Well it's been 8 months now that the blog is dead. RapidShare says I still have 50 gigabytes of files still active, so I'm not exactly sure what is left but there's a lot. I have deleted all the lossless posts that I know for sure had dead links but there's still a ton of stuff left. Well anyway - happy hunting!

Demon Thor - Written In The Sky (1974)

"The project of one Tommy Fortman (Englishified version of his real name), Demon Thor were more a borderline pop-rock band on the whole, with a very Anglo-American style. Their finest moment was the conceptual opus WRITTEN IN THE SKY, of which the side-long title track was full of invention, mainly due to being aided by a number of notorious Krautrock musicians, for an apocalyptic rock-opera suite drawing-in elements of the Twenty Sixty Six And Then and Emergency styles. It would be really good if it weren't for the dreadful "gospel" singers towards the end!" (Crack In The Cosmic Egg)

"Essentially the project of British singer/composer/mutli-instrumentalist Tommy Fortman, this second Demon Thor album assembles some sizable Anglo/German/Swiss talent. Guest vocals are handled by Geff Harrison (formerly of I Drive and the legendary Twenty Sixty Six and Then, later with Kin Ping Meh), Peter Bischof (ex-Orange Peel, later with Emergency and Munich) and Gita Walter (don’t know anything about her, but she’s a fine and authoritative rock vocalist). In such illustrious company, Fortman’s own vocals can’t help but seem paltry by comparison, but he’s far from bad, just not in the same league.

This is another album like the Gash album, with one side an absolutely mindblowing, orchestrated suite, and the other side full of junky songs that are an utter waste of time. Especially “Pink Mary,” which is one of the dumbest songs ever written. Though I have a soft spot for “For One Little Moment”, as it’s a spotlight piece for Peter Bischof, and I’ve always been fond of his voice. And “Sweet Caroline” (a Geff Harrison spotlight tune) gets in some of that sumptuous phase-shifting that was Dieter Dierks’ production trademark." (Progbear, last.fm)

1. Written In The Sky
2. Pink Mary
3. For One Little Moment
4. Good Morning
5. Sweet Caroline

Tommy Fortman - Vocals, Instruments
Stephen Nuesch - Organ
Claude Thoman - Drums
Geff Harrison - Vocals
Peter Bischof - Vocals
Gita Walter - Narrator
Veit Marvos - Electric Piano, Synthesizer
Oliver Freytag - Vocals

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 249MB

Part 1__Part 2

OK bye!

Toad - Yearnin' Learnin' Live 1978

"This previously unreleased live performance by Toad was recorded near Geneva in 1978. As Vic Vergeat is finely accompained by Werner Froehlich and Cosimo Lampis, the gig soars at very high levels of energy. The difference here is that at the time Vergeat was heavily influenced by black music (funky) and all that results in covers like Yearnin’ Learnin’ by Earth Wind & Fire and other funkyish stunts. You also get Tomorrow Blue, the heavy boogie rock in Down to the Bone, and of course Hendrix.The virtuosity and versatility of Vergeat’s guitar come out in full, and this is a must-have for all the fans of Toad as well as of good blues-rock."

"Swiss hard rock and blues-rock outfit Toad leaped (sorry) onto their country's charts with their debut single, "Stay," in 1972 -- paving the way for the massive Swiss metal movement of the early '80s and such notable bands as Krokus and Celtic Frost. Mainly a three-piece, consisting of Vittorio "Vic" Vergeat (guitar/vocals), Werner Frohlich (bass), and Cosimo Lampis (drums), Toad often enlisted the help of an additional lead vocalist in much of their studio work (Bens Jaeger sang lead on their debut, but departed the group as soon as recording was completed). That same year, the live album Open Fire: Live in Basel 1972 hit stores, taking advantage of the band's constant and successful touring. Tomorrow Blue followed shortly after, appearing in 1973, and the band released Dreams early in 1974. A few live albums, compilations, and studio works continued to trickle out during the rest of the '70s and early '80s, with the core Toad lineup still firmly in place. By the early 2000s, interest in the early European hard rock scene in general (and Toad in particular) led to a slew of deluxe CD reissues and collections -- the best of which were to be found on the Italian imprint Akarma.". (J. Scott McClintock, All Music Guide)

1. 'Cause You're Not
2. Yearnin' Learnin'
3. Makin' You Feel Alright
4. I'm Going
5. Behind the Wheels
6. Tomorrow Blue
7. Mama Come Back
8. Down to the Bone
9. Bring It Up
10. I Wish You Were Here
11. Usin' My Life
12. Purple Haze
13. Red House
14. Drums Solo

Vic Vergeat - Guitar, Vocals
Werner Froehlich - Bass
Cosimo Lampis - Drums

Not my rip, thanks to original uploader "thewall"
EAC-Separate Flacs-Log-Cue-Scans 386MB

Part 1__Part 2__Part 3

See ya

Jefferson Airplane - Bark (1971)

"It is hard to believe that upon its release in 1971, Bark was poorly reviewed. In retrospect, its musical closeness to Jefferson Airplane's earlier work, especially 1969's Volunteers, is striking. "When the Earth Moves Again" is a collective, anthemic song in the same mould and of the same quality as "We Can Be Together," and "Crazy Miranda" is clearly by the author of "rejoyce." What makes Bark special is the move of Slick and the astonishingly under-valued Jorma Kaukonen to the foreground and the new casual, almost frayed approach to performing and recording. Also new is a shift away from the already-qualified counter-culture sentiments of Volunteers towards a more resigned, knowing worldview: "Third Week in the Chelsea" is painful in its directness, but gorgeous in its craftsmanship and execution; Slick's "Law Man" projects a tired, slightly annoyed, spirit that Slick could tap into so well. New to the band was the funky and sensual punch of tunes like "Feel So Good" and "Pretty As You Feel," which project a randy-to-sultry adult sexuality absent from their more whimsical "love" songs of the '60s. Confirms that the early '70s were the high water mark for the extended Airplane family." (toolshed amazon.com)

1. When The Earth Moves Again
2. Feel So Good
3. Crazy Miranda
4. Pretty As You Feel
5. Wild Turkey
6. Law Man
7. Rock and Roll Island
8. Third Week In The Chelsea
9. Never Argue with a German If You're Tired or European Song
10. Thunk
11. War Movie

Paul Kantner - Vocals, Guitar
Jorma Kaukonen - Vocals, Guitar
Grace Slick - Vocals Piano
Joey Covington - Vocals, Drums
Papa John Creach - Violin
Jack Casady - Bass

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 311MB

Part 1__Part 2

Bye and Merry Christmas to all!

Peter Frohmader - Kanaan Live 1975

Ok first off this is not for everybody only for the musically adventurous. Don't put this on at a party - unless you want most of the people to leave. This performance by Kanaan (only one of a few outlets for Frohmader's music) is experimental and avant-garde. Very atmospheric, with doom and gloom holding sway, there are touches of jazz fusion, free jazz and maybe even a little rock.
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"Peter Frohmader is an innovator of the second generation of German electronic music. Different from most electronic music artists, he is only marginally influenced by the cosmic sound of Tangerine Dream or Klaus Schulze. His music leads to the underworld and creates a sinister and nightmarish atmosphere. Frohmader has released numerous albums, but most of them came out on little labels, so they did not gain the attention they deserved.

Already a pupil, Peter Frohmader started to record tapes with alienated sounds in the early ’70s and later formed amateur bands like Kanaan and Alpha Centauri. In 1981, he released his first LP, Musik Aus dem Schattenreich. Frohmader got his inspiration from movies like Nosferatu, books of H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe, and the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch. So it is not surprising that especially the early works are very dark and disturbing. The excessive use of bass guitars beside the electronics is striking.

Peter Frohmader is also a talented painter and studied art and graphic design. His mystic airbrush paintings often were used for record covers. The famous Swiss artist H.R. Giger, creator of the alien monster in the movie of the same name, became attentive to him and they co-operated on his film Second Celebration of the Four. Music for TV movies and documentaries followed.

