The Pretty Things - Rage Before Beauty (1999)

Year: 9 March 1999 (CD 1999)
Label: Snapper Music (Europe), SMACD 814
Style: Blues Rock, Rhytm And Blues
Country: London, England
Time: 64:34
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 437 Mb

The key to the success of the Pretty Things first studio recording in 19 years is that most of it sounds as if it were made during their mid-'60s heyday rather than at the time of their early '80s demise. It's downfall is overwrought, out-of-style songs like "Love Keeps Hanging On," which sounds like something the fictional band, Strange Fruit, would've come up with. Cover songs like "Eve of Destruction" and "Play with Fire" are completely redundant, yet the openers, the jangly guitar workout, "Passion of Love," and the Bo Diddley-beat tribute to an old bandmate, "Vivian Prince," make the disc worthwhile.
(allmusic.com/album/ragebefore-beauty-mw0000602976)

 

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Styx - Caught In The Act [Japanese Ed. SHM-CD. Live. 2CD] (1984)

Year: April 1984 (CD Oct 26, 2016)
Label: Universal Music (Japan), UICY-77890/1
Style: Soft Rock, Art Rock
Country: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Time: 40:59, 42:27
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 275, 295 Mb

Charts: CAN #52, GER #55, UK #44, US #31.
Styx were just about toast after “Mr. Roboto“, and Tommy Shaw didn’t want to sing any more songs about androids.  (Mars, however, was fine.)  He departed to check out some Girls With Guns, but not before Styx put out one more product before hiatus.  That would be the traditional double live album, which was actually Styx’s first.
Styx have lots of live albums now, but only two with Dennis DeYoung.  Caught in the Act is essential for a few key reasons.  It sounds great although there are clearly overdubs in places.  It is the only one with the classic lineup of DeYoung/Shaw/James “JY” Young/Chuck Panozzo/John Panozzo.  And it has plenty of classic Styx songs that still shake the radio waves today.
Like many live albums, Caught in the Act contained one new song.  Dennis DeYoung wrote the uppity “Music Time”, a very New Wave single without much of the punch of old Styx.  Shaw was so nauseated that he barely participated in the music video.  “Music Time” isn’t one of Styx’s finest songs.  It’s passable but clearly a misstep.  No wonder it was a final straw of sorts for Tommy Shaw.
With that out of the way, on with the show.  Styx opened the set with “Mr. Roboto”, a mega hit that got a bad rap over the years until nostalgia made it OK to like it again.  Fortunately only two songs from Kilroy Was Here were included, the ballad “Don’t Let It End” being the other.  Live, “Roboto” pulses with energy, far more than you would expect.  The disco-like synthetic beats complement the techno-themed lyrics.  Every hook is delivered with precision.  With the human factor that comes out in a live recording, “Roboto” could be one of those songs that is actually better live.
Styx have always been a diverse act, and this album demonstrates a few sides of the band.  Shaw and Young tended to write rockers, and “Too Much Time On My Hands”, “Miss America”, “Snowblind”, “Rockin’ the Paradise” and especially “Blue Collar Man” are prime examples of the best kind.  Long nights, impossible odds…yet a killer set of rock tunes.  Then there are the ballads.  “Babe” is a slow dancing classic, and “The Best of Times” is even better.  Finally, the tunes that verge on progressive epics: “Suite Madame Blue”, “Crystal Ball” and “Come Sail Away” have the pompous complexity that punk rockers hated so much.  This album is a shining live recreation of some of rock’s most beloved music.
(mikeladano.com/2018/10/13/review-styx-caught-in-the-act-live-1984/)

01. Music Time (04:46)
02. Mr. Roboto (04:58)
03. Too Much Time On My Hands (05:00)
04. Babe (04:54)
05. Snowblind (05:59)
06. The Best Of Times (06:29)
07. Suite Madame Blue (08:50)

01. Rockin' The Paradise (04:40)
02. Blue Collar Man (04:46)
03. Miss America (06:13)
04. Don't Let It End (05:26)
05. Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) (06:03)
06. Crystal Ball (06:23)
07. Come Sail Away (08:52)

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Small Faces - Darlings of Wapping Wharf Launderette - The Immediate Anthology [2CD] (1999)

Year: 1999 (CD 1999)
Label: Castle Music Ltd (England), NEECD 311
Style: Rhythm & Blues, Psychedelic Rock, Mod
Country: London, England
Time: 69:08, 74:08
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 456, 420 Mb

