David Bowie - Hunky Dory (4 bonus tracks) (1971)

Year: 17 December 1971 (CD 1990)
Label: EMI Records (Europe), CDP 79 1843 2
Style: Glam Rock, Pop Rock
Country: London, England (8 January 1947 - 10 January 2016)
Time: 57:14
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 328 Mb

Following the release of his 1970 album, The Man Who Sold the World, Bowie took time off from recording and touring. He settled down to write new songs, composing on piano rather than guitar as on earlier tracks. Following a tour of the United States, Bowie assembled a new backing band consisting of guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder and drummer Mick Woodmansey, and began to record a new album in mid-1971 at Trident Studios in London. Future Yes member Rick Wakeman contributed on piano. Bowie co-produced the album with Ken Scott, who had engineered Bowie's previous two records.
Compared to the guitar-driven hard rock sound of The Man Who Sold the World, Bowie opted for a warmer, more melodic piano-based pop rock and art pop style on Hunky Dory. His lyrical concerns on the record range from the compulsive nature of artistic reinvention on "Changes", to occultism and Nietzschean philosophy on "Oh! You Pretty Things" and "Quicksand"; several songs make cultural and literary references. He was also inspired by his stateside tour to write songs dedicated to three American icons: Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan and Lou Reed. The song "Kooks" was dedicated to Bowie's newborn son Duncan. The album's cover artwork, photographed in monochrome and subsequently recoloured, features Bowie in a pose inspired by actresses of the Hollywood Golden Age.
Upon release, Hunky Dory and its lead single "Changes" received little promotion from RCA who were wary that Bowie would transform his image shortly. Thus, despite very positive reviews from the British and American music press, the album initially sold poorly and failed to chart. It was only after the commercial breakthrough of Bowie's 1972 follow-up album Ziggy Stardust that Hunky Dory itself became a commercial success, peaking at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Retrospectively, Hunky Dory has been critically acclaimed as one of Bowie's best works, and features on several lists of the greatest albums of all time. Within the context of his career, it is considered to be the album where "Bowie starts to become Bowie", definitively discovering his voice and style.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunky_Dory)

01. Changes (03:37)

02. Oh! You Pretty Things (03:12)

03. Eight Line Poem (02:55)

04. Life On Mars (03:54)

05. Kooks (02:53)

06. Quicksand (05:08)

07. Fill Your Heart (03:07)

08. Andy Warhol (03:56)

09. Song For Bob Dylan (04:12)

10. Queen Bitch (03:18)

11. The Bewlay Brothers (05:27)

12. Bombers (Previously Unreleased) (02:41)

13. The Supermen (Alternate Version) (02:43)

14. Quicksand (Demo Version) (04:46)

15. The Bewlay Brothers (Alternate Mix) (05:20)

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Donovan - Mellow Yellow (1967)

Year: 10 February 1967 (CD 2005)
Label: EMI Records (Europe), 7243 8 73567 2 6
Style: Blues Rock, Folk Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Country: Glasgow, Scotland (10 May 1946)
Time: 65:13
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 356 Mb

The songs on Mellow Yellow represent a transition in Donovan's writing. Donovan's songs had previously illustrated his infatuation with an ability to define the mid-sixties pop music scene. On Mellow Yellow this is still evident in "Sunny South Kensington", "Museum" (originally recorded for the Sunshine Superman album and rerecorded for Mellow Yellow) and the title track, but is also tempered with world-weary observations of that scene ("Young Girl Blues"). The contractual problems that prevented the release of Donovan's music in the UK led him to write such songs as the resigned "Writer in the Sun", where he contemplates the possibility of his own forced retirement from the music industry at the age of 20.
Mickie Most's production and the arrangements of John Paul Jones accommodate these two divergent traits of Donovan's songwriting throughout Mellow Yellow. The peppier songs feature a diverse selection of instruments similar to Sunshine Superman and helped make a top 10 hit out of the title track on both sides of the Atlantic. The introspective ruminations feature sparse instrumentation that highlights Donovan's guitar playing, singing, and lyrics.
On Mellow Yellow, Donovan gave a nod to his friend Bert Jansch on "House of Jansch", marking the third Donovan album in a row that paid tribute to the British folk personage.
John Cameron played blues piano, harpsichord, and undertook arrangements.
Paul McCartney provided background vocals on at least one of the tracks. He is uncredited for his work.
Odell Brown and the Organizers covered Mellow Yellow in 1967 on their album by the same title.

