Sunshine/Baroque/Popsike: Margo Guryan - 25 Demos (Anthology) Flac & mp3

As a companion to Oglio's excellent reissue of Margo Guryan's sole album, 1968's Take a Picture, 25 Demos is useful primarily to die-hard fans, the musical equivalent of the "suggested outside reading" list in AP English classes: potentially enlightening, but not at all essential. Hearing Guryan's own demos of excellent songs like "Think of Rain" and "Sunday Morning" is interesting on the trainspotter level, because it becomes possible to see how much of the better-known versions was there from the beginning. It's also nice to hear previously unknown songs like the delicate acoustic folk-rock of "Most of My Life" and the playful, electric piano-driven "I'd Like to See the Bad Guys Win," which by itself shows why no less a songwriting talent than Harry Nilsson was a fan of Guryan.

But still, this is just a collection of demos, many of them solo voice and keyboards performances, and some of them suffering from less than ideal sound, so fans of the lush, ornate arrangements of Take a Picture may be disappointed. This is strictly for the fans, but for those fans, it's a treat (allmusic.com)

I can't agree with the opinion of the writer of the review, because in my ears this is far more than ''only demos strictly to the fans''. Naturally the songs don't had the possibilities a record studio could offer (also in that time then!). But nearly all what you can hear here is working well with a spare arrangement. I don't want talk too much about it but the songs and the songwriting here works great.
To me it's not ''strictly for the fans'',to me it's a treat for everybody with an open mind and two open ears.

Enjoy
         SB1   Flac part1  &  Flac part2       - mp3@320

Sixties Girl's Psychedelic Garage: She - Wants A Piece Of You 1999 Ace/Big Beat (from the Ace/Big Beat series 'Nuggets From The Golden State') Flac &mp3

SHE - WANTS A PIECE OF YOU (1964-1971)

In the litany of all-girl 1960s garage bands, there cannot be a more powerful and compelling entry than She.
 100% authentic, She played their own instruments, sang and wrote their own striking original material and copped one hell of a bad attitude that would put most self-proclaimed rebel boy bands to shame. Appealingly crude in their early incarnation as the Hairem, by their later years She was truly a force to be reckoned with, and as unusual and significant as any punk band, male or female, from the golden era of the mid-to-late 1960s.
The constants in She were Nancy Ross and her younger sister Sally. It was after attending a Beach Boys concert in Sacramento in 1964 that Nancy flashed on forming a band. Sally was only 13 but immediately elected to play bass. School friend Karen Kochie joined on rhythm guitar, Kathy Pennison became the drummer, and Piper Minas was added on lead guitar. The Hairem’s music was crude, forthright and remarkably original. The songs ‘Not For Me’ and ‘Like A Snake’ are pure insolence, while ‘Come On Along’ and ‘Hey You’ are alternately innocently childlike or spookily seductive.

Lp cover

By late 1967 the line-up had changed to the Ross sisters, guitarist Kathy Rice and drummer Ginny Revis. While they played occasional gigs at parks and love-ins, the band found more work on the club and college circuit. Joann Claudianos joined and duetted lead vocals with Nancy, adding an Airplane-ish element, as evidenced by a demo cut in early 1969 with new drummer Reesha Scarborough and Karen Luther on organ. The group were now known as She, after Henry Rider Haggard’s book. ‘Feel Like Giving Up’ and the outrageous ‘Bad Girl’ date from this period.
In 1970 She finally made a record, for Los Angeles’ Kent Records.

The single featured ‘Outta Reach’, a tour-de-force of femme-psych with Nancy’s defiant vocal, Karen’s weaving organ fills and an insistent chugging bassline from Sally. Shortly afterwards, the final She sessions showed considerable musical prowess without losing any of the rough edges that characterised the group as far back as the Hairem. ‘Roll On’ and ‘Piece Of You’ both have the assured arrogance of a female Stones, whereas the more introspective ‘Braids Of Hair’ demonstrates their versatility.

