Heiner Goebbels & Alfred 23 Harth - Goebbels Heart (1981-84)

Experimental composer and director Heiner Goebbels was born in Neustadt, Germany, on August 17, 1952, relocating to the Frankfurt area at age 20 to study music and sociology. He first achieved recognition in 1976 upon premiering a number of works, including Rote Sonne, Circa, and Improvisations on Themes by Hanns Eisler, most performed in conjunction with the Sogenanntes Linksradikales Blasorchester. Concurrently, Goebbels also collaborated with Alfred 23 Harth and, beginning in 1982, he served as a member of the longstanding art rock trio Cassiber. He further expanded his growing oeuvre with a series of theatrical, film, and ballet scores, and during the mid-'80s began writing and directing audio plays of his own, seeking his initial inspiration in the texts of Heiner Mueller. His theatrical and musical works have won numerous awards across Europe.

"Goebbels Heart is a kind of compilation disc, pulling together portions of early-'80s recordings by this duo originally released on the small German label Riskant. At this point in his career, Goebbels (who would later release more atmospheric and experimental albums on ECM) seems to be very much under the influence of composers such as Carla Bley, including the utilization of European workers' songs (Hanns Eisler here). Goebbels plays mostly keyboards, both acoustic and electric, while Harth (yes, the '23' is part of his taken name) wields various reeds. Though occasionally multi-tracked, there's an enticing spareness to the album, with Harth's soprano work sounding especially wistful.

In the second section (tracks six through 16), vocals are performed with alternating angst and bombast by Dagmar Krause and Ernst Stötzner, using texts by Bertolt Brecht. Two of the final three pieces, recorded three years after the others, are more abstract affairs with stuttering melodic material and found tapes. But the last composition, 'Peking-Oper', is the highlight of the disc, based on samples of 20th century Chinese revolutionary opera, which are lovingly abused, twisted, and augmented into a new beast entirely. Interestingly, the Goebbels/Harth piece itself was sampled a decade later by Otomo Yoshihide for his album Revolutionary Pekinese Opera.

Listeners who came to know Goebbels' work from his subsequent ECM discs will enjoy hearing his early roots on this hard to find recording."

(Brian Olewnick, allmusic)


Alfred 23 Harth: soprano, alto & tenor saxophones, clarinet, bass clarinet, trombone, trumpet, percussion, etc.
Heiner Goebbels: piano, synthesizer, cembalo, organ, harmonium, soprano saxophone, cello, chinese violin, guitar, bouzouki, electric bass, percussion, rhythm machine, etc.
with
Dagmar Krause: vocals (3,9,12,15)
Ernst Stötzner: voice (6-8,10,11,13-16)

Tracklist:

1. Berlin, Q-Damm 12.4.81 (5'09)
2. Indianer für morgen (2'23)
3. Dunkle Wolk (4'57)
4. Kein Kriegsspielzeug für Jonathan (4'15)
5. Über den Selbstmord (2'45)
6. Tagesanbruch (4'27)
7. Ich, Bertolt Brecht (1'19)
8. Abbau des Schiffes Oskawa durch die Mannschaft (6'26)
9. Es lebt eine Gräfin in schwedischem Land (2'04)
10. Die Vögel warten im Winter vor dem Fenster (2'57)
11. Apfelböck oder Die Lilie auf dem Felde (3'36)
12. Der Pflaumenbaum (1'39)
13. Liedchen aus alter Zeit (0'37)
14. Sonett (1'26)
15. Deutsches Lied (1'27)
16. 1940 (Ich befinde mich auf dem Inselchen Lidingö) (3'39)
17. Die Reise nach Aschenfeld (5'51)
18. Paradies und Hölle können eine Stadt sein (4'44)
19. Peking-Oper (15'56)


All music composed by Heiner Goebbels & Alfred 23 Harth, exc.
1 by Heiner Goebbels,
5 by Hanns Eisler,
lyrics to 4 by Johannes Werlin,
lyrics to 6-16 by Bertolt Brecht.


Compilation from the following LP's:

1-5: Der durchdrungene Mensch - Indianer für Morgen (Riskant, 1981). Recorded and mixed by Etienne Connod and Robert Vogel at Sunrise Studios, Kirchberg, Switzerland and by Heiner Goebbels (August 1981).

6-16: Bertolt Brecht: Zeit Wird Knapp (Tonstudio Zuckerfabrik, 1981). Produced by Joachim-Ernst Behrendt. Idea and text selection by J.E.B. Recorded and mixed August-October 1981 at Tonstudio Zuckerfabrik, Stuttgart by Gibbs Platen.

17-19: Frankfurt - Peking (Riskant, 1984). Recorded by Walter Brüssow and Bernhard Klein, mixed by Büdi Siebert, Heiner Goebbels and Walter Brüssow at Trion Sound Studio, Frankfurt (September 1984).

Heiner Goebbels & Alfred 23 Harth - Goebbels Heart (1981-84)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Thanks a lot to Mr. Lucky!

The Ex - Dignity Of Labour (1983)

The Ex are an underground band from the Netherlands that formed in 1979 at the height of the original punk explosion. Initially known as an anarcho-punk band, they have since released over 20 full-length albums exploring a wide variety of genres, blending punk rock with free jazz and folk music from all over the world - while still keeping a focus on anarchism, lyrically.

The Ex's music has undergone significant evolution over the years from their beginnings as a punk band. Founded by singer Jos Kley (better known as G.W. Sok), guitarist Terrie Hessels, drummer Geurt and bassist René, the band debuted with a song titled "Stupid Americans" on the Utreg-Punx vinyl 7" compilation released by Rock Against records in Rotterdam. The release of their first 7" All Corpses Smell the Same followed shortly after that, in 1980. Through the decades their music has gradually developed into its current form of highly intricate, experimental punk/post-punk/no wave-inspired work

"Dignity of Labour" is the third album by The Ex, originally released in 1983. The album was originally issued as a box set of four 7-inch records in solidarity with factory workers. The tracks were compiled onto a CD album a decade later.

After taking up residence in an abandoned villa in the Dutch city of Wormer, The Ex conceived of album to pay tribute to the nearby Van Gelder paper factory. The factory had been a site of workers' resistance to Nazi occupation during World War II, but decades later shut down due to unsafe working conditions, outdated machinery, and corporate exploitation.

Joined by new drummer Sabien, The Ex recorded the album's eight songs with producer Dolf Planteijdt in his Koeienverhuur "Cow Rental" Studio, adding in material recorded in the abandoned paper factory itself. The music incorporates machine-like industrial music rhythms that includes engines, printing presses, and pile drivers alongside guitar, double-bass, drums, saxophone, and marimba. The lyrics document the life and death of the factory, building from its establishment as a paper mill in the nineteenth century, its threat of being dismantled and relocated to Germany during the Second World War, its bounceback during a post-war economic boom, followed by a takeover by an American multinational corporation that eventually closed it down in 1980.

The Ex released "Dignity of Labour" as a box set of four 7" singles, simply titling each song "Sucked Out and Chucked Out" pressed into records that bore blank black labels. The album's cover photo shows workers from the factory in 1980, reacting to the news that they had just been fired. Originally slated for launch in December 1982, it was delayed due to a failure in the British Customs Service, eventually a seeing release in March on 1983. Inside its book were the four records, a 24-page booklet, and poster depicting a jammed paper machine from the factory with the lyrics printed on the back.

"Dignity of Labour" was first issued on CD, along with The Ex's entire back catalog, in 1993.