01. Mellow Yellow (03:43)

02. Writer In The Sun (04:31)

03. Sand And Foam (03:20)

04. The Observation (02:24)

05. Bleak City Woman (02:26)

06. House Of Jansch (02:46)

07. Young Girl Blues (03:48)

08. Museum (02:58)

09. Hampstead Incident (04:43)

10. Sunny South Kensington (03:55)

11. Epistle To Dippy (03:11)

12. Preachin' Love (02:40)

13. Good Time (01:54)

14. There Is A Mountain (02:36)

15. Superlungs (Second Version) (03:17)

16. Epistle To Dippy (Alternative Arr.) (03:13)

17. Sidewalk (The Observation) (Demo) (02:29)

18. Writer In The Sun (Demo) (03:30)

19. Hampstead Incident (Demo) (03:52)

20. Museum (Demo) (03:49)

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The Savage Rose - Travelin' [Japan] (1969)

Year: November 1969 (CD September 16, 2004)
Label: Polydor Records (Japan), UICY-9470
Style: Progressive Rock
Country: Denmark
Time: 34:55
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 254 Mb

Charts: DEN #3, NOR #6.
In Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau wrote of the Savage Rose's 1970 LP Your Daily Gift: "This band has a knack for combining funky riffs with persistent melodies (borrowed from where, this ignorant American wonders). But though Annisette's multi-octave Lolita voice is certainly distinctive, I find her about as sexy as Yma Sumac, and as long as she sings Anders Koppel's lyrics she won't be any font of wisdom either." He appreciated the "fast tempos, soul piano," and production of their Jimmy Miller-produced Refugee (1971) more, saying they "do wonders for Anisette's come-on, and the lyrics prove that getting laid is a universal language. Death, too."
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Savage_Rose#Albums)

01. I'm Satisfied Mr. Captain (02:40)

02. Look Out (03:39)

03. Sailing Away (04:36)

04. Your Lifetime's a Fairytale (06:21)

05. The Castle (04:13)

06. Travelin' (02:58)

07. Life's Other Side (02:33)

08. My Family Was Gay (07:53)

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Dire Straits - Love Over Gold [Vinyl] (1982)

Year: September 20 1982, Recorded March 8 - June 11 1982 (LP 1986)
Label: Melodia Records (Russia), C60 24731 001
Style: Rock
Country: Deptford, London, England
Time: 40:57
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 242 Mb

Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar and backing vocals), and Pick Withers (drums and percussion). The band became one of the world's most commercially successful, with worldwide records sales of over 100 million.
Love Over Gold is the fourth album by British rock band Dire Straits, released on 20 September 1982 by Vertigo Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album reached the number one position on album charts in Australia, Austria, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom, and the number 19 position in the United States. Love Over Gold was certified gold in the United States, platinum in France and Germany, and double-platinum in Canada and the United Kingdom.
(Wikipedia)

01. A1 Telegraph Road (14:11)

02. A2 Private Investigations (06:44)

03. B1 Industrial Disease (05:46)

04. B2 Love Over Gold (06:21)

05. B3 It Never Rains (07:54)

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Black Sabbath - Mob Rules [Deluxe Edition 2CD] (1981)

Year: 4 November 1981 (CD 2010)
Label: Sanctuary Records (Europe), 2735070
Style: Hard Rock, Heavy Metal
Country: Birmingham, England
Time: 47:52, 79:52
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 324, 559 Mb

Charts: UK #12, CAN #19, FIN #18, GER #83, NL #47, SWE #30, US #29. Canada, US, UK - Gold.
Mob Rules was released on 4 November 1981 to mixed reviews. In the US it went gold and in the UK it reached the Top 20 and spawned two chart singles, the title track and "Turn Up the Night". AllMusic's Greg Prato called the album "underrated" and enthused, "Mob Rules was given a much punchier in-your-face mix by Birch, who seemed re-energized after his work on new wave of British heavy metal upstarts Iron Maiden's Killers album. Essentially Mob Rules is a magnificent record, with the only serious problem being the sequencing of the material which mirrors Heaven and Hell's almost to a tee."
Guitarist Tony Iommi acknowledged this common criticism in his memoir, admitting that he was frustrated at being accused of making Heaven and Hell part two and speculating that the band would have been criticized regardless of their approach.
Seven of the album's tracks were played live on the Mob Rules Tour. "E5150" was used as an intro tape, and "Over and Over" was the only song not featured on the tour in any way. While the title track was the only song from this album regularly played by Black Sabbath on subsequent tours, "Falling Off the Edge of the World" was performed live by Heaven & Hell (which consisted of the same Black Sabbath lineup that recorded Mob Rules), and "Sign of the Southern Cross" occasionally played live by Dio.
J.D. Constantine of Rolling Stone gave Mob Rules a negative review in February 1986. Profiling the album in 2008, Bryan Reesman noted: "Even with Dio bringing in more fantasy-based lyrics and moving the group away from seemingly Satanic verses, the title track to Mob Rules, not to mention its menacing cover could easily imply a call to anarchy. But beyond the snarling guitars and vocals is actually a cautionary tale against mindless mayhem."
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mob_Rules_(album))

