Gamingforce Music Exposure Club™

Nujabes - Ristorante Mixtape
Label: Hyde Out Recordings
Year: 2002
Genre: Hip Hop

DOWNLOAD LINK SIDE A
DOWNLOAD LINK SIDE B

I can't find the album art.

1. Ristorante (Side A)
2. Ristorante (Side B)

This mixtape is pretty good. It's got hip hop beats, funk, soul and even some house. There are highs and lows for each track, but I like them. Enjoy the hour and a half mix.

Links of Note:
HydeOut.net
MySpace

Ciao.

Miles Davis - The Complete Birth Of The Cool

Year: 1949
Label: Blue Note (originally, rerelease on Capitol)
Genre: Jazz



From Amazon:
Birth of the Cool is the first important leader date from Miles Davis, one of jazz's most seminal figures and farsighted practitioners. Having made his reputation in large measure from playing with bop giant Charlie Parker, Davis confounded expectations when he embraced the "cool" arranging style of Gil Evans, an arranger for Claude Thornhill's band. Evans, who was employing unique voicings by adding French horns and tuba to Thornhill's instrumentations, also emphasized a diminished use of vibrato in both reeds and brass, producing a drier, "cool" sound. Two of Evans's arrangements, "Boplicity" and "Moon Dreams," appear on the album. Also involved are baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan, who contributed such outstanding tunes as "Jeru" and "Venus de Milo," and Modern Jazz Quartet pianist John Lewis. The result is a date that has withstood the tests of time, fashion, and Davis's own extraordinary growth as a performer. An enhanced set, The Complete Birth of the Cool expands the original issue with previously bootlegged live recordings of Davis's nonet at the Royal Roost in New York in 1948. Although the sound quality is far from perfect, the performances are remarkable, and worth the additional expense for the serious fan. --Fred Goodman

Tracks:
1. Move
2. Jeru
3. Moon Dreams
4. Venus de Milo
5. Budo
6. Deception
7. Godchild
8. Boplicity
9. Rocker
10. Israel
11. Rouge
12. Darn That Dream

Live Set:
13. Birth of the Cool Theme
14. Symphony Sid Announces the Band
15. Move
16. Why Do I Love You?
17. Godchild
18. Symphony Sid Introduction
19. S'il Vous Plait
20. Moon Dreams
21. Budo (Hallucination)
22. Darn That Dream
23. Move
24. Moon Dreams
25. Budo (Hallucination)

The creation of a genre

Cheers.

Here are two albums from one of my favorite artists EVAR, The Mountain Goats (aka John Darnielle). Both albums are excellent, though The Sunset Tree is more accessible to newcomers. I highly recommend both.



The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree
2005 :: Alternative :: 4AD

Download here



1. You Or Your Memory
2. Broom People
3. This Year
4. Dilaudid
5. Dance Music
6. Dinu Lipatti's Bones
7. Up The Wolves
8. Lion's Teeth
9. Hast Thou Considered The Tetrapod
10. Magpie
11. Song For Dennis Brown
12. Love Love Love
13. Pale Green Things

AMG:
John Darnielle is a compulsive writer forever clutching his stomach as songs pour out uncontrollably into whatever recording device is in front of him. What sets him apart from other prolific artists in the indie rock world (Conor Oberst, Ryan Adams, Stephin Merritt) whose records and side projects can't keep up with the flow of their pens is his almost alarming gift for pairing quantity with quality. After dropping the devastating Tallahassee -- a record that followed in gory detail the imagined demise of a Florida couple's marriage -- in 2002, he turned his focus inward, taking an almost autobiographical stance on the follow-up, We Shall All Be Healed, a framework that is applied tenfold on the riveting The Sunset Tree. This is John Cougar Mellencamp's Scarecrow if it were set in southern California and narrated by Charles Bukowski. At the center is Darnielle's abusive stepfather, who slyly receives the album's dedication. He's a drunk, a misguided disciplinarian, and a lousy role model for the young artist who plies away his days in a haze of liquor-fueled misogyny, wistful romanticism, and good old-fashioned teen angst, always aware that each night will end in violence. Darnielle's talent for writing an engaging narrative is matched only by the succinctness of the music behind it. This is especially true on standout cuts like "This Year," a near-perfect snapshot of youthful defiance with its rousing, last-road-trip-ever refrain of "I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me," and "Lion's Teeth," an uncomfortable moment of clarity that looks rage in both eyes without flinching, using a string-laden backbeat to up the suspense. Despite The Sunset Tree's white-knuckle subject matter and salt-in-the-wound imagery, it's surprisingly accessible. It's a gloves-off catharsis occurring in real time for the gifted singer/songwriter, and it leaves a mark on the listener as well.




The Mountain Goats - Full Force Galesburg
1997 :: Alternative :: Emperor Jones

Download here



1. New Britain
2. Snow Owl
3. West Country Dream
4. Masher
5. Chinese House Flowers
6. Ontario
7. Down Here
8. Twin Human Highway Flares
9. Weekend In Western Illinois
10. US Mill
11. Song For The Julian Calendar
12. Maize Stalk Drinking Blood
13. Evening In Stalingrad
14. Minnesota
15. Original Air-Blue-Gown
16. It's All Here In Brownsville

AMG:
John Darnielle's lo-fi, acoustic passion is in full effect on Full Force Galesburg. As usual, there's little to distinguish one song from the next, and, as usual, Darnielle doesn't need to do any distinguishing, as he gets by on emotion alone. The Mountain Goats' albums are known for quickly strummed guitars and brittle, affected vocals. There are quiet moments to be found on Full Force Galesburg, such as "Weekend in Western Illinois," but for the most part, the album makes its stance with those fierce, poetic vocals and rapid guitar work of past releases. "Song for the Julian Calendar" certainly has shimmering, bright elements, and it almost seems that one is listening to chamber pop. That's the kind of tone that Darnielle is able to create; you get the feeling that you're listening to something quite lush, but you know it's been primitively recorded. There are moments where his guitar echoes Johnny Marr's early work with the Smiths and even the bass of New Order's Peter Hook. It's a driving, jangling quality that never grows tiresome over the album's 16 tracks. Whether he's fumbling around memories of watching Cassius Clay on "Original Air-Blue-Gown" or desperately repeating "it's all coming apart again" on "It's All Here in Brownsville," Darnielle's lyrics and songs always make for an interesting listen. While the music might not bring a listener to tears, it can work to sadden or uplift during a lonely moment. Full Force Galesburg is not for everyone, if simply for the lo-fi recording and depth of emotion on display. It's an album of gentle, yet passionate catharsis, and it's never really less than compelling.

Ciao.

Gospeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven
(10/23/00, Kranky, Post Rock)



1. storm [22:32]
i. lift yr. skinny fists, like antennas to heaven... [00:00 - 06:15]
ii. gathering storm [06:15 - 17:25] [KT]
iii. "welcome to barco am/pm..." [l.a.x.; 5/14/00] [17:25 - 18:40]
iv. cancer towers on holy road hi-way [18:40 - 22:32]
2. static [22:35]
i. terrible canyons of static [00:00 - 03:34]
ii. atomic clock [03:34 - 04:43]
iii. chart #3 [04:43 - 07:22] [KT]
iv. world police and friendly fire [07:22 - 17:10] [KT]
v. [...+the buildings they are sleeping now] [17:10 - 22:35]
3. sleep [23:17] [KT]
i. murray ostril: "...they don't sleep anymore on the beach..." [00:00 - 01:10]
ii. monheim [01:10 - 13:24]
iii. broken windows, locks of love pt. III. / 3rd part [13:24 - 23:17]
4. antennas to heaven [18:57]
i. moya sings "baby-o"... [00:00 - 01:00]
ii. edgyswingsetacid [01:00 - 01:58]
iii. [glockenspiel duet recorded on a campsite in rhinebeck, n.y.] [01:58 - 02:45]
iv. "attention...mon ami...fa-lala-lala-la-la..." [55-St.Laurent] [02:45 - 04:03]
v. she dreamt she was a bulldozer, she dreamt she was alone in an empty field [04:03 - 13:46] [KT]
vi. deathkamp drone [13:46 - 16:55]
vii. [antennas to heaven...] [16:55 - 18:57]

[KT] represents "Key Track", or, in most cases here, Key 'Movement'.

AMG Review

Lift Your Skinny Fists, to me, is basically this band's magnum opus. At 80 minutes long, and running the course of two discs, Lift is a sprawling work that encompasses the diverse elements and influences of the band and gives them room to explore. It starts with a strings theme, very classically-influenced, building and building, and horn sections break loose in a heavily layered climax that leads to nothing. A lone guitar picks a theme reminiscent of "Amazing Grace" over hummed strings. Tribal-sounding drums pound in the entrance of a minor theme. A mini-mart warns customers of solicitors and homeless people, which leads to sparse piano chords and haunting ambience. And this is just track one. Other tracks explore territory that borrows and steals from Electronica, one quietly build violin themes into overpowering, fast-paced rock-outs, one sets layered, nimble hip-hop drumming against heartwrenching outcries of joy against despair.

This album is a serious investment of time, especially as it deserves to be listened to as a whole to be fully appreciated. So, find yourself 80 minutes of free time, find a comfy chair, close your eyes, and immerse yourself in the experience.

Lift Your Skinny Fists

Cheers.

