The Doors - Perception Boxset

For years, the recording industry has asked fans to purchase the same music from the 1960s and '70s over and over again, via remasterings, repackagings, and, of course, reformattings. The Doors' box Perception (get it?), cleverly packaged as... a door, does hold some astonishing music, but the thing itself is a weird hybrid beast with multiple formats for every release. Each of the group's six albums has not only been re-remastered (this time by the remaining band members plus original engineer Bruce Botnick as the "40th anniversary mix"), but loaded up with a bevy of previously unreleased bonus tracks. But that's not it--for each album, there's a companion DVD, which includes a whole new 5.1 surround sound mix with more tracks, as well as the usual DVD extras, i.e., photo galleries, lyrics, and videos. That makes 12 discs, much of it essentially redundant. If you're cool with that, you're in for a treat. From the spookier, unissued version of "Indian Summer" to the entirely new tune "Push Push" and some super-rad footage of the band rehearsing L.A. Woman, it's easy to fall in love with this swirling, highly sexualized, and often brilliant band all over again. --Mike McGonigal


Product Description

6CD/6DVD Boxed set celebrating the 40th anniversary of this legendary band: All their Jim Morrison-Era studio albums reissued in deluxe 2-disc editions with rare & previously unreleased bonus material, 5.1 mixes, bonus video content, and more!

---------------------------------------------------------------

Remastering and reissuing back catalog in a box set is all the rage now. Queen, Talking Heads, the Beatles, etc. The Queen box sounds pretty good. Talking Heads even better in 5.1 dual disc format. DD will not play reliably in some machines. The stereo redbook sides of some of my TH box skip or will not play but the 5.1 DVD/DVDA sides play fine in my Marantz universal disc players. The Doors Music Company went all out. They did both. You get cd's and dvd/dvda's of each of the 6 studio albums, remasterd stereo cd's and remastered 2ch, 5.1 and 5.1DTS on the DVD's. Listen to the first disc without reading any of the enclosed booklet. Does it sound a little different, funny, better, worse? I won't give it away. You have to listen and then read. I found the vocal 's buried in the mix on the first disc using the dvd dts layer. I punched up the center channel 2 to 4 db and got the vocals even with the front channels. Not much going on in the rears on the first disc for some reason but by the time you get to the 3rd and 4th discs, there is plenty going on in the rear speakers.

Overall the sound, excepting the first disc for some reason and really only on Break on Thru, the first track, is exceptional. The SS mixes are very nicely done again except for the first disc for some reason. I love the remastered box sets. I am a lazy music collector/lover at heart and the record companies are making it so easy for me to buy their back catalog all over again and again, about every ten years and it just keeps getting better. 5 stars overall, 4 for the content (some of this stuff to me is just drivel while the rest is pure genius, the outakes and videos really do nothing for me but some folks will go ga ga over it and buy just for that, cool but there is a reason these things were outakes), 5 stars for sonics. Well done Bruce and Paul.

[Amazon User]


Features:

• 6CD / 6DVD-Audio box set
• 40th Anniversary Mixes included
• Each title housed in Digipak packaging
• New producer's notes by Bruche Botnick
• New liner notes by prominent music writers
• Original album artwork
• 24 Rare & Previously unreleased bonus tracks
• Bonus extras
DVD-Audios features
• 5.1 Advanced Resolution Surround
• Advanced Resolution Stereo
• Dolby Digital Surround and DTS 5.1
• 12 Live Video Clips
• Bonus Videos
• Photo Gallery
• Lyrics
• Discography

Selections:

CD 1 - The Doors (1967)
1. Break On Through (To The Other Side)
2. Soul Kitchen
3. The Crystal Ship
4. Twentieth Century Fox
5. Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
6. Light My Fire
7. Back Door Man
8. I Looked At You
9. End Of The Night
10. Take It As It Comes
11. The End
Bonus Tracks:
12. Moonlight Drive (Version 1)
13. Moonlight Drive (Version 2)
14. Indian Summer (8/19/66 Vocal)

DVD:
Entire Album in 5.1 DTS encoded Surround Sound, 5.1 Dolby Digital and new Advanced
Resolution stereo mixes
Video Content:
1. Break On Through (To The Other Side) (Music Video)
2. The End (Soundstage Performance, Toronto, 1967)






CD 2 - Strange Days (1967)
1. Strange Days
2. You’re Lost Little Girl
3. Love Me Two Times
4. Unhappy Girl
5. Horse Latitudes
6. Moonlight Drive
7. People Are Strange
8. My Eyes Have Seen You
9. I Can’t See Your Face In My Mind
10. When The Music’s Over
Bonus Tracks:
11. People Are Strange (False Starts & Dialogue)
12. Love Me Two Times (Take 3)

DVD
Entire album in 5.1 DTS encoded Surround Sound, 5.1 Dolby Digital and new Advanced Resolution stereo mixes
Video Content:
1. Love Me Two Times (Live In Europe, 1968)
2. When The Music’s Over (Live In Europe, 1968)

CD 3 - Waiting For The Sun (1968)
1. Hello, I Love You
2. Love Street
3. Not To Touch The Earth
4. Summer’s Almost Gone
5. Wintertime Love
6. The Unknown Soldier
7. Spanish Caravan
8. My Wild Love
9. We Could Be So Good Together
10. Yes, The River Knows
11. Five To One
Bonus Tracks:
12. Albinoni’s Adagio In G Minor
13. Not To Touch The Earth (Dialogue)
14. Not To Touch The Earth (Take 1)
15. Not To Touch The Earth (Take 2)
16. Celebration Of The Lizard (An Experiment/work In Progress)

DVD
Entire Album in 5.1 DTS encoded Surround Sound, 5.1 Dolby Digital and new Advanced Resolution stereo mixes
Video Content:
1. Spanish Caravan (Live at the Hollywood Bowl, 1968)
2. The Unknown Soldier (Soundstage Performance, Denmark, 1968)

CD 4 - The Soft Parade (1969)
1. Tell All The People
2. Touch Me
3. Shaman’s Blues
4. Do It
5. Easy Ride
6. Wild Child
7. Runnin’ Blue
8. Wishful Sinful
9. The Soft Parade
Bonus Tracks:
10. Who Scared You
11. Whiskey, Mystics And Men (Version 1)
12. Whiskey, Mystics And Men (Version 2)
13. Push Push
14. Touch Me (Dialogue)
15. Touch Me (Take 3)