Here's the question for Small Faces fans: Is it better to own the original Immediate albums or to invest in the splendid double-disc set, The Darlings of Wapping Wharf Launderette? The question is a tricky one, since Darlings contains all of their Immediate recordings, meaning all of Autumn Stone (or There Are But Four Small Faces, as it's known in its American incarnation), plus all of the landmark Ogden's Nut Gone Flake. Granted, Ogden's is divided cleanly in half, with the first side appearing on disc one and the second on disc two, which may irritate listeners who like to hear the concept album uninterrupted. Nevertheless, it's hard not to view Darlings as a real bargain, since it gathers all the singles, albums, B-sides, plus some outtakes and alternate mixes and versions from the group's most creative period. And, hearing them in this setting, it's hard not to be stunned by the depth of the group's songwriting and restless musicality, which holds its own with peers like the Kinks and the Who. So, the question may indeed be an easy one, after all -- if you want to be stunned by the Small Faces' peak, there's no better place to turn.
(allmusic.com/album/release/the-darlings-of-wapping-wharf-launderette-the-immediate-anthology-mr0000234793)

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Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans [Japanese Ed. 2CD] (1973)

Year: December 7, 1973 (CD Jul 25, 2001)
Label: East West Inc. (Japan), AMCY-6296/7
Style: Symphonic Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 40:58, 40:11
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 305, 299 Mb

Charts: CAN #22, US #5, JPN #37, AUS #15, FRA #9, GER #27, ITA #17, NLD #10, NOR #18, UK #4. FRA & US: Gold.
"Tales From Topographic Oceans" is perhaps one of the more controversial progressive rock albums, and for good reason. Some loathe it, some love it. I fall into the second category. I find the album to be a triumphant work of art from tip to toe. This album is divided into four movements, each taking up their own side on one of the two discs. Each of the four movements has it's own unique characters, and each movement explores different motifs while developing those that have come before. Not only does "Tales" have an incredible contrast in musical styles, but it also has a very large range of emotions that are displayed throughout the whole two discs. Each movement is perfectly placed, and the album is brilliantly formatted.
"Tales From Topographic Oceans" is a concept album based upon Jon Anderson's interpretation of four Shastric scriptures from Paramhansa Yoganada's "Autobiography of a Yogi". Many deem this concept to be an overblown and self indulgent move from Jon Anderson, but Yes really had nothing to lose after releasing the universally acclaimed "Close to the Edge", and new ideas were needed in order to create an album that was to be in any way as good as its predecessor. The concept alone is enough to make some people roll their eyes, but Jon proved it to be successful by creating Yes' strongest and most spiritual lyrics. The concept alone has gained notoriety among critics and fans, and tales of the infamous "curry incident" have long since been shared, in both fondness and in mocking.
I think that an ocean is the greatest non-musical comparison that I can make with this album. The music moves in waves of sound, that create immersive and dreamy atmospheres. Each movement creates an atmosphere that follows the next, like a musical journey. What makes "Close to the Edge" so special is that the emphasis of the music is on the atmosphere that it creates rather than the technical capability of each of its talented contributing musicians. "Tales From Topographic Oceans" takes this to an almost dramatic new level. At times I feel that the atmosphere is so exaggerated that it almost completely strips parts of the album of musical structure, and this is the point when you know that you have moved your art to a point that is further than the its literal nature.
(full version: sputnikmusic.com/review/57017/Yes-Tales-from-Topographic-Oceans/)

01. The Revealing Science Of God - Dance Of The Dawn (20:23)
02. The Remembering - High The Memory (20:35)

01. 'The Ancient' - Giants  Under The Sun (18:37)
02. Ritual - Nous Sommes Du Soleil (21:33)

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Savoy Brown - Street Corner Talking (1971)

Year: September 1971 (CD 1991)
Label: Deram Records (Germany), 844 018-2
Style: Blues Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 46:18
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 288 Mb

After 1970's Looking In album, Peverett, Roger Earl, and Tony Stevens left to form Foghat, leaving Kim Simmonds with yet another dilemma. But for Simmonds, things went a little smoother than he might have imagined, picking up piano player Paul Raymond, bassman Andy Silvester, and drummer Dave Bidwell, all from Chicken Shack. He also hired singer Dave Walker, who was the former frontman with the Idle Race, and together the new lineup recorded Street Corner Talking, one of Savoy Brown's finest moments. Gelling almost instantaneously, Walker's cozy yet fervent voice countered with Simmonds' strong, sturdy guitar playing, and an exuberant mixture of British blues and boogie rock prevailed. All of Street Corner Talking's efforts are solid examples of the group's blues-rock power, from the slick cover of Willie Dixon's "Wang Dang Doodle" to the deep feel of "All I Can Do" to the subtle strength of "Tell Mama," Walker's best-sung tune. The album's blend of sultry guitar blues and upfront rock & roll flavor give it a multi-faceted appeal, with every musician contributing his talents uniformly, which is something that's rather difficult to achieve after there's been a wholesale change to the personnel. Although they stayed together for the Hellbound Train album, Silvester was replaced by Andy Pyle for 1972's Lion's Share release, and a year after that Walker left to join Fleetwood Mac.
(allmusic.com/album/street-corner-talking-mw0000269362)

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).