Tracklist:

1. "(Sucked Out Chucked Out) 1"
2. "(Sucked Out Chucked Out) 2"
3. "(Sucked Out Chucked Out) 3"
4. "(Sucked Out Chucked Out) 4"
5. "(Sucked Out Chucked Out) 5"
6. "(Sucked Out Chucked Out) 6"
7. "(Sucked Out Chucked Out) 7"
8. "(Sucked Out Chucked Out) 8"

The Ex - Dignity Of Labour (1983)

(ca. 224 kbps, cover art included)

Ugo Guizzardi & Angelo Palma - Cancion Nueva - Omaggio A Victor Jara

Victor Jara was a Chilean university professor, theater director, musician and songwriter. He founded together with Violeta Parra and the groups Quilapayún and Inti-illimani the musical, cultural and artistic movement Nueva Canción Chilena. Politically engaged, Jara supported the coalition Unidad Popular whose leader, Salvador Allende, won the national elections in 1970 and was elected president of Chile. Allende applied his electoral program: nationalized factories and enterprises of monopoly, banks, the production of saltpeter , steel, coal and copper, till that moment still in the hands of Corporation, mainly North American. Víctor Jara died at age 41 years, was assassinated five days after the military coup of 11 September 1973, coup backed by the CIA and the U.S. government of Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger. It was one of thousands of victims, including the president Allende, of the repression implemented by the military junta of General Augusto Pinochet.

Since 1974 UGO GUIZZARDI and ANGELO PALMA began to learn and play some of the songs of Víctor Jara and Nueva Canción Chilena through contact with the group Inti-Illimani, in political exile in Italy from 1973 to 1988. Years later, these early musical experiences were incorporated in the work of the group Umami (which they co-founded), active in the first revival of folk Andean music then, more in general, of Latin American songs and today they now present original compositions of the group. In 2013, exactly forty years after the coup, UGO GUIZZARDI and ANGELO PALMA propose this CD with some of the songs of Víctor Jara. With the help of old and new friends it is for the two leaders a way to return at least a part of what they learned and got from this forty years. This work is intended as a small testimony, reworked in a personal way, of how UGO GUIZZARDI and ANGELO PALMA have lived from far away and at the same very close the experiment of the socio-cultural, democratic and peaceful revolution that occurred in Chile in the 70s with its tragic and violent epilogue and its consequences in later years.

The message of Víctor Jara is more relevant today than ever. Of course, the era in which he lived the political, economic and social situation in the world has changed a lot but has not improved. The rise of neo-liberalism in recent decades (as already realized by Salvador Allende and expressed in a speech to the UN in 1972) has led to the expansion of global corporations, major banks, financial institutions and rating agencies without control by governments and sovereign states, which indeed, are submissive or accomplices. The logic of indiscriminate profit regardless of the social costs and environmental damages results in a profoundly unjust situation in the globalized world of today.

 
It is certainly not singing a song that you can change the course of history, but as Víctor Jara has taught us a song can leave a mark deeper than that of a bullet. A song helps us not to forget the past history to face the future. A song can evoke and nurture a spirit.

Tracklist:

1 - La Cocinerita
2 - Asy Como Hoy Matan Negros
3 - El Aparecido
4 - El Cigarrito
5 - Herminda de la Victoria
6 - Cai Cai Vilu
7 - Luchin
8 - Zamba Del Che
9 - A Cochabamba Me Voy
10 - Te Recuerdo Amanda
11 - Ni Chicha Ni Limona
12 - La Partida
13 - Manifiesto
14 - Manifiesto Sikuriada

Ugo Guizzardi & Angelo Palma - Cancion Nueva - Omaggio A Victor Jara

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Julie Felix - Changes (1966)

Although she enjoyed stardom and an enduring multi-decade career in the U.K., folk singer Julie Felix never achieved widespread recognition in her native United States. After immigrating to England in the mid-'60s, the Californian was able to capitalize on the country's sudden post-Dylan appetite for American folk music and subsequently became the first solo folk artist to sign a major-label deal there. During her late-'60s peak, Felix's career in England was booming; she had scored a number of hits, sold out Royal Albert Hall, and hosted a popular variety television show. Her popularity continued into the early '70s, after which she spent a period living and recording in Norway -- where she also had several hits -- before returning to California and focusing on humanitarian issues. Moving back to England in the '90s, she revived her career and released a string of original albums on her own label, becoming a much-loved veteran of the U.K. touring circuit throughout the next two decades. Prior to her death in early 2020, Felix had celebrated her 80th birthday with a new album, "Rock Me Goddess", in 2018.

Felix debuted with a self-titled album and a single of Ian Tyson's "Someday Soon," and she also scored a hit on television, on The Eammon Andrews Show. By 1965, she was a headlining performer, referred to in The London Times as Britain's First Lady of Folk. She cut two more LPs for Decca over the next two years, including an album of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie songs, and was also one of the biggest exponents of the work of Leonard Cohen before he'd established himself beyond a small cult of listeners in England. She also began getting recognized for her commitment to charitable causes, and not only raised money for hunger relief but visited several of the more troubled countries in the Third World. By the end of 1965, Felix had filled Royal Albert Hall for one of her concerts, reportedly the first folksinger based in England to accomplish that feat. In 1966, she moved to the Fontana label, for which she cut three albums -- her 1966 album, "Changes", is regarded as one of her best, mixing traditional and contemporary material and utilizing the support of Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick. Meanwhile, on-stage she came under the wing of Brian Epstein, who booked her and Georgie Fame together at the Saville Theatre, with a then-unknown Cat Stevens appearing as the opening act.

While this is by no means an outstanding record, it might be the most appealing offering in the Felix catalog for folk and folk-rock collectors. That's due not to Felix herself, but the presence of a pre-Pentangle John Renbourn as guitar accompanist. British folk giant Martin Carthy, as well as a pre-Fairport Convention Dave Swarbrick (on guitar and violin, respectively), also show up on "Geordie." The guitar playing is good, but as for the actual product, it's competent but rather colorless mid-'60s folk. It also seems as though Felix and Fontana were not quite sure in which direction to tug: The mood is predominantly acoustic folk, but there's also some tentative, awkward folk-rock with rudimentary drums (particularly on the cover of Sylvia Fricker's "Gifts Are for Giving"), strained experimental-surreal comedy ("Brain Blood Volume"), and orchestration (on "Rainy Day" and "I Can't Touch the Sun") that indicates a fruitless stab at the pop market. The songs are a mixture of covers of songs by the likes of Bob Dylan, Donovan, and Gordon Lightfoot -- none of them too obscure -- with pleasant, unmemorable Felix originals. Her takes on Dino Valenti's classic "Get Together" and Lightfoot's "The Way I Feel" are, lamentably, embarrassingly stiff. The LP's one for curiosity seekers, both for the session musicians and for an illustration of a '60s folky unable to make a smooth transition into more progressive sounds and arrangements.


Tracklist:

A1 The Lost Children
A2 One Too Many Mornings
A3 Gifts Are For Giving
A4 Geordie
A5 To Try For The Sun
A6 Brain Blood Volume
A7 Rainy Day
B1 Changes
B2 Love Minus Zero - No Limit
B3 Ballad Of A Crystal Man
B4 Get Together
B5 The Ones I Love The Most
B6 The Way I Feel
B7 I Can't Touch The Sun

Julie Felix - Changes (1966)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Arbeiterlieder - Die Geschichte des deutschen Arbeiterliedes

"Arbeiterlieder - Die Geschichte des deutschen Arbeiterliedes" is a fine compilation of workers' songs and socialist hymns. Even if the selection of songs isn´t always understandable this is an interesting document with a lot of classics like "Die Internationale", "Dem Morgenrot entgegen", "Solidaritätslied" and "Roter Wedding" alongside with some examples of german singer/songwriters like Franz Josef Degenhardt, Hannes Wader and Konstantin Wecker.

The original CD comes along with an interesting booklet informing about the history of the german workers´songs and a lot more. So if you are interested in this topic, check out your local record dealer...

