Dire Straits - Sultans Of Swing - The Very Best Of Dire Straits [2CD] (1998)

Year: 19 October 1998 (CD 2004)
Label: Mercury Records (Europe), 0602498684566
Style: Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 78:59, 53:14
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 503, 339 Mb

Charts: UK, FRA, SWI #1; GER, NZ #2; AUS, AUT #3; NED #4. Austria, Germany - Gold; Switzerland, France, New Zealand - Platinum; Great Britain - 2x Platinum; Australia - 6x Platinum.

Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits is the second greatest hits compilation by the British rock band Dire Straits. Records in the United States. The album was originally released, featuring liner notes by Robert Sandall, as both a single CD and a limited edition double CD, with the second CD containing live recordings from Mark Knopfler's first solo tour in 1996. The album is named after the band's 1978 hit single of the same name. In 2002, a limited edition box set, comprising the two CDs and the DVD, was released as part of Universal's "Sight and Sound" series.

All songs were written by Mark Knopfler, except track 4, containing an extract from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel Waltz with the rest of the song by Knopfler, and track 9, written by Knopfler and Sting. Track 9, "Money for Nothing" was not the 1985 album version, but a shorter version, with the second verse censored out, to avoid offending listeners who failed to appreciate the ironical use of a narrative persona for satirical purposes.

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultans_of_Swing:_The_Very_Best_of_Dire_Straits)

01. Sultans of swing (05:50)

02. Lady writer (03:49)

03. Romeo and Juliet (06:05)

04. Tunnel of love (08:14)

05. Private investigations (05:54)

06. Twisting by the pool (03:36)

07. Love over gold (Live) (03:40)

08. So far away (04:03)

09. Money for nothing (04:09)

10. Brothers in arms (04:55)

11. Walk of life (04:12)

12. Calling Elvis (04:41)

13. Heavy fuel (05:01)

14. On every street (04:39)

15. Your latest trick (Live) (05:41)

16. Local hero / Wild theme (Live) (04:24)

The following tracks were recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall on 23 May 1996 by Mark Knopfler:

01. Calling Elvis (09:05)

02. Walk of Life (05:28)

03. Last Exit (02:23)

04. Romeo and Juliet (07:30)

05. Sultans of Swing (13:14)

06. Brothers in Arms (08:54)

07. Money for Nothing (06:37)

CD1:     TurboBit            KatFile

CD2:     TurboBit            KatFile

Guns N' Roses - Greatest Hits [Japan Ed.] (2004)

Year: March 23, 2004 (CD 2004)
Label: Universal Music (Japan), UICY 91463
Style: Hard Rock, Heavy Metal
Country: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Time: 79:16
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 558 Mb

Greatest Hits is a compilation album was subject to lawsuits by band member Axl Rose and former band members, in an attempt to block its release due to its track listing.

Despite the album having almost no promotion, it reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and number three on the Billboard 200 chart upon its release. Greatest Hits re-entered the Billboard 200 at number three in March 2012, selling about 85,000 copies as part of a promotion by both Amazon and Google Play that saw the album sold for 25 cents for one day. The album has proven a popular seller, selling over six million copies in the United States by 2018. Greatest Hits is one of the longest charting albums in the Billboard 200 era, being one of only seven albums to notch at least 400 weeks on the chart by June 2017. As of July 2023, it has spent 631 weeks on the chart.

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Hits_(Guns_N%27_Roses_album))

01. Welcome To The Jungle (04:31)

02. Sweet Child O' Mine (05:55)

03. Patience (05:56)

04. Paradise City (06:47)

05. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (05:36)

06. Civil War (07:42)

07. You Could Be Mine (05:43)

08. Don't Cry (Original) (04:45)

09. November Rain (08:56)

10. Live And Let Die (03:02)

11. Yesterdays (03:16)

12. Ain't It Fun (05:07)

13. Since I Don't Have You (04:19)

14. Sympathy For The Devil (07:35)

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Astrud Gilberto - The Astrud Gilberto Album (1965)

