Darrell Banks - Here to Stay (Great and Rare Soul US 1969)

Size: 80 MB
Bitrate: 256
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More superb soul ballads and crying songs from Darrell Banks, who not only made some excellent singles but had done some songwriting and producing for Stax in the '60s. Sadly, he was killed before he ever attained the level of popularity and exposure that he merited.

Darrell Banks (born Darrell Eubanks) (July 25, 1937 – February 24, 1970) was an American soul singer.

Born in Mansfield, Ohio, Banks grew up in Buffalo, New York, and learned to sing in gospel churches before choosing a career in secular music. He signed with Solid Hitbound Productions/Revilot Records, who released his 1966 single "Open the Door to Your Heart" (which, curiously, is legally named "Baby Walk Right In"), written by Donnie Elbert. 

When the single came out, Banks was credited as the songwriter instead of Elbert, and a protracted legal battle ensued; however, while the courts settled the matter (eventually in Elbert's favor), the tune scaled the US charts, peaking at #2 R&B and #27 on the Billboard Hot 100. A second single, "Somebody (Somewhere) Needs You", hit #34 R&B and #55 pop later that year. Moving to Atco Records, he released the singles "Here Come the Tears"/"I've Got That Feelin" and "Angel Baby (Don't Ever Leave Me)"/"Look into the Eyes of a Fool" in 1967, neither of which charted. Atco also released a full-length of his which included his Revilot singles. Atco subsidiary Cotillion Records released his last single under the Atlantic Records umbrella, "I Wanna Go Home"/"The Love of My Woman".

From there Banks signed to Stax Records, who released another full-length album of his in 1969 material and two more noncharting singles. They would be Banks's last recordings; in February 1970, Banks was shot and killed by policeman Aaron Bullock in Detroit, Michigan after Banks intervened in his affair with Banks's girlfriend, Marjorie Bozeman.

Born Darrell Eubanks in Mansfield, OH, (1938), the gospel-voiced soul singer stepped out as Darrell Banks from the east side of Buffalo, NY, where he lived since a toddler. He sang in church before going secular and wailing at local watering holes. He befriended Doc Murphy, a dentist whose nightclub the Revilot lounge was one of those "holes." A scorching song written by fellow Buffalo resident Donnie Elbert got Banks off and running, not in Buffalo, but further west in Detroit, MI.

Banks hooked up with Lebron Taylor and Solid Hitbound Productions via some type of license agreement with Doc Murphy; Lebron used the name of Murphy's Buffalo nightspot (Revilot) for the label which debuted in 1966 with "Open the Door to Your Heart" (whose legal name is "Baby Walk Right In"), the tune Donnie Elbert wrote for his Buffalo buddy. The recording took place when Elbert was on the road. No problem there. But when it came out, only Banks was credited as songwriter. A shocked Elbert checked with Broadcast Music Incorporated (B.M.I.) thinking Revilot's secretary inadvertently omitted his name, something that happens all the time; it's what's on the contract that counts, a record label is not a legal document. Elbert found the song clearance form submitted by Banks listed him as the sole writer allotting him 100 percent of the writers' share of "Open the Door to Your Heart" performance income. Elbert eventually got the mess straight, while copies of the 45 rpm list only Banks' name, newly issued CDs credits both Banks and Elbert. Still a sore point for Elbert, according to him, all Banks did was speed the tempo up a bit, for this he attempted to take full credit and ended up with 50 percent of a soul classic. The irony of this scenario is that Banks wasn't a songwriter, "Open the Door to Your Heart" is the only song he ever wrote, which he really didn't. Elbert, however, has more than 125 songwriting credits logged with B.M.I. While the legal battle ensued, the song scored an impressive number two R&B and number 27 pop showing in 1966, Banks' biggest ever.

Darrell Banks Is Here!Banks followed with Marc Gordon and Frank Wilson's "Somebody Somewhere Needs You" (a Motown song that wasn't originally or ever recorded by a Motown artist). Ike & Tina Turner first did the catchy romp on Loma Records (really just Tina, Ike's nowhere on the record). Banks' rendition charted at number 34 R&B and number 55 pop and provided chitlin' and the grits & gravy circuit work for the singer; it was his last chart record. The Revilot deal somehow switched to Atlantic Records' Atco division for two nonstarters: "Here Come the Tears" b/w "I've Got That Feelin'" and "Angel Baby (Don't Ever Leave Me)" b/w "Look into the Eyes of a Fool," both in 1967. Banks never issued an album on Revilot to commensurate the success of the hit single, but both Revilot singles were compiled on his 1967 Atco album Darrell Banks Is Here, as well as, both sides of the Atco singles and nuggets like "I'm Gonna Hang My Head and Cry" from the writing team of Rose Marie McCoy, Donald Bell, Cleveland Horne (the Fantastic Four), and Gene Redd who worked with Kool & the Gang on Delight Records. Atco switched him in-house to Cotillion Records for a final release "I Wanna Go Home" written by Fred Briggs (aka Coldwater Stone) and Don Davis, b/w "The Love of My Woman" in 1968. Revilot continued issuing singles on artists like the Parliarment, Rose Batiste, J. J. Barnes, and others without Doc Murphy's involvement. Changing cooks again, Banks signed with Stax Records' Volt division for two singles and an album issued in 1969. "I'm the One Who Loves" followed by the two-sided gem "Beautiful Feeling" and "No One Is Blinder (Than a Man in Love)" sold well but didn't create any overtime at Stax's pressing plants. The Dramatics later cut an equally stirring rendition of "Beautiful..." for their Dramatically Yours album.

