Howdy! Got some good stuff this week.

Box Of Frogs - Box Of Frogs/Strange Land (1984/1986)

Box Of Frogs was formed by three not-famous ex-Yardbirds (Chris Dreja, Paul Samwell-Smith, Jim McCarty) and ex-Medicine Head/British Lions vocalist John Fiddler, and put out two albums of good solid rock, both of which are on this 2-for-1 disc, along with a bonus live track. Helping out are session guitarist Dzal Martin (No Dice) and a multitude of guests such as Rory Gallagher, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Roger Chapman, Ian Dury, Graham Parker, Steve Hackett and others.

High VBR w/scans Part 1 Part 2

Gate - Live (1977)

German band Gate was well established as a live act when they got their first recording contract, so their debut album was a live one. Richly creative, with songs featuring complex arrangements, great musicianship, and vocals in German, Gate was a great guitar-fronted prog band, ranking with the best Germany had to offer. They had some tracks on the "Brain Festival Essen" albums I posted a while back.

Bitrate 224 w/covers Download

Grobschnitt - Die Grobschnitt Story (1994)

OK first off this is not a "Best Of" type thing, it's a compilation of unreleased material and live versions. On the second disc is a 37 minute long "Solar Music" which is amazing and completely different from other versions I've heard. These guys were phenomenal musicians, full of energy and musical ideas. There are a few very short interview type things scattered here and there, which will only be useful to those that speak German, but whatever, right? A must have for all Grobschnitt fans and a good place to start if you're not familiar with them.

High VBR w/covers Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Jane - Together (1972)

Jane's debut album is a classic of dark, underground melodic rock, full of brilliant guitar leads and great swirling organ, thudding drums and throbbing basslines, with perfectly suited vocals in English. Simple, dramatic and passionate, this is, along with "Here We Are", their best stuff.

High VBR w/covers Download

Long John Baldry - It Ain't Easy (1971)

This is possibly the best blues-rock album to come out in the 1970's! Unfortunately Mr. Baldry passed away just before this was reissued, remastered with bonus tracks. Produced by Rod Stewart and Elton John. "Contravening a breach of the peace"! Awesome.

High VBR w/scans Part 1 Part 2

The Byrds - Live At The Fillmore West 1970

Fillmore West, San Francisco, January 4, 1970
Liberated Main Stream bootleg
Excellent stereo soundboard

Disc 1 - Early Show:
1. You Ain't Going Nowhere
2. Feel A Whole Lot Better
3. Old Blue
4. You All Look Alike
5. Positively 4th Street
6. Jesus Is Just Alright
7. Mr. Spaceman
8. It's All Over Now Baby Blue
9. Soldier's Joy
10. Turn! Turn! Turn!
11. Mr. Tambourine Man
12. Eight Miles High - improvisation
13. Eight Miles High
14. Hold It

Disc 2 - Late Show:
1. tune up
2. Feel A Whole Lot Better
3. This Wheel's On Fire
4. Positively 4th Street
5. Roll Over Beethoven
6. Honky Tonk Medley
7. So You Want To Be A Rock'n'Roll Star
8. You Don't Miss Your Water
9. Jesus Is Just Alright
10. Nashville West
11. Turn! Turn! Turn!
12. Mr. Tambourine Man - incomplete
13. Eight Miles High
14. He Was A Friend Of Mine
15. Hold It

Roger McGuinn
Gene Parsons
Clarence White
Skip Battin

High VBR w/covers Part 1 Part 2

OK there you have it - hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

As usual, some great stuff this week (!) - happy downloading and it'd be nice to hear from you out there who never comment!

Can - Canaxis 5 (Studio Outtakes - 1968/1973)

Technical Space Composer's Crew
All unreleased studio recordings

1968 - 1973 Outtakes with Malcolm Mooney and Damo Suzuki

Can featuring Damo Suzuki
Session at the Inner Space Studio in Weilerswist, August 1973
1. Voice Changer 1:39
2. Doko Dai E 29:51
3. Doko Dai E (cont.) 4:31

Can featuring Malcom Mooney
Studio Outtakes from their first album 1968
4. Father Cannot Yell 10:10
5. E.F.S. No. (Pnoom) 5 0:31
6. Little Star Of Bethlehem 9:08
7. Uphill 6:49

High VBR w/covers Part 1 Part 2

Jefferson Airplane - Love To All (1967)

This is probably the best sounding Jefferson Airplane bootleg you will ever hear! The Fillmore tracks are stereo, the Polytechnic College tracks are mono. Only complaint - disc 2, track 3, "Young Girl Sunday Blues", has a slight glitch at the beginning, and it's only a little over a minute long. They could have just left this track off if you ask me.

