Free backlink for your site or blog.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Some thing new and very interesting. That the music whom ill you, help you to meditate, help make every part of your body feel better. Just have a look at it. Amazing.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
PETER GREEN / In the skies
In the skies
Bit rate: 128 kps
LINK: inthesky
01. In the skies
02. Slabo day
03. A fool no more
04. Tribal dance
05. Seven stars
06. Funky chunk
07. Just for you
08. Proud pinto
09. Apostle
There are two CDs with similar names, listed as "In the Skies (Originals) [IMPORT]" and "In the Skies (Delta) [IMPORT]". Usually the same reviews appear for both of them.
But the first one is the original "In the Skies" by Peter Green (9 tracks, "In the Skies" through "Apostle"), and the second just an Anthology: "Peter Green In the Skies" (guitar an big letters on the cover; 15 tracks). It includes very few tracks from the original "In the Skies", which is a pity, 'cause I think Peter Green was never before (and after) as high as "in the skies". Not even when with John Mayall or Fletwood Mac. And not only high. High, wide and deep.
For me (the original) "In the Skies" is one of the most beautiful records ever (and I am not having just popular music on mind): truly amazing music from crystal clear guitars and (from time to time) dark blue(s) voices giving you some kind of forever dancing peace.
Music from another time(almost 25 years ago)and attitude. A kind of miracle, so real that I can still listen to my '79 vynil (besides the CD) almost as the first day, when tears of joy filled my eyes at the serene beauty of this music.
Peter Green
| Peter Green | |
|---|---|
 Green with harp and guitar, in Bilston, England (17 December 2009) | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Peter Allen Greenbaum |
| Born | 29 October 1946 Bethnal Green, London, UK |
| Genres | Blues-rock, blues, rock |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals, harmonica, banjo, harmonica, cello |
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Labels | Epic, Reprise, PVK, Creole |
| Associated acts | John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green Splinter Group, Gass, Peter B's Looners |
| Notable instruments | |
| Gibson Les Paul, Fender Stratocaster, Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion | |
A major figure and bandleader in the "second great epoch" of the British blues movement, Green inspired B. B. King to say, "He has the sweetest tone I ever heard; he was the only one who gave me the cold sweats." Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page have both lauded his guitar playing. Green's playing was marked with idiomatic string bending and vibrato and economy of style. Though he played other guitars, he is best known for deriving a unique tone from his 1959 Gibson Les Paul.
He was ranked 38th in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". His tone on the Bluesbreakers instrumental "The Super-Natural" was rated as one of the fifty greatest of all time by Guitar Player. In June 1996 Green was voted the third-best guitarist of all time in Mojo magazine.
Career
Early years
Green first played in a band called Bobby Denim and the Dominoes which performed pop chart covers and rock 'n' roll standards. Later he joined a rhythm and blues outfit the Muskrats, then a band called The Tridents in which he played bass. In 1966, Green played lead guitar in Peter Bardens' band "Peter B's Looners", where he met Mick Fleetwood, the Looners' drummer. It was here that he made his recording début with the single "If You Wanna Be Happy / Jodrell Blues". "If You Wanna Be Happy" was an instrumental cover of a Jimmy Soul song.John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
After three months with Bardens' group, Green had the opportunity to fill in for Eric Clapton in John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, for three concerts. Soon after, upon Clapton's departure from the Bluesbreakers, he became a full-time member of Mayall's band.Mike Vernon, a producer at Decca recalls Peter's début with the Bluesbreakers:
As the band walked in the studio I noticed an amplifier which I never saw before, so I said to John Mayall, "Where's Eric Clapton?" Mayall answered, "He's not with us anymore, he left us a few weeks ago." I was in a shock of state (sic) but Mayall said, "Don't worry, we got someone better." I said, "Wait a minute, hang on a second, this is ridiculous. You've got someone better??? Than Eric Clapton???" John said, "He might not be better now, but you wait, in a couple of years he's going to be the best." Then he introduced me to Peter Green.Green made his recording début with the Bluesbreakers on the album A Hard Road which featured two of his own compositions, "The Same Way" and "The Supernatural". The latter was one of Green's first instrumentals, which would soon become a trademark. So proficient was he that his musician friends bestowed upon him the nickname "The Green God". In 1967, Green decided to form his own blues band, and left John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.
Fleetwood Mac
Although classic blues covers and blues-styled originals remained prominent in the band's repertoire through this period, Green rapidly blossomed as a writer, contributing many successful original compositions from 1968 onwards, and the songs the chosen for single release showed Green's style gradually moving away from the group's blues roots into new musical territory. In 1968 the Mac scored a hit with Green's "Black Magic Woman", (later covered more successfully by Santana) followed by 1969's number one in the British Singles Chart, the classic guitar instrumental "Albatross". More Green-penned hits followed, including "Oh Well", "Man of the World" (1969 both) and the ominous "The Green Manalishi"(1970). Their second studio album Mr. Wonderful continued the formula of the first album, and for their their third release, the double-LP Blues Jam at Chess, the band made the pilgrimage to the legendary Chess Records Ter-Mar Studio in Chicago where, under the joint supervision of Vernon and Marshall Chess, they recorded with some of their American blues heroes including Otis Spann, Willie Dixon, J.T. Horton and Buddy Guy.
