AL GREEN "Al Green Is Love" (1975)

In a short time, Al Green became a premier singer in R&B and pop. With songs like "Look What You've Done for Me" and "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)," among many others, Green and producer Willie Mitchell refined the sounds of each genre. As Al Green Explores Your Mind was the peak of Green's insouciance, Al Green Is Love finds a starker reality -- the majority of the tracks here are ruminative but not always coherent. The first track, the propulsive "L-O-V-E (Love)," would be even more believable if Green didn't sound so ambivalent. Other up-tempo tracks, "I Gotta Be More" and "Rhymes," are edgy and dark, with great riffs from guitarist Mabon Hodges. The heart of Al Green Is Love is the ballads, though Green's not very happy, and those looking for heartwarming thoughts on romance won't find it here. "The Love Sermon" and, even better, "I Didn't Know" are spare, dirge-like songs that give Green great opportunities to turn in raw and emotional performances. "I Wish You Were Here" and "Could I Be the One" have producer Willie Mitchell offering suitably bleak arrangements to go with Green's airy vocals. The best track here, "There Is Love," strikes a balance between the customary production grace and the album's pervading sorrow. Al Green Is Love might be too depressing for some, but his fans will find Green's truthfulness appealing and some of the songs among his best. (Allmusic)

trax:

01 L-O-V-E (Love) 02 Rhymes 03 The Love Sermon 04 There Is Love 05 Could I Be The One 06 Love Ritual 07 I Didn't Know 08 Oh Me, Oh My (Dreams In My Arms) 09 I Gotta Be More 10 I Wish You Were Here 11 Strong As Death (Sweet As Love)

...served by Gyro1966...

THE WORLD FAMOUS HEADLINERS "World Famous Headliners" 2012 (feat. Al Anderson, Shawn Camp, Pat McLaughlin, Michael Rhodes & Greg Morrow)

Big Al Anderson kept on chooglin' with NRBQ, representing the freest rock 'n' roll spirit in a music world that found itself getting ever more corporate. As a songwriter, he provided songs for LeAnn Rimes, Carlene Carter, and Tim McGraw. Shawn Camp wrote hits for George Strait and Brooks & Dunn and recorded several solo albums of high repute. Pat McLaughlin's songs were covered by Tanya Tucker and Delbert McClinton, Bonnie Raitt, and Alan Jackson. Professional sidemen Michael Rhodes and Greg Morrow served under John Fogerty, Joss Stone, Johnny Cash, and The Dixie Chicks between them. With all this experience, it's no surprise that The World Famous Headliners' debut album is confident and fluid with a number of roots-music styles. Elements of country, rockabilly, blues, Tejano, and heartland rock filter into harmony and unison-led tunes such as "Give Your Love to Me," "Can I?," and "Too Fast for You." Any devotee of NRBQ or, say, The Mavericks, will find plenty here. This is a rare band with nothing to prove but with the ability to prove it in their sleep. (Amazon)

trax:

01 Give Your Love to Me 02 Party 'Til The Money's Gone 03 Mamarita 04 Can I? 05 I Bleed 06 Heart Of Gold 07 Take Me Back 08 Ball and Chain 09 Too Fast for You 10 Nobody to Love 11 Jukin' 12 My Baby 13 Ding Dong 14 My Baby Wouldn't Come Back Home 15 Long Weekend

...served by Gyro1966...

AL GREEN "Explores Your Mind" (1974)

By the time of 1974's Al Green Explores Your Mind, this version of the Memphis sound was the production style for only a handful of artists. Producer Willie Mitchell used a lighter touch for his most famous artist, and it's all but crafted into the Al Green sound. Despite his skills, Green never falls into mannerism here and gives heartfelt and cogent vocals rooted in intelligence and technique. "Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)," although lyrically slight, has the artist's charisma and Mitchell's pop chops. "Take Me to the River," with perfect backing from Hi Rhythm and a horn and string arrangement, finds Green at his most persuasive. The last track, "School Days," has Green longing for a school girlfriend and despite the potentially sappy sentiment, it works like a charm. The greatness of Al Green Explores Your Mind comes from a collective effort, including James Mitchell's dreamlike string arrangements and the always skilled backing vocals of Rhodes, Chalmers & Rhodes. But the biggest draw here is Green's phrasing and intimate vocals, making the record an extremely strong effort. (Allmusic)

trax:

01 Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy) 02 Take Me To The River 03 God Blessed Our Love 04 The City 05 One Nite Stand 06 I'm Hooked On You 07 Stay With Me Forever 08 Hangin' On 09 School Days

...served by Gyro1966...

THE RESONARS "Nonetheless Blue" (2007)

Matt Rendon's one-man British Invasion revival unit, the Resonars, have once again made one of the finest albums of 1965 -- this time in the year 2007. Nonetheless Blue wears its influences on its sleeve, from the Roger McGuinn-influenced guitar accents on "Whatever You Want" to the Merseybeat harmonies of "Sinking Is Slow," but Rendon's songwriting is good enough that this stuff sounds less like a collection of past clichés than a batch of classic-style pop tunes that look to the past while establishing an identity of their own. Just as importantly, Rendon and his helpers (if he had any) play these songs with enough urgency and force that they come off as great, high-energy pop tunes rather than genre exercises, and the guitar work is uniformly excellent throughout, with the production capturing just the right retro vibe. And if you want to hear Rendon rock out, the crash-velocity closer "Three Times Around" is just what you need. Nonetheless Blue doesn't re-invent the wheel within the garage revival universe, but it rolls smooth and fast and gets there in style; folks with a taste for the British branch of mid-'60s rock will eat this right up. (matt Deming, Allmusic)

trax:

01 Nonetheless Blue 02 Your Concern 03 Places You Have Been 04 Whatever You Want 05 Games Of Fear 06 Every Other Day 07 No Problem At All 08 If Darkness Comes Too Fast 09 Sinking Is Slow 10 As A Matter Of Fact 11 Soar Snippet 12 Three Times Around

...served by Gyro1966...

AL GREEN "Livin' For You" (1973)

Starting in 1971 with Al Green Gets Next to You, Al Green albums became necessities. Livin' for You is Green's sixth album, and the fourth to be certified gold. (Its predecessor, the classic Call Me, was still on the charts when this was released.) Each of Green's albums with Willie Mitchell are singular, with their own distinct style, and Livin' for You is no exception. It takes a more relaxed approach and offers some of his best ballads; the title track is Green at his most engaging, even when he sang potentially mood-interrupting lines like "I'm tired of your bright ideas about leaving me." "Home Again" and "So Good to Be Here" are romantic if not hypnotic, offering subtle drumming, economical keyboards, and gentle vocals. The biggest track here, the proficient and smooth "Let's Get Married," has Green being a little wishy-washy as he sings, "I didn't mean to say all the things I said/The way I felt in my heart it came out that way." Although the originals here rank with his best, Green also did good cover work too. The often useless "Unchained Melody" shows up and benefits from Green's methodical delivery. In many ways, Livin' for You is the perfect, intimate album for his fans. (Allmusic)

trax:

01 Livin' For You 02 Home Again 03 Free At Last 04 Let's Get Married 05 So Good To Be Here 06 Sweet Sixteen 07 Unchained Melody 08 My God Is Real 09 Beware

...served by Gyro1966...

