The Beach Boys - Summer Days (And Summer Nights) 1965 Mono (Mini LP PT-SHM Universal Japan 2014) Flac & mp3

Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) was a bit of a regression from the success of Today!, lapsing back into that distressing division between first-rate cuts and lightweight also-rans that characterized their pre-1965 albums. The difference is that the very best tracks were operating on a more sophisticated level than the 1962-1964 classics. "Help Me, Rhonda" was a number one single and would be their last Top 40 exercise in sheer fun for a while. More impressive was "California Girls," with its symphonic arrangement, glorious harmonies, and archetypal statement of Californian lifestyle. Subpar efforts like "Amusement Park U.S.A." and "Salt Lake City," throwbacks to the empty-headed summer filler of previous days, will disappoint.

The answer song, "The Girl from New York City," and the cover, "Then I Kissed Her," are well done but don't break new ground. Yet a couple of cuts are among their most essential LP-only efforts. "Let Him Run Wild" is a soulful ballad with a great Brian Wilson falsetto vocal. "Girl Don't Tell Me," with its gorgeous melody, fine lead vocal debut from Carl Wilson, and subtle depiction of romantic rejection and disappointment, may be the best obscure pre-Pet Sounds Beach Boys track.(allmusic.com)

This is the first Beach Boys post here on the blog. And not a bad one :-). It's in original mono and i wish you fun
Cheers
           Frank    Flac p1  & Flac p2          mp3@320

Sixties Garage By The Music Explosion - Little Bit O' Soul The Best of the Music Explosion 1966 -1968 (2002 Sundazed) Flac & mp3@320

One-hit-wonder Ohio garage band that reached number two in 1967 with "Little Bit O'Soul," a great gutsy pop/rock number with a classic bass-organ riff. Whatever personality they may have had was coated in the studio by producers Jeffrey Katz and Jerry Kasenetz, who would soon help create bubblegum with acts like the 1910 Fruitgum Co. and the Ohio Express.

The Music Explosion didn't have nearly as juvenile a sound as those groups, but they never latched onto another piece of material nearly as attention grabbing as "Little Bit O'Soul," entering the Top 100 only once more with the tiny hit "Sunshine Games."(allmusic.com)

Fine psychedelic garage act from the mid sixties with different influences like soul, pop, rock, and psychedelia. The band was better as some critics wrote.

Enjoy
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At Request: Irish Punk Giants: The Undertones - The Undertones 1979 (2004 Sanctuary Midline, remastered) Flac & mp3

What is a perfect album? One could make an argument that a perfect album is one that sets out a specific set of artistic criteria and then fulfills them flawlessly. In that respect, and many others, the Undertones' 1979 debut is a perfect album. The Northern Ireland quintet's brief story is no different than that of literally dozens of other bands to form in the wake of the Clash and, more importantly, the Buzzcocks, but the group infuses so much unabashed joy in their two-minute three-chord pop songs, and there's so little pretension in their unapologetically teenage worldview, that even the darker hints of life in songs like the suicide-themed "Jimmy Jimmy" are delivered with a sense of optimism at odds with so many of their contemporaries.

There's no fewer than three all-time punk-pop classics here; besides that song, the singles "Teenage Kicks" and "Get Over You" are simple declarations of teenage hormonal lust that somehow manage to be cute instead of Neanderthal; perhaps it's Feargal Sharkey's endearingly adenoidal whine, or the chipper way the O'Neill brothers pitch in on schoolboy harmonies, like a teenage Irish Kinks. All of the other 13 songs, even the 47-second blip "Casbah Rock," are nearly to that level of brilliance, with the frenetic "Girls Don't Like It" a particular standout. (excerpt from allmusic.com)

Top notch punk album. But not just a punk album, maybe it is yet more a pop album that connect the best of both worlds punk and pop. Anyway a real great album.
Enjoy
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At Request: The Sugar Stems - Only Come Out At Night 2014 (Dirtnap Records) Flac & mp3

Playing an engaging and energetic fusion of '70s style power pop and '60s garage rock, the Sugar Stems formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2007. The group features several veterans of the local music scene: lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Betsy Heibler and bassist Stephanie Conard had both been members of the Flips, while drummer Jon Heibler had played with the Teenage Rejects, the Catholic Boys, Tuff Bananas, and Sticks 'n' Stones. After a handful of low-key acoustic gigs, the Sugar Stems played their first proper show in May 2008, with Zach Byrne (ex-Goodnight Loving) on lead guitar. Byrne soon left the group, and the guitar spot was taken over by Drew Fredrichsen (a veteran of the Leg Hounds and the Jetty Boys), completing the Sugar Stems' definitive lineup.

