Happy & safe new year!

 

Paul Robeson - Robeson (1958)

Paul Robeson is one of the greatest yet most unknown figures of the 20th century.  His philosophical framework was comprised of anti-colonialism, socialism, and human rights. 

Robeson was was an American bass baritone concert artist and stage and film actor who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for his political activism. Educated at Rutgers College and Columbia University, he was a star athlete in his youth. He also studied Swahili and phonetics at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London in 1934. His political activities began with his involvement with unemployed workers and anti-imperialist students whom he met in Britain and continued with support for the Republican cause in the Spanish Civil War and his opposition to fascism. In the United States he became active in the Civil Rights Movement and other social justice campaigns. His sympathies for the Soviet Union and for communism, and his criticism of the United States government and its foreign policies, caused him to be blacklisted during the McCarthy era.

Tracklist:

A1 Water Boy 2:48
A2 Shenandoah 2:56
A3 Deep River 2:18
A4 John Brown's Body 2:48
A5 Jerusalem 1:54
A6 Londonderry Air (Danny Boy) 2:50
B1 Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child 2:49
B2 Get On Board, Little Children 1:16
B3 The House I Live In 2:26
B4 Loch Lomond 2:07
B5 Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes 3:03
B6 Joshua Fought The Battle Of Jericho 1:27
B7 All Through The Night 2:06

Paul Robeson - Robeson (1958)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Stetasonic - Blood, Sweat & No Tears (1991)

What turned out to be Stetsasonic's parting long-player, "Blood, Sweat & No Tears" may have disappointed those expecting another "In Full Gear", but there was much to love here despite a long-winded, partially deflating running time. 

Starting out with a devastating instrumental, "The Hip Hop Band," Stetsa sounded fresher than ever on "No B.S. Allowed" and the funky groupie tribute, "Speaking of a Girl Named Suzy." "Go Brooklyn 3" sounded surprisingly reminiscent of West Coast hardcore, but the very next track, "Walkin' in the Rain," was a smooth ballad that sampled the 1972 Love Unlimited hit (and re-created the oh-so-sexy Barry White phone conversation). 

As a band, Stetsasonic still had plenty of ties to funk, dropping expressive party jams like "So Let the Fun Begin" and the P-Funk name-dropping "Don't Let Your Mouth Write a Check That Your Ass Can't Cash." Prince Paul, then coming off the success of De la Soul's "3 Feet High and Rising", hardly dominated this record; Bobby Simmons and Daddy O each produced as many (or more) tracks as he did (most of them great), while DBC and Wise also contributed. If it lacks the classic status that "In Full Gear" instantly commanded, "Blood, Sweat & No Tears" was still a fitting last hurrah to one of the golden age's most diversely talented combos.

Tracklist:

1The Hip Hop Band2:28

2No B.S. Allowed4:30

3Uda Man5:02

4Speaking Of A Girl Named Suzy5:25

5Gyrlz5:34

6Blood, Sweat & No Tears2:47

7So Let The Fun Begin4:53

8Go Brooklyn 33:52

9Walkin' In The Rain5:44

10Don't Let Your Mouth Write A Check That Your Ass Can't Cash5:22

11Ghetto Is The World5:54

12Your Mother Has Green Teeth2:15

13You Still Smokin' That Shit?0:46

14Heaven Help The M.F.'s4:37

15Took Place In East New York2:36

16Paul's A Sucker3:58

17Free South Africa (The Remix)3:06

Stetasonic - Blood, Sweat & No Tears (1991)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Karl Kraus - Die letzten Tage der Menschheit (Helmut Qualtinger)

Helmut Qualtinger (born October 8, 1928 in Vienna, Austria; died September 29, 1986 in Vienna) was an Austrian actor, writer and cabaret performer.

He initially studied medicine, but quit university to become a newspaper reporter and film critic for local press, while beginning to write texts for cabaret performances and theater plays. Qualtinger debuted as an actor at a student theater and attended the Max-Reinhardt-Seminar as a guest student.
Beginning in 1947, he appeared in cabaret performances. In 1949, Qualtinger's first theatrical play, "Jugend vor den Schranken", was staged in Graz. Up to 1960, he collaborated on various cabaret programmes with the nameless Ensemble (Gerhard Bronner, Carl Merz, Louise Martini, Peter Wehle, Georg Kreisler, Michael Kehlmann).

Qualtinger was famous for his practical jokes. In 1951, he managed to launch a false report in several newspapers announcing a visit to Vienna of a (fictional) famous Inuit poet named Kobuk. The reporters who assembled a the railroad station however were to witness Qualtinger, in fur coat and cap, stepping from the train. Asked about his "first impressions of Vienna", the "Inuit poet" commented in broad Viennese dialect, "It's hot here."

