The Edgar Broughton Band ‎– Live Hits Harder!

By 1976, the Edgar Broughton Band had had enough. Their earlier successes had slipped away, and the band now had two albums behind them which had failed to chart. Simmering problems with their management slowly began boiling over, eventually reaching such proportions the group took them to court. By the time the case was resolved, in EBB's favor, the band were worn down and worn out.

Still, they wanted to go out on a high, and thus the group undertook a final farewell tour, recording three of the shows along the way. It was from those tapes that "Live Hits Harder!" emerged, albeit three years later, and only in Switzerland. Thus this CD reissue is particularly welcome, not merely for making a crucial set available again, but for its sympathetic remastering.

The sound is grand; and with recently recruited guitarist Terry Cottram in tow, the entire band were obviously on a musical high, enjoying every minute of every song they reel out.

There's nine in all here, spanning the group's recording career, from the storming "Love in the Rain", pulled from their first album, through the rocking "One to Seven" and the raucous roadhouse blues of "Signal Injector", both taken from their final "Bandages" set.

EBB positively luxuriate over "Evening Over Rooftops", as if they too never want the song or show to end. "Poppy" we get in two versions, presumably from two different gigs, the first has somehow hilariously slipped from cheery sing-along into ersatz reggae, the second in its truer poppy form. And then there's the phenomenal "Smokestack Lightning", here in all it's swampy, delta glory, which takes the band out in stellar style. Every number is a revelation, the band determined to give each song its due, as if for the last time, because in truth it was.

By the time of the album's release, EBB was no more, but its successor group, The Broughton Band took the opportunity to step out in the same year. And, with this reissue, they've done it again, although it's now the newly reformed EBB who are back, and setting off to tour with a vengeance.
Tracklist:

1.1 Get Out Of Bed 3:08
1.2 There's Nobody There 0:30
1.3 Side By Side 2:45
1.4 Sister Angela 1:30
2 Love In The Rain 6:06
3 One To Seven 3:52
4 Hotel Room 3:36
5 Evening Over Rooftops 6:32
6 Freedom 3:14
7 Poppy 1:37
8 Signal Injector 5:25
9 Smokestack Lightning 5:48

The Edgar Broughton Band ‎– Live Hits Harder!
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Mikey Dread - Beyond World War III (1981)

Mikey Dread has long stood among reggae's most multi-faceted artists, and this album shows him in all his guises: DJ, mixer, producer, and toaster. Like many fellow producers from his home country of Jamaica, Dread is equally comfortable behind the board or in front of it, which further blurs the line between artist and producer. That's not a problem for someone boasting such nimble talents.

The assertive opener "Break Down the Walls" gets the proceedings off to an authoritative start. Although Dread's famed sing-scat is an acquired taste, it suits the mood ("We need some action now, down in a Babylon/and the sooner is the better"). Dread's vocals are poised and self-assured; he sings when he feels like it, and lets his ping-ponging freestyle raps carry the track when he doesn't. The latter quality is most pronounced on hardcore dub exercises like "The Jumping Master," on which Dread playfully talks up the abilities of his backing musicians and mixing knob-twiddling peers like Scientist (who's compared to another "jumping master," the comic book hero Spiderman). "Israel (12 Tribe) Stylee" and "Mental Slavery" go still further up the heart of dub darkness, boosted by enough vocal echo and tape effects to light up a video arcade, which is part of the genre's cut-and-paste charm. But Dread's hardly some po-faced roots purist, or he wouldn't try his hand at more straightforward pop-reggae grooves like "Jah Jah Love (In the Morning)," and "Rockers Delight." As usual, there's no lack of top-flight musicians to boost the cause, including drummer Style Scott, bassist Flabba Holt, and Roots Radics rhythm ace Bingy Bunny.

Dread marshals his musical artillery to unsettling effect on the title cut, which matter-of-factly ticks off man's march to a global reckoning. A cutoff in mid-sentence provides a powerful closing note for an album that sounds as fresh and innovative as it did 20 years ago.