Tracklist:

1. Die Internationale - Großer Chor des Berliner Rundfunks / Estradenorchester des Deutschlandsenders
2. Spiel nicht mit den Schmuddelkindern - Franz Josef Degenhardt
3. Hafenmelodie - Hannes Wader
4. Brüder, zur Sonne, zur Freihe - Hein & Oss Kröher
5. Der Baggerfahrer Willibald - Dieter Süverkrüp
6. Fritz, der Traktorist - Linkssentimentale Transportarbeiterfreunde
7. Roter Wedding - Ernst Busch
8. Die Moorsoldaten - Eva Busch und Begleitorchester
9. Einheitsfrontlied - Ernst Busch
10. Solidaritätslied - Ernst Busch und Orchester
11. Brüder seht die rote Fahne - Massenchor und Blasorchester
12. Dem Morgenrot entgegen - Männerchor und Begleitorchester
13. Sozialistenmarsch (Auf Sozialisten schließt die Reihen) -Massenchor und Blasorchester
14. Die Gedanken sind frei - Klaus Schneider
15. Bürgerlied - Zupfgeigenhansel** 1
6. Willy - Konstantin Wecker


Arbeiterlieder - Die Geschichte des deutschen Arbeiterliedes
(192 kbps, front cover included) 

Derrick Harriott And The Jiving Juniors ‎– The Donkey Years 1961-1965

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, reggae singer/producer Derrick Harriott began as a member of the Jiving Juniors (from 1958 through 1962) before embarking on his own solo career, in addition to producing other artists, including the Ethiopians, Keith and Tex. Harriott tended to rework old R&B love songs as reggae tunes, but his best-known song, "The Loser," was an original composition. In 1971, Swing Magazine named Harriott Top Producer of 1970, as he was also one of the first to utilize the now renowned King Tubby's recording studio. The '70s saw the release of such solo albums as "Undertaker", "Songs for Midnight Lovers", and "Psychedelic Lovers". Although not much was heard from Harriott during the '80s in terms of solo releases, the mid- to late '90s saw the emergence of such solo efforts as "Sings Jamaican Rock Steady Reggae", "For a Fistful of Dollars", "Derrick Harriott & Giants", and "Riding the Roots Chariot".       

The amazingly talented singer and producer Derrick Harriott´s rocksteady and reggae material has been regularly recycled. This 1994 set from the aptly named Jamaican Gold label, however, was the first comprehensive selection of his pre-ska work with the Jiving Juniors.

The group´s name pretty much expresses the atmosphere of these doo-wop-influenced tracks, some of which were recorded in New York in 1960, and Harriott´s own falsetto magic was already obvious. As usual with this label, the accompanying booklet is packed with informative notes and photos, andthe entire package is an object lesson in how vintage material should be presented.

Derrick Harriott And The Jiving Juniors ‎– The Donkey Years 1961-1965
(256 kbps, cover art included)
       

VA - NO FUN Records - Hit oder Niete - Die Singles

A great compilation of the singles released 1980-82 on the No Fun Records label from Hannover. Hannover, often claimed to be one of the most boring towns of Germany, had an interesting music scene in the early 1980s, which mixed punk, new wave and other genres without caring about stereotypes that marked the diverging scenes of that time. They also often featured a healthy dose of dadaism, carrying on the legacy of Hannover's Kurt Schwitters.

No Fun also was one of the few German new wave labels that really managed to release lots of high-quality records, and you can hear it here. There's not one of these singles which is just average; the weakest may be the second Mythen in Tüten single, which verges on conventional Schlager pop, but as can be expected, with a fun twist that makes it still entertaining. On the other side, you get great and classic tracks by Bärchen und die Milchbubis, The Cretins, Der Moderne Man, Daily Terror, A5 and Hans-a-plast, which are all among the Crème de la crème of German new wave and punk, many of which for the first time on CD.

My conclusion should be clear: This is heavily recommended for anybody interested in German new wave/punk, or interested in unusual and original music between pop and underground, especially for those who don't want to pay fifty bucks for scratchy vinyl originals. Get it while it's hot!

Tracklist:

1. 39 Clocks - DNS 3:35
2. 39 Clocks - Twisted & Shouts 2:58
3. Bärchen und die Milchbubis - Jung kaputt spart Altersheime 3:04
4. Bärchen und die Milchbubis - Superfrau 2:13
5. Bärchen und die Milchbubis - Blutrache 2:03
6. Bärchen und die Milchbubis - Sid klebt 0:46
7. The Cretins - Samen im Darm 2:48
8. The Cretins - Heimkind 2:02
9. The Cretins - Walter 2:02
10. A5 - Seesack 2:12
11. A5 - Spruch 2:18
12. A5 - Fleisch muss sein 2:08
13. A5 - Fließbandtraum 2:59
14. Der Moderne Man - Der Sandman 3:09
15. Der Moderne Man - Baggersee 2:54
16. Daily Terror - Knüppeldicke Intoleranz 3:53
17. Daily Terror - Bundeswehr 3:16
18. Daily Terror - Popperverklopper 1:58
19. Mythen in Tüten - Lady Di 3:48
20. Mythen in Tüten - Sansibar 2:26
21. Mythen in Tüten - Nüsse 2:22
22. A5 - Kalte Erotik 4:01
23. A5 - Längst vorbei? 3:22
24. Mythen in Tüten - Liebe im Funkhaus 2:49
25. Mythen in Tüten - Das erste Mal 2:08
26 Hans-A-Plast - Sex Sex Sex 3:13
27. Hans-A-Plast - Lemminger Punks 3:18

VA - NO FUN Records - Hit oder Niete - Die Singles
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Jalda Rebling, Hans-Werner Apel, Stefan Maas - Di goldene Pawe - Jiddische Lieder

Jalda Rebling (b. 1951) is a German cantor, actress and singer of Jewish songs and medieval music.
She was born in Amsterdam as a daughter of Holocaust survivors. When she was 2, her family moved to East Berlin to realize their futile dream of building up a truly socialist society. Cantor Jalda grew up in a musical familiy: her mother, Lin Jaldati, was a famous interpreter of Yiddish songs. Her father, a pianist, conducted the Academy of Music, her sister is violinist.

Jalda Rebling was ordained as cantor in January 2007 by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Schalomi, Rabbi Marcia Prager and Hazzan Jack Kessler. 21 more rabbis and cantors signed her smicha. She is member of OHALAH, an international and transdenominational union of rabbis and cantors.

Cantor Jalda gave workshops in Jewish congregations and chavuroth all over Germany as well as in the USA, Holland, Norway and Sweden. She had a lectureship at the Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences) of Erfurt teaching Jewish social workers and also taught at Hebrew Union College in New York, in Elat Chayyim Upstate New York and at the University of Colorado .

Jalda Rebling was the first Jewish female cantor who, together with Rabbi Lynn Feinberg, led Shabbat Services and read the Torah in public in a Norwegian synagogue of Trondheim.

In 2007 Jalda Rebling was the first woman who led the High Holiday Services in Lund (Sweden). Since then she officiated there every year on Rosh Hoshanah and Yom Kippur because the congregation is very enthused by her voice and the interactive way in which she conducts services.

Cantor Jalda was one of the designers of Learner´s Minyan in the Synagogue Oranienburgerstrasse in Berlin.

Furthermore, Jalda Rebling is very engaged in the interconfessional dialogue: she held lectureships at the Hans-Seidel-Stiftung/Munich and other non-Jewish organizations as well as being invited to workshops and speeches with interconfessional context.

This album was recorded in November 1991 at the Paulusgemeinde in Halle. Jalda Rebling was accompanied by Hans-Werner Apel and Stefan Maass. This synagogue was attacked in October 2019 by a far-right terrorist. He later killed two people outside the synagogue in Halle.

Tracklist:
1 Di Goldene Pawe 4:31
2 Kinderjorn 2:43
3 Sibn farlojrene Jarn 3:37
4 Serndl 3:06
5 Ergets wajt 2:23
6 Rojs, Rojs 3:23
7 Scholem Alejchem 2:34
8 'ch wel nit gejn in Cheder! 2:29
9 Jontewdike Teg 2:51
10 Schir Ha-schirim 3:49
11 Di Mezinke is ojsgegebn 1:36
12 Rabbejnu Tam 2:32
13 Unter di Churwes fun Pojln 3:20
14 S'is nischt do kejn Nechtn 5:37
15 Stiller ownt, Tunklgold 3:15

Jalda Rebling, Hans-Werner Apel, Stefan Maas - Di goldene Pawe - Jiddische Lieder

(320 kbps, cover art included)

VA - Vaterland des Glücks - Lieder und Märsche der Sowjetunion

June 22 marks the 80th anniversary of the launch of Operation Barbarossa, the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. Although the initial offensive caught the Soviets completely by surprise, penetrating hundreds of miles into Soviet territory and netting hundreds of thousands of prisoners, the advance eventually stalled in the face of Soviet resistance and the onset of “General Winter.”

