Tedeschi Trucks Band - Everybody's Talkin' Live (2012)

Tedeschi Trucks Band - Everybody's Talkin' Live 

  A fantastic triple vinyl copy of this superb live concert featuring Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi and the 11-piece ensemble.  Live showcases their vintage funk-R&B-gospel-blues, and Rock tendencies.

The album is a wonderful mix of original and cover versions and in no way is a replica of the Studio albums nor do they wander into the endless jam sessions mold.  Instead each song is given lots of room and space to lure your ears into their world where we are treated to a fantastic full color spectrum of sounds and genres.  In many ways i prefer the live version over the studio version and any fan of "Revelator," will need to own this set.    

The triple 180g vinyl set offers superb sound reproduction far eclipsing the CD release and IMHO is absolutely an essential album to own 

Tedeschi Trucks Band - Revelator (2011)

Tedeschi Trucks Band - Revelator

  Wow....what a great album !  ...and how can you miss with the skillful and soulful guitar phrasing of Derek Trucks along side the emotive and deep voice of his wife Susan Tedeschi.   Revelator is the debut album from this 11-piece band who have managed to capture a superb album of 12 swell crafted songs.
   Along with Trucks and Tedeschi they have added a wonderful supporting cast including Oteil , Kofi Burbridge , Mike Mattison,  Tyler Greenwell , J.J. Johnson with both a horn section and backing vocals.

    The overall result is a deep soulful blues album that melds rock with  Southern soul, gospel, and funk all on one album.   Susan Tedeschi handles the vocals and no question she has a perfect voice for this mix of music.  Trucks plays some of the finest guitar accents I have heard in years...and it is more than just playing the blues.   Derek Trucks just seems to know when to turn it on and when to help shape the music....like a good conductor.   This is NOT a typical blues guitar-driven album with some great playing...its goes deeper musically and spiritually than that.  There is even some sitar on this album !....Ravi eat your heart out ! 

  My favourite track on the album is the emotional "Until You Remember" where Trucks and Tedeshci feed off each other unlike anything I have heard in a long time.

A brilliant debut album and this one is a keeper kids !
   

Foreigner - 4 (1981)

Foreigner - 4 SACD

Foreigner 4 was one of the albums that defined the 80's rock scene IMHO......who could ever forget "juke Box Hero" or "Urgent" from the genius production propensities of Mutt Lange. Mutt Lange was on a roll and was one of the most sought after producers and was fresh from ACDC's killer "Back In Black" magnum opus when he entered into the studio with a skinnied down four membered Foreigner. Al Greenwood and Ian McDonald did not stick around for the fourth Foreigner album! Basically Foreigner 4 takes off right where "Head Games" left off with straight forward Rock n' Roll and with Mutt Lange's golden touch this album became the best selling Foreigner album!

Foreigner 4 leaves nothing on the turntable ! Ten great memorable songs with loads of air guitar moments for all of us ! Lou Gramm is spot on and I think he really shines on this album and solidified his position as on of the great rock singers. The other tunes that I think are a ten out of ten are the rockers "Luanne" and "Break It Up" which I think are stunning rock anthems.

Once again Shawn Britton at Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs did the remastering to SACD and did a superb job! I think that of all the four Foreigner SACD's this one offers the best sound for my ears. The bass, keyboards, guitar and drums are nicely seperated and have that hi quality definition you dream of.....and imagine it is on one of my fav albums !

Lou Gramm's vocals are deep and nicely balanced as well. There are moments on this SACD that are truely stunning......parts of songs just have such a deep vibe and sound quality that I was amazed....the same vibe I got listening to some of the finer SACD's.

An excellent SACD and now I am a Juke Box Hero!!!!!!!

Foreigner - Head Games (1979)

Foreigner - Head Games SACD

 Head Games was the third album by rockers Foreigner who really shifted on this album far away from the progressive rock allusions found on their first two albums making way for a more straight forward rock groove. No question the album opens with one of thier great tracks "Dirty White Boys" which is a song I will always love and a song that ushered in the new sound of Foreigner. Head Games also was the swan song for ex- King Crimson genius Ian McDonald who would have to find another avenue to exert his stylistic touch on. 

 I always liked Foreigner and Head Games was an album I played to death as a kid. I was so anxious to get the SACD version and had been pestering MOFI for about a year and a half about releasing this album and "4". "Blinded by science" is another superb Foreigner track that really went unnoticed but is a clear watermark for me on this album ! 

 So was the wait worth it you ask? Definitely ! 

 The SACD was carefully mastered from the original master tapes by Shawn Britton at Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs who did another excellent job ! The sound quality is to notch and offers the best sound on is album I have ever heard! Lou Gramm's vocals are right up front and clearly seperated and sound superb.....this guy had one of the great rock voices! The guitars, keyboards, bass and drums have great speaker seperation and a nice rich sound dynamic throughout the whole album.   

