The Tages - In My Dreams: The Complete Recordings, Vol.2, 1966 (1994 EMI Svenska) Flac & mp3@320

The second of EMI's three-volume series covering the whole of Tages' 1960s recording output jams in 76 minutes of music, the 29 tracks almost all hailing from 1966 recording sessions, though a few rarities from 1965 and 1969 are tacked on at the end. This very active year saw Tages trying on a variety of hats, some of them with spectacular success, and some of them to little positive effect. Unfortunately, it's not too often that Tages hit the bull's-eye here, but when they do, they play British mod-style rock with as much pizzazz as all but the very best U.K. bands of the era. In particular, "Guess Who" isn't far off, um, the mid-'60s Who in its mixture of riff-driven guitar pop and a freaky feedback instrumental break.

"Miss McBaren" is a lovely harmony pop number; "Crazy 'Bout My Baby" is an astonishing off-the-wall double-time flamenco-meets-Bo Diddley cover of an obscure American song (perhaps learned via the Swinging Blue Jeans' version) with a berserk organ break; and "Leaving Here" is a tough Motown interpretation that sounds rather like the way the Who would do U.S. R&B tunes in their early days. Elsewhere, the territory is so cryptically varied and the quality so inconsistent that one gets the sense Tages were floundering for direction, even as their talent ensured some whopping cuts when they were firing on all cylinders. There are some pretty mediocre soul covers; a pointless take on the Easybeats' classic "Friday on My Mind," considering how indelible the original hit rendition was; and some quite erratic and mediocre attempts to write soul-flavored rock of their own. And while their cover of Johnny Kidd's 1963 Merseybeatish hit "Jealous Girl" is quite good (and arguably better than the original), that's a pretty strange thing to be digging out of the bag in mid-1966.

A few other originals show them edging toward psychedelic territory in a baroque British way and, while not great, these aren't bad; the odd moody rocker "Those Rumours" and the morose folkish ballad "Go" are worth a listen, if not among their best efforts. As with Tages' recordings as a whole, isolate the very best of these cuts and they could just about pass as a great lost British Invasion band; hear the whole thing in one swoop, and it's more for specialists, though not without its share of fine triumphs.

Note that while for the most part this is a chronologically sequenced overview of the middle part of their discography, it also includes a couple stray 1965 recordings (the somewhat anemic original R&B-rocker "Hey Mama" and a cover of "Tutti Frutti") and live versions of James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)" (from 1966) and Moby Grape's "Hey Grandma" (from 1969).(Richie Unterberger, allmusic)

Vol.2 of the three disc ''Complete Recordings'' present the recordings from 1966 with a few exceptions. All three volumes are real fine with a lot great songs and to me the Tages wasn't a band who was nearly as good as the british bands, they was as good as a lot of the british bands. They had all what a good band should have. And the band had the skills to write strong melody lines and also they shaped their songs versatile.

Have fun
               Frank               Flac part1 &  Flac part2  & Flac part3    -  mp3@320

Ringo Starr - Time Takes Time (1992 BMG Victor) Flac & mp3@320

On his first new studio album to be released in the U.S. in 11 years, Ringo Starr made a neo-'60s-sounding record that, if it didn't feature his Beatle-mates, certainly evoked them. Don Was, the king of creative retro, produced half the album, bringing in bands like Jellyfish and the Posies, who devote their careers to trying to sound like the Beatles of 1965-66. Here, with a real Beatle on drums and vocals, they came much closer. Of course, it's always a little weird when a veteran star makes what is essentially clone music meant to resemble the sound of his glory days.

