The Dandelion - Seeds Flowers And Magical Powers Of The Dandelion (mp3@320)

Here's the second album of 'The Dandelions'. Hope you will enjoy it, too.



See you soon
                     SB1






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The Dandelion - The Strange Case Of The Dandelion (2013)

The Dandelion: blooming psychedelia from ex-Dolly Rocker Movement / Los Sundowners / Kill City Creeps member Daniel Poulter.

 

 The Dandelion: groovy reverb, floaty riffs and flourishing folk melodies, it’s wild and free and beckons you to join in.

Released in 2013 the debut LP Strange Case Of The Dandelion is a field of folk and psychedelia you want to run though with arms wide open. Tangled in 60s psych, paisley patterns and garage rock, the potpourri of sounds wafts in with a Strange Case Opening. Short and sweet, its fluster of fuzz and flutes is enough to let the psychedelic aromas loose.  Whirling through the field, I Turned On As You Turned Around makes wreaths of peace and love that dancing flower children wear in organ blossoming Here Comes Love. But, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. A weedy harmonica in Leaving It Behind Blues twirls us towards darker shades and cloudier vocals. Hay fever inducing grooves Paranoid Floyd in a Bliss You Can Hear and Toxic Flower Power & The Ascension To Infinity then free the most intoxicating psychedelic aromas yet and restore peace and love to the field. A garden bed of flower power beats that pollinate without restraint, these tracks seem wilder than a lot of other psych currently sprouting. 

That's what hhhappy.com basically had say about the record.

I love this album and you will  it, too.

 

Cheers

           SB1

link in the comments

Curt Boettcher - The Complete Singles Collection 2015 (6 Discs @320)

 Producer and composer Curt Boettcher was among the principal architects of the sunshine pop sound of the mid-'60s, his harmony laden, melody rich approach gracing the Top Ten hits of the Association as well as his own projects, including Sagittarius and the Millennium.Born and raised in Wisconsin, he began his career as a folksinger, co-founding the GoldeBriars in 1962; the group's self-titled debut album appeared on Epic two years later. Although the GoldeBriars' complex harmonies anticipated the style of Boettcher's subsequent work, the foursome dissolved after a second LP, Straight Ahead; he then turned to studio work, in 1966 arranging the Association's breakthrough hit "Along Comes Mary." The chart-topping "Cherish" followed and Boettcher also produced the band's debut album And Then, Along Comes the Association; however, the collaboration soon ended and in between producing material for Tommy Roe, Boettcher turned his focus to his own group the Ballroom, recording a long-unreleased LP which finally saw release three decades later on Rev-Ola under the title Preparing for the Millennium. Boettcher then signed on with producer Gary Usher's studio supergroup Sagittarius; 1967's Present Tense also featured contributions from the Beach Boys' Bruce Johnston and Glen Campbell, the latter assuming lead vocals on the classic "My World Fell Down." While recording Present Tense, Boettcher formed the Millennium, which issued its sole album Begin -- the product of what was then the most costly recording session in the history of Columbia Records -- in 1968. After the record's commercial failure, he returned to studio work. 1973 he issued a solo album called 'There's An Innocent Face'. Boettcher passed away in 1987 at the age of 43.

All of the mentioned artists are gathered here in the box and a lot more. This are two parts with 149 tracks. Hope you have a lot of fun with this Box of great 'Sunshinepsychedelicbaroquepop'.

Cheers
           SB1

links in the comments

BONUS Big Star - Till The End OF The Day 1974 (1974) [FLAC] Bonus Disc 9

These recordings are from a concert at Performance Center Cambridge, Ma. USA - March 31, 1974  

link in the comments

 Cheers

                  SB1

Der vierte Teil (The 4th part): Big Star - I Got Kinda Lost (2013) [FLAC] {8CD set with bonus 9th disc}Disc7&8

...und auch der letzte. Gleich folgt dann noch die Bonus Cd als Abschluss. Was mir persönlich gut an diesem Projekt gefällt, ist die chronologische Herangehensweise die mir einige musikalische Zusammenhänge gut vermittelte, da ich kein ''Experte'' in Bezug auf die Band bin und nur über das übliche Hintergrundwissen verfüge. So, genug geschwätzt, hier noch die Infos zu Disc 7 & 8:

Disc 07

By now in the band's story, Andy Hummel has left for good and has chose college over the music business. At this juncture it is interesting to note that Andy along with Jody and Alex will make contributions on Chris Bell solo tracks during the years 1974 - 1975. These tracks were finally released in a collection postmortem in 1992 by Ryko called 'I Am The Cosmos'. One could easily say that 'Cosmos' was more of a Big Star album not called Big Star than Third/Sister Lovers. At least Chris' solo material featured more Big Star members and fringe members than Third/Sister Lovers did.

Third/Sister Lovers is a great moody Chilton (for the most part) solo album disguised as a Big Star album. Its track listing order disputed throughout the years.
Jody Stephens contributes drums here and there and kicks in a song he wrote called 'For You'.
It has been debated whether Third/Sister Lovers was actually meant to be a Big Star album or a Chilton solo piece. And it does get sketchy here because throughout the years people's memories get fuzzy.

One theory put forth says that the album was attributed to Big Star because the general public would have been more aware of the name/band Big Star than the name of solo performer Alex Chilton. Maybe, maybe not. Speculation is hard to prove here as one cannot prove or disprove the theory.

Regardless of the theories out there, whether one views it as a grand Alex Chilton solo album or a legit Big Star album, the name Big Star graces Third/Sister Lovers nonetheless and it is widely known as such among fans.

The last disc (disc eight) of the chronological behemoth known as 'I Got Kinda Lost', is the kitchen sink of the collection. It is the continuation of the Third/Sister Lovers sessions as well as one '90's Big Star track, 'Hot Thing' taken from a rare compilation of a defunct small indie record label.

Lastly, a handful of Chris Bell solo tracks round out the collection. One of the Bell solo tracks, 'Make A Scene' is from a rare Ryko compilation called 'Medium Rare'.

The cover to disc eight features a colorized photo of Alex Chilton in Ardent Studio circa 1972 and the back side of the cover features Chris Bell in Europe circa 1974 - a trip he took accompanied by his brother David Bell & Richard Rosebrough that would find Chris meeting with Geoff Emerick, George Martin and Paul McCartney.
The trayliner photo is a parting shot of the band, a last 'goodbye' - the way they were and will always be remembered in our memories; youthful, great, promising, rising, talented - stars, Big Stars!

Postlogue -

Would the band ever have gotten back together if Chris wouldn't have been killed? It's hard to tell for we cannot know with certainty, the writer of these notes certainly thinks they would've sans Andy Hummel.

Events/attitudes of certain band members by the late 70's pointed to the inevitability of it, perhaps sooner than later. Unfortunately we will never know but the band and its artists have left us with a most interesting body of work to ponder, fret over, cherish, hold up as a beacon of greatness and pass on to the next generation as one of the greatest bands that almost was.





Okay, the bonus disc come in a few minutes. As always the link is in the comments


  
SB1

The Butterscotch Cathedral - The Butterscotch Cathedral (2015)

The Butterscotch Cathedral is a psychedelic studio project from Matt Rendon (The Resonars, Lenguas Largas) with Chris Ayers & Jim Waters. Featuring three tracks total (side one is one 18-min sidelong track, & side two contains »Loud Heavy Sun« & the 17-minute suite »Lisa's Dream«) the project is Rendon's homage to the great Sixties & Seventies concept records from bands like The Who & The Beach Boys, both of whom Rendon cite as an influence.
This is no prog rock although the songs have running times of 17, 18 minutes. This is more a kind of psychedelic power pop or something like that. Give it a try you will not regret it. mp3@320

Cheers
           SB1







link in ...

