MOODSWINGS NEWS

GOODBYE

Hello everybody,

You might have noticed that, lately, my links get deleted or reported to rapidshare. I have tried re-uploading some of them but they got reported again.
I have no choice but to stop posting for an undetermined amount of time. It may be a week, it may be a month, I might as well stop posting altogether.
My goal was to share music so that people can try it before they decide if they want to buy the real thing or not. I know many people just download music and never buy it even if they really enjoyed it, that's a shame and a poor way to prove your love to artists and certainly not a behaviour I can support.
Anyway, since I don't have enough time to fight whoever's reporting the content of the MOODSWINGS blog, I see no other choice than to call it quits.
Bravo, Mr. Deleter, you won this battle.

[RE-UP] WATTSTAX

MUSIC FROM THE
WATTSTAX
FESTIVAL AND FILM (1973)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

Calling this August 1972 concert comprised exclusively of Stax artists "Wattstock" or even the "black Woodstock" pushes the boundaries of the day-long event past its breaking point. But there is no doubt that Wattstax, held in a jittery post-riot Watts atmosphere, was an iconic cultural milestone deserving of a better recorded legacy than the two double albums that initially emerged from it, both of which were surreptitiously padded with studio tracks to enhance the roster. This three-disc, nearly four-hour-long deluxe 35th anniversary edition gets it right--or more right--by excluding the bogus material, adding a over an hour of previously unreleased music, and presenting it in an expanded package that includes a detailed essay by Stax historian Rob Bowman. The show's gospel aspect is further highlighted with plenty of Staple Singers, the amazing Rance Allen Group, and obscure blues harp player Little Sonny ripping into an instrumental version of "Wade in the Water." Comedy snippets from a young Richard Pryor and Jesse Jackson's opening speech, which appeared in the associated film, could have been excised, but nearly entire sets from Carla and Rufus Thomas, the Bar-Kays, and David Porter are worthy additions. Only the ubiquitous "Theme from Shaft" remains from Isaac Hayes's hour-long closing, but his full performance is available separately. The Emotions, Johnny Taylor, Little Milton, and a few others who didn't play the actual festival were recorded at other L.A. venues in the days around the concert, bringing a bit of a spurious element to this otherwise classy souvenir from a historically important and vibrant occasion.

CD1
01. Dale Warren & The Wattstax' 72 Orchestra - Salvation Symphony (Previously Unreleased)
02. Rev. Jesse Jackson - Intoduction
03. Kim Weston - Lift Every Voice & Sing
04. The Staple Singers - Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na- Boom-Boom)(Previously Unreleased)
05. The Staple Singers - Are You Sure (Previously Unreleased)
06. The Staple Singers - I Like The Things About Me
07. The Staple Singers - Respect Yourself
08. The Staple Singers - I'll Take You There
09. Deborah Manning - Precious Lord, Take My Hand (Previously Unreleased)
10. Louise MCcord - Better Get A Move Onlouise MCcord
11. Lee Sain - Them Hot Pants (Previously Unreleased)
12. Little Sonny - Wade In The Water (Previously Unreleased)
13. William Bell - I Forgot To Be Your Lover (Previously Unreleased)
14. The Temprees - Explain It To Her Mamma (Previously Unreleased)
15. Frederick Knight - I've Been Loney (For So Long) (Previously Unreleased)
16. The Newcomers - Pin The Tail On The Donkey (Previously Unreleased)
17. Eddie Floyd - Knock On Wood

CD2
01. The Emotions - Peace Be Still
02. Golden - Old Time Religion
03. Rance Allen Group - Lying On The Truth
04. Rance Allen Group - Up Above My Head
05. The Bar-Kays - Son Of Shaftfeel It
06. The Bar-Kays - In The Hole
07. The Bar-Kays - I Can't Turn You Loose
08. The David Porter Show - Introduction
09. David Porter - Ain't That Loving You (For More Reasons Than One)
10. David Porter - Can't See You When I Want To
11. David Porter - Reach Out And Touch Somebody's Hand
12. Richard Pryor - Niggas
13. Richard Pryor - Arrestlineup
14. The Emotions - So I Can Love You
15. The Emotions - Group Introductionshow Me How