Banks, an exciting entertainer, was often less than pleasant away from the footlights. He was moody, quick tempered and kept a "don't tread on me" Sonny Liston scowl on his face. Not the type of guy you approached with "wass up." Stax Records rattled his nerves when they compiled a song recorded by Steve Mancha on the Rare Stamps LP and credited it to him, which Banks considered an insult; both Mancha and Banks recorded the song, somebody just mixed them up, easy to do, since both singers, as well as J. J. Barnes sounded similar (especially since all were produced by Don Davis at the time). The original album featured just J. J. Barnes and Steve Mancha but a CD reissue added Banks' and his entire Stax LP Darrell Is Here to Stay, which included Banks' Johnnie Taylor sound alike "Don't Know What to Do," "Forgive Me," and the Mancha composition "I Could Never Hate Her."

Tragedy aborted Banks' recording output at seven singles and two albums. The man considered by many as soul's finest voice was shot dead March 1970 in Detroit by Aaron Bullock, an off duty policeman who was seeing Banks' woman (Marjorie Bozeman). He was waiting when Bullock dropped Bozeman off after work; when Banks grabbed her, Bullock intervened, Banks pulled a gun, and the officer reacted with deadly force ending Banks' four turbulent years as a recording artist/entertainer. Bozeman, a barmaid, allegedly was trying to leave Banks, who was divorced and the father of two kids.

Diehards will want to cop J. J. Barnes' The Groovesville Masters for the duet featuring Barnes and Banks entitled "Harder You Love." Goldmine Records released a compilation of Banks' two albums and three unreleased tracks: "I Will Fear No Evil," "I'm Knocking at Your Door," and "The Harder You Love," in 1997 entitled The Lost Soul which includes some unreleased tracks -- check it out. [AMG + Wikipedia]

01. Just Because Your Love Is Gone  3:31
02. Forgive Me 2:32
03. Only The Strong Survive  2:45
04. Don’t Know What To Do  2:20
05. When A Man Loves A Woman  3:04
06. We’ll Get Over  2:33
07. Beautiful Feeling  3:26
08. I Could Never Hate Her  2:06
09. Never Alone  2:44
10. No One Blinder (Than A Man Who Won’t See)  3:01
11. My Love Is Reserved  2:50
12. I'm The One Who Loves You  2:38

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Not to be missed: Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso - Darwin (Great Italian Progressive Rock 1972)

Size: 104 MB
Bitrate: 256
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Darwin! is the second album by Banco del Mutuo Soccorso. It was released in 1972 on Ricordi. It is a concept album about Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution.

The album is highly rated by progressive rock fans as one of the top albums in the genre.
Darwin! will remain Banco del Mutuo Soccorso's masterpiece. This album, the band's second, is the proud equal of Premiata Forneria Marconi's Per Un Amico and Le Orme's Felona e Sorona in the Italian progressive rock hall of fame. In Darwin!, every promise made by Banco's eponymous debut was realized. Vittorio Nocenzi's writing has flourished into complex songs blending Italian songwriting, bel canto, and progressive rock.

The arrival of guitarist Rodolfo Maltese crystallized the band's luxurious sound, all topped by Francesco Di Giacomo's operatic vocals. The majestic "L'Evoluzione" opens the album, providing some of the best moments ever recorded by this band (along with "Canto Nomade per un Prigioniero Politico"). "La Conquista Della Posizione Eretta" ("The Conquest of the Wrong Position") reproduces the same pattern as "Metamorphosi" from the first album: a frenetic instrumental theme, scaled down toward the end to let room for a very emotional verse. "La Danza de Grandi Rettili" is a rare jazzy number.

Di Giacomo shines on "750,000 Anni Fa...L'Amore?," a heart-wrenching ballad much closer to Italian pop music than progressive rock. The album comes to an end with "Ed Ora la Domando Tempo al Tempo," a short piece inspired by merry-go-round music. The original version of the album bears a cover with a pocket watch. Never satisfied with the sound quality of the original tapes, the band re-recorded the whole album in 1991 and issued it with blue cover artwork. Purists turned their back on this new version, but it is actually very well performed, even though it has lost the vintage 1970s Italian flavor.

This is a fantastic album and is solely responsible for introducing me to Italian symphonic prog. I decided to go out on a limb and challenge myself with something different long ago after hearing great things about this album. It starts off nice and slow with the epic l'evoluzione with some gentle yet ominous sounding synth and then it builds adding guitar and drums and other instruments before ascending to becoming a prog freakout. At this point I was immediately hooked and decided that BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO were a fantastic band and as the song went on I was amazed I had delayed for so long in listening to this and I was enthralled as the song traversed emotional and atmospheric landscapes through the dark to the grand to the contemplative to the uplifting and finally to the mellow yet fitting ending, a very underrated prog epic and the perfect song to start the album with although unfortunately not all the songs are as good.

