Sunday 27 July 2008

MUSIC EMPORIUM - Selftitled ( US Psychedelic Masterpiece - 1969 )

The Music Emporium was a venturesomely creative quartet, comprised of Dora Wahl, their only non-vocalist, but an accomplished girl drummer - one of only a few in rock at the time (Jan Errico of the Vejtables, and later, the Mojo Men, as well as Maureen Tucker of the Velvet Underground, also come to mind); Carolyn Lee, another nimble femme, who made the bass guitar hum (also played piano and sometimes, organ); Dave Padwin, a master of both wispy and agitating chops, on guitar; and Bill "Casey" Cosby, the organ playing wizard, who could blend wedding and funeral music (psychedelia is often awash with contradictions) to evoke a new, sonic vocabulary and who also wrote or co-wrote, with Thom Wade (guitarist/vocalist from a previous group he played in), the lion's share of material for the band. With all of the aforementioned virtuosic qualities, the Music Emporium's signature could range anywhere from grinding eeriness to luscious wistfulness, even taking one into the twilight zone, at times.

The lyricism in all of the songs on "Music Emporium" are philosophical poetry, pursuing--through apocalyptic crescendos and chanting sound bites--poignant issues that were the embodiment of the 60s: peace, love and brotherhood; ultimate knowledge and truth; the celestial; the wearisomeness of work; and fate. This brings me to the matter of five bonus cuts on this expanded CD reissue by the Music Emporium: instrumental versions of half of the ten numbers heard previously that were on the original album. I found that their music here, divorced from lyrics, can depict impeccable images. Yes, the incessant intensity in the mellifluous mystique they engender is like the sight and redolence of incense, wafting forever through the air of an open window on a dreamy midsummer's dusk.

All in all, this CD by the Music Emporium is a veritable masterwork. If they possessed a slightly larger oeuvre like, say, what the Left Banke or the Strawberry Alarm Clock (who they bore some resemblance to) had, they might have been a contender for the most underrated group in rock history accolade. Indulge yourself then; go out and snap up this CD now, for in this opus by the Music Emporium the dance of hypnotic keyboards brightens whispering darkness.

Track listing :
01. Nam Myo Renge Kyo
02. Velvet Sunsets
03. Prelude
04. Catatonic Variations
05. Times Like This
06. Gentle Thursday
07. Winds Have Changed
08. Cage Listen Listen
09. Sun Never Shines
10. Day Of Wrath
"Bonus tracks"
11. Nam Myo Renge Kyo (instrumental)
12. Velvet Sunsets (instrumental)
13. Winds Have Changed (instrumental)
14. Sun Never Shines (instrumental)
15. Gentle Thursday (instrumental)

Link (Taken from chrisgoesrocks.blogspot.com ) :
http://sharebee.com/d5f73f6c

One of my "desert island" top albums !!

Råg I Ryggen - Selftitled ( Swedish Heavy Psych-Prog Rock - 1975 )

This band only produced one album in 1975, but one album is enough to say a band is excellent. This is a swedish, heavy rock/psych, prog related album. The organs and fast drums all over the place are great, the swedish vox sound very cool. The guitar solos are really sweet too, wah is quite evident. You want flute? That's here too! I'm sure people who had the opportunity to hear this in 1975 were shocked at its sheer heavyness.

All the songs are constructed with melody as a first priority, and the result is a solid, remarkably accessible effort.

Track Listings
1. Det Kan Väl Inte Vara Farligt (5:37)
2. You Know It Ain't Easy (7:17)
3. Spångaforsens Brus (5:52)
4. Jan Banan (5:10)
5. Naked Man (6:12)
6. Queen of Darkness (4:31)
7. Sanningsserum (6:30)
8. Sanningsserum (live) (7:26)
9. Jan Banan (live) (5:26)
10. Land Over the Rainbow (live) (5:15)
Total Time: 58:39

Line-up/Musicians
- Jonas Warnerbring / vocals, flute
- Christer Sjöborg / organ, synthesizer, string thing
- Bjorn Aggemyr / bass
- Björn "Nysse" Nyström / guitar
- Jan Aggemyr / guitar
- Peter Sandberg / drums

Links (Thanks to Sakalli) :
http://tinyurl.com/5jo5n6
&
http://tinyurl.com/5py7wc

!!! Password needed = sakalli !!!

