Mott The Hoople - The Hoople (1974)

Year: 29 March 1974 (CD 2006)
Label: Legascy Records (Europe), 82796978732
Style: Rock, Glam Rock
Country: Hereford, Herefordshire, England
Time: 69:06
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 443 Mb

 

Charts: UK No. 11 / US No. 28 / Can. No. 28

Having played in a number of different rock bands in Hereford, England, during the late 60s, the founding members of this outfit comprised Overend Watts (Peter Watts, 13 May 1947, Birmingham, England; vocals/bass), Mick Ralphs (b. Michael Geoffrey Ralphs, 31 May 1944, Hereford, Herefordshire, England; vocals/guitar), Verden Allen (b. 26 May 1944, Hereford, England; organ) and Dale Griffin (b. 24 October 1948, Ross-on-Wye, England; vocals/drums). After dispensing with their lead singer Stan Tippens, they were on the point of dissolving when Ralphs sent a demo tape to Island Records producer Guy Stevens. He responded enthusiastically, and after placing an advertisement in Melody Maker, they auditioned a promising singer named Ian Hunter (b. 3 June 1946, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England; vocals, keyboards, guitar). In June 1969 Stevens christened the band Mott The Hoople, after the novel by Willard Manus. Their self-titled debut album revealed a very strong Bob Dylan influence, most notably in Hunter's nasal vocal inflexions and visual image. With his corkscrew hair and permanent shades Hunter bore a strong resemblance to vintage 1966 Dylan and retained that style for his entire career.

Their first album, with its M.C. Escher cover illustration, included pleasing interpretations of the Kinks' 'You Really Got Me' and Sonny Bono's 'Laugh At Me', and convinced many that Mott would become a major band. Their next three albums trod water, however, and it was only their popularity and power as a live act that kept them together. Despite teaming up with backing vocalist Steve Marriott on the Shadow Morton -produced 'Midnight Lady', a breakthrough hit remained elusive. On 26 March 1972, following the departure of Allen, they quit in disillusionment. Fairy godfather David Bowie convinced them to carry on, offered his assistance as producer, placed them under the wing of his manager, Tony De Fries, and even presented them with a stylish UK Top 5 hit, 'All The Young Dudes'. The catchy 'Honaloochie Boogie' maintained the momentum but there was one minor setback when Ralphs quit to form Bad Company. With new members Morgan Fisher (b. 1 January 1950, London, England) and Ariel Bender (b. Luther Grosvenor, 23 December 1949, Evesham, Worcestershire, England) the band enjoyed a run of further UK Top 10 hits including 'All The Way From Memphis' and 'Roll Away The Stone'. During their final phase, Bowie's sideman Mick Ronson (b. 26 May 1945, Hull, Yorkshire, England, d. 30 April 1993) joined the band in place of Grosvenor (who had departed to join Widowmaker). Preparations for a European tour in late 1974 were disrupted when Hunter was hospitalized suffering from physical exhaustion, culminating in the cancellation of the entire tour. When rumours circulated that Hunter had signed a recording contract instigating a solo career, with Ronson working alongside him, the upheaval led to an irrevocable rift within the band, resulting in the stormy demise of Mott The Hoople. With the official departure of Hunter and Ronson, the remaining members, Watts, Griffin and Fisher, determined to carry on, working simply as Mott.

(oldies.com/artist-biography/Mott-Hoople.html)

01. The Golden Age Of Rock 'N' Roll (03:25)
02. Marionette (05:08)
03. Alice (05:20)
04. Crash Street Kidds (04:31)
05. Born Late '58 (04:00)
06. Trudi's Song (04:26)
07. Pearl 'N' Roy (England) (04:31)
08. Through The Looking Glass (04:37)
09. Roll Away The Stone (03:10)
10. Where Do You All Come From (Non-LP B-Side Of ''Roll Away The Stone'') (03:26)
11. Rest in Peace (Non-LP B-Side Of ''The Golden Age Of Rock 'N' Roll'') (03:55)
12. Foxy Foxy (Non-LP Single A-Side) (03:31)
13. (Do You Remember) The Saturday Gigs (Non-LP Single A-Side) (04:20)
14. The Saturday Kids (Work In Progress Mixes) (06:03)
15. Lounge Lizzard (Aborted Single B-Side) (04:19)
16. American Pie / The Golden Age Of Rock 'N' Roll (Live From Broadway) (04:15)

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Mott The Hoople - Mott [4 bonus tracks] (1973)

Year: 20 July 1973 (CD 2006)
Label: Columbia / Legascy (U.S.), 82796 93810 2
Style: Rock, Glam Rock
Country: Hereford, Herefordshire, England
Time: 58:42
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 351 Mb

 

Charts: UK No. 7 / US No. 35 / Can. No. 43. In 2003, the album was ranked number 366 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and 370 in a 2012 revised list.

The album featured different album covers in the U.K. and U.S., as well as remastered tracks on some editions. The U.S. cover featured a photo of the four band members with the word "MOTT" on it, with "Mott The Hoople" written in the O. The U.K. front cover featured an illustration based on a bust of Roman emperor Augustus, the band's name written in a typeface simultaneously evocative of a 1920s Art Deco font and the "Future Shock" font inspired by computer-readable punch cards.[citation needed] Initial copies had a gatefold sleeve with the Augustus image printed on a transparent plastic sheet.[citation needed] The emperor would appear again on the inner sleeve of The Hoople, the band's next and final album in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mott_(album))

01. All The Way From Memphis (05:02)
02. Whizz Kid (03:25)
03. Hymn For The Dudes (05:24)
04. Honaloochie Boogie (02:43)
05. Violence (04:48)
06. Drivin' Sister (03:53)
07. Ballad Of Mott The Hoople (05:25)
08. I'm A Cadillac / El Camino Dolo Roso (07:50)
09. I Wish I Was Your Mother (04:53)
10. Rose (Non-LP B-Side of ''Honaloochie Boogie'') (03:58)
11. Honaloochie Boogie (Demo Version) (03:08)
12. Nightmare (Demo) (03:38)
13. Drivin' Sister (Live, Hammersmith Odeon) (04:30)

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Marvelous Kid - After The Race (1973)

Year: 1973 (CD 2024)
Label: Seelie Court (UK), SCD 061
Style: Canterbury Scene, Progressive Rock, Symphonic Rock
Country: UK
Time: 55:07
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 368 Mb