DVD
Entire Album in 5.1 DTS encoded Surround Sound, 5.1 Dolby Digital and new Advanced Resolution stereo mixes
Video Content:
1. The Soft Parade (Soundstage Performance, New York, 1969)
2. Tell All The People (Soundstage Performance, New York, 1969)

CD 5 - Morrison Hotel (1970)
Hardrock Cafe
1. Roadhouse Blues
2. Waiting For The Sun
3. You Make Me Real
4. Peace Frog
5. Blue Sunday
6. Ship Of Fools
Morrison Hotel
7. Land Ho!
8. The Spy
9. Queen Of The Highway
10. Indian Summer
11. Maggie M’gill
Bonus Tracks:
12. Talking Blues
13. Roadhouse Blues (11/4/69, Takes 1-3)
14. Roadhouse Blues (11/4/69, Take 6)
15. Carol (11/4/69)
16. Roadhouse Blues (11/5/69, Take 1)
17. Money Beats Soul (11/5/69)
18. Roadhouse Blues (11/5/69, Takes 13-15)
19. Peace Frog (False Starts & Dialogue)
20. The Spy (Version 2)
21. Queen Of The Highway (Jazz Version)

DVD
Entire album in 5.1 DTS encoded Surround Sound, 5.1 Dolby Digital and new Advanced Resolution stereo mixes
Video Content:
1. Roadhouse Blues (Music Video)
2. Wild Child (Music Video)

CD 6 - L.A. Woman (1971)
1. The Changeling
2. Love Her Madly
3. Been Down So Long
4. Cars Hiss By My Window
5. L.A. Woman
6. L’america
7. Hyacinth House
8. Crawling King Snake
9. The Wasp (Texas Radio And The Big Beat)
10. Riders On The Storm
Bonus Tracks:
11. Orange County Suite
12. (You Need Meat) Don’t Go No Further

DVD
Entire Album in 5.1 DTS encoded Surround Sound, 5.1 Dolby Digital and new Advanced Resolution stereo mixes
Video Content:
1. The Changeling (Music Video)
2. Crawling King Snake (Footage from The Doors rehearsal space filmed for Australian TV, 1971)

Steppenwolf - For Ladies Only (1971)[EAC-FLAC]

By
Tathy


The title track of For Ladies Only is a classic slice of Steppenwolf's brand of hard rock: gritty chord guitar from Blues Image refugee Kent Henry (Steppenwolf went through as many or more guitarist changes as the Guess Who), elegant piano from Goldy McJohn, even jazz flavors on a nine-minute-plus track as blatantly sexist as the album gatefold. The graphic photo of a huge penis car alongside the Hollywood walk of fame tucked inside the cardboard is completely juvenile, while the back of the LP features the boys all reading books, from The Sensuous Woman to Snow White & the Seven Dwarves -- interesting imagery that doesn't complement the music as much as the artists might have thought it did at the time. The Jerry Edmonton/Goldy McJohn composition "I'm Asking" has a heavy "Jumpin' Jack Flash" riff that's all sludged out and a weak non-John Kay vocal -- like, why bother? Kay's snarling voice was as much a part of the sound as the heavy keys, and without it the otherwise fine performance and production are just totally eradicated; it's a song that would've worked better as an instrumental. Ditto for Jerry Edmonton's "Jaded Strumpet," which is also in desperate need of Kay's authoritative tone, which is refreshingly surreal on the singer's co-write with George Biondo that is "Sparkle Eyes."
In retrospect, For Ladies Only remains a neat artifact of a band who might've been called on to create too much too soon. Three Mars Bonfire compositions brighten up the proceedings, including "Tenderness" and the excellent "Ride With Me," perhaps the most memorable tune of the ten, all culled from that ever-flowing fountain that was Mars Bonfire's Faster Than the Speed of Life LP. Interesting that on the vinyl four songs grace side one, while side two has six titles, from two to four and a half minutes in length. The songwriting is shared pretty equally, the bandmembers co-writing in different combinations. Bonfire's brother, Jerry Edmonton; singer John Kay; and keyboardist Goldy McJohn all write or contribute to three titles each with two for the newer members, bassist George Biondo and guitarist Kent Henry.
A very democratic brew, which is interesting but for the most part doesn't have the punch of the title track or the nugget from the Mars Bonfire solo disc, "Ride With Me." The original Sparrow guitarist's presence casts a good shadow and remains as essential to this crew as the lead singer and keyboard player. Why they didn't keep Bonfire on from day one of their journey is the mystery. This 1971 Dunhill release produced by Richard Podolor for Steppenwolf Productions, Inc. makes that point loud and clear, though the Kent Henry/Goldy McJohn instrumental "Black Pit" does tend to sound like Blues Image-meets-Steppenwolf, and proves the point made earlier. If John Kay wasn't in the mood to sing, the material works better with no voice at all. His absence from three of the ten tracks is perhaps an indication that he had his sights set on a solo career. Kent Henry and George Biondo moved on with the singer for his 1972 outing Forgotten Songs & Unsung Heroes.

Year: 1971
Country: USA
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Running Time: 45:35 min

BAND:
* John Kay - lead vocals, guitar, harmonica
* George Biondo - bass, vocals
* Goldy McJohn - keyboards, vocals
* Kent Henry - guitar, vocals
* Jerry Edmonton - drums, vocals

TRACKS:

01. FOR LADIES ONLY - 9:17
(J. Edmonton - K. Henry - J. kay - G. McJohn)
02. I'M ASKING - 4:28
(J. Edmonton - G. McJohn)
03. SHACKLES AND CHAINS - 5:00
(J. Kay)
04. TENDERNESS - 4:55
(M. Bonfire)
05. THE NIGHT TIME'S FOR YOU - 2:58
(M. Bonfire - M. Cavett)
06. JADED STRUMPET - 4:44
(J. Edmonton)
07. SPARKLE EYES - 4:33
(J. Kay - G. Biondo)
08. BLACK PIT - 3:50
(K. Henry - G. McJohn)
09. RIDE WITH ME - 3:24
(M. Bonfire)
10. IN HOPES OF A GARDEN - 2:10
(G. Biondo)

Third World War-Third World War1 & 2(1972)[EAC-FLAC]

By
st00st2


Terry Stamp and Jim Avery hold the distinction of forming Third World War probably the UK's first, for real, “aggro” band.
Formed in London at the turn of the 70s, Third World War released 2 proto-punk albums (Fly Records and Track Records) in the very early 70s. Third World War featured an aggression unheard of at that time. With Terry Stamp’s explosive vocals, lyrics, chopper guitar style and Jim Avery’s West London, hardnut, two fisted, riff and chord approach proved unbeatable, (even thirty years on). Their socio-political agenda and proto-punk guitar style prefigured the emergence of UK “working-class” punk bands by some 5 years. Terry Stamp also recorded an album titled “Fatsticks” for A&M Records in 1975, moving to Los Angeles shortly afterwards.


