Wow - where does the time go?

Hairy Chapter - Eyes / Can't Get Through (1970-1971)

"Eyes" from 1970 and "Can't Get Through" from 1971 comprise Hairy Chapter's total recorded output, and both albums are on this disc. "Eyes" is competent psychedelic rock, but "Can't Get Through" recorded a year later with producer Dieter Dierks (later to find fame with The Scorpions) is possibly the best psychedelic album to come out of the early 70's German underground scene. If loud, endless, feedback-drenched guitar solos accompanied by lyrics sung in broken English ("Reality has got to die" according to singer Harry Unte) sounds like something you might be interested in, you need to hear this triumph of uninhibited guitar debauchery by a long-forgotten German band. Guitarist Harry Titlbach was a Teutonic Guitar God whose likes have not been seen since. As Dag Erik Asbjornsen said in his book "Cosmic Dreams at Play", Can't Get Through is "one of those screaming diz, dumbo IQ-reducing monsters that some people can never get enough of."

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Goodthunder - Goodthunder (1972)

Not much information on this one! Goodthunder seems to have been a L.A. band whose only album was released by Elektra in 1972, produced by Paul Rothchild (Doors, Love, Crabby Appleton). This is a hard rocking affair with some progressive elements, great organ and guitar throughout. (Vinyl Rip)

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Brainticket - Celestial Ocean (1974)

Brainticket were among the important pioneers of early psychedelic and spaced out cosmic releases "Cottonwoodhill", "Psychonaut" & of course "Celestial Ocean". Brainticket is actually the brainchild of Joel Vandroogenbroeck of Switzerland with other musicians taking part on different albums. On "Celestial Ocean" Joel is joined by Carole Muriel with her cosmic voice and Barney Palm (percussion). Music is really early Krautrock mixed with a fair amount of analog and spacey keyboards. Songs definitely explore the outer reaches of your mind with some pretty trippy moments all around. Instrumentation is also quite varied with loads of NASA-like space sound bites and some great percussion. This excellent space journey now can be yours thanks for the folks at Purple Pyramid Records who have released this gem for the first time on CD... A journey of a lifetime. (progarchives.com)

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Fairport Convention - Liege And Lief Outtakes (1969)

Can't get enough of the classic Fairport Convention line-up? Well me neither. As the album name says, this bootleg is a CD of outtakes from the Liege And Lief sessions recorded at Sound Techniques, London, from September to November 1969. Two versions each of Tam Lin, Crazy Man Michael, and Matty Groves, three untitled instrumentals, Quiet Joys of Brotherhood, Come All Ye, and Ballad of Easy Rider.

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Country Lane - Substratum (1973)

Country Lane's only album was initially released in 1973. This Swiss band led by the keyboardist/guitarist/singer Raymond Amey, helped by keyboardist O.Maire, guitarist F.Von Kaenel, bass player G.Duella and drummer J.F. Donze, created an original rock music, mixing heavy influences like Deep Purple and progressive ones (like Nice and the others english progressive bands). Straight rock moments, dreamy atmospheres, nice vocals (in English) are the base of an excellent seventies album, full of freshness and sincerity. (Martin Pruckner)

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Mythos - Mythos (1971)

The debut album by Germany’s Mythos is a pure unadulterated classic space-prog album draped over 5 lush tracks. There are truly many cosmic charms to this space bracelet with some wild nubulas, space vibes and jams. Vocals are slightly distorted when used and somewhat modulated giving the listen a real outer worldly space feel. Mythos are clearly lost somewhere in the Cosmic Jokers / Ash Ra Temple camp with dreamy psych/folk/prog landscapes. Mythos manages to create some pretty heavenly space atmospheres with some fantastic synthesizer, flute, spacey guitar and mellotron work throughout. For me this album ranks as a complete album and one of my personal favs from the space-prog category. (Wonderful World Of Progressive Rock)

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Various Artists - The Krautrock Archive Vol. 1

No big krautrock names on this compilation, but faithful 8 Days visitors will already have the tracks by Golem and Cozmic Corridors. Includes a track from the Galactic Explorers album "Epitaph for Venus", which album I will post sometime. (EDIT: I have already posted Epitaph For Venus, on Nov. 28th!) Of special interest are tracks by Temple, The Astral Army, and Fuerrote, bands that I've never heard of. Great stuff. EDIT: Michael from France was kind enough to send me a set of covers for this:

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Mani Neumier - Käseschachtel AKA Privat (1993)

Not one English language site had any info on this one, apparently a limited release issued in a round wooden Käseschachtel - I was able to figure out that Käseschachtel means 'cheese-box'! Basically this sounds like a Mani Neumier solo album, and that means that there is mostly drumming on it. Lots of drumming. And some percussion. There are other-worldly voices, mysterious sounds, chimes, gongs and whatnot to accompany Herr Neumier as he pounds the skins, and since Mani is fantastically inventive and creative as a drummer, this all adds up to a real trippy CD. EDIT: Numerous people have e-mailed me to let me know that this is actually a special edition of an album called "Privat". So if you already have that, not much point downloading, unless you want the scans! Thanks to everyone who clued me in about this.

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Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Safe As Milk (1967)

Beefheart's first proper studio album is a much more accessible, pop-inflected brand of blues-rock than the efforts that followed in the late '60s -- which isn't to say that it's exactly normal and straightforward. Featuring Ry Cooder on guitar, this is blues-rock gone slightly askew, with jagged, fractured rhythms, soulful, twisting vocals from Van Vliet, and more doo wop, soul, straight blues, and folk-rock influences than he would employ on his more avant-garde outings. "Zig Zag Wanderer," "Call on Me," and "Yellow Brick Road" are some of his most enduring and riff-driven songs, although there's plenty of weirdness on tracks like "Electricity" and "Abba Zaba." (Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide) This is the 1999 re-issue with seven bonus tracks.

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Jethro Tull - Benefit (1970)

Jethro Tull's third release was Benefit. Indeed the third time is the charm. Ian Anderson's vocals were getting stronger and more dominating, while his flute playing maintained its unfailing authority. Anderson remarks in the liner notes that his writing was getting darker and that he realized thirty two years later that he was being cynical in reference to being on the road and away from home. His feelings regarding the music industry were coming through as well.

"To Cry You A Song" was the strongest introduction to the fresh and new formula that they would continue to follow and develop for the rest of their long and fruitful careers. Although the group's love of blues and jazz remained evident, they were leaning heavier towards more rock and folk arrangements, which allowed them to reach a much wider audience. "Inside" was another song that was to rapidly become a trademark of the Jethro Tull sound with Anderson's flute taking a lead role and Martin Barre strumming a soft acoustic guitar in the background. Although Barre rarely remained in the background on any song, he was now more comfortable in his new surroundings and showed all of his colors on this album. This new formula was to delight listeners worldwide. The group's diversity pleased those that loved to rock and the other segment of listeners that enjoyed the more folk, classical, and ethnic sounds that they had offered on their previous release Stand Up. Ian Anderson was becoming the true court jester onstage and the consummate leader. This was a position that was solidified on this album and one that he would never relinquish. (progressiveworld.net)

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OK. Gotta go! See you next week.