Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) - Now And Zen [Japanese Ed.] (1988)

Year: 29 February 1988 (CD Mar 25, 1988)
Label: Warner-Pioneer (Japan), 32XD-945
Style: Rock, Arena Rock
Country: West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England (20 August 1948)
Time: 47:08
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 320 Mb

Robert Plant's 1988 release 'Now and Zen' was a hugely significant milestone in this process of reeducation, an album I already knew well from my youth, and one I'd not re-listened to since the advent of the compact disc. My childhood memories were that this was an overwhelmingly cheesy 80s album and I approached this rediscovery with a fair amount of scepticism born from investigating most of Led Zeppelin's back catalogue in the interim period; my expectation was that this album would fall rather short in comparison but, to my great surprise, the reality was quite different.
Like a lot of rockers who made their name in the 60s and 70s Robert Plant was widely regarded to have gone hopelessly adrift by the mid 80s. By 1987 he'd released three solo albums and each had been an exercise in denial; here was an artist going to untold lengths to hide from his rock heritage. 'Now and Zen' marks the point Plant stops trying quite so hard at distancing himself from his roots and allows himself to throw some of those familiar rock god shapes again; tellingly he even goes as far as inviting old stomping partner Jimmy Page to play on one of the album's singles 'Tall Cool One'. As successful as this reunion proves to be, intriguingly it's a more unexpected collaboration that reveals itself as the true secret to this album's success.
This release sees keyboardist Phil Johnstone establish himself as a perfect songwriting foil for Plant, a partnership that would continue long into the future. While guitars certainly flesh out many of the arrangements here they remain in the most part an embellishment, rather it's the keyboard that forms the musical backbone in the place of any rhythm guitar. This inspired choice gives the sound an unexpectedly rich pop lustre that you perhaps wouldn't have thought Robert would run with. Surprisingly this sound is one that fits bluesy horndog Plant to a tee as he sands off the rough edges of his voice to deliver a masterclass in smooth and faintly mystical pop vox. Whether tackling the consummate 'ballad-writer's ballad' 'Ship of Fools', rockabilly doo-wopping 'Billy's Revenge' or the super-slick dance pop (and unexpected masturbation ode) 'Dancing on My Own' the man never fails to impress.
Looking back at Plant's solo career you can't help but see 'Now and Zen' as an all important confidence boosting shot in the arm that paved the way for future successes like 93's eclectic 'Fate of Nations' and the well received Jimmy Page collaboration 'Walking Into Clarksdale'. He'd eventually settle into the traditional elder statesman 'tasteful' genre territories of folk and country but strangely his song writing would never again match the immediacy and easy melodic charm of the tracks included here. The 80s sucked hard for a lot of us, and Mr Plant more than most you'd think, but it's important to remember they weren't all bad. Just mostly terrible.
(full version: sputnikmusic.com/review/70638/Robert-Plant-Now-and-Zen/)

01. Heaven Knows (04:06)
02. Dance on my Own (04:30)
03. Tall Cool One (04:40)
04. The Way I Feel (05:41)
05. Helen of Troy (05:06)
06. Billy's Revenge (03:33)
07. Ship of Fools (05:01)
08. Why (04:15)
09. White, Clean and Neat (05:28)
10. Walking Towards Paradise (04:43)

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Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac) - Songbird (A Solo Collection) [Compilation] (2022)

Year: 24 June 2022 (CD Jun 24, 2022)
Label: Warner Records (Germany), R2 680977
Style: Soft Rock, Pop Rock
Country: Greenodd, Lancashire, England (12 July 1943 - 30 November 2022)
Time: 42:52
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 272 Mb

