Donnerstag, 29. Oktober 2020

Pete Seeger - Young vs. Old (1969)


There's no denying Seeger's historical importance to both folk and pop music and on the political front, well, he's been a kind of canary in the coal mine for decades, speaking (and singing) out on any number of vital issues.

At the time that this album was originally released, though, Seeger presented a tough marketing problem for Columbia, partly because of the singer's strong political views and partly for his equally as strong aversion to all things mercantile, and at a time when the urban folk boom was at its peak, Seeger, who by all rights should have been in the front and center of it, was marginalized, as much an embarrassment to Columbia marketing execs as he was an asset. Time heals all wounds, however, or at least time covers them up, and Seeger can now be viewed as what he always was, a gifted live performer, songwriter and song preserver who has more interest in bringing people together for social utility than dividing and provoking them to anger.

On his previous Columbia Records LP, "Pete Seeger Now", recorded and released in 1968, Pete Seeger reflected the desperation felt by left-wing activists in the wake of that tumultuous year, as "the Movement" (a combination of Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam War advocates) suffered the successive body blows of the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Senator Robert F. Kennedy; the Chicago police riot during the Democratic National Convention; and the election of pro-war candidate Richard Nixon as president. It was enough to make even a veteran of earlier struggles like Seeger embittered and depressed, and he reacted by writing and singing more radical material, and by turning over half the album to strident African-American performers. A year later, however, he had turned a corner, growing a beard and devoting himself to his handmade sloop the Clearwater, sailing the Hudson River with a new ecology-minded message of cleaning up the waters flowing beside his home of Beacon, NY. That changed focus is not much apparent on his follow-up to "Pete Seeger Now", "Pete Seeger Young Vs. Old", perhaps because the collection seems to be a patchwork of material, some of it dating back a few years. Up front are three live tracks, starting with "Who Knows," a song in which Seeger attempts to escape the anguish of recent events by being philosophical and looking at the big picture, even at the end - and possible reconstitution - of the universe. Meanwhile, however, the Vietnam War goes on, and Seeger responds with the singalong "Bring Them Home," which casts anti-war sentiment as patriotic and defiantly declares, "I may be right, I may be wrong/But I have a right to sing this song!" From there, the album becomes a mixture of studio tracks that range from the humorous and folksy to the serious and pedagogic. The "young vs. old" theme comes up especially late on the disc, in the contrast, between the cheery, if sardonic "Get Up and Go," about old age ("My get up and go has got up and went"), and "Declaration of Independence," a song made up by a child in his bathtub. There's no humor in "All My Children of the Sun," a sort of successor to Seeger's metaphorical anti-war song of 1967, "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy." In this story song, instead of a group of soldiers being led into an ever-deepening swamp by a stubborn officer, a group of downed airmen stubbornly presses on down a river on a raft, ignoring the warning of one of their number who insists - correctly, of course - that they are heading for a waterfall. The story could refer to Vietnam again, but it equally could describe the ecological concerns now consuming Seeger. Either way, it's not as catchy as its predecessor and therefore less effective. By the end, Seeger is covering Joni Mitchell's popular song of disillusionment "Both Sides Now," but he can't help adding his own final verse to make it more optimistic and offer his own sage advice. At age 50, he may have earned the right to lecture his followers, even in a culture he must be painfully aware has become youth-oriented and unwilling to listen to its elders. Maybe that's why he gives the last word to the very young in the joke song "Mayrowana." (No, that's not some word from a lost language; it needs to be thought of phonetically.)            

Tracklist:

1. Who Knows
2. Bring Them Home
3. When I Was Most Beautiful
4. This Old Car
5. Ballad Of The Fort Hood Three
6. Cumberland Mountain Bear Chase
7. Since You’ve Been Apart
8. Lolly Todum
9. My Rainbow Man
10. Poisoning The Students’ Minds
11. All My Children Of The Sun
12. The Good Boy
13. Be Kind To Your Parents
14. Get Up And Go
15. Declaration Of Independence
16. Both Sides Now
17. Mayrowana

Pete Seeger - Young vs. Old (1969)
(256 kbps, front cover included)

Montag, 26. Oktober 2020

Volker Kriegel - Journal (1981, Mood Records)

Guitarist Volker Kriegel was widely considered the father of European jazz-rock thanks to his influential stint with the Dave Pike Set as well as a subsequent series of pioneering solo LPs for the MPS label.

Born in Darmstadt, Germany, on December 24, 1943, Kriegel was studying sociology under the famed philosopher Theodor W. Adorno when he began playing in a Frankfurt-based group with German jazz legends Albert and Emil Mangelsdorff, eventually abandoning his education to pursue a full-time career in music. Kriegel signed on with expatriate American vibraphonist Pike in 1968, joining what would quickly emerge as one of the most popular and influential jazz fusion combos in Western Europe via the acclaimed 1969 album "Noisy Silence -- Gentle Noise". 

While continuing his association with Pike, Kriegel also founded his own group, the Mild Maniac Orchestra, and in 1970 collaborated with violinist Don "Sugarcane" Harris on the MPS date "Keep on Driving". The guitarist then signed his own deal with the label to issue the 1971 jazz-rock landmark "Spectrum", the first of ten MPS releases including such classic dates as 1973's "Lift!" and 1975's "Topical Harvest". 

