Mott The Hoople - Live (Great Live Performance UK 1974 + Bonus Tracks)

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Mott The Hoople Live is a 1974 album by British band Mott the Hoople. A remastered and expanded 30th Anniversary Edition was released by Sony BMG on the Columbia label (516051). The release of the album in its original form in 1974 coincided with the announcement of the band's demise and it was, therefore, their final release. It was a single disc album in its original format but the addition of thirteen extra tracks has seen it expand to a double CD package.

By 1974, Mott the Hoople was quite possibly the greatest concert band in the world, a blur of high-energy rock, high content poetics, and high camp costuming — Ian Hunter the tough guy in leather and shades; Ariel Bender the street kid, all satin hat flash; Overend Watts, the freakoid in skyscraper thigh boots; and a live show which out-dressed the lot of them. If any band deserved a live album, it was Mott. And if any live album failed to deliver, it was this one. Today, the album's deficiencies seem less severe. 

Though the band's Bender era remains considerably less well-documented than the earlier Mick Ralphs period, still live material has poured out from a variety of sources, from the Shades of Ian Hunter compilation to the All the Young Dudes box set, and onto the spring 2001 reissue of Bender's own Floodgates solo album (an excellent version of "Here Comes the Queen"). 

There's even a quasi-legal fan club release for the 1974 King Biscuit broadcast which remains the highpoint of the band's live career. Live, however, remains the only official document of the glory, and the problems commence on the back cover — a great shot of the band performing "Marionette" on a stage hung with puppets, when the song itself is nowhere in sight. Two shows recorded five months and two continents apart (London's Hammersmith Odeon in December 1973; New York's Uris Theater in May 1974) are highlighted by just seven songs and one medley. 

The hits "All the Young Dudes" and "All the Way From Memphis," of course, are present, but the remainder of the track list is bizarre to say the least — the ballads "Rest in Peace" and "Rose" were British B-sides only, while "Sucker," "Walking With a Mountain," and "Sweet Angeline" were never much more than filler on their own original albums (Dudes, Mad Shadows, and Brain Capers, respectively). 

The medley is mightier, spanning both Mott's own history, and rock & roll's in general — who, after all, would deny the band their own exalted place in the lineage which stretches from "Whole Lotta Shakin'" to "Get Back" and beyond (the uncredited snatch of Bowie's "Jean Genie")? But even here, one cannot help but think more must have happened that night than a breakneck assault on a handful more cuts — and sure enough, it did. The Hammersmith show was the night when the management tried to halt the gig during the closing number, and wound up causing a riot. 

Single 1971

The liner notes remember it well, but the "Mountain" here was found in New York. It is a great album in its own way, the band are in terrific form, and Bender plays the guitar hero better than anyone else of his entire generation. But Mott gigs, like their albums, were about more than simple snapshots — that was what made the band so important, that's what made their music so memorable. And that's what the fearfully episodic Live completely overlooks. 

CD1 Broadway

01.Intro - "Jupiter" from "The Planets" (Holst) – 0:46

02."American Pie"/ "The Golden Age of Rock'n'Roll" (McLean / Hunter) – 4:16

03."Sucker" (Hunter, Ralphs, Watts) – 5:59

04."Roll Away the Stone" / "Sweet Jane" (Hunter / Reed) – 3:52

05."Rest in Peace" (Griffin, Hunter, Watts) – 6:01

06."All the Way from Memphis" (Hunter) – 5:02

07."Born Late '58" (Watts) – 4:51

08."One of the Boys" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 5:32

09."Hymn for the Dudes" (Allen, Hunter) – 5:46

10."Marionette" (Hunter) – 5:04

11."Drivin' Sister" / "Crash Street Kidds" / "Violence" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 9:06

12."All the Young Dudes" (Bowie) – 3:49

13."Walking with a Mountain" (Hunter) – 4:54

CD2 Hammersmith

01.Intro - "Jupiter" from "The Planets" (Holst) – 0:46

02."Drivin' Sister" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 3:51

03."Sucker" (Hunter, Ralphs, Watts) – 6:03

04."Sweet Jane" (Reed) – 5:10

05."Sweet Angeline" (Hunter) – 6:47

06."Rose" (Buffin, Hunter, Ralphs,...) – 4:42

07."Roll Away the Stone" (Hunter) – 3:31

08."All the Young Dudes" (Bowie) – 3:53

09."Jerkin' Crocus" / "One of the Boys" / "Rock'n'Roll Queen" / "Get Back" / "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On" / "Violence" (David, Hunter, Lennon, McCartney, Ralphs, Williams) – 16.16

10."Walking with a Mountain" (Hunter) – 9:09

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Various Artist - The Warner-Reprise 'Looney Tunes' (US 1970)

Who’s Your Music Daddy??

