Record Reviews

3 JAZZ SOLDIERS ~ ODLAMKOWA NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2011 - 2012 Released: 2012 This is the debut album by the Polish Jazz-Rock / Fusion trio 3 Jazz SoldiersFind albums by this artist, led by the veteran guitarist Krzysztof MisiakFind albums by this artist, with bassist Filip SojkaFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz GrzybFind albums by this artist. Of the twelve tracks on the album, four are original composition by Misiak and the rest are Jazz and Rock standards ranging from Miles DavisFind albums by this artist to the BeatlesFind albums by this artist. The group is a typical Jazz-Rock power trio with a stronger Rock than Jazz affiliation rhythmically, but the music is mostly improvised, as appropriate for the Jazz-Rock milieu. The guitar is of course the most dominant instrument, leading the music most of the time, with the rhythm section providing all the background and basis for the leader to ride upon. The bassist has very nice chops and the drummer is rock-steady and keeps time, which in these circumstances is exactly what the doctor prescribed. Misiak is a gifted and very experienced player, who is able to make his guitar sound "retro", which is quite nice and effective. The overall atmosphere of the album is very much the 1970s, which in this case is a good thing. The selection of tunes is versatile enough to present a whole spectrum of guitar bravado, from slow and smoky ballads to up-tempo energetic rockers. The music is funky and enough to dead dance. There are no great musical innovations or challenges here, this is good time stuff, which is meant to entertain, something music should definitely do, at least occasionally. But being entertaining without being vulgar or overly simplistic is rare these days and this album is just a nice example how to do it. For guitar aficionados this is a must, especially those, who like the Rocky side of Jazz-Rock / Fusion. Definitely worth investigating!

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

ALWARI TUOHITORVI / KIRKA & ISLANDERS ~ POP LIISA VOL. 11 & VOL. 12 SVART 018 ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz-Soul Fusion Recorded: 1974 - 1975 Released: 2016 The Finnish group Alwari TuohitorviFind albums by this artist, formed in 1968, went through a major personnel change in 1972 and the new lineup stabilized with lead guitarist Seppo AlajokiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Jukka RautiainenFind albums by this artist and bassist Mika SundqvistFind albums by this artist, all three sharing vocal duties, and drummer Raimo PikanenFind albums by this artist. When their live radio broadcast was captured they were already working on their eponymous debut album, which was released a while later, but none of the songs on that album were featured on the radio show, which presented nine songs covering some of their Prog era material, like the covers of songs by Wishbone AshFind albums by this artist and Beggars OperaFind albums by this artist and other Classic Rock items, as well as one original song by Alajoki. The material clearly marked their musical shift towards conventional Rock, following the general trend on the local Finnish scene, which after the first Progressive Rock wave was over became almost completely Rock dominated. Vocalist KirkaFind albums by this artist (a. k. a. Kirka BabitzinFind albums by this artist) was a successful Finnish artist with a career spanning six decades. He changed styles over the years moving within the Pop and Rock idioms and recorded over sixty albums until his death in 2007. His appearance on the live radio broadcast catches him with his band The IslandersFind albums by this artist, a superb Soul-Rock outfit, expanded to a ten-piece smoking Brass Rock, which included Romanian (resident in Finland) trombonist Mircea StanFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Pentti LahtiFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Kassu HalonenFind albums by this artist, guitarist Esko VesterinenFind albums by this artist, bassist Matti TyniFind albums by this artist and drummer Juoni KestiFind albums by this artist, strengthened by three top Finnish Jazz musicians trumpeter Mike KoskinenFind albums by this artist and saxophonists Pekka PoyryFind albums by this artist and Tapio TuominenFind albums by this artist. Together they perform eight songs, three covers by Pop / Soul / Blues songs (BeatlesFind albums by this artist, Otis ReddingFind albums by this artist, Edgar Winter BandFind albums by this artist) and five excellent original songs, two each by Stan and Halonen and one traditional Blues arranged by Stan. Kirka´s superb voice and the spectacular band create some outstanding Jazz-Rock-Soul Fusion somewhat resembling the divine Joe CockerFind albums by this artist and his Mad Dogs & EnglishmenFind albums by this artist band with a slightly more Jazz feel.. The strength of this material and the performances turn this music into an instant classic, regardless of the Finnish lyrics, which don´t spoil the fun one bit. It is an absolute unadulterated fun from start to finish! Overall this is some of the most staggering music created in Europe in the early to mid 1970s that one is able to hear and for Fusion and Jazz oriented Prog-heads this is an absolute must have! Side Note The Finnish independent label SvartFind albums on this label Records released an unprecedented series of albums called Pop Liisa and Jazz Liisa, which present priceless historical recordings of Finnish Rock, Progressive Rock, Jazz-Rock Fusion and Jazz music, recorded live and broadcasted from the Liisankatu Studios in Helsinki under the "Popstudio" and "Jazzstudio" monikers between 1972 and 1977. The studios were owned by the YLE (Finnish Broadcasting Company), a public broadcasting service, which not only allowed the burgeoning Finnish music scene at the time to be exposed but also carefully archived the recordings for future generations. All this incredible music was previously unissued and collectively is probably the most important document of Finnish music from that period ever assembled. The music was released on 36 LPs (Pop Liisa Vol. 01 to Vol. 18 and Jazz Liisa Vol. 01 to Vol. 18) and on 18 CDs with every two consecutive volumes combined on one CD. The sound quality is absolutely superb, often better than the sound quality on the LPs released by these artists at the time. Many of the groups appearing on these albums never managed to record an album and these recordings are the only recorded legacy in existence of their activity. The released are accompanied by well researched and intelligent liner notes. This archival project is an outstanding example of how Cultural Legacy should be treated as well as of exemplary dedication to record producing professionalism.

Updated: 29/05/2020Posted: 09/05/2020

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

APOSTOLIS ANTHIMOS TRIAS ~ COME TOGETHER METAL MIND 0836 (Barcode: 5907785041288) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is the debut album by the Polish Fusion trio led by guitarist / composer Apostolis AnthimosFind albums by this artist, with bassist Robert SzewczugaFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof DziedzicFind albums by this artist. Although the trio exists since the early 2000s, this is their debut recording. The album presents ten original compositions, nine of which were composed by Anthimos (one with a little help from The BeatlesFind albums by this artist) and one was co-composed by all three members of the trio. The music is everything one would expect from a contemporary Fusion act, which has experienced and talented members and manages to avoid the usual traps, which most Fusion ensembles are unable to get free off. There are no trivial melodic ditties, which serve as vehicles for senseless guitar doodling, but rather excellent coherent compositions, which are played with great sensitivity and not one needless note to spare. Anthimos enjoys a revered status on the Polish scene after playing with Czeslaw NiemenFind albums by this artist, Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist and SBBFind albums by this artist, all legendary figures on the Polish Jazz, Fusion and Prog scenes, but his guitar playing keeps evolving and never sticks to repeating old clichés. I have had as opportunity to hear him play recently live with SBB and it was an exhilarating experience. Szewczuga is a great bass player, very melodic and imaginative and his pulsations fill the aural space with a worm, highly supportive harmonic layers, which fit like a glove to the guitar leads. Dziedzic in very energetic, but also restrained player, who never tries to dominate the proceedings, but pushes the music firmly forward. Overall, this is an excellent Fusion album, offering some first class tunes and splendid instrumental work, without sounding like another copy of endless Fusion albums one might have heard in the past. But it is also a great fun to listen to, all the way through. Highly recommended!

Updated: 21/08/2023Posted: 21/08/2023

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

FELIPE AVILA ~ BEATLES BRASIL EDITIO PRINCEPS 99 (Barcode: 7898901556992) ~ BRAZIL ~ Jazz Recorded: 2004 Released: 2005 2nd album by Brazilian Jazz-Rock guitarist Felipe AvilaFind albums by this artist (member of the excellent group PercussônicaFind albums by this artist), featuring 12 compositions by John LennonFind albums by this artist & Paul McCartneyFind albums by this artist. The songs are treated as instrumental pieces by this expert guitar player and his friends in a very particular Brazilian / jazzy mood. The selections go from the well-known classics to more obscure songs from the BeatlesFind albums by this artist songbook. The treatment of Beatles material is often very superficial and borders on trivial, but that is certainly not the case. All of the participants are excellent musicians and the clever arrangements and superb musicianship create a most pleasantly surprising album of much content and value. Fans of Brazilian music will of course be delighted.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

MILOSZ BAZARNIK ~ NEW MARKET KLAMKA MUSIC ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is the second album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Milosz BazarnikFind albums by this artist, this time recorded in a quintet setting with saxophonist Krzysztof MatejskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Szymon KozikowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Marek DufekFind albums by this artist and drummer Lukasz GiergielFind albums by this artist. Violinist Stanislaw SlowinskiFind albums by this artist guests on three tracks. The album presents eleven tracks, ten of which are original compositions by the leader and one is an arrangement of a BeatlesFind albums by this artist song. The music was recorded at the excellent Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist, with the usual excellent sound quality and clarity. The music is all based on beautiful melodic themes, full of lyricism and melancholy, as appropriate for classic Polish Jazz approach, but perhaps just a tad too “sweat” at times. Nevertheless, it offers a peaceful, relaxed listening experience, which a dreamy atmosphere, which is very enjoyable. The young musicians, who are (to me at least) anonymous so far, show great skills and vigor, as expected on the local scene, and nothing but praise can be said about their performances. The presence of the electric guitar has the usual Fusiony effect, but to be fair it is almost marginal, and the music is not trying to copy the 1970s Fusion tendencies, except for the aural similarity, and therefore manages to avoid that trap. Personally the melodic content of this album is its major forte, as there is not even one weak melody on the entire album (well except for the cover perhaps – just kidding), so it is a composing portfolio first and foremost, which Bazarnik can be proud of. Overall, this is a very pleasant, beautifully put together melodic Jazz album, which should keep many listeners perfectly happy. There is nothing groundbreaking or especially challenging herein, but the remarkable “simplicity” and straightforwardness turn out to be its strong suit. Time for some great heartfelt melodies in the midst of the mayhem that surrounds us all. Well done indeed!

Updated: 13/01/2023Posted: 13/01/2023

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

BEACH BOYS ~ THE SMILE SESSIONS (DELUXE EDITION) CAPITOL 5099902766324 (Barcode: 5099902766324) ~ USA ~ Classic Pop Recorded: 1966 - 1967 Released: 2011 If any album in the history of recorded music deserves the “legendary” status, “SmileFind albums with this title” is certainly a worthy candidate. Devised as a follow up to the brilliant “Pet SoundsFind albums with this title” album by The Beach BoysFind albums by this artist and their resident genius / creative director Brian WilsonFind albums by this artist, it was supposed to be the Mother of all albums, the ultimate musical thrill and the decisive blow in the Beach Boys / BeatlesFind albums by this artist imaginary competition. Wilson devised the idea and technique for what was supposed to become the “Smile” album when he started to record to famous “Good Vibrations” single, while still working on “Pet Sounds”. From the summer of 1966 and months into 1967 Wilson recorded hours upon hours of material, which was to be later edited into finished songs using elaborate studio wizardry, splicing, overdubbing and any previously known trick in the book, and then some. Unfortunately Wilson became increasingly erratic and disturbed as the work progressed, fighting with his own demons, fears and drug abuse, which eventually led to abandoning the project / album completely. Luckily for us, music lovers, the session tapes of the “Smile” project were saved, some of them circulating in the bootleg circles for many years. Jump forward to 2004, when the rejuvenated Wilson, in much better mental state and drug free decided to revisit the “Smile” concept and recorded a contemporary version of the “Smile” songs, a project, which was very well received both by critics and public alike. This led to Wilson’s work of reconstruction of the “Smile” album, using the original tapes, which was eventually released in late 2011 as “The Smile Sessions” in several versions: a normal 2CD version, a Deluxe 2CD Box Set (this one) and the lavish and extravagant Special Edition Deluxe Box Set with 5 CDs, 2 LPs and 2 singles. So much for the history behind this album, and now let’s talk about the musical content; in retrospect it’s obvious that “Smile” was definitely a brilliant piece of music and a work of a visionary Artist. The completely innovative approach to creating music, at least as far as Pop was concerned, marks “Smile” as a prophetic and pioneering step forward. The question is, however, if now, almost five decades later, the music manages to retain its vitality, credibility and conceptual integrity? Regardless of what the subjective answer the above question is, one must admit that the music still sounds damn good, especially those sublime melody lines, vocal harmonies and layers upon layers of sound all falling into place like pieces of a complex puzzle. The bonus material enables us a glimpse into the creative process of recording this music step-by-step, sound upon sound, which is still truly amazing. Perhaps this version of “Smile” is not as grand as it might have been if it was ever finished back then, but it is the best we’ll ever get, so let’s enjoy it. It is certainly worthy an honorable place in any serious record collection, as long as people still remember who the Beach Boys were. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 17/02/2024Posted:

CD 2 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

BEATLES ~ LIVE AT THE BBC – THE COLLECTION CAPITOL 602537584475 (Barcode: 602537584475) ~ UK ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1963 - 1966 Released: 2013 This Box Set includes some of the numerous recordings the BeatlesFind albums by this artist made for the BBC during their early days, mostly recorded in 1963 and 1964. The material includes songs as well as studio chatter (speech tracks) and interviews. The latest material, which comprises of four individual interviews, was taped in late 1965 and early 1966. Most of the material included here was never previously released in any form and is of course invaluable to the hordes of Beatle-maniacs, who fifty years later seem to be as zealous to hear and own every piece Beatle-related material, as they were in real time. In retrospect this material is a fabulous trip down the nostalgia lane, which should make even the most hardened cynics smile here and there. More importantly, however, it shows the Beatles "naked", as they really were without walls of production trickery, studio gadgetry and the omnipresent influence of George MartinFind albums by this artist, who made the Beatles albums into what they eventually became – gems of Pop history. Live the Beatles were actually pretty embarrassing, which becomes apparent immediately when the music starts. Their instrumental skills are nonexistent; the guitar solos are awkward and primitive, and so on. The only thing that actually works on these recordings are of course the vocal parts and vocal harmonies, which are not bad, but than again myriads of other vocalists at the time were at least as good, many being infinitely better. And even those show false notes here and there, are off key and in wrong tempi; in short anything but perfection. The material is not that great either; most of it consists of covers of rock classics by contemporary artists and the few self-penned hits are pretty nice, but not extraordinary. In short if anybody wanted a piece of solid evidence to prove that the Beatles were just a pretty "average" group, at least in the early days, needs to look no further. On the other hand this is a monumental piece of Pop history and another peek at the seemingly endless source of musical material owned by the BBC. God bless the Queen and the BBC for being there and having enough storage capacity to keep it all for posterity.