Besides his solo albums, Peter Frohmader has worked with musicians of Amon Düül, Embryo, and Emtidi. In the early ’90s, two albums were released in the United States and focused the attention of a wider public to his music. Later works withdrew from the ghostly music of the early days and integrate elements of ambient, neo-classical, and new age music. Peter Frohmader collaborated with guitarist Richard Pinhas of French band Heldon and Russian composer Artemiy Artemiev and had various exhibitions of his graphic art and releases several albums of his own music." (Klaus Kehrle, All Music Guide)
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"Peter Frohmader is one of most interesting and not ordinary persons of our time. Composer, multi-instrumentalist musician, an artist, Peter is one of key figures in modern musical culture. He is considered to be the experimenter-workaholic, the author of ten solo projects and numerous collaboration works with Richard Pinhas, Michael Fuchs-Gambock, Andreas Merz, Iva Bittova, Chris Karrer, Kanaan and Russian composer Artemiy Artemiev. His musical career started in the beginning of 70-s when he began playing with such collectives as “Apha Centauri” (avant-garde music), “Electronic Delusion” (electronic experimental music), “Kanaan” (jazz-rock/electronic music). The certain communications with German “underground” movement (which representatives scooping their inspiration in Christensen’s and Murneau’s cult films) are traced in Peter Frohmader’s activity. Peter’s music is mystically gloomy, chaotic and avalanche. His stylistics, a manner of presentation of sound material, wielding of the instrument, performing techniques bewitched the listener. You can like or dislike his music but it will never leave you indifferent and all that was created by Frohmader for to-day or will be created in future always will be interesting for the fans of serious art. Music of this very talented German composer will take a worthy place in history tables of modern musical culture." (discogs.com)

1. Bizarro
2. Rupscake
3. Spaced Out
4. Muzak Für Beknacte
5. Starnberger Prinzenschießen
6. Flash Gelee
7. Bulla-Bulla
8. Paranoia Frame

Peter Frohmader - Fretless Bass, Electronics, Gong, Voice
Uwe Rüdiger - Drums, Trumpet, Voice
Michael Schobert - Fender Rhodes Piano, Keyboards, Voice

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 498MB

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(^-^)

Out Of Focus - Wake Up (1970)

"Amazing kraut-jazz alien that is completely devoted to ferocious rocking jams. In an explosive combination of sounds, the band conciliates heavily bluesy guitars, free folk and propulsive organs. "See how a white negro flies" is a great introduction track for tripped out psychedelic guitars, including nice keyboard arrangements and stoned pop voice, a very efficient, energetic composition. "God save the Queen, cried Jesus" follows the same musical schema, for a super dynamic hybrid. "Hey John" is a calmer improvisation with some enchanting flute lines and a good rhythmical section. "No name" goes back to a heavy acid rocking trip but it is not so surprising. "World's end" is an other explosive kraut-jazz standard, featuring a nice groove. A lot of varieties and gorgeously psychedelic, sonic infiltrations! Simply brilliant!" (Philippe, progarchives.com)

1. See How A White Negro Flies (5:48)
2. God Saved The Queen, Cried Jesus (7:28)
3. Hey John (9:35)
4. No Name (3:06)
5. World's End (9:55)
6. Dark, Darker (11:37)

Remigius Drechsler - Guitar
Hennes Hering - Keyboards
Moran Neumüller - Vocals, Saxophones
Klaus Spöri - Drums
Stefan Wisheu - Bass

Not my rip: Thanks to original releaser
EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 264MB

Part 1__Part 2

Bye

Agamemnon - Part I & II (1981)

"These were one of many obscure Swiss symphonic progressives, typical of such Teutonic styled bands who originated in the mid to late-1970's. Derivative, yet also quite inventive, Agamemnon had a distinctly Pink Floyd type cosmic symphonic edge, akin to earlier albums by German bands like Eloy, Pancake, Jane, or more so, often close to Faithful Breath's similarly otherworldly debut album FADING BEAUTY.

In keeping with the title PART I & II, Agamemnon's sole album had just two lengthy tracks (one per side), with vast instrumentals, and seems to be some sort of strange and fanciful concept opus. An obscure privately issued relic, it's an album that is worth seeking out by fans of the late-1970's indie progressive style." (Crack in the Cosmic Egg)

The Gnosis 2000 website gives this album a higher rating than Pink Floyd's "The Wall"!

1. Agamemnon's Youth - Agamemnon, King of Mykene 19:45
2. Agamemnon at Troja - Agamemnon's Death 19:39

Urs Ritter - drums
Erich Kuster - vocals, guitars, organ
Walter Rothmund - bass, keyboards
Werner Kuster - piano, keyboards, guitars, flute

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 283MB

Part 1__Part 2

Bye

Arthur Lee & Love - Fillmore West 11-21-70

I got these files from Lossless Bootlegs 101 a while back, they're from a torrent that has been around a long time. I was real jazzed to find out that Love was such a rockin' live band, but disappointed in the quality of the files. The left channel on some tracks had a real muffled sound, one of the tracks had a major dropout, and one track was cut in half, with the last few seconds of the first half repeated at the beginning of the second half. I broke out my copy of Adobe Audition and over a couple weeks worked these tracks over in my spare time, did some channel mixing, some cutting, a little EQ'ing, and I'm pretty damn happy with the results. This flows seamlessly from beginning to end and the sound is much improved - it sounds great on my home stereo! The music is awesome, the players are great, the drummer especially. I wish the recording had been done better but from what I think is an audience recording we get a damn good listen to a great live band. Anyway you should check this out. Made the covers myself.

Early Show
1 Product Of The Times
2 Stand Out
3 Keep On Shining
4 Andmoreagain
5 Singing Cowboy
6 Good Times - Early Show Outro
Late Show
7 Late Show intro - Stand Out
8 Product Of The Times
9 Bummer In The Summer
10 Gotta Find Somebody
11 Signed D.C.
12 Slick Dick
13 Always See Your Face
14 Singing Cowboy

Arthur Lee - Guitar, Vocals
George Suranovich - Drums
Frank Fayad - Bass
Gary Rowles - Guitar

Separate FLAC's Homemade covers 290MB

Part 1__Part 2

Later

Brinsley Schwarz - Brinsley Schwarz + Despite It All (1970)

"Pub rock, the English roots rock movement of the early '70s, would never have earned a cult following if it wasn't for Brinsley Schwarz. Initially, Brinsley Schwarz was a rambling, neo-psychedelic folk-rock band that borrowed heavily from Crosby, Stills & Nash and the Grateful Dead. Following a disastrous publicity stunt to promote its debut album, the band went into seclusion outside of London and developed a laid-back, rootsy sound inspired by Eggs Over Easy, an American band that had been playing a mixture of originals and covers in English pubs. Following their conversion to pub rock, the Brinsleys ditched their pretensions of stardom and became a down to earth, self-effacing rock & roll band. Between 1971 and 1974, Brinsley Schwarz toured England innumerable times, playing pubs across the country. Along the way, they established a circuit for similar bands like Dr. Feelgood and Ducks Deluxe to follow. Though the group was nominally guitarist Brinsley Schwarz's band, bassist/lead vocalist Nick Lowe provided the bulk of the group's songs. Lowe developed a distinctive songwriting voice -- conversational, melodic, offbeat, and funny -- and the band was infused with his skewed sense of humor. Despite strong reviews and a dedicated fan base, the Brinsleys never managed to escape cult status, yet they influenced a legion of other artists, creating an underground, back-to-basics movement that laid the foundation for punk rock.

Brinsley Schwarz didn't plan to start a grassroots movement -- the bandmembers wanted to be stars. Lowe and Schwarz had already spent several years in Kippington Lodge, a Tunbridge Wells-based guitar pop group that released five singles on Parlophone during the mid-'60s to no success. By 1968, the members of Kippington Lodge were beginning to feel restless with their straight-ahead pop/rock and were eager to explore psychedelia. Keyboardist Bob Andrews joined the band later that year and drummer Billy Rankin came aboard in the fall of 1969. By that time, Kippington Lodge had completely revamped its musical style, evolving into a folk-rock band with psychedelic pretensions and appropriately changing its name to Brinsley Schwarz after the group's lead guitarist. Ironically, it was around this time that Lowe became the band's lead singer and primary songwriter.

Within a few months, Brinsley Schwarz had come to the attention of Dave Robinson, a fledging rock & roll manager who had founded the Famepushers Agency. Robinson developed a complex scheme to elevate Brinsley Schwarz to stardom. According to his plan, the Brinsleys would play an opening set for Van Morrison at the Fillmore East in New York in the spring of 1970, and he would fly all of the leading rock journalists to America to review the show. Late in 1969, Brinsley Schwarz signed a record contract with United Artists, and the band financed the publicity stunt with its advance. The group planned to leave a few days before the show in order to rehearse, but the Brinsleys were denied visas on a technicality. They were finally given visas on the morning of the show, and arrived in New York hours before the concert. Back in Britain, the journalists ran into trouble, as their plane developed a mechanical fault, delaying the flight for four hours. When the journalists arrived at the Fillmore 18 hours later, they were either drunk or hung over. When Brinsley Schwarz finally hit the stage, the band gave a competent but underwhelming performance, setting the stage for a flood of scathing reviews for both the concert and the eponymously titled debut album, which appeared weeks after the showcase.