Probably one of the more fondly remembered releases in the Loss Leader series… for those who acted fast enough to snag one, anyway. A big, colorful, 3LP box set, with some of the era’s best new music, all for 3 bucks… postage paid! 

It lavishly spoke to the inherent greed in all record collectors and music lovers. And just look at that track list. There’s barely an unknown name or non-classic in the bunch (well, a few… but not many). As usual, the liner notes are a great read from a historical perspective, as Warners reports that the “recently emerged” Black Sabbath (with singer John Osbourne) “has made our sales department very happy.” 

And an advance, non-LP single from The Faces (“Real Good Time”) isn’t even officially penciled in for the band’s next album yet. One record that caught my attention is John Simon’s album (that’s the name of it, by the way, John Simon’s Album). The famed producer for Big Brother, BS&T, Leonard Cohen, The Band and a slew of others, is joined by Leon Russell, Jim Gordon and Delaney Bramlett for his 1970 debut LP. 

To illustrate the Loss Leaders series’ grand design, I immediately went online to find a copy of it. Of course, that’s not exactly what Warners had in mind back in the 70s, but the concept’s mojo is still working its magic. As mentioned previously on #5 Schlagers!, Looney Tunes And Merrie Melodies claims it’s the 4th release in the series, but the catalog number (PRO423) suggests it was actually the 7th release, so until we find some definitive answers about the actual release order, you’ll have to take our numbering-by-catalog number system with a grain of salt.

Unfortunately, none of Warners’ artwork or liners after this point offer any specifics regarding numbering or running order, so apparently even WB gave up making any linear/numerical sense of the series by this point.

Side 1: 5.5 Richter and Above

01. FM Radio Spot It’s The Plastic (1:03)

02. Faces Real Good Time (5:52)
03. Black Sabbath Paranoid (2:48)
04. Little Feat Strawberry Flats (2:22)
05. Hard Meat Smile As You Go Under (3:04)
06. Fleetwood Mac Tell Me All The Things You Do (4:13)
07. Jimi Hendrix Stepping Stone (4:15)

Side 2: Resident Writers and Reapers Of Wry Kudos
01. John Simon The Elves’ Song (4:31)
02. Ry Cooder Alimony (2:56)
03. Randy Newman Let’s Burn Down The Cornfield (3:02)
04. Gordon Lightfoot Me And Bobby McGee (3:42)
05. Jimmy L. Webb P. F. Sloan (4:05)
06. Performance Soundtrack (Jack Nitzsche) Harry Flowers (4:03)

Side 3: Breadwinners and Other Staples
01. FM Radio Spot Chip Dip (1:02)
02. Little Richard I Saw Her Standing There (3:29)
03. The Grateful Dead Sugar Magnolia (3:17)
04. Van Morrison Call Me Up In Dreamland (3:54)
05. The Kinks Apeman (3:52)
067. Arlo Guthrie Valley To Pray (2:47)
07. The Beach Boys It’s About Time (3:01)

Side 4: California Antacid Rock
01. The Youngbloods It’s A Lovely Day (2:37)
02. Jeffrey Cain Houndog Turkey (2:51)
03. Lovecraft Love Has Come To Me (3:05)
04. Sweetwater Just For You (9:39)

Side 5: Avant and National Guard
01. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band Lick My Decals Off, Baby (2:39)
02. The Mothers Of Invention Directly From My Heart To You (5:18)
03. Alice Cooper Return Of The Spiders (4:30)
04. Frank Zappa Would You Go All The Way? (2:30)
05. Beaver and Krause Spaced (3:51)
06. Pearls Before Swine The Jeweler (2:46)

Side 6: Electric Jesus
01. Beaver and Krause Sanctuary (1:46)
02. James Taylor Lo And Behold (2:35)
03. Harpers Bizarre If We Ever Needed The Lord Before (2:56)
04. Van Dyke Parks On The Rolling Sea When Jesus Speak To Me (2:28)
05. The Persuasions It’s All Right (3:28)
06. Turley Richards I Heard The Voice Of Jesus (6:59)

