Off Broadway - Live From the Studio 1980 (Flac)

Howdy guys and gals, i don't know from where i get this and i have no clue if it's maybe on Dime or Zomb because i was not there for years. Anyway i post it here because the recording quality is real fine. And the band is great here. Hope you like it. I was very happy as i found it today because i'm a long time fan of the band. Here is the info and a big Thank You to the original uploader! Enjoy it!

Off Broadway (USA) - Live In The Studio 1980
Broadcast from Full Compass Studio Madison, WI.
On WIBA FM 101.5 MHz Wednesday, October 29, 1980.

01 - Bad Indication (3:35)
02 - Bad Girl (2:40)
03 - Bully Bully (3:57)
04 - Automatic (4:04)
05 - US Girls (4:33)
06 - Oh Boy! (3:48)
07 - Showdown (6:08)
08 - Quick Turns (3:02)
09 - Are You Alone (3:41)
10 - Boys Must Be Strong (6:24)
11 - Eddie's Pals (4:02)
12 - Stay In Time (2:54)
13 - Hang On For Love (10:37)
14 - Full Moon Turn My Head Around (8:15)

Cliff Johnson - Vocals
John Ivan - Lead Guitar
Rob Harding - Guitars
Mike Gorman - Bass Guitar
Ken Harck - Drums

Lineage:

FM > tape (unknown probably reel) > digitization (unknown) > CD-R
CD-R > EAC > WAV > Audacity > WAV > TLH > FLAC

Chicago area Power Pop that delivers both the Power AND the Pop.
The band had hooks and looks, good material, and a charismatic stage
presentation, as this live in the studio recording demonstrates.

A nice selection of songs from their first Atlantic LP On (1,3,6,12,13,14),
and the just-about-to-be-released follow-up, Quick Turns (2,4,5,7,8,9,10,11).

I suppose a lot of areas have local bands that get a sniff of national
attention, but through a combination of bad luck, timing, and label
support never connect with a large audience. Well, here's another one,
captured on a visit to their northern neighbor's largest college town,
in front of a small recording studio audience, straight to the airwaves.

It's too bad there isn't more material from the band - IMHO they compare
favorably with more prolific or better known cult legends and/or more
successful bands of the era like Cheap Trick, the Cars, Shoes, Artful Dodger,
et cetera, not to mention Pezband, which featured Cliff Johnson on vocals in
an early incarnation. On the plus side, we have two studio albums, a more
recent reunion album and live recording, and occasional forays into the
local clubs still occur, if we believe everything we read on the internet.

Track 13 interpolates bits from Oh Yoko (John Lennon) and
Switchboard Susan (Nick Lowe). Seems like they'd frequently play
20 or 30 minute medleys like this, the guitars chugging along with
Cliff singing a few lines from Gloria, Oh Pretty Woman, something by
the Supremes, amd seemingly whatever 3-chord garage rock tune popped
into his head. Johnson is most often compared to John Lennon as a
vocalist, not without cause, for a change, and I'm reminded a bit
of Ian Hunter when he gets to hectoring the listener, as well. Pretty
decent for a kid from Oak Park.

I received this from another former Madison resident I connected with
via Spooner's Facebook page. (Thanks, Kirk!) Original CD-R had gaps
between songs and massive amounts of clipping in places. (Cliff had
a real tendency to swallow the mic sometimes.) Still, a good sounding
source, so I applied Clip Fix, a bit of noise reduction and EQ, and
some Limiting to bring those peaks back below 0 dB. (I'll inquire of the
status of the original tape when I mail a copy of this back to him!)
I made sure there were no gaps in applause between the songs that segue.

Most of the station breaks and announcer talk had been excised from
the recording as I received it, and a few fades and abrupt transitions
will be heard. I took the liberty of snipping a bit from the middle of the
final tune, since the band playing a repetitive vamp behind technical credits
and sponsor acknowledgements gives such a golden opportunity to improve
the listening experience. Apologies to relatives of the station and studio
engineers, and the advertising executives at Stop N Go convenience stores!

Enjoy, with the usual encouragement to share responsibly and support the musicians.

