PsychProgPop by Wallace Collection Laughing Cavalier 1969-1971 (1998 Magic Records) Flac & mp3@320

Wallace Collection was a group that was founded on the remains of the group Sylvester's Team. Three of the original member (namely Sylvain Vanholme, Freddy Nieuland and Marc Herouet) then went on to form the band 16th Century, together with bass-player Christian Janssens and the classical musicians Raymond Vincent and Jacques Namotte. These two were members in the Belgian National Philharmonic Orchestra, but had been flirting with popular music already in a band called Stradivarius.

Disbanded : 1971
Members: Sylvain Vanholme (guitar), Freddy Nieuland (drums, vocals), Marc Hérouet (organ, keyboards), Christian Janssens (bass), Raymond Vincent (violin), Jacques Namotte (cello) 

The band played here different directions and tried different things. You can hear psychedelic pop, progressive parts, interspersions (right word?) of classic instrumentations. It's an interesting album with a lot of nice popsongs here and that's what i like. Maybe you can call it Baroque pop sike.
The engineer here is Geoff Emerick who was on different Beatles records also the engineer.
Listen yourself and
have fun
              Frank    Flac p1  &  Flac p2  -  mp3@320

The Hollies - Singles Collection (2CD) (1997 EMI Holland) Awesome EMI Netherlands Collection with 47 tracks! Flac & mp3@320

Some of you may ask why a collection of Hollies singles but i was quite impressed at the time i saw this release for the first time. 47 songs here and all were released as single (naturally lol) and nearly all hit the charts. To me the booklet is very interesting. All singles are in a list where all positions are listed and how many weeks the song stayed in the charts. Listed are eight countries. Naturally the singles charts of the US and the UK and further six european countries with their charts. About the music i don't shed a word. First class british sixties/seventies pop.

Enjoy
         Frank    Flac p1 & Flac p2 & Flac p3 & Flac p4 & Flac p5         - mp3 p1 - mp3 p2

Peter Perrett is back again...and here are ''The Only Ones - Even Serpent Shine 1979 (2009 Sony)'' Flac & mp3@320

I don't know if you have listen to the latest album by Peter Perrett. It's called ''How The West was Won'' and it is an outstanding new effort  by the former singer and guitarist of The Only Ones, Peter Perrett. And i can tell you the album is really great. It would generated with the help of his son who played guitar amongst other things . It's an album i highly recommend. But now we come to the album whereat i actual want to say some words :-) . ''Event Serpent Shine'' by The Only Ones from year 1979. To me it is still a wonderful album with everything an album needs. I don't know much albums who sound as if they recorded yesterday. This is one of these. Full six stars of possible six stars!!!  Grab it!

Enjoy it,
cheers Frank      Flac p1  & Flac p2   -  mp3@320                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

British Pop Psychedelia by Turquoise - The Further Adventures of Flossie Fillett: The Complete Recordings

A quick listen to Turquoise with no knowledge of their background will surely bring two names immediately to mind: the Kinks and the Who. So, it should be no surprise that Turquoise were not only influenced by their British peers but were close associates, friends of Ray and Dave Davies, produced by Dave for their first demos -- when the band was still known as "the Brood" -- and produced by Keith Moon and John Entwistle for their second round of pre-professional recordings. Turquoise released two singles for Decca in 1968 before disbanding and those two singles, like much British pop-psych, earned them a cult of some size, eventually leading to Rev-Ola's 2006 release of The Further Adventures of Flossie Fillett: The Complete Recordings which collects both sides of those two singles -- "53 Summer Street"/"The Tales of Flossie Fillett" and "Woodstock"/"Saynia" -- along with all the other demos, unreleased cuts and alternate takes the group left behind.

More than any other band from the late '60s, Turquoise modeled themselves after mid-period Kinks, circa Something Else and Village Green Preservation Society to the extent that singer/songwriter Jeff Peters (who wrote almost all of the band's recorded work, usually in collaboration with Ewan Stephens) even penned his own tune called "Village Green." Like the Kinks, Turquoise were distinctly, defiantly British in subject matter and approach -- among their unreleased items is a knees-up stomp-along called "Sunday Best" reminiscent of the Small Faces (and oddly prescient of Blur's "Sunday Sunday") -- often sounding fey and campy yet managing to stay away from being overtly twee, and even if their melodies could sigh and swirl in psychedelic colors, they never were that trippy: they were grounded by acoustic guitars that jangled like Ray Davies' on Something Else and they had ragged harmonies and a pop sense reminiscent of the brothers Davies.

