For today, here is a rarity, "Love All Life" by Lindsay Blue. I couldn't find many info about him. His really name is Lindsay Bourke and he also recorded another LP with the title "Wilderness Awakening" in 1976. I have read that Lindsay Blue is actually Lindsay Bjerre of Tamam Shud, but i don't think this is right. Lindsay Bjerre was a guitarist, not a keyboard player.
In the site "Encyclopedia of Electronic Music" it says: "Blue, Lindsay (Australia) / Love All Life (1975) German-born keyboardist named Lindsay Bourke released this album of psychedelic and religious electronics / voice / percussion / nature sounds".
Tracklist:
A Side - Movements - Mediums A1 Birth A2 Sea Life A3 Youth in Spring A4 Flora A5 Carnival of the Frogs A6 The Passover A7 Children's Realms
B Side - Lunar Eclipse B1 Lunar Eclipse B2 Laughter B3 Song - Love All Life B4 Chorus - Rejoice in the Kingdoms B5 Lament B6 Praise the Creator B7 Mergence and Renewal B8 The Timeless Dance B9 Mantra
Biography: The Devil's Anvil is one of those groups that could only have been signed to a label like Columbia Records in the late 1960s. At that point, the record company was desperately trying to make up for the ground and market share that it had lost during the years 1964-1966, when -- with a few notable exceptions -- it had avoided rock & roll. Enter folkie-turned-rock musician/producer Felix Pappalardi, who brought the Devil's Anvil to Columbia and got them a contract to record one album.
Pappalardi was born in the Bronx in 1939, the son of a doctor. He studied classical music and graduated from the University of Michigan, and came back to New York seeking work as a conductor before being lured to the burgeoning folk music community in Greenwich Village. He later worked as a backup musician and arranger with Tim Hardin, the Youngbloods, Ian and Sylvia, the Mugwumps, and Tom Rush. It was in 1966 while hanging out in the Village that he chanced upon a group of Middle Eastern-born or -descended musicians playing at a coffee house called Feejon. Pappalardi began playing with them, and eventually they became the unofficial house band at Feejon -- the core members of the group, which took the name the Devil's Anvil, were Steve Knight (rhythm guitar, bass, bouzouki), Jerry Satpir (lead guitar, vocals), Eliezer Adoram (accordion), and Kareem Issaq (oud, vocals). Knight and Pappalardi developed a good working relationship, trading the bass and guitar spots during the recording of the group's one album, Hard Rock from the Middle East, which set the stage for their subsequent team-up together in Mountain.
The Devil's Anvil never caught on as a recording act, in part because of the timing of their debut album's release. The very same day that Hard Rock from the Middle East hit the stores, the 1967 Arab-Israeli War broke out, and not a single radio station anywhere in New York (where the group was based and, thus, had its best shot at airplay) would go near the album. The members eventually went their separate ways, Knight to join Mountain, and the rest out of the pop music industry.
Pappalardi, who was all over the group's only album on bass and guitar, as well as singing (joined by guest musicians Bobby Gregg and Herb Lovelle on drums, and Mike Mohel on the durbeki), subsequently emerged as an internationally known rock producer, based on his work later in 1967 producing Wheels of Fire by Cream. He formed Mountain in 1968 with Steve Knight, Corky Laing, and Vagrants guitarist Leslie West, and they spent four years as hard rock superstars recording for Pappalardi's own Windfall label. In 1974, he formed a Japanese heavy metal outfit called Creation (no relation to the British band of that name), and began a solo career late in the '70s -- eventually, he also began trying to write music for Broadway and television. On April 17, 1983, he was shot to death by his wife in an apparent accident. (by Bruce Eder, http://www.allmusic.com/)
Review: The Devil's Anvil were a group of Arab-American musicians playing the New York folk and rock club circuit in the mid-'60s. They differed from virtually every other group experimenting with Eastern sounds because though they were rock musicians deeply rooted to the folk traditions of their heritages, and they played the Anatolian instruments associated with them. Among the members of Devil's Anvil were Felix Pappalardi, then a house producer at Columbia, and Steve Knight, who partnered with him, and Leslie West and Corky Laing in Mountain. Knight was a founding member of Devil's Anvil, playing rhythm guitar, bass, and bouzouki. Other members included the excellent lead guitarist Jerry Satpir, Eliezer Adoram on accordion, and Kareem Issaq on vocals and oud. Pappalardi produced the set and added tamboura and durbeki (dumbek). Hard Rock from the Middle East is the only album issued by the group. They had the unfortunate karma of having their album released at the height of the Arab-Israeli war and no one would touch the recording -- check out the cover and it's easy to see why. That said, this is truly a forgotten classic. The music found here is often sung in Arabic, its