Among the bands that have created a sort of cult around them are Marvelous Kid, a UK band with a Progressive Rock sound with references to the Canterbury Scene. Although they never released a proper album at the time, they made a name for themselves in their live appearances, playing at the Glastonbury Festival and as support to bands such as East Of Eden, The Groundhogs, Fusion Orchestra and Capability Brown, among others. Fortunately, Archival Records Seelie Court bought the masters of the 1973 recordings directly from the band members, turning them into the album that should have been released at the time. Titled “After The Race,” it was released in 2024 in a super limited edition, available exclusively from the label via mail order. The tracklist consists of 5 tracks, 4 of which are epic suites of over 9, 12, 13 and 15 minutes, perhaps this might have been the problem that prevented the band from getting a record deal at the time. The first thing that strikes us, as in the label’s previous releases, is the very high quality of the master and the sonic cleanliness of these usually not-so-perfect sounding exhibits. After this dutiful introduction, necessary in discographic releases such as this, we go into the listening, which proposes a long suite of over 12 minutes entitled “The John And Valerie Music.” The elaborate textures are steeped in that Progressive Rock sound with Jazzy traits that reminds us of the Canterbury Scene, even more evident in the development of the vocal parts and the wind-keyboard-guitar solo inserts. What is certain is that this piece is an engaging and refined Prog song with Jazzy facets, which enhances the band’s compositional and performing technique. In the second part, the band develops an extended instrumental section of pure Progressive Rock. As mentioned earlier, there is a ‘shorter’ track entitled “One For Sebastian,” which is still over four minutes long. Winds are prominent in the melodies, giving a jazzy touch in the vocal parts as well, with a warm and expressive vocal. In the middle part, the band develops a refined instrumental section with intertwining guitar and sax that accompany us to the finale. “After The Race” is the title track of this work, an epic suite of over 13 minutes, exploring the different facets of the band’s sound. The mixture of very British sounds of Symphonic Progressive Rock characterise the first part, with warm and expressive vocals. Pastoral flute inserts enrich the sound, with continuous tempo changes and phrasing between guitar and woodwinds through extended instrumental sections. The long duration enhances the band’s compositional and performing technique, keeping the intensity very high and interweaving energetic and engaging vocals and instrumentals. The longest track on the album, “Instructions For Travellers,” is an epic of over 15 minutes, is more delicate and with sounds that are nonetheless engaging. The sound deviates somewhat from true Progressive Rock, but it offers a sound that brings us all the lightheartedness of a trip taken at the time perhaps by a young listener of this music. Valuable guitar solo inserts in the second half and intense vocal parts accompany us for this pleasant musical journey through space and time. In the second part, with the entry of the woodwinds, the band e4volves the piece with very delicate and refined Prog sounds. The album ends with “Katherine,” a piece over 9 minutes in length, is a complex piece that incorporates Jazz elements to an energetic and engaging Prog sound. With continuous tempo changes and wide instrumental parts, which enhance the textures of woodwinds and keyboards, with Symphonic openings and melodic and refined solo inserts. After concluding the listening, the piece leaves us wanting to listen to this work again in the near future. A band that has remained hidden and unknown for too long, finally Seelie Court has brought out a true hidden masterpiece. The band at the time mysteriously did not find a contract to see their music released, which instead is qualitatively very interesting and technically well composed and performed. An album that consists of long tracks exploring Progressive Rock sounds with forays into jazz traceable to the Canterbury Scene, with extensive use of horns. A recommended listen for lovers of the hidden treasures of the 70s, a true absolute masterpiece of Progressive Rock with featured horns, bringing the atmosphere of that magical period back to the present day, an absolute masterpiece. I want to thank Seelie Court for the research and enhancement work it has done with this and other bands of the era.
(progrockjournal.com/review-marvelous-kid-after-the-race/)

01. The John & Valerie Music (12:12)
02. One For Sebastian (04:26)
03. After The Race (13:13)
04. Instructions For Travellers (15:20)
05. Katherine (09:55)

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Rainbow - Stranger In Us All [3 bonus tracks] (1995)

Year / 21 August 1995 (CD May 19, 2017)
Label / HNE Recordings Ltd. (Europe), HNECD085
Style / Hard Rock
Country / Hertford, Hertfordshire, England
Time / 65:07
Format / Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size / 481 Mb

Ritchie Blackmore - guitar, producer
Doogie White - lead vocals
Paul Morris - keyboards
Greg Smith - bass, backing vocals
John O’Reilly - drums

The line-up is completely new, reprising none of Rainbow’s earlier members. Wisely going for a fresh start, Blackmore got together vocalist Doogie White, bassist Greg Smith, drummer John O’Reilly and keyboardist Paul Morris. With them, he revisited his classic blues-inspired hard rock sound, mixing it with a dose of medieval/mystical 70’s Rainbow. It was about the best thing he could have done.
Because after some very poor work from the brilliant guitarist in the 80’s, now he knew what his strengths were. His strength was not being dramatic or cheesy: his strength was making honest hard rock with a traditional bluesy flare. Stranger In Us All does this, and does it well, never really trying to create something new when it shouldn’t. Thanks to White’s powerful an distinctive enough voice and Blackmore’s revitalized guitar work, the album succeeds. White is the best vocalist Rainbow has had since Dio, not overdoing his work like Turner, or being a bit too cocky like Bonnet, and is a huge relief, and for the first time since the 70’s, we can hear the rhythm section playing.
As said, Stranger’s strongest part are the traditional bluesy hard rock songs, once again empowered by Blackmore’s strong leads. The likes of Wolf to the Moon and Cold Hearted Woman can easily measure up to the guitarist’s earlier work, and remind us he can definitely still do it in 1995. To great surprise, there are even some successful Dio-era-inspired cuts with a mystical sense, such as Black Masquerade and Hall of the Mountain King. Stranger In Us All wraps together what was good about Deep Purple and what was good about early Rainbow.
Much more isn’t there to say. Stranger In Us All is as good as it would get, and after earlier continuously fading hope, Rainbow went out with a kind of bang at last. This was also Blackmore’s final hard rock endeavour. Shortly after, he would form Blackmore’s Night with his now-wife Candice Night, a neo-medieval/folk rock group. He’s still in it today, and it’s probably what he does best now. For both him and Rainbow, Stranger In Us All was a final hurrah.
(sputnikmusic.com/review/34136/Rainbow-Stranger-In-Us-All/#:~:text=Thanks%20to%20White's%20powerful%20an%20distinctive%20enough,we%20can%20hear%20the%20rhythm%20section%20playing.)

01. Wolf to the Moon (04:17)
02. Cold Hearted Woman (04:30)
03. Hunting Humans (Insatiable) (05:44)
04. Stand and Fight (05:22)
05. Ariel (05:41)
06. Too Late for Tears (04:55)
07. Black Masquerade (05:37)
08. Silence (04:05)
09. Hall of the Mountain King (05:32)
10. Still I'm Sad (05:26)
11. Emotional Crime (Japan bonus track) (03:50)
12. Ariel (radio edit) (04:01)
13. The Temple of the King (live) (06:03)

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Rainbow - Bent Out Of Shape [Japanese Ed. 1985] (1983)

Year: September 1983 (CD May 16, 1985)
Label: Polydor Records (Japan), P33P 50026
Style: Hard Rock
Country: Hertford, Hertfordshire, England
Time: 40:50
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 262 Mb

Bent Out of Shape would be Rainbow's final studio album before their 12-year hiatus from the studio. It also proved to be the band's final studio album with vocalist Joe Lynn Turner, bassist Roger Glover and keyboardist David Rosenthal, and their only one to feature drummer Chuck Burgi, who replaced Bobby Rondinelli just prior to the album's recording sessions.
The instrumental "Snowman" is based upon "Walking in the Air," a song written by Howard Blake for the 1982 animated film The Snowman, which was based on Raymond Briggs' 1978 children's book of the same name.
The album's cover was designed by Hipgnosis, and alongside Led Zeppelin's Coda, the artwork was amongst the last to be created by the studio before disbanding in 1983.
This album is generally referred to by critics and fans as a commercial effort, with the band attempting to repeat the success of the song "Stone Cold" from the previous album Straight Between the Eyes. As a result, some of the songs, like the first single released from this album, "Street of Dreams", are usually considered to be more in the album-oriented rock style, instead of the hard rock sound of earlier Rainbow albums. The album was particularly aimed at the US market: the title is an American idiom rather than a British one. However, the album received positive reviews in the U.K. Howard Johnson of Kerrang! magazine (No.51 – Sept 22-Oct 5, 1983) praised the album as "possibly Rainbow's most complete work to date" and called "Desperate Heart" and "Street of Dreams" "two of this year's finest tunes".
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bent_Out_of_Shape)

Album recorded and mixed in the analog domain - AAD. That is, a minimum of digital processing.
A=Analog. D=digital. The first letter stands for how the music was recorded. The second letter for how it was mixed. The third letter stands for the format (all CD's will have D as the last letter).

