The Holy Modal Rounders – Good Taste Is Timeless (1971)

The Holy Modal Rounders were formed in 1964, comprised of Peter Stampfel (vocals, banjo, fiddle) and Steve Weber (vocals, guitar). Stampfel and Weber were both early members of The Fugs and appear on their first album. By 1968, The Rounders had become a full-fledged band, with the two principals flanked by Dave Levy (guitar), John Wesley Annas (bass), Richard Tyler (piano) and Sam Shepard (yes, THAT Sam Shepard) on drums. This line-up cut the bizarro psych-folk cult classic “The Moray Eels Eat The Holy Modal Rounders” for Elektra. By sheer luck, Peter Fonda heard the album’s opening cut, “The Bird Song” on radio and decided to use it in the film “Easy Rider”, which brought the Rounders their biggest brush with fame.

In 1970 the group signed with Metromedia for their next album, “Good Taste Is Timeless” which was issued in early 1971. The album was produced in Nashville by jazz pianist Bob Dorough, who also produced Spanky and Our Gang, Alzo Fronte and scores of songs for the “Schoolhouse Rock” program. Engineering the album was Elvis’ former guitarist Scotty Moore. The album marked the arrival of mainstay multi-instrumentalist Robin Remaily. Shepard was replaced by Michael McCarty.
The album was a departure from the usual wackiness of the Rounders. The gloriously ramshackle performances of old were replaced with tight arrangements. The material was mostly original with only two covers (Joe Maphis’ “Melinda” and Jimmy C. Newman’s “Alligator Man”). All band members took lead vocals and wrote material for the album. The result is an off-center country-folk-rock product, but still the unmistakable nuttiness of the Rounders shines through at times. (Stampfel to this day loathes the album.)

Tracy Nelson is a guest vocalist on “Love Is The Closest Thing” (written by cohort Michael Hurley, who also designed the album’s cover) and Steve Riddle provides “eephin” on “Livin’ Off The Land” – a style of vocalization made popular by his father Jimmie Riddle on the “Hee Haw” television show. DJ Fontana, who drummed for Elvis in his early days, provides percussion touches here and there. Pete Drake, who’d just recently finished work with both Ringo Starr and George Harrison on their solo projects, played pedal steel.
The album was plagued with a notoriously bad mix. The engineers who mixed the album apparently did so without using monitors and a skewed mix was the result. It would seem these same individuals must’ve been responsible for Elephant’s Memory’s “Take It To The Streets” which is basically a MONO album…

While the album went unnoticed, in 1974 a up and coming radio show by one Doctor Demento began spinning “Boobs a Lot” and the reaction was enough that Metromedia, then closing up their doors, issued a single. The track went to #103. (Although generally not acknowledged, the single had originally been released in 1971, all but ignored and now a rarity.)

The Rounders would shortly thereafter go back towards an acoustic configuration, cutting an album for the Rounder label (guess who it’s named for?) in ’72 which would not see the light of day for three years. The group soldiered on in various formations over the years lead variously by Stampfel and/or Weber and sometimes two different versions of the band existed on both coasts. An aggregation led by Stampfel and Michael Hurley cut the cult-classic “Have Moicy” for Rounder in 1976. 

Tracklist:

Once A Year
Black Bottom
Happy Scrapple Daddy Polka
Spring Of ’65
Livin’ Off The Land
Love Is The Closest Thing
Boobs A Lot
Melinda
Generalonely
Alligator Man
City Blues
The Whole World Outta Go On Vacation

The Holy Modal Rounders – Good Taste Is Timeless (1971)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

John Lee Hooker / Eddie Burns – Detroit Blues 1950-1951

These recordings were made between 1950 and 1951. One of the thumbs-up signs this collection gets is that, with the exception of "House Rent Boogie," there aren't a lot of obvious choices listed (no "Boogie Chillun," no "Crawling King Snake," etc.). And at the time of this stateside release in 1991, Collectables included seven tunes that hadn't really been out there before in any official capacity. Another big positive is that Eddie "Guitar" Burns is featured prominently here as a soloist, and his killer tunes like "Squeeze Me, Baby," "Gangster Blues," and "Grievin' Blues" are here as well. 

While everything on this set has now been issued in some other more chronological, historical, and musicologically annotated way in the 21st century, this comp is still well worth seeking out as a used item, because it smokes.

The sound is rough in the extreme, but the music's great.


Tracklist:

A1 John Lee Hooker– House Rent Boogie
A2 John Lee Hooker– Wandering Blues
A3 Eddie Burns– Making A Fool Out Of Me
A4 John Lee Hooker– Questionnaire Blues
A5 John Lee Hooker– Real Gone Gal
A6 Eddie Burns– Squeeze Me Baby
A7 John Lee Hooker– Feed Her All Night
A8 Eddie Burns– Gangster Blues
B1 Eddie Burns– Where Did You Stay Last Night
B2 John Lee Hooker– My Daddy Was A Jockey
B3 John Lee Hooker– Little Boy Blue
B4 John Lee Hooker– How Long Must I Be Your Slave
B5 Eddie Burns– Grieving Blues
B6 John Lee Hooker– Ground Hog
B7 John Lee Hooker– Mean Old Train
B8 John Lee Hooker– Catfish

John Lee Hooker / Eddie Burns – Detroit Blues 1950-1951

(320 kbps, cover art included)

2. Festival des politischen Liedes - Wer, wenn nicht wir (1971, Eterna, vinyl rip)

This album features artists from 16 different countries taking part at the second "Festival des politischen Liedes" in 1971.