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Savoy Brown - Looking In (1970)

Year: November 1970 (CD 1990)
Label: Deram Records (Germany), 844 017-2
Style: Hard Rock, Blues Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 39:38
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 222 Mb

Like so many metal albums of my youth, it started with the album cover. I would see Looking In, the sixth album from England blues rock band Savoy Brown constantly on my trips to the local record shops, and would marvel at that delicious comic book artwork. But each and every time I'd turn way, convinced it was just another run of the mill 70s rock and roll record that could be ignored. But as I started digging more into some of the obscure gems of the 70s I decided to stop ignoring that cover and give it a shot.
I did some listening to the band's albums around the same time period, but the thing I learned about Savoy Brown is they almost never had the same line-up from album to album. In fact, after Looking In everyone except lead guitarist Kim Simmonds left and wound up forming Foghat. But don't compare Foghat's debut to Lookin In; they are completely different beasts. After the brief instrumental opening that is "Gypsy" the band moves into the heavy blues rocker "Poor Girl" that is positively lit up with killer solos. The vamp is slow and doom, but Simmonds's solos and the cadence of vocalist "Lonesome" Dave Peverett give it a unique signature.
That kind of doom blues feel permeates Looking In. "Money Can't Save Your Soul" Peverett's voice is outstanding, and once again Simmonds leads the way with great guitar licks. Power chords are pretty scarce here; this is drenched in the blues, as songs like "Sunday Night" make abundantly clear. This is also where the percussion really takes the stage. Roger Earl's drumming has a wide soundstage and his use of toms to complement the usual 12-bar blues beat stand out throughout the album. The title track gets a little funky, but not enough to stray away from the overall dark tone of the album which is as good an overall assessment of Looking In as any, I guess.
By the time of the eight and half minute closer of "Leavin' Again" (Followed by instrumental outro "Romanoff") it's easy to come to the conclusion that – finely executed as it is – Looking In mirrors a lot of what was going on (there are shades of early Led Zeppelin and Yardbirds and Bluesbreakers all over), but I can't help but really be drawn to how damn good the album sounds. This is Kim Simmonds's album all over – he also produced it – and maybe that's why the band up and left to create Foghat a year later. It's shame we never got more of this style out of the band, but since it's new to me I'm happy to keep playing it over and over again, finding new little joys in every lick.
(consumethetangible.com/2021/07/22/savoy-brown-looking-in-1970/)

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).

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Electric Light Orchestra - Balance Of Power [Japanese Ed. 7 bonus tracks] (1986)

Year: 3 March 1986 (CD Feb 21, 2007)
Label: Sony Music (Japan), MHCP 1163
Style: Progressive Pop, Pop Rock
Country: Birmingham, England
Time: 56:17
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 386 Mb