The short one-man play "Der Herr Karl", written by Qualtinger and Carl Merz and performed by Qualtinger in 1961, made the author known across German-speaking countries. "Herr Karl", a grocery store clerk, tells the story of his life to an imaginary colleague - from the days of the Habsburg empire, the First Austrian Republic, the Austrofascist regime leading up to the Anschluss (annexation) by Nazi Germany, World War II and finally military occupation by Allied forces in the 1950s, seen from the perspective of a one who is a prototypical opportunist. Qualtinger's portrayal of the petit-bourgeois Nazi collaborator came at a time when "normality" had just been restored and Austrians' involvement in the Nazi movement was being downplayed and "forgotten", making many enemies for the author, who even received anonymous threats of murder.

Beginning in the 1970s, Qualtinger frequently performed recitals of his own and other texts, including excerpts from Karl Kraus' "Die letzten Tage der Menschheit" ("The Last Days of Mankind"). These recitals were highly popular and resulted in several records being published.

Here´s an excerpt of these recitals, presenting 50 scenes from originally 220 scenes:

Karl Kraus - Die letzten Tage der Menschheit (Helmut Qualtinger)
(192 kbps, cover included)

VA - None But The Righteous - Chess Gospel Greats 1

Chess Records was never particularly noted as a gospel label; it's probably better known for Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, etc. In the early 1950s, however, the company released more than its share of great gospel recordings, and this 18-track set stands as a testimony to some of the rawest ones that the label put out.

While big names like Aretha and Reverend C.L. Franklin, the Soul Stirrers, and the Original Five Blind Boys from Alabama are accounted for, the real gems come from lesser-known acts like the Meditation Singers, the Norfleet Brothers, the Bells of Joy, Sammy Bryant, Elder Beck, and the Southern Stars.

The best known of them all is the daughter of the preacher whose sermons were already being issued by the label and luckily they did not only record the sermons of that preacher but also some of the singing of his young teenage dauhter - Aretha Franklin. Her singing was just beginning to show the maturity that would make her "the Queen of Soul". On "Never grow old", perhaps her greatest early recording, you hear her unhurried approach driven by the claps and hollers of a responsive congregation as she sings of the joy of heaven, the "land where we never grow old." A marvelous set of raw gospel music that should be in everyone's collection.

Tracklist:

01 Don’t You Want To Go [The Meditation Singers]
02 None But The Righteous [Norfleet Brothers]
03 Anyway You Bless Me Lord [Bells of Joy]
04 Never Grow Old [Aretha Franklin]
05 Oh What A Meeting [Soul Stirrers]
06 I’ve Been Weeping For A Mighty Long Time [Original Five Blind Boys of Mississippi]
07 When My Time Comes [Rev. Alex Bradford]
08 Resting Easy [Soul Stirrers]
09 Two Wings [Rev. Utah Smith]
10 Your Mother Loves Her Children [Rev. C.L. Franklin]
11 Old Time Religion [The Violinaires]
13 Walk In The Light [Evangelist Singers of Alabama]
14 The Angels Keep Watching Over Me [Sammy Bryant]
15 Floods Of Joy [Windy City Four]
16 I’m Gonna Tell God [Elder Beck]
17 You’ve Got The Jordan To Cross [Martha Bass]
18 Don’t Give Up [Southern Stars]

VA - None But The Righteous - Chess Gospel Greats 1
(256 kbps, front cover included)

VA - Guns Of Navarone / Ride Your Donkey (Trojan)

"Guns of Navarone" and "Ride Your Donkey" were a pair of highly collectible LP compilations released by Trojan in 1969, each collecting more than a dozen singles first released earlier in the '60s by a variety of artists crucial to the ska and rocksteady scenes. 

This two-fer combines both onto one CD, resulting in a solid combination of popular sides that every reggae fan should own, along with more obscure examples of the form. Opening with the title-track classic by the Skatalites, "Guns of Navarone" is all ska and mostly instrumental, comprising quite a few of the best groups of the era: Tommy McCook & the Supersonics ("Saboo"), Rolando Alphonso ("El Pussy Cat Ska"), Lyn Taitt & the Jets ("Something Stupid"), and Baba Brooks (the rudeboy standard "Guns Fever"), plus an obscure combo called the Soul Brothers ("Sound Pressure"). 

The rocksteady record "Ride Your Donkey" is all vocal, and though it doesn't have as many classic groups, it does boast quite a few obscurities from the likes of Lee Perry (a pair of bawdy tracks, "Rub and Squeeze" and "Doctor Dick") and Derrick Morgan ("Hold Your Jack"). Obviously, these don't have enough classic tracks to qualify as truly excellent compilations, but the rarities are of interest to fans as well as collectors. [Note: Four tracks were removed from the original listings for what the compilers term "technical reasons."]


