Electric Light Orchestra - Discovery (1979) [Vinyl Rip]

Year: 31 May 1979, Recorded March–April 1979, (LP 1979)
Label: Jet Records (UK), JETLX 500
Style: Pop, Rock, Disco
Country: Birmingham, England
Time: 39:14
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 258 Mb

The Electric Light Orchestra had actually lost money on their most recent tour, a grandiose jaunt that featured a giant replica of their iconic album-cover spacecraft. They'd also reached the end of a creative road with the out-sized construction – and success – of 1977's platinum-selling Top 5 smash Out of the Blue.

It was time to cut back – in this case literally. Discovery arrived on May 31, 1979, with a streamlined sound, and a winnowed-down lineup.

"I just lost my way, totally," Jeff Lynne told Rolling Stone in 1990. "In the beginning, ELO was supposed to be very avant-garde, very off the wall. And then, once I started having hits, it drifted from that. Suddenly, the record companies and managers were clamoring for hits. And I tried to cater to the fuckers. And it grew into this monstrous thing that I didn't want. I got to feel trapped, and I didn’t have a clue as to what was going on. It was a fuckin' drag.”

He started by trimming the lineup to a foursome also featuring drummer Bev Bevan, keyboardist Richard Tandy and bassist Kelly Groucutt. Discovery became the first ELO project without an orchestral component, marking the departures of Mik Kaminski, Hugh McDowell and Melvyn Gale.

ELO engineer Reinhold Mack played a key role in this shift. At one point, he told Lynne, "Let's do away with the strings, let's do away with the choirs and let's just boogie out for a night."

Bevan was also itching to try a more straight-ahead sound. "I got bored with it too," he told the Dayton Daily News in 1979. "In the studio, it's very restricting to work with this band. ... I've tried doing more drum fills to liven it up, but when you put the orchestra and choir on top, it starts to sound a mess – so I have to keep it real simple. I've gotten to the stage where I don't even enjoy recording anymore. It's so mechanical."

Then Lynne started trying something musically, a sound associated with contemporary acts like the Bee Gees rather than with the Beatles, ELO's most celebrated influence. The band's disco period was underway – and it started out with a bang. All backing tracks were laid down in a matter of days, once the group gathered for sessions in March and April 1979. After that, a massive post-production process got underway before Lynne finally filled in the lyrics.

"When everything was overdubbed to the hilt and the tracks were completely full, then Jeff would say, 'Okay, I'll have a shot at it,' and start singing," Mack told Sound on Sound in 2013. "That's just the way he worked. There weren't any guide vocals. In fact, the backing vocals would almost always be recorded before the lead vocal, which was the last thing to go on."

This abbreviated time frame would seem to indicate that they'd become a tighter-knit group. But Discovery – and, more importantly, ELO – had very much become a Jeff Lynne presentation. The problem was, nobody else knew just what his larger plan was.

"It was all inside Jeff's head,” Mack explained. "He'd tackle the backing line by line, saying, 'This goes here,' and 'Let's put a harmony on that.' Then I might say, 'Can you do a descending high harmony?' and he might say, 'Oh yeah, that's a pretty good idea! Let's try it.' Either it would be retained or he'd come up with something completely different, and the whole would evolve out of whatever he had in his mind."

The album's detours into the funk-infused dance music of the day ("Shine a Little Love," "Last Train to London") led Tandy to memorably quip that they should have called it Disco Very. Still, Bevan made no excuses.

(Full version - ultimateclassicrock.com/electric-light-orchestra-discovery)

01. A1 Shine a Little Love (04:39)

02. A2 Confusion (03:45)

03. A3 Need Her Love (05:13)

04. A4 The Diary of Horace Wimp (04:19)

05. B1 Last Train to London (04:34)

06. B2 Midnight Blue (04:21)

07. B3 On the Run (04:02)

08. B4 Wishing (04:11)

09. B5 Don't Bring Me Down (04:07)

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Barclay James Harvest - Baby James Harvest (1972) [Vinyl Rip]

Year: 10-11-1972 Abbey Road Studios, 1972 (LP 1972)
Label: EMI Records, Harvest Records (UK), SHSP 4023
Style: Art-Rock, Rock
Country: Oldham, England
Time: 37:28
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 228 Mb

Sleeve

The "baby" theme was the idea of Ian Cassie, one of the band's managers at the time. The photographer was Julian Cottrell, and the baby was his daughter, Boo! The title came from the finished artwork, although it is probably also a jokey reference to James Taylor's classic album from 1970, Sweet Baby James. Original copies have an inner sleeve listing the performers on each song, which is absent from later reissues.

