Buckwild - 2007 - Diggin' In the Crates

Artist: Buckwild
Album: Diggin' In the Crates: Rare Studio Masters (1993-1997)
Released: 3/23/2007
Label: Ground Floor Recordings
Genre: Hip-Hop

Disc One:
01 Channel Live - Mad Izm (Original Remix) [KRS-One]
02 NaS - Life's a Bitch (Remix Number 1) [feat. AZ]
03 Artifacts - Cmon Wit Da Git Down (Remix) [feat. Busta Rhymes]
04 Lord Finesse - Hip 2 Da Game (Remix)
05 Brand Nubian - Word Is Bond (Remix)
06 Beastie Boys - Get It Together (Remix) [feat. Q-Tip]
07 Jemini the Gifted One - Scars and Pain
08 AK Skills - Nights Of Fear
09 Big L - MVP (Remix Number 1)
10 Funkdoobiest - Rock On (Remix)
11 Ill Biskits - A Better Day
12 Grand Puba - I Like It (Remix) [feat. Sadat X]
13 Reservoir Doggs - Bring It Down
14 Kool Keith - Yo Black (Remix)
15 F.A.T.A.L. Foundation - All About Wars
16 O.C. - Burn Me Slow
17 Little Indian - One Little Indian (Remix) [feat. The Foreigner]
18 Chubb Rock - What A Year
19 Mike Zoot - Live and Stink

Disc Two:
01 Organized Konfusion - Bring It On (Remix)
02 Show & A.G. - You Know Now (Remix)
03 Bushwackas - Caught Up In The Game
04 Guru - Respect The Architect (Remix) [feat. Bahamadia]
05 Tha Alkaholiks - Daaam (Remix)
06 Street Smartz - Problemz
07 Brand Nubian - Rockin' It
08 Big L - MVP (Remix Number 2)
09 Black Sheep - North South East West (Remix)
10 Jemini the Gifted One - Story Of My Life
11 Diamond D - You Cant Front (feat. Sadat X & Lord Finesse)
12 NaS - Life's a Bitch (Remix Number 2) [feat. AZ]
13 Sadat X - The Lump Lump (Nubian Mix) [feat. Grand Puba & Lord Jamar]
14 Special Ed - Lyrics (Remix)
15 Channel Live - Mad Izm (Remix)
16 Lace Da Booms - Cut That Weak Shit (Remix) [feat. Kwaze Modoe & Royal Flush]
17 O.C. - Love Child
18 Rakim - Guess Who's Back (Remix)
19 Reservoir Doggs - The Difference
20 Mystidious Misfits - I Be (Remix)

Buckwild's production resume is quite extensive and impressive, having worked with Notorious B.I.G., Brand Nubian, Big L, Big Pun, NaS, and Organized Konfusion, to name a few. "Diggin' In the Crates: Rare Studio Masters (1993-1997)" contains 39 rare remixes and vinyl exclusive cuts from quite a few recognizable names, as well as a few forgotten gems from the mid-nineties. Anyone who's a fan of the D.I.T.C. crew--or a fan of that rugged jazz influenced hip hop of the mid-nineties--will love this double-disc release. -RU

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - 1995 - E 1999 Eternal

"Following the surprise success of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's summer 1994 anthem "Thuggish Ruggish Bone," the group returned a year later with E 1999 Eternal, an impressive debut full-length that dismisses any notion that the group was merely a one-hit wonder. From beginning to end, the album maintains a consistent tone, one that's menacing and somber, produced entirely by DJ U-Neek, a Los Angeles-based producer who frames the songs with dark, smoked-out G-funk beats and synth melodies. The Bone Thugs interweave their voices well, trading off verses and harmonizing on the choruses. There are a few standout moments, most notably the Grammy-winning ballad "Tha Crossroads" and the feel-good welfare ode "1st of the Month," as well as, of course, some obligatory blaze-some-to-this tracks, "Budsmokers Only" and "Buddah Lovaz." The intermittent tracks are good old-fashioned gangsta rap about murder, drugs, and money. In the end, E 1999 Eternal stands as one of the most accomplished, unique hardcore rap albums of the '90s, one that's often unfairly overlooked, if not dismissed entirely, because of the group's subsequent unraveling. [The original release featured a different version of "Tha Crossroads" titled simply "Crossroad" that was quickly replaced by the radio-aired, Grammy-winning "Mo Thug" remix.]" ~ AMG

Miles Davis - 1969 - The Lost Quintet

taken from http://theheatwarps.blogspot.com/2007/02/new-direction.html

Miles Davis' late 1969/early 1970 performances with the "Lost Quintet" (Miles Davis (tpt); Wayne Shorter (ss, ts); Chick Corea (el-p); Dave Holland (b, el-b); Jack DeJohnette (d)) are unquestionably some of the most exciting of this long career. Named for the fact that they never recorded as a five-man lineup in the studio, and up until the 2001 release of Live At Fillmore East (March 7, 1970): It's About That Time, had never been featured on an official release, the "Lost Quintet" played an overwhelmingly important role in bridging Miles' older, more familiar material with his new electric direction. This meant that sets saw the unlikely pairing of standards like "'Round Midnight" or "I Fall In Love Too Easily" with "Bitches Brew" and "Miles Run The Voodoo Down," often segueing into one another to create a singular suite, and all overflowing with incredible intensity. A monumental task that produced amazing results. Jack DeJohnette and Chick Corea are absolutely ferocious on both of these recordings.

July 25, 1969
La Pinède, Juan-les-Pins
1. Directions
2. Miles Runs the Voodoo Down
3. Milestones
4. Footprints
5. 'Round Midnight
6. It's About That Time
7. Sanctuary/The Theme

November 3, 1969
Salle Pleyel, Paris (First Concert)
1. Directions
2. Bitches Brew
3. Paraphanalia
4. Riot
5. I Fall In Love Too Easily
5. Sanctuary
6. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down/The Theme

Rahsaan Roland Kirk - 1972 - Blacknuss

"From its opening bars, with Bill Salter's bass and Rahsaan's flute passionately playing Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine," you know this isn't an ordinary Kirk album (were any of them?). As the string section, electric piano, percussion, and Cornel Dupree's guitar slip in the back door, one can feel the deep soul groove Kirk is bringing to the jazz fore here. As the tune fades just two and a half minutes later, the scream of Kirk's tenor comes wailing through the intro of Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On," with a funk backdrop and no wink in the corner — he's serious. With Richard Tee's drums kicking it, the strings developing into a wall of tension in the backing mix, and Charles McGhee's trumpet hurling the long line back at Kirk, all bets are off — especially when they medley the mother into "Mercy Mercy Me." By the time they reach the end of the Isleys' "I Love You, Yes I Do," with the whistles, gongs, shouting, soul crooning, deep groove hustling, and greasy funk dripping from every sweet-assed note, the record could be over because the world has already turned over and surrendered — and the album is only ten minutes old! Blacknuss, like The Inflated Tear, Volunteered Slavery, Rip, Rig and Panic, and I Talk to the Spirits, is Kirk at his most visionary. He took the pop out of pop and made it Great Black Music. He took the jazz world down a peg to make it feel its roots in the people's music, and consequently made great jazz from pop tunes in the same way his forbears did with Broadway show tunes. While the entire album shines like a big black sun, the other standouts include a deeply moving read of "My Girl" and a version of "The Old Rugged Cross" that takes it back forever from those white fundamentalists who took all the blood and sweat from its grain and replaced them with cheap tin and collection plates. On Kirk's version, grace doesn't come cheap, though you can certainly be a poor person to receive it. Ladies and gents, Blacknuss is as deep as a soul record can be and as hot as a jazz record has any right to call itself. A work of sheer blacknuss!" ~ AMG


Label: Atlantic Records
Catalog#: SD 1601

Country: US
Released: 1972
Genre: Jazz
Style: Fusion, Jazz-Funk
Credits: Artwork By - Haig Adishan
Bass - Henry Pearson (tracks: A1, B1, B4) , Bill Salter* (tracks: A2 to A7, B2, B3)
Congas - Richard Landrum (tracks: A1, B1, B4)
Congas, Percussion [Cabassa] - Arthur Jenkins (tracks: A2 to A7, B2, B3)
Drums - Bernard Purdie (tracks: A2 to A7, B2, B3) , Khalil Mhdri (tracks: A1, B1, B4)
Engineer - Bob Liftin (tracks: A2 to A7, B2, B3) , Lew Hahn (tracks: A1, B1, B4)
Flute, Saxophone [Tenor], Percussion [Police Whistle, Gong], Saxophone [manzello, Stritch], Arranged By - Rahsaan Roland Kirk*
Guitar - Billy Butler (tracks: A1, B1, B4) , Cornell Dupree (tracks: A2 to A7, B2, B3) , Keith Loving (tracks: A2 to A7, B2, B3)
Organ - Mickey Turner (tracks: A2 to A7, B2, B3)
Percussion - Joe Habad Texidor
Photography [Backliner Photo] - Vaughn Hazell
Photography [Cover] - Ray Ross
Piano - Richard Tee (tracks: A2 to A7, B2, B3) , Sonelius Smith (tracks: A1, B1, B4)
Producer - Joel Dorn
Trombone - Dick Griffin (tracks: A2 to A7, B2, B3)
Trumpet - Charles McGhee (tracks: A2 to A7, B2, B3)
Vocals - Rahsaan Roland Kirk* (tracks: A1, A5, B1, B4)

Tracklisting:

A1 Ain't No Sunshine
A2 What's Goin' On
A3 Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
A4 I Love You Yes I Do
A5 My Girl
A6 Which Way Is It Going
A7 One Nation
Vocals - Princess Patience Burton
B1 Never Can Say Goodbye
Vocals - Cissy Houston
B2 Old Rugged Cross
B3 Make It With You
B4 Blacknuss
Vocals - Cissy Houston

Cymande - 1973 - Cymande

Artist: Cymande
Album: Cymande
Released: 1973
Label: Collectables
Genre: Funk

Ray King - Vocals/Percussion
Steve Scipio - Bass
Derek Gibbs - Soprano/Alto
Pablo Gonsales - Congas
Joey Dee - Vocals/Percussion
Peter Serreo - Tenor
Sam Kelly - Drums
Mike Rose - Alto/Flute/Bongos
Patrick Patterson - Guitar

Tracklist:
01 Message
02 Brothers on the Side
03 Dove
04 Bra
05 Fug
06 For Baby Woh
07 Rickshaw
08 Equitorial Forest
09 Listen
10 Getting It Back
11 Anthracite
12 Willy's Headache
13 Genevieve
14 Pon de Dungle
15 Rastafarian Folk Song
16 One More
17 Zion I