Songbird (A Solo Collection) is a compilation album by English musician, singer, and songwriter Christine McVie, released in 2022. It was McVie's final release before her death later that year in November.
The compilation album includes remixed songs from McVie's 1984 eponymous release and her 2004 album In the Meantime along with previously unreleased music. Producer Glyn Johns was involved with the project and helped McVie select her favorite solo songs to rework with extra instrumentation.
"Slow Down" was originally slated to appear on the soundtrack for American Flyers, but the song was not used for the film. McVie wrote the song as a love song and incorporated aspects of cycling into the lyrics. The collection also includes an orchestral rendition of "Songbird", which features an orchestral score by Vince Mendoza layered underneath the vocals from the original recording found on Fleetwood Mac's Rumours album. "All You Gotta Do" was written during the In the Meantime sessions and was recorded as a duet with George Hawkins, who also appeared on the Christine McVie album. The song was left unfinished at the time, so Glyn Johns paired McVie with Ethan Johns and Ricky Peterson to complete it.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songbird_(A_Solo_Collection))

01. Friend (Remix) - Christine McVie (04:29)
02. Sweet Revenge (Remix) - Christine McVie (03:49)
03. The Challenge (Remix) - Christine McVie (04:15)
04. Northern Star (Remix) - Christine McVie (04:27)
05. Ask Anybody (Remix) - Christine McVie (04:58)
06. Slow Down (Remix) - Christine McVie (03:22)
07. Easy Come, Easy Go (Remix) - Christine McVie (04:34)
08. Givin' It Back (Remix) - Christine McVie (04:20)
09. All You Gotta Do (Remix) - Christine McVie (04:54)
10. Songbird (Remix) - Christine McVie (03:38)

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Montrose - Montrose [24kt Gold. Audio Fidelity. HDCD] (1973)

Year: October 17, 1973 (CD Jul 12, 2005)
Label: Audio Fidelity (US), AFZ-028
Style: Hard Rock
Country: California, U.S.
Time: 32:15
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 215 Mb

Now this is rock music! Yeah baby! This is a one of kind album and it still stands up today as one of the rock classics of all time. The self-titled Montrose album came roaring out if the gates in 1973 and 32 years later Audio Fidelity has flattered this rock gem by releasing it on 24KT Gold Disc.
Ronnie Montrose had made his presence known in the Edgar Winter Group then cut his ties and decided to venture into some solo guitar work. He needed a powerful front man to sing over his heavy-duty power chords. He found a young Sammy Hagar (listed as Sam in the credits on the album sleeve) ready to rock and completely capable of handling those duties.
This is a typical LP clocking in at a fraction less than 30 minutes, which is a shame really, because every track oozes with primal raw energy. This is the kind of heart-pumping fist waving sound you that will leave wanting for more every time you hear it. The whole idea behind what Audio Fidelity does is to maintain the original album's integrity while enhancing the sound for optimal listening pleasure so you get what came out in 1973 but with a much better sound. Bill Church (bass) and Danny Carmassi (drums) was a good match for the Montrose guitar groove and they proved to be a solid rhythm section on every track, giving Montrose solid ground to lay his meaty power chords on. This does sound terrific so get ready to crank that stereo as loud as you can stand it, this is music made to play loud!
Ronnie Montrose really cut loose on this album and proved he could play with the best of them. He would continue to show the world why he was one of the best guitar players around throughout the years with more great music but nothing ever seemed to match this. Neither this session nor anything like it would ever happen again unfortunately, as egos got in the way to cause tensions and finally a break up. Its too bad things started fall apart for this band into the second album, which is why this remains the best recording Ronnie Montrose put out under the Montrose heading. When you hear "Rock Candy" you will remember why you loved this album so much. I know I wore it out when it came out on vinyl and to hear it now on my surround sound system in all its glory is something to behold. Do not be mislead by that statement however, this is not 5.1 surround sound it's sourced from the original master tapes and converted from analog to digital.
Eight tracks of some of the most powerful guitar rock you will ever hear is on this album. Its hot sweet and sticky so "Make It Last" because once is not enough for this music.
(enjoythemusic.com/magazine/music/0805/rock/montrose.htm)

01. Rock the Nation (03:03)
02. Bad Motor Scooter (03:43)
03. Space Station #5 (05:16)
04. I Don't Want It (02:58)
05. Good Rockin' Tonight (02:59)
06. Rock Candy (05:05)
07. One Thing on My Mind (03:41)
08. Make It Last (05:27)