Commemorating the upcoming 80th anniversary of Operation Barbarossa, German President Steinmeier said the suffering of the former Soviet people should be "burned into Germany's collective memory."
"Nobody during this war mourned more victims than the people of the former Soviet Union," Steinmeier said, adding that the German war against the Soviets was carried out with "murderous barbarism."
"It weighs on us that our fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers who waged this war, were involved in these crimes," he added.

The June 22 invasion date was more than a month later than German planners had intended, as Italian misfortunes in Greece and a coup in Yugoslavia had caused a redirection of German forces to the Balkans. By the time Fedor von Bock’s army had reached the suburbs of Moscow, winter had set in. Army Group North under Wilhelm von Leeb had settled into a protracted siege of Leningrad, and German troops along the line of advance found themselves ill-equipped to battle both the elements and a group of increasingly competent Soviet commanders. Although Germany continued to press the attack until disastrous battles at Stalingrad (July 1942–February 1943) and Kursk (July–August 1943), the failure of the initial blitzkrieg to achieve its objectives before the onset of winter had effectively consigned Hitler to the same fate as Napoleon. Moscow was a marsh light that lured each would-be conqueror to his ultimate undoing.

The album "Vaterland des Glücks" features songs and marches of the Soviet Union in original recordings. 


Tracklist:

1. Vaterland des Glücks 
2. Rodina moja 
3. Meinst du, die Russen wollen Krieg 
4. Freundschaft 
5. Immer lebe die Sonne 
6. Sing, Soldat sing 
7. Partisanen vom Amur 
8. Präsentiermarsch der Sowjetarmee 
9. Brüder zur Sonne zur Freiheit 
10. Im Walde an der Front 
11. Marsch der Sowjetarmee 
12. Unser Regimentsorchester 
13. Marsch der Gardisten 
14. Kalinka 
15. Russischer Tanz 
16. Die Silberbirke 
17. Der Wasserträger 
18. Grotesker Marsch

VA - Vaterland des Glücks - Lieder und Märsche der Sowjetunion

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Inti-Illimani - Same (1969)

For well over 30 years, Inti-Illimani (the name translates as "Sun God") has held a beacon for Chilean music, both the traditional folk styles and the more contemporary nueva cancion. Back in 1967 a group of students at Santiago's Technical University formed a band to perform folk music. Taking their name from the Aymaran Indian language of the Andes, they began playing traditional music -- something few did back then -- and quickly earned a reputation around the capital, becoming more and more adept on their instruments. 

By the '70s they'd grown into a political beast, taking on the nueva cancion (literally "new song") of many young groups, and being quite outspoken lyrically -- enough to be forced into exile in 1973, where they'd stay for 15 years. However, they refused to be cowed by the Chilean dictatorship. Basing themselves in Rome, Italy, they continued to record, and toured more heavily then ever before, earning a powerful reputation around the globe, and becoming very unofficial ambassadors of Chilean music, as well as opponents to the ruling regime. 

In addition to performing with a number of famous, political figures like Pete Seeger and Mikis Theodorakis, they were included on the famous 1988 Amnesty International Tour, along with Sting, Peter Gabriel, and Bruce Springsteen. It was, perhaps, their highest profile moment, at least in worldwide terms, and set the stage for their return to their homeland, where they've continued to be outspoken. 

While they've remained a force in world music, their career in the U.S. was hampered by the lack of any consistent record deal until 1994, when they signed with Green Linnet offshoot Xenophile. Prior to that, only a few of their 30-plus discs made it into domestic U.S. record bins. The eight-piece lineup remained stable until 1996, when Max Berru decided to retire from music after almost three decades, shortly after the group had been celebrated with a Best Of disc in Italy (not to be confused with the 2000 Best Of on Xenophile, which collected tracks from their last four releases only). Instead of replacing him, they've continued since as a septet. 1997 saw the band honored with a U.C. Berkeley Human Rights Award for their labors in the past. Since then, although they've continued to release albums and tour, they've cut back on their earlier hectic schedule, but also widened their musical horizons, as 1999's Amar de Nuevo looked at the complete spectrum of Latin roots music and its Creole heritage.

This is her fourth album, released in 1969 on the Jota Jota label.

Tracklist:
A1 Juanito Laguna Remonta Un Barrilete
A2 El Canelazo
A3 Vasija De Barro
A4 Sikuriadas
A5 Zamba De Los Humildes
A6.1 El Músico Errante
A6.2 Fiesta De San Benito
B1 Simón Bolívar
B2 Jenecheru
B2 La Naranja
B4 Inti-Illimani
B5 Carta Al Ché
B6 Una Lágrima

Inti-Illimani - Same (1969)

(224 kbps, cover art included)

VA ‎– King Edwards Presents Ska-Volution

King Edwards was one of the biggest sound systems in the early 60s, ran by two brothers, Vincent Edwards and George Edwards. Though a name largely unfamiliar to fans of Jamaican music, the system was up there with Duke Reid The Trojan and Sir Coxsone's Downbeat in terms of popularity though the duo walked away from the music industry, one of them becoming an MP.

This compilation collects various King Edwards productions and what can I say, this is about as good as ska gets. One of the things people forget about early ska was the heavy influence from calypso (on the vocal tunes) and jazz (on the instrumentals), the latter made very explicit with Roland Alphonso's "Jazz Ska". Very short but very playable, listen to stuff like "Shank I Sheck" and "Lonely Man" and you'll be amazed at how music so straightforward and primitive production-wise can be so jaw-droppingly cinematic.This is a crucial ska selection!

There´s a wonderful interview with Vincent Edward on this page.

Tracklist:

1. Roland Alphonso - Jazz Ska
2. Bobby Aitken - Mister Judge
3. Higgs & Wilson - Love Not For Me
4. Ronald Wilson - Lonely Man
5. Eric Morris - Little District
6. Baba Brooks - Bus Strike
7. Baba Brooks - Shank I Sheck
8. Eric Morris - Suddenly
9. Upcoming Willows - Jones Town Special
10. Lord Tanamo - I Had A Dream
11. Lester Sterling - Lunch Time
12. Lloyd Briscoe - Fabulous Eyes


VA ‎– King Edwards Presents Ska-Volution
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Witthüser & Westrupp - Der Jesuspilz - Live!

Bernd Witthüser and Walter Westrupp have been active in the Essen folk scene since the 1960s. After Witthüser had organized the Essener Songtage (feat. The Mothers of Invention, Amon Düül, Guru Guru etc.) in 1968, the two musicians joined forces in June 1969 to a folk duo with psychedelic impact. (The duo can be counted on the very popular genre of acid folk then, where bands such like The Inceredible String Band, Fresh Maggots, Syd Barrett and Tea & Symphony belonged to). First they called themselves W & W's Pop Cabaret, in 1970 they changed their name to Witthüser & Westrupp.

The duo existed from 1969 to 1973, lived and worked together and also worked in sessions by Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser at this time, which appeared on several albums under the band name Cosmic Jokers.

The third and most successful LP "Der Jesuspilz - Musik vom Evangelium" was produced in August 1971 in the wake of the Jesus movement. It was based on the book " The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross" by John Marco Allegro. The basic idea for this LP was to reinterpret the Bible. Thus, the "Brösel" (engl. crumb) was declared the essence of life, and Jesus addresses his disciples as "boys".

