Sunshine/Bubblegum Pop by Yellow Balloon - Yellow Ballon 1967 (1998 Sundazed) Flac

Hello Folks, i posted this album around a half year earlier here. But now i post it once again, this time in Flac format. The album is a piece of sunshine surf bubblegum pop with some fine tracks on it if you like this kind of music.

The Yellow Balloon was Don Grady's (Robbie on TV's My Three Sons) rock & roll group, but even more important, the brainchild of California producer Gary Zekley. Not unlike a Gary Usher, Zekley could grab a bunch of musicians and -- filling in the needed holes with his own talent -- produce sessions that rivaled Phil Spector or Brian Wilson for big sound and teen spirit. Grady had already been recording for the same label with his own group, the Windupwatch Band, when Zekley started climbing the charts with "Yellow Balloon," creating a need for a new group to go with the hit.

Grady became the drummer and other members were recruited from various bands around the country, but in the studio, it was still Zekley's show all the way. This 20-track compilation brings together the 11 tracks from the Yellow Balloon's 1967 album, along with the Don Grady with the Windupwatch Band singles (also released on the same Canterbury label), a couple of unreleased demos, and an interview with the late Gary Zekley putting it all in perspective.(allmusic)

Enjoy it
            Frank    Flac p1  &  Flac p2

XTC - Homegrown - The Wasp Star Home Demos (Wasp Star: Apple Venus, Vol. 2) 2001 Flac & mp3@320

Anyone expecting Wasp Star: Apple Venus, Vol. 2 to continue the majestic acoustic-orchestral blends of Apple Venus will be disappointed, because it's a straightforward collection of sharp, witty, well-constructed pop songs. Directness is perhaps the oddest thing about Wasp Star - it's unassuming pop from a band that operated on a conceptual plain for nearly 20 years. It could be argued that all the songs that fit a dark, introspective mood went to Apple Venus, XTC's first album after seven years in exile, while Wasp Star wound up as a clearinghouse for everything else. If that is true, it ignores a basic fact -- XTC's leftovers are better than most band's keepers. "Leftovers" isn't quite an accurate term, either. These songs are orphans, tunes without a particular project, which may mean that Wasp Star is an album of moments, but there's plenty to cherish here.

Colin Moulding is in fine shape, with the spare "Boarded Up" and the clever "Standing in for Joe." Andy Partridge has a few tricks up his sleeve -- his compositions are heavy on electric guitars, he builds "Wounded Horse" around a blues riff, and "You and the Clouds Will Still Be Beautiful" is just about the breeziest thing he's ever written -- but for the most part, he's in pop craftsman mode, turning out expert, layered tunes that may not push his talents but certainly exploit his capabilities to their fullest. After all, most pop bands would give their eyeteeth to have songs as smart, melodic, and memorable as "Playground," "Stupidly Happy," "My Brown Guitar" and "I'm the Man Who Murdered Love" as their orphans -- and if these constitute an average XTC album, that's a testament to what a terrific band they are.(allmusic)

No reason to be disappointed. Sure the first volume of the Apple Venus demos kicked me somewhere into the universe but...Ladies and Gentleman here they are, the greatest pop band alive: XTC! Beside other wonderful stuff here is a lot of first class pop stuff and like it was said in the review, this is no ''Leftover'' stuff. Here are great pop songs in the demos. Vol.2 is another kind of ''popular'' music as Vol.1 but definitely top notch pop music and also highly recommended.

Have fun
              Frank           Flac p1  & Flac p2  &  Flac p3          - mp3@320

XTC - Homespun - The Apple Venus Volume I Home Demos (Limited Edition) 1999 Flac & mp3

Seven years is a long time between records, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that Apple Venus is a significant step forward from Nonsuch, but the sparse strings and circular arrangements of "River of Orchids" nevertheless come as a shock, especially since its slow build-up feels as ominous and intellectual as 20th century classical music. It provides the keynote for the album, setting the stage for an ambitious, unpredictable, and strangely beautiful record. Although there are similarities with the pastoral Skylarking or parts of Nonsuch, there is really no comparable record in XTC's canon, given its sustained mood, experimentalism, and glimpses of confession. Colin Moulding wrote the brightest tunes on the record, and while the bouncy "Frivolous Tonight" and "Fruit Nut" will be endearing to any longtime XTC fan, they don't fit the tone of Apple Venus, which feels like an Andy Partridge solo album -- not just a confessional, but a grand outpouring of ideas. Partridge insisted that Apple Venus be released in two parts -- Gregory left partially because he believed the album would be stronger if it was consolidated to one record -- presumably because all his songs on Pt. 1 are of a piece, sharing similar lyrical and musical themes. Split between orchestral and acoustic pop, Apple Venus is alternately lush and melancholy, sometimes within one song. Some of Partridge's darkest work is here, such as the vindictive "Your Dictionary," yet the album overall has a hopeful note -- the perfect aural encapsulation of their long, bitter struggle of the '90s. The strike was frustrating for the band and fans alike, but perhaps the extended layoff paid off in sharpening Partridge's focus, since Apple Venus, Pt. 1 easily ranks as one of XTC's greatest works.(allmusic)

