ALL WE NEED IS POP: 04/20/17

Thursday, 20 April 2017

Majority One - Rainbow Rocking Chair 1969-71 (2005 RPM Records) Flac & mp3

Most of the songs from Majority One's sole, self-titled album are on this 18-song compilation, filled out with some tracks from non-LP singles (some issued under the names the Majority, Black Label, and Rocky Cabbage), an alternate version of the B-side "Friday Man," and the previously unissued "Letter from the Queen." The material casually resembles the most cotton-candy, daintiest end of the Beatles' late-'60s psych-pop, though only in approach and production, and not in the quality of the actual songs.

Though the arrangements bear the hallmarks of much British music of this sort from that period -- underwater-sounding distorted vocals, light orchestration, harpsichords, high harmonies, images of royalty and childhood, blends of hard-charging acoustic and electric guitars, a slight baroque classical flavor, and an overall jovial bounce -- there's not much compelling melodic substance. The uncharacteristically "Get Back Home" sounds a little like the early (but still post-Denny Laine) Moody Blues when they rocked hard, and "Rainbow Rocking Chair" itself sounds like Majority One might have been listening to the airiest and poppiest late-'60s Pink Floyd cuts (à la "Point Me at the Sky").
The two tracks here from early-'70s singles released under the name Rocky Cabbage are actually among the more impressive and mature, "Freedom" showing a power pop muscle to the guitars missing in much of their other recordings, and "Birds Must Learn to Fly" being a pleasant folk-rock ballad reminiscent of the late-'60s Beatles at their most laid-back. The music's still pleasant overall, though it doesn't stand out within its genre, and the liner notes run through the group's career in great detail.(allmusic.com)

This s a wonderful psychedelic pop effort with all the things an album like this need. To me the band was completely underrated.
Have fun
Frank Flac1 & Flac2 You need both Flac links! mp3@320

Sixties Britain Girlie Pop: Twinkle - Golden Lights -The Singles 1964 - 1969 (RPM 1993)

This is a slightly expanded edition of the Golden Lights compilation that came out on RPM in 1993. Like the previous anthology, it includes both sides of her six 1964-1966 singles, two tracks from a rare 1965 EP, her 1969 Immediate single, and a late-'60s outtake. This upgrade adds a German version of her 1965 single "Tommy"; her 1974 single "Days"/"Caroline"; three songs from an unreleased film/album project called Michael Hannah, from the same era as the "Days" single; and the 1982 B-side "For Sale."

There's also enhanced CD film footage of her performing "Terry" at an April 1965 NME poll-winners concert. Does all of this add up to a must-have, if you already own the first Golden Lights CD? That depends on how fanatical a fan you are, though presumably it's mostly fanatics who bought the first reissue. The '60s material, even by '60s British girl group standards, is featherweight poppiness, but big fans of (for instance) Sandie Shaw could do worse than seek this out. The five 1970s tracks are better than you might expect: The songs are serviceable pop/rock without the gross faceless façade typical of much production from the era, sung in an innocent voice very much like that heard on her '60s stuff. The sound quality is a little subpar on the three previously unreleased '70s outtakes, due to unavailability of the original tapes, though it's not hard to listen to. "For Sale" suffers from mechanical early-'80s production, but again has more personality than much straight pop of the time, by virtue of her sheer guilelessness.(allmusic.com)

I be a sucker for stuff like this, maybe because it remembers me to my earliest childhood or maybe because my musical taste is a little odd. Who knows? But i don't give a damn. My life my fun.
This is the common edition from 1993. Only the best sixties stuff.