Clark Hutchinson - Gestalt (1971) 24-bit/96kHz New Vinyl Rip

August 16, 2013, 10:27 am

≫ Next: Warhorse - Warhorse (1970) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

≪ Previous: Mr. Bloe - Groovin' With Mr. Bloe (1970) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

There are so many abrupt twists in the music here that you don't know what's coming next. The brilliant 'Man's Best Friend' (it's a gun, according to the ironic lyric) begins with a startling Spanish guitar intro before fuzzed up electric guitar and drums bludgeon their way in. 'Oriented' is a marvellous instrumental, as exotic as the title suggests. And, although there's a lot of experimentation going on, the tracks are well-crafted and accessible. DJH Thorn

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Warhorse - Warhorse (1970) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

September 4, 2013, 2:31 pm

≫ Next: Warhorse - Red Sea (1972) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

≪ Previous: Clark Hutchinson - Gestalt (1971) 24-bit/96kHz *New* Vinyl Rip

After this record Deep Purple should be dead. Why? Because their fans should change into Warhorse fans. What an album this is!

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Warhorse - Red Sea (1972) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

September 4, 2013, 2:39 pm

≫ Next: Jeffrey Siegel, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (Leonard Slatkin) - Gershwin Orchestral Music Vol. 3 (1975) 24-bit/96kHz

≪ Previous: Warhorse - Warhorse (1970) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

Impressive second album by the highly talented, if flawed Warhorse, a heavy progressive dynamo that threw together everything from Creedence, Zeppelin, and the Allmans to Tull, Wakeman, and ELP. There is also a Deep Purple connection as bassist Nick Simper was an early Purple band member.

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Jeffrey Siegel, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (Leonard Slatkin) - Gershwin Orchestral Music Vol. 3 (1975) 24-bit/96kHz

September 20, 2013, 5:31 pm

≫ Next: Otto Klemperer and The Philharmonia Orchestra - Klemperer Conducts Wagner Vol.3 (1963) 24-bit/96kHz

≪ Previous: Warhorse - Red Sea (1972) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

A great American orchestra, playing great American music. And fantastic sound too! Listen on a good highly resolving system and be amazed at this overlooked gem. It should be on an audiophiles list of demo-discs.

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Otto Klemperer and The Philharmonia Orchestra - Klemperer Conducts Wagner Vol.3 (1963) 24-bit/96kHz

September 20, 2013, 5:42 pm

≫ Next: English Chamber Orchestra (Leppard) - Rameau "Le Temple De La Gloire" / Grétry "Suite of Ballet Music" (1967) 24-bit/96kHz

≪ Previous: Jeffrey Siegel, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (Leonard Slatkin) - Gershwin Orchestral Music Vol. 3 (1975) 24-bit/96kHz

It remains a matter of infinite regret that EMI did not record more complete Wagner operas, or even more whole Acts; they did however record a series of orchestral excerpts. All are given superbly lucid performances in recordings which allow both the depth of the orchestra’s tone and the complexity of the orchestration to be fully displayed. They are over half a century old but I would doubt whether anyone interested in these discs primarily for the music-making on them would have any concerns about the quality of the recording. In particular, improvements in the last fifty years have not always matched the care for balance we find here.

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English Chamber Orchestra (Leppard) - Rameau "Le Temple De La Gloire" / Grétry "Suite of Ballet Music" (1967) 24-bit/96kHz

September 20, 2013, 5:53 pm

≫ Next: London Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult - Holst, The Planets Suite, Op.32 (1954) 24-bit/96kHz

≪ Previous: Otto Klemperer and The Philharmonia Orchestra - Klemperer Conducts Wagner Vol.3 (1963) 24-bit/96kHz

Raymond Leppard’s pioneering L’Oiseau-Lyre recordings of French Baroque music with the English Chamber Orchestra: the brilliant realisations of Rameau’s Temple de la Gloire suite have seldom been more strikingly performed. Le Temple de la Gloire was a theatrical entertainment to a text by Voltaire, written to celebrate a French victory and at the same time, of course, to glorify Louis XV.

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London Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult - Holst, The Planets Suite, Op.32 (1954) 24-bit/96kHz

September 24, 2013, 3:52 pm

≫ Next: Judy Henske & Jerry Yester - Farewell Aldebaran (1969) (New Rip) 24-bit/96kHz

≪ Previous: English Chamber Orchestra (Leppard) - Rameau "Le Temple De La Gloire" / Grétry "Suite of Ballet Music" (1967) 24-bit/96kHz

Sir Adrian Boult recorded this work no less than 5 times,this is the second,coming between the 1945 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the 1956 with the Vienna state Opera Orchestra. Overall it seems to work wonderfully well. The balance feels just right: where quite a few recordings give the impression that there are 7 stand-alone mini tone poems, here, there seems a very organic connection from first movement to last.