José Gonzáles - Veneer
Label: Hidden Agenda
Year: 2005
Genre: Acoustic/Folk



DOWNLOAD LINK

1. Slow Moves
2. Remain
3. Lovestain
4. Heartbeats
5. Crosses
6. Deadweight On Velveteen
7. All You Deliver
8. Stay In The Shade
9. Hints
10. Save Your Day
11. Broken Arrows

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It's taken two years for the debut album by singer/songwriter José González (Swedish, obv.) to reach these shores, and it's easy to see what nudged it here. González's sparse recordings showcase hushed, double-tracked vocals, haunted imagery, and a clearly gifted classical guitarist. His gripping acoustic cover of countryfolk the Knife's electro-pop "Heartbeats" was even a minor hit in his homeland. An ethereal, sometimes-aloof troubadour, González will sing you to sleep and then dash off under cover of night, leaving only cold-sweat nightmares and an unopened bottle of sweet vermouth.

Yup, two years, and on Veneer, González suggests he'd kinda like to stick around for a few more. Permanence is a pressing concern: With bongos and a hint of bossa nova, "Remain" emphasizes perseverance, while the scant lyrics of handclap-enhanced "Lovestain" complain of the marks you can't just shout out of you heart, maaan. The arrangements are full of Nick Drake-style open tunings ("Stay in the Shade", in particular, can't escape the shadow of that introvert-folk patron saint) and only a forlorn trumpet on closer "Broken Arrow" disrupting the guit/vox/maybe-tasteful-percussion train to Starbucks-comp paydirt.

As with like-minded songstress Emiliana Torrini, González is at his best when he forces a personality onto his faceless raw materials. The distinctive finger-picking on "Crosses", the best original song on the disc, rises like the spires of a Gothic cathedral, giving form to lyrics about a redemptive light in the darkness (any religious inferences, meanwhile, are left entirely to the listener). By comparison, sotto voce opener "Slow Moves" tries a little too hard to sound like its quiet-is-the-new-loud forebears, with a meta-chorus too wispy to hold tight 'til morning: "My moves are slow/ But soon they'll know".

González's aforementioned "Heartbeats" cover is nearly as spine-tingling as the original, if not its frenetic Rex the Dog remix. Echoing M. Ward's "Let's Dance", Iron & Wine's "Such Great Heights", and Frente!'s "Bizarre Love Triangle", González strips the electro-pop down to an acoustic lullaby, laying bare a powerful melody and deceptively evocative lyrics about love, regret and nostalgia. González has also covered Kylie Minogue's "Hand on Your Heart", and the gulf that remains between these must-hears and his self-composed material is significant. González knows a great song when he hears it, and he plays a mean guitar, but in 2003 he was still more raw than the overseas buzz suggested; Veneer is nice, but it may just scratch the surface.

Review blatantly plagiarized from Pitchfork Media. I would have written a review myself, but I'm kind of tired and I figured it was only fitting to post the Pitchfork words since this is where I first heard of this artist.

"To call for hands of above to lean on wouldn't be good enough for me, no"

Ciao.

Following up Iwata's Afrobeat post...

You guys need to listen to some Fela Kuti!
I've got a ton of his albums, but just for starters...
Check out :


Fela Kuti - The Best Best of... (2000, MCA, Afrobeat)



Disc: 1
1. Lady
2. Shakara
3. Gentlemen - Edit Version
4. Water No Get Enemy - Edit Version
5. Zombie
6. Sorrow Tears & Blood
7. No Agreement - Part 2

Disc: 2
1. Roforofo Fight
2. Shuffering And Shmiling - Part 2
3. Coffin For Head Of State - Part 2
4. I T T - Part 2
5. Army Arrangement - Part 2
6. O D O O - Edit Version

Graciously lifted from Amazon:

Amazon.com
Political activist, outspoken radical, and inventor of Afro-beat, Fela Anikulapo ("he who carries death in his pouch") Kuti left behind him an incomparable legacy of music when he died in 1997. His struggles against the Nigerian state became the stuff of legend in his home country; his denunciations of world leaders such as Reagan and Thatcher gained him notoriety abroad. But his music remains as his supreme achievement over and above the details of his amazingly courageous life, even if many (most) of his lyrics are angry condemnations of politicians. His vast output of recordings can hardly be distilled onto two discs, but Black President (named after a classic 1981 album) is nevertheless a good introduction to this extraordinary man and his music. The album lacks any personnel details and fails to indicate the origins of each track, but it scarcely matters: Fela's band, Africa 70, was a large and always flexible group (it rarely actually boasted 70 members), with the only constant presence being his 30 backing singers, most of whom were also his wives! Throughout, the beats are solid, the solos are never overpowering, and the rhythm--the powerful, hypnotic rhythm--is always preeminent. If, in the end, it's impossible to divorce Fela Kuti's music from his life, it is at least a real pleasure just to play this album and let his grooves possess your spirit. --Mark Walker


DOWNLOAD LINK
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=9EJUFRUO

Cheers.

Ismail Darbar - Devdas (OST)

1. "Silsila ye chaahat ka" - Shreya Ghosal
2. "Maar Daala" - Kavita Subramaniam, KK
3. "Bairi Piya" - Udit Narayan, Shreya Ghosal
4. "Kaahe Chhed Mohe" - Pandit Birju Maharaj
5. "Chalak Chalak" - Udit Narayan, Vinod, Kavita
6. "Hamesha Tumko Chaha" - Udit Narayan, Kavita
7. "Woh Chand Jaisi Ladki" - Udit Narayan
8. "Morey Piya" - Jaspinder Narula, Shreya
9. "Devdas - The Theme" - Rashmi Sharma
10. "Dola re Dola" - Kavita, Shreya

Devdas is a classic story Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay which has been adapted into at least three very famous films in the history of Indian cinema. This is the soundtrack to the 2002 version composed by Ismail Darbar with some of the most famous newer generation of playback singers appearing on the tracks. Planet Bollywood gave it a 9 out of 10 in this review (use bugmenot or user:bugmenot pass:bugmenot) and calls it the "highest paid for soundtrack ever". It may help to see the movie with these... but, it's definitely not necessary.

In any case, recommended tracks:

Silsila ye Chaahat ka - roommate's favorite
Dola Re Dola - most overplayed
Woh Chand Jaisi Ladki - friend's favorite
Kaahe Chhed Mohe - my momentary recommendation

Ciao.

Autechre - Incunabula

Release: 1993
Label: Warp / TVT
Genre: Electronica / Ambient / Experimental



This is one of my favourite albums of all time. The deepness here is absolute - whether these guys were merely experimenting with sounds on machines or making heartfelt music, they created a 78 minute electronica masterpiece that surpasses any test of time.

Amazon Member Review (excerpt, source)
"Incunabula comes up with very beautiful and aesthetic melodies which never seem to be trite, formless, or trashy. Rather allied to '70s electronic pioneers like Brian Eno, Kraftwerk, and Tangerine Dream, Incunabula is also a work with concept character. From "Eggshell" on, Autechre take you on a pleasant, neverending journey through time and space. I never thought that electronic music could have such an emotional power and quality. This is excellent trance music without the boredom of many other new age or ambient records. Unlike many of Autechre's other efforts, this album is palatable for everyone, even for people who usually don't care about techno music."

Track List
01. Kalpol Introl
02. Bike
03. Autriche
04. Bronchus 2
05. Basscadet
06. Eggshell
07. Doctrine
08. Maetl
09. Windwind
10. Lowride
11. 444