Crazy (Over You)

Baby James Harvest has been described at different times by members of the band as a "schizophrenic" album. The reason for this is simply that the band were physically split during the recording, with Les, John and Mel at Strawberry in Stockport, and Woolly mostly working with the orchestra in London. On Les's opener, "Crazy Over You", Woolly does play some piano, but Les handles organ and Mellotron as well as the bass part.

Delph Town Morn

John's first contribution to the album is unusual in that it features not members of the orchestra, but a thirteen-piece brass ensemble. They were, in fact, band leader Syd Lawrence's brass section. It's a small world, because Syd's son is Martin Lawrence, who has also had a bit to do with the band down the years! The Delph Town of the title is, of course, the Saddleworth village where John was living at the time, and "Chris's son" in the first line is actually Les!

Summer Soldier

John's classic which closes side one of the album returns to one of his perennial themes: the futility of violence and a plea for peace. The background seems to be Northern Ireland, with the song's mention of bombers and soldiers being stoned, but, unfortunately it could equally apply to a dozen other situations. The second half of the song was arranged by Woolly, the only significant work that he did on the others' songs on this album.

Thank You

The whole of this album was written and recorded in a matter of four weeks or so, and "Thank You" was a late addition to the line-up. Despite the credit on the album, this is actually a John Lees song, and the lyric is just a musical credits list - the "who's who" has been stated before, but just one more time, those mentioned are:

Dixie - owner of a music shop in Huddersfield

Pete (Tattersall) - manager of Strawberry

Teddy (Meyers) - head of EMI Switzerland

Eddie (Buckley) - one of the road crew then

Ollie (Olwen Lees) - John's wife

Chris (Christine) - Les's girlfriend

Janet (Pritchard) - then Mel's wife

Snibbley - Ian Southerington

Heather (Crowe) - Dave Crowe's wife

Georgie - Middle name of Dave Crowe, one of the band's managers at the time

The waterfall - Dave and Heather's baby boy

Cassie - Ian Cassie, the band's other manager

Nicky (Mobbs) - head of Harvest Records

Ricky (Dixon) - of Kennedy Street Enterprises

Eric (Stewart) - member of Hotlegs and 10cc

Kev (Godley) & Lol (Creme) - of 10cc

Billy Bean's Machine - Kev and Lol's "gizmo" effects machine for electric guitars.

One Hundred Thousand Smiles Out

Les's beautiful song is about the isolation of an astronaut lost in space, a theme to which he subsequently returned in "Negative Earth". The "space race" was always in the news after the first manned expedition to the moon in 1969, and that interest was reflected in many other songs from that period on the same subject, for example David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and Elton John's "Rocket Man". Les again played the piano in Woolly's absence.

Moonwater (Poco Adagio)

In the meantime, Woolly was at Abbey Road in London, working on his own epic. The idea was to record the orchestral pieces, then take the tapes up to Stockport for the rest of the band to record their parts. However, when Woolly arrived, the tapes wouldn't play properly, so he had to get back on the train to London and do them again! Time was so short that the other three couldn't wait for him, so went ahead with their own songs. "Moonwater" was Woolly's "attempt to bridge the gap between Radios One and Three", and was dedicated to Gustav Mahler, whose work had a big influence on Woolly; the Countess was a Polish countess who worked for a London publishing company. The "additional material" by Les was actually a mellotron part taken from "Eden Unobtainable" - check it out on The Harvest Years!