Okay, have a nice day/evening all out there wherever you are.
Cheers
           Frank     Flac p1
                         Flac p2
                         Flac p3 

The Flame - The Flame 1970 (2004) Flac

Although you'd be hard-pressed to discern their heritage, the Flames (they'd soon drop the "s" to avoid confusion with James Brown's backup band) emerged out of the rich South African/Malaysian pop scene as a superb cover combo. They even scored a number one with an update of the Impressions' R&B classic "For Your Precious Love." It wasn't until after the quartet -- consisting of siblings Edries "Brother" Fataar (bass/vocals), Rutle-in-waiting Ricky Fataar (drums/vocals), and Steve Fataar (guitar/vocals), as well as Blondie Chaplin (guitar/vocals) -- had moved to England and were gigging around London that Al Jardine convinced fellow Beach Boys co-founder Carl Wilson to sign the Flame to the Beach Boys' Brother Records label. The eponymously monikered platter would become their best-known thanks to Ricky and Chaplin's association as part-time members of the Beach Boys circa the mid-'70s. During the drawn out legal and political processes that would allow them to earn a living Stateside, the Flamecollaborated with Wilson (producer) and Beach Boys' engineer of choice Steve Desper to craft this ten-song collection, which reflected the overwhelming similarities and obvious inspiration to the Beatles' post Rubber Soul (1965) period.

Particularly, Lennon and McCartney's progressive and keenly developed compositional style, which surfaces here as a running motif throughout the whole work. The rockers range from the effervescent "See the Light" -- which is reprised at the conclusion of the effort in a slower, slinkier, and definitely funkier interpretation -- to the edgier "Make It Easy," "Get Your Mind Made Up," and ominous "Hey Lord." Conversely, they ably pull off the lolloping and lovely "Lady" -- which is a gentle send-up of cowboy westerns -- while "Don't Worry, Bill" is equal measures of Fab Four and fellow power pop revivalists Big Star. When Chaplin and Ricky Fataar briefly joined the Beach Boys early-'70s touring company, the selection was offered coupled with the SMiLE (1967) track "Wonderful" as "Wonderful/Don't Worry Bill." A version of said can be found on the Beach Boys' Endless Harmony (1998) anthology. Other sides worthy of note include the languid "Highs and Lows" and the powerfully anthemic "Another Day Like Heaven." In 2006 Fallout Records issued a "needle drop" CD incarnation of The Flame. While better than nothing at all, it is a poor substitution for the proper remastering that the platter most certainly deserves. 

 Marvelous, Beatles influenced pop music. An album i love so much. Enjoy!

Limited link till March, 19th, 2017  Flac

Ted Mulry - Falling In Love Again (1971) Flac

Ted Mulry first came to the attention of the music industry when he sent a demo of some of his own compositions to Albert Productions in Sydney. The company persuaded him to become a recording artist and he soon rose to fame as a solo singer/songwriter with his own composition, the pop ballad "Julia", which made the Australian charts in 1970. He followed that with "Falling in Love Again", a song by The Easybeats songwriting team Harry Vanda & George Young, which was a major hit in 1971.

Mulry was a prolific songwriter, and a number of bands and artists, including John Farnham and Alison MacCallum, recorded his songs. Most notably, rock band Sherbet had a hit with his song, "You're All Woman". He travelled to England in 1972 and recorded a single there under the name Steve Ryder but returned to Australia soon after. During his time as a solo artist he released two albums, Falling in Love Again and I Won't Look Back.

This album is a typical late sixties/early seventies pop production and it found success with some single hits. I love this kind of music and maybe you do, too.

Kind regards
                     Frank
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10cc - Deceptive Bends SHM-CD edition (1977/2014) Flac

When Kevin Godley and Lol Creme left 10cc in 1976 to pursue a solo career, many thought it was the death knell for the group. However, Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman kept the group alive as a duo (with the assistance of percussionist Paul Burgess) and turned in a surprisingly solid album with 1977's Deceptive Bends. It may lack the devil-may-care wackiness that popped up on previous 10cc albums, but it makes up for it by crafting a series of lush, catchy pop songs that are witty in their own right.