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Various Artist - The Warner-Reprise 'Record Show' (US 1969)

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Warner Bros. Records was one of the hippest and most progressive record companies on the West Coast in the late 1960s. In order to accurately target their consumers, as well as to introduce a great many cool records, they created an ingenious series of budget-priced sampler albums. 1969 Record Show was the first of these efforts, and easily one of the finest. Over thirty artists spread out over two LPs and priced at a then-very comfortable $2.00, this release introduced a whole lot of people to the fun, freewheeling creative spirit that defined the Burbank offices. Many high-quality sides -- from Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Van Dyke Parks, Jethro Tull, and the Pentangle to Ella Fitzgerald and Fats Domino -- provide an excellent representation of a company that cared about its artists as well as its customers.

Another one from the US  Warner Bros. "Loss Leader" serie (concept referring to a sales strategy where an item is sold under marketing cost to promote more profitable articles - in this case single samplers for $1, doubles for $2 and triples for $3). This 2-LP set was the second of thirtythree such from the label issued between 1969-80. The four sides each present a theme - country style, soft pop, mixed pop and what they call "Hippie Creep Rock'n'Roll" - showing on the label's amazing musical width at the time. 

Here's the whole spectra - from non household acts as Mothers Of Invention, Fugs, Grateful Dead and Mephistopheles over contemporary teen idol names like KInks, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Peter Paul & Mary and Jimi Hendrix to older artists Ella Fitzgerald, Fats Domino and Everly Brothers. 

All high quality so no need for the acceptive music lover to jump tracks - just turn sides and take it in. You also get a couple of rare cuts. As far as I know Geoff & Maria Muldaur's "All Bowed Down" and Hamilton Camp's "Star Spangled Bus" have remanied unissued otherwise and this may still be the only place for them. Everly Brothers "Empty Boxes" was a 45 only cut. Kinks "Nothing To Say" from the "Arthur" album is presented as mono on the info sheets (explained by - "...that's the only kind of tape we got from Granada TV, which commissioned the project"). 

The cut here is the mono version, but slightly enhanced for better width. Pressing the mono button narrows it down a little, but whichever you choose it sounds better than the one on the UK "Arthur" mono album. Fats Domino's cover of Everybody*s Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey" also an enhanced mono version - probably from the 45 edit. Rare or not there's enough here to get me through the day -checking track history, reminicing and enjoying all the good music. Audio shifts a little depending on original recordings, but it's pleasant listening all through. First had label as shown here, thick glossy fold/out cover with info sheets and custom artist pic inners. 

The multi-page Loss Leaders inserts are a fantastic read… quick, irreverent andto the point, holding lots of surprises in the form of composers, producers andauxiliary musicians. At the time of its release, in 1969, all this was merely informative. Now it’s more like a history book, alerting us to hidden tidbits like; session guitarist Louie Shelton’s offering is produced by Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart; The Blue Velvet Band features members Eric Weissberg and Sea Train’s Richard Greene; and those spoken word excerpts from Joni Mitchell are from a Carnegie Hall concert. 

The liners also take the hot air out of the typical promotional hype usually associated with record labels. Like this excerpt regarding Van Dyke Parks: “We’ve discovered that people either dig Van wildly or find him, as one disgruntled ad-reader and self-appointed critic put it, ‘pretentious and boring.’ Make up your own mind. In the face of the unbelievable commercial failure of Song Cycle, Van has been keeping himself busy by composing

music for commercials, rather like Buckminster Fuller tightening bolts in an aircraft factory.” Edited tracks from The Grateful Dead and David Blue, as well as non-LP tracks, b-sides and mono versions from Geoff & Maria Muldaur, The Everly Brothers and The Kinks are included. And, yes… that’s Theodore Bikel (of Frank Zappa’s 200 Motels fame, not to mention “seventeen albums of exotic folk songs”) tackling The Beatles’ “Piggies” 

Warner/Reprise's Country & Western, Cowboy Provincial, And Twangy Americana Side; Or Jumpin' On The Country Bandwagon With Warner/Reprise

