Renaissance - live at Carnegie Hall (1976)

Renaissance - live at Carnegie Hall

  Renaissance's amazing double LP set recorded live over 3 nights at New York's Carnegie Hall is clearly an album you just gotta hear.

  This live album followed 1975's stunning  "Scheherazade and Other Stories" and was a wonderfully well recorded collection of some of the most memorable songs from their earlier albums.  

Fittingly the album opens with Prologue from their first Haslam vocal album which is a landmark live cut for Renaissance fans.  

The second record is really just 2 side long epic tracks capturing "Scheherzade" and "Ashes are burning" in its entirity and in the most natural live setting.  

Annie Haslam had the voice of an angel and never was it ever so captivating as captured here with the live orchestra.   Renaissance were an amazingly talented band and the Carnegie Hall shows gives us a nice live glimpse into this deep seeded talent.
  

True Myth (1979)

True Myth
 
  True Myth sadly only released two albums, but what a great debut album they left behind!  This album is widely recognized as being the first Canadian digital album released and seems to have its fame based mostly on this fact, but for me it is what lies on the vinyl that makes it for me.

   No question True Myth were a progressive rock band that had jazz leanings and were likely 5 years too late on the scene as the whole prog rock scene was pretty much gone by then.

  True Myth were a 5 piece art rock band that are in the Starcastle and Tai Phong camp with Yes like structures and excellent harmonies and songwriting not far from Renaissance in many ways (minus Annie Haslam).

  The song "time and time again" is the highlight for me on this album with is luring melody and thoughful composition.   I also love the delicate vocals of Bruce Cummings who sings this particular number in grand epic style.

  True Myth were graced by the keyboard talents of Tom Treumuth who played mellotron, piano, fender, arp and Yamaha synths throughout this album.  Tom would also go on to  produce albums for Helix and Honeymoon Suite in Canada years later.

  The whole album is just excellent from start to finish and if you can find this album still it is well worth picking up !

Roy Buchanan - Second Album (1973)

Roy Buchanan - Second Album

    Roy's second album is a Blues rock extravagenza and a superb album !    No question Roy was one of the best blues guitarists ever and this album get to show off his skills.

  Buchanan had the blues........and had the ability to draw out so much emotion out of his guitar....literally they could speak !

  Songs like "after hours" and " five string blues" just leap out of the stereo like he was literally talking thru his guitar to us.

  Buchanan does not even sing until about 12 mins into the album...its just that kind of an album!

  Canada's Jerry Mercer (April Wine) is the drummer featured on this album along with Dick Heintze (organ), Don Payne (bass) and Teddy Irwin on the rhythm guitar.

  Side one ends with a real treasure.......a 2 minute blues-prayer called "thank you lord" which just works to perfection and is a short watermark for me on this incredible album.

The Devil's Anvil - Hard rock from the Middle East (1967)

The Devil's Anvil - Hard rock from the Middle East

   The Devil's Anvil were 60's  New York rockers that released as far as I know this sole album.  

   They were regulars in Greenwich village playing cafes and bars with their unique Middle East influenced rock sound.   Felix Pappalardi (producer of Cream's Disraeli Gears, later to play in Mountain) was the arranger and producer as well as bass guitarist, tambourist, percussionist and support vocals on this album.   

 This band and album were doomed to failure on thecharts as bad luck and bad fortune would have it that the very same day that Hard Rock From The Middle East hit the stores, the 1967 Arab-Israeli War broke out, and not a single radio station anywhere would go near the album! 

Its too bad cause this album is just so psychy and fused with middle eastern vibes and rock genres throughout.   I love the Arabic, Turkish and Greek lyrics and the wild instrumentation with the heavy rock tendencies ....this is an album that you need to sit and listen to very carefully.

  There is also a vast array of world instrumentation on this album featuring the electric oud, bouzouki, tamboura, durbeki as well as fuzz guitar, bass and hand and rock drums.

   This is a very tasty album but dont forget to brush your teeth !

Virgil Fox - On Top Of Bach (1971)

Virgil Fox - On Top Of Bach

    Years ago i first heard "Heavy Organ" and thought that was one of finest organ albums I had ever heard.     To this day that album (which I previously reviewed on ths BLOG) remains one of y most beloved live albums in my collection.

  That same year Virgil Fox released this ode to BACH album that features a number of studio tracks that do not appear on thelive at Winterland album!

   Virgil had a very positive almost flamboyant approach to how he played BACH casting his music in very positive light.   Virgil played BACH the way that I wanted to hear his music which is likely why I am so fond of his playing.

   How can you beat BACH's Toccatas and Fugues?  They are simply some of the best pieces of music possibly ever written......BACH was a genius.

   Virgil Fox plays BACH on the organ like no other and this album is a pure delight to spin time and time again.





 

The Knack - .......but the little girls understand (1980)

The Knack - .......but the little girls understand (1980)

  After the big success of the Knack's debut power pop album and the hit single "my sharona" their second album "......but the little girls understand " was basically all but ignored and dismmissed.  In many ways I think that this sophmore album is better than their debut!  

  The Knack were a power pop band that wrote some very cool songs...the kind of albums you love to drive to with all your windows rolled down and the tunes just blaring.

  The Knack even play an ode to The Kinks with a little fast rockin interpretation of "The Hard Way" which is guaranteed to make you air drum !

 There were no big hits on this album but toe tapping songs like "Mr. Handleman" and "Baby talks dirty" make this album so memorable for me.  I think "Baby Talks Dirty" was on the charts for a very short period otherwise I think sadly this album just fell off the shelf!

 This is a power pop album that you just gotta hear !

Homer and Jethro - Nashville Cats (1967)

Homer and Jethro - Nashville Cats 

  Homer and Jethro were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in  2001.   They released a good lot of albums and always had a humorous spin to their music.  What makes these guys so interesting for me is their keen musicianship and humor bits which keeps younglued to their music.   

Homer Haynes and Jethro Burns were at one time one of the biggest Country acts going.  Below this humor (much of which is humor of the times) lays 2 guys who can really play and write music. 

 Like many of the J&T albums "Nashville Cats" was produced by Chet Atkins.  This album is extra special as it features some discrete psychedelic hints......on Quincy Quack they reference LSD and on The Square Song they actually reference the Psychedelic garage band The Seeds.

My favourite song this album is the "square song" where Homer and Jethro sing about the rock and roll scene...and make mention of the psychedelic band that I love The Seeds, the Animals, the Stones, Byrds, the Beatles and others.

  On side 2 they play a rather funny spoof of The Beatles "She Loves You" with some very altered lyrics!   Beatles fans will love this humorous version no doubt which is actually rocked up a bit.

  They also do a funny rendition of "Winchester Cathedral" that they try to hurt but in the end is a superb version.   This song also features some pretty standout electric guitar playing showing just how good these guys were really.

 No question this is far away from modern country and even modern music , but I can assure you that these guys are grooovy!