In 1970 the group signed with Warner Bros. Records and recorded their fourth studio album Then Play On, which featured the group's newly recruited third guitarist Danny Kirwan; he featured prominently on the LP, whereas Spencer made virtually no contribution, due to his reported refusal to play on any of Green's original material, which dominated the album.
Beginning with Man of the World's sad lyric, Green's bandmates began to notice changes in his state of mind. He took large doses of acid, grew a beard, wore robes and a crucifix. Mick Fleetwood recalls Green becoming concerned about wealth: "I had conversations with Peter Green around that time and he was obsessive about us NOT making money, wanting us to give it all away. And I'd say, 'Well you can do it, I don't wanna do that, and that doesn't make me a bad person.'"
While touring Europe in late March 1970, Green binged on LSD at a party at a commune in Munich—an incident cited by Fleetwood Mac manager Clifford Davis as the crucial point in his mental decline.Communard Rainer Langhans mentions in his autobiography that he and Uschi Obermaier met Green in Munich, where they invited him to their Highfisch-Kommune. Their real intention was to persuade Green to help arrange for Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones to perform as headline acts at a Woodstock styled festival, in Bavaria.[citation needed] Fleetwood Mac roadie Dinky Dawson remembers that Green went to the party with another roadie, Dennis Keane, and that when Keane returned to the band's hotel to explain that Green would not leave the commune, Keane, Dawson and Mick Fleetwood travelled to the commune to fetch Green. By contrast, Green had fond memories of jamming at the commune when speaking in 2009: "I had a good play there, it was great—someone recorded it, they gave me a tape. There were people playing along, a few of us just fooling around, and it was... yeah it was great." He told Jeremy Spencer at the time "That's the most spiritual music I've ever recorded in my life." After a final performance on 20 May 1970, Green left the band that he founded.
Post-Fleetwood Mac
In late June 1970, Green appeared at the Bath Festival with John Mayall, Rod Mayall (organ) and Larry Taylor (bass). The same year he recorded a jam session entitled The End of the Game; it would be 9 years before his next album release. In 1971 he had a brief reunion with Fleetwood Mac helping them to complete a USA tour when Jeremy Spencer left the group. Other than two 1970 tracks with Bobby Tench's band Gass (featured on Juju) , 2 singles as Peter Green and Peter Green's "Beast of Burden", a gig at B. B. King London sessions in 1972, an uncredited appearance on Fleetwood Mac's "Penguin" LP in 1973, Green succumbed to mental illness, drug use and professional obscurity from which he only began to emerge in 1979. During this period he sold his signature 1959 Gibson Les Paul sunburst guitar to Northern Irish guitarist Gary Moore.Illness and first re-emergence
By this time Green had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and he spent time in psychiatric hospitals undergoing electroconvulsive therapy during the mid 1970s. Many sources attest to his lethargic, trancelike state during this period. In 1977, he was arrested for threatening his accountant, Clifford Davis, with a shotgun, but the exact circumstances are the subject of much speculation, the most popular being that Green wanted Davis to stop sending money to him. After this incident he was sent to a psychiatric institution in London.
In 1981, he contributed to "Rattlesnake Shake" and "Super Brains" on Mick Fleetwood's solo album The Visitor. He recorded various sessions with a number of other musicians notably the Katmandu album A Case for the Blues with Ray Dorset (Mungo Jerry), Vincent Crane (The Crazy World of Arthur Brown) and Len Surtees (The Nashville Teens). Despite some attempts by Gibson to start talks about producing a Peter Green signature Les Paul guitar, his instrument of choice at this time was a Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion. In recent years Green has often been seen playing this guitar at live performances.
Peter Green Splinter Group
A late 1990s comeback saw Green form the Peter Green Splinter Group, with the assistance of fellow musicians including Nigel Watson and Cozy Powell. The Splinter Group released nine albums between 1997 and 2004. It was in the latter part of this period that he began to play his ebony coloured Gibson Les Paul guitar again. Green signed and sold this guitar, which had been tweaked to sound similar to his green burst model of the same guitar and is now owned by a UK guitar enthusiast.Early in 2004, a tour was cancelled and the recording of a new studio album stopped, when Green left the band and moved to Sweden. Shortly thereafter he joined The British Blues All Stars, for a tour scheduled for the next year. However, this tour was cancelled after the death of saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith. At the time, Green stated that the medication he was taking to treat his psychological problems was making it hard for him to concentrate and sapped his desire to play guitar.