In 2009, the Sugar Stems made their recorded debut with a single for Bachelor Records, "Beat Beat Beat" b/w "Crybaby," and the band's first full-length release, The Sweet Sounds Of, followed in 2010. In 2012, the band completed their second album, Can't Wait; it was originally released in Germany by Screaming Apple Records and in Japan by Dream On, while in 2013 it made its American debut via Dirtnap. The Sugar Stems introduced keyboard player Andy Harris on their third studio effort, 2014's Only Come Out at Night (once again released in America by Dirtnap), while a live LP, Sugar Stems 'n' Friends, came out through Dusty's Medical Records.(allmusic.com)

In some songs the band can't persuade me. For me it's too sweet (Baby Teeth) but without good candy if you know what i mean. Songs like ''Tell the Truth'' go in the right direction in my opinion. Also ''Elm Tree Eulogy''. All in all to me it's an average album. But tastes are different.

Have fun
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At Request: The Merrymakers - Bubblegun 1997 (1999 Big Deal Records 2 Disc US Version) Flac & mp3

By this point in their career, it seems as if the duo of Anders Hellgren and David Myhr should have four or five acclaimed releases under their belts and be household names in the world of pop music. Bubblegun, however, is only the Merrymakers' second full-length album (and their first in the U.S.), though they have been making unabashedly joyous and pretty pop since 1991. Their first album, No Sleep 'til Famous, brought the comparatively innocent and clear-eyed pop of the '60s into the '90s via a sophisticated and clean production. The band does the same on Bubblegun, crafting a set of songs that sound as if they could all be singles.

Undoubtedly, many of them would have been hits in the era from which they glean their influences, but the Merrymakers are not a retro act; they simply write gorgeous, catchy pop songs that are universal, transcending both time and place. Very rarely anymore do choruses explode out of speakers and simply envelop the listener with pure pleasure as do songs such as "Saltwater Drinks," "Troubled Times" and "Superstar." The songs, though they are incredibly melodic and crisply produced, are not in the least vapid. There is an edginess to many of the tracks, and lyrically, the Merrymakers do not shy away from difficult themes: "Monkey in the Middle" and "Superstar" deal with fading fame while the theme of lost love is all over the album ("April's Fool," "Sad," "Ms. Demeanour"). Never, though, does this cause the music or listening experience to drag or grate. Former Jellyfish frontman Andy Sturmer helps out on production on a few songs (and co-wrote a couple cuts), and he is a perfect match for the band
.

Since this is the band's first American release, Big Deal has added a bonus to the package: a second CD containing five songs from their first album. Those songs have a slightly more trippy feel to them but shine just as brightly as the songs on the first CD. It makes for a virtually flawless pop album: in a perfect world, Bubblegun would make the Merrymakers a household name.(allmusic.com)

This is the US release with the bonus disc for the US market with five songs from their first album. Some big names involved here in the production and songwriting. It's a fine Power pop album with '60s influences.
Have fun
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Sixties Psychedelic Pop: Del Shannon - Further Adventures Of Charles Westover 1968 (1998 BGO Records) Flac & mp3

This lesser-known cult favorite is not only one of the most musically ambitious outings of Del Shannon's career, but also one of his most all-around consistent albums. The Further Adventures of Charles Westover finds Shannon embracing psychedelia in a personalized way: Instead of imitating the whimsy of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, or the creepy freak-outs of Their Satanic Majesties Request, he uses the cinematic quality of psychedelic pop to provide a vivid backdrop for his songwriting. For instance, "Silver Birch" uses a swirling mass of horns and densely layered backing vocals to add a haunting quality to its tale of an abandoned bride, and "Color Flashing Hair" uses vertiginous string motifs and churning horns to re-create the feelings of obsessive love described in the lyrics. Shannon's work on this album also differs from usual psychedelic fare because it mixes some earthier textures into its sonic brew: "Be My Friend" enhances its lusty plea for feminine companionship with wailing harmonica and gospel-tinged female backing vocals, and "River Cool" laces its swinging beat with some deliciously soulful organ licks. The overall effect is stunning, managing to fit the tag of psychedelic pop but still retaining the haunting, emotional kind of songwriting that distinguished Del Shannon's music. (allmusic.com)

This album is just GREAT. Everytime i listen to it it blow me away. ''I Think I Love You'' is psychedelic pop at it's best. And this is just one example of the album. You can take nearly every song and it is a great one. For me it's really hard to understand why the album failed to reach the charts back then.
Hope you have fun
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Pop Rock/Jangle Pop by Mike Shupp - October Sun 1997 Flac & mp3

A singer/songwriter influenced by the jangly pop of the 80's Athens scene, Mike Shupp writes heartland pop with crunching guitars and a sugary sweet voice. A Virginia native, Shupp first played with Bang Theory in the early 90's, but when the band fell apart he found himself unable to keep another outfit together. Undaunted, he simply went solo, releasing October Sun in 1997 and garnering raves from Spin Magazine among other sources.

