but it still stands as a classic. Loud, brash, sloppy, and hard, it's the kind of listen that makes you check for grime under your nails. Cooper's rock/shock aesthetic was coming into full bloom here and "Dead Babies" shows he was satisfied with his formula of hard rock, bad taste, and images outside the realm of Middle America. The title track hints at the shape of things to come, laying the ground work for works as seemingly disparate as "Only Women Bleed," and "No More Mr. Nice Guy." Briefly ostracized by the "hipper than thou" sect, Killer is one of the reasons Cooper is now fully appreciated as the pioneer that he was...S. Gdula

Best remembered for outrage -- the sleeve to Killer had a foldout poster of ghoulishly made-up frontman Alice Cooper hanging in a noose -- what this five-piece Phoenix band had in its favor was years of honing its chops in clubs and bars. This was a group that shocked and rocked, and did it years before Kiss and Iron Maiden, decades before Marilyn Manson. Having scored its first hit with the teen anthem "I'm Eighteen" (from Love It to Death), the band then scaled the album charts with this 1971 release, on which their love of theatrics, gore, epic arrangements, and good old rock 'n' roll was arguably never bettered. Only eight songs long, Killer boasts plenty of gratuitous violence in the title track and the so-tasteless-it's-charming "Dead Babies," but it also offers straight-up pool-dive anthems ("Under My Wheels," "Be My Lover") and a mini-rock opera, "Halo of Flies." Still to come were the major hits ("School's Out," "Elected") and over-the-top concepts (Billion Dollar Babies, Welcome to My Nightmare), but Killer was the one album on which Alice Cooper -- band and singer -- were shocking and amusing yet still totally credible...T. Fletcher

Alice Cooper - Killer (1971) (24K Gold Disk Remaster 2009)

Codec: flac
Size: 230 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Under My Wheels 2:54
02 Be My Lover 3:23
03 Halo of Flies 8:25
04 Desperado 3:33
05 You Drive Me Nervous 2:28
06 Yeah, Yeah, Yeah 3:41
07 Dead Babies 5:46
08 Killer 7:03

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utorak, 29.12.2009.

VA - Sex on the Beach (Dirty Mega Hits 2010) (2009)

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 352 MB
Genre : Dance
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

CD 1

01.Spankers - Sex on the Beach [03:00]
02.Sugababes - Get Sexy [03:15]
03.Lady Gaga - Love Game [03:54]
04.50 Cent - Candy Shop [03:30]
05.Pitbull - I Know You Want Me [03:05]
06.Novaspace - Love Changes Everything [03:07]
07.Residence Deejays Feat Frisco - Sexy Love [03:18]
08.House Tec - Gimme Love [03:48]
09.Stfu - Shut the Fuck Up [03:38]
10.Pussymen - No Work No Money No Sex [03:22]
11.Klaas Vs Haddaway - What is Love [03:46]
12.Van Zanten - Fuckin Fresh Beatz [03:57]
13.Michael Mind - Loves Gonna Get You [02:56]
14.Patric Mcfly - Teenage Dirthouse [03:26]
15.R.I.O. - After the Love [03:42]
16.Selda - 100 Percent Pure Love [03:49]
17.Groovestylerz - Prove Your Love [04:00]
18.The Cube Guys - Love [03:27]
19.Kurd Maverick - Love Emergency [02:57]
20.The Real Booty Babes - I Kissed A Girl [03:33]
21.Baracuda - Where is the Love [03:42]
22.Tom Jones Feat Mousse T. - Sexbomb [03:29]

CD 2

01.The Pussycat Dolls - Hush Hush [04:10]
02.A.R. Rahman & the Pussycat Dolls - Jai Ho [03:43]
03.Mr. Hudson Vs Kanye West - Supernova [03:15]
04.Pixie Lott - Boys and Girls [03:02]
05.Morandi - Colors [04:02]
06.Cascada - Evacuate the Dancefloor [03:28]
07.Shaun Baker Feat Maloy - Give [03:21]
08.Ida Corr - I Want You [02:59]
09.Milk & Sugar Feat Gary Nesta Pine - Let the Sun Shine 2k9 [03:25]
10.Kid Cudi Vs Crookers - Day N Nite [02:44]
11.Scotty - Hes A Pirate (Pirates of Caribbean Pt.2) [03:41]
12.The Ruffboyz Ft. Lizzy - Carmina Burana (Scotty Remix Edit [03:27]
13.Guenta K - the Phantom [03:50]
14.Rico Bernasconi - Hit the Dust [03:27]
15.Picco - Walk on by [03:38]
16.David May Feat Kelvin Scott - Ill Be Watching You [04:04]
17.Citrus Hill - Lemon Tree [03:34]
18.Paul Van Dyk Feat Johnny Mcdaid - Home [03:27]
19.Roma Kenga - Summer Night City [03:26]
20.Booty Luv - Say it [02:59]
21.Mika - We Are Golden [03:59]
22.Moby - Mistake [03:44]

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Santa Esmeralda - Best Of (1987) (Remaster Edit)

Just like Santa Esmeralda's music is universal in nature, combining elements and rhythms from different cultures to make a totally unique brew, the Santa Esmeralda story has similar underpinnings. It begins with the creative force behind its origins, Leroy Gomez, a native of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. At age 14, Leroy formed his own band, and later joined the group “Tavarez”, and with them toured the USA, Canada and then Europe. The Tavares brothers enlisted the talents of their young friend Gomez, being quite proficient for his age on saxophone and also possessing an amazing voice. They played gigs around town and eventually had regional success becoming extremely popular in Boston and surrounding areas. The success spread through North America and the boys soon found themselves touring to Europe for a series of gigs, starting with Italy. While in Paris, Leroy impressed many local musicians and was invited to play on a recording session that a rising English rock star was presiding over. The English rocker turned out to be none other than Elton John and the album he was in the midst of recording was the now classic Yellow Brick Road on which young Leroy played saxophone. While gaining momentum, Leroy found himself becoming more and more captivated with Europe. He loved Italy so much that he decided to leave Tavarez to stay in Europe and see the rest of this new land. When the Tavarez brothers returned to the States, the band was without a sax player. Leroy, determined to go it alone, decided to stay in Europe and cast his fate to the wind. He went to Paris, where very quickly he became one of the top session saxophone players and vocalists, appearing on many of the big French hits of the day and working with many great artists such as Gilbert Becaud, Claude Francois, Patrick Juvet and others.

“Santa Esmeralda” & Leroy Gomez are a great disco sound to which the whole planet has danced. We thank you for finding us here on MySpace and hope you will continue to enjoy the sounds of Santa Esmeralda.

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size ca.: 115 MB
Genre : Flamenco Disco
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. Don´t let me be misunderstood 16:12
02. Gloria 3:41
03. You´re my everything 5:42
04. Hey!gyp 3:21
05. Generation 6:41
06. The house of the rising sun 14:56

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ponedjeljak, 28.12.2009.

Gary Wright (Spooky Tooth) - Headin' Home (1979) (Remaster Edit)

This album is interesting because Gary moves into a more contemporary sound (less synth-heavy), although synthesizers still play key roles. He is joined by Toto guitarist Steve Lukather on a few cuts (I can feel you crying has a great solo), and Michael McDonald (Doobies, etc.) sings back up on "I'm the one who'll...", which is the LP's strongest cut. Overall, this LP is a little "schmaltzier" than the others, and dwells more on the slow-jam side. Of course, if you've got "love in your soul" or you like Gary's writing style, this won't be a big deal. A nice LP..D. Jellinc

Gary Wright (Spooky Tooth) - Headin' Home (1979) (Remaster Edit 2008)

Codec: flac
Size: 257 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. Keep Love In Your Soul 4:58
02. Love´s Awake Inside 4:36
03. You Don´t Own Me 3:38
04. Moonbeams 3:34
05. Stand 3:53
06. I´m The One Who´ll Be By Your Side 4:17
07. Follow Next To You 4:35
08. I Can Feel You Cryin 4:39
09. Let Me Feel Your Love Again 2:36
10. Love Is Why 4:05

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Grand Funk - Closer To Home (1970) (12-track Remaster 2002)

This was the record that sent Grand Funk over the top. Throwing strings into the hard rock mix on the epic "I'm Your Captain," it also contained the show-stopper "Mean Mistreater." Although the production leaves something to be desired, this record is quite a statement even by today's standards. [The 2002 reissue adds four bonus tracks: an alternate mix of "Mean Mistreater" and versions of "In Need," "Heartbreaker," and "Mean Mistreater" recorded live at the Orlando Sports Center on June 25, 1970.]..J. Chrispell

This is the trio's fourth album and the record that really broke them through to a more commercially successful level of metal masters such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Rather than rushing headlong back into their typical hard, heavy, and overamplified approach, Grand Funk Railroad began expanding their production values. Most evident is the inclusion of strings on the album's title track, the acoustic opening on the disc's leadoff cut, "Sins a Good Man's Brother," as well as the comparatively mellow "Mean Mistreater." But the boys had far from gone soft. The majority of Closer to Home is filled with the same straight-ahead rock & roll that had composed their previous efforts. The driving tempo of Mel Schacher's viscous lead basslines on "Aimless Lady" and "Nothing Is the Same" adds a depth when contrasted to the soul-stirring and somewhat anthem-like "Get It Together." The laid-back and slinky "I Don't Have to Sing the Blues" also continues the trend of over-the-top decibel-shredding; however, instead of the excess force of other bands, such as MC5, Grand Funk Railroad are able to retain the often-elusive melodic element to their heavy compositions...D. Jellinc

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

Tracklist:

01 Sin's a Good Man's Brother 4:51
02 Aimless Lady 3:29
03 Nothing Is the Same 5:14
04 Mean Mistreater 4:27
05 Get It Together 5:10
06 I Don't Have to Sing the Blues 4:37
07 Hooked on Love 7:13
08 I'm Your Captain 10:08
09 Mean Mistreater prev. unreleased / Bonus / Alternate Mix 4:33
10 In Need Live / prev. unreleased / Bonus 11:30
11 Heartbreaker Live / prev. unreleased / Bonus 7:17
12 Mean Mistreater Live / prev. unreleased / Bonus 5:22

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nedjelja, 27.12.2009.

Steely Dan - Aja (1977) (SHM-CD Remaster)

Japanese only SHM-CD (Super High Material CD - playable on all CD players) paper sleeve pressing. Universal. 2008.

By this late stage, Steely Dan was less a band than an all-star aggregation of studio musicians assembled to perform the works of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. On AJA, the two leaders assembled one of their finest units and made them sound like a road-tested, hard-bop quintet (and in fact, the band included legendary jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter). Though the lyrics on "Aja" and "Black Cow" were typically oblique, the Steely Dan sound touched a pop nerve, as proved by the staying power of the latter song's billowy bass line, sampled in the late '90s for hits by Tatyana Ali and Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz. And when Fagen and Becker turned wistful on "Deacon Blues" -- particularly the verse, "They call Alabama the Crimson Tide/Call me Deacon Blues" -- they created an enduring hit. "Peg," "I Got the News," and "Josie" also found their way onto certain radio formats, but, sadly, this recording marked the end of a glorious era for Steely Dan: The duo released one more album before moving on to solo projects and, ultimately, the obligatory reunion efforts...M. Johnson

History gives Steely Dan's Walter Becker and Donald Fagen the last, hearty laugh on this, the crown jewel in their remarkable canon of '70s Mensa pop. Sneaking onto the charts a half-decade earlier with sinuous, jazz-inflected "rock," the dysfunctional duo's acerbic, anti-heroic visions had been critically lauded for their band identity and killer guitar riffs, then promptly challenged when the two songwriters retired from the road, dissolved any formal band lineup, and used the studio as laboratory. Aja carried the added indignity of its increased focus on sophisticated jazz models and musicianship, which carried the Dan's ambitions even further in terms of suave harmonies, intricate song structures, and brilliant playing. Time has proven them wiser than their rock crit detractors: These seven songs abound in knotty plots, sneaky imagery, and drop-dead brilliant performances from a blue chip studio repertory studded with first-call jazz players epitomized by Wayne Shorter's towering solo on the title song. From the hard-boiled jazz romance of "Deacon Blues" to the twisted Homeric vamp of "Home at Last," the veiled but ominous swing of "Peg" to the sci-fi eroticism of "Josie," Aja is a modern pop classic and the coolest fusion record no one ever thought to lump in that category...S. Sutherland

Steely Dan - Aja (1977) (SHM-CD Remaster 2008)

Codec: flac
Size: 247 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustanga

Tracklist:

01 Black Cow 5:10
02 Aja 8:00
03 Deacon Blues 7:36
04 Peg 4:00
05 Home at Last 5:35
06 I Got the News 5:07
07 Josie 4:30

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petak, 25.12.2009.