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Sammy Hagar (Van Halen, Montrose) - Sammy Hagar [Japanese Ed.] (1977)

Year: January 1977 (CD Aug 24, 1994)
Label: Tochiba-EMI (Japan), TOCP-8342
Style: Rock, Hard Rock
Country: Salinas, California, U.S. (October 13, 1947)
Time: 39:02
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 255 Mb

I first became a big-time Sammy Hagar fan after I saw him open up for Boston in 1977. It was a concert I will never forget. Boston was good, but Sammy Hagar just completely blew me away because I basically had never heard of him before. I wonder how many people first discovered Sammy Hagar from that tour. When you think about it, that’s one of the reasons why record companies put up-and-coming artists as opening acts on tours for major bands.
Now, of course, Sammy Hagar had already made a name for himself in the music business as the lead vocalist for Montrose. Nonetheless, if you weren’t a Montrose fan or didn’t pay much attention to album credits, you probably never heard of Sammy Hagar. Capital Records and, of course, the Red Rocker himself were out to change all of that. The one song I remember the most from that night was “Red.” The next day, I went to Sam Goody’s record store at the Smith Haven Mall, and there it was.
It made perfect sense. Everything on the cover was red, the car, the buildings, the people on the street and the clothes that Sammy Hager wore. I never understood why they didn’t call the album Red. It was just called Sammy Hagar. However, over the years, most Sammy Hagar fans have referred to it as the Red Album. Just like Beatles fans referred to the White Album as The White Album even though it was just called The Beatles.
The cover for Sammy Hagar’s self-titled debut album was shot on location in London on Stockwell Road. The buildings in the background were actually all red. The outfit, that is the red outfit that Sammy Hagar was wearing was borrowed from Foghat’s Tony Stevens. And, of course, we don’t really know who owned the car, but it’s a cool-looking car. The reason the photograph was taken in London was because Sammy Hagar recorded his self-titled album at the legendary Abbey Road Studios.
The Sammy Hagar album opened up with what would become one of his signature songs called “Red.” This was exciting rock and roll music with a fantastic opening. The way the bass and drums created that driving groove set it all up for those power chords that hit you rapid-fired as if an invasion had just begun. It sounded so good, every instrument thriving in its own space with power and emotion. I still get pumped up every time I hear this song. Scott Mathews was incredibly powerful on this track. David Lewark and Sammy Hagar’s guitar work was extraordinary, while Bill Church’s bass playing provided pulsating eighth-note patterns that took it home. Alan Fitzgerald’s keyboard work wrapped it all up with some special effects that drizzled all over the track at some very key moments.
The album’s second track was a cover of Donovan’s “Catch The Wind.” For myself and probably many other young 16-year-old rock fans, that was the first time I had ever heard of that song. The third track to appear on the album would instantly become a fan favorite. Sammy Hagar’s own composition “Cruisin’ & Boozin'” was a testament to the times. It was common place for young people to get in their cars, stop at a local 7-Eleven, pick up a few six-packs of beer, and drive around all night looking for fun or trouble. What a great song this was, though. The rhythm change from the grooving verse to the half-tempo party atmosphere in the chorus was very effective. It just made you want to have a good time like the song said. We used to play this one all the time in the car.
(full version: classicrockhistory.com/why-sammy-hagars-1977-sammy-hagar-lp-was-one-of-his-best/)

01. Red (04:04)
02. Catch The Wind (04:38)
03. Crusin' And Boozin' (03:09)
04. Free Money (03:59)
05. Rock 'N' Roll Weekend (03:09)
06. Fillmore Shuffle (03:44)
07. Hungry (03:05)
08. The Pits (03:06)
09. Love Has Found Me (03:51)
10. Little Star/Eclipse (06:14)

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Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here [Japanese Ed. 3rd press] (1975)

Year: 12 September 1975 (CD Jul 21, 1985)
Label: CBS Records / Sony Records (Japan), 32DP 359
Style: Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 44:18
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 256 Mb

