Keith Moon - Two Sides Of The Moon 1975 (2007 2000 Fruitgum) Flac & mp3@320

Keith Moon's 1975 solo album Two Sides of the Moon has been described as "the most expensive karaoke album in history," and even as that, it was a colossal failure, the perfect expression of drunken self-indulgence, and it was so fascinatingly bad that it has assumed a certain cult status. But make no mistake, it was a horrible album on all counts made by a brilliant drummer who chose barely to play drums on it (he appears behind the kit on only three tracks) but instead chose to sing, even though he was tone deaf by his own admission. The presence of seemingly every musician then in L.A. at the sessions, an impressive list that included Dick Dale, Spencer Davis, Bobby Keys, Rick Nelson, Harry Nilsson, John Sebastian, Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, and countless rumored others, failed to redeem Two Sides of the Moon. Even taken as kitsch, it sucked.

Now Castle Music has released an expanded two-disc deluxe version devoted to this travesty, and fascinating as the carnage is sometimes, an extra disc of outtakes, guide tracks, and studio chatter has simply compounded the blast site of this bomb. Included are two versions of Brian Wilson's "Don't Worry Baby," the single version with Moon singing high and the album version with Moon singing low. They're both awful. Wilson, then in his always-in-pajamas-in-bed phase, reportedly broke down sobbing when he heard Moon's single version of the song, and his tears weren't tears of joy. Moon also slaughters songs closer to home, turning in an ear-shuddering take on the Who's "The Kids Are Alright," then mangles the Beatles' "In My Life" beyond all recognition.

The bonus material includes the original Mal Evans mixes that were rejected by MCA (the only smart move MCA made in this whole affair), a handful of Steve Cropper-produced tracks intended for a wisely aborted second Keith Moon solo album, and a whole second disc of false starts, guide vocals (including an interesting John Sebastian guide for "Don't Worry Baby"), studio talk, and backing tracks. Halfway through this second disc there is a 59-second studio jam burst of "My Generation" which amounts to the best stretch of music on either disc. To be fair, Two Sides of the Moon has some historical importance, and serious collectors will no doubt scoop up this bloated double-disc testimonial to keep everything complete, but Moon's true legacy will always be his brilliant, kinetic, and eccentric role as the drummer on those great early Who records. Stick on The Who Sell Out and forgive Moon his solo record. Please.(Steve Leggett, allmusic)