Spooky Tooth - You Broke My Heart... (1973) (Digipak Remaster 2005)

This album was the first I ever heard that combined Heavy Metal with killer Keyboards. Wonderful rhythms. I first listened to this on 8-track in a friends nasty car for 4 hours while I waited for him to finish waiting on tables in 1974. Of course, anyone who's ever heard of Gary Wright will recognise the roots. I'm so glad I ordered this cd. It's still fabulous, maybe even more so than it was then. Especially if you love Bass. Real Bass. This is such good stuff. This album is sooo worth the price!...R. Allyn

This was the first album to be released after the band reformed, follwing its 1970 breakup. Founding guitarist Luther Grosvenor did not rejoin the band, as he had joined Mott The Hoople as a guitarist, adopting the stage name of Ariel Bender. Grosvenor was replaced by Mick Jones, who later co-founded Foreigner...D. Jellinc

Sadly, the most distinctive thing about Spooky Tooth's sixth album is its title. While the band became a well-oiled ensemble of talented musicians (especially with the addition of future Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones), it wasn't especially groundbreaking or original, relying too much on early-'70s blues-rock, with pedestrian, humorless lyrics. The gospel choir in "Holy Water" and the funky guitars in "Wildfire" are ties to the older, less heavy Spooky Tooth, but the rest, even the ballad "Self Seeking Man," are standard-issue Led Zeppelin/Bad Company-style hard rock. The playing is impressivemore… (especially Jones' guitar leads and Gary Wright's keyboards), but without much in the way of memorable songs, it's mostly wasted. The lyrics aren't any more notable, consisting of either simple love songs or odes to self-pity. The one exception, "Cotton Growing Man," is a bizarre diatribe against Southern slave owners that sounds about 100 years out of date. Fans of the genre should probably find You Broke My Heart enjoyable, but others need not bother.

Codec: flac
Size: 269 MB
Genre : Prog. Rock
2000mustangs

Line-up

Gary Wright: Vocals, organ, keyboards, piano
Mick Jones: Guitars, background vocals
Mike Harrison: Vocals, keyboards
Bryson Graham: Drums and percussion
Chris Stewart: Bass guitar

Tracklist:

01 Cotton Growing Man 4:38
02 Old As I Was Born 4:40
03 This Time Around 4:08
04 Holy Water 3:27
05 Wildfire 4:05
06 Self Seeking Man 3:36
07 Times Have Changed 3:55
08 Moriah 6:21
09 Nobody There at All (Alternate Mix) 3:45

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četvrtak, 24.12.2009.

Merry Christmas . Sretan Božić . Joyeux Noël . frohe Weihnachten .Feliz Navidad

Merry Christmas . vrolijke Kerstmis . Joyeux Noël . frohe Weihnachten . §±ÁżÍĽµ˝± §ÁąĂĿͳµ˝˝± . Buon Natale . áęüŻęąŢą . ýp´ 1Ä . Feliz Natal . A >645AB2>< %@8AB>2K< . Feliz Navidad . #ŢëP . Hyvaa Joulua . Boldog Karácsonyt . Fijne kerstdagen

Die Toten Hosen - Reich & Sexy (1993) (21-track Remaster Edit 2007)

Reich & sexy [Rich & sexy] (subtitled: Ihre 20!! grössten Erfolge [Their 20!! biggest achievements]) is the first, greatest hits compilation by the German rock band Die Toten Hosen, and their first 2x Platinum album.
The album is an apparent tribute to Johnny Thunders, as both "Wort zum Sonntag" (a tribute to punk and Johnny) and "Born to Lose" (a Heartbreakers cover recorded with Johnny) are included on this album, moreover, these songs come consecutively.

This is the CD for any Toten Hosen fan. It has every song that you'll need with the exception of Zehn Kleine Jägermeister. You'll love Hier Kommt Alex, Alles Wird Gut, and Alles Aus Liebe, but that's not all. There's All Die Ganzen Jahre, Sascha - a hilarious song, and 1000 Gute Gründe, which are just the beginning for this CD. Come on and buy it, why not try it?...N. Pfreud

This isn't just an album. This is a work of art. All of these songs are wide in the spectrum, the lyrics profoud, the music top notch, and singer Campino has a voice like an angel!! Die Toten Hosen's Reich & Sexy will give wings to your soul, and I think we can all agree that "Wuensch DIR Was" should be the anthem of the world. Seeing as Amazon.com has no tracklisting for this glorious collection of hits, I have written one myself:

1. Hier Kommt Alex- This song is very catchy, about punk favorite "A Clockwork Orange"
2. Alles Wird Gut - pofound and apocalyptic, not that I speak German or anything...
3. Alles Aus Liebe - this makes me think of nice things like baby animals and fruit by the foot...well, until you get to the ending and you hear the gunshots.
4. Azzurro - Who knew the Hosen could sing in Eye-talian?
5. Halbstark - fun to have a sing-a-long to!
6. Wuensch DIR Was - My absolute all time most favorite song EVER. What more could you want in a song? There are children singing, music to get your toe-tapping, and lyrics to get your mind pondering the transcience of existence and the belief in Santa Claus.
7. Carnival in Rio - the lyrics to this song are going on my gravestone!!
8. Mehr Davon - I actually never liked this song at all.
9. Liebsspieler- I tend not to like songs about horses, but this one is AWESOME!
10. Wort Zum Sonntag - geil!
11. Born to Lose - A great remake of a Johnny Thunders classic!
12. Sascha - A fun way to look at the imbecility of racism in Germany, with an excellent bagpipe solo!
13. 1000 Gute Gruende - I think this is sarcasm about how great Germany is, nicely juxtaposed with the aforementioned song.
14. All die ganzen Jahre - about losing touch with a friend you shared so many experiences with. Albeit sad, but five star!
15. Liebeslied - This song is like the feeling you get when you can't tell if you're hungry or full, but something is definately wrong with your stomach.
16. Opelgang - Aww, Young Hosen! Basic riffs, and i don't know what an opelgang is, but I know it's where they come from.
17. Wir Sind Bereit - First single of theirs, and so punk rock!
18. Eisgekuehlter Bommerlunder - Song about eating a sandwich with ham and eggs and drinking bommerlunder at a party. Crazy tempo!
19. Hip Hop Bommi Bop - Sequel to the last one. A hip hop song about New York rapper Fab Five Freddy going to Germany for a wedding but meeting the Hosen, who show him how to have a fun time and which German alcoholic drinks are the best.
20. Bis Zum Bitteren Ende - The definitive Die Toten Hosen song. Til the bitter end, indeed!

WOW that was a long review. BTW - this is my favorite album, I don't write something like this for anything so...LONG LIVE THE HOSEN!..W. C. Noname

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 165 MB
Genre : Punk Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. Hier kommt Alex 4:32
02. Alles wird gut 3:37
03. Alles aus Liebe 4:33
04. Azzurro 2:35
05. Halbstark 2:33
06. Wünsch DIR was 4:16
07. Carnival In Rio (Punk Was) 3:08
08. Mehr davon 5:09
09. Liebesspieler 2:49
10. Wort zum Sonntag 4:19
11. Born To Lose 3:22
12. Sascha...ein aufrechter Deutscher 2:35
13. 1000 gute Gründe 3:22
14. All die ganzen Jahre 3:18
15. Liebeslied 3:42
16. Opel-Gang 1:55
17. Wir sind bereit 1:55
18. Eisgekühlter Bommerlunder 2:56
19. Hip Hop Bommi Bop 4:15
20. Bis zum bitteren Ende 3:10
21. Die Büttenrede 4:04

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srijeda, 23.12.2009.

Die Toten Hosen - Never Mind... (1987) (21-track Remaster 2007)

Never Mind the Hosen, Here's Die Roten Rosen, sometimes Never Mind the Hosen, Here's Die Roten Rosen (aus Düsseldorf) is the first cover album of the German punk band Die Toten Hosen, released under the pseudonym Die Roten Rosen (The Red Roses). The band covers German schlagers on the album. This is the first DTH album to reach the charts. According to Campino, this album has won the most from the release of remasters (2007), because the impact was initially lost, but regained with remastering. The title and the cover are parodies of Sex Pistols' album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. To coincide with the pseudonym, which was used for the first time, the label was changed from ToT 69 to ROT 69 and Totenkopf to Rosenkopf.

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

Tracklist:

01 Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Honululu-Strand-Bikini 1:59
02 Alle Mädchen wollen küssen 1:33
03 Im Wagen vor mir 3:40
04 Für Gaby tu ich alles 2:39
05 Wir 3:50
06 Und sowas nennst du nun Liebe 2:40
07 Kein Gnadenbrot 2:48
08 Halbstark 2:35
09 Die Sauerkrautpolka 1:59
10 Wenn du mal allein bist 3:06
11 Zwei Mädchen aus Germany 2:21
12 Mein Hobby sind die Girls 2:56
13 Medley 4:25
14 Motorbiene ( Bonus) 1:59
15 Wärst du doch in Düsseldorf geblieben ( Bonus) 2:22
16 Schade um die Rosen ( Bonus) 2:22
17 Ich steh an der Bar und habe kein Geld ( Bonus) 2:05
18 Popocatepetl-Twist ( Bonus) 1:41
19 1000 Taler ( Bonus) 1:40
20 Baby, du sollst nicht weinen ( Bonus) 3:28
21 Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini ( Bonus) 2:01

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Die Roten Rosen - Wir warten auf's Christkind...(1998) (26-trsck Remaster Edit)

German punk/metal band Die Toten Hosen formed early in the '80s from the ashes of two Düsseldorf punk bands, ZK and KFC. Considering that three members of the Hosen were named Andreas, they took assumed names to avoid confusion: vocalist Campino (b. Andreas Frege; June 22, 1962), guitarist Breiti (b. Andreas Breitkopf; Feb. 6, 1964), rhythm guitarist Kuddel (b. Andreas Von Holst; June 11, 1964), bassist Andi (b. Andreas Meurer; July 24, 1962) and drummer Wölli (b. Wolfgang Rohde; Jan. 9, 1963). After releasing several albums in Germany, the group found a contract with the American label Charisma in 1992 for the collection Learning English: Lesson 1. Three years later, Die Toten Hosen moved to Atlantic for Love, Peace & Money but continue to record for EastWest in their native country, issuing Im Auftrag Des Herrn in 1996. After the band took a break from recording, Nuclear Blast released Crash Landing in the U.S. in spring 2001...J. Bush

Wir warten auf's Christkind... or Wir warten auf's Christkind (We're waiting for the Christ-child) is a christmas album by the German punk band Die Toten Hosen, released under the alias Die Roten Rosen (the second time the alias is used; the first time was on a cover album). For Australia, a version with an English language title Waiting for Santa Claus... or Waiting for Santa Claus, subtitled a Christmas album, was released, under the name Die Toten Hosen, not Die Roten Rosen. The album is inspired by The Yobs Christmas Album, which is in concept very similar to Wir warten...: it was released by the Boys under a pseudonym (The Yobs), includes traditional christmas song covers and a couple of original songs and the lyrics are changed to sound offensive. Many of the traditional christmas songs have altered lyrics, having themes like drugs ("Ihr Kinderlein kommet", "Leise rieselt der Schnee") or orgasming ("Jingle Bells"). "Ave Maria" is an instrumental intro. "Leise rieselt der Schnee", "Alle Jahre wieder" and "Frohes Fest" originally appeared on the single of "Sascha ...ein aufrechter Deutscher"; here they are re-recorded, the first two sounding much more like rock and "Frohes Fest" has slightly different lyrics. "Still, still, still" is sung by Kuddel in a harsh voice...D. Jellinc

Die Roten Rosen - Wir warten auf's Christkind...(1998) (26-trsck Remaster Edit 2008)

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 172 MB
Genre : Xmas Punk
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. Ave Maria 1:56
02. Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht 1:50
03. Ihr Kinderlein kommet 1:40
04. Oh Tannenbaum 1:20
05. Merry X-Mas Everybody 3:19
06. Weihnachtsmann vom Dach 4:02
07. Auld Lang Syne 2:32
08. The Little Drummer Boy 3:48
09. Leise rieselt der Schnee 2:54
10. Alle Jahre wieder 1:27
11. Frohes Fest 3:41
12. White Christmas 3:48
13. Weihnachten bei den Brandts 3:42
14. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing 2:20
15. We Wish You A Merry Christmas 3:06
16. In Dulci Jubilo (Medley: Jubilo, Oh Du Fröhliche, Vom Himmel hoch...) 5:29
17. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 2:37
18. Jingle Bells 3:09
19. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day 3:52
20. Still, Still, Still 1:29
21. Come All Ye Faithfull (Bonus) 2:34
22. The little drummer boy (unplugged) (Bonus) 2:42
23. Auld Lang Syne (unplugged) (Bonus) 3:17
24. Alle Jahre wieder (Bonus) 1:30
25. Leise rieselt der Schnee (Bonus) 1:33
26. Jingle Bells (Dub Version) (Bonus) 5:34

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utorak, 22.12.2009.