THE RESONARS "Lunar Kit" (2002)

The Tucson, AZ-based Resonars are essentially a talented one-man band by the name of Matt Rendon, even though three other members -- vocalist John Rendon, bassist Michael "Mick" Huxley, and drummer Keith Lopez -- of the supposed four-piece combo are listed on the CD credits. Don't look to the liner notes to reveal any clues about the band, however, as they're penned by Rendon posing as producer Alfie McNabb. (Scott Moody, owner of Star Time Records, thought it would be funny to have an Andrew Loog Oldham/Kit Lambert-type character named Alfie McNabb posing as his A&R guy and house producer, and so now McNabb's name appears on all of his label's releases.) In the notes, McNabb claims that Resonars are on "a mission to play vibrant, exciting music that can shake the world and still make the girls smile," which is as good a reason to go on a mission as any. Rendon had originally begun work on Lunar Kit in 2000, after the Get Hip release of 1999's Bright and Dark, but he eventually retired the group's moniker and moved to Seattle. There he joined the Vultures, playing drums for them under the name Mickey Finch. In fact, only one track on this album -- "Everything You Said" -- was recorded after he returned to Tucson in early 2001. As before, Rendon played all of the instruments and sang all the vocals, four-tracking himself at his Coma Cave home studio. Rendon also remixed two psych garage tracks -- "Why Does It Have to Be So Hard?" and "A Slice of Today," which had appeared on a CD that accompanied the last issue of a Philadelphia-based fanzine, The Bob, in the fall of 2001. ("A Slice of Today," incidentally, appeared as an unlisted bonus track on that particular CD.) "Under Garden" sounds like it may have been inspired by the Hollies circa Butterfly. Another Hollies-inspired track, the harmony-drenched "She's in Love With Her," shows up midway, along with its flip side of the Star Time single from 2000, the freakbeat romp "Floor Lamp Eyes," while an even older track, "Funny Old World," features a great freakout on the drums. The jangle-riffic title track, a Byrds-ian folk-rock "Lunar Kit," is positively swimming in echo and highlighted by early Who-style drumming, towering multi-tracked harmonies, and a twangy guitar. "Everything You Said" sounds inspired by Fontana-era Manfred Mann or even Outrageous Cherry. The album ends on a odd note, with Rendon trying his hand -- and succeeding -- at a boogie tune, "Little Spoiled Baby." (Bryan Thomas, Allmusic)trax:

01 A Slice Of Today 02 Under Garden 03 Why Does It Have To Be So Hard 04 Retro Rocket 05 She's In Love With Her 06 Funny Old World 07 Flood Lamp Eyes 08 Lunar Kit 09 Way Way Way Way Out 10 Everything You Said 11 Little Spoiled Baby

...served by Gyro1966...

AL GREEN "Call Me" (1973)

Al Green reached his creative peak with the brilliant Call Me, the most inventive and assured album of his career. So silky and fluid as to sound almost effortless, Green's vocals revel in the lush strings and evocative horns of Willie Mitchell's superbly intimate production, barely rising above an angelic whisper for the gossamer "Have You Been Making Out O.K.." With barely perceptible changes in mood, Call Me covers remarkable ground, spanning from "Stand Up" -- a call to arms delivered with characteristic understatement -- to renditions of Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away," both of them exemplary fusions of country and soul. Equally compelling are the album's three Top Ten hits -- "You Ought to Be With Me," "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)," and the shimmering title cut. A classic.

(by Jason Ankeny, Allmusic)

trax:

01 Call Me (Come Back Home) 02 Have You Been Making Out OK 03 Stand Up 04 I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry 05 Your Love Is Like The Morning Sun 06 Here I Am (Come And Take Me) 07 Funny How Time Slips Away 08 You Ought To Be With Me 09 Jesus Is Waiting

...served by Gyro1966...

Cliff Richard & The Shadows / The Roy Kay Trio / Larry Trider / Jack C. Smith

hier einige Single-Rips meinerseits. Have a rockin' Sunday & stay wild!!! - DooWopDaddyOCliff Richard & The Shadows (Single - ABC-Paramount 45-10 109)
trax:
A.) Choppin' 'N' Changin' (Unissued Take) B.) I Cannot Find A True Love
...served by DooWopDaddyO...The Roy Kay Trio - Travel Bound / One Year Ago Tonight
trax:
A.) Travel Bound B.) One Year Ago Tonight
...served by DooWopDaddyO...
Larry Trider (Dot 16727 - 1965)
trax:
A.) So Fine (Dot 16727 - 1965) B.) New Orleans (Dot 16727 - 1965)
...served by DooWopDaddyO...Jack C. Smith (Liberty 55257 - 1960)
trax:
A.) There'll Never Be Another (Liberty 55257 - 1960) B.) Honeysuckle Rose (Liberty 55257 - 1960)
...served by DooWopDaddyO...

THE RESONARS "Bright and Dark" (1999)

The Resonars' Bright and Dark, released on the Get Hip label in 1999, was the second album by this Tucson "group," but actually features only leader Matt Rendon playing all of the instruments on these four-track recordings (made at his Coma Cave home studio). This modern-day cubist rocker snips bits from this genre and that one, pasting them together to create something that sounds like a long-lost artifact from the mid- to late '60s. Rendon's key influences, evidently, are rock bands, folk-rock artists, and British Invasion groups of that halcyon era, including -- but certainly not limited to -- the Byrds, the Easybeats, and especially the Hollies ("Carrie Don't Care" could be a continuation of the Hollies' "Carrie Ann"). The mod-psych influence of early Who (especially Rendon's manic Keith Moon-style drumming) and Rubber Soul to Magical Mystery Tour-era Beatles is also evident here, due in no small part to Rendon's fascination with soaring multiple harmonies, or, as one writer accurately described it at the time: "Picture The Notorious Byrd Brothers combined with Hollies harmonies and "Rain"-era Beatles psychedelic touches." "Goodbye Melanie" has a Middle Eastern flair, and the sped-up cover of "I'll Keep It With Mine" features ringing Byrds-style guitars (quoting liberally from Them's "Here Comes the Night") and octave-leaping vocals. "If He's So Great" is another Byrds-inspired track with ringing 12-string Rickenbackers, while "Under the Blazing Stars" references "Eight Miles High." Most of Rendon's songs are upbeat and buoyant, handsomely crafted and fleshed out with herky-jerky tempo changes, but there are a few exceptions. "Bathyscope," for instance, is a warm psychedelic pop gem awash in wavering layers of vocal effects laden with echo. (Bryan Thomas, Allmusic)

trax:

01 the golden age 02 bathyscope 03 marina 04 goodbye melanie 05 carrie don't care 06 gina (how close did i come?) 07 too much girl 08 eden in transition 09 i'll keep it with mine 10 if he's so great 11 under the blazing stars 12 spider west

...served by Gyro1966...

AL GREEN "I'm Still In Love With You" (1972)

I'm Still in Love With You shares many surface similarities with its predecessor, Let's Stay Together; from Al Green and Willie Mitchell's distinctive, sexy style to the pacing and song selection. Despite those shared traits, I'm Still in Love With You distinguishes itself with its suave, romantic tone and its subtly ambitious choice of material. Green began exploring country music with this album by performing a startling version of Kris Kristofferson's "For the Good Times," as well as a wonderful, slow reinterpretation of Roy Orbison's "Oh Pretty Woman." And the soul numbers are more complex than they would appear -- listen to how the beat falls together at the beginning of "Love and Happiness," or the sly melody of the title track. There isn't a wasted track on I'm Still in Love With You, and in many ways it rivals its follow-up, Call Me, as Green's masterpiece. (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)

trax:

01 I'm Still In Love With You 02 I'm Glad You're Mine 03 Love And Happiness 04 What A Wonderful Thing Love Is 05 Simply Beautiful 06 Oh, Pretty Woman 07 For The Good Times 08 Look What You Done For Me 09 One Of These Good Old Days

...served by Gyro1966...

