VA - The Iron Muse (Topic, 1993)

This 1993 Topic release is an expanded reissue of the label's original 1956 LP. "Iron Muse" was the first of its kind, a collection of folk music derived almost exclusively from the experiences of industrial workers in the north of England.

The folk tradition of rural and historical Great Britain was well known and documented. But to think that the specific hardships and experiences of the country's industrial workers would be chronicled in a similar way — through heartfelt lyrics and playing — was at first a bit odd. It took the work of famous folklorist A.L. Lloyd to change that opinion. The work of miners, weavers, and the like had already become fertile ground for song. But Lloyd went inside blazing steel mills, onto hard iron railways, and into dank boiler rooms in search of the workers' music and their voices.

What he found was Maureen Craik's stark, a cappella rendering of the strike lament "Durham Lockout" and Louis Killen's accented, fiddle-led (and still relevant) "Aw Wish Pay Friday Would Come." The hardscrabble life of a miner was described with unflinching detail in "Blackleg Miners," their frighteningly protracted existence recorded in the brief, powerful "Auchengeich Disaster". Much of the material on "Iron Muse" drew melody from the traditional canon. However, the songs were cast in a darker hue by the soot and bad lighting of the industrial towns. The countryside's music could be pastoral, but also very dark; the city folk seemed to dwell on the latter trait. Strikes, class warfare, worksite disasters, and the unending need (desire) for wages provided lyrical fodder for "Iron Muse", but it was the humanity and emotions behind the daily grind that really drove the songs. The occasional reel (especially "Sandgate Girl's Lament/Elsie Marley") provided a respite as brief and wonderful as a Sunday night backroom dance, helping the album paint a vivid picture of life inside the industrial towns and add a new chapter to the history book of traditional folk music.

VA - The Iron Muse (Topic, 1993) 
(192 kbps, front & back cover inclueded)

The English Beat - I Just Can´t Stop It (1980)

"I Just Can't Stop It" was a late arrival onto the checker- boarded scene, the Specials, Madness and the Selecter had all beat the (English) Beat to the punch, but luckily this wasn't a race. Besides, the band had already primed the pump with a trio of Top 10 singles -- the double A-sided "Tears of a Clown"/"Ranking Full Stop," "Hands Off She's Mine" and "Mirror in the Bathroom," their debut album followed hard on "Mirror"'s heels, picking up the latter two songs and "Full Stop" to boot. 

Two more of the tracks within set followed them onto the chart, later that summer on another double A-sided single -- "Best Friend" coupled with a dub version of "Stand Down Margaret"." So this was a hit filled set. And so popular were such songs as "Rough Rider," "Twist and Crawl," "Can't Get Used to Losing You," and "Whine & Grine," becoming such staples, that fans can be forgiven for assuming they too were released on 45. Intriguingly, "Losing You" came courtesy of Andy Williams, and highlighted the softer styling that would swiftly overtake the Beat. But "Rough" and "Whine" had solid ska credentials, both were Prince Buster hits, while "Jackpot" was one of slew of racing themed rocksteady smashes that drove The Pioneers too fame, The Specials had opened their own account with another -"Longshot Kick the Bucket"." 

And it was this sheer diversity of influences that set The Beat's sound apart from their compatriots. Their own compositions were heavily cultural in theme -- the radical cries to depose the prime minister on "Margaret," the slashing anti-violence of "Two Swords" and even more ominous and feverish "Click Click," through the cultural nihilism of "Mirror" itself. With a few softer love and lovelorn tracks taking some of the edge off. "Stop" was a stunning achievement, its driving, frenetic numbers grounded in punk's fury smashing into the loose-limbed grooves and melodies of rocksteady inspired songs, and banging head on into sweeter pop fueled pieces. The album remained on the British charts for a whopping eight months, eventually peaking at Number Three. Time has not diminished its glory, the songs remain hugely as their continued inclusion in the band's offshoot's repertoire have proved.



Tracklist:

A1 Mirror In The Bathroom 3:08

A2 Hands Off... She's Mine 3:00

A3 Two Swords 2:18

A4 Twist & Crawl 2:34

A5 Tears Of A Clown 2:39

A6 Rough Rider 4:53

A7 Click Click 1:27

B1 Ranking Full Stop 2:46

B2 Big Shot 2:33

B3 Whine & Grine / Stand Down Margaret 3:49

B4 Noise In This World 2:16

B5 Can't Get Used To Losing You 3:05

B6 Best Friend 3:02

B7 Jackpot 4:18

The English Beat - I Just Can´t Stop It (1980)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Dario Domingues - The End Of The Yahgans Journey (1981)

Dario Domingues, flautist, singer, and percussionist, was born in 1954, in the Patagonia region of Argentina. At the age of eighteen he began learning the traditional wind instruments of the highlands of South America, mastering the kena, a seven holed bamboo flute of ancient origins, played by the Quechuas, Aymaros, Incas and other Indian cultures.

After participating in several groups in Argentina and Mexico, performing traditional Latin American music, he moved to Canada in 1977 where he continued his career and began work as a composer. Although Dario's music was inspired by traditional rhythms and melodies, it showed a progression towards a more contemporary sound spectrum. His live performances and recordings included a large variety of African, Asian and self-made instruments which infused his music with a uniquely personal and original artistic expression. Since 1980 Dario toured Europe annually, giving concerts throughout Gennany, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, Norway, Poland and Italy. He also performed in the U.S.A. and Japan. His first solo LP "The End Of Yaghan's Journey" released in Europe in 1981, won the Gennan Critics Choice Award in 1982 while the second album "Exodus South Of Rio Grande", released in 1983, was nominated " Album of the Year" in the contemporary folk category , together with Keith Jarrett in jazz, and Joe Cocker in rock.

Dario also composed music for several documentary films made in Canada, constantly exploring as he combined South American rhythms and original melodies with a range of exotic acoustic and electronic instruments.