Deceptive Bends also produced a pair of notable hits for the group: "Good Morning Judge" told the comical tale of a career criminal over a hook-laden, surprisingly funky pop backing while "The Things We Do for Love" was an irresistible Beatles pastiche that showcased 10cc's mastery of pop vocal harmonies. "People in Love," a surprisingly straightforward ballad built on a gorgeous string arrangement, also became a modest chart success. The remainder of the material doesn't stand out as sharply as these hits, but each of the tracks offers up plenty of naggingly catchy pop hooks, oodles of catchy riffs, and surprising twists in their arrangements. Highlights among the non-hit tracks include "Marriage Bureau Rendezvous," a satire of dating services set to a lilting soft rock melody, and "You've Got a Cold," a portrait of illness-influenced misery set to a percolating pop melody. The only place where Deceptive Bends slips is on "Feel the Benefit," the lengthy medley that closes the album. Its excessive length and hazy lyrics make it less satisfying than the album's shorter tunes, but it is kept afloat by a catchy, mock-Spanish midsection and some lovely string arrangements. All in all, Deceptive Bends is the finest achievement of 10cc's post-Godley and Creme lineup and well worth a spin for anyone who enjoyed Sheet Music or The Original Soundtrack.

Hello Folks thank God it's friday lol. Two days of leisure and i love that :-)! Here we go with 10cc, a real strong band in the tradition of great songwriting and the wllingness of experience. These guys was one of my absolute favourites in the 70's. This is the first album without Kevin Godley and Lol Creme which did projects after the breakup with a lot of success. For me i love more the things of Graham Gouldman. From the sixties until today he wrote a giant string of wonderful songs. With 10cc and also in his solo projects. He is a real gifted musician (like the other three guys, too). But sorry, i wander from the subject. This is a very strong record in every sense. So i hope you will like it and have a lot of fun. By the way this is the japanese SHM-CD edition from 2014.

Cheers
           Frank       Flac

Cotton Mather - Death Of The Cool (2016) Flac

Cotton Mather, the power pop group led by Robert Harrison, released one of the most impressive under-the-radar classic albums of the '90s, Kontiki. It hit right in the sweet spot between the melodies of the Beatles and the flash of the Who, the clang of the Raspberries, and the sneaky wit of Squeeze, with one wonderful song after another. It was a hard mark to surpass for any band, and after trying a couple times and getting close, the band folded up shop in 2013. Harrison never stopped making music, putting out interesting psych-pop albums under the name Future Clouds & Radar. After an expanded reissue of Kontiki saw the light of day in 2012, Harrison decided to give Cotton Mather new life. Inspired by his studies of the I Ching, he set about writing a song for each of the 64 hexagrams. The initial batch he recorded with a new cast of musicians (and Whit Williams from the earliest incarnation of the band) form the first Cotton Mather album in 15 years, Death of the Cool. It kicks off with the romping "The Book of Too Late Changes," a track that seems designed to announce with no question that the band is back and hasn't lost a step over the years.

The cascading drums, sharply jangling guitars, and Harrison's reliably Lennon-esque vocals make the song sound lifted right off side two of Kontiki. The production is a bit less polished, there's no Brad Jones magic touch here, but it makes up for it with the immediacy. The rest of the album charts a course from swirling psych-pop ("Close to the Sun") to tender country-rock balladry ("The Middle of Nowhere," the sticky sweet "Candy Lilac"), chamber pop melancholy ("The Land of Flowers," "Child Bride"), and strutting late-'60s pop ("Queen of Swords"), with every stop along the way as melodic and cunning as the best power pop can be. Throughout, Harrison's gifts are as strong as ever and the album stands on equal ground with the Cotton Mather back catalog. Not quite as breathtaking as Kontiki, but that would be too much to ask for. Landing just short of that mark is nothing to sneeze at and each and every fan of power pop should make sure to rejoin team Cotton Mather for this fine album, and for the next 53 songs too.

Yep, 15 years later...15 years more lines on my face...lol...congrats Mr Harrison for ''Death Of The Cool''. I had give up to wait for a new Cotton album and after that long time...wow he come back with this effort...and wins. Great album, great fun, great feeling to have Cotton Mather back...a tour?...in Germany...that's too much of hoping for a little wonder...but who knows...:-) :-) :-) :-) :-)... five of six smiles for ''Death Of The Cool''...
Enjoy and have a good night
Frank
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