"Like Jimi Hendrix, the eight members of Cymande were all phenomenally adept self-taught musicians. And also like Hendrix, they were masters at synthesizing funk, soul, blues, and psychedelic sounds, creating a music that resists any convenient labeling. They could funk on a reggae groove, put a heavy dose of soul into a psychedelic jam, and lay down some bluesy riffs around a Caribbean spiced vocal. Cymande's members came from Guyana, Jamaica, and St.Vincent, and they imported a strong island vibe into their cosmic sound. This album is at once raw and polished, extraordinarily diverse, and consistently grooving. The tunes run the gamut from the hypnotic Santana-influenced instrumental build up, 'Dove,' to the New Orleans funk of 'The Message,' which actually made it to ..22 on the domestic R&B charts in 1974. The spectacularly funky 'Bra' was included on Spike Lee's highly-recommended 'Crooklyn' soundtrack. Other highlights include the psychedelic soul-jazz sounds of 'Rickshaw,' the bluesy trance of 'Anthracite,' and the consciousness-raising 'Listen.' Cymande is one of the forgotten miracles of the early 70's and deserves a major rediscovery by fans of all musical genres." ---John Ballon

The Mars Volta - 2006 - Amputechture

"The Mars Volta are continual contenders for the mantle of most experimental high-profile metal group, along with System of a Down, an artist they've toured with but who usually sell 20 times more records. Mars Volta aren't as popular, not because their riffs are less memorable or innovative but because their cycle of musical buildup and release, although similarly jarring, can last at least 20 minutes instead of System's two. (It's the difference between having a background in acid rock and having one in thrash.) While the early reports on third album Amputechture commented that the duo of Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez had learned a few lessons about silence and forsaken the concept album, don't believe it. The album is little different than their two previous atom bombs, De-Loused in the Comatorium and Frances the Mute — tense and anxious, continually pushing the boundaries of extreme production, with long periods of dynamics that rise ever higher, followed by an explosion of release (usually screaming hard rock with storms of atonal brass and horns). The album opens with "Vicarious Atonement," five minutes of spectral effects and piercing guitar that gets a boost at the beginning of the next track, "Tetragrammaton," and then blooms into full riffing glory after a few more minutes (and they're still nowhere near the end of the 16-minute track). John Frusciante, eccentric genius from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, returns on guitar, but Bixler-Zavala and Rodriguez-Lopez exert so much control over the sound of Mars Volta that Frusciante makes virtually no individual impression on this record, although most of the guitar work is his. (Granted, his presence leaves Rodriguez-Lopez open for more intricate work on production.) The Mars Volta are one of the most intriguing bands in rock, but their huge musical power is often deflected by Bixler-Zavala's conceptual themes (which are difficult to follow, but also, perversely, impossible to ignore) and blitzkrieg dynamics that are either dialed down to one or up to ten (but rarely in-between)." ~ AMG

Label: Universal Records , Gold Standard Laboratories
Catalog#: 0602517028029, 0602517028029

Released: 2006
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Abstract, Psychedelic Rock, Emo, Prog Rock, Avantgarde
Credits: Engineer - Jonathan Debaun* , Paul Fig , Robert Carranza
Mastered By - Vlado Meller
Mixed By - Rich Costey
Mixed By [Assistant] - Pablo Arraya
Performer [Group Member] - Adrián Terrazas Gonzáles* , Cedric Bixler-Zavala , Isaiah Ikey Owens* , John Frusciante , Jon Theodore , Juan Alderte De La Peña , Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez , Omar Rodriguez-Lopez , Pablo Hinojos-Gonzalez
Producer - Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
Notes: CD came in standard jewel case with a transparent sticker on the front, and 14-page booklet, including all lyrics and credits.

The partnership between Omar Rodriguez-Lopez [who wrote and arranged all music and directs the group] & Cedric Bixler-Zavala [who wrote all lyrics and vocal melodies] is The Mars Volta.

These compositions are then performed by The Mars Volta group:
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
Cedric Bixler-Zavala
Juan Alderete De La Peña
Jon Theodore
Isaiah Ikey Owens
Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez
Adrian Terrazas Gonzales
Pablo Hinojos-Gonzales
John Frusciante

This album was recorded in Los Angeles California, Melbourne Australia, and El Paso Texas. It was worked on using the E-Clat Disaster Portable Morgue Unit by the patient engineering talents of Jonathon Debaun, Robert Carranza, and Paul Fig. Then mixed in New York City by Rich Costey with Pablo Arraya assisting. It was eventually mastered right down the hall by Vlado Meller. The cover and label paintings [Big Mutant and Dwarf Dancing, respectively] are by Jeff Jordan and the overall layout by Sonny Kay. This coordination was made possible by Kristen Elizabeth Welsh, the caretaker of Monkey Island. All saxophone parts and solos on Meccamputechture played by Sara Christina Gross.

1 Vicarious Atonement (7:19)
2 Tetragrammaton (16:41)
3 Vermicide (4:15)
4 Meccamputechture (11:02)
Saxophone - Sara Christina Cross
5 Asilos Magdalena (6:34)
6 Viscera Eyes (9:23)
7 Day Of The Baphomets (11:56)
8 El Ciervo Vulnerado (8:50)

Chino XL - 1996 - Here To Save You All

"Years before Eminem began outraging parents and pop stars alike with his brutally funny lyrics, New Jersey's Chino XL was already making the musical world safe for brainy, tasteless battle-rappers with his enormously promising but little-remembered debut, 1996's Here to Save You All. As might be expected from a rapper who boasts about his SAT scores, Chino is both smart and eccentric, and like Eminem, he uses his razor-sharp wit to lyrically dismember everyone from Will Smith to Magic Johnson to Chubb Rock. Considering the similarities between Detroit's most notorious native son and Chino XL, it's no wonder Eminem-basher Evidence of Dilated Peoples has decried the sometimes Slim Shady as a "fake Chino XL." It's not an entirely fair criticism, but it does contain a grain of truth, particularly since, like Eminem, Chino has a tendency to alternate between gleefully mean-spirited black comedy with tortured, self-deprecating introspection. "It's All Bad" is undoubtedly the album's most elaborate, ambitious, and unusual song, beginning like a typical rags-to-riches narrative but taking a detour into a surreal theoretical universe where Chino's a huge, coke-addled mega-star whose career and life are both falling apart before his eyes. "Who Am I" smartly and sensitively addresses the complexities, frustrations, and ambiguities of Chino's mixed-race heritage, while "Kreep" borrows the chorus of Radiohead's breakthrough hit in dramatizing the ins and outs of a dysfunctional relationship. The same overbearing force of personality that makes Chino a hero to some will undoubtedly turn off others, but for the most part, Here to Save You All is one of the most distinctive and underrated debuts in hip-hop history." ~ AMG

Label: American Recordings
Catalog#: 9 43038-2
Format: CD, Album

Country: US
Released: 1996
Genre: Hip Hop
Style:
Credits: Producer - B Wiz* (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15)
Notes: Track 17 to 59 are 4 to 5 seconds of silence
Track 61 is 28 seconds of silence

01. Here To Save You All (0:58)
Voice [Featuring] - Rosalin "Drama Child" Harris
02. Deliver (3:29)
03. No Complex (4:39)
Vocals [Featuring] - Jut Boogie
04. Partner To Swing (4:14)
05. It's All Bad (5:01)
06. Freestyle Rhymes (4:14)
Producer - Bird (2)
Vocals [Featuring] - Dionna Brooks-Jackson
07. Riiiot! (4:43)
Producer - Bird (2)
Rap [Featuring] - Ras Kass
08. Waiting To Exhale (3:26)
Rap [Featuring] - Gravitation (2)
09. What Am I? (4:58)
Scratches - DJ Homicide
Vocals [Featuring] - Christine Palma
10. Feelin' Evil Again (3:32)
Scratches - Jay Vietnam
Vocals - Jamie Stewart (3)
11. Thousands (4:11)
Producer - DJ Homicide
12. Kreep (5:20)
Producer - Erik Romero
13. Many Different Ways (5:06)
Scratches - Mark Luv
14. The Shabba-Doo Conspiracy (4:38)
Rap [Featuring] - Kool Keith
15. Ghetto Vampire (4:46)
Vocals [Featuring] - Sheena Lester
16. Rise (5:29)
Producer - Dan Charnas
60. Untitled (1:33)

Björk - 2005 - Drawing Restraint 9

Björk
Drawing Restraint 9
Release Date: August 2005
Label: One Little Indian Us
Soundtrack


Electronica/Experimental/Original Score

"Though Björk has written music for films before, her collaboration with Matthew Barney on Drawing Restraint 9 is a much deeper and more natural pairing, which makes sense, considering that they're partners in life (and now in art). Björk's pieces for the film reflect its fusions of the contemporary with the ancient, and the organic with the technological — themes that she has dealt with in her own work, especially on later albums like Medúlla. The motif of West meeting East is also prominent in the visual and musical halves of Drawing Restraint 9: shot in Nagasaki Bay, the film depicts a pair of occidental guests (played by Barney and Björk) who visit a Japanese whaling ship and evolve into whales to escape drowning when a storm hits. Details such as costumes inspired by Shinto marriage robes, a tea ceremony, and whaling boat culture are echoed in Björk's music: Drawing Restraint 9 begins with "Gratitude," which uses Will Oldham's vulnerable vocals, a children's choir, and Zeena Parkins' harp to bring to life a 1946 letter written to General MacArthur by a Japanese citizen. Thanking the general for lifting the ban on whaling, the writer's gratitude comes from "my family and the ancient sea," underscoring the film's connections between life, death, sacrifice, and transformation. Meanwhile, the wistful "Shimenawa" and "Antarctic Return" incorporate the sho (played here by sho virtuoso Mayumi Miyata), a Japanese free-reed mouth organ that produces subtle and complex tone clusters that sound organic and ethereal at the same time. The album's climactic track, "Holographic Entrypoint," is inspired by the traditions of Noh theater; the alternately gruff and wailing vocals and wood block percussion are the essence of simplicity, and all the more powerful and eerie because they're so simple. Similarly, "Pearl" pairs the sho with heavy, primal, Medúlla-like rhythmic breathing and gasps that sometimes sound like scraping, once again showing Björk's willingness to integrate sounds that might not be conventionally beautiful into her work without diluting them. Perhaps the most striking thing about Drawing Restraint 9 is how seamlessly it blends and contrasts beauty and violence. "Ambergris March" is all sparkling, dreamy delight, while "Hunter Vessel" mixes tense, stabbing brass with reflective passages. The handful of tracks Björk sings on embody this duality as well: the layers of her vocals on "Bath" are appropriately soothing, but on "Storm," they add to the track's chaotic power. Though Drawing Restraint 9 is more expansive and abstract than Medúlla, it's in a similarly challenging and rewarding vein, and bodes well for future Björk/Barney collaborations." ~AMG