Disc 1:
FILLMORE, SAN FRANCISCO, November 25, 1966
1. 3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds
2. The Other Side Of This Life
3. Tobacco Road
4. J.P.P. McStep B. Blues
5. She Has Funny Cars
6. Fat Angel
7. Plastic Fantastic Lover
8. In The Morning
9. Somebody To Love
POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE, SAN LUIS OBISPO, May 19, 1967 - 1st set
10. The Other Side Of This Life
11. Let's Get Together
12. She Has Funny Cars
13. White Rabbit

Disc 2:
1. Let Me In
2. Today
3. Young Girl Sunday Blues (fragment)
4. Somebody To Love
POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE, SAN LUIS OBISPO, May 19, 1967 - 2nd set
5. The Ballad Of You And Me And Pooneil
6. Tobacco Road
7. Runnin' Round This World
8. And I Like It
9. Jam
10. Won't You Try / Saturday Afternoon
11. Come Back Baby
12. White Rabbit
13. It's No Secret

High VBR w/covers Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Schicke-Führs-Fröhling - Collected Works

Eduard Schicke, Gerd Führs, and Heinz Fröhling were an awesome trio of German musicians, forming Schicke-Führs-Fröhling from the ashes of the band Spektakel (album posted 4/23/06). This double Cd set has all three of their albums - "Symphonic Pictures" (1976), "Sunburst" (1977), and "Ticket To Everywhere" (1978), plus a couple live tracks thrown in for good measure. Their brand of progressive rock had an orchestral sound that was dramatic, electrifying and beautiful. You need this!

High VBR w/covers Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Steamhammer - Mk II (1969)

Steamhammer's second album was a much more proggy/jazzy affair than their first, thanks mostly to the addition of Steve Joliffe on flute, sax, and keyboards - he appeared also on Tangerine Dream's "Cyclone" album. A great album of progressive blues, the highlight being the 16 minute "Another Travelling Tune" - actually all the songs are great, with inventive arrangements and terrific performances by all concerned. Also a few non-album bonus tracks.

High VBR w/covers Part 1 Part 2

Nautilus - Space Storm (1980)

The second and last album from obscure Swiss band Nautilus is a psychedelic/symphonic/progressive rock effort that owes just a bit to early Uriah Heep! The music is very different from other prog rock bands of the 70's, and holds up very well.

Urs Lerch - bass
Dieter Ruf - guitars, vocals
Peter Fibich - drums
Ralph Stucki - keyboards, vocals
Christian Bauer - guitars, vocals

High VBR w/covers Download

OK see you!!

Here you go. Real life is intruding again, and I need to travel to Arizona (HOT!) and Illinois (not so bad) later this week, so probably no posts for a couple weeks. Catch up on the archives, some real good stuff back there.

ZABU - My Coffin's Ready (1972)

Lucien Zabuski, also known as ZABU, was the original singer for Magma, before they made their first recording, and on his first solo album all his Magma buddies were on hand, including Christian Vander on a few tracks. The music, though, is not Zeuhl, it sounds more like a lite version of Captain Beefheart, kind of an eccentric bluesy psych. Great vocals and the playing is brilliant by all - these were after all the best rock musicians in France! I scanned the booklet which has a neat history of all Christian Vander's groups.

My rip @ 320 w/scans

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Love - The Last Wall Of The Castle

Don't have enough love in your life? Well don't look at me! Download this bootleg. This is one of those boots that might be for fanatics only - I mean who needs to hear 7 piss-takes of the same song? On the other hand this is a cool glimpse of a band at work in the studio, and there are some real gems for fans on this.

Studio sessions in excellent quality

1. Signed D.C.
2-8. Seven & Seven Is
9. And More
10. Can't Explain
11. No Matter What
12. Gazing
13. My Little Red Book
14. Coloured Balls
15. You I'll Be Following
16. Hummingbirds
17-20. Just For You
21. Hey Joe
22. A Message To Pretty
23. My Little Red Book
24. No. Fourteen
25. Wonder People
26. A House Is Not A Motel
27. You Set The Scene
28. The Red Telephone

Tracks 22-23: Dick Clark's American Bandstand, 1966

Part 1 Part 2

Various Artists - Brain Festival Essen II (1978)

A month ago I posted the Brain Festival album from 1977, and this is the same deal - a first-class vinyl rip of a double album, featuring live performances by artists on Germany's Brain label.

01 Gate - Heart - 4:30
02 Gate - Herrenwies - 4:48
03 Führs & Fröhling - Every Land Tells A Story - 4:00
04 Message - World Keeps On Turning - 6:54
05 Release Music Orchestra - New Day/Meadow - 9:42
06 Novalis - Astralis - 9:23
07 To Be - Drei In Drei - 4:14
08 To Be - Samba Für Heino Reher - 8:16
09 Schicke Führs & Fröhling - Explorer/Wizard - 10:17
10 Blonker - Mädchen - 4:48
11 Blonker - Irgendwie - 5:18
12 Ruphus - Joy - 4:40
13 Ruphus - Inner Voice - 4:58

Part 1 Part 2

Steppenwolf - Live At The Fillmore 1968

Great soundboard recording of Steppenwolf at the Fillmore West in August of 1968, on tour to support the release of their first album. "Born To Be Wild" was probably all over the airwaves about this time.