She finally came to a natural end in 1971 as the members got older and pursued other interests, although most of them continued in music in one form or another. When their recordings were first issued in 1999, girl garage aficionados marvelled at the intensity these young women had displayed in their youth. The interest coaxed a knowing smile from Nancy, who sadly died a few years ago. Her spirit, however, is very much alive with the remarkable sounds on this album.
Alec Palao

The words are from the ace records.co.uk site.

I have listened to the album very often the last weekend. To me this have a special feeling and atmosphere in the songs. I like the album very much. The ladies have done a very good job. I'm serious.

Enjoy
          SB1    Flac part1  &  Flac part2    -  mp3@320

Seth Swirsky - Circles & Squares 2016 Flac & mp3 ( + Flac files added in Seth Swirsky - ''Watercolor Day'' )

Sometimes you don’t need hyperbole or over-analysis to sum up an album.  This new album from Seth Swirsky, a 30-plus year veteran of MANY elements in the music industry, Circles And Squares can be summed up in one word: exquisite.  It’s that simple – considering the music is so detailed, intricate and complex.  Imagine all the best elements of what you love in pop:  Brian Wilson during that period from Pet Sounds to Sunflower; The Beatles from Rubber Soul and Revolver and most of Todd Rundgren from Something/Anything to Hermit Of Mink Hollow, plus everything by Emmit Rhodes for good measure.  I know that’s one hell of a build-up and you’re probably thinking “no way, no how”.  Well, it fucking is.

Just from the first piano bars of “Shine”, with the most perfect sound and arrangement – you know where it’s going and it’s only going to be more glorious; the title track is this wonderful, slightly quirky meld of Beatles and Beach Boys and the playing through the different movements of the song is beyond description – and it has to be noted that Mr. Swirsky played all the parts himself (save for one bass part and one horn part!) – if this is his McCartney, then roll on!  “Old Letter” is buoyant with its acoustic guitars – say Hollies meets Raspberries and layered tuanwhich makes the singing even warmer and personal and “Let’s Get Married” is one of the most charming pieces on the album with its quiet understatement and deft 12-string Ric riffage and orchestral arrangement on the instrumental break.  “Trying To Keep It Simple” is (in my mind) that kind of rhythm you found in the ’60’s with the diminished and open chords of the ’70’s – his mastery of song structuring is astounding; “Sonic Ferris Wheel” reminds me of XTC – not surprisingly, the arrangement and wry lyrical content reeks of Andy Partridge (and that’s said with great admiration); “Table” is the highlight of side two (even though this is a CD – work with me) – opening with a shimmering 12-string Ric and kicking it with a classic acoustic rhythm and worthy of Top Ten status if singles were still the order of the day and “Abyss” is sad, quiet and has a Zombies-like feel, tempered by a cello.  Heady, heady stuff.

I’ve been very fortunate in that I manage to hear/find so much incredible music to try and turn others on to after being turned on myself.  But this one – this one is an absolute necessity.  And there’s no point in my attempting to paint fancy word pictures about it.  One listen will tell you all you need to know.  Sixteen tracks and something familiar, beloved and yet different in each one, which makes it even more special.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED – a must!
(Rob Ross,popdose.com)  

Nothing more to say. Like i said earlier in other posts this guy is a complete artist and a gifted musician. A pop genius in my opinion. Enjoy it and

have fun
             SB1   Flac part1  &  Flac part2         -  mp3@320

You can buy the album here

p.s.: I added the Flac files in the 'Watercolor Day' post from some days ago. Reader robgronotte send me the files yesterday. Thanks a lot for your contribution, robgronotte. It's much appreciated!!!

Power Pop by The Smithereens - 11 (1989) Flac & Mp3

The third full-length album from the Smithereens, 11 (a title that refers to the classic 1960 Frank Sinatra film Ocean's Eleven), was something of a letdown after the solid, tough-pop perfection of their first two albums, Especially for You and Green Thoughts. While their previous sets boasted strong material from front to back, 11 is dotted with filler. And while "A Girl Like You," "Blue Period," and "William Wilson" are all great songs, many of the others sound like by-the-numbers pop tunes cranked out to pad the set to full length.