3rd part of 'Big Star - I Got Kinda Lost (2013) [FLAC] {8CD set with bonus 9th disc}' Disc 5&6

Good morning, good afternoon or good evening wherever you are. Here comes the third part from this legendary band. Disc five covers the post #1 Record period and picks up at the beginning of Radio City. The band demoed some songs between the 2 records with the intention of including them on the next album. Recent information has come to light concerning the song 'Another Time Another Place & You'. One report claims Alex Chilton & Richard Rosebrough performed the track from 1973 (Omnivore Records' claim).

According to the end credits of the Big Star biopic called 'Nothing Can Hurt Me' - the end credits list this song as a 'Bell/Rosebrough' composition. If that is the case -maybe it wasn't intended to be a Big Star track - then again maybe it was. We just don't know. Tracks 7 & 8 are fan remixes. These tracks have the potential of muddying up the trade pool - so this is important to note to the collectors of these things.

Track 14 (O My Soul) is a needledrop from pristine vintage vinyl and is not sourced from the 2009 remaster of the 2 for 1 #1 Record/Radio City CD. The track from the remaster is very loud and based on that it was decided to go with the vintage needledrop of this track to maintain some sort of vintage/authenticity.
This track was originally written by Chilton & Bell.
Unfortunately at this time in the band's history, Chris Bell quits the band, leaving Chilton, Hummel and Stephens to continue and thus dropping Chris Bell's name from any songs he helped write, such as 'Back Of A Car'.

Disc 06
During the period between #1 Record and Radio City the band sort of fragments at this time after Bell's sudden departure and Alex begins recording with Danny Jones (bass) and Richard Rosebrough (drums) as a three piece calling themselves 'The Dolby Fuckers'. This was name that came from a statement Alex had made in the studio regarding Dolby noise reduction.

The Dolby Fuckers sessions produced these songs; 'Mod Lang', 'She's A Mover' and 'What's Going Ahn'.
Disc six, track 9 (Mod Lang - U.S. 45 single mix) is a needledrop from pristine vinyl. This track was only released on vinyl, not on CD.



Okay friends, so far so good. The last two parts come tomorrow.
See you soon
                     SB1















link in the comments

The Aardvarks - Sinker, Line & Hook: The Anthology 1987-1999 mp3@vbr

Aardvarks are native to Africa but the '80s pop group the Aardvarks have no discernable African influence, nor do they have any '80s influence. They're indebted to the sound of the '60s, particularly the tunes of the latter half of that decade, when psychedelia entered the lexicon of pop. The Aardvarks never belonged to the times, as the 2013 compilation Sinker, Line & Hook: The Anthology 1987-1999  proves. The remarkable thing about this set is that the Aardvarks never seem to belong to any of the 12 years under consideration: even when the values they treasured came back into vogue in the mid-'90s, they didn't ride the Brit-pop wave. This hurt the band commercially but it means this comp -- which contains their 1995 debut, Bargain, on the first disc and all the other rarities on the second -- does exist out of time, delivering tight, enthusiastic pop thrills that hark back to the

'60s without belonging to retro-pop trends. Which means that in order to enjoy the Aardvarks you have to enjoy the basic sound and structure of '60s pop more than the recordings of the time, or the fleeting revivals of the decades that passed. If you look just at the beats, the chords, the hooks, the punch, the Aardvarks are satisfying, which Sinker, Line & Hook proves in spades. (S.T. Erlewine)

Kann ich nur unterschreiben und hoffe, die Scheibe macht euch viel Spaß.

Bis bald
              SB1



Der link ist wie immer in den Kommentaren!

Zweiter Teil ( 2nd part) Big Star - I Got Kinda Lost (2013) [FLAC] {8CD set with bonus 9th disc} Disc 3&4

Okay here we go with the second part of the ''Big Star'' post. From the 'Info' file about Disc 3&4:

Disc 03

At last Big Star has arrived with disc three! The cover photo is an outtake of the band in a relaxed, light-hearted moment sitting in the front 3-paneled window of Alex Chilton's parent's house in 1971. The rear insert cover is of the band taken inside at Ardent Studios circa  late 1971. The outside tray liner photo seems to be the proper posed photo of the cover but at this time it's believed they are not the same session/day.
In fact if you look close enough to tray liner of disc 3 and the cover of disc 4, you will notice they are wearing the exact same clothes with the exception of Chilton who has shed the red reindeer sweatshirt.