En Vogue - The Gift of Christmas (2002)

En Vogue an R&B/pop group formed in the early 90s under the direction of music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy. Their original and most successful line-up was Cindy Herron, Dawn Robinson, Terry Ellis and Maxine Jones. Their debut album Born to Sing was released in April 1990 and spun several top hits many of which crossed over from the R&B charts to the pop charts, most notably "Don't Go" and "Hold On". "Hold On" particularly was hugely successful and won the group two prestigious awards Billboard Music Award for R&B Single of the Year and Soul Train Music Award for Best Single by a Duo/Group. Their second album Funky Divas would prove their breakthrough spawning several massive hit singles in both the pop charts and the R&B charts. The singles would launch En Vogue onto the American consciousness and included a track about prejudice "Free Your Mind", a cover of the song "Something He Can Feel" from the 1976 cult film Sparkle and "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" which remained in the top ten for 13 weeks. This massive success led to a collaboration with Salt-N-Pepa on the track "Whatta Man", for Salt-N-Pepa's hugely successful album Very Necessary. This song spent weeks in the chart thanks in no small part, to the video which went on to win MTV Video Music Awards for Best Choreography, Best R&B Video and Best Dance Video. En Vogue then released the short EP Runaway Love which included "Whatta Man" before taking a three year hiatus. During this hiatus Robinson left and after this, although the they would go on to release three more albums they would never see their former success.

After millions and millions of albums sold with Grammy nominated mega-hits such as "My Lovin' (You're Never gonna Get It)", "Hold On", "Givin' Him Somethin' He Can Feel", "Free Your Mind", "Whatta Man", "Don't Let Go (Love)", "No Fool No More", "Lies", "Don't Go", "You Don't Have to Worry", "Too Gone, Too Long"... the Funky Divas are back, badder than ever!
And now, returning from a well deserved hiatus, these Soul Train Entertainers of the Year and American Music Award Winners have in their own fashionable style and grace, crafted their latest release and very first Christmas Holiday Album...

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 101 MB
Genre : Xmas
2000mustangs

Tracklist

01. Oh Christmas Tree Greeting 0:46
02. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus 2:22
03. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas 4:07
04. Jingle Bells (Euro) 2:52
05. Snowy Nights 3:16
06. My Christmas 3:37
07. Merry Christmas Baby 4:14
08. This Christmas 3:37 $0.99
09. That's What Christmas Means to Me 2:32
10. With My Honey 3:46
11. Oh Holy Night 3:12
12. What Child Is This (Prayer) 1:37
13. What Child Is This (Vocal) 2:14
14. Jingle Bells (Rock Version) 3:00
15. Jingle Bells (Instrumental) 2:52

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Kenny Rogers - The Gift (2002)

As a latter-day holiday album from Kenny Rogers, The Gift isn't half bad, thanks to the professional production and Rogers' honeyed voice, but it does suffer from uneven material and the occasional indifferent performance. There are enough good moments here to make it worthwhile for hardcore Kenny fans, but not enough to make it of interest to less dedicated listeners. ... Erlewine

This album is truly a Christmas wonder. It tells the story of Jesus with themes that are pleasing to children and adults. My nieces and nephews look forward to this CD every Christmas; it truly teaches the real meaning of Christmas and leaves a very warm feeling in your heart especially when your children sing the songs along with Kenny...L. Best

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 102 MB
Genre : Xmas
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Mary, Did You Know? 3:53
02 A Soldier's King 3:56
03 Pretty Little Baby Child 3:48
04 What a Wonderful Beginning 3:51
05 It's the Messiah 3:51
06 I Trust You 2:38
07 Sweet Little Jesus Boy 2:54
08 The Chosen One/Away in the Manger/O Holy ... 15:43
09 Til the Season Comes Around Again 3:55

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ponedjeljak, 21.12.2009.

Brooks and Dunn - It Won't Be Christmas Without You (2004)

For their first-ever Christmas album, the megaplatinum duo of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn stay true to both the spirit of the season and their own hard-edged brand of country. "Winter Wonderland" kicks off the festivities in raucous, boot-scootin' style, with Dunn's gleeful vocal supported by twin fiddles, searing lead guitar lines out of the Paul Kossoff school, and, for added ballast, Memphis-style horns. The title song buttresses a blues lament with soaring, melancholy pop strings, as Dunn digs down for a rich, emotional reading of an original song concerning a forlorn soul alone at Yuletide. "Blue Christmas" is no match for the classic Elvis original, of course, but give the fellows credit for a different approach with an intriguing arrangement that mingles blues templates with a languid Latin rhythm. Other seasonal standards, such as Mel Tormé's "The Christmas Song," "I'll Be Home for Christmas," and Irving Berlin's "White Christmas," are delivered with respect for the originals' sentiments, even as B&D add their own eclectic touches to bring a fresh perspective to these enduring classics. In the end, the infectious spirit fueling the performances on It Won't Be Christmas Without You assures there won't be a Christmas yet to come without Brooks & Dunn...D. McGee

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 77 MB
Genre : Xmas
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Winter Wonderland 3:00
02 Hangin' 'Round the Mistletoe 2:41
03 It Won't Be Christmas Without You 3:43
04 Rockin' Little Christmas 3:06
05 Blue Christmas 3:29
06 Santa's Coming Over to Your House 2:32
07 The Christmas Song 2:56
08 Santa Claus Is Coming to Town 2:24
09 Who Says There Ain't No Santa 3:41
10 I'll Be Home for Christmas 2:42
11 White Christmas 2:46

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Gloria Gaynor - Christmas Presence (17-track Edit 2007)

Gloria Gaynor welcomes us into the Christmas season with an amazing Christmas CD guaranteed to spread holiday cheer for years to come. This Grammy winner reinvents many yuletide classics and also shines brightly on several original tracks including the cheery "Happy Time of Year," and the beautiful ballads "Christmas Prayer" and "Christmas Blue," which will certainly become instant classics. And rounding out the CD is the danceably entertaining "Winter Mix," which will be played at many, many holiday parties this season. A Great Christmas CD!...N. Katsoris

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 149 MB
Genre : Xmas Pop
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. Happy Time Of Year 3:48
02. God Rest Ye Mery Gentlemen 3:34
03. All I Want Is You For Christmas 3:57
04. Christmas Blue 4:07
05. Frosty The Snowman 2:38
06. Do You Hear What I Hear 3:20
07. Joy To The World 3:09
08. Hark The Herald Angels Sing 3:21
09. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! 2:49
10. O Holy Night 4:29
11. Little Town Of Bethlehem 3:48
12. Winter Wonderland 3:41
13. The Christmas Song 4:43
14. Joy Came To The World 3:49
15. Christmas Prayer 3:42
16. Winter Mix [Radio Edit] 3:27
17. Winter Mix [Dance] 6:15

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nedjelja, 20.12.2009.

Robin Gibb - My Favourite Carols

Don't expect silly Santa Claus or Rudolph tunes here. Robin Gibb has taken some of Christmas' most revered Holiday songs and showcased them with his unique, melancholy voice. An added additon is his new song, "Mother Of Love", a tearjerker if ever there was one. Although some of these classics could have used more orchestration, more production, backing vocals and less techno-beat, Robin still manages to provide the Christmas atmosphere of holy reverence...M. Hogun

Robin Gibb - My Favourite Carols (12-track Edit 2009)

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 88 MB
Genre : Xmas Pop
2000mustangs


Tracklist:

01. Mother Of Love 3:14
02. In the Bleak Midwinter 4:01
03. Oh Come All Ye Faithful 2:59
04. Silent Night 4:21
05. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 2:40
06. Good King Wenceslas 2:16
07. Away in a Manger 2:38
08. Once in Royal David's City 3:05
09. I Saw Three Ships 1:21
10. Hark the Herald Angels Sing 2:31
11. The First Noel 5:20
12. Come Some Christmas Eve Or Halloween (Hideen Track) 3:31

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Keith Emerson (The Nice) - The Christmas Album (1999)

From the fingers that fused 'Tarkus'; from the mind that molded maniacal music with keyboard molestations; from the honky who helped heave huge pianos end over end... comes one of the most creative Christmas albums of all time. There are incredible arrangements included within this collection as well as stellar performances from the premiere key-meister of our time. The album closes with the most soulful version of 'Silent Night' that you will ever hear. Keith has been called every name in the book from genius to prodigy to legend. Listen to this album, though and get lost in the inherent soulfulness of the season. Then call Emerson the bringer of peace-filled tidings. Happy Christmas, Keith (in the middle of July) and thank you for your gift...W. Bledsoe

Not a lot of Christmas music has come from artists associated with progressive rock, but this album is a welcome exception. Mostly instrumental, it features Emerson reworkings of traditional carols and classical pieces alongside some originals. "Captain Starship Christmas," a little seasonal science fiction story sung by the West Park School Choir, was left off the 1995 re-release of this album on Blue Sky Music.

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

Tracklist:

01. Troika 4.17
02. Variations on "O Little Town of Bethlehem" 6.11
03. We Three Kings 4.27
04. Snowman's Land 4.42
05. Aria 4.23
06. I Saw Three Ships 4.56
07. Glorietta 9.36
08. Petites Litanies de Jesus 4.18
09. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear 6.50
10. Silent Night 4.55

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Peter Cetera (Chicago) - You Just Gotta Love Christmas (2004)

For most artists recording a Christmas record is a convenient stop-gap in between releasing new material. In Peter Cetera's case this doesn't ring true as it has been a while since we last heard from one of soft rock's most distinctive crooners. You Just Gotta Love Christmas brings to the table everything you'd expect from a Peter Cetera record: lush, pleasant arrangements with crisp, warm, polished production and able musicanship from a crew of veteran session players. It's a mix of holiday favorites mixed in with a few originals and some guest appearances from Alison Krauss and Peter's daughter Claire; who is more than up to the task of singing with her father on two of the album's 12 tracks. Cetera and Chicago fans will no doubt enjoy having this on in the background during the holidays...R. Theakston

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

Tracklist:

01 Let It Snow 2:59
02 The Christmas Song 3:36
03 Santa Claus Is Coming to Town 3:10
04 Blue Christmas / Claire Cetera 3:19
05 Deck the Halls 3:10
06 I'll Be Home for Christmas 2:40
07 You Just Gotta Love Christmas 3:17
08 Jingle Bells 3:36
09 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 3:01
10 Winter Wonderland / Claire Cetera 2:57
11 Something That Santa Claus Left Behind 3:56
12 Alone for the Holidays 3:58

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subota, 19.12.2009.

Blodwyn Pig - Ahead Rings Out (1969)(16-track Remaster 2006)

Ahead Rings Out was the debut album by British blues-rock band Blodwyn Pig, released in 1969. The band had been formed in 1969 by Mick Abrahams, the former guitarist of Jethro Tull, and sales of Ahead Rings Out rivalled those of Jethro Tull's next album, Stand Up, reaching No. 9on the British album chart. The album contained a healthy mixture of various styles of progressive blues and The Modern Alchemist displayed the jazz influence and saxophone skills of J. Lancaster.