Third World War-Third World War

1. Rolling Home
2. Why Did You Go
3. Falling Song, The
4. Young Man
5. Billy and His Piano Without
6. Maiden Voyage
7. New York Mining Disaster 1941
8. Picture Sliding Down the Wall
9. Billy and His Piano Without
10. Vaggsang
11. As It Was in the First Place
12. Maiden Voyage, Long Version
13. See the Sun in My Eyes
14. Resurrection Shuffle
15. Can You Get It


Third World War-Third World War 2

1. Yobo
2. Urban Rock
3. Coshing Old Lady Blues
4. Rat Crawl
5. Id Rather Cut Cane For Castro
6. Factory Canteen News
7. Hammersmith Guerrilla

Bangor Flying Circus-Bangor Flying Circus(1969)[EAC-FLAC]

By st00st2

Bangor Flying Circus was a proto-prog trio of the late '60s consisting of singers David Wolinski, Alan de Carlo, and Michael Tegza. Their self-titled album made the charts for a couple of weeks at the end of 1969.
David "Hawk" Wolinski (bass, keyboards, vocals), Alan De Carlo (guitar, vocals), Michael Tegza (drums, percussion).
This album contains some the hottest and most tasteful jazz-rock guitar solos I've ever heard. The writing and arranging is excellent. The band really cooks on everything. Their smoking arrangement of "Norwegian Wood" has some awesome drum fills.



Tracklisting:
01.Violent Man
02.Come To People
03.Ode To Sadness
04.Concerto For Clouds
05.Change In Our Lives
06.Someday I'll Find
07.Mama Don't You Know (That Your Daughter's Acting Mighty Strange)
08.In The Woods
09.Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)

Bangor Flying Circus:
*David "Hawk" Wolinski (bass, keyboards, vocals)
*Alan De Carlo (guitar, vocals)
*Michael Tegza (drums, percussion)

Country Joe and The Fish & friends-Live! Fillmore West 1969(1994 Vanguard Rem.)[EAC-FLAC]

Releaser: thewall

Extractor: EAC 0.99 prebeta 4
Read Mode: Secure with NO C2, accurate stream, disable cache.
Codec: Flac 1.2.1; Level 8
Source: Original CD
Artwork: Full Scans 300dp



This is one of the farewell performances of Country Joe and the Fish (and coincidentally is the same show that featured the American debut of Led Zeppelin), and as a result go out with a real bang!. The highlight of this album is undoubtedly the 38 min "Donovan's Reef Jam" featuring special guests Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, and Steve Miller. Though this is enough for any Deadhead, the rest of the album is superb.

Recorded live on January 9, 10 and 11, 1969 during what was billed as a farewell performances by Country Joe And The Fish.


Track listing

1 Introduction - 6.15

Rock and Soul Music (McDonald / Melton / Barthol / Hirsh / Cohen)
Love (McDonald / Melton / Barthol / Cohen / Gunning / Barrata)

2 Here I Go Again (McDonald) - 4.42

3 It's So Nice to Have Your Love (McDonald) - 6.31

4 Flying High (McDonald) - 12.36

5 Doctor of Electricity (Melton) - 9.11

6 Donovan's Reef Jam - 38.17

Donovan's Reef (McDonald)
Flying High (McDonald)
Masked Marauder (McDonald)
Bass strings (McDonald)
Miller Riff (Miller)
Flying High (McDonald)

Musicians

* Joe McDonald - guitar, vocals
* Barry Melton - guitar
* David Cohen - guitar, keyboards?
* Chicken Hirsh - drums
* Jack Casady - bass
* David Getz - drums, keyboards? (Track 2 only)

Plus guests on track 6;

* Jerry Garcia - guitar
* Mickey Hart - drums
* Jorma Kaukonen - guitar
* Steve Miller - harp, guitar

Pacific Gas & Electric-Live 'N' Kicking At Lexington(1970)(2007 WOU Rem.)[EAC-FLAC]

Releaser: thewall

Extractor: EAC 0.99 prebeta 4
Read Mode: Secure with NO C2, accurate stream, disable cache.
Codec: Flac 1.2.1; Level 8
Source: Original CD
Artwork: Full Scans 300dp



Previously unreleased jams from the legendary Pacific Gas & Electric -- material that was originally intended as an album on Columbia in the early 70s, but which is only now finally seeing the light of day! Given the live setting, the style here is even more open-ended and jamming than the group's studio work -- a raw and raunchy mix of rock and soul elements, performed live at the Federal Drug Rehabilitation Center in Lexington -- with a sound so heavy, we've gotta imagine a few folks there ended up having trouble kicking the habit! Some of the best tracks here are really long numbers -- and titles include "Old Slop In A", "32 20 Blues", "Jelly Jelly", "Motor City Is Burning", "Elvira", and "Next Time You See Me".


1. Old Stop In A
2. Are You Ready?
3. Next Time You See MeElvira
4. 32-20 Blues
5. One More River To Cross
6. Motor City Is Burning
7. Jelly Jelly


Charlie Allen-Vocals
Brent Block-Guitar
Frank Petricca-Bass
Ken Utterback-Lead Guitar
Ron Woods-Drums

Jefferson Airplane-Feed Your Head(1996)[FLAC]

Releaser: thewall

Extractor: EAC 0.99 prebeta 4
Read Mode: Secure with NO C2, accurate stream, disable cache.
Codec: Flac 1.2.1; Level 8
Source: Original CD
Artwork: Full Scans 300dp


This recording is a compilation of excerpts from Monterey Pop, Bless Its Pointed Little Head, Surrealistic Pillow, and Takes Off. Only the last cut has not been released on a mainstream recording. A more accurate subtitle might be "Mostly Live and Previously Released '66-'68".