Track 12 is the real deal 45 single mix of 'In The Street'. This track is a recent needledrop taken from pristine condition vinyl of a vintage Ardent Records vinyl 45 single. In the recent past, there appeared on CD some tracks that claimed to be the 45 single mix but that wasn't really true. The real 45 single mix does not feature a false start/stop.


Disc 04

nothing to report

Here are the tracklists for disc 3 and disc 4. I forgot that yesterday, sorry. Okay that's it for today with  Big Star. Tomorrow more will follow. Wish you all a nice weekend
Cheers
            SB1


links in the comments

Big Star - I Got Kinda Lost (2013) [FLAC] {8CD set with bonus 9th disc}

This is the expanded 'I Got Kinda Lost' unofficial Big Star box set. Previously this set contained four discs and was jam packed with all kinds of Big Star related tracks.
Like the previous incarnations of 'I Got Kinda Lost', this expanded 2013 release attempts to tell the story chronologically of Big Star through their studio outtakes and alternate versions by keeping it more Big Star centric through the prism of Chris Bell and Alex Chilton - the architects of the band.

The tracks are split up between the CD's to a timeline that carries the listener from 1965 to roughly 1975.

This massive compilation is what one would call a 'fantasy release'. It's designed to look 'official' but clearly it is not.
In fact, this box set carries a fake catalog number - ST100/6 which is a direct homage to Chris Bell and Andy Hummel who briefly had the idea (as a joke) that if Ardent/Stax didn't release their completed #1 Record they were going to do it themselves (à la bootleg it) and give it the mythical catalog number ST100/6. Their little idea has now come full circle back to that very same idea, like a bridge to the past.

Some notes:

all sourced from CD or vinyl - no mp3 sourced material!
all artwork was created at 300 dpi - full size - saved as png
all needledrops that appeared on previous comps have been re-done (new transfers)
disc 5, tracks 7 & 8 are fan mixes - they were so good and too hard to pass on
there has been no audio leveling between tracks or 'normalizing'. Tracks are represented here as to how they were from their original origin.

I will upload it in five parts. In the first four parts are two discs in each part. The fifth part includes the ninth disc.(bonus)
This evening i will upload the first part but i hurry up with the other parts. Probably tomorrow and the day after tomorrow the other parts will follow.
Okay that's what the info says about the first two discs:

 DISC ONE


Disc one gets started in 1965 with The Jynx, consisting of Chris Bell (guitar), Bill Cunningham (bass), David Hoback (guitar), Dewitt Shy (drums) & Mike Harris (vocals). The first four tracks of disc one are the only recorded tracks from the short lived Jynx which were recorded @ Sonic Studios in December of 1965.
By early 1966 The Jynx called it a day.

We then fast forward a couple of years to 1969 where Chris Bell ended up at Ardent Studios recording with Terry Manning; playing lead guitar on a cover of a then an unreleased Beatles tune called 'One After 909'. Terry had acquired an incomplete demo of the song from someone close to The Beatles. According to Terry, this cover version was Chris Bell's first recording in a 'real studio'.
In addition to that, tracks 9 - 11 feature Chris Bell contributing to songs that would wind up on Terry Manning's solo LP called 'Home Sweet Home'.

From either late 1968 or early 1969 are some Chris Bell experimental tracks called 'Psychedelic Stuff' in which Terry Manning contributes.


During the years in between 1965 and 1968 this compilation doesn't focus on Alex Chilton because his work is more widely known with The Box Tops so there is no reason to add those tracks here as this comp is about rarities and outtakes - not greatest hits.

Alex Chilton departs The Box Tops by late 1969 and records an album's worth of material along with Terry Manning that will remain largely unreleased until roughly 1996 with the album title '1970' - though reports say the material was actually recorded in 1969 - but due to contract stipulations with The Box Tops the album is given the name '1970' so that the recordings can't be viewed as Alex breaking contractual obligations with The Box Tops. Some of these solo tracks make up tracks 12 -23 on disc one. Of course these are alternate or mono tracks that never appeared on the officially released Alex Chilton archival solo album in 1996 called '1970'.

