I have listened this album over thousand times - literally - I love this album, I love every part of it. Wishbone Ash is a British rock/blues band from the 70's. Wish Bone Ash were unique among the early British progressive-rock bands because of the twin guitar attack by Andy Powell and Ted Turner. THis album is their third to date, and mainly considered as their best. The cover (designed by Hipgnosys) gives the album a true identity. The album has to be listened as one piece. There is an atmosphere and a real coherence throughout the album. The album is a succession of melodic songs all folk influenced. I particularly love "Sometime World", and I will quote a reviewer who perfectly described it for me:
“Sometime World,” a simply beautiful song that contains some of the nicest melodies and guitar solos in ‘70s rock. Again, it starts of on a calm note, with a fluent key motif, before reaching a climax after two and a half minutes and then launching into a fantastic section containing a melodic bass solo, vocal harmonies and some of the most majestic solos Turner and Powell (or anyone else, for that matter) ever laid down, several minutes of sheer brilliance. - Guy's Music Review Site
In the end, this is a short album - only 7 songs - that you can listen over and over and never getting over it. Note that the album comes with 3 bonus tracks recorded live in Memphis which was recorded around the release date of the album. The 17minutes version of "Phoenix" reminds us that Ted Turner and Andy Powell are among the best guitarists of this era.
A masterpiece that you have to listen to either you like British 70's rock or not. To me, this album is as important as any Led Zeppelin album.
Before I upload any of it, I needed to share this with you. This is from the only Phish concert I've been to: a 3 day festival for Halloween down in Indio, California.
Elliott Smith has one of those voices that moves you no matter what. I could have uploaded his entire discography since each album is precious. I had to pick, though it was hard.
Here is a short biography that I found on the net:
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith (1969-2003) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska. His primary instrument was the guitar, but he was also proficient at piano, clarinet, bass guitar, drums, and harmonica. Smith had a distinctive vocal style characterized by his "whispery, spiderweb-thin delivery" and use of multi-tracking to create vocal layers, textures, and harmonies. After playing in the rock band Heatmiser for several years, Smith began his solo career in 1994 with releases on the independent record labels Cavity Search and Kill Rock Stars. In 1997 he signed a contract with DreamWorks Records, for which he recorded two albums. Smith rose to mainstream prominence when his song "Miss Misery" —included in the soundtrack for the film Good Will Hunting— was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Original Song category in 1998. Smith suffered from depression, alcoholism, and drug addiction, and these topics often appeared in his lyrics. At age 34, he died in Los Angeles, California from two stab wounds to the chest. The autopsy evidence was inconclusive as to whether the wounds were self-inflicted.
- You might have noticed by now that I always try to keep a high mp3 compression. It does matter.
(the last time I tried the link it said that it was currently unavailable. It will work at some point so keep trying)
I've been introduced to Fleetwood Mac listening to the album Rumours [1977]. I liked it for its catchy songs (I used to listen to this album while driving with my Dad on a trip to the West Coast) and its pop oriented side. This was before I knew the band used to have a totally different sound back in the late sixties. Fleetwood Mac went through different eras, mainly due to its different lineup. My favorite will stay the earliest one, from 1967 to 1970, due to Peter Green's touch. Peter Green stays one of those guitarists whose had their own sound - I believe.
Here is one of Green's most famous song, delightful ballad:
By the way, I truly hate "Best Of" but I thought that would be the best way to introduce the Fleetwood Mac I love =)
Here is a song from the album Rumours [1977], just to show how mainstream they went (which doesn't mean I don't like this album!):
Popol Vuh is another important band in the Krautrock movement. They also composed many soundtracks for the director Werner Herzog, including for the movie Aguirre, the Wrath of God. Great ambiant music. I recommend watching the movie as well.
Great live album, which really captures Television's energy and sound. The sound, raw and pure, defines those guys' sound, totally different from their studion albums (though really good too). The cover of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" is probably my all-time favorite version.
If you don't know Television at all, get this album first:
Tangerine Dream is one of the pioneering bands from the 70’s electronic music. Belonging to the Krautrock movement, they came to synthesizers later than others but are regarded as archperpetrators of electronic pseudo-symphonies stretching across many sides of gatefold sleeved albums, traversing vast, cosmic tracts of pretentiousness (David Stubbs). Here are a couple albums I like:
While writing up my last post I was listening to this album for the 20th time. That's maybe the time it took me to think that it deserves to be shared here. As usual, this is not dancy music, but what I would classify as emotional music as well as atmospherical. An album that grows into you with time, like most of the albums I upload actually. You gotta give some music a chance before giving a verdict, which means listening, listening and listening again. It is a hard exercise I'm not gonna lie, but that's how I discovered some of my favorite music, my favorite bands. Music I like the most is the one that necessites time to get into because of its density and depth. The best part of it is that you can listen to those albums a thousand times and always find something new to focus on, some new atmospheres or even realizing how much music can convey emotions. That's what makes music great I think. By the way, listening to music with headphones is always a greater experience.