(www.bjharvest.co.uk/baby.htm)

01. A1 Crazy (Over You) (04:18)

02. A2 Delph Town (04:50)

03. A3 Summer Soldier (10:26)

04. B1 Thank You (04:26)

05. B2 One Hundred Thousand Smiles Out (05:57)

06. B3 Moonwater (07:29)

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Bad Company - Run With The Pack (1976) [Vinyl Rip]

Year: February 21, 1976 (LP 1976)
Label: Island Records (UK), ILPSP 9346
Style: Rock, Hard Rock, Blues Rock
Country: Albury, Surrey, England
Time: 36:45
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 252 Mb

There’s a particular scene in the award-winning 2000 Cameron Crowe film, Almost Famous. In that playful scene, “band aid,” Estrella Starr (played by Bijou Phillips) peers out the window of a hotel room and announces (excitedly) to her frolicking female companions, “Simon Kirke from Bad Company is by the pool!” Not only did the band’s co-founding drummer get a nod with that memorable quote, but the film’s fictional group, Stillwater, also bared a strikingly close stylistic resemblance to Bad Company — and for good reason. Straight out the gate, Bad Company achieved global notoriety as a supergroup, comprised of Mott the Hoople, Free and King Crimson alumni. And at the time the motion picture’s storyline would have taken place during the early to mid-‘70s, Bad Company was revving up as one of the biggest bands in the world.

Birthing such FM staples as “Bad Company,” “Can’t Get Enough,” “Movin’ On,” “Good Lovin’ Gone Bad,” “Feel Like Makin’ Love” and “Shooting Star,” the first two Bad Company LPs, Bad Company (1974) and Straight Shooter (1975) were stylistic companion records, and both enjoyed Top Ten, multi-platinum success. But with album #3, Bad Company stepped a smidge outside the “zone.” Arriving in stores worldwide 45 years ago today (February 21, 1976), Run with the Pack also was a chart-busting million-seller.

As if wrapped by Reynolds, the shiny silver packaging was eye-catching — the front cover image of papa wolf watching on as mama wolf nurses her pups. The inner gatefold photo depicted the band members holed up in a tiny apartment, surrounded by booze bottles, with a Bugs Bunny cartoon playing on the TV. Musically, the self-produced ten-song set oozed the signature Bad Company mystique. Down and dirty, sweet and soulful, bluesy and beautiful, each track is a bullet point highlight.

The record kicks off in fine fashion with a pair of tunes penned by co-founding guitarist, Mick Ralphs — the gritty and chunky, “Live for the Music,” coupled with “Simple Man” — a powerful track that smacks of such previous B.C. classics as “Bad Company” and “Feel Like Making Love.” Owning the notable line, “Freedom is the only thing that means a damn to me,” the song is polished by a convincing performance from co-founding frontman, Paul Rodgers, and accented by Ralph’s seemingly Neil Young-inspired guitar work.

Bursting with bona fide cock-rock swagger, “Honey Child” is brought to life by the punchy, defibrillator-like basslines of the late Boz Burrell. This one, when placed next to Rodgers’ slow and sultry, gospel-tinged heartbreak ballad, “Somebody Love Me,” makes for another magical yin and yang scenario.

Orchestrated magnificently, the piano-driven, riff-heavy title track was one of the record’s mightiest moments. But, it can be argued that the shiniest gemstone of this musical treasure trove is Rodgers’ masterpiece breakup ballad, “Silver, Blue and Gold.” The lyrics — engaging. The melody — enchanting. In fact, it could be said that if Run with the Pack housed only ONE single track, this should be the one. C’mon, everybody, let’s sing along — Give me silver, blue and gold. The colour of the sky I’m told. My ray-ay-ain-bow is overdue.

Crashing Casey’s Countdown in the spring of ‘76, the sexy-sounding remake of the 1957 boogie woogie Coasters classic, “Young Blood,” got MY young blood pumping — it still does. Conversely, in a similar stylistic fashion as “Seagull” (Bad Company, 1974), Rodgers’ “Do Right by Your Woman” is a marvelous, mid-tempo keeper.

While Run with the Pack still tastes fresh musically, at times, it smells as if its shelf life expired, back in the dark ages. Ralph’s turbo-charged “Sweet Little Sister” celebrated and glorified the band’s (now dated) sex, drugs & rock and roll lifestyle — Sweet little sister, you know you can’t resist her. She got it made in the shade, Lord yeah. Sweet little sister, your mama never missed her, ‘til she got laid, laid, laid, alright. Wow, even for an old rocker guy like me, it’s tough to imagine in today’s enlightened culture, that there ever was a time when that type of mentality was considered cool. However, Rodgers’ brooding “Fade Away” still holds up and provides a bluesy and effective closing punctuation point.

