Monthly Archives: February 2017

Monks: Black Monks Time

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black-monk-time

In March 1966, “Polydor” label released “Black Monk Time”, the debut Monks studio album. It was recorded in November 1965, in Cologne, Germany, and was produced by Jimmy Bowien. The album’s musical style and lyrical content was radical for its time and today is considered an important landmark in the development of punk rock. In 2001, “Black Monk Time” was included in the Sunday Herald’s “The 103 Best Albums Ever, Honest” list, and in 2005, “Word” magazine included it in list “Hidden Treasure: Great Underrated Albums of Our Time”.

Personnel:

  • Gary Burger – vocals, guitar
  • Dave Day – vocals, electric banjo
  • Larry Clark – vocals, organ
  • Eddie Shaw – vocals, bass guitar
  • Roger Johnston – vocals, drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Gary Burger, Larry Clark, Dave Day, Roger Johnston and Eddie Shaw.

  1. Monk Time
  2. Shut Up
  3. Boys are Boys and Girls are Choice
  4. Higgle-Dy-Piggle-Dy
  5. I hate You
  6. Oh How to Do now
  7. Complication
  8. We Do Wie Du
  9. Drunken Maria
  10. Love Come Tumblin’ Down
  11. Blast Off
  12. That’s My Girl

The Zombies: Begin Here

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In March 1965, “Decca” label released “Begin Here”, the debut Zombies album. It was recorded June-November 1964, and was produced by Ken Jones.

Personnel:

  • Colin Blunstone- lead and backing vocals
  • Paul Atkinson- guitar
  • Rod Argent – lead and backing vocals, piano, organ, harmonica
  • Chris White- bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Hugh Grundy- drums
  • Ken Jones- piano, tambourine
  • Dezo Hoffmann – photography

Track listing:

  1. Road Runner – Bo Diddley
  2. Summertime – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward
  3. I Can’t Make Up My Mind – Chris White
  4. The Way I Feel Inside – Rod Argent
  5. Work’n’Play – Ken Jones
  6. You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me/Bring It On Home to Me – Smokey Robinson, Sam Cooke
  7. She’s Not There – Rod Argent
  8. Stick and Stones – Henry Glover, Titus Turner
  9. Can’t Nobody Love You – Phillip Mitchell
  10. Woman – Rod Argent
  11. I Don’t Want to Know – Chris White
  12. I Remember When I Loved Her – Rod Argent
  13. What More Can I Do – Chris White
  14. I Got My Mojo Working – Preston Foster, McKinley Morganfield

Booker T. & the MGs: Soul Dressing

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soul-dressing

In March 1965, “Stax” label released “Soul Dressing”, the second Booker T. & the M.G.’s album. It was recorded 1963-1964, and was produced by Jim Stewart.

Personnel:

  • Booker T. Jones – organ, bass guitar, electric piano
  • Steve Cropper- guitar
  • Lewis Steinberg – bass guitar
  • Donald “Duck” Dunn – bass guitar
  • Al Jackson, Jr. – drums
  • Floyd Newman – baritone saxophone
  • Charles “Packy” Axton – tenor saxophone
  • Wayne Jackson – trumpet
  • Marvin Israel – design

Track listing:

All tracks by Steve Cropper, Al Jackson, Jr., Booker T. Jones, and Lewie Steinberg except where noted.

except for “Outrage”, by Cropper, Jackson, Steinberg, and William Allan, and the Don Covay cover “Mercy Mercy” (Covay/Miller)

  1. Soul Dressing
  2. Tic-Tac-Toe
  3. Big Train
  4. Jellybread
  5. Aw’ Mercy
  6. Outrage – Steve Cropper, Al Jackson, John Lewie Steinberg, William Allan
  7. Night Owl Walk
  8. Chinese Checkers
  9. Home Grown
  10. Mercy Mercy – Don Covay, Ronald Alonzo Miller
  11. Plum Nellie
  12. Can’t Be Still

Cocteau Twins: Milk & Kisses

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milk-and-kisses

In March 1996, “Fontana” label released “Milk & Kisses”, the eighth and the final Cocteau Twins studio album. It was recorded in 1995, at “Pors Poulhan” in Bretagne and “September Sound” in London, and was produced by Elizabeth Fraser, Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde.