Reeling from the Fillmore fiasco, the group rented a house outside of London and spent days and nights playing music. By the end of 1970, the Brinsleys released a second album, Despite It All, which indicated that they were evolving into a country-rock outfit; guitarist/vocalist Ian Gomm joined the band at the end of the sessions for the record. For much of 1971, Brinsley Schwarz rehearsed, developing a blend of country, folk, R&B, and rock & roll that was largely inspired by the Byrds, Van Morrison, and the Band, as well as Eggs Over Easy, which the group met at the Tally Ho pub in Kentish Town. Silver Pistol, released early in 1972, demonstrated a new versatility, but the group truly flexed its muscles in concert, particularly during regular concerts at the Tally Ho. Soon, they had built a small but loyal following, and a number of likeminded bands began playing the same circuit. Eventually, this grassroots phenomenon came to the attention of the U.K. press, which dubbed the groups' style as "pub rock" and proclaimed Brinsley Schwarz as the style's leaders." (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide)

1. Hymn to Me
2. Shining Brightly
3. Rock and Roll Women
4. Lady Constant
5. What Do You Suggest?
6. Mayfly
7. Ballad of a Has Been Beauty Queen
8. Country Girl
9. Slow One
10. Funk Angel
11. Piece of Home
12. Love Song
13. Starship
14. Ebury Down
15. Old Jarrow

Billy Rankin - Drums
Nick Lowe - Bass, Vocals
Bob Andrews - Keyboards, Vocals
Brinsley Schwarz - Guitar, Vocals

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 486MB

Part 1__Part 2__Part 3

Various Artists - Heavy Christmas (1971)

"Just in time for Xmas! Rare early '70s Brain release in official fold out CD digi-pak form, featuring bands playing Christmas related material. Don't let this put you off. This is a collection of mind blowing acid rock and progressive mayhem. Marcel's "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" is absolutely stunning, filled with wah wah acid guitar and tripped out teutonic harmonies that will blow your tits off! Features Virus, Dies Irae, Joy Unlimited and more! Fantastic festive stoners.... WOW (an office favourite)!" (Freak Emporium)

"One of the odder relics of the Krautrock heyday of the early '70s, Heavy Christmas found itself reissued in 1997 as part of the overall revival of the said sound. Originally released in 1971, it featured both new and traditional Christmas songs interpreted by seven different acts, most of whom contribute two tracks each. None of the featured acts are among the upper tier of Krautrock acts -- and it would have been quite something to hear the likes of Can, Kraftwerk, and Guru Guru do Christmas songs! -- but the end results have their high points. If any bands would be points of inspiration, Amon Duul II and Faust would probably be them; most of the acts here have the nutty playfulness of the first, touched here and there by the sheer cut-up chaos of the second. Compared to both, though, groups like Libido and Virus are much more straightforward. Libido itself gets in two of the representative songs: "Evolution," starting with a weird, ragged chorus and getting in some heavy drum slams and crazed guitar wah-wah action; and the rockin' good times of "Come on Everybody," apparently the album's single. Virus has its own fine winner, "X-Mas Submarine," with a stuttering keyboard line and fantastic guitar soloing its high points. Joy Unlimited's contribution is a doozy, a lengthy number called "All Heaven and Earth Are Silent" which sounds like a mix of stoner folk, pomp-rock instrumentals, and a strung-out Up With People. In perhaps the most entertaining trip-out, Dies Irae rips through an instrumental version of "Silent Night" with a snarling electric guitar taking the totally unlikely lead, alternating between full propulsion and calmer moments. Solo act Marcel delivers "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" with a nicely airy vocal, while his backing musicians crank the amps and add violin to boot." (allmusic.com)

1. Libido - Evolution
2. Marcel - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
3. Joy Unlimited - All Heaven And All Earth Are Silent
4. Virus - Mary Meets Tarzan
5. Dies Irae - Silent Night
6. Libido - Come On Everybody
7. Ardo Dombec - Heavenly Rose
8. Dies Irae - Sheperd's Song
9. Ardo Dombec - Open The Door, Open Your Mind
10.Virus- X-mas Submarine
11.Flute & Voice - Ecce Navicule
12. Libido - Come On Everybody - Special Radio Version

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 311MB

Part 1__Part 2

Seeya!

Creepy John Thomas - Brother Bat Bone + Creepy John Thomas (1969-1970)

"A little known and underrated talent. John Thomas had two hits with The Flies in Australia before coming to London to form his own band in 1969. Both albums are consistently good, strong material and raw vocals, which suit the guitar-driven musical format. There's some good guitar work on both albums. Ride A Rainbow is certainly the most commercial track on the first album but Trippin' Like A Dog And Rockin' Like A Bitch is really the magnum opus. The second album is excellent too. The opening cut Down In The Bottom sets the tone for more guitar driven hard rock from which the title track, Brother Bat Bone, is really the highlight, but dig the melodic guitar work on This Is My Body and Standin' In The Sunshine illustrates his mellower side. This is slightly the stronger of two but both are recommended. John Thomas later played for Edgar Broughton in 1975 and now lives in Berlin, running a band called Johnny and The Drivers." (Tapestry of Delights)

1 Down In The Bottom 5:11
2 What's The Matter With The Mill 3:16
3 Brother Bat Bone 9:06
4 This Is My Body 3:28
5 Standing In The Sunshine 8:34
6 100 Lb. Noomy 2:29
7 Gut Runs Great Stone 4:03
8 (Do I Figure) In Your Life 2:46
9 You've Got To Hide 2:34
10 One Way Track Blues 2:09
11 Trippin' Like A Dog 4:19
12 Ride A Rainbow 3:05 5.65
13 Green Eyed Lady 3:35
14 Sun And Woman 3:38
15 Lay It On Me 3:21
16 Bring Back The Love 3:23
17 Moon And Eyes Song 3:43

Andy Narx - Bass, Guitar
Helmut Pohl - Drums
Creepy John Thomas - Guitar, Vocals
Dave Hutchins - Bass
Roy Octemro - Drums

NOT MY RIP! Thanks to original uploader
EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-COVERS 445MB

Part 1__Part 2__Part 3

Bye!

V.A. - A Visit To The Spaceship Factory-20 Gems From The Early Years Of Prog

"A Visit to the Spaceship Factory presents 20 ear-watering morsels that will thrill and entertain in equal measure. Wander the dimly lit corners of the Spaceship Factory, an establishment designed to produce vehicles that could take you from the geometric wallpaper of your room to the far side of your electric dreams. It wasn't in production for very long, but while it was operating, not only did it manufacture million-selling models such as Yes, Black Sabbath and Jethro Tull, but it brought you the brash rock of Treetops, the polished guitar wizardry of Israeli progsters Jericho, the fuzzed-up dirt of Jesse Hector's proto-punk outfit Helter Skelter, and countless other designs now being re-appraised or still waiting to be recognized. The conveyor belts may be still, the furnaces may be cold, but the ships still fly to the stars. Psychic Circle's intrepid vinyl hound, Jamie Romer, has scoured the land in his quest to excavate more undiscovered psycho-prog stunners. This new selection bears testament to his endeavors. Other artists include: Mousetrap, Deadwood, Fuzzyduck, Incredible Hog, Mouse, Beggars Opera, Kingdom Come, Little Bighorn, Strange Fox, Onyx, Spontaneous Combustion, UFO, Sheephouse, Pussy, Axe, Sunchariot and Kansashook. This is a collection of late '60s psych-prog, featuring never-before compiled, remastered tracks."