AL GREEN "Let's Stay Together" (1971)

Prior to this album, Al Green never had a number one song. The title track, "Let's Stay Together," achieved that status and held it for nine consecutive weeks. Green's ingenuity produced one of the all-time classics, which has the bounce of a dance cut and the passion of a ballad. The dynamic soul singer's whispers, animated cries, and riffing enhance his already stirring delivery. This album was sold on the strength of the title track as there were no other selections to grace the Billboard charts. However, this album includes the timeless gem "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" and lesser-known beauties like the exulting "Judy," the cookin' testimonial "I Never Found a Girl," and the soothing blues effort "It Ain't No Fun to Me." The Arkansas native and his creative partner Willie Mitchell season these selections with lucid rhythm arrangements complemented by the faint strums of a guitar and brawn, unchiding horns. (Allmusic)

trax:

01 Let's Stay Together 02 La-La For You 03 So You're Leaving 04 What Is This Feeling 05 Old Time Lovin' 06 I've Never Found A Girl 07 How Can You Mend A Broken Heart 08 Judy 09 It Ain't No Fun To Me

...served by Gyro1966...

AL ANDERSON "Strings" (2012)

"Strings," is a solo effort recorded with contributions from Vince Gil and Dobroplayer Jerry Douglas. It's a reflective album, full of understated songs including a lovely new interpretation of his longing song "What's a Thousand Miles," which first appeared on his 2006 album "After Hours."

"It's 99 percent acoustic," Anderson says. "There's plenty of room for everbody to play. Rich [Bennett], Vince and Jerry Douglas did most of the guitar work. I just tried to stay out the way."

When he wasn't working on "Strings," Anderson was collaborating with songwriters Shawn Camp and Pat McLaughlin on a batch of more raucous songs as part of a band the three are calling the World Famous Headliners. The trio was supposed to be writing country songs for their publishing company, Yellow Dog Music, and rock 'n' roll songs kept slipping out instead. (Hartford Courant)

trax:

01 I Have Loved These Days 02 Strings 03 Satan's Just Waitin' 04 I've Been Lookin' For Ya 05 Heart Of Hearts 06 Further Than I Meant To Go 07 Some Things Never Get Old 08 I Want I Want I Want 09 What's A Thousand Miles 10 Change Is In The Wind 11 You Don't Wanna Love A Man Like Me 12 Hotel Coupe Deville

...served by Gyro1966...

AL GREEN "Gets Next To You" (1971)

After the shaky start of Green Is Blues, Al Green and producer Willie Mitchell established their classic sound with Green's second album, Gets Next to You. The main difference is in the rhythm section. Abandoning the gritty syncopations of deep Southern soul, the Hi Rhythm Section plays it slow and seductive, working a sultry, steady pulse that Green exploits with his remarkable voice. Alternating between Sam Cooke's croon and Otis Redding's shout, Green develops his own distinctive style, and Gets Next to You only touches the surface of its depth. Although the album is filled with wonderful moments, few are as astonishing as Green and Mitchell's reinterpretation of the Temptations' "I Can't Get Next to You," which turns the original inside out.  (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)

trax:

01 I Can't Get Next To You 02 Are You Lonely For Me Baby 03 God Is Standing By 04 Tired Of Being Alone 05 I'm A Ram 06 Driving Wheel 07 Light My Fire 08 You Say It 09 Right Now, Right Now 10 All Because 11 Ride Sally Ride 12 True Love

...served by Gyro1966...

LES CHAKACHAS "Tibidibang" 1973

Hi Everybody, I discovered "Les Chakachas" or "Chakachas" on the very good compilation "Barrio Nuevo" from the spendid label "SoulJazz Records". And when my GrandFather died (RIP Papick), I recovered about fifty discs, (I would be banned from twilightzone with the most part) and this famous "Chakachas - Tibidibang. By going through forums, I saw that he was searched enough, it is for this that I offer it to you, this after a big job of restoration. Enjoy that vinyl rip!!! - Magic Kaic's MusicSurely the funkiest album of the "Chakachas" band composed by belgium musicians lead by percussionist Gaston Bogaert. The result is a combination between soul, pop & latin music. Focus on rawing funk instrumental "Turtle soup & Hot hand", also on sexy pop-soul "Liza & brook" & the cult "The party", notice vocal by Tito Puentes's wife Kari Kenton. Rare latin soul gem! - Magic Kaic's Music

Personnel:

Gaston Bogaert, (conga, tumba), Kari Kenton (Vocal, maracas), Vic Ingeveldt (sax), Charlie Lots (Trumpet), Christian Marc, (piano), Henri Breyre (guit, vocal), Bill Raymond, (bass). .

trax:

01 Tibidibang 02 Super Cat 03 Turtle Soup 04 Liza & Brook 05 Vendo Mango 06 Hot Hands 07 Noche De Amor 08 Bugaloo 09 Try It You Like It 10 Mamadula 11 The Beggar 12 The Party 13 The Walking Brass 14 The Riot Is Over

...served by Magic Kaic's Music...

AL ANDERSON "Pawn Shop Guitars" (2007)

After leaving NRBQ, with whom he spent more than two decades as lead guitarist and vital contributor of song material and vocals, Big Al Anderson relocated to Nashville and launched a second career as a country songwriter, placing his wares with many an A-list artist. He put his own recording career on the back burner, but then in 2006 came out with two distinctly different releases. After Hours, as its title suggests, was a quiet affair, largely acoustic; Pawn Shop Guitars is anything but. Here Anderson is back to doing what he does best, ripping scorching rockabilly licks out of his electric, picking the blues, getting funky, and just plain rocking out. The acoustic is present too, but this isn't about laying back, it's about waking up with eyes wide open. The lead track, "Something in the Water," is classic Big Al, and highly reminiscent of NRBQ at their most fired-up. "Tell Me Something I Don't Know" is pure pop with a country twang (the Everly Brothers could have done wonders with it), and "Drinkin' on the Weekend," appropriately, is a bar-bustin' rocker fueled by a pumpin' Johnnie Johnson-esque piano break. Anderson employs a team of excellent players to bring this, his strongest solo album to date, to the finish line. Pawn Shop Guitars is more than a hint that this most underrated guitarist/singer/songwriter misses his old job more than he previously let on. (Jeff Tamarkin, Allmusic)

trax:

01 Something in the Water 02 Poor Me 03 Pawn Shop Guitars 04 Shake That Thing 05 Tell Me Something I Don't Know 06 Just a Thought 07 Drinkin' On the Weekend 08 World Came Tumblin' Down 09 Bigger Wheel 10 Have It Your Way 11 Airstream 12 What Did I Do 13 Why Do I Feel Like Runnin' 14 Animals

...served by Gyro1966...

AL GREEN "Al Green Is Blues" (1969)

The first album linking the soul-singing greatness of Al Green with the production brilliance and expertise of Willie Mitchell. The results were mutually beneficial; Green got the great production, arrangements, and backing from the Hi Rhythm section that often turned good songs into classics, and he sang with the conviction and talent that provided the final component in an artistically and commercially satisfying union. (Ron Wynn, Allmusic)Al Green was the first great soul singer of the '70s and arguably the last great Southern soul singer. With his seductive singles for Hi Records in the early '70s, Green bridged the gap between deep soul and smooth Philadelphia soul. He incorporated elements of gospel, interjecting his performances with wild moans and wails, but his records were stylish, boasting immaculate productions that rolled along with a tight beat, sexy backing vocals, and lush strings. The distinctive Hi Records sound that the vocalist and producer Willie Mitchell developed made Al Green the most popular and influential soul singer of the early '70s, influencing not only his contemporaries, but also veterans like Marvin Gaye. Green was at the peak of his popularity when he suddenly decided to join the ministry in the mid-'70s. At first, he continued to record secular material, but by the '80s, he was concentrating solely on gospel. During the late '80s and '90s, he occasionally returned to R&B, but he remained primarily a religious performer for the rest of his career. Nevertheless, Green's classic early- '70s recordings retained their power and influence throughout the decades, setting the standard for smooth soul. (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)

trax:

01 One Woman 02 Talk To Me 03 My Girl 04 The Letter 05 I Stand Accused 06 Gotta Find A New World 07 What Am I Gonna Do With Myself 08 Tomorrow's Dream 09 Get Back Baby 10 Get Back 11 Summertime 12 I Want To Hold Your Hand

...served by Gyro1966...

