Dave Mason - Very Best Of Dave Mason
Vinyl | LP Cover (1:1) | FLAC + cue | 24bit/96kHz | 825 mb
Mastered By Lanky Linstrot
Label: ABC Records/BA-6032, Blue Thumb Records/BA-6032 | Release: 1978 | Genre: Classic-Rock
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…)
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Clannad - Macalla
Vinyl | LP Cover (1:1) | FLAC + cue | 24bit/96kHz | 742 mb
Label: RCA/PL 70894 | Release: 1985 | Genre: Celtic-Rock
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…)
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Clannad - Legend
Vinyl | LP Cover (1:1) | FLAC + cue | 24bit/96kHz | 628mb
Label: RCA/NL 71703 | Release: 1984 | Genre: Celtic-Rock
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…)
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Clannad - Dúlamán
Vinyl | LP Cover (1:1) | FLAC + cue | 24bit/96kHz | 718 mb
Label: Intercord/INT 160.065 | Release: 1976 | Genre: Irish-Folk
This is one of Clannad’s traditional music recordings. The liner notes include a brief paragraph on each of the songs and instrumentals.
Dúlamán is both the name of the recording and the title of the first song. The word is Irish Gaelic for “seaweed”. In Ireland certain men made their livings by collecting and selling different types of seaweed, and were frequently nicknamed for the particular types in which they dealt. Dúlamán gaelach is a seaweed used in dying cloth, while dúlamán maorach is an edible variety. The song, sung by the band in Gaelic, records a conversation between two seaweed collectors. Dúlamán Gaelach has a beautiful daughter whom Dúlamán Maorach wishes to marry. Gaelach is not exactly thrilled with the idea of having Maorach as a son-in-law, but Maorach elopes with his daughter anyway.
Owen Roe O’Neill (Eoghan Ruadh O’Neill) was the great military leader of the Irish rebellion of the 1640’s, and was the rebels’ best hope of independence. He was a first-rate tactician, and had learned his trade both at home and on the continent. Shortly after Cromwell personally invaded Ireland, O’Neill died of a sudden illness (1649). Whether or not he could have defeated the vastly superior forces brought to Ireland by Cromwell, the British leader’s subsequent savagery has led the Irish to lament O’Neill’s loss ever since, and has inspired numerous laments. The second track is a melancholy instrumental version of one of these1.
“Two Sisters”2 is an old folk song that exists in English in many versions. The gist of this version is the rivalry of two sisters for the attentions of a young man, who prefers the company of the younger sister. The elder sister takes adavantage of an opportunity to rid herself of her rival by pushing her into a river. The miller’s son rescues her long enough to steal the girl’s ring, then pushes her back into the river. Both the miller’s son and the elder sister are apprehended and executed for their crime. Máire Brennan sings the first verse a cappella, and the succeeding verses to accompaniment.
Vain love is a common theme of traditional music from Ireland. “Éirigh Suas A Stóirín” (“Rise Up, My Darling”3) tells the story of a young man who goes to bargain with the parents of a girl he loves for her hand, as was the custom in the poorer parts of Ireland. He is refused, and the remainder of the song tells of his sorrow at this loss. Sung in Gaelic by Máire Brennan.
“The Galtee Hunt” is a lively dance tune. The group begins with the flute and harp, then later adds guitar and bass.
“Éirigh Is Cuir Ort Do Chuid Éadaigh” (“Arise and Dress Yourself”4) is, according to the liner notes:
Another Donegal love song where the composer longs desperately to elope with his loved one to a place where he is surrounded only by nature’s undisturbed beauty.
Well, yes and no. I found the lyrics to this tune in an old book of folk songs, and the version sung by Clannad is somewhat altered. Specifically, they sing only the first two verses. In its entirety, this is a folk song about a young man who did not marry the girl he loved in his youth, but instead married an older woman with considerable property. Now he bitterly regrets the choice he has made. The young man dreams one night that his former love visits him, and urges him to elope with her – the first two verses are her words. The remainder of the song is the young man’s lament for his decision: he disparages his wife rather cruelly, and blames his family for the advice that led him to the match. He resolves at last to leave his wife and find a younger girl. Sung in Gaelic by Máire Brennan. The group has inserted an instrumental bridge of variations on the tune.