As the follow-up to the Floyd’s iconic, record-breaking 1973 concept album The Dark Side Of The Moon, this album is often unfairly overlooked. With the benefit of hindsight, Wish You Were Here has the same faultless pacing and sequencing of its predecessor, but a more coherent musical narrative, structure and tone, as well as greater lyrical sophistication. Here, the ‘concept’ is more down-to-earth, since much of the record is an extended tribute to the late Syd Barrett ­ the genius behind their early works, who flew too high and burned too bright, becoming one of rock’s most infamous drug casualties before Pink Floyd emerged from London?s psychedelic underground scene to become one of the biggest success stories of the 1970s. It’s also the last great album by a band that would produce something as adolescently puerile as The Wall by the end of that decade.
Barrett is the subject of the epic “Shine On You Crazy Diamond, parts One and Two” of which take up more than half the playing time and bookend just three other shorter tracks. Despite some questionable keyboard tones from Richard Wright, the majestically unhurried instrumental intro is a triumph of suspense. It?s nearly nine minutes before Roger Waters starts singing and the effect is startling, as are the words: ‘Remember when you were young?/ You shone like the sun / Shine On You Crazy Diamond!/ Now there’s a look in your eye / Like black holes in the sky’. It’s debatable whether the ‘iPod generation’ will get all of the eerie, almost visual sound detail in the more melodramatic “Welcome To The Machine”, which presages some of the pomp of their later work. Guest vocalist Roy Harper is a gritty presence on the music industry-bating “Have A Cigar” and the breathless title track finds Waters’ lyrics at their most soul searching. Some may baulk at Dave Gilmour’s long, bluesy guitar workouts, which form the backbone of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and crop up throughout the album. Hey, these were the dying days of prog. rock. Punk was just around the corner and it’s easy to see why, but mid-seventies post-psychedelic angst seldom sounded so chilled.
(bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/b8dp/) Review by Jon Lusk. 2007

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. Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Part I, II, III, IV, V (13:31)
02. Welcome To The Machine (07:33)
03. Have A Cigar (05:24)
04. Wish You Were Here (05:22)
05. Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Part VI, VII, VIII, IX (12:25)

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Ace Frehley (KISS) - Spaceman (2018)

Year: October 19, 2018 (CD Oct 19, 2018)
Label: eOne Records (US), EOM-CD-8773
Style: Hard Rock, Arena Rock
Country: New Jersey, U.S. (April 27, 1951 - October 16, 2025)
Time: 37:11
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 312 Mb

On September 25, 2025, Frehley suffered a fall in his home studio and was forced to cancel tour dates. On October 16, 2025, TMZ reported that Frehley was on life support with a ventilator and had brain bleeding. His family considered removing him from life support after his health failed to improve. Frehley died in Morristown, New Jersey, at the age of 74, several hours after life support was stopped.
His former Kiss bandmates paid tribute to him. In a joint statement, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons described Frehley as an "essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history." Peter Criss stated that "Ace influenced and touched the hearts of millions of people."
In accordance with his wishes, Frehley was interred near his parents at Woodlawn Cemetery following a private memorial service at Sinatra Memorial Home in Yonkers on October 21. The service was attended by a small group of family and friends, including the three remaining original members of Kiss.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_Frehley)

01. Without You I'm Nothing (04:06)
02. Rockin' With The Boys (04:15)
03. Your Wish Is My Command (03:38)
04. Bronx Boy (02:50)
05. Pursuit Of Rock And Roll (04:32)
06. I Wanna Go Back (04:01)
07. Mission To Mars (03:39)
08. Off My Back (03:38)
09. Quantum Flux (06:28)

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Grateful Dead - Workingman's Dead [MFSL-CD] (1970)

Year: June 14, 1970 (CD Nov 20, 2014)
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (US), UDSACD 2137
Style: Folk Rock, Country Rock
Country: Palo Alto, California, U.S.
Time: 36:04
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 205 Mb