None of Jethro Tull's progressive rock tendencies or classical influences followed Mick Abrahams into his creation of Blodwyn Pig, even with the inclusion Jack Lancaster's sax- and flute-playing prowess. Instead, Abrahams built up a sturdy British blues-rock sound and used Lancaster's horn work to add some fire to the band's jazzy repertoire. Ahead Rings Out is a stellar concoction of gritty yet flamboyant blues-rock tunes and open-ended jazz centered around Mick Abrahams' cool-handed guitar playing, but it's the nonstop infusion of the other styles that makes the album such a solid listen. After only one album with Jethro Tull, Abrahams left to form this band, and it's evident that he had a lot of pent-up energy inside him when he recorded each of the album's tracks. With a barrage of electrifying rhythms and fleeting saxophone and woodwind excursions, cuts like "Sing Me a Song That I Know," "Up and Coming," and "Backwash" whip up highly energetic sprees of rock and blues. Most of the tracks have a hearty shot of rock up the middle, but in cuts like "The Change Song" and "Backwash," the explosive riffs are accompanied by a big band style of enthusiasm, adding even more depth to the material. Andy Pyle's bass playing is definitely distinct throughout each track and is used for anything but a steady background, while labeling Ron Berg's drumming as freewheeling and intemperate would be an understatement. It's apparent that Blodwyn Pig's style is indeed distinct, releasing a liberated and devil-may-care intensity while still managing to stay on track, but the fact that each cut convokes a different type of instrumental spiritedness is where the album really gains its reputation. Wonderfully busy and even a tad motley in some places, Ahead Rings Out shows off the power and vitality that can be channeled by combining a number of classic styles without sounding pretentious or overly inflated. A year later, Blodwyn Pig recorded Getting to This before Abrahams left the band, and although it's a solid effort, it falls just a smidgen short of Ahead Rings Out's bluesy dynamism. [The 2006 edition features seven bonus tracks.]...M. DeGagne

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 147 MB
Genre : Blues rock
2000mustangs

Line-up

Mick Abrahams - Guitar, vocals
Jack Lancaster - flute, violin, saxes, brass arrangements
Andy Pyle - Bass
Ron Berg - drums

Tracklist:

01 It's Only Love 3:23
02 Dear Jill 5:19
03 Sing Me a Song That I Know 3:08
04 The Modern Alchemist 5:38
05 Up and Coming 5:31
06 Leave It with Me 3:52
07 The Change Song 3:45
08 See My Way 5:06
09 Ain't Ya Comin' Home, Babe? 6:04
10 Sweet Caroline Bonus 2:51
11 Walk on Water Bonus 3:42
12 Summer Day Bonus 3:44
13 Same Old Story Bonus 2:36
14 Slow Down Bonus 4:20
15 Meanie Mornay Bonus 4:45
16 Backwash Bonus 0:53

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Kitaro - Impressions Of The West Lake

Indeed I had mixed feelings about this album for a long time, but as soon as I heard some samples from it I knew it was a very magical and solid kitaro release. After a first listen, I know I will listen to this album everyday for at least the next several months, and I must say that kitaro is still at his best after so many years of magical and glorious musical landscapes. It is somewhat of an experimental album, which is different from his 80's and 90's style, but it still has the core elements that he has been using all of this time. All of the songs stand out for themselves. I specially love the Reflection of the Moon song, which is extremely haunting and beautiful and has the gorgeous sacred fountain theme towards the end of it. The beautiful melodies and themes from impressions of the west lake make one realize that there is healing in this music for the soul, body and mind. I am glad to have had the opportunity to have met Kitaro some time ago and I congratulate and thank him in yet another wonderful and stellar masterpiece that will definitely be among his best to the very end of time and beyond! Thanks again Kitaro!!! I hope you come to the USA on a tour sometime soon...J. Lopez

Kitaro - Impressions Of The West Lake (2009)

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

Tracklist:

01 The Inmost Feeling Ripples 5:53
02 Aria di West Lake 12:52
03 Fish Dive in the Lake 7:29
04 The Moon on the Lake 5:33
05 Impressions of the West Lake 5:15
06 Zen 5:05
07 Lotus 7:25
08 Reflection of the Moon 11:57
09 Romance 7:06
10 Spirit of the West Lake 6:09

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petak, 18.12.2009.

Spooky Tooth - Witness (1973) (Digipak Remaster 2005)

Digipak reissue of the British hard rock group's 1973 album. Repertoire. 2005.

Witness is an album released by Spooky Tooth in 1973. For this album, original drummer Mike Kellie returned and substantially replaced Bryson Graham. Gary Wright became the dominant songwriting influence at this stage of the band's history. Co-lead singer Mike Harrison left the band following the release of the album.

For over two decades now, since CD's came onto the scene, like many, I have been gradually replacing my vinyl collection with CD's. All this time, I have been waiting for Island Records to issue Spooky Tooth's 1973 album "Witness" on CD. It never happened!
A number of other Spooky Tooth albums have been available on CD practically from the get-go, yet "Witness", which is, arguably, the best album ever recorded by the band, had oddly been ignored. Spooky Tooth fans have been screaming for the release of this classic on CD, but Island Records, who initally issued the album, turned a deaf ear to them. A few years back, a German company, Repertoire, finally issued "Witness" on CD, however, in their haste to get it out, they issued a badly-mastered, inferior version.
Well, I'm happy to say that on 08/16/2005, Repertoire FINALLY re-issued "Witness", this time expertly re-mastered!! I bit the bullet and, with my fingers crossed, shelled out another 30 bucks for this brand-new reissue. Am I ever glad I did, as THIS one sounds AWESOME! My compliments to Repertoire for finally getting it right! (Eat your heart out, ISLAND!!) The CD also includes a booklet insert containing an historical retrospective of the band and it's various members, complete liner notes, pictures, and comments from Lead vocalist Mike Harrison.
For those of you who have never beared witness to "Witness," even on vinyl, I will give you a little background on this spectacular album. The second Spooky Tooth album to feature Mick Jones (of 'Foreigner' fame) on guitar, his presence is very obvious, as this album has a bit of a 'Foreigner-type' feel to it. Though Foreigner's debut album was still 4 years away when "Witness" was originally released, there is a definite foreshadowing here. There are 9 songs on "Witness", none of which would be considered 'filler', as each one develops its own distinct personality with repeated listens. Unlike other Spooky Tooth albums, most of which have a kind of 'raw' sound to them, "Witness" is well-crafted and much more 'polished'. Those who prefer the older 'raw' Spooky Tooth sound usually cite this as their primary reason for disliking "Witness". I, on the other hand, have always equated the evolving of a more polished sound, with the maturing of a band, musically. Ironically, this great album largely went un-noticed when released in 1973, due to a lack of radio promotion and airplay. Just a few listens to the power-ballad "Wings on My Heart", and you will understand the magnitude of the injustice that lack of airplay caused....not only to the band, but to the music loving public who never got to hear this amazing song. "Wings on My Heart" was one of those songs that could have, should have (and probably would have) been one of the MAJOR hits of the 1970's, had more people gotten a chance to hear it. Rather than try to review each song here, I'll let your ears make their own decision! Let it suffice to say that even though the cost of this import CD is twice what you normally pay for a domestic CD, it is worth every penny!..U. Davies

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 82 MB
Genre : Prog. Rock
2000mustangs

Line-up

Gary Wright - Keyboards, Vocals
Mike Harrison - Percussion, Keyboards, Vocals
Mick Jones - Guitars
Chris Stewart - Bass
Mike Kellie - Percussion, Drums

Tracklist:

01 Ocean Of Power 4:39
02 Wings On My Heart 3:32
03 As Long As The World Keeps Turning 3:38
04 Don't Ever Stray Away 3:12
05 Things Change 4:17
06 All Sewn Up 3:39
07 Dream Me A Mountain 3:30
08 Sunlight Of My Mind 4:54
09 Pyramids 4:27

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četvrtak, 17.12.2009.

The Kinks - One For The Road - Live (1980) (Digipak Remaster 2004)

The second half of the '70s were a good time for The Kinks, as they had finally become a consistently successful draw in America. The live One For The Road followed on the heels of LOW BUDGET, an album conceived by Ray Davies as a half-live and half-in-studio effort. If one song sums up the Davies brothers' contrasting personalities, it is ROAD's version of "All Day And All Of The Night." Dave Davies big-fisted chordal riffs give way to his brother Ray's brief trip into the light camp of a "Day-O"-style sing-along. ONE FOR THE ROAD captures an era when The Kinks reclaimed their sleek muscularity, leaving behind the theatrics that had been a feature of their act in the first half of the decade. They easily mix newer numbers ("Attitude," "Superman," "Misfits") with vintage chestnuts ("David Watts," Victoria," "Stop your Sobbing"). The Kinks' live albums present a compelling portrait of the band across the decades, and ROAD stands up nicely alongside both LIVE KINKS and EVERYBODY'S IN SHOW-BIZ...D. Jellinc

The Kinks' scattershot U.S. career never fully flourished like that of their British Invasion peers. The most quintessentially British of British bands -- especially in the increasingly nostalgic songs of vocalist/rhythm guitarist Ray Davies -- the Kinks enjoyed a spike in popularity in America in the late '70s and early '80s. The gold-selling 1980 double-live album One for the Road is a fascinating document of trailblazing elder statesmen who paved the way for heavy metal and punk, but never felt a glorious pop song was out of their grasp. It also proves that Dave Davies is a criminally underrated lead guitarist. Brothers Dave and Ray Davies, bass guitarist Jim Rodford, drummer Mick Avory, and guest keyboardists Ian Gibbons and Nick Newell recorded One for the Road at several concerts in 1979 and 1980. "Lola" is the best-known track from this album, and this live reading was a minor hit single; Ray Davies' teasing intro shows his playful side. "The Hard Way," "Low Budget," a raw, stripped-down "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman," "Celluloid Heroes," and "You Really Got Me" are the other standouts. [The Konk/Velvel enhanced two-CD reissue is fantastic. It includes all the songs from the original double album; "20th Century Man" was cut from Arista's U.S. CD but is restored here. The extremely detailed, photo-packed liner notes feature an enlightening essay and complete recording information -- an appropriate approach given the historical importance of the Kinks. Surprisingly, overdub information is mentioned; most live albums are doctored and sweetened in some way, but bands usually aren't eager to reveal this fact. Among the extras on the second CD are 20 minutes of footage from the September 23, 1979, show in Providence, RI. All similar reissues should aspire to this level of quality.]...B. Adams

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

Tracklist:

01 Opening 1:43
02 The Hard Way 2:42
03 Catch Me Now I'm Falling 4:49
04 Where Have All the Good Times Gone 2:16
05 Introduction to Lola 0:44
06 Lola 4:57
07 Pressure 1:31
08 All Day and All of the Night 3:45
09 20th Century Man 6:17
10 Misfits 3:38
11 Prince of the Punks 3:48
12 Stop Your Sobbing 2:31
13 Low Budget 6:04
14 Attitude 3:52
15 (Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman 6:28
16 National Health 4:08
17 Till the End of the Day 2:42
18 Celluloid Heroes 7:22
19 You Really Got Me 3:35
20 Victoria 2:34
21 David Watts 2:04

mirror

srijeda, 16.12.2009.

Uriah Heep - Celebration - Forty Years Of Rock

2009 album from the veteran British rockers, released to coincide with their 40th Anniversary. On Celebration, the band re-recorded 12 of their most successful songs including "Free Me", "Gypsy", "The Wizard", "Easy Livin'" and of course their all-time smash hit "Lady in Black". In addition, they have composed and recorded two completely new songs as a special gift to their fans: "Only Human" and "Corridors Of Madness". Uriah Heep has often been referred to as one of the greatest bands from the `70s. Many of the band's songs sparkle with sophisticated songwriting, fascinating harmony vocals and excellent catchy melodies. Like all bands, Uriah Heep went through highs and lows, but their audience never stopped loving them, probably because Uriah Heep's music never let them down and remained at high levels even in the darkest moments. In their 40-year musical career Uriah Heep released 21 studio-albums selling more than 30 million units worldwide.

Uriah Heep - Celebration - Forty Years Of Rock (2009)

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 143 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. Only Human - New Track 3.19
02. Bird Of Prey - New Version 3.57
03. Sunrise - New Version 4.20
04. Stealin - New Version 4.38
05. Corridors Of Madness - New Track 5.19
06. Between Two Worlds - New Version 6.07
07. The Wizard - New Version 3.12
08. Free Me - New Version 3.25
09. Free And Easy - New Version 2.32
10. Gypsy - New Version 4.33
11. Look At Yourself - New Version 3.43
12. July Morning - New Version 8.45
13. Easy Living - New Version 2.54
14. Lady In Black - New Version 5.30

utorak, 15.12.2009.

Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill (1972) (SHM-CD Remaster)

Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were remarkable craftsmen from the start, as Steely Dan's debut, Can't Buy a Thrill, illustrates. Each song is tightly constructed, with interlocking chords and gracefully interwoven melodies, buoyed by clever, cryptic lyrics. All of these are hallmarks of Steely Dan's signature sound, but what is most remarkable about the record is the way it differs from their later albums. Of course, one of the most notable differences is the presence of vocalist David Palmer, a professional blue-eyed soul vocalist who oversings the handful of tracks where he takes the lead. Palmer's very presence signals the one major flaw with the album -- in an attempt to appeal to a wide audience, Becker and Fagen tempered their wildest impulses with mainstream pop techniques. Consequently, there are very few of the jazz flourishes that came to distinguish their albums -- the breakthrough single, "Do It Again," does work an impressively tight Latin jazz beat, and "Reelin' in the Years" has jazzy guitar solos and harmonies -- and the production is overly polished, conforming to all the conventions of early-'70s radio. Of course, that gives these decidedly twisted songs a subversive edge, but compositionally, these aren't as innovative as their later work. Even so, the best moments ("Dirty Work," "Kings," "Midnight Cruiser," "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again") are wonderful pop songs that subvert traditional conventions and more than foreshadow the paths Steely Dan would later take..S. Erlewine

Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill (1972) (SHM-CD Remaster 2008)

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 94 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustanga

Tracklist:

01 Do It Again 5:56
02 Dirty Work 3:08
03 Kings 3:45
04 Midnight Cruiser 4:08
05 Only a Fool Would Say That 2:57
06 Reelin' In The Years 4:37
07 Fire In The Hole 3:28
08 Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me) 4:21
09 Change Of The Guard 3:39
10 Turn That Heartbeat Over Again 4:58

ponedjeljak, 14.12.2009.

