The Church - Forget Yourself (2003)

The Church - Forget Yourself

   "Forget Yourself" is the 17th Album by the Aussie band who call themselves The Church....my god where has time gone eh ?    It was back in the 80's that I first discovered the Pysch-pop beauty of the music of The Church.   I picked up some of their early album but lost touch during the 90's but with "Forget Yourself" I have gone back to church !   EGAD !
    
        "Forget Yourself" draws on the symphonic psych-pop of their 80's work and perhaps blends in a slightly harder edged to this sound.   Lead singer Steven Kilbey still sounds the same with his distinctive dark droned tones and his pop sensitivities.  The Church had always kind of carved out a very unique sound and this album fits right into that mold basically.  
    The whole album plays well from start to end with 14 excellent songs that seem to fit very well together never getting too harsh or too laid back for too long. 
   
   

Tame Impala - Lonerism (2012)

Tame Impala - Lonerism

   Kevin Parker just keeps getting better and better and better all the time .  Lonerism is the 2012 release that is one of my favourite albums of 2012 !  With all songs written and mostly played by Kevin Parker, "Lonerism" is a strong follow up to the mind bending debut Inner Speaker album which I loved.

 Kind of interesting that he writes and plays most of the instruments and the album is called "Lonerism" eh !

   

   Tame Impala is an imaginary world where the Beatles meet XTC and you might just think that Andy Partridge just took a Magical Mystery Tour!.

   

   "Lonerism" is a much more synthesizer infused album than the heavy guitar laden debut album.   There is still lots of guitar on this album too but just seems less pronounced to me.   No question Kevin Parker has a John Lennon-themed voice and at times you kind of do a double take on his voice.........  

  
   Lonerism is really a fun album of 12 pop-psych infused songs that definitely take you on a musical  adventure.  

The Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out (1969)

The Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out SACD

    Lots of controversy and speculation on this album over the years has music historians and critics still very much split on opinion.  Some say this was the greatest live album ever...while others shutter at the fact and cite the studio overdubs as a way to mask and hide the sloppy live playing of a very drunk and stoned band on the world stage.....well the last part I think might be kind of true but regardless this album is a very cool piece of Rolling Stones history and IMHO a very worth live album to own.
   The song selection is quite impressive and contains some of the more popular Stones tunes of the day including a great version of Midnight Rambler and Jumpin' Jack Flash.   Musically (even if corrected in the studio later) the band were tight and sounded anything but sloppy live and as you would expect carries a nice sense of energy and a live vibe to the music.
   This is of course one of the Stone's ABKCO's Hybrid SACD releases that got the royal treatment back in 2002.  Sonically this disc is not as good as some of the other earlier studio albums on SACD , but having said that in no way should it detract from you enjoying this album in Super Audio 2 Channel format.
  I would say that sonically this is just flat....and not what you would or have come to expect from ABKCO or the SACD format and I certainly was expecting more out of this package.   But having said this about the sound it is NOT bad or unlistenable.........in fact there are some pretty good moments as well like the drumming on Jumpin' Jack Flash  (if you listen you will hear a pretty good definition) or the left guitar speaker on "Carol"...again might be in studio overdubs but either way i think you just need to sit back and listen to this album......
   I really like this album and think the SACD is worth picking up....as long as you dont pay a ton for it......
  Definitely not one of the discs to show off your SACD player ....but a very good live album to enjoy.   
     

 

Stanley Clarke - Children of Forever (1973)

Stanley Clarke - Children of Forever

    This was Stanley Clarke's first solo album and is truly a fusion masterpiece raking right up there with some of the fusion inspired Hancock, Miles Davis, Weather Report and Return To Forever albums.

   Clarke has 2/3rds of the Return To Forever classic lineup with Chick Corea and Lenny White joining him on this album.   
  Lead vocalist are split across Andy Bey and Dee Dee Bridgewater who add a great deal to this album.  Dee Dee has an amazing voice and she really helps this album breathe in way it would not have without her.  

  This is just great fusion without taking off too far into self absorption or randomness...the music is very lively yet very soothing.......a hard edge to stay on with Fusion albums often but this one accomplishes this !
   The track "Sea Journey" is an epic 16 minute suite that is one of my favourite Fusion tracks of all time.   

Bobbi Humphrey - Blacks and Blues (1973)

Bobbi Humphrey - Blacks and Blues

   Funk and soul collides in a way that you have never heard....all under a cascade of neon flute !

    My first encounter with Miss Humphrey was on 1974's Satin Doll which I just loved and had to find more music by this jazz flautist !

  Blacks and Blues was her 3rd album and the first to feature her as a singer in addition to flautist !   I think she was really just following up on what Donald Byrd was doing at the same time with BLACKBYRD.   This parallel to Donald Byrd also includes Humphrey employing the help from Fonce and Larry Mizell on this album.
  
      I love the spacey keyboards (Fred Perren), flute and lite-funk back drop that covers this whole album.   It is really a funky album with soul bits and even some light fusion.
  And of course my favorute "Sound effects"......yup.......Bobbi Humphrey uses them to open up side one and add another very cool almost psychy aspect this this great jazz album.

