Sunshine/Psychedelic Pop: The Flower Pot Men - Let's Go To San Francisco 1967 (1993Repertoire ) Flac & mp3@320

This British group was an outgrowth of mid-'60s pop group the Ivy League. Songwriting partners John Carter and Ken Lewis wrote, produced and performed "Let's Go to San Francisco" and licensed it out to Deram, who had an international hit with it as the Summer of Love was just winding down. The pair released four more singles, including one under the moniker Friends. None were hits and the group dissolved in 1970. Though they were extremely derivative of the then-au courant West Coast sound (especially the post-surf Beach Boys), the group managed to come up with some worthwhile tracks that showed a talent for smooth pop in a variety of modes (folkish, progressive, psychedelic, etc.) albeit with little rock backbone.(allmusic)

Although in big parts Beach Boys clones they have made a lot of good psychedelic pop and i like their most stuff.
Enjoy
         Frank   Flac p1 & Flac p2  & Flac p3       mp3@320

The Attack - About Time! - The Definitive MOD POP Collection '67 - '68 ( 2006 RPM) Flac & mp3@320

The Attack (thanks to an ever growing legion of collectors dedicated to the vibrant sound of mid- to late-'60s Swinging London) have a far larger fan base now than they ever did during their existence. Indeed their unique brand of guitar-heavy, mod-rock qualifies them as one of the finest examples of (the over used term) freakbeat. Hence over the last 15 years there has been an abundance of vinyl bootlegs and inclusions on such psychedelic/freakbeat compilations as Rubble! The founders Richard Shirman (the only original member to stay with the group throughout all of the lineup changes) and Gerry Henderson were originally in a group called the Soul System, whom, for the best part of a year, had a very unstable lineup.

In early 1966, the remnants of the crumbling group were joined by Bob Hodges on organ, David John (not David John of David John & the Mood, but Davy O'List under alter ego) on guitar, and Alan Whitehead (on loan from Marmalade) on drums. They soon came to the attention of entrepreneur (gangster?) Don Arden, who then signed them to Decca and changed their name to the Attack. Their debut single released in January 1967 was an extremely anglicized cover of "Try It," an American hit for both the Standells and Ohio Express, whose versions were exemplar of the sneering garage sound. However, the Attack's powerful vocals, pop art guitar, and the underbelly of a warm Hammond created a similar atmosphere to the Small Faces (also managed by Don Arden), the Birds, and the Creation. Shortly after the single was released, Davy O'List was handpicked by Andrew Loog Oldham to join the Nice (who were to act as the backup group for newly acquired American Soul singer P.P. Arnold) and quit the group in late February. Meanwhile, Shirman, a regular visitor to the London clubs had been keeping a watchful eye on a young guitarist he had seen jamming with Jimmy Page. Shortly thereafter John Du Cann (mainstay, and songwriter) was introduced into the group. As a follow-up to "Try It," a version of "Hi-Ho Silver Lining" was then released, but Jeff Beck got the hit first in Britain in 1967.

The third 45, "Created By Clive"/"Colour of My Mind," backed a foppish sub-Kinks-style number with a fairly groovy mod-psych tune penned by DuCann. Kenny Harold (bass) and Geoff Richardson (guitar) left shortly after the disappointment of "Created By Clive," leaving John as the only guitarist. Jim Avery (who later went on to the revolutionary Third World War) was drafted in on bass, with Plug (whom later went on to Welsh acid rock outfit Man) still on drums. After yet even more disappointment surrounding the "Magic in the Air" single (Decca refused its release on the grounds of it being too heavy), Plug and Jim Avery left the ranks to be replaced by Roger Deane (bass) and Keith Hodge (drums). The final single, released in early 1968, was "Neville Thumbcatch," a fruity mod-pop tune with spoken narration, like a lesser counterpart to Cream's "Pressed Rat and Warthog." Decca's deal with the Attack expired after that single, with a projected fifth 45, "Freedom for You"/"Feel Like Flying," remaining unreleased. Both sides of that single, as well as seven Attack demos recorded around that time, are included on Angel Air's CD reissue of the rare 1968 album by the Five Day Week Straw People, a studio-only outfit that was led by DuCann.