Cream - Fresh Cream (1966) (Audio Fidelity Remaster)

US only 24 kt gold-disc pressing.

Fresh Cream represents so many different firsts, it's difficult to keep count. Cream, of course, was the first supergroup, but their first album not only gave birth to the power trio, it also was instrumental in the birth of heavy metal and the birth of jam rock. That's a lot of weight for one record and, like a lot of pioneering records, Fresh Cream doesn't seem quite as mighty as what would come later, both from the group and its acolytes. In retrospect, the moments on the LP that are a bit unformed -- in particular, the halting waltz of "Dreaming" never achieves the sweet ethereal atmosphere it aspires to -- stand out more than the innovations, which have been so thoroughly assimilated into the vocabulary of rock & roll, but Fresh Cream was a remarkable shift forward in rock upon its 1966 release and it remains quite potent. Certainly at this early stage the trio was still grounded heavily in blues, only fitting given guitarist Eric Clapton's stint in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, which is where he first played with bassist Jack Bruce, but Cream never had the purist bent of Mayall, and not just because they dabbled heavily in psychedelia. The rhythm section of Bruce and Ginger Baker had a distinct jazzy bent to their beat; this isn't hard and pure, it's spongy and elastic, giving the musicians plenty of room to roam. This fluidity is most apparent on the blues covers that take up nearly half the record, especially on "Spoonful," where the swirling instrumental interplay, echo, fuzz tones, and overwhelming volume constitute true psychedelic music, and also points strongly toward the guitar worship of heavy metal. Almost all the second side of Fresh Cream is devoted to this, closing with Baker's showcase "Toad," but for as hard and restless as this half of the album is, there is some lightness on the first portion of the record where Bruce reveals himself as an inventive psychedelic pop songwriter with the tense, colorful "N.S.U." and the hook- and harmony-laden "I Feel Free." Cream shows as much force and mastery on these tighter, poppier tunes as they do on the free-flowing jams, yet they show a clear bias toward the long-form blues numbers, which makes sense: they formed to be able to pursue this freedom, which they do so without restraint. If at times that does make the album indulgent or lopsided, this is nevertheless where Cream was feeling their way forward, creating their heavy psychedelic jazz-blues and, in the process, opening the door to all kinds of serious rock music that may have happened without Fresh Cream, but it just would not have happened in the same fashion as it did with this record as precedent...S. Erlewine

All of the raw material that would make Cream one of the finest bands of their era is present here on this, their debut release. Fresh Cream contains the band’s signature mixture of psychedelic pop songs and blues-rock improvisations. The best of one extreme is the opener “I Feel Free” (absent on the original British release of the record). It is a ’60s pop gem, with a catchy opening and a haunting verse. This excellent track was made present on the American release of Fresh Cream in January of 1967 at the expense of the omission of “Spoonful”. An excellent example of Eric Clapton’s blues mastery, this reading of the Willie Dixon classic is ultimately the high point of the record. Not to downplay the contributions of Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, but it is Clapton’s incendiary playing that really makes this blues come alive. This is where his (and, by extension, Cream’s) muse really lies: in the extended, high-energy, improvised explorations of traditional blues tunes. However, Clapton seems a bit lost on some of the more pop-oriented fare; his rhythm guitar playing especially is often atrocious. Jack Bruce not only handles most of the vocal chores with panache, but also plays very innovative bass, using it both more aggressively and more melodically than most players of his generation were accustomed to doing. Also not to be missed is Bruce’s harmonica playing, showcased on the bass-less “Rollin’ and Tumblin’”. Ginger Baker’s heavy drumming is notable throughout. His distinct, idiosyncratic style is best demonstrated by the drum solo on his own “Toad”, wherein he gives his drums such a primal pounding that the listener is not sure whether to laugh at his caveman-like intensity or to sit back in awe at the unrelenting assault. Either way, it is extremely entertaining, and is one of the best moments of the record. All in all, Fresh Cream is a fine first album, but Baker, Bruce, and Clapton would all go on to bigger and better things, both together with Cream and separately with other projects...D. Jellinc

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

Tracklist:

01. I Feel Free 2:52
02. N.S.U. 2:44
03. Sleepy Time Time 4:20
04. Dreaming 2:00
05. Sweet Wine 3:18
06. Cat’s Squirrel 3:05
07. Four Until Late 2:07
08. Rollin’ and Tumblin’ (4:43
09. I’m So Glad 3:58
10. Toad 5:09
11. Spoonful (Bonus) 6:37
12. Wrapping Paper (Bonus) 2:22
13. The Coffee Song (Bonus) 2:44

nedjelja, 13.12.2009.

Aretha Franklin - This Christmas

2008 holiday release from the Queen Of Soul. 'Tis the season for some soulful renditions of Christmas favorites, and there's nobody more qualified to add class and spice to this festive time of year than Aretha herself. Warner.

The obvious title here would have been Wreatha Now, but Aretha opted to follow in the footsteps of at least 20 other artists by going with This Christmas as the title of her first Christmas album. Apart from the Donny Hathaway/Nadine McKinnor-written title track, a duet with her son Edward that is both sweet and playful (at one point, Aretha interjects, "Eddie, you mustn't upstage mom with those high notes"), the disc is filled mostly with the spiritual and relatively serious side of holiday material. The likes of "Silent Night," "Ave Maria," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," and "Angels We Have Heard on High" are given the kind of treatment only Aretha could grant, though it should be noted that there are moments where you might feel stuck inside the Aretha Melismatorium. It's not all reverence and reflection: best of all is a reading of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" that can only be termed "personalized." A. Kellman

Aretha Franklin - This Christmas (2008)

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 117 MB
Genre : Xmas Soul/Pop
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Angels We Have Heard on High 5:25
02 This Christmas / Edward Franklin 5:22
03 My Grown-Up Christmas List 5:14
04 The Lord Will Make a Way 5:43
05 Silent Night 5:06
06 Ave Maria 4:56
07 Christmas Ain't Christmas (Without the One You Love) 3:52
08 14 Angels 2:08
09 One Night with the King 6:08
10 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing 5:24
11 'Twas the Night Before Christmas 1:51

Carly Simon - Christmas Is Almost Here (2003)

A mix of old favorites and new compositions, of sparse acoustic and full-bodied electric arrangements, Carly Simon's Christmas Is Almost Here is full of holiday treats. Simon's soothing voice sounds perfectly at home here, even though much of the album was recorded live in a Beverly Hills hotel room. Kudos to producer Don Was, who captured Simon's comfortable spontaneity, especially on the many tracks with little more than an acoustic guitar and her lovely vocals. The album begins quietly, with Livingston Taylor's melancholy title track, Simon's own soaring ballad "The Land of Christmas (Mary)," and the traditional carols "O Come, All Ye Faithful" and "Silent Night." The mood lightens with the rousing gospel tune "Twelve Gates to the City," featuring Billy Preston's funky organ work. "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen," a duet with Simon's son Ben Taylor, employs a subtle reggae beat anchored by drummer extraordinaire Jim Keltner and a slinky electric piano line courtesy of Benmont Tench of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers. Keltner and Tench also help out on the cover of John Lennon's passionate "Happy X-mas (War Is Over)." In another star turn, Willie Nelson drops in for "Pretty Paper," his voice seductively wrapping around Simon's. As the recently released Anthology reminds us, Carly Simon's been delivering pop pleasures for more than 30 years. Christmas Is Almost Here is a welcome new gift from an old friend...S. Klinge

Carly Simon's first album of Christmas music is a family affair. Here, she covers songs by her former brother-in-law, Livingston Taylor (the title track), as well as reworking "Heaven Can't Be Far," a tune her sister Lucy penned in the '80s. Adding to the personal feel is Simon's duet with her son Ben Taylor on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman," the two voices blending with a precision that only blood relatives can achieve. But the intimacy and warmth of the disc aren't due only to the appearance of her nearest and dearest; it's also the choice and treatment of the material, which includes three originals as well as inventive takes on such seasonal classics as "Silent Night," "O Come All Ye Faithful," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." In addition, Simon tackles the gospel favorite "Twelve Gates to the City" with the same verve and spirit that she lent to her massive hit "Let the River Run," from the Working Girl soundtrack. The biggest surprise under Carly's tree isn't her elegant, moving cover of John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," but her sweet duet with Willie Nelson on "Pretty Paper."...J. Uhelszki

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 84 MB
Genre : Xmas Pop
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. Christmas Is Almost Here 3:53
02. O Come, All Ye Faithful 3:28
03. The Land of Christmas (Mary) 3:17
04. Silent Night 3:10
05. Twelve Gates to the City 3:10
06. I'll Be Home for Christmas 2:24
07. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen 3:05
08. Heaven 3:09
09. Pretty Paper / Willie Nelson 3:29
10. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas 3:08
11. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 4:12

Michael Mcdonald (Doobie Brothers) - This Christmas

2009 holiday release from the singer/songwriter and former Doobie Bro. Michael McDonald has maintained incredible popularity and has been awarded numerous accolades and honors in both personal and professional arenas. He has won an impressive five Grammys and earned innumerable chart successes and sales feats, yet all the while McDonald remains the artist's artist and an enduring presence in popular music. This year, Michael McDonald celebrates the holiday season with the release of This Christmas, a collection of 12 Christmas classics and new holiday favorites.

With his husky, soulful baritone, Michael McDonald became one of the most distinctive and popular vocalists to emerge from the laid-back California pop/rock scene of the late '70s. McDonald found the middle ground between blue-eyed soul and smooth soft rock, a sound that made him a star. He initially essayed his signature style with the Doobie Brothers, ushering in the group's most popular period…

Michael Mcdonald (Doobie Brothers) - This Christmas (2009)

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 107 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. That's What Christmas Means To Me 3.13
02. This Christmas 3.46
03. White Christmas/Winter Wonderland 3.32
04. Wexford Carol 5.05
05. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 3.40
06. Peace 3.24
07. On This Night 4.30
08. Children Go Where I Send Thee 6.05
09. Every Time Christmas Comes Around 3.37
10. Come, O Come Emanuel/What Month Was Jesus Born 4.13
11. I'll Be Home For Christmas 3.22
12. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas 2.35

subota, 12.12.2009.

The Kinks - Low Budget (1979)(14-track Digipak Remaster 2004)

1979's Low Budget became The Kinks' biggest selling release since their Greatest Hits album of 1966. This was due in large part to constant touring and significant airplay of such singles as "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman"). This period followed an era of concept albums and saw Ray Davies returning to the craft of separate, simpler songs. One of the album's highlights is the quietly engaging "Little Bit Of Emotion." Davies alternates between being a romantic and a social commentator, though Low Budget stresses the later aspect of his songwriting. The streamlined rrangements, loud guitars, and loud drums of Low Budget are in keeping with the sound of the previous (Sleepwalker and Misfits) and future (Give the people what they want, State of confusion, and Word of mouth) Kinks albums...D. Jellinc

Low Budget doesn't have a narrative like Preservation or Soap Opera, but Ray Davies cleverly designed the album as a sly satire of the recession and oil crisis that gripped America in the late '70s -- thereby satisfying his need to be a wry social commentator while giving American audiences a hook to identify with. It was a clever move that worked; not only did Low Budget become their highest-charting American album (not counting the 1966 Greatest Hits compilation), but it was also a fine set of arena rock, one of the better mainstream hard rock albums of its time. And it certainly was of its time -- so much so that many of the concerns and production techniques have dated quite a bit in the decades since its initial release. Nevertheless, that gives the album a certain charm, since it now plays like a time capsule, a snapshot of what hard rock sounded like at the close of the '70s. Perhaps not so coincidentally, Davies' songwriting fluctuates throughout the album, since it's dictated as much by commercial as artistic concerns, but the moments when he manages to balance the two impulses -- as on the disco-fueled "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman," the vaudevillian "Low Budget," "A Gallon of Gas," the roaring "Attitude" (possibly their best hard rocker of the era, by the way), and "Catch Me Now I'm Falling," where Davies takes on the persona of America itself -- are irresistible. Low Budget may not have the depth of, say, Arthur or Village Green, but it's a terrifically entertaining testament to their skills as a professional rock band and Davies' savvy as a commercial songwriter. [The CD was also released with bonus tracks.] S. Erlewine

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 136 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist.