Tracklist:

Break Down The Walls 5:48
Jah Jah Love (In The Morning) 7:13
The Jumping Master 5:13
Israel (12 Tribe) Stylee (extended play) 8:39
Warrior Stylee (extended stereo style) 7:49
Money Dread 3:33
Rockers Delight (extended play) 8:01
Mental Slavery (extended play) 6:36
World War III 3:45

Mikey Dread - Beyond World War III (1981)
(ca. 320 kbps, cover art included)

Asian Dub Foundation - Conscious EP (1994)

Asian Dub Foundation formed in 1993 as an outgrowth of the documentary "Identical Beat", a film shot at London's Farringdon Community Music House, the site of a series of summer workshops designed to teach Asian children the essentials of music technology. In charge of the workshops were tutor Aniruddha Das and youth worker John Pandit, also a noted DJ; with one of their students, a 15-year-old Bengali rapper named Deedar Zaman, they soon formed a sound system that they called the Asian Dub Foundation.

After each adopted an alias -- bassist/tabla player Das became Dr. Das, Pandit became Pandit G, and Zaman became Master D -- they gradually evolved into a working band with the 1994 addition of former Higher Intelligence Agency guitarist Steve Chandra Savale, an innovative performer known for tuning his strings to one note like a sitar, turning up the distortion unit, and playing his instrument with a knife, earning him the nickname "Chandrasonic."

Emerging in the midst of considerable anti-Asian violence throughout Britain, the Foundation's early demos landed them a contract with Nation Records, and they recorded their debut EP, "Conscious", in 1994.

Channeling influences ranging from punk to ambient music to Bengali folk songs, Asian Dub Foundation quickly gained a strong fan base not only among clubgoers but also among the anti-fascist movement, who applauded the group's vocal stand against racism.


Tracklist:

A1	Debris
A2	Tu Meri
B1	Jericho
B2	Witness

Asian Dub Foundation - Conscious EP (1994)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Clannad - Same (1973)

Clannad bridged the gap between traditional Celtic music and pop. Their results were usually an entrancing, enchanting form of pop that managed to fuse the disparate elements together rather seamlessly. Such fusions have earned the band an international cult of fans.

Taking their name from the Gaelic word for "family," Clannad formed in 1970 when the Brennan family -- Máire (vocals, harp), Ciarán (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards), Pól (guitar, percussion, flute, vocals) -- began playing at their father Leo's tavern with two of their uncles, Pádraig Duggan (guitar, vocals, mandolin) and Noel Duggan (guitar, vocals). Soon afterward, the group began playing folk festivals in Ireland. They released their self-titled first album in 1973, yet the band didn't earn any widespread success until they toured Germany in 1975.

From a latter-day vantage point, Clannad's first album is probably too pop-oriented for traditionalists, but too traditional in feel for those who were attracted to the group's later pop-oriented recordings. For those listeners without any particular preconceptions, it's an invigorating blend of Irish traditional folk with modern influences. More than any of Clannad's subsequent albums, this debut bears the influence of the eclectic, jazzy edge of Pentangle, particularly in the fat double basslines; Maire Brennan's high, pristine vocals show an affinity with Pentangle's Jacqui McShee as well.

Maire's harp and Paul Brennan's flute, however, give the music a strong Irish stamp. Sung mostly in Gaelic and occasionally in English, the material is quite varied in scope, and the arrangements and vocals are vastly pretty and melodic. The cover of Tim Rose's "Morning Dew" that concludes the album is one of the best versions ever of this oft-covered folk-rock tune.               


Tracklist:

1. "Níl Sé Ina Lá (Níl Sé'n Lá)" – 4:50
2. "Thíos Cois Na Trá Domh" – 2:55
3. "Brian Boru's March" – 3:50
4. "Siúbhán Ní Dhuibhir" – 4:30
5. "An Mhaighdean Mhara" – 2:10
6. "Liza" (Padraig Duggan, Pól Brennan) – 2:00
7. "An Toileán Úr" – 4:03
8. "Mrs. McDermott" (Turlough O'Carolan) – 3:03
9. "The Pretty Maid" – 2:40
10. "An Pháirc" (Mick Hanly) – 3:00
11. "Harvest Home" – 1:40
12. "Morning Dew" (Bonnie Dobson, Tim Rose) – 3:45
13. "An Bealach Seo 'tá Romham" – 2:42 (bonus track)

Clannad - Same (1973)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Nina Simone ‎– 'Nuff Said! (1968)

This very special recording was taped at the Westbury Music Fair three days after the murder of Martin Luther King. The whole program that night was dedicated in his memory. 

This concert went down in the history books as an important event for the civil rights movement.  You can hear the emotion in Nina Simone's voice.

The album has a good mix of slow and upbeat songs. This is certainly Ms. Simone at her best.   