01. Stranded (04:29)
02. Can't Let You Go (04:21)
03. Fool For The Night (04:04)
04. Fire Dance (04:30)
05. Anybody There (02:38)
06. Desperate Heart (04:04)
07. Street Of Dreams (04:26)
08. Drinking With The Devil (03:44)
09. Snowman (04:32)
10. Make Your Move (03:56)

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Savoy Brown - Jack The Toad (1973)

Year: 1973 (CD 1991)
Label: Deram Records (Germany), 844 021-2
Style: Blues Rock, Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 46:18
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 275 Mb

Savoy Brown made the best of Dave Walker's departure for Fleetwood Mac by hiring Jack Lynton as their lead singer. While Lynton's voice can't match the warmth instilled by Walker's, he does do a competent job at melding with Kim Simmonds' guitar playing. His voice is sharp but not overly exciting, yet it still presents "Coming Down Your Way" with enough emotion to make it the album's standout track. The addition of Ron Berg on percussion and Stan Saltzman's saxophone are worthy instrumental extensions, helping to boost the album's energy level another notch. "Ride on Babe," "If I Want To," "Some People," and the title track are straight-sounding efforts, but they seem to lack the blues resilience of what the band is capable of. There's enough of Simmonds' talent to keep die-hard fans fascinated, yet the provocative blues-rock character that has evolved from Savoy Brown as a complete group has been slightly abandoned for the most part. Considering Savoy Brown's past tribulations that have played out in such a short time span, Jack the Toad can be labeled an adequate effort, but when paralleled to the quality of strut and swagger that Simmonds has administered with his members in the past, it may be regarded as a little less than that.

Album recorded and mixed in the analog domain - AAD. That is, a minimum of digital processing.
A=Analog. D=digital. The first letter stands for how the music was recorded. The second letter for how it was mixed. The third letter stands for the format (all CD's will have D as the last letter).

01. Coming Down Your Way (04:56)
02. Ride On Babe (04:24)
03. Hold Your Fire (04:20)
04. If I Want To (04:00)
05. Endless Sleep (05:44)
06. Casting My Spell (04:14)
07. Just Cos' You Got The Blues Don't Mean You  Gotta Sing (05:48)
08. Some People (06:06)
09. Jack the Toad (06:40)

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Love - Black Beauty [previously unreleased] (1973)

Year: recorded in 1973 (CD 2013)
Label: High Moon Records (US), HMRCD-01
Style: Rhythm and Blues, Psychedelic Rock
Country: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Time: 74:03
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 442 Mb

What was technically recorded as Arthur Lee’s second solo album after the dissolution of Love in 1971 became viewed as the “great lost Love album”, as the album was going to be released under the trading name of Love.  The shortest version of the story behind 1973’s Black Beauty is that the record label, for whom it was recorded, folded before it ever saw the light of day.  Buffalo Records came and went without a trace and one of Arthur Lee’s strongest works remained unreleased until 2012, when High Moon Records issued it on vinyl for the very first time – now, it appears on CD in a beautiful hardcover package with live material and an Arthur Lee interview included.
Heavier than most Love albums people would be familiar with (Da Capo, Forever Changes, etc.), Black Beauty rocks with melody and guts.  The band Lee assembled to help realize this album – Melvan Whittington:  guitar, Robert Rozelle:  bass and Joe Blocker on drums – are as powerful and masterful as the best known Love line-ups and their feel gives Black Beauty a definite group vibe, rather than a tentative solo effort.  The production is very good, considering the only source originally known was from acetates (!); most importantly, Lee’s writing had grown and stretched to a finessed level of groove with sophistication, most notably on “Skin”.  Right out of the chute, “Young & Able (Good & Evil)” points a new (maybe an “of the time”/”’70’s style”) direction but with fire; “Midnight Sun” is heavy and pure R-O-C-K and sounds more like a Hendrix track than anything else (!); “Beep Beep” is a calypso/reggae-oriented number that shows the playful side of Lee’s writing.
Is Black Beauty truly the great lost Love album?  I would have to say yes.  Although the original album was only to have ten tracks (this collection includes 6 bonuses – live tracks, the Lee interview and a few other items of interest), those ten tracks hold together solidly and work as a complete package.  It’s also one of Arthur Lee’s most accessible works.  It doesn’t matter that it was first born in 1973 – that it sounds as good now as it would have then says it all.
(popdose.com/reissue-review-love-black-beauty/)

01. Young & Able (Good & Evil) (03:24)
02. Midnight Sun (03:33)
03. Can't Find It (03:46)
04. Walk Right In (03:23)
05. Skid (02:52)
06. Beep Beep (02:14)
07. Stay Away (02:47)
08. Lonely Pigs (04:25)
09. See Myself In You (03:03)
10. Product Of The Times (04:11)
11. Title Song From The Motion Picture 'Thomasine & Bushrod' (bonus track) (02:26)
12. Arthur Lee Interview With Steve Rosen (bonus track) (22:16)
13. Every Time I Look Up I'm Down (Live At Electric Gardens, Glasgow) (bonus track) (03:32)
14. Nothing (Live At Electric Gardens, Glasgow) (bonus track) (03:06)
15. Keep On Shining (Live At Electric Gardens, Glasgow) (bonus track) (05:56)
16. L.A. Blues (Performed By Arthur Lee & The Ventilators) (bonus track) (03:02)

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Mike Oldfield - Music Of The Spheres [Japanese Ed.] (2008)

Year: 17 March 2008 (CD     Mar 19, 2008)
Label: Universal Music (Japan), UCCS-1113
Style: Electronic, Classical
Country: Reading, Berkshire, England (15 May 1953)
Time: 45:29
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 235 Mb

Charts: UK #9, AUT #62, GER #14, SPA #7, SWE #31, SWI #37. UK: Silver.
The legendary British composer will always be most identified with his breakthrough long-play composition "Tubular Bells" and the way it was used to illuminate fear in The Exorcist. The happy truth is that since then he's amassed an incredible catalog of over 20 albums featuring just about every instrumental form but jazz: pop, classical, new age, world music, computer game, film soundtrack, etc. The title of his 2008 45-minute classical-influenced opus Music of the Spheres is a reference to the prolific and eclectic composer's feeling that all music should aim to represent the spiritual or otherworldly elements of life -- something beyond the mundane and everyday. He accomplishes that via the sheer hypnotic beauty of the gentler passages and the percussive drama of others, both of which characterize the multi-movement opening track, "Harbinger," which lives up to its title as a preview of the overwhelming, ethereal joys to come. Mike Oldfield is a highly accomplished film composer and it would be easy to imagine gorgeous, sweeping pieces like "Animus" and "Silhouette" behind pastoral romantic scenes, and action-packed, percussively dense expressions like "The Tempest" building some heavy suspense for some nail-biting plot. Completely recorded by an orchestra at Abbey Road studios and featuring Oldfield himself on guitar, Music of the Spheres -- which features guest performances by world-renowned young soprano (and Decca labelmate) Hayley Westenra and classical piano phenom Lang Lang -- is huge in scope yet at heart simple and emotionally direct on a purely melodic level. While the piece was entirely conceived, produced, and written by Oldfield, he turned to popular modern classical composer Karl Jenkins to translate his ideas into traditional classical notations arranged for orchestra -- a great departure from the artist's usual array of studio-only wizardry. Jenkins, who once played oboe on a live BBC recording of "Tubular Bells" in 1975, gets a co-production credit, and with good reason. Oldfield scored his music via a computer program called Logic, while Jenkins used Sibelius to create the musical notation. Oldfield recorded an elaborate demo using orchestral samples, then handed it over so that Jenkins could add the human touch by re-recording it by an orchestra of classical musicians. It's a rich, heartfelt collaboration that breaks new ground for both men. Oldfield had no trouble declaring that he was almost moved to tears while listening to Music of the Spheres come alive at Abbey Road. It's a primitive spiritual and emotional response that every listener would later relate to.
(allmusic.com/album/music-of-the-spheres-mw0000497578)