Have fun
               Flac  &  mp3 p1  -  mp3 p2
Frank    

The Paramounts - At Abbey Road 1963-1970 (1998 EMI Records) Flac & mp3@320

The Paramounts are practically the embodiment of the up-and-down nature of the music business. Once hailed by the Rolling Stones as "the best R&B group in England," they toiled for years with only the most modest chart success, and that on their first single. They then disbanded, presumably to be forgotten; they would have been, had it not been for the subsequent success of band members in the psychedelic-cum-progressive rock band Procol Harum.
The origins of the Paramounts go back to a band contest at the Palace Hotel Dancehall in Southend. The organizer thought to get the best members of the competing groups together in a single band. He ended up managing a lineup of Gary Brooker on piano, then 14 years old, Robin Trower on guitar, Chris Copping on bass, Bob Scott as singer, and Mick Brownlee on drums. It turned out that, except for Scott, who was into Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson, they were all huge R&B fans, which was reflected in their early repertory that was heavy on the songs of Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, and Fats Domino. Ray Charles was another favorite of the bandmembers. Scott didn't last long with the group and when he failed to turn up for a gig one day, Brooker found himself pressed into service as a singer, which remained a quartet from then on.
In 1961, the Paramounts began playing the basement of a café owned by Trower's father, christening it the Shades and acquiring an audience of young mods, R&B enthusiasts all. They honed their sound during this period and became one of the better working bands of the time as their lineup evolved. By late 1962, Copping had left the band to attend college and was succeeded on bass by Diz Derrick; drummer Brownlee also exited the lineup, to be replaced by B.J. Wilson. By mid-1963, they were one of the more advanced R&B outfits in London, having abandoned Chuck Berry in favor of James Brown and Bobby Bland. The group felt they were ready to turn professional and their manager had them record a demo tape that included versions of the Coasters' "Poison Ivy" and Bland's "Farther on up the Road." They were signed to Parlophone Records in late 1963 and made their debut with "Poison Ivy," recorded under the auspices of producer Ron Richards. The single skirted the lower reaches of the sales listings with help from appearances on the television shows Ready! Steady! Go! and Thank Your Lucky Stars.
It was after appearing on the latter program with the Rolling Stones that the Paramounts received the aforementioned endorsement. The group was never able to capitalize on the publicity, however. A second single, "Bad Blood," failed to hit, and a third single, "I'm the One Who Loves You," was primarily notable for its B-side, "It Won't Be Long," which was the first track ever written by the group members. A Brooker/Trower composition, it didn't attract much attention, but it did open a new phase in Brooker's career as a composer. Despite their reputation as an R&B band, they somehow ended up doing records that went far afield from R&B in style, including the string-laden "Blue Ribbons," which didn't even sound like the group. According to Gary Brooker, their most representative recording was a B-side, "Don't Ya Like My Love," written by him and Trower. None of the group's releases after their first sold well enough to make the charts and in late 1966, the Paramounts broke up. Derrick left the music business, while Trower and Wilson joined other bands.
Brooker, however, began writing songs with lyricist Keith Reid. In 1967, they arranged to cut a song that they'd written, called "A Whiter Shade of Pale," which was recorded by a studio band credited as Procol Harum. When it became a hit, not only were new recordings needed, but there were demands for a tour. In the course of putting together a real live Procol Harum, Brooker rejoined Trower and Wilson, with Matthew Fisher on the organ and David Knights on bass. Two years later, Fisher and Knights were gone and Chris Copping was back with his former Paramounts bandmates in Procol Harum.

Often mentioned in the histories of Procol Harum, the Paramounts weren't much more than a footnote on '60s British rock in terms of their sales. In 1983, Edsel Records released a compilation album (Whiter Shades of R&B) of the band's singles, which subsequently appeared on CD. In 1998, EMI transferred all 22 known surviving Paramounts tracks on one CD, in 24-bit digital sound as part of its 100th anniversary reissue series (Abbey Road Decade 1963-1970). It was augmented with six tracks cut in 1970 as part of a series of demo recording sessions by the Brooker-Trower-Wilson-Copping lineup of Procol Harum that was working under the pseudonym Liquorice John Death & the All-Stars and playing like the Paramounts.

The Paramounts were a great R&B band and also they had a fine feeling for good pop songs. This is a fine collection by EMI of the bands work. But the big success came later with the band who gave us A Whiter Shade Of Pale.
Enjoy
         Frank      Flac p1  &  Flac p2  &  Flac p3         mp3@320

Seventies UK Glam Pop By The Glitter Band - Rock'n'Roll Dudes 1975 (2007 7T's) Flac & mp3@320

Playing hard-stomping glam rock with singalong choruses as well as more straightforward romantic pop, the Glitter Band were named for their association with glam idol Gary Glitter. The band originally came together in 1972, following Glitter's own breakthrough with the hit "Rock and Roll." With his first major concert tour looming, Glitter and producer/co-conspirator Mike Leander needed a full-time backing band for live work. Although the band was not physically present on any of Glitter's own hits (according to the singer, Mike Leander alone played every instrument himself), the Glitter Band not only accompanied Glitter on his tours and television appearances, they also racked up seven hits of their own, six of them making the Top Ten. Ultimately, the Glitter Band became almost as successful, and certainly as well-known, as Gary Glitter himself. And while the band's original sound was firmly cut in the style of their namesake, by the end of their career, they'd developed into a wholly original and utterly captivating act in their own right.

The Glitter Men, as the group was originally known, was built around an idea that Glitter and Leander had first experimented with during the mid-'60s: a sprawling combo whose sound and visuals were based upon a core of two drummers and two saxophonists. Their choice of bandleader also reached back to that earlier era -- baritone sax player John Rossall had previously played with Leander's own eponymous orchestra, and alongside Glitter in the subsequent Boston International.