CD3
01. Little Milton - Open The Door To Your Heart
02. Mel & Tim - Backfield In Motion
03. Johnnie Taylor - Steal Away
04. Albert King - Killing Floor
05. Carla Thomas - Pick Up The Pieces
06. Carla Thomas - I Like What You're Doing To Me
07. Carla Thomas - B-A-B-Y
08. Carla Thomas - Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes)
09. Carla Thomas - I Have A God Who Loves
10. Rufus Thomas - The Breakdown
11. Rufus Thomas - Do The Funky Chicken
12. Rufus Thomas - Do The Funky Penguin
13. The Soul Children - I Don't Know What This World Is Coming To
14. The Soul Children - Hearsay
15. Isaac Hayes - Theme From shaft

THE MISFITS

THE MISFITS
BOX SET (1996)
256 KBPS

The Misfits' legend grew over the years following the original band's breakup to warrant an increasing number of compilations like Legacy of Brutality and the boldly titled Collection (followed some years later by, but of course, Collection II). Sometimes worthwhile, sometimes incredibly slapdash, they fueled the fire but still did the fans a major disservice, especially given the repetition and overlap on many releases. Though it has its flaws, the coffin-shaped Box Set finally put things as right as seems possible with the Misfits, exhaustively covering all the releases the late-'70s/early-'80s version of the group put out (the exception being Walk Among Us due to a label-rights situation). The first two discs feature, respectively, the material on the two Collection releases and Legacy of Brutality, Evilive, and Earth A.D.. The third compiles a slew of different demo and recording sessions, including the original trio lineup (with Danzig on electric piano) on the "Cough/Cool"/"She" single takes, while the fourth presents the planned-but-never-released-as-such Static Age for the first time. Though recording quality itself varies widely over the discs and arguably some of the mastering could have been sharper (Danzig's own occasional remastering jobs in previous years weren't used here), it's still an explosive and exhaustive effort that any fan needs. The biggest downside: While the sessions on the third disc are thoroughly detailed, the studio cuts on the first two discs are placed without comment as to which sessions produced them, while aside from Evilive and Earth A.D. most of the time it's not clear in the slightest which takes were the ones actually released at the time by the band. The accompanying booklet does a good job in making up for this, though; besides a great band history from then-roadie/photographer and future Danzig bassist Eerie Von, there are complete lyrics for every song, a slew of amazing photographs from concerts and other shoots, and an exhaustive discography.

Disc 1
Collection 1
1. She
2. Hollywood Babylon
3. Horror Business
4. Teenagers From Mars
5. Night of the Living Dead
6. Where Eagles Dare
7. Vampira
8. I Turned Into a Martian
9. Skulls
10. London Dungeon
11. Ghouls Night Out
12. Astro Zombies
13. Mommy, Can I Go Out & Kill Tonight?
14. Die, Die My Darling
Collection 2
15. Cough/Cool
16. Children in Heat
17. Horror Hotel
18. Halloween
19. Halloween II
20. Hate Breeders
21. Braineaters
22. Nike-A-Go-Go
23. Devil's Whorehouse
24. Mephisto Waltz
25. Rat Fink
26. We Bite

Disc 2
Legacy of Brutality
1. Static Age
2. T.V. Casualty
3. Hybrid Moments
4. Spinal Remains
5. Come Back
6. Some Kinda Hate
7. Theme for a Jackal
8. Angelfuck
9. Who Killed Marilyn?
10. Where Eagles Dare
11. She
12. Halloween
13. American Nightmare
Evilive
14. 20 Eyes
15. Night of the Living Dead
16. Astro Zombies
17. Horror Business
18. London Dungeon
19. Nike-A-Go-Go
20. Hate Breeders
21. Devil's Whorehouse
22. All Hell Breaks Loose
23. Horror Hotel
24. Ghouls Night Out
25. We Are 138
Earth A.D.
26. Earth A.D.
27. Queen Wasp
28. Devilock
29. Death Comes Ripping
30. Green Hell
31. Wolfsblood
32. Demonomania
33. Bloodfeast
34. Hellhound
.

Disc 3
Sessions 1977
1. Cough/Cool
2. She
Date unknow, no studio
3. Who Killed Marilyn?
4. Where Eagles Dare
5. Horror Business
6. Teenagers From Mars
7. Children in Heat
Date unknow, songshop
8. Night of the Living Dead
9. Where Eagles Dare
10. Vampira
11. Violent World
12. Who Killed Marilyn?
13. Spook City USA
14. Horror Business
9/5/80
Master Sound Production
15. I Turned Into a Martian
16. Skulls
17. Night of the Living Dead
18. Astro Zombies
19. Where Eagles Dare
20. Violent World
21. Halloween II
8/81
Reel Platinium
22. 20 Eyes
23. I Turned Into a Martian
24. Astro Zombies
25. Vampira
26. Devil's Whorehouse
Date unknow,
Mix-O-Lydian or Newsoundland
27. Nike-A-Go-Go
Date unknow, studio unknown
28. Hate Breeders
29. 20 Eyes
30. Violent World
.