Dario passed away in April 2000 at age 46. He'll be sadly missed

Tracklist:

The Night Of San Juan (Johannisnacht)	4:00
Azul Limay (Blauer Limay)	5:57
Teotihuacan (Straße Des Todes)	4:05
Cuando Llora La Tierra (Wenn Die Erde Weint)	4:47
El Guillatun (Der Guillatun)	3:00
The Source Of All Waters (Die Quelle Aller Wasser)	7:05
Plantida De Aleli (Kleiner Levkojenstrauch)	2:45
Children Of The World Come To Dance (Ihr Kinder Dieser Welt Kommt Und Tanzt)	3:32
Wind Of The Andes (Wind Der Anden)	2:45
The End Of The Yahgan's Journey (Die Reise Der Yangan Ist Zu Ende)	5:30

Dario Domingues - The End Of The Yahgans Journey (1981)
(256 kbps, front cover included)

Joan Baez - En Chile (1981)

This album was recorded in 1981 in Chile.

Joan Baez always was in the first line of solidarity with the Chilean people after the military coup of 1973. She toured Chile, Brazil and Argentina in 1981, but was prevented from performing in any of the three countries on big stages, for fear her criticism of their human-rights practices would reach mass audiences if she were given a podium. While there, she was kept under surveillance and subjected to death threats.

Baez came to Chile at the invitation of the SERPAJ, a Latin American human rights organization. Originally, Joan Baez was to perform at a large public concert to raise funds for the SERPAJ. Her celebrity status and artistic talent would have generated energy and an audience for human rights and dissident memory. Her fusion of folk music and social idealism would no doubt have reactivated memories of the New Song movement and artists banished from the Chilean scene. Denied a temporary work permit, Baez and the SERPAJ had to cancel the big event.

The concert went on anyway - in the form of a concert tour in the world of small clubs (penas) that had undergone rebuilding in Chile since the late 1970s. On university campuses, in church auditoriums, and at labor and neighborhood meeting halls, Baez and Chileans sang music to inspire renewal in hard times.

Tracklist:
01. Gracias a la vida
02. Con tres heridas viene
03. Los hijos de los 80
04. Aire israelí
05. Canción del folklore tunecino
06. Soplando en el viento
07. No llores por mí Argentina
08. The boxer
09. Te recuerdo Amanda
10. Imagina
11. Balada de Sacco y Vanzetti


Joan Baez - En Chile (1981)
(192 kbps, front cover inlcuded)

The Fugs - Live From The 60s

For anyone who thinks the the Velvet Underground was as outré as successful cult 1960s bands got, this is the real stuff: taken from the personal tape collection of Ed Sanders, it's 50 minutes of unadulterated live Fugs, from their first concert in Greenwich Village through to a bunch of dates from Sweden, Wisconsin, and Texas played between 1967 and 1969.

All of it is pretty raw, but that's good, because it's real. The material represents the different sides of the group's sound very well - "The Swedish Nada" has them sounding like the punk equivalents of the Doors, while "The Garden Is Open" ventures into VU territory, with Dan Kooch's violin creating a positively demonic sound, and "The Exorcism of the Grave of Senator Joseph McCarthy" (conducted at the senator's grave with Allen Ginsberg present) is like little else ever recorded by an alleged rock group.

There's a lot of history here, and some fascinating music captured in generally fair fidelity. The perfect gift for anyone who already has all of the Velvets' material, or thinks the Doors were poet poseurs.


Tracklist                          

1	Doin' All Right	3:13
2	The Swedish Nada	5:08
3	Homage To Catherine And William Blake	5:09
4	I Couldn't Get High	2:33
5	Johnny Pissoff Meets The Red Angel	4:46
6	J.O.B.	2:42
7	My Baby Done Left Me	2:35
8	The Garden Is Open	4:06
9	The Exorcism Of The Grave Of Senator Joseph McCarthy	11:10
10	Yodeling Yippie	3:38
11	A Medley From The Fugs' First Concert: The Ten Commandments / Swinburne Stomp	4:18

The Fugs - Live From The 60s
(192 kbps, front cover included)

Robert Johnson - King Of The Delta Blues Singers (1961)

Reading about the power inherent in Robert Johnson's music is one thing, but actually experiencing it is another matter entirely. The official 1998 edition of the original 1961 album was certainly worth the wait, remastered off the best quality original 78s available, of far superior quality to any of the source materials used on even the 1991 box set. Johnson's guitar takes on a fullness never heard on previous reissues, and except for a nagging hiss in spots on "Terraplane Blues" (the equalization on this disc is extreme, to even sport some minute turntable rumble in the low end), this really brings his music alive. If there is such a thing as a greatest-hits package available on Johnson, this landmark album, which jump-started the whole '60s blues revival, would certainly be the one. 

The majority of Johnson's best-known tunes, the ones that made the legend, are all aboard: "Crossroads," "Walkin' Blues," "Me & the Devil Blues," "Come On In My Kitchen," and the apocalyptic visions contained in "Hellhound On My Trail" are the blues at its finest, the lyrics sheer poetry. And making its first appearance anywhere is a newly discovered (in 1998) alternate take of "Traveling Riverside Blues" that's appended to the original 16-track lineup. If you are starting your blues collection from the ground up, be sure to make this your very first purchase.

This album was originally released in 1961. This is the remastered CD version, reissued in 1998. Track 17 is a bonus track, not included on the original LP release.