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted:

CD 4 Mini-Sleeve Slipcase Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

EWA BEM ~ LOVES THE BEATLES (POLISH JAZZ VOL.84 DELUXE) MUZA 1084 (Barcode: 5907783420849) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1984 Released: 2005 This is quite an unusual album on which Polish Jazz singer Ewa BemFind albums by this artist undertakes the difficult task of interpreting twelve songs by the BeatlesFind albums by this artist, a concept which usually very quickly turns into a disaster. However, this time the result is quite surprising, with the original songs being arranged often very faraway from their original form, rhythm and atmosphere, which is actually quite interesting and certainly shows a lot of potential. Bem’s vocal qualities are beyond reproach and she is supported by an excellent team of the best Polish players, like saxophonist Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Henryk MajewskiFind albums by this artist and many others, which contributes significantly to the overall result. In retrospect the use of synthesizers, which is the dreaded trademark of the 1980s, sounds pretty dated today, but that unfortunately can’t be helped. It is certainly interesting to revisit this album to get a fresh perspective as to what can be done with Pop material in the Jazz sphere. Worth investigating!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

BIG BOY PETE ~ WORLD WAR IV: A SYMPHONIC POEM GEAR FAB 157 (Barcode: 645270015721) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1968 - 1969 Released: 2000 Previously unreleased album by British singer / composer Big Boy PeteFind albums by this artist (or Peter MillerFind albums by this artist), who was one of the little known leaders of British Psychedelic scene. The album was about to be released on the BeatlesFind albums by this artist owned AppleFind albums on this label label, but somehow it never happened. The album is a concept project about the destruction of earth and is performed by the composer, using multi track layers. It remains a superb example of the Psychedelic period and its availability is long overdue. Although obscure, this album is as good as anything recorded at the time and deserves to be re-discovered. Wholeheartedly recommended!

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

CILLA BLACK ~ ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES PARLOPHONE 825646014200 (Barcode: 825646014200) ~ UK ~ Classic Pop Recorded: 1965 - 1970 Released: 2015 This Box Set collects the first five albums by the great British singer Cilla BlackFind albums by this artist, released between 1965 and 1970. They are: "CillaFind albums with this title" from 1965, "Cilla Sings A RainbowFind albums with this title" from 1966, "Sher-oo!Find albums with this title" from 1968, "Surround Yourself With CillaFind albums with this title" from 1969 and "Sweet InspirationFind albums with this title" from 1970. Black shared many things with her contemporaries and friends, The BeatlesFind albums by this artist: she came from Liverpool, she was managed by Brian EpsteinFind albums by this artist, her albums were produced by George MartinFind albums by this artist and some of her songs were written especially for her by John LennonFind albums by this artist and Paul McCartneyFind albums by this artist. Her meteoric rise to the top of the British Pop scene was therefore hardly a surprise but it should be said that she earned her status fair and square simply using her natural talent and iron determination. These albums are classics of the era and show Black´s versatility as a singer, while she moves between Jazz, Soul and Pop oriented material with flare and elegance. Her strong and pleasant voice was unique and she managed to become one of the early white singers, who successfully interpreted Soul music, making it their own. Black, who sadly died in 2015, was active for over five decades and proudly created a very impressive legacy, which has but a few equals. These early albums, which have been unavailable for ages, are a must to every British 1960s Pop connoisseur. A must I say! Side Note The "Original Album SeriesFind albums with this title" by Warner Bros.Find albums on this label, the "Original Album ClassicsFind albums with this title" by SonyFind albums on this label, the "5 Original AlbumsFind albums with this title" by UniversalFind albums on this label, the Box Sets by RhinoFind albums on this label and other similar releases are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases has been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard for the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires as to treat our Cultural Legacy with respect and loyalty. The Box Sets produced under these monikers have no discographical information whatsoever about the lineups, musician names, composers, lyricists, dates and places of recording, original release data and even basic copyright data (the last is strictly illegal BTW). Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, they are often edited and information (which would be in most cases too small to be readable) is removed. Most importantly these Box Sets don't include any booklet offering a historical background and perspective about the Artists and the Music, which are extremely important and vital to the preservation of our Culture and passing the knowledge to the next generations. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap. Considering the fact how many times this music has been sold over and over again by the labels, this is a crying shame!

Updated: 05/04/2024Posted: 09/01/2016

CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

COMMON BOND ~ ANCIENT SONG OF NATURE NOT ON LABEL ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is the second album by the Israeli Jazz-World Fusion ensemble Common BondFind albums by this artist, formed and led by guitarist / composer Kobi ShefiFind albums by this artist. The current lineup of the band includes also the female vocalist Naama LevyFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Ilan PustopetskiFind albums by this artist, oboe player Yoram LachishFind albums by this artist who plays also many other instruments, bassist Nimrod LachishFind albums by this artist, drummer Roni ZadikFind albums by this artist and percussionist Chen MeirFind albums by this artist. Among themselves the band members play a plethora of instruments, many of which are original ethnic instruments from many parts of the world. The album includes twelve original compositions, eight of which were composed by Shefi, two by Zadik, one by Nimrod Lachish and one is the group´s arrangement of a BeatlesFind albums by this artist song. The music is excellent from start to finish, with a diverse spectrum of genres and influences, mixing ethnic motifs from Africa and the Middle East with Jazzy improvisations, Pop melodies and percussive pulsations and Funky rhythms. The entire amalgam of so many colorful elements makes a perfect musical sense and creates a truly enjoyable musical experience. All the musicians have plenty of opportunities to play solo spots, although the relaxed atmosphere and spiritual approach seem to be the driving force here rather than competing for attention. Common Bond is, in many respects, the epitome of contemporary Israeli music, doing what Israeli do best, mixing the countless sources of tradition, inspiration and influence form the entire world. Cross genre, cross style and cross culture, this music is simply music, which can touch any listener anywhere on this planet. The performances are all excellent, both the sensitive vocals and the energetic instrumental passages, which flow easily and elegantly in spite of their sophistication and intelligent craftsmanship. The ensemble exists since the late 1990s and certainly deserves a much wider recognition than it managed to achieve so far, so this new album will hopefully bring their music to a much wider audience. At least I hope so, at they truly deserve it!

CD-R 1 Recommend To A Friend

CROSBY, STILLS & NASH ~ AFTER THE STORM ATLANTIC 075678265426 (Barcode: 075678265426) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1994 Released: 1994 This is the fifth (and so far the last) studio album by the iconic Classic Rock trio Crosby, Stills & NashFind albums by this artist. This album celebrated the 25th Anniversary of their legendary debut album and its release was followed by extensive touring. Assisted by a plethora of guest musicians, like keyboardists Craig DoergeFind albums by this artist and Michael FinniganFind albums by this artist, bassist James HutchinsonFind albums by this artist, and also including two Stills´ children and son of the album´s producer, the trio managed to produce eleven splendid new songs, two by David CrosbyFind albums by this artist, four by Stephen StillsFind albums by this artist, three by Graham NashFind albums by this artist and two co-written by Crosby with Nash or Stills. The only song coming from outside the group is an adaptation of a BeatlesFind albums by this artist song. Although poorly received both by the critics and the fans at the time, the music is characterized by the usual amazing vocal harmonies, great melodies and superb instrumental work, which is as good anything they recorded earlier, but might have sounded dated by (then) contemporary listeners. Mature and more experienced, the trio members might have lost some of their spontaneity and edge, but definitely gained finesse and sensitivity, and most importantly depth. The lyrics remain powerful and meaningful, and are an integral part of the overall artistic delivery. In historical perspective this album sadly remains overshadowed by the early work of the trio and the fact that it was released at the time when Classic Rock was being pushed out by other (then) contemporary musical trends, which in time led to the annihilation of Rock Music at large. For the true fans and connoisseurs of the trio´s recorded works, this album is an absolute must of course.

Updated: 02/02/2019Posted: 02/02/2019

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

DAVE DEE, DOZY, BEAKY, MICK & TICH ~ DAVE DEE, DOZY, BEAKY, MICK & TICH REPERTOIRE 1004 (Barcode: 4009910100424) ~ UK ~ Classic Pop Recorded: 1965 - 1966 Released: 2003 1st album by the British Classic Pop group Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & TichFind albums by this artist, one of the most prominent hit makers in the mid to late 1960s, which with many other contemporary British Pop acts shaped the sound of the music of that decade. Although mostly known for their contributions to the hit parade. They were in fact excellent musicians and singers and listening to their albums in retrospect reveals a whole world of music, which is mostly forgotten, but certainly deservers to be remembered. Most of the music the group played was penned by the pair of excellent songwriters Ken HowardFind albums by this artist and Alan BlaikleyFind albums by this artist, who also wrote songs for other British acts. Their debut album includes a typical mid-1960s British Pop, full of wonderful melodies and lots of typical British humor. The material is superbly performed and sung, with vocal harmonies easily rivaling those of the BeatlesFind albums by this artist or the Beach BoysFind albums by this artist and many other acts of the time. The bonus material (which doubles the volume of the original content) includes the early hit singles by the group. People, who love the wonderful sound of the 1960s and the intelligent and clever British Pop, will find here quite a surprising wealth of memorable material to delight in. Warmly recommended!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

DAVE DEE, DOZY, BEAKY, MICK & TICH ~ IF MUSIC BE THE FOOD OF LOVE REPERTOIRE 1005 (Barcode: 4009910100523) ~ UK ~ Classic Pop Recorded: 1966 - 1967 Released: 2003 2nd album by the British Classic Pop group Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & TichFind albums by this artist, one of the most prominent hit makers in the mid to late 1960s, which with many other contemporary British Pop acts shaped the sound of the music of that decade. Although mostly known for their contributions to the hit parade. They were in fact excellent musicians and singers and listening to their albums in retrospect reveals a whole world of music, which is mostly forgotten, but certainly deservers to be remembered. Most of the music the group played was penned by the pair of excellent songwriters Ken HowardFind albums by this artist and Alan BlaikleyFind albums by this artist, who also wrote songs for other British acts. This album continues to follow their development, with the music being more sophisticated, full of wonderful melodies and lots of typical British humor. The material is superbly performed and sung, with vocal harmonies easily rivaling those of the BeatlesFind albums by this artist or the Beach BoysFind albums by this artist and many other acts of the time. The bonus material (which doubles the volume of the original content) includes the early hit singles by the group. People, who love the wonderful sound of the 1960s and the intelligent and clever British Pop, will find here quite a surprising wealth of memorable material to delight in. Warmly recommended!

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

DAVE DEE, DOZY, BEAKY, MICK & TICH ~ IF NO-ONE SANG REPERTOIRE 1013 (Barcode: 4009910101322) ~ UK ~ Classic Pop Recorded: 1968 Released: 2003 3rd album by the British Classic Pop group Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & TichFind albums by this artist, one of the most prominent hit makers in the mid to late 1960s, which with many other contemporary British Pop acts shaped the sound of the music of that decade. Although mostly known for their contributions to the hit parade. They were in fact excellent musicians and singers and listening to their albums in retrospect reveals a whole world of music, which is mostly forgotten, but certainly deservers to be remembered. Most of the music the group played was penned by the pair of excellent songwriters Ken Howard and Alan BlaikleyFind albums by this artist, who also wrote songs for other British acts. This album continues to follow their development, with the music becoming quite ambitious and the orchestrations and arrangements sophisticated and complex, including Psychedelic influences and even proto-Prog moments. The material is superbly performed and sung, with vocal harmonies easily rivaling those of the BeatlesFind albums by this artist or the Beach BoysFind albums by this artist and many other acts of the time. The bonus material (which doubles the volume of the original content) includes the early hit singles by the group. People, who love the wonderful sound of the 1960s and the intelligent and clever British Pop, will find here quite a surprising wealth of memorable material to delight in. Most warmly recommended!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

AL DI MEOLA ~ ACROSS THE UNIVERSE EAR MUSIC 4029759140313 (Barcode: 4029759140313) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is an album by American guitar hero Al Di MeolaFind albums by this artist, his second release paying tribute to the music by The BeatlesFind albums by this artist, following the “All Your LifeFind albums with this title” album from 2013. Di Meola plays several guitars, bass, drums and percussion, which makes this almost a solo album, but there are also some strings and brass arrangements and the Indian tabla player Amit KavthekarFind albums by this artist, Italian accordionist Fausto BeccalossiFind albums by this artist and American trumpeter Randy BreckerFind albums by this artist play on selected tracks. The album presents fourteen tracks, all familiar songs composed by The Beatles. The music takes the Pop songs into the Jazz-World Fusion world, which is the turf where Di Meola feels most comfortable, and the virtuosic guitar improvisations and dense arrangements transform the songs into new environment, but leave enough of the original melodies so the listener is able to recognize them without much effort. Personally this album is a bit too busy for me, i.e. too many things are happening all at once, and since The Beatles music has been utterly explored almost to death, the entire enterprise leaves me somewhat cold, but I do appreciate the musicianship and talent involved. Overall, this is a nice display of Di Meola’s abilities, but somewhat hectic and populist as far as I am concerned. But guitar aficionados and Beatles deadheads will love this to bits.