Disc 4
Static Age
1. Static Intro
2. Static Age
3. T.V. Casualty
4. Some Kinda Hate
5. Last Caress
6. Return of the Fly
7. Hybrid Moments
8. We Are 138
9. Teenagers From Mars
10. Come Back
11. Angelfuck
12. Hollywood Babylon
13. Attitude
14. Bullet
15. Theme for a Jackal
16. Static Outro

SPIRITUALIZED

SPIRITUALIZED
SONGS IN A & E (2008)
320 KBPS

Who would have thought that Jason Pierce's Spiritualized would have had any life in them after the rather uninspiring Amazing Grace in 2003? In the intervening five years, Pierce nearly died from double pneumonia. Near death experiences by their very nature are life-changing events. The music on Songs in A&E were recorded in that aftermath, but most of the album was written two years before he got sick; with so much of it about near death and survival, it feels like life imitating art. From the first notes of "Sweet Talk," it's obvious that a very different Spiritualized is up and about; an acoustic guitar, a sparse drum kit, the voice quartet, a few horns, and a minimal bassline fuel it. Pierce sweetly croons to a loved one in waltz time; his words are simultaneously appeasing and accusatory. The gospel chorus isn't as overblown as it was on Amazing Grace or Let It Come Down. They are in a support role, offering Pierce's reedy voice a fullness and authority it wouldn't have otherwise. The arrangement is lilting but powerful. How strange, then, the sounds of a ventilator that usher in the next track "Death Take Your Fiddle": "I think I'll drink myself into a coma/And I'll take every way out I can find/But morphine, codeine, Whisky, they won't alter/The way I feel/Now death is not around..."Death take your fiddle"/And play a song for me." Minor-key acoustic guitar and ghostly bass frame Pierce singing a mutant folk-blues that evokes Gary Davis' "Death Don't Have No Mercy." The backing vocals float wordlessly like death angels, hovering around the vocalist and giving the tune an otherworldly quality. But this isn't a song about dying; it's a song about coming close and cheating it; it's eerie. The proof? The next two tracks: "I Gotta Fire," and "Soul on Fire." The former is a taut, "Gimme Shelter"-esque rocker, the latter, a lush, uptempo love song. "Sitting on Fire" is a beautifully orchestrated love song: it's an admission of weakness and codependency but celebrates both of them at the same time: "Baby, I'm sitting on fire/but the flames put a hole in my heart/when we're together we stand so tall/But a part of me falls to the floor/Sets me free /I do believe it'll burn up in me for the rest of my life." Strings, vibes, marimbas, and drums crash in to the center of the mix carrying the protagonist into oblivion. "Yeah, Yeah" is a scorching rocker that feels like the Bad Seeds meeting the old Spacemen 3. "You Lie You Cheat," crashes in Velvets style with acoustic guitar and screeching feedback. The chorus sings atop a flailing drum kit, distorted strings, and wailing electric guitar. The marimbas and strings that power "Baby, I'm Just a Fool," sweetly underscore a very dark pop song, complete with "da-do-da-do-dat det-det-do's". It descends into beautifully textured chaos led by a loopy violin solo over seven minutes. Songs in A&E is the most consistent recording Spiritualized has issued since 1997's Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space. It contains the best elements of the band's signature sound, and paradoxically hedonistic yet utterly spiritual lyric themes. That said, newly focused energy, willfully restrained arrangements, and taut compositions give the set a sheer emotional power that no Spiritualized recording has ever displayed before, making it, quite possibly, their finest outing yet.