AL ANDERSON "After Hours" (2006)

Al Anderson has been playing rock & roll for close to four decades now, so who could blame him if he wanted to take a break from the stuff for a little while? Still best known for his long tenure as the genius guitar picker with NRBQ and now doing business as a successful Nashville tunesmith, Anderson shows off his passion for jazz, Western swing, acoustic country, and smooth ballad crooning on After Hours, and though anyone expecting a replay of the barrelhouse roots rock of 1996's Pay Before You Pump is going to be disappointed, this collection of "Big Al, the Moonlight and You" is a thoroughly pleasurable listen. Given the laid-back nature of the material, Anderson's guitar work is subtle on most of these tunes, but he's solidly in the pocket throughout, and gets to show off a bit on snappy numbers such as "Blues About You Baby," and the songs give him a chance to focus on the romantic and personal side of his lyrical muse, especially on "Trip Around the Sun" and "Another Place I Don't Belong." And if Anderson's vocals confirm he's not exactly Sinatra, he's never less than heartfelt, and he brings a natural warmth to "Love Make a Fool of Me," "Better Word for Love," and "Let's Get Away for the Weekend" that's genuinely winning and fits the material perfectly. After Hours is something of an unexpected detour for Al Anderson, but it collects some fine songs played with skill and soul by a master musician, and in that respect it's in the best tradition of Big Al's work, and fans will enjoy this look at his softer side. (Mark Deming, Allmusic)trax:

01 Love Make A Fool Of Me 02 It's Only Natural 03 Interlude 04 Better Word For Love 05 Blues About You Baby 06 Do Nothin' Day 07 Trip Around The Sun 08 Right On Time 09 In My Dreams 10 Movin' Into The Light 11 What's A Thousand Miles 12 Let's Get Away For The Weekend 13 Another Place I Don't Belong 14 Two Survivors

...served by Gyro1966...

Redskins "Neither Washington Nor Moscow…" (1986)

Hi Everybody, I'm proud to present the "!"album... it was in another time, the world was divided between the East and West (today it is between North and South, which progress!), there was unemployment, plants closed, the rich men became richer, the poor people poorer, another time I tell you... And this fantastic album to remind of some truths, probably too radical and too political to attain the peaks of success, but any importance, because those who listened it, still listen to it and share it with big pleasure. Enjoy that vinyl rip!!! - Magic Kaic's Musictrax:

01. The Power Is Yours 02. Kick Over The Statues 03. Go Get Organized 04. It Can Be Done 05. Keep On Keepin' On 06. (Burn It Up) Bring It Down (See Things In The Altogether) 07. Hold On (Don't Run Away) 08. Turnin' Loose (These Furious Flames) 09. Take No Heroes 10. The Crack 11. Let's Make It Work 12. Lean On Me

...served by Magic Kaic's Music...

AL ANDERSON "Pay Before You Pump" (1996)

For 22 years, Al Anderson had the dubious distinction of being the relatively normal guy in NRBQ; while the rest of the band were frequently content to wander off in a delightful but inscrutable musical direction no one seemed to full comprehend but themselves, Big Al could be counted on to keep at least one foot firmly planted on solid ground, playing blazing country-accented guitar leads and writing the band's most accessible songs, such as "Riding in My Car" and "It Comes to Me Naturally." So it should come as a shock to no one that Pay Before You Pump, Anderson's first solo album after leaving NRBQ, is short on quirks and long on barroom boogie and hot-rodded twangy guitar; Anderson's strengths were always based in good and greasy roots rock, and here he lets his country accents rise to the surface (and seems to be having a great time doing it). By this time, Anderson was also racking up a good number of credits as a Nashville songwriter for hire, and Pay Before You Pump is also something of a sampler that offers a little bit of everything Big Al likes to write -- punchy rockers ("No Place in History," "That Thang"), rowdy roadhouse escapades ("Bang Bang Bang"), twangy dance numbers ("Get Done"), faux Cajun groovers ("After the Mardi Gras"), and even a self-reflective ballad ("A Change Is Gonna Do Me Good"). If the songs here are generally more polished and professional and less idiosyncratic than his work with NRBQ, they're still lots of fun and boast a lot more heart and soul than your average Music Row hack, while Anderson also leaves himself plenty of room for some extra-crispy chicken pickin'. Pay Before You Pump never quite scales the peaks of oddball wonder of NRBQ's best work, but it's never less than a rockin' good time with great songs and stellar guitar work, and there's not a thing wrong with that. (Mark Deming, Allmusic)

trax:

01 No Place in History 02 Bang Bang Bang 03 It Came from the South 04 Change Is Gonna Do Me Good 05 Get Gone 06 That Thang 07 Under the Hood 08 Listen to Your Heart 09 Lonely Too Long 10 After the Mardi Gras 11 Hole in My Heart 12 Without Your Love 13 Hiss-On-U

...served by Gyro1966...

Buddy Miles "We Got To Live Together" (1970)

Hi everybody, I bought this one recently in a secondhand vinyl market,and I dont regret it at all. Despite 3 little stars on AllMusic.com, it's a great record, and I wish to have some like that, at least twice a year... Enjoy that vinyl rip!!! - Magic Kaic's Musictrax:

01. Runaway Child (Little Miss Nothin') 02. Walking Down The Highway 03. Easy Greasy 04. We Got To Live Together 05. Take It Off Him And Put It On Me

...served by Magic Kaic's Music...

NRBQ "Peek-A-Boo" The Best of NRBQ (1969-1989)

NRBQ have been one of America's great rock & roll bands since they emerged in the late Sixties, but given their checkered recording career -- nothing approaching a hit, several short stays at major labels and a longer tenure at their own Red Rooster imprint -- and a sense of creative wanderlust that strains the boundaries of the word "eclectic," pulling out an album that will convince a novice listener of the Q's greatness has been something of a challenge. Thankfully, Rhino compiled a near perfect NRBQ sampler with Peek-A-Boo: The Best of NRBQ 1969-1989. You name it, NRBQ can play it, and they offer up a little bit of all of it on this set -- hard roadhouse stomp ("Flat Foot Flwezy"), jazz-influenced exploration ("Here Comes Terry"), glorious driving tunes ("Green Lights"), rockabilly in overdrive ("12 Bar Blues"), sublime pop songs ("If I Don't Have You"), sweet and subtle folk-rock ("Mona"), collaborations with great men of professional wrestling ("Captain Lou") and any number of stops in between. While Peek-A-Boo spans two decades of record making, the pleasant surprise is that the group's musical vision was obviously in place from the start, and while their range expanded with time, they remain playful but committed to the serious joy of making music throughout, and regardless of who was in the band at any given time (though the bulk of this set is devoted to the longest-lived lineup of Terry Adams, Al Anderson, Tom Ardolino and Joey Spampinato). Given how much music NRBQ has released since Peek-A-Boo was issued, this collection is no longer as definitive as it once was, but as an introduction to a great band's singular body of work, it remains invaluable and an awful lot of fun.(mark Deming, Allmusic)

trax CD 1:

01 Flat Foot Flewzy 02 Magnet 03 Howard Johnson's Got His Ho-Jo Workin' 04 Mona 05 Deaf, Dumb And Blind 06 RC Cola And A Moon Pie 07 That's Alright 08 I Got A Rocket In My Pocket 09 Ridin' In My Car 10 Still In School 11 I Want You Bad 12 It Comes To Me Naturally 13 I Love Her, She Loves Me 14 Green Lights 15 Get Rhythm 16 Wacky Tobacky 17 It Was A Accident 18 Christmas Wish

trax CD 2:

01 Me And The Boys 02 You Can't Hide 03 Never Take The Place Of You 04 Feel You Around Me 05 Captain Lou 06 Things To You 07 12 Bar Blues 08 Rain At The Drive-In 09 A Girl Like That 10 How Can I Make You Love Me 11 Crazy Like A Fox 12 Here Comes Terry 13 Every Boy, Every Girl 14 Whistle While You Work 15 It's A Wild Weekend 16 If I Don't Have You 17 Little Floater

...served by Gyro1966...

