Randy Burns - "Of Love and War" - US loner folk 1967

Randy Burns is a minor figure on the Greenwich Village '60s folk scene, but his albums are largely enjoyable examples of post-Dylan psychedelic folk; the first three have the added collector value of being on the legendary New York indie ESP-Disk although they're not as interesting as, say, Pearls Before Swine.

Burns was born in Connecticut in 1948 and ran away from home at the age of 17. After the requisite period spent bumming around with a guitar on his back, the teenager ended up in New York City at the tail end of the folk boom of the early '60s, sleeping in Washington Square Park and busking for spare change. In early 1966, at the age of 18, he landed a regular gig as the permanent opening act at the legendary Gaslight Club on MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village. Shortly thereafter, Burns was approached by ESP-Disk founder and president Bernard Stollman, who invited the young folk singer to record for his label. Although Burns' style was far more "normal" than anyone else on the label (his cohorts included the Fugs and the Godz, plus the best of the city's free jazz scene), he dutifully recorded his first album, 1967's Of Love and War, a pleasant but fairly unremarkable folk album of the time with Burns' smooth voice accompanied only by his acoustic guitar and Emery Fletcher's occasional 12-string accents. Burns only plays three originals (all quite good), with the rest of the album consisting of scene standards by folks like Eric Anderson and David Blue, with a haunting version of Irene Paul's haunting 1940s anti-war ballad "Mr. War" the highlight.

Tracks :

01. All You've Done for Me - 2:35 - (Burns)
02. Thirsty Boots - 4:39 - (Andersen)
03. I Like to Sleep Late in the Morning - 2:07 - (Blue)
04. Thoughts of Spring - 2:59 - (Burns)
05. Coming of the Roads - 2:54 - (Wheeler)
06. Civil War Medley - 6:49 - (Traditional)
07. No Change in Me - 4:14 - (Ghent)
08. Farewell from a Rambler - 2:09 - (Burns)
09. Sour Grapes - 2:49 - (Ghent)
10. Time of Parting - 4:28 - (McGrath)
11. That's the Way It's Happened All the Time - 2:55 - (Staines)
12. Mr. War - 3:24 - (Paul)

Musicians :

Randy Burns - guitar, vocals
Emery Fletcher - guitar

Link : http://www.megaupload.com/fr/?d=H1TS5OZO

Beautiful US '60's loner folk from one of ESP's more accessible artists. This is his debut album from 1967 and contains simple acoustic guitar and voice with some delicate flourishes intertwining around Randy's gentle vocal style.

Great album !!!

SANDOZ - "Pay Attention" - UK 1995 (1971 recordings)

The kind of unknown recording you always hope somebody’ll unearth, but rarely does. Completely gone and twisted, over-the-top Beefheartian rockgrunt 'n blueshowl by an early 70’s band nobody’d ever previously heard wind of.

Contains recording from 1971 of short-lived underground hardrock/psych/blues trio that featured John Goodsall on guitar, vocals (sounding like vintage Captain Beefheart!), and compositions, as well as Jim Mercer on bass and Gary Lonsdale on drums.

As the name of the group might imply, this is head music, and is really not anything like what Goodsall went on to do with Brand X. Three longish tracks unearthed from the vaults. This has become an instant collectible by virtue of the fact that only 350 copies were pressed.

Really, the only peers this recording has in the UK were some weirder EDGAR BROUGHTON BAND moments, the prog end of STACKWADDY, and perhaps that RUSTIC HINGE LP.

Tracks listing :

1. Apple Core Machine (8:36)
2. I Ain't Strong (8:42)
3. Demi-God (13:26)

New link : http://www.mediafire.com/?d4a8urbgbi7mlnr

Don't miss this rarity even though the rip is not perfect !!!

DAMON - "Gypsy Eyes" - US 1999

"Damon" : this is the artistic name of David Del Conte, a genius American gypsy musician who is responsible of probably the rarest and most sought-after psychedelic music album of all time, I mean "Song Of A Gypsy".

Following after the same haunting, hypnotic, modal melodies as Damon's original masterpiece, "Song of a Gypsy", the lyrics on "Gypsy Eyes" show a deeper truth and as life's journey reveals a deeper wisdom regarding love, and life itself.
The original album, "Song of a Gypsy", represented the beginning of Damon's search for love and the meaning of life.
The new album, "Gypsy Eyes", speaks of growth and a greater understanding of what has been learned over these past several years. The songs are about love; good times, and bad.

Tracks listing :

01. Gypsy Eyes (4:23)
02. Hold On (5:14)
03. You're Mine (5:38)
04. Livin' in Limbo (4:20)
05. Seems Like I Traveled (4:23)
06. My Song of Love (4:56)
07. Listen to the Voice (3:49)
08. Tomorrow, Yesterday, Right Now (4:16)
09. In the Quiet of the Evening (6:19)
10. The Gift (5:29)

Thirty years later, a welcome return from this US minstrel !!!

Link : http://www.megaupload.com/fr/?d=ZHRPP8QS

Hoping you'll enjoy !