Year: Recorded: January 27–28, 1965 (CD 2008)
Label: Verve Records (Europe), V6-8643, 0602517679276
Style: Bossa Nova, Latin Jazz
Country: Brazil (March 29, 1940 - June 5, 2023)
Time: 28:08
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 159 Mb

Astrud Gilberto became an accidental success when her fragile command of English made her the de facto choice to sing "The Girl from Ipanema" at a session led by Stan Getz and her husband, Joao Gilberto. Of course, despite its overwhelming success, it wasn't clear that she could sustain a career when she recorded her first solo LP, The Astrud Gilberto Album. She had sounded more like an amateurish novelty act than a recording professional, her voice was sweet but fragile, and the Getz/Gilberto album had featured two strong voices, with Gilberto herself an afterthought (albeit a commercially effective afterthought). But The Astrud Gilberto Album was at least as good as Getz/Gilberto (despite what jazz fans say), for several reasons. The Brazilian repertoire plays particularly well to traditionally weak vocalists, her voice was yet more sweet than had been heard previously, and as before, the record featured two strong leaders -- arranger Marty Paich and the incomparable Antonio Carlos Jobim. Paich's strings positively coated the album with radiance, and his choices for lead instrumental voices -- Bud Shank's flute, Joao Donato's piano, Jobim's guitar -- complemented her vocals perfectly. Gilberto sounded beautiful on a range of material, from the sentimental "Dindi" to the playful "Agua de Beber," and as long as intelligent musicians were playing to her strengths (as they do here), the results were splendid.

(allmusic.com/album/the-astrud-gilberto-album-mw0000462680)

01. Once I Loved (02:13)

02. Agua De Beber (02:19)

03. Meditation (02:41)

04. And Roses And Roses (02:36)

05. O Morro Nao Tem Vez (02:58)

06. How Insensitive (02:49)

07. Dindi (02:43)

08. Photograph (02:11)

09. Dreamer (02:02)

10. So Finha De Ser Com Voce (02:21)

11. All That's Left Is To Say Goodbye (03:11)

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J. J. Cale - Okie [Vinyl Rip] (1974)

Year: April 30, 1974 (LP 1974)
Label: Shelter Records (UK), ISA 5004
Style: Pub Rock
Country: Oklahoma City, U.S. (December 5, 1938 - July 26, 2013)
Time: 29:13
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 154 Mb

After having Eric Clapton take his composition "After Midnight" to the Top 20 in 1970, Cale scored another windfall when Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded "Call Me the Breeze" for their 1974 LP Second Helping. Although Cale would not have the success with his music that others would, the royalties from artists covering his songs would allow him to record and tour as it suited him. As he put it in 2013, "I knew if I became too well known, my life would change drastically. On the other hand, getting some money doesn't change things too much, except you no longer have to go to work."

Like his previous album Really, Okie was recorded in several different studios with producer Audie Ashworth. Okie is the first album where Cale layers his vocal tracks, something that would become one of the hallmarks of his sound. Cale later explained:

That goes back to the fact I never considered myself a good singer. I often sang off-key, and when you layer the vocals, the more times you put your voice on there, the more it becomes in tune. That's why when you hear a large group of people singing, the pitch always sounds right. Les Paul was the first person to do that, with Mary Ford. It makes the vocals more pleasing to the ear.

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okie_(J._J._Cale_album))

01. A1 Crying (02:38)

02. A2 I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me) (02:26)

03. A3 Starbound (01:59)

04. A4 Rock And Roll Records (02:06)

05. A5 The Old Man And Me (02:04)

06. A6 Everlovin' Woman (02:12)

07. B1 Cajun Moon (02:18)

08. B2 I'd Like To Love You Baby (02:52)

09. B3 Anyway The Wind Blows (03:23)

10. B4 Precious Memories (02:11)

11. B5 Okie (01:56)

12. B6 I Got The Same Old Blues (03:02)

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Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac - Live At The BBC 1967-71 (1995)

Year: 1995 (CD 1995)
Label: Castle Records (UK), 114-2
Style: Blues Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 56:54, 51:52
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 251, 214 Mb

The Fleetwood Mac lineup presented here in these BBC studio recordings from 1967-1971 represents to many die-hard fans the only truly worthwhile version of the band, and bears little resemblance to the pop superstars the group would evolve into during the height of the Buckingham-Nicks era a decade later. Their live shows under leader Peter Green were the stuff of legend and influenced countless legions of future blues-rockers. Having never heard these recordings, I was pretty excited to see how the DVD-Audio medium (via DualDisc) would serve these archival performances – unfortunately, it’s a pretty mixed bag of results.