01. Neil Young (With Crazy Horse)* – Cinnamon Girl  Written-By – Neil Young  02:58

02. The Grateful Dead – Doin' That Rag (abridged)  Written-By – Garcia*, Lesh*, Hunter*  02:20

03. Geoff Muldaur & Maria Muldaur – All Bowed Down  Written-By – Geoff Gutcheon* 02:42

04. The Everly Brothers* – Empty Boxes  Written-By – Ron Elliot*  02:40

05. Doug Kershaw – Son Of A Louisiana Man  Written-By – Doug Kershaw  02:14

06. David Blue– Atlanta Farewell (abridged)  Written-By – David Blue  01:47

07. Arlo Guthrie – Every Hand In The Land  Written-By – Arlo Guthrie  02:19

08. The Blue Velvet Band – Weary Blues From Waitin' Written-By – Hank Williams  03:02

Warner/Reprise's Soft Arty Underbelly Side: A Collection Of Unamplified And Other Delights

09. Theo Bikel* – Piggies  Written-By – George Harrison  03:16

10. Joni Mitchell – My American Skirt (live)  00:40

11. Joni Mitchell – The Fiddle And The Drum  Written-By – Joni Mitchell  02:45

12. John Renbourn – Transfusion  Written-By – Charles Lloyd  01:58

13. Bert Jansch – Poison  Written-By – Bert Jansch  03:13

14. The Pentangle* – Once I Had A Sweetheart Written-By – Jansch*, Thompson*, McShee*, Renbourn*, Cox* 04:40

15. Joni Mitchell – Spoony's Wonderful Adventure (live) 00:40

16. Peter, Paul & Mary – Going To The Zoo  Written-By – Tom Paxton  03:09

The Many Faces Of  Pop

01. Sweetwater – Day Song  Written-By – Nansi Nevins  01:45

02. Louie Shelton – A Walk In The Country  Written-By – Louie Shelton  01:58

03. Lorraine Ellison – Stay With Me  Written-By – George Weiss*, Jerry Ragovoy  03:29

04. Van Dyke Parks – Music For Ice Capades TV Commercial  Written-By – Van Dyke Parks  02:00

05. Randy Newman – Yellow Man  Written-By – Randy Newman  02:13

06. Pearls Before Swine – These Things Too  Written-By – Tom Rapp 03:24

07. Hamilton Camp – Star Spangled Bus  Written-By – J. D. Souther*  02:34

08. Ella Fitzgerald – The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game  Written-By – Wm. Robinson*  02:55

The Irreverent Hippie-Creep And Rock 'N' Roll Side

09. The Fugs – Yodellin' Yippie  Written-By – Ed Sanders  02:14

10. The Mothers – Electric Aunt Jemima  Written-By – Frank Zappa  01:58

11. Jethro Tull – Fat Man  Written-By – Ian Anderson  02:48

12. Mephistopheles (3) – Take A Jet  Written-By – Siller*, Tackett*, Mosher*, Simone  02:39

13. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Stone Free  Written-By – Jimi Hendrix  03:33

14. The Kinks – Nothing To Say  Written-By – Ray Davies  03:15

15. Fats Domino – Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey  Written-By – John Lennon and Paul McCartney*  02:30 

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The Spaniels - Selftitled (Vee-Jay R&B US 1960)

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The story of how the Spaniels came to prominence begins in late 1952, when lead singer Hudson was convinced by four of his Roosevelt High classmates -- Ernest Warren (first tenor), Opal Courtney, Jr. (baritone), Willie Jackson (second tenor), and Gerald Gregory (bass) to join them for a school talent show. 

They had debuted as Pookie Hudson and the Hudsonaires for the Christmas show and fared so well they decided to continue. Not wanting to join the bird group club (Orioles, Ravens, etc.), they decided on the name Spaniels.

In the spring, the group visited the local record shop owned by James and Vivian Bracken, who had begun developing a record label called Vee-Jay Records. They soon moved their operation to Chicago, in a garage off 47th Street (later they would relocate to offices at 1449 South Michigan Avenue). The Spaniels were one of the first two artists signed to the label (the other was blues guitarist Jimmy Reed). On May 5, 1953, the Spaniels recorded "Baby It's You," released in July. On September 5, "Baby" hit number ten on the national R&B best-seller charts.

The Spaniels' next session produced additional singles, including "Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight," which took off in March 1954, but it took about six months for the record to break nationally, charting at number five on the R&B charts. Its success prompted the McGuire Sisters to cover it for the "white" market, stealing a lot of the Spaniels' thunder when their version landed in the Top Ten (number seven).