Tracklist:

In The Morning 2:12
Sunday in Savannah 3:03
The Backlash Blues 2:43
Please Read Me 2:44
Gin House Blues 2:47
Why? (The King of Love Is Dead) 5:31
Peace of Mind 2:40
Ain't Got No I Got Life 2:05
I Loves You Porgy 3:27
Take My Hand Precious Lord 1:35
Do What You Gotta Do 2:55


Nina Simone ‎– 'Nuff Said! (1968)
(320 kbps, cover art included)
       

VA - Viva! Zimbabwe - Dance Music From Zimbabwe (1983)

After over 30 years this album hasn´t lost any of its appeal. It features some of the best Zimbabwean pop stars. Jit or Jiti music is represented by the fast mbira-like guitar sounds of The Four Brothers who became international world music stars. Thomas Mapfumo, the Lion of Zimbabwe, appears with an early 80s political anthem in the style that came to be known as Chimurenga. Sungura guitar melodies are featured with James Chimombe, the "King of Sungura." Bands on the album such as Nyami Nyami Sounds and Super Sounds have members who went on to some of the most popular Zimbabwean bands such as Chazezesa Challengers. One thing I've found is that you simply can't get through this record without getting on your feet and dancing around!

Robert Christgau wrote about this album: "For all the liner talk about electric dance music, what sets this apart is its roots in thumb piano. With that painfully mastered village instrument the melodic source, the guitar figures are the quickest in Africa--contrapuntal at their best, and always hooky. Vocals are likewise unassuming if not delicate, rhythms distinctly light. Takes a while to hear, will never hit you over the head, and you can dance to it. Call it folk-disco. A- "

Tracklist

A1	–Devera Ngwena Jazz Band	Solo Na Mutsai
A2	–Four Brothers, The	Makorokoto
A3	–Thomas Mapfumo and Blacks Unlimited*	Ndamutswa Nengoma
A4	–New Black Montana	Magumede
A5	–Super Sounds	Isalwa Kuchelwa
A6	–Monica Nyami Nyami Sound	Shirley
B1	–Patrick Mukwamba and The Four Brothers	Zvinonaka Zvinodhura
B2	–Devera Ngwena Jazz Band	Zvoku Mayadhi
B3	–Super Sounds	Monica
B4	–James Chimombe and OK Success	Zvingashure
B5	–Patrick Mukwamba and The Four Brothers	Dai Ndiri Shiri
B6	–Elijah Madzikatire and The Brave Sun	Vana Tinogumbura

VA - Viva! Zimbabwe - Dance Music From Zimbabwe (1983)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Judith Reyes - Crónica Mexicana

The singer/songwriter Judith Reyes has been described as the "chronicler of the 1968 Student Movement" in Mexico. Redefining the late nineteenth century revolutionary corrido tradition, Reyes created songs that functioned as oral "eye-witness" accounts of grassroots mobilisation and as critiques of political repession about which official sources and media outlets frequently remained silent.

In Mexico on 2 October 1968, ten days before the Olympics were scheduled to take place in the country, more than 300 students, who were peacefully demonstrating in La Plazade las Tres Culturas in Mexico City, were mown down by a hail of military bullets. This act was immortalised in the following days by the folk singer Judith Reyes in he ballad "La tragedia de la Plaza de las Tres Culturas" ("The tragedyof the Plaza of the Three Culturas"). The tragedy of the students deaths was underlined in Reyes´ ballad by her use of the traditional corrido form, which was originally a nineteenth-century song form that was closely associated with the Mexican Revolution.

Tracklist:
1. La Salinidad (The Salt Invasion)
2. Corrido de Arturo Gamez (Corrido of Arturo Gamez)
3. Corrido de Santo Domingo (The peasants of Sanchez Lozoya)
4. Los Niños Trabajadores (Corrido of the Working Children)
5. Gorilita, Gorilon (Little "gorilla," big "gorilla")
6. La Ocupación Militar de la Universidad (Corrido of the Occupied University)
7. Canción del Politecnico (Song of Polytechnic Institute)
8. Tragedia de la Plaza de las Tres Culturas (Tragedy of Plaza of the Three Cultures)
9. Marcha de los Caidos (March of the Fallen Dead)

Judith Reyes - Cónica Mexicana
(192 kbps, cover art included)