Tracklist:
1 Cross Road Blues 2:31
2 Terraplane Blues 3:03
3 Come On In My Kitchen 2:53
4 Walkin` Blues 2:32
5 Last Fair Deal Gone Down 2:40
6 32-20 Blues 2:52
7 Kind Hearted Woman Blues 2:52
8 If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day 2:37
9 Preachin` Blues (Up Jumped The Devil) 2:53
10 When You Got A Good Friend 2:40
11 Ramblin` On My Mind 2:53
12 Stones In My Passway 2:30
13 Traveling Riverside Blues 2:49
14 Milkcow`s Calf Blues 2:19
15 Me And The Devil Blues 2:36
16 Hell Hound On My Trail 2:40
17 Traveling Riverside Blues (Previously Unissued Alternate Take From Original Session 06-20-1937) 2:39


Robert Johnson - King Of The Delta Blues Singers (1961)
(192 kbps, cover are included)

Iron Butterfly - Live (1970)

This album stands as something of a minor landmark, musically -- as far back as the late '70s, its presence in used record bins attracted a great deal of attention from historically minded collectors, as a genuine live recording of its era, and of a hard rock, heavy metal band, at that. Not too many concert recordings were attempted in hard rock in those days, and even a lot of what was issued in the way of live albums -- John Lennon's "Live Peace in Toronto" and the Rolling Stones' "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!" come to mind -- were done under duress, as an attempt to undermine bootlegs that had shown up. 

And when one considers that Atlantic Records never even got around to recording the Rascals in concert, the very existence of "Iron Butterfly Live" can only be regarded something of a gift (though one that a lot of us would gladly trade for a period concert recording of Felix Cavaliere, et. al). As a concert document from the spring of 1969, the album shows off the group's strengths, which mostly take the form of a lot of raw energy and some entertaining keyboard flourishes from Doug Ingle -- lead guitarist Erik Braunn, who was to leave the group less than a year later, doesn't fare quite as well in the mix, which was one of the inherent problems with recording a hard rock band in concert during this era, although one can still make out some of the flashier aspects of his playing. And bassist Lee Dorman gets a great showcase throughout. 

Not surprisingly, given the nature of concerts and audiences in those days, there's not a lot of subtlety on display, but power and intensity count for something here. Additionally, the album is a document about how the group's second lineup, with Braunn and Dorman, approached material from the first album, such as "You Can't Win"; and it gives us a glimpse of the concert versions of "Filled with Fear," "Soul Experience," and "In the Time of Our Lives" from Ball. There are moments when the group might be aspiring to a Doors-like seriousness on some of this material, though Ingle isn't a good enough singer nor the band sufficiently articulate to bring that off. As for the live "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," it adds just a few flourishes and some longer solos to the studio original, which was a live-in-the-studio performance anyway. The sound is surprisingly good, given the technology in use and the era in which it was recorded.


Tracklist:

Side one:
"In the Time of Our Lives"  – 4:23
"Filled with Fear"  – 3:27
"Soul Experience"  – 3:55
"You Can't Win"  – 2:48
"Are You Happy" – 3:20

Side two:
"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" – 19:00


Iron Butterfly - Live (1970)
(256 kbps, cover art included)

Alice & John Coltrane - Cosmic Music (1968)

Issued in 1968, more than a year after John Coltrane's death, "Cosmic Music" is co-credited to John and Alice Coltrane. 

Trane appears on only two of the four tracks here (they are also the longest): "Manifestation" and "Dr. King." They were both cut in February of 1966 at Coast Recorders in San Francisco, with the great saxophonist fronting his final quintet with Alice, Pharoah Sanders, Jimmy Garrison, Rashied Ali, and Ray Appleton adding percussion. "Manifestation" is also the first recorded instance of Sanders playing the piccolo in addition to his tenor saxophone; he takes an extended solo on the instrument. "Dr. King" was written to honor the civil rights leader during his lifetime. King's assassination occurred less than a year after the saxophonist's death. While it begins with a sketchy modal theme, the track soon moves toward the far side of the quintet's free expression. The mix on both these tracks is a bit problematic. Much like "Om", which was also released in 1968, the sound on these two cuts is somewhat muddy, hinting that these were idea sketches and not finished works. The piano and bass are all but hidden except during solos, and Ali's fiery drumming is often out of balance -- either buried or too bright. 

By contrast, the other two tracks, "Lord, Help Me to Be" and "The Sun," offer exceptional fidelity. They are essentially Alice's first two recorded pieces for Impulse after signing a solo contract with the label. She is accompanied by Sanders, Garrison, and drummer Ben Riley. These are both fine pieces, with Alice's bluesy modal chord constructions at the fore, recorded in their home studio. The final track, while only a touch over four minutes, is a fine vehicle for Alice's signature pianism. While this record holds up quite well -- despite the problems of sound mentioned above -- it is still a minor Impulse album compared to some of the saxophonist's master works.


Tracklist:

A1 Manifestation 11:37
A2 Lord Help Me To Be 7:29
B1 Reverend King 11:00
B2 The Sun 4:02


Alice & John Coltrane - Cosmic Music
(192 kbps, cover art included)

African Head Charge - Great Vintage, Vol. 1

An astounding collection of early African Head Charge from the '80s, this volume of the "Great Vintage" series compiles the debut "A Hole in the Ground" and "Environmental Studies" -- all are essential recordings in the On-U Sound catalog. 

This Adrian Sherwood-produced group's dogmatic approach to dub was unique in that it was based around the acoustic percussion grooves of leader Bonjo I. African Head Charge was formed out of revolving cast of musicians that over the years included Junior Moses, Sonny Akpan, and numerous collaborators from the On-U Sound label family. Sherwood played an important role in shaping the deep tribal grooves into an electro-acoustic dub utopia. The Great Vintage series makes an excellent compendium of early tracks from this highly influential future-dub unit.

Tracklist:

* Elastic Dance
* Family Doctoring
* Stebeni's Theme
* The Race (Part 1)
* Primal One Drop
* Hole In The Roof
% Crocodile Hand Luggage
% Dinosaur's Lament
% Beriberi
%~ Snakeskin Tracksuit
% High Protein Snack
%! Breeding Space
% Primitive

African Head Charge - Great Vintage, Vol. 1

(320 kbps, cover art included)

T-Bone Walker - I Get So Weary (1961)

Modern electric blues guitar can be traced directly back to this Texas-born pioneer, who began amplifying his sumptuous lead lines for public consumption circa 1940 and thus initiated a revolution so total that its tremors are still being felt today.