Download Link

~~~~~~~~~~

em:t 0095 - Gas

Release: 1995
Label: em:t
Genre: Electronica / Experimental / Techno



Another favourite of all time. Being on the deeply ecclectic record lable "em:t", this album painfully remains unknown to the greater electronica scene, but has its occasional airplay on the odd ambient net broadcast. The sound is dark and surreal, ideal for a clear night away from civilization.

Track List
01. Generator 0000
02. Experiments on Live Electricity
03. Microscopic
04. Miniscule; Pixels
05. Vapourware
06. SeOCl2 (Selenium)
07. Earthshake
08. Mathematics and Electronics
09. Timestretch; Earthloop
10. F
11. H2TeO3 (Tellurium)
12. Generator 0072; Pink; Doom

Download Link


(These albums and other associated paraphernalia may also be found on my server {see signature}.)

Cheers.

Regina Spektor - Soviet Kitsch
2005 :: Sire :: Pop



1. Ode to Divorce
2. Poor Little Rich Boy
3. Carbon Monoxide
4. The Flowers
5. Us
6. Sailor Song
7. ***
8. Your Honor
9. The Ghost of Corporate Future
10. Chemo Limo
11. Somedays

Download here

AMG:
Maybe it's just the preponderance of piano in her music, but Regina Spektor sounds more like a traditional singer/songwriter (in the best sense of that phrase) than her anti-folk contemporaries. On Soviet Kitsch, her third album -- and major label debut -- her sound is more refined than ever before, but there are still plenty of rough edges and unexpected twists and turns. The Fiona Apple and Cat Power comparisons that have been leveled at Spektor since her first album 11:11 are still valid, particularly on songs like "Carbon Monoxide" and "Somedays," but Spektor is more theatrical and playful than either of those artists. Quirky character sketches such as "Ghost of Corporate Future" and "Ode to Divorce," and flights of fancy like the charming "Us" are quintessentially Spektor; though her songs may not be diary entries set to music, she imbues them with lots of personality and intimate details. Nowhere is this more apparent than on "Chemo Limo" a strangely uplifting song about a woman living with (not dying from) cancer that ends up being one of Soviet Kitsch's standout moments. "Flowers," which begins with a section inspired by her classical training and then moves to a part based on her Russian Jewish heritage, also shows how easily Spektor can incorporate different sounds and ideas into her own music. She does a 180 on the raw "Sailor Song," on which she gleefully yells, "Marianne's a b*tch," and on the punky, off-the-cuff "Your Honor," which also features the London rock group Kill Kenada. A few of Soviet Kitsch's songs, like "Poor Little Rich Boy," concentrate on the childlike, mischievous side of Spektor's sound that puts her in the love-it-or-hate-it category for some listeners. Still, Spektor is an engaging performer throughout the album, and despite her arty quirks, she's never pretentious. She originally self-released Soviet Kitsch nearly two years before Sire released it, so it'll be interesting to hear what she does next.

Ciao.

Blind Willie McTell - The Complete Recorded Works Vol. I, II & III

Year: Released 1990, recorded 1927-1935
Label: Document
Genre: Acoustic blues



AMG on all three discs:
Of all the compilations of McTell's early work, this is probably the most rewarding, because it includes both his Victor songs (including "Statesboro Blues") and his Columbia sides (which have been issued separately by Columbia-Legacy), and RCA-BMG seems to be in no hurry to put any of the Victor material out as a comprehensive collection. The songs all have some noise -- there are no "masters" to speak of on acoustic blues of this vintage -- but none of it is overly obtrusive, and the orderly chronology is very illuminating.

The second volume in Document's series opens with the first of two October 1931 sessions pairing Blind Willie McTell with the Atlanta street singer Ruth Willis; although her vocals remain the primary focus, these tracks contain some of McTell's most impressive instrumental work, with his playing deceptively simple and loose. Curley Weaver lends second guitar to a number of other performances, allowing McTell's 12-string to return to its proper position of prominence; also included are his early excursions into gospel, with performances of "Lord Have Mercy If You Please" and "Don't You See How This World Made a Change" distinguished by some devastating slide work.

Blind Willie McTell's final pre-war sessions are the subject of the third and last disc in Document's series. The set begins with a September 1933 session covering a wide range of stylistic ground, ranging from the songster staple "Honey Fare Thee Well" (covered here as "East St. Louis Blues") to Bumble Bee Slim's "B and O Blues"; most remarkable is "Bell Street Lightnin'," a gripping and vivid portrait of Depression-era life at its most tragic. The final dates, from April 1935, comprise McTell's material for Decca, recorded with wife Kate and guitarist Curley Weaver; assembled in large part of gospel material, they also include "Hillbilly Willie's Blues," an overt and hugely entertaining attempt to appeal to the Southern white listening audience.


He was a truly remarkable musician, and is often overlooked. Disc one is my favourite, if only for the vocal interplay on "This Is Not The Stove To Brown Your Bread".

Tracks:

Disc 1:
1. Writing Paper Blues
2. Stole Rider Blues
3. Mama, 'Tain't Long Fo' Day
4. Mr. McTell Got the Blues
5. Mr. McTell Got the Blues
6. Three Women Blues
7. Dark Night Blues
8. Statesboro Blues
9. Loving Talking Blues
10. Atlanta Strut
11. Travelin' Blues
12. Come on Around to My House Mama
13. Kind Mama
14. Teasing Brown
15. Drive Away Blues
16. This Is Not the Stove to Brown Your Bread
17. Love Changing Blues
18. Talkin' to Myself
19. Razor Blues
20. Southern Can Is Mine
21. Broke Down Engine
22. Stomp Down Rider
23. Scarey Day Blues

Disc 2:
1. Rough Alley Blues
2. Experience Blues
3. Painful Blues
4. Low Rider's Blues
5. Georgia Rag
6. Low Down Blues
7. Rollin' Mama Blues
8. Lonesome Day Blues
9. Mama, Let Me Scoop for You
10. Searching the Desert for the Blues
11. Warm It up to Me
12. It's Your Time to Worry
13. It's a Good Little Thing
14. You Was Born to Die
15. Lord Have Mercy If You Please
16. Don't You See How This World Made a Change
17. Savannah Mama
18. Broke Down Engine
19. Broke Down Engine No. 2
20. My Baby's Gone
21. Love-Makin' Mama
22. Death Room Blues
23. Death Cell Blues
24. Lord, Send Me an Angel

Disc 3:
1. B & O Blues, No. 2 [#1]
2. B & O Blues, No. 2 [#2]
3. Weary Hearted Blues
4. Bell Street Lightnin'
5. Southern Can Mama
6. Runnin' Me Crazy
7. East St. Louis Blues (Fare You Well)
8. Ain't It Grand to Be a Christian
9. We Got to Meet Death One Day, Take A
10. We Got to Meet Death One Day, Take B
11. Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around
12. I Got Religion, I'm So Glad
13. Dying Gambler
14. God Don't Like It
15. Bell Street Blues
16. Let Me Play With Yo' Yo-Yo
17. Lay Some Flowers on My Grave
18. Ticket Agent Blues
19. Cold Winter Day
20. Your Time to Worry
21. Cooling Board Blues
22. Hillbilly Willie's Blues

Get All Three

Double Post:
Bonzo Dog Band - Cornology

Year: Recorded '68-'72, released '98
Label: EMI
Genre: British weirdness



This is a box set containing all of the band's original albums, as well as some rarities. Click for reviews of each individual album, and some general knowledge on what the hell this band is doing. Also, see if you can find the Clapton appearance.

Disc One:
1. Cool Britannia
2. Equestrian Statue
3. Jollity Farm
4. I Left My Heart in San Francisco
5. Look Out, There's a Monster Coming
6. Jazz, Delicious Hot, Disgusting Cold
7. Death Cab for Cutie
8. Narcissus
9. Intro and the Outro
10. Mickey's Son and Daughter
11. Big Shot
12. Music for the Head Ballet
13. Piggy Bank Love
14. I'm Bored
15. Sound of Music
16. We Are Normal
17. Postcard
18. Beautiful Zelda
19. Can Blue Men Sing the Whites?
20. Hello Mabel
21. Kama Sutra
22. Humanoid Boogie
23. Trouser Press
24. My Pink Half of the Drainpipe
25. Rockaliser Baby
26. Rhinocratic Oaths
27. 11 Moustachioed Daughters

Get It

Disc Two:
1. Hunting Tigers Out in "Indiah"
2. Shirt
3. Tubas in the Moonlight
4. Dr. Jazz
5. Monster Mash
6. I'm the Urban Spaceman
7. Ali Baba's Camel
8. Laughing Blues
9. By a Waterfall
10. Mr. Apollo
11. Canyons of Your Mind
12. You Done My Brain In
13. Keynsham
14. Quiet Talks and Summer Walks
15. Tent
16. We Were Wrong
17. Joke Shop Man
18. Bride Stripped Bare by "Bachelors"
19. Look at Me, I'm Wonderful
20. What Do You Do?
21. Mr. Slater's Parrot
22. Sport (The Odd Boy)
23. I Want to Be With You
24. Noises for the Leg
25. Busted

Download

Disc Three:
1. My Brother Makes the Noises for the Talkies
2. I'm Going to Bring a Watermelon to My Girl Tonight
3. Alley-Oop
4. Button up Your Overcoat
5. Mr. Apollo
6. Ready-Mades
7. Strain
8. Turkeys
9. King of Scurf
10. Waiting for the Wardrobe
11. Straight from My Heart
12. Rusty (Champion Thrust)
13. Rawlinson End
14. Don't Get Me Wrong
15. Fresh Wound
16. Bad Blood
17. Slush
18. Labio Dental Fricative
19. Re-Cycled Vinyl Blues: Take Good Care of My Baby/White Christmas/Caroli
20. Trouser Freak

Get It

The Rocky Horror Picture Show Original Cast Recording

Year: 1975
Label: Rhino
Genre: Musical



You should already own this. The greatest musical of all time. Tim Curry! Susan Sarandon! Barry Bostwick! Meat Loaf! Dr. Scott! The timeless tale of two unfortunate travellers who happen upon a castle filled with transvestite aliens. Written by Richard O' Brien, who also appears as Riff Raff, the faithful handyman.

Tracks:
1. Science Fiction/Double Feature
2. Dammit Janet
3. Over at the Frankenstein Place
4. Time Warp
5. Sweet Transvestite
6. I Can Make You a Man
7. Hot Patootie - Bless My Soul
8. I Can Make You a Man (Reprise)
9. Touch-A, Touch-A, Touch Me