1. Harmony 1 (Mellotron)
2. Sweet Talk
3. Death Take Your Fiddle
4. I Got a Fire
5. Soul on Fire
6.. Harmony 2 (Piano)
7. Sitting on Fire
8. Yeah Yeah
9. You Lie You Cheat
10. Harmony 3 (Voice)
11. Baby I'm Just a Fool
12. Don't Hold Me Close
13. Harmony 4 (The Old Man...)
14. The Waves Crash In
15. Harmony 5 (Accordion)
16. Borrowed Your Gun
17. Harmony 6 (Glockenspiel)
18. Goodnight Goodnight

GOMEZ

GOMEZ
FIVE MEN IN A HUT
(A'S, B'S & RARITIES 1998-2004) (2006)
320 KBPS

Five Men in a Hut is basically the final roundup for Gomez's Hut/Virgin years, but it's a positive boon for fans, especially in the U.S. In the U.K., each Gomez album had at least a few associated singles, but they never got the same treatment stateside. Since each album had a certain specific "sound" to it, one can see how some of these songs wouldn't have fit with the album they were recorded with, but the B-sides were hardly throwaways. In fact, the B-sides were often excellent and allowed the band to try different things and stretch out a bit. Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline gathered a few of these tracks, but more than half of Five Men in a Hut is comprised of B-sides (and two previously unreleased tunes) so ultimately all the A's and B's of many of these singles are now readily available. Each disc of this set is packed with music; it would have been difficult to include much more. Highlights include the country-ish "Tanglin'," "Best in Town," and the hilarious "Dire Tribe." There's a wonderful cover of Charley Patton's "Mississippi Boll Weevil Blues" and they put a horn section to good use on "Chicken Bones." "Air Hostess Song" borders on electronica, as does the vocodered "ZYX." Since each album was different from the others, it's really interesting to hear all the different Gomez sounds together on the same album. This would make an excellent introduction to the band, but it's at least as exciting for the longtime fan (if not more so) since more than half of this material has been difficult if not impossible to track down. Ultimately, excluding the alternate mixes of album tracks and live cuts that weren't included here, there are only seven remaining songs that exist only on singles. Songs like "Who's Gonna Go to the Bar," the epic, sprawling "Gomez in a Bucket," and the vinyl-only "Wham Bam" will apparently remain unavailable, but Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline and Five Men in a Hut together will satisfy all but the most rabid Gomez collector. Five Men in a Hut is a great summation of this fantastic band's early years.

Disc 1
1. Whippin' Piccadilly (Turbo Version)
2. Best In The Town
3. Catch Me Up (Edit)
4. Ping One Down
5. Tanglin'
6. Bring It On (Radio Edit)
7. Champagne For Monkeys
8. ZYX
9. Step Inside
10. Blind
11. Pop Juice
12. 78 Stone Wobble
13. Royalty
14. Old School Shirt
15. Air-hostess Song
16. Sweet Virginia
17. Mississippi Boweevil Blues
18. Old China

Disc 2
1. Rhythm And Blues Alibi (Pre-Mellotron Version)
2. Silhouettes
3. Silence
4. Butterfly
5. Get Myself Arrested
6. Dire Tribe
7. We Haven't Turned Around
8. So
9. Shot Shot
10. Chicken Bones
11. Flight
12. Pick Up The Pieces
13. Big Man
14. Sound Of Sounds (Single Version)
15. Pussyfootin'
16. Coltrane
17. M57
18. Diskoloadout

SONNY ROLLINS

SONNY ROLLINS
WHAT'S NEW (1962)
320 KBPS

Sonny Rollins' mid-sixties experiment with bossa nova was completely different than was Stan Getz''Jazz Samba.'Getz was going for a mass audience, and he got it with his mellow album, the first real 'smooth jazz' hit. Instead, Rollins stayed true to his bop and avant garde roots, using bossa nova as a surgeon uses a scalpel, to dissect and deconstruct familiar melodies and turn them into something new. This hip reinterpretation of standards is Sonny's trademark, and in this album it's uncompromising. The whole album is interesting and highly original, but I will only comment on one cut, Rollin's deconstruction of a sentimental broadway ballad from 'Camelot.' He takes the kitch out of this tune and turns it into a fierce meditation on the origins of jazz, the mystery of rhythm, and the fundamental particles of melody. Rollin's version of 'If Ever I Would Leave You' is nothing less than this: one of the greatest tenor solos in the history of jazz.