Producer Don Dixon made the most of the dark and mysterious undercurrents of Pat DiNizio's songs and Jim Babjak's guitar, but Ed Stasium gives the band a solid, professional sound that is sadly lacking in personality; there's nothing wrong with the way the album sounds, but there isn't anything terribly engaging about it, either. As a band, the Smithereens still sound rock-solid here, but as an album it was sadly indicative of the creative ups and downs that would mark their recording career from this point forward.(Mark Deming, allmusic.com)

And this said Jeff Rosenberg: 
I couldn't disagree more with Mr. Deming's assessment. I actually prefer 11 to the first two Smithereens albums. The sound is fuller, thanks to producer Ed Stasium, and the songwriting is top-notch. To dismiss such tunes as "Maria Elena" - an ode to Buddy Holly's widow - and the beautiful "Cut Flowers" as mere filler suggests a cursory listen to the album, at best. Singling out "William Wilson" as a highlight is similarly bizarre; it doesn't suck, but it's not a standout song, either. Yes, "Baby Be Good" is something of a trifle, but in that, it recalls second-tier Beatles songs like "You Like Me Too Much" - not one for a best-of comp, perhaps, but tuneful and fun. 

I second that what Jeff Rosenberg said.

Enjoy
          SB1    Flac part1   &  Flac part2   -   mp3@320

Ginger Wildheart - Albion 2014 Flac & mp3

Today i will say the first words about an album. Ginger Wildheart ( a real rock star name! WOW!!!) frontman of the well known rockpunx of the last ...30?...25? years have done it for several times all alone (nearly) in the last years. And often quite good. This is Albion, his 2014 album on cd a 9 track story, the vinyl release offers 15 tracks. Here we have the vinyl album. what is it? Rock, Pop, Punk, Prog rock, Bubblegum, Electronica, Folk? No, this is Ginger. He take what he think he need for a good song and put all these things together. And in my opinion he did it very well. Most of the songs are real good pop songs with a powerful arrangement and nice ideas. Maybe two or three weaker songs like in example the title track, in my opinion way too long (around ten and a half minute), are on the album. The other songs here make fun and to me it's a quite good pop album, ...yes a pop album...or Heavy Metal? I'm just kidding. Try it or leave it
SB1

Review by drowninsound.com:
Only a musician as innovative, mercurial, uncompromising, stubborn and erratic as Ginger could suffer from Difficult Second Album Syndrome after countless records and a quarter of a century in the business.
To rate Albion as just another solo effort in his extensive curriculum vitae is only telling half of the story, if even that. The odyssey starts in 2010, following the dissolution of his band The Wildhearts – cult favourites and Nineties chart-botherers – when he found himself playing guitar for Hanoi Rocks’ blond bombshell Michael Monroe. Despite successful tours and a warmly-received co-written album Sensory Overdrive, creative differences and managerial issues cast him into the musical wilderness alone. With no band, no direction and no means to provide for a family, the towel was close to hitting the ring. It seemed that wild hearts could be broken.

Then, like a three-forked bolt of lightning, came the concept of a triple album that would alter the course of Ginger’s career forever. Funded purely by donations from a fanbase who showed a loyalty beyond question (in an honest, warm and productive way, the sort often overshadowed today by uncomfortable, commercial, hashtagged dedication to people like Bieber and Cyrus), they broke the target within hours and eventually reached just short of 600 per cent over it. The resulting record – titled 555% in honour of the amount at which physical copies became unavailable – comprised three discs brimming with newfound hope, accepted happiness and soulful rejuvenation.Hey! Hello!, was a pop-rock fiasco fronted by Victoria Liedtke with Ginger playing every instrument. The second was Mutation, a cathartic collaboration with other noisemongers that landed somewhere between Cardiacs and Napalm Death. Ginger was unreserved in his appreciation; the fans had come through in unprecedented ways, the proverbial middleman had been shot in the back of the head, and the light at the end of the tunnel was brighter than ever (and, fortunately, not an approaching subway train).

