The Phoenix Authority - Blood, Sweat & Brass (1968)

The Phoenix Authority  - Blood, Sweat & Brass (1968), Mainstream Records

  This was the light hearted album of choice this week as the 6 of us travelled in a Dodge Van from Toronto to Montreal for the Richard Bruce "Brucetopia" experience.   Although the mood was dim this little old vinyl album keep our spirits high and everyone agreed that this was a fantastic album.   Lots of big brass sounds with some great guitar, bass and drumming.  The Phoenix Authority have it all ...talk about a groovy album !

Check out the Amboy Dukes version of "Journey to the center of the mind" or The Beatles version of "Get Back ".......

Shooter Jennings & Hierophant - Black Ribbons (2010)

Shooter Jennings & Hierophant - Black Ribbons (2010)

  First of all I want to thank my friend Gregg Prince for putting my onto this slighly warped little album!  Shooter Jennings is the son of Waylon Jennings but I would never have imagined that his son would have recorded an album like this.   In full ode to Roger Waters' masterpiece "Radio Kaos", Shooter take us on a progressively psych'd concept album narrated by the creepy Stephen King into the dark region he called "Black Ribbons".

  I will admit this one was an immediate connection for me with the heavy psych and dark rock themes but having said that it did take me a wee while to really absorb the album.  It is one of those albums you need to hear multiple times before you really "Get it"......

......i think I finally "Got It:.........i think !

Ramones - Acid Eaters (1993)

Ramones - Acid Eaters (1993)

  Ook so I will admit that I am not a huge Ramones fan...however "Acid Eaters" is well worth the deviation. As you know I am a bit of a fan on the Psych/ Garage psych gentre so this album fits right into my hands.   "Acid Eaters" features a bunch of psychedelic and garage rock classics from the 1960s put to highly energetic and fun tempos.  Also 2 wild guest appearances with Pete Townshend on Substitute and and ex-porn star Traci Lords "Somebody to Love".

  The perfect album for crusing down the highway !

William Orbit - Pieces in a Modern Style 2 (2010)

William Orbit - Pieces in a Modern Style 2 (2010)

  Hard to believe but it was 10 years ago that music producer William Orbit put out the first "Pieces in Modern Style" album which remains today one of my favourite electornica albums.   For those who are skeptical let me assure you that this is not a dance album, it's more of a chill out album.  Imagine classical music (aka A Clockwork Orange) put to electonic filters not unlike Wendy Carlos.

  I am a huge Gabriel Faure fan and Orbit selected 2 of his classic numbers to re-interpret "Paradisium" and "Pavane".....

This is music that is just waiting for you to discover..... 

Annie Lennox - Bare (2003)

Annie Lennox - Bare (2003)

  The music of Annie Lennox has always held a special place in my heart......she defies pop and was the reason why the Eurythmics ever held a slot in my 80's vinyl collection.   Bare is an excellent collection of personal and deeply soulful tracks that has that huge Lennox sound.   

  "Loneliness" is just an incredible song which carries my soul into the stratosphere........



Blackfield - Welcome To My DNA

Blackfield - Welcome To My DNA (2011)

  Aviv Geffen and Steve Wilson (Porc Tree) have done it again my friends.......another symphonic progressive album filled with excellent and highly intelligent songs.  This album has taken a few listens for me to really get into which was not the case with the first two Blackfield albums...but having said that i really like this new album.

  The two tracks I really dig are "Oxygen" and "waving (the only SW penned track on the album" which capture the essence of Blackfield.

Not as progressive as PT but still a more pop-symphonic outlet for Steve Wilson. 

Rush - Moving Pictures - Deluxe Edition (cd + Blueray)

Rush - Moving Pictures - Deluxe Edition

  Wow........wow.......wow........

  Even though you likely own this on vinyl and on cd already a few times over, you have never heard the album like this........

Throw away all your mp3's guys........this is pure 5.1 PCM direct from the soundboard which is exactly as Terry Brown intended the album to be heard way back in 1980........

Huge big rich sound which you must hear............one of the greatest progressive rock albums IMHO.....

Pure magic !