Charts: UK #9, AUS #49, AUT #29, GER #18, JPN #22, NLD #20, NOR #4, SWE #3, SWI #10, US #49. UK: Silver
You won’t hear casual fans talk much about the 1986 album Balance of Power when discussing Electric Light Orchestra’s body of work. It lacked the big-hit singles of previous ELO albums. If it’s remembered at all by most folks, it’s as the final ELO album before Lynne essentially put the band on a 15-year hiatus.
We believe this album deserves a fresh listen if you’ve dismissed it. Balance of Power might sound more like the work of a synth-rock band than it resembles ELO’s famous mixing of classical instruments with rock and roll. But Lynne’s songcraft and production wizardry are all over the record, which sounds sharp and energized today—well beyond its reputation as a contractual obligation. Let’s explore Balance of Power.
There’s no way around it: Balance of Power likely wouldn’t have happened if Jeff Lynne didn’t have one more album to go on ELO’s record contract. In fact, had the 1983 album Secret Messages been a double-album like Lynne had intended it to be, it’s possible he would have jettisoned ELO at that point.
Why was Lynne anxious to step away from the band he had started and made him a rock hero? Well, the band’s success rate had diminished once the ’70s became the ’80s, more due to changing musical tastes than anything they were doing poorly. On top of that, Lynne didn’t enjoy the touring and promoting aspect of being the leader of a band, much preferring to knock around in the studio perfecting the music.
Band relations had also been steadily diminishing. By the time of Balance of Power, ELO was a three-piece, with only drummer Bev Bevan and keyboardist Richard Tandy on board with Lynne. By all accounts, Lynne did the yeoman’s work on the record anyway.
After making some videos and doing a mini-tour to promote the album, Lynne walked away from ELO. He intended to stick to production, but that work inadvertently led to Lynne joining the Traveling Wilburys. It wouldn’t be until 2001 he would record again under the ELO banner with the album Zoom (at which point Lynne was pretty much the only band member involved in the making of the record).
Knowing the context in which Balance of Power was made, you might expect a pedestrian affair, with Lynne simply painting by numbers to get everything out of the way. Instead, you get the opposite—a record where it’s clear that he was meticulously trying to create something that sounded invigorated and full of life.
(ful version: americansongwriter.com/behind-the-album-making-the-case-for-balance-of-power-the-last-elo-album-before-jeff-lynne-took-a-wilbury-break/)

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Electric Light Orchestra - Secret Messages [Japanese Ed. 3 bonus tracks] (1983)

Year: 24 June 1983 (CD Feb 21, 2007)
Label: Sony Music (Japan), MHCP 1162
Style: Progressive Pop, Pop Rock
Country: Birmingham, England
Time: 56:08
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 386 Mb

Charts: UK #4, AUS #19, AUT #11, GER #6, JPN #35, NLD #7, NOR #5, SWE #11, US #36. UK & CAN: Gold.
Secret Messages: Effects and stuff that sounds like sound samples bring this track in. The music rises up with a driving fast pace to it. It's decidedly ELO-like, but has a bit of the Discovery sound merged with the older elements. This is a fun song that makes for a good opener.
Loser Gone Wild: This is quite an interesting tune. It has some trademark ELO elements, but there are also some parts that have a bluesy, jazzy groove to them. While I wouldn't consider this an ELO classic, it has some classic things at play at times. It also takes things in some interesting directions at times.
Bluebird: A bouncy mainstream pop rock sound is on display here. It's still somewhat recognizable as ELO, and it has some Beatles and rock and roll vibes. It's not as strong as some of their music, but it's pretty cool nonetheless. It has some interesting changes. The "work, work" part is annoying and distracting, though.
Take Me On and On: There is some drama here. The cut has a soulful vibe, and not all that many ELO trappings. Still, Jeff Lynne's heartfelt vocal performance on this rather balladic piece work really well. They elevate the song.
Time After Time: With an electronic vibe and another annoying vocal loop, I'm not a big fan of this song. It has its charms, so I wouldn't consider it a "must skip," but it's far from the best thing the band ever did. The rocking section later that has hints of Cheap Trick is cool, though. So, are the Beatles-like parts of psychedelic meets symphonic weirdness.
Four Little Diamonds: This has a rock and roll element to it and lots of The Beatles. It’s also an example of a newer cut that does a great job of capturing the classic ELO sound.
Stranger: This piece doesn't really feel much like ELO.  It’s sort of a pretty standard AOR ballad. It definitely grows on you over time and repeated listenings.
Danger Ahead: Another that's not the most "ELO-like" thing here, this makes me think of Sweet to a large degree. Sure, there are trademark Jeff Lynne elements, too. I can hear some Beatles on this, as well. It's energetic, catchy and fun. It's another that also makes me think of Cheap Trick to some degree. There is a backwards tracked "secret message" on this. This does have some proggy moments at points.
Letter From Spain: Processed vocals and effects start this number. This coalesces into a slow moving, mellower arrangement from there. There is sort of an electronic pop music vibe to this. It's not ELO-like at all, really, and it doesn't work well for me. I wouldn't say that this is worthy of a "skip," but it's definitely not a great song.
Train of Gold: While the funk that shows up on this is uncharacteristic, there are some decidedly ELO-like elements at play. This is a fun tune. The bouncing, driving movement later is a little over-produced, but it's also very strong. I think this is one of my favorite tunes on this album, really. I love the harmonica that shows up here and there.
Rock 'n' Roll Is King: As the title suggests, this is ELO tackling a rock and roller, old school style. It’s a good tune and definitely a nod to the older period of the group. Thre is a cool little mellow freak-out after that song that is so cool.
(musicstreetjournal.com/cdreviews_display.cfm?id=108022)