AL ANDERSON "Party Favors" (1988)

Al Anderson's second solo album, 1988's Party Favors, was recorded during a period when Anderson began focusing more of his energies on writing material that wouldn't necessarily find its way into NRBQ's repertoire (he left the band five years after this was cut), which might have something to do with why this disc sounds so much like a set of songwriter's demos. Though Tom Ardolino plays drums on a few cuts, and John Sebastian sits in on "Nobody Else Will Do," Anderson handled most of the instrumental chores on Party Favors, and the clanky late-'80s drum machines and slightly wheezy synthesizers that mar many of the tracks suggest this album was cut fast and cheap. Despite that, Anderson's guitar work is excellent throughout and his vocals are admirably enthusiastic, and while some of the songs are a good bit less playful than one might expect (most notably the romantic "I Could Do This All Night" and the sexy "If You Get Your Wish"), most of this finds Big Al doing what he does best, playing rowdy roadhouse-friendly rock & roll. However, without musicians of the caliber of NRBQ or the crew he used on Pay Before You Pump backing him up, Party Favors lacks the punch to really get the party started, and at only nine tunes this disc seems to end before it can hit fourth gear. Fans and completists will enjoy it, but this is easily the least of Anderson's solo efforts to date. (mark Deming, Allmusic)

trax:

01 Don't Want Your Love 02 I Could Do This All Night 03 I Got Your Number 04 If You Get Your Wish 05 I Still Love You 06 Crazy Like a Fox 07 Nobody Else Will Do 08 You Don't Mean a Thing 09 Love Her and Leave Her

...served by Gyro1966...

AL ANDERSON "Al Anderson" (Vanguard, 1972)

The happy-go-lucky almost Mardi Gras feel of "We'll Make Love," the second track on this 1972 solo disc from the man behind the North East's legendary Wildweeds and their phenomenal Boston-area hit "No Good to Cry" (unfortunately, not on this disc, but an acoustic version might be a perfect addition to a future re-release), carries that distinctive almost gravel voice of Al Andersen. Though he would later join N.R.B.Q., this earthy folk/blues/country platter was recorded between June and September of 1972 and is a wonderful snapshot of an underrated artist at that point in time. "Ain't No Woman Finer" has Jeff Potter's wailing harp that plays off of Andersen's vocal sustain and snappy guitar work. The colorful and uniquely distorted cover photo of Andersen is almost psychedelic country, but there's none of that here. His vocal on "You're Just Laughing Inside" is reminiscent of early Elton John, say the "Amoreena" or "Burn Down the Mission" period. Hank Williams' "Honky Tonkin'" is the shortest track, but one of the liveliest. "Don't Hold the Line" explodes toward the end, and it is one of the few tunes on here that gets really raucous. "I Just Want to Have You Back Again" is a simple two-and-a-half-minute tune -- if Jim Croce were more laid-back, he'd probably have sounded like this, melodically it reminds one almost of early Paul McCartney solo -- maybe the first McCartney meets Ringo on his Sentimental Journey. The closing title, "I Haven't Got the Strength to Carry On" with Tom Staley's drums and Al Lepak's bass, form a nice framework for Andersen's blues-driven guitar. Also released in "Quadrophonic" in the early '70s, it remains a sincere work by a veteran American artist. (Joe Viglione, Allmusic)

Personnel:

Al Anderson: guitar, vocals, electric piano / Tom Staley: drums, percussion / Al Lepak: bass / Jeff Potter: harp / Terry Adams: piano / Donn Adams: trombone

trax:

01 Be my woman tonight 02 We'll make love 03 Ain't no woman finer lookin' 04 You're just laughin' inside 05 I don't believe I'll stay here anymore 06 Honky Tonkin' 07 Goin'on back to Indiana 08 Don't hold the line 09 I just want to have you back again 10 I haven't got the strength to carry on

...served by Gyro1966...

THE WILDWEEDS "The Wildweeds" 1970 (w/Al Anderson)

The Wildweeds were a group from the Hartford Connecticut area fronted by Al Anderson who in 1967 had a hit with “No Good To Cry” (also covered by the Moving Sidewalks) on the Cadet label, a few more singles followed on Cadet, after which the group went through some personnel changes culminating with this self titled lp in 1970.

Whereas the original Wildweeds’ sound was more psychedelic/soul oriented, this album is more Country Rock influenced. Anderson would then record a solo lp for Vanguard and go on to join the popular NRBQ, afterwards he would become a successful songwriter in Nashville being named “BMI Songwriter Of The Year” in 2000. (Jack Dominilla)

trax:

01 Baby Please Don't Leave Me Today 02 Can't Sit And Watch Little Susie Laugh 03 John King's Fair 04 Belle 05 An Overnight Guest 06 Nobody's Here To Help Me Cry 07 And When She Smiles 08 Paint And Powder Ladies no.2 09 Fantasy Child 10 My Baby Left Me 11 Don't Ask Me How How Or Why 12 Mare, Take Me Home 13 C'mon If You're comin'[Bonus Track] 14 Ain't No Woman Finer Lookin'[Bonus Track] 15 Goin' Back To Indiana[Bonus Track]

...served by Gyro1966...

THE WOODENTOPS "Giant" 1986

"GIANT" is a bright handful of pop gems hallmarked with the band's special sound... an incredible first album!This album, the group's best, explores a wide range of variations on the band's signature manic pop style, here adding occasional marimba, trumpet, accordion, and strings to the mix. The nervous single "Get It On" is presented in an intricately redone version, an improvement over its appearance on Well Well Well. Other great jittery numbers here include the frantic "Love Train" and "Travelling Man," as well as the stun-level manic "Shout" and "Hear Me James." The midtempo numbers here are generally excellent, especially the warmly expressive "Good Thing" and the lovely, loping "Give It Time." "Last Time" is a sadly yearning number with some odd touches that nearly undermine its mood, while "So Good Today" is a breezy, accordion-dominated selection that shamelessly flirts with wimpiness and only partially escapes. "Everything Breaks" manages to combine martial drums, funk guitar touches, a ringing arrangement, and production-number aspirations into one very effective package. There are also two songs that are just plain wacky fun, the nerdy Devo-inspired number "History" and the hiccuping fiddle-flecked song "Love Affair with Everyday Living." Production values here are utterly inspired. If you like pure, bouncy pop, you'll love this release. ~ David Cleary, All Music GuideThe Woodentops:

Chucho Merchán-Bass, Double Bass / Steve Sidwell-Trumpet / Rolo McGinty-Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals / Frank de Freitas-Bass, Vocals / Simon Mawby-Guitar, Vocals / Danny Shogger-Strings / Benny Staples-Drums, Vocals / Alice Thompson-Keyboards, Vocals / Bob Sargeant-Marimba / Ali Thompson-Keyboards, Vocals / Jack Emblow-Accordion

traxfromwax:

1. Get it on 2. Good thing 3. Give it time 4. Love train 5. Hear me James 6. Love affair with everyday living 7. So good today 8. Shout 9. History 10. Travelling man 11. Last time 12. Everything breaks

FOSTER & LLOYD "Foster & Lloyd" 1987

Foster & Lloyd's debut (not my rip and wish it was higher than 192). I think you'll like it though. Thanks for all that you've shared. - Anonymoustrax:

01 Turn Around 02 Crazy Over You 03 What Do You Want From Me This Time? 04 Token Of Love 05 Sure Thing 06 Hard To Say No 07 The Part I Know By Heart 08 Don't Go Out With Him 09 Texas In 1880 10 You Can Come Crying To Me

...served by Anonymous...