MAYFLY - Same (Delicate Dutch Folk Psych - 1973)

In 1970, a group was founded in Bergen, N.H. by the name of Guruperide. In 1971, the name of this soft rock group was changed to Mayfly.

A delicate and soft folk rock album, similar to Tudor Lodge or The Trees but with a pop twist. Most of the songs are short, and don't tend to evolve much, with lovely instrumental passages of acoustic guitars, violin, some horns (especially flute), nice vocal harmonies and the occasional piano solos. The album flows well from start to finish, conveying a pleasant state of mind, this would be wonderful for an afternoon or a chilly evening.
(Review by bilbo1742 on rateyourmusic.com)

Members :

Gustaaf Verburg (vocals, bass, guitar and piano)
Onno Verburg (vocals, guitar)
Ide Min (vocals and electronic instr.)
Maarten Min (vocals, drums)
Huub Nijhuis (bass, cello)
Arie de Geus (piano and violin)

New link : http://www.mediafire.com/?uobnba57953f4op

This group made one of the best Dutch progressive folk albums in a poetical style similar to several British groups (Spirogyra, Fuchsia, Beatles) or even the first album by the German group Hoelderlin. What makes it so strong are the expressive vocals of Maarten Min, enchanting melodies, a reflective or sorrowful mood and good English lyrics. This is typified by tracks such as "Dawn Of An Old Man's Life" and "Lemoncake", although a few tracks are lighter in mood and more influenced by the folk-style of late 60's Beatles or Honeybus. An album that easily stands out of the crowd and therefore strongly recommended.
(Asbjørnsen - Scented Gardens Of The Mind)

LISTEN - Same - Great Xian downer Folk Psych LP (US - 1973)

Four longhaired teen guys and their excellent homemade acoustic rock endeavor with relaxed guitars-only wholesome earthy in-tune-with-nature sound. The songs are moving, sorrowful, hypnotic, melancholy, sincere, deeply meditative - the guy I got this from thought they sounded like Azitis unplugged and I’m inclined to agree. Nice dreamy atmosphere from the plaintive harmonies and interplay of the three guitars, bringing a moody surreal presence to songs like ‘Clouds And Suns’, ‘Why’, ‘Jesus Love’, ‘Forgive’, ‘His Face’, ‘Chapel’ and ‘Nows’. Upbeat strummed moods on ‘Prisoner’s Prayer’ and the brisk jangly opener ‘Spring Thing’. ‘Relativity’ and the mostly instrumental ‘The Unknown Sea’ are spoken poems backed by acoustic guitar. The guys got their start at a talent show in 1970 at Camp Lutherhoma in eastern Oklahoma. Really strikes a chord. The album has recently gotten a reputation among psych collectors and can now go for some large dollars.
(Taken from heavenly-grooves.blogspot.com)

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/?nfy7bmm770y2vqm

Another unknown gem ! Don't miss it !!!

MELLOW CANDLE - "Swaddling Songs" (Irish Prog Folk - 1972)

From Dublin, Ireland, MELLOW CANDLE specialised in imaginative psychedelic folk rock and early progressive rock, with the singing talents of two ladies (Alison WILLIAMS and Clodagh SIMONDS), in addition to bassist Frank BOYLAN, drummer William MURRAY and guitarist Dave WILLAIMS. The music displayed a prodigious degree of natural talent for songwriting, harmonizing, and arrangement.

"Swaddling Songs" debut album is rich in varied and a true sonic marvel of beauty and simple melodies, and, most of all, a blending of two of the most beautiful voices in all of music. This is a fantastic album that deserves new discovery.

Track Listings :
1. Heaven Heath (3:00)
2. Sheep Season (5:01)
3. Silver Song (4:26)
4. The Poet And The Witch (2:51)
5. Messenger Birds (3:39)
6. Dan The Wing (2:45)
7. Reverend Sisters (4:21)
8. Break Your Token (2:27)
9. Buy Or Beware (3:05)
10. Vile Excesses (3:14)
11. Lonely Man (4:28)
12. Boulders On My Grave (3:40)
13. Feeling High (2:23) Bonus track
14. Tea With The Sun (3:18) Bonus track
Total Time: 48:46

Line-up/Musicians :
- Frank Boylan / bass
- William Murray / drums
- Clodagh Simonds / vocals, keyboards
- Alison Williams / lead vocals
- David Williams / guitar, vocals

Don't miss this very great album !!!

Link : http://rs253.rapidshare.com/files/84889133/Mellow_Candle_-_Swaddling_Songs.rar

IKARUS - Same (Germany 1971)

IKARUS played progressive rock that sometimes was in the vein of VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR. The sound is dominated by emphasis on guitar and organ interplay, but the use of flute, saxophone and clarinet add more color to their compositions. A solid album.

Track Listings :
1. Eclipse: (15:24)
a) Skyscrapers
b) Sooner or later
2. Mesentery (6:11)
3. The raven (including "Theme for James Marshall") (11:43)
4. Early bell's voice (7:43)
Total Time: 41:01

Line-up/Musicians :
- Lorenz Köhler / lead vocals
- Wolfgang Kracht / bass, back vocals
- Jochen Petersen / acoustic & electric guitars, alto & tenor saxes, flute, clarinet, back vocals
- Bernd Schroder / drums, percussion
- Manfred Schulz / guitar, lead vocals (4), back vocals
- Wulf-Dieter Struntz / organ, piano

A very good addition for your Krautrock collection !!!