Biblical texts were musically translated and interpreted by Witthüser & Westrupp. The world premiere of "Der Jesuspilz" took place on 25.11.1971 in the apostle church in Essen. The media response was huge, so that the duo then appeared in over a hundred churches in Germany and at German television.
The songs on this album were recorded at the public rehearsal in the JZ (Youth Center) Essen a few days before the first church performance. A true historical sound document! Unfortunately, Bernd Witthüser could not live the release of this record, he died in August 2017!


Tracklist:

1 Schöpfungsgeschichte
2 Der Satan
3 Erleuchtung Und Berufung
4 Versammlung
5 Bekenntnis
6 Vermächtnis Des Meisters
7 Vision 1

Witthüser & Westrupp - Der Jesuspilz - Live!

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Ton Steine Scherben - Live in Bremen, Aladin, 1982 (Bootleg)

Ton Steine Scherben was one of the first and most influential German language rock bands of the 1970s and early 1980s. Well known for the highly political and emotional lyrics of vocalist Rio Reiser, they became a musical mouthpiece of new left movements, such as the squatting movement, during that time in Germany and their hometown of West Berlin in particular. 

All their albums were self-published and promoted. Revenues from the albums were slim and the band was often expected by other leftists to give free "solidarity concerts" at political events, both of which contributed to the band's perpetually poor financial situation and its eventual dissolution. Only few singles were released, which rarely received commercial attention. The Scherben were also on so called "black lists" due to their perceived left extremism, and were thus not played on Germany's public radio stations of the time (private radio was only legalized in Germany in the late 1980s, after the band's dissolution).

Today, after the band's demise in 1985, and the death of Rio Reiser in 1996, Ton Steine Scherben have retained a cult following and popularity in the related scenes. Recently, some of the remaining members have given reunion concerts.

This bootleg was recorded at Bremen, Aladin Music Hall, 1982-02-23

Tracklist:

CD1:
01 jenseits von eden
02 ich will nicht werden was mein alter ist
03 durch die wüste
04 warum geht es mir so dreckig
05 raus aus dem ghetto
06 heut nacht
07 halt dich an deiner liebe fest
08 ich hab nix
09 kleine freuden
10 der traum ist aus
11 ebbe und flut

CD 2:
01 heimweh
02 mein name ist mensch
03 wir müssen hier raus
04 rauch haus song
05 allein machen sie dich ein
06 keine macht für niemand
07 der turm stürzt ein
08 sklavenhändler
09 irrenanstalt
10 wenn die nacht am tiefsten
11 morgenlicht
12 wiedersehn


Ton Steine Scherben - Live in Bremen, Aladin, 1982 (Bootleg)
(192 kbps, cover art included)

VA - Merveilleuses Chansons Francaises des Annees 50, Vol. 1

"Chanson" (French for "song") qualifies most French-language singers/songwriters for whom the quality of the text is essential and where the rhythm of the music follows that of the text.

Early 20th century chansonniers like Maurice Chevalier, Mistinguett, Charles Trenet, Rina Ketty and Édith Piaf were mostly inspired by Cabaret, Musette and various forms of entertainment music. This is the root of the category "musique de variétés", which is a french concept and marketing term close to the american Adult Contemporary.

In the 1950s some singers began to acknowledge the artistic potential of chanson, and write songs in an assumed literary approach. These singers often drew their inspiration from poetry writers. Hence this category of chanson is sometimes called "chanson à texte". The 3 main figures are Georges Brassens, Jacques Brel and Léo Ferré. We can also cite Boris Vian, Barbara and early Serge Gainsbourg.

From the 1960s, following the worldwide spread of Anglo-American popular music, chansonniers began to abandon Musical Theatre and Entertainment musical arrangements and adopt a style closer to American standards. Yé-yé (considered as a naive and lighthearted copy of American pop for teenagers) in the beginning of the 1960s quickly fell out of fashion and in the late-60s chanson was carried by post-yéyé singers such as Françoise Hardy, Michel Polnareff or Eddy Mitchell. We then saw emerge a wave of chansonniers drawing inspiration mostly from Bob Dylan and other American Folk Rock artists: Hugues Aufray, Renaud, Bernard Lavilliers, Johnny Hallyday. There also was singers inspired by pop music like Alain Souchon, Michel Sardou, Claude François etc. and generally considered as "chanteurs de variétés". This wave reached its appex in the 1980s.
Chanson in this period is closely related to French Pop music.
                     

Tracklist:

1. Grand Jacques (C'est Trop Facile) - Jacques Brel
2. Chanson Pour l'Auvergnat - Juliette Greco
3. Une Jolie Fleur - Georges Brassens
4. Fleur de Papillon - Annie Cordy
5. Le Deserteur - Mouloudji
6. Danseur de Charleston - Philippe Clay
7. Viens - Charles Aznavour
8. Bravo Pour le Clown - Edith Piaf
9. Bal, Petit Bal - Francis Lemarque
10. Si Toi Aussi Tu M'Abandonnes - John William
11. Mambo Italiano - Dario Moreno
12. Un Gamin de Paris - Mick Micheyl
13. L' Abeille et le Papillon - Henri Salvador
14. Galerien - Les Compagnons De La Chanson
15. Plaine Ma Plaine - Armand Mestral
16. Dans Les Pharmacies - Charles Trenet
17. Soudard - Jean-Claude Darnal
18. Petite Fleur - Sidney Bechet
19. Car Je T'Aime - Yves Montand
20. Graine d'Ananar - Leo Ferré

 

VA - Merveilleuses Chansons Francaises des Annees 50, Vol. 1
(256 kbps, front cover included)

VA - Bachata Roja - Acoustic Bachata From The Cabaret Era

"Bachata Roja" collects together the greatest hits of classic Dominican bachata. From the early 1960’s to the late 1980’s the legendary voices of Eladio Romero Santos, Leonardo Paniagua and Blas Duran spoke to the hearts of a generation. The dizzying guitar accompaniment of pioneers like Edilio Paredes and Augusto Santos charted the course of bachata’s rise, and for three decades theirs was the sound of the streets of Santo Domingo.

Initially the term "bachata" referred to an informal backyard party with food, drink, music and dance. In rural areas of the Dominican Republic in the 1950’s and earlier, the music played at these events was more often than not guitar-based and included a variety of popular styles such as Cuban bolero, guaracha and son, Puerto Rican jíbaro music and Mexican ranchera. Drawing on all these influences, a bold new guitar style emerged in the heart of Santo Domingo’s burgeoning urban shanty towns. Much despised by elite society - who controlled the island’s television, radio and major recording studios – the new music was dubbed disparagingly “bachata,” an allusion to perceived rural backwardness.

Though boycotted by major media outlets, a grass-roots movement coalesced around favorite singers of the time – who expressed in unvarnished terms the pain, sorrow, humor and romance of daily life. Arising from the urban bordellos and the campos, bachata music grew to become wildly popular across all strata of society. Throughout this period, the defining sound of bachata was that of the Spanish acoustic guitar, whose florid phrasing seduced dancers, chastised faithless lovers and softly serenaded coy mistresses of the night.

It happens time and time again: if a style of Latin music starts out rugged, raw, and rural, there is a very good chance that it will eventually be seriously commercialized and become a lot more polished. That has happened with everything from Colombian cumbia to Cuban son (a primary ingredient in what is now called salsa) to Brazilian samba, and Dominican bachata is no exception. The bachata boom of the '90s and 2000s found bachata becoming increasingly commercialized and enjoying as much exposure as salsa, merengue, and cumbia in the tropical market, which is truly ironic when one considers that back in the '60s and '70s, bachata was often dismissed as low-class by the more affluent people in the Dominican Republic. Many bachata converts of the '90s and 2000s have had little, if any, exposure to old-school bachata, and this excellent compilation takes a look at what bachata sounded like before that commercialization occurred.