  
  
   

  

Strawbs - Ghosts (1974)

Strawbs - Ghosts

   The roots of the Strawbs were deep in that of folk music and that really never left the side of the band even with their shift into the world of progressive rock.    Dave Cousins really entered the Strawbs into the progressive rock arena with  1972's "Grave New World" which I will have to pull out shortly and review as well cause it is an excellent album.
  It was the inclusion of Yes keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman that got me into the whole music of the Strawbs to begin with and the first album I bought was Ghosts (not knowing that Wakeman had left the band by then).  Ghosts was an album I played over and over and just could not get enough of......and still to this day is one of my favorite prog rock albums.

   I also a big fan of the guitar and vocals of Cousins' partner Dave Lambert who has one of the great rock voices and brings the real rock influences into this band.   Most of the great Strawbs guitar riffs are all compliments of Dave Lambert.
  I have had the pleasure of having seen the "electric" Strawbs now later in their twilight years and will never forget the highly emotional concert at Montreals Prog 'Est....I literally was in complete different world that night and it was a musical night I will never forget.....and they plays cuts from "Ghosts" !
   I also have memories of sitting in my best friend's car listening to this album a few years ago and the nostalgia was overwhelming.
  "Ghosts" is more than just an album to listen to....it is an album that you live for ..........
  
 
    

Le Orme - Felona E Sorona (1973)

Le Orme - Felona E Sorona 2 CD (English & Italian)

    Felona e Sonora was the third album by Italy's Le Orme and a progressive rock masterpiece.   Based on the concept of 2 planets orbiting in the same cosmos with very much contrasting personalities.   Felona is the "Happy planet" while Sorona is the dark moody forboding planet . 

      This 2011 remaster package is a great way to re-enjoy or enjoy this magnum opus with the original Italian sung version and for the first time the English version.   I would stick with the original of course as the results are similar to other bands who tried this...RDM did it with Contamination.....Banco did it with Banco......PFM did it too with Photos of Ghosts.  Although the English version is interesting the Italian sung version is better.  The English version is ripped from vinyl as I guess the English master tapes were lost, but the original version sounds wonderful.  Some nice photos and detailed liner notes in a small digipack fold out replica of the vinyl album.
   Musically Felona is beautiful from start to finish with a ton of great guitar, bass, drums and a ton of vintage keyboards.  Felona is 70's space prog with great melodies and songs all contained within a concept album format with epic musical imagery.  Each song builds on the story and each songs is carefully pieced together.
   If you dont know Le Orme then this is a GREAT place to start.......   

Porcupine Tree - The Sky Moves Sideways (1995)

Porcupine Tree - The Sky Moves Sideways

  The Sky Moves Sideways was the first PT album in many ways with the two earlier albums really being more of Steve Wilson solo discovery projects.  Although both those early albums are excellent it was the Sky Moves Sideways where I started seeing Steve Wilson in different light.  No question that Steve was into Pink Floyd as this album is dripping in Floyd'isms but yet there is something very different and real going on here.
    PT was finally a full fledged band with Wilson adding Chris Maitland, Richard Barbieri (ex Japan) and the remarkable bass playing skills of Colin Edwin.   No question this is progressive and psychedelic trip with some  fantastic musical passages and moods.  I think originally Wilson wanted this album to be basically one long track but he eventually ended up cutting it into pieces and discarding other bits.   If you buy the 2007 Snapper 2 CD remaster you will get a 35 mins version of the Sky Moves Sideways I think pretty much as Wilson originally thought about.
  Brilliant album that I keep coming back to and I think still is one of PT's best albums.  
      

Alan Parsons Project - Pyramid (1978)

The Alan Parsons Project - Pyramid

  Pyramid was the 3rd album by the art rock genius of Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson.   This was another album that I grew up with and never stopped listening to and still marvel at it's cleverness and beauty to this day.  

  No question that the pyramid title and imaging was adopted from Parsons' work as engineer on Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" (also 1973) but sonically these albums really don't have much in common.....although both great IMHO!.

   The crazy thing is that Eric Woolfson who had one of the most beautiful voices in all of music history didnt lead sing on any track on this album and only did some backup.  Instead Parsons called on Colin Blunstone (Zombies) , David Patton (Pilot), Lenny Zakatek, Dean Ford (Marmalade) , Ian Bairnson and John Miles (Parsons also produced his first solo album) to handle the lead vocals. The Orchestra on Pyramid was as usual arranged and produced by Andrew Powell who was a key member of the APP.
   Pyramid has always been under the shield of envy of 1977's "I Robot" and really fits into the category of the classic THIRD album syndrome.  Regardless of the critics many APP fans cite Pyramid as one of the best albums they ever released and remains for this fan a prozed album in my collection.
  
 

The Moody Blues - Days Of Future Passed (1967)

The Moody Blues - Days Of Future Passed SACD

  For me this is where it all really started.....the dawn of progressive rock !     With a full mix of orchestra and the soft rock sounds of the Moody Blues, this album has been an album of a lifetime for me.  I have owned this album umpteen times over the years.....vinyl...then CDs and then SACD.

     On this album the Moody Blues first introduced us to the wild combination of the orchestra and the illustrious mellotron....and stringed keyboard instrument that sounds like a whole stringed section and would be adopted by Progressive Rock bands from Genesis to King Crimson to Anglagard today.

      This was one of the first SACD's I owned and after hearing this version I was hooked on the format.   I really had never heard this album until I heard the quad mix as presented on this SACD!....it is just that good.   In 1972 with the invention of quadraphonic technology Decca Records commissioned Tony Clarke and Derek Varnals to revisit the early Moody Blues albums and remix them in living Quadraphonic sound.  Sadly quadraphonic never really took off and these treasured remixes sat for years until the advent of SACD and Surround Sound.  The good news is that all the classic Moody albums that got the Quad treatment back in the 70's  have been re-released on SACD by DERAM for you and I to enjoy....and they all sound great !  ...and you can still order these SACD in the catalogues.
         