After a period of live performances, Shupp stepped into the studio with producer Jeff Murphy in 2000 for The Key. Recorded in Chicago, the album was entirely performed by Shupp outside of the percussion. Hitting the road after favorable local reviews, Shupp took less time in between albums and returned in the spring of 2002 to record This Time. The record, mixed by Indigo Girls producer Don McCollister, arrived in September of the same year.(allmusic.com)

I needed two or three spins in the beginning i listened to the album. After that the album was for a longer time regular in my player. This guy is a very good songwriter at least what i hear on this album. Give it a try if you like laid back jangle pop with strong songs.

Cheers
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Two on One CD release on BGO Records 1995: Del Shannon - Live In England & And The Music Plays On 1973 & 1978 (1995 Beat Goes On Records) Flac & mp3@320

This 1996 reissue of these two Del Shannon albums is impeccable in its logic, nearly 80 minutes long and combining the best (and most common) of his latter-day albums with the rarest and most interesting of them. The sound is killer all the way through, mastered at a high volume with lots of detail. Even at import prices, it's cheaper than finding a copy of And the Music Plays On on vinyl.(allmusic)

Live in England is from 1973 and what's called here ''And The Music Plays On'' was released 1978. Eleven years after it was recorded. Del Shannon recorded the album 1967 with Andrew Loog Oldham. The original name for the album was ''Home And Away'' and were planned as following album of his last album released by Liberty. Why it not happened? I don't know. In my opinion it is one of his best works together with ''The Further Adventures Of Charles Westover'' (i will post later).

Del Shannon’s Home & Away never saw a proper release in the 1960s. These tracks would eventually see light of day on the 1978 vinyl LP/compilation titled And The Music Plays On.  Record executives of the day were looking for heavy, underground sounds, not dense, wall-of-sound type productions that featured complex vocal arrangements, strings, harpsichords, and plenty of horns.  The music on this disc was recorded in 1967 with Rolling Stones’ manager Andrew Loog Oldham sitting in the producer’s chair.   Home & Away was considered passe stuff for 1967 and shelved shortly after, as Del began work on his psychedelic masterpiece, The Further Adventures of Charles Westover.  The 2006 EMI reissue has excellent stereo sound and presents the LP in it’s proper context – a must own for fans of  the mid 60s Beach Boys, the Zombies and the Left Banke.

It’s useless to point out highlights on this great, lost pop album.  “Runaway ’67” is exactly what it claims to be; a 1967 update of Del’s classic smash.  This cut has a strong Left Banke feel with it’s swirling strings and baroque arrangement.  Del’s vocals sound haunted and seamlessly mesh with Oldham’s productions.  They hit the mark on nearly every track.  This means that each song on the album flows effortlessly, whether it’s the trippy harpsichord intro to “Easy To Say, Easy To Do” or the romantic pop of “My Love Is Gone.”   My hit picks are the shimmering psychedelic pop of “Silently” and the beautiful Pet Sounds influenced gem “It’s My Feeling.”  Del only penned 3 of the LP’s tracks but he and Oldham did a good job choosing fine material from outside writers – the 3 Billy Nichols selections are pop gems.

Home & Away is just a shade or two less important than The Further Adventures of Charles Westover. It’s proof that this type of early rocker could forge on into the late 60s and make great, experimental music without losing their identity.  Del Shannon is one of those hard luck artists who made excellent music all throughout the decade but never received his due.(therisingstorm.net)

Enjoy
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Debut by Marshall Crenshaw - Marshall Crenshaw 1982 (2009 Warner Rec. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab SACD) Flac & mp3@320

In retrospect, 1982 was a brief, exhilarating moment in between the fall of disco and the rise of MTV, when the eternal verities of real rock & roll broke through once again. The punk and new wave music of the late '70s had given way to power-pop, a return to catchy, relatively unadorned guitar rock. In that context, it was easy to see Marshall Crenshaw and his self-titled debut album as the Next Big Thing. Hailing from music-rich Detroit but based in new wave mecca New York City, Crenshaw looked like Buddy Holly by way of Elvis Costello, and sounded like that combination too. His short, simple songs had an obvious lineage, but Crenshaw further updated the sound and added a lightly sardonic tone à la Costello, giving it a smart-alecky New York edge. Not only did critics love the result, but the immediate surface charms of the music seemed to bode for a quick trip to the top. But although "Someday, Someway" reached the Top 40 and the LP got halfway up the Top 100, that did not happen. Maybe because Crenshaw was perhaps a little too faithful to his old records. Any record collector had to love a guy who knew enough to cover Arthur Alexander's "Soldier of Love."