The Woodentops "Hypno Beat Live" 1987

You'll work up a sweat just listening to this!This release catches the group in a live performance at Los Angeles' Palace Theatre in November 1986. Most of the material given here consists of tracks from the album Giant and some early singles. Recording quality is good, though the group's on-stage sound mix is rather opaque, obscuring some of the band's subtle touches; backing vocals, keyboards, and acoustic guitars in particular tend to get swallowed up on this recording at times. Many of the songs are given at an unbelievable breakneck speed, even faster than on corresponding studio releases. On rare occasions, such mania results in garbled lead vocals or finger-tied keyboard playing, but by and large, the sheer visceral sweep of these performances proves to be bracing. Most interesting here is the arrangement of "Everyday Living"; this buoyantly frothy album track from Giant, when performed at a faster tempo and without violin, becomes a surprisingly primitive and driven number. This platter is an intriguing listen, recommended especially to fans of this unusual band. ~ David Cleary, All Music GuideThe Woodentops:

Chucho Merchán-Bass, Double Bass / Steve Sidwell-Trumpet / Rolo McGinty-Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals / Frank de Freitas-Bass, Vocals / Simon Mawby-Guitar, Vocals / Danny Shogger-Strings / Benny Staples-Drums, Vocals / Alice Thompson-Keyboards, Vocals / Bob Sargeant-Marimba / Ali Thompson-Keyboards, Vocals / Jack Emblow-Accordion

traxfromwax:

1. Well Well Well 2. Love Train 3. Travelling Man - Get It On 4. Plenty 5. The Last Time 6. Why 7. Everyday Living 8. Good Thing 9. Everything Breaks 10. Move Me 11. Plutonium Rock

Bo did it...

FOSTER & LLOYD "Essential Foster & Lloyd"

The Essential Foster & Lloyd groups together 19 tracks by this influential duo who scored several hits in the 1980s. The two merged Lloyd's melodic pop smarts with Foster's Texas literary soul, giving them catchiness and substance in the same package. They also could rock out, leaning toward a rockabilly energy that didn't carry a trace of the redneck swagger of Southern rock. Instead, this was solid, clean-rocking fun with brains. The duo split in 1990 after three albums. (Allmusic)Radney Foster and Bill Lloyd teamed up for three albums in the late eighties. Nineteen tracks from those albums, together with one hitherto unreleased track, make up this excellent compilation.
Although both Radney Foster and Bill Lloyd have gone on to moderately successful careers in the music business since parting amicably in 1990, I think theirs is clearly another one of those many cases where the whole was greater than the sum of its parts...As other reviewers have said, there's just not a weak cut on this 20-song collection, which covers pretty well their output over three albums. Several of these were sizable country hits in the late '80s, when acts like these guys, along with Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle and a few others, were actually making mainstream country radio fresh and interesting--if only for a short while. I'm especially fond of the Everlys-style vocal harmonies on such tracks as "Sure Thing," "Fair Shake," and "After I'm Gone" (though those harmonies are apparent on virtually every song to a greater or lesser degree). The sly humor of "Hard To Say No," "Fat Lady Sings" and "Can't Have Nothin'" is indicative of some clever songwriting. Finally, the Orbisonesque quality of "Happy For A While," makes it a particular favorite, and their one great cover (and previously unreleased track), The dB's "White Train," makes this album worthwhile even if you're one of those lucky few with all three of their original discs. Since this is all there is left in print to document the output of this cruelly overlooked and highly literate duo, it's a steal at any price. Essential. (Amazon)trax:

01 Crazy Over You 02 What Do You Want From Me This Time? 03 Sure Thing 04 Hard To Say No 05 Don't Go Out With Him 06 Texas In 1880 07 You Can Come Cryin' To Me 08 Faster And Louder 09 Fair Shake 10 She Knows What She Wants 11 Happy For A While 12 Fat Lady Sings 13 After I'm Gone 14 Suzette 15 Before The Heartache Rolls In 16 Is It Love? 17 Can't Have Nothin' 18 All Said And Done 19 White Train 20 Whoa

...served by Gyro1966...

Just found...

THE COWSILLS "We Can Fly" 1967

The third album by the Cowsills starts most promisingly with the appropriately soaring "We Can Fly," which features one of the most thrilling sunshine pop choruses of the group's career. Though nothing else on the album quite reaches those heights, this is probably the Cowsills' most consistently entertaining album. Featuring the highest percentage of original tunes by various Cowsill brothers, with only the somewhat treacly ballad "Yesterday's Girl" coming from an outside songwriter, We Can Fly is blessedly free of the lame covers and second-rate bubblegum castoffs that mar their other albums. The production, by Bill Cowsill and Bob Cowsill, incorporates the orchestral flourishes of the arrangements in an overtly Beatles-inspired pop/rock context, resulting in songs like the gently psychedelic "Beautiful Beige" and the sweet harmony pop of the Kinks-like "Mister Flynn" and "Gray, Sunny Day." After the requisite greatest-hits compilation -- you gotta have "The Rain, the Park and Other Things" and "Hair," after all -- We Can Fly should be the first avenue for further exploration.(Stewart mason, Almusic)trax:

01 We Can Fly 02 Grey Sunny Day 03 Heaven Held 04 A Time For Remembrance 05 Gotta Get Away From It All 06 What Is Happy, Baby? 07 In Need Of A Friend 08 Yesterday's Girl 09 Beautiful Beige 10 Mister Flynn 11 One Man Show

...served by Gyro1966...

The Chesterfield Kings "Live On Stage... If You Want It"

2009 live release from the leaders of the modern Garage Rock movement. The Chesterfield Kings deliver a sensory experience of Psychedelic sight and sound that has earned them legions of fans worldwide. The band's live shows are known to capture the pure essence of Rock 'n' Roll, so a CD that documents the Chesterfield Kings live performance will be a welcome addition to the collections of music fans all over the world.One of my guilty pleasures is that I am a King's fan. I've watched them live from the third row and have most of their work. Yes, I am from their hometown, Rochester, so I am utterly biased. On top of that, I know Greg, the lead singer, personally. And, years back, I bought a mandolin from Andy, the bass player. I like these guys and I love their stage show. The DVD and CD pair (good deal) in this set are about the best quality recording, and without a doubt the best video, that the band has done. Every song is good, and most are terrific. The pace is peppy, even manic on some numbers. Lead guitar is world-class. Andy's driving bass really moves it, and there is brisk, precise drumming by a guy who obviously loves his work. Surprisingly, there is an all-acoustic short set for the middle third of the program. If you have never heard just how good the Kings sound unplugged, this is your proof. But then, they fire up the amps again. For me, the really fun part is, as always, watching front man Greg Prevost. Greg rolls on the floor, holds his retro mike stand inverted, mugs for the camera, and gives the most enjoyable Jagger- or Morrison- wannabe performance I've ever seen. Dressed in a leotard and arm stockings, with jewelry from the local five-and-dime, with hair going in an impossible direction, he leads the pack so effortlessly and so kitschly you barely realize the professionalism he brings to the job. For this, you need the DVD. The music is good, really good rock and roll, so take the CD for your car. I like rock. But when I want to grin, I turn up the Kings really loud. This show is a blast. - By Andrew W. Saultrax:

01 Up And Down 02 Sunrise (Turn On) 03 Transparent Life 04 Non- Entity 05 Flashback 06 Dawn 07 I Don't Understand 08 Gone 09 Sing Me Back Home 10 Drunkhouse 11 Stayed Too Long 12 Johnny Volume 13 Outtasite! 14 I Walk In Darkness 15 Rock N' Roll Murder 16 I'm So Confused, Baby

BRINSLEY SCHWARZ "Hen's Teeth"

