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

 

John Stewart - California Bloodlines/Willard minus2 '69 & '70 (1989 Bear Family Records) Flac & mp3

Biography:
John Stewart first gained recognition as a songwriter when his songs were recorded by the Kingston Trio. In 1960, he formed the Cumberland Three, which recorded three albums for Roulette. The following year, he joined the Kingston Trio, replacing Dave Guard, and stayed with them until 1967. His song "Daydream Believer" was a number one hit for the Monkees at the end of that year. Stewart traveled with Senator Robert Kennedy on his 1968 presidential campaign, an experience that affected him deeply. In 1969, he released his classic album California Bloodlines, the first of seven solo albums to reach the charts through 1980.

Stewart found his biggest commercial success with the Top Ten album Bombs Away Dream Babies and its single "Gold" in 1979. He released several of his albums and albums by others on his own Homecoming label starting in the 1980s. Airdream Believer appeared on Shanachie in 1995, followed by The American Folk Song Anthology on Delta in 1996. Rough Sketches and the live Bandera were released in 1997 and 1998, respectively, by Folk Era. Stewart signed with Appleseed Recordings in 2000, and his next three albums, Wires from the Bunker (2000), Havana (2003), and The Day the River Sang (2006), all appeared on the Appleseed imprint. Following Stewart's death on January 19, 2008, in San Diego, CA, Folk Era released a previously unheard live set (recorded at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, AZ, on November 30, 1973) as Bite My Foot in 2009.(allmusic)

Some of you may wonder to see a country album here. Myself is surprised :-) and what i can't believe is how it happened that i never heard of this great guy.
Surely i am not really in country music but this sounds great to me. I can't believe this recordings are from the end of the sixties. A lot of the songs sound in my ears as recorded yesterday. My favourites here are the songs from California Bloodlines and some of the Willard works, too. Earth Rider is a killer song and maybe my favourite from Willard.

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

Australia '60s Pop: The Easybeats - The Shame Just Drained 1965-68 (1993 Rhino) Flac & mp@320

For a group that really only scored one major international hit, the Easybeats' songwriting team -- Harry Vanda and George Young -- were very busy bees indeed in the studio in the late '60s. All but one of the songs on this 15-track compilation are taken from sessions between late 1966 and late 1968 that were unreleased at the time; five come from an album that was canned at the last minute. Apparently there were about 20 more outtakes where that came from.

Don't pay any mind to the ridiculous claim in the sleeve note that "had all the material been released in the sequence (and quantity) it was created, then the Easybeats' impact might have been far more notable and we might today be comparing their albums alongside Rubber Soul, Aftermath, and other rock milestones." This is cheery late-'60s pop with mild psychedelic influences, echoing the Small Faces, the Turtles, and especially the Kinks. The cheeriness, in fact, verges on childish and sickly sweet in places. It's not bad.

In fact, it's occasionally pretty good; it's just not incredibly significant. By far the best track is "Mr. Riley of Higginbottom & Clive," a bit of dry class satire that compares well with Ray Davies' vignettes from the same era.(Richie Unterberger, allmusic)

I am a big Easybeats addict and whatever whoever wherever say is to me as interesting as a bag of rice falls down in china :-).

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

Sixties Garage: The Bachs - Out Of The Bachs 1968 (2004 Gear Fab Records) Flac

Hello Folks, yesterday i saw on the fine ''Cun Cun Revival/Surfing The Odyssey'' blog this album by The Bachs and you can take it there in mp3 format. What i really liked in that post was the words of Zen Archer about his history with the album. I post it here just in Flac because you can jump over to ''Surfing The Odyssey'' if you like it in mp3.

Only 150 copies of Out of the Bachs -- dig the nifty pun -- were released back in 1968. Rarity alone, tends to send aficionados of garage rock one-offs into paroxysms of aggrandizement, and, indeed, that has been the case with Bachs. The band's sole record, cut in a single day as its swan song and farewell, has been classed by some genre fans as one of the greatest garage platters of the '60s, a veritable lost classic. Collectors consequently have doled out as many as thousands of dollars for a mint copy of the LP. So credit where due to reissue label Gear Fab for making this fabled artifact available and accessible to those of us with, shall we say, shallower pockets.

But its status as a Holy Grail of garage, alas, also begs the question: Does the music itself merit the hype? In a word, occasionally. Out of the Bachs is certainly not in the first tier of '60s rock obscurities, and probably not in the second. It is too crudely recorded, and ultimately too artistically inconsistent. There are too many dreary, lovey-dovey moments, too many songs that never rise above the unexceptional. But when the combo was on -- and Bachs hit on all cylinders for nearly half the album -- the music was explosive. There is only one song here that truly exists outside the box: the extraordinary "Tables of Grass Fields." A cosmic ballad, beautiful even as filtered through the muddy atmospherics, and punctuated by an acid-drenched exclamation point in the form of the song's haunting, out-of-nowhere coda, it is a fantastically disjointed collision of the inspiring and the unorthodox, and belongs alongside the very finest psychedelic nuggets of the era.