There is also a compilation of the Attack's post-Decca sides entitled Final Dayze, featuring these tracks and more unreleased material (also on Angel Air). Before Decca (who wanted to keep the Attack as a pop act) parted with the group over the continued heavy nature of their newer material, the group had already entered the studio and begun work on the Roman Gods of War album. Both the artwork and a number of songs were completed, but unfortunately the label recorded over the tapes and lost the photos after they dropped the group. DuCann became the dominant creative force in the group prior to their 1968 breakup, and the likes of the unreleased "Mr. Pinnodmy's Dilemma" and "Strange House" showed the group developing a heavier rock sound, although still maintaining a sense of British mod-psych whimsy. DuCann would continue to explore a heavier direction with his subsequent group Andromeda, and joined Atomic Rooster in the '70s.

Great Mod band with a fine pop appeal and really good songs. DuCann kicked the band to a higher level in the times then. 5 Vespas out of possible 6 ! roaar roaaar.

Enjoy
         Frank      Flac p1 & Flac p2         mp3@320

Squeeze - Squeeze 1978 (1997 Remaster A&M) Flac & mp3

It's hard to envision a scenario more nightmarish than the one that faced Squeeze when they headed into the studio to record their first album. Armed with a promising debut EP called Packet of Three, Squeeze signed with A&M and teamed the group with underground star John Cale, who helmed debuts by the Stooges and the Modern Lovers and would seemingly be a good fit as a producer (not to mention that the band took its name from Squeeze, the final album by Cale's Velvet Underground, albeit an album recorded long after he and Lou Reed had both left the band). He was anything but. Cale terrorized Squeeze, throwing out all of their existing material and insisting that they write new music on the spot, preferably songs that followed his half-baked idea of positioning the group as a bunch of "Gay Guys," after his suggested title for the album.

Despite the bodybuilder on the cover -- the one who presumably represents the bodybuilder on "Strong in Reason" -- and a very healthy dose of sex in the lyrics, Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook didn't steer the band in that direction, but did push Squeeze to a tense, chaotic sound that brought them closer to punk than perhaps they actually were. Often, it's hard not to read that coiled nervous energy as a reaction to the impossible situation they were trapped within -- sometimes, this was to their benefit, as it gives "Sex Master" some true menace and invigorates the Motown bass bounce of "Remember What," but it also results in the band knocking out atonal, assaultive jumbles like "The Call" and the self-consciously strange instrumental "Wild Sewerage Tickles Brazil," both seemingly written to impress John Cale. They may have impressed Cale, but not A&M, who opted to add two Squeeze-produced tracks to the final album: the frenetic "Bang Bang" and "Take Me I'm Yours." Tellingly, these were the two songs here that truly hinted in the tight, sharp, and tuneful direction that they would soon follow and, not so coincidentally, they were the two singles pulled from the record.(Mr Erlewine, allmusic)

I don't shed a word about the review. On the album there are a lot things the band later used on many songs and albums. And in 1978 this was one of the better so called New Wave albums. And this is by far not their best album as we know, it is their first. Probably here were ten top 5 pop hits too little on the album for some people. Try it yourself

Enjoy Frank     Flac p1 & Flac p2    -   mp3@320

Various Artists - One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost and Found Vol.3 (2005 Rhino) Flac & mp3@320

The third part of the wonderful Rhino series with 30 further titles of great songs performed by female artists of the sixties.

Enjoy!
          Frank        Flac p1 & Flac p2         mp3@320

Part Four! Various Artists - Decca Originals - The Freakbeat Scene (1998 Decca Records) Flac & mp3

Good Morning, Good Day or Good Evening Folks, you will not believe it but it's true. Here in the ''wild west'' :-) of Germany we have today 35 degrees Celsius in the shade. Every move is hard work, lol.