In February 2009 he began playing and touring again, this time with Peter Green and Friends. In May 2009 he was the subject for the BBC Four documentary "Peter Green: Man of the World", produced by Henry Hadaway. Green and the band subsequently played a tour of Ireland, Germany and England. The band has gone on to play several dates in Australia in March 2010, including the Byron Bay Bluesfest. The band were supported by the singer/songwriter Andrew Morris on several of their UK tour dates in December 2009 and March 2010.
Green remains ambivalent about his songwriting success and more recently stated to Guitar Player magazine:
Playing style
Green has been praised for his swinging shuffle grooves and soulful phrases and favoured the minor mode and its darker blues implications. His distinct tone can be heard on "The Super-Natural", an instrumental written by Green for John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers' 1967 album A Hard Road. This song demonstrates Green's control of harmonic feedback. The sound is characterized by a shivering vibrato, clean cutting tones and a series of ten second sustained notes. These tones were achieved by Green controlling feedback on a Les Paul guitar.Equipment
Early in his career he played a Harmony Meteor, a cheap hollow-body guitar, but quickly started playing a Les Paul with The Bluesbreakers and Green's guitar was often referred to as his "magic guitar". In 2000 he told Guitar Player magazine : "I never had a magic one. Mine wasn't magic...It just barely worked.". In part, his unique tone derived from a modification to the neck pickup which was reversed and rewired, a modification made after 1967. On stage with Fleetwood Mac, he used an Orange amplifier without any effects. However, there is concert footage of the band standing in front of a wall of Fender amplifiers, which appear to be Dual Showman Reverb heads with the matching two by fifteen cabinets.[citation needed]In the 1990s he played a 1960s Fender Stratocaster and his Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion with a Fender Blues DeVille and a Vox AC30 amplifier. The modification on the neck pickup was the reversal of one of the magnets,which put it out of phase.
Influence
Many rock guitarists have cited Peter Green as an influence, most notably Gary Moore, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, Steve Hackett, and Wishbone Ash guitarist Andy Powell. Green was Black Crowes' Rich Robinson's pick in Guitar World's "30 on 30: The Greatest Guitarists Picked by the Greatest Guitarists" (2010) In the same article Robinson cites Jimmy Page, with whom the Crowes toured: "...he told us so many Peter Green stories. It was clear that Jimmy loves the man’s talent." In an interview with Dan Forte from Guitar World magazine, which was reprinted in Guitar Legends in 1993, Eric Clapton acknowledged Green's skills as a guitar player when recalling a chance meeting with him in the mid 1980s:| “ | Clapton: I met him on the street not more than a year ago, and to me he's a great guy, and he was just the same. He didn't look particularly healthy, and he seemed like he was kind of pissed off in general, but that's quite a healthy attitude to have, in some respects. It's not as if he was indifferent. So I would never completely give up on the guy. Guitar World: He sure was great. Clapton: One of the best, he really is. And I'm not gonna say "was" either. He is one of the best. It's all there. | ” |
| “ | I followed him to John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. I loved his playing. At the time he did everything on a Telecaster. It sounded absolutely fabulous. | ” |
Personal life
Peter was born into a Jewish family, the youngest of Joe and Ann Greenbaum's four children. His brother Michael taught him his first guitar chords, and by age 11 Peter was teaching himself, going on to begin playing professionally at 15.Enduring periods of mental illness and destitution throughout the 70's and 80's, punctuated by efforts at comeback, in 1991/92 he moved in with his eldest brother Len and his wife Gloria, and his mother in their house in Great Yarmouth, where a process of recovery began.
He married Jane Samuels in January 1978; the couple divorced in 1979. They have a daughter, Rosebud Samuels-Greenbaum (b. 1978).
.
Friday, September 23, 2011
ELOY / Ocean 2 the answer
Ocean 2 the answer
Bit rate: 320 kps
LINK: ocean2theanswer
01. Between future and past
02. Ro Setau
03. Paralysed civilization
04. Serenity
05. Awakening of consciousness
06. Reflections from the spheres beyond
07. Waves of intuition
08. The answer
First, though the album is called Ocean 2 it is not a sequel to Ocean from 1977. In an interview Frank Bornemann said he considered the subtitle "The Answer" to be the main title as the lyrics don't deal with the story of Atlantis or other related subjects. However, the lyrics that Frank wrote for Ocean 2 must be some of the most poetic, beautiful and profound he has ever written. But lyrics would be nothing without great music. Fortunately Bornemann and Co. deliver great music too!!!
Between Future and Past opens the album and one inmediately notices that this is something special. This song-introduction reminds us of Eloy's earlier works like Planets, Colours or the aforementioned Ocean.
