Gigolo Aunts - The Pride Of Potsdam: 20 Years Of Sonic Splendor (Compilation '06)

Taking their name from the Syd Barrett song, the effervescent power-pop unit Gigolo Aunts first came together in 1981 in Potsdam, New York as Sniper. The group -- comprised of vocalist/guitarist Dave Gibbs, brothers Phil and Steve Hurley (on lead guitar and bass, respectively) and drummer Phil Brouwer -- went through a series of subsequent names like Marauder and Rosetta Stone before settling on Gigolo Aunts (a suggestion from Gibbs' father) and moving to Boston in 1986.

In 1988, the band issued its debut Everybody Happy to little notice, and receded from view until Gibbs began playing guitar with fellow East Coast popsters Velvet Crush, whom he joined for a U.K. tour. While overseas, Gibbs made a number of crucial contacts with the likes of Creation Records' Alan McGee and the members of Teenage Fanclub, and interest in the Gigolo Aunts began to build. A series of assured EPs -- Gigolo Aunts, Gun and Full-On Bloom -- appeared to strong reviews, as did 1994's full-length Flippin' Out. After Gibbs and Phil Hurley turned down offers to join the reunited Big Star, they issued the 1995 EP Where I Find My Heaven; shortly after its release, Phil Hurley was replaced by Jon Skibic and Brouwer was replaced by Fred Eltringham. ''Minor Chords and Major Themes'' appeared in 1999.

This is a wonderful compilation of the band and a fine Jangle/Power pop record. Now stand up, pump up the volume, take your Rickenbacker out of the case or the air and play on with the band :-).

Cheers
          SB1
mp3@320

The Lovin' Spoonful 5/5 - Revelation Revolution (1969) Flac

The band is billed here as "the Lovin' Spoonful Featuring Joe Butler." Just when everybody had written them off after Sebastian's departure, this flawed gem came out of left field. Butler's smooth voice had graced a few tracks on all of the past LPs, in addition to having a few of his own tunes included. He comes into his own here, but unfortunately, his three originals are the weakest songs on the LP, especially the ultra-hip sound collage "War Games.

" However, the great pop team of Bonner and Gordon came up with three strong tunes, including the hit "Me About You" (previously done by The Turtles) and the fine "(Till I) Run with You" (the title of the LP as written on the label), with John Stewart supplying the best track, the gorgeous "Never Going Back."




Okay, here is the last of the five records from the ''Spoonful'' box.
                                                                     Kind regards           
                                                                           SB1
                                                      Flac

Flying Color - Flying Color (1987) Flac

In the wake of the Rickenbacker revolution started by R.E.M., Flying Color formed in San Francisco in 1984 when bassist Hector Penalosa, from the Southern California cult band the Zeros, hooked up with guitarist Dale Duncan from the San Francisco underground band Love Circus and guitarist Richard Chase and drummer John Stuart. The band released one single in 1985, "Dear Friend," followed by the album Flying Color in 1987. Upon the album's release, Chase left the fold and guitarist Chris von Sneidern joined the band. There was no mistaking Flying Color's jangle and harmonies as Beatles influenced -- they even wore the requisite mod clothes -- but at a time when the college charts were dominated by English synthesizer bands, Flying Color's clean, harmonious pop sounded amazingly fresh (and years after its release, it still does). The band broke up in 1990; all members continued to perform solo or with other groups, to varying degrees of success. In 1996, Duncan, Stuart and von Sneidern reformed and began recording again, just around the time Flying Color was issued on CD for the first time.allmusic.com

Wonderful album, great musicians. Three cheers for Flying Color!