You can sense Peter Green’s legendary stage presence throughout these performances – his incendiary guitar style ignites originals like Rattlesnake Shake and Green’s signature tune, Oh Well. Hard-edged covers also abound, from the likes of blues legends Elmore James, Robert Johnson and Little Willie John. Green’s guitar playing throughout is truly remarkable, and his rough-hewn vocals add significantly to Fleetwood Mac’s blues credentials. Too many acid trips contributed to his tragically rapid descent into madness, and robbed the music world of a towering talent and true guitar genius.

On the downside, for every two really great blues numbers or Green original, there’s a fifties-bopper, sock hop oriented cover or original from second guitarist Jeremy Spencer. Not that these tunes are so very bad, but they’re just not in keeping with the bluesy spirit of the rest of the performances, and serve as a great distraction. How he stayed with the band for five years, I’ll never know.

Sound quality is also quite variable, ranging anywhere from reasonably acceptable to pretty raw. Switching between the CD layers and DVD-Audio or Dolby Digital surround mixes only yielded slightly perceptible differences – the original tapes must be in pretty poor condition.

(classicrockreview.wordpress.com/category/fleetwood-mac-live-at-the-bbc/)

01. Rattlesnake Shake (07:38)

02. Sandy Mary (05:00)

03. Believe My Time Ain't Long (03:00)

04. Although The Sun Is Shining (02:31)

05. Only You (02:51)

06. You Never Know What Your Missing (02:52)

07. Oh Well (02:26)

08. Can't Believe You Wanna Leave (03:25)

09. Jenny Lee (02:19)

10. Heavenly (02:37)

11. When Will I Be Loved? (02:13)

12. When I See My Baby (02:11)

13. Buddy's Song (02:09)

14. Honey Hush (03:08)

15. Preachin' (03:05)

16. Jumping At Shadows (03:35)

17. Preachin' Blues (01:59)

18. Need Your Love So Bad (03:48)

01. Long Grey Mare (02:53)

02. Sweet Home Chicago (03:10)

03. Baby Please Set A Date (02:59)

04. Blues With A Feeling (02:56)

05. Stop Messing Around (02:17)

06. Tallahassee Lassie (03:24)

07. Hang On To A Dream (02:56)

08. Linda (02:03)

09. Mean Mistreatin' Mama (04:03)

10. World Keep Turning (02:39)

11. I Can't Hold Out (02:27)

12. Early Morning Come (02:29)

13. Albatross (02:48)

14. Looking For Somebody (02:40)

15. A Fool No More (03:40)

16. Got To Move (02:57)

17. Like Crying Like Dying (02:33)

18. Man Of The World (02:49)

CD1:     TurboBit            KatFile

CD2:     TurboBit            KatFile

Procol Harum - Something Magic (1977)

*Year:* 25 February 1977 (CD 2001)
*Label:* Repertoire Records (Germany), REP 4918
*Style:* Progressive Rock, Art Rock
*Country:* Essex, England
*Time:* 43:58
*Format:* Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
*Size:* 278 Mb

Electing to work with producers Ron and Howie Albert when Leiber and Stoller (who had produced the band's preceding album) were not available, Procol Harum flew into Miami with more than enough material for their album. However, the Alberts rejected more than five of these tracks, leaving only four from the material the group had intended to use. Vocalist/composer/piano player Gary Brooker then offered up the epic "The Worm and The Tree", a piece by lyricist Keith Reid that Brooker had been toying with on and off for several years. Under mounting pressure to complete the musical composition and orchestral arrangements for the 19-minute epic (which according to Reid was about "how the press tried to break up the band") Brooker turned to local Miami arranger Mike Lewis to complete the orchestral arrangements for the title track "Something Magic", and band member Chris Copping to complete the woodwind arrangement for "Skating on Thin Ice".