10. Eddie
11. Rose Tint My World: Floor Show/Fanfare/Don't Dream It/Wild and Untamed
12. I'm Going Home
13. Super Heroes
14. Science Fiction/Double Feature (Reprise)

Come up to the lab, and see what's on the slab.

Nico - Chelsea Girl

Year: 1967
Label: Polygram
Genre: Folkish



What AMG has to say:
Although Chelsea Girl (1967) was the first long-player from the German-born Christa Päffgen, it was not her debut solo effort. Prior to becoming involved with the Velvet Underground and while under the direction of Andrew Loog Oldham, Nico issued an obscure 7" on the mod pop Immediate label. The song selection on that 1965 single -- which featured a cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "I'm Not Sayin'" and an Oldham co-composition with Jimmy Page called "Last Mile" -- foreshadowed the eclectic nature of this LP. Although the dissolution between the vocalist and core instrumental quartet was not without its share of acrimony, the non-percussive contingent of the Velvet Underground is heavily featured on Chelsea Girl: along with then-unknown singer/songwriter Jackson Browne (guitar) -- the vocalist's concurrent love interest -- there is Lou Reed (guitar), Sterling Morrison (guitar/bass), and John Cale (piano/bass/viola), who contrast what they had been doing with the larger combo. These sides are decidedly "unplugged," providing a folky and Baroque setting for Nico's dark and brooding vocal inflections. There is an introspective foresight in Browne's "Fairest of the Seasons," "These Days," and "Somewhere There's a Feather." The minimalist string section features a quaint, yet effective arrangement giving the material a distinctly European feel. There is a palpable distinction between those lighter cuts and the menacing Velvet Underground-conceived material. At the center of the project are the extended "It Was a Pleasure Then" and the stunning semi-autobiographical Reed/Morrison title track. The juxtaposition of such honest and at times harrowing imagery to Nico's inherently bleak delivery is nothing short of an inspired artistic statement which has since long outlasted its initial socially relevant context -- similar to the more modern contributions of Laurie Anderson, Ann Magnuson, and Patti Smith. An unqualified masterpiece.

Tracks:
1. Fairest of the Seasons
2. These Days
3. Little Sister
4. Winter Song
5. It Was a Pleasure Thing
6. Chelsea Girls
7. I'll Keep It With Mine
8. Somewhere There's a Feather
9. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams
10. Eulogy to Lenny Bruce

Download

The Vandermark 5 - Simpatico

Year: 1999
Label: Atavistic
Genre: Free Jazz



From AMG:
The Vandermark 5 are remarkable on their third recording. Reedmen Ken Vandermark and Dave Rempis are joined by trombonist/guitarist Jeb Bishop, Kent Kessler on bass, and drummer Tim Mulvenna in making some of the most exciting new jazz in the world today. Using American jazzmen for their spiritual inspiration and the European model of free jazz improv, Vandermark and company have come up with something entirely their own: a solid, gritty, soulful funk and squall band who holds within their collective grasp the souls of Sun Ra, Steve Lacy, Albert Ayler, and James Brown's JBs. The eight tunes on Simpatico are all tributes to various jazz and improv greats who have been influential to Vandermark in one way or another. There's the sleet-sheet skronk of "Vent," with Bishop's guitar creating an edgy tension for the horns to play in counterpoint to the rhythm section. In "Fact or Fiction (For Curtis Counce)," the spirit of Les Koenig's Contemporary Records is evoked with its open-wristed swing and minor modes that land just this side of blue. "Point Blank (For Frank Rosalino)" has the bass clarinet solo actually touch on Rosalino's own sense of harmonic architecture, growing out from E-flat into a spider web angularity that embraces the bop arpeggio technique as well as Eric Dolphy's sense of spatial breath. By the time listeners get to Bishop's trombone solo, the entire axis of harmony has been shifted to an imploding sense of phraseology versus teleology and linguistic exchange. What is taking place in the improv is that the three horn players are fighting over Rosalino's clipped modalism. Simpatico is the finest movement yet from a band who seems to be just getting started.


Without a doubt in my mind, the greatest jazz album of the last 30 years.

Tracks:
1. Vent
2. Fact and Fiction
3. Full Deck
4. Anywhere Else
5. STHLM
6. Cover to Cover
7. Point Blank
8. Encino

For Mats Gustaffson

Cheers.

Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans [Bonus Tracks]
(2003, Rhino, Prog-Rock/Art Rock)



Disc One:
1. The Revealing Science of God -- Dance of the Dawn
2. The Remembering High The Memory
3. The Ancient Giants Under the Sun

Disc Two
4. Ritual - Nous Sommes Du Soleil
5. Dance of the Dawn [Studio Run-Through] (Bonus Track)
6. Giants Under The Sun [Studio Run-Through] (Bonus Track)


AMG Review


Originally concieved, recorded, marketed and sold as a four-track, two disc album, this version fits the first three onto one disc and stuffs two bonus tracks on the second disc. This project is the single most ambitious undertaking in Yes' career, and despite that this was relatively early, that statement had weight even in its day. Having already produced such masterpieces as Fragile and Close to the Edge, some people were left to wonder what Yes would do next, when would they run out of ideas? According to one story, some prominent person at the time joked that they would next tackle the Bible.

...Close enough.

Jon's liner notes, which are quite thorough, detail how the album's four songs reflect four different stages in an Eastern philosophy of life, particularly those described in "Autobiography of a Yogi". Jon Anderson had been obsessed with Eastern mythos and ideaology, so making this record was probably what he'd been sitting on for a while, just waiting for the right inspiration to strike. When he got inspired, it came fast and hard. The band thought up, wrote, and recorded the album in seven months, producing a highly experimental Progressive album that broke all the boundaries of Rock that Yes had yet to break, while containing passages of extreme beauty and power. The movements to Yes' symphony build and arch, tense up unbearably, and release magnificently.

And, just like 90% of every other thing you'll get from this thread, DO NOT judge this album from a single listen. To unlock the secrets held here takes repeated, patient listens. If you "get" this album, it'll be one of the most magnificent albums you listen to. Once I got it, I loved every minute of it. The slow entry leading to that first riff... perfect. I get chills when the whole band pounds in that first time.


Get in touch with your arty side.

Ciao.

Nujabes - Metaphorical Music
Label: Dimid Recordings
Year: 2003
Genre: Hip-Hop



DOWNLOAD LINK

1. Blessing It (Remix)
2. Horn in the Middle
3. Lady Brown
4. Kumomi
5. Highs 2 Lows
6. Beat Laments the World
7. Letter from Yokosuka
8. Think Different
9. A Day By Atmosphere Supreme
10. Next View
11. Latitude -remix
12. F.I.L.O.
13. Summer Gypsy
14. The Final View
15. Peaceland


Nujabes - Metaphorical Music
Label: Hyde Out Productions
Year: 2005
Genre: Hip-Hop



DOWNLOAD LINK

1. Feather
2. Ordinary Joe
3. Reflection Eternal
4. Luv (sic.) pt.3
5. Music Is Mine
6. Eclipse
7. The Sign
8. Thank You
9. World's End Rhapsody
10. Modal Soul
11. Flowers
12. Sea of Cloud
13. Light On the Land
14. Horizon

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

These uploads go out to my boy Plug 4. I hope he makes it back in one piece.

I first heard of Nujabes when I was introduced to Samurai Champloo in 2004. I loved the anime for its own animation and story, but what really stuck out to me more than anything was the music. Call it the most severe of circumstantial juxtapositions, but somehow the setting of feudal Japan samurai being given a hip-hop soundtrack was odd, yet oh-so-perfect. Like wine to thirsty lips I slurped up every soundtrack and was left jonesin' for more. Sooner or later I came to find out that, unlike Shinichiro Watanabe's last anime series (Cowboy Bebop), the soundtrack wasn't composed by seasoned musical veteran Yoko Kanno. Instead, it was written by a relatively green, but eager artist known only as Nujabes. (Born Jun Seba)

I can honestly say with every breath that Nujabes introduced me to a new breed of hip-hop. A new facet of the genre which I never knew that could be explored by such simplicity, yet also have such depth that even oceans would be left in awe of. Every one of these tracks is like Jun puts it himself in "Feather": Keepin' it vertical, forever elevator, ridin' an escalator to something that is greater.

Nujabes' music is the kind of laid-back lyrical sedation that instantly puts you in the kind of head-bobbin' good mood that only hip-hop can trance you into. It's especially great in trancending jazz, pop and hip-hop. These two albums are orgasmic doses of this aural drug and I demand that every last one of you takes a good long toke of it.

"It's funny how the music puts times in perspective. Add a soundtrack to your life and perfect it."

Cheers.

Cambodia Rocks
Artists unknown and presumed dead, song names unknown.
Genre: Sixties Cambodian garage rock.

Download linky
Track names unknown, artists unknown.

Here. It's not as good as Dengue Fever or the Khmer Fusion Project. Highlights include 9, 2, 1, 5, 11, and 13.

Ciao.

Yakuza - Samsara
(2006, Heavy Metal)



Track Listing:
1. Cancer Of Industry
2. Plecostomus
3. Monkeytail
4. Transmission Ends...Signal Lost
5. Dishonor
6. 20 Bucks
7. Exterminator
8. Just Say Know
9. Glory Hole
10. Back To The Mountain