In 1976 Kriegel co-founded the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble with a host of international musicians including Albert Mangelsdorff, American altoist Charlie Mariano, British saxophonist Barbara Thompson, and Dutch trumpeter Ack van Rooyen, among others. This sprawling, ever-rotating collective was the guitarist's primary vehicle throughout the remainder of his performing career, which fell by the wayside in the years to follow as he turned his attention to other creative pursuits, most notably writing a series of well-received children's books including "Der Rock 'n' Roll König" (The Rock 'n' Roll King) and "Olaf der Elch" (Olaf the Moose). The UJ+RE's 2002 farewell tour also proved Kriegel's final moment in the spotlight. After battling cancer, he died June 15, 2003.

"Journal" was recorded and mixed at Tonstudio Zuckerfabrik, Stuttgart, August 1981
Tracklist:

1. Calcador (3:50) 2. Storyboard (4:49)
3. Am Worthsee (4:40)
4. Naura (5:23)
5. Rheingold (4:05)
6. Marie Therese (4:27)
7. Louise Colet & Nora Barnacle (4:05)
8. Schwebebahn (3:50)
9. Notiz Fur Giorgio Morandi (3:19)

Volker Kriegel - Journal (1981, Mood Records)
(192 kbps, cover art included)

Os Mutantes - A Divina Comedia Ou Ando Meio Desligado (1970)

Though rarely heard outside their Brazilian homeland (especially during the first phase of their career), Os Mutantes were one of the most dynamic, talented, radical bands of the psychedelic era — quite an accomplishment during a period in which most rock bands spent quality time exploring the outer limits of pop music. A trio of brash musical experimentalists, the group fiddled with distortion, feedback, musique concrète, and studio tricks of all kinds to create a lighthearted, playful version of extreme Brazilian pop.

Three Brazilian teenagers start a garage band. They know nothing of music theory, have no equipment (they built their own guitar pedals and used tin cans as cymbals), but lots and lots of cannabis.

Though the existence of Os Mutantes is in itself unremarkable, what is mind-blowing is the top-notch quality of the music. These three teens, Rita Lee (vocals), Sergio Baptista (guitar), and Arnaldo Baptista (drums), while attempting to mimic their heroes in the states, were able to surpass them.

This was due to their inability to adequately imitate (due to their geographic isolation), and the band's unfettered creativity. For these reasons, their meld of otherworldly guitar noise, crisp harmonies, and propulsive drumming found no equal among American counterparts like the 13th Floor Elevators and the Electric Prunes. While these bands just picked up where Sgt. Pepper's left off, Os Mutantes made music that had no point of reference until almost 30 years later.

This album is one of their best, and it showcases the band's ability to morph genres into their own warped originality. The opener "Ando Meio Desligado" beats American psychedelic rock at its own game, combining a great hook with untamed guitar theatrics and sound effects. On "Meu Refrigerador Neo Funciona," Rita Lee does Janis Joplin while Sergio overdubs his patented weirdness. "Desculpe, Baby" is a deceptively simple but intricate ballad, while "Hey Boy" turns doo wop on its head, contorting it into a whole new form.
With each listen, "A Divina Comedia on Ando Meio Desligado" unveils new secrets, making it well worth the price of admission.


Os Mutantes - A Divina Comedia Ou Ando Meio Desligado (1970)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Donnerstag, 22. Oktober 2020

Sun Ra - Sound Mirror (1978)

Side one ("The Sound Mirror") is a fairly typical full-ensemble space chant from a live show in Philadelphia, 1978: lots of percussion and Ra's vocals over a simple bass/horn ostinato. 

Side two contains more of the Italian Sun Ra Quartet sessions from January of 1978. These tunes sound more improvised than others from the same sessions, with each player basically soloing over Luqman Ali's drumming on "Jazzistocology." "Of Other Tomorrows Never Known" is mostly a fairly tuneful synthesizer solo until John Gilmore joins him for the last part of the song (Michael Ray and Luqman Ali sit out on this one), which has a surprisingly quick fadeout. 

This is a pretty short and generally unremarkable Saturn release, probably best left for serious Sun Ra collectors. - allmusic.com


Tracklist:
A The Sound Mirror
B1 Jazzisticology
B2 Of Other Tomorrows Never Known


Sun Ra - Sound Mirror (1978)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Dienstag, 20. Oktober 2020

Kosmonautentraum - Juri Gagarin (1982)

Kosmonautentraum was a German new wave band founded in 1980 by the singer Ziggy XY (Michael Jarick) and drummer EKT (both part of "Der Moderne Mann") in Hannover. This music project had a strong closeness to the Geniale Dilletanten ("genial dilletants") from Berlin (Die Tödliche Doris, Einstürzende Neubauten, etc.). Kosmonautentraum published mostly on cassettes and Zigzag Records with changing accompanying musicians until the mid-1980s.

Their debut "Juri Gagarin" was a key album from the "Neue Deutsche Welle". "Kosmonaut" is one of the most powerful opening tracks ever: You have the mercilessly pummeling drums and the sneering vocals, but what other bands would have killed for is that deranged, tortured synth lead. The track gets a great piano-led reprise with "Juri Gagarin" (two reprises if you count the five-second "Epilog"). The rest of the album simply can't live up to the opener, it's fairly good NDW/post punk with mad, harrowing ("Hoffnung", "Deutsche Nacht"), but also surprisingly lackadaisical, sloppy ("Gierig", "Neugier") moments.