    This is the definite version of  "Days of Future Passed".     

John Coltrane - Black Pearls (1958)

John Coltrane - Black Pearls XRCD

   The Coltrane Prestige years mark for me some of the finest jazz albums I have in my collection....with Black Pearls being one of my personal favs.   Coltrane's style was to jam often as many wild time signatures and notes into a bar as one could imagine.   Very progressive and very much groundbreaking work....but not for the casual jazz listener.
   
   This might be the kind of jazz that the "uninitiated Coltraners" wont like.....crazy stuff going on with a certain frantic pace that makes this album anything but a casual listen.
    Coltrane called on his pals Donald Byrd , Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Arthur Taylor to help him find the black pearl in this album.
  
  This whole album is excellent with its certain demanding jazz style.....upbeat explosions.....improvisation at its best.   Side two is devoted to allow one epic song just totally stretch out sweetly titled "sweet sapphire blues".  This track is the watermark on the album for me and showcases the really awesome talents of these musicians...not just Coltrane!


 

Wes Montgomery - Willow Weep For Me (1965)

Wes Montgomery - Willow Weep For Me (1965)
 
  "Willow Weep For Me" has been an album full of controversy and considered by jazz purists to be too contrived.   So here is the quick synopsis on this album apparently after Wes' death demand for his music increased.  Verve found some old tapes of Wes playing live at the legendary Half Note and decided to make them public.   
   
     Before "Willow Weep For Me" was released producer Esmond Edwards decided to superimpose and add some brass and woodwind arrangements to these songs.    The live bits were all recorded in 1965 as were the seperate woodwind and brass arrangements all added together by Edwards. 
   For me albeit a reworked album sounds pretty fine to me and I like the added bits it gives the quartet a bit more essence really and in sharp contrast to jazz fans I dig this album.   
   Montgomery plays with such blues and sorrow and feeling....musically he is joined by pals Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb.   
   This is a live recording and the sounds is not the best to be honest...a bit flat and dull but musically this is a beautiful album full of deep emotion.
  Regardless of most jazz critics I love this album just as it is....flaws and all.......

..Oh You Crazy Moon is just so perfect !

Donald Byrd - Blackbyrd (1973)

Donald Byrd - Blackbyrd
  
   Although he has a ton of albums that I adore, Donald Byrd's masterpiece I think was Blackbyrd!    Surprisingly this album did not follow in the footsteps of "KOFI" which was more representative of Miles Davis stuff like "Bitches Brew" and "On The Corner".  
   In sharp contrast Byrd broke out the R&B grooves teaming up with Fonce Mizell to record this groundbreaking album making this the best selling Blue Note album of its time!  
  For Donald Byrd this album set him on his way and he would go on to make a few more groovy funk jazz album that would build on this work.   Stylistically this album is a mix of R&B, Funk, 70's pop and jazz elements all swirled together into a cohesive album that a true toe tapper.  The end result was a danceable album that was lighter and easier to listen to than many of his contemporaries.   In many ways this is almost a pre-cursor to the Disco era! ....almost.
  Oh yeah and there is some vocals on this recording but used mostly as a sound vs the whole lyrics thing...which I think gives it that 70's feel to the the album. 
   Byrd handed over all the song writing to Mizell and he just stuck to helping bring out the true nature of these songs.  Byrd is assisted musically by some pretty good musicians including Roger Glenn (flutes), Joe Sample (keys), Fref Perren (keys), Dean Parks (guitar), Wilton Felder (bass), Harvey mason (drums), Bobye Porter Hall (Percussion) and Larry Mizell (vocals).  
  Fans of FUNK will love this album very much with songs like "Slop Jar Blues" and "Flight TIme" with its groovy bass lines. 
         

Duke Pearson - Sweet Honey Bee (1966)

Duke Pearson - Sweet Honey Bee

   I first heard Duke Pearson on an early Byrd album and remember saying how amazed I was by his piano player......huge creativity and Duke really stood out for me.  I remember thinking that I need to pick up more by this guy somewhere down the road........
...well I guess Sweet Honey Bee was my selection...and a very good one at that.

    Sweet Honey Bee is a very light happy little jazz album that EVERYONE will love.......this is exactly what I thought i'd get from a Duke album...something very creative and very noticeable....in fact I played this last night during a dinner party Sharon and I hosted with some friends and someone at the dinner table said "they love this music" and asked who it was....

    Sweet Honey Bee is a FUN little album that is very light yet very sophisticated and very well put together.   I would say that this might just be the perfect lite Jazz album you can pick up and play for your friends.
   Highly recommended jazz album !
     

Grant Green - Grantstand (1962)

Grant Green - Grantstand (1962). Analogue Productions SACD

   For those who prefer a little funk in their soul will love this jazz album !!  And wow what a sound on this SACD too !!!!

  Grantstand was Grant's 3rd album for Blue Note and featured a rather rare mix of musicians.....Yusef Lateef on the flute and sax, Brother Jack McDuff on the organ and Al Harewood on the drums. McDuff is really toned down here and he obviously wanted this to be a Grant Green album and instead just adds accents here and there.   Yusef is more in the spotlight and accentuated here with his punctuating sax drawls and his groovin flute bits.   The song "Blues in Maude's Flat" is a wonderful epic soulful blues piece with some hugely expressive sax , organ wisps and excellent drumming with some fine fret work by Green.