Looking at the sepia tone album cover of the Workingman’s Dead 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, I give away my age when I say I remember my older brother having the original on 8-Track tape back when it came out in 1970. I remember my seven-year-old brain being somewhat mortified of it because the men pictured on the cover looked like zombies to me ( which I attribute to the old-timey feel of the photo and the post – Night of the Living Dead mania of the day).
My fear didn’t last long, however. It subsided one day when my brother was not at home and I put the tape in his trusty Pioneer player and listened to the eight songs on the album.
I remember thinking during that clandestine listening session that the band sounded a lot like some of the other bands that my older sibling listened to like CCR or CSNY. What set them apart, however, was that unlike a lot of the other bands of the day, they sounded like they were actually having fun playing their instruments and singing. That impression has never left me.
Fifty years later as I listen to the same songs and pick up on some of the weighty themes of the record – the working life, the nature of existence, maintaining hope amidst despair, and staring down death, I still hear an exuberant undercurrent of love and compassion coming from the Grateful Dead’s music that continually sets them apart for me in the world of rock and roll bands. 
I still hear their love for music for music’s sake, but now I also additionally hear an affection for their musical forefathers and influences, for life itself, and for their fans. It is a love that literally pours out of the speakers when their songs are playing and is a love that helps explain the existence of an unprecedented and unmatched fanatical fanbase decades later.
The eight songs on Workingman’s Dead features the band displaying their amazing ability to synthesize elements from Bluegrass, Folk, Country, Blues, Jazz, Dylan’s early electric songs, and sixties rock and roll to masterfully forge a distinctly original sound of their own.
That all of these songs still sound fresh and lively now after a half-century has passed is a testament to the prodigious individual and collective talents of the band.
(americanahighways.org/2020/07/14/review-the-grateful-deads-workingmans-dead-is-still-quintessential-listening-50-years-later/)

01. Uncle John's Band (04:47)
02. High Time (05:15)
03. Dire Wolf (03:16)
04. New Speedway Boogie (04:09)
05. Cumberland Blues (03:18)
06. Black Peter (05:46)
07. Easy Wind (05:00)
08. Casey Jones (04:29)

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Jade Warrior - Jade Warrior (1971)

Year: 1971 (CD 1988)

Label: Line Records (Germany), LICD 9.00548 O

Style: Progressive Rock, Rock

Country: 1970–2011 or 2014; United Kingdom

Time: 44:13

Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz

Size: 161 Mb

The core membership of Jade Warrior is/was Jon Field (flute etc.) and Tony Duhig (guitar). During their youths, Jon and Tony independently developed an interest in Jazz, African music, and Latin American music. They met in the early 1960s while driving forklift trucks in a factory, and soon learned that they shared musical interests and intentions. At the time, they were just beginning to play instruments themselves (Jon a set of congas, and Tony a cheap guitar which he tuned quite unconventionally to open C).
Each of them bought a quarter-track tape recorder, capable of sound-on-sound "pingponging". They began composing their own music, and experimenting with building up multi-layered overdubbed amalgams of the sorts of music which moved them... all done with practically no money. Jon has described this process as "our training... trying to build a cathedral with the sort of things you'd find in your back yard." This complex layered and overdubbed sound would be a hallmark of Jade Warrior's music throughout their entire career to date.
They spent the next years going to clubs, listening to jazz and blues, and in 1965 formed a rhythm & blues band called "Second Thoughts" headed up by lead singer Patrick Lyons. Second Thoughts released one four-song EP. During the same period, Tom Newman (later the engineer for Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells), Alan James, Pete Cook and Chris Jackson had formed the first incarnation of the "Tomcats" (one of several bands known to have used this name).
In 1965, both of these two bands split up. Patrick Lyons departed, joining up with Alex Spyropoulos in a duo named "Nirvana" which subsequently released an on-the-charts single "Rainbow Chaser" and a total of five LPs (with Jade Warrior members performing on one of them: 1971's Local Anaesthetic).
The Tomcats re-formed with a new line-up: Tom Newman, Alan James, Chris Jackson, Jon Field and Tony Duhig. The band spent the best part of 1965 and 1966 in Spain, acting as a spearhead for British pop music in that country. They released four EPs which did very well on the Spanish charts. The four EPs by The Tomcats were collected onto a single LP by Acme Records, and a pressing of The Second Thoughts' four-song EP was included.
After returning to England in 1966, the Tomcats were re-named "July", playing psychedelic-pop/rock written by Tom Newman and Pete Cook. July issued one album, which has been released in three different versions. The original version was July. A later release Second of July contains alternate versions and additional outtakes, and a third release Dandelion Seeds is a re-release of July plus the outtakes. July disbanded in 1968. Tony Duhig auditioned successfully for a role in a band called Unit Four Plus Two (a group which had released a hit song "Concrete and Clay" a few years earlier but had since lost all of its original members save the lead singer). Other recent additions to Unit Four Plus Two were bass guitarist and vocalist Glyn Havard, and drummer Allan Price. This line-up of Unit Four Plus Two did a brief club tour in the U.K., and then broke up.
Musical ideas continued to develop and they hooked up with Glyn again to work them in to songs. The first piece they worked on became 'The Traveller' (released on the first Vertigo album). They called the band Jade Warrior after one of the dance dramas they had composed for a London drama school.
(jadewarrior.com)

