Elvis Presley - Paramount's G.I. Blues Recordings 1960 (Bootleg) Sound A

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G.I. Blues is the eleventh album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2256, in October 1960. Recording sessions took place on April 27 and 28, and May 6, 1960, at RCA Studio C and Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California. The album topped the Billboard Top Pop Album chart and has been certified by the RIAA as a platinum album.

Music on this album comprised songs that had appeared in the film of the same name. The song "Wooden Heart" was released as a single in the United Kingdom, where it was #1 for six weeks. 

In the United States, Joe Dowell recorded a cover version of "Wooden Heart" that topped the Billboard Hot 100. RCA later released "Wooden Heart" by Presley as the b-side of a single twice, once in 1964 on the back of a reissue of "Blue Christmas," and again on the flip of a belated issue in 1965 of "Puppet On A String" from the Girl Happy movie. Four songs from this album appear on the 1995 soundtrack compilation: "G.I. Blues," "Wooden Heart," "Shoppin' Around," and "Doin' the Best I Can."

Due to copyright reasons, the European version of the soundtrack album and film substitutes the opening track "Tonight Is So Right for Love" with the song "Tonight's All Right for Love," adapted from a melody by 19th century waltz-king Johann Strauss II. 

Interestingly, the melody for "Tonight Is So Right for Love" was taken directly from a barcarolle composed by Jacques Offenbach, one of Strauss's contemporaries. 

An American release of "Tonight's All Right for Love" did not occur until it appeared on the compilation album Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 1 in 1974. 

The version of "Blue Suede Shoes" used on the soundtrack is a new recording of the song Presley first recorded in 1956, and is one of only a few songs that Presley would re-record in a studio setting during his career, others being "Love Letters" and "A Little Less Conversation."

Soundtrack recordings for Paramount's "G.I. Blues" motion picture. Recorded April 27-28, 1960 at RCA Studios, Hollywood, CA & and on May 6, 1960 at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, CA

Musicians:
♣ Elvis Presley: vocals; guitar on "Shoppin' Around"
♣ Scotty Moore: guitar
♣ Tiny Timbrell: guitar
♣ Neal Matthews: guitar
♣ Dudley Brooks: piano
♣ Jimmie Haskell: accordion
♣ Ray Siegel: bass
♣ DJ Fontana: drums
♣ Frank Bode: drums
♣ Hoyt Hawkins: tambourine
♣ The Jordanaires: back-up vocals
♣ Joseph Lilley: producer/arranger 
♣ Thorne Nogar: engineer (May 6th session)
♣ unknown(s): engineer (April 27-28th sessions)

Elvis Presley - "G.I. Blues 1960 at RCA Studios, Hollywood" 
01. Shoppin' Around (Tk.4) 01:46
02. Tonight Is So Right For Love (Tk.3) 02:18
03. Shoppin' Around (Tk.6,7,9,10) 04:15
04. Pocketful Of Rainbows (Tk.15,16) 03:14
05. Tonight's All Right For Love (Tk.6) 01:23
06. What's She Really Like (Tk.9-11) 04:01
07. Frankfurt Special (Fast, Tk.3,4,7) 04:43
08. Big Boots (Fast, Tk.3) 01:23
09. Wooden Heart (Tk.1-3) 03:34
10. Frankfurt Special (Medium, Tk.6-8) 05:27
11. Big Boots (Fast, Tk.5) 01:20
12. Doin' The Best I Can (Tk.3) 03:22
13. What's She Really Like (Tk.12-13) 03:05
14. Shoppin' Around (Tk.3,5) 03:16
15. Big Boots (Slow, Tk.2,4,6) 03:17
16. Big Boots (Fast, Tk.6-7) 01:46
17. Tonight's All Right For Love (Tk.14-17) 04:33
18. Vienna Woods Rock And Roll (Tk.4) 02:06

On April 27, 2016, RCA remastered the album for compact disc, adding eight outtakes from the recording session as bonus tracks. Two songs were previously released, the acoustic version of "Big Boots" appearing on the posthumous 1978 album Elvis Sings for Children and Grown-Ups Too, and the substitute "Tonight's All Right For Love."