01. Harbinger (04:08)
02. Animus (03:09)
03. Silhouette (03:19)
04. Shabda (03:56)
05. The Tempest (05:48)
06. Harbinger (Reprise) (01:30)
07. On My Heart (Vocals - Hayley Westenra) (02:26)
08. Aurora (03:42)
09. Prophecy (02:54)
10. On My Heart (Reprise) Vocals - Hayley Westenra (01:16)
11. Harmonia Mundi (03:46)
12. The Other Side (01:28)
13. Empyrean (01:37)
14. Musica Universalis (06:24)

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George Harrison (ex Beatles) - Dark Horse (1974)

Year: 20 December 1974 (CD Jan 1992)
Label: Capitol Records (US), CDP 7 98079 2
Style: Classic Rock, Rock
Country: Liverpool, England (25 February 1943 - 29 November 2001)
Time: 41:19
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 257 Mb

Charts: AUS #47, AUT #10, CAN #42, GER #45, JPN #18, NL #5, NOR #7, US #4. UK: Silver; US: Gold.
"Hari's On Tour (Express)" - It's easy to label this as filler, but it's a great opener and a nice tie-in with George's first solo tour. It's hard to compare this to openers from the first two albums, but it's catchy and there's some decent guitar licks. B-
"Simply Shady" - The first song with vocals, you notice the "dark hoarse" right away but it's not that bad. Following the lead from the previous album, it's a blue-sy soul number. Definitely one of the stronger songs on the album, with an amazing organ by Roger Kellaway. B+
"So Sad" - A lot of these songs would fit in well on Living in the Material World. George's hoarse vocals aren't as noticeable here, and the album continues to chug along. Great slide guitar. B-
"Bye Bye Love" - A tongue in cheek cover of the Everly Brothers, it's the weakest song on the first side, but charming enough to listen to. It eerily resembles what would become George's last composition, "Horse to the Water". D
"Maya Love" - Another one of the stronger songs, Billy Preston's electric piano stands out and George's hoarse vocals are barely noticeable. It creates its own unique sound, one that would be utilized more on the next album but still features a bit of blues. B+
"Ding Dong, Ding Dong" - One of the weaker tracks, something that should have been left as a non-album single, but not horrible. C
"Dark Horse" - Easily one of the album's best songs, the title track would be an easy A rating if not for the hoarse vocals and production. While the flute has charm to it, a more rocky arrangement would have been great - imagining a "Wah-Wah" style song with guitar licks lifted from "Bangla Desh" makes you wonder what could have been. B+
"Far East Man" - If there's any song where George's vocals stand out (not in a good way), it's this one. The falsetto verse vocals are painful to listen to, and a more "Who Can See It" vibe would have fit the song better. D
"Is It 'He' (Jai Sre Krishna)" - It's not a bad song, as far as closing songs go. Compared to the last two albums, which had the powerful and final "Hear Me Lord" and the somber "That Is All", this song is a bit underwhelming, but still catchy, almost like the successor to George's still-unreleased "Dehra Dun". C
(forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/george-harrisons-dark-horse-a-review.672225/)

01. Hari's On Tour (Express) (04:44)
02. Simple Shady (04:38)
03. So Sad (05:02)
04. Bye Bye, Love (04:09)
05. Maya Love (04:24)
06. Ding Dong, Ding Dong (03:41)
07. Dark Horse (03:55)
08. Far East Man (05:53)
09. It Is 'He' (Jai Sri Krishna) (04:50)

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Spirogyra - St. Radigunds [Japanese Ed.] (1971)

Year: September 1971    (CD Mar 29, 2005)
Label: Strange Days Records (Japan), WAS-1022
Style: Progressive Rock, British Folk Rock
Country: Canterbury, England
Time: 46:52
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 266 Mb

Spirogyra was originally formed as a duo by Martin Cockerham (vocals/guitar) and Mark Francis in Bolton, Lancashire in the summer of 1967. This original incarnation of the band produced no recordings, and ended when Cockerham left to attend the University of Kent at Canterbury.
In December 1969, Cockerham recruited a number of fellow students for a reconceived Spirogyra. This iteration of the group was expansive, including over ten members. Eventually, the band was pared down to four members: Cockerham himself on vocals and guitar, plus Barbara Gaskin (vocals), Steve Borrill (bass guitar), and Julian Cusack (violin). The band was soon spotted by Max Hole, who offered to manage the group, and "used his position as Student Union Entertainment Secretary to set up gigs at universities throughout the country". They recorded demos at the music room of Keynes College, part of the University of Kent, which would be released on the Burn the Bridges compilation in 2000.
Unusually, the group was able to persuade university officials to allow the members, their manager, and a roadie to take a one-year leave of absence from their studies. The group played live frequently, opening for groups such as Traffic and completing two tours of the Netherlands. After nearly being signed to Apple Records, manager Max Hole arranged a three-album recording contract with B&C Records in the U.K. Meanwhile, a deal for European and American distribution with Polydor was announced, but apparently fell through; the albums were instead released in Germany on Brain, and were not available in the United States. On all three albums, Dave Mattacks of Fairport Convention played drums. Although all of the albums sold poorly at the time, they have developed a cult following in the decades since. Original copies of all three albums are rare and expensive today, but have been reissued several times.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirogyra_(band)#Discography)

01. The Future Won't Be Long (04:19)
02. Island (03:40)
03. Magical Mary (06:18)
04. Captain's Log (02:08)
05. At Home In The World (03:05)
06. Cogwheels Crutches And Cyanide (05:55)
07. Time Will Tell (05:36)
08. We Were A Happy Crew (05:30)
09. Love Is A Funny Thing (02:10)
10. The Duke Of Beaufoot (08:06)

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Rainbow - Rainbow On Stage [Japan Ed. 1st press] (1977)

Year: 15 July 1977 (CD Sep 1, 1986)
Label: Polydor Records (Japan), P40P 25017
Style: Classic Rock, Hard Rock
Country: Hertford, Hertfordshire, England
Time: 63:56
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 362 Mb