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Grand Funk Railroad - Live The 1971 Tour (2002)

Year: 1971 (CD 2002)
Label: Capitol Records (US), 72435-39501-2-5
Style: Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Rock
Country: Flint, Michigan, U.S.
Time: 78:57
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 507 Mb

Known as "The American Band", the high-energy five-piece group will play forty shows all over the USA this year. Grand Funk Railroad includes original founding members Don Brewer (vocals and drums, writer and singer of the multi-million selling hit, We're An American Band) and bassist Mel Schacher, "The God Of Thunder". Joining Don and Mel are true "All Stars". Singer Max Carl is a rock veteran from 38 Special. Max penned and sang 38's biggest hit "Second Chance" and was co-founder of California's legendary Jack Mack and the Heart Attack. Don refers to Max as "the best blue-eyed soul singer on the planet". Lead guitarist Bruce Kulick is best known for his 12 years with KISS and has credits with Michael Bolton, Meatloaf and Billy Squier. (KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were influenced early on by Grand Funk.) Keyboardist Tim Cashion has a master's degree in music from the University of Miami. Affectionately called "Dr. Tim", his credits include stints with Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band and English soul man Robert Palmer.
Grand Funk laid the groundwork for such bands as Foreigner, Journey, Van Halen and Bon Jovi with its signature hard driving sound, soulful vocals, muscular instrumentation and forceful pop melodies. The fact that Grand Funk's legacy still reigns over the Classic Rock landscape fifty years after its 1969 birth in Flint, Michigan is a testament to the group's influence and staying power. Mega-hits We're An American Band, I'm Your Captain/Closer To Home, Locomotion, and Some Kind Of Wonderful still receive continuous airplay on Classic Rock radio. We're An American Band has received notoriety in recent years being used in movie sound tracks and in television/radio advertising. The huge hit was featured in a General Motors national TV ad campaign and in Disney's animated feature film The Country Bears. We're An American Band was featured in the Cuba Gooding Jr. film RADIO, and also in the swash buckler SAHARA starring Matthew McConaughey.
Internationally acclaimed Grand Funk has toured the world, selling out in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and South America. A 1971 performance at New York's Shea Stadium sold out faster than the Beatles. The group's widespread appeal is also evident in its prestigious recording achievements. Over their career, Grand Funk has had 19 charted singles, 8 Top 40 hits and two Number One singles (We're An American Band and Locomotion, both selling more than one million each). The group has now accumulated 13 gold and 10 platinum records with record sales exceeding 25 million copies sold worldwide. The most recent gold CD award was presented to the band for their greatest hits package Grand Funk Railroad the Collectors Series.
The multi-talented band carries on the tradition of Grand Funk hits and creates a new chapter in the legacy of Grand Funk Railroad. GFR drew 25,000 people to their Molson Canal Series Concert outside Buffalo, 20,000 in Albany, New York, and 20,000 fans to downtown Orlando, Florida. EMI/Capitol (Universal Music) released a new Grand Funk Greatest Hits package that includes a bonus DVD of rare concert footage. Grand Funk Railroad's 2019 50 YEARS OF FUNK TOUR was a huge success and now, with the group's 2020 SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL TOUR, seasoned Grand Funk lovers and contemporary rock fans discovering the group for the first time will be able to celebrate 50 Years of Funk with GRAND FUNK RAILROAD!
(grandfunkrailroad.com/bios/GFR_bio.html)

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Roxy Music - Stranded [Japanese Ed.] (1973)

Year: November 1973 (CD July 31, 2013)
Label: Virgin Records (Japan), VJCP-98138
Style: Art Rock, Glam Rock, Pop Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 41:11
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 262 Mb

Charts: UK #1, AUS #33, GER #39, NOR #14, NZ #37, SWE #11, US #186. UK: Gold.
Stranded was the first Roxy Music album on which Bryan Ferry was not the sole songwriter, with multi-instrumentalist Andy Mackay and guitarist Phil Manzanera also making songwriting contributions. It is also their first album with multi-instrumentalist Eddie Jobson, who replaced synthesizer player Brian Eno, and bassist John Gustafson, who replaced temporary bassist John Porter. The track "Street Life" was released as a single and reached number 9 on the UK singles chart.
The gatefold cover photograph was taken by Karl Stoecker and styled by Antony Price, and shows Playboy model Marilyn Cole. In an interview with the writer Tony Barrell in 2007, Cole recalled:
"It was at a tiny studio, somewhere off the Edgware Road in London. I'd never even heard of Roxy Music. I very soon understood that I was in safe hands, among some very talented people. There was a red dress hanging up, and I thought, 'Ooh, good, I'm going to get to wear a really nice dress'... whereupon, as I'm having my make-up done, Antony comes in and starts ripping the dress – a hole there, a slash there. I was thinking, 'Oh no.' They stuck me on this big log and explained I was supposed to be stranded in a jungle, and then they started spraying me; they sprayed my hair gold, and there was a whole mist coming over me and the dress was getting wet in all the right places."
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranded_(album))