01. The Traveller (02:40)
02. A Prenormal Day At Brighton (02:45)
03. Masai Morning (Including Casting Of The Bones, The Hunt, A Ritual Of Kings) (06:44)
04. Windweaver (03:43)
05. Dragonfly Day (Including Metamorphosis, Dance Of The Sun Spirit, Death) (07:45)
06. Petunia (04:46)
07. Telephone Girl (04:54)
08. Psychiatric Sergeant (03:08)
09. Slow Ride (02:36)
10. Sundial Song (05:08)

Listen. Full Album: Jade Warrior - Jade Warrior (1971)



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Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon [50th Anniversary Ed.] (1973)

Year: 1 March 1973 (CD Oct 13, 2023)
Label: Pink Floyd Music Ltd. (Europe), 5054197181146
Style: Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 42:58
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 257 Mb

When Pink Floyd first premiered what would become the most successful rock album of all time, it was quite literally too big for the system to handle. A half-hour into the band’s concert in Brighton on January 20, 1972-the live debut of what was then called “Eclipse: A Piece for Assorted Lunatics”-the band started to play “Money,” which required synchronizing their performance to a pre-recorded sound collage of jingling coins and ka-ching-ing cash registers. But coupled with the band’s power-sucking sound system and lighting rig, the show slowly ground to a halt. After a brief break, bassist Roger Waters came to the mic to explain: “Due to severe mechanical and electronic horror, we can’t do any more of that bit, so we’ll do something else.” Less than a month later, the band had to abandon a performance at the Manchester Free Trade Hall when the same thing happened.
Over the prior half-decade, Pink Floyd had established themselves as, if not the best psychedelic rock band, then certainly the most technologically extravagant. From late 1966 through the fabled Summer of Love, they were the house band at the UFO, the Swinging London rock club/art space/drug den, which gave them free rein to blend their droning jams with trippy visuals, sound effects, fog machines, and extreme volume. That August, Waters told Melody Maker that he wanted Pink Floyd to travel from city to city with a circus-style big top. “We’ll have a huge screen 120 feet wide and 40 feet high inside and project films and slides.”
His prediction never came to be, but for an invite-only gig at Queen Elizabeth Hall in May 1967, the band installed a joystick dubbed “The Azimuth Co-ordinator” on top of Richard Wright’s keyboard to send the band’s potent, droning sound and sci-fi effects careening around the first-of-its-kind quadraphonic playback system in the venue. For the back cover photo of the 1969 double album Ummagumma, drummer Nick Mason arranged the band’s road gear to resemble an aircraft carrier, a concise reversal of one philosopher’s claim that rock music is not much more than “a misuse of military equipment.” Waters told Melody Maker that Pink Floyd’s gear fixation was a matter of going where no band had gone. “We’re trying to solve problems that haven’t existed before.”
(full version: pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/pink-floyd-the-dark-side-of-the-moon/)