Personnel:

  • Elizabeth Fraser – vocals, engineer
  • Robin Guthrie – guitars, bass, drum machine, engineer
  • Simon Raymonde – bass, guitars, piano, engineer
  • Des Ward, Lincoln Fong, Mitsuo Tate – engineer
  • Spiros Politis – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Elizabeth Fraser, Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde.

  1. Violaine
  2. Serpentskirt
  3. Tishbite
  4. Half-Gifts
  5. Calfskin Smack
  6. Rilkean Heart
  7. Ups
  8. Eperdu
  9. Treasure Hiding
  10. Seekers Who Are Lovers

Luna: Bewitched

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bewitched

On March 1, 1994, “Elektra” label released “Bewitched”, the second Luna studio album. It was recorded in 1993, at “RPM Studios” and “Right Track Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Dean Wareham, Sean Eden, Justin Harwood, Stanley Demeski and Victor Van Vugt.

Personnel:

  • Dean Wareham– vocals, guitars
  • Sean Eden –guitar
  • Sterling Morrison– guitar
  • Justin Harwood– bass, vibes, Hammond organ
  • Stanley Demeski –drums, percussion, vibes
  • Grasshopper –clarinet
  • Frank London– trumpet
  • Baumgartner– Hammond organ
  • Victor Van Vugt– engineer
  • Jen Monnar – engineer assistant
  • Susanne Dyer – engineer assistant
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering

Track listing:

All tracks by Dean Wareham, Sean Eden, Justin Harwood, Stanley Demeski, all lyrics by Dean Wareham.

  • California (All the Way)
  • Tiger Lily
  • Friendly Advice
  • Bewitched
  • This Time Around
  • Great Jones Street
  • Going Home
  • Into the Fold
  • I Know You Tried
  • Sleeping Pill

Idoli: Odbrana i poslednji dani

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odbrana_i_poslednji_dani

In March 1982, “Jugoton” label released “Odbrana i poslednji dani” (The Defense and the Last Days), the debut Idoli studio album. It was  recorded 1981 – 1982, at “Studios XIII and VI, Radio Belgrade” in Belgrade, Serbia, and was produced by Vlada Divljan, Nebojša Krstić, Srđan Šaper, Zdenko Kolar and Kokan Popović. In 1998, it was voted “Yugoslav Greatest Popular Music Album” in the book “YU 100: The Best Albums of Yugoslav Pop and Rock Music”. In 2015, in the special issue of the Croatian edition of “Rolling Stone” magazine, “Odbrana i poslednji dani” was voted the “Greatest Yugoslav Rock Album of all Time.

Personnel:

  • Vlada Divljan — vocals, guitar, piano
  • Nebojša Krstić— vocals, percussion
  • Srđan Šaper— vocals, synthesizer
  • Zdenko Kolar— bass
  • Kokan Popović— drums
  • Mile Miletić Pile — guitar
  • Goran Vejvoda— guitar, synthesizer
  • Vuk Vujačić — saxophone
  • Goran Grbić — trumpet
  • Slobodan Grozdanović — trombone
  • Bebi Dol— backing vocals

Track listing:

  1. Kenozoik – Vlada Divljan, Nebojša Krstić, Srđan Šaper
  2. Poslednji dani – Vlada Divljan
  3. Moja si – Vlada Divljan, Srđan Šaper
  4. Senke su drugačije – Srđan Šaper
  5. Nemo – Vlada Divljan, Srđan Šaper
  6. Nebeska tema – Vlada Divljan
  7. Rusija – Vlada Divljan
  8. Igrale se delije – Vlada Divljan, Srđan Šaper
  9. Jedina (Uz urlik zurli) – Vlada Divljan
  10. Odbrana – Srđan Šaper
  11. Gde si sad Cico-Maco – Vlada Divljan
  12. Glavna Ptica (Skrati svoj dugački jezik) – Vlada Divljan, Srđan Šaper, Nebojša Krstić, Zdenko Kolar
  13. Hajde sanjaj me, sanjaj – Vlada Divljan, Srđan Šaper

Steven Wilson: Hand. Cannot. Erase

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hand_cannot_erase

On February 27, 2015, “Kscope” released “Hand. Cannot. Erase”, the fourth Steven Wilson solo studio album. It was recorded in September 2014, at “Air Studios” in London, and was produced by Steven Wilson.