"A batch of lost psych prog tunes from the early 70s -- with spiraling guitars, chugging rhythms and otherworldly jams from the UK scene -- and great little compilation on Nick Saloman's Psychic Circle label! The tunes were cut in the years between the psych heyday and the complicated prog sounds of the later 70s -- many with the catchy, freewheeling groove of the former and the metallic crunch and lumbering qualities of the latter -- all in all, a really great batch of spacey rockers that you have likely never heard before! 20 tracks in all: "Why Not Tonight" by Treetops, "Greenfields" by Mousetrap, "That Don't Help Me None" by Deadwood, "So Come On" by Jericho, "Tadpole" by Incredible Hog, "Spirit Of Joy" by Kingdom Come, "Sarabande" by Beggars Opera, "Bring It On Home" by Strange Fox, "So You Wanna Know" by Sunchariot, "Nervous Shakin'" by Kansas Hook and more! (dustygroove)


1. Why Not Tonight - Treetops
2. Greenfields - Mousetrap
3. That Don't Help Me None - Deadwood
4. Just Look Around You - Fuzzy Duck
5. So Come On - Jericho
6. Tadpole - Incredible Hog
7. It's Happening to Me and You - Mouse
8. I Need You - Helter Skelter
9. Sarabande - Beggars Opera
10. Spirit of Joy - Kingdom Come
11. Just a Game - Little Big Horn
12. Bring It on Home - Strange Fox
13. Air - Onyx
14. Spaceship - Spontaneous Combustion
15. Evil - UFO
16. Ladder - Sheephouse
17. Ska Child - Pussy
18. People Come, People Go - Axe
19. Do You Wanna Know - Sunchariot
20. Nervous Shakin' - Kansas Hook

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 465MB

Part 1__Part 2__Part 3

See ya later

Junco partners - Junco Partners (1970)

Junco Partners formed in 1964, took over from the Animals at the famous "Club A'GoGo" and "Downbeat Club" in Newcastle and Sunderland's "Blue Note". The band enjoyed fanatical local success almost immediately and turned "pro" to go to Hamburg's famous "Star Club" of "The Beatles" notoriety, but were turned back at the border as being too young to get visas. They then spent six years playing the national club and college circuit alongside "The Who", "Rod Stewart", "Jethro Tull", "John Mayall Band", "Jimi Hendrix" and many others. They personally backed Blues giants "Howlin Wolf" and "Freddie King" on international tours. The band made single and album releases, but split in 1971. Individual members went on to play with "Robert Palmer", "Elkie Brooks", "Mick Ronson", "Mick Abrahams", "Bell & Arc" and "Lindisfarne". (http://www.knbarker.freeserve.co.uk/)

This is a sweet little album of early 70's British rock, R & B based with some slight proggy touches. This reissue used a terrible cover (I don't know what a slingshot has to do with anything), and had only some brief production notes. No booklet, no liner notes, no photos. Disappointing because this band is still around and I'm sure the members would have loved for the label to have done a better job. I mean I had to search the net to get the player's names! Well anyway the music speaks for itself - very nice material, well produced, with great keyboards throughout and a singer whose voice perfectly suits the music. Not the greatest album ever but certainly not deserving of being so obscure all these years.

1. Minotaur
2. Fly Me High
3. Change In Louise
4. Black Widow
5. Help Me
6. Natural Thoughts
7. Am I Blue
8. Reprieve
9. In The Morning
10. Death By Fire

Charlie Harcourt - Guitar
Bob Sargeant - Keyboards, Vocals
Dave Sproat - Bass
John Woods - Drums

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 286MB

Part 1__Part 2

Later!

Crabby Appleton - Crabby Appleton (1970)

"Perhaps it was the name of this band that limited their success. It certainly wasn't because of their musical product as the 1970 debut album by Crabby Appleton is a truly remarkable collection of songs. Unfortunately, all that most people know about Crabby Appleton is their power pop hit "Go Back". "Go Back" is a quality opening cut yet it is only a small piece of the package that is so much more complex and fulfilling.

I was 14 years old when I first heard this release and it opened my eyes to a broader spectrum in the musical rainbow. It was Christmas 1973 and Crabby Appleton had already disbanded without me even knowing that they had existed. I was excited when I opened a gift from overseas relatives containing two tapes: Grand Funk "We're An American Band" and this release by Crabby Appleton. I was quite familiar with the heavy rockin' sound of Grand Funk but had no idea what to expect from Crabby Appleton. Playing these two tapes back to back was a shock to my system as the musical contrast was obvious. There was nothing heavy about Crabby Appleton and still I couldn't ignore the fact that they were smokin'. I was intrigued by the complexity of Crabby Appleton's music which on the surface appeared to be smooth and simple. The interplay between the guitar, keyboards, and percussion fascinated me. This was a band that blended so many elements into their music that I couldn't help but to be hooked.

Thank goodness Collector's Choice decided to release this gem on CD along with the band's second album "Rotten To The Core". I now have them both and am pleased with not only the music of Crabby Appleton but with the product that Collector's Choice has issued. The sound quality is very good and the liner notes are informative. Regarding the debut album, the liner notes provide really good insight into the formation of the group and into the similarities in the styles of certain songs on this release with bands like Santana, Left Banke, and The Zombies. Yet, what I hear at times in the performance of keyboardist Casey Foutz are shades of Atomic Rooster, The Doors, Iron Butterfly, Steppenwolf, and even ELP (Check out "Hunger For Love" for the Emersonesque ending.). Percussionist Flaco Falcon adds a touch of Santana and El Chicano to the mix while singer-guitarist Michael Fennelly's performance on "Go Back" reminds me a lot of the guitar work in Cream's "I Feel Free".

This is one of the few releases that I can listen to multiple times back-to-back and not get tired of hearing it. There is a lot to like on this one and I strongly recommend it. " (CU82 amazon.com)

1. Go Back
2. The Other Side
3. Catherine
4. Peace By Peace
5. To All My Friends
6. Try
7. Can't Live My Life
8. Some Madness
9. Hunger For Love
10. How Long Will It Take

Felix "Flaco" Falcon - Percussion
Michael Fennelly - Guitar, Vocals
Casey Foutz - Keyboards
Hank Harvey - Bass
Phil Jones - Drums

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 247 MB

Part 1__Part 2

See ya

Paladin - Jazzattack (1970-1971)

"In Gloucestershire, England, 1970, five musicians got together to rehearse, producing one of the most innovative and under rated rock bands of the seventies. The original idea for this band was first conceived in a hotel room in New York City, by Peter Solley and Keith Webb. At the time, they were the opening act for The Rollingstones, with the Terry Reid Band. Deciding to break away from the creative restrictions imposed on them as backing musicians, they returned to England to form their own band called PALADIN. Many months were spent finding the right blend of musicians, writing and rehearsing. The band consisted of Lou Stonebridge on vocals, piano, and harmonica, Derek Foley on guitar and vocals, Peter Solley on organ, piano, violin and vocals, Keith Webb on drums and percussion, and Peter Beckett on bass and vocals. Stonebridge and Foley had been playing with the band Grisby Dyke, and Peter Beckett was formerly of the band WORLD OF OZ. When the rehearsals began, it was clear that PALADIN was going to be a dynamic live band. Instead of recording a demo, they invited people from the music industry to attend the rehearsals. Their sound was a mix of rock, blues, soul, jazz, and latin, creating a rich blend of world beat, long before it existed. PALADIN'S use of dual keyboards also created a unique sounds. By the end of 1970, they hit the road to play live gigs. Their first appearance took place at the Revolution in London. After some negogiations, PALADIN signed with the newly formed Bronze Records. They began recording their self-titled, debut album on January 8, 1971, at Olympus Studios in West London. They also recorded some of the album at Island Studios, also in London. They recorded almost everything live in the studio, with a few overdubs. This decison produced some outstanding pieces of music. A year later, it was time for their second album, which was recorded at the famous Apple Studios in London. Entitled CHARGE!, the second album was pegged by critics to be the absolute classic masterpiece of the 70's. This diverse album, which at times mixed folk with rock and roll, made it difficult to pinpoint influences. The lead vocals were shared by the band members on select songs. Famous album cover artist Roger Dean, designed THE PALADIN, a rider on a horse, for CHARGE!, claiming it to be one of his most difficult sketches. Unfortunately, PALADIN'S lack of success led to frustration, with Stonebridge and Foley deciding to leave the band in the middle of 1972. Foley was replaced by Joe Jammer on vocals and guitar. However, the revised lineup didn't last long and by the end of the year, PALADIN disbanded. The career of PALADIN produced two of the finest hard/prog albums of the 70's. They also recorded early versions of tracks leaning more toward jazz. These were later reworked and the tapes were forgotten for almost 25 years until their release in 2002 by Rock Symphony under the name of JAZZATTACK. PALADIN did record live for the BBC but the tapes are believed to be still collecting dust in the vaults of old Beeb in London. Today, Peter Solley owns Peter Solley Productions, a company that produces MIDI files." (www.peterbeckett-player.com)

"The Brazilian Rock Symphony label has released this collection from Paladin, a British band that released two hard progressive albums in 1971 and 1972. The music here consists of early versions of tracks that ended up on their debut album and were later reworked. The sound is studio quality. These are the band’s most inventive and experimental pieces, though the album title is a bit of a misnomer as it is mostly rock with some jazz influence, sometimes sounding like a more progressive version of Santana." (www.kinesiscd.com)

1. The Gong (0:13)
2. The Fakir I (5:35)
3. Third World Part I (5:39)
4. Third World Part II (3:02)
5. Carry Me Home (4:49)
6. Dance of the Cobra (7:42)
7. Bad Times (7:14)
8. Fill Up Your Heart (5:42)
9. It's Time (4:28)
10. The Fakir II (5:01)

Lou Stonebridge / vocals, electric piano, harmonica
Pete Soley / organ, violin, Grand piano
Keith Webb / drums, percussion
Derek Foley / lead guitar, slide guitar, vocals
Peter Beckett / bass guitar, vocals

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 413 MB

Part 1__Part 2__Part 3

See ya!