Next track Ro Setau must be the most innovative and awesome song Eloy has written in many years. A typical Eloy atmosphere and feel dominates the whole song. The song starts off quite dark but when the whole band comes in Michael Gerlach's synths turn the light on. Synths and keyboards are really up front in the mix and are really present throughout the song. Frank's guitar is also very present, though no solos this time, but still the power of his playing is one of the most charactersitic Eloy features. Never mind, what about Klaus Peter Matziol? His bassplaying really shines in this song and the whole record. When the female chorus kicks in his bass really "dances" and drives the song, through an excellent crescendo, to its climax. Here Frank's guitar delivers all the power required. Just then an awesome keyboard solo by old band mate Hannes Folberth takes the leading role (one of the best keyboard solos in the history of Eloy, reminiscent of Illuminations track from Colours) On top of that Gerlach adds a couple of moogs to give the song the scope it deserves before the end. GREAT!!!!!
Next track Paralyzed Civilization is a standard Eloy epic. It clocks around ten minutes. Pumping bassplaying from Matziol drives the song. Guitar and synths provides the classic Eloy atmosphere. After 3:30 the dynamics give way to a more atmospheric section with guitars, keyboards and vocals. The whole band kicks in again with Frank's guitar solo taking the leading role this time and Schopf's drumming providing a solid base. There is a break before the band takes the same theme from the start of the song to new heights with an astonishing, though somewhat short keyboard solo by Gerlach.
Serenity is a strange track for Eloy standards. It features some percussion and an incredible bass-line. Fortunately Frank's guitar and Michael Gerlach's synths build up the classica Eloy atmosphere.
Awakening of Consciousness presents Eloy at their most dynamic. At first, I was a bit disappointed as this song didn't feature the trademark Eloy sound. Or so I thought. After giving it many spins I not only realized the changes in tempo are great (especially Klaus' bassplaying) but that the middle section is pure Eloy. Another great track.
Reflections from the Sphere Beyond (a line taken from Poseidon's Creation) seems to be the central piece, at least in lyrical terms. The song starts off very Eloy-ish, very atmospheric with a beautiful synth line. The song builds up slowly giving the necessary space for Frank's vocals. Though every section is broken by a heavy section with a female chorus. There is a nice guitar solo from Frank and a very well crafted atmospheric section (it reminds me of Sphinx from Planets) where Michael Gerlach's vocoder can be heard. The band kicks in again with another crescendo with synths taking a leading role. The song fades slowly into the sound of waves.
Waves of Intuition features some percussion reminiscent of Childhood Memories from The Tides Return Forever. An excellent bass-line and atmospheric keyboards are also featured. However, what makes this song special is the guitar melody. It's one of those magical moments that bring tears to your eyes.
Last track, The Answer seems to work more as a (thematical) statement than a song in itself. The same tempo is mantained throughout. There is some nice synth and guitar work. Halfway through there is a beautiful break that reminded me of Jeanne d'Arc from Destination before the band kicks in again maintaining the same tempo but this time The Praga Chorus takes the leading role over an epic almost marching drumming. You have to get this song in the correct context, otherwise it will seem a wasted effort. It would be better described as a crossing between prog rock and opera. So, do not expect a lot of changes in tempo, mood or sound.
As a conclusion, this is an incredible album that proves Eloy is one of the few prog rock bands from the 70's that still can deliver great music, inspiring and beautiful, true and infinite. However, it must be pointed out that this is not a classic analog prog rock at all. Frank decided to create a masterpiece by using only today's methods, so don't expect any hammond organ or mellotron.
If you, on the other hand, are looking for great music, far superior to all the rubbish being put out these days or the nihilistic pseudo progressive bands, Ocean 2 is one of the few great statements made in this decade by one of the few incredible living bands that truly can show you how great the power of music can be. Frank Bornemann should be recognized as one of the most inspiring and creative musicians from the 70's and one of the few musicians able to deliver such masterpieces.
When I first learned that Eloy were going to release Ocean 2, I was very excited. Being an Eloy fan for more than 20 years, and although I love all their albums, even the synthesizers drenched eighties, I always had a hope that they would return to their more epic/symphonic oriented roots.
When I first listened to Ocean 2, I was slighty disappointed, for a muscial sequel to Ocean it is not..and to be fair, musically not even Eloy themselves can top Ocean.
But after a second listen I was hooked, for Ocean 2 is also a masterpiece.
Although it has a modern feel, less commercial and mellower than Destination/RA period, Eloy return to their epic song writting.
There is still a lot of backing vocals, similar to Metromania period, and The Answer is a choral rock epic in the same vein as the last two, on Destination and The Tide Return Forever, but overall the music is more complex, very melodic and full of power.