Tracklist:

Kosmonaut 3:40
Stolze Menschen 3:51
Schattenboxen 3:14
Gierig 1:19
Juri Gagarin 2:32
Epilog 0:05
Hoffnung 3:22
Du bist nicht gut 3:19
1971-1976-198 13:34
Deutsche Nacht 2:38
Süßes Leben 2:16
Neugier 7:51

(192 kpbs, cover art included)

Dagmar Krause - Angebot & Nachfrage (Lieder von Brecht / Weill /Eisler) (1986)

"Supply and Demand: Songs by Brecht / Weill & Eisler" was the first solo album by German singer Dagmar Krause released by Hannibal Records in 1986.
It is a collection of 16 songs by German composers Kurt Weill and Hanns Eisler, with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht and sung by Krause in English.
She also sung the songs in the original German which were released by Hannibal at the same time on a companion album, "Angebot & Nachfrage: Lieder von Brecht / Weill & Eisler".

Although seeking out Krause's work with Slapp Happy, Henry Cow and the Art Bears is worthwhile, ultimately the democracy of a band means less Dagmar to listen to. Therefore, go straight to this amazing solo recording of Krause singing the music of Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill and Hans Eisler. It's approachable, accessible ("Mack the Knife" is here under its original title, "Moritat"), beautifully sung (her version of "Surabaya Johnny" is definitive) and very, very moving. Krause's grandiose alto voice was perfectly suited to the emotionally and politically charged music of these German songs. Lyrically they continued the trend of earlier songs of social conscience Krause had performed, for example on Henry Cow's "Living in the Heart of the Beast".

Tracklist

A1 Angebot & Nachfrage (Song Von Der Ware) 2:57
A2 Grabrede 1919 1:59
A3 Deutsche Miserere 1:39
A4 O Falladah, Die Du Hangest! 2:41
A5 Alabama-Song 2:51
A6 Hollywood-Elegien 2:55
A7 Surabaya Johnny 3:59
A8 Moritat (Ballade Von Mackie Messer) 2:39
B1 Matrosen-Tango 3:57
B2 Die Ballade Von Der Höllenlili 2:25
B3 Das Lied Von Der Moldau 1:40
B4 Im Gefängnis Zu Singen 3:00
B5 Ostersonntag 1935 1:24
B6 Zu Potsdam Unter Den Eichen 2:22
B7 Der Song Von Mandelay 2:12
B8 Benares Song 3:52
This is the album with the songs sung in the original german language. You can find cd version mit some added songs in english language here.

Dagmar Krause - Angebot & Nachfrage (Lieder Von Brecht-Weill & Eisler)
(192 kbps, cover art included)

Montag, 19. Oktober 2020

The English Beat - Special Beat Service (1982)

In Britain, The (English) Beat were moving very much in the wrong direction, as their chart placements made clear. "Save It for Later" released in April 1982, barely made the Top 50, "Jeanette," their new album's taster, just brushed Number 45, "I Confess" didn't even chart, probably because it's flip "Sole Salvation" was also culled off the album, while "Ackee 1 2 3" played outside the Top 50.

The slippage had started with "Wha'ppen", as the group had veered sharply away from their frenetic roots, Special Beat Service would take them even further from their early punk-fired fury. Still, Wha'ppen still boasted cultural themes, its angry and angsty lyrics sharply edging the set. Service didn't even have that, and after two Top Three albums, the group were forced to settle for a placement just outside the Top Twenty.

But in the US their sun was on the ascendant, and a band who had yet to place a platter into the Top 100 suddenly found itself with a Top Forty hit album. The singles that barely scratched the charts in the UK found happy homes in the clubs, slotting nicely around the mix of New Wave and burgeoning New Romantic numbers American clubbers craved.

And so "I Confess" with its Joe Jackson-esque piano line, Dave Wakeling's sweet vocals soaring towards heaven, the jazzy sax, all cossetting the insistent drums and bouncing tablas; the fast and furious "Jeanette" with its French street flair and ever more surreal rhymes; "Save It"'s superb blend of jangly Byrd- esque guitars and stomping beats; "Salvation"'s nod to mod that hints at The Jam's "Beat Surrender" which arrived the same month; and the calypso party atmosphere of "Ackee," all set listeners feet tapping.

These were the ones that hit with the DJs, but the whole set was equally worthy, and moves onto the dancefloor with abandon. Producer Bob Sargeant gives it all a bright and brash sound, which may not have favored more reggae-heavy numbers like "Spar Wid Me" and "Pato and Roger a Go Talk," but The Beat were diving into the New Wave with gusto, and the production emphasizes those currents. Songs like "Sugar & Stress" where the sax storms across the driving rhythm, whilst still retaining the Brit-Beat flavor of the guitars and keyboards were a revelation. Even a more downbeat number like the gorgeous "End of the Party" glows under his attentions.

In it's own way Service was just as musically adventurous as its predecessor, and boded well for the group's future. Or would have if The Beat hadn't celebrated their success by promptly calling it a day. The music however lives on in all its glory.


Tracklist:

"I Confess" – 4:34
"Jeanette" – 2:46
"Sorry" – 2:33
"Sole Salvation" – 3:05
"Spar Wid Me" – 4:32
"Rotating Head" – 3:24

Side B:
"Save It for Later" – 3:34
"She's Going" – 2:10
"Pato and Roger a Go Talk" – 3:19
"Sugar and Stress" – 2:57
"End of the Party" – 3:32
"Ackee 1-2-3" – 3:12

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Barbara Thalheim - Die Kinder der Nacht (Amiga, 1985)


Barbara Thalheim (born September 5, 1948 in Leipzig) is a German singer and songwriter.