Few major postwar blues guitarists come to mind that don't owe T-Bone Walker an unpayable debt of gratitude. B.B. King has long cited him as a primary influence, marveling at Walker's penchant for holding the body of his guitar outward while he played it. Gatemouth Brown, Pee Wee Crayton, Goree Carter, Pete Mayes, and a wealth of other prominent Texas-bred axemen came stylistically right out of Walker during the late '40s and early '50s. Walker's nephew, guitarist R.S. Rankin, went so far as to bill himself as T-Bone Walker, Jr. for a 1962 single on Dot, "Midnight Bells Are Ringing" (with his uncle's complete blessing, of course; the two had worked up a father-and-son-type act long before that).

"I Get So Weary" is one more LP of Walker's elegant guitar and smooth vocals.   


Tracklist:

A1	Here In The Dark
A2	I Miss You Baby
A3	Life Is Too Short
A4	I Get So Weary
A5	You Just Wanted To Use Me
A6	When The Sun Goes Down
A7	Everytime Pony Tail
B1	Thorough With Women
B2	Street Walking Woman
B3	Party Girl
B4	High Society
B5	Lollie You
B6	Got No Use For You
B7	Wanderin' Heart

T-Bone Walker - I Get So Weary (1961)
(192 kbps, cover art included)           

Television Personalities - Mummy Your Not Watching Me (1982)

The second full-length Television Personalities release (and the first product of Daniel Treacy's Whaam! label, later renamed Dreamworld after George Michael's manager offered them a pot of money to change the name) adds a full-time bass player to the original trio and sets the Wayback Machine ahead about 18 months from the debut's Swinging Carnaby Street sound. 

The darker, more psychedelic "Mummy Your (sic) Not Watching Me" is considerably less innocent than "And Don't the Kids Just Love It," covering Treacy's increasingly self-effacing lyrics in a wash of keyboards and phased guitars. There are a few songs that still show the influence of the earlier Television Personalities sound, including the wistful "Magnificent Dreams" and a remake of the single "Painting By Numbers," originally released under the name the Gifted Children, but the key track is the lengthy "David Hockney's Diaries," an acid rock drone that introduces an entirely different texture into the band's sound that Treacy would explore further on the next several albums. This is a transitional album that has tended to be shortchanged by both reviewers and fans, but there's much to recommend here.

Tracklist:

A1 Adventure Playground
A2 A Day In Heaven
A3 Scream Quietly...
A4 Mummy Your Not Watching Me
A5 Brians Magic Car
A6 Where The Rainbow Ends
B1 David Hockneys Diaries
B2 Painting By Numbers
B3 Lichtenstein Painting
B4 Magnificent Dreams
B5 If I Could Write Poetry


Television Personalities - Mummy Your Not Watching Me (1982)
(192 kbps, cover art included)

Peter, Paul & Mary - See What Tomorrow Brings (1965)

"See What Tomorrow Brings" is a strong album that plays to the strengths of Peter, Paul, & Mary. There is a good variety of material within their folk format, and a nice esprit de corps that pervades the recording. 

All members sing lead, which brings a good balance to the proceedings. Worth noting are two early versions of Gordon Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain" and Ewan MacColl's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." Although there isn't one number that shouts instant classic, all cuts have something to recommend them. Lest we forget the trio's idealism, the opening song "If I Were Free" speaks to the hope of wars ending and the beginning of peaceful times. 

"Jane, Jane" and "Because All Men Are Brothers" show the group's gospel roots, while "The Rising of the Moon," an intense cut, has Irish music as its base. "Tryin' to Win" and "On a Desert Island" manifests the humorous side of the trio as they sing about real and imagined love relationships. Throughout the album, arrangements are tasteful, clean, and never obtrusive to the songs presented. All in all, this is a very good album that has variety, strong material, tasteful production, and a fine spirit that gives it a winning edge.


Tracklist:

Side one
"If I Were Free" (Travis Edmonson) - 2:43
"Betty & Dupree" (Adapted and arranged by Peter Yarrow, Noel "Paul" Stookey, Mary Travers, Milton Okun) - 3:13
"The Rising of the Moon" (John Keegan "Leo" Casey Adapted and arranged by Peter Yarrow, Noel "Paul" Stookey, Mary Travers, Milton Okun) - 3:36
"Early Mornin' Rain" - (Gordon Lightfoot) - 3:13
"Jane, Jane" - (Adapted and arranged by Peter Yarrow, Noel "Paul" Stookey, Mary Travers, Milton Okun) - 2:57
"Because All Men Are Brothers" (Johann Sebastian Bach, Tom Glazer) - 2:17

Side two
"Hangman" - (Adapted and arranged by Peter Yarrow, Joel Hendler, Noel "Paul" Stookey, Mary Travers, Milton Okun) - 2:51
"Brother, (Buddy) Can You Spare a Dime?" (Jay Gorney, E.Y. "Yip" Harburg) - 2:29
"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" (Ewan MacColl) - 3:06
"Tryin' to Win" (Brownie McGhee, Sonny Terry) - 2:33
"On a Desert Island (With You in My Dreams)" (Noel "Paul" Stookey, Richard Kniss) - 1:46
"The Last Thing on My Mind" (Tom Paxton) - 2:43


Peter, Paul & Mary - See What Tomorrow Brings (1965)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Charles Bukowski - Hostage (1980)

This album was recorded live during a reading of Charles Bukowski at The Sweetwater, Redondo Beach, CA, April 1980. "Hostage" has to be one of the rowdiest poetry records ever released, which makes sense considering how drunk Bukowski plainly is. The drink never gets in the way of his delivery, the tough, beautiful lines and moronically macho ones always landing on target, on cue. Bukowski delivers odes to dead Roman poets, lands a few good jokes, and - most crucially - offers up a few Raymond Carver-esque glimpses straight into the human soul. No document showcases Bukowski's radiant humor and occasional grace as succinctly as this intoxicating disc.