Updated: 02/09/2024Posted: 02/09/2024

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

AL DI MEOLA ~ ALL YOUR LIFE IN-AKUSTIK 9128 (Barcode: 707787912822) ~ USA ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2012 - 2013 Released: 2013 This is a solo guitar album by American Jazz guitarist / composer Al Di MeolaFind albums by this artist, which, as the title suggests, is a tribute to the music of The BeatlesFind albums by this artist. The album presents fourteen tracks, all composed by John LennonFind albums by this artist / Paul McCartneyFind albums by this artist and recorded during three separate sessions at London’s Abbey Road Studios, where The Beatles recorded their music originally. Di Meola’s interpretations of the songs are often quite remote from the original, which of course is hardly surprising. Therefore, although a tribute, the album is to no lesser extent also an original creation by the guitarist. All the music is performed using different acoustic guitars, sometimes overdubbed, with a strong Latin / Flamenco / Mediterranean accents, which characterize Di Meola’s musical path since his early days. His guitar performances are of course absolutely brilliant, and completely devoid of flashy show-off licks that many guitar players are often guilty of. Overall, this is an intense, beautiful and superbly performed album, which should keep all guitar loving fans perfectly happy. Beatles’ fans might find this music be quite remote from the popular versions of these songs, but then again it’s been almost six decades since the original songs were recorded, so perhaps it’s time to move on musically. Brilliant stuff!

Updated: 06/03/2024Posted: 06/03/2024

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

AL DI MEOLA ~ PURSUIT OF RADICAL RHAPSODY TELARC 32835 (Barcode: 888072328358) ~ USA ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011 This is an album by American guitarist / composer / bandleader Al Di MeolaFind albums by this artist, recorded with his World SinfoniaFind albums by this artist ensemble, which includes Italian accordionist Fausto BeccalossiFind albums by this artist, French guitarist Kevin SeddikiFind albums by this artist, American percussionist Gumbi OrtizFind albums by this artist, Hungarian drummer Peter KaszasFind albums by this artist and Cuban bassist Victor MirandaFind albums by this artist. The album presents fifteen tracks, thirteen of which are original compositions by the leader, one is a standard and one is a BeatlesFind albums by this artist song. Following his early years dedicated to Jazz-Rock Fusion, Di Meola immersed himself completely in the amalgamation of his amazing virtuosity as a guitarist and his rare melody weaving talent with World Music, creating over the years a brilliant collection of Jazz-World Fusion albums, definitely some of the best specimens of the genre. This album offers a wide spectrum of influences, from his natural strong Latin roots, to European and Middle Eastern Folklore, some Classical and other sources, creating a sizzling, beautifully melodic and rhythmically fascinating music, which is both accessible and highly aesthetic. Over the years Di Meola emerged as one of the most consistent American Jazz and Jazz-World Fusion recording artists, with unparalleled Artistic vision. Overall, this is another masterpiece by a Master musician, who never fails to bless his listeners with his music. Brilliantly recorded with superb musicians, all Masters of their instruments, full of great compositions and diverse selection of Folkloristic sources of influence, this is another instant classic.

Updated: 14/04/2023Posted: 14/04/2023

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

BOB DYLAN ~ 1970 COLUMBIA 194398564128 (Barcode: 194398564128) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1970 Released: 2021 This is a sensational archive album by American prophet / singer / songwriter Bob DylanFind albums by this artist, which collects three and a half hours of unreleased studio recordings from sessions that took place between March and August of 1970. These two sessions produced two Dylan’s albums released the same year: “Self PortraitFind albums with this title” and “New MorningFind albums with this title”, which are dramatically different from each other, and as we can now hear, consisted of only small part of the music that was captured during these sessions. Dylan is accompanied by wonderful musicians, like organist Al KooperFind albums by this artist, guitarist David BrombergFind albums by this artist, bassist Harvey BrooksFind albums by this artist, drummer Russell KunkelFind albums by this artist and others, but perhaps the most astonishing personal appearance on this album is that of George HarrisonFind albums by this artist, who plays guitar and sings on nine tracks during the May 1st session. The album presents a mixture of original songs by Dylan and songs by others, mostly American songwriters and one BeatlesFind albums by this artist song, as well as a bunch of folk songs. Most of the material written by others appeared on “Self Portrait”, whereas most of the original material appeared on “New Morning”. There is no need to say much more about this music and try to be innovative, as Dylan and his music was already analyzed by so many music writers. As to the fact that his music has been archived more extensively than any other musician in history in an extensive series of the archival releases, most comprehensively on “The Bootleg SeriesFind albums with this title” (up to now in 15 volumes) and other Box Sets, has always kept me wondering how much of it is really historically necessary and revealing, and how much was just milking money in the process. History will most probably decide… I have always been a great admirer of Dylan and he undoubtedly is one of the most influential artists in the Soundtrack of my Life, probably more as a poet, a rebel and a prophet than as a songwriter. But he did write some of the greatest songs of the 1960s, which live forever. With Harrison on board, this album will probably rise more interest than most of the other archival material by Dylan, but nevertheless it is a wonderful time capsule, definitely worth revisiting.

Updated: 14/03/2021Posted: 14/03/2021

CD 3 Mini-Sleeve Remastered Recommend To A Friend

EVERLY BROTHERS ~ DOWN IN THE BOTTOM: THE COUNTRY ROCK SESSIONS 1966-1968 RPM 550 (Barcode: 5013929555020) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1966 - 1968 Released: 2020 This is a 3CD set reissue of the entire late-1960s studio recording legacy by the American vocal duo The Everly BrothersFind albums by this artist – Don EverlyFind albums by this artist and Phil EverlyFind albums by this artist. The set includes the three albums: “The Hit Sound Of The Everly BrothersFind albums with this title”, “The Everly Brothers SingFind albums with this title” and “RootsFind albums with this title”, which were their last studio albums released by Warner Bros.Find albums on this label in 1967 and 1968. The original albums are expanded with a plethora of outtakes, singles and other material recorded at the sessions that produced these albums. The booklet included in the set is highly detailed and informative and the remastered sound is superb. Although deeply rooted in American Country music, in retrospect the Everly Brothers were one of the most influential outfits that shaped the Pop / Rock explosion on both sides of the Atlantic. They basically invented and defined the brilliant use of vocal harmonies, which were the core of Pop / Rock and almost every major figure in these genres identified them as a decisive influence, including the BeatlesFind albums by this artist, Beach BoysFind albums by this artist, Simon & GarfunkelFind albums by this artist and countless others. By the time these three albums were recorded, American Rock was being forged by electrifying the Folk and Country tradition with new influences, creating the electric Folk Rock and Country Rock, and The Everly Brothers followed suit, producing some of the finest examples of the genre, which can be found on the albums included herein. The level of the songs, the legendary vocal harmonies and the Rocky instrumental work is all exemplary and sounds absolutely fresh today, despite the time that passed by. Good music apparently ages well. Wholeheartedly recommended.

Updated: 18/08/2021Posted: 18/08/2021

CD 3 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

WOJCIECH GOGOLEWSKI TRIO ~ MEDYTACJE WIEJSKIEGO LISTONOSZA JAZZOWEGO NOT ON LABEL 9788365344007 (Barcode: 9788365344007) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is an album by Polish Jazz piano trio led by veteran pianist / composer Wojciech GogolewskiFind albums by this artist, with bassist Pawel PantaFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam LewandowskiFind albums by this artist. As the album´s title suggests, at least to those familiar with the Polish music scene, this album is dedicated to the music by the legendary Polish Rock group SkaldowieFind albums by this artist and pays tribute to their extraordinary talents. The album presents ten songs Skaldowie created during their heyday, all composed by Andrzej ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (one of the two Zielinski brothers who led the group) and arranged for Jazz trio by Gogolewski. It is of course completely impossible for someone like me, who grew up listening to the music of Skaldowie, to be in any way objective while listening to this album, and indeed I don´t intend to be objective at all. This is a marvelous piece of music in every respect, even without the tsunami of nostalgia, which floods my brain while listening to it, since it perfectly holds water just by being what it really is, i.e. an excellent piano trio album playing some superbly crafted music, beautifully recorded and perfectly executed. Of course the music of Zielinski presents some of the most incredibly weaved melodies on this planet, full of "impossible" chord changes and weird harmonies, tempi shifts and other musicological mumble-jumble, which most people have absolutely no idea about, but which simply work wonders and create some of the most beautiful songs ever written, which made our childhood and then adolescence so incredibly beautiful. Comparing Skaldowie to the BeatlesFind albums by this artist would have been mostly unfair to the Polish group, as they were light-years ahead musically. The fact that their music transfers so gracefully into the Jazz idiom is a great proof of its quality, whereas most Jazz arrangements of Beatles songs never really rise above pastiche. I am pretty sure this album should be universally appealing to every Jazz connoisseur around, even those who can´t find Poland on the map. This music is simply universal and its elegance and typical European sophistication is irresistible. I can only wholeheartedly thank the people involved in creating this masterpiece for the immense pleasure it has bestowed upon me. Perhaps some listeners, happy with what they find here, will reach out for the original Skaldowie albums, where this music originates from, to take another step on the path of exploration. Bless you all!

Updated: 11/09/2017Posted: 11/09/2017

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

HERBIE HANCOCK ~ THE NEW STANDARD VERVE 988403 (Barcode: 602498840351) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1996 Released: 2005 After playing jazz standards throughout all his life (in addition to original music of course), Herbie HancockFind albums by this artist decided to record an album dedicated to his rendition of contemporary Pop songs, which in his opinion deserve to enter the standard songbook. The BeatlesFind albums by this artist, Steve WonderFind albums by this artist and scores of other songwriters active since the 1960’s composed thousands of songs worthy of becoming classics, yet the jazz standards to this day are mostly tunes written in the first half of the 20th century. Hancock selected a dreamy sextet of some of the best contemporary jazz Masters to take part in this recording, with Michael BreckerFind albums by this artist – sax, John ScofieldFind albums by this artist – guitar, Dave HollandFind albums by this artist – bass, Jack DeJohnetteFind albums by this artist – drums and Don AliasFind albums by this artist – percussion. He takes the original tunes quite far from the source, transforming them into jazz with masterful touch and divine sensibility. Of course all the players perform beautifully, with Hancock taking a few fiery solos and so do Brecker and Scofield. The rhythm section provides solid and sophisticated background and the entire session just swings like there is no tomorrow. Absolutely delightful!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

HIGH WINDOWS ~ HIGH WINDOWS (EXPANDED EDITION) HED ARZI 64748 (Barcode: 7293372474897) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1967 - 1968 Released: 2007 Only album by the Israeli vocal trio, which included Arik EinsteinFind albums by this artist, Shmulik KrausFind albums by this artist and Josie KatzFind albums by this artist, and which is considered as the first original Israeli Pop album ever recorded. Strongly influenced by the BeatlesFind albums by this artist and other (then) contemporary Pop and Rock groups, the High WindowsFind albums by this artist recorded a superb set of songs in Hebrew (all written by Kraus), using vocal harmonies and instrumental arrangements, which were completely revolutionary at the time. Israeli music up to that point was based mainly on East-European melodies and folksy approach and this was the first attempt to create a local scene modeled after Western Pop. The musical “establishment” at the time received this music with harsh criticism (The Beatles were not allowed to play in Israel to avoid the “bad” influence on local youth) and some of the songs were banned by the censor from being played on the radio. But the public loved the songs and the album soon became one of the most popular Israeli albums of all times. It had a crucial influence on the local scene and soon after an entire new generation of local musicians would start to create original Israeli Pop and Rock, including Progressive Rock. It is interesting to notice that the instrumental work and arrangements on this album were done by a brilliant piano player Ziggy SkarbnikFind albums by this artist, a legendary figure of the early days of both Israeli Rock and Jazz, who unfortunately died of cancer at an incredibly young age. The drummer was no other than Zohar LevyFind albums by this artist, another legendary figure. Listening to this album 40 years after it was recorded can be quite revealing and the realization of how brilliant this stuff was and still is becomes inevitable. A must! This expanded edition (marking the albums 40th anniversary) adds a whole second CD of bonus material, which is insanely rare and most of it never saw the light of day. These include live material recorded at the Paris Olympia hall, French and UK singles (in French and English) released in Europe, in short some of the rarest Israeli archival material.

CD 2 Slipcase Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

STEVE HILLAGE ~ OPEN (EXPANDED EDITION) VIRGIN 373459 (Barcode: 094637345924) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1979 Released: 2007 7th album by Steve HillageFind albums by this artist in less than 5 years and the third one originally released in 1979 – a very busy year for him. As already mentioned (see Live HeraldFind albums with this title) the album opens with four studio tracks originally included as side 4 of the Live Herald album and then continues with the tracks recorded a few months later as the original OpenFind albums with this title album. As usual most of the music was written by Hillage and his partner Miquette GiraudyFind albums by this artist, with just one cover of a BeatlesFind albums by this artist song and a most surprising instrumental track based on a song by the legendary Egyptian singer Oum KalsoumFind albums by this artist. This proves that Hillage was looking everywhere for inspiration and his openness to music outside the strict rock circles was always obvious. Just two months after the album was released the Steve Hillage band would play a couple of farewell concerts and disband and it would be three years until the next Hillage album would be released. The album stands the test of time beautifully and the remaster upgrades the sound considerably, so this is another must for SH fans.

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

HOLLIES ~ BUS STOP / STOP! STOP! STOP! BGO 0968 (Barcode: 5017261209689) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1966 Released: 2011 This album combines the 4th and 5th LPs by the British group The HolliesFind albums by this artist, released in the USA on the Imperial label. As it often happened during the British Invasion days, the US and domestic UK releases by British groups were quite different, as witnessed here. “Bus StopFind albums with this title” was a compilation album of sorts, including the group’s monster hit of the same title and adding some B-sides and songs previously unreleased in the US but present on the UK albums. Of course considering how great the group was, even though this was a “leftovers” compilation album, it was incredibly strong. “Stop! Stop! Stop!Find albums with this title” was the first US release, which was an exact replica of a UK release, with only the album’s title changed (the UK release was entitled “For Certain Because…Find albums with this title”). This album was the first release to feature entirely original material written by Allan ClarkeFind albums by this artist, Tony HicksFind albums by this artist and Graham NashFind albums by this artist and is a giant step in British Rock in every respect. The sophistication of the melody lines, the absolutely perfect vocal harmonies and the intricate instrumental accompaniment place The Hollies at the top of the British pack, way ahead of The BeatlesFind albums by this artist and other contemporaries, who are considered as the main heroes. The better the historic perspective becomes the clearer it is that The Holies were just better then anybody at what they did.