Tracklisting

01. Oktober-Klub - Auf, auf zum Kampf
02. Oktober-Klub - Seid euch bewusst der Macht
03. Isabel Parra - En septiembre canta el gallo
04. Oktober-Klub - Streiklied
05. Il contemporaneo - Que il nostro Vietnam
06. Thanh nien Ho Chi Minh - Der Hügel der zehn Helden
07. Oktober-Klub - Vietnams Geschütze
08. Oktober-Klub - Prometheus
09. Lutschina - Lied über Schtschors
10. Venceremos Club - Lied der Gleichen
11. Agitprop - Kenen joukoissa seisot
12. Francesca Solleville - Mexiko 68
13. Quilapayún - Comienza la vida nueva
14. Venceremos Club - Die Partei
15. Oktober-Klub - Die Thälmann-Kolonne

2. Festival des politischen Liedes - Wer, wenn nicht wir (1971)

(192 kbps, complete cover art included)

Ella Mae Morse With Big Dave And His Orchestra – Barrelhouse, Boogie, And The Blues (1954)

One of the most talented and overlooked vocalists of the '40s, Ella Mae Morse blended jazz, country, pop, and R&B; at times she came remarkably close to what would become known as rock & roll. 

When she wasn't yet 14, Morse had her first taste of the big time, when Jimmy Dorsey's band came to Dallas for a stay at the Adolphus Hotel and she called for an audition. Unbeknownst to her, the band needed a new female vocalist. Believing that Morse was indeed 19, as she and her mother claimed, Dorsey hired her. 

When he received a letter from the school board declaring that he was responsible for Morse's care, Dorsey fired her. Morse joined former Dorsey pianist Freddie Slack's band in 1942; she was only 17 when they cut "Cow Cow Boogie," which became Capitol Records' first gold single. The following year, Morse began recording solo. Although her records were consistently solid and sold fairly well, Morse never obtained a huge following. She retired from recording in 1957, and died of respiratory failure on October 16, 1999.


Tracklist:

A1 Rock Me All Night Long
A2 Money Honey
A3 I Love You, Yes I Do
A4 Daddy, Daddy
B1 Teardrops From My Eyes
B2 5-10-15 Hours
B3 Have Mercy Baby
B4 How Can You Leave A Man Like This

Ella Mae Morse With Big Dave And His Orchestra – Barrelhouse, Boogie, And The Blues (1954)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

The Kingston Trio - The Last Month Of The Year (1960)

Released in 1960, when the Kingston Trio were one of the most popular recording acts in the U.S.A., "The Last Month of the Year" did not tear up the charts as expected. It peaked at number 11, a relatively low placement given their popularity, and it didn't become a catalog item, which is the ultimate goal of any holiday record.

The reason why "The Last Month of the Year" failed to become an accepted standard is due entirely to its ambition. Most musicians stick to the tried-and-true carols but the Kingston Trio dug deep into unheralded English, European, and American spiritual and carol songbooks. "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," an old English carol, as is often performed, as is the Wassailing song, and the Weavers had popularized "Go Where I Send Thee," but most of "The Last Month of the Year" would've been unfamiliar to 1960 audiences, as it would be to modern listeners. This may have doomed the album to obscurity but it's a remarkable record, one that's canny in its construction and heartfelt in execution.

"The Last Month of the Year" celebrates the deep history of the holiday while showcasing the trio's warm harmonies and sensitive, savvy interpretative skills. It may not have made many waves at the time but it remains one of the most distinctive - and best - holiday records.     

Tracklist:

A1 Bye, Bye, Thou Little Tiny Child 2:55
A2 The Snows Of Winter 2:34
A3 We Wish You A Merry Christmas 1:34
A4 All Through The Night 2:14
A5 Goodnight My Baby 1:53
A6 Go Where I Send Thee 2:28
B1 Follow Now, Oh Shepards 2:42
B2 Somerset Gloucestershire Wassail 1:47
B3 Mary Mild 2:50
B4 A Round About Christmas 1:30
B5 Sing We Noel 2:00
B6 The Last Month Of The Year 2:35

The Kingston Trio - The Last Month Of The Year (1960) 
(256 kbps, cover art included)   

VA - 15. Festival des politischen Liedes (1985)

The late 1960s and early 1970s saw attempts to integrate a wider range of musical tradtion into GDR culture. A generation of American folk musicians toured the GDR and breathed new life into the amateur music movement which had always been an important aspect of the East German tradition. On both sides of the Wall, the annual folk festivals such as the West´s "Burg Waldeck" (1964- 1969) and the "Festival des politischen Liedes" (1970-1990) in East Berlin provided venues for international singers and an opportunity for artistic innovation. Coupled with the APO and Student Movement, Burg Waldeck helped to reclaim the folk song from Third Reich distortion, and the political song of Brecht, Eisle and the Weimar cabaret from elimination, and hence to lay the foundations of an ew independent German popular music.