“Siúil A Rún” (“Come, Oh Love”5) is the lament of a young woman who pines for her absent lover. The song comes from the time of the Flight of the Wild Geese; that is, the Irish Brigade, composed of young men who left Ireland following the Williamite War to serve in the French Army, during the years 1691 to 1745. Sung in English by Máire Brennan, with a Gaelic chorus.
Of the background of the remaining selections on this recording, I know little save for what was written in the liner notes: “Mo Mháire” celebrates the beauty of a girl named Máire, and for this reason perhaps appealed to the band’s sense of whimsy. “dTigeas A Damhsa” is a children’s dance song sung a cappella in Gaelic by Máire Brennan and one of the men. The last selection is two instrumental pieces bridged by a Gaelic phrase sung by the group; “Cucanandy” is a slip jig, and is followed by “The Jug of Brown Ale”.
Review by Tim, stmoroky.com
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Art Garfunkel - Watermark
Vinyl | LP Cover (1:1) | FLAC + cue | 24bit/96kHz | 844 mb
Mastered By Doug Sax
Label: Columbia/JC 34975 | Release: 1977 | Genre: Country-Pop
The original idea was for Art Garfunkel to record an album of songs written by Jimmy Webb. But when the leadoff single, “Crying in My Sleep,” failed to make the charts, Columbia Records withdrew the album and induced Garfunkel to put together a cover of Sam Cooke’s “(What A) Wonderful World” with Paul Simon and James Taylor harmonizing. The single and a revised version of the album then made the Top 40. But Watermark is still a Garfunkel-Sings-Webb album, except for one song. And the initial idea was a good one: Garfunkel handles Webb’s wistful pop songs well, and he has made good choices from Webb’s songbook, dating back to the ’60s, though avoiding his big bits. The result is Garfunkel’s most cohesive solo album. [The original version of Watermark, on test pressings and only a very few commercial copies, was available briefly in October, 1977. The revised version, containing “[What A] Wonderful World,” was released in January, 1978.]
Review by William Ruhlmann, allmusic.com (more…)
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Al Di Meola - Scenario
Vinyl | LP Cover (1:1) | FLAC + cue | 24bit/96kHz | 849 mb
Mastered By Bernie Grundman
Label: Columbia/FC 38944 | Release: 1983 | Genre: Jazz-Rock
This was an interesting phase for Mr. Di Meola. It was the 1980s after all, not an easy time for any musician who’d been around as long as he, and he found himself adapting to that brave new musical world the best way he could. The result was ‘Scenario’, and it turned out to be quite a tasty little album. The line up for the session was also an asset; Jan Hammer on keys, Fairlight CMI, piano, Linn and Roland drums, and Moog bass. As well, Bill Bruford and Tony Levin guest on a track, and Phil Collins appears. This didn’t produce a prog supergroup for the 80s but it did make for one of the better synthetic projects of that often garish period. The winds of the East and an Indian Bansuri, all electronic, open the desert pictures of ‘Mata Hari’, a track that showcases fluid rhythms from Hammer’s Linn drums and Fairlight with Di Meola’s cool plucking on top. The obligatory Adult Contemporary pap follows with ‘African Night’ and the record is further diminished by the dreadful ‘Island Dreamer’. Luckily, these two maestros snap out of it and give us the superb title cut, a lovely and passioned duet of Al’s Flamenco strings with Hammer’s alternating piano and synth. A diamond in the rough and one of the things worth admission. ‘Sequencer’, in many ways the flagship of this project, is a bright electro-rocker where the blend of high-tech with hard rock is best illuminated and features one of this guitarist’s best, most elegantly fierce staccato performances. ‘Cachaca’ slows the pace a bit but the guitar still cuts like a knife as it does in ‘Hypnotic Conviction’. The eerie ‘Calliope’ develops into an odd-metered romp with melodic solos and the album finishes with the racing and clipping ‘Scoundrel’, an exercise in instrumental prowess. And please note the hats-off to Jeff Beck’s ‘Blue Wind’ at the end, a well-deserved homage to that rock fusion giant.