Charts: UK #7, AUS #22, FIN #21, GER #28, JPN #6, NOR #17, NLD #29, SWE #25, US #65. UK: Silver; JPN: Gold.
On Stage is a double live album originally released by the British hard rock band Rainbow in 1977. It was recorded live over several German and Japanese dates in late 1976 during the Rising world tour. The album was released first in the US on 7 July 1977, before being released a week later on 15 July in the UK.
The recording features the customary introduction to a Rainbow show – the classic quote from The Wizard of Oz, "Toto: I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore. We must be over the rainbow!" with the last word repeated as an echo, then the actual band plays a musical phrase from the song "Over the Rainbow" before breaking into "Kill the King".
A few of the tracks were edited by producer Martin Birch. Mistreated has the guitar/vocal duel removed, the "Lazy" introduction to "Man on the Silver Mountain", the drum solo has been omitted from "Still I'm Sad", and the running order was changed to more easily fit four sides of vinyl.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Stage_(Rainbow_album))

01. Intro - Over The Rainbow/Kill The King (05:29)
02. Man On The Silver Mountain (04:15)
03. Blues (04:02)
04. Starstruck (02:57)
05. Catch The Rainbow (15:34)
06. Mistreated (13:01)
07. Sixteenth Century Greensleeves (07:35)
08. Still I'm Sad (11:00)

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Mike Oldfield - Tres Lunas (Tr3s Lunas) [Japanese Ed. 3 bonus tracks] (2002)

Year: 3 June 2002 (CD Jul 24, 2002)
Label: WEA Music (Japan), WPCR-11229
Style: Electronic, New Age, Instrumental
Country: Reading, Berkshire, England (15 May 1953)
Time: 64:56
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 419 Mb

Poor Mike Oldfield. Whenever he makes a record in the Tubular Bells series, it sells well and serves as a reminder that he has always been an innovator. If he calls it anything else, it drifts away. Tres Lunas won't buck the trend. Heralded on the cover as "Mike Oldfield's chill out", its relaxation quotient is diminished by a second disc which claims to be an interactive PC game, but is rendered unplayable by labyrinthine, nonsensical formalities. Once calmness has been restored, Tres Lunas has its moments of loveliness, particularly the appositely titled Sirius. It is essentially mid-paced, but always melodic, buffeted along by Oldfield's flamenco guitar. He is no Robert Miles, but Oldfield does understand that "chill out" need not equate with "bland". Return to the Origin has the Euro-sensuality of Enigma; Landfall and Firefly cheekily echo the Tubular Bells and Killing Fields themes respectively and To Be Free is a proper song with vocals and chorus. Hardly a landmark, but hardly the last gasp of a washed-up old fool either.
(theguardian.com/music/2002/aug/09/popandrock.artsfeatures4)

01. Misty (03:58)
02. No Mans Land (06:08)
03. Return To The Origin (04:38)
04. Landfall (02:19)
05. Viper (04:32)
06. Turtle Island (03:40)
07. To Be Free (04:21)
08. Firefly (03:46)
09. Tr3s Lunas (04:35)
10. Daydream (02:15)
11. Thou Art In Heaven (05:22)
12. Sirius (05:47)
13. No Mans Land (Reprise) (02:56)
14. To Be Free (Radio Edit) (03:58)
15. To Be Free (Pumpin' Dolls Radio Friendly Edit) (03:26)
16. To Be Free (Soultronik Mix-tica Mix) (03:09)

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Mark Knopfler (ex Dire Straits) - One Deep River [2CD] (2024)

Year: 12 April 2024 (CD Apr 12, 2024)
Label: EMI Records (Europe), EMICDY 2113
Style: Pop, Pop Rock
Country: Glasgow, Scotland (12 August 1949)
Time: 51:54, 18:52
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 300, 120 Mb

Charts: UK #3, AUS #48, FIN #8, NLD #2, NOR #4, NZ #15, SWE #9, SWI #1, US #157.
Mark Knopfler's One Deep River is an album of lyrical poignancy, with a depth of world-weariness that almost becomes dreamlike. His vocals and most certainly that guitar connect back to Dire Straits, but only in their quietest, most reflective moments.
It's as if he left simply to downshift. In this enduring quiet, Knopfler has done a lot of looking back - but not to his hitmaking former group. No, he's looking much further back - back into the histories of aging figures and long-ago characters, connecting their struggles, heartbreaks and (only very occasional) triumphs to the present. He's always had an itinerant life and that probably plays a role in Knopfler's lingering fascination with wanderers, whether they're running from or toward something.
Yet age catches up with all of them - even rock 'n' rollers. So, One Deep River remains plugged in but explores the more contemplative side of Americana (Greg Leisz plays pedal and lap steel, John McCusker is on violin) through a distinctive U.K. lens (Mike McGoldrick adds the whistle and uilleann pipes). Similarly, nothing here is root-bound. "Tunnel 13," with its lengthy meditation on a real-life bandit trio's lifetime of adventure, and "Before My Train Comes" are both set on the rails. "This One's Not Going to End Well" finds Knopfler on the open sea.
What holds this restless cast together is Knopfler's wizened presence. His voice has always had an ageless yet very aged quality. Even on his earliest singles with Dire Straits, Knopfler came off like this knowing sage. The only drawback to One Deep River, if it even is one, is that he occasionally also had a playfulness back then, and that's been conveyed to a far lesser degree on subsequent solo projects. Oh, Knopfler offers a wink or two, but One Deep River is here to create enveloping narratives more than get toes to tap. So, "This One's Not Going to End Well" is set aboard a slave trader's ship, rather than seekers of new lands. "Sweeter Than the Rain" wrestles with some unspoken ask that tries a man's faith in himself. Even the loping J.J. Cale-esque "Two Pairs of Hands" is grizzled and knowing, rather than expectedly celebratory.
A river runs through it. The album and title track both reference the Tyne, which bisects Knopfler's childhood hometown of Newcastle, England, while also creating a powerful boundary image between past and present: There's no going back. Yet with "Ahead of the Game," Knopfler makes clear that he still finds solace in song. One Deep River simply confirms that those songs will arrive on their own more slow-moving currents.
(ultimateclassicrock.com/mark-knopfler-one-deep-river-album-review/)

01. Two Pairs Of Hands (04:06)
02. Ahead Of The Game (03:56)
03. Smart Money (04:27)
04. Scavengers Yard (04:33)
05. Black Tie Jobs (02:57)
06. Tunnel 13 (05:27)
07. Janine (04:42)
08. Watch Me Gone (05:02)
09. Sweeter Than The Rain (04:16)
10. Before My Train Comes (04:04)
11. This One's Not Going To End Well (04:00)
12. One Deep River (04:19)

01. The Living End (03:43)
02. Fat Chance Dupree (04:15)
03. Along A Foreign Coast (04:33)
04. What I'm Gonna Need (02:52)
05. Nothing But Rain (03:28)

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Paul McCartney & Wings - Band On The Run (1973)

Year: 30 November 1973 (CD 1989)
Label: Capitol Records (US), CDP 7 46675 2
Style: Classic Rock, Rock
Country: Liverpool, England (18 June 1942)
Time: 44:57
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 266 Mb