Two more projects were later borne of PledgeMusic. The first,
Albion, originally making like Mr J. Christ and arriving on a Christmas night, now sees a general release outside of the loyal hands of pledging fans fans (who, here, smashed the 400 per cent mark). Given the events of the past few years, this first release under the usual Ginger moniker since 555%, and the first featuring the house band assembled during those sessions, has a fair amount to live up to. Initial reaction was mixed – largely on the part of Ginger himself, absent for the mastering and unhappy with the finished product.
Where the triple album was challenging not for its sound (pristine and precise) but its sheer magnitude, Albion is testing for its lesser production and less subtle amalgamation of stylistic ideas. Ginger has never been one to be afraid of fucking around in terms of genre and audience perception – 1997’s Endless, Nameless springs to mind – and experimentation is inherent in most efforts that bear his insignia. Here, however, disparate components are often more pronounced, or at least more noticeable where they were once fluidly put together by the sonic seamster.
Still, the songwriting machine’s perennial ability to sculpt a moving melody from the hardest rock and most abstract shapes continues. Opening salvo ‘Drive’ is perhaps the best representative of this; tinny tones could never wholly distract from the evocative life affirmation buried in Stones-y grooves. Elsewhere there’s ‘Cambria’, an oddly effective mash of Hey! Hello! and Mutation, and ‘Grow A Pair’, an intense dance-rock affair haunted by Victoria’s dreamy vocal presence and cut with Ginger’s tongue-in-cheek lyrical banter (“I don’t want to be a dickhead all my life”).

The more abstract, ethereal moments like ‘Order Of The Dog’ and the sublime voyage that is the self-titled finale track have their place, but Wildheart has always been dabbest-handed when armed with a chorus and bouncy riff. Thankfully, then, there’s the warm ‘Body Parts’ and dynamic ode to wanderlust ‘The Beat Goes On (Caledonia)’.
And so ends another step on Ginger’s loveably tumultuous, often volatile, refreshingly bittersweet and often transcendental musical journey. While many of the tracks on Albion require more evaluative listens than past glories have done, all are a testament to the singer’s creative inimitability, with a minimal amount of weaker moments simply serving to emphasise the others – songs of enduring, endearing quality.(drownedinsound.com)

Here the links for 'Albion':     mp3@320    &   Flac

Viel Spass
                 SB1

Pop/Folk-Rock from 1968 Eclection - Eclection 1968 (2001 Collector's Choice) Flac & mp3

Eclection's sole album is very much a period piece of its era, albeit an attractive and at times intriguing one. At root this is slightly melancholy folk-rock with a strong Californian influence, particularly in the blends of six-string and twelve-strings, of acoustic and electric guitars, and of male and female vocal harmonies.

What sets this off slightly from the Seekers and the Mamas and the Papas is the ornate production by Ossie Byrne, and particularly the pseudo-baroque orchestral arrangements by Phil Dennys. It's also set off somewhat from the most commercial Californian pop-folk-rock by the slightly spacy, psychedelic aura of the lyrics, even if the sentiments are about as misty dew-eyed as they come in folk-rock. The harmonies can't fail to bring to mind a cross between the Seekers, early Jefferson Airplane, We Five, and Mamas and the Papas, particularly due to female singer Kerrilee Male's strong, earnest pipes. The record's chief flaw is that the all-original material, while sometimes extremely pleasant, fails to stick in the craw, causing one's attention to drift somewhat over the course of the disc. It's also true that the arrangements get a little too inappropriately fruity at times. It's still a nice listen, some songs making more of an impression than others, such as "Nevertheless," which might have had some hit potential.(allmusic.com)

This is for sure a very underrated album . The arrangements of the vocals and also the instrumentation are first class in my opinion. And the difference to other folk-rock acts with pop elements of the time then are not to overhear. For me a first class album and unfortunately a forgotten classic. I highly recommend it if you are in sixties folk-rock with pop elements.