Next up is la conquista della posizione eretta which is another great song, which within the confines of symphonic prog is a remarkably heavy piece with driving rythmn similar to zeuhl in a lot of ways and a brooding atmosphere (and great use of tympani) before near the end tapering off and becoming more mellow and melodic. From here the album lose a lot of steam unfortunately and it's mostly downhill from here to the jazzy laid back la danza dei grandi rettili to the more typical Italian prog of cento mani cento occhi to the emotive lamenting piano driven 750.000 anni fa...l'amore. The next song Miserere alla storia is another highlight of the album with more of the dark tones featured earlier on in the albums with some fantastic memorable melodies, unfortunately once again the album loses steam into the final song which is fairly uneventful. The good part though is that even though there is a fairly big disparity between the decent songs and the great songs the less prominent tracks all have some great bit in them and are fairly memorable

I like the instrumentation on this album a lot, the album is heavily reliant on synths, they the main meat and potatoes of the music and they are used very effectively from heavy distorted organ sounds to sawtooth sounds to vibraphone sounds to straight up piano with all kinds of different sounds in between, my favourite being during the middle quieter part of l'evoluzione. The guitar is fantastic, it's not dominant at all but it comes in at all the right times with a furious fuzz tone and there are several parts with some amazing harmonised guitar passages a lot of the time though it's well down in the mix and it's hard to know it's there - not that this is a particularly bad thing as this approach is perfectly suited to the music. The bass has a pretty good tone but I tended not to notice it much to be honest. The vocals are okay, I don't like the guy's voice very much but he suits the music and sings in tune and that's all I can ask for really it doesn't detract from the experience at all.[Source: Wikipedia, AMG, progarchives.com]

Personnel:
♦ Gianni Nocenzi - clarinet, piano, keyboards
♦ Pier Luigi Calderoni - drums, tympani
♦ Renato D'Angelo - bass, guitar, guitar (bass)
♦ Francesco DiGiacomo - vocals
♦ Vittorio Nocenzi - organ, synthesizer, keyboards, clavinet
♦ Marcello Todaro - guitar (acoustic), guitar, guitar (electric), vocals

01. L'Evoluzione (13:59)
02. La Conquista Della Posizione Eretta (8:42)
03. Danza Dei Grandi Rettili (3:42)
04. Cento Mani E Cento Occhi (5:22)
05. 750,000 Anni Fa ... L'Amore? (5:38)
06. Miserere Alla Storia (5:58)
07. Ed Ora Io Domando Tempo Al Tempo Ed Egli Mi Risponde ... Non Ne Ho! (3:29)

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Sandy Denny & The Strawbs - All Our Own Work (Great Folk UK 1967 + Alot of Bonus)

Size: 131 MB
Bitrate: 256
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
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Sandy Denny and the Strawbs is a compilation album of songs by Sandy Denny and Strawbs. The album is a reworking of tapes recorded by the band in Copenhagen in the July 1967. Tracks from those recordings were first released on the Pickwick budget label in 1973 under the name All Our Own Work. The track listing on this album is slightly different and some of the songs have the original string arrangements that also were recorded in 1967.

All Our Own Work is a studio album by Sandy Denny and the Strawbs. Recorded in 1967, but unreleased until 1973, it contains an early recording of one of Sandy Denny's best known songs "Who Knows Where the Time Goes". Denny later recorded this song as a member of Fairport Convention.

The master tapes have been remastered by Chris Tsangarides and sound fantastic, bringing out elements of the music we've never heard before on either the old Pickwick release in 1973 or the Hannibal release (Sandy And The Strawbs). And there are various demos and outtakes from the period, including two Dave Cousins songs "Indian Summer" and "The Falling Leaves" which have never before seen the light of day, and a version of "Pieces of 79 and 15" with a Cousins lead vocal.

All Our Own Work has always been a favourite of mine - I love the "Mamas And The Papas" style pop harmonies, particularly on "On My Way" and "All I Need Is You". And the version of Sandy's "Who Knows Wherer The Time Goes" (for me, preferably without added strings) is still the best version imaginable IMHO (Fairport fans may differ).

The first thing to say about this re-issue of this first album ever recorded by Sandy & the Strawbs is that the sound quality is superb. Despite having to work only from a two-track master (the original was only three tracks anyway!) Chris Tsangarides has done a brilliant job of remastering the recordings so that they sound totally fresh and vibrant, like you've never heard them before. Dave played me an early version when I was down in Deal in May for the Acoustics show, and I've since had the pleasure of access to an early promo copy of the released album. Parametric EQ has been applied to bring out each of the band's vocals, dealing along the way with some of the harshness of Sandy's voice on the original Pickwick release. And the instruments are much clearer and well defined. It's truly a joy to listen to, making one realise just how good those songs and performances were - what a shame they were not released at the time ....

The set brings together the recordings originally released as All Our Own Work in 1973 as well as versions of those songs with additional strings and instrumentation (Who Knows Where The Time Goes, Stay Awhile With Me, And You Need Me), some (if not all - need to check) of which were released on the Hannibal CD Sandy And The Strawbs. There's both recordings of "Nothing Else Will Do", one with Sandy taking lead vocal instead of Dave, and a take of "Tell Me What You See In Me" with sitar and tablas. And of course there's Sandy's early version of "Two Weeks Last Summer", and Dave singing on "I've Been My Own Worst Friend" and an early "Jimmy Wilson" - all outtakes from those 1967 sessions, rounded off by a frantic banjo instrumental "Strawberry Picking".