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John Lennon Plastic Ono Band - John Lennon Plastic Ono Band [MFSL-CD] (1970)

Year: 11 December 1970 (CD Nov 2003)
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (US), UDCD 760
Style: Rock, Avant-Pop
Country: Liverpool, England (9 October 1940 - 8 December 1980)
Time: 46:26
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 266 Mb

Charts: UK #8, AUS #3, CAN #2, GER #7, ITA #8, JPN #5, NLD #1, NOR #4, US #6. UK: Gold; US: Platinum.
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band is the debut solo studio album by English musician John Lennon. Backed by the Plastic Ono Band (consisting of Lennon on guitar, Ringo Starr on drums, and Klaus Voormann on bass), it was released by Apple Records on 11 December 1970 in tandem with the similarly titled album by his wife, Yoko Ono. At the time of its issue, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band received mixed reviews overall, but later came to be widely regarded as Lennon's best solo album.
Co-produced by Lennon, Ono and Phil Spector, it followed Lennon's recording of three experimental releases with Ono and a live album from the 1969 version of the Plastic Ono Band. John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band contains a largely raw production sound with songs heavily influenced by Lennon's recent primal therapy. Its lyrics reflect Lennon's personal issues and includes themes of child-parent abandonment and psychological suffering. The tracks were recorded in September and October 1970 at Abbey Road Studios in London, simultaneously with Ono's similarly titled solo album.
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band peaked at number eight on the UK Albums Chart and number six on the US Billboard 200. In 1987, Rolling Stone ranked it fourth in its list "The 100 Best Albums of the Last Twenty Years" and in 2012, ranked it number 23 in their list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". It was voted number 244 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000). In 2000, the album was remixed with two bonus tracks, "Power to the People" and "Do the Oz". The album's 2021 Ultimate Mixes reissue, in the eight-disc Ultimate Collection box set, features 159 previously unreleased mixes, demos, outtakes, and isolated track elements.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lennon/Plastic_Ono_Band)

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Alice Cooper - Muscle Of Love [Japanese Ed. SHM-CD] (1973)

Year: November 20, 1973 (CD December 21, 2011)
Label: Warner Bros. Records (Japan), WPCR-14305
Style: Garage Rock, Hard Rock, Glam Rock
Country: Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. (February 4, 1948)
Time: 39:29
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 284 Mb

Charts: US #10, AUS #36, CAN #4, FIN #13, SWE #4, UK #34. US: Gold.
Cooper stated in an interview at the time of recording that the album marked a return to a basic rock sound. "It's not complicated in any sense and there's not a lot of theatricality on it. It's very basic rock and roll throughout." Cooper further explained, "Billion Dollar Babies was a studio effort all the way. So was School's Out. It was just so clean that after a few times of hearing it myself, it had no mystery to it. I really wanted this one to have more guts to it. More balls."
Muscle of Love is the first Alice Cooper album without Bob Ezrin as producer since the pre-stardom Easy Action. The explanation given at the time was that Ezrin was recovering from illness. However, bassist Dennis Dunaway revealed in a 2011 interview that the band split with the producer during an acrimonious rehearsal in which guitarist Michael Bruce stood up to Ezrin and refused to change the arrangement of "Woman Machine". Jack Richardson and Jack Douglas stepped in to share co-production duties. Author Bob Greene described his participation in the album's recording sessions, and his experiences touring with the band, in his 1974 book Billion Dollar Baby.
Dunaway recalled the album sessions as being very difficult. "The problems on that album were that we could tell that everything was being pulled out from underneath us. As hard as we tried to get it back to where it once was, we had that sinking feeling going on. We wanted to rekindle what the band was about but there was just too much exhaustion by then."
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_of_Love)

01. Big Apple Dreamin' (Hippo) (05:10)
02. Never Been Sold Before (04:27)
03. Hard Hearted Alice (04:52)
04. Crazy Little Child (05:03)
05. Working Up A Sweat (03:32)
06. Muscle Of Love (03:44)
07. Man With The Golden Gun (04:12)
08. Teenage Lament '74 (03:52)
09. Woman Machine (04:32)