Ocean 2 is a prime example of a creativitry that is still flowing from the very talented Frank Bornemann, and you have to give him all the credit for still writing and composing songs that are what progressive rock is all about.
.
ELOY / Time to turn
Time to turn
Bit rate: 320 kps
LINK: timetoturn
01. Through a somber galaxy
02. Behind the walls of imagination
03. Time to turn
04. Magic mirrors
05. End of an odyssey
06. The flash
07. Say, is it really true
1982's Time to Turn marks the conclusion of their album Planets, released the previous year. One minor lineup change has happened at this point, and that's drummer Jim McGillivray leaving only to be replaced by a returning Fritz Randow (who last appeared in 1975 on Power and the Passion). While I feel Planets is the better album, Time to Turn is still an excellent album, and way better than just about any other prog album I've heard from the early '80s. Keyboardist Hannes Folberth still uses such '70s keyboards such as the Mini Moog, string synths, and Hohner clavinet, while using some newer, early '80s polyphonic synths (synths like the Prophet 5 or something similar). This album is the sound of a band still sounding a bit reluctant to enter the 1980s (as was their previous two, Planets and Colours). One of my favorite cuts, without a doubt is "Behind the Walls of Imagination", I especially love the use of clavinet that's used throughout giving that oddly '70s feel for a 1982 recording. Another favorite is "End of an Odyssey". It starts off rather electronic, before the second half kicks in typical Eloy fashion. "The Flash" is a faster pace number, but the interesting part is the lead guitar near the end part reminding me of something off Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes. "Say, Is it Really True" is quite a welcome piece, for it's one of the rare acoustic pieces Eloy has done ("Future City" from Inside is that other example). As for "Magic Mirrors", another laid-back piece dominated by clavinet, that song is featured on the original German LP on Harvest (with cover artwork by Winfried Reinbacher) as well as the current CD reissue. This song was not featured on the British LP (which had different cover artwork, this time by Rodney Matthews) on the Heavy Metal label. Some British versions added on "Illuminations", which has already appeared on Colours. So if you have the British version, get the German LP or the CD reissue to get the complete Time to Turn. It's great to see Eloy was still making great music in the early '80s, as this album proves.
I have most Eloy original albums and often wonder if they are the type of group that has a major impact when one first hears them, so that the first remains the best. For me, Time to Turn represents one of the greatest works of space rock ever. The vocals speak of appropriately grandiose adventures and themes, the riffs are more infectious than a winter virus, and the development of the work within and between the tracks is exemplary. I'm not saying Eloy isn't without schlock value, but this too is oddly for the best. My LP and CD recordings are slightly different, the LP containing "Illuminations" that probably fits better with its predecessor and successor and the CD "Magic Mirrors", a somewhat jazzy number giving the CD a more mellow focus. Both are fantastic and it's too bad the CD doesn't include both tracks. My favorite is definitely "End of an Odyssey", a 9-minute masterpiece in which the instrumental, mostly keyboard, first half leads brilliantly into the vocal section before terminating in a masterfully rhythmic guitar melody. But talk about rhythym, the title track surpasses all, a real rocker featuring a fine Bornemann lead guitar solo. And the acoustic guitar touch on "Say, is it really true" is a welcome diversion before its development into a more typically orchestrated affair. Time to Turn has become the standard against which I compare all Eloy recordings, and, while I like most of them, none seem to hold together nearly so well for me.
.
PETER GREEN / A case for the blues
A case for the blues
Bit rate: 128 kps
LINK: acasefortheblues
01. Dust my blues
02. One more night without you
03. Cranes train boggie
04. Boogie all the way
05. Lulu gone west
06. Blowing all my troubles away
07. Strangers blues
08. Sweet sixteen
09. Who's that knocking
10. The case
For Satellite Music (UK) Ltd. Issue:
One night at a hot, steamy gig at the Winter Gardens, Bournemouth, Mungo Jerry frontman Ray Dorset bumped into Chris Holland, who was tour manager for the legendary guitarist Peter Green’s Kolors. With Chris that evening was Nashville Teens bass player Len Surtees who, as fate would have it, used to be in the same school class with Ray years earlier!
Not unexpectedly the subject under discussion inevitably turned to music and while the three chatted Chris mentioned what he had been doing with Kolors and suggested, perhaps, an elaborate jam with Peter Green. Jeff Whittaker, once a member of pre-Floyd band, with Dave Gillmore (sic) and later with Steven (sic) Stills, but now percussionist and leader of Kolors had told Chris that it would be good to play with some different musicians to give air to some new ideas that they had.
Peter Green’s imposing musical pedigree is well known from his early days with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers to perhaps his most famous period with Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac and on to a much less well known period in the very early 70’s when he split to America and fronted The Act. Since then he has variously enjoyed working solo, writing and playing the odd gig.....but that’s another story!