To this day, the impressive Bad Company catalogue remains iconic. And 45 years later, Run with the Pack still sparkles as one of the band’s grandest achievements.

(v13.net/2021/02/bad-company-run-with-the-pack-retro-album-review)

01. A1 Live For The Music (04:00)

02. A2 Simple Man (03:37)

03. A3 Honey Child (03:19)

04. A4 Love Me Somebody (03:09)

05. A5 Run With The Pack (05:26)

06. B1 Silver Blue and Gold (05:07)

07. B2 Young Blood (02:42)

08. B3 Do Right By Your Women 222 (02:54)

09. B4 Sweet Lil' Sister (03:32)

10. B5 Fade Away (02:55)

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Queen - News of the World (1977) [Vinyl Rip]

Year: 28 October 1977 (LP 1977)
Label: EMI Records (UK), EMA 784, OC 064-60 033
Style: Rock, Pop
Country: London, England
Time: 39:34
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 256 Mb

...the last of the classic-period Queen albums...

Queen's varied palette of styles was none more apparent than on their sixth studio album, News Of The World, recorded over summer 1977 at various locations in London. Released as punk was breaking across the UK music scene (prompting the delicious exchange when Freddie Mercury met Sid Vicious: "ah, Mr. Ferocious, how are you?"), the album showed the group, for many the ultimate in musicianship, both out-of-kilter, yet strangely in step with the times.

In step was the football-terrace proto-rap “We Will Rock You”, the anthemic Mercury special “We Are The Champions” and the full-on assault of the Roger Taylor/Mercury duet “Sheer Heart Attack”. Out of kilter with the times was the ornate, fussy balladry of John Deacon’s “Spread Your Wings” or Mercury’s bluesy “My Melancholy Blues”. Elsewhere, the heavily strutting “Get Down Make Love” acts as something of a bridge between the earlier “Seven Seas Of Rhye” and the “Another Ones Bites The Dust” funk-isms that lay ahead.

News Of The World was the last of the classic-period Queen albums, and heralded a spell in the relative doldrums before 1980's The Game. The album was a huge hit in America, something the group could never take for granted; and went four times platinum, largely as a result of their lengthy tour with Thin Lizzy earlier in the year. What News Of The World demonstrates perfectly is Queen’s unerringly ability to sound absolutely like no-other group – even when parodying other musical styles.

(www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/98dp/ BBC Review: Daryl Easlea 2007)

01. A1 We Will Rock You (02:03)

02. A2 We Are The Champions (02:59)

03. A3 Sheer Heart Attack (03:27)

04. A4 All Dead, All Dead (03:11)

05. A5 Spread Your Wings (04:36)

06. A6 Fight From The Inside (03:06)

07. B1 Get Down, Make Love (03:53)

08. B2 Sleeping On The Sidewalk (03:07)

09. B3 Who Needs You (03:09)

10. B4 It's Late (06:29)

11. B5 My Melancholy Blues (03:30)

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The Dave Clark Five - The Very Best Of (1976) (Double LP) [Vinyl Rip]

Year: 60s (2LP 1976)
Label: Music For Pleasure (Germany), C60 27209 007
Style: Beat, Rock
Country: Tottenham, London, England
Time: 28:54, 29:41
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 191, 195 Mb

British Invasion's Second Wave: Dave Clark Five. (By Robert Fontenot. Updated March 25, 2019)

They were never as celebrated as the Beatles or the Stones, but the DC5 (as they were sometimes abbreviated) arguably rocked as hard as any of the more famous British Invasion bands, and they were doing so from the beginning. They even gave the Beatles a run for their money back in their formative years.

Where You Might Have Heard Them:

"Glad All Over" was featured in the 2006 comedy Garfield 2: A Tale of Two Kitties, and "Catch Us If You Can" is featured in the 1990 sequel Look Who's Talking Too, sung by sperm as they fertilize an egg. No, really.