Okay all you music lovers here is part four of the Decca ''The Scene'' series. It is the Freakbeat volume. Like from all of the seven volumes i know from this series this one is also a very fine collection. I hope you will enjoy it and if your neighbours are dancers why not turn the volume to 10... ;-)

Have fun
              Frank       Flac p1 & Flac p2        mp3@320

Psychedelic Pop classic album by Paul Parrish - The Forest Of My Mind 1968 ( 2014 Now Sounds) Flac & mp3

Paul Parrish's debut is a bright, excellently produced LP filled with remarkable sunshine-dipped folk-pop songs along the lines of Donovan. Replete with flute, strings, and slight psychedelic effects, the album gets by on the strength of Parrish's songs, especially tracks like "English Sparrows," "Suzanne," and "Flowers in the Park."

Each track is ripe with rainbow-colored imagery and the requisite amount of forest/meadow scenarios. You'd want to dismiss it as merely kitsch if Parrish's vocals weren't so sweet and persuasive -- in the end, you're singing along and holding hands with whoever might be near.

Even the covers of the Beatles' "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" and the Holland-Dozier-Holland classic "I Can't Help Myself" fail to disappoint, and instead help put the album further into a detached yet pleasant, love-struck, and extremely wide-eyed version of psychedelic sunshine pop.(allmusic)

This is a fantastic album of psychedelic pop with soul and really great sounds.
Don't miss it and take a trip over the rainbow bridge  :-)
Enjoy
         Frank   Flac p1  &  Flac p2      mp3@320

Blackfoot Sue - Strangers 1977 (1995 Repertoire) Flac & mp3

Blackfoot Sue's album Strangers is the strongest of her three efforts. The album wasn't released in 1974 because of no success. Only a few singles were released till 1975. In 1977 the band call it quits.
It's a pity that the album wasn't released in 1974.

Enjoy
         Frank       Flac p1  & Flac p2       mp3@320

Blackfoot Sue - Nothing To Hide 1973 (1995 Repertoire) Flac & mp3

Blackfoot Sue was a British pop/rock group of the 1970s whose members were Tom Farmer (b.1952 03 02, Birmingham, England) (bass, keyboards, vocals), his twin brother Dave Farmer (b.1952 03 02, Birmingham, England) (drums), Eddie Galga (b.1951 09 04, Birmingham, England) (guitar, keyboards), and Alan Jones (b.1950 01 05, Birmingham, England) (guitar, vocals). Their "Standing in the Road" was a U.K. Top Ten hit in 1972, but they were written off as a teen sensation and broke up in 1977.( allmusic.com)

Blackfoot Sue have done some very fine songs in their career and i think the band was completely misunderstood by the critics. I will post ''Strangers'' later or tomorrow, too.

Enjoy
         Frank             Flac p1 & Flac p2     mp3@320

 

Pop Legends Mariani & Easter: DM3 - Dig It The Most (1997 Bomp Records) Flac & mp3@320

Mitch Easter produced most of the 20 tracks assembled for this release, which mines the currents of classic power-pop with its tightly constructed, harmony-heavy songs. The mood is perennially upbeat, with occasional imaginative folk-rock or psychedelic twists. It doesn't break new ground, but power-pop is itself such a self-consciously classicist form that it might be unreasonable to expect anything more of a 1990s band devoted to the style. It's energetically, confidently performed, and bound to please Yellow Pills subscribers, which for acts such as these is probably reward enough(allmusic)

Power Pop Legends Dom Mariani and Mitch Easter worked together in 1997. The result is '' Dig It The Most'', an classical Dom Mariani effort. The straight forward rockers and poppers shows Mariani and band in best shape. In songs like ''Something heavy'' or ''Fair Weather Friend'' the influence of Easter is good to hear.
Here are a lot of songs who are really great. Sometimes i thought in the past it was a matter of course for the audition that Mariani did strong albums. I am not sure if the work from Mariani is really appreciated by the audition  how he and his work it have deserved. Howoever, this is a very fine work and i highly recommend it.

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

Female Pop/Power Pop from Norway! Cocktail Slippers - People Talk 2014

Cocktail Slippers is a five-piece, all-female rock band from Oslo, Norway. Current band members are: Hope (vocals), Rocket Queen (guitar), Piper (keyboard/organ), Bella Donna (drums) and Sugar Cane (bass). Cocktail Slippers was formed in 2001 and has since released three studio albums and two Christmas singles. They are known for their entertaining live rock ′n roll performances and have played alongside artists such as Nancy Sinatra, Crowded House, Elvis Costello and The Strokes. The band is continuously touring Europe and the USA.