Ray Dorset himself has been around awhile! Currently contracted as a recording artist to Polygram, he is best known for his work with Mungo Jerry with an impressive list of hit records to his credit. Before Mungo Jerry he work with Jackie Edwards, Millie Small, Jimmy Cliff and Laurel Aitken amongst many others. Gigging regularly today, he also pens TV theme music in between. However it was in a New York music store that Ray last saw Peter Green at an amazing chance meeting in 1970. The opportunity of a session with Peter after such a long time was immensely interesting musicially so both Ray and Len had no hesitation in saying O.K. Thus the scene was set.
With the nucleus of the band established Chris set to work and a few days later called Ray to say he had met Vincent Crane at a party held on Richard Branson’s floating studio and that Vincent had said he would like to join the session.
Vincent’s own musical background is interesting. He was (with) Arthur Brown with whom he wrote Fire before passing on to the famed Atomic Rooster. Today Dexy’s Midnight Runners have the benefit of his frentic style!
One time Jackie Lynton Band sideman, drummer Greg Terry-Short was invited along to complete the line up for the session, which, it had by now been decided, would ‘happen’ at Ray Dorset’s own Satellite Studio.
Tim Green from Boogie Tunes was visiting Satellite Studio on other business and was so knocked out with what he heard (he) persuaded the guys to record what was clearly going to become an (sic) historic session.
All the tracks you hear on this album were recorded during December 1983 and January 1984 with the overdubs and mixing completed in the February.
The production credit is with Katmandu with Ken Marshall and Ray Dorset flying the desk for the session. Vincent Crane and Ray Dorset jointly attended to the remixes.
Ray Dorset is Mungo Jerry and well known throughout the world for his massive international composition “In The Summertime”, a classic hit that constantly finds itself in demand for television commercials where it has promoted everything from orange juice to a drink-don’t-drive campaign.
Before the launch of Mungo Jerry, Ray had worked with Millie Small, Jackie Edwards, Jimmy Cliff and Laurel Aitken amongst others.
The Mungo Jerry diary is always full. Live shows in Scandinavia, Germany and Sweden help to keep airlines busy.
In between his travels Ray Dorset finds time to write and record new product, hone his stage act to perfection and oversee negotiations regarding his publishing involvements.
It had been an amazing chance meeting in a New York music store in 1970 when Ray had last seen Peter Green.
The opportunity of a session with Peter after such a long time was tremendously interesting from a musical point of view and Ray and Len had no hesitation in agreeing to the plot....thus the scene was set!
.
BON JOVI / Greatest hits
Greatest hits
Bit rate: 320 kps
LINK: greatesthits
2 CD.
Some claim Jon Bon Jovi is single-handedly responsible for the hole in the ozone layer, citing all that unfortunate 80s hairspray. More importantly, others have tirelessly repeated that Bon Jovi is consummately overrated and that their winning streak is sure to hit a wall.
Their fame, however, has long outlasted that classic 15 minutes. They are still around, and the reasons for that cover this record from top to bottom. Like it or not, the songs in this "Greatest Hits" package - especially the first disc - have been and will continue to be unavoidable. In the supermarket, on terrestrial radio, at frat parties and weddings, hits like "Living on a Prayer," "It's My Life," "Wanted Dead or Alive" and "We Weren't Born to Follow" will continue to superimpose themselves upon our lives.
They have catchy choruses and memorable melodies that continue to endure, and "Greatest Hits" fuses them into one convenient package, released - in no coincidence of circumstance - right in time for the holidays.
The single disc edition is ideal for the casual fan and has all the hallmark hits those listeners would be interested in, including the recent and excellent "Who Says You Can't Go Home," although the second disc has some fine deep cuts - the highly listenable 1995 single "This Ain't a Love Song," for instance. Other smaller hits that are missing - 2003's "Everyday," for instance - should not bother the average fan.
The new songs provide further incentive to take a look at "Greatest Hits," although "What Do You Got," chosen as the single from this release, is the least interesting of them with its paint-by-numbers choruses and bridges. It is not worth too many repeat spins, especially compared with the hits.
"No Apologies" recycles the same old Bon Jovi themes of take-no-prisoners independence and living life to the fullest, but it still rocks solidly.
The other new tracks only accompany the 2-disc version, but they are far better than the aforementioned. "This Is Love This Is Life" is similar to "No Apologies" but has far better lyrics, more impassioned vocals and rocks even harder. It would make an awesome concert opener.
"The More Things Change" aptly rounds out with its bittersweet, hard-won retrospection. It is a triumphant moment - a moment of looking back at the past and taking stock of the present, both its trappings and its treasures:
"Greatest Hits" offers up a nice selection of hits and a few new offerings that forecast future endeavors for the band - truth in advertising, for certain.