Updated: 28/07/2023Posted:

CD 1 Slipcase Remastered Recommend To A Friend

HOLLIES ~ CLARKE, HICKS & NASH YEARS (THE COMPLETE HOLLIES APRIL 1963 – OCTOBER 1968) EMI 96242 (Barcode: 5099909624221) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1963 - 1968 Released: 2011 This magnificent Box Set compiles (as the title suggests) the entire recorded output by the British Pop / Rock group the HolliesFind albums by this artist, from their inception and until the moment founding member Graham NashFind albums by this artist left the group to move to the US and join forces with David CrosbyFind albums by this artist and Stephen StillsFind albums by this artist. I´ll make this brief: I´ve always considered the Hollies to be the best ever British group of the 1960s, way ahead of the BeatlesFind albums by this artist and scores of others. Now I have a great argument for my adversaries; next time another discussion about the British scene supremacy erupts I´ll simply point towards this Box Set – discussion closed! This is a marvelous lesson in music history. Beyond essential!

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted:

CD 6 Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

HOLLIES ~ HERE I GO AGAIN / HEAR! HERE! BGO 0973 (Barcode: 5017261209733) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1964 - 1965 Released: 2011 This album combines the 1st and 2nd LPs by the British group The HolliesFind albums by this artist, released in the USA on the ImperialFind albums on this label label. As it often happened during the British Invasion days, the US and domestic UK releases by British groups were quite different, as witnessed here. Both these albums were compilation albums of sorts, including the group’s early hits and adding some B-sides and songs present on the UK albums. Of course considering how great the group was, even though these were compilation albums, they were incredibly strong. At that time the group was mostly singing covers or material written by songwriters outside the group, but some original songs are also present, forecasting the writing talents inside the group, which will dominate in the future. The sophistication of the melody lines, the absolutely perfect vocal harmonies and the intricate instrumental accompaniment place The Hollies at the top of the British pack, way ahead of The BeatlesFind albums by this artist and other contemporaries, who are considered the main heroes of the British Invasion. With the historic perspective becoming clearer it is obvious that The Holies were just better then anybody else at the time.

Updated: 28/07/2023Posted:

CD 1 Slipcase Remastered Recommend To A Friend

HOLLIES ~ ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES PARLOPHONE 825646361991 (Barcode: 825646361991) ~ UK ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1963 - 1966 Released: 2014 This Box Set collects the first five albums by the British Pop group The HolliesFind albums by this artist, and includes material recorded between 1963 and 1966, a period spanning just over three years. The core members of the group were Allan ClarkeFind albums by this artist, Tony HicksFind albums by this artist and Graham NashFind albums by this artist, all three being superb vocalists, great instrumentalists and formidable songwriters. They were supported by bassists: Eric HaydockFind albums by this artist and later Bernie CalvertFind albums by this artist and drummers: Don RathboneFind albums by this artist and later Bobby ElliotFind albums by this artist. Listening to these five albums clearly illustrates not only their many qualities but also their rapid progress from early American influenced Rhythm And Blues and Rock And Roll to their own individual style, which embraced sophisticated chord changes, multilayered vocal harmonies and complex rhythms, combined with exquisite sense of melody. In order to fully appreciate the group´s incredible journey it is recommended to listen also to the next two albums ("EvolutionFind albums with this title" and "ButterflyFind albums with this title") recorded by the group before Graham Nash left, or even better get a copy of the incredible Hollies anthology "Clarke, Hicks & Nash Years (The Complete Hollies April 1963 – October 1968)Find albums with this title", which includes absolutely everything they recorded while Nash was still in the group. The appropriately titled "Evolution" and then "Butterfly", both recorded in 1967, are absolute masterpieces of Psychedelic / Progressive Pop, which to this day have but a few competitors. As I have been saying for decades, it is painfully obvious, especially now in retrospect that The Hollies were an infinitely better group musically than The BeatlesFind albums by this artist; a statement I have been bitterly criticized for, but which I am ready to repeat any time. This music simply proves my point to anybody who is willing to listen with an open mind. Wholeheartedly recommended! Side Note The "Original Album SeriesFind albums with this title" by Warner Bros.Find albums on this label, the "Original Album ClassicsFind albums with this title" by SonyFind albums on this label, the "5 Original AlbumsFind albums with this title" by UniversalFind albums on this label, the Box Sets by RhinoFind albums on this label and other similar releases are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases has been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard for the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires as to treat our Cultural Legacy with respect and loyalty. The Box Sets produced under these monikers have no discographical information whatsoever about the lineups, musician names, composers, lyricists, dates and places of recording, original release data and even basic copyright data (the last is strictly illegal BTW). Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, they are often edited and information (which would be in most cases too small to be readable) is removed. Most importantly these Box Sets don't include any booklet offering a historical background and perspective about the Artists and the Music, which are extremely important and vital to the preservation of our Culture and passing the knowledge to the next generations. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap. Considering the fact how many times this music has been sold over and over again by the labels, this is a crying shame!

Updated: 05/04/2024Posted:

CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

HOLLIES ~ ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES VOL.2 PARLOPHONE 825646179817 (Barcode: 825646179817) ~ UK ~ Classic Pop Recorded: 1967 - 1970 Released: 2016 This Box Set collects the second five albums by the great British Pop group The HolliesFind albums by this artist, released between 1967 and 1970. They are: "EvolutionFind albums with this title" from 1967, "ButterflyFind albums with this title" from 1967, "Hollies Sing DylanFind albums with this title" from 1969, "Hollies Sing HolliesFind albums with this title" from 1969 and "Confessions Of The MindFind albums with this title" from 1970. The first two albums in this Box Set were recorded while Graham NashFind albums by this artist was still with the group and are the two strongest albums they ever recorded, full of brilliant Psychedelic Pop / Rock laced with superb vocal harmonies. The three post-Nash albums are quite remarkable considering the distress the group suffered following his departure and show how well they recovered. The complete post-Nash recordings by the group can be found in the fabulous boxed set called "Changin` Times (The Complete Hollies January 1969 – March 1973)Find albums with this title". As I have been saying for decades, it is painfully obvious, especially now in retrospect that The Hollies were an infinitely better group musically than The BeatlesFind albums by this artist; a statement I have been bitterly criticized for, but which I am ready to repeat any time. This music simply proves my point to anybody who is willing to listen with an open mind. Wholeheartedly recommended! Side Note The "Original Album SeriesFind albums with this title" by Warner Bros.Find albums on this label, the "Original Album ClassicsFind albums with this title" by SonyFind albums on this label, the "5 Original AlbumsFind albums with this title" by UniversalFind albums on this label, the Box Sets by RhinoFind albums on this label and other similar releases are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases has been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard for the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires as to treat our Cultural Legacy with respect and loyalty. The Box Sets produced under these monikers have no discographical information whatsoever about the lineups, musician names, composers, lyricists, dates and places of recording, original release data and even basic copyright data (the last is strictly illegal BTW). Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, they are often edited and information (which would be in most cases too small to be readable) is removed. Most importantly these Box Sets don't include any booklet offering a historical background and perspective about the Artists and the Music, which are extremely important and vital to the preservation of our Culture and passing the knowledge to the next generations. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap. Considering the fact how many times this music has been sold over and over again by the labels, this is a crying shame!

Updated: 05/04/2024Posted: 08/02/2016

CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

JAZZ BEATLES ~ JAZZ BEATLES HATAKLIT 9325 ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz Recorded: 1997 Released: 1997 Israeli quintet Jazz BeatlesFind albums by this artist was formed in 1997 as a special project for the Tel Aviv Jazz Festival. It includes some of the best Israeli jazz players: Amikam KimelmanFind albums by this artist (leader, arranger, sax), Eli BenakotFind albums by this artist (sax), Avi AdrianFind albums by this artist (piano), Arie VolinezFind albums by this artist (bass) and Eitan ItzkovitzFind albums by this artist (drums). Although Beatles` tunes are very popular with jazz players all over the world, this ensemble manages to give them new life thanks to the original arrangements and brilliant playing. This is mainstream jazz, which does exactly what it is supposed to do - it swings like hell.

Updated: 06/03/2025Posted:

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

SHAKE KEANE ~ THAT`S THE NOISE VOCALION 8408 (Barcode: 765387840822) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1967 Released: 2005 Trumpeter / composer Shake KeaneFind albums by this artist was born in St Vincent (West Indies) and emigrated to Britain in the early 1950s. His superb tone and total control of his instrument was immediately recognized and the local music scene immediately absorbed him, providing plenty of opportunities for him to play in a variety of styles. By the end of the 1950s Keane almost completely to playing Jazz and became one of the spearheading figures of the British modern / free Jazz. He was a member of the pioneering group led by saxophonist Joe HarriottFind albums by this artist, with whom he recorded some of the most pivotal early European free Jazz. He was also a member, together with Harriott, in the groups led by pianist Michael GarrickFind albums by this artist. Keane’s prime interest was actually in poetry and literature, which gave him his nickname, as short for Shakespeare. Playing with Garrick, he participated in the Jazz & Poetry scene, which of course was only appropriate for his field of interest. Keane left Britain in the late 1960s, first to Germany and later returning to his native island, where he became a government minister of culture. He continued his literary work and published works of prose and poetry. A few years before his death in 1997 he returned to his musical activities and even recorded new albums. Strangely enough, in the midst of his activity in the Avant-Garde Jazz field, Keane recorded a few solo albums, which present another side of his musical personality. These albums could be considered as belonging to the “lighter” side of Jazz, where Keane mostly played adaptations of Pop songs of the period. This album is one of these, and although at the time it was criticized as being a “sell-out”, in retrospect it is a real gem. Keane does use a set of Pop songs (BeatlesFind albums by this artist, Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist, DonovanFind albums by this artist and others) as the basis, but the clever and unusual arrangements and his phenomenal improvisational skills turn these songs inside out and the overall effect is truly spectacular. A couple of his original compositions are also included and one more by his partner Joe Harriott. He leads a splendid sextet with Bob EffordFind albums by this artist – sax, Olaf VasFind albums by this artist – flute, Pat SmytheFind albums by this artist – piano, Coleridge GoodeFind albums by this artist – bass and Bobby OrrFind albums by this artist – drums (Stan TraceyFind albums by this artist plays piano on three tracks), which plays elegantly and effortlessly. I had a real ball listening to this uplifting music. Easy Jazz? Perhaps, but who cares, when it sounds as good as this.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

KINKS ~ ARTHUR (DELUXE EDITION) SANCTUARY 273227 (Barcode: 602527322742) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1968 - 1969 Released: 2011 This is the 7th album by The KinksFind albums by this artist, the seminal British Pop / Rock band led by brothers Ray DaviesFind albums by this artist (who wrote all their wonderful material and was definitely one of the greatest composers in British Rock) and Dave DaviesFind albums by this artist (who played the lead guitar for the band). The first lineup, which lasted for five years, included also bassist Pete QuaifeFind albums by this artist and drummer Mick AvoryFind albums by this artist. Quaife´s replacement John DaltonFind albums by this artist is heard on this album for the first time. Similar to other great British Rock bands like The HolliesFind albums by this artist, The WhoFind albums by this artist and even The Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist, The Kinks were overshadowed by The BeatlesFind albums by this artist, that in retrospect is a great injustice, as they certainly were as good if not better than the Fab Four in every respect. This album continues the new phase for the group, which developed a completely unique approach to writing music, which now included elements of Psychedelia and other influences. The lyrics were full of social commentary and concentrated on British society, history and way of life, often being quite sarcastic and critical. Although not a concept album as such, it was conceived and recorded as a soundtrack for a TV movie, which eventually was never made. Always truthful to themselves and their fans, the Kinks wonderfully mixed raw energy and melodic sophistication, which lost nothing of its intrinsic power through the years. This new edition adds a whole CD worth of bonus materials, including non-album singles, alternate takes, outtakes, mono and stereo versions and BBC sessions. Absolutely brilliant stuff!

CD 2 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

KINKS ~ FACE TO FACE (DELUXE EDITION) SANCTUARY 277262 (Barcode: 602527726205) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1966 Released: 2011 This is the 4th album by The KinksFind albums by this artist, the seminal British Pop / Rock band led by brothers Ray DaviesFind albums by this artist (who wrote all their wonderful material and was definitely one of the greatest composers in British Rock) and Dave DaviesFind albums by this artist (who played the lead guitar for the band). The first lineup, which lasted for five years, included also bassist Pete QuaifeFind albums by this artist and drummer Mick AvoryFind albums by this artist. Similar to other great British Rock bands like The HolliesFind albums by this artist, The WhoFind albums by this artist and even The Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist, The Kinks were overshadowed by The BeatlesFind albums by this artist, that in retrospect is a great injustice, as they certainly were as good if not better than the Fab Four in every respect. This album presents a new phase for the group, which developed a completely unique approach to writing music, which now included elements of Psychedelia and other influences. The lyrics were full of social commentary and concentrated on British society, history and way of life, often being quite sarcastic and critical. Although not a concept album as such, it points the way towards the future release, which will be concept albums. Always truthful to themselves and their fans, the Kinks wonderfully mixed raw energy and melodic sophistication, which lost nothing of its intrinsic power through the years. This new edition adds a whole CD worth of bonus materials, including non-album singles, EPs, alternate takes, outtakes, mono and stereo versions and BBC sessions. Absolutely brilliant stuff!