Background

In early 2001, Cocktail Slippers was formed out of another all-female band called the Barbarellas. Bass-player Sugar Cane was one of the original members of the Barbarellas. Rocket Queen and Modesty Blaze joined after the then-guitar and keyboard players left. Eventually, the Barbarellas split up in 2000, but Sugar Cane, Modesty Blaze and Rocket Queen hooked up with a new drummer to continue the project. Shortly after it was decided that it would be better to rename the band. The new name was Cocktail Slippers, although the Cocktail Slippers is also commonly used as a reference. The band recorded their first album, Rock It! in early spring 2001 with Modesty Blaze (formerly known as Lisa Farfisa) on vocals and keyboard, Rocket Queen on vocals and guitar, Sugar Cane on bass and Tammy Lee Sticks on drums. Later that year, the album Rock It! was released on the Norwegian label MTG Records.
In 2004 the band recorded their follow-up album Mastermind, which was also released on MTG Records. In the same year, a cover of Wham!'s "Last Christmas" was released as a limited edition CD single. The song was made available as a digital download in 2009.
In 2007, Cocktail Slippers was signed by Steven Van Zandt (also known as'"Little Steven") on his label Wicked Cool Records. In 2009 Cocktail Slippers recorded and released their third studio album Saint Valentine's Day Massacre. The album was produced by the band together with Steven Van Zandt and co-produced by Jean Beauviour (known for producing Kiss, Blondie, and The Ramones). The album features 12 tracks, although the USA vinyl release includes 2 bonus tracks as well. Besides own material, the album features two cover songs: Lesley Gore's "She's a Fool" and Connie Francis's "Don't Ever Leave Me".
The record also holds two songs written by Little Steven—"Saint Valentine's Day Massacre" and "Heard You Got A Thing For Me". The album received positive reviews worldwide with respected critics such as Rolling Stone magazine's David Fricke describing the band as "Norwegian Devil Dolls" that "sing their you-done-me-wrong songs with avenging-angel-army-harmonies". Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad called the women "Norwegian Rock Heroins" that "pick up where Blondie left off".
Cocktail Slippers was submitted to one of the largest musicfestivals in the USA—South by Southwest both in 2010 and 2011. They performed at Hard Rock Calling in Hyde Park, London in the summer of 2012.
Cocktail Slippers was featured in the episode "The Flamingo" in the Norwegian/American mafia comedy Lilyhammer.

As you see in the wiki description the band is together since 2001. I think there is no need to mention these women can play. They are together around 15 years at the time this album was recorded. In the today's music scene the ladys all can play, believe me.
The band plays a mix of pop, power pop, new wave here on ''People Talk''. Naturally if you play Power Pop in a woman band it's hard to ignore The Go Go's, The Bangles and/or Blondie. But i think that's not what the band want. You hear on the album how much they love their role models and it have a positive impact on their music. Catchy melodies over fine chord progressions with powerful polyphonic vocals make the album to a real ear catcher in the kind of the mentioned bands.
Play loud
               Frank        Flac p1  & Flac p2       - mp3@320

Various Artists - One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost and Found Vol.1 (2005 Rhino) Flac & mp3@320

Here comes Vol.1. Hope you enjoyed the yesterday volume and takes this, too.
Tomorrow the next volume will follow.

Viel Spass
                 Frank           Flac p1 & Flac p2        mp3@320

Part Three! Various Artists - Decca Originals - The Northern Soul Scene 1998 (Decca Records) Flac & mp3

Good morning Folks, in Germany people say ''He's stood up with the wrong leg'' and that means someone is in a very bad mood. That's how i feel today. Midges prick all over my body this night. Can't get enough sleep due to the midges. Sometimes life is hard, lol. The reason why i tell you this is that i thought how i can i improve my mood and i took a shower and i listened to an old northern soul sampler. And now i sit here and decided to post next the northern soul scene volume. Sometimes life is easy :-) . I stop now this small talk and here are the links.

  Flac p1  & Flac p2         mp3@320

Have fun
               Frank