Link : http://rapidshare.com/files/45214928/IKARUS.rar.html

Enjoy, it's one of my favs from the german scene !!!

SERENE - Serene - Germany - 1979

Symphonic and melodic hard-rock band with techno touches, akin to mid-70's style Birth Control. Drummer Jim McGillivray was in between having left Epitaph and joining Eloy, there are comparisons musically here to both bands. In fact Serene aren't original at all, but do perform a competent brand of progressive rock with wide appeal.

Peter Wolk (vocals), Achim Kirschning (keyboards), Berny Töberg (guitars), Lothar Heimberg (bass), Jim McGillivray (drums)

SERENE LP Lava TCH 81001 (1979)

(taken from "The Crack In The Cosmic Egg" light version)

New link : http://www.mediafire.com/?gq4yuhu39fbcuhx 

Enjoy !!!

ERIK - Look Where I Am (US Folk Psych - 1968)

Initially posted on redtelephone66.blogspot.com, thanks to Leonard.

Here’s another obscurity released on the Vanguard label in 1968, Erik Heller’s “Look Where I Am”, which is a nice mixture of folk/psych originals with some great instrumentation including flute, vibes, and some great guitar work.

The 11 tracks on "Look Where I Am" cover the full range of psych/acid folk, from the strong opening track, with its multi-instrumental backdrop of flute, vibes, horns and bells, to the voice-and-guitar of 'Why Come Another Day' to the heavy fuzz guitar of 'You Said/But I've Got My Way'. There's even a long, soulful Davis-esque muted trumpet passage on 'Lights Across The Field'. The album has a dreamy, almost wistful Donovan-like feel, with tons of acoustic guitar and ethereal flutes.

Track Listing :

01. Look Where I Am (Well It's Right Over Here)
02. Painted on the Wall
03. Dead Afternoon Song
04. Be Off Man
05. Why Come Another Day
06. You Said/But I've Got My Way
07. Lights Across the Field/Bright Lights Across the Field Too
08. Sweet Eyes Of
09. Georgann
10. Untitled Number 2
11. Triumphant Breaking Bottle

Link : http://rapidshare.com/files/238306785/Erik_-_Look_Where_I_Am.rar

1968's Look Where I Am (VRS9267) remains one of the Vanguard label's undiscovered gems.

Michael Head & The Strands - "The Magical World Of The Strands" - UK Psych Folk - 1997

Liverpudlian Mick Head started to make music with The Pale Fountains, a Love-obsessed early-'80s band whose tenure with Virgin records fell apart after two albums when the A&R man who signed them jumped ship.
Head and brother John regrouped as Shack in the late '80s, recording two albums for Ghetto, the second of which, '91's Waterpistol, was abandoned when the master tapes were first thought lost in a studio fire and later left in a rental car in America. In late 1995 a copy turned up, and German label Marina released Waterpistol to rave reviews in the British press, who hailed it as one of the best LPs of the decade.
By this time the Heads were recording as The Strands, although they briefly reformed Shack and signed to London records, only to see the label go under. On The Magical World of The Strands, Mick and brother John (genius twelve-string picker who also contributes a song of his own - the spare, elegaic "Loaded Man") choose folk music as their vehicle, strumming through arrangements that are gentle and uncluttered. Sympathetic strings graze "Something Like You" as it passes, never distracting the melody or dominating the mood. Was it German label Marina that had come to the rescue of 'Waterpistol'; now it was the turn of French label Megaphone, who offered Mick a small sum to make an album for them. 'The Magical World Of The Strands' was the result, and it underpins this whole story, making it worth the telling. If 'Zilch' was Mick at his most socially concerned, then 'Magical World ...' sees him in about as other-worldly a state as it's possible to record. It's an instrumentally beautiful record, totally idiosyncratic, rightly titled magical - alluding to a fantasy world beyond reality, or of heightened reality. Songs such as 'Something like you' and 'Fontilan' are liquid, sleepy, and impressionistic. Others - 'Queen Matilda', 'Hocken's Hey - are folk songs in the truest sense, mythical and timeless.

Track Listing :

01. Queen Matilda
02. Something Like You
03. And Luna
04. X Hits The Spot
05. Prize
06. Undecided
07. Glynys And Jaqui
08. It's Harvest Time
09. Loaded Man
10. Hocken's Hey
11. Fontilan

Link:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/vhef3rjzlv98tz9/Michael+Head+%26+The+Strands.rar

This is an album of exquisite beauty. Very few albums are made like this anymore-music stripped to the basics. Lovely songwriting and beautiful musicianship. Imagine "Bryter Layter", "Astral Weeks", "Forever Changes" and "Harvest" and you are getting somewhere near the sound of this superb album. (Review written by an anonymous customer on amazon.co.uk)

Not to be missed, it's a pretty unknown gem !!!