Quiet Sun - Mainstream (1975)

"This sole album is one one those UFDisc that make the proghead so happy in his ever-ending search for 70's gems. Phil Manzanera reformed Quiet Sun as a way of letting off steam from the Keyboard-dominated Roxy Music. Although the album has divided credits and all Quiet Sun members shine , clearly the star here is Manzanera : his searing fuzzy guitars soars above the rest of the album.

Sol Caliente is a real classy track and augurs most of the rest of the album , excellent Canterbury fusion but with a definite rock edge. Bargain Classics has typical Canterbury keyboard with spacey guitars: a must hear. The Mummy track is the highlight with a flying guitar solo followed by a superb Jarrett KB solo that is leaning towards his more famous jazz namesake. The only down remark is the last track (unfortunately also the longest) : it is the only sung track (and not really well either, IMHO) but also is rather tedious and over- long.

Too bad because this last track is the sole reason for not getting that fifth star. To some extent , this is the most accomplished album that Manzanera ever played on , and certainly the one where he shows most his abilities at guitar histrionics. His 801 venture is not quite up to par with this gem. A real must for for everyone. " (Sean Trane progarchives.com)

1. Sol Caliente (7:35)
2. Trumpet With Motherhood (1:47)
3. Bargain Classics (5:49)
4. R. F. D. (3:22)
5. Mummy Was An Asteroid..... (6:01)
6. Trot (5:14)
7. Rongwrong (9:29)

Charles Hayward / drums, percussion, keyboards & voices
Dave Jarrett / keyboards
Phil Manzanera / guitars, keyboards
Bill MacCormick / bass & voices
With:
Brian Eno / synthesizers, treatments and oblique strategies

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 283 MB

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:)

Tempest - Under The Blossom: The Anthology

"Tempest was an excellent band formed by jazz-rock drummer Jon Hiseman after the demise of his earlier band Colosseum in 1971, which happens to be one of my favorite drummers who I think is extremely underrated! Completing the group's first line-up was guitarist Allan Holdsworth, bass player/singer Mark Clarke, and Paul Williams on lead vocals. After the recording of their self-titled debut, both Williams and Holdsworth left reducing the band to a trio consisting of Ollie Halsall (guitar/keyboards/vocals), Mark Clarke (bass/vocals), and of course Jon Hiseman (drums). This is the line-up that recorded the second album "Living In Fear".

In this compilation "Under The Blossom", are included the band's two albums ("Tempest" 1973, "Living In Fear" 1974), a previously unreleased BBC live recording, and two excellent outtakes from an aborted third album the band was working on, when they decided to call it quits.

The self-titled debut from 1973 is an awesome collection of blues-rock, jazz-fusion, and prog-rock. All the eight songs have something memorable about them and what really got my attention aside from the drumming of Jon Hiseman, was Holdsworth's distinctive chord voicings and great soloing technique. Highlights include "Up And On" featuring some great riffs and melodies, the ballad "Grey And Black", and the somewhat dark sounding "Brothers" with a notable vocal performance by Williams.

The arrival of Halsall on guitar and keyboards brought a slight change of direction on the 1974 released second album "Living In Fear". The results are nothing short of excellent though! Here, the band goes for a more hard-rock and pop approach. Note how Hiseman also alters his drumming style for the new sound. His playing is less busy and leans more toward straight beats proving how underrated as a drummer he is. Stand out tracks include the unexpected Beatles cover "Paperback Writer", the awesome album opener "Funeral Empire", the poppy "Yeah Yeah Yeah", the seven-minute epic "Dance To My Tune" that features a stunning guitar solo by Halsall, and the acoustic number "Waiting For A Miracle" which is sung by bass player Clarke.

The live BBC session is an incredible listening experience that it's made even better by the fact that both guitarists Allan Holdsworth and Ollie Halsall get to play together here! As a result the band stretches out with the arrangements to include excellent jams that showcase the interplay between the two players perfectly. Drummer Hiseman gets to play a seven minute drum solo as well. Too bad the set list only includes songs from the first album though... But that's only a minor complain.

Even the two outtakes are well worth hearing. "You And Your Love" is a charged rocker with funny lyrics but "Dream Train" is truly a pop gem! This is one of the best songs on the album! An unforgettable vocal duet between Halsall and Clarke is included, very catchy melodies, plus a melodic solo at the end too!

So this band called Tempest is essential listening not only if you like hard rock, prog rock, or jazz fusion, but also because of underrated drummer Hiseman and the fact that both guitar players Holdsworth and Halsall became hugely influential for later guitarists like, for example, Van Halen! " (chappa, amazon.com)

Disc 1
1. Gorgon
2. Foyers Of Fun
3. Dark House
4. Brothers
5. Up And On
6. Grey And Black
7. Strangeher
8. Upon Tomorrow
9. Funeral Empire
10. Paperback Writer
11. Stargazer
12. Dance To My Tune
13. Living In Fear
14. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
15. Waiting For A Miracle
16. Turn Around

Disc 2
1. You And Your Love (Unreleased)
2. Dream Train (Unreleased)
3. Foyers Of Fun (BBC session)
4. Gorgon (BBC session)
5. Up And On (BBC session)
6. Grey And Black (BBC session)
7. Brothers (BBC session)
8. Drums Away (BBC Session)
9. Strangeher (BBC session)

Ollie Halsall - Guitars
Allan Holdsworth - Guitars & Violin
Jon Hiseman - Drums
Mark Clark - Bass, Vocals
Paul Williams - Lead Vocals

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 905MB

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Seeya!

Neuschwanstein - Alice In Wonderland (1976)

"A few years before Neuschwanstein conceived their masterpiece "Battlement" (to many, including myself, one of the best symphonic prog albums ever from Germany), the band had already written an album-worthy set of tracks that, together, made the concept of a progressive opus inspired by Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland". I suspect that this was done when the band was still a 5-piece (before the arrival of Frederic Joos), but you can tell that by then the fivesome had found out their own voice within the realms of symphonic prog rock. There aren't too many lyrics in "Alice in Wonderland", and most of them are narrated. The opener is literally an intro that comprises brief atmospheres based on floating piano washes and eerie cymbals, until the instrumentation settles in for 'The Gate to Wonderland', lyrically structured across a prominent presence of bucolic ambiences provided by the playful flute lines and the elegant interventions on synth (orchestration and solo). All in all, it is mostly a second intro, and a "third intro" arrives with the slightly more mysterious 'Pond of Tears', which is where the synth layers become more relevant, and also there is a more noticeable presence of the guitar phrases alongside the ever haunting flute lines. The melodic display is definitely more ambitious than on the preceding track, but it still feels like a sequence of amalgamated snippets than a track with a power of its own. Track 4 is the first piece in this concept that benefits from a proper development - it starts very lyrical, like a symphonic journey with heavily pastoral accents, but soon the piece reveals a colorful imagery of sound that alternates density and lightheartedness in an ultimately symphonic fashion. Influences from Camel, Novalis, Eloy and Focus' introspective side are (or seem to be) very transparent here, with some touches of early 70s Jethro Tull. Regarding the sense of magic delivered through the global instrumentation, you can also tell that there are also coincidences with what Happy the Man were doing at the time on the other side of the Atlantic for their "Death's Crown" project - it is no wonder, since this album's tracklist and that HTM project were both conceived as musical bases for visuals and theatrical deliveries. 'Five O'Clock-Tea' is segued to the last notes of the preceding track's enthusiastic closing portion, bringing back a ceremonious note that works really well due to the clever architecture that ordains the various moods and motifs. This is the sort of grandeur that I wished earlier for tracks 2 and 3 - at this point, the musical ideas are becoming gradually more robust. After a brief sung section, the track shifts toward a sense of sheer, dramatic intensity without losing its melodic drive. The last section is a joyful imitation of cabaret-oriented jazz, which makes an efficient contrast against the solemn note that signals the start of the following track 'The Marching of the Queen - Palace of Wonderland'. The band's ability to create beautifully crafted melodic developments of motifs and the easily flowing transitions comes to its full fruition on this one - even though you won't find as many dramatic shifts than on previous tracks, this one never gets boring or monotonous. The portions where the band gets to Celtic and Renaissance territories, the sonic beauty becomes irresistibly sublime. 'The Court of the Animals' starts with the mandatory narration over a piano sequence (electric and grand, simultaneously): some more amazingly beautiful melodies and textures get in, and then some exciting interludes bring warm Tullian airs. The closer 'Alice's Return' wraps up the concept with a reprised motif. All in all, "Alice in Wonderland" is not as gloriously genius as "Battlement", but it is not a disposable progressive album at all; no, it is an excellent addition (albeit with a not too great sound production) to any good prog rock collection." (Cesar Inca progarchives.com)