  Another excellent SACD remaster from MOFI and for fans of Foreigner this is essential !

Guitar Boogie - Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page (1971)

Guitar Boogie - Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page 

  Guitar Boogie is a bluesy compilation featuring slowhand mr. Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, with additional credit to The Allstars.    According to the liner notes this compilation is taken from a series of albums titled British Archives vol 1-4. Only two of the guitarists appear on any given track. Jeff Beck does not appear on any of the Page/Clapton numbers. Similarly, Clapton doesn't appear on the Allstars tracks.

  Jeff Beck's two tracks were recorded in 1963 and can be found on several different compilations as well but it is nice to have em here too !    This album was compiled by Richard Robinson who did a great job in assembling these cuts.  My only criticism is the short length of the album with each side containing about 14 mins of music.

  The sound on this vinyl record is a bit smokey and bluesy which fits the vibe of the overall album!  I believe all these tracks were originally mono and have been reprocessed for stereophonic playback.

STYX - The Grand Illusion (1977)

STYX - The Grand Illusion (A&M audiophile series LP)

  The Grand Illusion was one of the albums I grew up listening to and really became part of my childhood.  No question songs like "Fooling Yourself" , "Superstars" and "Man In The Wilderness" were huge songs in my life.  "Come sail away" was a roller skating staple on every sunday living up North in Canada! 
      

     I have never heard this album sound as good as it does on this half speed mastered LP!   Fans of this album will need to hunt down a copy of this version as it is just that good !    You wont believe "castle walls" when you hear this version with total clarity like I have never heard before.  For example I never heard the hand percussion on this song before yet now it stands out .   Also some of the vocal harmonies sound totally distinct and clear....it really puts a whole new perspective on this treasured album!

   The Grand Illusion was in my opinion the height of their career with a perfect blend of progressive, rock and pop with some of the best songs from their career. 

Cat Stevens - Buddha And The Chocolate Box (1974)

Cat Stevens - Buddha And The Chocolate Box

   After a string of gold albums Cat Stevens began to divert off what made him popular and basically was starting to fall out of view by the public.   Buddha and the Chocolate Box was basically a return to his original form as defined on both "Tea For The Tillerman" and
"Teaser and the Firecat" albums.  

   The songs are basically in the 4 mins zone and are very acoustic guitar based and are kept to the bare minimum. The song "oh very young" actually once again brought a top 10 hit to Cat Stevens and to this day is regarded as one of his better albums.

   I first heard Cat Stevens at University and remember picking up all his albums and "Buddha" was an album I played a lot!  

The Illusion - Together (As A Way Of Life) (1969)

The Illusion - Together (As A Way Of Life)

Elton John - Blues Moves (1976)

Elton John - Blues Moves (1976)

PFM - Chocolate Kings

PFM - Chocolate Kings

Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese dream (2011)

Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese dream (2011)

"Fiercely adventurious, brooding and expressive, "Siamese Dream" is a breathtaking ride into a majestic rock world all its own. Inventive and enticing, this is a modern classic" is the perfct way to describe this excellent and very much groundbreaking album!

  Siamese Dream was the second album by hard alt-rockers The Smashing Pumpkins and remains one of the finest alternative rock albums of all time.    This album a very dense and highly well constructed with layers of atmospheres and deep musicanship.   I actually find this album borders on art rock and prog rock without overt allusions.  Songs like "Soma" would trick proggers into thinking it was Porcupine Tree.
   Although only their second album the band were already at a crossroad with tons of inner friction and dissention in the ranks.   This edge carried over onto this album and you can feel the tension and power within.     

I love the addition of the mellotron on some of the songs and the heavy fuzzed out guitarwork of Billy Corgan and James Iha.   

No question this is a very special album and an absolute must have recording!

Blue note's Three Decades Of Jazz (1949-1959)

Blue note's Three Decades Of Jazz (1949-1959)

  This is my second 30th anniversary Blue Note  2 LP set compilation examining 1949-1959 and showcasing some of the finest jazz your ears will ever hear.   What makes these collections such a great set is the choice of tracks and artists featured.  These treasured vinyl sets are stunning from start to finish and I would highly recommend them to all vinyl jazz lovers regardless even if you have some of the tracks.
  
  Side one surprisingly starts it all off with some classic chamber jazz workouts and features 2 tracks with some great vibe work!  The Bud Powell Trio, T Monk Quintet, Milt Jackson Quintet, Jay Jay Johnson Sextet and the Clifford Brown Sextet simply jazz out!   Highlight for me is "get happy" by Jay Jay Johnson Sextet.....i had not heard this tune until this compilation and I will have to find that full album.....wow!