The Spaniels' next single, "Let's Make Up," earned more for songwriter Hudson as someone else's B-side when it appeared on the flip of the Top 20 hit "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" (number 14, 1955). On June 11, 1954, the Spaniels made the first of numerous appearances at the Apollo Theatre and began touring the greater Midwest. Another single, "You Painted Pictures," reached number 13 R&B in October.

After Opal Courtney, Jr. was drafted, Vee-Jay A&R man and Spaniels producer Calvin Carter was pressed into service during their road trips for a few months until James "Dimples" Cochran took over permanently. 

Shortly thereafter, Ernest Warren was drafted and the group continued recording as a quartet. Two subsequent Spaniels singles failed to connect. Disappointed, Pookie Hudson and Willie Jackson both decided to leave the group. 

The Spaniels bravely continued on, with Carl Rainge (lead), Gerald Gregory (bass), James Cochran (baritone), and Don Porter (second tenor). This contingent lasted for only one single until Pookie rejoined.

In April 1957, Vee-Jay released the first full-length album, Goodnight, It's Time to Go. By mid-summer, the group was back to turning out terrific singles. Incidentally, around this same time Hank Ballard (of Hank Ballard & the Midnighters) had just re-written the Drifters' 1955 number two pop hit "What'cha Gonna Do" -- already a revision of an old gospel tune, "What're You Going to Do" -- and offered his rewrite, called "The Twist," to the Spaniels, but they passed on it. 

It later became a number one hit for Ernest Evans, who recorded it under the name Chubby Checker.

By 1960, the Spaniels were Hudson, Ernest Warren, Gerald Gregory, Bill Carey, and Andy McGruder (former lead of the Five Blue Notes). They recorded the group's last Vee-Jay single "I Know" in 1960; it reached number 23 R&B that summer. Meanwhile, Vee-Jay Records issued a second full-length album.

01. I Know  02:15

02. Bus Fare Home  02:39

03. One-Hundred Years From Today  02:27

04. Crazy Baby  02:11

05. Heart And Soul  02:38

06. Stormy Weather  02:30

07. Everyone's Laughing  02:52

08. Little Joe  02:33

09. The Posse  02:19

10. So Deep Within  02:48

11. Baby Sweets  02:14

12. I Lost You  02:40

Bonus Tracks

13. Goodnight, It's Time To Go (Goodnight Sweetheart, Goodnight)  02:42

14. Bounce  02:06

15. Baby It's You  02:33

16. Jesse Mae  02:28

17. Hey Sister Lizzie  02:10

18. You Painted Pictures  02:25

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The Spirit of Christmas - Lies to Live By (ProgRock Canada 1974)

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In 1969, Bob BRYDEN (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Rich RICHTER (drums, percussion), Robert BULGER (lead guitar), and Tyler RAIZENNE (bass) joined forces in Oshawa, Ontario to become a band known as CHRISTMAS. After releasing two psychedelic albums under that name, the band recruited vocalist and pianist Preston WYNN and made a slight adjustment to their name to become THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS also releasing a new album called "Lies to Live By". This change was accompanied by a change in style to a more eclectic style.

The music on the only album released under this name is a combination of hard, guitar-driven rock with folk and progressive rock elements added in with a healthy dose of fusion to become a band with a more varied and accessible style. 

The album itself has mostly been forgotten over the years, however, it was reissued in 1999 and since then has managed to become a sought after gem thanks to the excellent progressive sound that the band had created. Yes, it is an odd name for a band, but the music speaks for itself.

Lies to Live By is essentially the third album release by the Canadian band Christmas. After the release of the Heritage album, they were beset with management and label problems over the direction of the band's next album. The music scene in Canada was in disarray and bands such as April Wine, the Guess Who, BTO, and Chilliwack had hits with commercial hard rock songs. The Heritage album was a start in the right direction and the label wanted the band to continue with hard rock but make it more radio friendly. 

Christmas had other ideas about where their music was heading. In 1973, a new album was recorded that was a radical change from the hard rock sound of Heritage. The album ended up being tied up in legal wrangles and was not released until 1975 when the band decided on a name change to the Spirit of Christmas to avoid legal complications associated with the "Christmas" name and to release the album. This time out (The Spirit Of) Christmas went totally toward a guitar-fronted progressive sound complete with Mellotron, a chamber orchestra, special effects, intricate piano work, and lush backing choruses. In the similar vein of such acts as Genesis, Gentle Giant, and Yes, Lies to Live By was a total departure in sound from anything recorded by a Canadian band to date. 