But Ringo remains a distinctive drummer and an engaging singer, so even when he was singing something called "Golden Blunders," it was hard to blame him. Besides, there are worse things to copy than the Beatles. (allmusic.com)

The Ringo Starr discography will be continued. Now! :-)  It seems i was a little lazy in the last few days... ''Time Takes Time'' were released in 1992 and as far as i remember it don't get to much good critics. Surely sometimes it sounds a little like the sound of his producers in some songs, but all in all they try to sound like their own role models. And we all know who are these role models, right?! Good work good pop album, Mr Starr...and fans...sorry, friends. :-)

Enjoy
          Frank                              Flac part 1  &  Flac part 2         new mp3 link

The Kitchen Cinq - When the Rainbow Disappears An Anthology 1965-68 (2015 Light In The Attic) Flac & mp3@320

It’s not exactly a secret, but the musical history of the 1960s is loaded with bands. A few got famous, some are still remembered, and many more hang in the purgatory of obscurity. From Los Angeles via Amarillo, TX, The Kitchen Cinq fell short of stardom but they definitely haven’t been forgotten; helping to insure their placement in the cultural memory is the most recent volume in Light in the Attic’s Lee Hazelwood Archive Series, When the Rainbow Disappears: An Anthology 1965-68. Collecting their LHI sessions, rare material as The Illusions and The Y’alls, and superb notes by Alec Palao, it’s out now on compact disc and double vinyl.
When the Rainbow Disappears carefully compiles the output of a worthwhile outfit, with The Kitchen Cinq’s background also shedding light on one of the decade’s more idiosyncratic pop artists in Lee Hazelwood. The set’s liners detail the Cinq’s struggles as the inaugural act on Lee Hazelwood Industries, the story providing supporting roles to vocalist Suzi Jane Hokom and fellow Amarillo scenester and future songwriter of note J.D. Souther.
Consisting of Dale Gardner on lead vocals, Mark Creamer on lead guitar, Jim Parker on rhythm guitar, Dallas Smith on bass, and Johnny Stark on drums, The Kitchen Cinq’s early Amarillo days were spent as The Illusions. Taken from two sessions, the five glimpses of these origins are amongst When the Rainbow Disappears’ best attributes
.

Divided between three originals and two covers, these entries simultaneously illuminate the infancy of The Kitchen Cinq and present the fruits of a perfectly sturdy mid-‘60s rock ‘n’ roll band. More to the point, they got work; The Illusions’ ’65 date offers “Young Boy,” a solid beat-combo-styled number from Parker with harmonica and appealing tandem vocals and a surprisingly non-rote cover of “Searchin’” by The Coasters that surely went down a storm during gigs.

The strategic covers extend to their garage-angled Baldwin organ-sporting ’66 recordings, as the Them cornerstone “Gloria” gets a spirited reading. More interesting is the growing assurance in the Stark/Creamer-written “Try” and Parker’s “Figareux Figareux,” an ambitious non-embarrassing excursion with creamer’s dad on flute.

No doubt The Illusions would’ve sounded boss on a Saturday night deep in the guts of ’65. Really, their main weakness was a generic name. The Kitchen Cinq is distinctively zany, but honestly it’s still no great shakes. However, the crummiest moniker these gents were ever briefly saddled with, courtesy of Amarillo R&R mover and shaker Ray Ruff, was The Y’alls, the group issuing one 45 under the unfortunate handle.
The byproduct of a more economical visit to Ruff’s 3-track studio, the influence of the Brit Invasion is palpable. The a-side is an echo-laden cover of The Beatles’ “Run for Your Life,” while the Stark/Creamer flip “Please Come Back to Me” ups the fuzz guitar; Palao mentions The Yardbirds, and that’s certainly observable, but the vocal harmonies suggest the impact of acts such as The Hollies and forecast movements westward.
It was through the relationship of Hazelwood and Texas transplant Tom Thacker that brought the unit to LA in ’66. They were promptly signed to LHI, renamed The Kitchen Cinq, and hooked up with Hazelwood’s singing partner Suzi Jane Hokom, her wish to work as producer being granted through the band’s debut for the label.