The DC5 began life as a side project, a way for Clark to raise money for his soccer team. Although not a musician, he bought a set of drums, taught himself to play them, and formed a band, which soon found a steady gig backing up singer Stan Saxon in a North London club. Soon they were signed to Britain's Pye Records, and even enjoyed a small hit with their cover of the Contours' "Do You Love Me." But their next single, the original "Glad All Over," hit big, knocking the Beatles' "I Want To Hold Your Hand" out of the top spot in their native country. Clark's primitive, self-produced tribal drum sound was a smash.

Soon, the group was getting airplay in the States, thanks to promoters looking for the logical follow-up to the Beatles. But the "Tottenham Sound" of the DC5 was harder and more raucous than the "Merseybeat" sound of the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Swinging Blue Jeans, etc. Clark, a natural businessman, managed and produced his own band, and made several smart business decisions which ensured the group would hang on to the money it made. Before the Stones, Kinks, and Who arrived in 1965, the Dave Clark Five were considered the Beatles' chief British Invasion rival, scoring 15 top 20 hits in three years.

Facts and Trivia:

Clark actually started out as a movie stuntman

Sold out 12 shows at Carnegie Hall in three days

"Bits and Pieces" created such stomping from crowds live that it was often banned from performance

"Over and Over" was originally performed by Bobby Day as the b-side of his hit "Rockin' Robin"

Clark owns the rights to the legendary British TV pop series Ready Steady Go!

The very successful London musical Time (1986) was written by Clark

Mike Smith went on to produce several successful artists, including Shirley Bassey

Session drummer Bobby Graham has claimed he, not Clark, played drums on the DC5's hits; this has been disputed

(Full version: www.liveabout.com/dave-clark-five-bio-and-discography-2522162)

01. A1 Wild Weekend (01:53)

02. A2 Over And Over (02:01)

03. A3 I Like It Like That (01:40)

04. A4 Reelin' And Rockin (02:50)

05. A5 At The Scene (01:54)

06. A6 All Night Long (03:14)

07. B1 Do You Love Me (02:42)

08. B2 You've Got What It Takes (03:02)

09. B3 Because (02:26)

10. B4 Everybody Knows (02:18)

11. B5 I Need You - I Love You (02:37)

12. B6 Forever And A Day (02:10)

01. C1 Glad All Over (02:46)

02. C2 Nineteen Days (01:52)

03. C3 Try Too Hard (02:12)

04. C4 Red Balloon (03:03)

05. C5 Can't You See That She's Mine (02:26)

06. C6 Catch Us If You Can (01:55)

07. D1 Bits And Pieces (02:01)

08. D2 Thinking Of You Baby (02:35)

09. D3 Come Home (02:53)

10. D4 Look Before You Leap (02:22)

11. D5 Hurtin' Inside (02:40)

12. D6 Live In The Sky (02:52)

LP1:

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LP2:

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Streetwalkers - Red Card (1976) [Vinyl Rip]

Year: 1976 (LP 1976)
Label: Vertigo Records (UK), 9102 010
Style: Classic Rock, Rock
Country: England (1974–1977)
Time: 37:15
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 252 Mb

Streetwalkers were an English rock band formed in late 1973 by two former members of Family, vocalist Roger Chapman and guitarist John "Charlie" Whitney. They were a five piece band which evolved from the Chapman Whitney Band.

The band was managed by Michael Alphandary and Harvey Goldsmith and were best known for their live performances and their album Red Card (1976). By 1977 their potential to become more important in UK rock history was diminished by changing musical taste, due to the growing influence of punk rock and new wave music on European culture. The band had success in USA and Europe, particularly Germany.

Their second studio album, the groove heavy album Red Card (1976) reached #16 in UK album charts and remains a much respected album. The band performed at a series of concerts entitled Who Put The Boot In appearing at UK Football stadiums, during May and June 1976, supporting The Who. The billing for these concerts included The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Little Feat, Outlaws, Widowmaker (UK) and Streetwalkers were the second act to appear. The band also toured the U.S as support to others such as Wings, 10cc and Joe Cocker.