.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
PETER TOSH / I am what I am
I am what I am
Bit rate: 128 kps
LINK: iamwhatiam
01. I am that I am
02. His start in music
03. Fire fire
04. Herb smoking
05. Pick myself up
06. Humiliations
07. Can't you see
08. Stop that train
09. His philosophy
10. Fools die
11. Reincarnation and rasta
12. Jah guide
13. Blacks in Chicago
14. Can't you see
15. Black's abilities
16. Handsome Johny
17. Bumbaclot defined
18. Instrumental
19. Herb as healing of the nation
20. Don't wanna get busted
21. One love concert beating
22. Legalize it
23. His future in Africa
24. Get up, stand up
25. Police beating while writing mark of the beast
Peter Tosh
| |
| Peter Tosh | |
|---|---|
 Peter Tosh (left) on the Bush Doctor tour, 1978 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Winston Hubert McIntosh |
| Also known as | Stepping Razor |
| Born | 19 October 1944 |
| Origin | Westmoreland, Jamaica |
| Died | 11 September 1987 (aged 42) |
| Genres | Reggae, ska, rocksteady, R&B |
| Occupations | Singer, musician, revolutionary |
| Instruments | Piano, guitar, organ, vocals, keyboard |
| Labels | Intel-Diplo |
| Associated acts | The Wailers Bob Marley |
| Notable instruments | |
| Gibson Les Paul Doublecut Special | |
Peter Tosh was born in Grange Hill, Jamaica, an illegitimate child to a mother too young to care for him properly. He was raised by his aunt. He began to sing and learn guitar at an early age, inspired by American radio stations. After a notable career with The Wailers and as a solo musician, he was murdered at his home during a robbery.
Early Music and With The Wailers
At the age of fifteen, McIntosh's aunt died and he moved to the slums of Kingston, Jamaica, also known as Trenchtown. He first picked up a guitar by watching a man in the country play a song that captivated him. He watched the man play the same song for half a day, memorizing everything his fingers were doing. He then picked up the guitar and played the song back to the man whom then asked him who taught him to play and he told him that he did. During the early 1960s Tosh met Robert Nesta Marley, Bob Marley, and Neville O'Reilly Livingston, Bunny Wailer and went to vocal teacher, Joe Higgs, who gave out free vocal lessons to young people, in hopes to form a new band. He to changed his name to become Peter Tosh and the trio started singing together in 1962. Higgs taught the trio to harmonize and while developing their music, they would often play on the street corners of Trenchtown. In 1964, he helped organize the band The Wailing Wailers, with Junior Braithwaite, a falsetto singer, and backup singers Beverley Kelso and Cherry Smith. Initially, Tosh was the only one in the group who could play musical instruments. According to Bunny Wailer, Tosh was critical to the band because he was a self-taught guitarist and keyboardist, and thus became an inspiration for the other band members to learn to play. The Wailing Wailers had a major ska hit with their first single, "Simmer Down", and recorded several more successful singles before Braithwaite, Kelso and Smith left the band in late 1965. Marley spent much of 1966 in Delaware in the United States of America with his mother, Cedella (Malcolm) Marley-Booker and for a brief time was working at a nearby Chrysler factory. He then returned to Jamaica in early 1967 with a renewed interest in music and a new spirituality. Tosh and Bunny were already Rastafarians when Marley returned from the U.S., and the three became very involved with the Rastafari faith. Soon afterwards, they renamed the musical group The Wailers. Tosh would explain later that they chose the name Wailers because to "wail" means to mourn or to, as he put it, "...express ones feelings vocally". He also claims that he was the beginning of the group and that it he who first taught Bob Marley the guitar. The latter claim may very well be true, for according to Bunny Wailer, they early wailers learned to play instruments from Tosh.Rejecting the up-tempo dance of ska, the band slowed their music to a rocksteady pace, and infused their lyrics with political and social messages inspired by their new found faith. The Wailers composed several songs for the American-born singer Johnny Nash before teaming with producer Lee Perry to record some of the earliest well-known reggae songs, including "Soul Rebel", "Duppy Conqueror", and "Small Axe". The collaboration had given birth to reggae music and later, bassist Aston "Family Man" Barrett and his brother, drummer Carlton Barrett would later join the group in 1970. The band signed a recording contract with Chris Blackwell and Island Records company and released their debut, Catch a Fire, in 1973, following it with Burnin' the same year. The Wailers had moved from many producers after 1970 and there were instances where producers would record rehearsal sessions that Tosh did and release them in England under the name "Peter Touch".In 1973, Tosh was driving home with his girlfriend Evonne when his car was hit by another car driving on the wrong side of the road. The accident killed Evonne and severely fractured Tosh's skull. He survived, but became more difficult to deal with. After Island Records president Chris Blackwell refused to issue his solo album in 1974, Tosh and Bunny Wailer left the Wailers, citing the unfair treatment they received from Blackwell, to whom Tosh often referred with a derogatory play on Blackwell's surname, 'Whiteworst'. Tosh had written many of the Wailers' hit songs such as "Get Up, Stand Up", "400 Years", and "No Sympathy".