Yet Holly and Costello got away with their essentially nerdy appearance by working against it, always seeming about to break out of the image; Crenshaw, from the art deco cover of his album to his perfectly echoed vocals, seemed to fetishize the look and sound, more a formalist than a stylist. Or maybe it was just that by the end of 1982, Michael Jackson had released Thriller and Duran Duran was cavorting on MTV. In any case, Marshall Crenshaw remains a great album.(allmusic).

Top notch pop/power pop album by Crenshaw and in the times then it was for me a ray of hope in the music scene of the early eighties. Like some others of the great power pop bands/artists of the late seventies and early eighties. All this bands who took the rock'n'roll of the fifties, the mod sound of british sixties, byrdsian jangle guitars with seventies punk rock and beatles inspired harmonies.
Highly recommended!
Have fun
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Barnaby Bye - Touch 1974 (2010 Wounded Bird Records) Flac & mp3@320

This was the second album by Barnaby Bye. And it's perfect. It's different from the debut. Here the songs are more in a soul direction produced. Maybe the band tried this because the debut album was no success. The songwriting is first class and i think the band had tried to make an commercial album but it failed to reach the charts. I prefer the first album. Nevertheless this is a top notch album. What do you think?

Enjoy
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The Electric Prunes - Mass In F Minor 1968 (2013 Rhino Original Album Series ) Flac & mp3

For fans of the Electric Prunes, the 1968 Reprise album Mass in F Minor is a disaster, but for aficionados of failed and bizarre concept records of the late '60s, it's definitely worth investigating. The eight tracks on this religious-based rock opera (with lyrics sung in Latin!) were written, arranged, and conducted by classical composer David Axelrod and spurred on by then-Prunes manager Lenny Poncher and record producer Dave Hassinger. Evidently, all parties involved, including the band, agreed that this project would propel the Electric Prunes from minor-league garage rockers into a finely tuned psychedelic ensemble to be taken seriously as musicians and artists. Unfortunately, the Prunes were not prepared to tackle Axelrod's complex and involved arrangements without a major struggle. In order to keep the sessions from going into costly overtime, Hassinger brought in studio musicians to finish the project. The results were completely unlike the group's previous two releases, with the majority of the tracks being performed by ad hoc Prunes. Shortly after the album's release, the original lineup faded into obscurity, taking Mass in F Minor with them. However, an eerie version of "Kyrie Eleison" received fleeting attention when it was featured in the film Easy Rider.(allmusic)

Surely this album is different from other works by the Prunes but is it bad because of this ? No way.
It seems that the audience love this album more than some critics. By the way six tracks not eight! Anyway take it or leave it

Cheers
           Frank   Flac   &  mp3@320

The Penthouse 5 - The World Is Love! (1966-1967) (1997 Collectables) mp3@256

The Penthouse 5 were one of dozens of unsung bands floating around Texas in the mid-'60s. Based on the recorded evidence, however, they were also one of the great ones; lots of acts claim the Beatles as inspiration, but the Penthouse 5 translated the Beatles (and, to some extent, the Byrds) influence into garage rock terms about as well as any of them. The mix of Beatles-like harmonies, crunchy guitars, and pumping, grinding Farfisa organ is compelling and always surprising in its details and nuances. Justin Brown (lead guitar), Rob Graham (vocals), Mark Porter (drums), Steve Wood (guitar, vocals, keyboards), and Bill Looney (bass) came out of Oak Cliff, not far from where Stevie Ray Vaughan hailed. They were part of an orbit of Beatles- and folk-rock-influenced musicians in the area that included songwriter Ron Price, who wrote "Don't Mess Around with My Dream, " the B-side of the Penthouse 5's debut single, "Bad Girl," and Jon Williams, who had been with a band called the By Fives and then with the WordD. By 1967, internal conflicts had driven Brown, Graham, and Porter out of the Penthouse 5's lineup, and they were succeeded by Jon Williams (vocals, keyboards, harmonica), Richard "Lurch" Keathley (lead guitar, vocals) -- who had both come from the Dallas-based the WordD -- and Mike Echart (drums). The new band, renamed the Penthouse, made another half-dozen records with producer Edward Greines; the Beatles influence was still discernable on songs like "You're Gonna Make Me," but the reconstituted Penthouse was more self-consciously heavy and serious, and cut singles for the Solar and Hawk labels.
By the end of 1967, however, the band had split up as Steve Wood moved to California, where he led a band called the New Life (who turn up on the soundtrack of The Sidehackers, a Gus Trikonis film that subsequently provided Mystery Science Theater 3000 with perhaps its funniest non-sci-fi moments), and played with Kenny Loggins. The rest of the group left the music business.(allmusic.com)

I found this recently on the web unfortunately only in 256mp3 quality. This is a very fine collection by Collectables with 20 songs. And it's a lot of really good stuff here. Give it a try and enjoy.

Cheers Frank     mp3@256