And when Turquoise broke free of the Kinks -- as on the absolutely terrific "Woodstock" which barrels forward on a moddish Motown beat and has a wicked Dylan impression on the chorus -- they're quite terrific, but when they were close to the Kinks, which they were for most of their career, they're merely good, even if not especially memorable. But for fans of British pop of the '60s that was obsessed with being British -- whether that means the Kinks, the Small Faces, mod-era Who or parts of the Move -- The Further Adventures of Flossie Fillett provides just enough unheard gems to be worthwhile.

Highly recommend. Completely underrated by the public. Sometimes, if i listen to the band i think it must be harder back then to ignore this guys than to love them. Anyway, the band had a lot of first class songs in their genre and more deserved as recording only

two singles.
Enjoy
         Frank    Flac p1 & Flac p2     - mp3@320
        

Second Album! Inner Dialogue - Friend 1970 (2010 Big Pink Records) Flac & mp3@320

Good morning Folks, it's friday morning here the weekend stands in front of the door and it will a hot sunny day today. I think that are enough reasons to post some sunshine pop at first today. As i said yesterday here comes the second album by Inner Dialogue called ''Friends'' from year 1970. The songwriting and the arrangements here are again very good. In my opinion here are some top notch songs on the album and at least as strong as the debut. Hope you will enjoy.
Have fun
               Frank

Enjoy
         Frank   Flac  -  mp3@320

Matthew Fisher - Journeys End (1973 RCA Vinyl) Flac & mp3@320

Matthew Fisher is a keyboard player, singer, and producer who is best known for his work as a founding member of Procol Harum -- he was the group's organist, and later served as producer/arranger during that band's first three years. Along with Robin Trower and Gary Brooker, he was one of the stars to emerge from the ranks of the group, following the latter's sudden rise to fame in 1967. Born Matthew Charles Fisher in Croydon, Surrey, England in 1946, he studied music in his youth, particularly the keyboard, though he also became proficient on the guitar and the bass, among other instruments, and learned the art of orchestration, as well. In early 1967, he answered an advertisement in Melody Maker and was recruited into a group, initially called the Pinewoods, that was being put together by pianist/singer/songwriter Gary Brooker. Since the breakup of his longtime band the Paramounts a year earlier, Brooker had been writing songs with lyricist Keith Reid, and the Pinewoods, which also included Ray Royer on guitar, David Knights on bass, and Bobby Harrison on drums, were as a vehicle for recording them. One of the songs that this band (soon rechristened Procol Harum) ended up cutting was "A Whiter Shade of Pale" which, with its surreal imagery, classical flourishes -- the source of which would become a matter of contention -- and soulful vocals by Brooker, became a classic piece of pop-psychedelia and an international chart-topper. That created the need for a performing band in a hurry, and in the process of sorting out the strengths and weaknesses of Procol Harum's lineup, Fisher remained alongside Knights, joined by Brooker's ex-Paramounts bandmates Robin Trower and B.J. Wilson, on guitar and drums, respectively.
Fisher and Trower quickly rose to prominence alongside Brooker -- the guitarist's flashy blues-based playing made him a magnet for fans, and Fisher's prominent organ work also afforded him a spotlight, on their records as well as at their shows. The fact that "A Whiter Shade of Pale" remained their best-known song for years -- even decades, really -- with its prominent classical organ part, didn't hurt Fisher's profile before the public. Additionally, he managed the all-but-unheard-of feat of breaking the Brooker/Reid monopoly on songwriting credits for the group's releases, receiving sole composer credit for "Repent Walpurgis" on their debut album. (In later years, he would describe that credit as a "booby prize," in distinctly hostile terms, over his lack of a credit for his contribution to "A Whiter Shade of Pale").

As early as the fall of 1967, the music press was reporting that the organist was preparing an album of his own. The latter failed to show up, however, either for that Christmas, or in the year after, or the year after that (although he did show up on the soundtrack to a film called Separation in 1968). Instead, Fisher played an increasingly prominent role within the band over their second and, especially, their third albums. The latter, A Salty Dog, carried his credit as producer and arranger, and stood in the view of many fans and critics as the group's most ambitious and successful studio project. For all of his increasing influence on the band, however, there was obviously an undercurrent of strain within their ranks -- if one reads more recent accounts of the early history of Procol Harum, especially from Fisher, one finds mentions of resentment below the surface, growing out of the near-total Brooker/Reid lock on the composer's credits for the group's work. And it was soon after the March 1969 release of A Salty Dog that the first major fractures within the band appeared, with Fisher and Knights both exiting. (Oddly enough, both were succeeded by ex-Paramounts member Chris Copping, who initially doubled on bass and organ).