  Side two doesn't show any signs of slowing down......3 nice long jammin' jazz tracks featuring the Miles Davis Quartet, Horace Silver Quintet and one of my personal favs on this collection the "Yardbird Suite" by The great Jimmy Smith with some tastey guitar work by Kenny Burrell.   Miles' solemnly heart wrenching version of "it never entered my mind" is also another simply killer Blue Note moment and I am so glad they put this tune on the LP set!

   Side three rings in with 2 nice long tracks with Sonny Clark's "Speak Low" featuring John Coltrane and Donald Byrd and then we shift into a pure classic with Coltrane's " Blue Train".

  The fourth and final side features 3 tracks from the late 50's and you can feel the shift in the approach jazz is starting to take.  Sonny Rollins Quartet, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and Lou Donaldson showcase how modern jazz was developing and offer a sneak peek into what was still to come
 Overall a simply stunning collection from Blue Note and if you are. Jazz fan then this is the perfect treat for your turntable!

Os Mutantes

Os Mutantes 

Turkish Freakout 1 (2013)

Turkish Freakout  volume 1 (2013)

  Wow.....get ready to brush your teeth a few times during the play of this album!     This aptly titled 2 LP set covers a very rare but totally cool yet freaked out genre with Turkish psychedelic rock from 1969 to 1980.

  The music is totally psyched out with tons of fuzzed guitars, traditional instrumentation, native vocals and lyrics and a certain rare vibe about these choice tracks.   As i listened to this compilation i found myself totally just loving every track....there is not a bad track on this comp.  The folks at Bouzouki joe records have done a wonderful job is pulling these long lost rare artifacts together and the sound quality is pretty good actually.

 I was already a little bit up on the Turkish psych scene with the likes of Erkin Koray, Baris Manco and Cem Karaka, but this 2 LP set introduced me to now a much wider bit of the music from this region.

 It is actually quite sad that this music is not really heard outside of the acid-drenched international music afectionados!

  I would think that this is an album you wont bring to your highschool grad reunion, but when no one is looking why not slip into some Turkish Freakouts!

Acid - Mysterons Invade The Jackin' Zone (2013)

Acid - Mysterons Invade The Jackin' Zone (2013)

  When house music is this electroic and psychedelic then I am soooooo there!   This 2 LP set is pretty much the furtherst I have travelled in a wee while .....in fact this is right out of my musical comfort zone........but a nice find !

  Acid is 11 of Chicago's spaciest house music musicians all compiled in this compilation.   Fans of Kraftwerk and the electronica genre will likely adore this compilation.    Also fans of Atari and Colecovision will also love this album.  

  Musically this is heavy beat with cool samples (often recognized) with some excellent space electronics and has an overall hallucinogenic type feel to the music.   There is even a wee story board and comic strip to accompany the space music present on this album.

   The sound quality is also very good and the 180g vinyl works like magic on my stereo offering deepnand true bass and drum sounds.   There are some vocals too along the way which work well to the spacey pulses.

  Overall the best house music I have ever heard and i highly recommend this album !

Dead Can Dance - In Concert (2013)

Dead Can Dance - In Concert (3 LP set)

  Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry have been a huge influence on my   Love of music and this album once again reconfirms this.   I pre-ordered this as soon as I heard it was going to be released and what a handsome set !  
    In concert is taken form their latest tour and was done so with audiophile quality as you would expect.  The 3 LP set comes with 3 180 g vinyl albums, a few inserts and a lovely case to house all this in.....no question the packaging is worth the price alone.

  Musically Gerrard and Perry are spot on with a fantastic cast of musicians to help them paint their music landscapes for us all.   "Toward the within" simply had me 100% right from the start and i got the same feeling with "In Concert".    I could listen to DCD all day long!  Their music is lush and truely beautiful .......touches you deep in ways few artists can...

 Highlights are vast but for me "children of the sun", " song to the siren", and "sanvean" are the finest music I have ever heard live!  

  DCD are a very special band and this is a very special album......
 You need to get this .......it is truely and album you just gotta hear!!!

The illusion (1969)

The Illusion (1969)
   Thanks to the lads at rock and roll heaven in Orlando i was able to complete my vinyl collection of "The Illusion" with their second recording of 3......and what a psych beauty!    Believe it or not the opening track on this album "Did You See Her Eyes." scored a top 40 in the US back in 1969.

The Illusion were a quintet from Long Island who echoed pop, psych and rock with some great singing and song writing.    Fans of late 60's psych rock and garage rockers will adore these albums with their memorable rock tunes and hints of progressive and psychedelia.

  The illusion sound like The Who meets The Nazz meets The Strawberry Alarm Clock with a very dated MOD vibe yet maintaining a very creative edge.

  How the heck these guys have remained so unknown still just amazes me!