  Sonically this is a pretty awesome sounding sacd with great dynamic range and color.   No question the 60's Blue Note master acetates were made to last as they sound just so sweet.  This is a major reason why Steve Hoffman likes to work with the older recordings.   The organ recording here is warbled and almost distorted on the low end and Hoffman decided to leave this as it was obviously without altering it.     

  On Hart and Rodger's "my funny valentine" Grant draws out every ounce of blues and sorrow that is possible and this is my favourite on the album.   This may be the best sounding that I have ever heard Grant Green.
   Highly treasured SACD !

Judy Garland - The Amsterdam Concert (1960)

Judy Garland - The Amsterdam Concert 1960

   How can get anything better than an evening with Judy Garland ?
.....Well.....you can get another night !

   The folks at FHR Records have assembled for the first time the complete Amsterdam concert recorded just months before the famous Carnegie Hall concert.  
 
   There are some good and bad aspects to this CD set.  So lets start first with the bad.........well Audiophiles will definitely shriek at the less than full sound here.   One must remember that this was lifted from two Dutch radio broadcasts and it was back in 1960.  So considering the source you will hear fades in and out and varying sound levels.  It was also recorded and broadcast in MONO and not STEREO.    The other bummer is that this is almost a mirror set list to the Carnegie Hall concert (and chatter between songs) with one exception with the addition here of "It's A Great Day For The Irish" and some Radio interviews. At one point you can hear the radio voice over too just mentioning that we were listening to Judy !   Egad !  Now having said all that about the sound I will say that it is VERY listenable and has a ton of magic still in it.....sonic flaws and all !...remember this was never meant for public sale and was intended only for radio broadcast.

 ...and now the GOOD........JUDY !   ...the voice of Judy is bang on, lovely and powerful as you would expect.   I think in many ways some of the songs here are better than the Carnegie Hall show actually.  Judy Garland was a genius and fans of her will love this 2 CD set !     The orchestra was filled in with local talent as well while Judy was on tour and they sound wonderful....

   Overall a great 2 CD set and I am very thankful for what FHR Records did here to give us the best sonic experience even thought the original had some definite shortcomings.   The music is magic.....

...ladies and gentlemen..........Judy Garland !

          

Nektar - Live In New York (1977)

Nektar - Live In New York (1977) SACD Eclectic Discs

   Years ago I bought Nektar's "Live In New York" which was one of the worst sounding CD's I EVER bought.   It was only later that I came to understand that this live concert was from a Radio broadcast German bootleg (at the wrong speed) that had made its round over the years with the apparent master tapes having been lost.  In 2003 Nektar negotiated the rights to their music back and with that arrived the long lost 16-Track New York concert tapes.  According to the liner notes on this double SACD the tapes had suffered water damage from a water leak in the tape vault where they had been stored for years.   
  Re-mastering from these tapes would turn out to be quite a project and thanks to the skills of Mark Powell and Pascal Byrne we now can all enjoy this in better sounding format.  
   
    What makes this concert so darn good is the pure raw energy that Nektar exuded and was captured live on these old tapes.  I recall listening to the bootleg CD version I had and just wishing that the sound would have been better as the music was just so alive.  According to the history of this show the sound-geek accidently tripped over some cables during the show and screwed up a bit of Back To The Future with an apparent temporary power failure.

    Audiophiles I dont think will want to pick this album up regardless of the remastering that has happened or the 5.1 surround mix as the sound is still below what you would like to hear from SACD.   This is one of those recordings that I knew still sounded somewhat muffled but I am just such a big fan of Nektar that I had to have this recording.  The music is essential and the concert was magical and fans of Nektar will need this.....but Audiophiles should stay clear.....you don't buy this one for the sound.    

  Ok so now that I have scared all the Audiophiles out there let me say that the sound is actually not all that bad just not up to the SACD format that you likely have come to expect.  Sound wise the album is quite muted and lays sonically very flat and lack lustre.   But of course this one is for the music as I said and less about the sound quality. 

  Either way it sure beats the original releases by a country mile !!!

  
     
    
     

Mozart: Die Zauberflöte [The Magic Flute]

Mozart :  Die Zauberflöte  SACD  2004

   I was seeking a good quality interpretation of Mozart's "The Magic Flute" ever since I bought my SACD player and Kuijken's 3 SACD set was always priced a bit out of my league until a few weeks ago when I found it NEW on Amazon for $ 14.98 US. It looks like since then the price has been jacked back up but keep your eye cause this treasure is well worth hunting down.

   Ok so I guess you really don't care how much I paid for this gem and are much more interested in my impression of this recording and the SACD sonic performance.

    Lets start with the recording....simply brilliant.....Mozart's famous opera really is a deep moving piece that tell a magical little story of Tamino and his bird friend Papagno in his quest to free his love, slay the serpent and face evil along the way...including the Queen Of The Night and the evil Sarastro. The cast are superb and you really could not ask for a more talented people! I find this hard to believe it was recorded live as the sound is so pure and there is very little background noise to distract you. Mozart was famous for his harmonies and lovely melodies and no question this opera reveals both of these aspects. In fact this recording is a necessity for fans of "The Magic Flute".
Because this is an entire opera you should be aware that a good chunk of the album is speaking as the story unfolds and music is interwoven throughout.