1. Theme of Alice - The Flower Meadow - The White Rabbit (1:17)
2. The Gate to Wonderland (2:13)
3. Pond of Tears (2:45)
4. The Conference of the Princess - Old Father's Song -Duchess' Lullaby (8:31)
5. Five-O'Clock-Tea (6:49)
6. The Marching of the Queen - Palace of Wonderland (12:04)
7. The Court of the Animals (5:01)
8. Alice's Return (2:04)

Thomas Neuroth - Keyboards
Klaus Mayer - Flute, Synthesizer
Roger Weiler - Guitars
Frederic Joos - Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Rainer Zimmer - Bass, Vocals
Hans-Peter Schwarz - Drums
Hermann Rarebell - Drums

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 328MB

Part 1__Part 2

Later!

Mother Jane - Comes Alive (2000)

Founded in 1993 by Klaus Hess, Mother Jane sounds a whole lot like the 1970's Jane, heavy and melodic. This disc features material recorded in Switzerland in 1999. The band does old Jane classics like "Windows", "Daytime", "Hangman", "Spain" and "Redskin", plus some impressive new material. Well I guess it was new in 1999! Bassist Kai Schiering's vocals are awesome, the musicianship is spectacular, the sound is OK. The crowd noises seem a little intrusive at times, but only add to the general stoned 70's vibe that is alright by me. Almost 80 minutes of sweet Jane goodness, a must-have for all Jane fans.

1. Out Of Control
2. Spain
3. Redskin
4. Together We Are Stand
5. Emotion
6. So Solong
7. Take It
8. Hangman
9. Daytime
10. Way To Paradise
11. Silence
12. Windows
13. Nightmare
14. Windows II

Klaus Hess - Guitar, Vocals
Kai Schiering - Bass
Jaye - Drums, Vocals
Klaus Henatsch - Keyboards, Vocals

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 513 MB

Part 1__Part 2__Part 3

See ya!

Brainticket - Voyage (1982)

"Voyage" continues where "Adventure" left off with more strange sonic cosmos and amazing percussive tones and moods. Essentially "Voyage" was a live in studio jam which got carried away one evening and was captured on tape for the world to enjoy. Once again we are surrounded by the electronic genius of Joel Vandroogenbroeck and his gang of merry men. "Voyage" seems to be more devoted to exploring the percussive side of their music in sharp contrast to "Adventure" and "Celestial Ocean". "Voyage Part 1" would certainly rank as one of my all time electronic Krautrock favs. 3 more bonus tracks have been included as well in the same vein as those found on "Adventure". (James Unger progarchives.com)

1. Voyage Part 1 (19:07)
2. Voyage Part 2 (18:06)
Bonus Tracks:
3. Skyline [Analog 1970] (8:10)
4. Underworld Paths (7:20)
5. Nebula (4:45)

Joel Vandroogenbroeck - Keyboards, Flute, Guitar, Vocals
Hans Deyssenroth - Keyboards, Synthesizers, Computer
Barney Palm - Drums, Percussion, Strange Sounds
Wilhelm Seefeldt - Synthesizers, Computer

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 338 MB

Part 1__Part 2__Part 3

Bye!

8 Days In April - The Hamburg Scene (1972)

I have been looking for a CD copy of this album for years with no luck and I was stoked when it showed up as a CD rip on a mystery forum. Thanks to the original uploader, uheep2, and thanks for permission to share it here. The CD is obviously a bootleg since there has been no official release - "Hamburg" was spelled "Hamnburg" on the back cover (Fixed with Photoshop), but the sound is great. This is basically Frumpy keyboardist Jean-Jacques Kravetz fronting the Udo Lindenberg band, with Lindenberg writing almost all the material. Frumpy singer Inga Rumpf provides vocals for the first track, from then on it's mostly an instrumental album. This is a stellar album of laid-back low-key progressive rock performed by brilliant musicians, with guitarist Thomas Kretzschmer being a real standout!

1. I'd Like To Be A Child Again (9:35)
2. Ann Toomuch (7:55)
3. Routes (7:27)
4. When The Dream Is Over (3:14)
5. Master Of Time (9:40)

Udo Lindenberg - Vocals, Drums, Percussion
Jean-Jacques Kravetz - Organ, Piano, Synthesizer, Percussion
Steffi Stephan - Bass
Thomas Kretzschmer - Guitar
Inga Rumpf - Vocals
Roger Hook - 12 String Guitar

Not my rip - Separate flacs,log, cue, covers, 238 MB

Part 1__Part 2__Part 3

Cheers!

Amon Düül II - BBC Radio One Live In Concert Plus (1973)

Some great tunes recorded by one of Germany's best bands on their final tour of England. Not my rip - thanks to original uploader!

Renate Knaup - Vocals
Chris Karrer - Guitars, Violin, Saxophone, Vocals
John Weinzierl - Guitars, Bass
Danny Fichelscher - Drums, Guitars, Bass, Vocals
Peter Leopold - Drums
Falk-U. Rogner - Synthesizer, Organ

1. Ladies Mimikry
2. Kanaan
3. Dem Guten, Schönen, Wahren
4. Green Bubble Raincoated Man
5. Mañana
6. Trap
From Tanz Der Lemminge Sessions:
7. Marilyn Monroe Memorial Drums
8. Chewing Gum Telegram [Alternate Mix]

Seperate flacs-Covers 298 MB

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Later!

Procol Harum - Through The Garden Fence - BBC 1967-1971

I was rummaging through my stash and I found this bootleg that I had gotten as a torrent a few years ago. I had never listened to it! Man for the age of these recordings it sounds great - recommended for all Procol Harum fans. Thanks to the original releaser, Pink Robert.

1. A Whiter Shade Of Pale (5:14)
2. Mabel (1:38)
3. She Wandered Through The Garden Fence (3:09)
4. Homburg (4:50)
5. Monsieur Armand (2:30)
6. Wishing Well (2:34)
7. Skip Softly (My Moonbeams) (3:22)
8. Long Gone Geek (2:34)
9. Kaleidoscope (2:35)
10. Rambling On (4:20)
11. Quite Rightly So (3:44)
12. Skip Softly (My Moonbeams) (3:42)
13. Shine On Brightly (3:45)
14. Seem To Have The Blues (2:42)
15. Simple Sister (3:29)
16. Whiskey Train (5:08)
17. Juicy John Pink (2:56)
18. Nothing That I Didn't Know (2:46)
19. Your Own Choice (2:34)
20. A Whiter Shade Of Pale (5:14)

Tracks 1-2: June 14, 1967
Track 3: September 27, 1967
Track 4: Top Of The Pops 1967
Track 5: Top Of The Pops 1968
Tracks 6-8: August 19, 1968
Tracks 9-12: Top Of The Pops 1967-1968
Tracks 13-17: October 6, 1971
Tracks 18-20: September 16, 1970

Separate FLAC's-Found Covers 422 MB

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Bye!

Clear Blue Sky - Clear Blue Sky (1971)

I figure everybody needs a copy of this endlessy-reissued classic of early 70's British rock. These guys were only 18 when this was recorded! Akarma release, not my rip - thanks to original uploader!

Mark Sheater - Bass
John Simmons - Guitar
Ken White - Drums

1. Journey To The Inside Of The Sun
a.Sweet Leaf
b.The Rocket Ride
c.I’m Comin’ Home
2. You Mystify
3. Tool Of My Trade
4. My Heaven
5. Birdcatcher

EAC-FLAC (separate)-LOG-SCANS 246 MB

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Later

Xhol - Motherfuckers Live (1968/1969/2001)

First off, a big thank you to Muck K. who ripped this and uploaded almost 800 MB for us, along with nice scans too! Muck has been toiling behind the krautrock scene since the late 60's and agreed to share this only because it is out of print. I have seen this in lossless once before, but without the third disc. Anyway what you get here are two complete performances by this seminal krautrock band, one from 1968 and the other from 1969, and a short third disc with a few Xhol covers by Current 93/Nurse With Wound. The second disc shows an Xhol that's different from their regular releases, basically a huge dark jam. If you like your krautrock edgy, experimental, dark, and maybe even a little violent this will be right up your alley! Thanks again to Muck for uploading this gem in it's complete state.