Don't get me wrong, this is not the official album, these are home demos. And they are REALLY FANTASTIC. This band is maybe as great as the ......
Nearly 6 stars of possible 6 stars.
Anyway these demos are highly recommended. Grab it!

Have fun
               Frank      Flac p1  & Flac p2
                                       mp3@320

At Request: Lonnie Mack - Lonnie On The Move (1992 Ace Records, UK) Only Flac

These 19 Flying V-soaked sides pack the same punch and hail from the same mid-'60s timeframe as Mack's seminal LP Wham of That Memphis Man. He unleashes his vibrato-drenched axe on the torrid "Soul Express," "Lonnie on the Move," "Florence of Arabia," and an astonishing instrumental version of "Stand by Me" that'll send aspiring guitarists' jaws crashing to the floor. For a change of pace, "Men at Play" mines a jazzy walking groove to equally satisfying ends.(allmusic)

Believe me Folks, if you don't know this guy or this collection, this is really great and i love this very much. But usually this is not really a album for a blog like this. But it's a request and because i like this also i break my own rules :-) . Anyhow here it is and maybe some of you will like it, too. This post is only in Flac.

Cheers
           Frank                     Flac p1 &  Flac p2

Allah-Las - Worship The Sun 2014 Flac & mp3

L.A. garage psych revivalists the Allah-Las didn't mess around with their winning formula much on their second album, 2014's Worship the Sun. Working with retro-leaning producer Nick Waterhouse again, the quartet can still effortlessly crank out chiming ballads that sound worthy of a strong volume of Pebbles, dish out moody midtempo tracks that have the feel of classic West Coast bands like the Chocolate Watchband, and take the occasional instrumental detour that come off like surf music that's been dragged through some desert dust.

It definitely feels like an extension of their debut album, only instead of being a retread, it's an improvement. Stronger songs, vocals that lean a little less on the snotty side of the garage in favor of some nuance, and slightly softer focus production mean that the album is a slight bit of an improvement. The band's songcraft feels sharper and more focused, whether it's the near-rollicking "Artifact" (half borrowed from the Chocolate Watchband's "Are You Gonna Be There [At the Love-In]"), the slowly swaying ballad "Nothing to Hide," which anchors the middle of the record like a big fat teardrop, or the album's title track, which manages to make melancholy sound sun-kissed and peaceful. Along with this overall strengthening of their core, the group mixes in a couple off-speed pitches, like the countrified jangle pop gem "Better Than Mine" that beats the Beachwood Sparks at their own game, or the psychedelic bubblegum rocker "501-415," that give the album the little bit of growth and expansion it needed to sound fresh. No one will ever accuse the Allah-Las of being particularly original or exciting, but that's not really what they're aiming for.

If you were to call them revivalists who found a tiny niche of the garage rock scene that nobody else was exploiting, and revived it with a charmingly relaxed and assured style, then you'd be dead right. On Worship the Sun, their subtle excavation is even more impressive, richly rendered, and worth checking out than before.(allmusic)

Revivalists or not, retro or not this is a fantastic piece of psychedelic garage and there are not many bands in these days who do it so well like these guys.

Enjoy
         SB1   Flac p1   &  Flac p2    - mp3@320

If you like what you hear you can buy the album here

Psychedelic pop from Great Britain: Beaulieu Porch - We Are Beautiful (2013) vbr@232-265.rar

Beaulieu Porch is the work of one man and judging by this he’s some sort of twisted, psych pop genius…It’s a huge, kaleidoscopic album, with all the bells and whistles one would hope for from an ambitious piece of modern psychedelia, with plenty of memorable tunes at it’s core.
(active listener blogspot)

All the songs are written, produced and played by a man named Simon Berry. I know not much about this guy. You can listen and buy the works at bandcamp. I had listen to all the stuff on bandcamp and that all sounds very good. But it seems there are no physical cd copies to buy. It's only download files. Anyway this is real good psychedelic pop. Give it a try
Cheers
           SB1          mp3@232-265

Easy listening Pop by Gene And Debbe - Playboy The Best Of Gene And Debbe 1967-68 (2006 Sundazed) Flac & mp3