CD 2 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

KINKS ~ KINDA KINKS (DELUXE EDITION) SANCTUARY 275632 (Barcode: 602527563268) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1965 Released: 2011 This is the 2nd album by The KinksFind albums by this artist, the seminal British Pop / Rock band led by brothers Ray DaviesFind albums by this artist (who wrote all their wonderful material and was definitely one of the greatest composers in British Rock) and Dave DaviesFind albums by this artist (who played the lead guitar for the band). The first lineup, which lasted for five years, included also bassist Pete QuaifeFind albums by this artist and drummer Mick AvoryFind albums by this artist. Similar to other great British Rock bands like The HolliesFind albums by this artist, The WhoFind albums by this artist and even The Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist, The Kinks were overshadowed by The BeatlesFind albums by this artist, that in retrospect is a great injustice, as they certainly were as good if not better than the Fab Four in every respect. This album presents the group crystallizing their unique style and voicing and moving almost completely to performing original songs written by Ray. The Kinks were amongst the first British groups to perform and record self-penned songs and this album includes only two covers. Always truthful to themselves and their fans, the Kinks wonderfully mixed raw energy and melodic sophistication, which lost nothing of its intrinsic power through the years. This new edition adds a whole CD worth of bonus materials, including non-album singles, EPs, alternate takes, outtakes, mono and stereo versions and BBC sessions. Absolutely brilliant stuff!

CD 2 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

KINKS ~ KINKS (DELUXE EDITION) SANCTUARY 275627 (Barcode: 602527562742) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1964 Released: 2011 This is the 1st album by The KinksFind albums by this artist, the seminal British Pop / Rock band led by brothers Ray DaviesFind albums by this artist (who wrote all their wonderful material and was definitely one of the greatest composers in British Rock) and Dave DaviesFind albums by this artist (who played the lead guitar for the band). The first lineup, which lasted for five years, included also bassist Pete QuaifeFind albums by this artist and drummer Mick AvoryFind albums by this artist. Similar to other great British Rock bands like The HolliesFind albums by this artist, The WhoFind albums by this artist and even The Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist, The Kinks were overshadowed by The BeatlesFind albums by this artist, that in retrospect is a great injustice, as they certainly were as good if not better than the Fab Four in every respect. This album presents the first steps of the band, performing a mixture of covers of Rhythm And Blues material and original songs written by Ray. The Kinks were amongst the first British groups to perform and record self-penned songs. Always truthful to themselves and their fans, the Kinks wonderfully mixed raw energy and melodic sophistication, which lost nothing of its intrinsic power through the years. This new edition adds a whole CD worth of bonus materials, including non-album singles, EPs, alternate takes, outtakes, mono and stereo versions and BBC sessions. Absolutely brilliant stuff!

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted:

CD 2 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

KINKS ~ SOMETHING ELSE (DELUXE EDITION) SANCTUARY 273214 (Barcode: 602527321417) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1967 Released: 2011 This is the 5th album by The KinksFind albums by this artist, the seminal British Pop / Rock band led by brothers Ray DaviesFind albums by this artist (who wrote all their wonderful material and was definitely one of the greatest composers in British Rock) and Dave DaviesFind albums by this artist (who played the lead guitar for the band). The first lineup, which lasted for five years, included also bassist Pete QuaifeFind albums by this artist and drummer Mick AvoryFind albums by this artist. Similar to other great British Rock bands like The HolliesFind albums by this artist, The WhoFind albums by this artist and even The Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist, The Kinks were overshadowed by The BeatlesFind albums by this artist, that in retrospect is a great injustice, as they certainly were as good if not better than the Fab Four in every respect. This album continues the new phase for the group, which developed a completely unique approach to writing music, which now included elements of Psychedelia and other influences. The lyrics were full of social commentary and concentrated on British society, history and way of life, often being quite sarcastic and critical. Although not a concept album as such, it points the way towards the future releases, which will be concept albums. Always truthful to themselves and their fans, the Kinks wonderfully mixed raw energy and melodic sophistication, which lost nothing of its intrinsic power through the years. This new edition adds a whole CD worth of bonus materials, including non-album singles, EPs, alternate takes, outtakes, mono and stereo versions and BBC sessions. Absolutely brilliant stuff!

CD 2 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

KINKS ~ THE KINK KONTROVERSY (DELUXE EDITION) SANCTUARY 275628 (Barcode: 602527562858) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1965 - 1966 Released: 2011 This is the 3rd album by The KinksFind albums by this artist, the seminal British Pop / Rock band led by brothers Ray DaviesFind albums by this artist (who wrote all their wonderful material and is definitely one of the greatest composers of the British Rock) and Dave DaviesFind albums by this artist who played the lead guitar for the band. Similar to other great British Rock Bands like The HolliesFind albums by this artist, The WhoFind albums by this artist and even The Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist, The Kinks were overshadowed by The BeatlesFind albums by this artist, which in retrospect is a great injustice, as they certainly were as good if not better than the Fab Four in every respect. This album marks the transition of the band from their initial cover-performing Beat group into a bona fide Rock band, performing their self-penned material (by Ray) and embarking on an illustrious career. Always truthful to themselves and their fans, the Kinks wonderfully mixed raw energy and melodic sophistication, which lost nothing of its intrinsic power through the years. This new edition adds a whole CD worth of bonus materials, including non-album singles, alternate takes and BBC sessions. Absolutely brilliant stuff!

CD 2 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

KINKS ~ THE KINKS ARE THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY (DELUXE EDITION) SANCTUARY 602527046792 (Barcode: 602527046792) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1968 Released: 2004 This is the 6th album by The KinksFind albums by this artist, the seminal British Pop / Rock band led by brothers Ray DaviesFind albums by this artist (who wrote all their wonderful material and was definitely one of the greatest composers in British Rock) and Dave DaviesFind albums by this artist (who played the lead guitar for the band). The first lineup, which lasted for five years, included also bassist Pete QuaifeFind albums by this artist and drummer Mick AvoryFind albums by this artist. Similar to other great British Rock bands like The HolliesFind albums by this artist, The WhoFind albums by this artist and even The Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist, The Kinks were overshadowed by The BeatlesFind albums by this artist, this in retrospect is a great injustice, as they certainly were as good if not better than the Fab Four in every respect. This album presents the culmination point for the group, which developed a completely unique approach to writing music, which now included elements of Psychedelia and other influences. The lyrics were full of social commentary and concentrated on British society, history and way of life, often being quite sarcastic and critical. This is a full fledged concept album, as good as any of its revered contemporaries, but somehow was missed both by fans and critics at the time of its release and quickly forgotten. In retrospect it is an absolute milestone and an essential piece of Rock´s history. Always truthful to themselves and their fans, the Kinks wonderfully mixed raw energy and melodic sophistication, which lost nothing of its intrinsic power through the years. This new edition adds two whole CDs worth of bonus material, including both stereo and mono versions of the original album, non-album singles, EPs, alternate takes, outtakes, and other previously unreleased recordings. Absolutely brilliant stuff!

CD 3 Digipak Slipcase Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

KLAATU ~ KLAATU / HOPE BGO 518 (Barcode: 5017261205186) ~ CANADA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1976 Released: 2000 1st and 2nd albums by Canadian trio KlaatuFind albums by this artist, which came to fame following one of the most brilliant promotional campaigns in music business, spreading insinuations and "hidden clues" that they were no others than the BeatlesFind albums by this artist, recording under an alias. Of course the rumors were proven to be completely false, but they did get their share of public interest and fame at the time. The band did have a very Beatles-like sound and musical approach, and recorded five quite impressive albums, to disappear into oblivion soon after. Their music was very melodic, spiced with Psychedelic and Prog elements and great vocal harmonies - altogether quite classy and occasionally even brilliant. In retrospect the music still sounds fresh and bearing the wonderful sound signature of the 1970s is definitely a pleasant trip down the memory lane. Definitely much better that what most critics would have you believe.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

KLAATU ~ SIR ARMY SUIT / ENDANGERED SPECIES BGO 623 (Barcode: 5017261206237) ~ CANADA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1978 - 1980 Released: 2004 3rd and 4th albums by Canadian trio KlaatuFind albums by this artist, which came to fame following one of the most brilliant promotional campaigns in music business, spreading insinuations and "hidden clues" that they were no others than the BeatlesFind albums by this artist, recording under an alias. Of course the rumors were proven to be completely false, but they did get their share of public interest and fame at the time. The band did have a very Beatles-like sound and musical approach, and recorded five quite impressive albums, to disappear into oblivion soon after. Their music was very melodic, spiced with Psychedelic and Prog elements and great vocal harmonies - altogether quite classy and occasionally even brilliant. In retrospect the music still sounds fresh and bearing the wonderful sound signature of the 1970s is definitely a pleasant trip down the memory lane. Definitely much better that what most critics would have you believe.

CD 1 Slipcase Remastered Recommend To A Friend

LIPINY SYNDICATE ~ LIPINY SYNDICATE NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by Silesian quartet called Lipiny SyndicateFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist / composer Tomasz BienekFind albums by this artist with violinist Tomasz MuchaFind albums by this artist, bassist Simon NowakowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Ryszard RajcaFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven compositions, five of which are originals composed (in one case co-composed) by Bienek, one is a Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist composition and one is an off-shot of a BeatlesFind albums by this artist tune. The music played by Lipiny Syndicate is a surprisingly original mixture of Fusion, Folklore and Psychedelia, which is distinctly original from anything else currently being played on the Polish scene. Additionally the sound of the quartet is also completely unusual, full of reverb and echo, electric and yet full of acoustic ambience. This is some of the most bizarre sound I have heard in a long time and I absolutely love it. It is somewhat similar to the early violin-based Jazz-Rock ensembles, like Flock, Hands, Curved Air, It`s A Beautiful Day and others, which brings warm waves of nostalgia and longing to the times when music was music. Bienek´s compositions are all solid, with good melody lines, serving as ideal vehicles for the extended treatment they receive by the quartet. Mucha performs most of the Jazzy improvised parts, always playing with flair as appropriate for a virtuoso performer, with Bienek playing complex guitar chords behind him. The rhythm section sticks mostly to Rock patterns, which fit the music ideally, with the bass filling the bottom part of the spectrum with a solid foundation and the drums leading the music forward at a steady pace. There are many mini-quotations hidden within the music, taken from Silesian Folklore, Hassidic Klezmer tunes, Reggae songs and a myriad of other sources, which are delightful and humorous, proving that this music is meant to be fun. Overall this is a most likeable album, which can be listened to repeatedly and allows the listener to discover its hidden gems time after time. It is so different from most other stuff played today that it deserves to be discovered and enjoyed. Satisfaction guaranteed!

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

MANFRED MANN ~ ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES PARLOPHONE 825646285297 (Barcode: 825646285297) ~ UK ~ Classic Pop Recorded: 1963 - 1966 Released: 2014 This Box Set collects the four UK albums recorded by the first version of the British Pop group Manfred MannFind albums by this artist, released originally on the HMVFind albums on this label label, and the first solo album by their vocalist Paul JonesFind albums by this artist, and includes material recorded between 1963 and 1966, a period spanning just over three years. The original members of the group were: keyboardist / vibraphonist Manfred Mann, drummer Mike HuggFind albums by this artist, guitarist / saxophonist / flautist Mike VickersFind albums by this artist (all of them coming from a Jazz background), bassist Dave RichmondFind albums by this artist, soon to be replaced by Tom McGuinnessFind albums by this artist and vocalist / harmonica player Paul Jones. By autumn 1965 Vickers left, McGuinness moved to guitar and the band was joined by Jack BruceFind albums by this artist on bass, Henry LowtherFind albums by this artist on trumpet and Lyn DobsonFind albums by this artist on saxophone, all three being prominent members of the new generation of British Jazz players. Listening to these four albums (the Jones´ album is of secondary importance) clearly illustrates not only their many qualities but also their rapid progress from early American influenced Rhythm And Blues and Rock And Roll to their own individual style, which embraced sophisticated chord changes, complex rhythms, a tendency towards Jazz improvisation and a love of instrumental compositions, combined with exquisite sense of melody. In order to fully appreciate the group´s incredible journey it is recommended to get a copy of the incredible Manfred Mann anthology "Down The Road Apiece: Their EMI Recordings 1963-1966Find albums with this title", which includes absolutely everything they recorded during those early years. Of course also the second part of their output, released on the FontanaFind albums on this label label, which finds the band fronted by their second vocalist Mike d`AboFind albums by this artist, is equally fascinating and worth investigating. As I have been saying for decades, it is painfully obvious, especially now in retrospect that Manfred Mann were one of several British groups infinitely better musically than The BeatlesFind albums by this artist; a statement I have been bitterly criticized for, but which I am ready to repeat any time. This music simply proves my point to anybody who is willing to listen with an open mind. Wholeheartedly recommended! Side Note The "Original Album SeriesFind albums with this title" by Warner Bros.Find albums on this label, the "Original Album ClassicsFind albums with this title" by SonyFind albums on this label, the "5 Original AlbumsFind albums with this title" by UniversalFind albums on this label, the Box Sets by RhinoFind albums on this label and other similar releases are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases has been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard for the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires as to treat our Cultural Legacy with respect and loyalty. The Box Sets produced under these monikers have no discographical information whatsoever about the lineups, musician names, composers, lyricists, dates and places of recording, original release data and even basic copyright data (the last is strictly illegal BTW). Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, they are often edited and information (which would be in most cases too small to be readable) is removed. Most importantly these Box Sets don't include any booklet offering a historical background and perspective about the Artists and the Music, which are extremely important and vital to the preservation of our Culture and passing the knowledge to the next generations. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap. Considering the fact how many times this music has been sold over and over again by the labels, this is a crying shame!

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted:

CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

OHISASHIBURI ~ REIMAGINING THE BEATLES VERTE 20004 (Barcode: 8032790260915) ~ ITALY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is an album by the OhisashiburiFind albums by this artist Jazz quartet, which comprises of British pianist / composer Jonathan GeeFind albums by this artist and Italian saxophonist Gaetano PartipiloFind albums by this artist, bassist Giuseppe BassiFind albums by this artist and drummer Fabio AccardiFind albums by this artist. As the title suggests, the album presents six interpretations of BeatlesFind albums by this artist songs as well as three original compositions, two by Gee and one by Partipilo. I treat a priori any Jazz album with music by The Beatles with extreme caution, as over time such attempts proved to be rather corny at best. Sure, The Beatles wrote many nice songs, but somehow those never sound just right when taken over to the Jazz idiom, with rare exceptions, all in my opinion of course. This album is an effort to treat the songs with a less conventional approach, and although the quartet offers wonderful performances, I find it difficult to connect with the result. The original compositions, however, are a different story altogether, which of course makes me wish that all the tracks on the album would have been originals. The level of musicianship simply jumps up several levels and the music gets a true kick. Having said that, considering how many people like those Beatles tunes, perhaps it wasn’t such a bad decision after all. The album offers an excellent sound quality and can be enjoyed by a wide audience, not necessarily from a strict Jazz hardcore circles.