Now to the sound.....ok this is crazy good......the orchestra is pure, quite bright and rich....this is the sound that Classical music should be like! The vocals are well mic'd and considering this was live there is really no vocal drops or microphone issues as we listen. The opera was really carefully recorded and beautifully mastered to SACD.

This opera premiered in Vienna on Sept 30th 1791 with Mozart himself conducting the orchestra. While Mozart wrote all the music, the narrative and story was penned by Emanuel Schikaneder.

Änglagård - Viljans Oga (2012)

Änglagård  - Viljans Oga (2012)

 Änglagård are back !   and what a great "return " album.  For those like me that fell in love with this Swedish prog band and their stunning two studio albums - Hybris and Epilog will love Viljans Oga !

   The entire band are back too with Mattias Olsson (drums),  Thomas Johnson ( pianos and mellotrons), Jonas Engdegård (guitars) and Anna Holmgren (flute and sax) and Johan Brand (bass).

   I had the inside scoop that Anglagard were reforming and just could not wait to hear this album.   Vijans Oga picks up right where Epilog left off with huge swooping ever-tempo changing passages, heavy mellotron laden bits, great drumming, gut moving bass lines and wonderful flute interludes. 

   Anglagard are amongst my personal favourite prog bands of all time and although very different than Genesis, King Crimson, YES and Pink Floyd they exude a deep harmonic musical sensitivity that I just can not get enough of.   If you have not Anglagard then YOU NEED to get their albums........they are all fantastic too.......all of them!

    In a very typical Anglagard style this album has only a few songs....in fact there are only four tracks that make up Viljans Oga....Ur Vilande, Sorgmantel, Snårdom and  Längtans Klocka.
   
    Definitely my favourite album of 2012 !   a clear winner !    

Donald Byrd - Free Form (1961)

Donald Byrd - Free Form, Blue Note 1961

  Donald Byrd is one of the greats...jazz to funk this guy had his Mojo working !   "Free Form"  was an album that is as beautiful on the inside as it is the Outside (doves flying).  In many ways the album cover is quite fitting to the free-like vibe Byrd got on this album.    

   And what a line up on this album ....Butch Warren (bass),  Herbie Hancock (Piano), Billy Higgins (drums), Wayne Shorter (sax) and tonights feature Mr. Donald Byrd.   This was the only Blue Note record i believe where Byrd and Shorter play together.
   Free Form was really just a mish-mash of modern jazz styles where Byrd actually plays un-stylistically and in a very subdued manner with his brass tones lean and toned.   Unlike many of his contemporaries (Lee Morgan, Miles Davis)  Byrd does not jump to any wild outbursts or crazy solos.    I always felt that with Free Form he just wanted to record a straight forward Jazz album and lets the free chemistry of his skilled fellow musicians take over....and that is what happened....THAT IS  UNTIL THE LAST SONG....and that is where it kind of gets interesting......something NEW happened...and the albums ends on a very promising note.
   On the song "Free Form", Byrd takes a step right into the depths of and introduces us to a new jazz form called Fusion.    It sounds like everyone is off doing their own thing yet it all seems to hold together as a united song where once again there is that certain Free feeling exuded on this album.
  Free Form is an excellent and important album for jazz historians. 

Faith No More - King For A Day, Fool For A Lifetime (1995)

Faith No More - King For A Day, Fool For A Lifetime (1995)

  This album is not for the young at heart !

   Mike Patton and the boys are up to no good here on 1995's "King For Day" representing another excellent mis-understood album by this mis-understood band !  

   Ok...so this album does not go to the depths of "Angel Dust" but still holds up as a very creative and solid album.  I would say that this was their most straightforward song based album but again that is a stretch.  On this album Jim Martin (guitars) was replaced by Trey Spruance (Mr. Bungle) and this marked the end for this band but they still had this album in them.

    Lead vocalist Mike Patton shines on this album as well with his wide range, power and lyrical prowess.  Patton delivers funk, jazz, rock and metal all with ease and often at the same song !.
    If anyone out there is familiar with Porcupine Tree's album "The Incident" they will immediately recognize the album's opening theme with the unmistakable Big loud chording which can only make you wonder if Steve Wilson was listening to Faith No More at the time of that recording.
   This band can sure get dark when they want to and can sound almost like a lighter version of the gothier side of OPETH.  Songs like "Don't look at me I'm ugly in the morning" will scare the heck out of all the kids and your parents.   That song is tortured and sooooo ugly yet so great and absolutely fitting.  Patton and the boys switch it up then to an almost power-pop inspired tune "Digging In The Grave" and then jump into a slow Country-rock ballad "Take This Bottle".  This is a good example of the vast mood and tempo changes that make "Faith No More" such a great band and how they defy categorization.       

Viintage Trouble - The Bomb Shelter Sessions (2011)

Vintage Trouble - The Bomb Shelter Sessions

   I had never heard of this band until I saw them perform as an opening act on The Who's Quadrophenia tour.  This band are very much "Vintage" and play somewhere in the Otis Redding meets Led Zeppelin meets James Brown camp (funk, rock, blues and soul all in one album).   I really dig this album and love the groove these guys get into and think that lead vocalists Ty Taylor has just a GREAT voice ! 
   This is a high energy music and I can see why The Who liked this band as the opening act cause they got us all grooving !   
    The Bomb Shelter Sessions being a studio album actually captures their energy and raw'ness that I so loved in their "live" presence.   Vintage trouble fuse together soul and rock that will make your toes wiggle and bring out your air guitar skills! 
   Pick up this album ......you wont be sorry !