Exhibition "The Most Dangerous Game" about the Situationist movement

The exhibition "The Most Dangerous Game - The Situationist International en route for May ’68" will take place at the "Haus der Kulturen der Welt", Sep 27, Thu — 2018, Dec 10, Mon. ­

­

­ ­ ­ ­ The Situationist movement centered on radical criticism of consumerism and of middle-class values. The exhibition The Most Dangerous Game addresses their emergence, their break with art and their role in the 1968 revolts.Thereby the exhibition traces the battle of the signs: the playful appropriation of the situationists as well as its take-over by capitalism. Curated by Wolfgang Scheppe, Roberto Ohrt and Eleonora Sovrani. The opening during Berlin Art Week will be attended by Jacqueline de Jong and other guests. Between 1957 and 1972, the Situationist International (S.I.) first projected a “revolutionary front in culture” and then shifted its propaganda to the political field. Employing ludic methods, the movement offered a fundamental critique of the spectacle of a consumerist society. In an age in which the principles of the market economy are increasingly permeating all areas of life, The Most Dangerous Game instigates a new envisioning of the years in which the S.I. articulated its critique. The exhibition’s title refers to a lost collage created by one of S.I.’s co-founders, Guy Debord. The title recalls, on the one hand, the revolutionary earnestness with which the S.I. radicalized the debates of the postwar years, while, on the other hand, emphasizing the playful element that characterized all their diverse activities. Their ‘playing field’ was the city and everyday life. It was here that they sought confrontation with the bourgeois system – aesthetically through the “construction of situations”, and theoretically through precise analyses of modern consumerist society. The exhibition’s starting-point is the Bibliothèque situationniste de Silkeborg, a venture that Debord drafted in outline with the painter Asger Jorn in 1959 for the latter’s museum in Denmark. At HKW, this project, which remained unrealized in its day, is for the first time re-constructed in its entirety. An Archive of Last Images presents for the first time works by all artists active during the initial S.I. period. The exhibition thematizes the break away from art created around 1962 – when the S.I. distanced itself from those members who wished to adhere to a primarily artistic creative praxis – and follows the activities of the S.I. up to and including the May 1968 uprising in France, in which the S.I. played an essential part. The revolt was stifled after only a few weeks. Bourgeois society, however, appropriated the themes of the insurgent younger generation and subsequently subjected all areas of life – including sexuality – to capitalist ends and exploitation. With works by Pierre Alechinsky, Karel Appel, Armando, Enrico Baj, Conrad Bakker, CoBrA, Constant, Corneille, Guy Debord, Erwin Eisch, Ansgar Elde, Farfa, Lothar Fischer, Internationale Lettriste, Internationale Situationniste, Isidore Isou, Jacqueline de Jong, Asger Jorn, Laboratorio Sperimentale, Uwe Lausen, Jeppesen Victor Martin, Giors Melanotte, Eva Renée Nele, Erik Nyholm, Panamarenko, Giuseppe Pinot-Gallizio, Hans Platschek, Heimrad Prem, Ralph Rumney, Piero Simondo, Gruppe SPUR, Gretel Stadler, Hardy Strid, Helmut Sturm, Maurice Wyckaert, Hans-Peter Zimmer More about the program…  ­ ­

Mississippi John Hurt - Coffee Blues (1996)

John Smith Hurt (possibly March 3, 1892 – November 2, 1966), better known as Mississippi John Hurt, was an American country blues singer and guitarist.

Raised in Avalon, Mississippi, Hurt taught himself to play the guitar around the age of nine. He worked as a sharecropper and began playing at dances and parties, singing to a melodious fingerpicked accompaniment. His first recordings, made for Okeh Records in 1928, were commercial failures, and he continued to work as a farmer.

Dick Spottswood and Tom Hoskins, a blues enthusiast, located Hurt in 1963 and persuaded him to move to Washington, D.C. He was recorded by the Library of Congress in 1964. This helped further the American folk music revival, which led to the rediscovery of many other bluesmen of Hurt's era. Hurt performed on the university and coffeehouse concert circuit with other Delta blues musicians who were brought out of retirement. He also recorded several albums for Vanguard Records.

Hurt returned to Mississippi in 1965, where he died, in Grenada, a year later.

  Material recorded by him has been re-released by many record labels. The compilation "Coffee Blues" was released in 1996 in France.