01. Turn Up the Night (03:43)

02. Voodoo (04:32)

03. The Sign of the Southern Cross (07:47)

04. E5150 (02:51)

05. The Mob Rules (03:16)

06. Country Girl (04:02)

07. Slipping Away (03:46)

08. Falling Off the Edge of the World (05:03)

09. Over and Over (05:31)

10. Die Young (live, 12' single B-Side of Mob Rules) (04:03)

11. The Mob Rules (Heavy Metal OMPS/ original demo version) (03:13)

01. E5150 (01:18)

02. Neon Knights (04:37)

03. N.I.B. (05:16)

04. Children of the Sea (06:07)

05. Country Girl (03:53)

06. Black Sabbath (08:24)

07. War Pigs (07:40)

08. Slipping Away (03:18)

09. Iron Man (07:04)

10. The Mob Rules (03:35)

11. Heaven and Hell (14:24)

12. Paranoid (03:21)

13. Voodoo (05:45)

14. Children of the Grave (05:05)

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Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade Of Pale (Procol Harum) [Vinyl] (1967)

Year: 1967 (LP April 1972)
Label: Fly Records (UK), TOOFA 7
Style: Art Rock, Rock
Country: Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England
Time: 39:44
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 215 Mb

From Cube Records DOUBLE BACK series, this has two studio albums packaged as one double.
Procol Harum was released in September 1967 in the US, and in December 1967 in the UK. Though the album was recorded on multitrack, it was issued as mono-only in the UK, and in mono and rechannelled stereo in the US. Despite extensive searching, the original multitrack tapes have not been located and thus a stereo mix of the original ten tracks may never be possible. Several alternate takes, however, have been mixed into stereo and are available on CD. As recently as 2004, the original single, mixed to stereo, has appeared on a "Dick Bartley Presents: Classic Oldies" compilation on Eric Records.
The original North American release included a poster of the album cover. The artwork by Dickinson, the then-girlfriend, and subsequently wife of Keith Reid was heavily influenced by the style of the late-Victorian illustrator Aubrey Beardsley.
The album has been repackaged and reissued many times. Two of the significant reissues are Procol Harum...Plus!, a 1998 CD compilation on the Westside label including all the songs from both the Deram and Regal Zonophone release, plus "Homburg" (the group's second single) and nine additional tracks from the period; and a monaural audiophile vinyl LP edition released in 2003 by Classic Records, with yet a different track order, including "Homburg" as the opening track and without "A Whiter Shade of Pale" or "Good Captain Clack". The set includes bonus singles of the original monaural and alternate stereo versions of "A Whiter Shade of Pale". A 2009 remaster by Salvo Records, using the original mono masters, was released, with bonus tracks including the singles "A Whiter Shade of Pale", "Homburg", B-sides and alternate stereo takes. However, many of the tracks are played at a higher speed. A 2015 remaster by Cherry Red Records expands the album into a 2-CD set.
A live version of the track "Conquistador", from the album Procol Harum Live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, was released as a single in 1972 and charted to #16 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100 after 10 weeks on the chart.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procol_Harum_(album))

01. A1 A Whiter Shade Of Pale (04:13)

02. A2 Conquistador (02:46)

03. A3 She Wandered Through The Garden Fence (03:30)

04. A4 Something Following Me (03:44)

05. A5 Mabel (01:58)

06. A6 Cerdes (Outside The Gates Of) (05:05)

07. B1 A Christmas Camel (04:56)

08. B2 Kaleidoscope (03:00)

09. B3 Salad Days (Are Here Again) (03:45)

10. B4 Good Captain Clack (01:36)

11. B5 Repent Walpurgis (05:07)

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Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Four [Vinyl] (1973)