1. If Ever I Would Leave You
2. Don't Stop the Carnival
3. Jungoso
4. Bluesong
5. The Night Has a Thousand Eyes
6. Brownskin Girl

AEROSMITH

AEROSMITH
PUMP (1989)
320 KBPS

Where Permanent Vacation seemed a little overwhelmed by its pop concessions, Pump revels in them without ever losing sight of Aerosmith's dirty hard rock core. Which doesn't mean the record is a sellout — "What It Takes" has more emotion and grit than any of their other power ballads; "Janie's Got a Gun" tackles more complex territory than most previous songs; and "The Other Side" and "Love in an Elevator" rock relentlessly, no matter how many horns and synths fight with the guitars. Such ambition and successful musical eclecticism make Pump rank with Rocks and Toys in the Attic.

1. Young Lust
2. F.I.N.E.
3. Love in an Elevator
4. Monkey on My Back
5. Janie's Got a Gun
6. The Other Side
7. My Girl
8. Don't Get Mad, Get Even
9. Hoodoo/Voodoo Medicine Man
10. What It Takes

[RE-UP] NINO FERRER

NINO FERRER
METRONOMIE (1971) / VERITABLES VARIETES VERDATRES (1977)
320 KBPS

In 1970 Ferrer returned to France, where he started working on what he perceived as his first "real" album. Serving brooding prog rock accompanied by more personal lyrics, Métronomie was co-created with long time friend Bernard Estardy.
Though the album went nowhere commercially, its not-so-representative leadoff track, "La Maison Près de la Fontaine," proved a huge mainstream success in France. This apparently irritated Ferrer, whose growing contempt for show business led him to view it as the umpteenth misconception of his artistic vision.
With time, Métronomie became a cult album whose progressive/psychedelic sweetness is still as fresh as it was when it was first released.
Véritable Variétés Verdâtres is not of the same caliber. Though it's not a bad album it certainly isn't as ambitious as Métronomie. Still, Nino's worst is better than what most other 70s mainstream French artists could produce and since VVV is not Nino's worst it has enough good moments to content the music lover.
May this double set serve as an intriduction to an artist too often seen as "the funny guy" because of his 60s hits "Mirza" and "Le Téléfon". A dire misconception of Nino Ferrer's work.

Métronomie
1. Métronomie
2. Les Enfants De La Patrie
3. Métronomie 2
4. Cannabis
5. La Maison Près De La Fontaine
6. Isabelle
7. Freak
8. Pour Oublier Qu'On S'Est Aimé

Véritables Variétés Verdâtres
1. Ouessant
2. Il Pleut Bergère
3. Joseph Joseph
4. Ah Les Americains
5. On Passe Trop De Temps
6. Mashed Potatoes
7. L'Inexpressible
8. Sud Express
9. Valentin

GHINZU

GHINZU
MIRROR MIRROR (2009)
320 KBPS

A Belgian rock band, Ghinzu (if it sounds a bit familiar, it's because they were named from a popular brand of TV infomercial knives that could cut through cans) formed in 1999. Sticking with their own label (Dragoon), Ghinzu avoided signing issues when the need came to release their debut, Electronic Jacuzzi, in 2000. (The album would get a reissue with an altered track listing in 2004.) After a pair of highly successful live shows, and a new album out (2004's Blow) in countries outside of La Belgique, Ghinzu began making waves in the central European pop world, eventually landing a gig opening for the reunited Stooges in 2005. In 2008, Ghinzu was to be found in the studio, working on full-length number three, and plotting further domination of Belgian rock.
It was a big challenge for Ghinzu to make this 3rd album; first because it took them 4-5 years to make it...and second, 'Blow' is an instant classic - how can you do something better?
But we're talking about gifted musicians who know where they want to go and what they want to do, they were audacious enough to look at themselves in a MIRROR and to produce an album that sums up everything Ghinzu are: powerful, magic, talented and funny.

1. Cold Love
2. Take It Easy
3. Mother Allegra
4. Mirror Mirror
5. The Dream Maker
6. The End of the World
7. This Light
8. This War Is Silent
9. Je T'Attendrai
10. Birds in My Head
11. Kill the Surfer
12. Interstellar Orgy

LORDS OF ACID

LORDS OF ACID
OUR LITTLE SECRET (1997)
320 KBPS

Lords of Acid's 1997 release, Our Little Secret is an open book. Never daring to depart from lyrics that read like the stage directions of a porno flick, fans need only focus their attention on Lords of Acid's musical agenda. The songs still maintain the basic acid house recipe of fat, buzzy bass lines and disorienting rhythms. This album adds a little of all current dance music trends, from trip hop to drum & bass to keep the formula current. "LSD=Truth" rattles with amped organic drum sounds reminiscent of Meat Beat Manifesto. The first couple of tracks are drilled with speed metal guitars. Stylistically, this album is merely a tangent to Lords of Acid's debut album Lust. If this is your first Lords of Acid purchase, go with Lust--it's a better album. If you are collecting, the lyrical shock value will have worn thin on you by now, but the music is twisted enough to keep you engaged.