Updated: 28/08/2021Posted: 27/08/2021

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

JACO PASTORIUS ~ WORD OF MOUTH ATLANTIC 248246 (Barcode: 093624824626) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1980 Released: 2000 2nd album. Jaco PastoriusFind albums by this artist was one of the most tragic stars on the jazz firmament – a musical genius, whose life was wasted by a combination of mental illness and drug abuse. I am talking about a man who single-handedly re-defined the statue and the technique of the bass in jazz, a brilliant performer and immensely gifted composer and arranger. Tragically Pastorius recorded only three albums as a leader in the decade and a half he was active (all other albums are live recordings, which were never meant to be released). Following his eponymous self titled debut from 1976, he devised this album as a showcase of modern Big Band with the bass as a lead instrument. The recording involved over 70 musicians (a list of which reads like the Encyclopedia Britannica of Jazz) and was done in several studios around the world. The result is an absolutely brilliant album, which sounds as fresh today as it was when I heard it for the first time 25 years ago. Most of the material in penned by Pastorius, with the exceptions being a BeatlesFind albums by this artist tune (Blackbird – one of their best) and a classical theme by Bach. There is plenty of superb solos by the participating musicians, including Pastorius himself, but the aim of the recording is not to highlight individual players but to present the Big Band as an extended instrument in the hands of the composer / arranger (very much as other famous jazz orchestras have been earlier – Duke EllingtonFind albums by this artist for example). Absolutely essential!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

PLOT ~ TIGHTROPE WHYPLAYJAZZ 023 (Barcode: 4050486940235) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the second album by the German trio PlotFind albums by this artist, which consists of saxophonist Sebastian WehleFind albums by this artist, bassist Robert LucaciuFind albums by this artist and drummer Philipp ScholzFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine classis Pop / Rock songs, adapted for a Jazz trio, which include five songs by the BeatlesFind albums by this artist, two by Creedence Clearwater RevivalFind albums by this artist and one each by Led ZeppelinFind albums by this artist and SantanaFind albums by this artist. The concept is both very familiar and very innovative. Pop / Rock songs have been the subject of Jazzed up interpretations for ages and most Jazz standards originate from Pop songs one way or another. However this trio takes the idea into a new dimension, creating a unique universe, which mixes Punkish nonchalance with highly aesthetic sensibility. The result is a surprising and vibrant musical experience, which catches even experienced listeners completely off guard. All three members of the trio perform exceedingly well, with Wehle carrying the melody and improvising, Lucaciu supplying the riffs that are the spine of Pop / Rock songs and Scholz taking care of the rhythmic layer. The arrangements are based on minimalism and expression and as a result are able to create a completely nontrivial new interpretation of the familiar material. There is really no need to say much more about this album except that it is one of the most interesting pieces of music I happened to come across in a long time and an absolute must hear to all true Jazz connoisseurs, especially those who also have an affinity to Pop / Rock music. It also is an example of originality and good taste that should be taught in music schools that today produce mostly clones of a rigid conception conceived ages ago. Additionally the album has a superb sound quality, which adds another reason why it deserves to be a part of every respectable music collection. Roland SchulzFind albums by this artist, the owner and guru of the WhyPlayJazzFind albums on this label label deserves special merit for releasing this album, as most label owners would have probably considered it as a freak show failing to see how wonderful this experience truly is. Hats off!

Updated: 12/06/2016Posted: 12/06/2016

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

PROCOL HARUM ~ PROCOL`S NINTH (DELUXE EXPANDED EDITION) ESOTERIC 2652 (Barcode: 5013929475243) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1975 Released: 2018 This is a reissue of the eighth studio album by the seminal British Classic Rock group Procol HarumFind albums by this artist, one of the last active representatives of the great music wave that started over five decades ago. It was the group´s ninth album overall, including the live album "Live: In Concert With The Edmonton Symphony OrchestraFind albums with this title", released three years earlier, hence the album´s title. This album´s lineup includes two founding members: vocalist / pianist Gary BrookerFind albums by this artist and drummer B. J. WilsonFind albums by this artist with Hammond organist Chris CoppingFind albums by this artist, guitarist Mick GrabhamFind albums by this artist and bassist Alan CartwrightFind albums by this artist. The album was produced by the celebrated team of American producers / songwriters Jerry LeiberFind albums by this artist and Mike StollerFind albums by this artist, known for their pioneering work in Rock And Roll, who also contributed one of their songs on the album. Brooker wrote eight songs which feature lyrics by Keith ReidFind albums by this artist and the album also includes the group´s interpretation of a BeatlesFind albums by this artist song, which marks the first album on which the band included material not written by the band´s members. This remastered and expanded edition adds eight bonus tracks (early versions of the songs on the original album) five of which are previously unreleased. Two bonus CDs are also included, the first featuring a live show recorded in the US and the second featuring a live show recorded in UK, with all the material on both the CDs being previously unreleased except for four tracks. The American production influenced the overall sound and ambience of the group´s music, with this album being the most Pop / Rock oriented release of their original streak of the first nine studio albums released between 1967 and 1977. The music is more straightforward and features fewer instrumental passages. But all things considered Brooker´s incredible vocals and the group´s instrumental work are superb in every respect and the production manages not to distort their unique ambience. The group was also incredibly effective when playing live, as evident on the two bonus CDs. Overall this is another strong album in the Procol Harum impressive legacy, which offers a wonderful example of their unique stylistic idiosyncrasy, which knows no parallels. It lost absolute nothing of its power and elegance over time and sounds every bit as wonderful as it did at the time of its release. It is obviously an essential item in any serious Classic Rock / Prog collection.

Updated: 09/04/2022Posted: 14/02/2019

CD 3 Digipak Oversampling Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

QUIDAM ~ …BEZ PÓLPRADU (…HALFPLUGGED) ROCK SERWIS 066 (Barcode: 5907729906628) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2006 Released: 2006 6th album by this great group, which survived the departure of their phenomenal female lead singer and lyricist Emila DerkowskaFind albums by this artist (replaced by male vocalist Bartek KossowiczFind albums by this artist), an event that would have destroyed most other groups. This album is quite unusual in many respects, as it wasn’t really planned to happen at all. QuidamFind albums by this artist were invited to perform an acoustic (i.e. unplugged – see the album’s title) concert and although hesitant at first they sized this opportunity to rearrange some of their material and some Prog classic to create a new sound for the group. The result is truly outstanding. The acoustic Quidam sounds every bit as fantastic as their electric alter ego. The new singer does a superb job even when singing older material, which Derkowska performed (compare the version of “Sanctuary” with the original performances on their Angels` DreamsFind albums with this title and Baja ProgFind albums with this title albums). As usual, they include in their music tributes to the Classic Rock and Prog icons, this time performing (or incorporating passages into their own work) songs by BeatlesFind albums by this artist, Pink FloydFind albums by this artist, Moody BluesFind albums by this artist and Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist. It certainly looks like Quidam can do nothing wrong. With 6 first-rate albums and a consistent level of excellence they are one of the leading contemporary Prog groups and their future looks brighter than ever. Brilliant music!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

ROLLING STONES ~ CHARLIE IS MY DARLING - IRELAND 1965 (SUPER DELUXE EDITION) ABKCO 038781100695 (Barcode: 038781100695) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1965 Released: 2012 This is an archival Box Set presenting the first documentary film about the seminal British Rock band, The Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist, filmed in 1965 during their Irish tour and finished in 1966, but due to management disputes never officially released until 2012. The Box Set includes the documentary “Charlie Is My Darling – Ireland 1965” in DVD and Blue-ray versions. Additionally, the film’s soundtrack is also included on CD1 and an additional CD2 includes live recordings from performances in England in 1965, which are also included on a 10” LP. A hardcover book with essays and history of the film as well as fabulous photographs from the era is also included, with other paraphernalia. The film, directed by Peter WhiteheadFind albums by this artist, concentrates on showing the members of the supergroup as “normal lads”, trying to bridge the gap between their stardom status and their true identities. In retrospect it shows some similarities to the BeatlesFind albums by this artist film “A Hard Day`s NightFind albums with this title” from 1964, but does not follow a plot line, being a proper documentary. Some concert footage is included, as well as hotel room shots and impromptu performances, not available anywhere else. Overall, what could be a better opportunity than the recent Charlie WattsFind albums by this artist’ departure, to revisit this Box Set, since his name crowns this wonderful time capsule. For Stones collectors this is an absolute marvel of course, but all British Rock enthusiasts should find this release extremely interesting. Almost six decades later this stuff still ROCKS!

Updated: 26/09/2021Posted: 26/09/2021

2CD+DVD+BD+LP 5 Box Set Recommend To A Friend

ROLLING STONES ~ IN MONO ABKCO 018771834526 (Barcode: 018771834526) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1963 - 1969 Released: 2016 This spectacular Box Set collects all the mono recordings by the seminal British group The Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist, which include the group´s early UK and US albums and a new one CD collection of non-album tracks. The Box Set includes altogether fifteen CDs, beautifully packaged in mini-replicas of the original albums and includes a booklet telling the story of the music in this Box Set. People are of course divided into three groups: those who loved The Rolling Stones, those who loved The BeatlesFind albums by this artist, and of course the vast majority, who don’t know what I am talking about. The Stones and The Beatles competed for the love and attention of the music lovers in the 1960s, and then the Beatles were gone and Stones are still very much on. They were always diametrically different – the Stones were always about the Blues, and everything they ever played derived from their love of the Blues. The Beatles had never anything to do with the Blues and they were all about nice tunes that everybody could hum along. The Stones went through several phases during the 1960s, which this Box Set covers in detail. They moved form the early Blues influences into Rhythm And Blues, and then into Psychedelia. By the end of the decade they managed to crystallize their songwriting, which resulted in an a stream of everlasting songs, which are as relevant and musically perfect today as they were fifty years ago, since true Art is completely immune to the tides of Chronos. And what´s all this Mono madness you ask? Well most of the music recorded before and during the 1960s was in fact recorded and mixed into a mono (one channel) mass reproduction format, which was the format the artists and the producers approved. The stereo format was treated as an option and took over the market only by the end of the 1960s. Therefore the music, as heard here, is how it was meant to be heard in the first place, Capish? This Box Set follows previous box-sets and of other reissues of early albums by artists like Miles DavisFind albums by this artist or Bob DylanFind albums by this artist, and of course The Beatles, released in their original mono format, all of which are breathtakingly beautiful, both as historical documents and spectacular pieces of 20th Century Culture. Although definitely not cheap, this Box Set is an absolutely essential piece of Rock history and I can´t imagine any serious Rock lover / collector who can resist this offer.

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: 09/06/2017

CD 15 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

KRZYSZTOF SADOWSKI ~ AND HIS HAMMOND ORGAN (POLISH JAZZ VOL.21) MUZA 1021 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1970 Released: 2006 This is the first album on the legendary Polish Jazz series, which is dedicated to the Hammond organ, the godfather of the electronic keyboards and probably the most significant new instrument, which dominated Jazz and Progressive Rock in the late 1960s and early 1970s (although available since the 1930s). Keyboardist Krzysztof SadowskiFind albums by this artist belongs to the first post WWII generation of Polish Jazz musicians, debuting in the 1950s and active on the local scene for many years. He combined his love of Jazz and Rock, playing with the leading ensembles of both genres with equal dedication and success. This album presents his Hammond organ performances in two different environments: Side A of the original LP captures him accompanied just by drummer Andrzej DabrowskiFind albums by this artist and the duo moves through a Rocky set, which includes a BeatlesFind albums by this artist medley. Side B finds him accompanied by the Polish Radio Jazz Studio OrchestraFind albums by this artist, led by saxophonist / composer Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist and featuring top Polish Jazz players, among them saxophonist Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist, bassist Bronislaw SuchanekFind albums by this artist, drummer Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist and many others. This set is much closer to Jazz and features a beautiful version of Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist´s ballad from "Rosemary´s Baby".

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JAMES TAYLOR ~ THE WARNER BROS. ALBUMS 1970-1976 RHINO 603497852390 (Barcode: 603497852390) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1970 - 1978 Released: 2019 This Box Set offers a reissue of the six albums recorded by the iconic American singer / songwriter / guitarist James TaylorFind albums by this artist, released on the Warner Bros.Find albums on this label label. Following the recording of his debut album on the BeatlesFind albums by this artist´ owned AppleFind albums on this label Records, Taylor signed with Warner Bros. and released his second to seventh album on that label, which were hugely successful and established him as one of the voices of the Woodstock Generation. The albums were carefully remastered under the supervision of the Peter AsherFind albums by this artist, who was Taylor´s manager and produced the first three albums in this Box Set, which is carefully designed and includes detailed information about recording dates and personnel, which sadly is not always the case with Box Sets of this kind. This Box Set includes some of the most beautiful songs written by American music makers over time. Most of the songs were written by Taylor, but he also used a few songs by other songwriters. His idiosyncratic voice knows no equals to this date and his heartfelt singing lost nothing of its magic touch. He was accompanied by the absolute crème de la crème of instrumentalists and his albums were carefully arranged and produced. In retrospect these six albums are all absolute gems, which lost nothing of their power of expression and intrinsic delicate beauty during the years that passed since they were recorded. Taylor´s music impersonates American Classic Rock at its best, incorporating, mostly subconsciously, elements of Country & Western, Blues, Jazz and other indigenous American music sources with Pop and Rock, creating a unique style of his own, but one that corresponded to the music made in America at the time by many other Artists like Crosby, Stills & NashFind albums by this artist, Joni MitchellFind albums by this artist, Carole KingFind albums by this artist, Carly SimonFind albums by this artist (to whom he was married at the time), Simon & GarfunkelFind albums by this artist, Stevie WonderFind albums by this artist and others. Many of these artists made appearances on the albums included here, the most surprising being probably Jazz guitar virtuoso John McLaughlinFind albums by this artist, who contributed one of the songs and played guitar on it. Overall this Box Set is a true treasure chest of superb music, which deserves a proud place in any serious music collection. For me this is of course a voice of my Generation, but the music is absolutely relevant also today and hopefully some young listeners will discover this timeless piece of Art. Beyond essential!