Year: 11 May 1973, Recorded February – March 1973, (LP 1973)
Label: MCA Records (UK), MCG 3503
Style: Art Rock, Rock
Country: Torquay, Devon, United Kingdom
Time: 43:35
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 282 Mb

Wishbone Four is the fourth studio album by British rock band Wishbone Ash, released in 1973. It was a departure from their previous album, Argus, in that it lacked that recording's overall cohesion and atmosphere and the loose conceptual framework of a stately, pastoral and warring medieval England. Containing only hints of the extended twin-lead guitar harmonies, Wishbone Four's stylistic variety found its footing in acoustic folk elements in half of the eight-song set ("Ballad of the Beacon", "Everybody Needs a Friend", "Sorrel" and "Sing Out the Song"), two aggressive and melodic starters on each side of the vinyl release (Side 1: So Many Things to Say" and Side 2: "Doctor"), and the band's first use of horns on the semi-autobiographical "rave-up" touring song "No Easy Road".
(Wikipedia)

Matrix sideA: MCG 3503 A-1, MCG 3503 B-1

Andy Powell - lead guitar, vocals
Ted Turner - lead guitar, vocals
Martin Turner - bass, vocals
Steve Upton - drums

01. A1 So Many Things To Say (05:04)

02. A2 Ballad Of The Beacon (05:04)

03. A3 No Easy Road (03:50)

04. A4 Everybody Needs A Friend (08:19)

05. B1 Doctor (05:55)

06. B2 Sorrel (05:03)

07. B3 Sing Out The Song (04:26)

08. B4 Rock n Roll Widow (05:52)

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Cream - Goodbye [MFSL Remastered 24k Gold] (1969)

Year: 5 February 1969 (CD 1996)
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab. (US), UDCD 681
Style: Classic Rock, Rock, Hard Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 30:38
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 199 Mb

Charts: AUS #6, CAN #5, FIN #3, FRA #3, GER #9, NOR #7, UK #1, US #2. UK - Platinum; Australia and US - Gold.  Producer:    Felix Pappalardi (vocalist and bassist of the band Mountain).
Just before Cream's third album, Wheels of Fire, was to be released, the group's manager Robert Stigwood announced that the group would disband after a farewell tour and a final concert at the Royal Albert Hall in November. Just before the start of their farewell tour in October 1968, Cream recorded three songs at IBC Studios in London with producer Felix Pappalardi and engineer Damon Lyon-Shaw. The songs "Badge" and "Doing That Scrapyard Thing" featured Eric Clapton using a Leslie speaker, while all three recordings featured keyboard instruments played by either Jack Bruce or Felix Pappalardi. The group started their farewell tour on 4 October 1968 in Oakland, California and 15 days later on 19 October the group performed at The Forum in Los Angeles where the three live recordings on Goodbye were recorded with Felix Pappalardi and engineers Adrian Barber and Bill Halverson.
The original plan for Goodbye was to make it a double album, with one disc featuring studio recordings and the other with live performances like Wheels of Fire. With a lack of quality material on hand, however, the album was only one disc with three live recordings and three studio recordings.
The original LP release of the album was packaged in a gatefold sleeve with art direction handled by Haig Adishian. The outer sleeve featured photography by Roger Phillips with a cover design by the Alan Aldridge ink Studios, while the inner sleeve featured an illustration of a cemetery by Roger Hane that had the song titles on tombstones.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodbye_(Cream_album))

01. I'm So Glad (09:10)

02. Politician (06:18)

03. Sitting On Top Of The World (05:07)

04. Badge (02:47)

05. Doing That Scrapyard Thing (03:18)

06. What A Bringdown (03:56)

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Bernie Marsden (ex Whitesnake) - Shine (2014)

Year: 2014 (CD 18 Aug 2014)
Label: Provogue Records (EU), PRD 7418 2
Style: Hard Rock, Blues Rock
Country: Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, England (7 May 1951)
Time: 56:58
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 402 Mb