ELONKORJUU - Harvest Time ( Heavy progressive rock - 1972 - Finland )

Finnish quintet Elonkorjuu are one of the many little-known bands that did heavy blues/psych with strong prog elements, drawing initially from the schools of Cream, Black Sabbath and Colosseum but expanding on those influences with soulful church organ and cutting guitar from leader Jukka Syrenius.
No obvious pull here for the jaded progster but many little surprises hidden just beneath the surface, and Elonkorjuu is worth investigation if you have an ear for the shadowy and mysterious world of early heavy progressive rock.

Track Listings
1. Unfeeling (3:23)
2. Swords (4:03)
3. Captain (3:41)
4. Praise to Our Basement (4:43)
5. Future (3:55)
6. Hey Hunter (3:40)
7. The Ocean Song (3:17)
8. Old Man's Dream (4:44)
9. Me and My Friend (4:01)
10. A Little Rocket Song (4:04)
11. Where is the Rising Sun (8:06) "Bonus Track"
Total Time 47:37

Line-up/Musicians
- Jukka Syrenius / guitar, vocals
- Veli-Pekka Pessi / bass
- Heikki Lajunen / vocals
- Eero Rantasila / drums
- Ilkka Poijärvi / organ, guitar, flute

It's really one of my favs in the scandinavian heavy prog landscapes !!!

Links 320@ with artwork included (Thanks to orexisofdeath.blogspot.com) :
http://lix.in/-2e8f84
&
http://lix.in/-301625

Enjoy it !!!

Friday 25 July 2008

Purple Overdose "Reborn" ( Psychedelic masterpiece - Greece - 1999)

They're considered by their fans and music experts in Greece and abroad as the one and only band of the 90's which faithfully revives and improves the fine psychedelic music of the 60's and 70's. The band was formed in Athens, Greece in 1987 by Costas Constantinou (born Athens, 1960), a gifted and inspired man who plays guitar, sings, composes music and writes lyrics of exceptional sensitivity and beauty, in the fine tradition of the futuristic psychedelic philosophy.

The title of the album is ''REBORN'' and it was released on April 22,1999. It's a concept album and the first PURPLE OVERDOSE material to be released on CD. How can one describe a masterpiece? PURPLE OVERDOSE steals the heart of every listener of 'REBORN'. A hopeful message of sensitive and optimistic views about the coming of the new century, is the meaning of 'REBORN'.

Tracklist :
1. (It's a) Fortune Teller (12:00)
2. Gonna Be Tomorrow, Today (4:55)
3. Nobody There (8:04)
4. Her Arms Embraced the Sun (8:11)
5. Fading Sound of Lost Thoughts (3:22)
6. The Drone (1:29)
7. Long Way Down (3:06)
8. The Flight (Pt. 1) (2:22)
9. The Flight (Pt. 2) (3:16)
10. Reborn (5:00)

Will O The Wisp "Second Sight" (Great Dreamy Psych Folk - Greece - 2000)

2nd LP by Greek progsters is a fine release of dense, atmospheric progressive rock with rich organ, guitar/flute soli and flowing male/female vocals.

Track Listings
01. The Passage
02. Internal Journey
03. Queen Of Dreams
04. Ropedancer
05. Rings Of Time
06. Water-Lily's Land
07. The Message
08. S.T.3

Line-up/Musicians
Takis Barbagalas (Electric & Accoustic Guitar)
Aggelos Gerakitis (Vocals)
Dina Nassi (Hammond, Piano, Rhodes)
Costas Pagonas (Bass)
Nikos Manousopoulos (Drums, Percussion)
Nikos Chalikias (Flute)
Guest : Sofia Rapti (Vocals)

Link : http://www.megaupload.com/fr/?d=XVO1ZMYE

Will O The Wisp "Ceremony of Innocence" Greece - 2004


A dreamy psych folk masterpiece from Greece.

3rd full length by progressive psych-rock band from Greece is their masterpiece.
"Ceremony of Innocence" creates dreamy atmospheres with male and female vocals, swirling organ, strong electric guitar leads and floating flute parts.

Studio Album, released in 2004

Track Listings
01. Smoke Suspended In The Still Air…
02. The Rabbit Under The Teardrop's Shade(of Alice)
03. Shadows Of Daylight
04. The Reaper's Paper Boat
05. Hew A Dream In The Twilight
06. Haze Secrets
07. A William Blake's Song
08. Fairies Waltz

Line-up/Musicians
Takis Barbagalas (Electric & Accoustic Guitar)
Aggelos Gerakitis (Vocals)
Dina Nassi (Organ , Piano)
Costas Pagonas (Bass)
Nikos Manousopoulos (Drums, Percussion)
Nikos Chalikias (Flute)
Guest : Sofia Rapti (Vocals)

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/?di2gmlxi2od

I really love it !!!