SB1
Flac

The Lovin' Spoonful Original Album Classics Box (2012) - (4) Everything Playing 1968 Flac

The Lovin' Spoonful's fourth album, Everything Playing, was made under trying circumstances. Musically, the Sgt. Pepper/Summer of Love era had made the Spoonful's good-time, jugband approach obsolete, and chief songwriter John Sebastian had to try to keep up. Personally, the group had suffered the disaster of a drug bust that resulted in the departure of lead guitarist Zal Yanovsky, who was replaced in August 1967 by Jerry Yester. Despite these problems, Sebastian was able to turn out a good album paced by its three Top 40 hits, "Six O'Clock," "She Is Still a Mystery," and the deceptively comic "Money," in which he castigated financial aspects of the music industry. Also excellent were "Boredom" and "Younger Generation," which Sebastian later would sing at Woodstock. When Sebastian wasn't at the mic, the singing could be mediocre, and the group was often all over the map in its attempt at musical sophistication, but the record was saved by Sebastian's writing and singing. Then he too jumped ship.(allmusic.com)

 Here' the fourth disc and tomorrow i post the last of the box.
Cheerio-ho
                  SB1
 Flac

SB's Power Pop Collection Vol.2

Here is my second homemade ''Power Pop Mixtape''. It was a lot of fun to search through the music and select the songs. Hope you will give it a try and send me comments if you enjoyed it or not.Okay here we go:
                   SB'S Power Pop Compilation - Vol. 2
1) Paul Collins - Walking Out On Love                     
2) The Loud Family - Look Through Any Window
3) The Poppees - If She Cried
4) There She Goes Again - The Crawdaddys
5) The Choir - I'd Rather You Leave Me
6) Gary Charlson - Burning In You
7) Jeremy - Love Explosion
8) The Flamin' Groovies - You Tore Me down
9) Material Issue - Bus stop
10) The Autumn Defense - Back Of My Mind
11) Nushu - Precious To Me
12) Ouch - I Need You More
13) Lannie Flowers - Give Me A Chance
14) Grant Lindberg - Blakened Heart
15) Propeller - Wish I Had Her Picture
16) Hector Penalosa - It's Gonna Be Alright
17) The Mystery Machine - She's Not Mine
18) Nick Piunti - Heart Stops Beating
19) The Click Beetles - Try Girl
20) Jasko - The Memo
21) Rabbitt - Dingley's Bookshop

All @320mp3     link

Cheers
           SB1                                         

An absolute classic of british pop psychedelia! The End - Introspection (1969) Flac

Although Introspection bombed due to a belated release, collectors have since heralded it as one of the finest albums from the brief British psychedelic wave. Produced by Rolling Stone Bill Wyman in early 1968, the spirit of the era (or maybe that of the previous summer) is sonically created, with sumptuous results. Giffin and Graham's gentle harmony vocals tread a similar path to Odessey and Oracle-era Zombies, while sessionman Nicky Hopkins' harpsichord, a pumping Hammond, Terry Taylor's searing Cream-like fuzztone guitar leads, psychedelic duel-ragas, and floating Mellotron recreate the colors of a rainbow. The overall effect is psych-pop rather than acid-inspired mayhem, although the drifting ambience of the production, lyricism, and instrumentation could not be anything else than a product of psychedelia. A majority of the numbers were clearly influenced by the Satanic Majesties' Request sessions that Wyman had been undertaking -- and indeed Wyman co-wrote two songs -- although the the End's more commercial pop edge forges a sound distant from the Rolling Stones. With an abundance of moods, tones, and a gloriously over the top production, Introspection is a superb period piece, and rightfully deserves it's near-classic status.(Jon Mills)

''Introspection'' ist ein Album der britischen Pop Psychedelia Periode Mitte bis Ende der Sechziger, welches sich meiner Meinung nach noch etwas höher, vom Anspruch und seiner Klasse her, seinen Platz an der Spitze der besten Pop Psych Alben seiner Zeit redlich verdient hat.Was macht das Album so gut? Ich denke, die Macher haben es verstanden mehr musikalische Einflüsse ihrer Zeit zusammen zu bringen, zu einem Sound der das Album wesentlich ''progressiver'' daherkommen ließ und dennoch solch ein Pop Appeal versprühte, dass man sich dem nur schwerlich entziehen konnte.