"Bachata Roja: Acoustic Bachata from the Cabaret Era" opens with Rafael Encarnación's doo wop-flavored "Muero Contigo" from 1962 and closes with Juan Bautista's 1990 hit "Asesina," which uses an electric guitar (old-school bachata was totally acoustic) and has one foot in classic bachata and the other in modern bachata. Many of the tracks are from the '60s and '70s, and those who associate bachata with the commercial hits of Aventura or Monchy & Alexandra will be surprised to hear how much rawer bachata sounded in the hands of old-school bachateros like Felix Quintana, Augusto Santos, Julio Angel, and the late Marino Pérez (who sadly, drank himself to death). "Bachata Roja" is enthusiastically recommended to anyone who wants to hear what bachata sound like before it became so commercialized.        

Tracklist:

1) Rafael Encarnacion - MUERO CONTIGO
2) Marino Perez - O LA PAGO YO O LA PAGA ELLA
3) Eladio Romero Santos - LA MUNECA
4) Blas Duran - EQUIVOCADA
5) Felix Quintana - LADRONA
6) Juan Bautista - ESTOY AQUI PERO NO SOY YO
7) Augusto Santos - OLVIDA ESE HOMBRE
8) Augusto Santos - SI ME LA DAN LA COJO
9) Julio Angel - EL SALON
10) Julio Morales - YO PAGARE LA CERVEZA
11) Ramon Cordero - AMOR DEL BUENO
12) Efrain Morel - ESTA NOCHE ME LA LLEVO
13) Leonardo Paniagua - MI SECRETO
14) Juan Bautista - ASESINA

VA - Bachata Roja - Acoustic Bachata From The Cabaret Era
(256 kbps, front cover included)      

Léo Ferré - Same (Odéon, 1953)

Although little known in English speaking countries, Léo Ferré (1916-1993) is a monument of French chanson, revered throughout the francophone world. A singer, songwriter, author, composer, and even orchestra conductor, he is mostly remembered for songs like "Avec le Temps," "Les Anarchistes," and "Jolie Môme." His career began in the cabaret and took him through four decades and a number of styles, but his best material and his popularity peak happened in the ‘60s and early ‘70s, as the generation of May ‘68 adopted him as an anarchist figure.

Léo Ferré was born and raised in the principality of Monaco, between France and Italy. Throughout his life, the artist would live and work in the two countries alternately, even recording a few songs in Italian. He completed his college studies in 1934 in Rome. Since his father refused to let him go to the music conservatory, he went to Paris for studies in law, earning a diploma in Political Sciences in 1939. The second World War dragged him into the military and upon Paris' capitulation he fled back to Monaco. He got married for the first time in 1943, began to work at Radio Monte-Carlo, and wrote his first songs.

After the Liberation (1945) Ferré gave his first performances in Parisian cabarets, encouraged by Charles Trenet, Edith Piaf, and Juliette Gréco who would sing many of his songs. His first wife divorced him in 1950. Shortly after, he met Madeleine Rabereau, who would become his second wife and have a decisive influence on his career, pushing him constantly forward. He cut his first 78 rpms for Le Chant du Monde and wrote his first piece of "serious" music, the oratorio "La Chanson du Mal-Aimé." In 1953, Ferré was signed by the record label Odéon and recorded his first LP which includes "Paris-Canaille."

In the late ‘50s and early ‘60s he recorded a series of albums devoted to French poets, interspersed with LPs of his own songs. His lyrics alternate between love topics and a social commentary that grows more and more bitter: "Thank You Satan," "Mon Général" (against Charles De Gaulle), "Ni Dieu, Ni Maître." When the events of May ‘68 take place, Ferré is at a popular and artistic peak. Now forever associated to the Anarchist movement, he let himself be transported by the younger generation. He abandoned the over-emphatic, theatrical style of singing that was also Jacques Brel's trademark, recorded and toured with the rock group Zoo, and included monologues in his concerts. In October 1970 came out the single "Avec le Temps." It became his signature song.

Starting in 1975, Ferré attempted a career in classical music, conducting orchestras for his works and classics (he recorded works by Beethoven and Ravel). For the next decade he continued to release albums and tour, but his prime had passed. His writings and television appearances were feeding his popularity more than his musical production of the time, and by 1985 he had considerably slowed down his activities. He was preparing a come back to the stage when illness struck in 1992. He died in July 1993 at age 77. 

Tracklist:

A1	Monsieur William
A2	La Chambre
A3	Vitrines
A4	Le Pont Mirabeau
B1	Judas
B2	Notre Amour
B3	... Et Des Clous
B4	Les Cloches De Notre-Dame
B5	Paris Canaille

Léo Ferré - Same (Odéon, 1953)
(320 kbps, front cover included)         

Ton Steine Scherben - Live München Alabamahalle, 1982

"50 years Ton Steine Scherben" are celebrated with a nice festival in this week - two concerts will be the highlight.

Formed in 1970, Ton Steine Scherben were one of Germany's first real homegrown rock bands (as opposed to bands covering American and British rock songs), and although they weren't commercially successful in the normal sense, the group's influence in Germany has been long-lasting.

With a lineup of vocalist Rio Reiser, guitarist R.P.S. Lanrue, drummer Funky Götzner, bassist Kai Sichtermann, and keyboardist Martin Paul, Ton Steine Scherben (or TSS, as they came to be known) released several independent records on their own dime, recordings that were frequently highly political and controversial.

In time, Ton Steine Scherben shifted ground just slightly and explored more personal territory in their lyrics, but they never abandoned a sort of renegade stance, what in later years would be dubbed "punk." The first incarnation of TSS disbanded in 1985, but Reiser's death in 1996 reunited the surviving members for a farewell concert that same year, and they came together again in 2005 for a successful reunion tour and played a gig at the revolutionary May demonstration in Berlin this year.

Here´s a bootleg with the recording of their gig at the Alabamahalle in Munic in the year 1982:

Ton Steine Scherben - Live München Alabamahalle 1982 (Bootleg)

(192 kbps, front & back cover included)

Mercedes Sosa - La Historia (2002)

Born on July 9, 1935 in the town of San Miguel de Tucumán of French and Quechuan parents, Haydée Mercedes Sosa sang from an early age, winning first place at a contest sponsored by a local radio station at the age of 15. The prize was a two-month contract with the station, and was to mark the beginning of her professional career.

Though Sosa began as a singer of popular material, by the early 1960s, she and her first husband Manuel Oscar Matus became attracted to the nueva canción movement. The rich and varied field of Latin American folk music had earlier been explored by such pivotal artists as fellow Argentinean Atahualpa Yupanqui and the Chilean Violeta Parra. (One of Sosa’s best-loved interpretations, “Gracias a la Vida,” was written by Parra.) Nueva canción—also variously known as nuevo canto and nueva trova—extended these explorations.

One characteristic of the Latin American folk music movement of the 1960s that distinguished it from its equivalent in the US was its greater use of Amerindian—especially Andean—styles and musical instruments like the charango (a double-coursed five-string instrument traditionally made from an armadillo shell), the pan pipe zampoña, the notched flute quena and percussion instruments like the palo de lluvia (rain stick), uñas (goat toes sewed onto a cloth or leather loop) and bombó (a bass drum that could either be carried or played while seated). The European nylon stringed guitar, however, has always been a prominent component.

Over time, nueva canción would embrace influences from other sources, like urban black Peruvian music, North American folk, rock, jazz, Caribbean, African and even classical influences.

Young musicians absorbed and transformed these influences, eventually adding their own original melodies and lyrics. Sosa’s robust and expressive voice was well-suited to the instrumentation and styles, and she quickly became known as a prime interpreter of nueva canción.

Nueva canción’s influence has been incalculable, and it can still be heard, not only in Latin America, but in the US and Europe as well.

Another important characteristic of nueva canción is its political content. Many of the most talented songwriters and poets from the length and breadth of Latin America—writers like Cuba’s Silvio Rodriguez and Pablo Milanés, Brazil’s Gilberto Gil and Chile’s Victor Jara—wrote fervent denunciations of oppression of the rural and urban masses and expressed hope for a better future. Sosa’s forceful renditions of such anthemic material as “La Maza,” “Solo le Pido a Dios,” “Hermano Dame la Mano," “Cuando Tenga la Tierra” and numerous others left no doubt as to where her sympathies lay.