Have fun
              SB1   Flac part1  &  Flac part2         -  mp3@320

Breezy Sunshine Pop/Soft Rock/Psych Pop: Soft Soul Transition - SST 1969 (2009 Beatball ‎– BEAT 49) Flac & mp3

Soft Soul Transition's SST, originally released in 1969 as a private pressing. Breezy sunshine-pop, soft-rock, psych-pop from California. Crystal clear recording with awesome vocal harmonies, superb musicianship, bossa and blue-eyed-soul-jazz touches with folk-rock moves. In 1969, Chet Demilo was appearing at Donkin's Inn in Marina Del Rey, where he met Arnie Marcus and Ray Hames, who together were to become part of an incredible slice of history. Donkin's became the hottest and most famous destination in Southern California for the next seven years, and Chet was the magnet that started the new singles scene in Los Angeles with Marina Del Rey as ground zero. Arnie sat in on bongos with Chet from time-to-time, and Ray, who was managing an apartment complex that housed 200 flight attendants, just happened to have a unit available. Chet moved in and he and Ray started working on songs together. Chet suggested forming a vocal group with Arnie and SST was born. For three months they practiced the intricate vocal harmonies and in early 1970 cut the album, Soft Soul Transition, or SST. A thousand records were pressed and an album release party was held at Donkin's where SST gave their one and only performance.

Very nice album with different musical influences.A great pop effort.

Enjoy
         SB1
(I'm sorry no artwork :-(  )        Flac part1  &  Flac part2  &  Flac part3     -   mp3@320

PsychPop Garage by The Summer Sounds - Up-Down 1969 (2004 radioactive records) Flac & mp3

The Summer Sounds were a New England group whose origin is a mystery, the one interesting fact is this album was released in 1969 and yet still has a 1965-66 garage sounds, the album is moody to its core and possibly is one of the finest moody garage albums to ever exist, It is fascinating to me that these kids were still playing a very melancholy and beautiful type of music in 69' when by this time bands were either going down the heavy psychedelic rock route or going the polar opposite and being utterly wussed out folk styled singer-songwriters with no real backbone of emotions.

The Summer Sounds kept it real and in doing so kept their music was raw and alive, their sole album aptly named 'Up Down' is a complete unknown garage classic and anyone who loves this type of music (in particular the moody and subdued side of the genre) MUST own this album (Thankfully Radioactive Records have reissued the album on CD - originals will cost an arm and a leg these days)

'Up Down' has ten amazingly wonderful Vox Continental organ led pop songs, eight of the tracks are delightful originals penned by band members themselves and also featured are two exquisite cover versions of The Spencer Davis Groups' - Gimme Some Lovin' and The Zombies' classic 'I Love You'.

Paul - Bass and Vocals

Joe - Organ, Songwriter, Backing Vocals

Dave - Guitar

Ralph - Sax (no Sax on LP - meaning Ralph was likely involved in the live line-up of the group)

Roy - Drums 

I wish to include four tracks from the album for your listening pleasure (please support the band by purchasing the album yourself - Do Not Download - You may as well own this cool album)... These Four are my favourites.

Small World - A wonderful opening track to any album, 'Small World' just tells it like it is.... the teen trauma in the chorus is something to behold "Why Did We Break-Up? I really Don't Know...I sit here thinking of things long ago"..... This kid is hurting and the listener knows it, Anyone can relate to these types of emotions.... surely??

Lonely Beach - This track is my favourite on the album, I don't know why really? However I feel it is because it kind of relates to my own strange situation, I live fairly close to the beach and I guess I wander around a certain place at times and that very beach is my own 'Lonely Beach'.... I love the haunting organ chords, the deep bass line and  the mournful lyrics full of abandon and despair.... I TOTALLY 'get' this song, as it is a mirror reflection of my current circumstance.... an amazing track!!!