Recorded at the height of his fame, both as a published poet and as a performer, "Hostage" is a wonderful document of what a reading might of sounded like.

Here's a snippet from the original liner notes:

In Los Angeles especially, his poetry readings became parties themselves, with "poet and audience both drunk." As you'll hear on this album, fans and poet come to these readings prepared to compete. "Is there anybody tough enough here to try me?" Bukowski taunts the crowd. "try some shit, do some anger."

Charles Bukowksi - Hostage

(192 kbps, cover art included)

Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - It´s Your World (1976)

This Gil Scott-Heron double album, roughly two thirds of which was recorded live in Boston on July 2-4, 1976, makes the most of its Centennial-centric time frame. Between the American flag striped cover art and Heron's spoken word spiel on an 8-and-a-half minute poem/rant "Bicentennial Blues," the album loses little of its impact, regardless of how the years have mildewed once fresh political topics like Nixon, Agnew, and Watergate.

Four of its songs are studio recordings ("It's Your World," "Possum Slim," "New York City," and "Sharing"), and even though they're up to Heron's usual jazz/blues/pop standards, the disc is most effective on the concert tracks. As he explains in the 2000 penned liner notes, The Midnight Band was a compelling live unit and one listen to the brisk, electrifying, 13-minute rendition of "The Bottle," one of Heron's most penetrating tracks, is all you'll need to understand why. More importantly, like the best protest music, these tunes have lost none of their lyrical edge or incisiveness throughout the years. Musically the band is taut and rehearsed down to the finest time change, yet loose enough to open up on the jams. The heavy Latin percussion/flute/piano -- but remarkably guitar-less -- sound is equal parts Santana and Mongo Santamaria with a strong jazz current throughout, especially on the John Coltrane tribute "Trane," featuring tenor hornman Bilal Sunni-Ali's fiery lead. Scott-Heron's deep, mellifluous voice is alternately soothing and cutting, infusing the music with heart and soul, while keeping the sound focused even during the longer improvisations. Only a dated '70s drum solo belies the year this was recorded. Chestnuts like "Home Is Where the Hatred Is" explode in extended live versions that become definitive readings of the tunes. Remastered for its reissue, It's Your World crackles with energy, presenting an accomplished band at their peak and placing the listener practically on stage for the live tracks with acoustics that are full, yet airy and spacious. One of Gil Scott-Heron's best albums as well as a compelling musical time capsule, the disc is proof of the artist's musical and lyrical acuity and is a moving listening experience.

Say our friends at Dustygroove: "A standout set from Gil Scott-Heron -- and that's saying a lot, given the strength of his other 70s work! This album's a double-length live set -- one that has Gil taking on the familiar format of the 70s, and using it to really push the boundaries of his own music too! Most tracks are quite long, and filled with spontaneous energy -- a moment in Gil's music to compare to that of Curtis Live for Curtis Mayfield -- proof that soul music could be made even better live than in the studio, as long as the setting was right. The record features a very extended version of "The Bottle" which runs for 13 minutes long, and which is a jammer all the way through -- and other titles include the great jazzy groover "New York City", plus "Trane", "Must Be Something", "Sharing", and "Home Is Where The Hatred Is". One of the few truly fantastic live soul albums!"


Tracklist:

01. It's Your World
02. Possum Slim
03. New York City
04. 17th Street
05. Trane
06. Must Be Something
07. Home Is Where the Hatred Is
08. Bicentennial Blues
09. Bottle
10. Sharing

Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - It´s Your World (1976)
(320 kbps,  cover art included)

Pete Seeger - Sing With Seeger (1965)

Folk musician, song writer, environmental and political activist Pete Seeger passed away on Monday, January 27, 2014 at the age of 94. Seeger was a regular face in the Greenwich Village scene of the 1950’s and 60’s, playing at the Village Vanguard as well as local coffee houses. Seeger lived at 129 MacDougall Street for many years. In a PBS American Masters program, Pete Seeger stands outside the green Federal style building and notes this is where he lived, “although it did not have a plate glass window in front when we lived here.”

Pete Seeger wrote and collaborated on more than 200 songs, many of which were recorded by folk, blues and rock groups throughout the years. The Byrds in 1965 had a No.1 hit with “Turn, Turn, Turn,” Seeger’s interpretation of Biblical verses found in the book of Ecclesiastes. “Where have all the Flowers Gone,” became an anti-Vietnam war anthem. Seeger takes credit for the name of the song “We Shall Overcome,” an old gospel song that became the anthem of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Seeger said he changed the word from “will” to “shall.”

Singing with The Weavers in the 1950s, which included several well-known folk singers, Seeger popularized “On Top of Old Smokey, ” “Kisses Sweeter than Wine,” and “Wimoweh,” as well as “Sixteen Tons,” and “Kumbaya.”

Because of early early sympathies with the Communist Party, Seeger was blacklisted and snubbed for many years. He went on to say he should have left the party earlier and that he was a Communist with a small “c.”

Seeger’s identification with the working class went back to his upbringing and travels with his parents who wanted to bring music to the masses of the country. His songs have been used by several social and political movements. He said in an interview that music can say things you would not dare say otherwise.

The latest efforts by Seeger were to wipe out the pollution in the Hudson River. He started environmental cruises of the Hudson with the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. By bringing attention to the pollution in the Hudson River, Seeger became instrumental in having corporations take responsibility and clean up the river.

Pete Seeger was active until the end of his life, performing in a 2009 concert benefiting the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater along with Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, Joan Baez, Ani DiFranco, Roger McGuinn of the Byrds, Emmylou Harris and dozens of other musicians; singing with the Occupy Wall Street movement along with Arlo Guthrie; and he sang at the inaugural of President Obama.

