What's Playing Now

[SpeakerLabFan]

Focus - In And Out Of Focus
(1970, Sire) 1973 reissue; STERLING in the deadwax



debut record from Jan Akkerman and Thijs Van Leer's band. that blend of the classical, rock and jazz was there from the start.

[SEAWOLF97]

bikes ODO up to 277 ....picked up TACO ....the track list caught my eye before I realized what the album was ....

♪ ♬ Puttin on the Ritz ♬ ♪ (long version) perfect condition


the rest of the album is pretty good too.

LATER...this is one of the best sounding albums that I've heard in a long time (1982 issue)

[SpeakerLabFan]

Brainbox - self titled
(1969, Capitol/EMI) German pressing




Jan Akkerman's band before joining Focus in late '69. released on Capitol in the US. Jan's screaming fast guitar plus covers of Reason To Believe, Summertime (Porgy & Bess), Scarborough Fair.

[SpeakerLabFan]

Various Artists - Our Best To You
1967, Columbia)



quite a variety here, if there's a theme I don't see it. But a really nice Moby Grape ballad, a couple of interesting covers of Lennon & McCartney songs by The Buckinghams and The Tremeloes.

[Guy in WNY]

"Time Loves A Hero"
Co-Founder passed away this week end. His last gig was July 11th, if I recall.
Little Feat started in about 1969 or so, broke up for a bit after the death of one of the founders and then got back together a few years later and never looked back.
Great band, great music!
I'll do "Dixi Chicken" after this one.

[SpeakerLabFan]

PFM (Premiata Forneria Marconi) - Photos Of Ghosts
(1973, Manticore) Monarch symbol in the deadwax




Italian prog rock. Their first record on the Manticore label after being noticed by Greg Lake while ELP was on an Italian tour. 5 of the songs here have lyrics written by former King Crimson lyricist Peter Sinfield, who also produces. The music here has alot of classical influence with flute and violin.
I spent 12 days in Italy last month - in Tuscany/Umbria and Rome, however these guys seem to have come from Northern Italy, the band name was inspired by a sign on a bakery in a northern village, seems appropriate that they are carrying some nice looking bread in the gatefold picture. This record was recorded in Milan.

[SEAWOLF97]

picked up these 4 for a buck....

been checking Stills ...Turnin back the pages.....uneven , some clunkers/some very fine guitar ...OK for a library item..

[SEAWOLF97]

Picked up these 2 on the AM ride ....Dont know much abt Emmylou , but thot I'd give it a chance ...the other one reminded my of my 'Po City nickname and seems like it shud sound good on JBL's/AR's ..

besides getting Stills yesterday , I also got Led Zepp BBC sessions ....very nice
http://www.amazon.com/BBC-Sessions-L...2167497&sr=8-1

my dubbing rig is the only MD deck in the house that does LP2 mode (160 minutes on a disc) ....last week I picked up my first TOSLINK cable ...connected it to the ES CD deck and the MD deck.....wow, it can make really nice dubs..when you go digi2digi , dont have to make recording level adjustments anymore.... and can put both LZ CD's to a single MD.

that rig is run by a Denon 775-rd and pushing the L-16's which acquit themselves nicely..

[SpeakerLabFan]

Valdy - "Hot Rocks"
(1978, A&M) Canadian pressing; MASTERDISK RL in the deadwax, mastering by Bob Ludwig



Poor man's Gordon Lightfoot, and another 70's Canadian folk singer. Nicely produced with some horn arrangements.
recorded in SF. with Nicky Hopkins, piano; Julian Priester, trombone. The original inner A&M logo'd sleeve is plastic lined, nice.

[SpeakerLabFan]

Spirit - Clear
(1969, Ode)



psychedelic, progressive rock. a really nice recording, at least it sounds that way to me right now. So Little Time To Fly and Ground Hog really cook.

[SpeakerLabFan]

Picked up these 2 on the AM ride ....Dont know much abt Emmylou , but thot I'd give it a chance

I think EmmyLou is great stuff, and has had a great career on her own and playing and singing with others...playing here with The Band in The Last Waltz:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryEXq...eature=related

After establishing herself as the female vocalist in country-rock pioneer Gram Parson's Fallen Angels band, Emmylou Harris was devastated by his death in 1973 and left at a musical crossroads. With the help of Linda Ronstadt, who deeply admired Harris, she relocated to Los Angeles and soon signed with Warner Brothers. One of the conditions of her 1974 recording contract was that she was required to "get a hot band" together. Harris wasted no time recruiting fellow her Fallen Angels -- guitarist Rodney Crowell, pedal steel guitarist Hank DeVito, bassist Emory Gordy, and drummer John Ware -- into her band. Additionally, she enlisted guitarist James Burton and pianist Glenn T. Hardin, both veterans of Elvis Presley's band. With this formidable group of seasoned musicians, Emmylou Harris & the Hot Band was born, recording the albums Pieces of the Sky and Elite Hotel, both released in 1975.
Harris & the Hot Band took to the road in 1975, perfecting their live repertoire. Combining traditional country music's honesty, folk music's heart and intelligence, and country-rock's punch, Harris and company inherited Gram Parson's vision and took it to the next level. Harris gave her musicians the freedom to develop superb instrumental solos and this combined with her haunting crystalline soprano voice, soon gained the attention of audiences both inside and outside the country genre. Harris would continue to honor her mentor, Gram Parsons, throughout her career, but her taste and intelligence in choosing material soon gained her a large cross-over audience at a time when this was virtually impossible to achieve.
From the very beginning, Harris set high standards for herself as well as the musicians she would work with. Her integrity, artistic ability and great diversity led the way to her transcending the country-rock genre and becoming so universally respected by fellow artists and music fans alike.

[SpeakerLabFan]

Laura Nyro - Gonna Take Miracle
(1971, Columbia)



recorded in Philadelphia with classic "Philadelphia soul" production from Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, backing vocals from Labelle.
covers of '50s and '60s soul and R&B standards, including Jimmy Mack; you can spread that thick bass with a butter knife.

[SEAWOLF97]

but it is fun and recorded well ...

really like ..."In Dulce Decorum" by "The Damned"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np2aOZH8Ipo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Dulce_Decorum

[SpeakerLabFan]

Marc Benno - Ambush
(1972, A&M) Monarch symbol in the deadwax



w/ Booker T Jones, Bonnie Bramlett, Ray Brown, Jim Keltner, Carl Radle, Bobby Keys, and Jesse Ed Davis. Benno played a bluesy, Texas styled guitar for The Doors on the sessions for the LA Woman album, I hear some of that here with Southern Woman and Jive Fade Jive. cookin' Blues rock here. I know Benno from his Asylum Choir work with Leon Russell in the late 60s. I grabbed this one today from the HPB clearance shelf for 50 cents.

[SpeakerLabFan]

Ian & Sylvia - Nashville
(1967, Vanguard)




final record on the Vanguard label after relocating to Nashville, tasty early country rock includes Dylan's This Wheel's On Fire (from the Basement Tapes) and The Might Quinn.
w/ Norbert Putnam, Kenny Buttrey. garage sale pickup today.