Tracks

01 Gratitude
02 Pearl
03 Ambergris March
04 Bath
05 Hunter Vessel
06 Shimenawa
07 Vessel Shimenawa
08 Storm
09 Holographic Entrypoint
10 Cetacea
11 Antarctic Return

A

Jimi Hendrix - 1972 - Hendrix in the West

Jimi Hendrix - 1972 - Hendrix in the West

01. "Johnny B. Goode" (Berry) – 4:45
02. "Lover Man" – 3:05
03. "Blue Suede Shoes" (Perkins) – 4:26
04. "Voodoo Chile" – 7:49
95. "The Queen" (from the British national anthem "God Save the Queen"
traditional) – 2:40
06. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (Lennon/McCartney) – 1:16
07. "Little Wing" – 3:14
08. "Red House" – 13:06

"Hendrix in the West is a live album by Jimi Hendrix. Including performances from 1969 and 1970 recorded in the Royal Albert Hall, San Diego Sports Arena, Berkeley Community Center, and the Isle of Wight Festival, it contains some of Hendrix's more famous live performances including "Johnny B. Goode," Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," and "Blue Suede Shoes." It is widely considered to be Hendrix's finest live album." ~ Wikipedia

Common - 1994 - Ressurection

Label: Relativity
Catalog#: 88561-1208-2
Format: CD

Country: US
Released: 1994
Genre: Hip Hop
Style: Conscious
Credits: Artwork By - David Bett
Executive Producer - Peter Kang
Other [Project Coordinator] - Robin Frank
Photography - Chris Anda
Producer - No I.D. (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 11, 13, 15)
Scratches - Mista Sinista

Tracklisting:
01. Resurrection (3:47)
02. I Used To Love H.E.R. (4:39)
03. Watermelon (2:39)
04. Book Of Life (5:06)
05. In My Own World (Check The Method) (3:32)
Rap [Featuring] - No I.D.
06. Another Wasted Nite With... (1:02)
07. Nuthin' To Do (5:20)
08. Communism (2:16)
09. WMOE (0:24)
10. Thisisme (4:54)
11. Orange Pineapple Juice (3:28)
12. Chapter 13 (Rich Man Vs. Poor Man) (5:23)
Producer - Ynot
13. Maintaining (3:49)
14. Sun Shit I Wrote (4:31)
Producer - Ynot
15. Pop's Rap (3:22)
Keyboards - Lenny Underwood
Rap [Featuring] - Lonnie Lynn


"Although Chicago is often praised for its blues, jazz, and house music, the city has failed to be successful when it comes to rap. One of the few Chicago MCs who has enjoyed any type of national attention is Common Sense, whose complex style of rapping and jazz-flavored tracks inspire comparisons to De La Soul, Digable Planets, A Tribe Called Quest, and the Pharcyde. On his sophomore effort, Resurrection, the South Sider doesn't hesitate to let you know that he has considerable technique, and in fact, he sometimes displays too much of it for his own good. Nonetheless, his intelligence, wit, and originality make this CD impressive. Resurrection's standout track is "I Used to Love H.E.R.," which seems to describe a lover's moral and spiritual decline, but is actually addressing what Common views as hip-hop's decline (in particular, gangsta rap's exploitation of sex and violence). Also quite noteworthy are "Nuthin' to Do" (which speaks out on the deterioration of Chicago's neighborhoods), and the introspective "Book of Life," a commentary on trying to keep it together in a society that has lost all traces of sanity." ~ AMG

Brainiac - 1994 - Bonsai Superstar

Brainiac
Bonsai Superstar
Release Date: Nov 1994
Recording Date: N/A
Label: Grass


Experimental Rock


"Well after the death of new wave, Brainiac formed in 1992 with a sound that perfectly epitomized the uptight, herky-jerky tension of the early-'80s movement, as well as its warped sense of song structure and electronic breakdown. The band came together in Dayton, OH, originally the basement experiments of vocalist/keyboard player Tim Taylor and bassist Juan Monasterio. During 1994, Brainiac replaced Bodine with guitarist John Schmersal and released their second album, Bonsai Superstar. After a tour on Lollapalooza's second stage, a performance in Chicago impressed the indie label heavyweight Touch & Go, which signed the band and issued their third album, Hissing Prigs in Static Couture, in early 1996.

Over the course of 1996-1997, their profile had grown, and there were rumors that major labels like DreamWorks were interested in signing them after the new album was completed. As the group was recording during the summer, Tim Taylor was tragically killed in a one-car accident, driving home from the studio." ~AMG

Tracks

01 Hot Metal Doberman's
02 Hands of the Genius
03 Fucking With the Altimiter
04 Radio Apeshot
05 Transmissions After Zero
06 Juicy (On a Cadillac)
07 Flypaper
08 Sexual Frustration
09 To the Baby-Counter
10 You Wrecked My Hair
11 Meathook Manicure
12 Status: Choke
13 Collide

A

Ralph Robles - 1969 - Ralph Robles Was Here

Ralph Robles
Ralph Robles Was Here
Release Date: 1969
Recording Date: 1969
Label: Fania

Latin Soul, Boogaloo, New York Salsa, Latin Oldies, Spanish Harlem late 60s.

"Ralph Robles played during a little known but important era of American Music. The New York City Puerto Rican 'Scene' created words common today such as Salsa and Bughaloo. This Era spawned such music greats as Tito Puente and Carlos Santana. Elements common to modern music originated here.
Listening to Ralph Robles, under the cover of rich, personal, and street wise Latin Music, I hear a touch of Blues and Heavy Jazz licks in Ralphs Trumpet lines. At times it seems as if Ralph is light years beyond his own musicians in his personal expression. Ralph goes where the best wish to be even by todays standards - I can only imagine what this felt like in 1969." ~ Amazon


Tracks

01 Banana Juana Crevates, Roman 5:48
02 Val's Candy Roman 4:42
03 Mi Borinquen Roman 3:34
04 Aqui Llego Crevates 3:56
05 Mi Negro Rivera 5:43
06 Jezebel Robles 4:48
07 Ralph Robles Theme Elisier 4:51
08 Come and Get It Robles 3:03
09 Tu No Sabes Robles 5:33

10 Perro Tramposo [*] bonus track
11 Soul Nitty Gritty [*] bonus track
12 Getting Happy [*] bonus track

(3 [*] Bonus Tracks -MetroBase)

Bernard Herrmann - 1951 - The Day the Earth Stood Still

The Day the Earth Stood Still
Bernard Herrmann
Release Date: 1993
Recording Date: Aug 1951
Label: Fox

"Composed in the summer of 1951, this was the composer's first soundtrack after he moved to Hollywood. Herrmann chose a most unusual instrumentation for director Robert Wise's picture, including electric violin, electric bass, two theremins, test oscillators, vibraphone, four pianos, four harps, and approximately 30 brass instruments. Unusual overdubbing and tape-reversal techniques were also used. In Edmund North's script, based on a 1940 story by Harry Bates, a humanoid alien named Klaatu, bearing a message of peaceful coexistence with other planets (the alternative is Earth's destruction), lands his flying saucer in the middle of Washington, D.C., accompanied by his giant robot Gort. "Prelude: Outer Space" features patterned, steadily arpeggiated harps and pianos, through which Richard Strauss-like high brass and eerie theremin melodies sail. In "Radar," multiple pianos are backed by electric bass pizzicati and sustained vibraphone chords. This music underlines the worldwide transmission of news about the saucer's landing. "Gort" accompanies the robot's emergence from the ship to defend Klaatu, who has been shot by nervous, trigger-happy soldiers. The music is made from piano, percussion, brass, and theremins. "The Robot" is a similar piece from later in the movie (when a kindly widow returns the apparently dead spaceman to his ship). "Space Control" is light and mysterious, full of bells and pianos, with a melody on electric guitar. "Terror" is a general cue for theremins used throughout the film, including the day when Klaatu demonstrates his power to stop all the world's engines. "Farewell and Finale" underscores Klaatu's final message, repeating the initial opening music and ending in a sustained major chord with odd wailing from the theremins. A unique score, ahead of its time, prophetic of many devices and sounds to be used for decades to follow, and still a model of impressive emotional effect achieved by musically economical means." ~ AMG

01 Twentieth Century Fox Fanfare :12
02 Prelude/Outer Space/Radar 3:45
03 Danger :24
04 Klaatu 2:15
05 Gort/The Visor/The Telescope 2:23
06 Escape :55
07 Solar Diamonds 1:04
08 Arlington 1:08
09 Lincoln Memorial 1:27
10 Nocturne/The Flashlight/The Robot/Space Control 5:58
11 Elevator/Magnietic Pull/The Study/
The Conference/The Jewelry Store 43:61
12 Panic :42
13 Glowing/Alone/Gort's Rage/Nikto/The Captive/Terror 5:11
14 The Prison 1:42
15 Rebirth 1:38
16 Departure :52
17 Farewell :32
18 Finale :30

Orson Welles & the Mercury Theatre - 1938 - War of the Worlds

War of the Worlds [original + uncut]
Orson Welles & the Mercury Theatre
Original performance: October 30, 1938
Release Date: Apr 5, 1996
Label: World Serpent

"The War of the Worlds was an episode of the American radio drama anthology series Mercury Theatre on the Air. Directed by Orson Welles, the episode was an adaptation of H. G. Wells' classic novel The War of the Worlds (1898), and was performed as a Halloween special on October 30, 1938. The live, 60 minute broadcast, presented mostly as a series of news bulletins, frightened many listeners into believing that an actual Martian invasion was in progress. There was public outcry against the episode, but it launched Welles to great fame. Welles's adaptation is possibly the most successful radio dramatic production in history. It was one of the Radio Project's first studies

The War of the Worlds (1898), by H. G. Wells, is an early science fiction novella which describes an invasion of England by aliens from Mars. It is one of the earliest and best-known depictions of an alien invasion of Earth, and has influenced many others, as well as spawning several films and a television series based on the story. When it was broadcast on the radio, it caused a public panic because it was in such a realistic style that people thought that it was a news broadcast describing current real events of a real alien invasion." ~ Wikipedia

Tracks
01 War of the Worlds 57:09

Raymond Scott - 1953-1969 - Manhattan Research, Inc.

Manhattan Research, Inc.
Raymond Scott
Release Date: May 16, 2000
Recording Date: 1953-Dec 16, 1969
Label: Basta
Genre:Jazz, Experimental, Electronic, Avante Garde, Rock, Space Age Pop, Obscuro.
Moods: Ironic, Carefree, Earnest, Sophisticated, Stylish, Clinical, Exuberant, Quirky, Hypnotic, Cheerful, Playful Complex, Intense, Energetic, Irreverent.