Tracklist:

A1 Run, Come See Jerusalem
A2 The Water Is Wide
A3 Careless Love
A4 Houston Train
A5 Oh Susanna
A6 John Riley
B1 Dayenu
B2 Mary Don't You Weep
B3 Stewball
B4 The Keeper
B5 Little Black Bull
B6 The House Carpenter

Pete Seeger - Sing With Seeger (1965)

(256 kbps, cover art included)

VA - Calypso Pioneers - 1912-1937

This anthology is devoted to classic calypso and presents 16 formative songs from 1912-1937.

The music is still emerging from a confluence of American dance band sounds, African and Afro-Latin rhythms, plus Caribbean social situations and influences.

As carnival became an entrenched celebration within the Caribbean community, the songs composed to be performed during that time came to be known as calypso.

The anthology includes early performances by such calypso heroes as Atilla The Hun, Wilmouth Houdini, Phil Madison, Julian Whiterose and Sam Manning. Vocal styles, instrumental backing, lyrics, arrangements and production are quite unsophisticated and uneven on the early cuts, but a sound and unified approach began to appear in the middle section and is quite evident by the final numbers.


Tracklist:

A1 –Lovey's Band* Mango Vert
A2 –Belasco's Band* Germaine
A3 –Julian Whiterose Iron Duke In The Land
A4 –Monrose's String Orchestra* Old Lady, Old Lady
A5 –Phil Madison Caroni Swamp
A6 –Merrick's Orchestra Married To You
A7 –Sam Manning Sly Mongoose
A8 –Wilmoth Houdini Caroline
B1 –Belasco's Orchestra* Caroline
B2 –Sam Manning Lieutenant Julian
B3 –Gerald Clark & His Night Owls* Carmelita
B4 –Bill Rogers * West Indian Weed
B5 –Wilmoth Houdini War Declaration
B6 –The Executer* My Reply To Houdini
B7 –Atilla The Hun Graf Zeppelin
B8 –Keskidee Trio Congo Barra


Calypso Pioneers - 1912-1937 
(192 kbps, front & back cover included)

Alan Vega - Alan Vega (1980)

One half of the seminal electronic duo Suicide, Alan Vega was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1938. He began his career as a visual artist, gaining notoriety for his "light sculptures"; eventually Vega opened his own lower Manhattan gallery space, which he dubbed the Project of Living Artists. The Project served as a stomping grounds for the likes of the New York Dolls, Television, and Blondie as well as the 15-piece jazz group Reverend B., which featured a musician named Martin Rev on electric piano. Soon, Vega and Rev formed Suicide, whose minimalist, aggressive music -- a fusion of Rev's ominous, repetitive keyboards and Vega's rockabilly snarl -- helped paved the direction for the electronic artists of the future.

Suicide disbanded in 1980, and both Vega and Rev undertook solo careers.

Alan Vega used his first solo album to distance himself from the music made by his pioneering synth-punk duo Suicide. Where Suicide deliberately used cheap, loud synthesizers to generate a cold, crude sound, Vega hired a guitarist and made, for all intents and purposes, a rockabilly album. 

"Lonely" is Vega's homage to "Heartbreak Hotel," and it's as full of yelps and pleading as the original, as Vega does his best Elvis impression. The gorgeous "Ice Drummer" may be Vega's best solo track, a beautiful shiny pop gem. Only "Bye Bye Bayou," a misguided attempt to fuse '50s rock and Vega's extended performance art pieces, falls flat. 

Still, golden pop moments like "Ice Drummer" are good reminders of why Vega, for all his eccentricities, remains a musician worth caring about.

Vega died in 2016 in New York City at the age of 78. At the time of his death, Vega was working on new music in collaboration with his wife Liz Lamere. In 2017, these final recordings were released by Fader on the album "It".

Tracklist:

Juke Box Baby 4:47
Kung Foo Cowboy 3:24
Fireball 3:50
Love Cry 4:47
Speedway 2:27
Ice Drummer 4:30
Bye Bye Bayou 8:37
Lonely 2:39


Alan Vega - Alan Vega (1980)
(256 kbps, cover art incuded)

Pharoah Sanders - Love In Us All (1974)

Recorded near the end of Pharoah Sanders' tenure at Impulse, "Love in Us All" consists of two extended compositions. Together, they serve as an aural representation of the way Sanders' music polarized the jazz world at the time.

Like many of his "New Thing" peers, the saxophonist sought the sound world beyond the constraints of conventional harmony. This often translated into music played at the grating, far reaches of his instrument. "To John" finds Sanders in this territory. His solo begins with Coltrane-isms of short motive development before stretching out into a more personal sound. Finding himself engulfed by a rising musical tide, he plays like he's fighting desperately to stay above it. Soon his saxophone takes on a sorrowful tone as if admitting inevitable defeat. With little optimism apparent, it ultimately communicates a sense of emptiness. 

However, the often one-dimensional criticism of Sanders as an angry, confrontational musician fails to take in the ragged beauty of a work like "Love Is Everywhere." The song offers little explanation as to what the furor was all about. It begins with an exquisite bass vamp that the song builds from. "Love is everywhere" is repeatedly and passionately shouted as the music escalates into a disorienting swirl of sound. Sanders enters midway through with a surprisingly restrained and lyrical solo on soprano. 

These two songs hardly seem to belong on the same album and are best approached separately. Many of the players who took musical and philosophical inspiration from John Coltrane failed to translate it into resonant works of their own. Sanders' unsuccessful attempt on "To John" falls in this category. Yet, in a way, Coltrane himself never created a work as emotionally direct as "Love Is Everywhere."

Tracklist:
01. Love Is Everywhere - 20:03
02. To John - 20:45


Pharoah Sanders - Love In Us All (1974)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Carte De Séjour ‎– Rhorhomanie

Carte de Séjour was a French band composed of Rachid Taha (Voice), Mohamed Amini (Guitar), Moktar Amini (Basse), and Jérôme Savy (Lead Guitar).