arrangements walk a tightrope between the modern psychedelia of the day and centuries-old traditional folk modalities and melodies. There is no camp factor in these proceedings, and each member is a heavy hitter in his own right. According to the liner notes, Pappalardi says that the group would back stars on the Middle Eastern circuit when they came through New York. Tracks such as "Shisheler" and "Karkadon" (both tunes from antiquity) illustrate the sound of the set ideally. Amid the electric guitars that are at the forefront of the sound, oud, dumbek, and bouzouki flood the backdrop. Elsewhere, such as on the wailing opener "Wala Dai," the addition of studio drummer Bobby Gregg and an uncredited Farfisa organ make the music take on a full rock personae, while displaying its Arab characteristics in vocal, rhythmic pulse, and harmonic scale with fuzz guitar on full-surf stun. But there are other surprises, as well, such as "Kley," which is sung in Greek and played according to a folk arrangement that straddles both traditions and seems right at home as a rock tune. Likewise, "Shisheller" utilizes psychedelic overdriven guitar and bass to fuel a celebratory Turkish tune that is sung in its native language! This is the true stunner on the set, where everything that Devil's Anvil possessed is on display. The best-known cut here is "Misirlou," sung in English by Pappalardi and is entirely different -- and better than -- the well-known cover of it by Dick Dale. It's true that Hard Rock from the Middle East is an album that was ahead of its time, and over four decades, later it remains so. With its stunning musicianship, songcraft, and skillful weaving of musical traditions into a cohesive musical statement, it endures and is perhaps even more relevant today than when it was first released. [Columbia reissued the CD with a bonus track in 2009.] (by Thom Jurek, http://www.allmusic.com/)
The original Greek version of misirlou by Tetos Dimitriades (1927)
Clem Alford is a Scottish musician who after musical studies became rapidly enthusiastic by the rich possibilities offered by fusion music, especially by the cross relationships between West and East. In order to perfect his knowledges Clem travelled to India and studied with raga masters. Pupil of Pandit Sachindranath Saha he obtained successfully a diploma in India music (1970, Calcutta), specialised himself in "sitar" playing. After an outstanding performance for a recital in Bombay the same year, Clem has made a name in the world of India music. His talented "sitar" style was fully appreciated by the public and the community of specialists. Clem Alford's free spirited adventure has carried on worldwide. The musician performed in many countries from West to East (India, Japan and several other Asian countries). As a teacher and theorist Clem has written a guide book to explain his philosophy and how you need to play the sitar. During the beginning of the 70's he formed a trio, suggesting a fusion between popular music and classical raga. In 1974, he recorded his most successful album "Mirror Image". Absolutely captivating this album is one of the most accomplished mix between the pop/ rock structures and the sacred sound of raga music. Beautifully textured, breaking of all musical conformism. Clem has also been associated with the famous John Williams (classical guitar) John Mayer (composer/ Indo Jazz Fusions) Maurice Jarre (film scores) John Dankworth (jazz) Hemmant Kunar (vocalist) and a host of other striking personalities in the world of music. (http://www.progarchives.com)
A very complex and weird one-shot from Germany. Actually, when it comes to complexity, rawness and disharmonious elements, these guys tends to remind me of Il Balletto di Bronzo's "Ys". Of course, "Full Horn" didn't have the same fantastic atmosphere and is never close to equal the Italian masterpiece but it's still a decent, interesting and unique progressive rock album. The 20-minute suite "Day of a Daydream Believer" takes up the first side. The composition never stays the same and shifts from raw and disharmonious parts to softer and more atmospheric passages, often dominated by a spacey organ and vocal-harmonies. The arrangements include lots of organ, thundering bass & guitar work, energetic drumming and also some flute & saxophone. Possibly one of the weirdest and most complex tracks to ever come from the German progressive rock scene. Side 2 starts with a rather poppy and light tune, but we're taken back to the style of the first side again with the 12-minute "Spot on You, Kids". A few passages on the album (like the two first minutes on the closing track "And the Madness...") seems to be weird only for the weirdness' sake, but most of it is an enjoyable and challenging listen. (http://www.vintageprog.com/)
