Various Artists – Chart Hits (1983)

Various Artists – Chart Hits (1983)

Various Artists - Chart Hits (Discogs Entry)

Several years ago I shared a house with a guy (as opposed to a gentleman) who was a drunken douchebag.  I only lived there for a couple of months before leaving, part of which was related to my rent being a week late, part of which was because I actually called him a douchebag, which was apparently a sore spot with him.

Anyway, while living there, said D.B. was cleaning out a closet when he gave me a couple of albums, one of which was Roxy Music’s Avalon, t’other was this: Another great K-Tel look at the early 80s in less than an hour.

Let’s get down to it then: The Kinks, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Styx, Rick Springfield, The Stray Cats, and Culture Club.  The record was pretty beat up when I digitized it, so I was forced to rely on approximately 10-15 seconds of (discretely placed) digital splices from my collection.  These clips are difficult to locate, even for me, and I’m the one who put them there.

Contents:

1. The Kinks – Come Dancing / 2. Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) / 3. The Parachute Club – Rise Up! / 4. Styx – Don’t Let It End / 5. Kajagoogoo – Too Shy / 7. The Payola$ with Carole Pope – Never Said I Loved You / 8. Sheena Easton – Telephone (Long Distance Love Affair) / 9. Duran Duran – Rio / 10. Naked Eyes – Promises Promises / 11 . The Stray Cats – (She’s) Sexy+17 / 12. Juice Newton – Tell Her No / 13. Little River Band – We Two / 14. Rick Springfield – Affair Of The Heart / 15. Culture Club – Time (Clock Of The Heart) / 16. Spandau Ballet – True.

Various Artists - Chart Hits (69 mb)

Chilliwack - Sudbury, On, 24 Aug 2002 (2002)

Chilliwack - Sudbury, On, 24 Aug 2002 (2002)

Chilliwack (Wikipedia Entry)

Chilliwack (Allmusic Guide Entry)

Fortune smiles on me yet again: While searching the web for… well… something… anyway, I came across this awesome sounding concert recorded at an outdoor festival in Sudbury, Ontario (click for a map location!) in the summer of 2002.  For a band like Chilliwack, I try to get my hands on any unofficial records that I can, so when I first listened to this I was pleasantly surprised by how great it sounded. 

The source seems to be digital, possibly someone with a handy laptop, but is definitely not off the board, which can be plainly heard from a slight flanging effect on some parts, at least indicating that some sort of stereo mike was used.  Altho frontman Bill Henderson mentions a couple of times about an upcoming live album (which would turn out to be 2004’s There And Back), the set lineup here is actually quite different, with a couple of songs from the group’s final album to date, 1984’s Look In, Look Out.

As usual, the musicianship is great and Bill’s banter with (and from) the audience is both funny and insightful, which makes this a delight whether you’ve seen them in concert a dozen times or you never even knew they existed.  A great introduction to their work.

Contents:

DISC ONE:

1. Intro / 2. Lonesome Mary / 3. Whatcha Gonna Do (When I’m Gone) / 4. Getting Better /5. California Girl / 6. Arms Of Mary / 7. Communication Breakdown / 8. Trial By Fire / 9. Seventeenth Summer / 10. Dream Of You / 11. There’s Something I Like About That

DISC TWO:

1. Crazy Talk / 2. I Believe / 3. Baby Blue / 4. My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone) / 5. Raino / 6. Fly At Night (In The Morning We Land).

Chilliwack - Sudbury, On, 24 Aug 2002 1/2 (68 mb)

Chilliwack - Sudbury, On, 24 Aug 2002 2/2 (49 mb)

Various Artists - Propaganda (1979)

Various Artists - Propaganda (1979)

Various Artists - Propaganda (Discogs Entry)

When Punk and New Wave took off, the bigger labels were mostly kinda slow to catch on.  A&M, on the other hand, struck while the iron was hot and released a handful of great samplers, beginning in 1978 with NO WAVE, featuring The Police, The Dickies, The Stranglers, Squeeze, et al.

In 1979, A&M followed with this lovely continuation (which, in the UK version, at least, was subtitled “No Wave II”) with The Police, Squeeze, Joe Jackson, and several of their label mates.  Note that the North American and European editions contain different songs, for example the American containing the studio version of Squeeze’s “Slap & Tickle”, while the European contains a live version of “Goodbye Girl”, which was released on this side of the Atlantic as part of Squeeze’s compilation EP Six Squeeze Songs Crammed Into One Ten Inch Record.

Side one is five live tracks culled from shows at The Whiskey in L.A., The Bottom Line in NYC, and The Agora in Cleveland.  Side two are standard studio tracks, most (but not all) of them available on the artists’ then-current albums and singles.  In addition to this, the glossy cover picture (showing a rock festival in China with Chairman Mao(!) as the apparent headliner) also came in the original pressings as a frameable poster.

Contents:

(LIVE)

1. Granati Brothers – Go Crazy (Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, 23 Apr 1979) / 2. Joe Jackson – Throw It Away / 3. Joe Jackson – Come On (both Whiskey A Go-Go, Los Angeles, 12 May 1979) / 4. The Police – Landlord / 5. Next To You (both Bottom Line, New York, 4 Apr 1979)

(STUDIO)

1. The Reds – Joey / 2. Bobby Henry – Head Case / 3. Joe Jackson – Don’t Ask Me / 4. Squeeze – Slap & Tickle / 5. David Kubinec – Another Lone Ranger / 6. Shrink – Valid Or Void.

Various Artists - Propaganda (42 mb)

Various Artists - Rockin’ On The Airwaves (1981)

Various Artists - Rockin’ On The Airwaves (1981)

Various Artists - Rockin’ On The Airwaves (Discogs Entry)

“Presented” by CHUM 104 FM in Toronto, this great set gives a nice look at what was current in Canadian music in 1981.  That being said, there’s no Rush, Neil Young, Chilliwack, Streetheart, or Prism on it.

What you do get is a dozen tracks that represented (for all intents and purposes, see previous caveat) the cream of the crop of 100% MAPL Certified Canadian FM Radio Content: Rock, Pop, and New Wave.  What’s also interesting is that it was seemingly prepared with audiophiles in mind: The album states quite clearly that it’s a half-speed master, and briefly explains the technology for those who are unfamiliar.

Since it doesn’t appear that many (if any at all) promo copies were printed, how many of these found their way into radio station playlists and how many found their way into collector’s hands may never be known.  Truly, the lucky ones did find their own copies.

Contents:

1. Loverboy – Turn Me Loose / 2. The Powder Blues – Doin’ It Right / 3. Trooper – The Boys In The Bright White Sports Car / 4. Bruce Cockburn – Wondering Where The Lions Are /5. Straight Lines – Heads Are Gonna Roll / 6. Harlequin – Innocence / 7. Rough Trade – High School Confidential / 8. Toronto – Even The Score / 9. Triumph – Lay It On The Line / 10. Burton Cummings – Fine State Of Affairs / 11. Minglewood Band – Can’t You See / 12. Doug & The Slugs – Too Bad.

Various Artists - Rockin’ On The Airwaves (58 mb)

Various Artists - Hit Explosion (1983)

Various Artists - Hit Explosion (1983)

Various Artists - Hit Explosion (Discogs Entry)

Another great K-Tel compilation made to fill out the record collections of unsuspecting buyers.  For those of you (like yours truly) who grew up in this era, you probably already know that these compilations were basically pretty much by-the-numbers luck-of-the-draw affairs in most cases, with a few very exceptional collections that were definitely worth searching out; this is one such LP.

Since this is the Canadian edition (separate ones were also issued in Germany and The USA, and possibly Britain), almost half (seven, actually) of the acts here hail from north of the 49^th, with four each from The USA and UK and one from Germany (The late, great Falco).  There’s not really a whole lot more I can add other than the fact that I really found this to be an excellent album to listen to.  Even just spending time listening to the playback while cleaning it up and digitizing it brought me a great deal of listening enjoyment.