The three unreleased demos are of huge interest. Two unreleased Cousins' songs:

"Indian Summer" - a story song with an Eastern feel, relating the story of the family Duval when the daughter falls in love with an Asian guy of different status. Very much of the sixties period in which it was written, showing Cousins dealing early on with challenging themes and situations. Recorded at sessions held at Cecil SHarp House in North London, where Tony Hooper worked for a while (already plundered for the Boxed Set, for which "Not All The Flowers Grow" and "The Happiest Boy In Town" were selected)
"The Falling Leaves" - a very gentle Cousins piece, again from the Cecil Sharp House sessions.

And last but by no means least, a version of "Pieces Of 79 And 15" from those sessions with Dave taking the lead vocal, and an arrangement which also adds an Eastern tinge.

Well worth buying even for those who may have the original vinyl release (bootlegged on CD by a Spanish outfit) or the Hannibal/Joe Boyd CD - the sound quality alone makes this a compulsive purchase for any Strawbs or Sandy fan.

Personnel:
♣ Sandy Denny – lead vocals, backing vocals, guitar
♣ Dave Cousins – lead vocals, backing vocals, guitar, banjo
♣ Tony Hooper – lead vocals, backing vocals, guitar
♣ Ron Chesterman – double bass
♣ Ken Gudmand – drums
♣ Cy Nicklin – sitar
♣ Svend Lundvig - string arrangements

01. "Nothing Else Will Do" (Dave Cousins) – 2:25
02. "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" (Sandy Denny) – 4:09
03. "How Everyone But Sam Was a Hypocrite" (Cousins) – 2:48
04. "Sail Away to the Sea" (Cousins) – 3:23
05. "And You Need Me" (Cousins) – 3:18
06. "Poor Jimmy Wilson" (Cousins) – 2:35
07. "All I Need Is You" (Cousins) – 2:23
08. "Tell Me What You See in Me" (Cousins) – 3:41
09. "I've Been My Own Worst Friend" (Cousins) – 2:42
10. "On My Way" (Cousins) – 3:07
11. "Two Weeks Last Summer" (Cousins) – 2:06
12. "Always on My Mind" (Tony Hooper) – 1:53
13. "Stay while With Me" (Cousins) – 2:24

Bonus Tracks:
14. "Two Weeks Last Summer" (Cousins) (Sandy Denny lead vocal) – 2:18
15. "Nothing Else Will Do" (Cousins) (Sandy Denny lead vocal) – 2:13
16. "Tell Me What You See in Me" (Cousins) (with sitar and percussion) – 3:36
17. "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" (Denny) (original complete recording with string section) – 4:06
18. "Stay Awhile with Me" (Cousins) (original complete recording with string section) – 2:24
19. "And You Need Me" (Cousins) – 3:15
20. "I've Been My Own Worst Friend" (Cousins) – 2:37
21. "Poor Jimmy Wilson" (Cousins) – 2:32
22. "Strawberry Picking" (Cousins, Hooper) – 1:34
23. "Pieces of 79 and 15" (Cousins, Hooper) – 2:18
24. "The Falling Leaves" (Cousins) – 2:30
25. "Indian Summer" (Cousins) – 2:18

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Pink Floyd - Akademiska Föreningen Lund Sweden 1970 (Bootleg) (Sounsquality A)

Size: 231 MB
Bitrate: 320
mp3
Found in OuterSpace
Some Artwork

Great sound, everything comes through really clear, and there's no extraneous noise/chatter near the taper in the audience, to interfere with the listening experience. 

I'd definitely feel comfortable rating this show as an A. Their earlier tours (pre-Eclipsed) tend to get glossed over a little, since the material they performed isn't as legendary as their later works, which is a shame because these shows were just as tight and solid as the ones they did for The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and Animals.

Lund Master is the latest incarnation of one of the more interesting Pink Floyd tapes in circulation.  A high generation copy of this tape was used for the earliest release Atom Heart Moo Live (WPOCM 0390 F 048-2).  It was listed incorrectly, claiming to be the March 8th show in Birmingham.  But also the label completely ruined the tape with the NoNoise procedure and produced one of the worst Pink Floyd bootlegs to ever be released.  

Better sounding versions were issued including Interstellar Highlights (Orange Records FP-70-A/B) released in 2002, In The Lund Of Grey and Pink (Ayanami 132) on CDR and Lund Sweden 1970 (Flux And Reflux Music FARM 20507).  Sigma use the master cassette which surfaced several years ago.  The sound quality is not only an improvement over all previous releases, but can be considered to be one the best sounding tapes from their short European tour that spring.  It is very clear before a quiet audience and is very enjoyable.

When they toured England earlier in the year, Pink Floyd incorporated more numbers into their live repertoire including songs from their soundtrack More, songs from their own avant-grarde theater piece The Man And The Journeyand even a couple attempts at “Sysyphus” from Ummagumma.  But when they began their tour of continental Europe on March 11th in Offenbach, Germany, the set took on a standard form with numbers from their released albums, the unreleased song “The Embryo,” and their epic “Atom Heart Mother.”  The show in Lund, Sweden was the penultimate gig with the final show being at Tivolis Koncertsal in Copenhagen.

The show begins with Syd Barrett’s signature tune “Astronomy Domine,” a song that is so firmly rooted in their early days that it sounds archaic in the new decade.  It sounds close to the studio version as the band give a perfunctory performance, and it turns out to be the shortest song of the night at nine minutes.  “Careful With That Axe, Eugene” is introduced by Waters as a “track off our last album Ummagumma.”  The band sound much more interested in this song.  It’s fascinating to hear the instrumental taking its time to build.  The vocals, articulating the song’s title, is delivered in an evil monotone.  The latter half of the song hits a rare intensity in a tribal sounding beat  under the guitar, only to be answered by the tranquil keyboard melody.  It’s a very dramatic performance.  