Tracklist:

 1. Frankie & Albert 

  2. Talkin' Casey

  3. Trouble I Had All My Day

  4. Coffee Blues

  5. Hard Time In Old Town Tonight

  6. Chicken Blues

  7. Here I Am, Oh Lord Send Me

  8. Spike Driver Blues

  9. Rich Woman Blues

  10. Monday Morning Blues

Mississippi John Hurt - Coffee Blues (1996)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Gil Scott-Heron - Real Eyes (1980)

In 1980, Gil Scott-Heron had a nice opportunity to promote his "Real Eyes" album when he became the opening act on Stevie Wonder's "Hotter Than July" tour. On his own, Scott-Heron usually played small clubs, but opening for Wonder gave him the chance to perform in front of thousands of Wonder fans in major stadiums and sports arenas. Many of Wonder's white fans seemed to be unfamiliar with Scott-Heron (who had never had a major pop hit), while a lot of Wonder's black fans at least knew him for "The Bottle" and "Angel Dust" even if they hadn't bought a lot of his albums. Opening for all those Wonder fans certainly didn't hurt Scott-Heron's career, but it didn't make him a superstar either.

While it's possible that some Wonder fans enjoyed Scott-Heron's opening sets enough to go out and purchase "Real Eyes", most of the people who acquired this LP were already confirmed Scott-Heron fans. Unfortunately, "Real Eyes" lacked a hit single, although the material is excellent nonetheless. As usual, Scott-Heron has a lot of sociopolitical things on his mind - "The Train From Washington" concludes that the working class can't depend on the U.S. government for anything, while "Not Needed" angrily points the finger at companies who consider longtime employees expendable.

And the album's less sociopolitical songs are equally memorable. "Your Daddy Loves You" is a touching ode to Scott-Heron's daughter Gia Louise (who was only a child in 1980), and the jazz-oriented "A Legend in His Own Mind" is a humorous, clever put-down of a wannabe "Casanova" who isn't nearly the ladies' man he brags about being. Scott-Heron's love of jazz serves him well on "A Legend in His Own Mind" and the smoky "Combinations," but make no mistake: "Real Eyes" is an R&B album more than anything.

Gil Scott-Heron - Real Eyes (1980)

(320 kbps, front cover included)

Harry Belafonte‎– My Lord What A Mornin'

"My Lord What a Mornin' " is an album by Harry Belafonte, released by RCA Victor in 1960. The album was reissued in 1995 with additional bonus tracks.

With this album, Belafonte moved into his most artistically productive period. The LPs he made into the mid-'60s were all concept albums zeroing in on specific folk music themes. "My Lord What a Mornin'" was the first of two albums that featured the choir known as the Belafonte Folk Singers, conducted by Bob Corman, who were by then recording as a group in their own right for RCA Victor.

The album consists of traditional Negro spirituals, delivered by Belafonte, who combined his acting and singing abilities with his deep understanding of the subject matter, thanks to his growing interest in his African American heritage and the civil rights movement. Noted poet Langston Hughes penned the liner notes, describing in detail the history of spirituals. This is an emotional, satisfying album, although not quite as powerful as "Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall".               


Tracklist:

1. "Wake up Jacob" (Harry Belafonte, Gene Corman, Milton Okun) – 1:55
2. "My Lord, What a Mornin'" (Belafonte, Corman, Okun) – 4:27
3. "Ezekiel" (Traditional) – 3:41
4. "'Buked and Scorned" (Belafonte, Corman) – 4:45
5. "Stars Shinin' (By 'N By)" (Belafonte, Corman, Okun) – 1:38
6. "Oh, Freedom" (Belafonte, Corman, Okun) – 3:22
7. "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?" (Traditional) – 4:38
8. "Oh, Let Me Fly" (Belafonte, Corman, Okun) – 2:11
9. "Swing Low" (Traditional) – 4:02
10. "March Down to Jordan" (Belafonte, Okun, Ned Wright) – 3:28
11. "Steal Away" – 3:47

    1995 reissue bonus tracks:

12. "All My Trials" (Traditional, Carter, Greene) – 4:04
13. "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" (Traditional) – 3:59
14. "Go Down Emanuel Road" (Irving Burgie) – 3:12
15. "In My Father's House" – 3:37
16. "Goin' Down Jordan" (Theophilus Woods) – 3:38

Harry Belafonte‎– My Lord What A Mornin'
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Various Artists - Als die Partisanen kamen (Berlin Underground 1979-83 )

In 1991, the Berlin-based Zensor label released a compilation called Als die Partisanen kamen . It contained a bunch of Berlin underground music which had appeared on the Zensor, Monogam, and Marat labels between 1979 and 1983.