Gene Thomas and Debbe Neville were a fresh-scrubbed pop duo from Nashville, TN, who sounded something like a twangier Sonny & Cher, or as if Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood had been stripped of their eccentricities (particularly Hazlewood's tumescent ego). Gene & Debbe's sole Top 20 hit was "Playboy" in 1968, and this collection from Sundazed features that tune as well as 21 other sides from the short-lived duo. While these songs were obviously aimed for the pop charts, there's no avoiding the fact this stuff was recorded in Nashville (and released on TRX Records, an offshoot of the powerful Acuff-Rose publishing concern) -- the keening pedal steel on "Torch I Carry," the banjo on "Lovin' Season," and the cheatin' song ethos of "Rings of Gold" all point to the act's Music City heritage, and producer Don Gant (who later recorded with the Neon Philharmonic) was clearly shooting for lots of charm rather than a significant share of hipness (as if the presence of a Dean Martin cover wouldn't make that obvious).

Still, Thomas and Neville sang well together, and the former brought some good songs to the table, especially the Dylanesque "The Sun Won't Shine Again" and the heartfelt "I'll Come Running." Playboy: The Best of Gene & Debbie collects everything they released during their two-year lifespan along with four songs that have never been heard before, and frankly this is more Gene & Debbe than anyone but an obsessed fan would want to own. But if you want to hear Gene & Debbe, this is clearly the place to go, and the typically excellent remastering and packaging from Sundazed show this material more respect than they'd likely receive from anyone else.(allmusic)

Gene Thomas and Debbe Neville never had a reason to hide behind artists like Sonny &Cher or Sinatra/Hazlewood. They had excellent songs and the voice of Debbe Neville is just to melting away :-). Also Gene Thomas was a good interpret. He had a very strong expressive kind to sing the songs. They had another audition but that said nothing about the quality. In my opinion they deserved more attention and success. But that's how things work, right? Great compilation and i hope you enjoy it.
Have fun
               SB1   Flac p1 & Flac p2      - mp3@320

Ironbridge - Ironbridge 1973 (Flawed Gems 2012) Flac & mp3

Alan Millington and Mick Skinner's songs were solid if perhaps a little too safe, however. The breezy rocker 'Making It Hard' drives along at a nifty pace, while the likes of reflective strummer 'Simple Man' and the sun-kissed 'It's All Right' contain echoes of The Hollies and early Bee Gees...

Record Collector (October 2013)

---

'Shanty' alone is worth the album, a brilliantly composed tale of the sea broken into segments. Starting out with a mere flute, the narrative voice sings of a ship about to embark on a voyage, with someone's sweetheart left behind on the quay and tears streaming down her face. These emotions are emphasized by melancholic guitar riffs, strings, punctuated keys, and an altogether floaty and dreamy quality.

Gradually though, it all turns heavier and the dreamy quality makes place for excellent but hard riffs and keyboard sounds - obviously reflecting inner turmoil as well as the stormy sea. Once the musical climax is reached, the sound mellows and the narrative voice picks up again - singing of a sea that by now has calmed down, and of the ship heading back to the harbour while the Captain is looking older. Some delicate a-capella singing brings the voyage to an end. Simply fantastic!

The album is a rarity indeed, and it's a bonus that Ironbridge songs don't sound the slightest bit rusty to the modern ear.

music-news.com (September 2013) 

Formed from the ashes of The Birds and TheBees and Fluff, Ironbridge released their one and only album in 1973 on the then EMI International label.

Having released no less than five singles under their name Fluff this Shropshire band made their final bid for the big time by changing their name to Ironbridge (the worlds first iron bridge had been built in the Shropshire town) and the album sold extremely well in France whilst gaining rave reviews.

Now having achieved a cult status the album is released on CD for the very first time and the music today falls under the “power pop” category but at the time was described by reviewers as “somewhere between The Beatles and The Moody Blues”!(angel air.co)

Very good album. Give it a try you will not be disappointed.

Viel Spass

                 SB1  Flac p1  & Flac p2     -   mp3@320    

Nancy Sinatra - Nancy In London 1966 (1995 Sundazed) Flac & mp3

The change of locale for Nancy Sinatra's third album didn't change her approach much: it's dominated by humdrum covers of contemporary pop and rock hits and pop standards, with some second-rank Lee Hazlewood country songs thrown in, though his compositions "Friday Child" and "Summer Wine" (the second of which is a Sinatra/Hazlewood duet) are strong, moody highlights.