The recipient of the 1994 German music critics' awar ("Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik"), Barbara Thalheim is one of the most successful artists of post-reunification Germany. With her stunning vocals and artistic vision, Barbara Thalheim has continued to expand on the cabaret and musical theater traditions of her homeland. Thalheim's life has been the source of a film, "Zum Sehen geboren", by filmmaker Joachim Tschirner, released in 1989, and an autobiography, "Mugge: 25 Years on the Road", published in 2000.

The daughter of a communist, anti-fascist, and former Dachau Concentration camp prisoner, she's used her skills as a vocalist to overcome the political oppression of her youth. Her status as a performer has enabled her to support a varied assortment of artistic causes. During a three-year hiatus from music (1995-1998), she founded an art culture office and began an "arts in the square" program that presents concerts in disadvantaged areas of Berlin. Thalheim's first experiences in Berlin's cabaret scene came between 1968 and 1971, when she performed with the Oktoberklub. Hoping to learn more about German theater, she took a job as a messenger girl in 1971. Starting out as a background vocalist from 1970 to 1973, Thalheim stepped into the limelight as a soloist in 1974. She graduated in 1972 at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler". In 1980 she protested against the stage ban of GDR artists in Western Europe, imposed by the SED. She was then excluded from the SED and she was no longer allowed to perform for some years.

From 1979 until 1991, she balanced her musical career as a radio journalist for a number of stations in Germany and Switzerland. Moving, temporarily, to France, in 1993, Thalheim performed concerts with such artists as Marek Grechula, Hermann Van Veen, Hannes Wader, and George Moustaki, and began a collaboration with French accordion player Jean Pacalet. Since Thalheim's return to the concert stage in late 1998, Pacalet has served as her musical director. Thalheim continued to work with the group she assembled for her 1998 album, "In Eigener Sache" - bassist Marcus Schloussen, percussionist Georen Harm, and guitarist Juergen Ehle. Since 1999, she's also performed, occasionally, with five different accordion orchestras.

Tracklist:

A1 Sehnsucht nach der Schönhauser
A2 Der Mann im Souterrain
A3 Ete
A4 Frau am Oktobermorgen
A5 Schlaflied für Emilia
A6 Die Kinder der Nacht

B1 Wanderer erwachen früh
B2 Ich leb hier
B3 Frau an der S-Bahn
B4 Der kleine Mann
B5 Angelika
B6 Kennt ihr ihn?
.
Barbara Thalheim - Die Kinder der Nacht (Amiga, 1985)
(320 kbps, cover art included, vinyl rip)  

Sonntag, 18. Oktober 2020

Sun Ra & His Arkestra - Some Blues But Not The Kind That's Blue

Fantastic. Another rare Saturn release makes its way into the digital realm. This time, it's "Some Blues But Not the Kind That's Blue", a nice 1977 date that's heavy on standards.

Aside from the two Sun Ra tunes (one of which had been unreleased prior to this), this is a pretty inside date with some major statements from Ra on piano and John Gilmore on tenor. Everyone gets a bit of solo room, and the flutes and bass clarinet add some really nice colors, especially on "My Favorite Things," a song so closely identified with the John Coltrane Quartet that this version is almost startling in its contrast to Coltrane's myriad versions.

Aside from the title track and the two earlier bonus takes of "I'll Get By," there is no bass player present, the low end falling mostly to Ra's piano. Luqman Ali's drumming, as always, is remarkable in its tasty understatement. The bonus tracks are a wonderful addition. "Untitled" was recorded at the same 1977 sessions but didn't make the album cut. The other tracks are rehearsals, presumably from the Ra house on Morton St. in Philadelphia. They're two takes on "I'll Get By" with Ra on organ and the great Ronnie Boykins on a particularly well-recorded bass with Akh Tal Ebah on trumpet on one take and John Gilmore on tenor on the other. It's interesting to hear these rehearsals in relation to the same song's arrangement from a few years later. Although recorded about a decade apart, "Some Blues But Not the Kind That's Blue" is of a piece with "Blue Delight": mostly standards albums that really put the spotlight on Sun Ra's piano playing and the tenor artistry of John Gilmore. Although the Arkestra is notorious for its outside playing and cacophonous tendencies, this album shows they could play it straight as well as anyone in the game. Wonderful stuff. - allmusic.com     

Tracklist:

Side A:
Some Blues but not the Kind That's Blue (Ra)
I'll Get By (Turk-Ahlert)
My Favorite Things (Rodgers-Hammerstein)

Side B:
Nature Boy (Ahbez)
Tenderly (Morrison-Lawrence-Gross)
Black Magic (Mercer-Arlen)

Bonus tracks on cd:
I'll Get By 1
I´ll Get By 2  


Sun Ra & His Arkestra - Some Blues But Not The Kind That's Blue
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Goissahannes - Lieder aus einer anderen Welt


In the 1970s and 1980s there was a West German "singer-songwriter samizdat" scene: Being part of the left-wing alternative culture, releasing self-produced albums on its own or on small collectively organized labels, never ending gigs at youth centers and small festivals and always no money in the pocket... One of these artists was Johannes Christ, but everyone called him Goissahannes. He´s a lovable anarchist from thel Schwäbische Alb (Swabian Alps in English), a low mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, Germany,
In 1981 he released the album "Liadrige Liadr" with the wonderful track "Mooschdd aus´m Kruag" in Swabian dialect, which will be posted here in the next days. Some years later he published the album "Lieder aus einer anderen Welt", a collection of antifascist songs from the NS-concentration camps. On the album are included widely unknown songs like "Lied der Heuberger" besides more knows antifascist songs like "Partisanen von Amur" and the "Buchenwald-Lied".
Today, Goissahannes is still active as a musician. Together with his wife Silvia he makes emanzipatoric music for children. Maybe you want to check out www.goissahannes.de.