Enjoy!!!

Tracklist:

01. Einstürzende Neubauten & Sentimentale Jugend - Wollt Ihr die totale Befriedigung (3:20)
02. Mania D - Track Four (3:27)
03. Frieder Butzmann - Valeska (2:55)
04. Rainy Day Woman - Die Heimkehr der Roten Brigaden (4:11)
05. Der tobende Luftkampf - Fieber (3:29)
06. Thomas Voburka - Black Box (2:37)
07. Einstürzende Neubauten - Für den Untergang (4:13)
08. Mona Mur - Eintagsfliege (4:02)
09. Frieder Butzmann - Waschsalon (3:53)
10. Die Haut - (Never going back to) 5.th Avenue (3:47)
11. Die Zwei - Einsamkeit (2:56)
12. Frieder Butzmann - Die Kleinen Tiere (1:07)
13. Mekanik Destrüktiv Kohmandöh - Im Land des ewigen Krieges (5:31)
14. Borsig - Hiroshima (4:03)
15. P1/E - 49 Second Romance (2:47)
16. Die Unbekannten - Casualties (2:16)
17. Konstantin - Sing mir ein kleines Arbeiterkampflied (3:28)
18. Django & Maria - Rock 'n' Roll is bigger than all of Us (2:43)
19. Michael Altfeld - Music for Toilets (2:14)

VA - Als die Partisanen kamen (Berlin Underground 1979 - 1983
(192 kbps, cover art inlcuded)

Malon - Rebellion (1971)

"Rebellion" is a great funky latin psych album released in France by the famous Juan Carlos Caceres with his band Malon featuring other Argentinan expatriate Miguel Abuelo.

The album includes many killer funky latin rock cuts like the banging "Candombe". All in all, the whole album is pretty solid.

Tracklist:

A1 Macoña 3:00
A2 La Ville 2:20
A3 Rebellion 3:40
A4 Je Donnerai 3:05
A5 Huinca 3:25
A6 Candombe 3:50
B1 Vidala 5:05
B2 Milonga 2:40
B3 Malon 1:40
B4 Le Fantôme 2:45
B5 La Nueva 4:10

Malon - Rebellion (1971)

(192 kbps, cover art included)

VA - Tougher Than Tough (Trojan)

The title of this compilation makes clear that the rude boy phenomenon influenced many Jamaican music styles, of course peaking with Jimmy Cliff's 1973 soundtrack to "The Harder They Come", biopic of original rude boy and fugitive Vincent "Ivanhoe" Martin. Some of the tracks within demonstrate Jamaican musicians' respect for the island's criminal set: Desmond Dekker & the Aces immortalize rudies on the easy-swinging ska vehicle "Rudy Got Soul," and Honey Boy Martin defers to the ruthless outlaws on "Dreader Than Dread."

The majority of acts represented here, though, point a collective finger at the gangster fringe: reform is recommended by Dandy on "Rudy A Message to You," while Derrick Morgan takes things to trial on "Court Dismiss" - Morgan seems to split the difference of opinion, in fact, with his contrasting praise on "Tougher Than Tough."

Whether pro or con, the 18 high-quality selections here offer up a fine overview of the rich first decade of Jamaican music, including well-known songs like Desmond Dekker's "007 (Shanty Town)" and the Slicker's "Johnny Too Bad," as well as obscure gems like Boris Gardiner's organ-driven rock steady instrumental "Scarface." Another plus is the overall high-quality sound, which is not always the case with Trojan reissues. If your musical tastes run to the topical and you feel the need for a good introduction to the beginnings of reggae, then this is the disc to get. To be more democratic, the high-quality selections here make this a must for both the casual and serious fan of Jamaican music.