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Judy Henske & Jerry Yester - Farewell Aldebaran (1969) (New Rip) 24-bit/96kHz

December 8, 2013, 5:37 pm

≫ Next: Tony McPhee & Friends - I Asked For Water, She Gave Me...Gasoline (1969) (New Rip) 24-bit/96kHz

≪ Previous: London Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult - Holst, The Planets Suite, Op.32 (1954) 24-bit/96kHz

A cult treasure, though few picked up on it in its day and few have picked it up since. Not readily comparable to much other late-'60s psychedelia, it's rare that rock combines pretty, accessible melodies and off-the-wall eclecticism and experimentalism so well. Richie Unterberger Allmusic.

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Tony McPhee & Friends - I Asked For Water, She Gave Me...Gasoline (1969) (New Rip) 24-bit/96kHz

December 11, 2013, 2:24 pm

≫ Next: East of Eden - Mercator Projected (1969) (New Rip) 24-bit/96kHz

≪ Previous: Judy Henske & Jerry Yester - Farewell Aldebaran (1969) (New Rip) 24-bit/96kHz

I Asked for Water, She Gave Me...Gasoline is the second album of (mostly) acoustic blues stylings from Tony McPhee and some talented friends -- including Jo-Ann Kelly, Andy Fernbach, Graham Hines and Brett Marvin. The overall effect, at times, is one of the "blackest"-sounding blues albums ever generated by white Englishmen (and Englishwomen). This is distinctly a late-'60s record at times, in sound and intent, but that's not a problem when you're dealing with talent this prodigious, because it's all honest and unaffected.

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East of Eden - Mercator Projected (1969) (New Rip) 24-bit/96kHz

December 13, 2013, 10:26 am

≫ Next: East of Eden - Snafu (1970) (New Rip) 24-bit/96kHz

≪ Previous: Tony McPhee & Friends - I Asked For Water, She Gave Me...Gasoline (1969) (New Rip) 24-bit/96kHz

Released in the same year as In the Court of the Crimson King, Mercator Projected marks the debut of one of the most exciting, authentically progressive acts of the original prog era, now unfairly forgotten by most. Drenched in exoticism, from the stunning cover,to the evocative title (a Mercator projection is a cylindrical map projection that distorts the shape and size of large objects), in spite of its undeniable rawness, the album is a thoroughly exhilarating listen, blending Eastern sounds with jazz, blues, heavy rock and psychedelia in a heady brew that might at first sound dated, but is still deeply intriguing for a discerning music fan.

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East of Eden - Snafu (1970) (New Rip) 24-bit/96kHz

December 13, 2013, 10:35 am

≫ Next: Scientist v Prince Jammy - Big Showdown (1980) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

≪ Previous: East of Eden - Mercator Projected (1969) (New Rip) 24-bit/96kHz

This music is probably the great-grand-daddy of today's avant garde progressive music. It is an eclectic blend of psychedelia, jazz, blues, folk, celtic, eastern, and various forms of world music. Instruments include bass, flute, tenor and alto sax, trumpet, drums and guitar. Keyboards are largely dispensed with in favour of Dave Arbus's electric violin which provides plenty of texture and background, as well as taking the lead in many passages. There are long sections driven by a jazzy bass guitar playing with almost loop-like repetition, while solo spots are taken in turn by guitar, violin, flute and sax, vocals are sparse.

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Scientist v Prince Jammy - Big Showdown (1980) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

February 26, 2013, 2:12 pm

≫ Next: Scientist - Heavyweight Dub Champion (1980) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

≪ Previous: East of Eden - Snafu (1970) (New Rip) 24-bit/96kHz

Scientist burst onto the reggae scene in the early 80s with a reckless mixing style that seemed to outdo even King Tubby's wildest extravaganzas.

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Scientist - Heavyweight Dub Champion (1980) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

February 26, 2013, 2:24 pm

≫ Next: Manu Dibango - O Boso (1972) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

≪ Previous: Scientist v Prince Jammy - Big Showdown (1980) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

If maybe you're already into reggae and finding yourself drawn more into the 'roots & culture' area of dub, then there can't be a better place to start than with Scientist.