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streetwalkers)

01. A1 Run For Cover (05:47)

02. A2 Me An' Me Horse An' Me Rum (04:03)

03. A3 Crazy Charade (05:27)

04. A4 Daddy Rolling Stone (03:14)

05. B1 Roll Up, Pull Up (03:28)

06. B2 Shotgun Messiah (03:46)

07. B3 Between Us (04:50)

08. B4 Decadence Code (06:36)

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Renaissance - Ashes Are Burning (1973) [Vinyl Rip]

Year: 1973 (LP 1973)
Label: Sovereign Records (UK), SVNA 7261 0C 064 94663
Style: Symphonic Rock, Art Rock
Country: London, U.K.
Time: 41:07
Format Flac Tracks 16/44,1
Size: 225 Mb

Renaissance has had a long history spanning 50 years since it’s formation in 1969. With several personnel changes in the beginning years, the sound of the group eventually matured into a unique blending of folk, rock, and classical music including the integration of a full symphonic orchestra. Crowning all of this was the sound of the equally unique five-octave voice of Annie Haslam. During their great success in the 70’s the band toured extensively throughout the world in support of their numerous album releases. Highlights of this era included three sold out concerts at Carnegie Hall with The New York Philharmonic Orchestra and a sold out concert at The Royal Albert Hall with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Chorale Society, all of which were recorded and released as ‘Live’ albums.

Over the next few years some members moved on to other musical projects or retired from the business. Eventually the group disbanded in the late 80’s at which time Annie Haslam pursued a solo career.

During the following decades Haslam’s solo efforts rendered several albums and tours throughout the world which included some of the classic Renaissance songs in the shows. Except for an album release (Lady From Tuscany) and a brief tour of Japan in 2001, Renaissance lay dormant until it’s 40th Anniversary in 2009. Plans were made to bring the original band back together for a tour, but because of timing issues, it proved too difficult. At this point Michael Dunford, the guitarist and primary songwriter along with Annie Haslam, decided to create a new Renaissance. They were joined by Rave Tesar on piano who was the long time keyboardist and producer for the Annie Haslam Band. He also participated in the 2001 Renaissance Japan tour as well as two tours in Brazil with Annie Haslam. Bassist David J. Keyes was brought on board also from the Haslam band and became a part of the 2001 Renaissance tour of Japan. Drummer, Frank Pagano with his impressive resume and long time affiliation with Tesar and Keyes, was the logical choice to fill that spot. Finally the decision to add a second keyboardist to recreate the sound of an orchestra, took the band to new heights. This role went to Tom Brislin, already known throughout the progressive rock community for his work with Yes and Camel to name just a few. ?The powerful sound of this new 6-piece version of Renaissance immediately impressed both fans and critics alike.

After the sad untimely death of Michael Dunford in 2012, and the medical leave of David J. Keyes a few years later, two more musicians were recruited. Mark Lambert who worked with the band in the 80’s and Haslam’s solo band, replaced Michael Dunford on guitar, and Leo Traversa joined on bass. Both Lambert and Traversa had extensive careers with top Brazilian artists with Lambert eventually making Brazil his home for some years now.

With their musical virtuosity, five strong lead voices, newest technological instrumentation and love for the music, they have created a new sound taking them into a new age and performing the repertoire with powerful precision across the world.This incarnation of Renaissance is new and different in it’s own right and is nothing short of amazing!

(renaissancetouring.com/band)

01. A1 Can You Understand (09:54)

02. A2 Let It Grow (04:18)

03. A3 On The Frontier (04:58)

04. B1 Carpet Of The Sun (03:36)

05. B2 At The Harbour (06:52)

06. B3 Ashes Are Burning (11:27)

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Dan Hill - Music To Watch Girls By (1967) [Vinyl Rip]

Year: 1967 (LP 1968)
Label: Saga Records (UK), OPP 101
Style: Instrumental, Easy Listening
Country: South Africa
Time: 41:48
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 282 Mb

Legendary South African producer, jazz clarinettist and band leader of Russian heritage.

His 1958 album "Happy Days Are Here Again" was the first South African album to go gold (more than 25,000 sales), and he gained further fame and notoriety with his Sounds Electronic series of records. In 1967 he co-founded RPM Records, opening the RPM Studios in 1979.

Dan Hill passed away in Durban on May 31st, 2009 at the age of 85.