Review by Atavachron, progarchives.com (more…)
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10cc - Deceptive Bends
Vinyl | LP Cover (1:1) | FLAC + cue | 24bit/96kHz | 815 mb
Label: Mercury/6310 502 | Release: 1977 | Genre: Pop-Rock
This was the first album released by the band after the departure of Kevin Godley and Lol Creme. Many wondered at the time if the remaining half, Gouldman/Stewart, could pull off a decent album or would it be a let down. When it came out I rushed out to buy it, hoping it would be pretty good. Well, it was more than pretty good! It’s one of their best. Augmented by Paul Burgess on drums, who had already worked live with the band, Graham and Eric managed to make it sound as if Kevin and Lol had never left! ‘Good Morning Judge’ was a hit in the charts, and is typical 10cc. Clever lyrics are again present and nice guitar from Eric Stewart. Because the original four had quite similar voices at times, it wasn’t too hard to replicate the classic sound here. Graham Gouldman can sound quite like Kevin Godley when he sings deeply, and Eric Stewart can do a falsetto almost as well as Lol Creme. The second track, ‘The Things We Do For Love’ was a decent chart hit, and already heard and known before the album came out. Listening to it, you would swear it was the original four on the record. In fact, before I got the album, I wondered if the track had had the benefit of all four singing on it, because the songs for this album were being written and recorded whilst Godley and Creme were commencing work on their debut opus, ‘Consequences’. I thought maybe they had sung on this before they had left the band. However, they hadn’t. ‘Marriage Bureau Rendezvous’ is sung by Graham. A nice, quite romantic song really, with a good melody and gentle satire in its lyrics, it is instantly hummable.The story, about a man going to a marriage bureau to meet his Mrs Right, only to end up with the girl trying to fix him up with a date, is quite moving, without being mawdling. ‘People In Love’ is a nice ballad, the type this band were expert at writing when the mood took them. Eric sings this one and it’s a straightforward song with minimal satire. ‘Modern Man Blues’ is sung by both Eric and Graham, and has a superb twist when it comes to the chorus. The verse seems to bemoan the fact that the hero of the song has had his wife walk out on him, but the chorus sees him celebrating, now that he is free and able to do what he likes! Classic 10cc. ‘Honeymoon With B Troop’ is quite short and very funny, with classic lines abounding, such as: ‘So, don’t touch her…’ and then the backing vocals sing: ‘bum, bum, bum, bum,bum,bum,bum,bum,’ before the next line: Oh, it’s so fine, and you know what’s mine is mine.’ One of my favourites on the album. ‘I Bought A Flat Guitar Tutor’ is even shorter, and very, very clever. The lyrics contain various references to guitar chords, such as: C what I’m going through, A to B with you, in A flat, by the C. Again, a fave of mine. And the tune is catchy too, with nice guitar work from Eric, reminding us how well the man can play. ‘You’ve Got A Cold’ is probably my least favourite here, but it’s still good. It’s a song about, yes, you’ve guessed it, someone with a cold. Plenty of vocal interplay on this one. Solid stuff. Finally comes the magnum opus, a three part epic called ‘Feel The Benefit’. I played this track again and again when I first heard it. Eric takes the main lead here, though Graham contributes too. Lyrically, it’s quite poignant. The first part is slow paced, the middle part has an infectious rhythm, and the third part reprises the first, ending with a superb guitar solo from Eric. Brilliant stuff! This was the last what I would call ‘classic’ albums from the band, although the next, Bloody Tourists, has its merits too. This deserves four stars, easily.
Review by chessman, progarchives.com (more…)
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Title: Umphrey’s McGee – Live at Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO 09.15.2012
Release Date: 2012
Genre: Rock, progressive rock, jam band, math rock, jazz fusion, funk rock
Artist: Brendan Bayliss – Guitar, Vocals; Jake Cinninger – Guitar, Vocals; Joel Cummins – Keys, Vocals; Andy Farag – Percussion; Kris Myers – Drums, Vocals; Ryan Stasik – Bass
Production/Label: Tour Gigs
Duration: 02:49:16
Quality: Blu-ray
Container: BDMV
Video codec: AVC
Audio codec: AC-3
Video: MPEG-4 AVC 13755 kbps / 1920*1080p / 23,976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1
Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps
Size: 17.87 GB
In what has become an Umphrey’s tradition, the band followed up a legendary Red Rocks performance with an intimate Colorado theater show. With palpable energy filling the room well before the first note, the Boulder Theater crowd knew they were in for a treat. Never ones to leave anything on the table, Umphrey’s pulled out a set list with a slew of songs that hadn’t seen the light of day in Colorado for years. Rock it in the comfort of your living room in stunning HD. Hold on tight. Rage. Rest. Repeat. (more…)
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Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 4, Romeo and Juliet Overture – Budapest Festival Orchestra, Ivan Fischer (2004)
DSF Stereo DSD64/2.82MHz | Time – 01:01:15 minutes | 2,41 + 2,49 GB | Genre: Classical
Official Digital Download – Source: nativeDSDmusic | © Channel Classics Records B.V.