01. Speak To Me (01:11)
02. Breathe (02:45)
03. On The Run (03:33)
04. Time (07:05)
05. The Great Gig In The Sky (04:44)
06. Money (06:22)
07. Us And Them (07:50)
08. Any Colour You Like (03:25)
09. Brain Damage (03:50)
10. Eclipse (02:08)

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Captain Beyond - Dawn Explosion (1977)

Year: April 1977 (CD 1996)
Label: Friday Music (US), FRM 1087
Style: Rock, Hard Rock
Country: Los Angeles, California
Time: 38:01
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 255 MbCaptain Beyond has a rather legendary status in the ranks of hard '70s rock. Their fame is actually in the "cult status" category. Dawn Explosion, their third album, was a good disc, but really did not live up to the greatness of the first two releases. Still, in showcasing the group's unique blend of hard rock, psychedelia, and progressive-type arrangements, there is definitely some strong material present. The hard-edged and frantic "Icarus" and the nearly ethereal, building mini-epic "Breath of Fire (Part 1 and Part 2)" can arguably stand up to most of the material on the other releases. Where they falter here is on such songs as "If You Please" and "Midnight Memories," which seem to be trying to reach toward accessibility, but come much closer to banality and mediocrity. This disc cannot take away from the tremendous glory of the other albums, though, and several of the tracks certainly still hold up well.
(allmusic.com/album/dawn-explosion-mw0000616369)

01. Do Or Die (03:38)
02. Icarus (04:17)
03. Sweet Dreams (05:29)
04. Fantasy (06:02)
05. Breath Of Fire: (A) A Speck Within A Sphere (03:04)
06. Breath Of Fire: (B) Alone In The Cosmos (03:12)
07. If You Please (04:12)
08. Midnight Memories (04:01)
09. Space Interlude (00:52)
10. Oblivion (02:14)
11. Space Reprise (00:55)

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Captain Beyond - Sufficiently Breathless (1973)

Year: May 1973 (CD 19 May 1998)

Label: Capricorn Records (U.S.), 314 558 380-2

Style: Hard Rock, Rock

Country: Los Angeles, California

Time: 33:20

Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz

Size: 231 Mb

Why this 1973 album from Captain Beyond, the group's second, gets such a bad rep is beyond this writer's comprehension. Issued in the wake of their eponymous, hard-rockin' debut, 'Sufficiently Breathless' saw the expanded line-up fleshing out the first album's nuts-and-bolts sound with a strong injection of dreamy prog atmospherics and Santana-style grooves. As a result, 'Sufficiently Breathless' proves a marked improvement over its predecessor in almost every department. Simply put, this is a fresher, more imaginative and funkier group at work here, whilst the album also features the group's heart-breakingly brilliant signature ballad 'Starglow Energy', a cosmic rock classic of startling power and emotion and a track that has one yearning for the stars. Add the catchy jangle-pop of 'Bright Blue Tango', the Latin-fused anthem 'Drifting In Space' and the impressive closer 'Everything's A Circle', and what you have here is a damn-fine slice of colorful 1970s rock. The real shame is the fact that Captain Beyond could never quite rise beyond the level of cult status, yet thankfully they did leave behind a trio of albums that all true classic rock lovers should hear. Highly-recommended. STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2013.
(progarchives.com/album.asp?id=4258) Review by stefro. August 9, 2013
The charms of the self-titled debut album was that is was presented as a complete piece of music where the organic whole was far greater than the sum of its parts. Not so here. The band has also lost its sense of urgency and this second album is far less interesting and far less memorable. In addition, this album is no longer Heavy Prog, since it is neither particularly heavy nor particularly Prog. Rather, it is more towards psychedelic pop with occasional heavy sections.
In its favour I should say that it is better recorded and produced, the instrumentation is a bit more interesting too, with more keyboards added to the mix. But this can hardly redeem this rather lacklustre effort. This is not poor, only not very interesting. Fans of Heavy Prog should stick with the first album.
(progarchives.com/album.asp?id=4258) Review by SouthSideoftheSky. December 31, 2008

