Karl Bartos - Off The Record (2013)

Karl Bartos - Off The Record (2013)

  Karl Bartos may not be an immediately recognizable name but perhaps the name Kraftwerk will resonate with you ?   Yes Karl Bartos was by "numbers" 25% Kraftwerk during the ManMachine and Computer World days.....Karl was a critical piece of this classic line up and has re-kindled this electronic craziness and spirit on "Off The Record" .   

  I love this album..........perhaps the best electronic album I have heard in years !   

  There is something extra special with Karl Bartos..........vocoder and vntage electronics....how can u go wrong!

Kraftwerk fans will love this album !

  Bartos take the bass and rhythm section of Kraftwerk....adds 3 cups of classic keyboards and 3 tbds of insanity and then covers with 6 ounces of his own vibes to these great little tunes.

Yaz - Upstairs At Eric's (1982)

Yaz - Upstairs At Eric's (1982)

  Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke were a synthetic synth band from the 80's that caught my attention on both of their albums.   Upstairs at Eric's was one of the album in the 80's that a certain crowd I was hanging with adored (the other was Planet P!) and we would listen to this album over and over on Friday nights! 

  I actually think this album has a bit more than just synthy crap! :)......In fact it is full of sound effects and tones that will touch your soul.  Moyet's voice is deep and soulful with some fantatsic vocals and harmonies.   The song "I before E Except After C" is totally psychedelic with tons of twirling and vocal swirling.......not far off of things like what Pink Floyd might have done actually.   

 The song  "midnight" is one of my favourite songs from the 80's with it's powerful vocals and careful electronica.   Clarke and Moyet are at their best on this song with its huge wall of sound.......welcome to Depeche Mode meets Soul....

  "Only You" is one of the great 80's electronica songs....with Moyet's delicate vocals and the magical electroic wizardry of Vince Clarke

Blue Note's 3 decades of jazz (1959-1969)

Blue Note's 3 decades of jazz (1959-1969) 2 LP set

  30th Commemoratie Anniversary 2 LP set covering some of my favourite jazz'ites........Donald Byrd, Jimmy Smith, Ike Quebec, Lou Donaldson, Lee Morgan, Stanley Turdentine, Eric Dolphy, Horace Silver and Kenny Burrell.  Talk about a wicked lineup of musicians eh !  And wait till you hear the tunes too,,,,,,,,,this is one of the best jazz compilations I have ever heard!  

   Side one kicks off with one of my fav's with Jimmy Smiths funked out classic "Back At The Chicken Ranch" and then we explore another amazing Blue Note moment with the lazily blue melancholic sax of Ike Quebec and Grant Green on "Blue & Sentimental" and then over to Stanley Turrentine's huge sax with Kenney Burrell's clean guitar fingerings and Ray Barretto's hand percusssion.  

  Side two begins with one of my favourite jazz players.....Donald Byrd and "Cristo Redentor" from his 1963 classic album "a new perspective".  Next we stop off at the full 10'minute fusionie ever moving "The Sidewinder" from Lee Morgan.

  Side three in total contrast opens with a crazy 12 minute excursion that is "out to lunch" with Eric Dolphy with the vibes of Bobby Hutcherson and the drumming of Tony Williams in one crazy little tune.  Next up is the Horace Silver Quintet and "song for my father" from 1964.

 Side four opens with Stanley Turrentine's "River's Invitation" with both Herbie Hancock and Kenny Burrell assisting along the way.   Next we travel to Stockholm Sweden with the Ornette Coleman Trio and "European Echoes" .    And in Grand Finale mode we do some "Peepin'" with Lou  Donaldson and Lonnie Smith grinding out the organ.

   A huge vinyl collaborative set with amazing sound quality.....Blue Note baby !!!!

Al Stewart - Time Passages (1978)

Al Stewart - Time Passages (1978)

     Trying to follow up after "Year Of The Cat" was to be a tall order but with great gusto on "Time Passages" Al Stewart managed to do just this IMHO!    Stewart was in his creative song writing prime and it shows with progressive and folk elements littered throughout the album.  

  Once again he hooks up with the Alan Parsons crowd and staff on this album with Alan once again producing the album with Stuart Elliott on drums, Ambrosia's David Pack ...Joe Puerta.......strings by Andrew Powell and cover art by Hipgnosis.........sounds like a delicious album eh!

  "Life in Dark Water" IMHO is one of the great 70's prog rock songs.....huge atmospheres....and the sonar at the end of the tune is soooooooo cool.

  Musically this is folk art rock with a major emphasis on clever song writing and skillful playing.  Al plays some great guitar and wrote some beautiful songs for this album.   

The album literally feels like The Alan Parsons Project meets folk singer/songwriter Al Stewart.......wait that is exactly what this album is !!!!!!!

   

  

  

The Illusion - If It's So (1969)

The Illusion - If It's So 
   All 3 of the Illusion albums are stunning albums......heavy in some parts....fuzzed out psychy in other parts yet still full of soul and rock 'n roll.     "If it's So" was the debut album and by the end of 1969 they would have released their second album.    

  The Illusion were  Michael Ricciardella (drums), Richie Cerniglia (guitar), Chuck Alder (bass), Mike Maniscalco(guitar, keyboards), and John Vinci (vocals). The Steed label released three albums over two years and then they sadly broke up and now psychedelic rock collectors are scooping up their albums.   

   Musically this band were phenoms......hard psych driving power ripping chords.....acid drenched rock bits with powerful vocals and excellent instrumentation.   For those who like their psych a bit crunchy will drool over this nugget!

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Chronicle (2 LP)

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Chronicle (2 LP 180g)

  It all really started for "the revival" back in 1967 and ended really in 1972 with the release of their seventh and final album.   John and Tom Fogerty, Stu Cook and Doug Clifford brought us so many great songs and great albums along their journey.   No question they were rolling......rolling.....rolling on the river!
  Although I have all their albums I had to pick up the Fantasy 2 LP remastered version set on 180g vinyl and what a sound ! No question CCR were an amazing rock band and their music will live with me forever.
  Chronicle was originally released back in 1972 and as a kid my brother and I listened to this compilation over and over and wore out the grooves.   I was so excited to see this album had been so carefully put all back together so well.   
   Of course all the classics are here...in fact 20 of them !    "Have you ever seen the rain" and "Lodi" are two of my personal favourite CCR track and hearing these again in such clarity made my jaw drop!
   Gotta love CCR!!!!