Regal Zonophone 2
MODEST MIDGET - GREAT PROPHECY OF A SMALL MAN
Highly recommend this to those just putting pinkies into prog waters, for it is a gentle crossover from pop to prog.
Wonderous melodies and guitar-playing.
Light, bubbly, humorous prog.
Band name is play on Gentle Giant and there certainly are Giant moves here. Also Zappa, Focus.
Speaking of Focus, leader of band is Argentinian based in Netherlands.
...and speaking of Gentle Giant, I've just finished listening to Simon Dupree and The Big Sound 'Part Of My Past'. I find this an almost perfect compilation of all the EMI recordings, except for the inclusion of the mono Without Reservations LP. For me, it's just a bit of overkill... but then again, I'm not a big fan of the mono.
Earlier today I had Rainbow Press: There's a War On / Sunday Funnies. Good Pop Psych for a Sunday afternoon. From there it's onto some Neo-Sunshine Pop Psych with The Beginning: in everything. Damn, I love this album! It's been two years since it was released... I wonder if we'll see something else from Anders Ljunggren someday?
I've also been spinning Jacco Gardner's latest single, 'Where Will You Go' b/w 'Summers Game' (released earlier this month as a download and a 7" vinyl. €2 for the download and $5.00 for the 45 (from Trouble In Mind Records). Even better then this past Februarys 'Clear The Air' / 'A House On The Moon' - which was an amazing slice of Baroque Pop Psyche - and lightyears beyond his early work as one half of The Skywalkers. If you're not familiar with this 24 year old Dutchman, do yourself a favour and give a listen... you won't be disappointed.
Been listening to a mesmerising little album by a group called Mormos titled"The Magic Spell Of Mothers Wrath"from "72 i think,thanks to Phil for sending me this,to be honest not a brilliant album but one which ive been glad in hearing.
Since im off work i've been playing things that ive not pulled out for a long time,heres some:
Gun
13th floor Elevators-Easter Everywhere(its taken me a long time to really appreciate how groundbreaking this group were.)
Art Supernatural Fairytales
Julians Treatment-A time before this
Dr Strangely Strange-Heavy Petting
The Easybeats-Volume 3(imo their best album)
Danny Kirwan-Second Chapter
The Who-Sell Out(am i the only one who thinks of this album as their psych opus?)
And a couple of newies:
(original)Iron Maiden-NO,,not the heavy metallers,this is an unreleased demo album from 1970 released on the Rise Above Relics record label,i really like this kinda heavy post psych rock,well worth investigation if you like heavy!!
The Knack-Time Waits For no One-NO not the powerpoppers but recordings from the US 60s group The Knack-This is the latest release on cd from Now Sounds label,fab pop with more than a pop/psych feel to a number of tracks.
But the next cd ive just got recently is a spaced jazzy cosmic and at times damn right freaky album titled "Soul Zodiac"by The Nat Adderley Sextet,this actually features in the top 50 us psych albums you must hear that featured in the most recent US Psych issue of Shindig!!Blazing stuff,and imo better than say Funkadelic!!!
Alice Cooper/Piccadilly Sunshine Vol 9 2 duplicates but clearer it seems on this comp.
Lately been spinning Group 1850 Agemo's Trip not played in a while just can't get enough of 2nd track Little Fly ,stunning.
Also recently picked yo The Hook ,Will Grab You/Hooked and really enjoying this one.
Yeh good move vinyl is crap who needs it.
The Solarflares-Can Satisfy You
Some great covers on this by Graham Day and co the title track my fave Seeds track,Wimple Winches Save My Soul ,Fires Fathers Name is Dad, Ruperts Peoples Hold On and The Monkees Valerie.
Paul
Ya know Elliot ive never listened to a Solarflares cd,in fact very rarely listen to anything post 70s except for some ska from the 2 tone crowd which i grew up with which will always stay with me.Apart from Kula Shaker(pilgrims choice is a real goody imo),Ocean Colour Scene, Weller....etc.I've never really listened to contemporary psych/garage groups from the 80s onwards,2 groups i keep hearing about are The Solarflares and THe Prisoners,where would one start to hear they're most psyched out stuff?Im basically one of those sad psych fans who listens to stuff mainly from 66-74 and after that lose interest,which is kinda ignorant of me as i bet theres some good psych albums recorded after that!!Can someone point me in the direction to albums post 74 which are worth hearing??Thank you folks.