The decision to launch the Glitter Band as a recording act in its own right was made in late 1973. Written by John Rossall and Gerry Sheppard, their debut single, "Angel Face," was an obvious close relation to the Glitter sound, a pounding, stomping number that raced to number four in Britain in March 1974, but it unquestionably possessed a charm all of its own. It was followed by "Just for You" and "Let's Get Together Again," both of which kept the group in the Top Ten, while their debut album, Hey, reached number 13 despite being comprised of little more than reprises of the hits. Evidence that the Glitter Band were capable of meeting greater challenges than the Glitter sound normally set was delivered in early 1975 with their fourth single, the soft rock ballad "Goodbye My Love." A major creative departure, "Goodbye My Love" climbed to number two, while the group's abilities as songwriters received another boost when labelmates Hello scored a European hit with a cover of the Glitter Band's own "Game's Up." (Hello also scored with another Hey-era staple, a cover of the Exciters' "Tell Him.")

Buoyed by the massive success of "Goodbye My Love," the Glitter Band selected another soft rocker for their next single, "The Tears I Cried," following through over the next 12 months with the similarly styled "Love in the Sun" and "People Like You, People Like Me." Two further albums, Rock 'n' Roll Dudes and Listen to the Band, were equally courageous, with the group's ambition now so pronounced that they even brushed aside the first signs that their invincibility was cracking: the chart failure of the singles "Alone Again" and "Don't Make Promises." In 1976, as Gary Glitter announced his retirement, the Glitter Band cut their last sonic links with the old sound. With John Rossall having quit for a solo career, the remaining members signed with CBS and, shortening their name to the G Band, set to work on their most ambitious collection yet, Paris Match. An utterly un-Glitter-like set, it was characterized by a truly audacious cover of the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil." Unfortunately, though the band had moved on, their fans hadn't. In late 1977, the group transferred to Epic for one final single, a cover of the Bee Gees' "Gotta Get a Message to You," but by 1978, the band had all but fallen apart. 1979 saw Sheppard and drummer Pete Phipps hook up with former Sparks/Jet keyboard player Peter Oxendale for the album Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, credited to Oxendale & Sheppard and released in the U.S. only.

The Glitter Band regrouped under their old name in 1980, around the same time as Gary Glitter himself moved back into focus. In 1981, the group released a new single, "Until the Next Time," maintaining a steady stream of further releases over the next five years. A new album, recorded live at the London Marquee Club, appeared in 1985, while a succession of hits collections (several featuring newly re-recorded material) kept their name alive on the record shelves. In 2009, drummer Pete Phipps (who had taken ownership of the name "The Glitter Band") and original bassist and vocalist John Springate put together a new version of the group with the addition of Dominic Rodgers on guitar and vocals, and Eddie Spence on keyboards and vocals. This edition of the Glitter Band released a single in 2016 featuring new recordings of "Let's Get Together Again" and "People Like You and People Like Me."(allmusic)

I am a great fan of Glam Pop music and also bubblegum stuff. I was a 12 year old boy and had no clue where my musical trip would lead me in my life but i knew 100% that the most important thing in life is music and my acoustic guitar (i wished so much an electric guitar cause all the guys in TV played electric guitars and they sounded so damned different but nevertheless i loved my piece of wood) and all the cool guys with this very great sound. In this time the Glitter band had their heydays. Anyway it's around 45 years later and sometimes this kid in me want to hear the old songs.
I think this album assembled their strongest songs.

Enjoy
         Frank    Flac p1 & Flac p2  & Flac p3    -  mp3@320

The Poets - Scotland's No. 1 Group (2000 Dynovox) Flac & mp3@320

Although they only released half-a-dozen singles, these were enough to firmly establish the Poets' status as the best Scottish rock group of the mid-'60s. It's true that this is akin to being a big fish in a small pond -- not many Scottish bands recorded in the '60s, and not many of them were at all notable. But that shouldn't detract from the genuinely high quality of their records, which still remain known only to a relatively small band of collectors.
Although they only released half-a-dozen singles, these were enough to firmly establish
The Glasgow group differed from most other Scottish combos of the time in that they concentrated almost exclusively on original material, which alternated between mournful, almost fey ballads and storming mod rockers.