Tracklist:

1 –The Soul Brothers - Lawless Street 3:19
2 –The Clarendonians - Rude Boy Gone Jail 2:49
3 –The Heptones - Gunmen Coming To Town 2:33
4 –Desmond Dekker & The Aces - Rudy Got Soul 2:50
5 –Derrick Morgan - Tougher Than Tough 2:26
6 –Derrick Morgan - Court Dismiss 2:55
7 –Dandy - Rudy A Message To You 2:34
8 –Desmond Dekker & The Aces - 007 (Shanty Town) 2:34
9 –Honey Boy Martin - Dreader Than Dread 2:37
10 –Jackie Edwards - On The Run (With A Gun) 2:44
11 –Boris Gardiner & Love People - Scarface 3:10
12 –The Slickers - Johnny Too Bad 3:04
13 –The Starlites - You're A Wanted Man 2:35
14 –The Untouchables - Cool Down 2:52
15 –Jackie Edwards - Johnny Gunman 2:19
16 –Dennis Alcapone - Alcapone's Guns Don't Argue 2:55
17 –The Slickers - You Can't Win 2:32
18 –Andy Capp  - The Law 2:14

VA - Tougher Than Tough (Trojan)  
(320 kbps, cover art included)         

Audio Active - Apollo Choco (On-U Sound)

The drugged-out sounds of dub take a uniquely Japanese twist on Audio Active's Apollo Choco album. Robot gorillas adorn the front of the album and a space ship in the shape of a Japanese chocolate candy appears on the reverse.

Just as the artwork blends a mixture of science fiction and Japanese snack foods, the music draws on a variety of interesting influences. Funk, dub reggae, and technology blend with a kind of punk attitude that makes for a very fresh and funky sound.

Some tracks move more strongly toward one distinct genre than others. "Output/Start Rec" brings I-Roy into the mix to create a kind of club dance track instead of the expected reggae jam. These kinds of twists give the record solid replay value. "Citizen Zombie" being one of the few vocal tracks gives Audio Active the opportunity to issue a protest and show their punk attitude in full.

Adrian Sherwood is at the controls and helps to unleash Audio Active's noise funk, which is reminiscent of Adrian Sherwood's hand in dubbing Primal Scream's Echo Dek album. Apollo Choco is an example of new and exciting dub, which shows Audio Active's true capabilities

Audio Active - Apollo Choco

(192 kbps, cover art included)

Kortatu - Nicaragua Sandinista / Ehun Ginen (Single, 1988)

Basque alternative threesome Kortatu was formed in 1983 by brothers Fermín and Iñigo Muguruza, who were joined by drummer Treku Armendariz. Known for its charismatic performances and radical lyrics, Kortatu's self-titled debut album was released in 1985, followed by 1986's "El Estado De Las Cosas", and 1988's "Kolpez Kolpe". Soon after, while the band was playing at Pamplone, Iruña, a live album called "Azken Guda Dantza" was recorded. Kortatu disbanded in 1989.               

Kortatu were a part of the Basque Radical Rock and pioneers in introducing the ska in Spain, provided with a punk background base. One of their main influences was the British band The Clash.  

Both songs on this single are live recordings.

Tracklist:

A Nicaragua Sandinista    3:36
B Ehun Ginen      3:06


Kortatu - Nicaragua Sandinista / Ehun Ginen (Single, 1988)
(192 kbps, cover art included)     

Joe Gibbs & Friends - The Reggae Train 1968 - 1971 (Trojan)

Along with Lee Perry, Bunny Lee, and Clancy Eccles, Joe Gibbs represented the second generation of star Jamaican producers. Originators in the ska era, like producers Duke Reid and Clement Dodd, trained these pioneers of the later rock-steady sound and even released many important sides in that genre as well.

Trojan Records' excellent "Producer Series" spotlights these behind the scenes heavyweights and Joe Gibbs' "The Reggae Train" stands out in particular with its wide variety of classic rock-steady and reggae sides from 1968-71. While onetime Gibb partner Lee Perry's idiosyncratic contributions like "The Upsetter" send things into the stratosphere, Ken Parker's straight soul number "It's Alright" and Tommy McCook's beautiful saxophone and trombone instrumental "Soulful Mood" help keep the proceedings down to earth. This range of musical moods was typical of the output from Gibbs and his contemporaries as ska, rock-steady, solo and trio vocal number, and early reggae were all included; the Slickers and Young Souls here contribute some nice harmony tracks while Peter Tosh's "Arise Blackman" clocks in as one of the first Rastafari anthems. 

Gibbs' house band, the Hippy Boys, which included Jamaican studio aces McCook, organist Gladstone Anderson, and trombonist Vince Gordon, keep the producer's trademark dense slab of sound consistent amongst "The Reggae Train"'s varied program with up-in-the-mix bass and drums, sinewy guitar lines, and bobbing organ chords. The Hippy Boys' dynamic and tight interplay is heard to particular advantage on Ken Parker's "Only Yesterday" and the instrumental track "Hijacked." 