Elvis Presley - G.I. Blues (US 1960) The finished Original Album as Bonus: 
01. 4/27/60 Tonight Is So Right for Love - Abner Silver and Sid Wayne 2:14 
02. 4/28/60 What's She Really Like - Abner Silver and Sid Wayne 2:17 
03. 5/6/60 Frankfort Special - Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards 2:58 
04. 4/28/60 Wooden Heart - Ben Weisman, Fred Wise, Kathleen Twomey, Bert Kaempfert 2:03 
05. 4/27/60 G.I. Blues - Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett 2:36 
06. 5/6/60 Pocketful of Rainbows - Ben Weisman and Fred Wise 2:35 
07. 5/6/60 Shoppin' Around - Aaron Schroeder, Sid Tepper, Roy C. Bennett 2:24 
08. 5/6/60 Big Boots - Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards 1:31 
09. 4/27/60 Didja' Ever - Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards 2:36 
10. 4/28/60 Blue Suede Shoes - Carl Perkins 2:07 
11. 4/27/60 Doin' the Best I Can - Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman 3:10 

1. Elvis Presley G.I. Blues

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2. Elvis Presley G.I. Blues

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3. Elvis Presley G.I. Blues

Psychedelic Promos & Radio Spots Vol.1-2 (1966-69) (2CD)

Psychedelic Promos & Radio Spots Vol. 1

01. Psych-Out - Movie Promo Spot
02. Fever Tree - Now Sounds spot for Houston Post
03. Boyce & Hart - Coke Spot # 1
04. The Litter - 7-Up Spot
05. The Trip - Movie Promo Spot
06. Cream - Falstaff Beer Spot
07. Electric Prunes - Vox Wah Wah Spot
08. Six Feet Under - Boogie Man Bash Spot
09. Sopwith Camel - Levis Spot # 1 (Funny Fabric)
10. The Living Eye Club, Houston - Promo
11. Vanilla Fudge - Coke Spot # 1
12. Iron Butterfly - Ban Roll-On Spot
13. 1966 Plymouth Baracuda Spot
14. Jefferson Airplane - Levis Spot # 1 (Grace - White Levis)
15. Moody Blues - Coke Spot # 1
16. Shadows of Knight - Band Promo Spot (Buy Willie Jean)
17. Paul Revere & Raiders - The Judge, Pontiac GTO Promo
18. The Nazz - Band Promo Spot # 1 (Call of the Wild Nazz)
19. Easy Beats - Coke Spot # 1
20. Batman Merchandise - J.C. Penny Spot, Dallas Ft. Worth
21. Quicksilver - Chevy Camaro Spot
22. Bee Gees - Coke Spot # 1
23. Hell's Angels on Wheels - Movie Promo Spot
24. Blues Magoos - Great Shakes Spot
25. Left Banke - Coke Spot
26. Charlatan's - Alabama Bound LP Promo (Magician)
27. Jefferson Airplane - Levis Spot # 2 (Spencer-Twig City)
28. Los Bravos - Coke Spot
29. Paul Revere & Raiders - Revolution LP Promo
30. Troggs - Coke Spot
31. Sopwith Camel - Levis Spot # 2 (Take Out The Stretch)
32. The Nazz - Band Promo Spot # 2 (Tommy Truckdriver)
33. The Who - Great Shakes Spot
34. Hullabaloo Club Promo, Ann Arbor Michigan
35. Vanilla Fudge - Coke Spot # 2
36. Vox Wah Wah Promo Spot
37. Charlatans - Groom & Clean Spot
38. Easy Beats - Coke Spot # 2
39. The Baroques - Iowa/Mary Jane Promo Spot
40. Bobby Fuller - Gallancamps Shoe Spot
41. American Breed - Coke Spot # 1