Fisher reportedly began work on a solo album for A&M Records soon after, which he abandoned before the end of 1969. He took a break from making music for a couple of years, running a recording studio in England and going to work in the record industry in New York, before finally re-emerging as a performer in the early '70s. His most prominent engagements were both seemingly improbable, playing in the touring band of Jerry Lee Lewis. A little closer to home and his more immediate background, he also served as the producer of Robin Trower's first solo album.

 

 

Fisher was most visible as a session musician and producer in those years, working with acts such as Prairie Madness and also playing with Screaming Lord Sutch, in addition to becoming part of David Bowie's band the Spiders from Mars. Finally, in 1973, Fisher signed with RCA and released Journey's End, a critically well-received long-player that introduced him as a vocalist and composer, as well as a multi-instrumentalist, playing most of the music on the album himself. He also demonstrated a lighter touch as a songwriter than what listeners were accustomed to from Procol Harum, with some surprising pop sensibilities. The follow-up album, I'll Be There, was recorded almost immediately after, and despite good reviews, neither record made a lasting impression with the public. Fisher pursued his subsequent solo work intermittently, with two more albums, Matthew Fisher and Strange Days, appearing in the early '80s, interspersed with soundtrack work. In the '90s, however, he re-joined a reconstituted Procol Harum, with which he recorded as well as performing on-stage. In 2004, however, he quit the band once more, and the following year filed a lawsuit against Gary Brooker and the publishers of "A Whiter Shade of Pale," claiming that he was entitled to co-author credit and a 50-percent share of the composer's royalties earned by the song. In the course of the trial that followed, it became established that though the song had been composed before he joined the Pinewoods, the familiar organ part and much of the classical feel of the song (as well as the recording) were, indeed, Fisher's creation. He won an initial ruling favoring his claim to credit and a share of royalties, only to see an appeals court throw out the award of royalties, over the issue of the time that had elapsed between the song's publication and his legal action. But in July of 2009, in an appeal to the House of Lords -- the final level of legal appeal in England -- it was ruled that Fisher was entitled to 40-percent of the composer's royalties on revenue generated by the song after 2004. Since leaving Procol Harum, Fisher has made most of his living as a computer programmer.(allmusic)

First, this is a very well done vinyl rip. And the album is just really beautiful. This man is a very gifted musician. Here are some song gems on the album and i love it very much.
Enjoy
         Frank      Flac p1  & Flac p2        - mp3@320

Sunshine/Baroque Pop: Inner Dialogue - Inner Dialogue 1969 (2010 Big Pink Records) Flac & mp3@320

Hello Folks, it's hard to find a review of this album maybe because it is a quite rare gem. Rather till 2010 as Big Pink records released it in 2010 again. In my ears this is a great album with very good songwriting and arrangements who don't must hide behind the best albums of the genre in the mid - late sixties. To me there is a slight jazzy feel underneath the surface of some songs and give the songs an additional push. Very good album and very recommendable.
The girls and guys made a second album in 1970 and i will post it later, too.

Enjoy it
             Frank                   Flac & mp3@320

The Heavy Metal Kids - By Appointment...Best of the Old Bollocks (2004 KFC Studio)

One of the most spectacular, if sadly neglected, British bands of the mid-'70s, the Heavy Metal Kids straddled the eras of glam and punk with such effortless ease that neither genre has ever seemed entirely comfortable with them. Not for the Kids the succession of compilations and tributes with which the CD age has gifted so many of their peers; not for the Kids the awed accolades of a generation of future stars, raised on their high energy rock and dazzling visual flash. But for anybody who is in on the secret, the three albums which the Heavy Metal Kids unleashed between 1974-1977 represent the missing link in the story of Brit-pop, the bridge which links the Small Faces to Oasis, the Action to the Jam, and any other two points you care to mention.

As an accomplished child actor, vocalist Gary Holton first came to attention as a protégé of the Sadlers Well Opera Company during the early '60s and also played the Artful Dodger in an acclaimed production of Charles Dickens' Oliver. From there, he moved on to regular performances with the Old Vic Theatre Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company, before joining the touring company of Hair in 1972, aged 17. It was during this period that he began making the contacts which would lead him to form the Heavy Metal Kids two years later, with Mickey Waller (guitar, and no relation to the Jeff Beck/Rod Stewart drummer of the same name), Argentinean-born Danny Peyronel (keyboards), Ronnie Thomas (bass, vocals), and Keith Boyce (drums). The group's name, incidentally, was taken from William Burroughs -- naively or otherwise, the band members never dreamed people might draw other, musical, conclusions from it.