Beginning in 1970, the Festival des politischen Liedes, an East German festival focusing on political songs, was held annually and organized (until 1980) by the FDJ (East German youth association). Musicians from up to thirty countries would participate, and, for many East Germans, it was the only exposure possible to foreign music.

This albums features original recordings from the 15. Festival des politischen Liedes (09.02. - 17.02.1985, East Berlin).

Tracklist:

A1 –San Francisco Mime Troupe - Standing With The Union (An der Seite der Gewerkschaft)
A2 –Samuel Munguambe -  Mundlerere
A3 –Quilapayún - Luz Negra (Schwarzes Licht)
A4 –Urszula und Budka Suflera - Auschwitz 45
A5 –Leoncarlo Settimelli - In Principio Era L'uomo (Am Anfang war der Mensch)
A6 –Kinvara - Mouth Music / Reel
A7 –Dick Gaughan - Which Side Are You On (Auf welcher Seite stehst du?)
B1 –Eric Bogle und Wacholder - Es ist an der Zeit
B2 –Silvio Rodríguez Und Afro-Kuba - Cuando Digo Futuro (Wenn ich Zukunft sage)
B3 –Meridian - Du meine Hoffnung
B4 –Cutumay Camones - Commandante Clelia
B5 –Maurício Tapajós und Marcus Vinicius - Mudando De Conversa (Wechseln wir das Thema)
B6 –Oktoberklub - Gib deine Hand in meine Hand

VA - 15. Festival des politischen Liedes (1985)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

Zupfgeigenhansel – Eintritt frei (Pläne,1980)

The album "Eintritt frei" was recorded live on Sept. 24/25, 1980, at the tavern "Zur lieben Hand" in Owingen, Lake of Constance. Side A contains some medieval songs, side B Jiddisch songs. Of course Conny Plank has done an excellent job again, the sound quality is as good as a studio recording.

The booklet contains notes and chords

for the guitar, lyrics, infos about the songs' history, translation from Jiddisch to German and more photographs.

Zupfgeigenhansel was a German folk duo, one of the most successful groups to emerge on the German folk scene in the 1970s. It consisted of Erich Schmeckenbecher and Thomas Friz. The group was named after the collection of folk songs of the same name, which was published in 1909.

The group started playing in folk-clubs, mainly in southern Germany, in 1974. They then started appearing on the radio programme Liederladen of the Südwestfunk broadcasting station. They released their first album, Volkslieder I for the Pläne record company in 1976, and later in the year their second album, Volkslieder II. In 1978 they received the award of "Artists of the Year" in one of the categories of the German Phonoakademie. They disbanded in 1985.


Tracklist:
01. Wenn alle Brünnlein fließen 05:25
02. Die Bauern von St. Pölten 02:41
03. Der Revoluzzer 02:44
04. Andre, die das Land so sehr nicht liebten 03:25
05. Victor Jara 06:15
06. Di mame 03:19
07. Mojschele 05:17
08. Di mesinke 02:39
09. Dire-gelt 02:36
10. Tsen brider 07:43
Total time: 41:57

Musicians:
Thomas Friz: vocals, guitars
Erich Schmeckenbecher: vocals, mandolin, guitars, accordeon
Lutz Berger: violin
Bruno Brandenberger: bass
Conny Plank: sound, recording, mix

Zupfgeigenhansel – Eintritt frei (Pläne,1980)
(ca. 278 kbps, cover art included)

Mississippi John Hurt ‎– The Best Of Mississippi John Hurt - Ain't No Tellin'

No blues singer ever presented a more gentle, genial image than Mississippi John Hurt. A guitarist with an extraordinarily lyrical and refined fingerpicking style, he also sang with a warmth unique in the field of blues, and the gospel influence in his music gave it a depth and reflective quality unusual in the field. 

Coupled with the sheer gratitude and amazement that he felt over having found a mass audience so late in life, and playing concerts in front of thousands of people - for fees that seemed astronomical to a man who had always made music a sideline to his life as a farm laborer - these qualities make Hurt's recordings into a very special listening experience. 

"Ain´t No Tellin´" is a compilation album of live recordings from various performances.

Tracklist:

1	Rich Woman Blues
2	Trouble I Had All My Days
3	Chicken Blues
4	Coffee Blues
5	Monday Morning Blues
6	Frankie & Albert
7	Talking Casey
8	Here I Am, Oh Lord Send Me
9	Hard Times In The Old Town
10	Spike Drivers Blues
11	Candy Man
12	My Creole Belle
13	Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor
14	Shake That Thing
15	I'm Satisfied
16	Salty Dog
17	Nobody's Business
18	The Angels Laid Him Away
19	Casey Jones
20	Baby What's Wrong With You
21	Lonesome Blues

Mississippi John Hurt ‎– The Best Of Mississippi John Hurt - Ain't No Tellin' 

(320 kbps, cover art included)