And there are enough other strong performances (generally the more "far out" ones, as the kids used to say), all of them penned in-house by vocalist-bassist Blake "Black" Allison and guitarist John Peterman, on the rest of the album -- try "Free Fall," the rave-up "Minister to a Mind Diseased," "Show Me That You Want to Go Home," or "I'm a Little Boy" -- to confirm that Out of the Bachs, if not a masterpiece, definitely has the goods.(allmusic.com)

Enjoy it
             Frank            Flac part 1   &   Flac part 2

Power Pop - The Rembrandts - Greatest Hits (2006 Rhino Records) Flac & mp3@320

The Rembrandts' Danny Wilde and Phil Solem may have provided the world with one of the most excruciatingly catchy theme songs in the history of television ("I'll Be There for You"), but the Los Angeles-based duo were capable of writing some top-notch adult alternative/jangle pop as well. This excellent overview from Rhino features 20 original cuts -- do not confuse this Greatest Hits collection with 2005's re-recorded Choice Picks anthology -- including two culled from their original incarnation as Great Buildings. While the group did actually exist before Friends -- their 1990 debut boasted the Top 20 smash "Just the Way It Is, Baby" -- it took a sitcom about a bunch of New York City twentysomethings to give the band a place in popular culture. "I'll Be There for You" was originally a 45-second soundbite attributed to five co-writers, and it wasn't until a Nashville DJ looped the cut into a three-minute song -- prompting a flurry of requests -- that the studio asked the duo to record an extended version. What followed was both an albatross and a blessing, providing the group with a sizable income but hindering their attempts at getting anything else across to the public(allmusic.com)

In my mind Danny Wilde is one of the most gifted pop songwriters. This guy was in the Quick, Great Buildings, Rembrandts and was involved in so much great pop projects. A really great musician. And by the way, he is also a very fine guitarist.
 About the album there is nothing to say it speaks for itself.

Have fun
                 Frank   Flac part 1  &  Flac part 2  &  Flac part 3         mp3@320

Pop, Pop Rock, Power Pop: Gin Blossoms - No Chocolate Cake (2010 429 Records) Flac & mp3@320

Perhaps it’s the curse of Doug Hopkins, but the Gin Blossoms have rarely been able to strike gold on their own, with most of their biggest hits being written by someone outside of the band. First, there was co-founder Hopkins himself, who wrote “Hey Jealousy” and “Found Out About You” before his alcoholism resulting in his dismissal from the group before either song was released. Then there was Marshall Crenshaw, who co-wrote the band’s first Top 10 hit, “Til I Heart It From You,” in 1995. When the Gin Blossoms returned in 2006 with Major Lodge Victory, they partnered up with the Rembrandts’ Danny Wilde, who wrote several of the album’s tracks. Wilde is back on board for No Chocolate Cake, this time in a more active role that finds him producing, co-writing, and playing on most of the album. That’s not meant to diminish the group’s own contributions, which retain much of the spunk from the Gin Blossoms’ mid-‘90s heyday. Robin Wilson’s voice is strong, if a bit nasal at points, and the songs have a familiar heartland hum to them, with Jessie Valenzuela and Scott Johnson filling each one with jangled guitar arpeggios and tasteful solos. None of these tunes can compete with the band’s singles, of course, but that’s not the point, since No Chocolate Cake sets its sights on maintaining the band’s audience rather than reclaiming a spot in the mainstream.(allmusic.com)

A lot pop songs full of ear candy. Surely mainstream pop but who cares. If i like a song, i like the song right?

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

British psychedelic Folk-Rock: Circulus - Clocks Are Like People (2006 Rise Above Records) Flac & mp3

A fanciful blend of traditional British folk, prog rock, psychedelia, and folk-rock, with a cultural mindset that is rarely seen outside of a revival screening of The Wicker Man, Circulus is the brainchild of Michael Tyack, a songwriter and musician who has set out to create music that exists in the 20th and 16th centuries at once. Based in South London, with Tyack the only constant member after dozens of personnel shifts, Circulus incorporate the drums, guitars, and Moog synthesizers you'd expect from a rock band with a retro early-'70s approach, but also features a variety of medieval instruments, including crumhorns, recorders, and a reed instrument called the rauch pfeifer, whose intense volume Tyack declares "isn't really acceptable to modern ears." Circulus are nearly as well-known for their collective fashion sense as for their music, with Tyack costuming himself and his accompanists in thrift-shop capes, caftans, hats, and masks that are equally influenced by the British hippie scene and Tyack's self-proclaimed model in style, Philip the Good, who was the Duke of Burgundy in the 13th century. Add to this the stated belief of Tyack and his bandmates in pixies, fairies, and "old gods" and you get a group whose reputation for eccentricity precedes it, but Circulus have also won a loyal audience for the strength of their music, with fans ranging from traditional music enthusiasts to death metal addicts. Circulus made their recorded debut in 1999 with an EP entitled Giantism, but it wasn't until 2005 that the band found a sympathetic record label interesting in financing an album-length recording -- Rise Above Records, an extreme metal label that issued Circulus' full-length debut, The Lick on the Tip of an Envelope Yet to Be Sent. A second album, Clocks Are Like People, followed a year later.(allmusic.com)