Yakuza is a very unique heavy metal band to say the very least. For example, when the song Monkeytail starts playing, you think "Oh, this is a jazz type song." However, the song seamlessly evolves more and more towards metal, until by the end when you hear the singer screaming and guitar riffs in full swing. The whole album is a lot like that, starting out ambient or as cold, hard metal. I highly recommend this album if you enjoy a good, hard sounding metal band.

DOWNLOAD LINKY

Revelation: The S&M Party
(2003, Dark House)



Disc: 1
1. Torture - Jonathan Peters, Tony Coluccio & Richard Bush
2. Futurescope - Villa Nord
3. This Is It - Tony Semore
4. Set the Engine on Fire - Jan Driver
5. Thunder - John Ciafone
6. The Hurting - Mac Quayle
7. Do You Hear Me - Indiana
8. Addicted to Bass - Pure Tone
9. Closer - Niquid
10. Bock Auf Rock - Clements Neufeld
11. From Dusk to Dawn - Lexicon Avenue

Disc: 2
1. Devious - Jonathan Peters, Tony Coluccio & Richard Bush
2. Wanjeru the African - E.M.P.
3. Darkbeat - Oscar G
4. Show Me - Susan Palmer
5. Space Ride - Groovemates
6. Puppet Master li - Dj Double Dee
7. Feel the Pressure - Graeme Gibbs
8. Mochico Treat Dub - Mochico
9. Yes - Dj Disciple
10. African Journey - Stephan M. VS Sammy K.
11. Come Together -That Kid Chris
12. No Ones Gonna Change You - Reina
13. We Need Space - Swain, Snell & Lucas

Take regular house music. Give it a live sounding feel and mix it so the songs sound like one continuous entity. Give it a very dark yet sexy feel, and you've basically got Revelation. The album starts off with a dark, deep vocal saying "Welcome to the House of Pain," and goes into a very bassy, rhythmic tone. This theme generally carries on all throughout the album, allowing for he listner to do some nice and thorough headbanging. This album is a must for your musical education at the very least, and is one of the best dark electronica albums I've heard to this date.

DOWNLOAD LINK

Cheers.

Black Star - Black Star

Year: 1998
Label: Rawkus
Genre: Rap



From AMG:
While Puff Daddy and his followers continued to dictate the direction hip-hop would take into the millennium, Mos Def and Talib Kweli surfaced from the underground to pull the sounds in the opposite direction. Their 13 rhyme fests on this superior, self-titled debut as Black Star show that old-school rap still sounds surprisingly fresh in the sea of overblown vanity productions. There's no slack evident in the tight wordplays of Def and Kweli as they twist and turn through sparse, jazz-rooted rhythms calling out for awareness and freedom of the mind. Their viewpoints stem directly from the teachings of Marcus Garvey, the legendary activist who fought for the rights of blacks all around the world in the first half of the 20th century. Def and Kweli's ideals are sure lofty; not only are they out to preach Garvey's words, but they also hope to purge rap music of its negativity and violence. For the most part, it works. Their wisdom-first philosophy hits hard when played off their lyrical intensity, a bass-first production, and stellar scratching. While these MCs don't have all of the vocal pizzazz of A Tribe Called Quest's Phife and Q-Tip at their best, flawless tracks like the cool bop of "K.O.S. (Determination)" and "Definition" hint that Black Star is only the first of many brilliantly executed positive statements for these two street poets.

Tracks:
1. Intro
2. Astronomy (8th Light)
3. Definition
4. RE: DEFinition
5. Children's Story
6. Brown Skin Lady
7. B Boys Will B Boys
8. K. O. S. (Determination)
9. Hater Players
10. Yo Yeah
11. Respiration
12. Thieves in the Night
13. Twice Inna Lifetime

Get It

Double Post:
Mos Def - New Danger

Year: 2004
Label: Universal
Genre: Rap, kind of



A pretty accurate review that's too long to post.

To be honest, this album isn't that good. Regardless of that, it is an interesting listen. Mos Def tries to mesh so many genres it feels like overkill, but you can't help but wonder what the next track will be. It's not that this is a trainwreck or anything, but it just teeters on the edge between excellent and horrendous. "Modern Marvel" is the stand out track, as it's the only one where he really seems to be comfortable with what he's doing, and is as good as work from previous albums.

Tracks:
1. Boogie Man Song
2. Freaky Black
3. Ghetto Rock
4. Zimzallabim
5. The Rape Over
6. Black Jack
7. Bedstuy Parade
8. Sex, Love & Money
9. Sunshine
10. Close Edge
11. The Panties
12. War
13. Grown Man Business
14. Modern Marvel
15. Life is Real
16. The Easy Spell
17. The Beggar
18. Champion Requiem

Get It

Ciao.

I have no idea if people are enjoying these but I love them so here they are anyways. Sweden, in particular, is absolutely fantastic.

The Mountain Goats - Zopilote Machine
1995 :: Ajax :: Alternative

Download here



1. Alpha Incipiens
2. Azo Tle Nelli in Tlalticpac?
3. Alpha Sun Hat
4. The Black Ice Cream Song
5. Sinaloan Milk Snake Song
6. We Have Seen the Enemy
7. Standard Bitter Love Song #7
8. Quetzalcoatl Eats Plums
9. Orange Ball of Love
10. Orange Ball of Hate
11. Bad Priestess
12. Going to Bristol
13. Young Caesar 2000
14. Going to Lebanon
15. Grendel's Mother
16. Song for Tura Santana
17. Alpha in Tauris
18. Going to Georgia
19. Quetzalcoatal Is Born

AMG:
A folk guitar playing melody and rhythm accompanied by a nasal bleat. And yet, John Darnielle's Zopilote Machine has something terribly awesome: energy and emotion. The energy passes through the incredible production, whereas the emotion lies in the simple melodies and the pleadingly sincere vocals. Besides being an excellent album, Zopilote Machine contains one of the best songs ever written, "Going to Georgia."



The Mountain Goats - Sweden
2000 :: Shrimper :: Alternative

Download here



1. The Recognition Scene
2. Downtown Seoul
3. Some Swedish Trees
4. I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone
5. Deianara Crush
6. Whole Wide World
7. Flashing Lights
8. Sept 19 Triple X Love! Love!
9. Going to Queens
10. Tahitianambrosia Maker
11. Going to Bolivia
12. Tollund Man
13. California Song
14. Snow Crush Killing Song
15. Send Me an Angel
16. Neon Orange Glimmer Song
17. FM
18. Prana Ferox
19. Cold Milk Bottle

AMG:
This is classic Mountain Goats: songs about broken (or soon to be broken) relationships, food, and flora rendered in vivid detail and recorded straight to boom box. Atop characteristically ragged and percussive guitar playing, John Darnielle works wonders of condensation, creating lively, complex characters in less than three minutes. Despite the flag on the cover and hilarious liner notes about the "Swede conspiracy," this isn't a concept album about the homeland of Ace of Base and ABBA, nor are there any covers of those two Darnielle favorites. There is, however, perhaps the best cover of Steely Dan's "FM" imaginable. No Alpha songs here either, but two more in the "Going to" series -- "Going to Queens" and "Going to Bolivia" -- and the outstanding "Tahitian Ambrosia Maker," which is something of a mix between Gilligan's Island and Heart of Darkness (beginning, "We were real hungry, half dead, when you broke out a half a loaf of sourdough bread, and in the tropical air the scent rose like a spirit"), make Sweden among the best of the early releases from the Mountain Goats. Zopilote Machine is maybe more consistent, but 1995's Sweden sets a high-water mark not surpassed until The Coroner's Gambit in 2000.

Cheers.

Warren G - Regulate...G Funk Era ( 1994, Def Jam, Rap )



Track listing:

1. Regulate
2. Do You See
3. Gansta Sermon
4. Recognize
5. Super Soul Sis
6. '94 Ho Draft
7. So Many Ways
8. This D.J
9. This is the Shack
10. What's Next
11. An Ya Don't Stop
12. Runnin' Wit No Breaks
13. Regulate ( remix )

Overview:

Anchored by the laid-back G-funk anthem "Regulate," Warren G's appropriately titled Regulate...G Funk Era embodies the mid-'90s era of Cali sunshine, endless blunts, and switch-hittin' lowriders with a welcome and somewhat surprising sense of kind-heartedness. Unlike most of his West Coast G-funk peers, Warren doesn't celebrate drive-by gang-bangin', dirty-money stackin', nor G's-up, hoes-down pimpin'. Sure, he says the f word once in a while and puffs on the cheeba-cheeba when it's passed his way, but he's essentially a good-natured, all-ages rapper, interested in nothing more than good ol'-fashioned hip-hop. He professes his demeanor succinctly on the catchy hook to "This DJ," the other era-defining highlight here: "It's kinda easy when you're listening to the G-ed-up sound/Pioneer speakers bumpin' as I smoke on a pound/I got the sound fo yo' ass and it's easy to see/That this DJ be Warren G." Like his stepbrother Dr. Dre, Warren is a more talented producer than rapper, and it's his by-the-book G-funk beat-making that truly shines here. For instance, another album highlight, "Do You See," boasts an elastic bassline and whistling synth hook, capturing the essence of G-funk as only Dre himself could. Warren further compensates for his middling rapping with a couple of guests, a few skits, and a brief running time. Even if "Regulate" and "This DJ" tower far above everything else here, Regulate...G Funk Era is nonetheless a minor gem among the myriad G-funk albums of the mid-'90s, and Warren embodies the style itself here with a precision perhaps second only to his older brother and does so with a refreshing air of harmlessness.

G-Funk at it's finest

Silver Apples - Silver apples ( 1968, Kapp, Psychedelic Rock )

No cover due to album being rarer then seeing elixir being a reasonable dude.

Track Listing:

1. Oscillations
2. Seagreen Serenades
3. Lovefingers
4. Program
5. Velvet Cake
6. Whirly-Bird
7. Dust
8. Dancing Gods
9. Misty Mountain

Overview:

The music on Silver Apples was unlike anything anyone had previously heard. Simeon layered his oscillators to create a collage of sounds that seemed to be recorded in outer space and then transmitted back to earth for your listening pleasure. The lead oscillator produced a tone akin to a theremin, contributing not only to the out-of-this-world quality, but its shaky, hyper-quiver added an air of tension. A hypnotic one- or two-chord rhythm pattern of bass notes held the tunes together, while Simeon played counter- and counter-counter-rhythms. Danny Taylor proved to be an innovative drummer, producing an array of interesting beats and fills. He also tuned his drums so he could change chords with Simeon. A song like "Lovefingers" would build with a drum and bass pattern, before bursting with waves of sound from the oscillators. Many of the tracks on Silver Apples have a subtle catchiness to them, possessing a pop mentality that isn't immediate. Simeon's "Simeon" is what pulls you in on first listens, but it is the songs that stay with you when you're away from the turntable. Compositions were kept short -- all are four minutes or less, with the exception of the tribal "Dancing Gods" -- further preserving the pop-song ethic.

Psych Rock once again

Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime ( SST, 1984, Funk-Punk )



Track Listing: not the vinyl rip with all 44 tracks as i don't want to even take the chance of ripping my vinyl record that is signed by D, Mike, and George.

1. D's Car Jam / Anxious Mo-fo
2. Theatre is the Life of you
3. Viet nam
4. Cohesion
5. It's Expected I'm Gone
6. #1 Hit Song
7. Two beads At the End
8. Do you want new wave or do you want the Truth?
9. Don't Look Now ( Live )
10. Shit from an Old Notebook
11. Nature Without man
12. One Reporter's Opinion
13. Political Song for Michael Jackson to sing
14. Maybe Partying will help
15. Toadies
16. Retreat
17. The Big foist
18. God Bows to Math
19. Corona
20. the Glory of Man
21. Take 5, D.
22. My Heart and the real world
23. History lesson Part II
24. You Need the Glory
25. The Roar of Masses could be farts
26. West Germany
27. The Politics of Time
28. Themselves
29. Please Don't Be Gentle with me
30 Nothing Indeed
31. No Exchange
32. There Ain't Shit on T.V. tonight
33. This Ain't No Picnic
34. Spillage
35. Untitled Song for Latin America
36. Jesus and Tequila
37. June 16th
38. Storm in my house
39. Martin's Story
40. Dr. Wu
41. The World according to Nouns
42. Love Dance

Overview:

If What Makes a Man Start Fires? was a remarkable step forward from the Minutemen's promising debut album, The Punch Line, then Double Nickels on the Dime was a quantum leap into greatness, a sprawling 44-song set that was as impressive as it was ambitious. While punk rock was obviously the starting point for the Minutemen's musical journey (which they celebrated on the funny and moving "History Lesson Part II"), by this point the group seemed up for almost anything -- D. Boon's guitar work suggested the adventurous melodic sense of jazz tempered with the bite and concision of punk rock, while Mike Watt's full-bodied bass was the perfect foil for Boon's leads and drummer George Hurley possessed a snap and swing that would be the envy of nearly any band. In the course of Double Nickels on the Dime's four sides, the band tackles leftist punk ("Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing"), Spanish guitar workouts ("Cohesion"), neo-Nortena polka ("Corona"), blues-based laments ("Jesus and Tequila"), avant-garde exercises ("Mr. Robot's Holy Orders"), and even a stripped-to-the-frame Van Halen cover ("Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love"). From start to finish, the Minutemen play and sing with an estimable intelligence and unshakable conviction, and the album is full of striking moments that cohere into a truly remarkable whole; all three members write with smarts, good humor, and an eye for the adventurous, and they hit pay dirt with startling frequency. And if Ethan James' production is a bit Spartan, it's also efficient, cleaner than their work with Spot, and captures the performances with clarity (and without intruding upon the band's ideas). Simply put, Double Nickels on the Dime was the finest album of the Minutemen's career, and one of the very best American rock albums of the 1980s.

Greatest album from the 80's. No Questions needed.

Crotchduster - Big fat box of shit ( Willowtip, 2003, comedy metal )



Track Listing:

1. True Nature of Williams
2. Big Top Williams
3. Cain Sings the Blues
4. Let me into Starfish Land
5. Mr. Indigent Erection
6. Mammal Sauce
7. Jogging in Hell
8. Stars ingenious Cooter
9. Crotchopus

Overview:

Crotchduster isn't a new vacuum, but a hilariously crass and highly entertaining joke-band side project from the members of the death metal outfit Capharnaum. It's probably best to poke fun at metal from within, and "Slippery Jim" and "Fornicus 'Fuckmouth' McFlappy" (along with "Cain," who's billed as a drummer but seems to be a dog) do so with relish. Big Fat Box of Shit periodically explodes into furious, triple-time death metal, and also finds time to skewer Korn ("Cain Sings the Blues"), histrionic hair metal vocals, and Glenn Danzig. They're obsessed with swearing, the dirtiest of dirty sex, and trash of both the musical and cultural type, in case the names or song titles ("Crotchopus") didn't tip you off. There's no question about it -- Big Fat Box of Shit will be a big fat insult to the uptight. But fans of jokesters like Bloodhound Gang will love this stuff, as will anyone who heard Let's Get Serious, Party Fun Action Committee's Def Jux debut that dissected hip-hop clichés with similar skill. When they're not busy eviscerating metal in all its forms, Crotchduster lays into entertainment news, rap, synth pop, rednecks, and their own fans via a priceless stretch of "hate mail" readings. Sometimes everything happens at once, like in the chaotic seven-minute-plus "Mammal Sauce," which begins as a power ballad, downshifts into grandiose European black metal, switches to an Iron Maiden-worthy gallop, rhymes "wang" with "Tang," and bottoms out in an extended section featuring vocodered vocals. Other times the joke is impenetrable yet still funny. Various references to someone named "Bill Williams" run throughout Big Fat Box of Shit. It's never made very clear who he is or why Slippery Jim hates him; however, he's at the center of approximately 120 pure genius putdowns. Big Fat Box of Shit isn't a once-a-day album. It's not even a once-a-year album. But Crotchduster is the best kind of joke band, because it provides plenty of laughs while being varied enough musically to hold your attention. Blisteringly fast and for adults only, Crotchduster is like channel surfing on late-night cable.

Parody metal at it's greatest

P.S I don't think i will ever be able to be nice or cordial to elixir, he's just too much of a faggot.

Ciao.

I'm just going to repost what was here as a new post.

Cheers.

The 303s - Lines of Parallel Minds
Label: Cult Hero
Release Date: 2006
Genre: Electronic indie rock

Review snippet:

Electronics, rock, ephemera, and mood make this ingenious duo a compelling combination of transformers evoking surreal emotional traversing. Having learned most of their musical saavy together, Ingrid Dahl and Parixit Davé create reverb-eclectic sounds that resonate through their on-looking, ultra-engaged audience. The 303s music and live performances overflow with powerful yet sweet aural dialogues that can't hide Ingrid and Parixit's shared attractions to anger, love, inquiry, and death. Each song is a discovery, as though music has become their only means of communicating.

Their debut album, Lines of Parallel Minds, amplifies the interchanging structure, quixotic beats, and strategic layers of diverse sounds. Fighting and incognizant, erratic and blasé, the music of The 303s creates something new: a balance of collaboration, of sincerity, and experimentation. Mixing the innocence of The 303s with a powerful third perspective from the album's producer, Stephen Hindman (Lismore, Cult Hero, DJ Kingsize) the music makes you travel on the air: The best of parallel-like minded minds.

My thoughts: I picked this up when the college radio station was doing their usual promo thing in which they leave a bunch of CDs on a table and let people take them and listened to it non-stop over the weekend. To me, it sounds like Radiohead meets Splashdown. Highlights include Sea of Things, Treaties, Airtravel, Jade, and Beyond The Lines.

1. Waves & Generation
2. Sea of Things
3. Beyond the Lines
4. Treaties
5. Red Line
6. Opaque Love
7. Airtravel
8. Voyeuristik Fits
9. Eyes Wide Bleeding
10. Buffalo
11. I Win
12. Jade
13. Lines Of Parallel Minds (hidden track)


Download Linky

Ciao.

Artist: Machinae Supremacy
Album: Redeemer
Label: Independent/Hubnester Industries
Date: 2006
Genre: Metal/Alternative



01. Elite
02. Rise
03. Fury
04. Ronin
05. Kaori Stomp
06. Hate
07. I Know the Reaper
08. Seventeen
09. The Cavern of Lost Time
10. Rogue World Asylum
11. Through the Looking Glass
12. Oki Kuma's Adventure
13. Reanimator (March of the Undead III)
14. Prelude to Empire
15. Empire


Redeemer is Machinae Supremacy's second album. In the words of the band itself, it's everything Dues Ex Machinae (their first album) wasn't. SIDstation use has dropped since Dues Ex Machinae, since the band believed the overused SID took away from the overall sound quality; the songs which do use lots of SiD, such as Seventeen, are done well. Three songs' backgrounds (Rise, Reanimator, and Empire) are based on songs from the Jets'N'Guns OST (or in the words of Robert, lead singer: three Jets'N'Guns songs are based on the instrumentals of Redeemer songs). Each song on the album is done in a different style as well, ranging from the slower, attitude-filled songs like Ronin and Elite; to catchy songs like Hate, Seventeen, Rogue World Asylum, and Through The Looking Glass; and to the raw energy of Fury and Empire.