Contents:
1. The Steve Miller Band - Abracadabra / 2. The Stray Cats - Rock This Town / 3. Kim Wilde - Kids In America / 4. Billy Idol - Hot In The City / 5. Missing Persons – Words / 6. Coney Hatch - Hey Operator / 7. Rush - New World Man / 8. April Wine - Enough Is Enough / 9. Pat Benatar - Shadows Of The Night / 10. A Flock Of Seagulls - I Ran (So Far Away) / 11. Haircut 100 - Love Plus One / 12. Spoons - Arias And Symphonies / 13. Streetheart - One More Time / 14. Toronto - Start Tellin' The Truth / 15. Chilliwack - Whatcha Gonna Do (When I'm Gone) / 16. Falco - Der Kommissar.

Various Artists - Hit Explosion (63 mb)

It's baaaaaaaaaack!

Glad to have the blog back, albeit with a very limited user base for the time being.  I subsequently found out that an acquaintance had been deliberately sabotaging the blog (by filing repeated false, anonymous DMCA complaints) because I refused to review an album he requested.  Alas, this is what it's come to, but I've got the tools and the technology to rebuild the place better than it ever was.

So what's on the menu for the future?  Well, for a start, loads of albums that I plan to transfer off soon, including several new sampler albums, some obscure Newfoundland Rock (gotta support the home team, eh?) and some neat K-Tels dating from the early 70s to the mid 80s.  I also plan to restore some of the already existent entries with new transfers (I'm looking in your direction, SCHLAGERS!)

For those who stuck around through all the bullshit, I really appreciate your patronage, and can only say THANK YOU for keeping an eye out.  You're the reason I do this.

Jon.

Password...?

Yeah, Anajonda's Stash is now private.  If you're one of the regulars, you should have a password.  If not, sorry.  If you're supposed to have a password but don't, email me at anajonda@hotmail.com and we can get that taken care of.

Sundriver - Live At Barkley's (2001)

Sundriver - Live At Barkley's (2001)

Ever hear that old expression Bootlegging The Bootleggers?  Here's an amusing story.

Sundriver were a bar band based in St. John's, Newfoundland back around the turn of the century (our century, I mean).  Consisting of Colin Skinner (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals), Gary Way (Bass, Guitar, Backing Vocals), Craig Luscombe (Drums), and (Originally) Dave Hiscock (Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar), their repertoire consisted mostly of then-current top 40 covers.  In October 2001, Dave look a leave of absence due to medical reasons and, for whatever reason, never returned.  Boyd Bragg, at the time the sound man for Barkley's, a pub in the St. John's suburb of Mount Pearl, joined on Guitar and Vocals.

Presented here is the first recording of the new lineup, recorded on the evening of 12/13 October 2001.  According to the band, they went to their studio/jam space (Dirtneck Studios on Kenmount Road in the North End of the city) and rehearsed forty or so songs before taking the stage that night at approximately 11pm.  Talking with Colin earlier in the week (we worked the same day job), I offered (or, to use a more accurate term, THREATENED) to record the show for posterity, and thus, here is the result.

I had gotten the idea earlier that year after I had bought The Velvet Underground's Live At Max's Kansas City on CD (thank you, eBay!), and after hearing it, decided that technology had advanced enough in the three decades since that I could do a better job (tho that album in itself is excellent, nonetheless).  I showed up with a friend (who served as my roadie, carrying a duffle bag full of mikes, cables, blank tapes, and an old Hitachi component tape deck), got in without paying cover by using that old groupie chestnut, "I'm with the band", and sat there drinking beer and eating wings while we did our setup and soundcheck.

By 10:30, the band had arrived (for which I then roadied for them, helping bring in equipment from their car), and I sat through their soundcheck, which I recorded in it's entirety.  The first set was relatively quiet at first, as people were only starting to show up, but eventually a very happy crowd showed up, completely psyched by an excellent show.

I made a tape-to-tape copy of the entire show (which took three cassettes) and gave them to the band, which apparently (from what I understand) was taken to the studio and transferred from cassette onto a 24 track digital master.  Whatever happened to that digital master, I couldn't tell you.  I made a digital copy myself, but unfortunately, due to problems with my equipment at the time, was full of skips and mastering errors.  I did get around to recording several more shows over the next year or so (including one where, while excessively drunk, I did get up to sing Another Brick In The Wall Parts 1-3 with the band; I still have that tape somewhere), and these wound up in a shoebox under my bed.  The band would eventually break up within two years of this recording, without anything seeing any kind of followup to their debut album (which preceeded this show by a year or so).  Eventually the tapes were lost, having been put in storage and forgotten.

The story probably would've ended there but for the passage of several years.  While working at a call centre in the East End of St. John's, I ran into Craig (who I didn't know particularly well, apart from the recordings of the band I made), and we started talking about the shows, and I gave him a CD copy of my only lo-fi recording of the show, complete with skips and mastering errors, which he seemed interested in having, if only for the sake of memories.  After that, I became determined to uncover the original source tapes and remaster the show.

Fast forward to a week ago.  While cleaning stuff out of the basement of a family friend, I found two cartons of cassettes, including all the live material I recorded, as well as a shoebox full of stuff I did with a garage band I was a member of in high school (that's another story in itself), and right away I knew I had to take advantage of a good situation, so here's the end result.

In order to preserve the sound as much as possible, I decided not to EQ any of the recording.  Apart from editing and sequencing (which will seem pretty obvious when you realize that after playing Blink 182's All The Small Things, the band announces they're taking a 15 minute break, then go right into Stealers Wheel's Stuck In The Middle With You), plus a hardy dose of normalization to correct various issues associated with pointing two mikes at a stage during a loud concert, this is the show, pretty much complete.  The Intro and Outro originally totalled about 27 minutes, but I cut it down to an ever 6 or so here.  I edited the sound check to create a pastiche of the sound of watching a band set up and test their equipment.  I also dropped a pretty good take of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here because of the fact that, while reaching for a beer, I accidentally hit the power button on the deck, losing half a verse or so.

Now, the caveat: when listening to this show, keep in mind that it's not going to sound like The Who or Journey at their peak.  That being said, it's still a great show and, for added effect, try burning the discs off and popping them in a home theatre system, with a bit of virtual surround to recreate the effect of being there.  Some low lighting and a couple of beers go a long way to completing the experience.

I also have, somewhere, a box of Sundriver paraphernalia (posters, print ads, etc.) that I may include in the future as a cover for the discs.  I also have FLAC backups of the original recording.  If anyone's interested, I'll see what I can do.

With all that in mind, enjoy one of the best bands you never heard in your life.

UPDATE (12 NOVEMBER 2012): Apparently, Sundriver have reformed.  While Colin, Gary and Boyd are no longer part of the group, Craig is joined by a returning Dave, along with two new musicians on Guitar and Bass.  Check out their new home page here!

Contents:
disc one
1. Intro / 2. Gel / 3. 3 AM / 4. Hanging By A Moment / 5. If You Could Only See / 6. Slide / 7. Higher / 8. Save Tonight / 9. Mustang Sally / 10. All For You / 11. Real World / 12. The World I Know / 13. Last Kiss / 14. Hello Time Bomb / 15. Smooth / 16. Paradise City (tease) / 17. Kryptonite / 18. New Orleans Is Sinking / 19. All The Small Things / 20. Stuck In The Middle With You

disc two
1. Improv (Wildwood Flower) / 2. Semi-Charmed Life / 3. Why, Pt. 2 / 4. Interstate Love Song / 5. Plush / 6. Comfortably Numb / 7. Long Way Down / 8. Mary Jane's Last Dance / 9. When I Come Around / 10. Push / 11. You Shook Me All Night Long / 12. Mr. Jones / 13. Stairway To Heaven / 14. Sweet Child O' Mine / 15. Drum Solo (tease) / 16. Highway To Hell / 17. Outro.