With work completed on "The Worm and The Tree", Brooker previewed it for co-producers Ron and Howie Albert who approved of the piece (a surprise, given that it had a lot in common with the epic orchestral/progressive rock piece "In Held Twas I" from Shine on Brightly). Guitarist Mick Grabham offered up his only composition, set to Reid's "The Mark of the Claw", to help fill out the album (on the 2009 Salvo reissue, Grabham is incorrectly credited with writing the single "Wizard Man" with Reid). The Alberts insisted that the band's steady drummer B.J. Wilson use a click track for the album, an unusual demand given his work on the band's previous releases. After this album was released, Copping left the band. Dee Murray (Elton John's bassist) replaced him for the North American tour promoting this album.

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Something_Magic)

01. Something Magic (03:37)

02. Skating On Thin Ice (04:49)

03. The Mark Of The Claw (04:38)

04. Strangers In Space (06:06)

05. The Worm & The Tree - Part One (07:50)

06. The Worm & The Tree - Part Two (05:29)

07. The Worm & The Tree - Part Three (05:22)

08. Wizard Man (02:40)

09. Backgammon (03:24)

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Astrud Gilberto - Look To The Rainbow (1966)

Year: 1966 (CD 1984)
Label: Verve Records (Germany), 821 556-2
Style: Bossa Nova, Latin Jazz
Country: Brazil (March 29, 1940 - June 5, 2023)
Time: 45:24
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 229 Mb

Astrud Gilberto, known as "The Girl from Ipanema" and often referred to as "The Queen of Bossa-Nova", is an artist with roots firmly planted in Brazilian music. Her music has become an interesting combination of the sensual rhythms of Brazil and American Pop and Jazz.

Born in the Northeast of Brazil, in the state of Bahia, one of three sisters of a German father and a Brazilian mother, Astrud grew up in Rio de Janeiro. She immigrated to the United States in the early 1960s, where she resides since then.

Astrud was first introduced to the World at large in 1964 through "The Girl From Ipanema", the Grammy-winning recording with Stan Getz and her then-husband Joao Gilberto (the father of Bossa Nova). The fact that Astrud seldom grants interviews made it possible for many untruthful versions on how her guest appearance in the Getz & Gilberto album came about to be printed here and there, such as that she was "discovered" by Creed Taylor, or by Stan Getz, or yet, by Jobim, when the only truth is that she was invited to participate in the album by Joao Gilberto, who has great admiration for her singing talents.   

Astrud's recordings exposed the nations of the World to the sensuality of Brazilian music and to her unique vocal interpretations of American music, such as "The Shadow of your Smile", "It Might as well be Spring", "Fly Me to the Moon", "Look to the Rainbow" (from her album of the same title, with Gil Evans), "Love Story", etc... 

Following the hit with "Ipanema", her recording career quickly took off. Her first solo effort, "The Astrud Gilberto Album", was an immediate best-seller and was itself nominated as album of the year. Her next albums were all chart-toppers and were released on a yearly schedule. Her talents were much in demand in other areas as well as she appeared in two motion pictures, "The Hanged Man" and "Get Yourself a College Girl" and also recorded the soundtrack for "The Deadly Affair", arranged by Quincy Jones. She made appearances in all of the popular US television shows of the time, and had TV specials built around her in Europe, Japan and Africa. For many years she was the voice of Eastern Airlines, having recorded award-winning commercials.