Songs and their sources are listed below. Titles are listed as they appear on the jacket; actual titles should be obvious.



Other Side of Life, She Has Funny Cars, High Flyin' Bird, Today -- Monterey Pop

Somebody to Love, Plastic Fantastic Lover, 3/5 of a Mile in Ten Seconds, It's No Secret -- Bless Its Pointed Little Head

White Rabbit, My Best Friend -- Surrealistic Pillow

Don't Slip Away -- Jefferson Airplane Takes Off

This is My Life and I Like it -- I don't know the source of this. It's a clean recording of either a performance or rehearsal. I'd judge it to be late 1965/early 1966.



Trakc List

1. Other Side of Life 6:53
2. Somebody to Love 3:56
3. Plastic Fantastic Lover 3:46
4. White Rabbit 2:33
5. 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds 4:42
6. She Has Funny Cars 3:22
7. High Flyin' Bird 4:00
8. It's No Secret 3:29
9. Today 3:08
10. My Best Friend 3:03
11. Don't Slip Away 2:33
12. This is My Life and I Like It


Personnel

Grace Slik, Marty Balin-Vocal
Jorma Kaukonen-Lead Guitar-
Jack Casady-Bass Guitar
Spencer Dryden-Drums
Paul Kantner-Rhythm Guitar

Hot Tuna-Burgers(1972)(2001 ML Rem.)[EAC-FLAC]

Releaser: thewall

Extractor: EAC 0.99 prebeta 4
Read Mode: Secure with NO C2, accurate stream, disable cache.
Codec: Flac 1.2.1; Level 8
Source: Original CD
Artwork: Full Scans 300dp


Burgers, Hot Tuna's third album, marked a crucial transition for the group. Until now, Hot Tuna had been viewed as a busman's holiday for Jefferson Airplane lead guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady. Their first album was an acoustic set of folk-blues standards recorded in a coffeehouse, their second an electric version of the same that added violinist Papa John Creach (who also joined the Airplane) and drummer Sammy Piazza. Then the Airplane launched Grunt, its own vanity label, which encouraged all bandmembers to increase their participation in side projects. Burgers, originally released as the fourth Grunt album, sounded more like a full-fledged work than a satellite effort. It was Hot Tuna's first studio album, and Kaukonen wrote the bulk of the material, not all of it in the folk-blues style that had been the group's métier. "Sea Child," for example, employed his familiar acid rock sound and would have fit seamlessly onto an Airplane album. And "Water Song," one of his most accomplished instrumentals, had a crystalline acoustic guitar part that really suggested the sound of rippling water. On the material that did recall the earlier albums, Hot Tuna split the difference between its acoustic and electric selves, sometimes, as on "True Religion," beginning in folky fingerpicking style only to add a rock band sound after the introduction. The result was more restrained than the second album, but not as free as the first, with the drums imposing steady rhythms that often kept Casady from soloing as much, though Creach's violin made for plenty of improvisation within the basic blues structures. All of which is to say that, not surprisingly, on its third album in as many years, Hot Tuna had evolved its own sound and music, and seemed less a diversion than its members' new top priority. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide.

Recorded at Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco, California.

All songs have been digitally remastered.

All songs written by Jorma Kaukonen except "99 Year Blues" (Julius Daniels/Torrence), "Keep On Truckin'" (Bob Carleton) and "Let Us Get Together Right Down Here" (Gary Davis).

The magnificent, though sometimes top-heavy, splinter group formed by Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen from the Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna allowed two exceptional musicians to stretch out and explore their love of old blues. It also kept them from becoming bored while Grace Slick and Paul Katner gazed at the ocean. A strong feature of this Tuna album was the violin of Papa John Creach. They successfully mixed beautifully evocative instrumentals such as "Highway Song" with traditional numbers like "True Religion." Their own blues sounded authentic, notably with the most agreeable "Keep On Truckin'." Make a note of its tongue-in-cheek fishy lyrics, which only a Hot Tuna could sing.






1 True Religion (4:43)
2 Highway Song (3:15)
3 99 Year Blues (3:58)
4 Sea Child (5:00)
5 Keep on Truckin' (3:40)
6 Water Song (5:16)
7 Ode for Billy Dean (4:50)
8 Let Us Get Together Right Down Here (3:26)
9 Sunny Day Strut (3:15)






Jorma Kaukonen (vocals, guitars)
Papa John Creach (violin, vocals)
Jack Casady (bass, vocals)
Sammy Piazza (drums, percussion, vocals).

Additional personnel:

David Crosby (vocals)
Richmond Talbott (vocals, guitar)
Nikki Buck (keyboards).

Flower Travellin' Band-We Are Here(2008)[EAC-FLAC]

By
WT


EAC Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : Yes
Make use of C2 pointers : No


FULL ARTWORK


We Are Here is the fifth album by the Japanese rock group Flower Travellin' Band. It was released in September 2008 by Pony Canyon Records in Japan.


Track listing

All songs written and composed by Flower Travelin' Band.

1. "What Will You Say"
2. "We Are Here"
3. "dYE-jobe"
4. "Don't Touch My Dreadlocks"
5. "Love Is..."
6. "Over & Over"
7. "The Sleeping Giant (Resurrection)"
8. "Will It"


Personnel

* Joe Yamanaka – vocals
* Hideki Ishima – guitar
* Jun Kowzuki – bass guitar
* Joji "George" Wada – drums
* Nobuhiko Shinohara – keyboards

Technical staff

* Ben Kobayashi – producer
* Flower Travellin' Band - arranger

Flower Travellin' Band-Satori(1979)[EAC-FLAC]

By
WT

EAC Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : Yes
Make use of C2 pointers : No


FULL ARTWORK

"Satori" is the second album, after they had changed their name. It contains five long songs, titled "Satori Part I-V". The whole album had a very special atmosphere. It's not easy to describe, maybe mystical, dark and melancholic are some words I like to drop. In some songs, as in "Satori Part I", they play some kind of a proto epic Doom, brutal heavy riffs with nice tempo-changes. The clear and high voice of singer Joe completes this great song. But it's different to BLACK SABBATH. I think, you can hear, that FLOWER TRAVELLIN' BAND are strongly influenced through ancient Japanese/Eastern music. Like the second song "Satori II" , an instrumental, which starts with a hypnotic psychedelic guitarsound and then turns into a instrumental part with Eastern percussion. But the song doesn't "freak-out" into a endless jam. The band played still very compact. "Satori III" is a very doomy instrumental. The song is like a crossover between Doom/Heavyrock and this typical ancient touch. It changes into a heavy groovy part which goes into something experimental and then back to the opening theme with an oriental-like ending. Really fantastic! "Satori IV"starts more progressive to change then into a groovy Blues part with a harmonica. Joe had a very unique vocal-style on "Satori Part V", maybe not everybodys flavour. The album closes with this song, that goes more in it the Heavy-Prog direction. At least, the production sounds very clear and powerful. Finally,I will give you the advice to discover the world of FLOWER TRAVELLIN' BAND, if you're into early 70's Heavyrock. The original is not easy to find, but there is a CD re-release on WEA, only released in Japan.