The first set ends with “A Saucerful Of Secrets” which has a tense keyboard solo before Gilmour breaks the tension right before the “Syncopated Pandemonium” section.  Mason favors a strict military beat during “Storm Signal” before “Celestial Voices” ends the piece.   

Disc two contains the second set.  It cuts in with “The Embryo” and this performance is interesting for the extreme dynamism between the instrumental breaks and the vocals.  It sounds as if Waters and Wright join Gilmour on vocals, singing in unison.  There is no giggling children tape played in the middle, but rather it is dominated by the whale-song effect before Wright brings them into the final verse.  “Interstellar Overdrive” begins with an interesting and unique keyboard melody.  In the long improvisation Gilmour’s playing sounds very abstract, sounding very sixties, but at about the eleven minute mark becomes very melodic and having a catchy melody.

Wright dominates the middle improvisation during “Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun,” producing tense moments punctuated by Waters playing the melody on the bass guitar.  The show ends with their latest epic “Atom Heart Mother” which at this point was still called “The Amazing Pudding” (it wouldn’t receive its final title until July).  At nineteen minutes, it is close to its final form but is obviously performed without a brass and choir section.  

Gilmour plays an angular guitar solo during the ”Funky Dung” blues section in the middle before he essentially duets with Wright, who plays more fascinating melodies.  Hearing the two interact during the entire show is a wonderful experience.  Fortunately, because the taper paused the tape between songs, the whole epic is captured on tape.  

Lund Master is one of the best shows from this era, demonstrated not only by the number of releases throughout the years, but by the care taken to work with the original master to produce a definitive edition.  As usual Sigma produce very attractive artwork with good live shots on the inserts.  This is definitely an improvement over past releases and is worth having.   

Live at Akademiska Föreningens Stora Sal, Lund, Sweden, 1970 03 20
For Promotional Use Only.

Band:
* David Gilmour
* Nick Mason
* Roger Waters
* Richard Wright

Disc 1:
01. Astronomy Domine   9:23  
02. Careful With That Axe Eugene 11:23  
03. Cymbaline 10:00  
04. A Saucerful Of Secrets  13:09  
    
Disc 2: Time: 
01. Embryo    8:44  
02. Interstellar Overdrive 13:26  
03. Set The Controls  11:53  
04. Atom Heart Mother 18:29 

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Not to be missed!! Buster Brown - The New King of The Blues (Outstanding Blues US 1961)

Size: 115 MB
Bitrate: 256
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included
Source: Japan 24-Bit Remaster

Buster Brown (August 15, 1911 – January 31, 1976) was an American blues and R&B singer best known for his hit, "Fannie Mae".

Brown was born in Cordele, Georgia. In the 1930s and 1940s he played harmonica at local clubs and made a few non-commercial recordings. These included "I'm Gonna Make You Happy" (1943), which was recorded when he played at the folk festival at Fort Valley (GA) State Teachers College, and was recorded by the Library of Congress' Folk Music Archive.

Brown moved to New York in 1956, where he was discovered by Fire Records owner Bobby Robinson. In 1959, at almost fifty years of age, Brown recorded the rustic blues, "Fannie Mae", which featured Brown's harmonica playing and whoops, which went to # 38 in the U.S. Top 40, and to #1 on the R&B chart in April 1960. His remake of Louis Jordan's "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" reached # 81 on the pop charts later in 1960, but did not make the R&B chart. "Sugar Babe" was his only other hit, in 1962, reaching # 19 on the R&B chart and # 99 on the pop chart.

In later years he recorded for Checker Records and for numerous small record labels. He also co-wrote the song "Doctor Brown" with J. T. Brown, which was later covered by Fleetwood Mac on their 1968 album, Mr. Wonderful.

rown died in New York in 1976, at the age of 64. It is often erroneously cited that Brown's real name was "Wayman Glasco" - however, that was Brown's manager who, after his death, bought all of Brown's publishing - thus unintentionally creating the confusion. Though likely a nickname, or alias, Buster Brown may have been his birth name.

If blues musicians took up residency in Vegas during the late '50s, it might come out sounding like this. Brown's gleeful run through myriad blues related styles (gospel, R&B, doo wop, New Orleans, early rock & roll) casts a vaudevillian sheen over many of the 16 tracks here, placing the performance squarely in the realm of Louis Jordan's own showy style. The fact Brown had a very brief hour in the sun with his unexpected 1959 hit "Fannie Mae" further indicates his pop approach to blues probably was better suited to the lounges of the chitlin circuit than the main venues of blues and rock & roll. 

His almost perfunctory versions of war horses like "St. Louis Blues" and "Blueberry Hill" reveal the downside the situation. But he does have his moments, particularly when he plies a hard, Chicago blues groove à la Little Walter on cuts like "Don't Dog Your Woman"; his harmonica sound borrows from both Walter and Sonny Terry while his singing is punctuated with timely whoops taken straight from Terry's animated vocal style. Even with more than just a few bright moments here, the good amount of watered down material ultimately makes this Brown collection a secondary choice next to prime titles by Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Wynonie Harris, and even Big Jay McNeely.