Updated: 10/08/2019Posted: 10/08/2019

CD 6 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

UZI AND THE STYLES ~ UZI AND THE STYLES (EXPANDED EDITION) HED ARZI 64752 (Barcode: 7293372475290) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1969 - 1970 Released: 2007 Uzi FuxFind albums by this artist and his band The StylesFind albums by this artist were one of a plethora of Israeli rock bands (The ChurchillsFind albums by this artist, The Blue StarsFind albums by this artist, The New StarsFind albums by this artist, The Fats & ThinsFind albums by this artist, The GeneralsFind albums by this artist, The MonksFind albums by this artist, The SpidersFind albums by this artist and many others) active on the local scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The main difference between The Styles and other bands was the fact that they performed mainly self-written material and in English as opposed to the other bands, which did mostly covers and original songs in Hebrew. The band included two British musicians: Abe OrchoverFind albums by this artist (organ) Tony PriceFind albums by this artist (songwriter), who were responsible for the band’s advanced sound and production. They were influenced by The BeatlesFind albums by this artist and Manfred MannFind albums by this artist, but managed quickly to form their unique character, placing the group as one of the most important early Israeli rock outfits. Their only album was recorded in 1970, presenting all (but one) original songs written by Orchover and Price and including their biggest hit “Friends”. This expanded edition includes their single and EP releases (the EP was released in UK, USA, Spain, Germany and Belgium and met with quite a success at the time), collecting all the recorded legacy of the band.

CD 1 Slipcase Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

DICK WALTER / JAZZCRAFT ENSEMBLE ~ SECRET MOVES ASC 029 (Barcode: 5029716002929) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1998 Released: 1999 This is a wonderful and criminally little known album by the British composer / arranger Dick WalterFind albums by this artist recorded with the Jazzcraft EnsembleFind albums by this artist, a gathering of eleven top British Jazz musicians and five guest stars, which collectively read like the who´s who of British Jazz at the closure of the previous Millennium. The ensemble, conducted by Walter, included trumpeter Derek WatkinsFind albums by this artist, flugelhornist Henry LowtherFind albums by this artist, French horn player Richard BissillFind albums by this artist, valve trombonist Pete BeachillFind albums by this artist, tuba player Oren MarshallFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Phil ToddFind albums by this artist, Steve BuckleyFind albums by this artist and Iain DixonFind albums by this artist, pianist Nikki IlesFind albums by this artist, bassist Chris LaurenceFind albums by this artist and drummer Paul ClarvisFind albums by this artist. The guests were: vocalist Norma WinstoneFind albums by this artist, flautist Stan SultzmannFind albums by this artist, baritone saxophonist Alan BarnesFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist Anthony KerrFind albums by this artist and finally guitarist John ParricelliFind albums by this artist. The album presents fifteen relatively short pieces, five of which are original compositions by Walter and the rest are carefully selected Jazz standards and one BeatlesFind albums by this artist song, all exquisitely arranged by Walter. Each and every one of these pieces is an absolute gem, perfectly rounded and complete like a mini-suite, representing all the best in British / European Jazz: delicate aesthetics, superb taste, intelligence and deep understanding of music. This album is one of the most perfect examples of large ensemble Jazz ever recorded and should be a schoolbook example of Jazz arrangement. The music is also beautifully performed by these Master musicians, who contribute perfect ensemble playing as well as beautiful soli, all relatively concise due to the album´s timing limitations, but nevertheless perfectly rounded and expressive. Altogether these seventy two minutes of music round up almost everything there is to say in a mainstream Jazz ensemble format. I have no idea how this nugget managed to slip under my radar for so many years; better late than never is the only solace. The music brings so many memories and associations about British Jazz and its history, that listening to it for the first time was a deeply emotional experience for me. Repeated listening sessions revealed the depth of the arrangements and the incredible craft involved in making it. It is a true masterpiece in every respect. I can hardly imagine a proper British Jazz collection being complete without this album being part of it, and therefore grab a copy as long as it is still available. You can thank me later on, after you have listened to it ;)

Updated: 24/01/2023Posted: 15/04/2019

CD 1 Essential Recommend To A Friend

MIKE WESTBROOK ~ PARIS ASC 166 (Barcode: 607128998563) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is a solo piano album by British pianist / composer / bandleader Mike WestbrookFind albums by this artist. It was captured live in Paris, beautifully recorded by the lamented Jon HisemanFind albums by this artist, and presents twenty relatively short pieces, most of which were composed by Westbrook, but a few standards and a couple of BeatlesFind albums by this artist songs are also included. The pieces are sub-divided into four cycles and an epilogue of sorts. Westbrook´s solo piano performances are a splendid opportunity to examine the alter ego of the orchestral Westbrook, which is by far more representative and dominant in his career. The dexterity and complexity which characterizes Westbrook orchestral universe is gone completely and the listener is exposed to the innermost "naked" and minimalistic Westbrook, toying with single notes and isolated chords as if he was reading a series of haiku poems. Even the most experienced Jazz listeners will need to make a serious effort to recognize the familiar melody lines within the notes created by Westbrook´s fingers touching the keyboard. But of course this music is not about playing melodies; it is a form of mysterious interpretation and creation of an atmosphere rather than actual delivery of the music per se. In other words Westbrook playing the piano just by himself delivers the music the way he feels and understands it, not necessarily the way it was originally written, even in the case of his own compositions. As everything in the sphere of haute culture this music is a combination of elegance and sophistication, which work on the intellectual "muscles", with emotional stimuli that touch the listener´s heart and soul. As such, the effect the music has on a listener is directly proportional to his openness and submission to the Artist´s dominion transmitted through the notes he produces on the instrument. Overall this is a wonderful package of pure delight, which demands total attention and openness but pays back with interest. Solo piano connoisseurs and the many Westbrook followers will find this album irresistible, and all I can do is to recommend it, not only to the Jazz diehards, but all listeners of unadulterated great music. A must!

Updated: 12/07/2018Posted: 12/07/2018

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

WHO ~ BBC SESSIONS POLYDOR 731454772723 (Barcode: 731454772723) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1965 - 1973 Released: 2000 British Rock legends, The WhoFind albums by this artist, were undoubtedly one of the top acts of all times to arise from the golden period of Rock. They were always different from most of their contemporaries, wild, uncontrollable and immensely ambitious and talented enough to fulfill many of their dreams. They were fronted by an enigmatic vocalist Roger DaltreyFind albums by this artist, who introduced the theatrical dimension to Rock and impersonated the heroes of their songs quite literally. Behind the vocalist there was a dreamy instrumental trio, led by guitarist / composer Pete TownshendFind albums by this artist, with incredible bass virtuoso John EntwistleFind albums by this artist and drumming madman Keith MoonFind albums by this artist. Such conglomerate of talent, dedication and showmanship was pretty unique in the Rock history and is what made this band so special. Combined with Townshend´s absolutely brilliant composing abilities, they were simply unbeatable. The fact that The Who recorded material for the BBC was by far not self-understood. The band´s reputation and their stage act pictured them as pretty wild bunch of anarchist and troublemakers. The somewhat stiff BBC had a committee examining young bands before they were allowed to actually perform and record for the radio. Luckily for the sake of history The Who passed the panel´s judgment (just barely) and the material included here was in fact put on tape. The majority of the music, i.e. twenty of the twenty six tracks, originates from the period 1965-1967, four more tracks are from 1970 and the last two are from 1973. They include many of the band´s hits but also little known material. The sound of these recordings is, as usual in case of BBC recordings, clear and crisp, often better than some of the parallel studio recordings. The actual performances are simply spectacular, proving that The Who were primarily a live band and excelled on stage. Their interplay and instrumental coherence is stunning and careful listening to the individual parts reveals highly unusual approach, well advanced technique and often prophetic ahead of the time musical styling. Compared to most of their contemporaries they were simply way ahead in every respect (see my review of The BeatlesFind albums by this artist BBC sessions, who sound like a bunch of amateurish sissies compared to The Who). This is a time capsule type of album, which brings music, which was intended to be used once or twice at the time, and then discarded, and was luckily preserved for posterity. Thank God for the BBC, and The Who!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

WHO ~ THE WHO SELL OUT (DELUXE EDITION) POLYDOR 5315336 (Barcode: 600753153369) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1967 Released: 2009 This is probably one of the most underrated and misunderstood albums in Rock history. British wild rockers, The WhoFind albums by this artist, recorded this album in the midst of the blooming Psychedelic era, with their contemporaries home (BeatlesFind albums by this artist) and across the pond (Beach BoysFind albums by this artist) producing concept albums, which are considered masterpieces to this very day. Wild as they were, and a bit mad (or even more that a bit) vocalist Roger DaltreyFind albums by this artist, guitarist Pete TownshendFind albums by this artist, bassist John EntwistleFind albums by this artist and drummer Keith MoonFind albums by this artist responded to all that psychedelic hullabaloo with their version of temporary insanity. The album was initially intended to be a concept album of sorts, about an imaginary pirate radio station, including jingles, chatter and commercials. Sadly never actually completed as such, the underlying concept of the songs is still very much there, being romance or the convoluted male / female relationships. Of course anything touched by the Who turns into mayhem, madness and above all typical British absurd humor. Even the album´s title, which is of course an oxymoron to anybody familiar with the band, serves a purpose. In fact the Who are much closer here to Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist ("We´re Only In It For The MoneyFind albums with this title" – sounds familiar?) than to their saccharine British mates. Of course there is plenty of great music here as the band rocks harder and mightier that anybody else at the time. This new edition is a goldmine for the Who fans, with dozens of bonus tracks and both the stereo and mono mixes of the album. To all the people who never got this album, this is an opportunity to wake up. Essential brilliant music!

CD 2 Digipak Slipcase Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

WIGWAM ~ LIVE MUSIC FROM THE TWILIGHT ZONE ESOTERIC 2185 (Barcode: 5013929728523) ~ FINLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1974 Released: 2010 5th album by the Finnish Prog Masters WigwamFind albums by this artist (originally released as a double LP), marking the end of the original lineup of the band and recorded during their farewell concert tour. The band´s core: vocalist Jim PembrokeFind albums by this artist (a British expatriate living in Finland), keyboardist Jukka GustavsonFind albums by this artist, who was the band´s principal composer, bassist Pekka PohjolaFind albums by this artist and drummer Ronnie OsterbergFind albums by this artist is expanded to a quintet with guitarist Pekka RechardtFind albums by this artist joining the group. Soon after these recordings were made Gustavson and Pohjola left the band and it reformed a year later with new musicians replacing them. This album is a superb showcase of Wigwam´s live performances, being the band´s first live recording, as well as showing their musical influences, as the band performs several covers of material written by such diverse musicians as the BeatlesFind albums by this artist and the BandFind albums by this artist, in addition to their own compositions. Several of the tracks are expanded into long instrumental jams, emphasizing the improvisational skills by the band members. With strong Jazzy feel, this album gracefully moves between Prog and Fusion, to the obvious delight of the band´s many fans. In retrospect this album is a great document of the time, capturing the spirit as well as the sound of the most productive period in music history. Essential for all Wigwam fans, but most Prog and Fusion connoisseurs should have a field day with this beauty!

CD 1 Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ ABSOLUTELY FREE ZAPPA 3835 (Barcode: 824302383520) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1966 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 2nd album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist and his group The Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist, originally released in 1967. The album presents fifteen original songs, all by Zappa, two of which are bonus tracks not present on the original album and taken from a single also released at the time. For this album The Mothers were expanded to an octet and included, in addition to Zappa who played guitar and sung, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, guitarist Jim FielderFind albums by this artist (uncredited as he left the band before the album was released), keyboardist Don PrestonFind albums by this artist, woodwinds player Bunk GardnerFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and drummers Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist and Billy MundiFind albums by this artist. Ten other musicians took part in the recording adding string and brass section arrangements and other contributions. In order to fully understand the significance of this album, one would have to take a time travel trip back fifty-five years and compare the Pop / Rock albums that were released in 1967, for example “Sgt. Pepper`s Lonely Hearts Club BandFind albums with this title” by The BeatlesFind albums by this artist, “Between The ButtonsFind albums with this title” by The Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist or “Smiley SmileFind albums with this title” by the Beach BoysFind albums by this artist, and see that already on his sophomore album Zappa was light-years ahead of the time, writing a brilliant pastiche about the music business and American politics, which was not only hilarious but more importantly shockingly perceptive, whereas his contemporaries (with a few exceptions) were still writing love songs. Zappa shows on this album that he is able to write Pop songs in any style he wants, with results as god or better than anybody else at the time. His guitar playing and the elaborate arrangements he wrote for the songs are equal to none and he appears as the first “total musician” on the Pop / Rock scene, a status he was able to hold till the day he died. From day one his extravagant personality and brilliant intelligence marked him as an outsider, a fate shared by most geniuses. Zappa, who followed the Jazz scene closely, was of course aware of the Free Jazz scene reaching its peak at this time, and he prophetically tried to move the conceptual musical freedom also into Rock, to which the title of this album obviously hints. Overall, although over fifty-five years passed since this music was recorded, this album remains an absolute Classic in every respect, which stands proudly as an icon of superb music, which still shines brighter than almost anything else recorded since. Zappa’s genius, not only as a musician, but also as a visionary and a brilliant observer of the human condition and American folly and deceit, remain completely relevant and are even more actual today than ever. Side Note Frank Zappa created a vast recorded legacy during his lifetime, which is continuously being expanded using music recorded and stored in his extensive vault. The albums officially released and approved by Zappa are numbered sequentially in the "Official Release" series, from #001 to the last release so far #126. The albums between #001 to #062 were released during Zappa's lifetime and all the others were released posthumously. There are countless unofficial / bootleg releases on the market as well. Zappa's catalogue was remastered for CD release twice: in 1995 for the RykodiscFind albums on this label releases and again in 2012 for the ZappaFind albums on this label Records / UniversalFind albums on this label releases. The Zappa / Universal program includes 60 releases, which cover the entire catalog released during his lifetime (62 releases, except #013 "200 Motels" and the three Box Sets #043, #046 and #049 called "The Old Masters vol.I / II / III"), and 6 posthumous releases (#064, #065, #067, #068, #093 and #094), which were also included.

