Vinyl Rips

Man – Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day (1972) [Original DE Pressing] {Vinyl Rip 24Bit/96khz}

Vinyl Rips By admin · August 27, 2015 · Comments off

Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day is a bit of classic in the Man catalogue, not least because it contains the classics C’mon and Bananas which have been live favourites since this release in 1972. The album only contains four tracks so there’s ample opportunity for the band to stretch out on the Psychedelic west coast influenced jams much like they do live. This original version of C’mon sets a fine standard for the rest of the album to live up too. Less frantic than it usually is live it starts with a wonderful Micky Jones guitar riff familiar to all Man fans before settling into an easy groove courtesy of inventive drummer Terry Williams. Things are taken down a notch for the instrumental Organ dominated mid section before some of the bands trademark harmonies bring us back in to where we started. As testimony to the greatness of this track is it must have made more appearances on Man live albums than any other song by the band some of which are even better versions than this one here.

Keep On Crinting keeps the standard high with some lovely guitar picking and a great Williams shuffle on the drums. It’s an instrumental with Phil Ryan’s Keyboards (not always an instrument present in the band line up) given equal rein to the guitars of Jones and Clive John. (Yes, no Deke Leonard here who must have kicked himself for missing out on this one).

Bananas opens side 2 of the original vinyl version and as already mentioned was to become another Man classic with it’s jagged rhythmic structure, though a more steady groove prevails, at least in part for the excellent instrumental interplay of the mid section which builds up to a frantic pace before things calm down again to fade out with some spacey guitar work.

Life On The Road closes and is a bluesy shuffle propelled by Williams and bassist Phil Youatt. Once again between the vocal sections there’s space for instrumental workouts and although it’s probably the weakest of the four tracks it’s still an enjoyable listen not least for the guitar interplay between Jones and John.

This comes close to being the very best of Man studio albums but is just beaten by the brilliant Rhinos, Winos and Lunatics but due to the inclusion of the essential C’mon and Bananas makes it the perfect place to start your Man collection from.

Review by Nightfly, progarchives.com

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Mainhorse ‎- Mainhorse (1971) [Original FR Pressing] {Vinyl Rip 24Bit/96khz}

Vinyl Rips By admin · August 27, 2015 · Comments off

I was 10 when I heard the song “More tea vicar” in an AM radio, by the way a melody I didn’t know his authorship and name. This melody has accompanied me throughout my life. My surprise was great when I knew it was a symphonic rock group called “Mainhorse” (many years later.)
The LP is wonderful from start to finish and is the only work of this group, which has distinguished the Swiss keyboardist Pratrick Moraz (Yes, Refugee, etc). I am pleased to leave this recording and you can enjoy this jewel of progressive rock.

Fran Solo, MMXV (more…)

Led Zeppelin ‎- Houses Of The Holy (1973) [First UK Pressing] {Vinyl Rip 24Bit/96khz}

Vinyl Rips By admin · August 27, 2015 · Comments off

Led Zeppelin ‎– Houses Of The Holy (1973)
Vinyl rip in 24 bit/96 kHz | 894 Mb, 3% RAR Recovery | FLAC tracks | Artwork
Atlantic ‎– K 50014 (First UK, Porky Pecko, 1973) | Rock

Houses of the Holy follows the same basic pattern as Led Zeppelin IV, but the approach is looser and more relaxed. Jimmy Page’s riffs rely on ringing, folky hooks as much as they do on thundering blues-rock, giving the album a lighter, more open atmosphere. While the pseudo-reggae of “D’Yer Mak’er” and the affectionate James Brown send-up “The Crunge” suggest that the band was searching for material, they actually contribute to the musical diversity of the album. “The Rain Song” is one of Zep’s finest moments, featuring a soaring string arrangement and a gentle, aching melody. “The Ocean” is just as good, starting with a heavy, funky guitar groove before slamming into an a cappella section and ending with a swinging, doo wop-flavored rave-up. With the exception of the rampaging opening number, “The Song Remains the Same,” the rest of Houses of the Holy is fairly straightforward, ranging from the foreboding “No Quarter” and the strutting hard rock of “Dancing Days” to the epic folk/metal fusion “Over the Hills and Far Away.” Throughout the record, the band’s playing is excellent, making the eclecticism of Page and Robert Plant’s songwriting sound coherent and natural.