Charts: UK #1, AUS #1, BEL #4, GER #15, NLD #5, NOR #1, NZ #23, SWE #5, SWI #22, US #1. FRA: Gold; UK & CAN: Platinum; US: 3x Platinum.
The album is, of course, a defining piece of the 1970s as Paul McCartney shows off just how much talent he has...but things didn't look promising early on in the recording process.
McCartney wanted to record the music at a tropical location and picked Lagos, Nigeria; however, right before departing, drummer Denny Seiwell and guitarist Henry McCullough left the band unexpectedly. With no time to recruit replacements, McCartney headed into the recording studio with just his wife and Denny Laine. Therefore, McCartney played bass, drums, other percussion instruments, and most of the lead guitar parts...yeah pretty insane if you ask me.
But the drama doesn't stop there: McCartney and his wife were robbed at knifepoint while walking down the streets of Lagos (political and social tensions were at an all-time high in the country...may not have been your brightest move to record here, Paul). The burglar took the band's bag of demo-tapes and song lyrics, causing the group to re-record multiple sections of the album back in London. Add all of this on top of a very poor recording studio in Lagos, and you got yourself a recipe for disaster...or so you'd think.
It seemed almost impossible to for Wings to please fans and critics alike in the past, as many people dubbed the band's early works as "underwhelming". With that being said, expectations still couldn't be higher for the album, as many people were still expecting the ex-Beatle to blow the roof off the Billboard charts. Through all of the trials and tribulations, McCartney and company were still able to craft what is now known as the group's finest album. Not only did the band meet the high expectations set by fans and critics, but they surpassed these expectations by leaps and bounds.
McCartney is without a doubt at his musical peak in this album, as he was forced to play multiple instruments on a whim. Songs like "Let Me Roll It", "Band On The Run", and "No Words" best exemplify the saronating yet crunchy guitar riffs constructed by McCartney for this record. McCartney also seemed to go back to his Beatles roots more in this album than previous Wings albums, as many of the background vocals, orchestral sequences, and harmonies are reminiscent of Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Unlike the previously mentioned Beatles' albums, Band On The Run benefits the most from a FULLY evolved and multi-instrumental Paul McCartney. Although many critics agree the album is quite enjoyable and is a vast improvement from previous albums like Wildlife, they also believe this album is, "more showmanship than content". I can agree with this statement on tracks like "Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me)", but I truly don't think it takes away from the overall quality of the album's content. McCartney had every right to show off on this album. Without a majority of his supporting cast by his side, McCartney had to add flair to almost every part he replaced, and it truly worked! You can just hear how much he has grown as a musician, and one can't help but bob their head to each track.
All in all, Band On The Run was a true spectacle in an era of newly developed pop-rock acts. The album truly feels like a classic, Beatles-inspired journey filled with giant orchestral sequences and grounded rock balads, but with an even finer-tuned Paul McCartney at the helm. Not only is it the best album by Wings, but it's also in contention for the best album made by a Beatles member.
(reddit.com/r/LetsTalkMusic/comments/t3okhx/lets_talk_about_band_on_the_run_by_wings/)

01. Band On The Run (05:14)
02. Jet (04:09)
03. Bluebird (03:25)
04. Mrs. Vandebilt (04:41)
05. Let Me Roll It (04:51)
06. Mamunia (04:50)
07. No Words (02:38)
08. Helen Wheels (03:47)
09. Picasso's Last Words (Drink To Me) (05:51)
10. Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five (05:28)

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John Lennon - Mind Games [Japanese Ed. 3 bonus tracks] (1973)

Year: 16 November 1973 (UK) (CD 28 Nov 2007)
Label: EMI Records (Japan), TOCP-70395
Style: Rock, Pop Rock
Country: Liverpool, England (9 October 1940 - 8 December 1980)
Time: 47:59
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 316 Mb

Charts: UK #13, AUS #8, CAN #28, GER #6, ITA #14, JPN #6, NLD #7, NOR #1, US #9. US & UK: Gold.
John brings all his cosmic benevolence to "Mind Games," his peace-and-love anthem. "Mind Games" is John at his most unfiltered: his boyish excitement, his slide guitar, his madcap humor, his spiritual yearning, his walrus-adjacent poetry. Like everyone else in the early 1970s, including his ex-bandmates, he’s clearly under the spell of David Bowie and Marc Bolan—he even calls himself "some kind of druid dude." But he’s in his own beatific zone, making every line hit like a heart-punch even when he gets awesomely incoherent. ("Absolute elsewhere in the stones of your mind"? Good to know!) If you ever doubt John’s genius as a singer, hear the way he stretches the word "mind" out to ten syllables without letting it slip. He pushes it all way too far on "Mind Games." But that’s what makes him John Lennon.
(au.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/-56378/john-lennon-mind-games-1973-56474/)

01. Mind Games (04:14)
02. Tight A$ (03:36)
03. Aisumasen (I'm Sorry) (04:44)
04. One Day (At A Time) (03:09)
05. Bring On The Lucie (Freda Peeple) (04:12)
06. Nutopian International Anthem (00:06)
07. Intuition (03:09)
08. Out The Blue (03:22)
09. Only People (03:23)
10. I Know (I Know) (03:49)
11. You Are Here (04:08)
12. Meat City (02:47)
13. Aisumasen (I'm Sorry) (Home Version) (03:35)
14. Bring On The Lucie (Freda Peeple) (Home Version) (01:02)
15. Meat City (Home Version) (02:37)

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Ringo Starr (The Beatles) - Ringo [3 bonus tracks] (1973)

Year: 2 November 1973 (CD 1991)
Label: Capitol Records (U.S.), CDP 7 95637 2
Style: Folk, World, Country
Country: Liverpool, England (7 July 1940)
Time: 45:33
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 294 Mb