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Barbara Thalheim - Abgesang - 25 Jahre Lieder

The Leipzig-born Barbara Thalheim found her craft and metier in Berlin, the city she moved to when she was four. Her first album "Lebenslauf" appeared in 1978. Her work grew ever more confident, honed and pertinent. More than an essential voice of the East German literary revue scene, she is a coup de theatre motherlode.

Tracklist:

1 Ohne Vorschrift leben
2 Als ich vierzehn war
3 Und keiner sagt: ich liebe dich
4 Die erste eig'ne Wohnung
5 Die Alten
6 Schlimm ist, nicht geliebt zu werden
7 Sehnsucht nach der Schönhauser Allee
8 Marta (vorm Übergang)
9 Aus dem Leben einer Heimkehrerin
10 Im Osten geht die Freiheit auf
11 Das Ende der Märchen
12 Der Rest der Nacht
13 So lebten wir in den Zeiten der Stagnation
14 Aus dem Leben einer Spielverderberin
15 Die Kinder der Nacht
16 Alte Frau im Winter
17 Denn sie sollen getröstet werden
18 O Mensch voll Angst und Hochmut
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Freitag, 16. Oktober 2020

The Art Ensemble Of Chicago - The Spiritual (1969)

Originally a double LP, this stunning album, THE SPIRITUAL, finds the Art Ensemble of Chicago at their artistic height. Reduced to an unusual drummerless quartet for this session (reedsmen Joseph Jarman and Roscoe Mitchell, horn player Lester Bowie and bassist/banjo player Malachi Favors all double on various types of percussion), the group explores one of the main stems of jazz, New Orleans gospel and second-line music, without sacrificing its freer sounds. Indeed, without a traditional drummer, the group is free to play at its most unrestrained, unfettered by conventions of tempo.

Yet somehow, there's a basic earthiness to this music, especially on the magnificent title track and the mysteriously beautiful "That the Evening Sky Fell Through the Glass Wall and We Stood Alone Somewhere?," which keeps the Art Ensemble grounded. Listening to THE SPIRITUAL is an experience akin to reading Ishmael Reed's vividly ironic lampoon of Western culture, MUMBO JUMBO.

It was recorded at Polydor Studios (Dames II), Paris, 26th June 1969.


Tracklist:

A1 Toro 8:25
A2 Lori Song 3:53
A3 That The Evening Sky Fell Through The Glass Wall And We Stood Alone Somewhere? 5:58
B The Spiritual 20:07


The Art Ensemble Of Chicago - The Spiritual (1969)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Donnerstag, 15. Oktober 2020

Chumbawamba - Never Mind The Ballots (1987)

"Never Mind the Ballots" (occasionally called "Never Mind the Ballots... Here's the Rest of Your Life" by fans and distributors) is the second studio album by anarchist punk band Chumbawamba. Most of the songs centre on lying politicians and their search for more voter control. It was originally released as a cassette and LP, then re-released in the '90s as half of the Chumbawamba compilation CD "First 2", which was a combination of their first two LP albums released on a single CD.

The lyrics to all the songs are direct, largely undisguised political commentary describing at the same time the futility of democracy in general and the political situation of the three major parties in Britain at the time of recording. This piece, like the band's earlier album, "Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records", is all based on a single theme, rather than confronting a range of themes, issues and ideas as was typical of their later albums. In terms of style, lyrical content and political focus, it was a follow up to the earlier album and is more similar to it than any subsequent work by the band.

To about the same extent as their earlier record, the album features "characters" that the vocalists assume for certain songs. The two most prominent characters are "The Candidates". The Candidates appear together on two tracks, "Always Tell The Voter What the Voter Wants to Hear" and "The Candidates Find Common Ground" (as well as in the Epilogue on the cassette version). The male candidate, or at least a character very much like him and also played by Danbert Nobacon, appears on "Today's Sermon." The female candidate, played by Alice Nutter, appears alone singing some parts of "The Wasteland."

The male and female candidate are shown to be two equally uncaring political candidates who seem to have opposing view on subjects at first, but essentially want the same things. This issue is discussed in "The Candidates Find Common Ground" where the two discuss how their means of solving a problem may differ, but they seek the same ends; for example, while one candidate wants "conventional weapons, to kill people nicely," the other candidate wants "nuclear weapons, to keep the peace". In the end they reason that they need "weapons, definitely; either way, [they] must defend [them]selves."


Tracklist:
"Always Tell the Voter What the Voter Wants to Hear" – 2:51
"Come on Baby (Let's Do the Revolution)" – 1:39
"The Wasteland" – 4:23
"Today's Sermon" – 2:28
"Ah-Men" – 2:29
"Mr. Heseltine Meets His Public" – 3:51
"The Candidates Find Common Ground" – 4:29
"Here's the Rest of Your Life" – 13:22


Chumbawamba - Never Mind The Ballots (1987)
(192 kbps, cover art included)

Hugh Masekela - You Told Your Mama Not To Worry (1977)

"You Told Your Mama Not to Worry" is the twentieth studio album by South African musician Hugh Masekela. It was recorded in Kumasi, Ghana and released on November 9, 1977 via Casablanca Records labe

The album includes the song "Soweto Blues" performed by Miriam Makeba. The song is about the Soweto uprising against apartheid that occurred in 1976.