Psychedelic Promos & Radio Spots Vol. 2

01. The "In Sound" Featuring The Song "Up There" by the SCOUNDRELS 
02. KIM FOWLEY – Outrageous LP Promo 
03. The Galaxy Club, Belvue, WA, Featuring WEST COAST NATURAL GAS 
04. The "In Sound" With The BLUES MAGOOS 
05. NIKITA THE "K" – Radio Moscow - Blues Magoos Spoof by the "Red Magoos" 
06. GREEN SLIME – MGM Movie Promo 
07. CHAD & JEREMY – Of Cabbages & Kings LP Promo 
08. The "In Sound" With SEAN BONNIWELL 
09. LEE LEANS, "Jeans by Lee" – Radio Spot 
10. THE WHO – BBC Radio One Promo 
11. THE SEX MACHINE – Club Spot On WHAT Radio Station, Philadelphia, PA 
12. THE ZOMBIES – Bunny Lake Is Missing – Movie Promo 
13. The "In Sound" With The KITCHEN CINQ 
14. Trident Records Promo, Featuring MYSTERY TREND, BLACKBURN & SNOW & SONS OF CHAMPLAIN 
15. KIM FOWLEY – Underground Animal LP Promo 
16. PAUL REVERE & RAIDERS – SS-396 Car Promo (Full Song) 
17. KNICKERBOCKERS – Lakeland FL, Concert Promo 1 
18. BRAWLEY MALE – Radio Spot For Clothing Store 
19. SHERBET – Coke Spot (Australian Band) 
20. The "In Sound" with THE MONKEES 
21. VELVET UNDERGROUND – 3rd LP Promo 
22. EVERGREEN BATTLE OF THE BANDS – Seattle, WA Concert Promo 
23. BOSS KHJ – "Hit Bound" – LA Radio Station Jingle. 
24. KHJ – Mustang Promo 
25. THE LIVERPOOLS – Thom McCann’s Shoe Spot 
26. GOLDEN EARRING – Coke Spot
27. The "In Sound" With ROGER McGUINN  
28. CREAM – Fallstaff Beer Spot (With Announcer) 
29. LEFT BANKE – Hertz Rent-A-Car Spot 
30. Cheetah Club– Promo for LA Nightclub featuring HAMILTON STREETCAR & KITCHEN CINQ 
31. MOBY GRAPE – Truly Fine Citizen LP Promo 
32. DR. WEST’S MEDICINE SHOW & JUNK BAND – Eggplant LP Promo 
33. VELVET UNDERGROUND – White Light, White Heat LP Promo 
34. The "In Sound" With ? AND THE MYSTERIANS 
35. MILTONE BERLE – Yellow Submarine – Promo Single 
36. UCNCB – The Utica Club – Promo 
37. ROLLING STONES – Dallas Concert Promo Sponsored by "Sumpin’ Else" TV Show. 
38. VENTURES – Underground Fire LP Promo 
39. VENTURES – Hawaii Five-O LP Promo 
40. LEFTE BANKE – Toni Hair Spray Radio Spot 
41. THE HAPPENING CLUB – Seattle, WA, Night Club Promo featuring SONICS & GASS COMPANY 
42. KNICKERBOCKERS – Lakeland FL, Concert Promo 2 
43. BOYCE & HART – Coke Spot # 2 
44.  AVE DIAMOND – Excerpts From "The Diamond Mine" Radio Program On KBLA, Burbank, CA 
45. HULLABALOO CLUB – Promo for LA Night Club 
46. The "In Sound" With EVERY MOTHER’S SON 
47. BOOKET T. & THE MG’s – McLemore Avenue LP Promo 
48. B. MITCHELL REED – Leather Ltd. Ad, KMET, LA, CA 
49. TOM DONAHUE – Jeans West Spot, KSAN, SF, CA 
50. LEOPOLD RECORDS – X-69 Spot, KSAN, SF, CA

Part 1 Radio Spots 1
Part 2 Radio Spots 2
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Part I  Radio Spots 1
Part 2 Radio Spots 2
or
Part 1 Radio Spots 1
Part 2 Radio Spots 2
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American Blues - Do Their Thing (Psychedelic Rock Pre. ZZ Top)

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Bit Rate: 256
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American Blues were an American 1960s Texas-based garage rock band, who played a psychedelic style of blues rock music influenced by the 13th Floor Elevators. They are most notable for including two future members of the band ZZ Top in their ranks, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard.

From 1966 to 1968, they played the Dallas-Fort Worth-Houston circuit and headlined in three clubs all called "The Cellar", in Dallas at clubs such as "The Walrus" on Mockingbird Lane, and in Houston at "Love Street Light Circus Feel Good Machine" on Allen's Landing, as late as 1968.

Around 1968 the band (the two Hill brothers and Beard) decided to leave the Dallas–Fort Worth area, relocating to Houston. At this time, however, guitarist Rocky Hill wanted to focus on "straight blues", while his brother Dusty wanted the band to rock more. Rocky left the band, and the remaining two members joined the recently formed ZZ Top.

Rocky Hill continued to tour around Texas, and elsewhere, becoming one of a number of guitarists well-known within the state for their blues guitar prowess, such as Rocky Athis and Charlie Sexton. In this role, his playing in Austin was said[by whom?] to have been an influence on guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan's formative years, as well. He sometimes referred to himself as "The Anti-Clapton", and one writer with the Houston Press called Rocky "perhaps the wildest and scariest – both onstage and off – of all the Texas white-boy blues guitarists.