Das Album gehört sicher zu den Top 5 dieses Genres in besagtem Zeitraum. Mindestens. Ich hoffe, ihr habt Spaß mit dem Album (falls ihr es noch nicht kennt).
Wir hören uns & Cheers
                       SB1
Flac

Superscope - Generally Electric 1995 (Flac)

A fashion of heavy guitar riffs and power-pop harmonies became a part of Superscope's sound upon their formation in 1994. Combining the chemistry of Shane Bolton (drums), Kevin Borruso (guitar/vocals), and Gerry McAvoy (bass), Citadel Records first captured the trio's pop-metal hybrid on their 1995 debut of Generally Electric. But after contributing to two Bomp Record compilations in 1996 -- Windmill Pop On Top and Windmill Laugh While you Can -- Superscope took a six month hiatus while playing under the moniker of Reuben Kinkaide. Following their return in 1997, Spinning Top Records followed with the release of the 1997 EP Popping Crease(allmusic.com.)

At the times of ''Generally Electric'' McAvoy and Bolton had leave the band and became replaced by Darren Murphy on bass, vocals and Jason Barfoot drums, vocals. As allmusic writes ''a pop-metal hybrid'' for me is a little bit misleading. Harder guitars yes but no way ''Metal''. Anyway for me it sounds great and i hope you also enjoy it.

Frank
                                                                    Flac

Game Theory - Lolita Nation 1987 (2016) Expanded Edition (48 tracks) Flac & mp3@320

Game Theory leader Scott Miller never made a secret of his fondness for Big Star, and while Real Nighttime favored the lush but direct sound of #1 Record, and The Big Shot Chronicles suggested the harder-edged tone of Radio City, Lolita Nation plays like Game Theory's variation on the themes of Big Star's masterfully damaged swan song, Third/Sister Lovers. Certainly Game Theory's most ambitious album, Lolita Nation was a two-LP set that combined some of Miller's most user-friendly power pop squared off against dark, moody ruminations on betrayal, failed love, and mortality, all of it punctuated with bursts of avant-garde noise and unclassifiable studio doodling, and finally thrown into a sonic Cuisinart through Miller's aggressive use of aural montage. Game Theory's most challenging work, Lolita Nation is a bit disorienting on first listen, though it finds the band playing at the very top of its form on demanding material. New guitarist Donnette Thayer made an impressive debut, and drummer Gil Ray and keyboardist Shelley LaFreniere delivered outstanding performances.

There are more than a few flat-out brilliant tracks, such as "Chardonnay," "The Waist and the Knees," and "The Real Sheila," alongside such head-scratchers as "Turn Me on Dead Man," "Watch Who You're Calling Space Garbage Meteor Mouth," and the 22nd track (which stubbornly defies titling). Lolita Nation was the point where the many ideas and approaches Miller had experimented with on Game Theory's earlier albums finally came together in a (pardon the expression) blaze of glory, and if the album is a bit much to absorb on first listen, few rock albums of the '80s reward repeated listening more than this one. Miller was one of the few rock musicians who often (and fittingly) cited James Joyce as an influence, and Lolita Nation is his Ulysses, a dense, profoundly idiosyncratic masterpiece.

At first the bad news (and sorry for that): This post is without the wonderful artwork which is included in the Omnivore release of 2016. But the music here recover damages. 21 bonus tracks make this edition to a giant 48 piece edition. I will not talk to much about the band or this record because i think most of you know them very well. Only this: ENJOY IT!

Cheers!
            Frank
320

Here are the links for the Flac version:  Flac part 1 (new link)
                                                                Flac part 2 (new link)
                                                                
The artwork is added in the flac folders.
                          