Fronted by Holton's raucous Cockney accent and visually steeped in the paraphernalia of his theatrical upbringing, the Heavy Metal Kids made an immediate impact. Singer/songwriter TV Smith, whose punk-era band the Adverts would play several gigs with the Kids, recalled, "they cared about their look, wearing makeup on stage, dressing up special for gigs, which was the kind of stuff we were looking for before punk.

Silly lyrics, funny, energetic on-stage." Guitarist Brian James (the Damned/Lords of the New Church) agreed. "The Heavy Metal Kids were great fun. Gary used to take the piss out of himself so much and they kinda filled a little bit of a gap, amongst all that pomp of the early '70s. You had the hippy side, you had the glam thing that was taking itself so very seriously, and then there was Gary and his boys, just being silly." He, too, was adamant, "they were ahead of their time."

Discovered by former Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich frontman Dave Dee, the Kids were signed by Atlantic Records and went immediately into the studio to record their debut album, Heavy Metal Kids. It was well received, but did little, a fate which many observers put down to the conflicting signals sent out by the band's name. Heading out for their first American tour in early 1975, the group dropped the Heavy Metal from their name, and gigged as the Kids alone. Recorded with new guitarist Cosmo replacing Waller, Anvil Chorus, their sophomore album, also appeared under this abbreviated name. It fared no better than its predecessor and, following a U.K. tour with Alice Cooper, the Kids parted company with Atlantic towards the end of the year. Further personnel changes included the departures of Peyronel and Cosmo, to be replaced by John Sinclair (keyboards) and Barry Paul, guitarist on the group's original demos two years earlier. 

 

 

In December, 1975, the Kids signed with producer Mickie Most's RAK label, but before work could begin on their next album, Holton was loudly sacked from the lineup amid a storm of drink- and drug-related headlines. Plans for the remaining members to continue on without him, however, came to naught and, in late 1977, Holton rejoined the band for a handful of live shows and the long-delayed third album, Kitsch. But by mid-1978, he had departed once again and, this time, the band broke up. Returning to acting, Holton landed roles in the disco movie Music Machine, the Who's Quadrophenia, and alongside Hazel O'Connor in the hit Breaking Glass. He also starred in the British TV movie Bloody Kids. His musical endeavors were now confined to strict one-offs: in December, 1978, Holton stood in for Damned vocalist Dave Vanian on a short Scottish tour, he also recorded a solo single, a stunning punk-country version of Kenny Rogers' "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" with the Boys' guitarist Casino Steel. But even the opportunity to replace the late Bon Scott in AC/DC could not lure him back to full-time rock & roll.
In 1983, Holton landed a starring role in British television's Auf Weidersehn, Pet, a light drama conceived by Quadrophenia director Francis Roddam and one of the surprise hits of the 1983-1984 season. He followed up with a memorable role in a Pilsner lager commercial and, in September, 1984, Holton returned to theater, appearing in the London cast of the 1950s Americana musical Pump Boys and Dinettes.
The following summer, he traveled to Spain to work on the long-awaited second series of Auf Weidersehn, Pet. It was there that he died, on October 25, 1985, the victim of a heroin habit which even the gossip-ridden London underground scarcely remembered.(allmusic)

I am sorry but no artwork here. Maybe some kind person can help...:-)
But this is a very fine collection and i think you will enjoy
Have fun
               Frank    Flac p1 & Flac p2  & Flac p3     -  mp3@320    

Nancy Sinatra - Movin' with Nancy (1967) (1996 Sundazed) Flac & mp3@320

Sundazed released a 1996 CD version of the original Movin' With Nancy album, adding three bonus tracks to the 1968 soundtrack from her television special, and it earns high marks for documenting more of the fun and campy escapades of Frank Sinatra's daughter. Without the opportunity to surpass her dad the way Mira Sorvino or Charlie Sheen may have moved beyond Paul Sorvino and Martin Sheen in terms of popularity, Nancy Sinatra deserves credit for a sultry, hip image and the ability to hit a few home runs. It's easy to hit a home run, of course, when your father owns a piece of the record label, Reprise, and a Rodgers & Hammerstein composition makes its way onto track four, like "Younger Than Springtime," sung by "a very close relative." The uncredited Frank Sinatra performance is great, of course, and is followed by a Dean Martin/Nancy Sinatra "duet" on the Bobby Darin song "Things."