Formed in Dallas, Texas, USA, in 1968, the American Blues evolved out of local club attraction the Warlocks when Rocky Hill (guitar), Dusty Hill (b. Joe Hill, 19 May 1949, Dallas, Texas, USA; bass), Doug Davis (organ) and Frank Beard (b. 11 June 1949, Frankston, Texas, USA; drums) took their new name upon adopting a more ‘progressive’ sound. 

The American Blues Is Here, released on the local Karma Records label, featured their reworking of Tim Hardin’s ‘If I Were A Carpenter’ and generated sufficient interest to secure a major contract with Uni Records. The American Blues Do Their Thing offered a form of hard rock psychedelia, as evinced by such titles as ‘Chocolate Ego’ and ‘Nightmare Of A Wise Man’, but the album failed to spark national interest. The group disintegrated soon afterwards, with first Beard, then Dusty Hill, joining ZZ Top.

John Rockford "Rocky" Hill (December 1, 1946 – April 10, 2009) was a blues guitarist, singer, and bassist from Dallas, Texas, United States. Hill was the older brother of ZZ Top bassist, Dusty Hill.

Joseph Michael "Dusty" Hill (born May 19, 1949) is the bassist, keyboardist, and co-vocalist with the American rock group ZZ Top. Hill was born in Dallas, Texas, and grew up in the Lakewood neighborhood of East Dallas. He attended Woodrow Wilson High School (Dallas) where he played the cello.

Along with his brother Rocky Hill and future fellow ZZ Top member Frank Beard, Dusty Hill played in local Dallas bands the Warlocks, the Cellar Dwellers, and American Blues. From 1966 to 1968, American Blues played the Dallas-Fort Worth-Houston circuit. In 1969, Hill was a member of a fake version of the British band The Zombies with Beard.

In 1968, the band decided to leave the Dallas–Fort Worth area and relocate to Houston. At this time, however, guitarist Rocky Hill wanted to focus on "straight blues", while Dusty wanted the band to rock more. Rocky left the band and Dusty and Beard moved to Houston, joining guitarist/vocalist Billy Gibbons of Houston psychedelic-rockers Moving Sidewalks in the recently formed ZZ Top just after they released their first single in 1969.

Members
♦ Rocky Hill - guitar
♦ Dusty Hill - bass
♦ Richard Harris - drums
♦ Doug Davis - piano on "Mellow"
♦ Frank Beard - drums

01. You Were So Close To Me   03:24
02. Wonder Man   02:26
03. Just Plain Jane   02:34
04. Shady   02:05
05. Comin' Back Home   05:35
06. Captain Fire   03:18
07. Chocolate Ego   03:04
08. Nightmare Of A Wise Man  03:24
09. Dreams   02:52
10. Softly To The Sun   02:33

1. American Blues 1969

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2. American Blues 1969

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3. American Blues 1969

One More For Today... Seasick Steve

Seasick Steve - "Down On The Farm" and "Thunderbird"

Like T-Model Ford, Seasick Steve (aka Steve Wold) began recording his own music much later in life than other musicians. A storytelling singer reviving traditional country blues, Wold spent his childhood in California, but left home at 14. As a hobo, he traveled for several years, jumping trains and working odd jobs.

 
After drifting around the U.S. and Europe, he finally ended up in Norway. Aside from his respectable musical background (which includes recording early Modest Mouse, appearing on BBC television, and playing with John Lee Hooker), Wold is also noted for his unusual custom-made stringed instruments. By the time he was in his sixties, he'd finally released some official material. His first solo album, Doghouse Music, out in late 2006, was performed almost entirely by Wold. Another record, Cheap, was recorded with the Swedish rhythm section the Level Devils. 

An amorous seven-track Valentine's Day EP called Songs for Elisabeth (six of the cuts were culled from previous releases) arrived in 2010. With a rustic and at times almost punk-blues approach to his material, Wold increasingly merged country blues trance boogie with a street-holler voice that makes Tom Waits seem like a mainstream crooner, and the best of his songs carry a hard-earned wisdom that can only come from living on the street one block over from the edge of civility.

 
He released the stark and powerful You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks in 2011, and returned in 2013 with his sixth offering, Hubcap Music, which featured guest appearances from Jack White and Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones. In 2015, Seasick Steve showed that his blues power was still running strong with the release of the album Sonic Soul Surfer. His creative surge didn't stop there and the singer/songwriter followed up with his eighth studio effort, Keepin' the Horse Between Me and the Ground in 2016.