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Paul McCartney - Memory Almost Full [Japanese Ed.] (2007)

Year: 4 June 2007 (CD June 6, 2007)
Label: Universal Music (Japan), UCCO 3001
Style: Rock, Pop Rock
Country: Liverpool, England (18 June 1942)
Time: 45:19
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 335 Mb

Charts: UK #5, AUS #33, BEL #25, GER #18, NLD #6, NOR #4, NZ #30, SWE #3, SWI #20, US #3.
There's no longer any shame attached to imitating Wings. Why, even Macca's at it.
He's certainly giving Memory Almost Full a publicity shove that he hasn't granted many of his previous 20 solo efforts. Leaving EMI for Starbucks' newly constituted label doubtless has something to with that, but the impression of history being re-written doesn't stop there. Just as his recent lunch with Observer Food Monthly put his marriage to Linda back in the main frame, so an interview with Uncut magazine reflected on his years with Wings.
Large parts of Memory Almost Full do, in fact, sound like Wings on a good day; jaunty, tuneful, laced with high-end harmonies and spangled by a guitar sound straight off Band on the Run. There are some over-cute interludes - the clumsy, home-grown hoedown 'Dance Tonight' (the new single) being one - but it's a way more focused album than usual.
As the title hints, Memory is also what McCartney calls 'purposefully retrospective', dwelling on his 'Ever Present Past'. The dreamy 'You Tell Me' deftly evokes drowsy, half-recalled summers - 'Was I there? Let's see...you tell me' - while the five-track sequence that (almost) closes the album offers a dramatic contemplation of mortality, from boyhood to the inevitable finale of death. It's a curious, affecting sequence, even if the multi-layered vocals of 'Vintage Clothes' and 'Feet in the Clouds' veer perilously close to pastiche - of Wings but also of Beatles imitators like ELO. Still, if McCartney can't borrow from his own back catalogue, who can?
More successful is the brisk, potted autobiography of 'That Was Me' - 'at the scout camp ... playing conkers ... sweating cobwebs under contract in the cellar' - and the eerie 'House of Wax', with its echoing production and mournful, opaque lyrics that reek of downfall. 'The End of the End' is more startling still, a frank stare in death's face where McCartney proclaims, 'On the day that I die I'd like jokes to be told' and unfashionably anticipates an afterlife that's 'a journey to a much better place'.
(theguardian.com/music/2007/may/20/popandrock.shopping2)

01. Dance Tonight (02:54)
02. Ever Present Past (02:57)
03. See Your Sunshine (03:20)
04. Only Mama Knows (04:17)
05. You Tell Me (03:15)
06. Mr Bellamy (03:39)
07. Gratitude (03:19)
08. Vintage Clothes (02:22)
09. That Was Me (02:38)
10. Feet In The Clouds (03:24)
11. House Of Wax (04:59)
12. The End Of The End (02:57)
13. Nod Your Head (02:01)
14. Why So Blue (03:11)

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Grand Funk Railroad - Caught In The Act (2LPs on 1CD) [Japan Edition] (1975)

Year: August 1975 (CD Feb 5, 1988)
Label: Capitol Records (Japan), CP28-1008
Style: Hard Rock, Classic Rock
Country: Flint, Michigan, U.S.
Time: 74:12
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 501 Mb

Charts: US #21, CAN #33, JP #31.
Caught in the Act is Grand Funk Railroad's second live album and was released in August 1975 by Capitol Records as a double album. It was recorded live on tour in 1975 and features "The Funkettes" – Lorraine Feather and Jana Giglio.
Early pressings of the album (including record-club pressings) simply state the band's name as "Grand Funk" on the front cover and spine, but have the full name on the record labels.
The 2003 re-mastered version of this release has a total time of 79:08, and was squeezed down to one disc. The 2:47 "Introduction" is gone, but "T.N.U.C" and "Gimme Shelter" are lengthened. Audience interaction and applause is shortened throughout to compensate. The missing "Introduction" is included as a hidden track at the end of "Some Kind of Wonderful" on the 2003 re-mastered version of "All the Girls in the World Beware!!!"
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caught_in_the_Act_(Grand_Funk_Railroad_album))

01. Foot Stompin' Music (04:18)
02. Rock & Roll Soul (04:00)
03. Closer To Home (07:06)
04. Heartbreaker (07:30)
05. Some Kind Of Wonderful (04:33)
06. Shinin' On (05:30)
07. The Loco-Motion (03:24)
08. Black Licorice (04:21)
09. The Railroad (06:16)
10. We're An American Band (03:40)
11. T.N.U.C. (04:40)
12. Inside Looking Out (12:24)
13. Gimme Shelter (06:24)