In the early seventies Astrud revealed another facet of her talents, her songwriting, which was introduced on the albums "Astrud Gilberto Now" (1972) and "That Girl From Ipanema" (1977). On the "That Girl from Ipanema" album Astrud recorded one of her songs, "Far Away" (with lyrics by Hal Shaper), as a duet with the legendary Chet Baker. As she has revealed in interviews, this was one of the most rewarding events of her career, since Chet has been one of Astrud's idols dating back to her teenage years. In 1976, one of her compositions, "Live Today" (co-written with Jerome Schur), received an award at the Tokyo Music Festival.

(astrudgilberto.com/biography.htm)

01. Berimbau (02:26)

02. Once Upon A Summertime (03:04)

03. Felicidade (02:47)

04. I Will Wait For You (04:41)

05. Frevo (02:25)

06. Maria Quiet (Maria Moite) (01:55)

07. Look To The Rainbow (03:29)

08. Bim Bom (01:52)

09. Lugar Bonita (Pretty Place) (03:19)

10. El Preciso Aprender A Ser So (Learn To Live Alone) (03:23)

11. She's A Carioca (02:29)

12. A Certain Smile (01:29)

13. A Certain Sadness (03:11)

14. Nega Do Cabelo Duro (02:20)

15. So Nice (Summer Samba) (02:38)

16. Voce Ja Foi A Bahia (02:18)

17. Portuguese Washerwoman (01:30)

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Frumpy - Frumpy 2 [Japan Ed.] (1971)

Year: August 1971 (CD 2021)
Label: Arcangelo Records (Japan), ARC-7357 (PROI-1131)
Style: Art Rock, Progressive Rock
Country: Hamburg, Germany
Time: 38:50
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 280 Mb

Inga Rumpf's Frumpy was among the most startling bands on the entire German rock scene of the early '70s, an act so diametrically opposed to the Krautrock boom beloved by critics elsewhere that first impressions of their music always leave listeners scratching their heads. If Frumpy has any role models, it is a collision between Meddle-era Pink Floyd and a less-precocious Uriah Heep. Frumpy 2, unsurprisingly their second album, features just four tracks, but all are soaring slabs of emotive guitar and keyboards, deeply progressive of course, but unquestionably pop as well. Even at a shade over ten minutes, "How the Gypsy Was Born" sounds like a hit single, while the churning Hammond organ brings Deep Purple to mind in full on "Black Night"/"Woman From Tokyo" mode. Rumpf herself, meanwhile, has a range and depth comparable to Curved Air's Sonja Kristina, with an emotive strength which seems all the more remarkable when you remember that English is not her native language. The shifting, complex "Take Care of Illusion" brings the best out of her in every way imaginable, while the lengthy instrumental break during the closing "Duty" allows her bandmates to shine with equal aplomb. The guitar and keyboard solos and duels which take place above the tumultuous rhythms are as spectacular as anything else in the genre. But even while you're sitting slack-jawed in awe, it is very difficult to play favorites. Frumpy, like Rumpf's Atlantis after them, has antecedents aplenty, and their influences peep out behind every corner. But the manner in which they've been sewn together owes little to any Anglo-American role models and little to any Krautrock basics, too. Quite simply, Frumpy 2 is the prog album you'll be returning to long after the others have all dulled into wallpaper.

(allmusic.com/album/frumpy-2-mw0000348255)

01. Good Winds (10:10)

02. How The Gypsy Was Born (08:51)

03. Take Care Of Illusion (07:36)

04. Duty (12:11)

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Czerwone Gitary - Czerwone Gitary 3 (1968)

Year: 1968 (CD 2008)
Label: Dogtoire (Russia, Unofficial Release), DGTR CD003
Style: Soft Rock, Pop Rock, Psychedelic Pop
Country: Gdansk, Poland
Time: 49:49
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 284 Mb

Czerwone Gitary (lit. The Red Guitars) is one of the most popular rock bands in the history of Polish popular music. The band formed in 1965 and achieved its greatest success from 1965 to 1970. Often considered the Polish equivalent of the Beatles, many of their hits are now classics in Poland. The group toured extensively outside Poland (in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, United States, Germany and Soviet Union) but had mostly disappeared from the Polish scene by the 1980s. The band reformed in the 1990s.