01. Fannie Mae
02. John Henry
03. The Madison Shuffle
04. St. Louis Blues
05. When Things Go Wrong (It Hurts Me Too)
06. Lost in a Dream [False Start]
07. Lost in a Dream
08. Gonna Love My Baby
09. I Got the Blues When It Rains
10. Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby?
11. Don't Dog Your Woman
12. Blueberry Hill
13. Sincerely
14. I'm Goin', But I'll Be Back
15. Good News
16. Raise a Ruckus Tonight
17. Doctor Brown
18. Sugar Babe
19. No More
20. Fannie Mae [Alternate Take]
21. Raise a Ruckus Tonight [Alternate Version]

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Some Articles For The Day...

April 30, 1966 Article
(open picture in a new window for bigger size)

Ten Years After - Record Mirror January 1969
 (open picture in a new window for bigger size)

David Byron Article 1974
 (open picture in a new window for bigger size)

Al Kooper - Naked Songs (Good Album US 1973)

Size: 81.9 MB
Bitrate: 256
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included
Source: Japan 24-Bit Remaster

Naked Songs is the sixth and final album by singer-songwriter Al Kooper for Columbia Records, released in 1973.

A contract-fulfilling release, coming months after Kooper had set up the Sounds of the South label through MCA Records, it was quickly recorded at New York City's Record Plant (the first time Kooper had recorded in New York since 1970's Easy Does It) and at Studio One in Doraville, Georgia (where the following year Kooper would produce Lynyrd Skynyrd's smash hit "Sweet Home Alabama").

Mixing a heavier dose of gospel into the mix and the Arp synthesizer, Kooper effortlessly blended soul, rhythm and blues, rock, country and pop music much as he had on all of his Columbia albums.

Naked Songs represents the other end of Al Kooper's early career from I Stand Alone. Where that first album was recorded very gradually at the outset of his solo career, soon after exiting Blood, Sweat & Tears, Naked Songs was a much more cohesive work (cut in New York and Georgia) from the end of his stay at Columbia Records. Ironically, it was a contractually obligated album, but never one to throw away an opportunity, Kooper embraced soul, gospel, blues, pop, and even country music in the course of filling its two sides. 

Playing his usual array of instruments, including loud, note-bending blues guitar and gospel-tinged organ on "As the Years Go Passing By," he effortlessly switches gears to the smoother pop-soul sound of "Jolie," then straight country with a blues tinge on "Blind Baby." John Prine's grim and uncompromising "Sam Stone" gets an extraordinary performance, but the real surprise is the presence of Sam Cooke's Soul Stirrers-era gospel classic "Touch the Hem of His Garment" -- the latter is one of a pair of Cooke songs (the other is "A Change Is Gonna Come") that one would not expect any white artist to try and cover, much less do well, but Kooper does it justice and then some, and this track alone is worth the price of the album. 

The album benefits from the fact that Kooper had spent a good chunk of the prior year working with the Atlanta Rhythm Section (which appears here) as well as discovering Lynyrd Skynyrd. Naked Songs may have been intended mostly to get him out of his Columbia contract, but it proved a highlight of his career as well as his last new recording for four years. Naked Songs was reissued in Japan in 2003 in a mini-LP jacket format in state-of-the-art 24-bit digital audio

01. "(Be Yourself) Be Real" – 3:26
02. "As the Years Go Passing By" (Don Robey) – 6:03
03. "Jolie" – 3:48
04. "Blind Baby" – 3:07
05. "Been and Gone" (Annette Peacock) – 2:35
06. "Sam Stone" (John Prine) – 4:41
07. "Peacock Lady" – 3:22
08. "Touch the Hem of His Garment" (Sam Cooke) – 4:04
09. "Where Were You When I Needed You" (Irwin Levine, Kooper) – 3:12
10. "Unrequited" – 2:52

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Netherland Single 1973

Fleetwood Mac - Then Play On (Great Blues Album UK 1969)

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Source: Japan SHM-CD Remaster

Then Play On is the third studio album by blues-rock band Fleetwood Mac, first released in September 1969. It was the first of their original albums to feature Danny Kirwan and the last with Peter Green. Jeremy Spencer did not feature on the album apart from "a couple of piano things" (according to Mick Fleetwood in Q magazine in 1990). The record, appearing after the group's sudden success in the pop charts, offered a broader stylistic range than the classic blues of the group's first two albums. The title is taken from Duke Orsino's opening line, "If music be the food of love, play on," from William Shakespeare's comedy play Twelfth night.

This was the band's first release with Warner/Reprise after being lured away from Blue Horizon and a one-off with Immediate Records. Forty years on, Fleetwood Mac remain with Warner. The album, which at its original UK release had an unusually long running time, has been released with four different song line-ups.

The painting used for the cover of the album is "Domesticated Mural Painting", by the English artist Maxwell Armfield. It was featured in the February 1917 edition of The Countryside magazine, which states that the mural was originally designed for the dining room of a London mansion.

This Peter Green-led edition of the Mac isn't just an important transition between their initial blues-based incarnation and the mega-pop band they became, it's also their most vital, exciting version. The addition of Danny Kirwan as second guitarist and songwriter foreshadows not only the soft-rock terrain of "Bare Trees" and "Kiln House" with Christine Perfect-McVie, but also predicts Rumours. That only pertains to roughly half of the also excellent material here, though; the rest is quintessential Green. 