With the exception of Kaori Stomp and the "non-songs" (The Cavern of Lost Time and Prelude to Empire), every song on this album has become my new favorite.

If you aren't "illegal" enough to steal from this amazing band (and why would you be on this forum then? ), you can download Rise and Through The Looking Glass for free:
http://www.machinaesupremacy.com/mus...emacy-rise.mp3
http://www.machinaesupremacy.com/mus...king_glass.mp3
And download the live version of Fury:
http://www.machinaesupremacy.com/mus...ury_(live).mp3
As well as many other songs unrelated to Redeemer here.


For everyone else, the entire album is up for grabs here:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VFNL9SD5

Cheers.

Ozric Tentacles
Below are three albums by the aforementioned band. Their style is somewhat difficult to describe, but I believe it is best labelled under psychedelic rock / ambient

Eternal Wheel (2004)



Track List:
1. Jurassic Shift
2. Myriapod
3. Saucers
4. Wob Glass
5. Coily
6. Sultana Detrii
7. Sunscape
8. Eternal Wheel
9. Vibuthi
10. Sploosh!
11. Oolite Grove
12. Ashlandi Bol
13. Iscence
14. Pyramidion
15. Spyroid
16. Neurochasm

This album is a compilation of OT's more popular songs and a great album to get a feel for their sound. It is rather good, especially the tracks Jurassic Shift and Eternal Wheel. This album has more of a progresive / psychedelic rock feel to it more so than the other albums.

DOWNLOAD LINKY

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Spirals in Hyperspace



Track List:
1. Chewier
2. Spirals In Hyperspace
3. Slinky
4. Toka Tola
5. Plasmoid
6. Oakum
7. Akasha
8. Psychic Chasm
9. Zoemetra

In terms of style, this album is all over the place. Space, trance, pyschedelic / progressive rock, ambient, down-tempo; all of those are explored in the album. Slinky, although sounding very little like a slinky, has a very trippy sound to it and is easily my favorite from the album. Although true for all OT albums, each song in the album starts in one style and ends in another, which is something rarely done to this degree of success. This technique of starting in one style and ending in another is done more noticeably in this album, however.

DOWNLOAD LINKY

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Swirly Termination (2000)



Track List:
1. Steep
2. Space Out
3. Pyoing
4. Far Dreaming
5. Waldorfdub
6. Kick
7. Yoy Mandala

Really, I could try to describe this album, but I would probably fail miserably. It has in general a spacey feel to it, and is less ambient than the other albums. However, the best way to describe this particular album is that the music feels like it's coming from every direction and sticking its tentacles into every single part of your brain, giving an almost meditative yet f-ing incredible effect. This album is best when you listen to the whole thing in one sitting, though the tracks are quite good stand-alone as well.

DOWNLOAD LINKY

Ciao.

Kronos Quartet performs Phillip Glass ( 1995, Minimalism String music )



Track listing:

1. String Quartet No.5 I
2. String Quartet No.5 II
3. String Quartet No.5 III
4. String Quartet No.5 IV
5. String Quartet No.5 V
6. String Quartet No. 4 (Buczak) I
7. String Quartet No. 4 (Buczak) II
8. String Quartet No. 4 (Buczak) III
9. String Quartet No. 2 (Company) I
10. String Quartet No. 2 (Company) II
11. String Quartet No. 2 (Company) III
12. String Quartet No. 2 (Company) IV
13. String Quartet No. 3 (Mishima) Award Montage
14. String Quartet No. 3 (Mishima) Ichigaya
15. String Quartet No. 3 (Mishima) Grandmother and Kimitake
16. String Quartet No. 3 (Mishima) Body building
17. String Quartet No. 3 (Mishima) Blood Oath
18. String Quartet No. 3 (Mishima) Closing

Classical


Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians ( 1978, ECM, Avante-garde )



Track Listings:

1. Pulses
2. Section I
3. Section II
4. Section IIIA
5. Section IIIB
6. Section IV
7. Section V
8. Section VI
9. Section VII
10. Section VIII
11. Section IX
12. Section X
13. Section XI
14. Pulses

Overview:

After Reich's initial experiments with phase music, he moved on to exploring pulse -- music that had no relation to melody, but would repeat phrases of either one or several notes, increasing then decreasing in volume as long as the musician had the stamina. When repeated with several musicians playing around one key and starting them off at different times, the result was a piece that continuously evolved, sounding like a night drive through a neon city with bright sounds appearing on the horizon, coming closer, then disappearing behind. The original recording in 1978 on ECM records was a major step forward for Reich and legitimized his music beyond the experimentation of such works as "Violin Phase." Where the phase work felt insular and looped, Music for 18 Musicians stretches as far as the eye can see.

Pulse Classica

Cheers.

THE DIGABLE PLANETS!! theyre just cool like dat.

Digable Planets - Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space) (1993, Capitol, Hip Hop)



1. It's Good To Be Here
2. Pacifics (From The Soundtrack To The Motion Picture 'N.Y. Is Red Hot')
3. Where I'm From
4. What Cool Breezes Do
5. Time & Space (A New Refutation Of)
6. Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)
7. Last Of The Spiddyocks
8. Jimmi Diggin Cats
9. La Femme Fetal
10. Escapism (Gettin' Free)
11. Appointment At The Fat Clinic
12. Nickel Bags
13. Swoon Units
14. Examination Of What

Amazon.com
Digable Planets deliberately disavowed the toughness of hip-hop culture: the trio's leader called himself Butterfly, his foil Ladybug purred like Eartha Kitt, and they produced hooks out of lines like "We're just babies, man." Despite occasional flashes of sorrow (like the pro-choice recitation "La Femme Fétal"), the group's happy and laidback on this debut, with tracks made out of old jazz records and finger-snaps, and words that draw on 50s hipster slang. Reachin' spawned the Grammy-winning single "Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)," and after this album, their joyous Blue Note-and-black-lights bounce lost some of its novelty. --Douglas Wolk

Download it:
http://rapidshare.de/files/17873813/...and_Space_.rar



Digable Planets - Blowout Comb



1. Slowes' Comb: The May 4th Movement Starring Doodlebug
2. Slowes' Comb: Black Ego
3. Slowes' Comb: Dog It
4. Slowes' Comb: Jettin'
5. Slowes' Comb: Borough Check
6. Slowes' Comb: Highing Fly
7. Agent 7 Creamy Spy Theme: Dial 7 (Axioms Of Creamy Spies)
8. Ny 21 Theme: The Art Of Easing
9. Ny 21 Theme: K.B.'s Alley (Mood Dudes Groove)
10. Ny 21 Theme: Graffiti
11. Ny 21 Theme: Blowing Down
12. Ny 21 Theme: 9th Wonder (Blackitolism)
13. Ny 21 Theme: For Corners


Amazon.com
In 1993, the Digable Planets, a trio of New York MCs with happy insect monikers (Doodlebug, Butterfly, and Ladybug) and nonthreatening auras, created manna for the pseudo-beatnik crowd. On Reachin': A New Refutation of Time and Space they melded jazz records, hip-hop beats, and rhymes--like Gang Starr and the Dream Warriors before them. Much to their dismay, the single "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)," which combined their be-boppy flows with a catchy Art Blakey loop, captured the clove cigarette contingent. Their sleeper follow-up, Blowout Comb was a De La Soul-esque reaction to their pop success. They forsook the bohemians (and probably scared them as well) by waxing poetic about the Black Panthers and Fidel Castro and giving shout-outs to their peeps in the Five Percent Nation of Islam. Loaded with live instrumentation, the album includes "Black Ego," an interpolation of a popular Meters composition laced with nice guitar plucks, and "K.B.'s Alley," where a schizophrenic trombone perfectly complements their wordplay. Despite strong guest spots by vet female DJ Jazzy Joyce, Guru, and Jeru the Damaja, it's the hidden messages, somber mood, and understated beats of "9th Wonder (Blackitolism)" or "Dial 7 (Axiom Of Creamy Spies)" that outshine the gloss of their debut. --Dalton Higgins


Download link

http://rapidshare.de/files/17882984/..._Comb.rar.html

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And for good measure...
(I'm sure you guvs have heard some George Clinton.. But just to be sure

Funkadelic - Maggot Brain (FUNK!, Westbound Records)



1. Maggot Brain <--------- YOU MUST LISTEN TO THIS SONG
2. Can You Get To That
3. Hit It And Quit It
4. You And Your Folks
5. Me And My Folks
6. Super Stupid
7. Back In Our Minds/Wars Of Armageddon


some amazon review:
Funkadelic was George Clinton's chance to get serious. Unlike Parliament, Funkadelic exhibited topical lyrics and an almost heavy-metal edge, one that included screeching, distorted guitar and unsettling musical turns. This 1971 album, Funkadelic's second release, catches the ensemble in its early prime. The Hendrix-inspired dramatics come courtesy of Eddie Hazel, while Bernie Worrell admirably handles the keyboard chores. Clinton's humorous, sober lyrics address poverty, race relations, and drug use. Musically, the band covers lots of ground: Everything from smooth soul and heavy rock to abstract psychedelia and straight-on funky grooves has a place, and these jarring shifts are what make the album a revolutionary work. --Marc Greilsamer


Download Link:
http://rapidshare.de/files/17876159/..._1971.rar.html

Ciao.

Port Royal - Flares (2005)


electronica

Tracklisting:
1 Jeka (3:56)
2 Spetsnaz / Paul Leni (10:59)
3 Zobione Pt.1 (6:47)
4 Zobione Pt.2 (8:10)
5 Zobione Pt.3 (5:07)
6 Karola Bloch (12:34)
7 Flares Pt.1 (8:39)
8 Flares Pt.2 (9:07)
9 Flares Pt.3 (5:53)
10 Stimmung (6:07)

To download
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1ZXCYJQP

Review
This album is actually pretty sad, not depressing exactly, just melancholic. For that reason, i don't think it's an album that is going to take me on a journey to the stars or anything; it makes me too introspective.