"Subtitled "New Plastic Sounds and Electronic Abstractions," Manhattan Research, Inc. is an excellent compilation of electronic pioneer Raymond Scott's works from the '50s and '60s. Nothing that has been recorded since within the field of electronic music has obscured the originality and genius of these works. Even the amusing tracks of corporate advertisements for the likes of cough drops, fragrances, and Twinkies demand repeated listening for their fascinating use of electronics. Tracks like "Bandito the Bongo Artist," "Cindy Electronium," and "The Pygmy Taxi Corporation" are just as intriguing as their titles. And the packaging ó from the compilation of tracks to the exhaustive liner notes, photographs, and interviews (including a fascinating one with Scott associate Robert Moog) ó is a clinic in reissue presentation. Not only detailing some of the instruments he developed for use in his compositions (the Clavivox, Circle Machine, etc.), it also documents other inventions and aids, like the Videola, which enabled him to score films conveniently as he watched them. Absolutely essential for any electronic music fan, and completely out of this world, regardless of century. Every library should own a copy of this as well ó Scott's name should be just as well-known as Beethoven." ~ AMG

Disc 1

01 Manhattan Research, Inc. 0:11
02 Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. 1:14
03 Bendix 1: The Tomorrow People 1:06
04 Lightworks 1:52
05 The Bass-Line Generator 3:10
06 Don't Beat Your Wife Every Night! 1:44
07 B.C. 1675 [The Gillette Conga Drum Jingle] :16
08 Vim 0:59
09 Auto-Lite : Sta-Ful 0:47
10 Sprite 'Melonball Bounce' 1:01
11 Sprite 'Melonball Bounce' 1:01
12 Wheels That Go 0:53
13 Limbo : The Organized Mind 4:33
14 Portofino 1 2:13
15 County Fair 1:01
16 Lady Gaylord 1:02
17 Good Air [take 7] 0:38
18 IBM MT/St : 'The Paperwork Explosion' 4:31
19 Domino 0:33
20 Super Cheer 0:34
21 Cheer: Revision 3 [new backgrounds] 0:39
22 Twilight in Turkey 1:34
23 Raymond Scott Quote/Vicks: Medicated Cough Drops 1:36
24 Vicks : Formula 44 0:46
25 Auto-Lite : Spark Plugs 1:00
26 NescafÈ 1:06
27 Awake 0:35
28 Backwards Overload 6:06
29 Bufferin : 'Memories' 1:01
30 Bandito the Bongo Artist 1:30
31 Night and Day Porter, Scott 1:45
32 Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. '395' 1:07
33 K2r 0:19
34 IBM Probe 1:56
35 GMGM 1A 1:49
36 The Rhythm Modulator 3:37

Disc 2

01 Ohio Plus 0:17
02 In the Hall of the Mountain Queen 0:49
03 General Motors : Futurama 1:04
04 Portofino #2 2:14
05 The Wild Piece [aka String Piece] 4:07
06 Take Me to Your Violin Teacher 1:40
07 Ripples 0:59
08 Cyclic Bit 1:04
09 Ripples [montage] 4:06
10 The Wing Thing 1:00
11 County Fair [instrumental] 1:00
12 Cindy Electronium 1:59
13 Don't Beat Your Wife Every Night! [instrumental] 1:45
14 Hostess : Twinkies 0:32
15 Hostess : Twinkies [instrumental] 0:32
16 Ohio Bell : Thermo Fax 0:24
17 The Pygmy Taxi Corporation 7:11
18 Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. 0:29
19 Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. 0:44
20 Lightworks [slow] 1:40
21 The Paperwork Explosion [instrumental] 3:39
22 Auto-Lite 'Ford Family' 1:03
23 Auto-Lite 'Ford Family' [instrumental] 0:54
24 Raymond Scott Quote/Auto-Lite: Wheels 1:50
25 Bufferin: 'Memories' [demo version] 0:44
26 Space Nystery [montage] 5:11
27 The Toy Trumpet 2:15
28 Backward Beeps 1:05
29 Raymond Scott Quote/Auto-Lite: Sta-Ful 1:36
30 Lightworks [instrumental] 1:29
31 When Will It End? 3:14
32 Bendix 2 'The Tomorrow People' 1:03
33 Electronic Audio Logos, Inc. 5:23

King Kong - 1933 - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

King Kong (Original Soundtrack)
Max Steiner
Release Date: Aug 31, 1999
Recording Date: Jan 1933-Feb 1933
Label: Rhino

"It's difficult to criticize this CD release, of the original music tracks from Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack's King Kong, from 1933, although it is slightly confusing on first glance. Tracks 12-20, running 24 minutes, are, indeed, Max Steiner's unmixed pre-mastering music tracks, preserved from a group of complimentary 78 r.p.m. records issued to close friends of the producers in 1933, and they are glorious—you can experience the score that changed the way filmmakers and studios thought of film music, as it was conducted at the time, raw, with all of Steiner's nuances as conductor intact. There are excellent re-recordings of this music, most notably from the Marco Polo label by the Moscow Symphony, which contains material that isn't here, but these are the originals, and valuable as such. Track 1 is the main title music, and tracks 2-11 are a beautifully assembled edit of the entire 100-minute movie's soundtrack, with dialogue and music, into a 30-minute audio summary of the plot, dramatic essentials, and action—the perfect "radio" King Kong. It is great fun, assembling a script and score so familiar that the visuals just pop up out of our own imaginations and memories. That absence of the visual
element also brings new emphasis to the music, particularly the dark mysteriosos (illuminated by harp glissandi) accompanying the arrival on Skull Island. The notes are extremely thorough, and the packaging is very handsome—coupled with the extremely clean sources for the score and the retelling of the tale, this could be the most enjoyable (if not the very best) music document to be derived from King Kong." ~ AMG

Tracks
01 The Adventure Begins: King Kong/Jungle Dance 4:53
02 Aboard Ship 4:28
03 Arrival at Skull Island: A Boat in the Frog/The Railing/The ... 8:49
04 The Ship at Night: Sea at Night/Stolen Love/Forgotten Island 4:03
05 A Bride for Kong: Jungle Dance/King Kong/Stolen Love/The Sailors 6:41
06 The Log Sequence: The Sailors/Log Sequence/Cryptic Shadows 2:12
07 Deham's Escape: The Sailors/King Kong/Stolen Love 1:39
08 Kong Attacks the Village: The Escape/Stolen Love/
King Kong/Return ... 7:06
09 Kong in New York: King Kong March/Fanfare No. 1/Fanfare No. 2 2:41
10 Kong Escapes: King Kong/Stolen Love/Agitato/Elevated Sequence 2:19
11 Death of King King: The Aeroplane/King Kong/Stolen Love 3:42
12 Main Title [#] 1:38
13 A Boat in the Fog [#] 1:32
14 The Forgotten Island I [#] 2:01
15 The Forgotten Island II [#] 1:18
16 Jungle Dance [#] 2:57
17 The Sailors [#] 4:22
18 The Bronte [#] 3:25
19 Stolen Love/Humorous Ape [#] 2:42
20 The Aeroplane/Finale [#] 4:55

Toby Driver - 2005 - In The L..L..Library Loft

Toby Driver / In The L..L..Library Loft
Label: IODA
Year: 2005
Track Title
1. Kandu vs. Corky (Horrorca)
2. The Lugubrious Library Loft
3. Brown Light Upon Us
4. Eptaceros

Kandu vs. Corky (Horrorca)

This one's a microtonal piece that loves bell-shaped things. The rhythm is basically a bell-curve shape over and over again, and some of the instrumentation (bells, and sine waves) are themselves bell-shaped. Part of the original idea was to mic things really loud but play them extra-quietly, so that they sounded really artifact-laden on tape. The strings at the beginning use this idea, as well as some of the cymbals, which we miked right above the rim of each, and a simple touch would produce an insanely resonant bass tone. All these things working together create an extremely undulatious take on contemporary drone-metal.

electric guitar, bells, sine waves, drum kit (2), upright bass, electric bass, violin, trombone, euphonium, trumpet, vocal.


The Lugubrious Library Loft

This clustonic piece is based on the need for two persons to perform each instrument. For example, the piano requires a player on the keyboard and a player malleting the strings simultaneously, and so on for each instrument. As for the vocals, one person was to sing only the notes in an "ah" while the second person skillfully inserted their lips, tongue, and teeth into the first person's mouth and moved them around a bit to form the enunciations.

prepared piano, string piano, bowed tuning forks, tuning fork pattycake, two-tongue vocals, electric bass, electric guitar, violin.


Brown Light Upon Us

The idea behind this one was to just have a band play in one room, and place the microphone in another room behind walls and closed doors. I wrote the song with those things in mind, trying to use sounds, rhythms, harmonies, etc. that would result in a song that sounded right only when listened to from one room over - in other words, if you heard it in the room it was being played in, it wouldn't sound as good. The ambient quality of the song would obviously have to be pretty important, to discourage the listener from listening in a way that they were used to doing. I've heard plenty of music that has haunted me most when drifting in from a far-off hall, most often piano music. Never with a metal band though, so i was trying to capture the same vibe here with that instrumentation.

electric guitar, drum kit, electric bass, remote snare drum.


Eptaceros

Kayo Dot's trumpetist at the time had been experimenting with interesting extended-technique trumpet sounds. I was interested in hearing his technique in a different context, so I wrote a song based on that, "Eptaceros" means "seven-horn," an appropriately haunting title for one of the most beautiful and bleak pieces I have ever written.

cello (2), electric guitar, piano, trumpet, vocal.

Enjoy.