    

Sammy Davis Jr. - At The Cocoanut Grove (1963)

Sammy Davis Jr. - Live At The Cocoanut Grove, 1963

  Sammy Davis could do it all.....sing.....dance.....comedy.....musician , actor.....he was a multi-talented artist who simply had it all !

  Live At The Cocoanut Grove captures Sammy at the height of his career in 1963 (originally a double vinyl set) with support of a wonderful orchestra ...the Dick Stabile Orchestra conducted by George Rhodes who also doubles on the piano over the course of the evening.
  The 18 tracks on this recording are a mix of slap-stick comedy and crooning with some pretty cool interpretations of classic songs.  There are certainly parts of this concert that by today standards will sure seem vintage and dated as Sammy does his impersonations of movie starts and singers of the past......Cagney, Sinatra, Nat King Cole....and while all this is going on there is some pretty cool music happening too.
   What I love about this album is that it really feels improvised a lot and really moves along as if I was there listening to this for the first time live.  Johnny Mendoza gets a spotlight too along the way with a duet to a crooning version of "What Kind Of Fool Am I" interpreting it totally different than as Sinatra made famous.   Drummer Michael Silva gets his percussion solo too along the way as Sammy winds out the evening with a ten minute jam session.
   Sonically this album was nicely transferred to CD by Rhino but there are definitely some source limitations you will notice....sound drops off and some tape crackles and some warbles but nothing to make this less enjoyable IMHO....in fact I think the imperfections make this recording feel a lot more vintage than not to be honest.     
     

Dire Straits - Love Over Gold (1996)

Dire Straits - Love Over Gold

    In the very early 1980's we got "Making Movies" and "Love Over Gold" both which were groundbreaking albums by Mark Knopfler and Co.  (who ever said the 80's was crap !).
   I remember playing Dungeons and Dragons in my pal Erik's home listening to this album over and over.  No question "Telegraph Road" and "Private Investigations" were part of the soundtrack to my childhood.

    So here I am now some 25 years later on and still listening to this album discovering its color and beauty.
  Love over Gold was the 4th album by the Dire Straits and this one held a special significance for the band as it spend 4 years on the UK Charts and still remains for many Dire Straits their best album. 
   
   

Roger Waters - The Pros & Cons Of Hitch Hiking (1984)

Roger Waters - The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking

  ..For the first time today......

    (sorry i used the US album cover.......just gotta keep it censored proof)

   The Pros and Cons was his 1984 masterpiece concept album based on a rather bizarre hitch hiking expedition gone wrong.....or right ....depends on how you look at this I guess !  
   Roger Waters continues here very much where 'The Final Cut' left off basically with a deep collaboration of rock and classical genres.  This album being in fact co-produced by both Waters and Michael Kamen (yup the same guy who wrote a ton a soundtrack music scores...including my fav Band Of Brothers!) .    Waters is at his best here for sure and fans of Pink Floyd will love this album.

  Typical of Roger's music it ebbs and flows and along the way you are treated to some fantastic melodies and musical bits.        

   There is no shortage of sound bytes and samples from the imagination of Roger Waters as well all the way thru making this feel more like a movie soundtrack than an solo album. 
  
     All lyrics and music was written by Roger Waters with some great musical guests contributing to this masterpiece....Eric Clapton - Electric Guitar, Andy Bown - Hammond Organ & 12 String Guitar , Ray Cooper - Percussion, Michael Kamen - Piano,
Andy Newmark - Drums, David Sanborn - Saxophone with backing vocals by Madeline Bell, Katie Kissoon and Doreen Chanter.  The National Philharmonic Orchestra was conducted and arranged by Michael Kamen.
  Even a guest star appearance of Jack Palance .........see it's just like a movie !
  

What It Is! - Funky Soul and Rare Grooves (2006)

What It Is!  -  Funky Soul and Rare Grooves 1967 - 1977 

    Here is a very groovy 4 CD box set from Rhino that I picked up a few years back that is guaranteed to make you funk-out......imagine a boatload of rare funk & soul tunes from famous and not so famous artists from the late 60's and 70's sound ?

   Rhino really outdid themselves with this whole package.  The  music was sourced across the vaults of three different major record labels and countless production labels.   The music really hits the full range from full out funk to softer soul but never really sits too still for too long.
   I love compilations like this that just stray a bit of the "popular" path to find those songs and artists that should have really made it.  Of course on this compilation you will also find the likes of Aretha, Commodores, LaBelle and  Curtis Mayfield, but the majority of the tunes and bands I had never heard of before.
   These long lost treasures have been carefully remastered and sound fresh and new with all songs from the original masters (no vinyl rips here!).
  Just as a way to give you an idea of the type of goodies in here listen to The Mystic Moods song "Cosmic Sea" originally released in 1973 and sold like only a few copies and basically faded into the abyss.  But this tune and band were recorded in Quadraphonic by founder Brad Miller of Audio Fidelity.   ...wah wah guitar....trippy female vocals .....no wonder the 45 is totally sought after by Funk fans !
  The packaging is also quite stunning with all 4 CD's being individually wrapped in a paper LP sleeve and snuggly fitting into the large box with a droned color 76 page booklet  with detailed notes and pictures.
   Any fan of Funk will need to have this box set in their collection....it's just that good.
  