(www.discogs.com/artist/455433-Dan-Hill-2)

01. A1 A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You (03:31)

02. A2 The More I See You (02:27)

03. A3 No Milk Today (04:07)

04. A4 Work Song (03:19)

05. A5 Sugar Town (03:22)

06. A6 Thoko (03:57)

07. B1 Music To Watch Girls By (04:07)

08. B2 I Love Onions (02:55)

09. B3 Wednesday's Child (03:52)

10. B4 Matthew and Son (04:46)

11. B5 Little Man (02:49)

12. B6 Lady Godiva (02:28)

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Deep Purple - Who Do We Think We Are (1973) [Vinyl Rip] (1st Press)

Year: 13 January 1973 (US) (LP 1973, 1st press)
Label: Purple Records (UK), TPSA 7508
Style: Hard Rock, Rock
Country: Hertford, England
Time: 34:35
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 251 Mb

Jeez, what an unsettling album! For the life of Reilly I can’t understand how Deep Purple evidently lost the macho glory which made their In Rock LP such an Owsleyan mindfuck. Now that was an album — its kamikaze guitar and organ runs sped toward insanity with blazing intensity. It was rather melodic, too, for those who keep track of such things. The group’s tried thrice to renew the assault on the senses, but each time they’ve come off like a fouled imitation of their earlier selves. Worse still, each outing displays less of the banzai spirit that once had critics crying asshole things like “power to the purple.”

Who Do You Think We Are! sounds so damn tired in spots that it’s downright disconcerting. Now you might think it’s impossible for a bunch of heavy-metal mashers to sound like they’ve ODed on Sominex, but rest assured, this album will prove you wrong. Remember the two-stage construction of DP’s earlier boogie beasts — songs like “Speed King,” “Flight of the Rat,” and “Hard Lovin’ Man”? And how the basic bitch of a riff served only as a launching pad for the Blackmore-Lord flights to musical nirvana? Don’t waste any time looking for anything nearly as awe-inspiring here; the band seems to just barely summon up enough energy to lay down the rhythm track, much less improvise. Can metal-men have iron-poor blood?

“Get more specific,” you’re probably yelling by now. Okay, let’s take “Woman From Tokyo,” which a Kinney corporal informed me “would put Deep Purple over the top.” It starts out nicely enough with lots of Yardbirdian instrumental interplays, then moves on to a meaty riff. After that, it’s strictly Flounder City — no development, no direction, damnit, not even any flash. It’s more or less one massive riff lumbering along — Bull Angus gone berserk, if you will “Mary Long” isn’t much different, though Blackmore does at least get to take a perfunctory solo. Funny, but for such an admitted superstar (the liner notes are full of quotes like “I think I could wipe the floor up with most guitarists”). Ritchie seems conspicuously subdued here Could it possibly have something to do with the fact that bassist Roger Glover and drummer Ian Paice mixed the sound? Ah, the fragile egos of rock musicians!

Now if I really wanted to get picky, I could point to the “join the crowd” moog solo on “Rat Bat Blue.” What a cliched instrument the synthesizer has turned out to be — even boogie monsters like TYA’s Chick Churchill are playing around with it. And speaking of Churchill, Lord manages to sound just like him on the Purple blooze, otherwise known as “Place In Line.” It’s sorta like a sound sleep imitating a coma. And then (then) there’s “Smooth Dancer,” where they rhyme “dancing” with “pregnancy” in a chauvinistic power play that curdled every drop of Women’s Lib blood in my veins.

Well, at least “Super Trouper” ain’t half bad, but how can you possibly fault a song with such a nifty title? For that matter, how can you slam a group that makes an album like In Rock? It’s easy when their three follow-ups get you wondering if it’s the same group — real easy.

(www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/who-do-we-think-we-are-249952/) By ANN CHEAUVY April 12, 1973 5:00AM ET

01. A1 Woman from Tokyo (05:53)

02. A2 Mary Long (04:26)

03. A3 Super Trouper (02:57)

04. A4 Smooth Dancer (04:09)

05. B1 Rat Bat Blue (05:26)

06. B2 Place in Line (06:35)

07. B3 Our Lady (05:07)

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