A reviewer of Dusty Groove stated "Pure 70s genius from Hugh Masekela – a record that's quite different than his earlier Afro-soul styled albums, but somehow even better! The format here is much more straightly soulful – with larger arrangements and a strong vocal groove on a number of tracks – but Masekela's trumpet is still blasting firmly over the top of the tunes, infusing them with a soaring sense of soul that's really great! Rhythms change up nicely from the early days – getting complicated at times, and matching the seriousness of the message on the best tracks – and titles include "Black Beauty", "Makonko", "You Told Your Mama Not To Worry", "Hangover", "Soweto Blues", and "The Mandingo Man".


Tracklist:
A1: You Told Your Mama Not To Worry
A2: Hangover (Babalazi)
A3: Soweto Blues
B1: Black Beauty
B2: Mamiwater
B3: Makonko
B4: The Mandingo Man


Hugh Masekela - You Told Your Mama Not To Worry (1977)
(ca. 240 kbps, cover art included)

Freitag, 9. Oktober 2020

Sun Ra - Batman and Robin - The Sensational Guitars of Dan & Dale (1966)

No joke - this album is a little glimpse of heaven. This reviewer has imagined the latter as having (among many things) its own version of Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, circa 1964-1965, with Fred Neil, Jimi Hendrix, Phil Ochs, Gene Clark, the Serendipity Singers, Art & Paul, Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, and a hundred other acts playing every night, any night; the music on this album makes me think of something like I'd probably hear if I walked in on a Blues Project rehearsal in that celestial sphere. It is the Blues Project (possibly without Al Kooper, who says he didn't make the session, regardless of what the CD and our ears say), with Sun Ra on the Hammond B-3 organ, John Gilmore and Marshall Allen on tenor and alto, respectively, Pat Patrick on bass, and Jimmy Owens and Tom McIntosh on trumpet and trombone. And apart from the first track and the packaging (which probably cost more, for the licensing of the Batman images, than the session did), none of it has anything to do with Batman or comic books. The story is this -- sometime in 1966, producer Tom Wilson persuaded (probably with the offer of some quick bucks) Sun Ra and members of his band, and the members of the Blues Project, to lay down 35 minutes of music for a Batman and Robin album credited to "The Sensational Guitars of Dan & Dale." It was a quickie exploitation effort sponsored by some toy company in New Jersey (where these sessions were cut) intended to sell some dance music for discotheques and parties by cashing in on the craze surrounding the Batman television program. The album, showing the Caped Crusader and his partner swinging down on bat-ropes, has been a denizen of dollar-record bins and nostalgia shows for decades, and just happens to feature some of the hottest musicians in New York City; beyond Sun Ra and his band, there's Danny Kalb, Andy Kulberg, Steve Katz, and Roy Blumenfeld, who at that time was one of the best bands working in the city. Most of side one is attributed to Sun Ra and his band, though Kalb and Katz seem to be all over the place, assuming they're the only guitarists (and it sounds like them), while side two is attributed principally to the Blues Project -- certainly "The Joker Is Wild" is the Blues Project, and if Al Kooper wasn't at these sessions, then Sun Ra turned down considerably on this cut. "Batman and Robin Over the Roofs" features Jimmy Owens prominently, along with Sun Ra and the two guitarists, in the longest jam on this record (which, as a statement of quality, is also one of the best cuts). No, Batman and Robin doesn't match the importance of the Blues Project's own official recordings, or anything that Sun Ra was doing officially, but what a chance to hear these guys kicking back for a half-hour's anonymous blues jamming. Everything here, apart from the Neal Hefti "Batman Theme" is public domain blues built on some familiar material (including Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Bach), one cut, appropriately entitled "The Riddler's Retreat," quotes riffs and phrases from a half-dozen Beatles songs, and another, "The Bat Cave," that's this group's answer to "Green Onions" (and a good answer, too). Along with Sun Ra, who dominates every passage he plays on, Steve Katz and Danny Kalb are the stars here, romping and stomping over everything as they weave around each other, while Gilmore, Allen, and Owens occasionally stepping to the fore, Blumenfeld makes his percussion sound downright tuneful in a few spots, and some anonymous female singers throw out a lyric or two on a pair of cuts, just as a distraction. Andy Kulberg and Pat Patrick alternate the bass chores, and at times they're practically playing additional lead instruments. It's all almost too good to be true, catching the Blues Project when they were still playing together happily -- maybe this isn't the jam they would have wanted preserved 35-plus years later, but neither is it embarrassing, and fans of either Sun Ra or the Blues Project might well want this record just for the sheer strangeness of it. Italy's Universe records has reissued Batman and Robin in gorgeous sound, re-creating the original cover art and making it into a gatefold, with some irrelevant '70s-era Batman panels printed inside. Note: Some of these same tracks, or others out of the same session, were repackaged as horror film-focused albums, which are less well known and have yet to show up on CD.     - Bruce Eder, allmusic.com           
 

Tracklist:                           
A1Batman Theme
A2Batman's Batmorang
A3Batman And Robin Over The Roofs
A4The Penguin Chase
A5Flight Of The Batman
A6Joker Is Wild
B1Robin's Theme
B2Penguin's Umbrella
B3Batman And Robin Swing
B4Batmobile Wheels
B5The Riddler's Retreat
B6The Bat Cave
 
Sun Ra - Batman and Robin - The Sensational Guitars of Dan & Dale (1966)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Teller Bunte Knete - ...macht Musik! (1980, vinyl rip)

"Teller Bunte Knete" was a political inspired folk rock band found in West-Berlin, Germany, in 1975.