Hen's Teeth is a bit of a godsend for longtime Brinsley Schwarz collectors, gathering all of the group's non-LP singles -- including the first singles released when the band was a Swinging London pop combo called Kippington Lodge -- plus singles the group released under aliases. As the Hitters, they released the reggae single "Hypocrite," complete with the dub "Version" on the flip. As the Knees and Limelight, they released 45s of Beatles covers. All this is interesting, fun trivia, but the true meat of the collection lies in the Kippington Lodge material and the official non-LP Brinsley tunes. Kippington Lodge may not be earth-shattering and the band is quite derivative, borrowing heavily from psychedelic British pop, in particular the Beatles and early Yes. This isn't bad, but it is silly, whether it's the cascading psychedelia of "Lady on a Bicycle," the exhortation to have a "peace-off" on "Tomorrow Today," or the Vanilla Fudge-styled, bombastic soul cover of "In My Life." All artifacts, of course, but they're pretty engaging artifacts all the same, and the last Kippington song, "I Can See Her Face," is notable as Nick Lowe's first recorded song. The Brinsley material stands the test of time, finding the group at its very poppiest, whether turning out spirited covers of Naomi Neville's "I've Cried My Last Tear" and Tommy Roe's stomping "Everybody," or on originals, divided equally between Lowe, Ian Gomm, and co-compositions between the two. These four songs -- "(It's Gonna Be a) Bring Down," "I Like You, I Don't Love You," "There's a Cloud in My Heart," and "I Got the Real Thing" -- are shiny, glittering pop, finding the group exercising its mainstream melodic muscle. The songs didn't land the band any hits, but they stand as terrific little gems that offer a nice conclusion to this terrific, necessary compilation. (by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)

trax:

01 Shy Boy 02 Lady On A Bicycle 03 Rumours 04 And She Cried 05 Tell Me A Story 06 Understand A Woman 07 Tomorrow, Today 08 Turn Out The Light 09 In My Life 10 I Can See Her Face 11 Hypocrite 12 The Version 13 I've Cried My Last Tear 14 (It's Gonna Be A) Bring Down 15 Everybody 16 I Like You, I Don't Love You 17 Day Tripper 18 Slow Down 19 I Should Have Known Better 20 Tell Me Why 21 There's A Cloud In My Heart 22 I Got The Real Thing

...served by Gyro1966...

Zen Guerrilla "Invisble Liftee Pad / Gap Tooth Clown" 1997

Here's a double EP from Zen Guerrilla: Invisible "Liftee" Pad / Gap-Tooth Clown (1997). Bluesrock with a rough lo-fi sound and lot's of distortion, not for the faint-hearted. greetings - WYVtrax:

01 chicken scratch 02 slip knot 03 wee wee hours 04 dirty jewel 05 tin can 06 auto pilot 07 crow 08 lipstick 09 gospel tent 10 unusual

...served by WYV...

The Chesterfield Kings "Night Of The Living Eyes 1979-1983" 1989

Killer compilation of early singles & rarities!!! Listen to early classics like "exit 9" (still one of my fave 60's punk tracks ever), "I ain't no miracle worker" or "Hey little bird" to get a prove that the KINGS were one of theee best bands ever to play this kind of music!"Night of the Living Eyes" temporarily avoids the issue of musical direction by reaching into the vaults, compiling material (all covers, natch) recorded in the four years before the Kings started making LPs: both sides of their first three singles, a rehearsal outtake featuring manager/label chief/cult-figure-in-his-own-right Armand Schaubroeck and a side documenting an early-'83 NYC live set. A fine document of the band's savage youth.

The Chesterfield Kings:

Greg Prevost - lead voc., harp, acting like an ape / Andy Babiuk - bass, voc., vodka / Doug Meech - drums, concussion / Orest Guran - rythm guitar, organ, backing voc. / Ric Cona - lead guitar, amp, backing voc.

trax:

Studio Selections 1979-1983

1. I Ain't No Miracle Worker (original first 45 from 1980, recorded in 1979) 2. Exit 9 (B-side of first 45) 3. You Can't Catch Me 4. I Won't Be There 5. Hey Little Bird 6. I Can Only Give You Everything 7. One More Day, One More Night,

live selections, recorded at the Peppermint Lounge, New York City, 1983 - Introduction by the Mystic King Farouk

8. Night Of The Phantom 9. Really Mystified 10. Days Of Cryin' 11. Taste Of The Same 12. Don't Tell Me No Lies 13. Don't Burn It 14. My Confusion

The J. Geils Band Anthology "Houseparty"

The superb two-disc anthology Houseparty concentrates on the rousing, full-throttle blues-boogie of their heyday, including a full album's worth of live material (ten songs from their three live albums). The pop success of "Love Stinks" and "Freeze Frame" makes sense in the context of the set, but the songs that cut the deepest are the blues-rock numbers on the first disc and the live songs. Thankfully, the compilers (Trouser Press editor Ira Robbins and bandmembers Peter Wolf and Seth Justman) end Houseparty with three songs from Sanctuary, helping secure the image of the J. Geils Band as one of America's top rock & roll groups. (Allmusic)Many people are only familiar with the J. Geils Band after they switched record labels to EMI and became more commercial. Hits from this period such as "Love Stinks", "Centerfold" and "Freeze-Frame" are included here but the focus of this 2 cd set is their earlier Atlantic recordings. The earlier recordings from this Boston band were a combination of blues/soul cover tunes and gritty Rolling Stones like original tunes. This earlier period is my favorite. The first disc contains songs only from the Atlantic period. Among the rarities are the non-lp covers of Little Walter's "Dead Presidents", The Supremes "Where Did Our Love Go", and the Marathons "Peanut Butter". The first disc also includes their two biggest hits of the period the live show stopper "Must Of Got Lost" and the Reggae influenced "Give It To Me". The rest of the first disc contains non hit singles and essential album tracks of the period. "The first half of the second disc contains live tracks from their 3 live albums. The second half contains singles and album tracks from their more well-known EMI period. The live tracks illustrate how much fun the band could be in concert. Supercharged versions of "Wait", "First I Look At The Purse" and "Must Of Got Lost" with Peter Wolf's into wrap illustrate this fact. Another fact immediately evident on this set is that Magic Dick is one of the greatest white blues harmonica players bar none. Witness his playing on "Whammer Jammer" and "It Ain't What You Do (It's How You Do It). The band was great at putting emotion into all their cover tunes and their choices of tunes to cover were excellent. I have a couple of minor quibbles. Three of the singles on the first disc are presented in edited versions instead of their full length versions. No cuts from the lp "Ladies Invited" were included in the set. Two of my favorites "Back To Get Ya" from the "Bloodshot" album and the live version of Eddie Floyd's "Raise Your Hand" were left off the compilation. However this set still provides an extensive anthology of one of the best blues rock bands of the seventies. (Amazon)

trax CD 1:

01 Cruisin' For A Love 02 Homework 03 Looking For A Love 04 It Ain't What You Do (It's How You Do It!) 05 The Usual Place 06 Cry One More Time 07 Dead Presidents 08 Give It To Me (single mix_edit) 09 Southside Shuffle. 10 Make Up Your Mind 11 Gettin' Out (single edit) 12 Detroit Breakdown 13 Givin' It All Up 14 Must Of Got Lost (single edit) 15 Believe In Me 16 Love-Itis 17 Where Did Our Love Go 18 Peanut Butter 19 Surrender

trax CD 2:

01 Sno-Cone (live) 02 Wait (live) 03 Hard Drivin' Man (live) 04 First I Look At The Purse (live) 05 Pack Fair And Square (live) 06 Whammer Jammer (live) 07 Musta Got Lost (live) 08 Start All Over (live) 09 Houseparty (live) 10 I Do (live) 11 Just Can't Wait 12 Love Stinks 13 Night Time 14 Flamethrower 15 Centerfold 16 Freeze-Frame 17 Sanctuary 18 One Last Kiss 19 Teresa

...served by Gyro1966...