Tracklist:
1 –The Skatalites Guns Of Navarone 2 –Baba Brooks Bank To Bank Part 1 3 –Ike* & Crystalites* Illya Kurayakin 4 –Tommy McCook Saboo 5 –Carlos Malcolm Bonazaa Ska 6 –Baba Brooks Vitamin A 7 –Lyn Tate & Jets* Something Stupid 8 –The Tennors Copy Me Donkey 9 –Roland Alphonso El Pussy Cat 10 –Eric Morris* Penny Reel 11 –The Soul Brothers Sound Pressure 12 –Lyn Tate & Jets* Napoleon Solo 13 –Baba Brooks Guns Fever 14 –The Tennors Ride Your Donkey 15 –Justin Hinds & The Dominoes Save A Bread 16 –The Clarendonians Rude Boy Gone Jail 17 –Lyn Beckford Combination 18 –Alfred Brown (3) One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer 19 –Lee Perry & The Soulettes Rub And Squeeze 20 –Derrick Morgan Hold You Jack 21 –Lee Perry Doctor Dick 22 –The Gaylettes Silent River (Runs Deep) 23 –Lord Brynner Congo War 24 –The Tartans Dance All Night 25 –Delroy Wilson Dancing Mood 26 –The Gaylettes I Like Your World 27 –The Federals Penny For Your Song

VA - Guns Of Navarone / Ride Your Donkey (Trojan)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Orange Juice - You Can´t Hide Your Love Forever 1982)

After leaving Postcard Records and convincing Rough Trade to finance the sessions, Orange Juice ended up signing to Polydor for their 1982 debut album, "You Can't Hide Your Love Forever". Made up of a couple re-recordings of brilliant songs from early singles ("Falling and Laughing," "Felicity"), cleaned-up versions of songs from the demo, and a few new tracks, the album is a slick, tuneful slice of early-'80s pop that's catchy and bright, and only slightly overcooked.

Both Edwyn Collins and James Kirk could have retired after this album and been secure in the history books as two of the finest songwriters of the era. Kirk's "Three Cheers for Our Side" and "Felicity" are brilliantly odd and hooky songs that sound unlike anything anyone else was doing at the time; Collins' songs are reliably witty, cutting, and romantic with lovely choruses. "Falling and Laughing" is timeless pop, "Tender Object" is rippingly good dance-punk, his ballads are heartbreaking ("Untitled Melody," "In a Nutshell"), and "Consolation Prize" takes the prize for hilarity ("I wore my fringe like Roger McGuinn's/I was hoping to impress/So frightfully camp it made you laugh/Tomorrow I'll buy myself a dress").

Not too many other folks were writing songs like these, either. Add some excellent guitar interplay between Kirk and Collins and a strong rhythm section to the mix and you've got something that seems hard to mess up. Unfortunately, some of the production choices come close to wrecking things, as the tinkling pianos and backing vocalist can come on a little strong at times. The glossy finish given to the album is also a giant leap from the scrappiness of their early sound, though its effects are lessened by the exuberant energy the band plays and sings with at all times.

These criticisms aside, once one accepts that the arty punks Orange Juice started off having fully embraced the sophisticated pop side of the world, then it's easy to see that "You Can't Hide Your Love Forever" is one of the best examples of early-'80s pop there is. That it's the one and only album the team of Collins and Kirk made before splitting only makes it all the more essential to own.


Tracklist:

Falling And Laughing 3:48
Untitled Melody 2:05
Wan Light 2:23
Tender Object 4:24
Dying Day 2:59
L.O.V.E. Love 3:34
Intuition Told Me (Part 1) 1:09
Upwards And Onwards 2:27
Satellite City 2:40
Three Cheers For Our Side 2:49
Consolation Prize 2:50
Felicity 2:34
In A Nutshell 4:16

Orange Juice - You Can´t Hide Your Love Forever 1982)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Television Personalities - Where´s Bill Grundy Now? (1978)

Television Personalities is an English post-punk group with a varying line up. The only constant member is singer/songwriter Dan Treacy.

The Television Personalities enjoyed one of the new wave era's longest, most erratic, and most far-reaching careers. Over the course of a musical evolution that led them from wide-eyed shambling pop to the outer reaches of psychedelia and back, they directly influenced virtually every major pop uprising of the period, with artists as diverse as feedback virtuosos the Jesus and Mary Chain, twee pop titans the Pastels, and lo-fi kingpins Pavement readily acknowledging the Television Personalities' inspiration.

The debut recording from Television Personalities bore their defining anthem, "Part-Time Punks," which they unleashed on an unsuspecting world in 1978, a single which remains as vital to the history of U.K. punk as the Buzzcocks' debut single, "Spiral Scratch."

"Where's Bill Grundy Now?" is a hilarious pop tune which exemplifies their Beatles/Kinks-esque sound. "Happy Families" and "Posing at the Roundhouse" comprise the B-side of this single, which could be considered to be the birth of the lo-fi movement without a qualm.