1. Rubber Doll (Opus)
2. Lover (Cantata)
3. Fingerlickin' Good
4. LSD = Truth (Solo)
5. Man's Best Friend
6. Cybersex (Sherzo)
7. Pussy (Round)
8. Deep Sexy Space (Chorale)
9. Doggie Tom (Overture)
10. (Concerto For) Me and Myself
11. Spank My Booty (Reprise)
12. Power Is Mine (Coda)
13. You Belong to Me (Theme)

[RE-UP] PEARL JAM

PEARL JAM
LIVE ON TWO LEGS (1998)
320 KBPS

Not long after Ten unexpectedly topped the charts, Pearl Jam became notorious for their intense live performances. Even more notable than the group's unbridled energy was their willingness to stretch out their songs or throw in covers, reminding jaded audiences that rock concerts could be electric and energetic. Their Seattle peers were equally (sometimes more) compelling, but Pearl Jam skillfully made arena rock feel as intimate as a punk club show — something that no other band of their time could do. Instead of building this reputation throughout the course of the '90s, the quintet let it fade away as they became embroiled in a vicious battle with Ticketmaster that ultimately proved unfruitful. Not only did the court cases tie up several years of touring, they also refused to play any venue with contracts with Ticketmaster once it was finished — which meant they played off-market venues that were difficult to reach, thereby decreasing their potential audience substantially. Once 1998's Yield didn't move as much as anyone expected, the band released Live on Two Legs a few short months later. It was culled from Yield's supporting tour, and the difference is substantial — Pearl Jam still sounds good, but they lack the wild energy that distinguished their early years. Professionalism has its good points, however, and it's true that Live on Two Legs is eminently listenable, thanks in no small part to a fine track selection illustrating that the best moments of No Code and Yield rank with Ten, Vs., and Vitalogy. For all the good points — the tight interaction, the occasional nifty solo, Eddie Vedder's powerful performance — the album never quite catches fire. Instead, Live on Two Legs is a souvenir, a thank you to fans who have stood by throughout the years, and on those terms, it's successful.

1. Corduroy
2. Given to Fly
3. Hail Hail
4. Daughter
5. Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town
6. Untitled
7. MFC
8. Go
9. Red Mosquito
10. Even Flow
11. Off He Goes
12. Nothingman
13. Do the Evolution
14. Betterman
15. Black
16. Fuckin' Up

JIMMY BARNES

JIMMY BARNES
FLESH AND WOOD/HEAT (1993)
320 KBPS

Disc 1:
HEAT

Heat is the sixth album by Australian rock singer Jimmy Barnes. It reached number 2 on the ARIA album charts in 1993, and features the singles Sweat It Out, Stand Up, Stone Cold and Right By Your Side. Those who love classic rock will appreciate this album and Jimmy's raspy, rocky voice.

1. Sweat it Out
2. Wheels in Motion
3. Stand Up
4. Burn Baby Burn
5. Something's Got a Hold
6. Love Thing
7. Talking to You
8. Stone Cold
9. Wait for Me
10. Tears We Cry
11. Right by Your Side
12. A Little Bit of Love
13. I'd Rather be Blind
14. Not the Loving Kind
15. Knock Me Down
16. Catch Your Shadow

Disc Two:
FLESH AND WOOD

Legendary Australian singer/rocker Jimmy Barnes, formerly the lead singer of Cold Chisel, asked the band Badloves to collaberate with him on his Australian top 5 double platinum album Flesh and Wood. In partnership they recorded a cover version of The Band's classic "The Weight" at Barnes' home studio in Bowral, just south of Sydney. "The Weight" was the first single lifted from the album and became a top 5 single hit on the Australian charts in 1993.