For the Frenchies :)
--> une admirable chronique:
Une émulsion d'air pur et de fumées. Un état d'équilibre miracle, en perpétuelle variation. On y voit plus loin que l'horizon et pourtant on est dans le brouillard, dans le flou indistinct comme une lande dans la brume. Aérée à outrance, distillée à l'extrême, la pop a fini par disparaître dans le silence, désagrégée à force d'étirement dans l'éther immobile; la douceur harmonique et ses lueurs bienveillantes laissent désormais la place aux mélodies biaisées, aux dessins arides; une beauté plus obscure, fuyante et difficile; l'esprit du paradis laissent désormais la place aux tensions étouffées; une route plus sinueuse, un pas plus incertain. Le silence est partout, et partout déchiré. Le ciel est nuageux. L'impact soudain d'un accord de dobro qui éclate dans la nuit sonore, et l'orgue, qui tremble au loin. Puis c'est un éveil douloureux de trompettes, venues du vide, et dont les notes étirées s'amplifient et s'accumulent en tendant l'atmosphère à sa limite élastique... jusqu'à la rupture. Ce sont de longues minutes entre le vide et l'infini, où l'espace gigantesque qui sépare chaque bouton de guitare laisse entendre la silhouette, l'ombre, l'écho loin et somnolent d'une harmonie cachée. La batterie est de retour. Lointaine, fantôme, jazz et ternaire, diffusant ses cymbales comme un nuage de fumée, syncopant sa caisse claire perdue dans la franchise acoustique. C'est trois notes de piano, qu'éloignent plusieurs secondes, posées avec lenteur en une mélodie sourde qui semble involontaire, avant que peu à peu, sous le liant du temps qui passe, par l'assise d'harmonies délicates des voiles d'orgue qui s'installent, à la lueur des nuances et des détours étranges, la pièce ne la révèle d'une beauté aveuglante, intime et étrangère. Talk Talk a pourtant bel et bien pris le risque invraisemblable de rompre l'équilibre, et la nature constante du premier chapitre : il va clore son travail au fin fond du sommeil par un album mobile, contrasté et changeant; une ultime et terminale exploration du silence et du temps harmonique où la voix toujours étrange de Mark Hollis se promène et s'égare comme n'importe quel autre instrument, et où les tranquillités les plus belles côtoient les violences faites au calme; une musique aussi profondément curative que singulièrement blessante. "Myrrhman", ou l'attente... dans le ciel atonal d'un accord de guitare et d'une trompette endormie, dans la tension latente du cuivre et d'un alto dont les deux notes tirées confrontent leur différence... l'attente, immobilisée dans la disparition totale du rythme, le temps dissout. "Ascension day" ou l'inconfort, sans cesse interrogé par son rythme, privé de paix par ses angles dissonants, sa mélodie oblique et sa guitare tranchante, ses irruptions soudaines et la marche prédatrice d'une contrebasse secrète. "After the flood" ou la contemplation; la toute beauté des nuages, la langueur nostalgique; un orgue rose crépuscule et dont la vibration nous transporte et nous berce comme un tapis volant durant les dix minutes d'un voyage en plein ciel. La beauté retenue des effets harmoniques déclenchés en plein vol d'un accord de guitare, la douceur dynamique et sa constance paisible, tenue par une batterie tranquille et bienveillante; la profondeur sérieuse que la mélancolie dicte au jeu des accords. "Taphead" ou la tristesse, logée dans le silence; dévoilant son visage dans le souffle sans espoir d'une trompette fatiguée, surgissant sans prévenir; la tristesse simple et calme qui dépose trop lentement ses notes sur la guitare. Puis vient l'élévation, le plaisir du sublime, le bonheur des belles choses, "New grass" le merveilleux, l'astral, l'Edenien. Plus pleines et colorées, les harmonies s'y épanouissent dans les textures multiples des orgues et harmonium, constituant un tapis d'humeurs rassérénées, profondes et émouvantes, sous l'impulsion diaphane d'un guitare vagabonde et heureuse. Et peu à peu, l'air va se raréfier, le piano commencer de tomber en gouttelettes attendues, la batterie va s'asseoir, la guitare se suspendre sur deux notes... puis tout va s'éteindre... Puis "Runeii"... "Runeii", ou le départ... ou l'attente, à nouveau... (dimanche 5 avril 2009) De Sheer-khan, source: http://www.gutsofdarkness.com/ (excellent)
Before I upload any more Krautrock, I wanted to share this. The Talking Heads were simply ahead of their time. This album is not their most famous one but it is my favorite. Songs like "Cities", "heaven" or "Mind" are a great mix of rock riffs, funk and melody. I love it. Get it.
This blog's purpose is to share diverse interests/thoughts/arts. Its purpose is to share not to teach or inform. If you like something go read about it. There's tons of websites for that.
I'm hoping for you to find some interest in what I'm sharing. Or at least some curiosity.
- Click on album names or on -Enjoy- to download -
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