01 Attitude 3:47
02 Catch Me Now I'm Falling 5:58
03 Pressure 2:27
04 National Health 4:02
05 (Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman 3:36
06 Low Budget 3:51
07 In a Space 3:44
08 Little Bit of Emotion 4:51
09 A Gallon of Gas 3:48
10 Misery 2:57
11 Moving Pictures 3:47
12 A Gallon of Gas prev. unreleased / Bonus / US Single Extended Edit 3:52
13 Catch Me Now I'm Falling prev. unreleased / Bonus / Extended 6:50
14 (Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman prev. unreleased / Bonus / Disco Mix Extended 5:59

Beck - Songs of Leonard Cohen

A couple of months ago Beck started Record Club. Basically, he gets a bunch of friends together and they pick an ALBUM to cover in ONE day, and without any prior rehearsal. For the first edition Beck, along with Nigel Godrich and others, covered the Velvet Underground and Nico. Once a week (every Thursday) a video of a track would be posted on Beck.com for our listening pleasure. I gotta say, for the most part, Beck's covers were awesome.

Record club part 2 is covering Songs of Leonard Cohen!
The second edition of record club features Beck, Devendra Banhart, MGMT, and a member of Wolfmother, as well as others.

Beck - Songs of Leonard Cohen (2009)

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 115 MB
Genre : Altern. Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. Suzanne 4.47
02. Master Song 6.33
03. Winter Lady 2.35
04. Stranger Song 5.21
05. Sisters Of Mercy 4.32
06. So Long, Marianne 6.46
07. Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye 4.23
08. Stories of the Street 4.59
09. Teachers 4.02
10. One of Us Cannot Be Wrong 5.37

petak, 11.12.2009.

Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973) (Digipak Remaster)

Digitally remastered edition of this 1973 album from the veteran Heavy Metal maniacs. From the grinding riff of the opening title track, the album showed that despite the band pushing back musical boundaries, they'd lost none of their aggression. `A National Acrobat' and `Sabbra Cadabra' (the latter, which featured Yes keyboard player Rick Wakeman) were equally heavy, imposing tracks, whilst `Killing Yourself To Live' and the sci-fi themed `Spiral Architect' rate as some of the band's best tracks. And even if the excellent title track was curiously rarely featured in the band's live set at the time, the gentle acoustic guitar work of `Fluff' can still be heard as fans file out of Black Sabbath gigs the world over. Little wonder some claim Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is the greatest album that the `classic' line-up recorded. This is an album that oozes class from start to finish. Sanctuary. 2009.

With 1973's Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, heavy metal godfathers Black Sabbath made a concerted effort to prove their remaining critics wrong by raising their creative stakes and dispensing unprecedented attention to the album's production standards, arrangements, and even the cover artwork. As a result, bold new efforts like the timeless title track, "A National Acrobat," and "Killing Yourself to Live" positively glistened with a newfound level of finesse and maturity, while remaining largely faithful, aesthetically speaking, to the band's signature compositional style. In fact, their sheer songwriting excellence may even have helped to ease the transition for suspicious older fans left yearning for the rough-hewn, brute strength that had made recent triumphs like Master of Reality and Vol. 4 (really, all their previous albums) such undeniable forces of nature. But thanks to Sabbath Bloody Sabbath's nearly flawless execution, even a more adventurous experiment like the string-laden "Spiral Architect," with its tasteful background orchestration, managed to sound surprisingly natural, and in the dreamy instrumental "Fluff," Tony Iommi scored his first truly memorable solo piece. If anything, only the group's at times heavy-handed adoption of synthesizers met with inconsistent consequences, with erstwhile Yes keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman bringing only good things to the memorable "Sabbra Cadabra" (who know he was such a great boogie-woogie pianist?), while the robotically dull "Who Are You" definitely suffered from synthesizer novelty overkill. All things considered, though, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath was arguably Black Sabbath's fifth masterpiece in four years, and remains an essential item in any heavy metal collection...E. Rivadavia

Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973) (Digipak Remaster 2009)

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

Tracklist:

01 Sabbath Bloody Sabbath 5:46
02 A National Acrobat 6:17
03 Fluff 4:12
04 Sabbra Cadabra 5:58
05 Killing Yourself to Live 5:41
06 Who Are You? 4:15
07 Looking for Today 5:00
08 Spiral Architect 5:30

četvrtak, 10.12.2009.

Chris de Burgh - Footsteps

This is the UK version due out April 13th 2009, it includes an extra track, "Rhythm Of The Rain / Crying In The Rain" not found on other versions. Best known for his 1986 number 1 power ballad "Lady in Red", Chris de Burgh has sold over 40 million albums worldwide and has 6 UK top ten albums. The new album Footsteps, features new studio recordings of some of the most popular pop songs of all time. Footsteps includes classics such as Toto’s "Africa", Nilsson’s "Without You", Don McLean’s "American Pie" and the Beatles’ "‘Blackbird". The tracks on the new album are tracks that Chris de Burgh sound-checks to and sometimes plays live. They are his "desert island discs".

Chris de Burgh - Footsteps (2009)

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

Tracklist:

01 First Steps 1:09
02 Turn, Turn, Turn 3:29
03 The Long and Winding Road 3:34
04 Africa 4:15
05 Without You 3:21
06 Where Have All the Flowers Gone? 3:43
07 Sealed with a Kiss 2:36
08 Blackbird 2:24
09 We Can Work It Out 2:12
10 All Along the Watchtower 3:18
11 Corrina Corrina 2:46
12 Rhythm of the Rain/Crying in the Rain - Bonus 3:08
13 Polly Von 3:11
14 American Pie 4:22
15 The Last Thing on My Mind 3:27
16 Footsteps 3:01

srijeda, 09.12.2009.

Black Sabbath - Sabotage (1975) (Digipak Remaster)

Digitally remastered edition of this classic 1975 album from the veteran Heavy Metal maestros. Black Sabbath's sixth studio album gained another favorable review from Rolling Stone magazine who stated "Sabotage is not only Black Sabbath's best record since Paranoid, it might be their best ever". The album is evidence that the band still weren't afraid of musical experimentation and as such, is their most varied and complex production of their formative period. With powerful signature tracks such as `Symptom Of The Universe' and `Hole In The Sky' which became firm fan favourites, Sabotage would reach the Top 20 in the U.K. and also number 28 in the U.S. This remastered and sumptuous gatefold digipak edition of the album boasts comprehensive story of the album sleeve-notes by renowned Rock critic Jerry Ewing and a plethora of rare and previously unseen photographs and items of memorabilia. Sanctuary. 2009

Years of constant touring, alcoholism, and drug abuse finally began to affect Black Sabbath around the time of their sixth release, 1975's Sabotage. While it's not a bad album (in fact, it's one of their most underrated), you can sense that the magical chemistry that made such albums as Paranoid and Vol. 4 so special was beginning to disintegrate. But guitarist Tony Iommi again comes equipped with an arsenal of sturdy, ultra-heavy riffs, as evidenced by the raucous album opener, "Hole in the Sky," as well as the drug-induced anthem "Symptom of the Universe" -- both tracks coming as close to garage rock as Sabbath ever got. But the album's biggest surprise is the melodic, synth-laced "Am I Going Insane (Radio)," which is more akin to '70s power pop than to the band's patented doom metal (although the lyrics are what you'd expect -- detailing a person's downward spiral into dementia). Although often overlooked, Sabotage remains an interesting and challenging release...G. Prato

Black Sabbath - Sabotage (1975) (Digipak Remaster 2009)

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

Tracklist:

01 Hole in the Sky 4:00
02 Don't Start (Too Late) 0:49
03 Symptom of the Universe 6:27
04 Megalomania 9:38
05 Thrill of It All 5:51
06 Supertzar 3:40
07 The Writ 8:08
08 Am I Going Insane (Radio) 4:15
09 Sweet Leaf Live 5:29

Enya

Twenty-two years have passed since the original release of Enyas self-titled debut album. During that time, Enya has become one of the worlds most successful musicians with over 70 million album sales worldwide to her name and an array of authoritative honours including four Grammy Awards and three World Music Awards. The Very Best Of Enya brings together for the first time so much of the earth-spanning music created alongside her close friends and partners in music, Nicky and Roma Ryan.

Comprised of 18 tracks culled from the singer/composer†s first three decades, The Very Best of Enya was pieced together by the artist herself, along with longtime collaborators Nicky and Roma Ryan. Luckily, the trio seems enamored by most of the same songs that the general public is, resulting in one of those rare †greatest-hits† collections that goes deep without depriving the listener of the essentials. With tunes like "Orinoco Flow," "Caribbean Blue," and "Book of Days" in the pot and out of the way, it†s easier to appreciate hidden gems like "Cursum Perficio," "Boadicea," "Trains and Winter Rains," and "Anywhere Is." Also notable is the inclusion of "May It Be" and a previously unreleased version of "Aníron (I Desire)," both of which originally appeared on the soundtrack for the first chapter of Peter Jackson†s beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy...L. Power

Enya - The Very Best of Enya (2009)

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 145 MB
Genre : New Age
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

Tracklist:

01. Orinoco Flow 4:28
02. Aniron (I Desire) 2:43
03. Storms In Africa 4:04
04. Caribbean Blue 3:59
05. Book of Days 2:55
06. The Celts 2:57
07. Only Time 3:38
08. Wild Child 3:48
09. Water Shows the Hidden Heart 4:39
10.Anywhere Is 3:59
11.Cursum Perficio 4:09
12.Amarantine 3:12
13.Aldebaran 3:06
14.Trains and Winter Rains 3:43
15.Watermark 2:25
16.Boadicea 3:32
17.A Day Without Rain 2:37
18.May It Be 3:31

utorak, 08.12.2009.

Uriah Heep - Look At Yourself (1971) (14-track Deluxe Edit 2004)

K2 24Bit Japanese digitally remastered limited edition issue of the album classic in a deluxe, miniaturized LP sleeve replica of the original vinyl album artwork.

The third time proved to be the charm for Uriah Heep: on Look at Yourself, the group perfects its fusion of heavy metal power and prog rock majesty, and the result is one of the best albums in the Heep catalog. The gauntlet is thrown down on the title track, a powerful rocker that layers its relentless hard rock attack with ornate vocal harmonies and quicksilver organ runs before climaxing with a tribal-sounding drum jam. The remainder of Look at Yourself presents an effective blend of gutsy guitar rock and organ-fueled prog excursions. In the rock arena, the gems are "Tears in My Eyes," a powerful rocker driven by an almost rockabilly-style riff that stops midway for a surprising vocal harmony break supported by smooth wah-wah guitar, and "Love Machine," a short, punchy slice of hard rock built on an infectious, stomping rhythm. However, the best track on the album is one of the more prog-oriented ones: "July Morning" starts with a pastoral organ riff, then builds into a heavy yet symphonic rock tune that divides its time between gentle acoustic verses and emotional, organ-fueled choruses before climaxing in a monstrous jam dominated by a swirling Moog synthesizer lead. Special note should also be taken of David Byron's vocal performance; his multi-octave, operatic style was no doubt an influence on later metal vocalists like Rob Halford. All in all, Look at Yourself is both one of Uriah Heep's finest, most cohesive albums and a high point of 1970s heavy metal...D. Guarisco

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

Line-up:

Ken Hensley / organ, piano, guitar, acoustic guitar & vocal
Mick Box / lead guitar & acoustic guitar
David Byron / lead vocal
Paul Newton / bass guitar
Ian Clarke / drums

Tracklist:

01 Look at Yourself 5:11
02 I Wanna Be Free 4:01
03 July Morning 10:32
04 Tears in My Eyes 5:01
05 Shadows of Grief 8:39
06 What Should Be Done 4:13
07 Love Machine 3:42
08 What's Within My Heart Bonus / Outtake 5:24
09 Why Bonus / Outtake 11:18
10 Look at Yourself Bonus / Alternative Single Version 3:19
11 Tears in My Eyes prev. unreleased / Bonus / Extended Version 5:38
12 What Should Be Done Bonus / Original Studio Version / Outtake 4:26
13 Look at Yourself prev. unreleased / Bonus / BBC Session 4:32
14 What Should Be Done prev. unreleased / Bonus / BBC Session 3:26

ponedjeljak, 07.12.2009.

The Kinks - Misfits (1978) (14-track Digipak Remaster 2004)

The Kinks became arena rockers with Sleepwalker, and its follow-up, Misfits, follows in the same vein, but it's a considerable improvement on its predecessor. Ray Davies has learned how to write within the confines of the arena rock formula, and Misfits is one of rock & roll's great mid-life crisis albums, finding Davies considering whether he should even go on performing. "Misfits," a classic outsider rallying cry, and "Rock and Roll Fantasy" provide the two touchstones for the album -- Davies admits that he and the Kinks will never be embraced by the rock & roll mainstream, but after Elvis' death, he's not even sure if rock & roll is something for mature adults to do. Over the course of Misfits, he finds answers to the question, both in his lyrics and through the band's muscular music. Eventually, he discovers that it is worth his time, but the search itself is superbly affecting -- even songs like the musichall shuffle "Hay Fever," which appear as filler at first, have an idiosyncratic quirk that make them cut deeper. Although Ray would return to camp on their next album, Misfits is a moving record that manages to convey deep emotions while rocking hard. The Kinks hadn't made a record this good since Muswell Hillbillies...Erlewine

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 127 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 Misfits 4:43
02 Hay Fever 3:33
03 Black Messiah 4:10
04 Rock & Roll Fantasy 5:02
05 In A Foreign Land 3:04
06 Permanent Waves 3:49
07 Live Life UK Album Version 4:49
08 Out Of The Wardrobe 3:38
09 Trust Your Heart 4:13
10 Get Up 3:24
11 Black Messiah Bonus / Single Remix 3:37
12 Father Christmas Bonus 3:42
13 Rock & Roll Fantasy Bonus / US Single Edit 4:01
14 Live Life Bonus / US Single Mix 3:48

nedjelja, 06.12.2009.