Quite an exceptional band, of whom we know little, except that they were discovered by Jochen Petersen. Despite only releasing one album, Cornucopia (a Latin term meaning "Horn of plenty") certainly lived up to their name, as FULL HORN is a wondrous cornucopia of delights, containing a dazzlingly complex rock and fusion, overflowing with invention. Typical of the era, Cornucopia had a big sound, their songs were unpredictable, often outrageous in Zappa-esque manner with dense musical textures comparable to Amon Duul II, close to Nine Days Wonder, Gnidrolog and Grobschnitt, with an instrumental flair recalling Thirsty Moon. From the side-long "Day Of A Daydream Believer" onto the closing "And The Madness" Cornucopia ride from the weird psychedelic, via the absurd, onto raucous rock fusion with an ever-unpredictable surprise with each twist and turn. The very spirit of eccentric Krautrock - a delight! (The Crack In The Cosmic Egg, http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/ultimathule/krautrockers.html#c)
Tracks Listing: 1. Day of a Day-Dream Believer (19:50) - a. Humanoid robot show - b. Hope - Part one - c. Disillusion - d. Hope - Part two - e. Death of a clown - f. D-daily review - g. Night, night - Mankind's motor-dream - h. The sound of national caughing 2. Morning sun (version 127) (3:07) 3. Spots on you, kids (12:37) 4. And the madness... (4:05)
Total Time: 39:39
Line-up / Musicians: - Wolfgang Bartl / bass, backing vocals - Wolfgang Gaudes / drums, percussion, acoustic guitar - Christoph Hardwig / keyboards, guitar, backing vocals - Rudy Holzhauer / percussion, troot - Wolfgang Kause / lead vocals - Harry Koch / effects, percussion, voice - Kai Henrik Moller / lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals + Jochen Petersen / saxophones, flute, guitar
For today i would like to present you The Great Balloon Race, a band from Cork, Ireland.
I received an e-mail from Jonathan McNicholas, one of the guitarists of the band, some days ago, who informed me about his band and their work. They play a mix of psychedelic/prog jazz rock music with some very nice dreamy vocals. They have also released a selftitled EP.
You can download the EP from the band's site for free or you can "buy" it, paying as much as you want. Here is the link:
The Great Balloon Race are: Marcus Gordon - Guitar / Vocals
Jonathan McNicholas - Guitar / Vocals
Patrick Cullen - Bass / Vocals
Joe Tomkins - Drums
David O Regan - Keys and Sax
Category: G |
Views: 492 |
Added by: wcpaeb |
Date: 19 July 2011
| Comments (0)
EKSEPTION is a Dutch band that was famous during the late sixties/early seventies for the way it combined themes from classical composers with contemporary rock and jazz in a blend of dominating, virtuoso keys and trumpet plus sax(es). The story of EKSEPTION as we know it begins when they won the first prize at the Loosdrecht Jazz Festival in 1968, and they were rewarded with a record contract with Philips. At the suggestion of Rick van der LINDEN, the band's keyboard player, they decided to record rock versions of Beethoven's "Fifth" and Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance". Although initially the single with "The Fifth" did not catch on, three months after it was released suddenly it began to sell like hotcakes, and the basis for the now famous EKSEPTION formula was established: a cocktail of classical music with (symphonic) rock and jazz. Following the success of the single, their first album was recorded, which contained a mix of covers, classical themes in a rock/jazz setting, and one song written by the band.
Rick van der LINDEN emerged as the band's artistic leader, and on their second album ("Beggar Julia's Timetrip") he was responsible for arranging and writing the music. Although EKSEPTION's first album was entirely instrumental, on the second as well as the third one, "Ekseption 3", a singer was included in the band (on "Julia Beggar's Timetrip" the singer was Michel van DIJK, who later joined the Dutch band ALQUIN, while on "Ekseption 3" Steve ALLET replaced Michel). The role of the singer was very limited on those albums, which featured only a couple of vocal songs, so after their third album the singer left the band, and EKSEPTION once again became an all instrumental band. The fourth album shows a band that had evolved into a tight symphonic rock ensemble, playing side by side with the ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA in a performance of the centre piece of the album: "Piccadilly Sweet", a suite for orchestra and rock band written by Rick van der LINDEN. The next two albums show a matured band with their own distinct sound and their unique brand of music. However, after the album "Trinity" Rick van der LINDEN was forced to leave the band, and with Rick the musical identity of the band disappeared as well. Rick's successor in EKSEPTION, Hans Jansen, had a different musical background, leaning much more towards fusion music, and the albums made after Rick's departure clearly show the difference between the two keyboard players ("Bingo-bingo", "Mindmirror" and "Back to the Classics"). EKSEPTION did no longer enjoy the success when Rick was still in the band, and after a third last album ("Back to the Classics") EKSEPTION was disbanded. The formula of EKSEPTION was too restrictive for its members, so they adopted a different name, SPIN, added a few new musicians, and they recorded two albums under that name.