The immortal "Oh Well," with its hard-edged, thickly layered guitars and chamber-like sections, is perhaps the band's most enduring progressive composition. "Rattlesnake Shake" is another familiar number, a down-and-dirty, even-paced funk, with clean, wall-of-sound guitars. Choogling drums and Green's fiery improvisations power "Searching for Madge," perhaps Mac's most inspired work save "Green Manalishi," and leads into an unlikely symphonic interlude and the similar, lighter boogie "Fighting for Madge." A hot Afro-Cuban rhythm with beautiful guitars from Kirwan and Green on "Coming Your Way" not only defines the Mac's sound, but the rock aesthetic of the day. 

Of the songs with Kirwan's stamp on them, "Closing My Eyes" is a mysterious waltz love song; haunting guitars approach surf music on the instrumental "My Dream"; while "Although the Sun Is Shining" is the ultimate pre-Rumours number someone should revisit. Blues roots still crop up on the spatial, loose, Hendrix-tinged "Underway," the folky "Like Crying," and the final outcry of the ever-poignant "Show Biz Blues," with Green moaning "do you really give a damn for me?" Then Play On is a reminder of how pervasive and powerful Green's influence was on Mac's originality and individual stance beyond his involvement. Still highly recommended and a must-buy after all these years, it remains their magnum opus.

Personnel
♦ Peter Green – vocals, guitar, harmonica, six string bass, violoncello on "Oh Well, Pt. 2"
♦ Danny Kirwan – vocals, guitar
♦ John McVie – bass guitar
♦ Mick Fleetwood – drums, percussion
♦ Jeremy Spencer – piano on "Oh Well" (Pt.2)
  Additional Uncredited Personnel
♦ Christine Perfect – piano
♦ Big Walter Horton – harmonica

01. "Coming Your Way" (Kirwan) – 3:47
02. "Closing My Eyes" (Green) – 4:50
03. "Showbiz Blues" (Green) – 3:50
04. "My Dream" (Kirwan) – 3:30
05. "Underway" (Green) – 2:51
06. "Oh Well" (Green) – 8:56
07. "Although the Sun Is Shining" (Kirwan) – 2:31
08. "Rattlesnake Shake" (Green) – 3:32
09. "Searching for Madge" (McVie) – 6:56
10. "Fighting for Madge" (Fleetwood) – 2:45
11. "When You Say" (Kirwan) – 4:22
12. "Like Crying" (Kirwan) – 2:21
13. "Before the Beginning" (Green) – 3:28

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Article of the day...

Captain Beyond Article
August 1972

Osanna - Milano Calibro 9 (Progressive Rock Italy 1972)

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OSANNA is classic seventies Italian prog. The basis of their sound is original heavy guitar rock often in combination with amazing flute solos. Additionally, more spacey, Pink Floydian parts and quiet interludes with acoustic guitar and flute can be heard as well. There are plenty of mood changes and surprises that make this music very dynamic and interesting. 

Their first three are masterpieces in their own right. The superb "L'Uomo" in which heavy rock and spacey jazz are only a few of the styles included, the soundtrack "Milano Calibro 9" and their best "Palepoli" which is so bizarre and complex, beginners may be too dazzled by the array of styles presented. "Palepoli" covers a wide range of styles, moods, and tempo variations, and OSANNA handle these diverse modes of playing superbly. This eponymus masterpiece can be compared to BANCO DEL SOCCORSO or PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI An ultimate classic!

Back in February 1995, I was in Eugene, Oregon at the Eugene Hilton. There was a record convention being held there. It was quite an event, because unlike record stores, I kept running in to people I never knew where I was openly able to talk music to them (because the event seemed to consist of more serious collectors, rather than college kids who, at the time, thought that music began and ended with Kurt Cobain). While there, I noticed an OSANNA album, having been already amazed with "Palepoli", I snatched this earlier release, "Milano Calibro 9". It was an American release on the Peters International label. It was released in 1973, a year after the original Italian release. I also got it for cheap (something you can't always say of Italian prog LPs, unless it was American pressings of PFM albums).

On this album, the band matured quite a bit. Where on "L'Uomo", it was a combination of hard rock, blues, jazz, folk, and prog, on this album, they were able to combine those styles in a more mature and progressive framework. And this time, it's a soundtrack to a film. But despite the trippy artwork on the album cover that might make you think "Milano Calibro 9" was an art film, it was actually apparently a mob film (for one thing, "Calibro 9" translates as "Caliber 9", so you know right it way it has to deal with a gun). The band incorporates an orchestra, conducted by Argentine-born Luis Enriquez Bacalov (who was previously responsible for NEW TROLLS' "Concerto Grosso Per 1" and later IL ROVESCIO DELLA MEDAGLIA's "Contaminazione"). The American LP has all the song titles in English (so instead of "Preludio", "Tema", several "Variazioni"s, and "Canzona", they are "Prelude", "Theme", "Variations" and "There Will Be Time").