Solo career
Tosh began recording and released his solo debut, Legalize It, in 1976 with CBS Records company. The title track soon became popular among endorsers of marijuana legalization, reggae music lovers and Rastafarians all over the world, and was a favourite at Tosh's concerts. As Marley preached his "One Love" message, Tosh criticized the hypocritical "shitstem". He released the album Equal Rights in 1977.Tosh organized a backing band, Word, Sound and Power, who were to accompany him on tour for the next few years, and many of whom performed on his albums of this period. In 1978 Rolling Stones Records contracted with Tosh, and the album Bush Doctor was released, introducing Tosh to a larger audience. The single from the album, a cover version of The Temptations song Don't Look Back, performed as a duet with Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger, made Tosh one of the best-known reggae artists.
Mystic Man (1979), and Wanted Dread and Alive (1981) followed. Released on the Rolling Stones' own record label, Tosh tried to gain some mainstream success while keeping his militant views, but was largely unsuccessful, especially compared to Marley's achievements. That same year, Tosh appeared in the Rolling Stones' video Waiting on a Friend.
In 1984, after the release of 1983's album Mama Africa, Tosh went into self-imposed exile, seeking the spiritual advice of traditional medicine men in Africa, and trying to free himself from recording agreements that distributed his records in South Africa. Tosh had been at odds for several years with his label, EMI, over a perceived lack of promotion for his music.
Tosh also participated in the international opposition to South African apartheid by appearing at Anti-Apartheid concerts and by conveying his opinion in various songs like "Apartheid" (1977, re-recorded 1987), "Equal Rights" (1977), "Fight On" (1979), and "Not Gonna Give It Up" (1983). In 1991 Stepping Razor - Red X was released, a documentary film by Nicholas Campbell, produced by Wayne Jobson and based upon a series of spoken-word recordings of Tosh himself, which chronicled the story of the artist's life, music and untimely death. In 1987, Peter Tosh seemed to be having a career revival. He was awarded a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Performance in 1987 for No Nuclear War, his last record.
Religion
Along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer during the late 1960s, Peter Tosh became a devotee of Rastafari. Tosh, like Marley, subsequently became a member of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.Unicycling
At some point after his departure from the Wailers, Tosh developed an interest in unicycles and knitting; he became an accomplished unicycle rider, being able to ride forwards and backwards and hop. He often amused his audiences by riding onto the stage on his unicycle for his shows. His teacher for unicycling was Kelly Carrigan. They rode side by side for years.Death
On 11 September 1987, just after Tosh had returned to his home in Jamaica, a three-man gang came to his house demanding money. Tosh replied that he did not have any with him but the gang did not believe him. They stayed at his residence for several hours in an attempt to extort money from Tosh and tortured him. During this time, many of Tosh's friends came to his house to greet him because of his return to Jamaica. As people arrived, the gunmen became more and more frustrated, especially the chief thug, Dennis 'Leppo' Lobban, a man whom Tosh had previously befriended and tried to help find work after a long jail sentence. Tosh said he did not have any money in the house, after which Lobban put a gun to Tosh's head and shot once, killing him. The other gunmen began shooting, wounding several other people and also killing disc jockey Jeff "Free I" Dixon. Leppo surrendered to the authorities. He was sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted in 1995 and he remains in jail.Discography
Studio albums
- Legalize It (1976)
- Equal Rights (1977)
- Bush Doctor (1978)
- Mystic Man (1979)
- Wanted Dread And Alive (1981)
- Mama Africa (1983)
- No Nuclear War (1987)
Live albums
- Captured Live (1984)
- Live at the One Love Peace Concert (2000)
- Live & Dangerous: Boston 1976 (2001)
- Live At The Jamaica World Music Festival 1982 (2002)
- Complete Captured Live (2004)
Compilations
Listed are compilations containing material previously unreleased outside of Jamaica.- The Toughest (Heartbeat) (1996)
- Honorary Citizen (1997)
- Scrolls Of The Prophet: The Best of Peter Tosh (1999)
- Arise Black Man (1999)
- Black Dignity (Early Works Of The Stepping Razor) (2001)
- I Am That I Am (2001)
- The Best Of Peter Tosh 1978-1987 (2003)
- Can't Blame The Youth (2004)
- Black Dignity (JAD) (2004)
- Talking Revolution (2005)
- The Ultimate Peter Tosh Experience (2009)
Appears on
- Negril (Eric Gale, 1975)
- Blackheart Man (Bunny Wailer, 1976)
- Protest, (Bunny Wailer, 19
.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)