Carte de Séjour was founded in 1980 by Rachid Taha, Djamel Dif, Mokhtar Amini, Mohamed Amini and Éric Vaquer (guitar). Jérôme Savy, former guitarist of the French garage rock band Arsenic, replaced Vaquer some time later. The band's name was a reference to the citizenship card carried by French immigrants.

After a major concert at the Palais des sports and performance at Place de la Bastille during the Marche des beurs, the band gained prominence with their rendition of Charles Trenet's "Douce France". Carte de Séjour's cover of the well-known song played an important role in raising questions about the status of the Beurs and other descendants of postcolonial immigrants in France, as well as the struggle against mounting right-wing and racist policies of Front national in France.

The group included in its repertoire pop, rock, punk rock, traditional Arab music and gnawa music.
The band split in 1990, after personnel changes and internal strife. Rachid Taha established a solo career and was considered one of the major singers of raï.

The album "Rhorhomanie" was released in 1984.


Tracklist:

A1 Rhorhomanie
A2 Chems We Nejma
A3 Zamana
A4 Nar
A5 Desole
B1 Ouadou
B2 Bleu De Marseille
B3 Habibi
B4 Sounefir
B5 Mirage


Carte De Séjour ‎– Rhorhomanie
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Neil Young - Live at the Bottom Line, New York, May 16 1974

Three months after the 1974 opening of the New York club the Bottom Line, Neil Young gave a solo acoustic performance there that was among the more remarkable shows of his career. Even for an artist accustomed to throwing a new song or two into his concerts, this set was unusual: of the 11 songs, only one, "Helpless," had been released on record, with many of the others, including "Ambulance Blues," "On the Beach," "Roll Another Number," and "Pardon My Heart," later scattered among records like "On the Beach", "Tonight's the Night" and "Zuma". But it wasn't just the set list that made the show memorable. Usually reticent on-stage, Young was talkative and enjoyed a close interaction with the audience; he told stories, explained his feelings about his songs, even gave recipes. And he sang some of his strongest material of the mid-'70s.

Legend has it that Neil Young was at The Bottom Line to see Ry Cooder, and was so inspired by his gig that Neil followed with an off-the-cuff one-hour acoustic guest. Perhaps Neil had planned to play all along. Remember that Neil didn't tour as a solo act during 1974, though he did a brief and troubled tour with his on-again, off-again bandmates in CSNY.

This concert was released on the bootlegs "First Plane Outta Here" a.k.a. "Citizen Kane Jr. Blues".

Neil Young - The Bottom Line, New York, May 16, 1974
(256 kbps, cover art included)

Leftfield - Song Of Life (1993)

"Song of Life" was the fourth single released under the Leftfield name and the first to have a C single release.

The song was released on 12" and CD in January 1993. The sleeve of the single had the footnote "dedicated to the memory of Steve Walters whose support, friendship and encouragement will never be forgotten".

It made #59 in the UK charts. The song was also used as the backing track for Channel 4's Dispatches programme.

Tracks:
1. Song of Life 4:17
2. Song of Life (Extended Version) 8:42
3. Fanfare of Life 6:05
4. Release the Dub 5:44

.

Leftfield - Song Of Life (1993)
(192 kbps, cover art included)

VA - Rebel Voices - Songs Of The Industrial Workers Of The World

Flying Fish and Rounder are independent labels which started up in the '70s, specializing in various types of roots music. The former company was apparently started up by Bruce Kaplan, a dissatisfied member of the Rounder collective. One of the disagreements might have been about politics, an element that Rounder seems to avoid despite the strong presence protest songs have in many types of American folk styles. The label even went as far as to remove a controversial political song from a Hazel & Alice album, while Flying Fish, on the other hand, has actually released some product with a strong leftist bent, this compilation of labor songs among them.

The most obvious audience for music such as this are people who are upset about their jobs; based on that perhaps faulty concept, this album should have sold millions. The presence of Utah Phillips looms large. He is a combination activist, organizer, songwriter, singer, and storyteller, and there are few performers who can put across a song such as "The Two Bums" as well as he can. The album also combines its participants into various small groupings and a big ensemble finale, an idea that works just as well in an album sequence as it has on many folk festival stages. There are several numbers originating with Joe Hill, needless to say, but also a grand Malvina Reynolds cover by Faith Petric and a terrific take on the classic "Hallelujah, I'm a Bum" by Bob Bovee. Besides delivering its intended messages, this collection also puts the spotlight on some fairly unknown performers in a context that brings welcome thematic strength and emotional power to their work.

The album is an amazing collection of stories and songs, that gives a good sampling of the history of the working people. The songs call for solidarity among working people, that is as relevant today as it was when the songs were originally written. The music provides a feeling of being connected, and makes you want to sing along. No matter what your interest, but especially if it's the history of the labor movement, this is a wonderful and thought-provoking collection of music.

Tracks:
1. Preamble to the IWW Constitution
2. Organizer - Jeff Cahill
3. Little Red Hen - Faith Petric
4. Which Side Are You On? - Bob Bovee
5. Two Bums - Utah Phillips
6. Banks of Marbles - Fred Holstein
7. Put It on the Ground - Marion Wade
8. Popular Wobbly - Eric Glatz
9. Song of the Rail - Mark Ross
10. Hold the Fort - Bruce Brackney
11. We Have Fed You All a Thousand Years - Bruce Brackney
12. Ain't Done Nothing If You Ain't Been Called a Red - Faith Petric
13. Hallelujah, I'm a Bum - Bob Bovee
14. Boss - Utah Phillips
15. Preacher and the Slave - Jeff Cahill
16. Mysteries of a Hobo's Life - Mark Ross
17. Stung Right - Fred Holstein
18. Jo Hill's Last Will - Kathy Taylor
19. Mr. Block - Utah Phillips
20. Power in the Union

Big up to http://newmoodswings.blogspot.com/ for the original posting.