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John Wetton ‎- King’s Road: 1972-1980 (1987) [Original US Pressing] {Vinyl Rip 24Bit/96khz}

Vinyl Rips By admin · August 27, 2015 · Comments off

This collection, marking the end of John Wetton’s association with E.G. Records, is a somewhat skewed compilation of his work in the seventies. Five songs by U.K., five from his first solo album, one track listed as coming from the one album from his seventy-nine one-off band Jack-Knife (the track isn’t listed on sites I can find for the album, so I presume it was left off of the LP), and, strangely, only two tracks by King Crimson (and only one of these was on the original LP version). For the most part, the sonds tend toward Wetton’s pop side, a direction he was heading in when U.K. was declining. At least the U.K. songs have a small amount of prog in them. The songs from “Caught In The Crossfire” are just a small hair better (for the most part) than the AOR drivel Wetton created in Asia.
The better songs are In The Dead Of Night, from U.K.’s debut, and Starless (the track not on the LP) dfrom King Crimson’s “Red”.
Eyesight To The Blind by Wetton’s Jack-Knife (which also included Richard Palmer-James) is worth hearing just because it’s so different from any other version I know of, but only adds slight value to this collection.

Review by Evolver, progarchives.com (more…)

Jesus Jones – Liquidizer (1989) {Vinyl Rip 24Bit/96khz}

Vinyl Rips By admin · August 27, 2015 · Comments off

Jesus Jones – Liquidizer
Vinyl Rip | Size: 898 MB | 3% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: EMI Electrola # 7 93238 1 | Country/Year: Germany 1989
Genre: Electronica, Pop, Rock | Style: Breakbeat, Leftfield, Pop Rock, Downtempo

This is the first Jesus Jones Album and is a diary of the band conception to…This! “Liquidizer” was made under the influence of: Turntable Orchestra, The Byrds, Napalm Death, The Chamen, Neneh Cherry, Star Trek, Public Ennemy, Mel and Kim, Sonic Youth, Bomb The Bass, Tapeman, Todd Terry, Cookie Crew, Prince, Allen Konigsberg, S’Express, World Domination, Enterprise, Sonny Boy, Williamson, Jimi Hendrix, The Jungle Brothers, Them Mysterious Bulgarian Voices, Head Of David, For A Few Dollars More, A Guy Called Gerald, Malcolm Young, Leigh “Scratch” Fenlon, Dinosaur Jnr, Sweet T, Joe Smooth, Black Sabbath, De La Soul, Faith No More, Erik B + Takim, Apocalypse Now, The The, Big Black, The Evil Dead and the news and views of 1988 / 1989.

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Jean-Luc Ponty ‎- Open Mind (1984) [Original FR Pressing] {Vinyl Rip 24Bit/96khz}

Vinyl Rips By admin · August 27, 2015 · Comments off

Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection.
Jean-Luc Ponty plays himself some really modern keyboards here, creating very atmospheric textures, rather urban, often flirting with a jazz-New Age style. To enhance the modern aspect of the music, Ponty plays a VERY “bottom” synth bass, which gives very much color, personality and depth to the music. Ponty is so much involved in the keyboards that it seems his electric violin almost becomes a secondary instrument here: his electric violin is however still very present, but it seems to be less monolithic and to merge more with the rest of the music: sometimes, it participates to the rhythm itself, or it is just simply played with less speed, focusing more on the sound or on the ambience itself. Chick Corea plays some good & nervous keyboards solos! The overall sound is very clean, fresh and modern. The complex keyboards exploration on “Orbital encounters” is absolutely impressive. The echoed atmosphere created with the violin sound on “Intuition” is really breathtaking! Every track is at least very good, so that this record is among his best ones.

Review by greenback, progarchives.com (more…)

Jean-Luc Ponty ‎- Imaginary Voyage (1976) [1977 US Pressing] {Vinyl Rip 24Bit/96khz}

Vinyl Rips By admin · August 27, 2015 · Comments off

Jean-Luc Ponty reaches a musical peak by releasing this excellent fusion record. Looking at the new line-up here, the talent and reliability of the musicians is not questionable: Mark Craney (Jethro Tull’s “A”) plays very fast and EXTREMELY elaborated drums. Tom Fowler (Frank Zappa) plays a restless, complex and very melodic bass. Daryl Stuermer is absolutely majestic, playing a beautiful acoustic guitar in unison with Ponty’s VERY melodic electric violin. Stuermer shows here that he can also be a decent electric guitar player, as reveals his light wah-wah solo on “Tarantula”: however, we feel here his solo sound still not comparable to David Gilmour’s “Money” solo. However, he is an EXCELLENT acoustic guitar player, and he should stay in that department. Allan Zavod, on keyboards, does an honest job, although he rather stays in the background.
On side 2, the high-speed recordings in “Imaginary Voyage Part 1” are absolutely breathtaking: the comparison with Yes’ “Sound Chaser” is inevitable. The epic track “Imaginary Voyage” may be uninterruptedly listened without any problem, although Stuermer’s electric guitar solos have nothing really spectacular.