Their 1966 debut album To wlasnie my (It's us) sold 160,000 copies, and their May 1967 follow up, Czerwone Gitary 2, sold a then-record (for Poland) 240,000. In the same year Krajewski received a special award at the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole (Krajowy Festiwal Piosenki Polskiej w Opolu). In 1967 Kossela left the band. The band's 1968 third album sold 220,000 copies, and the group received an award in Opole for their song Takie ladne oczy (Such Pretty Eyes). In 1969 the band received a MIDEM award in Cannes for the largest number of discs sold in Poland up to that date; this was the same year that the Beatles received this award. Thereafter the Czerwone Gitary would be known as the Polish Beatles (see also Beatlesque). The same year the group received a special award from Billboard magazine, and in Poland, another award from Opole festival for Bialy krzyz (White cross).

Klenczon left in 1970, the year of the band's acclaimed LP Na fujarce (On the flute). Krajewski then took lead as the group turned to mainstream folk-tinged pop in the 1970s.

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czerwone_Gitary)

01. Moda I Milosc (02:27)

02. Takie Ladne Oczy (02:25)

03. My Z XX Wieku (04:11)

04. W Moich Myslach, Consuelo (02:54)

05. Jesli Tego Chcesz (02:05)

06. Ballada Pasterska (03:02)

07. Dozwolone Do Lat 18-tu (02:23)

08. Kwiaty We Wlosach (02:14)

09. Chcialbym To Widziec (03:11)

10. Gdy Kiedys Znow Zawolam Cie (03:56)

11. Jedno Jest Zycie (04:20)

12. Nie Licz Dni (02:20)

13. Anna Maria (bonus track) (03:51)

14. Wrocmy Na Jeziora (bonus track) (03:48)

15. Bialy Krzyz (bonus track) (03:17)

16. Deszcz Jesienny (bonus track) (03:18)

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Electric Light Orchestra - Eldorado [Japan Ed.] (1974)

Year: September 1974 (CD Nov 21, 1987)
Label: Jet Records (Japan), 28DP 1076
Style: Progressive Pop, Pop Rock
Country: Birmingham, England
Time: 39:11
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 241 Mb

Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) made a huge leap forward with Eldorado, the first complete concept album by the group. Rich melodies with various rock and classical influences made this album highly accessible and well received by mainstream audiences making this ELO’s commercial break through. Composed by vocalist, guitarist, and group leader Jeff Lynne, the tune sequence loosely follows the story of a dreamer trying to escape reality. Along the way there are plenty of mixed metaphors using various classic stories and characters from Robin Hood to William Tell to Lancelot to The Wizard of Oz and, of course, Eldorado.
When formed in 1969, ELO declared its purpose as to “pick up where the Beatles left off with ‘I Am the Walrus’.”. The idea came from Roy Wood, formerly of the band, The Move, who had the idea to form a rock band that would regularly use orchestral instruments. He recruited Lynne from fellow Birmingham group, The Idle Race. The debut ,The Electric Light Orchestra, was released in 1971 but tensions between Wood and Lynne led to Wood’s departure during the recordings for ELO 2, which spawned the group’s first US hit, a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven”. Released in late 1973, On the Third Day, featured the hit single, “Showdown,” and continued the band’s rise in popularity.
On those early albums, Lynne would overdub the strings during recording. However, on Eldorado a 30-piece orchestra and choir was hired, with Louis Clark brought on to arrange and conduct the strings (Clark would later become a full group member). This inclusion limited the group’s three resident string players to a few lead sections on scattered songs. Also during the recording of this album, bassist Ike de Albuquerque quit the group, leaving Lynn to also take on those duties. The inspiration for this ambitious record came from Lynne’s father, a classical music lover.
(Full version: classicrockreview.com/2014/08/1974-elo-eldorado/)

01. Eldorado Overture (02:12)
02. Can't Get It Out Of My Head (04:22)
03. Boy Blue (05:19)
04. Laredo Tornado (05:29)
05. Poor Boy (The Greenwood) (02:55)
06. Mister Kingdom (05:30)
07. Nobody's Child (03:56)
08. Illusions In G Major (02:37)
09. Eldorado (05:17)
10. Eldorado - Finale (01:30)