Along with producer Harry J and others, Gibbs fleshed out the thin production values of ska by spreading out the beat and as a result took Jamaican music from the golden era of rock-steady into the early reggae period. Like almost all Trojan's '60s Jamaican reissues, this Joe Gibbs overview is a high-quality release and one that reveals a distinct voice of early Jamaican music.


Tracklist:

01 – Lee Perry – The Upsetter
02 – The Versatiles – Trust the book
03 – Lee Perry – Kimble
04 – Sir Gibbs – People grudgeful
05 – The Reggae Boys – Me no born yah
06 – The Young Souls – Man a wail
07 – The Immortals – Bongo Jah
08 – The Slickers – Man beware
09 – Tommy McCook Band – Soulful mood
10 – Joe Gibbs All Stars – Hijacked
11 – Ken Parker – It’s all right
12 – The Soul Mates – Jump it up
13 – The Reggae Boys – The wicked must survive
14 – The Slickers – Mother matty
15 – The Versatiles – Push it in
16 – The Reggaeboys – The reggae train
17 – Ken Parker – Only yesterday
18 – Peter Tosh – Arise blackman

Joe Gibbs & Friends - The Reggae Train 1968 - 1971 (Trojan)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Joe´s All Stars - Brixton Cat (Trojan, 1969)

Joe Mansano was the man behind the Trojan owned ‘Joe’s Record Store’ which could be found at 93 Granville Arcade in Brixton between 1967 & 1976.
The shop was a roaring success, but not content with just selling records, Joe wanted to start producing them too. His first productions were released on the Blue Cat label; ‘Life On Reggae Planet‘ in 1968 & ‘The Bullet’ by Rico Rodriguez in 1969.

Trojan were so impressed by Joe’s success they rewarded him his own label (called Joe) in May 1969. It was then that he collaborated with Jamaican Ska & Reggae vocalist Dice The Boss on arguably his greatest track ‘Brixton Cat, Big & Fat‘.

A love song of sorts, ‘Brixton Cat, Big & Fat’ is an authentic cut of vintage reggae which Joe later clarified as a cheeky reference to a certain lady in his life at the time. The track was so popular Trojan asked Joe to release a "Brixton Cat" album which he did later that year under the name Joe’s All Stars.

The cover for the LP featured Joe’s sister-in-law at the time standing on the corner of Electric Avenue.

Tracklist:

A1 –Since I Met You Baby
A2 –Reggae On The Smoke
A3 –The Judge
A4 –But Officer
A5 –The Bullet
A6 –The Proud One
A7 –Friendly Persuasion
B1 –Sugar Serenade
B2 –Hey Jude
B3 –Brixton Cat
B4 –Snake Poison
B5 –Funky Reggae
B6 –Reco's Torpedo
B7 –Honky

Joe´s All Stars - Brixton Cat (Trojan, 1969)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Gone Fishin!

Have a good time, greetings!

Velvet Underground - A Young Person´s Guide To

"A Young Person´s Guide To Velvet Underground" is a collection of various rare cuts, pre-Velvet-Underground tracks, studio demos and Max's live tracks. It comes with an 8-pages photo book and covers the early years of VU.

The included song "Waves" was the working title for "Ocean".

Tracks:
1. Inside Of Your Heart (2:26)
2. White Light/White Heat (2:48)
3. Rock'n Roll (5:21)
4. Waves (5:23)
5. I've Got A Tiger In My Tank (2:12)
6. You're Driving Me Insane (2:22)
7. Index (4:29)
8. VU Noise (1:49)
9. Sweet Jane (4:51)
10. I'm Set Free (5:12)
11. You Better Walk It, As You Talk It (1:59)
12. Lonesome Cowboy Bill (3:48)
13. Sneaky Pete (2:10)
14. I'm Waiting For My Man (4:34)

Sources:
1, 3, 4 : rough mix acetate demos / 2 : mono mix, 1967 / 5, 6, 13 : pre-VU tracks / 7 : Andy Warhol's Index book flexi / 8 : The East Village Other LP / 9 : Max's Kansas City, August 23, 1970 / 10, 12, 14 : Max's Kansas City, July 26, 1970 / 11 : Max's Kansas City, rehearsals, Summer 1970.

Velvet Underground - A Young Person´s Guide To
(320 kbps, cover art included)