01. Sufficiently Breathless (05:15)
02. Bright Blue Tango (04:11)
03. Drifting In Space (03:12)
04. Evil Men (04:51)
05. Starglow Energy (05:04)
06. Distant Sun (04:42)
07. Voyages Of Past Travellers (01:46)
08. Everything's A Circle (04:14)

 

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Captain Beyond - Captain Beyond (1972)

Year: July 1972 (CD 19 Aug 1997 )
Label: Capricorn Records (U.S.), 314 536 107-2
Style: Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Country: Los Angeles, California
Time: 35:20
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 231 Mb

CAPTAIN BEYOND (Self-Titled) 1st ALBUM. This album has stood the test of time! It is one of the most listened to ever!
Captain Beyond is the self-titled debut album by Captain Beyond, released in 1972, and featured former members of "Iron Butterfly", "Deep  Purple", and "Johnny Winter And". All songs written and composed by Bobby Caldwell and Rod Evans.
CAPTAIN BEYOND was formed from the ashes of “Deep Purple”, “Johnny Winter And” and “Iron Butterfly”.  The line-up consisted of Rod Evans, vocals (Deep Purple); Bobby Caldwell, drums-vocals (Johnny Winter And; Larry “Rhino” Reinhardt, guitar (Iron Butterfly); and bassist, Lee Dorman (Iron Butterfly). 
After hearing the bands demo, long-time friends Duane and Gregg Allman introduced CAPTAIN BEYOND to the late Phil Walden and Capricorn Records.
After the release of the first album “CAPTAIN BEYOND” and a most successful launch at the Montreaux Jazz and Pop Festival followed by a relentless touring schedule (with Alice Cooper, The Allman Brothers, Black Sabbath and many others) Bobby left for a short time during the recording of the second album called “Sufficiently Breathless”.
Bobby then returned and CAPTAIN BEYOND set out once again on a new round of touring with the likes of King Crimson, Trapeze, ZZ Top, etc.  In the mid-seventies lead singer Rod Evans decided to leave music and was replaced with Willie Daffern on vocals. The band then signed with Warner Bros. and recorded the album “Dawn Explosion”.  After further touring and management changes CAPTAIN BEYOND in 1978 went on hiatus.
In 2000, Rhino and Bobby decided to reform CAPTAIN BEYOND which included Jeff Artabasy who is a current member, and recorded a four-track EP.   Unfortunately, this line-up was short lived as Larry Reinhardt was having health problems and it was decided to not continue.  In addition, a tribute album to CAPTAIN BEYOND’s music was recorded by some of Scandinavia’s best musicians titled “A Thousand Days of Yesterdays”.
In January of 2012, Larry Reinhardt passed on, followed by CAPTAIN BEYOND’s original bassist Lee Dorman, who also passed on some nine months later. Rod Evans has been involved in the medical field and is not currently involved in music.
Bobby Caldwell has resurrected the new Captain Beyond with the intention of recording some new master works and bringing this historic music back to their many fans!  The current line-up in addition to Bobby “Fire” Caldwell and Jeff “The Count” Artabasy, is Simon Lind, Don Bonzi and Jamie Holka.  They look forward to meeting everyone!
(officialcaptainbeyond.com)

01. Dancing Madly Backwards (On A Sea Of Air) (04:02)
02. Armworth (01:48)
03. Myopic Void (03:30)
04. Mesmerization Eclipse (03:48)
05. Raging River Of Fear (03:51)
06. Thousand Days Of Yesterday (Intro) (01:19)
07. Frozen Over (03:46)
08. Thousand Days Of Yesterday (Time Since Come And Gone) (03:56)
09. I Can't Feel Nothing' (Part I) (03:06)
10. As The Moon Speaks (To The Waves Of The Sea) (02:25)
11. Astral Lady (00:16)
12. As The Moon Speaks (Return) (02:13)
13. I Can't Feel Nothin' (Part II) (01:13)

Listen. Full Album: Captain Beyond - Captain Beyond (1972)

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