The six songs on the album are broken into conceptual chapters, each with a different theme that intertwines throughout the song while half of the songs clock in at close to nine minutes or more. The album was an instant hit with critics and progressive music fans worldwide. Despite the critical acclaim of the album, Daffodil Records was in trouble and the album did not receive the promotion and support it deserved. Soon after release of the album, the label folded and with it the hopes of (The Spirit Of) Christmas. 

Left without a label, the band also decided to call it a day and broke up. In the late '80s and '90s the Lies to Live By album became a highly sought after collector's item with originals changing hands for hundreds of dollars. As a direct result of the interest in the band's early albums, Christmas re-formed in the mid-'80s for a couple of local concerts. Still regarded as one of the best progressive rock albums to come out of Canada, this release by Unidisc is a straight reissue of the original album at a budget price complete with original artwork, but, unfortunately, it contains no bonus tracks.

Recorded at Manta Sound Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, circa 1972-1974

Line-up / Musicians

◉ Preston Wynn - vocals, piano, Mellotron, guitar, organ

◉ Bob Bryden - rhythm guitar, composer

◉ Robert Bulger - lead guitar

◉ Tyler Raizenne - bass

◉ Rich Richter - drums, percussion

01. All the Wrong Roads (3:19)

02. Stay Dead Lazarus (4:06)

03. Graveyard Face / All Is Light (4:19)

04. War Story (8:53) :

- a. Ballad of Jack Boot

- b. Requiem-War's Peace

05. Factory (8:33)

- a. Where the People Are Made

- b. Everything's Under Control

06. Beyond the Fields We Know (11:26)

- a. Prelude (I Don't Know Where I Am)

- b. Thermopylae

- c. Heaven's Lost

- d. In Closing

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If you've bored, try this: Card Throwing Tutorial | Rick Smith Jr.

Hi all.

If you have nothing to do right now, become an expert at throwing cards. When you have learned to throw cards (after a lot of practice), you can train as in the videos below. Good luck!

Learn How to Throw Cards with Mark Rober | Behind the Scenes | Rick Smith Jr.

Card Throwing Trick Shots | Dude Perfect

Card Throwing Tutorial | Accuracy & Power | Rick Smith Jr.

 

Now just practice and practice, and you will be able to throw cards with great precision.

// ChrisGoesRock

Witchwood - Litanies From The Woods (Superb Hardrock Italy 2015)

Size: 212 MB

Bitrate: 320

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The Buttered Bacon Biscuits were a band from Faenza, a town located in an area called Romagna, that had been active from 2008 to 2013 with a style rooted in the seventies and consisting in a mix of psychedelia, hard rock and a pinch of progressive. They had a good live activity and in 2010 released a debut album entitled From The Solitary Woods that was distributed by the independent label Black Widow Records and got some good reviews but the band did not last enough for a follow up. 

After the band split up, in 2014 from their ashes came to life a new band called Witchwood, a quintet featuring three former members of the Buttered Bacon Biscuits, Riccardo Dal Pane (vocals, guitars, mandolin, percussion), Stefano Olivi (Hammond, piano, synth, Moog) and Andrea Palli (drums, percussion) along with Samuele Tesori (flute, harmonica) and Luca Celotti (bass). 

In 2015 this new band, with the help of some guests, released an interesting debut album on the independent label Jolly Roger Records, Litanies From The Woods, where they managed to mix hard rock, progressive, psychedelia and southern rock in a personal way adding fresh ideas to vintage sounds and obscure atmospheres borrowed from the past. Their love for bands such as Uriah Heep, Jethro Tull, Deep Purple, Hawkwind or Lynyrd Skynyrd is apparent but the songwriting is good and the overall sound is full of energy and passion. The result is a nice example of what now is called classic rock and in my opinion it is really worth listening to...

The opener "Prelude" is just a short electric guitar intro that leads to the caustic "Liar", a heartfelt complaint against a world where appearances are more important than real values and democracy is nothing but an illusion conjured up by cynical politicians, a world where the lies of the media hide the dirtiest sins and where dreams fill the graves...

On the following "A Place For The Sun" the music and lyrics evoke the cathartic power of music and invite you to live day by day to tackle the adversities of life, always looking for the hidden place in your soul where the sun always shines...