Artist Biography by Greg Prato:
Blues rock guitarist Bernie Marsden's hot licks helped launch the career of Whitesnake, as he played on the group's first eight releases, and lent a major hand in composing some of the band's most renowned songs. Initially inspired to play the guitar as a teenager due to such authentic blues players as Howling Wolf and Sonny Boy Williamson, Marsden later picked up on such '60s white blues players as Peter Green, Eric Clapton, and Jeff Beck. The early '70s saw Marsden briefly join several renowned groups - Juicy Lucy and UFO - but each time, the guitarist exited before a full-length album could be completed (Marsden was also a member of a group that drummer Cozy Powell attempted to put together, Hammer, before quickly disbanding). The mid '70s saw Marsden join British prog rockers Babe Ruth for a pair of releases, 1975's Stealin' Home and 1976's Kid's Stuff, before the group broke up, as well. Marsden then supposedly turned down an offer to play with Paul McCartney, and eventually joined up with former Deep Purple vocalist David Coverdale in Whitesnake.
Early on, Whitesnake pursued a much more bluesy and hard rock-based sound than their latter-day (and much more successful) pop-metal direction, as Marsden played on such albums as 1978's Snakebite and Trouble, 1979's Love Hunter and Live at Hammersmith, 1980's Ready An' Willing, 1981's Live in the Heart of the City, 1982's Come and Get It, and 1983's Saints and Sinners. Although the group achieved substantial success throughout Europe, Coverdale wanted to pursue a more mainstream sound to crack the lucrative U.S. market, which led to Marsden's exit soonafter. Subsequently, a pair of Marsden-Coverdale compositions would be dusted off and re-recorded by Whitesnake in the late '80s ("Here I Go Again" and "Fool for Your Loving"), both of which became sizeable worldwide hits.
It was during his tenure with Whitesnake that Marsden also managed to find the time to issue a pair of solo albums, 1979's And about Time, Too! and 1981's Look at Me Now. But instead of pursuing a solo career full-time after his dismissal from Whitesnake, Marsden opted to form a new band, Alaska, who only managed two releases, 1984's Heart of the Storm and 1985's The Pack, before breaking up. After laying low for the remainder of the '80s, Marsden resurfaced in the '90s, guesting on recordings by such artists as Forcefield and Walter Trout, and forming a new group along with his ex-Whitesnake bandmate, guitarist Mick Moody, called the Moody Marsden Band. The band usually relied on playing classic Whitesnake tunes live, and issued such recordings as 1992's Never turn your Back on the Blues, 1994's Live in Hell: Unplugged and Real Faith, plus 2000's The Nights the Guitars Came to Play and Ozone Friendly (the latter of which was a reissue of Real Faith, albeit with a slightly different tracklisting). The early 21st century saw the duo joined by another former Whitesnake bandmate, bassist Neil Murray, which resulted in the formation of a new group, Company of Snakes (with a pair of releases soon following - 2001's Here They Go Again: Live and 2002's Burst the Bubble).
Marsden has also sporadically issued further solo recordings, including 1992's The Friday Rock Show Sessions and the 1995 Peter Green tribute, Green and Blues. In addition to his music career, Marsden has also tried his hand at acting (the German TV movie, Frankie), and has provided soundtracks for several movie projects in both Germany and the U.S., plus serving as the art director, producer, and author of the three part TV series, The Delta Blues 1926 - Urban Blues 1960.
(www.allmusic.com/artist/bernie-marsden-mn0000059475/biography)

01. Linin' Track (03:24)

02. Wedding Day (03:29)

03. Walk Away (05:31)

04. Kinda Wish She Would (03:53)

05. Ladyfriend (05:17)

06. Trouble (04:30)

07. Who Do We Think We Are? (05:29)

08. Bad Blood (04:44)

09. Shine (05:40)

10. Dragonfly (04:25)

11. You Better Run (03:18)

12. Hoxie Rollin' Time (04:08)

13. Nw8 (03:05)

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Roger Glover (Deep Purple) - If Life Was Easy (2011)

Year: July 11, 2011 (CD 2011)
Label: Souz Music (Russia), SZCD 7319-11
Style: Rock, Blues Rock
Country: Brecon, Wales (30 November 1945)
Time: 54:45
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 378 Mb

If Life Was Easy is the fifth solo album by Deep Purple's bass player Roger Glover released by earMusic/edel on July 11, 2011. The album was recorded in 2007 but due to personal reasons it wasn't released until 2011. Like its predecessor, Snapshot (2002), it features The Guilty Party which includes Randall Bramblett and Gillian Glover. Guest appearances are from Nazareth's Dan McCafferty and Pete Agnew as well as Walther Gallay and Sahaj Ticotin.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_Life_Was_Easy)