Based on “You’ll Be Sorry Someday,” she did a bang-up job. The increase in resources is immediately evident, the song’s robust sound spotlighting The Kitchen Cinq’s instrumental acumen (complete with surf-inclined guitar) and vocal dexterity in roughly equal measure, but perhaps the cut’s most curious aspect is a repeated “dead air” pause that might’ve limited its radio play. B-side rocker “Determination” finds those Texas roots showing as Gardner exclaims “Now get ‘em hoss!”
Before their single was even released The Kitchen Cinq had cut a full album; issued in April of ’67 as Everything But, it’s a highly likeable hodgepodge including redone Illusions material and a bunch of covers. Since few outside of Texas had heard The Illusions, the fresh readings of “Young Boy” and “Please Come Back to Me” make total sense, and the folk-rocking versions of Neil Diamond’s “Solitary Man” and Buffy Sainte-Marie’s “Codeine” are more than adequate, especially the latter with its Lenny Bruce namedrop at the end.
“Last Chance to Turn Around” was waxed earlier by Gene Pitney, the Cinq’s take stripped down and rocking, but its “Still in Love with You Baby,” a gleaning from The Beau Brummels and “I Can’t Let Go,” a borrowing from The Hollies, that really highlight the ability to thrive under pressure. “If I Think…” is by LHI house writers, and it’s maybe the most polished tune from this period; “Need All the Help I Can Get,” a Hazelwood composition previously recorded by Hokom, kinda sounds like The Association crossed with Bobby Fuller.

Though it appeared in ’68, Palao identifies “Good Lovin’ (So Hard to Find)” b/w “For We Never Met” as deriving from the recordings that shaped Everything But. The brisk plug side was written by Souther (who later performed with the Cinq) and dates back to his Amarillo group the Cinders, and the flip is a Stark/Creamer collab seemingly designed for slow dancing. I like the duo’s “(Ellen’s Fancies) Ride the Wind” better; dating from November of ’66, it and “When the Rainbow Disappears” are progressive yet restrained.
Later recordings utilize the members on vocals only. Stark had left, replaced by Walter Sparman for shows, and the records weren’t selling; Hokom tapped arranger-producer Tandyn Almer (also writer of “Along Comes Mary”) and The Wrecking Crew to try a fresh approach. The resulting cover of Al Kooper’s “The Street Song” is a gem of ornately assembled ‘60s baroque pop, and if less bold, “I Want You” is nearly as strong an example of this tricky style.
Arranger Don Randi was involved in subsequent sessions. The uptempo “Wasn’t it You” bails on the baroque for the climes of inoffensive production pop (it’s a Goffin-King ditty best known by Petula Clark). While essentially a demo, “I Am You” improves the situation with regal horns at the close. And due to a change in distributors from Decca to ABC, December ‘67’s “Does Anybody Know” b/w “Dying Daffodil Incident” was issued as A Handful.

The result of another Randi outing, the energetic a-side is a pleasant surprise. There’s simply no way the flip’s going to live up to its title, but the mid-tempo brandishes an utterly mersh sitar and saunters around like a later Turtles single. Bluntly, it’s not bad for a band whose window of opportunity was rapidly closing, and Light in the Attic’s latest retrieval effort is unexpectedly cohesive.
The Texas stuff is exciting, the Everything But-era underscores versatility, and the late selections, if not as successful overall, don’t falter. Those pegging The Kitchen Cinq as a mere exponent of Lee Hazelwood’s floundering aspirations should find When the Rainbow Disappears: An Anthology 1965-68 an enlightening listen. (Thevinyldistrict.com)

The first eleven tracks are from the ''Everything But'' album. I added the booklet from the vinyl release. By the way a nice review with some interesting facts (at least for me :-) ).

Have fun       
               Frank                        Flac part 1 &  Flac part 2         mp3@320

The Tages - Fantasy Island: The Complete Recordings, Vol.3, 1967-1968 (1994 EMI Svenska) Flac & mp3@320

The final of the three volumes on EMI (the others being Don't Turn Your Back and In My Dreams) covering Tages' entire 1960s discography is wholly devoted to 1967-1968 recordings, jamming 32 tracks onto one CD. As Tages were always one of the most Anglophile of '60s Continental bands (and one of the best such outfits), it's no surprise that this finds them evolving from their more Merseybeat/mod-oriented origins toward more ornately produced, at times baroque pop-psychedelia that was quite similar in many respects to records made in that style in the U.K. during the same period. As with their earlier efforts, these aren't quite satisfying on the whole, but are dotted with quite a few good-to-respectable songs, even if the highlights aren't as high as the best tracks they managed on their previous discs.