Muddy World - 2006 - Finery of The Storm

Label: Tzadik
Catalog#: TZ 7261
Format: CD

Country: US
Released: Jan 2006
Credits: Bass - Keita Murukami
Composed By - Muddy World
Drums - Kohei Sugita
Engineer [Mixing] - Robert Musso
Engineer [Recording] - Hiroshi Iguchi
Executive Producer - John Zorn , Kazunori Sugiyama
Guitar, Vocals, Lyrics By, Artwork By - Yusuke Soeda
Mastered By - Scott Hull (2)
Mixed By - Bill Laswell
Producer - Muddy World
Recorded By - Yukihito Endo

Tracklisting:

1 Iron Ant (3:50)
2 Lilac (6:52)
3 Fever (1:43)
4 Duel (5:05)
5 Dewfall (4:47)
6 Muddy Floor (6:21)
7 Apollo (3:38)
8 Granada (6:01)
9 Cut (4:19)
10 Neon (2:56)


"Finery of the Storm is the first American album by Tokyo's Muddy World. A young band, signed to John Zorn's Tzadik label, they sound nothing like any of the other "New Japan" acts in the series. For starters, these cats are not in any way, shape or form, a "noise band." They are brilliant musicians skilled in the art of counterpoint, modalism, world music (particularly nuevo flamenco and the rhythmic invention of reggae) and the complexities of jazz composition and performance. They understand that grooves are not merely a platform for pyrotechnics but also create memorable songs -- even instrumental ones. These ten cuts range in length and breadth from the staccato elegance of "Iron Ant," which clocks in at just under four minutes, to the staggering beauty of "Muddy Floor," which nears the seven-minute mark and layers breezy vocals by guitarist Soeda Yusuke inside the advanced melodic structures and harmonics. The latter track ricochets -- albeit seamlessly -- from flamenco lyric phrases and intricate cadences that become their own rhythms to refined riffing, creating a polysyllabic group feel in both dimension and texture. The interplay between drummer Sugita Kohei and bassist Murakami Keita on this track is literally stunning. The angular driven funk of "Cut" is nearly math rock in its approach but has enough built-in emotion to resist easy categorization. The final cut, "Neon," is pure ambient drift and is as close to formless as anything this trio will ever play. Finery of the Storm is a major debut." ~ AMG

Sun Ra and the Astro Infinity Arkestra - 1967 - Atlantis

"Featuring the Astro Infinity Arkestra, Atlantis reveals two very distinct sides of Sun Ra's music. The first consists of shorter works Ra presumably constructed for presentation on the Hohner clavinet. Not only is the electric keyboard dominantly featured, but also it presumably offered Ra somewhat of a novelty as it had only been on the market for less than a year. The second side consists of the epic 21-minute title track and features an additional seven-man augmentation to the brass/woodwind section of the Astro Infinity Arkestra. Tracks featuring the smaller combo reveal an almost introspective Arkestra. The stark contrast between the clavinet -- which Ra dubbed the "Solar Sound Instrument" -- and the hand-held African congas on "Mu" and "Bimini" reveal polar opposite styles and emphasis. However, Ra enthusiasts should rarely be surprised at his experiments in divergence. "Mu" is presented at a lethargic tempo snaking in and around solos from Ra and a raga-influenced tenor sax solo from John Gilmore. "Bimini" is actually captured in progress. The first sound listeners hear is the positioning of the microphone as a conga fury commences in the background. Likewise, on "Yucatan (Impulse Version)" a doorbell quickly impedes what might have been a more organic conclusion to the performance. The original issue of Atlantis was on the small independent Saturn label. Thus the composition titled "Yucatan (Saturn Version)" appeared on that pressing. When the disc was reissued in 1973 on Impulse!, the track was replaced by a completely different composition -- as opposed to an alternate performance of the same work. The second side contains one of Ra's most epic pieces, which is free or "space" jazz at its most invigorating. While virtually indescribable, the sonic churnings and juxtaposed images reveal a brilliant display of textures and tonalities set against an ocean of occasional rhythms. Its diversity alone makes this is an essential entry in the voluminous Sun Ra catalog." --allmusic

1. Mu
2. Lemuria
3. Yucatan (Saturn Version)
4. Yucatan (Impulse Version)
5. Bimini
6. Atlantis

Total Time: 46:13

White Heaven - Out

In 1991, the Japanese psychedelic powerhouse White Heaven finally released its first (and as it turned out, only) full length album. Though the members of this band played together since 1980 under a large number of different names, frequent changes of lineup and quite probably a lack of funds prevented much documentation of their music, which is best described as highly energetic, raw, noisy, occasionally beautiful and always thoughtful psyche garage. Guitar legend Michio Kurihara is in full force here, and sounds like a category 5 hurricane on "Blind Promise" and "My Cold Dimention"; elsewhere he calms down, glimpsing his more serene side many years before it would become a very prominent aspect of his music (hear "Dull Hands" and "Fallin' Stars End"). The original LP is become a collector's object limited to 500 copies, but the album has enjoyed a reissue on Modern Music (P.S.F. Records).

On Out White Heaven are:
You Ishihara - vocals, guitar
Michio Kurihara - lead guitar
Ken Ishihara - drums
Naohiro Yoshimoto - bass

1. Blind Promise
2. Dull Hands
3. Fallin' Stars End
4. My Cold Dimention
5. Mandrax Town
6. Out

All songs written by You Ishihara except 2, 5 by You Ishihara/Tatsuya Sakamoto
Arranged by White Heaven
Produced by Taishi Takizawa & White Heaven
Engineer: Masanori Ihara, Takeshi Yoshida
Recorded at Studio J

Muddy Waters - 1968 - Electric Mud

1. I Just Want To Make Love To You
2. I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man
3. Let's Spend The Night Together
4. She's Alright
5. Mannish Boy
6. Herbert Harper's Free Press News
7. Tom Cat
8. The Same Thing

The reviews can't be good all the time.

"In an attempt to make Muddy more sellable to his newly-found White audience, Chess lumbered him with Hendrix-influenced psychedelic blues arrangements for Electric Mud. Commercially, actually, the results weren't bad; Marshall Chess claims it sold between 150,000 and 200,000 copies. Musically, it was as ill-advised as putting Dustin Hoffman into a Star Wars epic. Guitarists Pete Cosey and Phil Upchurch are very talented players, but Muddy's brand of downhome electric blues suffered greatly at the hands of extended fuzzy solos. Muddy and band overhaul classics like "I Just Want to Make Love to You" and "Hoochie Coochie Man," and do a ludicrous cover of "Let's Spend the Night Together"; wah-wah guitars and occasional wailing soprano sax bounce around like loose basketballs. It's a classically wrongheaded, crass update of the blues for a modern audience. The 1996 CD reissue adds interesting historical liner notes." ~ AMG

Ustad Vilayat Khan - Sitar Recital

Ustad Vilayat Khan - Sitar Recital
HMV ECSD 2857 LP (1980)

Raga Maand-Bhairav (alap) (21:35)
Raga Mishra Maand (gat in trintaal) (21:08)

""He died unaccompanied by the usual media noises, which in itself shows the calibre of the man," says an old world connoisseur, admiringly. "He did not receive the recognition he deserved," admits a fellow artiste, ruefully. A chagrinned musicologist confesses, "I know more about Pandit Ravi Shankar than about his equally great, perhaps greater, contemporary."

In a sense these voices summed up the life of Ustad Vilayat Khan, of unimpeachable musical lineage, uncompromising towards the art he practised. Awesomely brilliant in technique, yet capable of making you forget all that virtuosity in the emotion he evoked on the strings, a man who brought a lump to your throat when he broke into singing now and then... It is difficult to speak of Ustad Vilayat Khan without running into superlatives.

When he died of lung cancer (March 13) at 76, not only his music, but many doughty values died with him, never mind that he had also been childish, even mulish, often at the wrong times.

The man was a paradox; that was his bane and his charm. He knew that on the sitar he was peerless ; that this did not bring razzmatazzish celebrity status was to him both a matter of pride and resentment. His acrimonious feuds with contemporary and "international star" Ravi Shankar are too well known to be repeated here. In calmer moments Khansaheb could admit that the combat was stupid.

Vilayat Khan could turn down National awards because he felt that the selectors were not competent judges of his music, and yet get annoyed when the Bharat Ratna went to Pandit Ravi Shankar. Early in his career he boycotted the AIR in protest against its audition policies. "With fewer disciples, few recordings, radio/TV recitals, and dislike of the media, how could he be as well known as Panditji?" shrugs sitarist nephew Shahed Parwez, to whom Khansaheb remains the ideal musician. What he doesn't mention is the mood swing from the honeysweet to the irascible. Ask Khansaheb for an interview at a Delhi hotel and he says, "Don't want to waste time on ignoramuses. Can you sing the shuddh and tivra madhyam correctly'." You comply, hoping that your giggles will not make the notes wobble. Nodding, he says, "Not here, come to Dehra Dun and stay in my house for a few days. I will tell you the story of my life." You fix the dates and turn up at his house in Clement Town and he announces, "You can't stay here, we have guests." So you find a hotel and return to a house with non-existent guests. But Dr. Jekyll greets you now, all hospitable conviviality. Nothing can stop the flood of words either, though he does say (luckily without insisting), "You are going to make a name with my interview. You should pay me." ~ the Hindu" ~ Magic of Juju

Mezquita - 1979 - Recuerdos de Mi Tierra

Track Listings

1. Recuerdos de mi Tierra 7:38
2. El bizco de los patios 4:15
3. Desde que somos dos 5:41
4. Ara buza(dame un beso) 4:30
5. Suicidijo 7:20
6. Obertura en Si bemol 6:01

Total time 35:15

Line-up/Musicians

- José Rafa / guitars, vocals
- Randy / bass, percussion, vocals
- Roscka / keyboards, vocals
- Zorrilla / drums, percussion, vocals

Guests:

- José Azpiri / violin
- Santiago Crespo / violin
- Juan Ferrera / violin
- Manuel Lopez / cello

Releases information

Si-Wan Records SRMC 3011

"Mezquita is a spanish progressive rock band that blends a music inspired by the italian and english scene of the earlier seventies with elements of their own culture and some arabic influences. Vocals are in Spanish and very expressive. Track 1 opens with a binary rhythm that turns soon to prog territories with a great keyboard/guitar work. Track 2 is a Led Zeppelin/Rush-inspired song with an interesting bass line. Track 3 is a prog tune that highlights the band's interest for the arabic traditional music through the use of guitar and violins. Track 4 is the most adventurous of all tracks. It is strongly anchored in the spanish culture. In fact, the handclaps at the beginning and the end of the song evoke flamenco. The first handclaps are followed by a Rush-influenced section. Then vocals and the music are reminiscent of arabic traditional music. The track ends where it began. Track 5 begins as a hard-rock tune, with references to Deep Purple and Rush, then the pace slows down and bells and keyboards enter, soon followed by guitar and a choir at the very end. Track 6 is entirely instrumental, guitars being reminiscent of Howe's playing with Yes, lots of keyboards and odd-time signatures. Once again, this band proves that the prog attitude lies not only in the use of complex rhythms and dramatic vocals but also in the expansion of the music to other cultures than the european." ~ Lucas Biela

Herbie Hancock - 1971 - Mwandishi

"A live record consisting of three long compositions. The sidelong "Wandering Spirit Song" by Julian Priester is as aimless as you might think from the title; there are moments of beauty but not enough. The two Hancock compositions, though, are fantastic: "Ostinato (Suite For Julia)" grafts a down-home funky bass line onto a whimsical 15/4 rhythm, spurring the soloists to imaginative heights; "You'll Know When You Get There" is the kind of minimalist suspended-animation ballad Hancock pulled off so effortlessly in the 60s (notably on Empyrean Isles). The title is a Swahili name Hancock adopted during this period; the members of the Sextet each adopted a Swahili name: Mchezaji/Buster Williams (bass), Jabali/Billy Hart (drums), Mganga/Eddie Henderson (trumpet), Mwile/Benny Maupin (bass clarinet and alto flute), Pepo Mtoto/Julian Priester (trombone); Ndugu/Leon Chancler appears on percussion, and seems to be an honorary seventh member -- he went on to later success with the Dazz Band. (DBW)" warr.org

Jean Guerin - 1971 - Tacet [Futura]

"This album is psychedelic like an LSD trip. The music is atonal, a mix of acoustic instruments such as trumpet, saxophone, double bass, voices, strings, and absolutely stunning electronic sounds, echo, reverb, underwater bubbling sounds, even grooves (the otherworldly opening track!). The whole music sits uniquely between Jazz – that is, Free Jazz – and avant-garde concert music. One would expect the first generation synthesizers to sound dated - not so, they would still be the right choice if the album had been recorded only recently. Tacet is futuristic, surreal, an ultimately indescribable musical experience, an essential album for anybody interested in new sonic worlds.