Track List

Satori part 1
Satori part 2
Satori part 3
Satori part 4
Satori part 5

Flower Travellin' Band-Music Composed Mostly By Humans(1970)[AGS-4][EAC-FLAC]

By
WT


EAC Read mode : Secure with NO C2, accurate stream, disable cache


The Flower Travellin' Band were a Japanese underground Stoner band back in the early 70s. They put out 4 albums from 1970 to 1973 before disbanding. There's also an album released after they split that they never intended to release called Kirikyogen (1970) becaue they weren't happy with it, and a couple of bootlegs called 'Music Composed Mostly By Humans' and 'From Pussies to Death in 10,000 Years of Freakout'



1. Kiri Kyrogen
2. Works Composed Mainly by Humans
3. Time Machine
4. To Your World
5. Graveyard of Love
6. Classroom of Women

Flower Travellin' Band-Anywhere(1970)(2007 Un. Japan Rem.)[EAC-FLAC]

By
WT


EAC Read mode : Secure with NO C2, accurate stream, disable cache


FULL ARTWORK

While there are some weaker moments, mainly during the covers ( House of the Rising Sun, and 20th Century Schizoid Man) this band wails.
And I agree with a previous reviewer - SATORI is the better album - heavier, with with some more realized musicianship.

But this is a classic, if only for the cover photo, which reveals a little more of the band than most would like to see!
These folks were into their art, and their lifestyle, and as sincere as it gets (variously colored perm wiggy hair aside!).
A generous time capsule from a period long gone, and hard to be surprised by for our jaded ears and cynical minds.

great stuff


Tracklist:

01. Anywhere (0:52)
02. Louisiana Blues (15:49)
03. Black Sabbath (8:53)
04. House Of The Rising Sun (7:41)
05. Twenty-First Century Schizoid Man (13:25)
06. Anywhere (0:57)

Led Zeppelin -The Song Remains The Same (1976)(2008 WPCR-13138_9, SHM-CD)[EAC-WV]

EAC Read mode : Secure with NO C2, accurate stream, disable cache




Japanese limited edition a miniature LP style sleeve for initial pressing.



Led Zeppelin: Robert Plant (vocals); Jimmy Page (guitar);John Paul
Jones (bass, piano); John Bonham (drums).

Recorded live at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York. Includes
liner notes by Cameron Crowe.

Back in the seventies, it seemed that every rock band needed to have a
live concert film tocommemorate their triumphant treks across America.
Led Zeppelin were no exception and THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME is a
chronicle of Led Zeppelin on tour. Although the uninspired visual
aspects of the film fail to capture the power of Led Zeppelin at their
mid-seventies peak, the album manages to convey their live prowess.
The twenty-six minute, hypnotic version of "Dazed and Confused" works
much better here than in the film, where movie patrons would head to
the concession stand ten minutes into the song. "Whole Lotta Love"
gets a similar extended treatment and the results are equally
impressive.

THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME also lets you hear that songs like "Stairway
To Heaven" sound wonderful even without the benefit of studio overdubs.
Though not perfect, this is an honest documentation of the Led
Zeppelin live experience, serving as a reminder that beneath the
larger-than-life myths that surrounded the group, Led Zeppelin were
simply a powerful blues-influenced rock band who lived for their music.


01. Rock And Roll
02. Celebration Day
03. Black Dog
04. Over The Hills And Far Away
05. Misty Mountain Hop
06. Since I've Been Loving You
07. No Quarter
08. The Song Remains The Same
09. The Rain Song
10. The Ocean

11. Dazed And Confused
12. Stairway To Heaven
13. Moby Dick
14. Heartbreaker
15. Whole Lotta Love

Led Zeppelin(12 CD 2004 Japan Rem.)[EAC-FLAC]

Releaser: thewall

Extractor: EAC 0.99 prebeta 4
Read Mode: Secure with NO C2, accurate stream, disable cache.
Codec: Flac 1.2.1; Level 8
Source: Original CD
Artwork: Full Scans 300dp.

General Info:

Japan mini-LP CDs are official audiophile releases manufactured in Japan under license. CDs made in Japan are superior in nearly every way to those from other countries.. The superb mastering (often 20 Bit, 24 Bit, K2, DSD, K2HD, or HDCD) and resultant sound quality is excellent. The Japanese packaging of classic albums in cardboard sleeve miniature is very fine. These mini-LPs endeavor to be precise miniaturizations of the first pressings of the 12" LPs. Usually everything that was present in the original LP is included, such as gatefolds, booklets, lyric sheets, posters, printed CD sleeves, stickers, embosses, special paper or inks, and die cuts. In nearly all mini-LP releases a detail sheet is included, and although the text may be in Japanese, the insert will often include the lyrics in English, which is a big plus if the original LP did not include a lyric sheet. Japan promotional strips, also called “obi,” or stickers are usually included with the package as a way of advertising the CD to the Japanese buying public and includes considerable information, such as release date, catalog number, and mastering. Limited edition extra promotional obis are sometimes added by the distributor.


This is not the Black Box that still running in torrent file...