Any Trouble - Wheels In Motion

Any Trouble's 1980 debut was a wonderful slice of new wave flavored pub/pop/rock, which despite a fair amount of critical buzz, never really delivered on its commercial promise. With its second release, 1981's Wheels in Motion, produced by Mike Howlett (A Flock of Seagulls, Berlin), the band took a slightly more sophisticated, studio approach with singer/songwriter Clive Gregson's songs, veering away from the breakneck, live energy of Where Are All the Nice Girls?, which for the most part simply captured their feverish stage act in a studio setting. Still, whatever spark Wheels in Motion may lack is negligible thanks to the caliber of the material here. A handful of first-rate Gregson originals kick-start the proceedings, including the cautionary, albeit hopeful opener, "Trouble With Love," the irresistible power pop of "Open Fire" and the infectious rocker, "As Lovers Do." Several cuts in, the deliberate "Eastern Promise" is nearly as good, while "Power Cut" ranks just a rung below. Elsewhere, Richard Thompson's "Dimming of the Day," the only non-Gregson original, is given a slick, but affecting treatment. Moments of heavy-handed cynicism, as on the otherwise terrific, "Walking in Chains," as well as a couple of lackluster tracks drag things down to some extent, but still Wheels in Motion's highlights rank with the best work of Clive Gregson's career, both with and without Any Trouble.(allmusic.com)

Long time ago since i listened the album for the first time. It remember me to times which were full of crazy experiences and a life full of surprises. But that's another story. If you don't know the band, lend them an ear and have fun.

Frank

Flac

At request: Sweeney Todd - S/T 1975 (Flac)

The band, formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, originally consisted of vocalist Nick Gilder, guitarist Jim McCulloch, bassist Budd Marr, keyboardist Dan Gaudin and drummer John Booth. The single, "Roxy Roller", became a No. 1 hit in Canada, holding the top position in the RPM national singles chart for three weeks beginning on June 26, 1976, and winning a Juno Award for the band.
Gilder and McCulloch subsequently left the band to pursue solo careers. Gilder subsequently had hits with "Hot Child in the City", "Here Comes the Night" and "(You Really) Rock Me".
Clark Perry was brought in to replace Gilder on vocals, and Skip Prest replaced McCulloch on guitar. Though he did record a second version of Roxy Roller, Perry did not work out, however, and was replaced within a few months by then 15-year-old Bryan Adams.
The new lineup recorded Sweeney Todd's second album, If Wishes Were Horses, which includes the third version of Roxy Roller. However, that album was unsuccessful, and Adams left the band after less than a year. The band attempted to carry on with Chris Booth on vocals (and Grant Gislason replacing Prest in 1978), but broke up before recording any further albums.

At request.
                Cheers Frank

Flac    (Limited Time: 20.01.17)      New link (limted time 15.Feb.)

New link (limited May 15th)

The Lovin' Spoonful - Hums Of The... (1966) Flac

Good morning Folks, friends and all you lovers of music, sweet music. For me no work today because i have a day off. Yieeepppieeeeeeeee!
Once again thank you for all your comments. I will try as fast as i can to publish all your comments. If i need a little more time please don't be angry about it. I really appreciate your comments very much! Also feel free if you have any suggestions how we can make this a better place for you and me. Okay, let's go to the music.