It sure sounds like dad called up Martin and asked if he wouldn't mind Nancy overdubbing her voice on a pre-existing Martin track -- this was, of course, before the days of putting Natalie Cole on a Nat "King" Cole master. Despite the awkwardness of it, there is a certain charm that adds to the festivities. Make no mistake, this is a festive album. Heck, some kids go to the circus with their folks, Nancy Sinatra got to play at the record company. Her vocal style is on par with Claudine Longet and Jo Jo Laine, not the kind of singing to give Whitney Houston or Jackie DeShannon sleepless nights, but charming nonetheless.

Where this Sinatra really shines is when she and producer Lee Hazlewood do the Sonny & Cher routine on the previous hit, "Jackson," and the real gem here, "Some Velvet Morning." When Nancy Sinatra has Hazlewood as her foil, she is outstanding. Though "Some Velvet Morning" was number nine out of her Top Ten hits as far as chart action goes, it is her strongest performance here, and proves she had more of a voice than maybe she even realized. She walks through Jimmy Webb's "Up, Up and Away," but it works, as does, surprisingly enough, the cover of Ray Charles' "What I'd Say," which closes the vinyl version of this project. Do the math: two hit singles, a duet with Dean Martin, an appearance by the Chairman of the Board (the legend, not the band), and superb production by Lee Hazlewood all make for a highly entertaining disc. Yes, she was lucky to have those doors open for her, but while other showbiz kids fell by the wayside, Movin' With Nancy delivered the goods. You can't help but like her.(allmusic)

To me the second half of the disc is the better one. Listen yourself,
and have fun
                    Frank   Flac p1 & Flac p2         -  mp3@320

Fox - Fox 1975 (Cherry Red 2002) Flac & mp3@320

A few days ago i saw on a site a box set of the band and that gave me the idea to post the first album from 1975. Cherry Red released it in 2002 with some bonus tracks.
Enjoy
         Frank  Flac p1  &Flac p2     -   mp3@320

Pop-Mod-Beat! David Bowie - Early On 1964-1966 (1991 Rhino Records) Flac & mp3@320

Before landing his first commercial success with 1969's "Space Oddity," David Bowie released a number of flop records in a variety of styles. He first emerged in the mid-1960s as a mod following the paths of The Who, Kinks, and Rolling Stones. The 17-cut CD Early On (1964-66) is by far the most comprehensive anthology of his first works, gathering all six of his first singles and adding five previously unreleased demos from 1965. Fans of Bowie's famous work may be nonplussed by this material, in which the singer shifts from sub-Stones R&B to Who/Kinkish power chords to trendy Swinging London pop in search of his own style.

He didn't establish his own identity on these fairly derivative recordings, but that's not to say they aren't without their enjoyable aspects. The 1965 single "You've Got A Habit Of Leaving" has some fierce Who-styled feedback, "Can't Help Thinking About Me" is an uneasily introspective number that foreshadows his later lyrics, and the acoustic demos find him groping closer toward a more familiar and distinctive vocal style. Several of the tunes on this collection were produced by the legendary Shel Talmy, who also handled sessions for The Who and Kinks in the mid-'60s.(allmusic)

The definitely best collection of pre fame Bowie. This collection is not for Bowie fans only. I think it's interesting to everyone who loves the british music of the sixties.
Enjoy
         Frank        Flac
                          mp3@320

Eric Stewart - Viva La Difference (2009 Strawberry Soundtracks) Flac & mp3@320

Eric Michael Stewart (born 20 January 1945, Droylsden, Lancashire, England) is an English musician, songwriter and record producer most known for his tenure with The Mindbenders in the 1960s, and 10cc from 1972 to 1995.
In 1968, he became a co-owner of Strawberry Studios in Stockport, England, where he developed skills as a recording engineer and record producer. His involvement in Strawberry was instrumental in the eventual formation of 10cc.
Stewart has collaborated with Paul McCartney on three of his albums recorded between 1982 and 1986, has recorded three solo albums and released Viva La Difference in 2009.(wiki)

That is a very short story of the musical life by Eric Stewart. Here is another short note about this album:
He began a fourth solo album – Viva la Difference, – in 2006, describing it as "more 10cc in style than Do Not Bend", but in January 2007 announced recording would continue sporadically while he carried out renovations on his home and construction of a studio in France. His online store was subsequently closed, with an announcement made that the album would be released in January 2009, which duly came about.

This album is much more in the 10cc sound in the most songs and Stewart shows here his incredible skills on guitar again. This means not this is a ''guitar album''. But listen yourself. In my opinion this album was his strongest work since a very long time.

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