'Ringo': The Solo Starr Album That Invoked The Beatles' Aura.
With his third solo album, Ringo, the former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr finally put his solo career in gear, showing that he had a lot more to offer than his eccentric first two solo albums, Sentimental Journey and Beaucoup Of Blues, both released in 1970. Issued three years later, on November 2, 1973, in the US, and November 23 in the UK, Ringo was a far more satisfying record, made on a big budget and featuring an amazing cast of backing musicians.
A Beatles reunion... sort of... In its review of the album, Rolling Stone magazine said, "This Ringo Starr album is the first to actually invoke The Beatles' aura." That was down to the fact that John Lennon, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney each contributed as songwriters, singers, and instrumentalists on the album, across recording sessions that began in March 1973 and wrapped later that summer.
Consequently, Ringo is the only solo Beatle album to feature all four of the Liverpudlians playing on one record. However, on no single track did all four appear together. Harrison played the guitars on the Lennon composition "I'm The Greatest," with Lennon playing piano and singing harmony on a song he re-wrote for Starr and which was used as the album's opening track. Harrison also joined in on "Sunshine Life For Me," "Photograph" and "You And Me (Babe)." He wrote "Sunshine" himself, and co-wrote the latter two.
In June 1973, Starr flew to London, where Paul McCartney and his then-wife, Linda, joined in on the McCartney tune "Six O'clock," which had been written specifically for the album. With a tight structure and lyrical grace, it is a standout composition on the record. McCartney also appeared on Starr's cover of the 1960 Johnny Burnette No. 1 hit "You're Sixteen" (written by the Sherman Brothers), which provided the biggest single hit of the album. Nicky Hopkins, a session musician who appeared regularly with The Rolling Stones, provides some lively piano backing, and there is even a kazoo impression from McCartney. Starr had been able to persuade the latter to be involved in the project by telling him, "You don't want to be left out, do you?"
But it wasn't only the guests that made Ringo such a success: Starr advanced his own cause by co-writing two of the album's Top 10 singles, the No. 1 "Photograph" and "Oh My My," which had backing vocals from Motown star Martha Reeves. Starr and Vini Poncia's "Devil Woman" were just as good as the hits. Though Starr's vocal range is not particularly wide, he sings with gusto throughout and his voice carries a certain pathos.
One of the highlights of Ringo is a version of master songwriter Randy Newman's composition "Have You Seen My Baby." Starr's version has real verve, helped by compelling boogie guitar from T.Rex main man Marc Bolan and fine honky-tonk piano from New Orleans legend James Booker. Though the album was recorded at Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles, Bolan's guitar was added as an overdub at A&M Studios.
Starr's best and most consistent new studio album, Ringo represented both the drummer/singer's dramatic comeback and his commercial peak; it was only beaten to the top of the Billboard charts in November 1973 by Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The original 10-track 1973 album was reissued in 1991 as a 13-track CD, the bonus tracks including "Early 1970," Starr's interesting perspective on The Beatles' break-up.
Ringo was produced by Richard Perry, who had worked with Lennon's friend Harry Nilsson. Starr said: "We met at a session for one of Harry's albums. I went down and played and Richard and I got to egging each other on about doing something together. We ended up at a club, and when we were leaving we promised we'd get together." Perry was a good choice as producer, and Nilsson returned the favor by singing backing vocals on "You're Sixteen."
Among the other leading guest musicians are Jimmy Calvert (guitar on five tracks), Steve Cropper (guitar), Billy Preston (piano), Jim Keltner (drums), Milt Holland (percussion), and The Band's Garth Hudson (accordion), Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm (mandolin).
The album cover art:
The cover art was created by Tim Bruckner, who had been working as an apprentice jeweler in Beverly Hills when he met Perry and pitched to do some freelance album artwork. Bruckner was flown to London to show Starr some concept ideas and was hired by the singer. In 2015, the artist told Beatlesbible.com: "There are 26 portraits in the balcony. The rest are people I invented. Ringo's cover sidekick, the cherub, happened after I got home. Having met the man and spent some time with him, I understood how important humor was to him and his circle of friends. The cherub just seemed like a natural extension of that part of his character, funny and a little mischievous."
The Latin motto at the top of the sleeve - "Duit on mon dei" ("Do it on Monday") - was Nilsson's idea. "Harry wanted to make it a joke on a Latin motto. I think the only reason it got on the cover was they thought it was funny and asked that I include it," added Bruckner.
Ringo has a stellar cast; it's light-hearted, unpredictable, and entertaining, and stands as a testament to Starr's ability as a musician outside of The Beatles.
(udiscovermusic.com/stories/ringo-starr-solo-album-invoked-beatles/) Published on November 2, 2022. By Martin Chilton

01. I'm The Greatest (03:21)
02. Have You Seen My Baby? (03:44)
03. Photograph (03:57)
04. Sunshine Life For Me (Sail Away Raymond) (02:45)
05. You're Sixteen (You're Beautiful And You're Mine) (02:48)
06. Oh My My (04:16)
07. Step Lightly (03:15)
08. Six O'Clock (04:08)
09. Devil Woman (03:50)
10. You And Me (Babe) (04:59)
11. It Don't Come Easy (Bonus Track) (03:02)
12. Early 1970 (Bonus Track) (02:20)
13. Down And Out (Bonus Track) (03:02)

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George Harrison - Living In The Material World (1973)

Year: 30 May 1973 (CD 2006)
Label: EMI Records (UK), 0946 3 66899 2 0
Style: Rock
Country: Liverpool, England (25 February 1943 - 29 November 2001)
Time: 50:31
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 332 Mb

At last it’s here, beautifully-packaged with symbolic hand-print covers and the dedication, “All Glories to Sri Krsna.” Even if Living in the Material World were as trivial and regressive as McCartney’s Red Rose Speedway, there would be many who would dub it a pop classic. Happily, the album is not just a commercial event, it is the most concise, universally conceived work by a former Beatle since John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.
Given everything George Harrison represents, it would be virtually impossible for one to try to separate the man, the myth and the music, and undertake an in vitro analysis of Living in the Material World. Suffice it to say that these three aspects blend harmoniously into a single creation that is vastly appealing and in places very moving. Harrison inherited the most precious Beatle legacy — the spiritual aura that the group accumulated, beginning with the White Album — and has maintained its inviolability with remarkable grace. In Living in the Material World, that legacy, which Harrison reformulated diffusely in All Things Must Pass, is formalized once and for all.
(https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/living-in-the-material-world-190600/) Review by Stephen Holden. July 19, 1973

01. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) (03:38)
02. Sue Me, Sue You Blues (04:50)
03. The Light That Has Lighted The World (03:32)
04. Don't Let Me Wait Too Long (02:58)
05. Who Can See It (03:53)
06. Living In The Material World (05:30)
07. The Lord Loves The One (That Loves The Lord) (04:37)
08. Be Here Now (04:12)
09. Try Some Buy Some (04:10)
10. The Day The World Gets 'Round (02:55)
11. That Is All (03:51)
12. Deep Blue (Bonus Track) (03:47)
13. Miss O'Dell (Bonus Track) (02:33)

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George Harrison - All Things Must Pass [2CD] (1970)

Year: 27 November 1970 (CD 2001)
Label: Parlophone / GnOM Records (Brazil), 7243 530474 2 9 LC 0299
Style: Rock
Country: Liverpool, England (25 February 1943 - 29 November 2001)
Time: 60:01, 66:16
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 443, 482 Mb

IN THOSE HAYLCYON days when Beatles did not have destinies, only personalities, and every Beatle fan had a favorite Beatle, John once satirized his mates as "wide-eyed Paul, cozy Ringo, and skeleton George." George, overshadowed as he was by two enormous egos, and lacking Ringo’s openess, was the hardest to know. I remember him as shy, aloof, "Don’t Bother Me" George, whose luck it was to come down with a sore throat on the group’s first tour of the States, barely croaking out his best wishes and John’s witticisms over Murray the K’s airwaves; young, vulnerable George the craftsman, bent over his Gretch in concert, making sure that every lick was as good as it was on record; the perfectionist who would later dismiss the majority of Beatle music as "rubbish"; briefly Haight - Ashbury George, with eyeglasses, like Lolita’s, in the shape of valentines; humble George, Ravi Shankar’s student; holy George.
Up until now, George has been perhaps the premier studio musician among rock band guitarists. From the electronic whine which began "I Feel Fine" to the break in "Hard Day’s Night" to the crazed, sitar - influenced burst on "Taxman," George exhibited an avant - garde imagination and a technical flawlessness, as well as the ability to stay within the bounds of a song, which has remained unparalleled.
Not surprisingly, his ambitions have remained unfulfilled by this role and what presumably has been welling up in him since at least Let It Be, perhaps since Meet The Beatles, comes pouring out on All Things Must Pass. It is both an intensely personal statement and a grandiose gesture, a triumph over artistic modesty, even frustration. In this extravaganza of piety and sacrifice and joy, whose sheer magnitude and ambition may dub it the War and Peace of rock and roll, the music itself is no longer the only message.
The lyrics are central. They are displayed prominently on the album sleeves and appear to have been written before the music. Often there are more syllables than notes, and lines have to be hurried in order to get it all in. Often too, there are unresolved sentence fragments ("Eyes that shining full of inner light"), funny word uses ("Another day for you to realize me"), and conscious attempts at literary effects ("beware of soft shoe shufflers/dancing down the sidewalks"). His words sometimes try too hard; he’s taking himself or the subject too seriously, or, if the subject is impossible to take too seriously, he doesn’t always possess the means to convey that impression convincingly.
The production is of classic Spectorian proportions, Wagnerian, Brucknerian, the music of mountain tops and vast horizons. The sound is often so glossy and dramatic it is difficult not to be seduced by it, and one tries vainly to discover just what George’s music would be without it–a futile and probably destructive exercise anyway. Everybody’s favorite sidemen - Whitlock, Gordon, Radle, and Clapton - along with Klaus Voorman and Alan White, fragments of the Plastic Ono Band - play almost indistinguishably from the staples of earlier Spector production: Larry Knetchel, Joe Osborne, and Hal Blaine, on many of the tracks.
At its best, Spector’s production is the sound of one instrument, the mind of its producer. Individual instruments, even vocals, perhaps because George is not a strong singer, don’t count for much in this music. There is a monolithic sound which peculiarly reinforces the message of many of the songs. George’s religiousity, his quest for egolessness, are fitting in a sound in which individual elements are subordinated to the whole. If Paul’s studio is his home, George’s is his cathedral.
In this context the two-sided jam lies outside the context of the rest of the record. It would have been interesting to hear how George improvises. Here, he’s playing with Clapton and Dave Mason and a lot of other people. Eric takes over on lead much of the time but really it is often impossible to tell who’s playing what. Most of it is the usual 4/4 three-chord bashings about, competent and often boring.
The songs themselves are a very mixed lot. There are the bopping early-Sixties tunes; songs either authored, co - authored or influenced by Dylan; Beatle music; and the new, dirge - like Harrisonian holy music.
"What Is Life" is an ambiguous number on which he is not really asking what life is, in the big sense, just "What is life/without your love?" The music is sweetness and light, pure Shirelles, until he throws us the curve, "But if it’s not love that you need then I’ll/Try my best to make everything succeed." Or "My Sweet Lord," an obvious re-write of the Chiffons’ "He’s So Fine." Here "doo-lang" is replaced by "Hare Krishna" - a sign of the times. "Awaiting On You All" is a Lesley Gore rave-up in which George manages to rhyme "visas" with "Jesus."
(rollingstone.com/feature/all-things-must-pass-97685/) Review by BEN GERSON. JANUARY 21, 1971.