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Manu Dibango - O Boso (1972) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

March 2, 2013, 8:41 am

≫ Next: Bobby Womack, J.J. Johnson - Across 110th Street Original Motion Picture Score (1972) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

≪ Previous: Scientist - Heavyweight Dub Champion (1980) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

Dibango is Cameroon’s, and perhaps Africa’s, best-known jazz saxophonist. Dibango recorded his first album, Manu Dibango, in 1968, followed by O Boso (1971) and Soma Loba (1972). Informed by jazz and R&B, all three albums were essentially in the same urgent – at times fantastically raucous – makossa mould, which Dibango successfully introduced to the international marketplace.

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Bobby Womack, J.J. Johnson - Across 110th Street Original Motion Picture Score (1972) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

March 2, 2013, 8:49 am

≫ Next: John Dummer's Famous Music Band (1970) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

≪ Previous: Manu Dibango - O Boso (1972) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

The soundtrack to a relatively little-known 1972 blaxploitation film featured songs written and performed by Bobby Womack, as well as a musical score by J.J. Johnson. Although the inconsistency of the approach precluded a musical statement along the lines of Superfly, it's an interesting find for those looking for little-heeded early-'70s soul with funk and rock influences.

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John Dummer's Famous Music Band (1970) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

March 12, 2013, 6:17 pm

≫ Next: Kevin Coyne - Marjory Razor Blade (1973) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

≪ Previous: Bobby Womack, J.J. Johnson - Across 110th Street Original Motion Picture Score (1972) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

If you like off-kilter, bluesy, jazzy, folky music, this album is well worth a listen...

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Kevin Coyne - Marjory Razor Blade (1973) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

March 20, 2013, 6:04 pm

≫ Next: Denny Gerrard with High Tide - Sinister Morning (1970) *New* 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

≪ Previous: John Dummer's Famous Music Band (1970) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

Of the four or five Kevin Coyne albums that fans routinely describe as his best ever, Marjory Razorblade is by far the best known in the wider world, a consequence not only of the enormous critical splash it made upon its original release in 1973, but also because of the ripples it continued sending out long after the fact. Four years later, Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten singled out the album's "Eastbourne Ladies" as one of his all-time favorite records, while the strumming, thrumming "Marlene" is one of those records whose failure to become a monster hit single continues to baffle and bewilder. (Even Virgin thought so, as they proved when they gave it a second chance in 1977.) Yet "Marlene" is just one highlight amid a storm-tossed sea of the things.

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Denny Gerrard with High Tide - Sinister Morning (1970) New 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

March 22, 2013, 11:23 am

≫ Next: Pete Dello and Friends (Honeybus) - Into Your Ears (1971) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

≪ Previous: Kevin Coyne - Marjory Razor Blade (1973) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

Having overseen High Tide's critically acclaimed 1969 debut album, Sea Shanties, it was no surprise that when Denny Gerrard began work on his own debut, self-produced, full-length, High Tide were by his side. However, the resulting album, Sinister Morning, was far more a reflection of Gerrard's vision than Tide's sound. Much of the set has a folkie feel, accentuated by the prolific use of Gerrard's acoustic guitar and harmonica. Although kept on a tight leash, High Tide still bring an energy to the set, turning up the heat on virtually all the songs…

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Pete Dello and Friends (Honeybus) - Into Your Ears (1971) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

April 15, 2013, 2:41 pm

≫ Next: Mr. Bloe - Groovin' With Mr. Bloe (1970) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

≪ Previous: Denny Gerrard with High Tide - Sinister Morning (1970) *New* 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

If you've ever been delighted by the music of McCartney or The Beatles; ELO or Renaissance; or with the songs of Ray Davies or Kevin Ayres - or even if you just remember "I Can't Let Maggie Go" and were impressed by its classy originality, then this album is most definitely for you!

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Mr. Bloe - Groovin' With Mr. Bloe (1970) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

May 30, 2013, 9:22 am

≫ Next: Clark Hutchinson - Gestalt (1971) 24-bit/96kHz *New* Vinyl Rip

≪ Previous: Pete Dello and Friends (Honeybus) - Into Your Ears (1971) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

Mr. Bloe was the name given to the musicians who performed the single "Groovin' With Mr. Bloe", which was a hit in 1970 in the UK for Dick James Music (DJM). These included Harry Pitch or Ian Duck on harmonica, and Zack Laurence on piano.

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