Personnel:

  • Steven Wilson– lead vocals,  mellotron,  keyboards,  guitars ,  bass,  banjo, hammered dulcimer, programming, shaker, effects,  arrangements, artwork
  • Guthrie Govan– acoustic and lead guitar
  • Dave Gregory– guitars
  • Nick Beggs– bass, Chapman Stick, backing vocals
  • Adam Holzman– piano, Hammond organ, celesta, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer , Moog Voyager synthesizer
  • Marco Minnemann– drums
  • Chad Wackerman– drums
  • Theo Travis– flute and baritone saxophone
  • Ninet Tayeb– vocals
  • Katherine Jenkins– spoken word
  • Leo Blair – solo vocal
  • Schola Cantorum of the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School – choir
  • Dave Stewart— arrangements, conduction, transcription
  • Steve Price – string engineer
  • London Session Orchestra– strings
  • Laurence Anslow – engineer
  • Steve Orchard – engineer
  • Lasse Hoile— artwork, photography, film director
  • Hajo Mueller — illustrations
  • Carl Glover – design, layout

Track listing:

All tracks by Steven Wilson.

  1. First Regret
  2. 3 Years Older
  3. Hand Cannot Erase
  4. Perfect Life
  5. Routine
  6. Home Invasion
  7. Regret #9
  8. Transience

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds: Chasing Yesterday

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chasing_yesterday

On February 25, 2015, “Sour Mash” label released “Chasing Yesterday”, the Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds studio album. It was recorded in 2014, at “Strangeways” and “Abbey Road Studios” in London, and was produced by Noel Gallagher and Amorphous Androgynous.

Personnel:

  • Noel Gallagher– vocals, electric guitars, acoustic guitars,  bass,  mellotron, piano, keyboards, percussion, electric washboard, artwork concept
  • Paul Stacey– electric guitars, bass, mellotron, keyboards, recording
  • Johnny Marr– electric guitar
  • Mike Rowe – keyboards
  • Jeremy Stacey– drums
  • Jim Hunt – saxophone, bass clarinet
  • The Wired Strings – strings
  • Matt Howe – strings recording
  • Beccy Byrne – backing vocals
  • Vula Malinga– backing vocals
  • Joy Rose – backing vocals
  • Garry Cobain– backing vocals
  • Rosie Danvers – string arrangements
  • Craig Silvey – mixing
  • Greg Calbi – mastering
  • Matthew Cooper – layout, design
  • Lawrence Watson – photography
  • Jen Stacey – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Noel Gallagher.

  1. Riverman
  2. In the Heat of the Moment
  3. The Girl With X0Ray Eyes
  4. Lock All the Doors
  5. The Dying of the Light
  6. The Right Stuff
  7. While the Song Remains the Same
  8. The Mexican
  9. You Know We Can’t Go Back
  10. Ballad of the Mighty I

St. Vincent: Same

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st_vincent

On February 25, 2014, “Loma Vista” label released the self-titled, fourth  St. Vincent studio album. It was recorded in 2013, at “Elmwood Studios” in Dallas, Texas, and was produced by John Congleton. The album won “Grammy” for Best Alternative Music Album, and was voted “Best Album of 2014” in the following medias:  “NME”, “Guardian”, “Gigwise”, “musicOMH”, “Slant Magazine” and “Entertainment Weekly”.

Personnel:

  • Annie Clark – vocals, guitar
  • Adam Pickrell – keyboards
  • Bobby Sparks – Minimoog
  • Daniel Mintseris – synthesizer, piano, harpsichord
  • Ralph Carney – horns
  • Homer Steinweiss – drums
  • McKenzie Smith – drums
  • John Congleton– engineer
  • Greg Calbi – mastering
  • Willo Perron – creative director
  • Brian Roettinger – design
  • Renata Raksha – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Annie Clark.

  1. Rattlesnake
  2. Birth in Reverse
  3. Prince Johnny
  4. Huey Newton
  5. Digital Witness
  6. I Prefer Your Love
  7. Regret
  8. Bring Me Your Loves
  9. Psychopath
  10. Every Tear Disappears
  11. Severed Crossed Fingers

Leon Ware

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On February 23, 2017, Leon Ware died aged 77. He was composer,  released eleven albums as a performer, but he was best known for producing and writing music for other musicians and bands including: The Isley Brothers,  Donny Hathaway, The Miracles, Teena Marie, Jeffrey Osborne, Loose Ends, James Ingram, Melissa Manchester, Krystol, Bobby Womack, Lulu,  Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Maxwell, Minnie Riperton and Marvin Gaye.