genre: psych, garage
country: us
quality: lossless (flac, cue, log, scans)
time: 50'52" size: 290 mb
misc.: boxset's version
On one hand, the Texas group the 13th Floor Elevators were like the hundreds of other garage bands from the 1960s, and on the other hand, of course, they weren't. There was that constant electric jug sound from Tommy Hall running through everything the band recorded, for one, and with Roky Erickson's edgy, aggressive vocal style poured in over the top, the Elevators always sounded like they were about to become completely unhinged, if indeed they weren't already. The group, thanks to label mishandling and the oppressive Texas drug laws, never really got a chance to truly evolve past that initial chaotic sound, but their legacy remains a strong one. The Elevators were an outlaw band before that concept became merely a marketing strategy. This set collects the mono tracks for what would have been the group's first album, Headstone, had it actually been released (it was recorded for Gordon Bynum's Contact Records), which it wasn't. Things are rounded off with a handful of the Headstone sides mixed for stereo, and four hit-or-miss live performances recorded at La Maison in Houston in the summer of 1966. Highlights include the single version of Erickson's signature garage classic "You're Gonna Miss Me," a wacky take on Buddy Holly's "I'm Gonna Love You Too" (imagine Holly with an electric jug player), and a credible live version of the Animals' "We've Gotta Get Outta This Place." ~ Steve Leggett
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 genre: psych country: uk quality: lossless (ape, cue, log, scans) time: 42'27" size: 195 mb
In 1972, a clutch of incomplete demos and outtakes were unearthed from Marc Bolan's mid-'60s vault and sent into the world as the (hastily withdrawn) Hard on Love album. Two years later, Track Record released the proceedings as Beginning of Doves. The tracks comprise both sides of the 1966 "Hippy Gumbo" single, the projected follow-up "Jasper C. Debussy," and a series of largely unaccompanied demos recorded by Bolan and producer Simon Napier-Bell during one breathless session at London's Kingsway Studios in October 1966. One then leaps ahead to the following fall, for songs taped over two separate demo sessions by Bolan and his T. Rex partner Steve Peregrine-Took. ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide
01 Jasper C. Debussy
02 Lunacy's Back
03 Beyond The Risin' Sun
04 Black And White Incident
05 Observations
06 Eastern Spell
07 You Got The Power
08 Hippy Gumbo
09 Sara Crazy Child
10 Rings Of Fortune
11 Hot Rod Momma
12 The Beginning Of Doves
13 Mustang Ford
14 Pictures Of Purple People
15 One Inch Rock
16 Jasmine Fourty-Nine
17 Charlie
18 Misty Mist
19 Cat Black
20 Sally Was An Angel
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genre: psych
country: uk
quality: mp3 (320k, scans)
time: 1:18'24" size: 192 mb
Side 1
"Hot Rod Mama" – 3:09
"Scenescof" – 1:41
"Child Star" – 2:52
"Strange Orchestras" – 1:47
"Chateau in Virginia Waters" – 2:38
"Dwarfish Trumpet Blues" – 2:47
Side 2
"Mustang Ford" – 2:56
"Afghan Woman" – 1:59
"Knight" – 2:38
"Graceful Fat Sheba" – 1:28
"Weilder of Words" – 3:19
"Frowning Atahuallpa (My Inca Love)" – 5:55
bonus:
13. Debora (Single 'A' side) 3:10
14. Hot Rod Mama (stereo) 3:10
15. Scenescof (stereo) 1:41
16. Child Star (stereo) 2:51
17. Strange Orchestras (stereo) 1:47
18. Chateau In Virginia Waters (stereo) 2:39
19. Dwarfish Trumpet Blues (stereo) 2:48
20. Mustang Ford (stereo) 2:59
21. Afghan Woman (Stereo) 1:58
22. Knight (stereo) 2:38
23. Graceful Fat Sheba (stereo) 1:29
24. Weilder Of Words (stereo) 3:19
25. Frowning Atahuallpa (My inca Love) (stereo) 5:55
26. Child Star (take 2) 2:41
27. Chateau In Virginia Waters (stereo) (take 2) 2:46
28. Debora (take 2) 3:09
Marc Bolan - vocals, guitars;
Steve Peregrine Took - vocals, bongos, chinese gong, assorted percussion, pixiephone
Children's story read by John Peel.