The Beach Boys - Christmas With the Beach Boys (2004)

The Beach Boys were the ultimate summer band, their songs full of sun, surfboards, and endless waves of good vibrations, but it is always interesting to remember how many of those bright productions featured sleigh bells as part of their rhythm tracks, as if Brian Wilson wanted to stick a little bit of winter in there. So it should come as no surprise that the Beach Boys recorded two Christmas albums, the first, The Beach Boys' Christmas Album, in 1964, and a second unreleased set, Merry Christmas With the Beach Boys, a decade later. This disc essentially combines both projects, throwing in some alternate mixes and minutiae, and replicates 1998's Ultimate Christmas release (minus one track, the inconsequential "Christmas Time Is Here Again") right down to the same track sequence. If the Beach Boys favored sleigh bells in summer, then their bright and sunny vocals brought warmth into the dead of winter, as well, particularly with their classic holiday single, "Little Saint Nick," featured in three different versions here, including an alternate take (heavy on saxes) sung over the backing track to "Drive-In." "Merry Christmas, Baby" is another example of Brian simply moving the proven and successful Beach Boys formula to a different season. The alternate mix of "Auld Lang Syne" (the one without Dennis Wilson's spoken interjections) spotlights the gorgeous multi-tracked harmonies of the group, while the cluttered kitchen sink production of "Child of Winter (Christmas Song)" shows how complicated Beach Boys arrangements could get when left unchecked. The real gem of this set, though, aside from the sleigh bell-, glockenspiel-, and celesta-laced original 1963 single version of "Little Saint Nick," is Dennis' haunting "Morning Christmas," which is elegantly and stunningly arranged, carrying some of the mysterious power and allure of the season. Capitol releases a version of this holiday material every year or two, and while it won't change your opinion of the Beach Boys one way or the other, that's exactly why it's worth picking up at half price in the post-Christmas CD sale at your local music store...Steve Leggett

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 133 MB
Genre : Xmas Pop
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. Little Saint Nick 2:02
02 .The Man With All the Toys 1:34
03. Santa's Beard 2:03
04. Merry Christmas, Baby 2:22
05. Christmas Day 1:48
06. Frosty the Snowman 1:58
07. We Three Kings of Orient Are 4:06
08. Blue Christmas 3:11
09. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town 2:24
10. White Christmas 2:32
11. I'll Be Home for Christmas 2:47
12. Auld Lang Syne 1:24
13. Little Saint Nick Single Version 2:10
14. Auld Lang Syne Alternate Mix 1:25
15. Little Saint Nick Alternate Version 2:06
16. Child of Winter (Christmas Song) 2:50
17. Santa's Got an Airplane 3:12
18. Winter Symphony 3:02
19. (I Saw Santa) Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree 2:24
20. Melekalikimaka 2:36
21. Bells Of Christmas 2:44
22. Morning Christmas 3:23
23. Toy Drive Public Service Announcement 1:21
24. Dennis Wilson Christmas Message 0:33
25. Brian Wilson Christmas Interview 2:34

Kitaro - Peace On Earth (1995)(2005)

Peace on Earth is the first holiday album by Kitaro and takes long time holiday favorites and orchestrates them with ethereal overtones, spiritual subtleties and bursts of theatrical effects. Also included is an original Christmas composition composed by Kitaro. Peace on Earth is an atmospheric and intriguing holiday album that merges the finest of Eastern and Western culture instilling harmony and peaceful co-existence through melodies of passion and drama.

New Age guitarist Kitaro aims for the mystical in this assorted international mixture of hymns and carols. Utilizing strings, flutes, harps, voices of an international children's choir, synthesizers, organs, percussion, and guitars, Peace on Earth retains a sort of enigmatic quality that transcends some of the more prosaic arrangements that color such warhorses as "Jesu Joy of Man's Desire," "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear," and "Jingle Bells." Still, Kitaro's finally a great-old fashioned mood setter even as he aims for more ethereal realms, slowing down tempos, shading a phrase, or lyrically bending a line. It's not musical alchemy, but sometimes it's close. --Martin Keller

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 126 MB
Genre : New Age
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring (Germany) 4.46
02. Silent Night (Germany) 4.23
03. Angels We Have Heard On High (France) 5.39
04. Joy To The World/The First Noel (England) 4.36
05. Little Drummer Boy (America) 5.57
06. Jingle Bells (America) 3.39
07. Rosa Mystica (Germany) 2.57
08. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear (England) 4.00
09. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (England) 3.50
10. A La Nanita Nana (Spain) 5.14
11. O Holy Night (France) 4.56
12. The Great Spirit (America) 5.20

Chris Norman (Smokie) & The Riga Dom Boys Choir - Christmas Together (1997)

Traditional Christmas songs performed by former Smokie leader Chris Norman and Riga Dome Boys Choir.

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 70 MB
Genre : Xmas Pop
2000mustangs

Tracklist

01. Silent Night, Holy Night (3:53)
02. The Christmas Tree With It Candles Gleaming (Traditional German) (2:28)
03. Christmas Song (3:28)
04. Come Running, You Shepherds (Traditional German) (2:47)
05. Shepherds' Cradle Song (3:01)
06. Ring, Little Bells (2:01)
07. Panis Angelicus 3:43)
08. When Christmas Morn Is Dawning (Traditional Swedish) (2:36)
09. Above On The Mountain (Traditional Austrian) (2:35)
10. Midnight Lady (4:06)

subota, 05.12.2009.

The Moody Blues - The Singles+ (2001)

This Dutch compilation approaches the Moody Blues' career from an unusual angle. Although scoring three Top Ten hits in its native U.K. and another three in the U.S., the group is known primarily as an album act, having reached the Top Ten of the LP charts six times in Britain and eight times in America. During their initial period, 1964-1966, when Denny Laine was the lead singer, they were a singles band (as all rock & roll performers were then), but they had only one hit single, "Go Now!" Their real success came with the release of the album Days of Future Passed in 1967. By compiling all (well, almost all) of their A-side singles, the makers of this two-CD set have created not only a greatest hits collection, but also a rarities album. That is because, of the Moody Blues' first ten U.K. singles, only "Go Now!" and both sides of their sixth single, "Stop!"/"Bye Bye Bird," were included on their 1965 debut album. A 1993 CD reissue of that album added the singles "Steal Your Heart Away" and "I Don't Want to Go on Without You," included here, but that still leaves six tracks included on the present collection -- "Everyday," "Boulevard de la Madeleine," "This Is My House (But Nobody Calls)," "Life's Not Life," "Fly Me High," and "Love and Beauty" -- that have not been much heard since their release as British singles in 1965-1967. The last two titles date from after the reconfiguration of the band in 1966 with the departure of Laine and Clint Warwick and the recruitment of Justin Hayward and John Lodge, and represent the first recordings of the band's most successful lineup. All of this is to say that The Singles+ should be sought out by Moody Blues fans who don't know this early material. The changeover in style after the first ten tracks on the first CD, from a blues-based group to more of a folk-pop one, is so extreme that this is one band that probably should have changed its name when its personnel changed, and it's no surprise that the later group has suppressed its early music ever since. From the appearance of the 13th track on the first CD, the second lineup's biggest hit "Nights in White Satin," The Singles+ plays as a standard compilation of the Moody Blues' most familiar tracks. The compilers add a couple of album-only songs from On the Threshold of a Dream and include hits by the duo of Hayward & Lodge and by Hayward solo during the band's mid-'70s hiatus. Songs that became American but not British hits, such as "Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon)" and a series of U.S.-only 1980s singles like "Gemini Dream" and "Your Wildest Dreams," have also been included. Discographies list a non-charting 1984 single release of "Under My Feet" from The Present that seems to have escaped the compilers' attention, but otherwise this is a thorough collection of Moody Blues singles that outdistances comparable domestic compilations...W. Ruhlmann

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 355 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

CD 1

01 Steal Your Heart Away 2:13
02 Go Now! 3:10
03 I Don't Want to Go on Without You 2:42
04 From the Bottom of My Heart (I Love You) 3:25
05 Everyday 1:47
06 Stop! 2:04
07 Bye Bye Bird 2:48
08 Boulevard de la Madeleine 2:54
09 This Is My House (But Nobody Calls) 2:35
10 Life's Not Life 2:34
11 Fly Me High 2:53
12 Love and Beauty 2:24
13 Nights in White Satin 4:26
14 Cities 2:21
15 Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon) 4:47
16 Voices in the Sky 3:32
17 Ride My See-Saw 3:42
18 Lovely to See You 2:35
19 Dear Diary 3:56
20 Never Comes the Day 4:40
21 Eyes of a Child 2:36
22 Watching and Waiting 4:12
23 Question 4:54
24 Candle of Life 3:15

CD 2

01 Melancholy Man 5:05
02 The Story in Your Eyes 2:52
03 Isn't Life Strange 6:04
04 I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock & Roll Band) 4:15
05 For My Lady 3:58
06 Remember Me, My Friend 3:40
07 Blue Guitar 3:38
08 Forever Autumn 4:15
09 Had to Fall in Love 3:39
10 Steppin' in a Slide Zone 3:25
11 Driftwood 3:57
12 Gemini Dream 3:46
13 The Voice 5:10
14 Talking Out of Turn 4:12
15 Sitting at the Wheel 3:29
16 Blue World 3:38
17 Your Wildest Dreams 3:51
18 The Other Side of Life 5:03
19 I Know You're Out There Somewhere 4:18

petak, 04.12.2009.

This classic album from 1977 marked the beginning of The Kinks' golden era on Arista Records, as well as a return to the upper reaches of the rock charts. Mixing hit singles like the title song with great power ballads and arena-ready anthems like "Juke Box Music," this album is prized by devoted Kinks followers and fans of classic rock. Now, for the first time, this stereo Hybrid SACD allows you to hear this the way it was meant to be heard...d. Jellinc

Arista had made it clear they would not accept any concept albums from the Kinks, and Sleepwalker, their first effort for the label, makes good on the band's promise. Comprised entirely of glossy arena-rockers and power ballads, the album is more of a stylistic exercise than a collection of first-rate songs. Davies contributed a handful of fairly strong songs, highlighted by the exceptional "Juke Box Music," which sees Ray in a shockingly resigned frame of mind, claiming that rock & roll is just rock & roll, and nothing more. Unfortunately, he chose to illustrate that fact by loading the rest of Sleepwalker with competent but undistinguished mainstream rock. While that might have made the album a hit at the time, its processed sound and weak songs sound dated today, especially compared to the lively arena rock the Kinks later released. [This version of the album includes bonus material.]...S.T. Erlewine

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

Tracklist:

01 Life on the Road 5:02
02 Mr. Big Man 3:49
03 Sleepwalker 4:04
04 Brother 5:29
05 Juke Box Music 5:32
06 Sleepless Night 3:18
07 Stormy Sky 3:58
08 Full Moon 3:52
09 Life Goes On 5:03
10 Artifical Light Bonus 3:26
11 Prince of the Punks Bonus 3:18
12 The Poseur previously unreleased / Bonus 2:53
13 On the Outside previously unreleased / Bonus / 1977 Mix 5:06
14 On the Outside Bonus / 1994 Mix 5:18

Twenty years after her landmark Watermark album, Enya's seventh studio disc, And Winter Came continues a phenomenally successful career that has included more than 70 million albums sold worldwide. And Winter Came is an enchanting evocation of the changing landscape of winter as well as the festive cheer of the holidays. One of the most successful female artists of all-time, and second only to U2 as the biggest selling Irish artist in history, Enya brings her beguiling and ethereal music to bear on the darkest and yet most hopeful season with And Winter Came.

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

Tracklist:

01. And Winter Came.... 3.15
02. Journey Of The Angels 4.47
03. White Is In The Winter Night 3.00
04. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel 3.40
05. Trains And Winter Rains 3.44
06. Dreams Are More Precious 4.25
07. Last Time By Moonlight 3.57
08. One Toy Soldier 3.54
09. Stars And Midnight Blue 3.08
10. The Spirit Of Christmas Past 4.18
11. My! My! Time Flies! 3.02
12. Oiche Chiuin(Chorale) 3.49

četvrtak, 03.12.2009.