Rebel Voices - Songs Of The Industrial Workers Of The World
(128 kbps, cover art included)

Chet Baker - Young Chet

This 45-minute disc of primordial Chet Baker rarities shares its name with a companion volume of William Claxton's timeless photographs. The book visually preserves Baker and company during many of the same recording sessions heard on this release. 

The two presented here -- produced by Dick Bock in Los Angeles during the early to mid-'50s -- are the subject of some debate. The first date was originally recorded with the intent for Baker to add lead vocals, which he ultimately did. However, to get the most mileage out of the tapes, producer Bock re-released the same recordings three years later on the Pretty/Groovy album as instrumentals by substituting Baker's vocals with a lead tenor sax, performed by Bill Perkins. The recordings did retain Baker's irreplaceable trumpet licks in a somewhat feeble attempt to create the sense of interaction between the two. "But Not for Me," "Time After Time," and "Look for the Silver Lining" are among the titles given this unusual treatment, which is ultimately pulled off and works far better than one might imagine. The second session contains tracks from the July 1956 L.A. Forum Theater sessions that would yield the landmark Chet Baker and Crew album. 

Although a majority of the material from those three dates was issued in various formats, the seven tracks featured on "Young Chet" remained shelved for nearly half a century because no stereo masters could be located. They are presented here in monophonic no worse for wear. Highlights featuring Baker include "A Night on Bop Mountain" and "Taboo." However, as was Bock's methodology at the time, he would often cut additional sides using only the backing band. "It's Only a Paper Moon" and "Autumn in New York" are among the tracks included on this Chet Baker title which do not feature Baker at all. "Young Chet" is a great recording, but recommended only for consumers actively searching every shred of music that is in any way connected to Chet Baker.


Tracklist:

1 Look For The Silver Lining 2:36 

2 But Not For Me 3:03

3 Time After Time 2:33

4 My Funny Valentine 1:54

5 There Will Never Be Another You 2:58

6 Extra Mild 5:15

7 A Night On Bop Mountain 4:19

8 Down 6:11

9 Taboo 5:37

10 I Can't Get Started 3:06

11 It's Only A Paper Moon 4:44

12 Autumn In New York 2:08

Track 1 to 5 recorded at Capitol Studios, Los Angeles on February 15, 1954.
Track 6 to 12 recorded at the Forum Theatre, Los Angeles on July 24, 25 & 31, 1956.

Chet Baker - Young Chet
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Michael Bloomfield ‎– It's Not Killing Me (1969)

It's a shame that Michael Bloomfield's recorded legacy is so spotty. Generally speaking, the blues guitarist's finest moments are found on the universally praised first two discs with Paul Butterfield, the Electric Flag's "A Long Time Comin'" album, and the sporadic glimpses of greatness on his solo records. 

Unfortunately, there aren't many of those on "It's Not Killing Me", Bloomfield's first solo LP released under his name in 1969. The main problem with this album is its lack of a powerful vocalist who could equally tackle blues, soul, and country. Singing was not one of the legendary guitarist's strengths, and he definitely wasn't capable of carrying that load over an entire record. Instead of focusing on Bloomfield's guitar prowess and letting him arrange the American music he obviously loved so deeply, you get the impression someone at Columbia, or maybe even Bloomfield himself, wanted to turn him into a hip frontman à la Eric Clapton. It's especially odd considering the presence of blues belter Nick Gravenites singing backup on this session, not to mention additional vocals by the Ace of Cups and Diane Tribuno. It makes about as much sense as Led Zeppelin having Jimmy Page sing lead while Robert Plant played tambourine! "It's Not Killing Me" is recommended for completists only.



Tracklist:

If You See My Baby 3:05
For Anyone You Meet 4:03
Good Old Guy 3:20
Far Too Many Nights 5:09
It's Not Killing Me 3:01
Next Time You See Me 2:55
Michael's Lament 4:21
Why Must My Baby 2:37
The Ones I Loved Are Gone 3:05
Don't Think About It Baby 3:19
Goofers 1:48



Michael Bloomfield ‎– It's Not Killing Me (1969)
(256 kbps, cover art included)

The Beginning Of The End - Funky Nassau

The Beginning of the End was a funk group from Nassau, Bahamas. The group formed in 1969 and consisted of three brothers (Frank, Ray and Roy Munnings), a fourth member on bass (Fred Henfield), and a fifth on guitar (Livingston Colebrook). They released an album entitled Funky Nassau in 1971 on Alston Records (a subsidiary of Atlantic Records), and the track "Funky Nassau - Part I" became a hit single in the U.S.

This album is a true classic, an absolutely perfect blending of soul, calypso, funk, salsa and afro beat that is impossible not to stay still while listening to! It will always put a smile on your face and is constantly entertaining throughout. This album is heavily sampled in hip hop, for good reason!

A monster bit of funk that's unlike anything else we can think of! Beginning Of The End hailed from The Bahamas, but don't hold that against them – because instead of being a Caribbean cliche, they took the best part of the island rhythms, and used them to forge an incredible approach to funk! They've got a choppy sound that's the result of some incredibly dexterous guitar, bass, and drums – and which you'll recognize instantly from their one-time hit "Funky Nassau", a killer funk track that never gets old, no matter how many bands cover it over the years! That gem kicks off the album, which then rolls into the monster funky "part 2", which is even better! Other titles are equally wonderful – and include "Come Down", "Surrey Ride", "Monkey Tamarind", and "In The Deep".

Found the album a few month ago on the strongly missed Renshoua blog. Jillem, hope you will come back!

Tracklist:
1 Funky Nassau (Part 1) (3:10)
2 Funky Nassau (Part 2) (3:20)
3 Come Down (2:20)
4 Sleep On Dream On (3:00)
5 Surrey Ride (4:29)
6 Monkey Tamarind (3:10)
7 In The Deep (4:50)
8 Pretty Girl (4:52)
9 When She Made Me Promise (4:11)

The Beginning Of The End - Funky Nassau (1971)
(ca. 256 kbps, cover art included)