   

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - En Concert A Paris (1985)

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - En Concert a Paris - Vol. 1 &  2

  I likely would not have come to know and appreciate Pakistani Qawwali music if it weren't for the extraordinary voice of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan !  I first heard his voice in Martin Scorsese's "The Last Temptation Of Christ" and then I was on a mission to find more by this voice that touched my soul.

     Ali Khan was well known in his home country as an iconic artist of sacred music with an octave register that ranges from that of an angel to that of a dragon !    His jazz-like improvisations of Sufi Texts made their first impression on the Western music world with these historic 1985 concerts from Paris.
  

    Nusrat was schooled in classic style musically by his father, renowned qawwal Ustad Fateh Ali Khan and was at his peak in these electrifying concerts from Paris.   Nusrat was accompanied by his brothers and troupe on vocals, tabla, handclaps, and harmoniums. The long, stately pieces literally bend time and space as only Ali Khan can .  

His voice transcends the human spirit and touches me in ways few ever have.   A few months before his untimely death Nusrat and legendary music producer Rick Rubin recorded a wonderful 2 CD set aptly titled "The Final Studio Recordings" which is also essential...buts leave that to another review....
 

Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (2008)

Sigur Rós -Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (2008)

  Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (English: With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly) is the fifth full-length studio album by the Icelandic band Sigur Rós, released on June 23, 2008 and ranks as another great bright spot in this bands discography!
  After hearing this summer "Inní mér syngur vitleysingur" live in Toronto over warm winds, standing beside 2 good friends (Allie and Simon) simply put me in a different world.  Allie I cant thank you enough for this GIFT !   That evening was just so extra special that I can not even tell you how much it meant to  me.........
  I first discovered Sigur Ros after their second album and never looked back......it took me a while to pick up some of their later albums but "Meo" simply is yet another magnetic album that you live as much and you listen to.
  If you honestly have not heard Sigur Ros then you have missed out......life is too short to  not hear this album....go out and buy it !!!
     Góðan daginn may make you even cry !   Stranger things have happened !
      

. 

Shorty Rogers - Chances Are It Swings (1958)

Shorty Rogers - Chances Are It Swings (1958)

  Shorty Rogers records often get totally slagged by Jazz critics everywhere......and yet IMHO it are these very short comings why I dig this album so much.

  Sure he was a bit out of date and often out of touch I suppose musically with his surroundings of the time but lets look at this album as a counter case in point. 

    By the time Shorty recorded and released `Chances Are`....granted the whole big band swing thing was pretty much dead in industry.  But having said that this album is Big and Fun without getting too technical or over the top.  In fact that is why I like Shorty Rogers music`....its beauty is in its simple delivery.  His albums are not weighty or over the top, instead are lite and easy to listen to and fun !.   In fact I think Rogers was always kind of having fun with us and on his albums and it shows....he never breaks any new ground or tries too hard to over do it or impress. 
       On this album all songs were written by Robert Allen (also famous for penning the yuletide carol "Home For The Holidays").
  If you are looking this holiday season for some Big Band swing to dance to round the old Christmas tree then here is your album !
 

Frank Dervieux - Dimension 'M' (1971)

Frank Dervieux - Dimension 'M'

   Seminal Prog-Quebec album released in 1971 from the late Frank Dervieux so played in Contraction and Ville Emard Blues Band and inspired so many other bands thru his music.   Dimension 'M' is a pure concept album based on a theme of projections from parallel universes.

  Musically this album is solid....clearly Dervieux was a pure artists and wrote a superb and only debut album.   Like so many of the 70's prog band they fused classical with rock and folk and so too did Dervieux.   This has a little bit of everything thrown in it......a little bit of ELP....some FM (Canada).....some Latte E Miele.......some Contraction..some Jean Luc Ponty....

    Like many of the 70's prog albums "Dimension M" takes Liszt's classical piece and in total ode adapts his theme into a magical piece called "Atlantide".  But the watermark for me on this album is the 9 minute piece "Concerto Pour Des Mondes Disparus" which is told over 2 parts and is a work of genius really.

  This album also features a young Christiane Robichaud (vocals) , Yves Leferriere (bass) and Michel Seguin (drums).

   I have the Prog Quebec CD remaster of this album which was well produced from a vinyl source (apparently the master tapes have been long destroyed).  Prog Quebec did a great job in remastering this gem from vinyl and it sounds excellent.  

  Dimension 'M' is an excellent album and an essential piece of the rich Quebecois Progressive and Folk musical history.    They just don't make em like this anymore !       

Conventum - Le Bureau Central Des Utopies (1979)

Conventum - Le Bureau Central Des Utopies

  

     Conventum were yet another amazing prog-folk band from the rich 70's Quebecois music scene.   It is a shame that albums as good as this remain still so isolated!

  On this second album Conventum were down to a quartet of violin, acoustic guitars, bass, percussion and a slew of stringed guitars, mandolins etc......The overall music is rich in color and highly creative thanks a lot to the use of violin and acoustic guitar.  The bass player in this band (Jacques Laurin) is amazing!  (so too are the others).

  Their overall genre I suppose is complex chamber-folk music, or perhaps acoustic music with classical and avant-garde and jazz leanings.

   This is a great headphone experience album to lay back and just listen to...you will be transported into a very different world that only Conventum can do.  

    

      The album is comprised of vignettes written for a number of films and is mostly instrumental.  I am very thankful that the Prog Quebec label remastered these treasured albums from the original masters and have made them available to the world to enjoy.  