Where had this album been all these years?! Why hadn't I come across this before?
One reason is, Tacet had been the soundtrack of some obscure French movie (by Claude Faraldo) called Bof, anatomie d'un livreur and released in 1971 on Futura, a small French indie label. Another is that Tacet was far too strange for the masses, still is, and possibly Jean Guerin ran out of energy after witnessing how this enormous achievement went unnoticed.
Jean Guerin is a drummer and like that other drummer Robert Wyatt, capable of cooking up the strangest kind of music. Musically, there aren't any similarities between those two beyond the 'strangeness' factor. The music on Tacet is much more closely related to Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi sextet - not rhythmically but sonically; incidentally, Patrick Gleason participated in the recordings of Tacet. One can imagine Gleason to have played this recent recording to Herbie Hancock before they went to the studio to record Herbie's new music. Tacet was recorded before Hancock's Mwandishi albums! It doesn't make those LPs less spectacular, but somehow it puts things in a different perspective. I had always thought that Herbie had been the pioneer launching himself and me into a musical parallel universe with Mwandishi, Crossings and Sextant, and nobody followed on that path, not even Herbie himself - with Headhunters, Herbie returned to planet Earth. Only Miles Davis and Weather Report occasionally recorded some kind of psychedelic Jazz and only for a short time: Miles went silent in '75 and Weather Report went into Jazz-Rock fusion and that was that. German psychedelica such as Tangerine Dream, Popol Vuh or Klaus Schulze pale into insignificance by comparison to Tacet.

Tacet has been re-released in 2001 on the Italian label Elica (ELICA 3560) and includes English liner notes. Make sure you get this “movie inside your head” before it becomes out of print and forgotten or a myth - again.

If you want truly unique music, this is it!" ~ Rate Your Music

Sonny Rollins - 1951 - Sonny Rollins With The Modern Jazz Quartet

"First off, don't be misled by the title—Rollins and the Modern Jazz Quartet only appear together on four of the thirteen selections. This CD is in fact comprised of three separate sessions from 1951- 53: one track recorded at the tail end of a Miles Davis session, eight done by Rollins' working quartet, and four featuring John Lewis & co.

These represent Rollins' first recordings as a leader, and it's astonishing how fully formed his style was even early on in his career. The middle selections are agreeable hard bop tunes and standards, but nothing you haven't heard before (especially if you've heard Rollins' other records). Rollins was truly blessed with the rhythm section of Kenny Drew, Percy Heath, and Art Blakey, who take a workmanlike approach to their duties, and the quartet seems to effortlessly glide through a variety of tunes. Rollins certainly knows how to handle the changes, but had yet to realize his full potential.

The real treats are the tracks featuring the Modern Jazz Quartet, recorded two years later. The brash tenor of Rollins and the chamber music leanings of the MJQ may seem like an odd matchup, but the music has a depth and grace not heard on the other tracks due to Lewis' devotion to texture and composition. “In A Sentimental Mood” showcases Rollins' melodic gifts over a bed of shimmering vibes and sparse piano; “The Stopper” is a funky Rollins original with a little more edge than the MJQ may have preferred. Rollins sounds more assured and confident, and we can see glimmers of the gentlemanly approach to jazz the MJQ would patent a year later with Django. If the whole session featured the pairing, we would certainly have a classic. Instead, this CD is a decent representation of the early efforts of both, but not a definitive recording of either.

The last track was quickly recorded at the end of a Miles Davis session, and is of marginal interest simply because Miles plays piano." --David Rickart (a/a/j/.com)

Track listing:

1. The Stopper
2. Almost Like Being In Love
3. No Moe
4. In A Sentimental Mood
5. Scoops 6. With A Song In My Heart
7. Newk's Fadeaway
8. Time On My Hands
9. This Love Of Mine
10. Shadrack
11. On A Slow Boat To China
12. Mambo Bounce
13. I Know.

Personnel: Sonny Rollins-tenor saxophone; Kenny Drew, Miles Davis, John Lewis-piano; Milt Jackson-vibes; Percy Heath-bass; Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Kenny Clarke-drums.

Mahavishnu Orchestra - 1976 - Inner Worlds

Mahavishnu Orchestra - 1976 - Inner Worlds

Track Listings

1. All in the Family (6:01)
2. Miles Out (6:44)
3. In My Life (3:22)
4. Gita (4:28)
5. Morning Calls (1:23)
6. The Way of the Pilgrim (5:15)
7. River of My Heart (3:41)
8. Planetary Citizen (2:14)
9. Lotus Feet (4:24)
10. Inner Worlds Pts. 1 & 2 (6:33)

Total Time: 44:05

Line-up/Musicians
- John McLaughlin / guitars, vocals
- Stu Goldberg / organ, piano, keyboards, vocals, clavinet, Mini Moog
- Ralph Armstrong / bass
- Narada Michael Walden / percussion, piano, conga, drums, marimba, vocals, tympani, shaker


"The state of the second Mahavishnu Orchestra continued to be volatile in 1975, with violinist Jean-Luc Ponty out, keyboardist Gayle Moran replaced by Stu Goldberg, and all string and horn backings removed, leaving just a steaming quartet and this lone remarkable album. The addition of Goldberg, a more interesting musician than Moran, is significant, but the biggest charge is provided by the leader who, in tandem with the latest electronic equipment, turns in some of his most passionately alive playing of the whole Mahavishnu series. The leadoff track, "All in the Family," has fantastic energy and drive, pushed on by Narada Michael Walden's drums and marimba. "Miles Out" has John McLaughlin doing some inspired jamming with his guitar hooked into a "360 Systems Frequency Shifter" (an electronic device with the wildly fluid sound of a ring-modulator), and he moves over to an early guitar synthesizer on "Morning Calls," "Lotus Feet," and the streaking title track. There is some funk residue from Visions of the Emerald Beyond on "Planetary Citizen," yet oddly enough, the so-so soul vocals from Walden on several tracks, and one by bassist Ralphe Armstrong, do not harm the cause, as the playing of the quartet is so fiery. But this somewhat overlooked album would be the last hurrah for the Mahavishnu concept for nearly a decade — and when it returned, the sounds it produced would bear little resemblance to this power-packed music." ~ AMG

Golden - Golden and Rhythm Beat-Jazz EP 12"

This two-song, 20 minute instrumental EP finds Golden deeply immersed in an exploration of the Afro-pop, rhythm-beat world (ie, contemporaries of Fela Kuti). Here Golden tone down the heavy guitar riffs featured in the Super Golden Original Movement LP/CD and focus their concentration on building and sustaining a complicated and thrilling rhythmic scheme. These two songs were recorded at the Trans Am recording studio onto 8-track and feature Fred Erskine (from June Of '44/The Boom) on trumpet, Carlo Cennamo (from The Boom/The Sorts) on alto-sax and Josh LaRue (from The Sorts) on trombone.

Golden and Rhythm-Beat Jazz is a musical collective under the direction of the following individuals: Phil Manley from Trans Am, Alex Minoff from Six Finger Satellite, Jon Theodore who spends time with the Royal Trux, and Ian Eagleson who simply plays the role of his own bad self.

Label: Slowdime
Format: 12" 45 rpm
Year: 1999

Personnel:
Rhythm Beat-Jazz is:
Carlo Cennamo--Alto Saxophone
Fred Erskine--Trumpet
Josh Larue--Trombone
Golden is:
Ian Eagleson
Philip Manley
Alex Minoff
Jon Theodore

Tracklisting:

1. Songhai Suprise
2. Shatzie Hatari

Bobby Hutcherson - Dialogue

"Coming fresh on the heels of his groundbreaking work with Eric Dolphy, Bobby Hutcherson's debut album is a masterpiece of "new thing" avant-garde jazz, not really free but way beyond standard hard bop. Dialogue boasts an all-star lineup of hot young post-boppers — trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, woodwind player Sam Rivers, pianist Andrew Hill, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Joe Chambers — and a set of imaginative compositions by either Hill or Chambers that frequently push the ensemble into uncharted territory. The result is an album bursting at the seams with ideas that still sound remarkably fresh, not to mention a strong sense of collectivity. Hutcherson has so many fine players on hand that the focus is naturally on group interaction rather than any particular soloist(s), setting up nice contrasts like the fiery sax work of Rivers versus the cooler tones of Hutcherson and Hill. Hill's pieces stand tradition on its head, twisting recognizable foundations like the blues ("Ghetto Lights"), Latin jazz ("Catta"), and marching bands ("Les Noirs Marchant," which sounds like a parade of mutant soldiers) into cerebral, angular shapes. Chambers, meanwhile, contributes the most loosely structured pieces in his delicate, softly mysterious ballad "Idle While" and the nearly free group conversations of the ten-minute title track, where Hutcherson also plays the more African-sounding marimba. What's impressive is how focused Hutcherson keeps the group through those widely varied sounds; no one is shortchanged, yet the solos are tight, with no wasted space or spotlight-hogging. Dialogue remains Hutcherson's most adventurous, "outside" album, and while there are more extensive showcases for his playing, this high-caliber session stands as arguably his greatest musical achievement." ~AMG


Personnel:
Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone, marimba)
Joe Chambers (drums)
Andrew Hill (piano)
Sam Rivers (woodwind)
Freddie Hubbard (trumpet)
Richard Davis (bass)

1. "Catta"
2. "Idle While"
3. "Les Noirs Marchant"
4. "Dialogue"
5. "Ghetto Lights"

Keith Jarrett - 1975 - The Köln Concert

Label: ECM Records
Catalog#: ECM 1064/65 ST
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP

Country: Germany
Released: 1975
Genre: Jazz
Style: Post Bop
Credits: Artwork By [Cover Design] - B&B Wojirsch
Composed By, Piano - Keith Jarrett
Engineer - Martin Wieland
Photography - Wolfgang Frankenstein
Producer - Manfred Eicher
Notes: Recorded live at the opera in Köln, Germany January 24, 1975


"The Köln Concert is a recording released through ECM by the renowned jazz pianist Keith Jarrett, who performed solo improvisations at the Cologne Opera House at Köln/Cologne in 1975. The concert is in three parts, the first lasting 26 minutes and the second 34 minutes. As the concert was originally published on LP, the second part was split into parts labeled "IIa" and "IIb". Part IIc actually is a 3rd part, the encore. The Köln Concert is considered by many to be a classic jazz record: "a benign masterpiece, flowing with human warmth" [1].