The Hollies - For Certain Because (1966) (18-track Digipak Remaster 2005)

Digitally remastered french reissue of the 1966 album is packaged in a Digipak and features 18 tracks including 6 bonus tracks, 'After The Fox' (with Peter Sellers), 'Bus Stop', 'Don't Run And Hide', 'Reach Out I'll Be There', 'Too Much Monkey Business', 'Stop! Stop! Stop! (live 1966 rare tracks). Magic Records. 2005.

"For Certain Because" marked the beginning of probably the most creative period in the career of the Hollies. It was also the album that introduced Tonys Hicks' banjo which is very prominent on the big single hit "Stop Stop Stop".
Their songwriting had been steadily growing since their ealiest effort usually credited as Ransford songs. Outstanding originals written by larke/Hicks/Nash dominate the album, which for the first time consists of sheer original material...M. Vindberg

Codec: ogg
Size: 140 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. What's Wrong with the Way I Live
02. Pay You Back with Interest
03. Tell Me to My Face
04. Clown
05. Suspicious Look in Your Eyes
06. It's You
07. High Classed
08. Peculiar Situation
09. What Went Wrong
10. Crusader
11. Don't Ever Think About Changing
12. Stop! Stop! Stop!
13. After the Fox - The Hollies, Peter Sellers
14. Bus Stop
15. Don't Run and Hide
16. Reach out I'll Be There [Live]
17. Too Much Monkey Business [Live]
18. Stop! Stop! Stop! [Live]

The Troggs - Trogglodynamite (1966) (Digipak Remaster 2003)

"oh No" is Just One of the Highlights of this Supurb Collection of Performances by the Troggs, Originally Released in 1966. It Typifies the Group's Mixture of Musical Aggression and Saucy Humor that Helped Make them a 60s Pop Sensation. We Hear the Troggs, Fronted by Singer Reg Presley, in Action on 14 Dynamite Numbers that Include a Spirited Version of Chuck Berry's "Little Queenie" and Bo Diddley's "Mona" as Well as Reg Presley Originals, Notably "i Want You to Come Into My Life". This CD Includes Eight Bonus Tracks featuring a and B Sides of Such Singles as "Any Way that You Want Me" and "Give it to Me".

The original release had a great photo of the band, in colour, Reg Presley to the fore, live on stage. And okay, it makes no difference to the music to change it, but this one just looks rather insipid by comparison to the 'all-action' picture it once had. No matter. The Troggs second album, and a great one at that, with tracks 1 to 14 being from the original release, and 15 onward as added bonuses. With Chuck Berry's 'Little Queenie' and Bo Diddley's 'Mona' within the listing, (both classics from their stage set, where on 'Mona', Reg would play bass and bassist Pete Staples would sing), it had more Reg Presley penned songs than 'From Nowhere'. And with the band still scoring high positions in the charts at the time, this was The Troggs album to have, much more 'on-fire' than their first, but that's just my opinion. A great album of Troggs material from the boy's dubbed by someone as The World's First Garage/Punk Band! Often criticised for using no more then three chords, if they turned out albums like this by doing so, then this must be the reason why they're still treading the boards today!...D. Jellinc

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 136 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 I Can Only Give You Everything 3:25
02 Last Summer 2:57
03 Meet Jacqueline 2:16
04 Oh No 2:07
05 It's Too Late 2:10
06 No. 10 Downing Street 2:17
07 Mona 5:11
08 I Want You to Come into My Life 2:26
09 Let Me Tell You Babe 2:51
10 Little Queenie 2:53
11 Cousin Jane 2:26
12 You Can't Beat It 2:23
13 Baby Come Closer 2:35
14 It's Over 2:13
15 Any Way That You Want Me Bonus Track 2:56
16 66-5-4-3-2-1 (I Know What You Want) Bonus Track 2:35
17 Give It to Me Bonus Track 2:15
18 You're Lying Bonus Track 2:23
19 Night of the Long Grass Bonus Track 3:05
20 Girl in Black Bonus Track 2:02
21 Evil Woman Bonus Track 2:55
22 Sweet Madelaine Bonus Track 2:50

srijeda, 02.12.2009.

Pls.post with artist & title

Pls.post with artist & title

The Perc Meets the Hidden Gentleman - Telegram from the Meantime (2008)

Nrew release of the "most outstanding duet in Germany" (Musicexpress) with recordings that take place here for the first time - partly. Folkrock, Minimalism, Wave Rock at its best!

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 144 MB
Genre : Altern. Rock, Wave Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01. Niteride - Der Raben Mix 5:00
02. Respect and Devotion Part One 4:41
03. Viveca 5:09
04. Emily My Dear 3:30
05. Melkweg Baby 4:54
06. Body Language 3:47
07. Candle 3:21
08. The Towersong 3:47
09. In the Meantime 4:41
10. Fruits 3:08
11. The Fleece Yomano Remix 6:25
12. The Archer 4:06
13. Standing By Your Hero 4:53
14. Respect and Devotion Part Two 4:44
15. Sireena 4:06
16. Hungry 3:06
17. Respect and Devotion Part Three 4:21
18. The Widow On Strings 2:27

track_1

Black Sabbath - Reunion (2CD Set 1998)

Nobody does Black Sabbath songs justice like the original four. With Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward all relatively sound of mind and body, Reunion finds them finally backed by a juggernaut of smart businesspeople and producers who realize what's at stake. The mix is crisp and eye-watering, and the four legends rumble like one thick cloud of doom. Trackwise, it's all the hits plus a few stray wanderings off-kilter ("Dirty Women"). The much-anticipated pair of new studio tracks are a mixed lot: "Psycho Man" is a Kiss-grade metal lurch with an atrocious B-movie lyric that somehow escaped Osbourne's usually reliable cheese radar. "Selling My Soul," however, is convincingly ominous, with Iommi creating piles of dark chords...M. Popoff

Though it was conceived as a mere cash-in for the long-awaited return of the original Black Sabbath, 1998's Reunion is as close to an official live album as the band has had in their historic 30-year career. 1980's Live at Last was released without their permission, and 1982's Live Evil featured then-singer Ronnie James Dio. With this in mind, the band must be commended on the excellent quality of the recordings, which include their most enduring classics ("War Pigs," "Paranoid," "Iron Man"), as well as a few surprises ("Dirty Women," "Behind the Wall of Sleep"), and were culled from a series of concerts in their native Birmingham in December 1997. The real key to this album, however, is the band's ability to avoid the most common pitfall of live recordings: speeding up the songs. This patience is crucial, since such Sabbath staples as "Sweet Leaf," "Black Sabbath," and "Snowblind" owe much of their unique personality and somber atmospherics to the band's trademark "snail's pace." "Children of the Grave" proves itself once again as one of the band's most dependable live favorites, and the massive riffs of "Into the Void" are simply timeless. The two brand new studio tracks are another treat for longtime fans, and while "Selling My Soul" is rather mundane, "Psycho Man" is absolutely incredible thanks to its slow intro and raging final riff... E. Rivadavia

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 230 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Line-up

Ozzy Osbourne - vocals
Tony Iommi - guitar
Geezer Butler - bass
Bill Ward - drums

Tracklist.

CD1

01 War Pigs 8:27
02 Behind the Wall of Sleep 4:06
03 N.I.B. 6:44
04 Fairies Wear Boots 6:19
05 Electric Funeral 5:01
06 Sweet Leaf 5:07
07 Spiral Architect 5:40
08 Into the Void 6:31
09 Snowblind 6:07

CD 2

01 Sabbath Bloody Sabbath 4:36
02 Orchid/Lord of This World 7:06
03 Dirty Women 6:29
04 Black Sabbath 7:29
05 Iron Man 8:20
06 Children of the Grave 6:30
07 Paranoid 4:29
08 Psycho Man 5:19
09 Selling My Soul 3:09

utorak, 01.12.2009.

Dr. Feelgood - Stupidity (1975) (1998)

Recorded in 1976 this 15 Track Album Reached No One in the UK and features Vintage Dr Feelgood Tracks of the Same Vintage as Down by the Jetty.
The original vinyl album had the first seven tracks, recorded in Sheffield, on Side 1, and the next six tracks, recorded in Southend, on Side 2. The final two tracks, recorded in Aylesbury, were on a free single, only issued with the first 20,000 copies, making this a collector's item. [5] This is, however, contradicted on the back of the 1998 Grand Records re-release (GRANDCD 21), which states that tracks 8-15 were all recorded at Southend.

An extended CD version of the album was released in 1991 entitled Stupidity + and sub-titled Dr. Feelgood - Live - 1976-1990. In addition to the tracks above, there were an additional nine live tracks included: "Take a Tip" / "Every Kind of Vice" / "She's A Wind Up" / "No Mo Do Yakamo" / "Love Hound" / "Shotgun Blues" / "King For A Day" / "Milk and Alcohol" / "Down At The Doctors" - which were all recorded in the period after Wilko Johnson left the band in 1977.

Comprised of recordings taken from 1975 tours, the live Stupidity finally captures the relentless, hard-driving energy of Dr. Feelgood at their peak. All the music on Stupidity is presented raw and without overdubs, making it clear that the dynamic friction between guitarist Wilko Johnson and vocalist Lee Brilleaux could propel the band toward greatness. While many of the versions here don't differ in form from the original studio versions, these unvarnished performances are considerably more exciting, revealing the Johnson originals "She Does It Right" and "All Through the City" as minor rock & roll classics.

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 107 MB
Genre : Pub Rock
2000mustangs

Line-up

Wilko Johnson - guitar, backing vocals
Lee Brilleaux - vocals, guitar, harmonica, slide guitar
John B. Sparks - bass guitar
The Big Figure - drums, backing vocals

Tracklist:

01. Talkin' Bout You 1:58
02. 20 Yards Behind 2:01
03. Stupidity 2:25
04. All Through The City 2:54
05. I'm A Man 5:10
06. Walking The Dog 2:58
07. She Does It Right 3:05
08. Going Back Home 3:43
09. I Don't Mind 2:17
10. Back In The Night 3:09
11. I'm A Hog For You Baby 3:16
12. Checking Up On My Baby 3:17
13. Roxette 2:54
14. Riot In Cell Block No. 9 3:47
15. Johnny B. Goode 3:59

Grand Funk - We're An American Band (1973) (12-track Remaster 2002)

They lost the 'Railroad' in their name but they gained a producer (Todd Rundgren) and a #1 hit single! Originally released in 1973. Includes 4 bonus tracks 'Hooray', 'The End', 'Stop Lookin' Back' (acoustic mix) & 'We're An American Band' (2002 remix).24-bit digitally remastered. Capitol Records. 2002.

Having made several changes in their business and musical efforts in 1972, Grand Funk Railroad made even more extensive ones in 1973, beginning with their name, which was officially truncated to "Grand Funk." And keyboardist Craig Frost, credited as a sideman on Phoenix, the previous album, was now a full-fledged bandmember, filling out the musical arrangements. The most notable change, however, came with the hiring of Todd Rundgren to produce the band's eighth album. Rundgren, a pop/rock artist in his own right, was also known for his producing abilities, and he gave Grand Funk exactly what they were looking for: We're an American Band sounded nothing like its muddy, plodding predecessors. Sonically, the record was sharp and detailed and the band's playing was far tighter and more accomplished. Most important, someone, whether the band or Rundgren, decided that gruff-voiced drummer Don Brewer should be employed as a lead singer as often as guitarist Mark Farner. Brewer also contributed more as a songwriter, and the results were immediate. The album's title song, an autobiographical account of life on the road written and sung by Brewer, was released in advance of the album and became a gold-selling number one hit, Grand Funk's first really successful single. Despite the band's previous popularity, for many, it must have been the first Grand Funk record they either heard or bought. Elsewhere on the album, Farner contributed his usual wailing vocals and guitar, singing of his heartfelt, if simpleminded, political concerns. But We're an American Band really belonged to Brewer and Rundgren, and its success constituted a redefinition of Grand Funk that came just in time. [The 2002 reissue adds two worthy outtakes (both previously released), an acoustic version of "Stop Lookin' Back," and a remix of the title song (both previously unreleased).]...W. Ruhlmann

Codec: mp3
Bitrate: 320 kB/s
Size: 126 MB
Genre : Rock
2000mustangs

Tracklist:

01 We're an American Band 3:27
02 Stop Lookin' Back 4:52
03 Creepin' 7:02
04 Black Licorice 4:45
05 The Railroad 6:12
06 Ain't Got Nobody 4:26
07 Walk Like a Man (You Can Call Me Your Man) 4:05
08 Loneliest Rider 5:28
09 Hooray Bonus Track 4:05
10 The End Bonus Track 4:11
11 Stop Lookin' Back prev. unreleased / Bonus / Acoustic Mix 3:04
12 We're an American Band prev.unreleased / Bonus / 2002 Remix 3:34