The single was reissued a year later by Rough Trade and again in 1992 on Overground. According to punk rock legend, the single was recorded on a studio budget of a little over 20 pounds. Essential and seminal to the indie rock, post-punk, and lo-fi movements of the following two decades.


Tracklist:

A1 Part-Time Punks
A2 Where's Bill Grundy Now?
B1 Happy Families
B2 Posing At The Roundhouse

.

Television Personalities - Where´s Bill Grundy Now? (1978)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

VA - Die Dreißiger Jahre - Musik zwischen den Kriegen

This edition represents an attempt to provide, in the limited space available, an overview of the vigorous musical scene in Berlin of the 1930s, a time when Berlin was one of the focal points of the world. In the area of the arts this was the undisputed heyday of a great city.

An edition such as this can merely select, hint at and perhaps whet the interest for those works not included here; it can only give an inkling of the diversitiy and vitality that made Berlin the exhilarating metropole that it was. The works have been chosen according to these criteria: the composer had to have lived in Berlin and the compostion been written during the designated period; the composer had to have been of significance to the musical scene in Berlin; the work chosen should if possible be a first release on records, so as to enhance the presently meager supply of recordings from that era.

Tracklist:
01. Arnold Schönberg - Begleitumusik für eine Lichtspielszene op. 34
02. Paul Hindemith - Ouverture "Neues vom Tage" mit Konzertschluss
03. Paul Hindemith - "Langsames Stück und Rondo" für Trautorium
04. Boris Blacher - Concertante Musik op. 10
05. Werner Egk - Variationen über ein altes Wiener Strophenlied
06. Ernst Toch - "Fuge aus der Geographie" für sprechende Chor
07. Ernst Pepping - "Deutsche Messe" für Chor a cappella
08. Paul Juan - 3. Sonate h-moll für Violine und Klavier

VA - Die Dreißiger Jahre - Musik zwischen den Kriegen
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Tom Robinson Band - Power In The Darkness (Deluxe Edition) - Danny Kustow R.I.P.

Danny Kustow and Tom Robinson onstage at The Brecknock, London, in 1977

Originally posted in March 2019:

Sad news from Tom Robinson´s facebook page: Danny Kustow died in the early hours of 11 March 2019 in Bath, Somerset.

"I’m devastated to have to tell you that my dear friend and former guitarist Danny Kustow died in the Critical Care ward at Bath Royal United Hospital on Monday. He’d been in a coma on life support all weekend with double pneumonia and a liver infection. But when my wife and I visited him on Sunday morning he seemed peaceful and pain-free thanks to the very best state of the art NHS care. Everyone hoped he had a chance of pulling through – but shortly after midnight on Sunday he went into a decline and quickly slipped away in the small hours of Monday morning.

Danny was mentored by the blues legend and broadcaster Alexis Korner and joined the early Tom Robinson Band in December 1976. Danny’s unique, fiery guitar playing was at the very heart of the TRB sound, and during the 70s and he played on every record of mine that ever troubled the Top 40. After TRB Danny also played in Jimmy Norton’s Explosion with Glenn Matlock, and later formed the band Time UK with Rick Buckler of The Jam. He made a guest appearance with my current band at the 100 Club in November 2017 and can be heard on the live version of 2-4-6-8 Motorway.

Danny was widely loved and fondly remembered by many and I’ll be making a formal announcement about his passing on BBC 6 Music around 1.20pm this afternoon. There is to be a private family funeral tomorrow and plans are currently under discussion for a public memorial event and tribute concert in early June."


This is the album by which Tom Robinson's works have been measured; its consistency is all the more remarkable, since he'd written several keynote tracks while toiling in the go-nowhere folk trio "Café Society" (such as Robinson's defining anthem, "Glad to Be Gay").

"Power in the Darkness" is proudly defiant as the era that inspired "Up Against the Wall," "Ain't Gonna Take It," "Long Hot Summer," or "The Winter of '79," which level fierce disdain for social hypocrisy.

So does the nearly five-minute title track and funk-rock tour de force, while Chris Thomas' production is as razor sharp as the band itself. Guitarist Danny Kustow's go-for-the-throat style is the driving force; it's storming on the rockers yet suitably restrained on quieter fare like "Too Good to Be True," Robinson's lament for oft-delayed social change. Keyboardist Mark Ambler is equally assertive on colorful Hammond organ swashes, while Robinson plunks down simple, legato basslines, and Brian "Dolpin" Taylor keeps the beat pouncing, where others might let it loiter.

The live/studio bonus EP, "Rising Free", demonstrates the band's explosive nature. The Ambler-Kustow interplay works to thunderous effect on "Don't Take No for an Answer," Robinson's bittersweet account of a soured publishing deal with the Kinks' Ray Davies; the hit "2-4-6-8 Motorway," one of rock's great drive-all-night numbers; and a searing rearrangement of Bob Dylan's plea for a wrongly accused inmate, "I Shall Be Released." The forceful tone is sometimes undermined by a strident sloganeering streak, as typified by "Right On Sister" or "Better Decide Which Side You're On," but that's a minor complaint amid the music's unflagging strength. Think music and politics don't mix? Listen to this album, and then decide. The record was reissued in 2004 with the addition of two bonus tracks: a cover of the Velvet Underground's "I'm Waiting for My Man" and a remix of "Power in the Darkness."