If there's an overriding criticism, it's that while Tages were as adept as any European band from outside the U.K. in emulating British rock trends, they did so in such a concerted and eclectic manner that they didn't project nearly as strong a unique personality as those groups that served as their inspirations. Their spring 1967 album, Contrast (contained here in its entirety), for instance, is all too apt a title, containing bouncy soulful pop ("Every Raindrop Means a Lot," one of their most popular songs, and "I'm Going Out"); bad American soul interpretation ("Sister's Got a Boyfriend"); appealing if wimpy melodic pop balladry ("Wanting"); "One Day," which almost sounds like a Zombies outtake if not for the strange accordion solo during the instrumental break; and spooky Zombies-ish near-psychedelia ("Hear My Lamentation"), among other things.

Elsewhere there's a weird song apparently about a transvestite, "She Is a Man," and from their dedicated attempt to crack the British market, a cover of a song co-written by the young Peter Frampton, "Halcyon Days." Yet if you do have the stamina to make it through all three of these compilations surveying the entire Tages discography -- admittedly something few listeners outside Scandinavia are likely to do -- the group's very willingness to try so many approaches with so much professionalism does grow on you, even if Tages lacked the finishing touches to put themselves into the international big leagues.(allmusic.com)

The Tages was naturally one of the strongest european bands outside of britain and their songmaterial is partly very impressive as well as their arrangements were quite good . I post all three volumes of the complete recordings. If you wonder why i start with vol.3 it's because i listen at the moment to vol.3 and thought, why not begin with the third part. Vol.1 and 2 will follow tomorrow. Hope you like it

Viel Spass
               Frank    Flac part1 &  Flac part2  & Flac part3       mp3@320

VA - The Golden Years Of Dutch Pop Music - The Sixties Nuggets Singles A & B Sides (Universal Records) Flac & mp3@320

Hello Folks, as i announced some days ago i post today ''The Sixties Nuggets - Singles A & B Sides'' from the great ''Golden Years Of Dutch Pop Music'' series by Universal. I recommend to buy the record if you like it. Support the artists you like. You can buy the album here and naturally wherever you prefer to buy. The links will expire next saturday 16th of september. 

 Really the most of the songs presented here are fine sixties stuff of pop, beat, psychedelia, garage music made by dutch musicians of the time then. Also the b sides of the singles offer truly good stuff.
In my opinion the dutch rock and pop music of the sixties was way ahead of the other european countries except... naturally the british. I think you will have a lot of fun to detect interesting bands or also enjoy what you already knows. However, i really love it and hope you will have fun as well.

Enjoy
          Frank   Flac part1  &  Flac part2  &  Flac part3 &  Flac part4

                   mp3@320 part1  -  mp3@320 part2

 

Sunshine Pop: Pickettywitch - Pickettywitch 1970 (2001 Victor Records, Japan 13 Bonus Tracks) Flac & mp3@320

Pickettywitch was a recording outfit that was very much of a piece with the Tremeloes, Edison Lighthouse, and Paper Lace, its history sandwiched directly between those renowned pop/rock outfits of the 1960s and 1970s. If they're not as well-known as those other outfits, then it's because they were never blessed with an international hit; but, in England, "That Same Old Feeling" -- a product of the Macaulay-Macleod songwriting team, best remembered for their work with the Foundations -- made the Top Five. Never really a "rock" band in the sense of having a terribly heavy or powerful sound, both the group and their records sounded like a cabaret act from the get-go. Their history dates back to 1969, with a disastrous effort at forming a mixed music-and-dance performing ensemble: vocalist Polly Browne (whose name is sometimes misspelled "Brown") and four of the other members of this outfit, guitarist Dave Martyr, bassist Martin Bridges, keyboardman Bob Brittain, and drummer Keith Hull, departed the rather Spartan and chaotic rehearsal conditions established by their would-be manager and decided to try and form a quintet. With a new manager aboard and vocalist Chris Warren added to the lineup, the sextet began months of rehearsals and auditions before potential record labels and producers, working out an act that included lots of highly choreographed moves. The name Pickettywitch came from a Cornish village through which Browne had passed with her sister.