It is without doubt very beautiful ambient post-rock music and i like it very much. This album requires the right time and place.

Port-Royal are the essence of post-rock, in that they portray the ills of 21st century society to perfection. Feelings of apathy, dissatisfaction, disaffection, numbness and nothingness all come out in their music. Western society has never been better off, or had more at it's fingertips, and yet, no one is happy. We are discontent, directionless and searching for extra meaning to our lives.

Flares is a masterly piece of work because it captures this moment in time sublimely and ever so beautifully.

Cheers.

Can - Tago Mago ( 1971, Mute, Kraut Psychadelica Prog Rock AKA my third favorite album of ALL TIME)



Track listing:

1. Paperhouse 7:26
2. Mushroom KT 4:03
3. Oh Yeah 7:24
4. Halleluhwah KT 18:28
5. Aumgn 17:33
6. Peking 0 11:38
7. Bring Me Coffee or Tea KT 6:46

Overview:

With the band in full artistic flower and Suzuki's sometimes moody, sometimes frenetic speak/sing/shrieking in full effect, Can released not merely one of the best Krautrock albums of all time, but one of the best albums ever, period. Tago Mago is that rarity of the early '70s, a double album without a wasted note, ranging from sweetly gentle float to full-on monster grooves. "Paperhouse" starts things brilliantly, beginning with a low-key chime and beat, before amping up into a rumbling roll in the midsection, then calming down again before one last blast. Both "Mushroom" and "Oh Yeah," the latter with Schmidt filling out the quicker pace with nicely spooky keyboards, continue the fine vibe. After that, though, come the huge highlights -- three long examples of Can at its absolute best. "Halleluwah" -- featuring the Liebezeit/Czukay rhythm section pounding out a monster trance/funk beat; Karoli's and Schmidt's always impressive fills and leads; and Suzuki's slow-building ranting above everything -- is 19 minutes of pure genius. The near-rhythmless flow of "Aumgn" is equally mind-blowing, with swaths of sound from all the members floating from speaker to speaker in an ever-evolving wash, leading up to a final jam. "Peking O" continues that same sort of feeling, but with a touch more focus, throwing in everything from Chinese-inspired melodies and jazzy piano breaks to cheap organ rhythm boxes and near babbling from Suzuki along the way. "Bring Me Coffee or Tea" wraps things up as a fine, fun little coda to a landmark record.

This ALBUM puts FOREVER CHANGES TO SHAME. No lie.

Vashti Bunyan - Just another Diamond Day ( 1970, Dicristina Stair, British Folk )



Track Listing:

1. Diamond Day
2. Glow Worms
3. Lily Pond
4. Timothy Grub
5. Where I Like to Stand
6. Swallow Song
7. Window Over the Bay
8. Rose Hip November
9. Come Wind Come Rain
10. Hebridean Sun
11. Rainbow River
12. Trawlerman's Song
13. jog along Bess
14. Iris's Song For Us
15. Love Song
16. I'd Like to Walk Around
17. Iris's Song ( Version Two )
18. Winter is Blue

Overview:

About five years after briefly surfacing as part of Andrew Loog Oldham's stable, Vashti -- now billing herself with her full name, Vashti Bunyan -- made her only album. A folkier and more serious-minded effort than her initial mid-'60s recordings, it is a pleasing yet overly dainty slice of British rock-tinged folk, produced by Joe Boyd. A certain similarity to some other acts under Boyd's supervision, such as the Incredible String Band and Fairport Convention, was assured by contributions from the ISB's Robin Williamson and Fairport's Dave Swarbrick and Simon Nicol. For good measure, there were string and recorder arrangements by Robert Kirby, who had done some string arrangements for Nick Drake, another Boyd-produced artist. Comprised solely of original material, Just Another Diamond Day contained dignified yet slightly sad ruminations with a pastoral, indeed rural feel, imbued with images of solitary meditations upon rain, wind, sunsets, and open fields. The drum-less, acoustic arrangements yielded an intimate ambience well-suited for Vashti's fragile, measured, almost despondently wispy vocals. These were rather in the manner of Marianne Faithfull's highest and most whispery early efforts, albeit with far folkier setting and more vivid lyrics.

A unknown folk gem from the british Iles

New York Dolls - S/T ( 1973, Mercury, NY Punk )



Track Listing:

1. Personality Crisis
2. Looking For A Kiss
3. Vietnamese Baby
4. Lonely Planet Boy
5. Frankenstein ( Orig. )
6. Trash
7. bad Girl
8. Subway Train
9. Pills
10. Private World
11. Jet Boy

Overview:

There are hints of girl group pop and more than a hint of the Rolling Stones, but The New York Dolls doesn't really sound like anything that came before it. It's hard rock with a self-conscious wit, a celebration of camp and kitsch that retains a menacing, malevolent edge. The New York Dolls play as if they can barely keep the music from falling apart and David Johansen sings and screams like a man possessed. The New York Dolls is a noisy, reckless album that rocks and rolls with a vengeance. The Dolls rework old Chuck Berry and Stones riffs, playing them with a sloppy, violent glee. "Personality Crisis," "Looking for a Kiss," and "Trash" strut with confidence, while "Vietnamese Baby" and "Frankenstein" sound otherworldly, working the same frightening drone over and over again. The New York Dolls is the definitive proto-punk album, even more than anything the Stooges released. It plunders history while celebrating it, creating a sleazy urban mythology along the way.

One of the Funnest Rock Albums ever recorded

Gram Parsons - G.P & Grevious Angel ( 1972 & 73, Reprise, Country Rock )



Track listing:

G. P

1. Still Feeling Blue
2. We'll Sweep Out the Ashes in the Morning
3. A Song For you
4. Streets of Baltimore
5. She
6. That's All It Took
7. The New Soft Shoe
8. Kiss the Children
9. Cry One More Time
10. How Much I've Lied
11. Big Mouth Blues

Grevious Angel

1. Return of the Grievous Angel
2. Hearts On Fire
3. I Can't Dance
4. Brass Buttons
5. $1000 Wedding
6. Cash on the Barrelhead/ Hickory Wind Medley
7. Love Hurts
8. Ooh Las Vegas
9. In My Hour of Darkness

Overviews:

G.P Overview

Given Gram Parsons' habit of taking control of the bands he played with (and his disinclination towards staying with them for very long), it was inevitable that he would eventually strike out on his own, and his first solo album, 1973's G.P., is probably the best realized expression of his musical personality. Working with a crack band of L.A. and Nashville's finest (including James Burton on guitar, Ronnie Tutt on drums, Byron Berline on fiddle, and Glen D. Hardin on piano), he drew from them a sound that merged breezy confidence with deeply felt Southern soul, and he in turn pulled off some of his most subtle and finely detailed vocal performances; "She" and "A Song for You," in particular, are masterful examples of passion finding balance with understatement. Parsons also discovered that rare artist with whom he can be said to have genuinely collaborated (rather than played beside), Emmylou Harris; Gram and Harris' spot-on harmonies and exchanged verses on "We'll Sweep out the Ashes in the Morning" and "That's All It Took" are achingly beautiful and instantly established her as one country music's most gifted vocalists. On G.P., Parsons' ambitious vision encompassed hard-country weepers, wistful ballads, up-tempo dance tunes, and even horn-driven rhythm and blues. He managed to make them all work, both as individual tunes and as a unified whole. If it falls just short of being his greatest work (an honor that goes to The Flying Burrito Bothers' The Gilded Palace of Sin) thanks to a couple songs that are a bit too oblique for their own good ("The New Soft Shoe" may be beautiful, but who knows just what it's supposed to be about), this album remains one that is hauntingly and has only gotten better with the passing years.

Grevious Angel Overview

Gram Parsons fondness for drugs and high living are said to have been catching up with him while he was recording Grievous Angel, and sadly he wouldn't live long enough to see it reach record stores, dying from a drug overdose in the fall of 1973. This album is a less ambitious and unified set than his solo debut, but that's to say that G.P. was a great album while Grievous Angel was instead a very, very good one. Much of the same band that played on his solo debut were brought back for this set, and they perform with the same effortless grace and authority (especially guitarist James Burton and fiddler Byron Berline). If Parsons was slowing down a bit as a songwriter, he still had plenty of gems on hand from more productive days, such as "Brass Buttons" and "Hickory Wind (which wasn't really recorded live in Northern Quebec; that's just Gram and the band ripping it up live in the studio, with a handful of friends whooping it up to create honky-tonk atmosphere). He also proved to be a shrewd judge of other folks material as always; Tom T. Hall's "I Can't Dance" is a strong barroom rocker, and everyone seems to be having a great time on The Louvin Brothers's "Cash on the Barrelhead." As a vocal duo, Parsons and Emmylou Harris only improved on this set, turning in a version of "Love Hurts" so quietly impassioned and delicately beautiful that it's enough to make you forget Roy Orbison ever recorded it. And while he didn't plan on it, Parsons could hardly have picked a better closing gesture than "In My Hour of Darkness." Grievous Angel may not have been the finest work of his career, but one would be hard pressed to name an artist who made an album this strong only a few weeks before their death -- or at any time of their life, for that matter.

Two of the greatest Rock albums of all time in one package from one of rock's lost martyrs

Ciao.