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Chris De Burgh - At The End Of A Perfect Day [Japanese Ed.] (1977)

Year: 1977 (CD June 21, 1989)
Label: Pony Canyon Inc. (Japan), D18Y4130
Style: Ballads, Pop Rock
Country: U.S. / U.K. / Santa Fe Province, Argentina (15 October 1948)
Time: 35:44
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 175 Mb

At the End of a Perfect Day is a title that is all too apropos, since the music that fills the album is comprised of mellow ballads that are both relaxing and serene. The songs are typical of his soothing style, sung in de Burgh's suave demeanor making their simplistic makeup sound that much better. Without the narrative allure found in Spanish Train, de Burgh uses his haunting voice to enhance these average-sounding pieces, resulting in only a couple of mediocre standouts. The charming "Broken Wings has de Burgh's lonely voice fluttering amidst lyrics about his lost love. While the words may seem a little honeyed, his sedating air throughout the song's entirety is front and center. On "In a Country Churchyard," the rural-ness of a small European countryside is brought to life with de Burgh's vivid lyrical description and the delicate, pastoral feel that unravels with the song. Aside from these two offerings, the whole of the album consists of de Burgh's delightful but typical-sounding songcraft.
(allmusic.com/album/at-the-end-of-a-perfect-day-mw0000469931)

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The Kelly Family - Very Best (1997)

Year: 1997 (CD ????)
Label: Kel-Life Records (Holland), 7243 883144 2 8
Style: Rock, Pop Rock, Folk Rock, Ballad, Hard Rock
Country: Europ. / U.S.
Time: 67:56
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 455 Mb

The Kelly Family is a European-American music group consisting of a multi-generational family, usually nine siblings who were joined occasionally on stage in their earlier years by their parents. They play a repertoire of rock, pop, and folk music, and sing in English, Spanish, German, and Basque. The group had chart and concert success around the world, predominantly in continental Europe - mainly in Germany, the Benelux countries, Scandinavia, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, and Portugal - and some in Ireland. They have sold over 20 million albums since the early 1980s and were ranked as the 6th most popular music act in Germany in the 1990s. Despite their American origins, the group is virtually unknown in the United States.
For many years, the group presented a ragamuffin image and a vagabonding lifestyle, travelling around Europe in a double-decker bus and houseboat. Their image was enhanced by their eclectic and often homemade clothing, and the very long hair worn by both male and female members of the band. The Kelly Family began to break up in 2000 and afterwards they performed mostly as individuals or sub-sets of the whole group and took on a more mainstream look.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kelly_Family)

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Jethro Tull - Curious Ruminant (2025)

Year: 7 March 2025 (CD Mar 7, 2025)
Label: Inside Out Music (US), IOM738
Style: Art Rock, Folk Rock
Country: Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Time: 50:34
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 320 Mb

Ian Anderson had been saying for months following the release of RokFlote that he would embark on a new project in late 2023. He waited only a few weeks before the first notions began to solidify into some drafted words of intent and in May 2024, some unfinished music recorded earlier with John O’Hara, David Goodier and James Duncan became the starting point for the new songs as they took shape.
Writing the lyrics and melodies for all the newly written material came very quickly once he began in earnest during June and just seemed to slot right in to the musical feel and styles of the earlier recordings.
Anderson’s writing here is often on a more personal level of lyric content than we are used to hearing. Interspersed with his usual observational descriptions are the slightly more heart-on-sleeve moments of soul-baring – albeit not on the topics more often paraded by the usual I-me lyric merchants of pop and rock.
Some of the songs are developed from unfinished instrumental demos made some years ago although this does not result in a huge stylistic divide to jump out at the listener. Apart from the signature flute solos and melodies, accordion, mandolin, acoustic and tenor guitars feature on several tracks too, so the subtle backdrop of acoustic and folk rock serves to remind of the Tull heritage of the 70s.
(jethrotull.com/jethro-tull-announce-24th-studio-album-curious-ruminant-launch-video-for-title-track/)

01. Puppet and the Puppet Master (04:05)
02. Curious Ruminant (06:00)
03. Dunsinane Hill (04:17)
04. The Tipu House (03:31)
05. Savannah of Paddington Green (03:13)
06. Stygian Hand (04:16)
07. Over Jerusalem (05:55)
08. Drink from the Same Well (16:41)
09. Interim Sleep (02:32)

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