Tuesday, January 27, 2009
ACID JAZZ vol I
OK, this is one of the greatest compilations to emerge from the "rare grooves" revival era and it has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO with the "Acid Jazz" label - so don't be fooled by the title!
I bought volumes I and II on vinyl somewhere in 1996 in Leeds and they have been on my everyday playlist for many years (still are!!!). Later, I found out that the CD versions had 2 or even 3 bonus tracks compared to the vinyl versions (I would expect this to be the other way around, really) and therefore I HAD to buy them on CD, too!
All volumes contain a range of Killer Grooves from the Prestige vaults by artists such as Charles Earland, Gene Ammons, Houston person, Boogaloo Joe Jones, Funk Inc, Pucho and loads more. We are talking about funky and soulful cuts that can lift you up the very moment you start listening to them! I also find them extremely handy during my DJ sets!
This compilation consists of 3 volumes (as far as I know) and they are all of consistently high quality. They are also a good starting point for those new to the sound of the artists included.
I'd recommend buying this compilation; it should be part of every music collection!
Enjoy!!!
Acid Jazz I
PS: volumes II and III will be upped soon!
Monday, January 26, 2009
ZEPHYR - Zephyr
Zephyr. I was eager to purchase that album mainly because I admired Tommy Bolin's playing with Billy Cobham (in the amazing "Spectrum") and with Deep Purple in "Come Taste The Band" (Deep Purple have never been among my favourites-I only liked their MKI albums to be honest). I had also read somewhere that Zephyr were fronted by a female singer whose voice was very much like Janis Joplin's, only louder and harsher.
After the very first spin, I was amazed at the musicianship but disappointed with Candie Givens' voice. She's actually trying too hard to sound like Janis Joplin and the results are...ehm...crap, really. There are songs in which her pretentious falsetto is simply unbearable to listen to. Shame, because the rest of the band really kicks ass playing a blend of blues and hard rock with jazz elements. Anyway, maybe some of you appreciate what I haven't so far. Again, the musicianship level is really high and it's only the vocals that really get on my nerves... I'd like to know if anyone's got a different opinion, actually.
Rip is in 192kbps (sorry for that but I ripped it ages ago, when bitrate was ...a secondary consideration). Sound quality is very good though, don't worry!
Enjoy!
Zephyr
PS: I would appreciate some comments; after all they're the only reason for this blog to keep going. Don't be a dummy, drop me a line!
VASHTI BUNYAN - Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind (CD 1)
OK, I know i'ts been almost 10 months since I last uploaded anything on this blog! Long time, surely, but now that I've got a (damn slow) Internet connection at home makes things a little bit easier.
I've been really into psychedelic folk the last few months and I managed to find some gems I've been lookin' for. Vashti Bunyan's songs are definitely some of my favourites. I bought this double compilation from a local shop and it seemingly includes all songs Vashti Bunyan recorded - either in a proper studio or at home. The compilation consists of two CDs and this is the first CD, including her most impressive stuff with songs such as "Winter Is Blue" and the "Train Song". Nice voice, nice lyrics and a convincing performance by John Bunyan's alleged descendant.
The 2nd CD of the compilation will be upped soon. The CD case includes a fine booklet in which Vashti herself speaks about her songs. I definitely recommend buying the original compilation, since it's also got great artwork and loads of photos.
Vashti Bunyan
Enjoy!
PS: I don't usually post CD rips but I haven't set up my vinyl ripping equipment yet, since I moved in to another house very recently. Don't worry though, rare and OOP vinyl albums are on their way! Stay tuned!
PS 2: Many of the albums posted in this blog have been removed by Mediafire, as part of the usual "copyright infringement" policy. I have decided not to reup those (mainly for being extremely time-consuming to reup). I'm really sorry for the inconvenience. But, hey, grab them at a record shop if you find them and support your artists!
PS 3: Drop by this blog's little brother, Sampler's delight, for some strange 45 rpm rips!