Video for this day...

Guns N' Roses performing "Paradise City". ★ Live at Giants Stadium in New Jersey 1988

Pentangle - Berkeley, CA Community Theater 1970-05-29 (Bootleg)

Size: 153 MB
Bit Rate: 256
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Found in DC++ World

Were Pentangle a folk group, a folk-rock group, or something that resists classification? They could hardly be called a rock & roll act; they didn't use electric instruments often, and were built around two virtuoso guitarists, Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, who were already well-established on the folk circuit before the group formed. 

Yet their hunger for eclectic experimentation fit into the milieu of late-'60s progressive rock and psychedelia well, and much of their audience came from the rock and pop worlds, rather than the folk crowd. 
With Jacqui McShee on vocals and a rhythm section of Danny Thompson (bass) and Terry Cox (drums), the group mastered a breathtaking repertoire that encompassed traditional ballads, blues, jazz, pop, and reworkings of rock oldies, often blending different genres in the same piece. 

Their prodigious individual talents perhaps ensured a brief lifespan, but at their peak they melded their distinct and immense skills to egg each other on to heights they couldn't have achieved on their own, in the manner of great rock combos like the Beatles and Buffalo Springfield.

When Pentangle formed around late 1966 or early 1967 (accounts vary), Jansch and Renbourn had already recorded one album together (Bert and John), and done some solo recordings as well. 

Jansch was more inclined toward blues and contemporary songwriting than Renbourn, who was stronger in traditional British folk music. Jacqui McShee, whose bell-clear, high singing set the standard (along with Sandy Denny) for female British folk-rock vocals, began rehearsing with the pair. After a false start with a forgotten rhythm section, Thompson and Cox -- who had been working with Alexis Korner -- were brought in to complete the quintet.

Pentangle's first three albums -- The Pentangle (1968), the double-LP Sweet Child (1968), and Basket of Light (1969) -- are not only their best efforts, but arguably their only truly essential ones. 

With Shel Talmy acting as producer, the band rarely took a misstep in its mastery of diverse styles and material. Thompson and Cox gave even the traditional folk ballads a jazz swing and verve; the guitar interplay of Jansch (who was also a capable singer) and Renbourn was downright thrilling, each complementing and enhancing the other without showing off or getting in each other's way. 

McShee's beautiful vocals, though not as emotionally resonant as her close counterpart Sandy Denny, were an under-appreciated component to the band's success with the pop audience.

And Pentangle were very popular for a time, at least in England, where Basket of Light made number five, and "Light Flight" was a small hit single. 

They introduced some electric guitars on their early-'70s albums, which generally suffered from weaker material and a less unified group effort. 

The original lineup broke up in 1973; Jansch and Renbourn (who had never really abandoned their solo careers) continued to record often as soloists, and remained top attractions on the folk circuit. 

Thompson joined John Martyn for a while, and has remained active as a session musician, in addition to recording some work of his own for the Hannibal label. 

The original group reunited for the reasonably accomplished Open the Door album in the early '80s, and other versions of the group recorded and toured throughout the '80s and '90s, usually featuring McShee and Jansch as the sole remaining original members.




The Pentangle - Berkeley Community Theater, California 1970-05-29 - Friday 8:00 pm single show 

Line-up:
★ John Renbourn: acoustic guitar, sitar, vocals  
★ Bert Jansch: acoustic & electric guitars, banjo, vocals  
★ Jacqui McShee: vocals  
★ Danny Thompson: double bass  
★ Terry Cox: drums, glockenspiel, vocals.

01 - A few seconds of tuning up
02 - Sally Go Round The Roses 
03 - Bruton Town  
04 - Sally Free & Easy  
05 - Sarabande    
06 - Hunting Song   
07 - In Time   
08 - Lyke-Wake Dirge   
09 - Light Flight   
10 - Goodbye Pork Pie Hat  
11 - Speak Of The Devil   
12 - Train Song 
13 - House Carpenter   
14 - Pentangling  

1. Pentangle

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2. Pentangle

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3. Pentangle

Pictures of The Day - The First "Batman " Issue No 1, 1940

Anyone who have a copy?