Tracklist:

Side One
"Up Against the Wall" - (Robinson, Roy Butterfield aka Anton Mauve) 3:35
"Grey Cortina" - 2:10
"Too Good to Be True" - (Robinson, Dolphin Taylor) 3:35
"Ain't Gonna Take It" (Robinson, Danny Kustow) - 2:53
"Long Hot Summer" - 4:44

Side Two
"The Winter of '79" (Robinson, Mark Ambler, Taylor, Kustow) - 4:31
"Man You Never Saw" (Robinson, Ambler) - 2:44
"Better Decide Which Side You're On" - 2:50
"You Gotta Survive" (Robinson, Ambler) - 3:15
"Power in the Darkness" (Robinson, Ambler) - 4:55

Bonus tracks
"Don't Take No for an Answer"
"Martin"
"(Sing If You're) Glad to Be Gay"
"Right On Sister" (Robinson, Taylor)
"2-4-6-8 Motorway"
"I Shall Be Released" (Bob Dylan)
"I'm All Right Jack"
"I'm Waiting for My Man" (Live at the London Lyceum, 1977) (Lou Reed)
"Power in the Darkness" (2004 Remix)

Tom Robinson Band - Power In The Darkness (Deluxe Edition)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Ira Gershwin, Kurt Weill ‎– "Tryout" - A Series Of Private Rehearsal Recordings (1983)

"A series of private rehearsal recordings," notes the album cover, and inside are performances by composer Kurt Weill and lyricist Ira Gershwin, demonstrating songs written for two Weill projects of the mid-'40s, the 1943 Broadway musical "One Touch of Venus" and the 1945 movie musical "Where Do We Go from Here? "

Gershwin is featured only on the tracks intended for the latter, to which he wrote the lyrics. The film concerns a contemporary man intent on getting into the Army, and thereby the action, during World War II, despite a 4F physical rating, who stumbles upon a genie in a lamp and inadvertently ends up in various historical incidents including Columbus' discovery of America (the extended piece "The Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria"); Washington at Valley Forge (where the hero overhears the enemy Hessians singing "Song of the Rhineland"); and, in a section cut from the final script, the Indians discussing the sale of Manhattan ("Manhattan [Indian Song]"). Accompanied by Weill at the piano, Gershwin sings these songs spiritedly in his distinct New York accent, Weill piping in in his high German tenor at points in "The Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria."

Gershwin's wit and wordplay are on display even on these minor efforts. The songs from One Touch of Venus, with lyrics by Ogden Nash, are much better remembered, particularly "Speak Low" and "That's Him."

Weill alone handles this material, which includes two songs, "Very Very Very" and "Jersey Plunk," that were dropped from the score before opening night. Of course, these are not polished, professional performances intended for the public to hear, but they will fascinate fans of show music.

This album is doubly precious, as not only does it offer rare recordings of Kurt Weill singing his own compositions (occasionally in duet with Ira Gershwin!) it features several songs from "One Touch of Venus," which is valuable in the absence of an extant "Venus" cast album.
As the editor of the Weill-Lenya correspondence collection "Speak Low" observes, Weill is plainly no professional singer, yet there's a uniquely pleasant and endearing quality to his voice. More than that, hearing him sing his own songs answers a question that long perplexed me, i.e., what he ever saw musically in Lotte Lenya. Maybe it was a natural affinity, or maybe the long years together as a working couple, but I can hear Lenya in these recordings of Weill: the same happy, open, all-out voice, plain yet punctuated by unexpected bursts of strong vibrato, of course individualized by Weill's distinctly masculine register and clipped German accent, in stark contrast to Lenya's sensuous Viennese one.

Tracklist:
The Nina, The Pinta, The Santa Maria
West Wind
Very Very Very Wooden Wedding
Song Of The Rhineland (Duet With Ira Gershwin)
Speak Low
The Jersey Plunk - The Trouble With Women (quartet)
Manhattan (Indian Song) (Duet With Ira Gershwin)
That's Him

Ira Gershwin, Kurt Weill ‎– "Tryout" - A Series Of Private Rehearsal Recordings (1983)

(224 kbps, cover art included)

Jorge Ben - Ben (1972)

One of the most important Brazilian composers and performers to appear in the 1960s, singer and songwriter Jorge Ben proved successful at infusing samba with soul music. He is the author of two of the most legendary samba songs: "Mas Que Nada" and "País Tropical." His originality and open-mindedness led him to his participation in the Jovem Guarda, bossa nova, and Tropicália movements (see "Jorge Ben", 1969, and "Força Bruta", 1970), which put him in the unrivaled historic position of having been a member of most of the important movements of 20th Brazilian popular music.