On top of him being the longtime bassist of Deep Purple, Roger Glover is a songwriter, producer and instrumentalist of amazing depth and style – as is evident on his solo CD If Life Was Easy. Enlisting a group of musicians around him he calls the Guilty Party, this stellar 16-song disc came to fruition for Glover during a decade he calls "turbulent".
The CD opens with a sloppy, guitar and featuring some fantastic, quirky instrument layering, with Glover playing baslama (that odd-stringed instrument with a bowl like-bottom, most commonly used in Turkey), giving the tune a shaky Middle Eastern resonance. There's also Randall Bramblett's great sax work at the end.
We all know a guy like Glover won't see mainstream radio airplay, but this tune would do well as a lead-off hit. As a big fan of Nazareth, it's great to hear their sandpaper vocalist Dan McCafferty going over the top on "The Dream I Had" (Nazareth was one of many bands/artists Glover has had a hand in producing over the years), with a perfect slide by Oz Noy and some truly grumbling low bass work from Glover. "Moonlight," a slower bluesy number, features Glover's wife Gillian on vocals and some exquisite fretless bass playing from you-know-who.
The best songs on "Life" are the ones where it's all Glover. "The Car Won't Start" basically features him playing almost all instruments and singing on what is a great white reggae tune – with some fantastic harmonica playing to boot! "Box Of Tricks" is a dirty, tour de force with one other musician: drummer Elliot Deneberg, The title track showcases some of Glover's acoustic guitar playing, reminiscent of Leo Kottke (no mean feat to be sure). "Staring Into Space" is a sea-shanty-like acoustic tune with a great vocal from Glover. All these song feature the full lyrical expression of Glover's turbulent decade.
The full complement of the Guilty Party is evident on the rousing "Stand Together," a gospelly roll featuring Randall Bramblett on vocals, Don Airey on piano and Oz Noy on guitar, captured with that full rich production Glover does so well. "Feel Like A King" feels the most Purplish of all these songs, a great hard-rocking number with vocals from Glover and Sahaj Ticotin.
If Life Was Easy is about the best produced, written and played album you're going to hear all year. Roger Glover brings the full range of his powers to bear. There isn't one moment wasted or one misstep. The musicians are spot on, the songwriting shows depth, and the lyrics are in keeping with the age of the artist and his experiences. Do you get the idea? I like this CD. Purple fan or any kind of music fan – you owe it to yourself to grab If Life Was Easy.
(vintagerock.com/if-life-was-easy-roger-glover-the-guilty-party-cd-review) (Ralph Greco, Jr.)

01. Don't Look Now (Everything Has Changed) (04:06)

02. The Dream I Had (03:28)

03. Moonlight (02:48)

04. The Car Won't Start (03:34)

05. Box Of Tricks (03:34)

06. If Life Was Easy (02:31)

07. Stand Together (04:47)

08. Welcome To The Moon (02:33)

09. Set Your Imagination Free (03:36)

10. When Life Gets To The Bone (02:59)

11. When The Day Is Done (02:57)

12. Get Away (Can't Let You) (03:29)

13. Staring Into Space (03:40)

14. The Ghost Of Your Smile (04:31)

15. Cruel World (02:21)

16. Feel Like A King (03:44)

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The Firm - The Firm (1985)

Year: 1985 (CD 1985)
Label: Atlantic Recording Corporation (West Germany), 7 81239-2
Style: Hard Rock, Rock
Country: England
Time: 40:26
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 253 Mb