These are all my rip excepted for The Song Remains The Same


Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

01. Good Times Bad Times
02. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
03. You Shook Me
04. Dazed And Confused
05. Your Time Is Gonna Come
06. Black Mountain Side
07. Communication Breakdown
08. I Can't Quit You Baby
09. How Many More Times


Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

01. Whole Lotta Love
02. What Is And What Should Never Be
03. The Lemon Song
04. Thank You
05. Heartbreaker
06. Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman)
07. Ramble On
08. Moby Dick
09. Bring It On Home


Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III

01. Immigrant Song
02. Friends
03. Celebration Day
04. Since I've Been Loving You
05. Out On The Tiles
06. Gallows Pole
07. Tangerine
08. That's The Way
09. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
10. Hats Off To (Roy) Harper



Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

01. Black Dog
02. Rock And Roll
03. The Battle Of Evermore
04. Stairway To Heaven
05. Misty Mountain Hop
06. Four Sticks
07. Going To California
08. When The Levee Breaks


Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy

01. The Song Remains The Same
02. The Rain Song
03. Over The Hills And Far Away
04. The Crunge
05. Dancing Days
06. D'yer Mak'er
07. No Quarter
08. The Ocean


Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

01. Custard Pie
02. The Rover
03. In My Time Of Dying
04. Houses Of The Holy
05. Trampled Under Foot
06. Kashmir

07. In The Light
08. Bron-Yr-Aur
09. Down By The Seaside
10. Ten Years Gone
11. Night Flight
12. The Wanton Song
13. Boogie With Stu
14. Black Country Woman
15. Sick Again


Led Zeppelin - Presence

01. Achilles Last Stand
02. For Your Life
03. Royal Orleans
04. Nobody's Fault But Mine
05. Candy Store Rock
06. Hots On For Nowhere
07. Tea For One


Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains The Same (NOT MY RIP)

01. Rock And Roll
02. Celebration Day
03. Black Dog
04. Over The Hills And Far Away
05. Misty Mountain Hop
06. Since I've Been Loving You
07. No Quarter
08. The Song Remains The Same
09. The Rain Song
10. The Ocean

11. Dazed And Confused
12. Stairway To Heaven
13. Moby Dick
14. Heartbreaker
15. Whole Lotta Love


Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door

01. In The Evening
02. South Bound Saurez
03. Fool In The Rain
04. Hot Dog
05. Carouselambra
06. All My Love
07. I'm Gonna Crawl


Led Zeppelin - Coda

01. We're Gonna Groove
02. Poor Tom
03. I Can't Quit You Baby
04. Walter's Walk
05. Ozone Baby
06. Darlene
07. Bonzo's Montreux
08. Wearing And Tearing
09. Baby Come On Home
10. Travelling Riverside Blues
11. White Summer / Black Mountain Side
12. Hey Hey What Can I Do

Carmen–Dancing on a Cold Wind (1975)(2006 Japan AIRAC-1281 Rem.)[EAC-FLAC]

By Cheers

EAC Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : Yes
Make use of C2 pointers : No


FULL ARTWORK


Carmen's second album, released a year after their first, continues to explore the unique territories which saw them combining traditional Hispanic sounds with progressive themes and West Coast rock. While the line up is unchanged, guest musicians are added to further diversify the sound, including violinist David Katz and vocalist Mary Hopkin. Hopkin, who at the time was married to album producer Tony Visconti (who also plays recorder on the album) is best known for her presence of the Beatles Apple Records label, and her hit single "Those were the days".

Once again, the music features the male/female vocals of brother and sister David and Angela Allen, with strong harmonies and excellent guitar work. If anything the music here is even more diverse than on the first album. Tracks such as "Drifting along" and "Purple flowers" offer hints of early Jethro Tull but all the while the sound is unique and varied. The latter for example veers off into Spanish hand claps supporting a brief synth run, prior to multi-part a-cappella harmonies.

The "Remembrances" suite which dominates the album is a collection of individual songs which make up the whole (a bit like "Supper's ready" or the second side of "Abbey Road" in terms of structure). Once again, Angela Allen provides some great mellotron while David's guitar work is excellent. The songs themselves are rather fragmented, loosely telling a tale of troubled love. The individual sections are short, but segue together to form the complete piece. Once again, there are strong vocal harmonies, but there is overall an excess of vocal passages. Whether the apparent link with the opera "Carmen", which is based on the love life of a Spanish gypsy girl (one of the tracks here is "Gypsy girl - caravan") is deliberate is not clear, but there are distinct overlaps in the themes.

This is an album of wonderful creativity which by and large the band pulls it off..

Line-up :
- David Allen / guitar, vocals
- Angela Allen / keyboards, vocals
- Roberto Amaral / percussion, vocals
- David Katz / violin
- Paul Fenton / drums
- John Glascock / bass, vocals
- Mary Hopkin / vocals
- Chris Karan / percussion
- Tony Visconti / Wind

Track List :
01. Viva Mi Sevill - 6:02
02. I've Been Crying - 5:08
03. Drifting Along - 3:19
04. She Flew Across The Room - 3:57
05. Purple Flowers - 6:47
06. Table Two For One (Samba) - 2:15
07. She's Changed - 2:57
08. Gypsy Girl (Caravan) - 3:15
09. The City - 1:36
10. Time (She's No Lady) - 1:24
11. People Dressed In Black - 4:05
12. Dancing On A Cold Wind - 2:11
13. The Horseman - 4:01
14. Conclusion (She Changed) - 2:00
15. Quiriquitu (Bonus) - 2:51
16. Out On The Street (Bonus) - 6:16

Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield-The Lost Concert Tapes(1968)(2003 Columbia Rem.)[EAC-FLAC]

Releaser: thewall

Extractor: EAC 0.99 prebeta 4
Read Mode: Secure with NO C2, accurate stream, disable cache.
Codec: Flac 1.2.1; Level 8
Source: Original CD
Artwork: Full Scans 300dp




General info

The live attempts at recreating the seminal jam chemistry of Super Session were hit-and-miss affairs, and this one, previously unreleased, has its fair share of off-key and off-target tunes. The rhythm section is erratic, the repertoire--ranging from Simon & Garfunkel's "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" to an Elvis-flavored "That's All Right Mama"--is a bit odd, and co-leader Al Kooper is competent but rarely inspired. Guitarist Michael Bloomfield, however, is uniformly brilliant and his graceful blues virtuosity is by itself well worth the price of admission. Bloomfield and the group are joined on B.B. King's "It's My Own Fault" by a then-unknown Johnny Winter and things get really interesting. For nearly 11 minutes Winter and Bloomfield dive deep into the blues with Winter astounding the audience with his vocals and lightning licks on a song that had long been a staple of his live shows in Texas. The remainder of the album lacks similar energy and excitement, but Bloomfield's guitar work keeps it listenable. Overall, The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield & Al Kooper, recorded several months earlier, provides a better look at the band's concert sound but it does so without Winter. --Michael Point