Quite a notable part of the sublimity of this concert is Jarrett's ability to produce seemingly limitless improvised material over a vamp of one or two chords for prolonged periods of time. For instance, in Part I, he spends almost 12 minutes vamping over the chords Am7 (A minor 7) to G major, sometimes in a slow, rubato feel, and other times in a bluesy, gospel rock feel. And for about the last 6 minutes of Part I, he vamps over an A major theme. Roughly the first 8 minutes of Part II A is a vamp over a D major groove with a repeated bass vamp in the left hand, and in Part II B, Jarrett improvises over an F# minor vamp for approximately the first 6 minutes.

Since the release of The Köln Concert, Jarrett has been asked by pianists, students, musicologists and others, to publish the music. At first, he resisted such requests since, as he said, the music played was improvised "on a certain night and should go as quickly as it comes." However, this improvisation already existed in recording, and the transcription only represents the music, so he finally came around to publish an authorized edition, but recommended that every pianist who intended to play the concert should use the recording itself as having the final word. A transcription has also been published by Manuel Barrueco for classical guitar." ~ Wikipedia

Yaphet Kotto - 1999 - The Killer Was In The Government Blankets

Yaphet Kotto - The Killer Was In The Government Blankets

Label: Ebullition
Release Year: 1999

1) Reserved For Speaker
2) Torn Pictures
3) First Meetings Arrangment
4) Driving Through Natchez
5) Are You Still Working At That Cafe?
6) B and C
7) The Killer Was In The Government Blankets
8) Suffocation


"Originally hailing from Santa Cruz, California Yaphet Kotto come forth with their first 12" release. Their music is perfectly suited to Ebullition. If Yaphet Kotto would have existed four years ago then they would have been playing with Policy of 3, Iconoclast, and Current. Great emotive hardcore with a duel guitar and vocal attack." ~ Ebullition

1) Reserved For Speaker
The forgotten another fifty years to forget again celebration the past is justified for our generation justified segregation from your retired number my wounds open for you years my eyes flood in disgust


2) Torn Pictures
The time evades me when I look to the sky I can't quite describe the feeling that puts a lump in my throat butterflies in my stomach and tears in my eyes I think it's the feelings it's forever gone except for pictures and trophies that hurt so bad


3) First Meetings Arrangment
Seems our situation calls for blood loss but I'll be with you through every struggle giving you wait (so you've read me well you haven't seen nothing yet I've come a long way and the feelings seem to remain the same) giving what you said give me assignments I would drop bombs giving you wait "it's not all I said, your eyes don't burn me anymore you said you'd wait"


4) Driving Through Natchez
I really like this town I've driving right through it what's been said before it's been said what you did impressed with the head count your face spent many days there who blessed them with your presence I don't think you actions where mentioned stay during our death not friends with the residents three struke down and I regret that the drive meant shit what was said before you are what's in


5) Are You Still Working At That Cafe?
Hurts when knowing subversive living left scars upon my hands patriotic path smashed corporate ways haven't tried situations crossed my mind how are things going subversive livings closing doors on you patriotic path smashed different ways gone citizens are tearing parts of you makings sense of their past (they'll never take us all alive; i work too hard to deal with this shit) subversive living leaving scars citizens are tearing a part of you; this wasn't in the job description

6) B and C
Your idle actions killed your revolution and continue to keep talking shit and tell me how fucked the scene has gotten and while my back is turned tell me how fucked I am because you have all the answers this means so much more to me this is my freedom this is my voice and you can't take this from me this burns in my heart you can't it it with you as far as you run you can't take it with you you can't handle the murder


7) The Killer Was In The Government Blankets
Light lit red check the list we're all going down we're all going back through waters so uncharted plymouth rock they talk about


8) Suffocation
Right boot oppresses me making it impossible to breathe one foot placed on my neck and the others welcoming complaints go unheared a simple task not make believe would make them see depending on my strength my outstretched hands never reached you cause you turned the other way majority rules both hands out stretched with no attempt and they don't reach the status quo was planened to make up a place for me the working class denied shown for the last tiime (you took more from me than i gave you) shown if you wait without questioning where the road turns one night might miss my oustretched hands never reached you

Harmony Korine's MISTER LONELY

IMDB's PLOT OUTLINE "In Paris, a young American (DIEGO LUNA) who works as a Michael Jackson lookalike meets Marilyn Monroe (SAMANTHA MORTON), who invites him to her commune in Scotland, where she lives with Charlie Chaplin (DENIS LAVANT) and her daughter, Shirley Temple."

If you don't already know who I'm talking about, Harmony Korine is the dude responsible for the writing of sleez-classic Kids, Ken Park, and his own debut Gummo, along with Dogme alumni Julien Donkey-Boy. Coming from a middle-class Jewish family, Harmony has been quite noticed in the 'underground' film scene. Not only has he befriended German film giant Werner Herzog and casted him in his last two films (including Lonely), DAVID BLAINE is the dude's best friend and will be in this film! I have been personally waiting for this film since its pre-production stage when the basic plot was a kid with progeria stuck in an enormous bottle in the valleys of Iceland. With a $9.5 million budget I don't see how Harmony can mess this one up...

Dizzy Gillespie - 1954 - Afro

Tracklisting:

1. Manteca Theme
2. Contrastes
3. Jungla
4. Rhumba-Finale
5. A Night In Tunisia
6. Caravan
7. Con Alma

Label: Verve Records
Catalog#: 314 517 052-2
Format: CD

Country: US
Released: 2002
Genre: Jazz
Style: Afro-Cuban Jazz
Credits: Arranged By - Chico O'Farrill (tracks: 1 to 4)
Bass - Lou Hackney (tracks: 1 to 4) , Roberto Rodriguez (2) (tracks: 1 to 7)
Bongos - Jose Mangual (tracks: 1 to 7)
Congas - Candido Camero* (tracks: 1 to 7) , Mongo Santamaria (tracks: 1 to 4)
Drums - Charlie Persip (tracks: 1 to 4)
Flute - Gilbert Valdez (tracks: 5 to 7)
Percussion - Ralph Miranda (tracks: 5 to 7)
Piano - Rene Hernandez (tracks: 5 to 7) , Wade Legge (tracks: 1 to 4)
Saxophone [Alto] - George Dorsey (tracks: 1 to 4) , Hilton Jefferson (tracks: 1 to 4)
Saxophone [Baritone] - Danny Bank (tracks: 1 to 4)
Saxophone [Tenor] - Hank Mobley (tracks: 1 to 4) , Lucky Thompson (tracks: 1 to 4)
Timbales - Ubaldo Nieto (tracks: 1 to 7)
Trombone - George Matthews (2) (tracks: 1 to 4) , J.J. Johnson (tracks: 1 to 4) , Leon Comegys (tracks: 1 to 4)
Trumpet - Dizzy Gillespie (tracks: 1 to 7) , Ernie Royal (tracks: 1 to 4) , Jimmy Nottingham (tracks: 1 to 4) , Quincy Jones (tracks: 1 to 4)
Notes: Recorded at NYC, May 24, 1954 (Tracks 1 to 4).
Recorded at NYC, June 3, 1954 (Tracks 5 to 7).


"Pairing Dizzy Gillespie with Cuban arranger/composer Chico O'Farrill produced a stunning session which originally made up the first half of a Norgran LP. O'Farrill conducts an expanded orchestra which combines a jazz band with a Latin rhythm section; among the participants in the four-part "Manteca Suite" are trumpeters Quincy Jones and Ernie Royal, trombonist J.J. Johnson, tenor saxophonists Hank Mobley and Lucky Thompson, and conga player Mongo Santamaria. "Manteca," written during the previous decade, serves as an exciting opening movement, while the next two segments build upon this famous theme, though they are jointly credited to O'Farrill as well. "Rhumba-Finale" is straight-ahead jazz with some delicious solo work by Gillespie. A later small-group session features the trumpeter with an all-Latin rhythm section and flutist Gilberto Valdes, who is heard on "A Night in Tunisia" and "Caravan." Both of the Latin versions of these pieces are far more interesting than "Con Alma," as the excessive percussion and dull piano accompaniment add little to this normally captivating theme. Long out of print, this 2002 CD reissue will only be available until May 2005; it is well worth acquiring." ~ AMG

Atila - 1977 - Reviure

Atila - Reviure

1. Reviure (9:56)
2. Somni (9:34)
3. Atila (11:56)
4. Al Mati (7:14)

Total Time: 38:40

- Eduardo Alvarez / guitar
- Juan Puñet / drums
- Jean P. Gomez / bass
- Benet Nogur / keyboards

Releases information
Lp. EMI 10C 054-021 462 / Cd. Lost Vinyl LV

"Atila's third album, Reviure, is one of the clear cut classic albums to come down the pike from Spain in the late 70s. Unlike many of the other Spanish releases of the time period, Reviure is somewhat unique; lacking the typical flamenco or folk influences, nearly relinquishing the symphonic mantle altogether at points in favor of jazzy cosmic jams. On the whole this is a symphonic progressive gem, albeit with a slightly spontaneous vibe borne out of the player's impressive technical abilities. A predominantly instrumental beast, Reviure subsists primarily on savage, biting guitar licks trading off with rousing Moog and synthesizer leads. The playing is simply astounding, keyboard and guitar displaying deft melodic phrases while the rhythm section contributes an impeccable dynamic sense. This is tight, savage, furious... simply beautiful music.