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Three Dog Night - Captured Live At The Forum [Japan Ed.] [Live] (1969)

Year: October 16, 1969 (CD Apr 24, 2013)
Label: Universal Records (Japan), UICY-75564
Style: Rock, Hard Rock, Classic Rock
Country: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Time: 38:34
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 271 Mb

Legendary music icons, THREE DOG NIGHT, celebrating nearly 5 decades, claims some of the most astonishing statistics in popular music. In the years 1969 through 1974, no other group achieved more top 10 hits, moved more records or sold more concert tickets than THREE DOG NIGHT.

THREE DOG NIGHT hits wind through the fabric of pop culture today, whether on the radio where they are heard day in and day out, in TV commercials or in major motion pictures -- songs like “Mama Told Me (Not To Come)”, “Joy to the World”, “Black and White”, “Shambala” and “One” serve to heighten our emotions and crystallize THREE DOG NIGHT’s continuing popularity.

This Grammy-nominated band is not content resting on its legacy alone. Always working to expand its audience, THREE DOG NIGHT has embraced and been embraced by 21st century music technology.  New and existing fans buy THREE DOG NIGHT’s music on iTunes as well as at record stores.  In fact, releases from this decade alone have sold well over a million copies.

Recently, THREE DOG NIGHT began adding new songs to its arsenal by releasing its first double-A sided single in nearly 25 years.  The blistering performance of "Heart Of Blues" and the timely, beautiful a-cappella ballad "Prayer of the Children” are available online at iTunes, Amazon.com and other digital retailers as well as through the official band website (www.threedognight.com).  

THREE DOG NIGHT also pushed boundaries by recording with the London Symphony Orchestra, giving fans new and old a chance to experience its dynamic performances of the hits as well as several new songs.   The project, recorded at the famous Abbey Road studios in London and released to coincide with the band’s 35th Anniversary, added exciting new orchestral arrangements to THREE DOG NIGHT’s signature sound.

THREE DOG NIGHT maintains an aggressive, year-round touring schedule of over 70 dates a year.   The hit filled concerts are performed for generation-spanning audiences  by Danny Hutton (founder/lead vocalist) and Michael Allsup (guitar), Paul Kingery (bass/vocals), Pat Bautz (drums), Howard Laravea (keyboards) and David Morgan (vocals). The band’s now-famous name refers to native Australian hunters in the outback who huddled with their dogs for warmth on cold nights; the coldest being a “three dog night”.   

Boasting chart and sales records that are virtually unmatched in popular music, THREE DOG NIGHT had 21 consecutive Top 40 hits, including 3 #1 singles, 11 Top 10’s, 18 straight Top 20’s, 7 million-selling singles and 12 straight RIAA Certified Gold LPs. The hits appeared on best selling charts in all genres (pop, rock and country).  Its records continue to sell around the world, reaching beyond the borders of the U.S. into Japan, Canada, Holland, England, Germany, Spain and elsewhere. Tens of millions of THREE DOG NIGHT records have been sold through the years.

THREE DOG NIGHT recorded the music of the best (and mostly undiscovered) new songwriters of that time including Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman, Elton John, Laura Nyro, Paul Williams and Hoyt Axton among many others. The group’s eclectic taste, combined with its ability to recognize and record hits in a unique, distinctive and appealing style, resulted in THREE DOG NIGHT dominating the charts for years.