Stu, "Maison Rose" by french artist Emmanuelle Parrenin is pretty good and mellow 70's style acid-folk that was released in '77,I believe. Very detailed and sometimes trippy production. It's recently been reissued though the cd was from 2010. I think you'd like it.
Hi Stuart
These days rarely venture outside 65-70 but when I do its normally towards The Prisoners . I would defenatley check out The Last Fourfathers album.
I pretty much go with anything Graham Day has a hand in. The Prisoners were excellent, serious 60s modernism in the 80s with great hammond and guitar. I love Graham Day's voice as well. 'Melanie' for instance is a fave. See it on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmF84xZz0lg.
In fact look for Solar Flares and Graham Day & The Gaolers on there too. These are heavier guitar bands Graham day fronted (still does I think for the Gaolers). Day has a soulful voice a great guitar melody sensibility and good riffs.
Try this one on youtube by the Solar Flares, taken from their 'Best of collection:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTOzRacF7Qk&feature=related.
Paul
After reading the two part Fallen Angels article in the last two issues of Shindig! I had to dig out The Roulette Masters discs and give them a spin. Splendid US psychpop and a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
And since it is a Sunday, I had to spend some time with Spanky & Our Gang ('Sunday Will Never Be the Same' / 'Sunday Mornin'... they had a thing about Sundays).
Finishing up with Food - Forever Is a Dream (another one I haven't listened to in years)
Piccadilly Sunshine Vol 10
Saturday Morning.Holiday Monday Piccadilly Sunshine Vols 3,2,1/8.
food forever is a dream is a great album.
Richard Harris - The Yard Went On Forever
(Duck & hide.)
Heres what ive been listening to and thoroughly enjoying it:
Mixed Up Minds volume 3(im a bit behind in hearing this,but i think its a strong collection of mainly uk tracks from the very early 70s,some cracking little morsels to be heard)
Jungle-S/T(a pretty strong demo album by this US outfit from the late 60s,if i remember right didnt they have a track on the love,peace and poetry collections.)
Tetragon-Nature(just played this German album from 1971 and really enjoyed it,some cracking keyboard on this album and they do sound influenced by The Nice which is made clear in the liners)
The Free Design-You could be born again(Love Free Design and their lush harmonies,this ones from 68,they recorded a few albums in the space of such a short time,still to hear the cd "one by one"which is waiting patiently to get its turn on the cd player)
The Young Flowers-The Complete Recordings(excellent freaky psych ,this double cd is issued by RPM ,one of that labels best releases in my opinion)
Well thats been about it,still got Piccadilly Sunshine 9 to hear yet,but if its as half as good as Mixed Up Minds 3,it could be a good listen.
I must check out that Young Flowers set, it descriptively sounds cool.
Been playing:
Piccadilly Sunshine 9 and 10 - All good stuff, but why include two songs by Kippington Lodge - for the people who are going to buy these discs, those are about as unheard as Led Zepplin's 'Stairway To Heaven'! Also, as much as I was knocked out by Graham Bond's 'You Gotta Have LOve' it doesn't belong on a PS volume even if it dates from '67 (quite incredibly) - it should be on the Mixed Up Minds series - speaking of which....
Mixed Up Minds 3 and 4. More fab early 70s underground and funky progster 45s, as Stuart has mentioned. There's a good number of tunes on these though that belong on Piccadilly Sunshine as they date from the late 60s and have that PS sound. Sounds like the compilers lost interest in consistency and bunged them in any old order. However, all of the inclusions are great, just not well sequenced.
T Rex (yes them!) - Electric Boogie (5x cd + 1 DVD box), 'Total T Rex 1971-2 (5 x Cd + 1 DVD box) and 'Calling All Destroyers' 2 x CD - all on Easy Action, more ebay wins and I'm loving every note of them!
Psych Funk A La Turkish Vol.1 LP - Excellent 11 track comp of Anatolian pop and East-west funky grooves, absolutely love it. Some of these cuts date as late as 1983-88 and all sound psych and early 70s - a lot better than what the Western charts were offering at that time!
David Bowie - Space Oddity, Man Who Sold The World, Ziggy Stardust, Hunky Dory, Pin Ups - all Jap mini-LP card sleeve replicas, beautiful design and sounds.
Paul