The album starts off with "Theme", which starts off with a bizarre sounding ARP 2600 synthesizer. There is some classical piano, the orchestra, then the band kicks in to a mindblowing jam. "Tema" ("Theme") is a more mellow, and pleasant piece, dominated by piano, orchestra, and ARP 2600 synthesizer. Nice piece. Then the album goes through several pieces entitled "Varazioni" (divided by roman numerals I-VII). These movements goes through many different moods and changes, although most of them are quite short. The second movement is also called "My Mind Flies". This is one of only two cuts with vocals. The band chose to sing in English, but as you know, the English language isn't the high point of these guys. Luckily it's stuffed with lots of bizarre, atmospheric and acoustic pieces, with that great flute, and more great loud, aggressive jams. The last piece, "Canzona" is also called "There Will Be Time". This is not a particularly progressive piece. This is the album's only other vocal track, and it's a pretty straightforward pop song, as seemed to be the common occurance on many Italian prog albums.

My big complaint of the album is I wished for lengthier compositions (luckily they fixed that problem with "Palepoli"), because I like the mood of many of the pieces, just wished it lasted longer. But I guess that had to deal with the fact this is a movie soundtrack. Still a great album.

Personnel
- Elio D'anna / flute, piccolo, tenor sax, baritone sax 
- Lino Vairetti / vocals, 12 string guitar, harmonica, hammond              organ,synthesizer   
- Danilo Rusici / guitar, 12 string guitar, pipe organ, electronics 
- Lello Brandi / bass 
- Massimo Guarino / drums

01. Prelude (4:10) 
02. Tema (4:50) 
03. Variatione 1 (2:15) 
04. Variatione 2 (4:58) 
05. Variatione 3 (1:38) 
06. Variatione 4 (1:31) 
07. Variatione 5 (2:10) 
08. Variatione 6 (2:49) 
09. Variatione 7 (1:28) 
10. Canzona (4:54) 

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Blind Faith Review

Bröselmascine - Selftitled (German Folkprog 1969)

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Inspired by the American folk music of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Phil Ochs and Joni Mitchell, German master of acoustic guitar Peter Bursch formed the first line-up of BROSELMASCHINE back in 1968 alongwith flautist/vocalist Jenni Schucker - a female singer with an irresistible whispy voice - Willi Kissmer on vocals, guitars and zither, Lutz Ringer on metallaphon and bass, and Mike Hellbach on congas, tabla and mellotron. Although many tracks bear German names, almost all are sung in English. The quintet disbanded after a first album in 1971 and Bursch, keeping only guitarist Kissmer from the original line-up, pursued his musical endeavours under the name of PETER BURSCH UND DIE BROSELMASCHINE, joined by percussionist Mani Neumeier (GURU GURU), drummer Jan Fride (KRAAN) and three other musicians.

Their eponymous LP is definitely their best: a wonderful acoustic album full of finesse of subtle Indian, Middle-Eastern flavour (sitar, tabla, flute) as well as Irish/Scottish traditional folk (mandolin, multi-voice harmonies). Their second album, released under the moniker PETER BURSCH UND DIE BROSELMASCHINE, unfortunately doesn't even come close to the first. In spite of its decidedly folk flavour and many guest appearances, it is altogether different and less inspired, putting the emphasis on Bursch's acoustic guitar techniques (although Kissmer's electric guitar steals the show at times).

For fans of EMTIDI, early HOELDEERLIN or other such cosmic folk bands, the first BROSELMASCHINE album is a breath of fresh air.

 This is one of those rather obscure gems that is probably more folk than progressive, but the interplay of Celtic and Middle Eastern sounds atop a bed of what almost sound like Peter, Paul and Mary covers makes for a very charming album and a good use of a little more than a half-hour of your time.
Bröselmaschine was basically a one-shot German band who seem to have been heavily inspired by American folk singers of the sixties, plus featured the stunningly gorgeous and folksy vocals and flute of one Jenni Schucker. Amazingly Schucker doesn’t seem to have appeared on anything after this release.

This album was impossible to find for decades until it was reissued on CD in 2005. I just read this week that Akarma is releasing this on domestic CD in December 2007. I have the Ohr German import version that was released a couple years ago, which was the only other CD version I’m aware of. I don’t know if the Akarma release has the same tracks as this one or has some bonus material, so I will have to check into that one. But since Peter Bursch’s material after this release is generally considered inferior I’d be surprised if any bonus material amounted to much.

The tracks don’t range too far from my opening description, with the exception of the lengthy “Schmetterling” which does manage to blur the line between Middle Eastern-inspired folk (sitar, flute, zither, metallophon – you get the idea) and full-blown psych. There is even an extended flute solo that places this album squarely at the end of the flower-power era.

The rest of the album is much closer to rather tame hippy folk, although the presence of the zither, congas and tabla do manage to give the remaining tracks a bit of a dated sound.

On “The Old Man's Song” Schucker manages to come off sounding a bit like Grace Slick circa Jefferson Airplane’s Surrealistic Pillow days. This isn’t really a psych number though, as much as it is a rather intense folk piece accented with a light touch of slightly psych-and-blues guitar, tabla and the ever-present zither. Albums like Joe Byrd’s American Metaphysical Circus and the Comfortable Chair’s self-titled release also come to mind. [progarchives.com]

Personell:
- Jenni Schucker - vocals, flute, shells
- Willi Kismer - vocals, guitars, zither
- Lutz Ringer - metallophon, bass
- Mike Hellbach - congas, tabla, spoons, mellotron
- Peter Bursch - vocals, acoustic guitar, sitar, flute

01. Gedanken (5:06)
02. Lassie (traditional) (5:06)
03. Gitarrenstuck (2:03)
04. The Old Man's Song (5:26)
05. Schmetterling (9:31)
06. Nossa Boba (8:06)

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