Review by greenback, progarchives.com (more…)

Richard Clayderman – Vinyl Collection (17LP, 1978-1985) {Vinyl Rip 24Bit/192khz}

Vinyl Rips By admin · August 20, 2015 · Comments off

With his lush and sophisticated instrumental approach to pop music, Richard Clayderman (born Philippe Pagès) is, according to The Guinness Book of World Records, “the most successful pianist in the world.” Clayderman’s albums routinely sell millions of copies and his concerts are quickly sold out. In a review of his 1985 Carnegie Hall concert, Variety wrote, “(Clayderman’s) main appeal lies in his youth and boyish good looks…coupled with his gentlemanly charm and his thick French accent, they promise to rope in the romantically inclined middle-aged Yank ladies who cotton to this ilk of soothing entertainment.” Nancy Reagan referred to Clayderman as “the prince of romance.” Instructed in classical piano by his father, Clayderman enrolled in the Paris Conservatory of Music at the age of 12. Four years later, he placed first in a piano competition at the school. Despite his classical background, Clayderman opted for popular music when he launched his professional career. A tour as opening act for French rock musician Johnny Hallyday introduced him to an international following. Clayderman’s debut album, Ballade Pour Adeline, recorded at the urging of producers and composers Oliver Toussaint and Paul De Senneville in 1977, sold more than 20 million copies and was distributed in 38 countries. Clayderman, who took his stage name from his Swedish grandmother, has continued to tour throughout the world to enthusiastic audiences. A live concert broadcast on Chinese television in 1987 attracted more than 800 million viewers.

Romantique His vast discography of well over 200 albums, released on and licensed to many different labels worldwide, has seen him record everything from light classics to Andrew Lloyd Webber love songs, Bollywood movie soundtracks, and the folk music of Germany, Turkey, and Japan. While this willingness to turn his hand to anything fueled his worldwide popularity, it is the unthreatening homogeneity of his output that won him a loyal, late-middle-aged fanbase similar to that of another European titan of light classical music, André Rieu. In the early 2010s, Clayderman enjoyed an upsurge in mainstream popularity, perhaps partly as a kitsch nostalgia act, but also on the part of canny marketing men who positioned him as part of that era’s classical crossover explosion. His 2013 album for Decca, Romantique — arguably his highest-profile release ever — featured a mélange of film music, pop and light classical standards, and a re-recording of his best-known tune, “Ballade pour Adeline”.

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Fuhrs & Frohling ‎- Ammerland (1978) [Original DE Pressing] {Vinyl Rip 24Bit/96khz}

Vinyl Rips By admin · August 20, 2015 · Comments off

This rare LP is made by 2 German musicians: a guitarist and a keyboardist. The style of this instrumental music is very varied: we can talk about a mix of progressive folk, New Age and an emulation of classical music. There are omnipresent sophisticated acoustic guitars a la Steve Hackett, Anthony Phillips or Jan Akkerman, combined with tons of melodic and symphonic keyboards. there are no drums and the bass is rather rare on this record. There are many moog and floating mellotron parts: sometimes it sounds like Genesis’ “Wind and wuthering”, Focus and Vangelis. The sound is really pure and modern. The music is really well recorded, relaxing and beautiful. The ensemble is rather symphonic. The last track on side 1 is oddly strange: there is a man who expresses pathetic laughs and/or cries: this is the only weak point on this album.

Review by greenback, progarchives.com (more…)

Francis Cabrel ‎- Carte Postale (1981) [NL Pressing] {Vinyl Rip 24Bit/96khz}

Vinyl Rips By admin · August 20, 2015 · Comments off

The melancholy title track that opens Carte Postale announces that Francis Cabrel will not be content to churn out bottomless clone albums. It’s not the melancholy tone of the song (he’d done that before), but rather the way he sings it and uses all possible resources to reinforce the mood that point up Cabrel’s more intense approach. He continues to reach for different effects with his voice and instrumentation on the first half of the album as he moves through different styles. It is true some of the vocal affectations may be missteps, but it is always rewarding to hear an artist move with emotion and confidence. Interestingly enough, the second set of songs on the album is very solid (no fillers here), making this the most consistent album of Cabrel’s career to date. Standout songs include “Ma place dans le trafic” and “Comme une madone oubliee.