''Hums Of The Lovin' Spoonful'' is the third album of the band and it's again a great one. Allmusic.com writes about it:
Having released two previous albums and a soundtrack, along with a stream of singles, over the previous 12 and a half months, the Lovin' Spoonful assembled their third regular studio LP, Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful, for release around Thanksgiving 1966. It contained the group's chart-topping single from the previous June, "Summer in the City," along with September's Top Ten hit "Rain on the Roof" (curiously titled "You and Me and Rain on the Roof" on the LP). Released simultaneously with the album and included on it were the two songs from the next single, "Nashville Cats," which became the band's seventh consecutive Top Ten entry, and "Full Measure," a B-side featuring drummer Joe Butler on lead vocals that scraped into the singles chart. Those were the money songs, although Bobby Darin discovered the leadoff track, "Lovin' You," and quickly covered it for a Top 40 hit, and the moody "Coconut Grove," a tribute to Fred Neil, would become a permanent part of Spoonful leader John Sebastian's repertoire in his solo career. An emphasis on the parts of the album is a way of describing it as more a loose collection of disparate tracks than a unified effort, despite Sebastian's hand in all the compositions and his lead vocals on most of them. This was by necessity, but also by design, since Sebastian and co. went into the studio trying to sound completely different each time. They often succeeded: Except for the vocal similarity, the rock band playing "Summer in the City" and the caustic, autobiographical "4 Eyes" doesn't sound much like the country unit picking its way through "Lovin' You" and "Nashville Cats." Sebastian may have been an obvious New Yorker (those "yellow Sun records" were from Memphis, not Nashville), but that didn't keep him from expressing his musical passions effectively. The 2003 Sundazed LP reissue added four demos, instrumental tracks, and alternate versions of songs from the album.

´The Spoonfuls were a extraordinary band then. Not much bands back then could bring three albums in the Billboard charts (with good positions) in only two years and besides a bunch of singles.. I have take a look back in billboard U.S. allbum history. Do You Believe In Magic peaked at 32 (35 weeks in the album charts). Daydream peaked at 10 (31 weeks in the album charts), Hums Of... peaked at 14 (26 weeks in the album charts). The most successful album in the sixties was the compilation ''The Best Of'' in 1967 which peaked at 3 (52 weeks in the charts). Alongside they had 7 Singles in the Top 10, 5 in the Top 40's and all in all 14 singles charted in the Top 100. The greatest single success was...naturally ''Summer in the city'' at Number 1. I know that's just facts and figures but it shows that the years from 1965 to 1967 were the most successful at the audience. Enough, here comes number three of the ''Original Album Series'' Box.
Enjoy it!
              Frank

Flac

Game Theory - Big Shot Chronicles Expande Edition 2016 (Flac)

Scott Miller broke in a new Game Theory lineup on their third album, 1986's The Big Shot Chronicles (a revolving-door cast of musicians was something he would get used to over the next decade or so). If the album lacks the narrative cohesion of the group's previous full-length effort, 1985's Real Nighttime, it's obvious from the album's first cut (the joyous and explosive "Here It Is Tomorrow") that the addition of Shelley LaFreniere on keyboards, Suzi Ziegler on bass, and Gil Ray on drums made Game Theory a stronger band in every respect. While Game Theory's attempts to rock out on Real Nighttime sometimes sounded a bit tentative, The Big Shot Chronicles reveals a band that's equally adept at flexing their muscles ("I've Tried Subtlety" and "Make Any Vows") or easing into a song's subtleties ("Regenisraen" and "Like a Girl Jesus"). Real Nighttime had a more ambitious concept in its tales of the perils of young adulthood, but The Big Shot Chronicles was meant to document a great band with a stack of top-notch tunes at the ready, and on that level it's even more exciting and engaging than Game Theory's breakthrough effort.

As a songwriter, Scott Miller continued to grow ("Erica's Word" and "Don't Look Too Closely" are both smart-pop Heaven on Earth), and though he was fond of referring to his voice as a "miserable whine," he sure knew how to make it communicate. Finally, Mitch Easter's production guides the record through moody neo-psychedelia and uptempo hard pop with an equally sure hand; the record sounds just as good as the band plays. A superb set from one of the best (and most underappreciated) bands of the '80s, The Big Shot Chronicle may not have been their best album -- that honor would go to the wildly ambitious double set Lolita Nation -- but as a set of songs and performances, it's practically unbeatable.(allmusic.com)

What can i say? Scott Miller you know... He was a real underrated musician at the public. I will ''Lolita Nation'' post tomorrow. I'm very tired from work today, so i wish all of you a good night and enjoy this wonderful record.
Cheers
           Frank

Flac