"Ben" is the ninth album by Brazilian artist Jorge Ben, released in 1972. The album has one of Jorge Ben's most famous songs, "Taj Mahal", and "Fio Maravilha", paying homage to Flamengo's iconic striker Fio Maravilha.

Ben filed a copyright infringement lawsuit claiming Rod Stewart's song "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" had been derived from "Taj Mahal". The case was "settled amicably" according to Ben. Stewart admits "unconscious plagiarism" of Ben's tune in his 2012 autobiography.


Tracklist:
1. "Morre o Burro Fica o Homem" 2:06
2. "O Circo Chegou" 2:44
3. "Paz e Arroz" 2:03
4. "Moça" 4:58
5. "Domingo 23" 3:48
6. "Fio Maravilha" 2:13
7. "Quem Cochicha o Rabo Espicha" 3:27
8. "Caramba!... Galileu da Galileia" 2:28
9. "Que Nega É Essa" 3:32
10. "As Rosas Eram todas Amarelas" 3:52
11. "Taj Mahal" 5:29

Jorge Ben - Ben (1972)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Konstantin Wecker - Live in München (1981)

Konstantin Wecker is a household name in Germany. He is probably the country's best-kept secret to the rest of the world. For over 25 years Wecker's music has made an impact, both socially and artistically, as part of the Liedermacher genre. Liedermacher (literally, "song-maker") was born out of the 1968 student uprisings in Germany and is comparable to Nueva Canciòn of Latin America, the Chanson of France and Québec, and in some ways even the protest songs of American folk music. It is a genre with a broad range of interpretation, including all musical styles, but with one underlying similarity -- lyrics which are strong, and convey a message, usually a political one.

In Wecker's case, his art blends a powerful vocal style, with an original blend of classical, jazz, and rock. His piano is the trademark of his sound, as are his words, which are intense, carefully crafted poems which have always reflected the social and political issues important to Wecker, and reflective of the times in which he lives.

Konstantin Wecker came into the world on June the first, 1947 in Munich. He was raised and nurtured towards music in part thanks to his father, Alexander, a strong opera enthusiast. In his youth Wecker dabbled on guitar, violin, and eventually found his way to the piano, which has since become his main instrument. His interest in music, as well as the works of great intellectuals such as Nietsche and Goethe, led him to pursue piano, voice, and philosophy at the University of Munich.

He left university after four years of study in 1970, without taking a degree. Wecker continued to pursue his music while working at odd jobs -- everything from selling insurance to working in pornographic films! In 1972, his first album Die Sadopoetischen Gesange des Konstantin Amadeus Wecker (The Sadopoetical Songs of Konstantin Amadeus Wecker) was released. Someone suggested to him to add to his name "Amadeus," to make it sound more "musical." Sadopoetischen is only one of the words Wecker often creates to uniquely convey an idea which before had been untouched.

His following work continued to establish Wecker as a versatile musician, popular in intellectual circles and amongst students. 1977's Genug ist nicht genug (Enough is not enough) is one of his best-known albums, containing the song "Willy", a poem expressing many of Wecker's feelings at the time about society and justice. "Willy" was reincarnated several years ago on 1993's Uferlos (Boundless), as "Die Ballade von Antonio Amadeu Kiowa," again simply instrumentated only with piano, and presented as an elongated recitation, updated to reflect violent acts in Germany at that time towards immigrants and non-Whites. The song's namesake was a young Angolan refugee who was beaten to death by a group of skinheads.


Tracklist:

1-1 Oamoi Von Vorn Ofanga 6:54
1-2 Fragwürdig 1:46
1-3 Endlich Wieder Unten 3:51
1-4 Und Doch Läßt Etwas Kirschen Blühen Im April 1:23
1-5 Warum Sie Geht 3:09
1-6 Wenn Man Darüber Rausschauen Könnte 1:39
1-7 Genug Ist Nicht Genug 4:52
1-8 Nächtens 5:58
1-9 Fragwürdig 3:20
1-10 Wenn Der Sommer Nicht Mehr Weit Ist 4:31
1-11 Text Zum Thema Sucht 5:17
1-12 Der Schutzengel 4:30
1-13 Der Dumme Bub 3:34
1-14 Statistisch Erwiesen 2:01
1-15 Vater, Laß Mi Raus 3:45
1-16 Tod Eines Familienvaters 2:40
1-17 Manchmal Weine Ich Sehr 3:43
1-18 Es Sind Nicht Immer Die Lauten Stark 2:26
1-19 Wer Nicht Genießt Ist Ungenießbar 3:03