01. I'd Have You Anytime (03:00)
02. My Sweet Lord (04:43)
03. Wah-Wah (05:39)
04. Isn't It A Pity (07:13)
05. What Is Life (04:27)
06. If Not For You (03:33)
07. Behind That Locked Door (03:10)
08. Let It Down (05:01)
09. Run Of The Mill (02:52)
10. I Live For You (Additional Track) (03:37)
11. Beware Of Darkness (Additional Track) (03:22)
12. Let It Down (Additional Track) (03:55)
13. What Is Life (Additional Track) (04:27)
14. My Sweet Lord (2000) (Additional Track) (04:57)

01. Beware Of Darkness (03:52)
02. Apple Scruffs (03:09)
03. Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll) (03:52)
04. Awaiting On You All (02:50)
05. All Things Must Pass (03:47)
06. I Dig Love (05:00)
07. Art Of Dying (03:43)
08. Isn't It A Pity (Version Two) (04:51)
09. Hear Me Lord (06:00)
10. It's Johnny's Birthday (Original Jam) (00:49)
11. Plug Me In (Original Jam) (03:19)
12. I Remember Jeep (Original Jam) (08:09)
13. Thanks For The Pepperoni (Original Jam) (05:32)
14.  Out Of The Blue (Original Jam) (11:16)

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Rainbow - Straight Between The Eyes [Japanese Ed. 1988] (1982)

Year: April 1982 (CD Aug 1, 1988)
Label: Polydor Records (Japan), P28P 25069
Style: Hard Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 41:05
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 260 Mb

Charts: UK #5, AUS #86, CAN #17, FIN #2, GER #21, JPN #8, NOR #12, NLD #19, SWE #7, US #30. UK & FIN: Gold.
The album was the band's first with keyboardist David Rosenthal replacing Don Airey. The remaining members were the same as on the previous year's Difficult to Cure album.
According to Blackmore, the title came from a meeting with Jeff Beck in 1967, when the two were discussing Jimi Hendrix. Beck told Blackmore that Hendrix's guitar playing hit him "straight between the eyes".
The sleeve-art is by British artist Jeff Cummins and Hipgnosis, though has been described as "one of [Hipgnosis]' very worst; in fact, so bad, it taints the music." The original vinyl issue had the lyrics printed on the inner sleeve.
In an April 1982 interview with British rock magazine Kerrang!, Blackmore stated of "MISS Mistreated", "Well it's to avoid confusion that the 'Miss' is written three times bigger than the 'mistreated' but I expect we'll have someone who shall remain nameless coming up to us saying 'I wrote that song'!" That someone being David Coverdale, with whom Blackmore had co-written "Mistreated" for the 1974 Deep Purple album Burn. Blackmore had this issue with Coverdale previously when a rendition of "Mistreated" was included on the Rainbow live album On Stage.
Videos were shot for the songs "Stone Cold" and "Death Alley Driver", the latter featuring Sega's video game Turbo. Both videos received heavy play on MTV and were later included on Rainbow's The Final Cut home video in 1985.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_Between_the_Eyes)

01. Death Alley Driver (04:45)
02. Stone Cold (05:19)
03. Bring On The Night (Dream Chaser) (04:08)
04. Tite Squeeze (03:16)
05. Tearin' Out My Heart (04:06)
06. Power (04:27)
07. MISS Mistreated (04:30)
08. Rock Fever (03:52)
09. Eyes Of Fire (06:39)

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Rainbow - Difficult To Cure [Japanese Ed. 1985] (1981)

Year: 9 February 1981 (CD 01 May 1985)
Label: Polydor Records (Japan), P33P-50020
Style: Hard Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 41:59
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 266 Mb

Charts: UK #3, AUS #77, FIN #1, GER #13, JPN #12, NOR #17, NLD #14, SWE #9, US #50. UK, FIN & JPN: Gold.
Difficult to Cure is the fifth studio album by the British hard rock band Rainbow, and it was released in 1981. It was the first album to feature drummer Bobby Rondinelli and vocalist Joe Lynn Turner after the departures of Cozy Powell and Graham Bonnet respectively, following the tour in support of Down to Earth. The album marked the continuing commercialization of the band's sound, with Ritchie Blackmore once describing at the time his appreciation of the band Foreigner. It became the band's highest-charting album on the UK Albums Chart, where it peaked at number three.
Writing of the album's material was begun with singer Graham Bonnet still in the band, progressing as far as recording an early version of "I Surrender", before Bonnet left the band due to his dissatisfaction over the material, and numerous fallouts with Blackmore. American singer Joe Lynn Turner, formerly of Fandango was recruited and sang over already completed musical tracks. Turner stated that, because of this, he was singing in higher keys than he would do normally (and would do subsequently).
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Difficult_to_Cure)

Album recorded and mixed in the analog domain - AAD. That is, a minimum of digital processing.
A=Analog. D=digital. The first letter stands for how the music was recorded. The second letter for how it was mixed. The third letter stands for the format (all CD's will have D as the last letter).

01. I Surrender (04:05)
02. Spotlight Kid (04:56)
03. No Release (05:35)
04. Magic (04:10)
05. Vielleicht Das Nachste Mal (Maybe Next Time) (03:19)
06. Can't Happen Here (05:00)
07. Freedom Fighter (04:23)
08. Midtown Tunnel Vision (04:35)
09. Difficult To Cure (Beethoven's Ninth) (05:52)

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