Disc 1 - Freedom Opera (1968) (56:50)
1. Acapulco Gold (Xhol)
2. Poems (Adapted from Vanilla Fudge)
3. Season of the Witch (Donovan Leitch)
4. Freedom Poem (Xhol/James Rhodes)
5. African Song (Xhol)
6. Talking to my Soul (Xhol)
7. Freedom Poems (Xhol/James Rhodes)
8. Planet Earth (Xhol)
Disc 2 - WDR Radio Live 1969 (56:58)
Disc 3 - Hot Buttered Xhol (15:45)
1. Current Ninety Three "Memories" (Soul Caravan)
2. Xhol/Nurse With Wound "Radio" (Xhol)
3. Christoph Heemann "Walla Mashalla" (Xhol Caravan)

Skip van Wyck - Drums
Tim Belbe - Saxophone
Hansi Fischer - Saxophone, Flute
Klaus Briest - Bass
Öcki - Keyboards
James Rhodes - Vocals

FLAC-CUE-SCANS 797 MB

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Later!!

My Solid Ground - My Solid Ground (1971)

"A little known hard rock and psychedelic band, who just made the one album, My Solid Ground were amongst the most obscure of acts on Bacillus Records, but these days they are much better known amongst Krautrock aficionados.

The band originated in 1968 from the town Rüsselheim, with the line-up: Willy Waid (drums), Uli Weyrauch (bass) and Bernhard Rendel (guitars, vocals). Establishing themselves as a psychedelic hard-rock band, unbefitting their name they were never a solid or stable band, with one Werner Geilenkirchen playing bass for a year before being replaced by Karl-Heinrich Dörfler. Gelling the sound proper was Ingo Werner on keyboards, however it seems that he kept leaving the band and returning. Various early demos and sessions (a whole albums worth) can be heard now on the Second Battle CD reissue of their sole LP release MY SOLID GROUND, showing their roots and diversity of invention.

The LP itself is most notable for the tracks that feature keyboardist Ingo Werner, like the opening cosmic kind of Thirsty Moon-like opus "Dirty Yellow Mist" (a Krautrock classic) and the disturbingly sinister "Executioner" amongst them. Most of the rest of the album was more typical Teutonic hard-rock of the era, but with an inventive flair, a few surprises notably, and a nod in the direction of Guru Guru. A schizophrenic album maybe, but such variety also makes it unique.

Scarcely two months after recording the LP, the quartet went to Baden-Baden's SWF radio to record a unique and remarkable session that showed the band advancing in leaps and bounds. The session, all instrumental by the way, consisted of four pieces that totally mix-up every My Solid Ground style into what often sounds like classic early Gila, with swirly keyboards and sizzling guitar, with nods to both classical rock and Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive".

Werner, Dörfler and Würsching, it seems, had all left the band before the album was released, and thus Rendel brought in Bodo Gross (drums) and Günther Mildenberger (keyboards) and My Solid Ground continued at least until 1974, though never made a further album. Early members: Waid and Geilenkirchen later formed the hard-rock band Indianapolis. Werner formed the experimental band Baba Yaga, who made two albums, and later worked in the computer music trio A.I.R.. Bernhard Rendel is still active as a musician today, and a collection of his current "one man band" demos are used to fill-up the SWF Radio session disc." (Crack in the Cosmic Egg)

Dirty Yellow Mist
Flash Part IV
That's You
The Executioner
Melancholia
Handful Of Grass
Devonshire Street W1
"X"
"Y"
"Z"
Flash (original full length version)
The Executioner (different mix)
Handful Of Grass (different mix)
That's You (different mix)
Dirty Yellow Mist (different vocals)

Bernhard Rendel - Guitars, Vocals
Karl-Heinrich Dörfler - Bass, Vocals
Andreas Würsching - Drums, Percussion
Ingo Werner - Organ, Piano

Not my rip - EAC-SEPARATE FLACS-LOG.CUE.ARTWORK - thanks to original uploader

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Arktis - On The Rocks (1976)

"It is the year 1976, and Arktis is dead!...or not? No, Arktis is still alive! First of all we had to digest the departure of Klaus Blachut and Klaus Göllner, do you remember? And then there was the question how to go on. Karin and Harry sat together making plans to continue the success story of Arktis without their guitarist and bassist. Harry recalled the time before Arktis existed and he remembered Manni with whom he had sessioned for some time and who might look for an engagement. He asked Manni, Manni was looking for an engagement and joined on guitar. Two other musicians could be found, and off we went...Apart from these necessary personnel changes we decided to use new techniques planning to record a new album which should be a direct musical follow-up to out debut album. Supported again by Conny Plank who had produced several of Arktis' songs in the past we are proud to present the song material of our third album of which all participants think it's our best. A Hammond organ for example was added to all songs on the LP. We also took much more time in the studio than before as can be valued by the songs' compact structures. Their psychedelic and underground feeling is influenced by our new guitarist Manni whose idols are Cream and Hendrix. While doing her vocal parts Karin did not think of the studio but emotions, blue spirit. All other band members submitted, fine...Last but not least we'd like to point out that once more we succeeded in performing a twenty minute song which was tough work ... We hope with this album to meet our fans' demand and hereby pronounce that we have already started working on album number four..." (Liner Notes)
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"Enchanting 70s' heavy metal from Germany. On the Rocks was recorded in 1976. Although featuring simple melodies and not straight progressive metal with complex arrangements, such as, say, Rush, Arktis' sound is interesting for two reasons.

The first reason is that their powerful guitar playing sounds Iron Maiden-esque for a mid 70s band and catches the attention at once. The second reason is that the voice of Karin is both very powerful and enchanting and sounds androgynous, which give the tracks a feel of fairy-tales. The highlight here is Loneliness, a beautiful powerful epic lasting 20 minutes. The tune is both heavy blues and melancholic passages in the vein of Pink Floyd. The doomy bonus track Y.T.T is reminiscent of Black Sabbath and really rocks !

Arktis's On the Rocks is an album which with you can easily imagine knights fighting on the landscape drawn on the cover while listening to the music. It's a pity they only made a few albums. Very enjoyable and accessible album. To all heavy and progressive metal lovers!" (Modrigue, progarchives.com)

1. Dangerous Love (4:31)
2. Since You've Been Gone (5:35)
3. Never Come Back (5:00)
4. Please, Call Me (5:26)
5. Loneliness (20:01)
Bonus track:
6. Y.T.T. (5:57)

Karin Toppig / vocals
Harry Kottek / drums
Manni Dick / guitar
Axel Maurer / keyboards
Bernd Kolf / bass

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 348 MB

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Guru Guru - Essen 1970

This is an awesome live recording by the best Guru Guru lineup - Ax Genrich on guitar, Mani Neumier on drums, and Uli Trepte on bass. On the short side, only about 38 minutes, that's the only thing wrong with this. The three tunes are from their first two albums, "UFO" and "Hinten". Garden of Delights release with huge booklet. Man these guys were great, highly recommended if you like Guru Guru. Maybe even if you don't!

1. Stone In 12:00
2. Der LSD-Marsch 14:22
3. Bo Diddley 11:27

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 282 MB

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Happy New Year!!!

The Shiver - Walpurgis (1969)

"Cult underground psychedelic 60's legends from Switzerland related to Toad, Brainticket, Deaf, and Les Sauterilles . This is their one and only album from 1969, containing a wide range of psychedelic and progressive styles. With dark passions and melancholic moods "Hey Mr Holy Man" is outstanding.Contains 3 bonus tracks. Sinister artwork illustration is the first record cover work of H.R. Giger." (Freak Emporium)
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"The Shiver were very much a mystery band, until recently, when all was revealed. They were Swiss, formed in May 1967 by blues singer (and guitarist) Dany Rühle, and were originally called Der Seiger. They were the roots of Island, via another band called Deaf. In January 1969 they recorded their sole self-produced album, which sported a sinister H.R. Giger cover, contained a wide range of psychedelic and progressive styles. Crudely recorded, and often shoddily played, it seemed to be an anthology recorded over a much longer period. The Shiver were nonetheless constantly surprising. A curious point is that the track "Hey Mr. Holy Man", a version of "Dies Irae", is very close to the version by Golgatha! Apparently the single was a big seller in the "Schweizer Hitparade". (The Crack In The Cosmic Egg)
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"Official reissue of the one and only album (1969) by Swiss underground cult legends; a heavy album, covering a variety of crude and sloppy psychedelic styles, and one of the rarest in the world, thanks very much in part to its sinister and sexually explicit H. R Giger cover; this issue has three bonus tracks, two from a rare compilation LP, and one from an even rarer split single from 1968." (Bomp!)
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"The Shiver are for sure the most renowned psychedelic band of Switzerland. Their one and only LP "Walpurgis" is legendary and hardly affordable. So, evidently, a lot of bootleg versions appeared on the market over the years, but all of them very poorly done. The CD on Garden of Delights is produced, as usual, with a detailed band story, a lot of illustrations, a detailed discography inclusive label and cover repros, and, last but not least, three bonus tracks. Two of those are taken from the very rare compilation "1. Schweizer Rhythm and Blues Festival". The early version of "Repent Walpurgis" comes from a so-called split single from 1968, where you can find The Etc on its flip side. Thus, the complete released works of The Shiver can be found on this CD. The fold-out cover artwork designed by HR Giger was taken over unchanged." (green-brain-krautrock.de)