Link: Batman No 1-4 (PDF)

or

Link: Batman No 1-4 (PDF)

or

Link: Batman No 1-4 (PDF)

Some more assorted comic magazines:

Part 1: Assorted Magazines (PDF)
Part 2: Assorted Magazines (PDF)
or

Part 1: Assorted Magazines (PDF)
Part 2: Assorted Magazines (PDF)
or
Part 1: Assorted Magazines (PDF)
Part 2: Assorted Magazines (PDF)

Enjoy, ChrisGoesRock

Believe it or not: World Fastest Bicycle, no joke

On November 7th of 2014, on the famous Circuit Paul Ricard located at Le Castellet in South of France, François Gissy has reached an incredible speed of 333 km/h on the rocket-propelled bicycle designed by his friend Arnold Neracher. 

More than 300 km/h on a skinny and completely stripped bicycle, this is amazing, and crazy! Who thought that one day a daredevil on a bicycle, with a rocket under the saddle, could travel the quarter mile in less than 7 seconds? 

Data of the fastest run set on 7 November 2014:
Peak speed: 333 km/h (207 mph) attained after around 250 meters.

Link

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Bobby Brown - The Enlightening Beam of Axonda (US 1972)

Front Cover

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Bit Rate: 256
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included
Source: Japan 24-Bit Remaster

Bobby Brown's 1972 LP The Enlightening Beam of Axonda is a holy grail for collectors of rare psych, and one of the most idiosyncratic works to emerge from the West Coast petri-dish of psychedelics and self-motivated outsiders. The LP was originally issued in a small run on Destiny Records, and today trades hands for absurdly inflated prices.

Most people associate the DIY musical aesthetic and attitude with the early tremors of punk rock, but it goes back much further than that. You could make a case that it stretches back to early folk and gospel, where each artist literally had to do everything themselves; there is certainly precedent for blues, as well. But for the sake of this article, we’re going to look at the early ‘70s—and 1972, to be exact.

Back Cover

By this time, the Summer of Love mentality was waning, and music was no longer a leading source of social protest. In fact, the music of the early ‘70s was mostly characterized by the rise in MOR pop/rock and a renewed focus on making music that just sounded good. AM radio was flooded with bands like Bread, America, and Seals and Croft (all of which I love, by the way); and songs like "Aubrey" and "A Horse with No Name" were pouring out of every rocking hatchback.

It was a far cry from the LSD-fueled psych-pop of the previous decade. And while many artists found success in compromise, there were still isolated segments of the musical populace who were determined to continue doing things their own way.

And one of these musicians was frequent Hawaii resident and psych auteur Bobby Brown. 

I first came across Brown through some online forums and the recommendations of a few random users. At the time, I was listening to musicians like Tim Buckley, Jackson C. Frank and The Incredible String Band; and so, based on my appreciation for those artists, I was directed to Brown’s 1972 record, "The Enlightening Beam of Axonda." 

As I searched for any information on the album and Brown himself—and precious little was forthcoming—I slowly began to get a relative picture of the man and his music. With echoes of primitive new age, folk and pop, Brown created music that attempted to detail the natural beauty of the landscape around him, which at the time were the pristine shores and verdant forests of Hawaii. This was even evident in the titles to songs like "My Hawaiian Home" and "Oneness with the Forest." 

To help facilitate his musical vision, Brown constructed and maintained what he called "the universal one-man orchestra." This elaborate instrument was actually an amalgam of numerous different instruments from around the world, which was meant to be played by hand and foot simultaneously. Irish harp, koto, flute, sitar, dulcimer and thumb piano (among many others) were all represented in some fashion within the machine, which had a total of 311 strings.

"The Enlightening Beam of Axonda" was less about a strict musical formalism and more about the evocation of time and place. The songs tended to run together, as there were only slightly discernible breaks between some tracks. But that’s not to say the record sounded overly homogenous. Within each track were acres of fertile musical landscape, just waiting for some person to come along and dig in. And that’s what Brown wanted—observation of the world around you and an appropriate reaction on the part of the listener, whatever that reaction might be. 

There was no exclusivity in his music, only an inherent humbleness and communal inclusiveness. And yes, he did have the requisite hippie lifestyle and wide-eyed ‘60s ideals, but these things never felt out of place in his life and music. If anything, they lent the album a naiveté that paired perfectly with the often-abstract lyricism.