2-1 Fragwürdig 1:56
2-2 Liebesflug 3:15
2-3 Schafft Huren, Diebe, Ketzer Her 3:35
2-4 Vaterland 4:27
2-5 Weckerleuchten 3:50
2-6 Lang Mi Ned O 6:04
2-7 In Diesen Nächten 6:27
2-8 Zwischenräume 4:25
2-9 Bleib Nicht Liegen 3:47
2-10 Frieren 6:12
2-11 Lauscher Hinterm Baum 3:59
2-12 Der Alte Kaiser 5:24
2-13 Susi, Oh Susi 5:38
2-14 Du Bist So Häßlich 4:26
2-15 Heut Schaun Die Madln Wia Äpfel Aus 3:45
2-16 Liebes Leben 0:52
2-17 Zirkus 2:14
2-18 Verabschiedung 0:34


Konstantin Wecker - Live in München (1981)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

VA - American Folk Blues Festival `65

The American Folk Blues Festival was a music festival that toured Europe as an annual event for several years beginning in 1962. It introduced audiences in Europe, including the UK, to leading blues performers of the day such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson, most of whom had never previously performed outside the US. The tours attracted substantial media coverage, including TV shows, and contributed to the growth of the audience for blues music in Europe.

Organised by Horst Lippmann and Fritz Rau, the American Folk Blues Festivals did much to fuel the British 'blues boom' of the early-to-mid 1960s.

Unusually. this was a studio session recorded in Hamburg on October 7, 1965 with fine performances from Fred McDowell(1904-72); J.B. Lenoir(1929-67); Walter "Shakey" Horton(1917-81); Roosevelt Sykes(1906-83); Eddie Boyd(1914-84); Jimmy Lee Robinson(1931-2002); John Lee Hooker(1917-2001); Buddy Guy(b. 1936); Big Mama Thornton(1926-84) & Doctor Ross(1925-93).
Freddie Below(1926-88) is the drummer on 9 of the 12 tracks.
Although not a concert, this well-recorded CD is an excellent reminder of the American Folk Blues Festivals of the 1960s as well as being a superb introduction to a variety of blues artists.


Tracklist:

A1–Fred McDowell - Highway 61 3:04

A2–J.B. Lenoir - Slow Down 1:48

A3–Big Walter "Shakey" Horton - Christine 3:58

A4–Roosevelt Sykes - Come On Back Home 2:28

A5–Eddie Boyd - Five Long Years 3:12

A6–Eddie Boyd - The Big Question 2:47

B1–Lonesome Jimmy Lee - Rosalie 2:08

B2–John Lee Hooker - King Of The World 3:40

B3–John Lee Hooker - Della May 4:00

B4–Buddy Boy - First Time I Met The Blues 4:23

B5–Big Mama Thornton - Houn' Dog 2:51

B6–Doctor Ross - My Black Name Is Ringing 4:30

VA - American Folk Blues Festival `65

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Jack Elliott - Jack Takes The Floor (1958)

Jack Takes the Floor is an album by American folk musician Ramblin' Jack Elliott, released in Great Britain in 1958. The original release was a 10-inch LP

This record was released as a 10" LP by Topic in 1958 with a brown/orange textured pattern sleeve with Jack in the foreground. The second issue sleeve, with the same record had the generic vertical stripes with the paper information pasted over the top of the opening cover and into the inside. The third issue had the screen-printed picture which we see here. By the time of the second issue, the whole Topic operation had moved to Nassington Road. Only the first issue came from the Bishops Bridge Road address; both subsequent releases have the Nassington Road address on both sleeve and label.

Ramblin' Jack Elliott delivers folk songs of varied origins in his unique New-York-meets-Texas style. Elliott's approach seamlessly blends hillbilly and blues on almost every track. The influence of Woody Guthrie (who makes a guest appearance on "New York Town") is plain to hear, but so is his own influence on the likes of later artists like Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dylan, and Townes Van Zandt.

The tracks were later reissued on a 12" record by Topic. 

Tracklist:

A1 San Francisco Bay Blues
A2 Ol' Riley
A3 Boll Weevil
A4 Bed Bug Blues
A5 New York Town
A6 Grey Goose
B1 Mule Skinner's Blues
B2 Cocaine
B3 Dink's Song
B4 Black Baby
B5 Salty Dog

Jack Elliott - Jack Takes The Floor (1958)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Jack Grunsky - The Way I Want To Live (1967, vinyl rip)

Jack Grunsky (born July 1, 1945 ) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Grunsky's musical career has spanned two continents. More than three decades of recording and touring have earned him a wide following from both adult and children's audiences.

Born in Austria, he came to Canada as an infant. His singing and performing began in high school in Toronto, but after graduating he returned to Europe where his music career began. In 1966 he formed the successful but short-lived folk singing group, "Jack's Angels" who were signed to Amadeo Records of Vienna, Austria. After the group disbanded, Grunsky recorded three solo albums for the label, one of which was produced by Alexis Korner. The album, "Toronto", was recorded in London and featured tracks with Mick Taylor on slide guitar.