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 genre: psych, glam country: uk quality: lossless (flac, cue, log, scans) time: 1:18'12" size: 537 mb
'70: "Prelude" – 1:04
"A Daye Laye" – 1:56
"Woodland Bop" – 1:39
"Fist Heart Mighty Dawn Dart" – 2:45
"Pavilions of Sun" – 2:49
"Organ Blues" – 2:47
"By the Light of a Magical Moon" – 2:51
"Wind Cheetah" – 2:38
"A Beard of Stars" – 1:37
"Great Horse" – 1:42
"Dragon's Ear" – 2:37
"Lofty Skies" – 2:54
"Dove" – 2:06
"Elemental Child" – 5:33
Marc Bolan - lead vocals, guitars, organ, bass;
Micky Finn - backing vocals, moroccan, clay drums, tabla, bass, finger cymbals. '72: Side one
1. "Metal Guru" 2:25
2. "Mystic Lady" 3:09
3. "Rock On" 3:26
4. "The Slider" 3:22
5. "Baby Boomerang" 2:17
6. "Spaceball Ricochet" 3:37
7. "Buick Mackane" 3:31
Side two
1. "Telegram Sam" 3:42
2. "Rabbit Fighter" 3:55
3. "Baby Strange" 3:03
4. "Ballrooms of Mars" 4:09
5. "Chariot Choogle" 2:45
6. "Main Man" 4:14
Marc Bolan - vocals, guitars;
Steve Currie - bass;
Mickey Finn - hand percussion, congas, vocals;
Bill Legend - drums; Howard Kaylan - backing vocals;
Mark Volman - backing vocals. also: 1970 - T.Rex 1971 ~ Electric Warrior 2005 ~ Born To Boogie |
genre: heavy psych
country: switzerland
quality: lossless (flac, cue, log, booklet scans)
time: 48'58" size: 358 mb
misc.: 2004
John "Bo Bo" Bollenberg:
Originally released in 1969 on the Maris label (catalogue number 20501), this is the only album the Swiss band Shiver ever released. It also contains both tracks that were issued as a single: "Hey Mr. Holy Man"/"The Peddle." It also features the very first time the famous designer H. R. Giger delivered some of his art to become an album sleeve. Later on he would do it much more, with Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s Brain Salad Surgery being the most famous one. Again issued in a thick miniature album sleeve, this rather short album also contains a full family tree (which must be a hell of a job to do!), linking the band with names such as Toad and Brainticket whose music sometimes is a bit similar.
As happens a lot with recordings from that era, especially the drums sound overmodulated, which doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy this album, as we most certainly can. The opening instrumental "Repent Walpurgis" reminds me of early Procol Harum or even Ekseption. The sound is very bluesy, highlighting both Hammond organ and distorted guitar. As also happens a lot with bands from that era, longer progressive tracks alternate with shorter, more commercial sounding pieces. Because of the fact that an equal amount of music had to be spread on both sides of the vinyl album, some LPs therefore don’t sound logical at all. "What’s Wrong About The Blues" sounds like thousands of other blues songs from that period: repetitive and with tons of improvised harmonica playing. A bit in the tradition of similar projects from that era, "Hey Mr. Holy Man" is a ballad backed by Hammond organ and choir, whilst someone narrates on top of it.