Members were Werner "Wölli" Rohde (guitar, violin, vocals, percussion), Hannjörg Merklin (mandolin, vocals, percussion, guitar, harmonica), Hurnush Kubica (guitar, mandolin, vocals, percussion), Schnerdi Gminski [aka Minski] (vocals, bells, percussion) and Paul Esslinger (bass, vocals, percussion).

"Teller Bunte Knete" disbanded in 1984.

The band was part of the alternative and subculture scene developing at the end of the 70s and in the first half of the 80s in Germany.
"...macht Musik!" was recorded April 1980 at the "Toncooperative" in Hannover.

The last track on this album, "Meine kleine Welt", impressed me very much as i heard it the first time back in the 80s. This wonderful song is a long time companion on my record player.

Tracklist:

A1 Morgenkühle 5:07
A2 Schlachtfeld der Narren 5:14
A3 Brücke 4:30
A4 Träumer 3:52
A5 Hektik in der Stadt 3:07
B1 Komm 'raus 3:38
B2 Mittendrin 3:56
B3 Hier ist 'was los 3:29
B4 23.12. 2:45
B5 Sonnenmaxe 5:02
B6 Meine kleine Welt 3:21


Teller Bunte Knete - ...macht Musik!
(192 kbps, cover art included, vinyl rip)

Teller Bunte Knete is still rousing a lot of thoughts and emotions. If you can read german language, maybe you like to check this site!

VA - Sound Of Revolution

The fall of the Iron Curtain thirty years ago was a unique event raising strong emotions all across Europe. What better way of recapturing the exceptional spirit of change that was in the air during these weeks than through the hymns that inspired the people tearing down the walls with their protests?

These hymns, brought together on this album, are the songs of workers´ movements, national anthems that were rediscoverd with a renewed meaning of self-determination and freedom, or simple pop songs which in their subtle wording expressed the spirit of protest felt by the people in the streets.


Tracklist:
01. Herbst In Peking • Bakschischrepublik / Baksheesh republic
02. Kiril Marichkov • Az sum prosto chovek / I am just a human being
03. Ivan Hoffman • Slubili sme si lasku / We promised love to each other
04. Marta Kubisova • Modlitba pro Martu / Prayer for Martha
05. Janos Brody • Ha en rozsa volnek / If I were a rose
06. Desteapta-te, romane! / Wake up, Romanian!
07. Tonis Mägi • Koit/Dawn
08. Europa Kiado • Szavazz ram! / Vote for me!
09. Viktors Zemgals, Zilvinas Bubelis, Tarmo Pihlap • Atmostas Baltija / Wake up, Baltic countries
10. Vassil Naidenov, Villy Kavaldjiev, Georgi Mintchev, Bogdana Karadocheva, Margarita Hranova, Rositza Kirilova • Vremeto e nashe - 45 godini stigat / The time is ours - 45 years are enough
11. Zoran Predin • Zdravljica / A Toast
12. Hora unirii / Dance of unity
13. Jacek Kaczmarski • Mury/ Walls
14. leva Akuratere • Manai tautai / To my people
15. Jaroslav Hutka • Havlicku, Havle / Dear Havlicek, Dear Havel
16. Silly • S.O.S
17. Livi • Dzimta valoda / Mother tongue
18. Jaroslav Filip, Milan Lasica, Julius Satinsky • Do batozka / Load a backpack
19. Jurga & Eurika Masyte • Laisve / Freedom
20. Krystyna Janda • Ballade o Janku Wisniewski / The ballad of Janek Wisniewski

VA - Sound Of Revolution
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Donnerstag, 8. Oktober 2020

VA - Schöner wohnen - abber fix! (1982) - Solidarity with "Liebig 34"


In the 1970s and 1980s, squatting in West German cities led to a self-confident urban counterculture with its own infrastructure of newspapers, self-managed collectives and housing cooperatives, feminist groups, and so on, which was prepared to intervene in local and broader politics.
The "Autonomen" movement protected squats against eviction and participated in radical direct action.

After the German reunification, many buildings were vacated due to the demise of former state-run enterprises and migration to the western parts of Germany, some of which were then occupied by squatters. In Berlin, the now-legalised squats are in desirable areas such as Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg. Before the reunification, squats in Berlin were mostly located in former West Berlin's borough of Kreuzberg. The squats were mainly for residential and social use. Squatting became known by the term "instandbesetzen", from "instandsetzen" ("renovating") and "besetzen" ("occupying").

One of the house projects that is currently facing eviction in Berlin is LIEBIG 34. Liebig stays!

In solidarity with the threatened residents of this project, we post another document of the 80s squatter movement in the Ruhrgebiet, West Germany, called "Schöner wohnen - abber fix!". This album was released in 1981 and features artists like Ape, Beck & Brinkmann, MEK Bochum, Cochise, Geier Sturzflug, and the wonderful Frank Baier with his inspring lament "Ja aber, laber laber, laber Lüger, laber laber..." unveiling the false promise of the so called free dialogue.