Review by Samuel Johnson, allmusic.com (more…)

Dire Straits ‎- Love Over Gold (1982) [Original US Pressing] {Vinyl Rip 24Bit/96khz}

Vinyl Rips By admin · August 19, 2015 · Comments off

Adding a new rhythm guitarist, Dire Straits expands its sounds and ambitions on the sprawling Love Over Gold. In a sense, the album is their prog rock effort, containing only five songs, including the 14-minute opener “Telegraph Road.” Since Mark Knopfler is a skilled, tasteful guitarist, he can sustain interest even throughout the languid stretches, but the long, atmospheric, instrumental passages aren’t as effective as the group’s tight blues-rock, leaving Love Over Gold only a fitfully engaging listen.

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic.com (more…)

Dire Straits ‎- Communique (1979) [Original UK Pressing] {Vinyl Rip 24Bit/96khz}

Vinyl Rips By admin · August 19, 2015 · Comments off

Dire Straits ‎– Communiqué (1979)
Vinyl Rip 24/96 | 879 Mb | FLAC | Artwork
Vertigo ‎– 9102 031 (Original UK, 1979) | Rock

Rushed out less than nine months after the surprise success of Dire Straits’ self-titled debut album, the group’s sophomore effort, Communiqué, seemed little more than a carbon copy of its predecessor with less compelling material. Mark Knopfler and co. had established a sound (derived largely from J.J. Cale) of laid-back shuffles and intricate, bluesy guitar playing, and Communiqué provided more examples of it. But there was no track as focused as “Sultans of Swing,” even if “Lady Writer” (a lesser singles chart entry on both sides of the Atlantic) nearly duplicated its sound. As a result, Communiqué sold immediately to Dire Straits’ established audience, but no more, and it did not fare as well critically as its predecessor or its follow-up.

Review by William Ruhlmann, allmusic.com

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Dave Mason ‎- Very Best Of Dave Mason (1978) [Original US Pressing] {Vinyl Rip 24Bit/96khz}

Vinyl Rips By admin · August 19, 2015 · Comments off

The third time around in constructing a Dave Mason compilation, Blue Thumb Records (which had been acquired by ABC Records, and which in turn would be swallowed by MCA Records) finally made a worthy selection of its cache of Dave Mason recordings from 1970-71. The Very Best Of Dave Mason was a ten-track album collecting the most memorable songs from Alone Together–“Only You Know And I Know,” “Sad And Deep As You,” and “Shouldn’t Have Took More Than You Gave”–and live performances of such well-known Traffic songs as “Feelin’ Alright?” and “Pearly Queen.” While the label was still to be criticized for endlessly repackaging Mason recordings, at least this one was done right–and it’s the one that remains in print. (Originally released by ABC/Blue Thumb Records as ABC/Blue Thumb 6032, The Very Best Of Dave Mason was reissued by MCA Records as MCA 715 and reissued on CD in 1987 as MCA 31169.)

Review by William Ruhlmann, allmusic.com (more…)

Clannad ‎- Macalla (1985) [DE Promo Pressing] {Vinyl Rip 24Bit/96khz}

Vinyl Rips By admin · August 19, 2015 · Comments off

1985’s Macalla is one of Clannad’s strongest albums. The songs are mainly mid-tempo or slower, and combine the poignant beauty of Irish balladry with the immediacy of a rock band line-up. Traditional Irish instruments come and go, along with touches of sax and on “In a Lifetime,” soulful guest vocals by fellow Irishman Bono, of U2. Macalla is a well-rounded album of melodic folk pop, infused with that beautiful warm sadness that seems to pervade Irish music and culture.

allmusic.com (more…)

Clannad ‎- Legend (1984) [Original DE Pressing] {Vinyl Rip 24Bit/96khz}

Vinyl Rips By admin · August 19, 2015 · Comments off

Clannad started out like many traditional folk bands of Ireland; its early material for Gael-Linn Records could be considered traditional Irish folk, and most of the lyrics were in Irish. However, the band’s signing to RCA Records and its 1982 hit “Theme From Harry’s Game” catapulted it to the top of the UK pop charts. Most importantly, Clannad was one of the first Irish bands to truly delve into ambient music, an idiom that may be the modern counterpart to the traditional slow air. This 1984 release finds Clannad at the height of its career. LEGEND is essentially the soundtrack to the television show, ROBIN OF SHERWOOD, and opens with the theme music, “Robin (The Hooded Man).” Other songs such as “Herne” and “Now is Here” retain the ambient (soaking wet with reverb) sound, though the theme for “Lady Marian” harks back to more traditional harp music. While the ’80s synths are dated-sounding, most of the music here represents Irish pop at its finest.

allmusic.com (more…)