Critics have compared the melodic, minor feel of much of their work to the Zombies, a comparison that holds water to a certain point, although the Poets were far more guitar-based. A minor hit single right out of the gate and a management deal with Rolling Stones manager Andrew Oldham seemed to spell probable success. But the Poets fell victim both to subpar promotion and numerous personnel changes, which had gutted the core of the band by the late '60s.
Oldham came across the band by chance on a trip to Scotland in 1964, quickly signing them and arranging a recording deal with Decca. Their first single, a characteristically moody original called "Now We're Thru," made number 30 in the U.K. Yet that was to be their only taste of commercial success, despite a flurry of fine singles over the next couple of years.

The two-bass throb of the hard-rocking "That's the Way It's Got to Be," the exquisite acoustic ballad "I'll Cry with the Moon," a fiery cover of Marvin Gaye's "Baby Don't You Do It" -- all are worth hearing by British Invasion fans. Although some may find their slow numbers a bit on the maudlin side, the group had a knack for fine melodies, harmonies, and dense guitar arrangements that lifted these above the ordinary.
But the Poets were never given full opportunity to develop their unquestioned skills. Oldham took the group with him to his independent Immediate label in late 1965 for a couple of singles, but ultimately the Oldham association may have worked against them, as he was naturally inclined to focus most of his energies upon the Rolling Stones.

The Poets were getting lost in the shuffle and discouraged, and by 1967 not one original member remained from the lineup that had first recorded. They did marshal the energy for a superb 1967 single, the blue-eyed soul/psychedelic "Wooden Spoon," which indicated that the band was still progressing and maturing, even though their continuity with previous lineups was tenuous to say the least. The Poets straggled on until 1971, barely recording again; Poets alumni turned up in Scottish bands like Trash (who were briefly signed to Apple Records), Marmalade, and one of Alex Harvey's outfits.(allmusic)

The Poets were a fine band with great melodies and some real good songs. I think they had deserved more success. The demos here on the disc are in parts not in a good constitution and sound bad but i think they are an important part of the history. The first five are from early '64 and the last four from end of '63. Anyway give it a try, these guys have done some very fine music.
Have fun
               Frank       Flac p1 & Flac p2       - mp3@320

Sixties Psychedelia By The Pretty Things - S.F. Sorrow [Repertoire 2002] Flac

Who could ever have thought, going back to the Pretty Things' first recording session in 1965 -- which started out so disastrously that their original producer quit in frustration -- that it would come to this? The Pretty Things' early history in the studio featured the band with its amps seemingly turned up to 11, but for much of S.F. Sorrow the band is turned down to seven or four, or even two, or not amplified at all (except for Wally Allen's bass -- natch), and they're doing all kinds of folkish things here that are still bluesy enough so you never forget who they are, amid weird little digressions on percussion and chorus; harmony vocals that are spooky, trippy, strange, and delightful; sitars included in the array of stringed instruments; and an organ trying hard to sound like a Mellotron.

Sometimes one gets an echo of Pink Floyd's Piper at the Gates of Dawn or A Saucerful of Secrets, and it all straddles the worlds of British blues and British psychedelia better than almost any record you can name. The album, for those unfamiliar, tells the story of "S.F. Sorrow," a sort of British Everyman -- think of a working-class, luckless equivalent to the Kinks' Arthur, from cradle to grave. The tale and the songs are a bit downbeat and no amount of scrutiny can disguise the fact that the rock opera S.F. Sorrow is ultimately a bit of a confusing effort -- these boys were musicians, not authors or dramatists.

Although it may have helped inspire Tommy, it is, simply, not nearly as good. That said, it was first and has quite a few nifty ideas and production touches. And it does show a pathway between blues and psychedelia that the Rolling Stones, somewhere between Satanic Majesties, "We Love You," "Child of the Moon," and Beggars Banquet, missed entirely. [This CD reissue on Snapper adds four valuable songs from their 1967-1968 singles ("Defecting Grey," "Mr. Evasion," "Talkin' About the Good Times," and "Walking Through My Dreams"). This version of "Defecting Grey" is the original, long, uncut five-minute rendition, and not of trivial importance; it's superior to the shorter one used on the official single.](allmusic)

 To me it was never important if this is the first rock opera or not.Or if it at all was a ''rock opera''
To me it was always a fine piece of special psychedelic that sounds different to a lot of other psychedelic bands at the time.
Enjoy it
            Frank          Flac p1
                               Flac p2                      mp3@320