Charts: UK-15, Sweden-21, Canada-16, Holland-51, USA-17. Sigles: "Radioactive" US #1, "Satisfaction Guaranteed" US #4.
There was much anticipation ahead of the release of The Firm’s debut album. This “super group”, anchored by former Swan Song label mates Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and Paul Rodgers of Bad Company, sparked a curiosity on whether these guys, who each hadn’t delivered any new music in several years, still had the individual magic as well as what kind of material they would produce collectively. Although the album (along with The Firm’s short career) has been considered a commercial failure by some, thirty years after its release it is clear that The Firm is a unique musical statement which seamless blends classic rock elements from earlier days with just a touch of eighties sonic innovation. These elements and the unique and excellent musicianship of the four group members ultimately makes this one of the best overall albums of the decade and our Classic Rock Review Album of the Year for 1985.
Following the death of John Bonham and dissolution of Led Zeppelin in 1980, Page worked on a series of small and short-term projects as well as the defunct super group, XYZ. In 1983, Page played a series of charity concerts with an ensemble that included Rodgers, who was then working on his first post-Bad-Company solo album. Following the tour, Rodgers and Page began to jam together and decided to write and record new material. They enlisted bassist Tony Franklin, who Page had worked with when touring with Roy Harper in 1984, and drummer Chris Slade, a former member of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band.
The new group self-produced the album in England. The songs composed for The Firm are simple, there is nothing earth breaking in structure or arrangement and no heavy lyrical messages. However the musical performance and production methods are done expertly, with the simplest elements brought to their full harmonic and melodic fruition with just a tad of synths and extra bits of ear candy throughout.
The opening track, “Closer” nicely blends Page’s Zeppelin-type, oddly timed rudimental riffs with Rodgers smooth and soulful rock melody. However, what is immediately of note is the strength of the group’s rhythm section, especially the potent fretless bass of Franklin. As an added bonus, this track also incorporates a brass section which gives the song an extra punch that adds to its overall unique vibe. “Make or Break” starts with Rodgers’ droning and hypnotic slow guitar slosh through the slow, new wave flavored verses. As the song progresses, Page and Franklin join in to add to the building intensity of the music with the real payoff comeing during the outro, where Page’s overdubbed, slightly psychedelic slide guitars and Slade’s frantic drumming give the track a bit of a “Dazed and Confused” heavy vibe while Rodgers’ intense vocals work to a crescendo before the song finally collapses.
“Someone To Love” is another track where Franklin’s bass really stands out, adding a definitive punch to the sloshy riffs by Page, which themselves are in stark contrast to Slade’s measured and steady drum beat. On the vocal front, Rodgers has a spot on melody, making the most of the simple lyrics in a strong and soulful declaration. Page returns to his folk roots with the intro of simple acoustic ballad, “Together”. The acoustic backing is accented by electric pedal-effect guitars in the foreground and later on Page adds a mellow but melodic electric lead. During the bridge sections, the song really elevates with Rodgers’ melodic vocals being mimicked by Franklin’s bass, all working together to make this an absolute forgotten gem which has so much more substance than the typical “power ballad”. Listening to this album 30 years later, it is hard to believe that “Radioactive” was the only real “hit” from the album, reaching the Top 30 on the pop charts. Now, that’s not to say that this isn’t a fine track – it is – and very original to boot. This is especially due to Page’s odd, squeaky guitar interludes, which turn this standard and steady rock song into a unique, new wave mechanical piece.
The second side begins with, perhaps, the only real mistake on this album, a cover of the Righteous Brothers classic “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling”. That being said, this is a unique rendition to a popular standard with Rodgers showing his exquisite crooning chops and Franklin standing out with his buzzy bass bends along with a fine chorus of backing singers. However, that leaves Page and Slade basically at the level of wedding backing band, methodically playing the chords and hitting the beats. “Money Can’t Buy” is the most Bad Company-like song on the album with its dark folk elements and even Page seeming to mimic Mick Ralphs in style. During the bridge sections, the song employs a strong rock riff section while the rest has a nice blend of acoustic, multiple electric, synths, and rhythms, especially during the middle lead section.
The legendary Jimmy Page saved his finest work for the final two tracks of the album. “Satisfaction Guaranteed” is a steady track which gives Page plenty of room for sonic mastery, including the use of some bowed guitar starting in the second verse. This song also features the finest lead on the album, with the heavy, bluesy guitar returning during the long outro. Rogers’ vocals draw you in and the rhythms are simple but potent throughout, driven by Slade’s drumming, which finds the space in between the various measured riffs. The closing track, “Midnight Moonlight”, takes the listener back to another time, ten years gone. It got its birth as an unfinished piece entitled, “Swansong”, which was left over from Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti sessions in 1974. With Rogers collaborating, this deliberative and patient song goes through several slow and delicate acoustic sections, like a soft and surreal journey, held together by frequent returns to the main theme and ever-surprising new melodies and instrumental arrangements. There is a section for about a minute in the middle where Page is completely solo, playing a variety of acoustic motifs in differing styles before the full band roars back with a full backing chorus before the track builds through a long crescendo at the end.
The Firm peaked at #17 in the US and #15 in the UK, which was rather lukewarm given its quality and group membership. The Firm would record a follow-up album, Mean Business in 1986, before the group dissolved and the musicians went their separate ways. Slade went on to become AC/DC’s drummer while Franklin did a lot of work with television and movie soundtracks. Ultimately, both Page and Rodgers reunited with the former bandmates from the 1970s, albeit both for a limited time.
(Part of Classic Rock Review’s celebration of the 30th anniversary of 1985 albums.) Classic Rock ReviewPosted on August 27, 2015