Because in the sixties most bands performed a lot during dance events, they also played a lot of covers. Because people who attended those concerts were familiar with some of those covers, each time such a band decided to record/release an album they made sure one or more of those covers graced the album as well. In the case of Shiver they deliver a rhythmic version of the classic "Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood" as performed by the Animals and later on turned into a huge disco smash hit by Santa Esmeralda. As happens a lot during early recordings, the sound of the tambourine is a little too shrill as is heard during "No Time." The album closes with the flip for Shiver’s only single, the instrumental "The Peddle," which once again is a mean blues song featuring piano, guitar and, sadly, an organ that is mixed way too far in the background. From a musical perspective, this certainly is not the world’s best album, as I’m sure thousands of other bands could deliver equally pleasing music. However, as a package, this results in a most enjoyable release that still might be of more interest to the H. R. Giger collector than the completist of underground psychedelic material.
Limited edition of 1000 numbered copies
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genre: acid folk
country: israel
quality: lossless (flac, cue, log, booklet scans)
time: 1:01'15" size: 373 mb
matti gee:
"Religious Psych" may be something of a contradiction in terms. "Religiously-tinged Avant-Garde" may suit it better, yet, back in 2006, shortly after an announcement from a collector in British paper The Guardian, regarding "an esoteric Israeli acid-folk LP", a little stir was caused among collectors in the Holy Land. This time, the hype was rightfully there, as reflected from listening to this CD reissue. In the booklet, the artist himself explains how the music came about, following his strolling in the Carmel forest in the late 1970s, attempting to emulate the prophets of Biblical times… and indeed, the ability of Miel to fully integrate with his own soul via experimentalism is the key to both the creation and delivery of such collection of purely inspired, mostly instrumental tracks that are not connected in any way to traditional Jewish music. Musically, however, not only is every track a whispering ember in its own right, it is also apparent that like with a bonfire, all the roaming whispers are joined collectively in body and spirit… and heard into the sky and from the sky, like a collectively-minded prayers. A declared fan of John McLaughlin, Miel plays all instruments on the album. Always being in the position of a self-portrayed individualist, it may stand as a self-explanatory of the "Non-Commerciality" nature of the compositions, as well as of the unusual arrangements, yet delicately-textured bursts of fuzz guitar and friendly congas. All these are augmented by high-spirit guitar solos… From the acid-tinged jazz inspirations and chants on Orchard of the Whispering Embers via the somewhat mysterious-come-obvious, Gentle Giant imbued atmosphere of The Holy Zohar, through the Ramases-styled rejoicing come jam-packed A Jewish Soul, followed by the hand-drummed; sea-waved pastorally-tickled Nueiba Nueiba (the latter, not too incidentally, is named after a coast in the Sinai peninsula). Another vocal track, Derech Eretz, may demonstrate the artist's experience as a hermit that reaches a pinnacle in Halleluya. An unexplained come well-crafted drumming-filled Amsterdam Experience is followed by another guitar burst on The Creator's Joy that was apparently excerpted from the highly progressive Fourteen Minutes. A Piece of Art is another self-explanatory, carefully fabricated number, whilst the English-sung would-be lament Don't Change the World is pleading us to go back to the nature and leave the industrial world behind… The independently minded, God-loving ambience reflected in the record's name and the music carried within may not be in a position to turn the charts alight, and have never been aimed at that purpose. On the other hand, at the same time, all the above suggest that a careful and painstaking listening to the album may equate a walk through an orchard where every orange is a step towards one's true spirit and mind, where the power of thoughts leads to the oranges' self-peeling and willingness to jump into your mouth, only to prove themselves a food for thought-come-sweet platform for creation… that can set the world alight when the time has come. Whilst Shimshon Miel may have founded the album as his own method of worshipping the Lord, this is a true find for the seculars as well. Thanks to The Guardian, following by a vision (pun intended!) courtesy of ARS records together with the full co-operation of the artist, this little gem was rescued from oblivion and is finally in print again. However, unlike with the old clich?, there is absolutely no need to crank up the volume if you want to hear the embers' whispers".
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