Brown's tendency toward spoken-word, stream-of-conscious soliloquies and overt Middle Eastern instrumentation can occasionally feel a bit more fey and dated than some of his psych peers, but "Axonda" sounds far more complete and wonderfully detailed in its depiction of man and his place within the world than many of his '70s musical cohorts. Each individual song goes through numerous iterations and forms, which present a series of cyclical melodies and atypical rhythms.

And while I was immediately intrigued by Brown's use of harmony and musical didacticism (his views on the conservation of nature are quite evident through his lyrics), the album required repeated listens to completely get its hooks into me. The ways in which he twisted melodies through his homemade instruments required a primer period of adjustment. This wasn't the Bee Gees, after all.

But the album felt honest and open and even seemed to revel in its transparent intentions. Brown signed a good many of the original LPs he sold and included his home address and phone number in case you wanted to get in touch about setting up a performance. These were the actions of a man who honestly felt the need for connection with his audience. There was no musical subterfuge here, only an open invitation to his fans.

Look past the obvious '60s mystical allusions and less-than-subtle views on the environment, and you'll find an album of curiously optimistic insight and impulsive musical creativity. Like his instruments, "The Enlightening Beam of Axonda" helped to define the continued spirit of artists who removed themselves from the artifice of mainstream music. Brown was never going to find acceptance as a radio star or arena headliner. His music was too raw, too unpolished. But that's exactly why this kind of music—and his, in particular—should be cherished for the absence of synthetic emotion and rote sentimentality. Though 40 years removed, this album retains its ability to surprise and inspire and manages to evoke a more genial time, when all someone had to do to be heard was pick up a guitar or possibly a "one-man orchestra" and sing.

For the past fifteen years, Bobby has stuck with his vision of a "one man show", always creating new instruments and new styles of singing and playing as he went along. Bobby's voice is perhaps his most remarkable instrument. Covering a six octave range (possibly the widest range ever recorded) it is capable of creating almost any texture he desires. But his "one man band" orchestra is not to be overlooked. 

Originally composed of about fifty instruments it contained 311 strings and took three hours to set up and tune. Instruments varied from a tiny electrified spring to a monstrous fifteen foot electrified drone. Some were of original invention, while others were electrified versions of instruments found around the world. With this set, he recorded his first album THE ENLIGHTENING BEAM OF AXONDA. An extension of his doctoral thesis begun at UCLA, it contains a story about possible new discoveries in physics that could lead to technological advances that would in turn lead to a very unique and very optimistic view of the future. 

01. I Must Be Born 
02. My Hawaiian Home 
03. Mama Knows Boys A Rambler 
04. Mambo Che Chay 
05. Oneness With The Forest 
06. Tiny Wind Of Shanol 
07. Bray 
08. Axonda 
09. Goin'On Through 
10. Preparation Dimension Of Heaven

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2. Bobby Brown
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3. Bobby Brown

Graham Bell - Bell + Arc (Progressive Bluesrock (UK 1971)

Size: 80.1 MB
Bit Rate: 256
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included
Source: Japan 24-Bit Remaster

Bell & Arc’s one and only record is a prime cut of early 1970s British rock and roll. Born out of the psychedelic ashes of Skip Bifferty, Bell & Arc saw a reunion of sorts between singer Graham Bell and his former band mates, keyboardist Mick Gallagher and guitarist John Turnbull. Anyone delving into this record expecting the underground freak-beat of that earlier band, however, is in for a rude surprise. This band is an entirely different beast, and even Graham Bell’s singing has undergone some serious evolution since Skip Bifferty sank in 1969.

Heavy threads of American soul music, as well as tasteful touches of gospel and country, are what inform this record more than anything. From the insistent groove of “High Priest of Memphis” to the rollicking banjo rolls in “Keep A Wise Mind,” it is clear what musical traditions these cats are mining. Graham Bell’s vocals here are so soulful it almost hurts, with the obvious reference point being the shredded-throat testifying of fellow countryman Joe Cocker. 

Turnbull’s guitar is also on fire, whether he’s indulging in tight wah-pedal workouts in “Let Your Love Run Free” or keeping things beautifully restrained in the band’s sizzling, slow-burn workout of Leonard Cohen’s “So Long, Marianne.” In the meantime, I would assert that it is Gallagher’s rhythm piano which seems to be the bedrock of the band’s sound. Each cut displays inspired playing that really seals together the spirit of the band. His concluding improvisations on “Yat Rock” are particularly enjoyable, where he compliments his driving rhythm playing with the occasional Jerry Lee Lewis run.