The Leaves Are Turning Brown - Another moody classic, this one has been comped on a couple of 'garage comps' over the years.... The vibe of the song again is full of reflection, rejection and yearning and again the lyrics hit you in the guts with powerful lyricism such as that which is in the chorus "I was a fool to waste my time with you".... total awe inspiring realism.... the song's writing craft is something to uphold, the chord changes are simply beautiful and it is just a great magical track, The Summer Sounds were amazing song writers.

Summer Girl - Just a beautiful song, I can't write anything except a small personal message .... If you are (you know who you are) reading this, this one is for you... take it easy and I hope you're keeping well, maybe time will make us see each other again one day?"

SO folks that is the Summer Sounds, they released possibly the greatest break-up LP ever released and faded into obscurity, thankfully they released this amazing album for people like me to enjoy and listen to.... I suggest if you dig the songs above, to buy the album.... it's all very great throughout! (Paul Messis, thetransparentradiation)

This is really a very wonderful album and it's a pity the band don't got the success they deserved in my opinion. You can buy the album here

By the way Paul Messis the guy who wrote this nice review is also very fine musician. Just for your info.

Enjoy

          Frank    Flac     -    mp3@320

Psychedelic Pop from the sixties: The Third Rail - ID Music 1967 (1997 Rev-Ola) Flac & mp3

Epic Original Lp Front

The Third Rail are mostly known for their small 1967 hit single "Run, Run, Run," which reached #53 and was included on the initial Nuggets compilation of 1960s garage and psychedelic rock. "Run, Run, Run" is actually not typical of most of what made up the Nuggets anthology, having nothing to do with garage rock. Instead, it was a mildly clever, and gimmicky, pop-rock tune with bubblegummy elements in the perky, choppy rhythms, sing-songy chorus, and high vocals and background harmonies. Lyrically it was somewhat a cut above the late-'60s bubblegum tunes the Third Rail's principals would later write, poking fun at the straight world rat race.

Original Lp Back

That was particularly true of its strange bridge, featuring a spoken mock-recitation of the New York Stock Exchange in which the figures quoted measured heart attacks, mental illness, ulcers, and general chaos rather than actual prices. The Third Rail were a studio-only group (although they did play one show in Cincinnati), comprised of the unlikely trio of Artie Resnick, his wife Kris Resnick, and Joey Levine. Artie Resnick was a Brill Building veteran who had co-written the Drifters' "Under the Boardwalk" and the Rascals' "Good Lovin'," while Levine was a teenager who had done a bit of recording and played in some local New York bands.

Rev-Ola Front

They did do a full album, Id Music, as well as a few other singles, in an odd and oft-awkward blend of late Brill Building-period pop-rock, early bubblegum, psychedelia, and trendily socially relevant lyrics, usually featuring Levine's high youthful vocals. After the Third Rail dissolved following their last single in 1968, all three of the members played leading roles in early bubblegum rock. Joey Levine had a hit with "Yummy Yummy Yummy," on which he sang, though it was credited to the Ohio Express, and all of them became staff songwriter/producers for Kasenetz & Katz Associates.(allmusic.com)

Rev-Ola Back

This is a wonderful piece of Psychedelic Pop and/or ''Psychedelic Bubblegum'' . Nearly every song is very pleasant and with a great production. One of a favourite pop record of that time for me. Highly recommend!

Have fun
               Frank   Flac part1   &  Flac part2       -  mp3@320

Second Album by The Red Button - As Far As Yesterday Goes 2011 Flac & mp3

Typically, artists pay homage to their pop/rock heroes or an era that is special to them by creating collections of crafty covers. This is way too typical and unimaginative for the brilliant, versatile, and agile musical minds of Seth Swirsky and Mike Ruekberg, who follow up their critically acclaimed 2007 indie debut, She's About to Cross My Mind, with an equally brilliant set of originals that draw from an even richer, more stylistically expansive well than their previous work did. The mid-'60s Beatles mystique is still there, to be sure; with its feisty harmonica and shimmering guitars; the rousing opener "Caught in the Middle" is a contemporary equivalent of what might have happened if Lennon and McCartney had come up with sharper lyrics and a more dynamic groove on "I Should Have Known Better." Album title aside, it's just as much about the tomorrows that follow yesterday -- as in what Ruekberg, the album's producer, has called the "golden age of singer/songwriter driven pop/rock."