Updated: 22/09/2022Posted: 25/03/2022

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ FREAK OUT! ZAPPA 3834 (Barcode: 824302383421) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1966 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 1st album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist and his group The Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist, originally released in 1966. The album presents fifteen original songs, all by Zappa. It was one of the first 2LP Pop / Rock albums ever released and the first debut 2LP album. The Mothers were a quintet and included, in addition to Zappa who played guitar and sung, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, guitarist Elliot IngberFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and drummer Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist. At least two dozen other musicians took part in the recording adding string and brass section arrangements and other contributions. The recording took just four days, which at the time was considered as “almost unlimited” studio time. In order to fully understand the significance of this album, one would have to take a time travel trip back fifty-five years and compare the Pop / Rock albums that were released in 1966, for example “RevolverFind albums with this title” by The BeatlesFind albums by this artist, “AftermathFind albums with this title” by The Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist or “Pet SoundsFind albums with this title” by the Beach BoysFind albums by this artist, and see that already on his debut Zappa was light-years ahead of the time, writing a brilliant pastiche about the music business and American politics, which was not only hilarious but more importantly shockingly perceptive, whereas his contemporaries (with a few exceptions) were still writing love songs. The album also included a twelve minutes long track with completely Avant-Garde Rock music at the time. Zappa shows on this album that he is able to write Pop songs in any style he wants, with results as god or better than anybody else at the time. His guitar playing and the elaborate arrangements he wrote for the songs are equal to none and he appears as the first “total musician” on the Pop / Rock scene, a status he was able to hold till the day he died. From day one his extravagant personality and brilliant intelligence marked him as an outsider, a fate shared by most geniuses. Overall, although almost fifty-five years passed since this music was recorded, this album remains an absolute Classic in every respect, which stands proudly as an icon of superb music, which still shines brighter than almost anything else recorded since. Zappa’s genius, not only as a musician, but also as a visionary and a brilliant observer of the human condition and American folly and deceit, remain completely relevant and are even more actual today than ever. Side Note Frank Zappa created a vast recorded legacy during his lifetime, which is continuously being expanded using music recorded and stored in his extensive vault. The albums officially released and approved by Zappa are numbered sequentially in the "Official Release" series, from #001 to the last release so far #126. The albums between #001 to #062 were released during Zappa's lifetime and all the others were released posthumously. There are countless unofficial / bootleg releases on the market as well. Zappa's catalogue was remastered for CD release twice: in 1995 for the RykodiscFind albums on this label releases and again in 2012 for the ZappaFind albums on this label Records / UniversalFind albums on this label releases. The Zappa / Universal program includes 60 releases, which cover the entire catalog released during his lifetime (62 releases, except #013 "200 Motels" and the three Box Sets #043, #046 and #049 called "The Old Masters vol.I / II / III"), and 6 posthumous releases (#064, #065, #067, #068, #093 and #094), which were also included.

Updated: 14/07/2022Posted: 03/12/2021

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ MOFO (2CD EDITION) ZAPPA 20005 (Barcode: 824302000526) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1966 Released: 2006 This is the 78th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2006, This album is also the 1st release in the Project/Object Audio Documentary series, which reexamines / expands original Zappa albums with previously unreleased material, in this case the “Freak Out!Find albums with this title” album originally released in 1966. The Project/Object series also includes the following albums: “The Lumpy MoneyFind albums with this title” (2009), “Greasy Love SongsFind albums with this title” (2010), “The Crux Of The BiscuitFind albums with this title” (2016) and “Meat LightFind albums with this title” (2016). The “Freak Out!” album was recorded in March 1966. The lineup of The Mothers Of Invention that recorded the album includes Zappa on guitar and vocals, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, drummer Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and guitarist Elliot IngberFind albums by this artist. At least two dozen other musicians took part in the recording adding string and brass section arrangements and other contributions. The recording took just four days, which at the time was considered as “almost unlimited” studio time. This 2CD edition of the “MOFOFind albums with this title” album includes the original stereo mix of the album (fifteen tracks) on CD1 and seventeen bonus tracks on CD2, mostly previously unissued. Seven of the bonus tracks are unique to this release and do not appear on the 4CD edition of the “MOFO” album, which includes more bonus tracks from the recording sessions of the “Freak Out!” album and earlier recordings. In order to fully understand the significance of this album, one would have to take a time travel trip back fifty-five years and compare the Pop / Rock albums that were released in 1966, for example “RevolverFind albums with this title” by The BeatlesFind albums by this artist, “AftermathFind albums with this title” by The Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist or “Pet SoundsFind albums with this title” by the Beach BoysFind albums by this artist, and see that already on his debut Zappa was light-years ahead of the time, writing a brilliant pastiche about the music business and American politics, which was not only hilarious but more importantly shockingly perceptive, whereas his contemporaries (with a few exceptions) were still writing love songs. The album also included a twelve minutes long track with completely Avant-Garde Rock music at the time. Zappa shows on this album that he is able to write Pop songs in any style he wants, with results as god or better than anybody else at the time. His guitar playing and the elaborate arrangements he wrote for the songs are equal to none and he appears as the first “total musician” on the Pop / Rock scene, a status he was able to hold till the day he died. From day one his extravagant personality and brilliant intelligence marked him as an outsider, a fate shared by most geniuses. Overall, although fifty-five years passed since this music was recorded, this album remains an absolute Classic in every respect, which stands proudly as an icon of superb music, which still shines brighter than almost anything else recorded since. Zappa’s genius, not only as a musician, but also as a visionary and a brilliant observer of the human condition and American folly and deceit, remain completely relevant and are even more actual today than ever.

Updated: 13/01/2025Posted: 14/07/2022

CD 2 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ MOFO (4CD EDITION) ZAPPA 20004 (Barcode: 824302000427) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1966 Released: 2006 This is the 77th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released posthumously in 2006, This album is also the 1st release in the Project/Object Audio Documentary series, which reexamines / expands original Zappa albums with previously unreleased material, in this case the “Freak Out!Find albums with this title” album originally released in 1966. The Project/Object series also includes the following albums: “The Lumpy MoneyFind albums with this title” (2009), “Greasy Love SongsFind albums with this title” (2010), “The Crux Of The BiscuitFind albums with this title” (2016) and “Meat LightFind albums with this title” (2016). The “Freak Out!” album was recorded in March 1966. The lineup of The Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist that recorded the album includes Zappa on guitar and vocals, vocalist Ray CollinsFind albums by this artist, drummer Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist, bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist and guitarist Elliot IngberFind albums by this artist. At least two dozen other musicians took part in the recording adding string and brass section arrangements and other contributions. The recording took just four days, which at the time was considered as “almost unlimited” studio time. This 4CD edition of the “MOFOFind albums with this title” album includes the original stereo mix of the album (fifteen tracks) on CD1, nineteen bonus tracks on CD2, fourteen bonus tracks on CD3 and twenty-four bonus tracks on CD4. These bonus track include a plethora of studio outtakes and alternate takes, radio interviews, live performances, and other goodies, which shed light on the atmosphere and circumstances surrounding the recording of the epic debut album. In order to fully understand the significance of this album, one would have to take a time travel trip back fifty-five years and compare the Pop / Rock albums that were released in 1966, for example “RevolverFind albums with this title” by The BeatlesFind albums by this artist, “AftermathFind albums with this title” by The Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist or “Pet SoundsFind albums with this title” by the Beach BoysFind albums by this artist, and see that already on his debut Zappa was light-years ahead of the time, writing a brilliant pastiche about the music business and American politics, which was not only hilarious but more importantly shockingly perceptive, whereas his contemporaries (with a few exceptions) were still writing love songs. The album also included a twelve minutes long track with completely Avant-Garde Rock music at the time. Zappa shows on this album that he is able to write Pop songs in any style he wants, with results as god or better than anybody else at the time. His guitar playing and the elaborate arrangements he wrote for the songs are equal to none and he appears as the first “total musician” on the Pop / Rock scene, a status he was able to hold till the day he died. From day one his extravagant personality and brilliant intelligence marked him as an outsider, a fate shared by most geniuses. Overall, although almost sixty years passed since this music was recorded, this album remains an absolute Classic in every respect, which stands proudly as an icon of superb music, which still shines brighter than almost anything else recorded since. Zappa’s genius, not only as a musician, but also as a visionary and a brilliant observer of the human condition and American folly and deceit, remain completely relevant and are even more actual today than ever.

Updated: 13/01/2025Posted: 13/01/2025

CD 4 Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ WE`RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY ZAPPA 3837 (Barcode: 824302383728) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 1967 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of the 4th album by iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader / visionary Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, released originally in 1968. The music was recorded at several studios during 1967 and Zappa considered this album as part of an organic music stream, which also includes also the albums “Lumpy GravyFind albums with this title”, “Cruising With Ruben & The JetsFind albums with this title” and “Uncle MeatFind albums with this title”, collectively known as the "No Commercial Potential" project. The album presents nineteen tracks, all composed by Zappa. The lineup, in addition to Zappa on guitar and vocals, includes members of the then current version of Mothers Of InventionFind albums by this artist, which comprises of vocalists / bassist Roy EstradaFind albums by this artist, drummers Jimmy Carl BlackFind albums by this artist and Billy MundiFind albums by this artist, multi-instrumentalist Ian UnderwoodFind albums by this artist, woodwinds player Bunk GardnerFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Jim SherwoodFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Don PrestonFind albums by this artist and many other people adding minor contributions The album presents a comic / bitterly satirical view of American politics (both left and right wing), society and music business. The album’s cover, which of course is a parody of The BeatlesFind albums by this artist “Sgt. Pepper`s Lonely Heart Club BandFind albums with this title” album cover as well as the album’s title, which coined a catchphrase still bitterly actual today, are all manifestation of Zappa’s view of our world, which remains sadly somewhat naïve in comparison to what we experience today. Musically the album is a zany amalgam of Pop, Rock Psychedelia, Contemporary Classical Music and Avant-Garde Rock, with spoken word collages and beautiful melodies here in there, completely Zappaesque and incomparable to anything done at the time and since. Zappa applied unprecedented studio trickery, so advanced that it’s considered a wizardry, even with today computerized studio technology. Overall, although this music is now over fifty-five years old, it sounds as fresh as it did when first heard and lost absolutely nothing of its power and everlasting beauty. This album remains an absolute Classic in every respect, which stands proudly as an icon of superb music, which still shines brighter than almost anything else recorded since. Side Note Frank Zappa created a vast recorded legacy during his lifetime, which is continuously being expanded using music recorded and stored in his extensive vault. The albums officially released and approved by Zappa are numbered sequentially in the "Official Release" series, from #001 to the last release so far #126. The albums between #001 to #062 were released during Zappa's lifetime and all the others were released posthumously. There are countless unofficial / bootleg releases on the market as well. Zappa's catalogue was remastered for CD release twice: in 1995 for the RykodiscFind albums on this label releases and again in 2012 for the ZappaFind albums on this label Records / UniversalFind albums on this label releases. The Zappa / Universal program includes 60 releases, which cover the entire catalog released during his lifetime (62 releases, except #013 "200 Motels" and the three Box Sets #043, #046 and #049 called "The Old Masters vol.I / II / III"), and 6 posthumous releases (#064, #065, #067, #068, #093 and #094), which were also included.

Updated: 22/09/2022Posted: 18/02/2022

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FRANK ZAPPA ~ ZAPPA `88: THE LAST U.S. SHOW ZAPPA 20036 (Barcode: 602435688244) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1988 Released: 2021 This is an archival album by the iconic American guitarist / composer / bandleader Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist, which presents his last concerts ever in the US, which were followed by his last concert tour in Europe. Until his untimely death in 1993, Zappa never toured again, although he continued to create music until the last moment. The 2CD album presents thirty-one tracks. The music was recorded by a twelve-piece band, which included a five-piece brass section, three guitarists, vibraphone, keyboards, bass and drums. The material includes mostly original material by Zappa, but also interpretations of songs by The BeatlesFind albums by this artist / Led ZeppelinFind albums by this artist / Allman Brothers BandFind albums by this artist, as well as classical compositions. This last band Zappa put together for his tour was also probably his best band ever, as far as musical range, technical proficiency and ensemble performances were concerned, although over the years all Zappa’s groups were brilliant one way of another. In retrospect, Zappa’s unparalleled genius is omnipresent in these recordings, far beyond the brilliant music, superb guitar playing and his humoristic / sarcastic / critical delivery. His concerts always included an aspect of stand-up comedy / burlesque / circus madness, with every split second precisely planned and meticulously executed. There is no need to restate the fact that Frank Zappa was the most important Rock musician of all times, with a brilliant multi-layered intellect and blessed with unprecedented talent and vision. Every little moment of his recorded legacy remains an essential part of the Human Culture Hall of Fame, even in not recognized as such by the gray masses. The contest of these two CDs is so dense, that it required numerous listening sessions to get down to the bottom of it, listening carefully to each and every detail herein. Obviously the music is completely beyond being described by words, and every person on earth might interpret it differently. If anybody reading this was not exposed to Zappa’s music so far, make sure you try it before you die – if you don’t you won’t really know what music is… Although Zappa was obviously an alien, as his music proves, he was tragically trapped in a frail human body, which eventually failed him. What a fucked-up Universe we live in.

Updated: 10/07/2021Posted: 10/07/2021

CD 2 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend