Suitcase Pimps - Love Is Grand (2003)

Suitcase Pimps - Love Is Grand (2003) - Hybrid SACD

   This power-pop quartet released this beauty back in 2003 which got them recognized and topped the Indie Music Awards that year and then they broke up.  The only remains we have is this excellent concept album that tells the tortured story of a rock musicians life.   Musically the Suitcase Pimps blend the power pop prowess of NRBQ with the Funky Grooves of the Spin Doctors and the urban vibes of Radiohead.  This album is simply amazing....highly recommended. 

Duran Duran (1981)

Duran Duran - S/T (1981) - Holland CD Remastered Version (Vinyl replica)

  Duran Duran you ask ?   Come on dude.......... Well it is true.....yes this was one of the 80's albums that I just fell in love with ....  I was a bigger fan of this album than Rio to be honest and loved it punk'ish edge.   My first exposure to Duran Duran was Rio but I snagged this album in the height craze of Duran Duran.  Careless Memories is simply one of the best pop rock songs of the 80's IMHO and I think the whole album is solid.   This version is the UK version of the album which does not include "Is There Something I Should Know? which was on the US version in lieu of "To The Shore".  In true form EMI did a great release here with this replica vinyl CD remaster which brings back just so many Careless Memories for me ........

Lets Dance !

Blonde on Blonde - Bob Dylan (SACD)

Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde , 1966 (SACD)  

  In sharp contrast to Highway 61, Dylan's double album "Blonde on Blonde" brought together a rockier more bluesy edge to his music.  With the assistance of Robbie Robertson this album is one of the most powerful studio albums from Dylan's vast catalogue IMHO.  The album cover is blurred as is the music on this album with Dylan's sharp and angular lyrics with an overall surreal feeling.  The last side of the 2nd album is totally devoted to perhaps Dylan's finest song in Lady Of The Lowlands which sounds even more spectacular in high res SACD.

Another Green World - Brian Eno (1975)

Brian Eno - Another Green World, Astralwerks Records (DSD - Original Masters)

  Another Green World was Brian Eno's 3rd solo album released and was for at the time (1975) a radical departure from the Glam Rock of Roxy Music (where he recorded 2 brilliant albums) and hot off the coat tails of his minimalistic adventure of No Pussyfooting with Robert Fripp recorded this album.   Many cite (in error) this album as the forefather of Ambient music, but instead I might suggest perhaps the Grandfather as there were a number of great albums before this one that explored electronic minimlaism  (ie Klaus Schulze, Kraftwerk...).  But having said that this album certainly stands alone as one of the true early ambient masterpieces of its ilk and an album that you will never forget.  
    Musically this album blends electronic atmospheres with some lovely melodies and even a few pop-ish tunes.  Some songs are instrumental and some have vocals which will surprise you as to how good a voice Eno had !   Brian is joined by Phil Collins on the drums and Robert Fripp on the guitar while Eno takes care of most of the electronics and full use of the studio.   This album has been previously released multiple times on CD but clearly it is the Astralwerks DSD version that has really brought out the album the way it was meant to be heard in loveingly 96 Kbts.  A Vastly improved sound quality on an absoluetly essential album.

Elvis Costello - North (2002)

Elvis Costello - North (2002) Deutsche Grammophon Records  (SACD)

  If you can imagine North was Elvis' 20th album.....yup good ol' Twenty!    North is a very special album............an album that takes us into some pretty original and less chartered territory for sure. North contains a wonderful set of classically influenced songs that were all written and orchestrated by the man himself.   This is a very soulful and soft album that goes welll with a glass of fine red wine (or white if you prefer!).  Imagine Elvis Costello crooning with a full orchestra behind him and i think you have pretty much summed it up.    But the wow is the music and the sound and on the SACD version you are treated to a nice full dynamic range that few albums can boast.   The SACD version is a pure DDD recording and pure DSD conversion which makes for quite a fine sound reproduction.
  I really like this album a lot and keep playing it anyone who will listen !  

The Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks (SACD)

The Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks 1964 - 1971  (SACD) 

   This was my first album (albeit a double....and a best of collection) of the Stones.   Which in retrospect was a good place to start.   And just like the Beatles Red and Blue Albums, Hot Rocks is a great compilation of the hits of the Stones focused on '64 - '71.   Although I have this album on vinyl it is the SACD version that is the definitive version that you just gotta hear !   The music speaks for itself but it is the sound here that simply blew me away.     

Sly and the Family Stone - Fresh (1973)

Sly and the Family Stone - Fresh (1973) Epic Records

    "Funk-A-Fried".....Funk-Soul masterpiece which IMHO was the best album Sly ever released!   By 1972 Sly's drug use was at it's height and he had struck gold with his soulful psych tinged music that help bridge the gap of Psych and 70's rock.  But on "Fresh" he took us to a place that few had ever ventured into......and would  be the final great release from him.   But this album is THE album that you need to hear from Sly with it's heavily "funk'a-fried" vibe.  This album has it all....great inspired lyrics and vocal harmonies, funksoul rhythm and excellent musicanship.   There is also a wild foreshadowing on this album as on track 2 "If You Want Me To Stay" where Sly sings his farewell and tells us clearly thru his lyrics "if you want me to stay, I'll  be around today then I'm about to go".....freaky eh !  
  Fresh is a killer album but be warned ......you may pull out your funky dancin' boots  while you listen to this album.  

The Red Crayola - The Parable Of Arable Land (1967)

The Red Crayola - The Parable Of Arable Land (1967), Sunspots Records

  Totally Wild and crazy.....nothing like this one in the universe.........warning...this album will expand your brain .....well it did mine !   Seriously freaked out improvisational psych-fest album that leaves nothing on the table.    This is THE ultimate FREAT-BEAT album.......tons of Bottles, buzzsaws, motor cycles, sticks, mouth bows, balloons, jugs, hammers and the odd guitar tossed in for good measure.   This album is not for the light at heart....but if you are patient enough you will find the arable land ...    The Red Crayola are also joined by a gang of 50 friends who help along the way as well and are affectionately referred to as "The Ugly Family".  The end result is a very cool album that defies logic and categorization......something really magical about this 'un .  

The Amboy Dukes - Journey To The Center Of The Mind (1968)

The Amboy Dukes - Journey To The Center Of The Mind (1968)
  
    In 1968 something changed.......we started to ask the right questions....like "why is a carrot more orange than an orange".   Yeah I know you just said "what?"  Well this is one of the tunes off this magnum -opus of psychedelic rock that you have to hear before you die !    To fans of the Psych genre the simple mention of "Amboy Dukes" and they will immediately bark out "Ted Nugent".   Yes this was the first well known band that gun-lover Nugent played in.   Journey is a pure classic album that while carries a garage-psych flare also offers a 60's rock vibe too !  Musically this album is stunning with great song writing and a superb performance.  The recording is also quite good sonically with some nice stereo panning and clear speaker seperation.    A classic album that you need to hear kids !  

Ween - The Mollusk (1997)

Ween - The Mollusk (1997) Elektra Records

  Here is the story on this one.............So I picked up the "Sponge Bob Squarepants" movie soundtrack as it featured a nice mix of some of my fav bands doing kiddie tunes (a win win with 2 kids in the house).  There was a tune on that CD that really caught my ear and that was Ocean Man by Ween.    So I thought I'd pick up the whole album and boy-oh-boy was I glad I did !    Ween's The Mollusk is simply an amazing album that on the surface feels like a humorous kiddie album but "below the surface" is a real gem just waiting to get "caught".    Heavily nautically themed album buoying a progressive rock influence with lots of quirky vocals and superb muscianship.   I think the tune "Buckingham Green" is one of the great songs of 1997.   This is one of those albums that you need to listen to a few times before you will 100% grasp it and soon you will realize that this is way more that a light humourous quirky album.

La Botegga Dell'arte - Dentro (1977)

La Botegga Dell'arte - Dentro (1977) Italy 

  For those who love heavy symphonic Italian prog you will be amazed. I do not know why but these guys are left off the "best-of" Italian prog lists far too often. LA BOTTEGA DELL'ARTE blend the symphonic touches of LOCANDA DELLE FATE with the most beautiful of songs. "Dentro" weights very heavily on keyboards which there is no shortage of here.... piano, mellotron, clavinet, moog, odissey, hammond etc.... This is one of those bands that once you hear, you will not be able to get out of your head. Vocals are exceptional and handled by several members who can all really sing (lots of great harmonies).... very classical voices with the big classical symphonic sound. Like so many of the classic Italian bands they have dual keyboardists, a guitarist, bassist and percussionist all of the highest quality. "Dentro" is one of those cd's that every one love and never gets too heavy to lose some fine folk. Get this CD!!!

The Rascals - Once Upon A Dream (1968)

The Rascals - Once Upon A Dream (1968)  
  Even the Rascals were influenced by Sgt Peppers.............

  In 1967 The Rascals set out to record their epic progressive rock suite......
  
   With the frequent use of sparse instrumenal, spoken passages and sound effects to link and introduce tracks the Rascals recorded a real stunning album with a high degree of eclecticism in both style and arrangement.    This album has a little bit of everything in it........harmonica....humour, sunshine power pop, symphonia, vocal harmonies and dont forget a heavy dose of psych - vanilla extract to be exact !.

This is an album that you will never stop listening to for the rest of your life !

 

The Paupers - Ellis Island (1968)

The Paupers - Ellis Island

   Wow.......this another long lost gem from the psychedelic era that i can't still believe didn't gain the attention it deserves.  The Paupers first album sparked a hit with the flower sunshine power pop tinged album "Magic People", but in sharp contrast "Ellis Island" was their foray into progressive psych-rock arena which was pretty much the end of this band.  Of course lead vocalist Skip Prokop would move onto to other musical adventures inclusing Canada's Lighthouse.    On "Ellis Island" The Paupers blended the symphonic imagery of Procol Harum with the heavy tones of lets say Frijiid Pink to the oil blobbed stains of Kaleidoscope (U.K.) and created a magical album that you will need to hear before you leave this plain.

The second album from The Paupers – a mix of searing guitar jams, more easygoing psychedelic pop bigger arrangements, even a little bit of a comic take on Byrdsy country rock– making for a pretty wild mix of sounds, but done with a focus on melodies and catchy grooves. The group is really stretching out and trying a lot of things on this second album, throwing caution into the wind as far as stylistic divergence goes, more often than not hitting the mark! Titles include "South Down Road", "Cairo Hotel", "Can't Go On", "Another Man's Hair On My Razor", "Ask Her Again" and more

Anekdoten - Nucleus (1995)

Anekdoten - Nucleus , Arcangelo Japanese Remaster (1997)

  Have you had your coffee yet this morning ?  If not then you might want to hold off on popping this album onto your stereo kids !     Aggressively progressive monster, NUCLEUS will take to a chaotic world that you will never forget.  "Going back and listening to Nucleus - almost 15 years later I am still overwhelmed by its sheer power, originality, excessive cravings, mayhem, complexity. elegy, intelligent chord and time changes, variety and wierd tonality writes Geir Larzen in the opening of the booklet which i thinks sums it up all too well.   Sonically this version of this album is absolutely stunning with huge deep mellotron passages and heavy noise progressions. 

Diana Krall - Love Scenes (1997)

Diana Krall - Love Scenes (1997), Verve Music , SACD

   Love Scenes was Diana's 4th studio album and in the spirit of a themed album recorded songs that all had a connection to love.    With her regular guitarist Russell Malone and bassist Christian McBride, Krall performs 12 wonderfully jazzed up songs that obviously touched her soul somewhere along life's path....and now will touch yours too !
  I love Krall's selection of songs as many of these songs my mom would play on the piano as I grew up....songs by Peggy Lee, Ira & George Gershwin and  Irving Berlin. 
 Sonically this album is pretty much picture perfect with it's sparkling wide dynamic range and full soundscape.  They took extreme care in the recording of this album....and this album must be heard on a good stereo to really get !   Audiophiles will debate I am sure the 5.1 Mix back and forth but ignoring all that noise trust me in saying that this and the other early Diana Krall SACD albums are just simply stunning.

Beethoven - Symphony #5 (Bernard Haitink- LSO) (2006)

Beethoven - Symphony #5, London Symphony Orchestra Live (2006) - SACD 
 
   Beethoven wrote perhaps this most immediatly recognizeable symphony in 1808..known of course for the urgent 4 note  motif...ba da da daaaaaaaaa......
  Bernard Haitink draws the LSO on this electrically charged recordiing clearly into the mind of it's creator drawing out every ounce of emotion and energy.  This SACD also contains the wonderful 1st Symphony but it is the 5th that steals the big win on this disc. 

Bang - Bang (1972)

Bang - Bang, USA, Bang Music (1972) - Remastered

  In the annals of rock there are many bands that just didnt quite make it......Bang were one of those bands!   This criminally underrated bit of psych hard rock is an excellent album from start to finish.  Bang were a rock trio (Bass, guitar, drums) who blend Sabbath darkness with slightly evil sounding vocals of Frank Ferrara and a solid drum/bass rhythm section.   Next to oranges and Disney ...Bang may be the best thing that ever came from Florida! 

Kraftwerk - Radio Activity (1975)

Kraftwerk - Radio-Activity, Germany (1975) Remastered 

  On 1975's Radio-Activity, German electronic pioneers set the sails back to their earlier work being one defined of e-moody music.  Their careful use of static, oscillators, and electonic beeps, chirps, blips and dips creates a wall of music that emotes a strong sense of radio transmission.
  Radio- Activity is not often cited as Kraftwerks finest album but IMHO it is a stong as the other, just carries a less immediate catch yet carries strong reward for those patient enough to listen !

The Box Tops - THE ESSENTIAL HITS SINGLES & MORE

The Box Tops - The Essential Hits Singles & More

  The Box Tops will be forever remembered as the band that never really made it and were always marked one digit lower than The Rascals or the Tighteous Bros.   Top Of the Charts remembers their 2 smash hits  "The Letter" and "Cry Like a Baby," but you really need to hear their catalogue!   I am a huge fan of Big Star and Alex Chilton was of course the lead singer in The Box Tops! 
  This collection has been carefully remastered to 24/96kbs and sounds fresh and as if they were playing in your living room

Can - Future Days (1973)

Can - Future Days, Spoon Records, Germany (1973) SACD
  
  Future Days is one of my favourite Krautrock albums of all time....and for good reason!  On Future Days everything clicked for progressive mavericks CAN !    Huge picturesque soundscapes, awesome space guitars (aka Saucerful of Secrets).....affected vocals, hypnotic bass and circular drumming.
  The spoon SACD`s of the CAN catalogue is absolutely stunning and I would recommend you get these little gems before they go bye bye........Ege Bamyasi is awesome too !
If you have never really given CAN a try I would recommend you start here with this album...turn off all the lights..shut the windows and tell the kids to take some ridlin!
  I am a huge fan of CAN and have been for a long long time but right now I am in the mood for some Future Days !

Explosions In The Sky - All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone (2007)

Explosions In The Sky - All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone (2007)

  "It's Natural To Be Afraid" is perhaps one of the great epic instrumental tracks of all time.  Tension building and highly emotional this album really is a work of beauty.   Explosions In The sky may not be for everyone but for those who  love highly engaged instrumental music that explores the vastness of space will love this band.  EITS are a Texas Quartet who create a musical collage of atmospheres that expand well beyond the dark nebula of your mind.  Everytime I hear these guys I am totally reminded of Godspeed you black emperor!  Highly recommended and hugely well crafted music that I am a huge fan of.....this band is extra special folks !    check em out before you check out !