VA - Schöner wohnen - abber fix! (1982)
(cover art included)

Samstag, 3. Oktober 2020

VA - Hasta Siempre Commandante - 30 Anos Después (1997)

Ernesto Guevara, better known as "Che", was born on May 14th 1928 in the town of Rosario, on the Paraná river in the southern part of Santa Fé province in Argentina. He was the eldest of four children and at the age of tw developed the asthma that would plague him for the rest of his life.

Ever since his early involvement with Castro, Che had wanted the freedom to go elsewhere in the Americas, once the revolution succeeded, to fight for freedom and spread the revolutionary message. In 1965 he gave up his government posts and travelled to the Congo (today Zaire) and fought with the soldiers who had been led by the murdered independence leader Patrice Lumumba. Returnig after 6 months, he then went to Bolivia to begin guerrilla activity there. He reamined there for 11 months until his capture (October 8 th 1967) and execution (shortly afterwards) by the Boivian army.

The titles on this halbum have been recorded between 1967 and 1996.


Tracklist:

Fidel Castro - Letter Of Che To Fidel 1:15
Grupo 5U4 - Hasta Siempre Comandante 3:23
Santiago Feliú - Ayer Y Hoy Enamorados 4:17
Elena Burke - Canción Al Guerrillero Heroico 2:41
Carlos Puebla - Que Pare El Son 2:17
Carlos Puebla - Un Hombre 3:33
Carlos Puebla - Lo Eterno 2:27
Cacique Paraguayo - Che Comandante 3:08
Grupo Tabacalera - Comandante Che Guevara 1:09
Grupo Alma Mater - Che Guevara 3:42
Quinteto Rebelde - Respeto Al Che Guevara 2:35
Coro Polifonico - Canción Fúnebre Al Che G. 2:35
Sara González - Su Nombre Es Pueblo 4:38
Amaury Pérez - Andes Lo Que Andes 3:31
Fidel Castro - Letter Of Che To Fidel 4:25

Freitag, 2. Oktober 2020

Tom Robinson - Tango an der Wand (7", 1981)

Tomorrow is the 30th anniversary of German reunification. The single "Tango an der Wand" is a spotlight on the divided Germany.

Thomas Giles Robinson (born 1 June 1950) is a British singer-songwriter, bassist, radio presenter and long-time LGBT rights activist, best known for the hits "Glad to Be Gay", "2-4-6-8 Motorway", and "Don't Take No for an Answer", with his Tom Robinson Band. He later peaked at No. 6 in the UK Singles Chart with his solo single "War Baby".

In 1980, Robinson organised Sector 27, a less political rock band that released a critically acclaimed but unsuccessful album, "Sector 27", produced by Steve Lillywhite. The band nevertheless received an enthusiastic reception at a Madison Square Garden concert with The Police. However, their management company went bankrupt, the band disintegrated, and Robinson suffered another nervous breakdown. Desolate, in debt, and sorrowing from a breakup with a beau, Robinson fled to Hamburg, Germany, much like his idol David Bowie had escaped to Berlin at a low point in his life. Living in a friend's spare room, he began writing again and ended up working in East Berlin with local band NO55. He released the single "Tango an der Wand" in German language.

In 1982, Robinson penned the song "War Baby" about divisions between East and West Germany, and recorded his first solo album "North by Northwest" with producer Richard Mazda. "War Baby" peaked at No. 6 in the UK Singles Chart and at No. 1 in the UK Indie Chart for three weeks, reviving his career.

Tracklist:

A Tango An Der Wand 3:38
B Alptraum Tango Dub 3:52


Tom Robinson - Tango an der Wand (7", 1981)
(192 kbps, cover art included)

Peter, Paul & Mary - A Song Will Rise (1965)

By their fifth album, Peter, Paul & Mary had fallen into a consistency of approach that could be viewed as either dependable or predictable. This had the usual assortment of traditional songs ("Motherless Child," "The Cuckoo"), songs that had first gained an audience during prior folk revivals ("Wasn't That a Time"), a bit of original material, mediocre blues ("San Francisco Bay Blues" and Paul Stookey's "Talkin' Candy Bar Blues"), and a Bob Dylan song ("When the Ship Comes In").

The biggest find, material-wise, was the Gordon Lightfoot composition "For Lovin' Me" (a #30 hit single), which gave the Canadian songwriter (who had yet to release his first United Artists LP) some of his first wide exposure in the United States.

Overall, the trio's sound and balance of repertoire had still changed little, if at all, from their debut. They were at their best on folk tunes with sad melodies and harmonies, as on "Jimmy Whalen" and "Ballad of Spring Hill."                

Side One
  1. "When the Ship Comes In" (Bob Dylan)
  2. "Jimmy Whalen"
  3. "Come and Go With Me"
  4. "Gilgarra Mountain" (Trad arr Peter Yarrow)
  5. "Ballad of Spring Hill (Spring Hill Disaster)" (Peggy Seeger, Ewan MacColl)
  6. "Motherless Child"
Side Two
  1. "Wasn't That a Time" (Seeger/Hays/Gilbert/Brooks/Coigney)
  2. "Monday Morning"
  3. "The Cuckoo"
  4. "The San Francisco Bay Blues" (Jesse Fuller)
  5. "Talkin' Candy Bar Blues" (Noel Paul Stookey)
  6. "For Lovin' Me" (Gordon Lightfoot)


Peter, Paul & Mary - A Song Will Rise (1965)
(192 kbps, cover art included)