Pickettywitch was signed by producer John Macleod to Pye Records and got out a single, "You've Got Me So I Don't Know" b/w "Solomon Grundy," in July of 1969. It never charted, but led to appearances on the radio and on the television showcase Opportunity Knocks. Soon after, Martyr departed and Bridges' switched to guitar, with Mike Tomich taking over on bass. It was their second single, a Foundations number called "That Same Old Feeling," issued in November of 1969, that led to their breakthrough. Overcoming the competition of a rival version by Françoise Hardy, the single by Pickettywitch hit number five in England in early 1970. The group recorded a follow-up album that didn't sell, which wasn't surprising given that, in the custom of the time in England, the hit was left off of the LP. They saw further chart success in England with "(It's Like A) Sad Old Kinda Movie" (number 16) and "Baby I Won't Let You Down" (number 27); but also underwent a lineup change, as Bridges and Tomich left to pursue more sophisticated and progressive sounds, and were succeeded by Peter Hawkins and Brian Stewart. These membership changes didn't really have a great deal of effect on the group's sound, as their music involved a fair number of session players embellishing the sound (guitarist Terry Clarke of the early-'60s U.K. band the Eagles was even a contributor at one point), and the latter was largely built on Browne's lead vocals. At her best, she sounded like a slightly more soulful Karen Carpenter, though she has maintained that the recordings don't properly represent her as a singer, as Macleod seldom allowed her to experiment with soul phrasings.

The group came close to a breakthrough in America -- where their music was released on the Janus Records label -- in 1970, when "Days I Remember" was picked up for radio play, but the single release never charted. Alas, by 1971, Pickettywitch had run out of steam as a hit-making outfit even in England. Further membership changes ensued, as Pete Hawkins and Brian Stewart left the group, to be succeeded by Paul Risi on guitar and Paul Riordan on bass. By that time, Polly Browne was under tremendous pressure, as the most popular member of the group (the sides with Chris Warren's lead vocals never having been as successful), to embark on a solo career, and this was precisely what she did in late 1972. The group hung on briefly in the studio, with Warren singing on one last release in 1973, but this was merely a final attempt to milk the group name.
Farron later gave up performing, while Browne went on to a form a duo called Sweet Dreams, in partnership with Tony Jackson, enjoying a British hit with her cover of the ABBA song "Honey Honey." She later went solo and racked up an international hit with "Up In a Puff of Smoke" in 1974, which reached number 43 in England and got to number 16 in America, and was well-known in England throughout the disco era and beyond. Meanwhile, her old group manifested itself briefly in the mid-'70s with a fake stand-in outfit dubbed "New Pickettywitch," which enjoyed a very brief recording career before it became clear that the British public wasn't buying it.(allmusic)

I don't know why but i always was a sucker for stuff like this. This is the debut album with 13 bonus tracks. A very good version of  ''Sound of Silence'' by Simon & Garfunkel the band recorded for the album. I'll Say Bye Bye sang by Chris Warren is a great song, too. A lot of the album is very good pop stuff and if you are in british sounding sunshine stuff grab it.

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

Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart - The Anthology (1995 A&M Records) Flac & mp3@320

It might be cute to say that Boyce & Hart were the hand inside the Monkees' puppet head, if not for the fact that the Monkees had legitimate talent and have already caught enough grief over their prefabricated origins. Boyce & Hart had yet more talent, though, and not only plied the Monkees with hit songs but, in some cases, performed them, too. Tommy Boyce enjoyed minor teen idol success as a solo act with "I'll Remember Carol" in 1962 before teaming up with Bobby Hart to produce one Top Ten hit ("I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite") and a handful of lesser chart entries.

This Australian anthology, simply titled The Anthology, contains two of Boyce's solo recordings (including his hit), 18 A&M recordings from Boyce & Hart's prime (including all of their hits), and five songs the duo cut with the Monkees' Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz in the '70s. The Boyce & Hart recordings are the highlights, especially the bubblegum pop of songs such as "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite" and "The Countess." Listeners already familiar with the Monkees' albums will experience déjá vu throughout as Boyce & Hart demonstrate again and again the extent to which they were the architects of the Monkees' sound.