  Circulus offers an intriguing, mystical, and very eccentric blend of British folk, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, and medieval music. One hears a lot of '60s and '70s influences, ranging from Jethro Tull to the Fairport Convention to Pink Floyd to the Moody Blues -- only Circulus is much more bizarre than any of those bands. This trippy effort doesn't run away from the stereotypes of either psychedelic music or medieval folk; instead, the London-based Circulus affectionately embraces those stereotypes, and the end result is a disc that is bound to be loved by some and mocked by others. But the band's odes to fairies, pixies, and scarecrows -- although highly self-indulgent at times -- still have a lot of meat on their bones and can be strangely charming and even ethereal. There is definitely a method to this madness, and the Londoners' ability to find some parallels between the '60s and '70s and the 13th and 14th centuries speaks well of them. Of course, that type of thing isn't unprecedented; Ian Anderson brought a strong medieval influence to Jethro Tull's psychedelic explorations long before Circulus existed. But again, Circulus is much stranger and offers considerable rewards to those who are broad-minded and patient enough to go along for the ride.(excerpts from allmusic.com)


Enjoy
         Frank

                            Flac part 1  &   Flac part 2            - mp3@320

Psychedelic Pop: Ultimate Painting - Dusk (2016 Trouble In Mind) Flac & mp3

After releasing two very fine albums of relaxed guitar pop in a two-year span and touring incessantly, one might expect the duo of James Hoare and Jack Cooper to kick back and take a break. It appears they don't operate that way, and Dusk, the third Ultimate Painting album in as many years, hit the stores in late 2016. By this time, Hoare and Cooper had perfected their writing and recording techniques, melding their two styles into a blend that makes it hard to tell when one guy stops and the other starts. Their voices and guitars twine together in perfect harmony and the richness of this fusion helps make the sound they get on Dusk to be the warmest and most welcoming of their short, busy career. Adding new drummer Melissa Rigby to the mix means a few more cymbals here and there, maybe a couple more fills too, but she's a sympathetic collaborator and never overshadows the guitar jangle or the wispily quiet vocals. Unlike the group's other albums, there aren't any talking blues rambles or uptempo rockers; the mood is steady, melancholy, and quite autumnal in nature. Tracks like the slowly unwinding "Song for Brian Jones," the calmly rollicking "Who Is Your Next Target?," or the lush "Set Me Free" could be triggering for those who are brought to tears by the smell of burning leaves. The addition of the occasional acoustic guitar and electric piano only adds to the sepia-toned, lost-in-thought, wrapped-in-sweaters mood. With the Clientele mostly out of operation, Ultimate Painting are making a bid here to take over their place as "the band most likely to drink mulled cider and glumly kick leaves as they walk the chilly streets." Most bands with such a brisk work rate run the risk of burning themselves out too soon or simply repeating themselves until their record deals dry up. Unlike those sad souls, Hoare and Cooper just keep getting better while giving their proven formula a little tweak here and there, just enough to make it feel like a progression. Ultimate Painting have quickly proven themselves to be masters of understated emotion and restrained production, and Dusk is another tiny work of quiet brilliance.(allmusic.com)

Very relaxed work with their third album. Just great!

Enjoy
         Frank                                                  Flac   &  mp3@320

Psychedelic Pop? : The Tingling Mother’s Circus - A Circus Of The Mind 1968 Vinyl (Musicor Records) Flac & mp3@320

Signed by Roulette, the band debuted with the 1967 single "Face In My MInd" b/w "Isn't It Strange (Roulette catalog number 4758). While the single vanished without a trace, it attracted the attention of Musicor Records, which promptly signed them to a contract. Produced by Bob Schwartz, 1968's 'A Circus Of The Mind' is best described as an interesting mess. Musically the quintet was clearly trying to find a path between being cool and happenin' and top-40 commerciality. Interestingly, while they seldom managed to find that happy median (recalling The Mamas and the Papas with a fuzz guitar up there rectum, 'Sunday Kind Of Feelin'' was one of the few exceptions), the set has a goofy quality that makes it kind of engaging and worth a couple of spins. Randall had a decent voice and kicked in snippets of tasty fuzz guitar ('New York Mining Disaster 1941'). In contrast, given vocalist Andrea sounded like Minnie Mouse (check out her performance on the helium propelled "Sky Diver" and 'Positively Negative'), one had to assume her inclusion had something to do with physical attributes rather than musical talents.(clear spot-nl)

This is the kind of record where it seems that everything goes...or even not? I can't imagine what kind of concept was behind this. However

take it or leave it
                           Frank    Flac  &  mp3@320