The four bonus tracks, taken from singles, outclass the original LP: "100 Years," "You Only Live Twice" (the single version), "Tony Rome," and her cringingly dated duet with her father, "Life's a Trippy Thing."(allmusic)

If you like the sound of Sinatra/Hazlewood you can't go wrong here.
Enjoy
         SB1                        Flac p1  &  Flac p2    - mp3@320

XTC - Fossil Fuel 1996 (The XTC Singles 1977-92) 1996 Virgin Records Flac & mp3@320

Fossil Fuel: The XTC Singles 1977-1992 is a splendid double-disc set that runs through every one of the group's 31 A-sides, from the nervy "Science Friction" to the lush, sighing "Wrapped in Grey." Between those two songs, XTC's craftsmanship grows remarkably fast -- based on the edgy pop of their new wave singles "Statue of Liberty," "This Is Pop," "Are You Receiving Me?," and "Life Begins at the Hop," it's hard to believe that they would later write the subtle, near-pastoral Beatles, Kinks, and Beach Boys pastiches of "Love on a Farmboy's Wages," "Great Fire," and "Grass."

And those songs just scratch the surface of the terrific pop singles available on Fossil Fuel: "Making Plans for Nigel," "Ten Feet Tall," "Generals and Majors," "Towers of London," "Respectable Street," "Sense Working Overtime," "This World Over," "Dear God," "The Mayor of Simpleton," "King for a Day," and "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" are wonderful songs and forgotten classics. Although XTC continually made carefully constructed albums, they were a dynamite singles band, releasing songs that were tightly constructed and impossibly catchy.

They never had hits, because their unabashed pop was never in fashion; plus, Andy Partridge's voice was too pinched and his lyrics frequently too cerebral. But XTC's music stands as some of the best and most influential pop of their era, and nowhere is that more evident than on Fossil Fuel.(almusic.com)

Hello Folks, i start today with another one of my top 10 favourite british pop bands. I had think about it what i could post from the band and the answer was a single collection. And what's a better single collection of the first 15 years by XTC as Fossil Fuel? This collection is full of real great songs and real good songs. And i think everyone of us who love the band will have its very personal favourites. And to all who don't know the band i think this is a good collection to start.

Have fun
              SB1    Flac -   mp3@320 p1 & mp3@320 p2

Flac links added! Various Artists - Children Of Nuggets - Original Artyfacts From The ll Psychedelic Era 1976-1996 (2005 Rhino) Full artwork Flac & mp3@320

                          Okay Folks, i added the Flac links for the ''Children Of Nuggets''.
                          Have fun
                                        SB1

The Spongetones - Beat Music 1982 (2008 Air Mail Records) Flac

One of the most underrated power pop bands of the '80s, the Spongetones released several albums of effortlessly catchy guitar pop that captured the feel of '60s British Invasion pop with remarkable accuracy and innocent charm. While they never received much critical or commercial attention, their music has aged much better than most power pop of the era (late '70s and early '80s), and among specialists they're highly revered not only for their studio prowess but also for their spirited live shows.

They are one of the few bands that gracefully carried on past the "skinny tie" fad into the '90s and beyond -- not as strict revivalists but as something unique. The band, comprised of Steve Stoeckel (vocals, bass), Pat Walters (vocals, guitar), Jamie Hoover (vocals, guitar), and Rob Thorne (drums), began as a covers band in Charlotte, NC in the early '80s. They signed to the Ripete label in 1982 and released their first full-length, Beat Music, the same year, following with the Torn Apart EP in 1984 -- the latter featuring esteemed guests Don Dixon, Mitch Easter, and R.E.M. on handclaps. Stoeckel temporarily left the band, returning in 1991.

By 1987, it seemed the Spongetones wanted to distance themselves from their revivalist reputation, leaving Ripete in favor of the independent Triapore and recording probably their most experimental and most un-Spongetones album, Where-Ever-Land. The album, produced by Don Dixon, flirted with garage rock, psychedelia, and the more fashionable jangle pop -- all in all it marked a more muscular and harder-edged approach. The experiment failed for the most part and was short-lived. The band signed to Black Vinyl Records (owned by power pop icons Shoes) and found a true home in 1991. There they created, in the mold of their first two releases, possibly their most focused Mersey pastiche, Oh Yeah! Textural Drone Thing followed in 1995. In addition to regular band activities, Jamie Hoover released a solo album, Coupons Questions and Comments, for Triapore in 1990, and also formed the Van Delecki's with Bryan Shumate, releasing Letters from the Desk of Count S. Van Delecki on Permanent Press in 1996. After a five-year band silence, the Spongetones finally returned in 2000 with the album Odd Fellows. Number 9 followed in 2005.(allmusic)

I posted the album some time ago imp3. Here is now the album in Flac.
Enjoy
         SB1    Flac part 1   &   Flac part 2