After his departure from EKSEPTION in 1973, Rick formed his own band, TRACE, and he recorded three astonishing symphonic rock albums with this band. In 1978 Rick van der LINDEN and Rein van den BROEK, EKSEPTION's trumpet player, came together and they decided to reunite EKSEPTION with the old line-up: Peter de LEEUWE (drums), Cor DEKKER (bass), Dick REMELINK (sax), and of course Rein and Rick. They recorded "EKSEPTION 78" in a time when symphonic rock and prog rock were not in vogue, and "EKSEPTION 78" did not have the commercial success that was hoped for. Hoping to restore some of that success EKSEPTION released an album in 1981 with new recordings of their old hits together with two new tracks, "Dance Macabre". But when this album failed to be a success as well Rick and Rein decided to call it quits. In 1989 a new attempt was made at a comeback with EKSEPTION. They recorded "EKSEPTION'89", a CD with again old material in new arrangements as well as a couple of new tracks. Again it did not work out the way EKSEPTION had hoped, and the scenario of 1981 repeated itself. In 1994 EKSEPTION came together again for some live performances, and a live album was recorded. However, the album contains tepid, uninspired performances of old material, and it seemed that now the final curtain had fallen for EKSEPTION.
In 2001 Rick released a solo album where he fused the church organ with rock music in new arrangements of the music he had performed with TRACE and EKSEPTION. He decided to rejuvenate EKSEPTION with some new blood in the shape of Mark Inneo on drums, Meredith Nelson on bass and Bob Shields on guitar. With this new EKSEPTION and his wife on vocals he toured through Holland and Germany in 2003. There are plans to release a live DVD as well as releasing a CD with newly recorded material. So, in 2004 the saga of EKSEPTION, which started in the sixties, still continues.
Recently the first four albums were released on CD, and I HIGHLY recommend this double CD (it's called "3 Originals", with the fourth album added as a bonus). The album "EKSEPTION 78" has also been released on CD, although with a different title (you can check out these releases by clicking on the album). Other than these CD releases, the other albums still are waiting to be released on CD, although some tracks of these albums appear on compilation albums. Of the compilation albums "Air" and "Selected Ekseption" are the best ones. The CD "Live in Germany" is best avoided, it's a registration of a concert of EKSEPTION in the nineties, but it does not at all reflect the energy of the band used to have on stage. For those of you who cannot wait for an official CD release of the yet unreleased albums of EKSEPTION or who are interested in the two vinyl records made by SPIN, which have not appeared on CD, the Dutch site www.fonos.nl offers people an opportunity to order CD recordings from original albums, which are no longer in print.
In short, I highly recommend EKSEPTION to anyone interested in symphonic rock. Although there are other bands who combined classical music with rock, such as THE NICE and EMERSON, LAKE AND PALMER, both in their sound and their music EKSEPTION show themselves to be one of a kind. (http://www.progarchives.com/)
Tracks Listing: 1. The 5th (3:21) 2. Dharma For One (3:25) 3. Little X Plus (2:33) 4. Sabre Dance (4:35) 5. Air (2:50) 6. Ritual Fire Dance (2:15) 7. Rapsody In Blue (3:39) 8. This Here (4:10) 9. Dance Macabre Opus 40 (2:20) 10. Canvas (2:25)
Line-up / Musicians: - Rob Kruisman / saxophones, flute, guitar, vocals - Rick van der Linden / piano, organ, dulcimer - Rein van den Broek / trumpet - Cor Dekker / bass guitar - Peter de Leeuwe / drums, vocals - Huib van Kampen / guitar, Tenor saxophone
Crazy Love is a 1987 film directed by Belgian director Dominique Deruddere. The film is based on various writings by author and poet Charles Bukowski. It was the first Flemish-Belgian filmed to receive a theatrical release in North America.
Plot: The film follows Harry Voss during three important days of his life. The first is as a youth, the second on the day of his high school graduation and the third as a lonely, middle-aged man. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_Love_%281987_film%29)
Three 'Bukowskian' torrid nights in the life of a man in search of love. Harry Voss, 12, is young and naive. Love, for him, is romantic love between princes and princesses demurely kissing each other on the mouth. His father is a hero who kidnapped his mother and married her on a lonely mountain peak... Later on, he'll do the same. But Harry has a lot to learn. He also learns that there are handsome men and ugly ones, that love can be unfair. That one can find comfort in drinking... but above all he learns that man is capable of anything - absolutely anything! - to get his fair share of love. (IMDB)