Even the Monkees' detours into pop psychedelia are matched by Boyce & Hart on a trippy rendition of "Jumpin' Jack Flash." The theme song from the 1967 spy film The Ambushers (complete with gunshot sound effects) is campy fun, as are the mid-'70s cover versions of "Teenager in Love" and the Beach Boys' "Sail on Sailor," provided one doesn't approach them with high expectations. For those who want only the Boyce & Hart recordings, a more recent compilation on Rev-Ola titled I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite: The Best of Boyce & Hart limits its focus to recordings from the pair's late-'60s heyday(allmusic.com).

Great pop songwriter and also fine recording artists. The anthology is a nice collction and is a must for those who are into this kind of pop music.

Enjoy
          Frank                Flac part 1  & Flac part 2   &  Flac part 3        -  mp3@320

Earth Quake - Leveled 1977 (Vinyl, Beserkley Records) Flac & mp3@320

One of Earthquake's best, this record features some nice originals ("Lovin' Cup" and especially, "Upstairs") and a solid version of Mann & Weil's "Kicks." (Jim Worbois,allmusic)


I second that. ''Lovin' Cup'' starts the album followed by a great version of ''Emma'' by Hot Chocolate. In my opinion the best track of the album (and by the way also by Hot Chocolate).
The album have only eight tracks but we are in the '70s right?! Very fine rock album.
Have fun
               Frank     Flac part 1  &  Flac part 2        -  mp3@320

The Majic Ship - The Complete Recordings 1966-1970 (1997 Gear Fab Records) Flac & mp 3@320

'50s singer Johnny Mann discovered Majic Ship, and the Tokens produced their first single, so it would be logical to assume that the band gravitated toward straight pop, and, in fact, many of their earliest recordings did veer toward a sort of garage-pop hybrid that was, at best, pleasant. One Tokens-produced side, "Green Plant," on the other hand, hinted that the hearts of the members of the band lay in heavy rock grounded in the garage-psych aesthetic.

When it came time to record their self-titled debut album in 1969, the music was much more in that vein. This Gear Fab CD collects all of Majic Ship's official recordings, including early singles and demos, and, as such, stands as the band's definitive document. Majic Ship prominently featured Gus Riozzi's organ and Mike Garrigan's distinctive hard rock holler, and was only a few steps removed from fellow New Yorkers Vanilla Fudge. Like that band, Majic Ship also made use of popular songs by other artists, and although much of the material came from in-house, two of the most interesting songs on the collection are covers of the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody" and a medley of Neil Young's "Down by the River" and Stephen Stills' "For What It's Worth."

The real starting point on the CD is "It's Over." It is here that the band began to display the heavy, nearly over-the-top rock sound that would characterize their only album. The music verges on bombast (and occasionally falls into it) but on the whole is held in check by the band's pumped-up energy. "Sioux City Blues" is a pure punker in the "Green Plant" mold, with buzzsaw fuzz guitars and shouted vocals, while "Life's Lonely Road" and "Free" are superb hard rockers.

The band also show a prevalent soul influence on songs such as "On the Edge" and "And When It's Over," spicing up the usual heaviness with some brass touches and a Rascals-like straightforwardness. The band even uncovers the soul inflections in "To Love Somebody." The brightest spot on the album, though, is the epic take on "Down by the River." They invest the song with a power that only begins to peter out around the nine-minute mark when it morphs into "For What It's Worth."

The collection, however, falters somewhat on the softer and slower songs and on the ballads, mostly because Majic Ship seems to only have one volume: loud and heavy. The songs that are supposed to (or should) be delicate are played as hard rock songs. Taken in bits and pieces, though, Majic Ship's heaviness can be invigorating.(allmusic.com)


I have the impression as i have heard a nearly complete different album as the reviewer. However, if you are curious enough give it a try. The last title is a radio interview but who's not listed on the cover. The collection came with a very fine booklet.

Enjoy
         Frank

     Flac part 1  &   Flac part 2  &  Flac part 3             mp3@320 part 1  -  mp3@320 part 2