Side A of this record is one of those rare cases where every song is absolutely killer, and the energy just does not let up. The opening three song punch blows me away every time. By the second side, things start to lose a little steam, but only barely. In fact, “Dawn,” the one acoustic track on the album, is a pleasant, hazy respite from the high-octane rave-ups that surround it. In fact, the guitar dynamics and subdued atmosphere might actually make it a highlight. “Children of the North Prison” draws the band back, and throws out one of the catchiest hooks on the record against a great ascending piano line. In the years since I first happened on this record, it has slowly but surely become one of my absolute mainstays. It’s hard not to be drawn in to Arc’s tight grooves and Bell’s cosmic rock and roll songs, and  I dare say it makes some fantastic road music. Check out the (out-of-print, but easy to find) Rock and Groove Records reissue, or keep your eye peeled for one of the original copies. I should probably note that it looks as though the British and American copies of this one have different artwork; the British record has a bright red cover, with what looks like layered fists.

01. High Priest of Memphis - 3:30
02. Let Your Love Run Free - 6:00
03. Keep a Wise Mind - 3:19
04. So Long Marianne - 3:44
05. She Belongs to Me - 4:29
06. Yat Rock - 6:08
07. Dawn - 3:00
08. Children of the North Prison - 4:15
09. Everyday - 3:53

1. Bell + Arc
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2. Bell + Arc
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Will Z. feat. Book Of AM - New Start (Psychedelic Album 2013)

Size: 118 MB
Bit Rate: 320
mp3
Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Some Artwork Included

New Start takes the listener on a beautiful, cosmic journey of discovery. Its rich textures and haunting melodies are evocative, meditative and timeless. This warm, sensual album will wrap you in its sonic embrace and touch your soul. It's a total trip, a rather floaty, psychedelic mind ride that will expand your mind in mystical, psychedelic ways you're never previously experienced. New Start will be the last time you'll hear this great team of psych and folk musicians working together on new and original music.

Will Z. is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, first known for his work with his band Cosmic Trip Machine, then The Book of AM 'cult' project. A solo artist he has explored several genres, from dark occult rock and hard rock to acid-folk and baroque pop, incorporating Indian music and experimental elements. 

New Start began in 2012 when Will Z. helped Juan Arkotxa, Leslie MacKenzie and Carmeta to finish The Book of AM, a unique combination of recordings and artwork which has since gained ‘cult’ status. After the release of The Book of AM, Juan Arkotxa and Leslie MacKenzie asked Will Z. to work on the sequel of their project, called The Book of Intxixu, with Daevid Allen. 

The leader from Gong organized a reunion in Glasgow during the last Gong tour and started collaborating with the AM team. Working with such talented musicians was a great privilege that inspired Will Z. to compose New Start, an album inspired by Jain philosophy, to celebrate the birth of his son and to pay homage to these great artists with whom he’d collaborated. 

New Start takes the listener on a beautiful, cosmic journey of discovery. Its rich textures and haunting melodies are evocative, meditative and timeless. This warm, sensual album will wrap you in its sonic embrace and touch your soul. It’s a total trip, a rather floaty, psychedelic mind ride that will expand your mind in mystical, psychedelic ways you’re never previously experienced. New Start will be the last time you’ll hear this great team of psych and folk musicians working together on new and original music.

♦ Will Z. - lead vocals, 12 string guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, Wah-Wah Fuzz guitar (Schaller Electronic Germany), Korg MS20, piano, percussions, sitar, bass, mellotron, EMS Synthi AKS, xylophone 
♦ Juan Arkotxa - flutes 
♦ Leslie MacKenzie - percussion on Jain Devotion Part V 
♦ Carmeta Mansilla - vocals on Jain Devotion Part II 
♦ Daevid Allen - glissando guitar on Evil Namo 
♦ oG - glissando guitar on Jain Devotion Parts IV & V 
♦ Alice Artaud - vocals on Greek Loop 
♦ Adam Geoffrey Cole - Oud on Jain Devotion Part IV 
♦ Anne - synth effect on Jain Devotion Part V 
♦ Louis Z. - baby

01. Jain Devotion (Parts I-III) 13:19
02. Namo 05:11
03. Evil Namo 03:32
04. Greek Loop 02:22
05. Nefle 05:40
06. Jain Devotion (Parts IV-V) 11:53

Bonus:
07. Can Am Des Puig - Dawn 03:08
08. Can Am Des Puig - Book of AM 05:59

1. New Start
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2. New Start
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3. New Start