TRACKLIST:
1. Introductions
2. One Way Out
3. Mike Bloomfields Introduction Of Johnny Winter
4. Its My Own Fault
5. 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin Groovy)
6. (Please) Tell Me Partner
7. Thats All Right Mama
8. Together Till The End Of Time
9. Dont Throw Your Love On Me So Strong
10. Season Of The Witch

Carmen–Fandangos In Space (1973)(2006 Japan AIRAC-1280 Rem.)[EAC-FLAC]

By Cheers


EAC Read mode : Secure with NO C2, accurate stream, disable cache


FULL ARTWORK


In the early 70's Carmen released 3 albums, with "Fandangos In Space" being the first - and probably the best. Producer Tony Visconti did an excellent job on this album as well as the second release "Dancing On A Cold Wind." The line-up was fronted by David Clark Allen (guitar/vocals), his sister Angela Allen (vocals, footwork/keyboards), Roberto Amaral (vocals/footwork/keyboards) - all Americans) - supported by an excellent British rhythm section featuring the late John Glascock on bass/vocals and Paul Fenton on drums.

Combining flamenco guitar, latin rhythms, progressive rock etc. they came out sounding entirely different compared to contemporary rock music at the time. It still sounds perfect all around.
The tight rhythm section works perfectly behind David Allens flamenco & electric guitar playing and to top it off you've got the fantastic footwork of Angela Allen and Roberto Amaral still sounding vibrant and very much alive! The song cycle is not exactly a concept album, but something very similar.

These days you can hear world music and latin rhythms on the radio all day long, but it's nice knowing that someone else did the groundbreaking work more than 30 years ago - and were really good at it.



Tracks:

01. Bulerias
02. Bullfight
03. Stepping Stone
04. Sailor Song
05. Lonely House
06. Por Tarantos
07. Looking Outside (My Window)
08. Tales Of Spain
09. Retirando
10. Fandangos In Space
11. Reprise Finale

Lynyrd Skynyrd-Sounds of South MCA Years(1973-1988)(2007 Japan Limited Press PROMO 8 BOX)[EAC-FLAC]

EAC Read mode : Secure with NO C2, accurate stream, disable cache



FULL ARTWORK



Limited Edition eight CD box set featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd's original MCA albums digitally remastered and expanded and housed in miniature LP sleeves. Included in this box are: Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd (1973/five bonus tracks), Second Helping (1974/three bonus tracks), Nuthin' Fancy (1975/two bonus tracks), Gimme Back My Bullets (1976/two bonus tracks), the two disc One More For The Road (1976/eight bonus tracks), Street Survivors (1977/five bonus tracks) and Southern By The Grace Of God: Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour Vol. One. Universal.


Ronnie Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - lead & rhythm guitars
Allen Collins - lead & rhythm guitars
Billy Powell - keyboards
Leon Wilkeson - bass, backing vocals
Artimus Pyle - drums
Steve Gaines - guitar
with
Leslie Hawkins - backing vocals
JoJo Billingsley - backing vocals
Cassie Gaines - backing vocals


CD 1 - Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd (1973)

Tracklist:
01. I Ain't the One
02. Tuesday's Gone
03. Gimme Three Steps
04. Simple Man
05. Things Goin' On
06. Mississippi Kid
07. Poison Whiskey
08. Free Bird
Bonus tracks:
09. Mr. Banker [Demo Version]
10. Down South Jukin' [Demo Version]
11. Tuesday's Gone [Demo Version]
12. Gimme Three Steps [Demo Version]
13. Free Bird [Demo Version]



CD 2 - Second Helping (1974)

Tracklist:
01. Sweet Home Alabama
02. I Need You
03. Don't Ask Me No Questions
04. Workin' for MCA
05. Ballad of Curtis Loew
06. Swamp Music
07. Needle and the Spoon
08. Call Me the Breeze
Bonus tracks:
09. Don't Ask Me No Questions [Single Version]
10. Was I Right or Wrong [Sounds Of The South demo version]
11. Take Your Time [Sounds Of The South demo version]



CD 3 - Nuthin' Fancy (1975)

Tracklist:
01. Saturday Night Special
02. Cheatin' Woman
03. Railroad Song
04. I'm a Country Boy
05. On the Hunt
06. Am I Losin'
07. Made in the Shade
08. Whiskey Rock-A-Roller
Bonus tracks:
09. Railroad Song [Live at Winterland, San Francisco, April 27th 1975]
10. On the Hunt [Live at Winterland, San Francisco, April 27th 1975]



CD 4 - Gimme Back My Bullets (1976)

Tracklist:
01. Gimme Back My Bullets
02. Every Mother's Son
03. Trust
04. I Got the Same Old Blues
05. Double Trouble
06. Roll Gypsy Roll
07. Searching
08. Cry for the Bad Man
09. All I Can Do Is Write About It
Bonus tracks:
10. Gimme Back My Bullets [Live]
11. Cry for the Bad Man [Live]




CD 5(Double cd) - One More From The Road (2-disc set)

CD1 Tracklist:

01. Introduction/Workin' for MCA
02. I Ain't the One
03. Saturday Night Special
04. Searching
05. Travelin' Man
06. Simple Man
07. Whiskey Rock-A-Roller
08. Needle and the Spoon
09. Gimme Back My Bullets
10. Tuesday's Gone
11. Gimme Three Steps
12. Call Me the Breeze
13. T for Texas (Blue Yodel No. 1)

CD2 Tracklist:

01. Sweet Home Alabama
02. Crossroads
03. Free Bird
04. Introduction/Workin' for MCA [Alternate Take]
05. I Ain't the One [Alternate Take]
06. Searching [Alternate Take]
07. Gimme Three Steps [Alternate Take]
08. Call Me the Breeze [Alternate Take]
09. Sweet Home Alabama [Alternate Take]
10. Crossroads [Alternate Take]
11. Free Bird [Alternate Take]



CD 6 - Street Survivors (1977)