1. Repent Walpurgis
2. Ode To The Salvation Army
3. Leave This Man Alone
4. What's Wrong About The Blues
5. Hey Mr. Holy Man
6. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
7. No Time
8. The Peddle
9. You Don't Love Me
10. Hear My Plea
11. Repent Walpurgis

Dany Rühle - Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
Jelly Pastorini - Organ, Piano
Mario Conza - Bass, Flute, Vocals
Roger Maurer - Drums, Vocals
Peter Robinson - Lead Vocals

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 358 MB

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See you in a couple weeks!!

Mon Dyh - Murderer (1980)

"Murderer" is the first of three great albums that German group Mon Dyh released in the early eighties. Despite searching I have been unable to find out much about them on line. The liner notes look informative, but unfortunately (for me) they are in German. All I could get was this brief write-up in "The Crack In The Cosmic Egg":

"An obscure Berlin rock band, formed in 1979, and regulars on the local club scene for some years. Mon Dyh were very indebted to British styled blues and heavy rock, strongly song-saturated, in the early Groundhogs territory. Still unusual on occasion, and with some progressive touches, their gruff German accented Bruce Springsteen cum Tony McPhee styled vocalist takes some getting used to!"

Despite being called obscure, the photo below shows them playing in front of a huge-ass crowd! Yet they seem to have been all but forgotten! And in spite of the tepid comment from Cosmic Egg, I think that these Mon Dyh albums are nearly flawless. Everything about them is great - the songs, the musicianship, the production. The biggest improvement they could have made would have been to sing in German, which they finally did on their best and final album, "Am Galgen".

And guitarist and main songwriter Andreas Pröhl is probably the best unknown German rock guitarist of the 1980's. This is a real good album and I wish I had the skills to write a glowing review, but I don't so I just hope some of you will try it out.Tracklist:
1. Don't You Break My Heart
2. Murderer
3. Trying
4. Magic Piano
5. Just A Minute
6. A Needle Must Not Lay Down
7. One Second Man
8. Encountered The Edge
9. All Along The Watchtower
10. Have You Ever Loved A Woman

Musicians:
Andreas Pröhl - Vocals, Guitar
Harald Künemund - Acoustic Guitar
Harald Frohloff - Bass
Markus Worbs - Drums

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 304 MB

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Later!

Ax Genrich - Highdelberg (1975)

Ax Genrich's first release after quitting Guru Guru has none of his signature acid guitar freakouts that made him famous on the first Guru Guru albums! Over all, this sounds a lot like a series of jams, played with friends dropping by to play, the whole thing is very relaxed. It reminds a lot of Mani Neumier's album "Mani und Seine Freunde" which came out the same year and had a lot of the same musicians. Since it's a collection of improvisations, there's no real focus and the songs amble from one style to another. The best track is 'Kosmische Phyrze', a gentle rock-guitar based instrumental. This album may not be on anyone's 'Top Ten' list or anything but it's still a worthwhile release, as these guys are all world-class players and the musicianship is top-notch.

Tracklist:
1. Der Platzhirsch 4.24
2. Odenwald-Polka 4.49
3. Wapitis Ruckkehr 3.50
4. Kosmische Phyrze 8.00
5. Super Normal Rider 5.01
6. A National Affair 4.14
7. No Matter, No 769 4.02
8. Saure Drops Und Susser Wein 6.24

Musicians:
Ax Genrich - Guitar, Vocals
Mani Neumeier (Guru Guru) - Drums, Percussion
Helmut Hattler (Kraan) - Bass
Jan Fride (Kraan) - Drums, Percussion
Peter Wollbrant (Kraan) - Guitar
Joachim Roedelius (Cluster) - Electronics
Dieter Moebius (Cluster) - Electronics

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 257 MB

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See ya!

Noir - We Had To Let You Have It (1971)

"We Had To Let You Have It" is the only recorded output from Britain's first all-black rock band, a band which broke up before the album was released. There is virtually no information about this group - that's about all the 'liner notes' tell us, that not much is known about Noir. I did find a page about Barry Ford, the drummer/vocalist, which tells us that Noir in their short career had gigs opening up for the Rolling Stones and Cream, and for a time were Alexis Korner's backing band. This page also tells us that the record was never completed but the label decided to release it anyway, hence the album title. This I don't get because all the songs definitely sound finished, and the running time is long for those days, a little over 48 minutes.

Although these guys backed up Alexis Korner, the music on this CD isn't 'bluesy' at all. The music is understated and low-key, on a track or two the obvious comparison is the Chambers Brothers I think, maybe it's my imagination! The tracks are sometimes funky, sometimes smoky and inspirited, sometimes a tribal percussive thing pops up, all the cuts have a deep soulful feeling and the guitar playing is above reproach. Their version of "Indian Rope Man" is awesome, though the best track I think is "The System", which creeps over into jazzy territory.

All in all this is a very sweet little album which deserves better that the obscurity it has had for thirty-something years.

Track List:
1. Rain
2. Hard Labour
3. Begger Man
4. In Memory of Lady X
5. How Long
6. The System
7. Indian Rope Man
8. Ju Ju Man

Players:
Tony Cole - Keyboards
Barry Ford - Drums, Vocals
Gordon Hunte - Guitars, Vocals
Roy Williams - Bass

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 272 MB

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Later!

Toad - Toad (1971)

"First Toad album, originally issued by Swiss label Halleluja in the 1971. Ex-members of Brainticket investigating the realms of skull crushing heavy rock! Certified savage guitar from Vic Vergeat! Swiss hard rock band formed by members of the original Brainticket, Toad's history is obscure and largely undocumented. Their debut is said to be in the realms of Dies Irae, being heavy, bluesy and experimental. However, despite getting a British release, we've never managed to locate a copy. Their second album, "Tomorrow Blue" was surprisingly straight hard-rock, akin to Sperrmüll, with Hendrix, Status Quo and R&B influences. Their original lead singer Benjamin Jäger went on to Island."(Alexgitlin)

"Why does anyone bother with the current crop of "stoner rock" when there's so much better stuff made back in the original stoner age (the '70s) now being reissued?? If you're into the Man's Ruin roster, and prone to buying albums by the latest Swedish Kyuss clone, yet don't have, say, Lucifer's Friend, Flower Travellin' Band, Leafhound, Captain Beyond, or Buffalo reissues in your collection, it's time to get with the program! Not that that's easy, since much of the good old shit is definitely obscure and unheralded. For instance, we hadn't ever heard of this Swiss band Toad until a kindly customer sold back a bootleg cd with an intriguing cover a couple years ago. Now, here's a legit reissue of the same album thanks to the freaks at Second Battle.

This self-titled disc is the first and best of Toad's three LPs, serving up hard-rockin' stoner psych in the best blues-based tradition of early Blue Cheer and Led Zep. The first track "Cotton Wood Hill" will offer a clue about the lineage of this band, as Toad's rhythm section played on the classic LP of that same title by acid-fried Krautrockers Brainticket! Toad boasts an excellent vocalist put to good use on the more melodic parts of their sometimes quite long songs, but a large part of the LP is occupied by heavy (HEAVY) jamming instrumental excursions featuring the killer guitar of one Vic Vergeat. This is genuine heaviness, circa 1971." (Aquarius Records)

1 - Cotton Wood Hill - 8.36
2 - A Life That Ain't Worth Living - 3.29
3 - Tank - 3.28
4 - They Say I'm Mad - 6.47
5 - Life Goes On - 11.58
6 - Pig's Walk - 7.27
7 - The One I Mean - 2.35
8 - Stay (Bonus)

Vic Vergeat - Guitars
Cosimo Lampis - Drums
Werner Fröhlich - Bass
Benny Jäger - Vocals

EAC-FLAC-LOG-CUE-SCANS 327 MB

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