On the other hand, her passionate renditions of love songs like “Todo Cambia” and “Canción y Huayno” (aka “Poco a Poco”) always added depth to the lyrics. Her love songs, however, were not limited to romantic material. For example, she treated maternal love quite differently—and effectively—in two of her best-known recordings. In the tender, regretful “Duerme Negrito” she sings a lullaby, with aching sorrow, to a child whose mother must go far away to work. In the joyful tribute to a mother, “Las Manos de mi Madre,” she celebrates a mother’s ability to “make everyday things magical” for her children despite hardships. Whether a political rallying cry, a love song or a lament, Sosa’s voice lifted the material to a higher level with its depth, strength, flexibility and flawless delivery.

Many of the nueva canción performers were influenced by the same political movements as others of their generation, and often sang uncritical praise for figures like Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, the Argentinean leftist whose strategy of peasant guerrillaism was to prove so disastrous for the Latin American working masses.

When the US-supported right-wing counteroffensive took place in Latin America in the 1960s and 1970s, many of the nueva canción performers were to suffer the consequences. Victor Jara, who had been a supporter of Salvador Allende’s Popular Unity government, was tortured and murdered in 1973 during the bloodbath following Allende’s overthrow and assassination carried out by the military under Pinochet and with the support of the US and Chilean bourgeoisie. Gil—part of the tropicália movement in Brazil, which produced songs sharply critical of the country’s military dictatorship—was jailed without charges for nine months in 1969 and then forced into exile. The Chilean group Inti-Illimani, which was touring Europe at the time of the Pinochet coup, spent years in exile.

After the 1976 military coup in Argentina, Mercedes Sosa suffered harassment and censorship, though her international fame prevented the military dictatorship from treating her as brutally as they were treating other Argentineans. However, in 1979 she was searched and arrested—along with 200 audience members—while performing at a performance in La Plata. International pressure secured her release but, fearing for her life, she fled to Europe, where she would remain until 1982, a year before the junta’s fall.

By the end of the 1980s, most of the proponents of the nueva canción movement had made their peace with the civilian governments that replaced the military regimes in Latin America. (Gil, in fact, returned and became minister of culture in Lula’s Brazilian Workers Party government.) Mercedes Sosa was no exception. Though she opposed the right-wing government of Carlos Menem, she enthusiastically supported the elections of Néstor Kirchner and later his wife Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Argentina’s first female president. The Kirchner administrations’ policies have impacted drastically on the very working class whose exploitation Sosa so fervently denounced in her songs.

Sosa summed up the political evolution of this generation herself in a recent interview, declaring: “Before, the dreams were more radical, perfect. Now, you do what you can.”
Ill health intermittently forced Mercedes Sosa off the stage during the succeeding years, but she continued to perform worldwide when she could, garnering international acclaim and awards, often collaborating with artists including Milton Nascimento, Holly Near, Sting, Shakira and even Luciano Pavarotti. She recorded prolifically, releasing over 70 albums during her lifetime.

Sosa’s condition worsened in September 2009 and she was hospitalized for two weeks with liver problems. She died of kidney failure and cardiac arrest on October 4, 2009. Her death was greeted with tributes and expressions of grief from around the globe.

Mercedes Sosa’s inimitable interpretations of songs of struggle, love, celebration and hope will be enjoyed and appreciated long after her death. Recommended recordings are too numerous to list.

Tracklist:

1 A Monteros
2 La Flor Azul (En Vivo)
3 Los Hermanos
4 Alfonsina Y El Mar
5 La Arenosa (En Vivo)
6 Ojos Azules
7 Balderrama
8 Para Cantar He Nacido
9 Yo Vengo A Ofrecer Mi Corazón
10 Todo Cambia
11 Como Pájaros En El Aire
12 La Pomeña
13 Viejas Promesas
14 Años (En Vivo)
15 La Villerita
16 Agitando Pañuelos
17 Y Dale Alegría A Mi Corazón
18 Sólo Le Pido A Dios (En Vivo)
19 Pollerita Colorada (En Vivo)
20 Martía, María

Mercedes Sosa - La Historia (2002)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Smith & Mighty - Retrospective

"Retrospective" is a necessary, if far from exhaustive, compilation of Rob Smith and Ray Mighty's production work -- whether released as Smith & Mighty or under the name of the group or artist the duo worked with. 

In addition to A-sides, there are B-sides and rarities, so it's not necessarily the best representation one could imagine. There are some key moments in the development and saturation of trip-hop. Roughly half the tracks come from 1995 and later, when the two began to run out of ideas and had long been surpassed creatively and commercially by those who began swimming in their wake -- Massive Attack, Tricky, Portishead. 

The meat of the disc is in the tracks from the late '80s and early '90s, such as Fresh 4's "Funky Drummer"-assisted cover of Rose Royce's "Wishing On a Star" (a 1989 Top Ten hit in the U.K.), the spare Jackie Jackson-fronted cover of Bacharach/David's "Walk On By," and Carlton's "Come On Back." This last track, released in 1990, was an ideal midpoint between the duo's earliest raw work and the slickened sound of their mid-'90s releases -- hardly as rough-sounding as the early house tracks from Chicago and yet not nearly as shiny as a Soul II Soul or Lisa Stansfield single. As the later tracks play, it becomes apparent that the producers began following -- rather than setting -- the trends. Witness the drum'n'bass-based tracks, though the set-closing "Same" shows that not all of the greatness had been drained from them.


Tracklist:

1.1 Carlton - Come on Back
1.2 Fresh 4 - Wishing on a Star
1.3 Smith & Mighty Feat. Jackie Jackson - Walk on By (Mellow Mix)
1.4 Smith & Mighty Feat. Andy Scholes - Down in Rwanda
1.5 Smith & Mighty Feat. Tammy Payne - Move You Run (Blue ; Red Mix)
1.6 Smith & Mighty Feat. Louise - Life Has a Way
1.7 Smith & Mighty Feat. Rudy Lee - No Justice
1.8 Smith & Mighty Feat. Niji 40 - B Line Fine Blow
1.9 Smith & Mighty - Give Me Your Love
1.10 Smith & Mighty Feat. Jackie Jackson - Anyone (Edit)
1.11 Smith & Mighty Feat. Tammy Payne - Same

Smith & Mighty - Retrospective

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Miriam Makeba - Live (1977)

This album is the German version of the South African release "'Live' For My Brothers And Sisters".

The songs are from a live concert at Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris in 1977. On the album are both political songs of various sorts as well as songs meant more for dance and fun ("Pata Pata" being the most recognizable).

Realistically, Makeba may have other albums of a higher recording quality out there, but the inclusion of crowd noises, monologues with the audience, and some acoustic irregularities (inherent in any live recording) make the album seem more worthy as a document of a live performance, giving the listener a feel for what a live concert by the great singer would be like.
Any fan of Makeba's music should be overjoyed upon hearing this album,


Tacklist:

               I Shall Sing                         4:00      
               Kulala                                  3:32      
               Malaika                              5:09      
               Jolinkomo                          3:23      
               Ring Bell                             3:34      
               Pata Pata                           2:43      
               Ngoma Kurila                    5:08      
               Forbidden Games             3:29      
               Mas Que Nada                  3:50      
               West Wind                         3:38      
               Amampondo                     2:42


Miriam Makeba - Live (1977)
(256 kbps, cover art included)

Die Sterne - Themenläden und alle Remixe (1997)

Die Sterne were founded in 1992. Aside from the bands Blumfeld and Tocotronic, Die Sterne are one of the most important representatives of the so-called "Hamburger Schule" (Hamburg school). Rock, Soul and Funk are some of the major influences on the music of Die Sterne.