1. It Will Be Alright
2. The Weight (with The Badloves)
3. Ride The Night Away
4. Guilty (with Joe Cocker)
5. You Cant Make Love Without A Soul
6. Hell Of A Time (with Ross Wilson)
7. Brother Of Mine (with Tommy Emmanuel)
8. Fade To Black
9. Flame Trees
10. Still Got A Long Way To Go (with Diesel)
11. Still On Your Side
12. Stone Cold (with Don Walker)
13. Let It Go (with Deborah Conway)
14. We Could Be Gone (with Archie Roach)
15. Love Me Tender

SHELTER

SHELTER
MANTRA (1995)
320 KBPS

Straight edge has been a popular philosophy within portions of the hardcore community almost from day one, but New Yorkers Shelter arguably took it to its ultimate extreme with their incrementally strict interpretation of the concept, motivated by their Hare Krishna faith. If only their stylistic choices had walked as straight a path or showed as much creative integrity, because Shelter seemed to have an uncontrollable habit of switching musical gears with almost every new release, and 1995's Mantra was certainly no exception. The band's first album for Roadrunner Records, it countered the surprisingly mellow direction pursued by 1993's Attaining the Supreme with a partial return to their pure hardcore roots via welcome energy blasts like "Appreciation" and "Chance," yet also made plenty of room for surprisingly "establishment-friendly" melodic hard rock in "Here We Go Again" and "Letter to a Friend," as well as pop-punk like "Empathy," "Surrender to Your T.V.," and the title cut (which may or may not have been inspired by the mid-'90s successes of Green Day and the Offspring). Surprisingly, additional hardcore hybrids such as "Message of the Bhagavat," "Civilized Man" and "Not the Flesh" also contain serious attempts at honest-to-goodness rapping (!), and an inspired but confusing amalgam of all of the above crowds inside tellingly named album closer "Metamorphosis." This last song wasn't quite capable of elucidating (or justifying) the whys behind Shelter's head-spinning eclecticism to most conservative hardcore fans, but at least the quality of the material at hand — like the band's Krishna-driven message — was comparatively consistent (if at times tiresomely preachy) enough to make Mantra one of the band's strongest, most popular efforts.

1. Message of the Bhagavat
2. Civilized Man
3. Here We Go
4. Appreciation
5. Empathy
6. Not the Flesh
7. Chance
8. Mantra
9. Surrender to Your T.V.
10. Letter to a Friend
11. Metamorphosis

KRAFTWERK

KRAFTWERK
THE MAN-MACHINE (1978)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

The Man-Machine is closer to the sound and style that would define early new wave electro-pop — less minimalistic in its arrangements and more complex and danceable in its underlying rhythms. Like its predecessor, Trans-Europe Express, there is the feel of a divided concept album, with some songs devoted to science fiction-esque links between humans and technology, often with electronically processed vocals ("The Robots," "Spacelab," and the title track); others take the glamour of urbanization as their subject ("Neon Lights" and "Metropolis"). Plus, there's "The Model," a character sketch that falls under the latter category but takes a more cynical view of the title character's glamorous lifestyle. More pop-oriented than any of their previous work, the sound of The Man-Machine — in particular among Kraftwerk's oeuvre — had a tremendous impact on the cold, robotic synth pop of artists like Gary Numan, as well as Britain's later new romantic movement.

1. The Robots
2. Spacelab
3. Metropolis
4. The Model
5. Neon Lights
6. The Man Machine

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK, N.J. (1973)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

Bruce Springsteen's debut album found him squarely in the tradition of Bob Dylan: folk-based tunes arranged for an electric band featuring piano and organ (plus, in Springsteen's case, 1950s-style rock & roll tenor saxophone breaks), topped by acoustic guitar and a husky voice singing lyrics full of elaborate, even exaggerated imagery. But where Dylan had taken a world-weary, cynical tone, Springsteen was exuberant. His street scenes could be haunted and tragic, as they were in "Lost in the Flood," but they were still imbued with romanticism and a youthful energy. Asbury Park painted a portrait of teenagers cocksure of themselves, yet bowled over by their discovery of the world. It was saved from pretentiousness (if not preciousness) by its sense of humor and by the careful eye for detail that kept even the most high-flown language rooted. Like the lyrics, the arrangements were busy, but the melodies were well developed and the rhythms, pushed by drummer Vincent Lopez, were breakneck.