The Chesterfield Kings "Fossils" 1985

A Great piece of Chesterfield Kings history!The Chesterfield Kings were a rock band from Rochester, New York, who began as a retro-1960s garage band, and who have heavily mined 1960s music, including some borrowing from the 1960s recordings of The Rolling Stones. Core members are former Distorted Level singer, underground music journalist and avid record collector Greg Prevost, and Andy Babiuk (16 years old at the time of the band's founding); others have come and gone. The band, named after a defunct brand of unfiltered cigarette, was instrumental in sparking the 1980s garage band revival that launched such groups as the Unclaimed, Marshmallow Overcoat, The Fuzztones, The Malarians, Mystic Eyes, The Cynics, The Optic Nerve, the Secret Service, and the Stomachmouths. - wikitrax:

01 GOTTA GET AWAY / COME ON 02 WON'T COME BACK 03 I CAN ONLY GIVE YOU EVERYTHING 04 SLOW DOWN 05 YEAH 06 BAD WOMAN 07 GOTTA GET AWAY 08 HURTIN' KIND 09 KNOCK ON MY DOOR 10 I WON'T BE THERE 11 YOU CAN'T CATCH ME 12 SHE DON'T GOT THE RIGHT 13 BAD DAY BLUES 14 PSYCHO 15 MISTY LANE 16 HEY LITTLE GIRL 17 I CAN ONLY GIVE YOU EVERYTHING 18 OUT OF QUESTION

Dave Edmunds "The Anthology 1968-1990"

A double-disc set covering Dave Edmunds' entire career, the 41-song Anthology (1968-1990) does a fine job of capturing his musical evolution, even if it is not without its faults. To a certain extent, Anthology is a definitive compilation, since it begins with Love Sculpture's infamous "Sabre Dance" and runs through his early solo recordings ("I Hear You Knocking"), before hitting Rockpile ("Trouble Boys," "Deborah," "Girls Talk," "Crawling from the Wreckage," "Queen of Hearts") and Edmunds' overly synthesized recordings with Jeff Lynne, adding a couple of rarities like the excellent Carlene Carter duet "Baby Ride Easy" along the way. However, the track selection is uneven, including far too many Love Sculpture songs and Lynne collaborations, which tends to dilute the spirit of Edmunds' best music. Still, Anthology is the best overview of Edmunds' entire career, even if the single-disc The Best of Dave Edmunds may be a better, more consistent introduction for many listeners. (Allmusic)There's nothing complicated about Welsh roots-rocker Dave Edmunds. Beginning with his days with Love Sculpture through Rockpile (with Nick Lowe) and as a solo artist, he's been churning out passionate music which is a product of his fifties influences without sounding like a mere rehash of the country, blues and rock 'n' roll music he so obviously loves.
Though not a gifted songwriter (he co-wrote only 8 of the 41 tracks on this collection--most with Lowe), overall he shows impeccable taste in song selection: Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk," John Fogerty's "Almost Saturday Night," Chuck Berry's "The Promised Land," and Bruce Springsteen's "From Small Things, Big Things Come" (a song her wrote for Edmunds)--all of which should have been big hits.
In a perfect world, Edmunds would be known for more than just his lone Top 40 U.S. hit, "I Hear You Knocking," a Smiley Lewis tune he took to No. 4 in 1970. This double-disc set is loaded with should-have-been hits: "I Knew the Bride," which reached the U.K. cart at No. 26, but wouldn't chart in the U.S. until Lowe released his own version of the song; "Queen of Hearts," which went to only #56 (while a note-perfect cover by Juice Newton went to No. 2 two years later!); "Crawling from the Wreckage," or any of a dozen others.
For some reason, chart success eluded Edmunds, but that's not to say there isn't plenty for new and longtime fans alike to enjoy. Of special interest are the non-LP single "As Lovers Do" from 1979, the duet with Carlene Carter "Baby Ride Easy" from her album Musical Shapes, and a stunning Everly Brothers cover, "Crying in the Rain" with Lowe. [You'll have to buy Rockpile's Seconds of Pleasure to get the other three.]
Even on the handful of tracks from Information and Riff Raff, where Jeff Lynne was brought on board to update Edmund's sound in the 80s, he couldn't bury Edmund's rock 'n' roll heart.
All in all this is a great place to get familiar with one of the rock world's best-kept secrets. HIGHLY Recommended (Amazon)trax CD 1:
Love Sculpture:
01 River To Another Day 02 The Stumble 03 Sabre Dance 04 Summertime 05 In The Land Of The Few 06 Farandole [From L'Arlésienne]
Dave Edmunds:
07 I Hear You Knocking 08 Promised Land 09 Down Down Down 10 Born To Be With You 11 Leave My Woman Alone 12 Here Comes The Weekend 13 I Knew The Bride 14 Juju Man 15 Little Darlin' 16 Let's Talk About Us 17 As Lovers Do 18 Trouble Boys 19 Deborah 20 Never Been In Lovetrax CD 2:

01 Girls Talk 02 Crawling From The Wreckage 03 The Creature From The Black Lagoon 04 Queen Of Hearts 05 Singing The Blues 06 Baby Ride Easy 07 Crying In The Rain 08 If Sugar Was As Sweet As You 09 Almost Saturday Night 10 (I'm Gonna Start) Living Again If It Kills Me 11 The Race Is On 12 From Small Things, Big Things Come 13 Me And The Boys 14 Warmed Over Kisses (Leftover Love) 15 One More Night 16 Slipping Away 17 Information 18 Something About You 19 High School Nights 20 King Of Love 21 Closer To The Flame

...served by Gyro1966...

The Chesterfield Kings "Where The Action Is!" 1999

One late night a while back I headed straight into the wrong part of Manhattan to witness the first show in over thirty years by Boston's still-legendary Barry & the Remains. It was, without doubt, a MIRACULOUS event. These Remains, unashamedly crusty (and wearing the same instruments -- and probably shirts! -- they had at their last performance) simply sauntered on stage and spent the next hour plowing through a perfectly vintage- '66 set list --wherein, I'll have you realize, each and every number, INCLUDING "Like A Rolling Stone," ended up sounding exactly like "Hang On Sloopy."
In other words? An absolutely transplendant performance.
Well, it's that same kinda cockily-casual fashion that makes this here Chesterfield Kings album so fantastic as well. For you see, its seventeen selections include some crackin' new original numbers, a pile of brilliantly tossed-off covers (why, the guys even tackle the Hollies' "Look Through Any Window"!), and a few really neat pictures of the band on the cover to boot. In other words, just one big Sloppy Joe of a platter that absolutely drips with that haunted, hallowed Spirit of 66. Nothing more, and surely nothing less.
Appropriately enough, the true highlight of this disc is "Where Do We Go From Here," a collaboration with the one, the only Mark Lindsay (yes, he of Paul Revere's Raiders fame). But Guest-Star gimmickry be damned: this startlingly apt pairing, from Mark and King Chesterfield Greg Prevost's lead vocal duet on down, more than just cooks long time: it is, in fact, one true searing slice of pure, edge-cutting pop/rock that would not, dare I say it, sound one note out of place on the Raiders' own "Midnight Ride" long-player.. And, you must now realize, that's just about the coolest sort of endorsement I've needed to direct towards ANY record in recent memory! Hopefully there'll soon be many more such wicked Lindsay/ChesterKing collaborations (and a TOUR, please!!!) --In the meantime though, Action fans both new and old will find more than their fair share of fun, fab, "Sloopy"-worthy tracks hearin. - By: Gary "Pig" Goldtrax:

01 Action Action Action 02 Ain't It Hard 03 Wrong From Right 04 I'm Five Years Ahead Of My Time 05 Where Do We Go From Here (feat Mark Lindsay) 06 Misty Lane 07 I Walk In Darkness 08 Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White 09 Don't Blow Your Mind 10 Look Through Any Window 11 1-2-5 12 I'm Not Like Everybody Else 13 (We Ain't Got) Nothing Yet 14 A Lovely Sort Of Death 15 Little Girl 16 You Rub Me The Wrong Way 17 Happenings Ten Years Ago