The band was formed in 1992 when frontman Frank Spilker (guitar & vocals) asked his acquaintances Thomas Wenzel (bass, also bassist of "Die goldenen Zitronen" ("The Golden Lemons"), Frank Will (keyboard) and Christoph Leich (drums, also member of the famous German band "Kolossale Jugend") if they didn't want to join his band project Die Sterne ("The Stars") he kept running for a while as a solo project.
In the same year they released their first single "Fickt das System" ("Fuck the system", this sentence is usually not translated into German), followed by their first two albums "Wichtig" ("Important", 1993) and "In Echt" ("For real", 1994) on the German label L'Age D'Or. Both albums are known for their live-playability, translated quotes from other songs and commentaries about social structures. In 1996 their most popular album "Posen" ("Poses") containing the hit "Was hat dich bloß so ruiniert" ("What has ruined you so much") was released, followed by excessive touring, all of their concerts being sold out.

After the release of their next two albums "Von allen Gedanken schätze ich doch am meisten die Interessanten" ("Of all thoughts I admire the interesting ones most", 1997) and "Wo ist hier" ("Where is here", 1999) Frank Will decided to leave the band to concentrate on his job as horticultural architect. Because the keyboard is necessary for their music a new keyboarder, Richard von der Schulenburg was engaged. Their next two albums, who are generally slower and less loud than their previous ones, were published by Virgin Records, their titles are "Irres Licht" ("Lunatic light", 2002) and "Das Weltall ist zu weit (und der Rest ist schon verteilt)" ("The universe is too large (and the rest is already given out)", 2004).

Here´s an EP from 1997 with the wonderful "Themenläden" from the album "Posen", including the original version and some very interesting remixes by Bigga Bush from Rockers Hi-Fi, the german house dj and producer Hans Nieswandt and others.

Tracklist:

1. Themenläden 6:50

2. Themenläden (Bigga Bush's Bright Moments Mix) 9:08

3. Themenläden (Transparenter T-Shirt Mix) 6:22

4. Themenläden (Just The Music Mix) 6:34

5. Themenläden (Out Of Lugano 2) 6:26

6.Themenläden (Brunswick 2000 Mix) 7:02

7. Themenläden (2000 Marks-Mix) 5:34

8. Themenläden (Stück Mix) 4:01 

9. Themenläden (Stars On 45 Mix) 5:16

Die Sterne - Themenläden und alle Remixe (1997)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Léo Ferré - Verlaine et Rimbaud chantés par Léo Ferré (1964)

Although little known in English speaking countries, Léo Ferré (1916-1993) is a monument of French chanson, revered throughout the francophone world. A singer, songwriter, author, composer, and even orchestra conductor, he is mostly remembered for songs like "Avec le Temps," "Les Anarchistes," and "Jolie Môme." His career began in the cabaret and took him through four decades and a number of styles, but his best material and his popularity peak happened in the ‘60s and early ‘70s, as the generation of May ‘68 adopted him as an anarchist figure.

This LP is the third and final volume in singer/songwriter Léo Ferré's series of tributes to French symbolist poets. After Baudelaire and Apollinaire, he turns to the damned pair of Paul Verlaine and Arthur Rimbaud. The latter's brief but blinding career and his love affair with the former, his mentor, remain among the most tormented -- and freely interpretable -- pages in 19th century French literature. But Ferré is more interested in the musicality of their verses than the modernity in some of Rimbaud's poems, or the tension between debauchery and Christian mysticism in Verlaine's. His choice of poems jumps over Rimbaud's most arcane poetry (Une Saison en Enfer, the famous Vowels) to focus on his more mundane works ("Le Buffet," "Chanson de la Plus Haute Tour"). As for Verlaine, he goes with the classics, opening with "Écoutez la Chanson Bien Douce" (Listen to the Sweet Song), almost obligatory under these circumstances -- and not forgetting "Art Poétique" (beginning with the verse "Music before anything else..."). His musical approach is that of a typical French chansonnier: polished melodies backed by a music hall piano and string ensemble -- think Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, or Charles Trénet. Jean-Michel Defaye's arrangements and musical direction lack some risk-taking, leading to potentially powerful poetry being transformed into lamentable ballads -- the cynicism and plain sexual abuse of "Mes Petites Amoureuses" fizzles out; "Ma Bohème" is given too much of a pastoral treatment. Good ideas include a highly dramatic "Les Poètes de Sept Ans" (a wink at Brel's vocal delivery?) and the luscious jazz of "Pensionnaires" (two teen lesbians, almost graphic). This album presents Ferré the stylist and melodist, not the celebrated anarchic poet.

Recorded from 25 to 28 May 1964 at Studio Barclay.


Tracklist:

01 - Écoutez la chanson bien douce (Paul Verlaine)
02 - Chanson de la plus haute tour (Arthur Rimbaud)
03 - Il patinait merveilleusement (Paul Verlaine)
04 - Mon rêve familier (Paul Verlaine)
05 - Soleils couchants (Paul Verlaine)
06 - Les assis (Arthur Rimbaud)
07 - L'espoir luit comme un brin de paille dans l'étable (Paul Verlaine)
08 - Art poétique (Paul Verlaine)
09 - Les pensionnaires (Paul Verlaine)
10 - Âme, te souvient-il (Paul Verlaine)
11 - Le buffet (Arthur Rimbaud)
12 - Les poètes de 7 ans (Arthur Rimbaud)
13 - Chanson d'automne (Paul Verlaine)
14 - Les corbeaux (Arthur Rimbaud)
15 - Green (Paul Verlaine)
16 - Mes petites amoureuses (Arthur Rimbaud)
17 - Je vous vois encor (Paul Verlaine)
18 - L'étoile a pleuré rose... (Arthur Rimbaud)
19 - Ô triste, triste était mon âme (Paul Verlaine)
20 - Rêvé pour l'hiver (Arthur Rimbaud)
21 - Clair de lune (Paul Verlaine)
22 - Les chercheuses de poux (Arthur Rimbaud)
23 - Ma bohème (Arthur Rimbaud)
24 - Sérénade (Paul Verlaine)

Léo Ferré - Verlaine et Rimbaud chantés par Léo Ferré (1964)

(160 kbps, cover art included)

VA - Tribute To Bob Marley (Trojan, 1994)

It's no secret that Bob Marley means everything to Jamaican pop music. Charismatic to a fault, courageous, defiant, and compassionate as well as being a world-class songwriter and performer, Marley recast Jamaica as Marleyville in the eyes and ears of the rest of the world. T

his 21-track collection features covers of Marley tunes along with tribute sides recorded by Jamaican artists following Marley's death in 1981. The end result is a varied yet internally coherent set that not only pays tribute to Marley but also demonstrates the flexible durability of his songbook. Highlights include Max Romeo's skittering version of "Mr. Chatterbox," Delroy Wilson's delightfully joyous "Nice Time" and Augustus Pablo's suitably ominous and eerie "Three O'Clock Roadblock."


Tracklist:
1 Prince Far I– Tribute To Bob Marley (Intro) 1:33
2 The Maroons– Talkin' Blues 4:13
3 Jah Woosh– Rocking Blues 3:37
4 Tommy McCook– The Meducia 3:47
5 Derrick Morgan– Some Woman Must Cry 3:14
6 The Aggrovators– Some Woman Must Cry (Version) 3:22
7 Tapper Zukie– Natty Dread Don't Cry 3:17
8 Inner Circle– I Shot The Sheriff 4:27
9 Derrick Morgan– I Shot The Deputy 4:05
10 Max Romeo– Mr Chatterbox 2:05
11 Inner Circle– Curfew 3:56
12 Dennis Brown– Concrete Jungle 4:41
13 Inner Circle– Natty Dread 3:35
14 Owen Gray– Guava Jelly 3:00
15 Big Youth– Get Up Stand Up 3:23
16 John Holt– Keep On Moving 3:29
17 Phyliss Dillon– Long Time No Nice Time 2:14
18 Delroy Wilson– Nice Time 3:26
19 Inner Circle– (3 O'Clock) Road Block 3:31
20 Augustus Pablo– (3 O'Clock) Road Block (Version) 3:57
21 Prince Far I– Tribute To Bob Marley (Part 2) 1:49

VA - Tribute To Bob Marley (Trojan, 1994)

(320 kbps, cover art included)