The result is a delightful journey that allows listeners to remain in the indie world of the 2010s while drifting off on a dreamy, super-melodic bus infused with the pure pop magic of 1965-1973. Kids growing up in the 2010s might not remember a time when music was this charming, to the point, and infectious, which is all the more reason their parents should make them listen to it. The good news is that the vibe harkens back to an era where music was eminently hummable; the better news is that Swirsky and Ruekberg are not just great mood setters but excellent pop craftsmen. The two are very much the modern equivalent of Lennon and McCartney in that Swirsky has Paul's sense of romance and wistful optimism, while Ruekberg's got a slightly darker, sardonic edge.

This synergy between darkness and light infuses the light-hearted musical vibe of the title track and "Picture" with creeping shadows and a few lumps in the throat full of sadness and regret. Happy, jangling guitars drive "Girl, Don't," but the pleas to extend the relationship belie that expected emotion. Similarly, "Sandreen" blends cheerful jangle, punchy guitars, and airy vocals with a story of love after the fact. Thankfully, there are also a few bursts where a sense of hope overwhelms all other impulses, particularly on the magnificent, sunny girl chasing sweetness of "On a Summer Day," the charming "healthy relationship" tune "She Grows Where She's Planted," and the cheery acoustic clap and singalong of "You Do Something to Me." Listeners could get so caught up in any one of these -- which easily merit a hundred listens before moving to the next -- that they might forget that there are 12 songs total. But the final three tracks are delightfully crisp as well, starting with the heavy-hearted/jingle-jangle Beatles-flavored "I Can't Forget" and wrapping up with the laid-back melancholy of "Genevieve" and the powerful, introspective search for personal peace in "Running Away," which features a gorgeous blend of guitar and piano.

Swirsky makes a point in the press materials of saying that the Red Button reflects on the reality that "not everything is perfect and happy all the time" -- but he forgot to mention that, in the 37 minutes of listening to As Far as Yesterday Goes from start to finish, everything truly is. It's pure pop genius from start to finish.

Here is, as i promised, the fantastic second album by Swirsky/Ruekberg.

Cheers
           Frank  Flac part1  &  Flac part2           -  mp3@320

Nederbeat 1968-1970 The Shoes - NaNaNa (1998) Flac & mp3

The Shoes were as highly succesful freak-beat band from Zoeterwoude (NL) that emerged in the second half of the sixties. Their combination of the soulful vocals of Theo van Es with accessible, yet uncommon songwriting went very well with Dutch audiences.

All of their sixties singles entered the top-ten in The Netherlands and they were the first Dutch band ever to make the British charts with ''Farewell in the rain''. When Theo left the band in 1971, the band shouldered on as ''Double You (5)'', but left almost no trace in musical history. A short-lived reunion with Theo and the band name resurrected, spawned another hit-single in 1974. Soon afterward the band disbanded, although in 1980 another reunion took place for a Dutch festival.
On the 12th and 13th of March 2011 'The Shoes' celebrated their 50th anniversary with a double concert in their hometown Zoeterwoude.

I am a big fan of the so called 'Nederbeat' and The Shoes were a fine pop band with a very own sound. If you don't know the band give them a try.

Have fun
               Frank   Flac part1  &  Flac part2     -  mp3@320

mp3 files added for The Red Button - She's About To Cross My Mind 2007

I just added the mp3 link for ''The Red Button - She's About To Cross My Mind'' (2007) in the yesterday's post.

Greetz
           Frank