1 Blinded By the Light
2 Growin' Up
3 Mary Queen of Arkansas
4 Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?
5 Lost in the Flood
6 The Angel
7 For You
8 Spirit in the Night
9 It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City

DAVILD SYLVIAN

DAVILD SYLVIAN
GONE TO EARTH (1986)
320 KBPS

Haunting, romantic, and ultimately self-indulgent, David Sylvian's Gone To Earth is two albums in one. The first is a collection of gossamer adult pop with jazz, world beat, and atonal influences. Sylvian's world-weary voice quavers with emotion, and the tone of the disc's first half suggests Bryan Ferry doing some serious dream-journaling. Standouts are the brief but lulling "Laughter and Forgetting," the ethereal "Before the Bullfight," and "Silver Moon."
After that, things get a bit murkier with a set of nondescript instrumentals that seem ill-placed after 25 minutes of Sylvian's urbane vocal mysticism. If you're a fan of Eno's "Music for Airports," this section should appeal to you greatly. Otherwise, it will put you to sleep. If ambience is your thing, however (and, really, why would you be considering buying a David Sylvian CD if it wasn't?), this is a true classic.

1. Taking The Veil
2. Laughter And Forgetting
3. Before The Bullfight
4. Gone To Earth
5. Wave
6. River Man
7. Silver Moon
8. The Healing Place
9. Answered Prayers
10. Where The Railroad Meets The Sea
11. The Wooden Cross
12. Home
13. Upon This Earth

STARLIGHT MINTS

STARLIGHT MINTS
THE DREAM THAT STUFF WAS MADE OF (2000)
320 KBPS

Even had they never set foot in the Sooner State, the Starlight Mints would still face an endless stream of comparisons to fellow Oklahoma freaks of nature the Flaming Lips; when it comes to hallucinatory pop complete with sweeping string arrangements, poignantly strangled vocals, and lyrical references to giant centipede attacks, the comparisons pretty much come with the territory. Much to the credit of The Dream That Stuff Was Made Of, however, it took the Lips three or four records to get this good; embracing everything from rapturously Bowie-esque melodrama to odd Middle Eastern textures to pure noise cacophony, the Starlight Mints' debut maintains the element of surprise from track to track, as each song's journey from point A to point B proves as interesting for its ultimate destination as for the sonic detours it takes along the way.

1. Submarine #3
2. The Bandit
3. Sir Prize
4. Blinded by You
5. Valerie Flames
6. Sugar Blaster
7. Cracker Jack
8. Matador
9. The Twilight Showdown
10. Margarita
11. Pulling Out My Hair

[RE-UP] MARTHA VELEZ

MARTHA VELEZ
FIENDS & ANGELS (1969)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

Martha Velez only issued five albums in her recording career of the 1960s & 1970s. But she has a cult fan following and her albums feature a host of guest musicians. Recorded in 1969, Fiends & Angels is making its worldwide CD debut & features Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Brian Auger, Christine McVie, Jim Capaldi, Mitch Mitchell and the list goes on.
the sound is straight out of the late sixties-a slight blending of instruments and voice that makes for a good,naturally warm sound. As expected,the quality of the backing band is great and helps place this album above the average run of the mill release. On various tracks its easy to hear which guitarist is playing,and while there are no long solos,the arrangements are just fine.
A lost gem you've got to listen to.

1. I'm Gonna Leave You
2. Swamp Man
3. Fool for You
4. In My Girlish Days
5. Very Good Fandango
6. Tell Mama
7. Feel So Bad
8. Drive Me Daddy
9. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
10. Come Here Sweet Man
11. Let the Good Times Roll

[RE-UP] DECONCTRUCTION

DECONSTRUCTION
DECONSTRUCTION (1994)
320 KBPS

Deconstruction was a one-off project of two former members of Jane's Addiction, bassist Eric Avery and guitarist Dave Navarro. The group was originally to have also included former Jane's drummer Stephen Perkins, but Perkins opted to join up with Perry Farrell in Porno for Pyros, as newcomer Michael Murphy took his spot in the trio. Deconstruction issued a lone, self-titled album in 1994 for Warner Bros., but failed to support the release with a tour — leading to the recording sinking from sight shortly after its release. Navarro would later go on to join the Red Hot Chili Peppers, record a solo album, and participate in several Jane's Addiction reunion tours, while Avery declined to take part in the Jane's reunions, opting to concentrate a new band, Polar Bear.

1. L.A. Song
2. Single
3. Get at 'Em
4. Iris
5. Dirge
6. Fire in the Hole
7. Son
8. Big Sur
9. Hope
10. One
11. America
12. Sleepyhead
13. Wait for History
14. That Is All
15. Kilo