Tracks 18 & 20 are needledrops taken from a pristine vinyl 45 limited to 500 copies.

The cover of disc one features a colorized photo taken by Michael O'Brien of the band in happier days (1971) at Alex's parents house (145 North Montgomery, Memphis, TN). Previously we've only seen a few different shots from this session at Alex's house - all of them have been in black and white. It's interesting to view one of these iconic photos in an colorized alternate way.

The reverse image of the cover features a black & white photo of Alex and Chris in Ardent Studios. It is believed that year is either late 1971 or early 1972.

It's too bad that Omnivore used this same photo of Alex & Chris in the studio for the rear photo of their 45 vinyl single of Alex Chilton's 'All We Ever Got From Them Was Pain' in which they completely airbrushed Chris Bell out of the picture to make it look like Alex was the sole person in the photo/studio!
That crappy omission has been corrected with this release.
The outside tray liner photo is from the same session that yielded the restored photo as mentioned above with Alex and Chris.

 Disc 02

By 1970, after recording this solo album at Ardent with Terry Manning in 1969, Alex heads to New York City to try his hand at playing folk clubs.
Meanwhile, back in Memphis, Chris Bell, Thomas Dean Eubanks, Terry Manning & Jody Stephens form a band in 1969 - 1970 called 'Rock City' and manage to record a proper album. This material makes up the heart of disc two following the rest of Alex's solo material with Terry Manning.
Following the dissolution of Rock City, another Chris Bell led band called Icewater, featuring Chris Bell, Jody Stephens and Terry Manning with extended cast members that included Andy Hummel and Steve Rhea circa 1970.
On a jaunt to New York City in late 1970 to shop demos of Icewater, Chris Bell and Richard Rosebrough meet up with Alex Chilton. Alex tries to convince Chris to stay in NYC and form an acoustic folk duo like Simon & Grafunkel. Chris tells Alex he is more interested in electric guitar in a band - like the Beatles. Chris asks Alex to come and see them play in Memphis and Alex tells him he will.
By late 1970 (just before Christmas) Alex has left NYC and is back in Memphis and true to his word comes to see a 3-piece band Icewater (Chris, Jody & Andy) playing a gig. After the gig Alex discusses with Chris a meeting date and to possibly record. And so in February of 1971 Alex shows up at Ardent where Chris is and enters the studio, announcing he has a new song to play called 'Watch The Sunrise'. Alex pulls up a stool and starts playing his Martin 12 string acoustic guitar - meanwhile Chris is recording the performance and will ultimately add guitar parts to it.

The front cover to disc two features all four Big Star members in an unknown locale. The rear cover features Alex Chilton slumped over an organ in Ardent studios. The outside tray liner pic is Terry Manning recording Chris Bell in 1972.

Okay i hope some of you have fun

Greetings and see you
                                    SB1



link in the comments

John Lennon & Yoko Ono - Double Fantasy - Stripped Down 2010 (Flac)

Nothing to say about it. It is the last work of John Lennon before he was shot down and die in 1980 at the age of 40. It was his seventh album after the end of The Beatles.
This is the Double album with the ''Stripped Down'' production of the album.
Enjoy!

See you
            SB1




Link in the comments

Apollo Sunshine - Katonah 2003 (flac)

This is not the kind of ''straight ahead'' Power pop. Sometimes it seems that hundred of things happen in the same moment and all runs in a different direction just to hear a moment later all explodes in a great chorus or bridge . pitchfork com. says : ''That subversion of expectation is what keeps things interesting; along with their bright-eyed optimism, the band offers up some surprisingly innovative songs and lots of quirky, Sgt. Peppers-ish instrumental flip-flops.'' Yeah haha that sounds like a professional review.
This is for sure no commercial radio music, first because it's power pop music and not Madonna. But the main reason is too much things happen in this songs . Too much GOOD things. I love it and i hope you will enjoy it, too.

See you
             SB1



link in the comments