Jimmy Page - Acoustic and electric guitars, producer (LED ZEPPELIN)
Paul Rodgers - Vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, producer (ex & next: Free, Bad Company, Queen)
Tony Franklin - Bass guitar, keyboards, synthesizer (ex & next: David Gilmour, Kate Bush, Whitesnake)
Chris Slade - Drums and percussion, backing vocals (ex & next: Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Asia, AC/DC)

01. Closer (02:53)

02. Make or Break (04:22)

03. Someone to Love (04:53)

04. Together (03:54)

05. Radioactive (02:49)

06. You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling (04:32)

07. Money Can't Buy (03:34)

08. Satisfaction Guaranteed (04:12)

09. Midnight Moonlight (09:13)

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Vangelis with Montserrat Caballe - La Stupenda [Single] (2011)

Year: 2011 (CD 2011)
Label: Pendor Records (Argentina), P-112 | V
Style: New Age, Modern Classical, Opera
Country: Greece (29 March 1943-17 May 2022) / Spain (12 April 1933-6 October 2018)
Time: 10:52
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 59 Mb

Vangelis and Montserrat first appear together on the same album in 1995, on special and limited edition of the 'Foros Timis Ston Greko' album, which is sold only at the National Gallery museum in Athens, Greece. This album is later also commercially released in 1998.   
Vangelis also appears on another album of Montserrat, Friends for Life, where he contributes two songs.
In 1997 Montserrat Caballe appears (together with her daughter Montserrat Marti) at the opening ceremony of the IAAF World championship Athletics in Athens, Greece. There she sings both 'The prayer' as well as 'March with me'.
It is rumored that Vangelis and Montserrat Caballe recorded an album together, which for some reason was never released...
(vangelismovements.com/withallmyheart.htm)

01. March With Me (03:49)

02. Like A Dream (03:23)

03. The Prayer (03:39)

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Armageddon - Armageddon [Japan] (1975)

Year: May 1975 (CD 27 Oct 2010)
Label: Universal Music (Japan), UICY-94679
Style: Hard Rock
Country: 1974–1976; England
Time: 41:15
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 276 Mb

Armageddon was the only album released by British/American progressive rock group Armageddon in 1975. It features vocalist Keith Relf of The Yardbirds and Renaissance; Martin Pugh, lead guitarist for Rod Stewart's An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down and Steamhammer; Bobby Caldwell, drummer for Captain Beyond and Johnny Winter; and Louis Cennamo who was the bass player and bandmate of Relf's in Renaissance and Pugh's in Steamhammer.
Armageddon was the last band to feature The Yardbirds' (the band that launched Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page) vocalist Keith Relf. He had founded Renaissance after the dissolution of The Yardbirds in 1968, and left Renaissance after two albums (actually half way through the second album) - to produce bands like Medicine Head (for whom he also played bass), Hunter Muskett and Saturnalia.
Pugh and Cennamo had broken up Steamhammer in 1973 - they then decided, with Relf (who had assisted them in the production of the final Steamhammer LP), to leave England for L.A. They tried out a few drummers in California, and decided upon drummer Bobby Caldwell to complete the Armageddon lineup.
According to the booklet in the Repertoire Records CD reissue of the album in 2001, Frampton and Dee Anthony recommended Armageddon to A&M Records, and it is likely that because he was their top selling artist at the time, they agreed to sign the band.
Although the group's self-titled album was well received by critics and fans, the band did not tour to support it - consequently, sales suffered, and Relf returned to England due to poor health shortly after the album was released. He died shortly after returning to England, when he was electrocuted while playing guitar, although he did record one more song "All the Falling Angels" that is included on an album by Illusion called Enchanted Caress. (Illusion was the name the original members of Renaissance chose when they reunited, as the Annie Haslam incarnation of that band was still active at that time). After Armageddon folded, bassist Cennamo reunited with his Renaissance bandmates (the aforementioned Illusion), and later worked with Jim McCarty in the bands Stairway and Renaissance Illusion. Drummer Caldwell returned to Captain Beyond for an album and tour - and although guitarist Pugh appears to have retired from music after 1975, he did emerge to play guitar on sessions alongside legendary American rock guitarist Geoff Thorpe of Vicious Rumors in American rock & roll band, 7th Order on their debut CD, The Lake of Memory - released on the Big Island Sounds label in 2007.
(en.wikipedia.org)

01. Buzzard (08:20)

02. Silver Tightrope (08:25)

03. Paths And Planes And Future Gains (04:33)

04. Last Stand Before (08:27)

05. Basking In The White Of The Midnight Sun (11:27)

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