He was subsequently brought on board the progressive German label, Kuckuck Records of Munich, where he produced three more albums of original material. Grunsky was a featured guest on many radio and TV specials and even hosted his own half-hour weekly radio show called, "Folk With Jack" an Austrian radio ORF.
In 1974 he moved with wife and young daughter back to Canada where he connected with record producer Chad Irschick and released an independent album titled, "The Patience Of A Sailor".

In the early 1980s Grunsky developed a keen interest in music for children. Since then, he has well known for his children's music. His eleven recordings for children have received prestigious awards in children's media.

Here´s his 1967 album "The Way I Want To Live":

Jack Grunsky - The Way I Want To Live (1967, vinyl rip)
(192 kbps, cover art included)

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw (1967)

The 1968 edition of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band featured a larger ensemble with a horn section, allowing for a jazzier feeling while retaining its Chicago blues core. They also adopted the psychedelic flower power stance of the era, as evidenced by a few selections, the rather oblique title, and the stunning pastiche art work on the cover. 

Butterfield himself was really coming into his own playing harmonica and singing, while his band of keyboardist Mark Naftalin, guitarist Elvin Bishop, drummer Phil Wilson, electric bassist Bugsy Maugh, and the horns featuring young alto saxophonist David Sanborn was as cohesive a unit as you'd find in this time period. 

Butterfield's most well-known song "One More Heartache" kicks off the album, a definitive blues-rock radio favorite with great harmonica and an infectious beat urged on by the top-notch horns. The band covers "Born Under a Bad Sign" at a time when Cream also did it. "Driftin' & Driftin'" is another well-known tune, and at over nine minutes stretches out with the horns cryin' and sighin', including a definitive solo from Sanborn over the choruses. There's the Otis Rush tune "Double Trouble," and "Drivin' Wheel" penned by Roosevelt Sykes; Butterfield wrote two tunes, including "Run Out of Time" and the somewhat psychedelic "Tollin' Bells," where Bishop's guitar and Naftalin's slow, ringing, resonant keyboard evokes a haunting feeling. This is likely the single best Butterfield album of this time period and you'd be well served to pick this one up.


Tracklist:

One More Heartache 3:20
Driftin' And Driftin' 9:09
Pity The Fool 6:00
Born Under A Bad Sign 4:10
Run Out Of Time 2:59
Double Trouble 5:38
Drivin' Wheel 5:34

Droppin' Out 2:16

Tollin' Bells 5:23

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw (1967)

(256 kbps, cover art included)

Woody Guthrie & Pete Seeger - American Folk Songs (2002)

The folksinger Arlo Guthrie likes to tell a story about his father, the legendary Woody Guthrie, who died in 1967, at the age of fifty-five. When he was a toddler, Arlo says, Guthrie gave him a Gibson acoustic guitar for his birthday. 

Several years later, when the boy was old enough to hold it, Guthrie sat him down in the back yard of their house—they lived in Howard Beach, Queens—and taught him all the words to “This Land Is Your Land,” a song that most people likely think they know in full. The lyrics had been written in anger, as a response to Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America,” which Woody Guthrie deplored as treacle. 

In addition to the familiar stanzas (“As I went walking that ribbon of highway,” and so on), Guthrie had composed a couple of others, including this:

"One bright sunny morning in the shadow of the steeple
By the Relief Office I saw my people—
As they stood hungry, I stood there wondering if
God Blessed America for me."

“He wanted me to know what he originally wrote, so it wouldn’t be forgotten,” Arlo Guthrie has explained.

This compilation is an impressive possibility to hear Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger on one album.

Tracklist:
1 –Woody Guthrie House Of The Rising Sun
2 –Woody Guthrie The Dodger Song
3 –Woody Guthrie I Ain't Got No Home
4 –Pete Seeger Dear Mr. President
5 –Josh White & Millard Lampell Billy Boy
6 –Pete Seeger Blow Ye Winds, Heigh Ho
7 –Woody Guthrie Do Re Mi
8 –Pete Seeger Ground Hog
9 –Woody Guthrie Hard, Ain't It Hard
10 –Woody Guthrie I Ride An Old Paint
11 –Pete Seeger Talking Union
12 –Woody Guthrie This Land Is Your Land
13 –Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger & Josh White Liza Jane
14 –Woody Guthrie Put My Little Shoes Away
15 –Pete Seeger C For Conscription
16 –Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger & Cisco Houston Cindy
17 –Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger Round And Round Hitler's Grave
18 –Pete Seeger The Sinking Of The Reuben James
19 –Pete Seeger T For Texas
20 –Woody Guthrie Talkin' Hard Luck Blues

Woody Guthrie & Pete Seeger - American Folk Songs (2002)

(320 kbps, cover art included)