The album is made up of four lengthy pieces, all excellent. Vocals make a brief, but appreciated, appearance on the title track, an otherwise instrumental barn burner highlighted by some killer synthesizer work that will drive Moog lovers to ecstasy. On first listen "Somni 'Sueno'" seems like something of a let down, reigning in the intensity somewhat in favor of some tasteful melodic playing. Still, this track reveals itself as important breather in the context of the album, setting up the maelstrom of the upcoming "Atila". Perhaps the best cut on an already classic release, "Atila" is a monster, swinging between tightly composed grooves and frenetic, unrestrained jamming. The album ends with a shorter, more vocally oriented track that brings a fitting closure. Overall, Reviure is a classic Spainsh progressive rock album, rivaling only Mezquita's Recuerdos di Mi Tierra as one of the finest albums out of the country. Unfortunately, although the first two Atila albums have seen CD reissue, Reviure, their third and reported best, has tragically been overlooked in the recent splurge. Surely one of the finest albums worldwide currently awaiting the treatment." ~ Progweed, Greg Northrup

The Psychic Paramount - The Franco-Italian Tour

From Smother Magazine:

"Experimental indie rock group the Psychic Paramount were only together for five days before embarking on a tour of France and Italy in 2002. Here that magical birth of a band is captured with glistening bits and bytes of audio experimentation. Wildly improvising, the band sounds like sonic bewilderment and psychedelic art-rock mashed together. Having toured with the likes of Khanate, Locust, Thurston Moore, and Suicide, they’re no strangers to loud heavy and aggressive music. Current drummer Jeff Conaway is a member of Neurot Recordings’ Sabers. An amazing immolation of improv sound.

- J-Sin "

Consisting of former members of Laddio Bolocko, you can't really go wrong with this group. This is LOUD. As said here, the record was recorded immediately after the group was formed, and so it is mainly improvised, based on ideas Drew St. Ivany (guitar) had. Many of the ideas shown on here ended up on their full length, Gamelan Into The Mink Supernatural. This live album, however, catches the group in their rawest form, and is easily one of the best live albums I have ever heard.

Tracklist:

1. Lyon
2. Paris Pt. One
3. Paris Pt. Two
4. Napoli/Perpignan Pt. Two
5. Perpignan Pt. One
6. Ex-Visitations

Yabby You - 1978 - Beware

Yabby You - Beware

Peace
Give Praises
Together
Plague
Freedom
Beware
Deliverance
Prophets
Feel All Right
Praises


Engineer : Ernest Hoo Kim & Barnabas
Mixing Engineer : King Tubby & Prince Jammy

Producer : Yabby You

Backing Band : Prophets
Drums : Sly Dunbar
Bass : Robbie Shakespeare
Rhythm Guitar : Albert Griffiths
Lead Guitar : Clinton Fearon & Chinna
Piano : Touter Harvey
Organ : Ansel Collins
Horns : Tommy McCook
Percussions : Skully

Studios :
Channel One (Kingston, JA) & King Tubby's (Kingston, JA)

The Roots - Organix

01. The Roots Is Comin'
02. Pass The Popcorn
03. The Anti-Circle
04. Writers Block
05. Good Music (Preclude)
06. Good Music
07. Grits
08. Leonard I-V
09. I'm Out Deah
10. Essawhamah? (Live At The SoulShack)
11. There's A Riot Going On
12. Popcorn Revisited
13. Peace
14. Common Dust
15. The Session (Longest Posse Cut In History)
16. Syreeta's Having My Baby -
17. Carryin' On


"The group's original lineup was formed in Philadelphia around 1987. They began to do shows around Philly and in 1992 or 1993 left to perform in Europe. They rented out a flat in London and performed in Europe for approximately one year. In order to sustain themselves financially, The Roots released what would be known as their debut album: Organix. The album went on to sell about 150,000 copies. Following the release of Organix, several major record labels offered deals and the band signed with DGC Records, which at the time was better known for its grunge music releases. With their new record deal, the quintet travelled back to the states." ~ Wikipedia

Guitar Boogie - 1971

Side 1

Choker (1:21) Eric Clapton with Jimmy Page
Snake Drive (2:30) Eric Clapton
Draggin' My Tail (3:56) Eric Clapton with Jimmy Page
Steelin' (2:33) The Allstars featuring Jeff Beck
Freight Loader (2:43) Eric Clapton with Jimmy Page

Side 2

West Coast Idea (2:15) Eric Clapton
L.A. Breakdown (2:02) The Allstars featuring Jimmy Page
Down in the Boots (3:22) The Allstars featuring Jimmy Page
Chuckles (2:20) The Allstars featuring Jeff Beck
Tribute to Elmore (2:05) Eric Clapton

"Guitar Boogie is a compilation blues album with Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, with additional credit to The Allstars. Most songs on this album were written by Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Guitar Boogie was released as a part of a British Archives series and is rare in that form. The album was re-released in the US in 1977 by Pickwick International.

Jeff Beck's two tracks were recorded in 1963 and can be found on several different compilations." Wikipedia

Jonas Hellborg - Live In Syria - Aram Of 2 Rivers

Hear some music of Syria here! The music of my people.

Jonas Hellborg is some kind of amazing bass player and this is him playing a concert with syrian musicians.

Biota - Object Holder

1. Bumpreader
2. Spillway
3. Eavesdrop
4. Blind Corner
5. Under The Hat
6. Flatwheel
7. Reckoning Falls
8. Swallow
9. Move
10. Steam Trader
11. Understander
12. Private Wire
13. Cinder
14. Distration
15. Signal
16. This Ridge
17. Idea For A Wagon
18. More Silence
19. Coat
20. Gate Climbing
21. Protector
22. Visible Gap
23. Trunk, The
24. Untitled

C.W. Vrtacek - piano
Chris Cutler - percussion, electronics
Gordon Whitlow - guitar, mandolin, whistle, accordion, Fender Rhodes piano, organ, xylophone
Larry Wilson - drums, congas, bongos, percussion
Randy Yeates - keyboards, kalimba
Steve Scholbe - guitar, hurdy-gurdy, clarinet, reeds, saxophone
Susanne Lewis - vocals
Tom Katsimpolis - guitar, keyboard
William Sharpe - tapes

"One of the most interesting and original "rock" albums I've heard. Very lucid. Sounds like a strange floating opium dream world of sounds that interact, collide, ebb and flow. Absolutely brilliant." ~mulletguy16, rateyourmusic.com

Miles Davis - 1975 - Agharta

"Along with its sister recording, Pangaea, Agharta was recorded live in February of 1975 at the Osaka Festival Hall in Japan. Amazingly enough, given that these are arguably Davis' two greatest electric live records, they were recorded the same day. Agharta was performed in the afternoon and Pangaea in the evening. Of the two, Agharta is superior. The band with Davis — saxophonist Sonny Fortune, guitarists Pete Cosey (lead) and Reggie Lucas (rhythm), bassist Michael Henderson, drummer Al Foster, and percussionist James Mtume — was a group who had their roots in the radically streetwise music recorded on 1972's On the Corner, and they are brought to fruition here. The music on Agharta, a total of three tunes spread over two CDs and four LP sides, contains the "Prelude," which clocks in at over a half-hour. There is "Maiysha" from Get up With It and the Agharta "Interlude," which segues into the "Theme From Jack Johnson." The music here is almost totally devoid of melody and harmony, and is steeped into a steamy amalgam of riffs shot through and through with crossing polyrhythms, creating a deep voodoo funk groove for the soloists to inhabit for long periods of time as they solo and interact with one another. Davis' band leading at this time was never more exacting or free. The sense of dynamics created by the stop-start accents and the moods, textures, and colors brought out by this particular interaction of musicians is unparalleled in Davis' live work — yeah, that includes the Coltrane and Bill Evans bands, but they're like apples and oranges anyway. Driven by the combination of Davis' direction and the soloing of Sonny Fortune and guitarist Pete Cosey, who is as undervalued and underappreciated for his incalculable guitar-slinging gifts as Jimi Hendrix is celebrated for his, and the percussion mania of Mtume, the performance on Agharta is literally almost too much of a good thing to bear. When Cosey starts his solo in the "Prelude" at the 12-minute mark, listeners cannot be prepared for the Hendrixian energy and pure electric whammy-bar weirdness that's about to come splintering out of the speakers. As the band reacts in intensity, the entire proceeding threatens to short out the stereo. These are some of the most screaming notes ever recorded. Luckily, since this is just the first track on the whole package, Davis can bring the tempos down a bit here and there and snake them into spots that I don't think even he anticipated before that afternoon (check the middle of "Maiysha" and the second third of "Jack Johnson" for some truly creepy and beautiful wonders). While Pangaea is awesome as well, there is simply nothing like Agharta in the canon of recorded music. This is the greatest electric funk-rock jazz record ever made — period." ~AMG

1 Prelude (Part 1) 22:34
2 Prelude (Part 2) / Maiysha 23:01
3 Interlude 26:17
4 Theme from Jack Johnson 25:59

mewithoutYou - Brother, Sister

"The band consists of vocalist Aaron Weiss, guitarists Michael Weiss and Christopher Kleinberg, bassist Greg Jehanian and drummer Richard Mazzotta. Though their sound is hard to classify accurately, mewithoutYou's music is generally dominated by Aaron, who, rather than singing, talks in dramatic, varied tones and pitches. The band usually strays from typical song structures, featuring effects-laden guitar, a very prominent and distorted bass tone and bombastic rhythms, resulting in a rather experimental style. In their most recent album, Brother, Sister, the band incorporates more varied instrumentation including various percussion instruments, accordion, and harp.

Brother, Sister is third and most recent album by indie rock band mewithoutYou and was released on September 26, 2006 through Tooth & Nail Records. It is also known by the title Brother Sun, Sister Moon based on a canticle written by St. Francis of Assisi. Indeed, the album art has drawings of a sun and moon in the title, and one song is entitled "the Sun and the Moon." The sun and the moon are also said to represent the Christian and Hindu faiths as many of the lyrics from the song "the Sun and the Moon" are drawn from the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu scripture. The album sees the band expanding on the more atmospheric elements of the previous release Catch for Us the Foxes, without entirely abandoning the post-hardcore roots of their debut. Brother, Sister features many guest vocal and instrumental appearances (which included members from Anathallo and the Psalters), where previous albums had very few or none at all." ~Wikipedia

1. "Messes of Men" – 3:52
2. "The Dryness and the Rain" (guest vocals by Jeremy Enigk) – 2:57
3. "Wolf Am I! (and Shadow)" – 2:36
4. "Yellow Spider" – 1:10
5. "A Glass Can Only Spill What It Contains" – 3:45
6. "Nice and Blue (Part Two)" – 3:43
7. "The Sun and the Moon" – 5:15
8. "Orange Spider" – 1:10
9. "C-Minor" – 3:21
10. "In a Market Dimly Lit" – 4:27
11. "O, Porcupine" (guest vocals by Jeremy Enigk) – 4:31
12. "Brownish Spider" – 1:19
13. "In a Sweater Poorly Knit" – 5:26