Sundriver - Live At Barkley's 1/2 (93 mb)
Sundriver - Live At Barkley's 2/2 (89 mb)

Chilliwack - Dreams, Dreams, Dreams (1976)

Chilliwack - Dreams, Dreams, Dreams (1976)

Chilliwack - Dreams, Dreams, Dreams (Wikipedia Entry)

Chilliwack - Dreams, Dreams, Dreams (Allmusic Guide Entry)

After returning from the USA following the unsuccessful LP Rockerbox, Chilliwack made their comeback here in canada with Dreams, Dreams, Dream.  Produced by Frontman Bill Henderson and Drummer Ross Turney, under the supervision of Mike Flicker (who also served as Engineer), the album launched a string of hits (including Fly At Night, California Girl, and Baby Blue) and featured a remake of Raino, from their first LP.

The album proved to be a minor breakthrough in the USA where these three songs got serious FM airplay, despite failing to make the Top 100 (peaking at #142).  In Canada, however, the album made the Top 10 without much difficulty, placing four singles in the Top 100: Fly At Night (#7 Canada/#75 US); Baby Blue (#78 Canada/#110 US); California Girl (#17 Canada); and Something Better (#56 Canada).  To this day, the first three still see heavy airplay on Classic Rock stations in the Great White North.

Many of the songs made their way onto singles, and as a result, I have assembled my Ultimate Edition of the album, with the original Eight album tracks supplemented by Six addition singles tracks.  The sound quality isn't 100% across the board, but is more than acceptable.

Contents:
1. Fly At Night (In The Morning We Land) / 2. Baby Blue / 3. Rockin' Girl / 4. California Girl / 5. Roll On / 6. Something Better / 7. Rain-O / 8. Fly At Night (Reprise) / 9. Reach / 10. Mary Lou And Me / 11. California Girl (Single Version) / 12. Baby Blue (Single Version) / 13. Fly at Night (Single Version) / 14. Something Better (Single Version).

1-8 = Original LP
9, 11 = Both sides of "California Girl" single
10, 13 = Both sides of "Fly At Night" single
12 = A-Side of "Baby Blue" single
14 = A-Side of "Something Better" single.

ps Why The Hell weren't Reach and Mary Lou And Me included on the original LP?  They certainly wouldn't've hurt the finished product?  The nerve of some bands and record companies...

Chilliwack - Dreams, Dreams, Dreams (68 mb)

Lighthouse - The Best Of Lighthouse (1974)

Lighthouse - The Best Of Lighthouse (1974)

Lighthouse - The Best Of Lighthouse (Discogs.com Entry)

The output of Canadian Prog Rockers Lighthouse divides neatly into two periods (at least in their initial run): The RCA years (1968-1970) and The GRT years (1971-1975).  While there is a very nice double LP anthology of the RCA period (entitled One Fine Light, and frequently fetching high prices on eBay), this album, representing (most of) the GRT period, leaves serious gaps, in spite of being well edited and compiled.

First, their final GRT LP, Good Day, actually followed this one, so nothing from that album.  Second, summing up one live and four studio albums into a mere ten tracks seems kinda risky to me.  Third, one of the highlight tracks, a live version of their cover of The Byrds' Eight Miles High (The studio version is featured on One Fine Light, their RCA anthology) is cut from 14 minutes on the original live LP (and it's 18 on the remastered CD version!) to 5 here.  That might seem reasonable, given the length, but the edits and splices are shockingly obvious!

Now, that being said, it's still a good (if skimpy) selection of songs.  One Fine Morning, Sunny Days, You Girl, and Silver Bird (their biggest hits up to that point) are all there, plus great live versions of 1849 and Insane.  The cover is by Roger Dean (best known as the guy who drew all those Yes album covers) and was actually originally intended for the One Fine Morning LP (it was only used on the European Phonogram cover, while the Canadian GRT and American Evolution covers used a different, but equally interesting, cover).

Now sadly of little value as an introduction to the groups (try the K-Tel best of "20 Great Hits" or the remastered CD "Sunny Days Again" instead), it does feature a couple of unique edits and is recommended mainly for completists.  Not bad, just not comprehensive enough.

Contents:
1. One Fine Morning / 2. Sunny Days / 3. Can You Feel It / 4. Take It Slow (Out In The Country) (Live) / 5. Insane (Live) / 6. Hats Off (To The Stranger) / 7. You Girl / 8. Silver Bird / 9. 1849 (Live) / 10. Eight Miles High (Live).

Lighthouse - The Best Of Lighthouse (52 mb)

Chilliwack - San Francisco, 19 Nov 1977 (1977)

Chilliwack - San Francisco, 19 Nov 1977 (1977)

Chilliwack (Wikipedia Entry)

Chilliwack (Allmusic Guide Entry)


I have been lucky enough this evening to acquire a show (sourced from video) of a Chilliwack show recorded at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom in the fall of 1977.  At the time, the band were touring behind Dreams, Dreams, Dreams, and entertained an enthusiastic crowd for 41 glorious minutes.

While, admittedly, the sound isn't the best (It was sourced from a B&W video from Bill Graham's archives), and the harmonies are a little wonky, the band nonetheless puts on an extremely exciting set drawing from their three most recent albums (Riding High, Rockerbox, and DDD) and turns Last Day Of December into a wonderful jam/guitar solo.  With the rarity of Chilliwack shows even now, this proved to be an exciting find for me.  I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

And now a couple of final notes: 1. included here is the song I'm Free Again, which has never been released on any Chilliwack album; and 2. The sound originally cut off as soon as the last note played, so I've added a saturation echo, ala Roxy Music's Viva!.  Again, hope you enjoy it!

Contents:
1. Riding High / 2. I'm Free Again / 3. Crazy Talk / 4. Baby Blue / 5. Fly At Night / 6. Something Better / 7. Last Day Of December.

Chilliwack - San Francisco, 19 Nov 1977 (49 mb)

Thijs van Leer - Introspection 2 (1975)

Thijs van Leer - Introspection 2 (1975)

Thijs van Leer - Introspection 2 (Allmusic Guide Entry)

Thjis van Leer is a vocalist, organist and flautist best known as the long time frontman of Dutch Progressive Rockers Focus.  He also maintains a solo career which is definitely more in a Classical and Jazz vein than the artsy Hard Rock of his band.

Released in 1975, Introspection 2 is more like a musical version of a Vermeer than a record album.  The beautiful arrangements evoke images of some of the Old Masters hanging in the Louvre instead of, say, Robert Plant screaming his lungs out in the middle of Madison Square Garden.

In addition, van Leer also takes a few minutes (well, okay, 5 to be exact) to revisit Focus' 1973 song Focus III (also the title of the album it originated on), turning it into a classical masterpiece.  Even for non-fans, this should prove quite pleasing.  A great chill-out album anytime!

And now, a note on the transfer: Also the recorded sounds are quite nice, unfortunately, this, an original 1975 Dutch CBS pressing that I obtained for less than $4 in my local record shop, does contain quite a bit of surface noise that I did my best to remove.  I've also normalized the album, which may offend some Classical purists; I simply found the sound of the album too low in some of the quiet parts.  If this fails to please you, all I can do is apologize. 

Thijs van Leer - Introspection 2 (48 mb)

Lighthouse - Suite Feeling (1969)

Lighthouse - Suite Feeling (1969)

Lighthouse - Suite Feeling (Discogs.com Entry)

For those that aren't familiar, Lighthouse is a Rock group , originally from Toronto,  that built upon the Rock With Brass style pioneered by Chicago and Blood, Sweat And Tears by adding a string section as well.  The group charted several hits in the USA such as "One Fine Morning" (1971) and "Sunny Days" (1972), as well as releasing nine albums (8 studio, 1 live) between 1969 and 1974.

Suite Feeling in their second LP, released in late 1969, and includes two fantastic covers (The Band's "Chest Fever" and The Beatles' "A Day In The Life"), as well as the britpopish "Eight Loaves Of Bread" and the extended piece "Places On Faces Four Blue Carpet Traces".  Overall, the whole album is great, and probably the best of their tenure at RCA.  Unfortunately, this period (1968-1971) was rather poorly documented due to under-promotion by their record company, although an not-bad anthology, One Fine Light, was released after the group found success with GRT Records.

Lighthouse - Suite Feeling (53 mb)

"UPDATE"

I'm currently in the process of upgrading most of my vinyl transfers using my new turntable.  I hope to have every album from my personal stash upgraded by the end of the year (which probably won't happen, but...)

Anyway, these "Upgraded" versions can be found easily by simply clicking the UPDATE label at any time.  Go ahead, give it a try.  You'll like what you hear!

Various Artists - Limo (1977)

Various Artists - Limo (1977)

Various Artists - Limo (Allmusic Guide Entry)

After sitting on my computer, uncleaned for several months, I have finally posted my latest Loss Leader acquisition.

Limo, released in 1977, features the usual Warner classic artists (Fleetwood Mac, Ry Cooder, Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Leo Sayer, etc.), along with a surprising amount of novelty stuff (best of all, a cover of Glenn Miller's In The Mood, augmented by clucking chickens!)

Compiled (once again) by Dr. Demento, who made a smart choice by closing the set with Rod Stewart's then controversial hit Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright), this is (once again) a nicely balanced look at what was coming and going at the factories in Burbank in 1977.

For further information on the Loss Leaders, check out the Inside The Loss Leaders page.

contents:

DISC ONE:
1. Ry Cooder - Alimony
2. Sanford And Townsend - Moolah Moo Mazuma (Sin City Wahh-oo)
3. Jonathan Cain Band - Windy City Breakdown
4. Bonnie Raitt - Runaway
5. Little Feat - Red Streamliner
6. Van Morrison - Flamingos Fly
7. Leo Sayer - You Make Me Feel Like Dancing
8. Al Jarreau - Better Than Anything
9. Kate & Anna McGarrigle - Walking Song
10. Danny O'Keefe - The Runaway
11. Eddie Hazel - California Dreamin'
12. Fleetwood Mac - Dreams

DISC TWO:
1. Mylon LeFevre - Goodbye Miss Sadness
2. Chunky, Novi & Ernie - Didn't Wanna Hurt Cha For Another Guy
3. Jesse Winchester - Nothing But A Breeze
4. Wendy Waldman - Living Is Good
5. Jesse Colin Young - Higher & Higher
6. Deaf School - What A Way To End It All
7. The Gabby Pahinui Hawaiian Band = Aloha Ka Manini
8. Henhouse Five Plus Two - In The Mood
9. Hirth Martinez - Nothin' Iz New
10. Emmylou Harris - She
11. Gary Wright - Phantom Writer
12. Attitudes - In A Stranger's Arms
13. Ted Nugent and The Amboy Dukes - Call Of The Wild
14. The Doobie Brothers - You're Made That Way
15. Rod Stewart - Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright).

Various Artists - Limo 1/2 (63 mb)
Various Artists - Limo 2/2 (61 mb)

Marshall Chapman - Jaded Virgin (1978)

Marshall Chapman - Jaded Virgin (1978)

Marshall Chapman - Jaded Virgin (Allmusic Guide Entry)

Marshall Chapman, a/k/a Tall Girl, a/k/a The No-Shame Dame, is a Country Rocker from Spartanburg, South Carolina.  An apparent hybrid of Loretta Lynn and Bob Seger, her music can definitely be described as Southern for the Arena circuit.

This album, her second, features covers of Seger and Johnny Cash, with a sound that predates the 90s Country-Pop sound over a decade early.  Her guitar work is also great, and even non-fans of the genre will be impressed with the overall sound.  Add great production values, courtesy of Al Kooper, and you've got a winning combination and what should've been a much bigger seller.

As a final note on the transfer, there is alot more noise here than I would prefer.  Unfortunately, visual grading of vinyl is a seriously flawed system that should never be relied on when purchasing vinyl.  Always insist on a play grading (if possible) before buying.

Marshall Chapman - Jaded Virgin (41 mb)

Pink Floyd - Dying Words On The Intercom (2012)

Pink Floyd - Dying Words On The Intercom (2012)

Pink Floyd (Wikipedia Entry)

Pink Floyd (Allmusic Guide Entry)

A further surveying on my many Pink Floyd pieces compelled me to cobble together this collection of rarities, not available on any current band releases.  Most of the songs have been released legitimately in one place or another in the past 47 years or so, but none of it is legally available today, record contracts and companies being what they are.

Everything here can be tracked down on various PF bootlegs, if you really want to spend that much time going through them.  Of course, if you're a diehard, like me =), it's all for fun anyway.

Further Information on the quality and history of these individual recordings can be found at The Pink Floyd ROIO Database.

Contents:
1. Lucy Leave (Demo, EMI Acetate, 1965)
2. (I'm A) King Bee) (Demo, EMI Acetate, 1965)
3. Flaming (US Single Version, Mono, Tower 378, 1967)
4. Scream Thy Last Scream (Outtake, September 1967)
5. Vegetable Man (Outtake, September 1967)
6. Reaction In 'G' (Live Outtake, BBC, 1967)
7. Jugband Blues (Mono Mix, 1968)
8. It Would Be So Nice (Stereo Mix, 1970)
9. Interstellar Overdrive (Live Outtake From Ummagumma, 1969)
10. Oenone (Outtake, Zabriskie Point Sessions, 1969)
11. Fingal's Cave (Outtake, Zabriskie Point Sessions, 1969)
12. If (Live At The BBC, 16 Sep 1970)
13. Pigs On The Wing (8-Track Remix, 1977)
14. Empty Spaces ("The Wall" Film Version)
15. What Shall We Do Now ("The Wall" Film Version)
16. Outside The Wall ("The Wall" Film Version)
17. Not Now John ("Obscured" Single Version)
18. The Hero's Return (Extended Single Version).


Pink Floyd - Dying Words On The Intercom (88 mb)

Chilliwack - Riding High (1974)

Chilliwack - Riding High (1974)

Chilliwack - Riding High (Wikipedia Entry)

Chilliwack - Riding High (Allmusic Guide Entry)

After completing five albums (and six LPs) with only minor success in their target market (The USA), most bands would've packed it in; fortunately, Chilliwack is *NOT* most bands.

Instead, the group bounces back with their best album to date, not to mention the one that sounds the most like an actual Canadian Hard Rock group.  In addition to the minor (American) hit Crazy Talk, the album also produced three additional hit singles in Canada: Come On Over, There's Something I Like About That, and the uptempo title track.  Terry Jacks (Seasons In The Sun) sat in on the board for a few songs and gave then a nice "AM Friendly" feel, but overall it's obvious this was an album with FM radio written all over it.

As a final note, there are two (nearly identical) versions of this album: The original Canadian version (Riding High), which was released on Canadian independent label Goldfish Records (Distributed by London Records' Canadian division), and the International version (Chilliwack, aka Chilliwack 3), released on Sire, which was then distributed by ABC, now Universal, so different countries around the world put it out on different labels (for example,  Philips in The Netherlands, Phonogram in Germany, etc).  The original version has an animated photo of the Moon, which the international one has a Red, Hazy picture of a town in the distance, with a black background.  This transfer was taken from the American (Sire) version, as my Canadian (Goldfish) one looks like the rink at Madison Square Garden following a Rangers game.

Contents:
1. Come On Over / 2. Crazy Talk / 3. There's Something I Like About That / 4. Makin' Time / 5. Riding High / 6. Time Don't Mean A Thing To Ya' / 7. Far Side Of The Sun (Suite): a. Far Side Of The Sun; b. Secrets; c. Drifting / 8. Crazy Talk (Mono Single Version) / 9. In And Out (Single B-Side) / 10. There's Something I Like About That (Mono Single Version) / 11. Come On Over (Single Version).

1-7 = Original LP
9 = B-Side of "Crazy Talk" and "There's Something" singles.
8, 10-11 = Single Versions (Not done by me; courtesy of mojofilter02@youtube)

Chilliwack - Riding High (55 mb)

Chilliwack - Rockerbox (1975)

Chilliwack - Rockerbox (1975)

Chilliwack - Rockerbox (Wikipedia Entry)

Chilliwack - Rockerbox (Allmusic Guide Entry)

Following the surprise hit of 1974's Crazy Talk, Chilliwack suddenly found themselves in overdrive with a two record deal with Sire Records.  Basically, Sire purchased the American distribution rights for the group's 1974 album Riding High from Terry "Seasons In The Sun" Jacks (who co-produced the album and released it in Canada on his own indie label, Goldfish Records) and had Bob Ludwig prepare a splendid master for the US Market, where it became a cult favourite, and one of the group's most popular albums there, despite missing the Top 200 completely(!)

Following this, Sire's in-house production team of Richard Gottehrer and Craig Leon (Blondie, The Ramones, and many, MANY, others!) got the group to quickly record a followup in New York.  This is the resulting record: A listenable (if somewhat undernourished) LP of not-bad hard rock.  Unfortunately, the album's two biggest problems are the songwriting (which, with a few exceptions, sounds half-finished and rushed) and the engineering (which shows definite issues with the recording and mastering, both too low and dry!)

Despite giving the group another Top 100 single entry in the states (The awesome closing track, "Last Day Of December"), this album, if anything, undid most of the goodwill created by its predecessor.  Fortunately, the quartet returned to Vancouver and released their next album, Dreams, Dreams, Dreams, which put them back on the charts and the touring circuit with no less than three chart entries.  A return to their old studio (Mushroom, which had become a Record Label by this time) and crew (Mike Flicker and Rolf Henneman) didn't hurt either!

While this album is often (unfairly) shit upon as an inferior release, it should be viewed more as an off-day LP, like Neil Young's Re-Ac-Tor or Pink Floyd's The Final Cut.  It's not bad, just sorta dull.

Chilliwack - Rockerbox (38 mb)

Jack Green - Humanesque (1980)

Jack Green - Humanesque (1980)

Jack Green - Humanesque (Wikipedia Entry)

Jack Green - Humanesque (Allmusic Guide Entry)

Jack Green is something of an unsung hero in the music industry.  Best remembered (for those that actually can) for his work with The Pretty Things and T.Rex, as well as a few weeks he put in with Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow back in 1978, this is his first attempt at a solo album.

The songs are above average new wave power pop, well performed, but that's the album's problem: They sound great, yet remain curiously unmemorable.  One clue to why is the fact that they sound too much like many of the other artists playing similar music in the same period (and a problem that plagues commercial music to this day!)

That being said, it's still a very listenable album, with the notoriously hard to work with Blackmore contributing a song's worth on leads on "I Call, No Answer".  Just be warned, it sounds very little like his work with any of the aforementioned bands.

Jack Green - Humanesque (46 mb)

Buddy Rich - Stick It (1972)

Buddy Rich - Stick It (1972)

Buddy Rich - Stick It (Wikipedia Entry)

Buddy Rich - Stick It (Allmusic Guide Entry)


This is it: My first ever Buddy Rich album!

Rich (1917-1987) was one of the finest drummers who ever graced a set of skins.  His style, although almost entirely Jazz, was nonetheless influential on alot of other genres, even to the point of the tribute album Burning For Buddy, featuring such luminaries as Steve Gadd (Stuff), Bill Bruford (King Crimson, Yes), Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver), Steve Smith (Journey), Simon Phillips (Toto, Judas Priest), Billy Cobham, and Neil Peart (Rush), who also produced and coordinated the project.

Stick It has been described as Bop, but the style is somewhat closer to Rock (or at least Progressive Rock).  Featuring covers of Billie Holiday and The Beatles, as well as a nice vocal turn on the Kermit The Frog standard "Bein' Green".  If that isn't enough, just listen for the opening track, "Space Shuttle", which sounds like the chase music for any one of a million 60s-70s spy thrillers (and their parodies!).

As a note, too, the remastered CD of the album contains an extended cut (possibly an unedited take) of Space Shuttle, clocking in at over 10 minutes.  While I haven't been able to find the CD anywhere locally (It may, in fact, be out of print), I'm willing to bet the farm that it's worth the price for that track alone.

Buddy Rich - Stick It (44 mb)

Various Artists - Star Trackin' 76 (1976)

Various Artists - Star Trackin' 76 (1976)

Various Artists - Star Trackin' 76 (discogs.com entry)

Okay, so here's something interesting, tho somewhat odd: An above average compilation consisting mostly of Disco, Funk, and other R&B influenced tracks.  What makes it odd is that, for some strange reason, The Who's Squeeze Box is the second song on it.

If you can get your head around that, there's some pretty good acts in here: The Jackson 5, Hot Chocolate, Labelle, Eddie Kendricks, MFSB, Melissa Manchester, and so it goes.  If that's your cup of tea, by all means, tune in!

Oh, and once again, special thanks to Sally Ann for this wonderful 99 Cent bargain.


Star Trackin' 76 (66 mb)

CELEBRATING 50,000 PAGE VIEWS!

Several minutes ago, the blog got its 50,000th view!  Thanks for reading, everyone!

Various Artists - A Brief History Of Mushroom Records (2012)

Various Artists - A Brief History Of Mushroom Records (2012)

Mushroom Records (Wikipedia Entry)

Mushroom Records (Rate Your Music Entry)

Mushroom Records was a Canadian label and (still is) a studio based in Vancouver, BC.  Between 1973 and 1980, the label amassed quite a lot of talent while operating under the auspices of Shelley Siegel (business) and Mike Flicker (production), including Heart, Chilliwack, Doucette, Paul Horn, Ian Matthews, and others. 

Heart's defection from the label to CBS in 1977 over a contract dispute led to a lengthy court battle of unauthorized tapes (the band's 3rd LP, Magazine) released by the label without the band's input, which the label subsequently lost, resulting in bankruptcy by the end of 1979.  Siegel's death in January of that year excised him somewhat from the label's demise, but still resulted in him shouldering much of the blame, perhaps somewhat unfairly.

This sampler, then, is the cumulation of a rather long-winded attempt to track down as much of the label's output as possible (previously recounted here).  Most of the label's albums have never been issued legitimately on CD, due to the fact that the location and status of many of those masters are currently unknown.  I managed to provide a well rounded Portrait (ironically, the CBS imprint that Heart signed with) of the label, tho there are still a couple of acts that I wasn't able to find anything by.  At any rate, I hope this will be enjoyed by all, as there really is some great music contained in here!

contents:
1. Heart - Magic Man (1976)
2. Chilliwack - Arms Of Mary (1978)
3. Jayson Hoover - (She's) My Lady (1974)
4. Songbird - Dirty Work (1973)
5. Alexis Rose Radlin - Canada, You're A Lady (1974)
6. Paul Horn - Undercurrrents (1978)
7. Doucette - Mama Let Him Play (1977)
8. New World Electronic Chamber Ensemble - Strawberry Fields Forever (1975)
9. Heart -  Heartless (Original Withdrawn First Mix) (1977)
10. Ian Matthews - Shake It (1978)
11. Chilliwack - Fly At Night (In The Morning We Land) (1977)
12. Rick Dees - Chantilly Lace (1979)
13. Doucette - Run Buddy Run (1978)
14. Jayson Hoover - Ridin' High (Hypnotized) (1974)
15. New World Electronic Chamber Ensemble - Norwegian Wood (1975)
16. Paul Horn - Witch Doctor (1978)
17. Ian Matthews - Lies (1979)
18. Alexis Rose Radlin - Do As You Will (1974).

A Brief History Of Mushroom Records (89 mb)

CANO - Spirit Of The North (1980)

CANO - Spirit Of The North (1980)

CANO - Spirit Of The North (Wikipedia Entry)

CANO (Coopérative des artistes du Nouvel Ontario, Artists' Cooperative of Northern Ontario), was a progressive rock band formed in Sudbury, Ontario in 1970.  Originally a artists' collective dedicated to acting, writing, composing, and visual arts, they eventually pared it down simply to music and landed a contract with A&M Records of Canada in the mid-70s, releasing several moderately successful bilingual art rock albums.

Unfortunately, two albums in, and just as the band started gaining momentum, co-founder André Paiement committed suicide on 23 January 1978 at the age of 27.  The band carried on without him, tho reportedly it never quite felt the same.

During the following two years, the group scored two minor Canadian hits, 1979's Rebound (#97) and 1980's Carrie (#78).  Following the release of the compilation Spirit Of The North, the group released one more LP, Camouflage (under the Pseudonym Masque), before quietly disbanding around 1981.  A reunion in the mid-80s helped revive interest somewhat, but all in all, the band had decided to call it a day.

Spirit Of The North is a compilation consisting of six tracks from the group's first four LPs, plus one out-take and one new song.  While it is long out of print, replaced with their arguably superior 20th Century Masters compilation from Universal Music (A&M successor), this still makes a great introduction; plus, it features both their hits, as well as some of their more artsy stuff.  For 99 cents at Sally Ann, I ain't complaining!  (or should I say, Je ne se plaint pas!)  =)

CANO - Spirit Of The North (45 mb)

Public Image, Ltd. - Commercial Zone (1983)

Public Image, Ltd. - Commercial Zone (1983)

Public Image, Ltd. - Commercial Zone (Wikipedia Entry)

Public Image, Ltd. - Commercial Zone (Allmusic Guide Entry)

While at Sally Ann a few weeks ago, I was shocked to learn that the store's record rack had been obliterated.  Apparently, due to the fact that only one person was coming in to buy the vinyl (Guess who?  =P), and there was a pileup of religious records that were gathering dust, all the albums had been shipped out to another store.

I took at look and found that there were only a handful of discs in the rack (obviously stuff that had come in since the clearout), but lo and behold, in the back sat a very nice second pressing of PiL's Commercial Zone.  Needless to say, this was an opportunity I just couldn't pass up.  99 Cents later, I was the proud owner of this wonderful album.

The album's story is equally fascinating: in 1983, John Lydon and Keith Levine (you know, the two guys from PiL) apparently decided to dissolve their musical partnership.  Lydon erased Levine's contributions from the master tapes of the band's upcoming album, This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get.  Levine, meanwhile, got a copy of the unaltered masters and had this, the original mix, pressed privately.  Lydon and Virgin were apparently not offended by this, probably because it would allow their fanbase to decide which mix was superior.  In fact, in the initial reviews, CZ actually got better critiques when compared to TIWYW.

Among the highlights are the openers of each side, the suprise hit single This Is Not A Love Song, and the Copkiller soundtrack contribution The Slab.  Another highlight: the two parter Lou Reed.  Remember, tho, these are merely the highlights, as the whole disc is utterly fantastic.

Public Image, Ltd. - Commercial Zone (39 mb)

The Move - Split Ends (1972)

The Move - Split Ends (1972)

The Move - Split Ends (Allmusic Guide Entry)

Today, English power-poppers The Move (1965-1972) are better remembered for the group they evolved into: Electric Light Orchestra.  While the band didn't get the respect or sales they deserved in their lifetime (tho that's certainly not true about ELO), they went on to have a surprising amount of influence on later 70s art-rock combos.

The group are also remembered for the release of the 1967 single (and #2 UK hit) Flowers In The Rain, the sleeve of which seemed to picture British PM Harold Wilson in bed with his personal secretary, resulting in a defamation lawsuit wherein the band forfeited all royalties to Wilson's favourite charity (so at least it wasn't a total loss).  Subsequent evidence, however, suggests that the band's joke may have been closer to the truth than anyone suspected at the time...

Finally, in 1971, the group managed a genuine (albeit minor) international hit, Do Ya (which ELO would later re-record several years later and turn into an international top-10), but by this time it was too late, as the team of Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood had decided to convert the group into a full blown Progressive Rock outfit.  That's a story for another time, Tho.

This album is long out of print, but if you desperately want a CD copy, don't fret: Just buy the remastered version of the band's final LP, Message From The Country, and all the missing songs (all singles, natch!) are included as bonus tracks1

For this transfer, I was forced to replace one track (#3, Chinatown, also possibly the best song among many great ones!) with a digital copy flown in from a CD, due to the fact that the track is almost unplayable due to scratches.  I guess the previous owner of the LP either loved that song too much, or possibly not enough.  =)

The Move - Split Ends (59 mb)

Pink Floyd - Live: The Best Of The Bootlegs 1968-1994 (2011)

 Pink Floyd - Live: The Best Of The Bootlegs 1968-1994 (2011)

Pink Floyd (Wikipedia Entry)

Pink Floyd (Allmusic Guide Entry)

 Okay, so from what I understand, my beloved Pink Floyd is the second most bootlegged band in the world (#1: The Grateful Dead), and I've noticed that I have a few dozen full concerts (as well as loads of partial ones) in my collection.  While some of these are of shockingly poor quality, most are quite good; as a result, I've taken it upon myself to create this collection of tunes from various shows over the years.

Now, I will admit that the title, "Best Of The Bootlegs", is probably not entirely correct.  However, I was going for as much variety as possible and I admittedly chose stuff from what were mostly my favourite shows (this is a warning for the fans who are downloading and getting ready to listen to Another Brick In The Wall and Comfortably Numb, which are mostly below the quality of the other tracks), so caveat auditor.  (note: That last one is a little joke for Latin Majors) =P

Further Information on the quality of these individual recordings can be found at The Pink Floyd ROIO Database.

Contents:
Disc One
1. One Of These Days (Boeblingen, Germany, 15 November 1972) / 2. Hey You (Pittsburgh, 31 May 1994) / 3. Time (Miami, 1 November 1987) / 4. Money (Los Angeles, 26 April 1975) / 5. Fat Old Sun (London, 12 October 1971) / 6. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun (Philadelphia, 26 September 1970) / 7. Echoes (Boston, 18 June 1975)

Disc Two
1. The Embryo (Montreux, 21 November 1970) / 2. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Philadelphia, 19 September 1987) / 3. Careful With That Axe, Eugene (Oakland, 9 May 1977) / 4. Cymbaline (Amsterdam, 17 September 1969) / 5. Learning To Fly (Turin, 13 September 1994) / 6. Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2) (Foxboro, MA, 6 May 1988) / 7. Interstellar Overdrive (Rome, 6 May 1968) / 8. Brain Damage/Eclipse (London, 20 February 1972) / 9. Comfortably Numb (Meadowlands, Nj, 18 July 1994).

Pink Floyd - Live: The Best Of The Bootlegs 1968-1994 1/2 (93 mb)
Pink Floyd - Live: The Best Of The Bootlegs 1968-1994 2/2 (90 mb)

More updates...

Okay, so here's the news, for all those who have asked...

I'm been busy reupping everything, but it's taking alot longer than I expected.  About 50-60% of the files are back up (maybe more, that's a conservative estimate) on a new server.  I'm going through my backups looking for the original files, but in some (a few) cases they seem to be missing, so I also have had to rearchive some of the albums.

Umm... I don't know what to say beyond that, other than thanking everyone for their patience.

Okay, once again... With feeling!

With the recent shutdown of MEGAUPLOAD, every post for this blog went with it.  I am in the process of slowly putting everything back using alternate servers.

Once again, I appreciate everyone's patience in this matter, and remind everyone that the USA is okay with breaking international law, except when it goes against them.  A few examples involve Vietnam, Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Afghanistan, Iraq, Chile, Guatemala, and so it goes.

Anyway, enjoy!

You've got to be (BEEP)in' kidding me!

American tax dollars at work, invested in pure fertilizer.  Read more ahead:

http://qualitybootz.blogspot.com/2012/01/not-joke.html

http://venenosdorock.blogspot.com/2012/01/palhacada-entramos-pelo-cano-bad-news.html

http://voodoowagon.blogspot.com/2012/01/megaupload-busted.html

Various Artists - Piledriver: The Wrestling Album 2 (1987)

Various Artists - Piledriver: The Wrestling Album 2 (1987)

Various Artists - Piledriver: The Wrestling Album 2 (Wikipedia entry)

Pro Wrestling is a joke... and it's not even a funny one; at least not anymore.

Here's an example when it actually was: Back in the 80s (just like now, 20+ years later), the WWF (now WWE) was always looking for ways to expand it's horizons. Remember, this was years before guys like The Rock (who actually is a pretty good actor) or John Cena were making action flicks, or Chyna was posing for Playboy. The Rock And Roll/Wrestling connection of the time was pretty strong, and music seemed pretty logical.

Unfortunately, just like how Cena is no Larry Olivier, Mean Gene and Coco B. Ware won't exactly be mistaken for Elvis (altho the Honky Tonk Man just might... =P).  Jimmy "Mouth Of The South" Hart at least has some credentials, being the first artist (as frontman of The Gentrys, back in 1970) to score a #1 hit on a Neil Young song (Cinnamon Girl, which charted way higher than Neil's original version).

Rick Derringer did all of the production work, which also explains why he contributes two songs, including a butchering of his classic Rock 'N Roll Hoochie Koo with announcer/colour commentator "Mean" Gene Okerlund (actually one of the friendliest guys connected to the whole movement). If you're old enough to remember this, you're old enough to get a cheap laugh from it.

Various Artists - Piledriver: The Wrestling Album 2 (38 mb)

Andy Griffith - Somebody Bigger Than You and I (1972)

Andy Griffith - Somebody Bigger Than You and I (1972)

Andy Griffith - Somebody Bigger Than You and I (AllMusic Guide entry)

(or: What It Was, Was Gospel.)

An interesting item I came across in a local Sally Ann store: An album by Mayberry's own Sheriff himself. The title, contrary to expectations, refers not to Don Knotts, but to God (which in TV Land is sort of like Don Knotts).

Basically, the album is an album of Southern homespun Gospel standards, with some pretty uptempo backing including a choir. If you're keen on Jesus, chances are you've probably heard at least one version of some of the tunes. Andy's got a rich baritone voice, and the production is great, so there will definitely be some out there who love the sound of this; I'm just not one of them myself. As far as I'm concerned, Actors, Athletes, and Politicians should stay out of music, and vice versa.

Andy Griffith - Somebody Bigger Than You and I (37 mb)

Various Artists - Super Star Collection (1978)

Various Artists - Super Star Collection (1978)

Various Artists - Super Star Collection (discogs.com entry)

Imagine this: it's 1978; you're having people over for a few drinks, some party favours, and so on, and so forth; what do you play?

If you're like many, this is one possibility; nearly two hours of music ranging from Andy Gibb to Kiss, Glen Campbell to Meco, Anne Murray to the Bay City Rollers. Basically, a little something of everything on the radio at the time (no, no Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, or Queen),designed to reduce the number of LPs stacked up next to your turntable.

While this is not my favourite K-Tel compilation, it's still got alot of good stuff (and, unfortunately, alot of bad stuff, too), and should prove pleasing to those in the mood for a trip 30+ years down memory lane.

As a side note, I've noticed a disturbing number (four) of songs written by the Bee Gees on this. Unless it's the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack, no compilation should suffer this.

Various Artists - Super Star Collection 1/2 (69 mb)
Various Artists - Super Star Collection 2/2 (67 mb)

Claire Lawrence - Leaving You Free (1973)

Claire Lawrence - Leaving You Free (1973)

Claire Lawrence (Wikipedia Entry)

And now, my latest acquisition: the rare solo debut from Singer/Songwriter/Producer Claire Lawrence.  Released on the Haida Records label (owned by Claire and his brother Keith, and best known as the home of Valdy), it doesn’t, contrary to expectations, resemble a Chilliwack album all that much, which may be a good thing.  It’s a nice mix of Rock, Folk, Jazz, Blues, and Country.

While it doesn’t sound like a Chilliwack album, the songs remind one of other acts, especially the near-Jethro Tull of Village In The Green.  The musicianship is great, too, which drums by Jim “16 to life” Gordon (a sad story that I’ll cover another time) and guitar by Larry “Uncle of Vanessa” Carlton (also known for the theme song from Who’s The Boss).

As a comparison, it’s definitely superior to Claire’s later The Claire Lawrence Band, but at the same time remains a product of it’s era (just as that album does).


Contents:
1. Hungry For The Good / 2. Leaving You Free / 3. Village In The Green / 4. Long Long Time / 5. Country Mover / 6. Rain, Trane And Afterwords.

Claire Lawrence - Leaving You Free (43 mb)

Jackie Lomax - Home Is In My Head (1971)

Jackie Lomax - Home Is In My Head (1971)

Jackie Lomax (Wikipedia Entry)

Jackie Lomax - Home Is In My Head (Allmusic Guide Entry)

A prime example of someone who could've been a great rock star, but instead wound up being a footnote.

Jackie Lomax is a guitarist/Bassist/Vocalist from Liverpool, where, early on, he became close friends with another Liverpudlian lad by the name of George Harrison.  Jackie's band, The Undertakers, also toured alongside The Beatles in Hamburg in the early 60s.  When the group formed Apple Records in 1968, Lomax was one of the first acts signed to the label, and his debut, Is This What You Want?, featured no less than Harrison, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, and Nicky Hopkins.

The album was expected to generate great interest and sales, but alas, due to the poor financial condition of Apple, the album sunk with barely a glance on Billboard, peaking at #145.  A non-LP single, How The Web Was Woven b/w Thumbin' A Ride, failed to make any impact whatsoever, and a planned single release of a Lomax/Harrison original, Goin' Back To Liverpool, was scrapped and didn't see the light of day until the 1990s when ITWYW? finally saw a remastered CD release.

Following this fiasco, along with a brief membership in supergroup Heavy Jelly (which released nothing in Lomax's time with the group), Jackie relocated to New York, where he recorded this, his second LP.  While the musicianship is quite good, the songwriting is unfortunately mediocre.  Alas, a promising start once again became a missed opportunity. 

In spite of all this, it's still an interesting curio, although there's nothing spectacular on the album.  If this album had been good as the first one, it would've definitely, IMHO, sold well.  As it is, it managed to bubble under on Billboard at #211.

This has since been remastered with four bonus tracks in the UK.  I haven't seen it around for sale anywhere, tho, so it may rare.  It has been reissued by Warner Bros., tho, so the remastering should be legit at least.

Jackie Lomax - Home Is In My Head (51 mb)

Various Artists - Nettwerk Sound Sampler-Food For Thought (1987)

Various Artists - Nettwerk Sound Sampler-Food For Thought (1987)

Various Artists - Nettwerk Sound Sampler-Food For Thought (1987) (Amazon Catalog Entry)

For those of you who aren't familiar, Nettwerk is one of Canada's most (if not the most) successful indie labels.  While many acts have remained obscure in the long run, some have found worldwide success (such as The Grapes Of Wrath, Skinny Puppy, and Sarah McLachlan). 

As well, Nettwerk also maintained a large stable in management, including the above acts, as well as Barenaked Ladies, Avril  Lavigne, Jars Of Clay, Ron Sexsmith, and Sixpence None the Richer, amongst others.  With all this talent under the hood, it only made sense to release a sampler album, and here it is.

The album is a surprisingly pleasant mix of Pop, Rock, Industrial, Electronic, and Proto-Alternative.  While I'm not sure if the album is still available, I do know that Nettwerk still advertises it in their Amazon Store (the link above, the only place I could find an entry on it).  I do know that it was issued on Vinyl and Cassette, and possibly also CD.  I definitely recommend it for any fans of the 80s indie movement.  Other than that, there's not much more I can add.

Contents:
1. The Grapes Of Wrath - Seem's Like Fate / 2. Dole - Slumberland / 3. The Water Walk - Colours / 4. Pretty Green - This House Producer / 5. The Tear Garden - Ophelia / 6. Moev - Wanting / 7. Skinny Puppy - First Aid / 8. SPK - Off The Deep End / 9. Chris & Cosey - Obsession / 10. Single Gun Theory - Halo/Halo / 11. Severed Heads - Nature 10 (Bad Mood Version).

Various Artists - Nettwerk Sound Sampler-Food For Thought (58 mb)

Herman's Hermits - The Best of Herman's Hermits (1965)

Herman's Hermits - The Best of Herman's Hermits (1965)

Herman's Hermits - The Best of Herman's Hermits (Allmusic Guide Entry)

Although I've never been a big fan of the hermits, they did admittedly have quite a few good songs.  In fact, all four of the songs that I can name are included on this album...=P

While they were no Beatles, Stones, Who, Kinks, or Floyd, The Hermits had some undeniably catchy tunes.  I was lucky enough to pick up three LPs by them for $1 (Canadian, natch!) each at the local Sally Ann.  The original vinyl sounded better than it looked (although it looked like the rink at MSG shortly after gametime), and I was lucky enough to get them done off.

Now that the albums are being posted again, they still won't be up as frequently as before due to the fact that I no longer have internet access and have to post these from places other than my home.  I'll still be writing the reviews and filing them on my computer so I can post a few at a time.  Hopefully this won't last too long as I'm planning on being back online ASAP.

Welcome back!

Herman's Hermits - The Best of Herman's Hermits (31 mb)

Giving thanks... Should be back online soon!

Okay, let's try this...

I'm posting this from a Wii, mostly for the fun of it, so depending on how it comes out, I might delete it and start again. =P

After doing a thorough inspection of my collection, it appears I may have slightly overracted; although there was quite a bit of data loss (for example, all my assignment and thesis material from Film School was destroyed), the MP3 collection appeared to have lost very little. Probably under 10 gigs(!)

Anyway, I'm still figuring out some of my internet stuff, so it may still be a few days, but my turntable's hooked up again and I'm got a stack of new (well, NEW to me anyway) vinyl.

Once again, I give thanks to you, the reader, for your Job-like patience with me over the last 5 weeks or so. I expect new posts to be up within the next few days or so.

Remember, I'm still taking requests. Feel free to post 'em here or email me.

Thanks,
Jon.

BAD NEWS!!!

Okay, nobody panic!

My new 2TB hard drive has decided to stroke out on me and die at the tender age of 5 months.  While I was able to backup some of my music database, most of it seems to be gone.  I still have my receipt for that piece of junk, so I'm going to march back to FutureShop and demand they give me back my money. 

At this point, I'm not sure where I go from here.  While I don't see an end to The Stash, it certainly will have to go on (at least) a temporary hiatus.  I'm hoping to have it back soon.  Hopefully, I'll have a new (working) hard disk and internet connection, and I can try to restore what I can.

I thank everyone for their patience and patronage, and hope to be able to entertain you again in the near future.

Jon.

BY REQUEST: Lon & Derrek Van Eaton - Who Do You Out Do (1975)

Lon & Derrek Van Eaton - Who Do You Out Do (1975)

Lon & Derrek Van Eaton - Who Do You Out Do (Allmusic Guide Entry)

Some time ago, I posed another album by L&DVE (Their debut album, Brother).  After at least one reader asked for it, I finally broke down and bought their followup on eBay.

While the first album is definitely in a George Harrison motif, this one sounds more like Paul McCartney.  Produced by Richard Perry (Ringo Starr, The Pointer Sisters) and Bill Schnee (The Eagles), the album is definitely more commercial sounding than it's predecessor.  I actually liked this one more, as the songwriting is much more mature, but, unfortunately, like their debut, it sank without a trace, this time because of the fact that it was released just as disco began to take off.

The inner photography (it is a gatefold, after all!) looks like it came out of some bizarre upscale men's fashion magazine.  I don't know how much they spent on the cost of the album (which includes appearances by Perry, Jim Gordon, Jim Keltner, Martha Reeves, Gary Wright, and Klaus Voormann, who produced Brother), but it appears to be about a third or so of what they spent on their wardrobe.  Still, I stand behind the 11 bucks I paid for it; WORTH EVERY PENNY!


Contents:
1.Who Do You Out Do / 2. You Lose / 3. Do You Remember / 4. Music Lover / 5. Let It Grow / 6. Wildfire / 7. Dancing In The Dark / 8. All You're Hungry For Is Love / 9. Baby It's You / 10. The Harder You Pull... The Tighter It Gets.

Lon & Derrek Van Eaton - Who Do You Out Do (37 mb)

Various Artists - Rock Sizzlers (1984)

Various Artists - Rock Sizzlers (1984)

Another Polystar release, this one focuses on the early 80s.  The 80s was a surprisingly good decade for music, because alot of crap came out of that decade as well.  For a start, for every classic song from that era, there was also crap like Air Supply, Culture Club and Christopher Cross.  For completers, (not a word, I know, but...) most of the best acts were holdovers from earlier decades (including AC/DC, The Kinks, Genesis, and the like).

Which brings us to this.  Overall, a very good summing up of 1980-1983. with classics like Come On Eileen, Come Dancing, Tainted Love, Lick It Up, and Maniac.  A delightful hodgepodge that also includes the decade's lesser acts (did they really need to put a song by Frank Stallone, or two by Boy George???). 

And now the caveat: She Works Hard For The Money has a few skips about 1:15 or so into it that I couldn't remove, and I Melt With You seems to be in mono for some strange reason.  If you can put up with those, this should be a real treat.  Enjoy!

contents:
1. Culture Club - Church Of The Poison Mind
2. Tears For Fears - Change
3. Michael Sembello - Maniac
4. Kiss - Lick It Up
5. Frank Stallone - Far From Over
6. Dan Hill - Helpless
7. The Kinks - Come Dancing
8. Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
9. UB40 - Red Red Wine
10. Culture Club - I'll Tumble 4 'Ya
11. Donna Summer - She Works Hard For The Money
12. Air Supply - Making Love (Out Of Nothing At All)
13. ABC - The Look Of Love
14. Agnetha Fältskog - Can't Shake Loose
15. Modern English - I Melt With You
16. Freeez - I.O.U.
17.  Soft Cell - Tainted Love.

Various Artists - Rock Sizzlers (71 mb)

Various Artists - Super 60's (1984)

Various Artists - Super 60's (1984)

At a Garage Sale last summer, I picked up this compilation for my mom, who wanted a selection of songs to burn off for listening to in her car.  I only got around to ripping it last week, but I was pleasantly surprised by the result.

I like to think of this as sort of an Appendix, or Addendum, to another entry here, Dick Clark's 20 Years Of Rock And Roll.  While there is a small amount of overlap between both of these released, as well as a lack of anything by The Beatles, Stones, Dylan, or Who, they nonetheless make for a pleasing presentation of a great era of rock and pop.

contents:
1. The Lovin' Spoonful - Summer In The City
2. The Box Tops - The Letter
3. The Zombies - She's Not There
4. Lou Christie - Lightnin' Strikes
5. Bobby Lewis - Tossin' And Turnin'
6. Terry Stafford - Suspicion
7. The Young Rascals - Groovin'
8. The Righteous Brothers - Soul And Inspiration
9. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
10. The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man
11. Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade Of Pale
12. Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay
13. The Bee Gees - (The Lights Went Out In) Massachusetts
14. Bobby Hebb - Sunny
15. The Association - Cherish
16. The 5th Dimension - Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In

Various Artists - Super 60's (55 mb)

Patsy Cline - The Patsy Cline Story (1963)

Patsy Cline - The Patsy Cline Story (1963)

Patsy Cline - The Patsy Cline Story (Wikipedia Entry)

Patsy Cline - The Patsy Cline Story (Allmusic Guide Entry)

Those who know me know that I'm not a big Country fan.  That being said, I feel that it's unfair and short sighted to look at Patsy Cline as merely a Country singer; given the era, her music was more pop than anything else (which is probably more obvious half a century on, given what Country has since evolved into), in spite of the instrumentation.

Patsy is also an artist that I am always willing to make time for (which also explains why although I hate Rap, I will always make time for NWA or Westside Connection), and while the grossly undernourished Greatest Hits album her label issued in 1967 came as something of a disappointment to me, this delightful two record set (released within months of her tragic death) is a great way to remember her by.  It even struck me as being compiled quite carefully: I never even knew she covered South Of The Border (best remembered as a Frank Sinatra standard).

Whether you're a lifelong fan looking for a really great anthology, or a first time listener looking for a great introduction, this set will definitely please you.

Patsy Cline - The Patsy Cline Story (71 mb)