"Rainbow Highway" deals with the wish of freedom and adventure of a boy who grew up in a small town, surrounded by boredom and old traditions. The music and lyrics here evoke the dream of a life without rules, a wish of absolute freedom, a fantastic ride on the shoulders of a rainbow demon to feel the wind blowing free and wild all around... Hey boy, pick up your heart and run! Before you lose your soul...

The hypnotic, psychedelic "The Golden King" conjures up the image of a caravan coming from a distant planet, sailing through endless skies... Listen to the litanies for the mysterious Golden King and let him take you away for a ride to his palace to celebrate a strange Sabbath!

The following "Shade Of Grey" is a dark, haunting track evoking Gothic atmospheres and a disquieting creature from an hidden world moving through the woods. You can listen to the songs soaring from the woods as you get lost in a starry night...

Next comes the romantic ballad "The World Behind Your Eyes" that is dedicated to Laura, the lovely muse of lyricist and composer Riccardo Dal Pane. It leads to the long, complex instrumental "Farewell To The Ocean Boulevard" featuring many changes in rhythm and atmosphere, a real epic where the band showcase all their musicianship and creativity swinging from calm, relaxed acoustic passages to fiery electric rides and vice versa. A wonderful track!

"Song Of Freedom" is a celebration of the life on the road, the song of a travelling man in love with his sweet freedom. This nice mix of country rock, blues, hard rock and psychedelic dreams à la easy rider leads to the long closer "Handful Of Stars", a beautiful suite divided into three parts that reminds me of the atmospheres of the Dream Cycle stories by H.P. Lovecraft and deals with haunting and dangerous dreams. On the first part, "The Gates Of Slumber" the music and lyrics conjure up the image of a dreamer lost in his room with floating planets all around while stars fill his mind and heart... He falls in a timeless abyss of dark dreams that the evocative music of next two instrumental parts, "Nox Erat..." (It was night) and "Epilogue: Litanies For A Starless Night", let your imagination free to build up...

Litanies From The Woods is Witchwood's first album. The band came into existence in 2014 out of a group called Buttered Bacon Biscuits that I haven't heard of, but they released an album in 2010, From The Solitary Woods, on Black Widow Records. Basically most members came from BBB with only a new bass player.

There is some nice variation on the disc, like the first proper song Liar that suddenly treats us to a jazzy interlude led by flute. Or the psychedelic and somewhat dreamy/trippy The Golden King with a mysterious undertone. Mostly, however, it's progressive hard rock of the kind many of us enjoy immensely. The World Behind Your Eyes brings typical Tull-like flute for the first time. 

A bit more like Led Zep is the 9 minute Song Of Freedom that starts bluesy with harmonica and initially has acoustic guitar. This then explodes in typical Deep Purple style (and even the singing here reminds me of Gillan). Cool roaring organ. The 10 minute Handful Of Stars brings soaring progressive hard rock that shows what Deep Purple would have sounded like if they had enlisted a flute player. 

Actually, the man on the flute takes over halfway through and leads us again into Tull-inspired realms. Even longer are the two very long tracks on the album, Shade Of Grey and the 15 minute Farewell To The Ocean Boulevard. I'm not going to describe those - just experience for yourself. All in all great stuff and no weak moments.

Although I do have the CD version, this kind of music should actually be enjoyed on vinyl, and so it's only just that it's also released as a double LP in a gatefold sleeve (Jolly Roger Records JRR 063). In two versions even; an ordinary black one and a limited numbered purple vinyl. Good luck finding the latter as it's limited to 100 copies only and sold out already...

Line-up / Musicians

- Riccardo "Ricky" Dal Pane - lead vocals, backing vocals, electric guitar, slide guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, percussion

- Stefano "Steve" Olivi - Hammond C100, Leslie 760, Moog Voyager, piano

- Andrea Palli - drums, percussion

- Samuele Tesori - flute, harmonica

- Luca Celotti - bass

01. Prelude - Liar (7:23)

02. A Place for the Sun (7:11)

03. Rainbow Highway (5:54)

04. The Golden King (6:24)

05. Shade of Grey (11:04)

06. The World Behind Your Eyes (5:43)

07. Farewell to the Ocean Boulevard (15:27)

08. Song of Freedom (9:31)

09. Handful of Stars (10:09)

Part I : Witchwood I

Part II : Witchwood II

or

Part I : Witchwood I

Part II : Witchwood II

or

Part I : Witchwood I

Part II : Witchwood II