Tracklist:
01. What's Your Name?
02. That Smell
03. One More Time
04. I Know a Little
05. You Got That Right
06. I Never Dreamed
07. Honky Tonk Night Time Man
08. Ain't No Good Life
Bonus tracks:
09. Georgia Peaches
10. Sweet Little Missy
11. You Got That Right [Alternate Version]
12. I Never Dreamed [Alternate Version]
13. Jacksonville Kid (aka "Honky Tonk Night Time Man")




CD 7 - Southern By The Grace Of God (1988)

Tracklist:
01. Introduction by Lacy Van Zant/Workin' for MCA
02. That Smell
03. I Know a Little
04. Comin' Home
05. You Got That Right
06. What's Your Name?
07. Gimme Back My Bullets
08. Swamp Music
09. Call Me the Breeze
10. Dixie/Sweet Home Alabama
11. Free Bird

H.P. Lovecraft-H.P. Lovecraft II(1969)(2009 Phoenix Rem.)[EAC-FLAC]

Releaser: thewall

Extractor: EAC 0.99 prebeta 4
Read Mode: Secure with NO C2, accurate stream, disable cache.
Codec: Flac 1.2.1; Level 8
Source: Original CD
Artwork: Full Scans 300dp.


H.P. Lovecraft was an American psychedelic rock group in the 1960s, later resurrected with a revised line-up as Lovecraft in the 1970s. The band was named for the famous horror writer. Originally formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1967, they relocated to San Francisco, California the following year.



History

H. P. Lovecraft fashioned a hybrid of acid-folk-rock and oddly striking vocal harmonies from two contrasting sources. Band founder George Edwards had been a folk troubadour in Chicago, California, and Florida, and whose repertoire included covers of The Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood” and Bob Dylan’s “Quit Your Low Down Ways”, as well as early songs by Fred Neil and Terry Callier, with both of whom he played in clubs. Vocalist/keyboard player Dave Michaels, who had previously played in jazz groups with David Sanborn, boasted a classical training and a four-octave range.

After covering Chip Taylor’s “Any Way That You Want Me” with members of Chicago band The Rovin’ Kind , Edwards and Michaels became the creative force behind the group. After getting clearance from the executors of the science fiction writer H.P. Lovecraft, they recruited Tony Cavallari (lead guitar), Mike Tegza (drums) and Jerry McGeorge (bass) (who had previously seen the group perform at The Cellar, a dance club in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago [3] ). A debut album for Philips, H. P. Lovecraft, soon followed.

Featuring a nine-piece orchestra, it juxtaposed covers such as Dino Valente’s hippie anthem “Get Together” and the early Randy Newman ballad “I’ve Been Wrong Before”, with band-written songs including the jazzy “That's How Much I Love You (More Or Less)” and vaudeville psychedelia in “The Time Machine”. A musical tribute to their novelist namesake, based on his short story “The White Ship”, was drenched in hallucinatory harmonies, droning feedback, baroque harpsichord passages and the chiming of a genuine 1811 ship’s bell.

Edwards and Michaels duel lead vocals distinguished the band's sound — influenced by Fred Neil's earlier work with Vince Martin—the intricate organ and harpsichord work of Michaels, and the propulsive drumming of Tegza. Several of their songs attempted to communicate the eerie atmosphere of the writings of their namesake. Their power and imagination as a live group can be heard on Live at the Fillmore: May 11, 1968, recorded after McGeorge had been replaced by Jeffrey Boyan, and issued in the 1990s.

A second studio album, H. P. Lovecraft II, followed. Although recorded with the band in some disarray, it successfully developed their musical approach and stands as an exemplar of acid rock of the period. Many of the psychedelic effects were apparently created by engineer Chris Huston, previously of Merseybeat band The Undertakers. The album included another song based on a Lovecraft short story, “At the Mountains of Madness,” as well as a contribution from voice artist Ken Nordine on the track "Nothing's Boy", and songs by Terry Callier and others.

In late 1968, Michaels decided to leave the band to return to university, and H. P. Lovecraft effectively collapsed. A spin-off group, Lovecraft, reformed in the 1970s with Edwards and Tegza from the original line-up, but Edwards departed from the group very soon after. The group released two more poorly-regarded albums, but had little connection to the first incarnation of the band.

Edwards has subsequently played in folk clubs as Ethan Kenning, occasionally reuniting with Michaels who also performs as David Miotke.



1. Spin Spin Spin
2. It's About Time
3. Blue Jack Of Diamonds
4. Electrollentando
5. At The Mountain Of Madness
6. Mobius Trip
7. High Flying Bird
8. Nothing's Boy
9. Keeper Of The Keys




* George Edwards (b. Charles Ethan Kenning, Chicago, 19 August 1943), vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, guitarron, bass
* Dave Michaels (b. David Miotke, Chicago, 15 December 1944), vocals, organ, piano, harpsichord, clarinet, recorder
* Jerry McGeorge (b. Cincinnati, Ohio, 22 October 1945), bass, vocals - later replaced by Jeff Boyan
* Tony Cavallari, lead guitar, vocals (b. Chicago, 1948)
* Michael Tegza, percussion, tympani, vocals, drums (b. Chicago, 1949)

The Five Americans-I See The Light(1966)(1994 Sundazed Rem.)[EAC-FLAC]

EAC Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : Yes
Make use of C2 pointers : No



FULL ARTWORK



Once upon a time, before a certain cable network began making instant stars of demographically-correct groups who'd never performed live, bands learned the ropes from the bottom up. They played teen dances and local clubs, released a local hit or two, then broke nationally, honing their writing and performing skills in the process. Quite often, the results were devastatingly effective. All of which is why the Five Americans have always been one of our fave bands. And we have here all the evidence necessary to prove our case in court. [Amazon]




lf you're curious enough about the Five Americans to want more than a greatest hits collection, this 1966 album is a worthwhile supplement. Ten of the 12 cuts are group originals, and they lean toward the gutsier side of what this sometimes pop-oriented act could offer, with occasional influences of Beau Brummels-like folk-rock. Most of the songs are not on their CD best-of (Western Union), and this disc adds previously unreleased alternate takes of "The Train" and "Good Times." [AMG]




Tracks:

1. I See the Light
2. The Losing Game
3. Goodbye
4. I Know They Lie
5. Twist and Shout
6. She's-A-My-Own
7. The Train
8. It's a Crying Shame
9. I'm So Glad
10. Don't Blame Me
11. The Outcast
12. What'd I Say
13. The Train
14. Good Times