What's Playing Now

[Fritz The Cat]

I bought this one because of the guitarist: Albert Lee lead guitar on all tracks except B2. Hank DeVito steel guitar. Pete Wingfield keyboards. Did i forget to mention some musician? Ah, yes. The Brothers sing for our hearts and souls. Albert Lee is one of the best guitar players of the world. He plays every style perfectly. Listen to track A5 "Can't get over it".

[Fritz The Cat]

Forget the frontcover. But the trio plays first class. Such gems are mostly missed by looking quickly through a box full of LPs on a flea market. Joe Sample piano of Crusaders meets Ray Brown bass and Shelly Manne drums. Superb dynamics. Perfect pressing. (Notice on back cover: "Grabado en USA") But one thing, at least, we can learn from the front cover:"A showcase of outstanding Jazz" ......

[Fritz The Cat]

Beautiful sax solo by David Sanborn on track A1 "Last Hope's Gone". Strong vocals by the bass player Bugsy Maugh on track A2 "Mine To Love". 3 tracks of 7 are compositions of Maugh. But also the voice of the drummer Philip Wilson is interesting. Listen to track A3 "Get yourself together": this one has much speed and force. Remember the Blues Brothers. Good dynamics on superb french pressing. Heavy vinyl. Cult.

[Fritz The Cat]

Swinging country jazz. There is no dull second on this here. All winners no fillers. David Grisman mandolin, plays with Tony Rice g, Darol Anger violin, Todd Philips mandoline and Bill Amatneek bass. Good german pressing with superb dynamics. "Dawg Music". Lean back and enjoy......

[Fritz The Cat]

It's not the singer, it's the song. And the band. It's also not the ugly front cover....... It's not a gem. But even a little discovery in the thrift store. Gerard McMahon is an english singer/songwriter/multiinstrumentalist/producer living in USA. Because of lack of commercial success with this one, he began as a composer of soundtracks. Gary Mallaber and John Massaro were members of The Steve Miller Band. Steve Sykes was with Stanley Clarke, Hall and Oates, Dusty Springfield, Manfred Mann and later producer.

[Fritz The Cat]

I bought this one because of the guitarist Kimberley Rew (of Katharina and the Waves) and Dave Mattacks (of Fairport Convention and Jethro Tull). And therefore it was a lucky decision in the thrift store. Listen to track B2, a nice version of Bob Dylans "Licence to kill". She' s a good singer.... What do you think about her voice?

[Fritz The Cat]

This is the top of "Ugly Covers". But the music is, in contrast to it, on top of the world. Tenor saxophone premier class. Roland Hanna piano. Grady Tate drums. Very fine dynamics and pressing. Play loud! Forget your neighbours......

[SpeakerLabFan]

Neil Young - s/t
(1968, Reprise)




Nice. strings by Jack Nitzsche.

[SpeakerLabFan]

Hey, this is nearly 60 year old vinyl. A little bit mistreated. Good old vinyl from Holland. And the dynamics are still astonishing! Featuring Paul Desmond. This is a wonder of sonics....

I bet that sounds terrific - jazz fans expected good sound quality on their LPs. Too bad it wasn't the same for rock fans and a lot of rock LPs.

[SpeakerLabFan]

Uriah Heep - The Magician's Birthday
(1972, Mercury) German pressing, MADE IN GERMANY in the deadwax




Non gatefold. Sounds terrific but unlikely to better the UK gatefold copy with GK in the deadwax, Gilbert Kong mastered.

[Fritz The Cat]

Uriah Heep - The Magician's Birthday
(1972, Mercury) German pressing, MADE IN GERMANY in the deadwax




Non gatefold. Sounds terrific but unlikely to better the UK gatefold copy with GK in the deadwax, Gilbert Kong mastered.

This is the german pressing with the fold cover. Look at the marvelous pictures by Roger Dean. This one has superb dynamics. Good pressing and vinyl quality. Forget the ugly press critics of those times.
The critics were wrong. They did't like Uriah Heep since their first LP. But the critics didn't check the magic of this music. And time would tell.......David Byron was an excellent performer. His voice was outstandig. Hensley's songs went straight to the heart. Did you know, that David Byron was very busy in music business before Uriah Heep? Under the pseudonym David Garrick he recorded between 1968 and 1971 various cover songs in Pye Studios. Over 100 songs for various cheapo labels as Marble Arch, Orange, Somerset etc. You may discover so many beautiful interpretations by David Byron. As example listen to his version of John Lennon's "Cold Turkey". After David Byrons death, the critics were right with their opinion about Uriah Heep. See my next post if you please......

[Fritz The Cat]

This is one of many cheap "vocal productions" with the voice of David Byron of later Uriah Heep. Exercises for an unknown talented singer. He needed money. He was exercising to develop his trademark vocals. He is a stunning kind of chamaeleon because of the variations of his voice. There are more than 100 songs he recorded in Pye Studios in 1968 - 1971. For some bucks. Under the pseudonym David Garrick. No credits on the record covers. But he had great fun. Listen to track B1: John Lennons "Cold Turkey". Very impressive. Looking at the front cover: those were the funny times when girls had those mini skirts. Beautiful times then. On some tracks of further vocal productions of Pye Studios you may discover the fresh voice of Reginald Dwight, these days still on the road, known under the name of........... Rock history........

[Fritz The Cat]

Reg Dwight's piano goes pop. Vocal production with many contributions by Elton John. He sings the tracks A2 "Up around the bend", A3 "Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha", A4 "In the summertime", A5 "Yellow river", A6 "Cottonfields", B2 "Question", B4 "Lady D'Arbanville", B5 "Neanderthal Man", B6"Signed sealed delivered (i'm yours)". David Byron sings the tracks A1 "Alright now", B3 "Lola". I'm not joking: these cheap labels always had superb dynamics. They were not in vogue. But they sold very well in Super Markets. Look for them on flea markets and thread stores! Amazing Pop Machine .......

[Fritz The Cat]

I bet that sounds terrific - jazz fans expected good sound quality on their LPs. Too bad it wasn't the same for rock fans and a lot of rock LPs.

This was the reason why CDs had that sudden big success in the late 80ies. No cracks, no disturbing sounds. Totally clean atmosphere. But there was no life in those digital sounds. Which CD sounds better than the LP with the same music? Yes there are very bad pressings, especially in the seventies on american label RCA. For example those Elvis productions were often weak. It is therefore big fun, when we sometimes discover some forgotten gem on the flea market. But you have to look at the LP surface very accurately.

[Fritz The Cat]

The guitar playing is interesting: Michael Toles and Charles Pitts of STAX Recording Studios in Memphis. Toles was member of the Bar-Kays. Charles Pitts ist best known for his "wah wah " guitar on the title track. Cry Baby: "The pedal that rocks the world". This one sold very well. Isaac Hayes was the first afroamerican musician who reached platin status with this LP. This 2 LP german pressing shows superb dynamics. The sticker on the back cover shows the price of 1971: 36 FR. That was too much for me those times. In 1971 i could buy 10 meals for these 36 FR. I still wanted to grow a little bit then........ Lucky punch on flea market in Vevey this summer for 10 FR. Listen to the Hammond part, followed by an impressive sax solo on track C2 "No name bar". Listen also to the fine wah wah guitar and sax solo on cool track C3 "Bumpy's blues".