 Fans of Jean-Luc Ponty will likely love this album !    

Contraction - 1972

Contraction - 1972 , Prog Quebec

   Debut album from kind of a supergroup (albeit early) of Quebecois folk'sters and prog'sters known as Contraction.   This album was released a year after the release of prog/psych masterpiece album "Dimension M" from Frank Dervieux (and a few months before he passed away).

   The first Contraction album has a very typical Quebecois-folk-prog sound with creative song writing and excellent musicianship.  I would say that this album is less overtly progressive than their second album  "La Bourse Ou La Vie", but stands on it's own as an excellent album.  A very Acoustic and folky-prog album with tons of great flute, guitar and swooping musical passages....in many ways not all that far off the approach musically by the English progressive rock band "Yes".

    If you are already familiar with the Quebec Prog 70's scene then names like Robichaud, Dervieux, Farmer, Laferriere and Seguin will make you run out and buy this album !  For those less in the know on the goldmine of great albums from Quebec from the 70"s you have a ton is explaining to do !!!

     The band assembled here is to die for with a watermark on lead singer Christiane Robichaud who has just a perfect voice for the music and delivers a soft ethereal vibe to the album.  Other musical noteables include Denis Farmer (drums) would also play in one of my other adored Quebec bands "Harmonium", Yves Leferriere's excellent bass lines and the added genius of both Frank Dervieux and Richard Seguin on congas.

  An excellent album from start to finish with my only criticism being the short length of the album at 31 Mins.....

   
  

Benny Soebardja - Lizard Years

Benny Soebardja - The Lizard Years (1975 - 1977)

   As a music lover with a wide taste I have crossed many different borders and paths, but boy was I shocked when i first heard the music of Soebardja.    Indonesian prog psych!    Yeah baby!

   

  This 2 cd compilation basically covers 3 albums from 1975 to 1977 when Benny was in his real creative days.   I had never heard of this guy until i heard a track on a comp cd that i had laying about and had to find more by him.

  Soebardja and his band blend symphonic prog rock with psych creating a sound that I just can't get enough of.  I was really taken back and a bit in shock with just how cool this album is and how I never heard of this guy before.

  The bummer of the whole thing is sadly the sound.....something usually would be a difference maker for me, but you have to make a exception here......we really dont have a choice.   According to the liner notes all of the original master tapes were lost in a fire and all they had to work with were cassettes.  So needless to say the sound quality is sub-par and sadly lack the dynamics that you will wish for when you hear these great songs.

  The packaging and booklet is pretty "Meaty" and the record label did a great job on this.

  Fans of  prog rock and psych rock will likely really get into this album and for me I think this is excellent music.   

Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon (1973)

Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon (1973) SACD

.... I must have been drunk at the time........

  Well I guess it only took me 3 years on this darn BLOG to get around to reviewing my all time Fav album !      Yes I know ....total Cliche !!

  What Ever !!!

As a kiddie this was the album that turned me onto progressive rock.........My brother Danny bought a copy of this album and I was literally mesmerized for years and years and years....

    Alan Parsons and Pink Floyd ......they never got any better than this....

     I think the one thing that is often not talked enough about on this album and likely is one of the reasons why I still adore this recording is the fine use of percussion.   This is Floyds more percussive album maybe next to Ummagumma and combined with the huge Soul presence on this album has me all the way.

  Every tune on Dark Side is simply mind numbing.....and the fine use of space and emptiness only adds to the adoration this album has meant to me.    I think this album really shines in both Percussion and breathing space ....and funny the second song is aptly titled BREATHE.......kind of makes you wonder if there is more design than you ever thought eh !! 
   You can note count the number of times I have sat and listened to this album and each time I still marvel at its brilliance and complexity yet calmness and simplicity.  
   I also have tons of memories of this one.......everything from my pal Miles doing MONEY as an airband in my highschool days to the posters from the vinyl that I had over my bed for 4 years at University.
   Enough said................the lunatic is in my head.......... 
   

  

Session II (1977)

Session II

  Session II was a bit of a sonic experiment go "right".   Take 10 top musicians ...give them only Yamaha instruments and Yamaha recording technology (aka 1977) and see what 'cha got. 

  Session II is a lite jazz-fusion jam album with some fantastic musicianship and excellent songs.   Things never get too loud or heavy and are pretty even paced track by track.   Lee Ritenour leads the Session II team with his lead e-guitar playing alongside Bill Dickenson (Bass), Don Grusin (keys), Pete Robinson (keys), Alex Acuna (drums), Ernie Watts (Sax and flute), Steve Forman (percussion) and vocal trio of Bill Champlin, Vennette Gloud and Carmen Twillie.  


The art work on the album sure resembles YES (Roger Dean) but in fact is Kay Nifisen.  

 

Le Temps (1975)

Le Temps - 1975

   Le Temps were a fantastic folk-prog band from Quebec that released 2 great albums with this one being the debut !   Essentially Le Temps were led by 3 great musicians (Pierre Cloutier - vocals and guitars), Alain Grenier (Bass) and Jean Desautels (Percussion) and a cast of other musical friends (list too long to cite here).

  

   Musically this album is just excellent with a very acoustic guitar centric songs with a soft gentle vibe all the way thru.  The vocals and harmonies are excellent and the songs all draw in different elements.  There is a lot of different instruments also used throughout the album which really makes this a great listen.   The Unidisc remaster version is excellent sounding.