Disc One:
01 - Your Wall's Too High
02 - John Kay Remarks
03 - Hoochie Coochie Man
04 - John Kay Remarks
05 - Born To Be Wild
06 - Desperation
07 - The Ostrich
Disc Two:
01 - Tighten Up Your Wig
02 - Disappointment Number (Unknown)
03 - Lost And Found By Trial And Error
04 - Hodge Podge, Strained Through A Leslie
05 - Resurrection
06 - Baby Please Don't Go
07 - The Pusher

Part 1 Part 2

The Rolling Stones - Unreleased Decca Live Album (1972)

Hard to imagine why Decca never released this, maybe a double live album was too much or something. Recorded at various venues in 1972, the Stones deliver inspired versions of their best songs of the period, some great tunes on here.

01 All Down The Line - 4:20
02 Brown Sugar - 3:34
03 Bitch - 4:10
04 Rocks Off - 3:54
05 Gimme Shelter - 5:52
06 Happy - 3:55
07 Tumbling Dice - 4:50
08 Love In Vain - 6:12
09 Sweet Virginia - 4:45
10 You Can't Always Get What You Want - 7:45
11 Midnight Rambler - 11:14
12 Rip This Joint - 2:16
13 Jumping Jack Flash - 3:21
14 Street Fighting Man - 4:16

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Contact Trio - Double Face (1975)

Great experimental/jazz fusion from this German group. If you liked that Prosper "Broken Door" album I posted a few months back, you might like this also, as excellent guitarist Evert Brettschneider played in both bands.

Download

OK see you later.

Hello - got some great albums this week!

The Groundhogs - Split Shadows (1972)

This seldom seen, great-sounding bootleg, is of a live performance in front of what sounds to be a very small audience at Ardent Studios in Memphis Tennessee, which was originally broadcast on radio station WMC FM-100 June 8 1972. You just have to hear the 22 minute version of "Still A Fool". Awesome is the only word to describe this and every Groundhogs fan needs to get this. The covers I made myself - the covers that I got with this can be got at cover-paradies, but they are very poor and have the wrong info.

1. - Eccentric Man (5:11)
2. - Music Is The Food Of Thought (5:07)
3. - Still A Fool (22:35)
4. - Split Part 1 (10:57)
5. - Ground Hog Blues (9:51)
6. - Cherry Red/Split Part 2 (10:51)

Part 1 Part 2

Magma - Kobaïa (1970)

Magma's debut was originally released as a double album, how many bands would have the cojones to do that? The music is what you might call challenging - you might give this a shot and come back to it later if you find it too weird - chances are you will end up liking it. There are soft beautiful passages mixing it up with some that are intense and disturbing, it's all very avante-garde. Sometimes jazzy, sometimes classical-sounding, even operatic, always inventive and energetic - the album supposedly tells a story about the inhabitants of the planet Kobaïa, but since I don't understand the language I don't have a clue what is going on. I don't really need one though do I? I'm pretty sure this is a masterpiece of some kind!

Part 1 Part 2

Bachdenkel - Stalingrad (1977)

Bachdenkel's second and last album was released six years or so after their first album, "Lemmings". This reissue has 10 bonus tracks, singles and live material, that are all worthwhile. Bachdenkel made a kind of progressive rock that is thoughtful and intelligent, with great vocals and beautiful lyrics. Light on the keyboards, mostly two guitars, bass and drums, and vocals. If you like this you will really like Lemmings, which I posted February 27, 2007.

My rip @ High VBR w/scans

Part 1 Part 2

Mon Dyh - Confused Mind (1981)

I guess a lot of people have a favorite obscure band, that they can't figure out why people don't go ape when they hear them. Mon Dyh is it for me. I own all three of their CD's and can listen to any of them at any time. Low-key blues based rock, nothing here will knock your socks off, but if you give it your full attention you will see that it is nearly perfect - musicianship, songwriting, vocals, production. Not to mention Andreas Pröhl's guitar playing. Jeez I just love this band - but there is no info at all about them on the net. Obviously their albums have been reissued so they can't be totally forgotten. I think these guys were great, but it could just be "me and me and my my confused mind"!

My rip @ High VBR w/scans

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Quatermass - Quatermass (1970)

The only album from this power trio (keyboards, bass, drums) is a volatile mixture of hard rock and prog. The second track, "Black Sheep Of The Family", was later covered by Rainbow. The keyboard player, Peter Robinson, later of Brand X, is on fire throughout most of this. The bass player/vocalist, John Gustafson, has a voice that is perfect for this, and drummer Mick Underwood is no slouch. A damn good album!

Part 1 Part 2

Peter Frohmader - Nekropolis 2 (1982)

The eight tracks on this album were made to be soundtracks for some short films made by Swiss artist H.R. Geiger - anybody know if these Geiger films are online anywhere? Anyway this is some great experimental/avant garde music. This is the kind of stuff you listen to alone, late at night, with headphones. Pretty much like a cross between electronic krautrock, proto-industrial, and Magma! The more Frohmader I hear, the more I like this guy - I'm gonna start buying some of his CD's I think. Awesome.

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OK then see you later!