(threedognight.com/bio)

01. Heaven Is In Your Mind (03:22)

02. Feeling Alright (04:54)

03. It's For You (02:02)

04. Nobody (03:03)

05. One (03:41)

06. Chest Fever (07:09)

07. Eli's Coming (03:45)

08. Easy To Be Hard (04:25)

09. Try A Little Tenderness (06:09)

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Bee Gees - Horizontal [Japan Ed.] (1968)

Year: January 1968 (CD Sep 25, 2013)
Label: Reprise Records (Japan), WPCR-15262
Style: Pop
Country: England
Time: 37:00
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 227 Mb

After Bee Gees 1st, the Bee Gees went straight into their next album. Horizontal has a much bigger sound than 1st and, with more use of electric guitars, it has a much harder edge. There is also less reliance on strong melodies and more on abstract lyrics. This is perhaps best illustrated by the hit single 'World', which mixes swooping guitars with haunting organs and lyrics that make the listener think just a little. Songs such as 'Lemons Never Forget', 'Harry Braff' and 'The Earnest of Being George' are good examples of 1960s rock (and wacky titles), but are more forgettable than much of the Bee Gees later work.

The album has two haunting Robin solo works, 'And the Sun Will Shine' (an album track which would remain on the Bee Gees' tour itinerary until the 1990s!) and 'Really and Sincerely' (reportedly written after the Hither Green train crash of earlier in the year, in which Robin was involved). And, of course, the album features the first ever Bee Gees number one single, the anti-flower-power tour de force 'Massachusetts'. It is worth buying for this alone.

Overall, this album is less enjoyable then the previous album, and in some ways less polished, but it is certainly never boring. It showcases the group moving forward and experimenting with new ideas, with ultimately mixed results.

(beegeesreviews.info/reviews/horizontal.htm)

01. World (03:14)

02. And The Sun Will Shine (03:38)

03. Lemons Never Forget (03:05)

04. Really And Sincerely (03:31)

05. Birdie Told Me (02:26)

06. With The Sun In My Eyes (02:42)

07. Massachusetts (02:28)

08. Harry Braff (03:20)

09. Day Time Girl (02:36)

10. The Earnest Of Being George (02:45)

11. The Change Is Made (03:37)

12. Horizontal (03:32)

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Aardvark - Aardvark (1970)

Year: 1970 (CD 2011)
Label: Esoteric Recordings (UK), ECLEC 2286
Style: Progressive Rock, Art Rock
Country: UK
Time: 43:04
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 285 Mb

A prog act without a guitar player? That's exactly what this early 70's British foursome is. Originally, they became known mainly because Paul Kossof and Simon Kirke played in the band before leaving to form legendary band FREE. From then on, AARDVARK were mostly a studio act and by the time they recorded their only album, the line-up consisted of Stan Aldous (bass), Frank Clark (drums), Steve Milliner (keyboards, recorder, vibraphone) and Dave Skillin (vocals). Comparisons are not easy but one could probably say their music has the power of EMERSON, LAKE & POWELL mixed in with a little R&B a la PROCOL HARUM and early MOODY BLUES. Shades of GRYPHON, GREENSLADE and PINK FLOYD are also present.

As is to be expected, AARDVARK's material is highly keyboard oriented, the brunt of the music being carried by the fuzzed-up Hammond organ which more or less simulates the job of a distorted guitar. The soaring vocals by Skillin are pleasant and the music, although not highly original and somewhat lacking in variety, is quite melodic - nice 60's sounding melodies. The album contains some ear-friendly piano/keyboard interplay as well as some good R&B guitar riffs and harmonic choruses. The low points: following the fashion of the early 70's, many tracks drag on far too long. Also, possibly because the dominant Hammond did not stand the test of time, the album unfortunately sounds quite outdated. Finally, the cuts that work best tend to be the less progressive ones. Overall, AARDVARK is an honest musical effort for the times, an interesting early art rock experiment with a slight progressive edge.

Recommended strictly for collectors of early 70's, heavy organ-dominated prog. Fans of SPRING, CRESSIDA or FIELDS should also give them a try.

(progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=1180) Review by Lise (HIBOU), CANADA.

01. Copper Sunset (03:18)

02. Very Nice Of You To Call (03:38)

03. Many Things To Do (04:23)

04. The Greencap (06:05)

05. I Can't Stop (05:29)

06. The Outing-Yes (09:39)

07. Once Upon A Hill (02:55)

08. Put That In Your Pipe And Smoke It (07:34)

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