Recorded: The Italian Institute, Budapest, 11-14 February 2004
One of the most wondrous friendships in musical history was the one between Pyotr Ilyitch Tchaikovski and a rich noblewoman, Nadjezhda von Meck. She worshipped Tchaikovski from afar and initiated a correspondence which, over the years, would amount to some 1200 letters. Madame Von Meck became Tchaikovskis patroness and granted him a generous yearly allowance. In this way it became possible for Pyotr Ilyitch to resign his detested job as a professor at the Moscow conservatory, concentrate on composing, and travel, preferably abroad. The two agreed that they would never meet, in order to avoid any emotional complications which might arise. Thanks to the extensive correspondence, we are well informed about numerous details of Tchaikovskis life, including the background to his Fourth Symphony in f, op. 36, from 1877. Around this time, Tchaikovski had unexpectedly rushed into a marriage in order to avoid revealing his homosexuality. After a week with his bride, the composer suffered a nervous breakdown and made an attempt at suicide, after which the marriage was dissolved on medical advice. It was against this backdrop that the Fourth Symphony was composed…
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General:
Filename…….: Lionel Richie Live in Paris His Greatest Hits and More 2007 1080p BluRay DTS x264
Container……: Matroska
Duration…….: 1h 54mn 55s 40ms
Size………..: 6.30 GiB
Video:
Codec……….: Avc [email protected]
Type………..: Progressive
Resolution…..: 1920×1080
Aspect Ratio…: 1.778:1
Bit rate…….: 6.10 Mbps
Frame rate…..: 29.970 Fps
Audio:
Format………: DTS Audio
Channels…….: 6 Channel
Bit rate…….: 1510 Kbps
Language…….: English
Tracklist:
1.Just for You
2.I call it love
3.Penny Lover
4.Easy
5.Ballerina Girl
6.Running with the Night
7.Still
8.Oh No
9.Stuck on You
10.Dancing on the Ceiling
11.Three times a Lady
12.All around the World
13.Sela
14.Endless Love
15.Sail On
16.Fancy Dancer
17.Lady
18.Brick House
19.Hello
20.Don’t Stop / Angel / Destiny
21.Say You, Say Me
22.All Night Long
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General:
Filename…….: BluScenes Waves of Tranquility 2012 1080p BluRay DTS-HD MA 7.1 X264
Format…….. : Matroska
Duration…….: 1h 40mn 36s 739ms
Size………..: 10.0 GiB
Video:
Codec……….: AVC [email protected]
Type………..: Progressive
Resolution…..: 1920×1080
Aspect Ratio…: 16:9
Bit rate…….: 12.4 Mbps
Frame rate…..: 23.976 Fps
Audio:
Format………: Dts Hd Master Audio
Channels…….: 6 Channels
Bit rate…….: 5973 Kbps
Language…….: English
Plot:
BluScenes Waves of Tranquility was designed to bring the the soothing sounds of the beach to your home or office. Perfect for relaxation, there are no people or distractions to interrupt the beautiful scenery.
Screenshots:
Trio Rosenrot – Lenz: Deutsche Volkslieder (2014)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 00:52:31 minutes | 994 MB | Genre: Jazz, World
Official Digital Download – Source: Qobuz | @ Westpark Music, Cologne
Das trio Rosenrot aus Berlin hat im Januar sein Album Lenz – deutsche Volkslieder auf den Markt gebracht. Jennifer Kothe (Gesang), Hub Hildenbrand (Gitarre) und Denis Stilke (Schlagzeug) sind der Mittelpunkt der Band. Ihr Musikstil ist mit Ethno, Pop, Jazz, Folk, improvisierter – und Weltmusik schon sehr weit gefächert und ich war gespannt auf das, was mich da erwartet. Die Titelliste ist sehr vielversprechend mit bekannten und weniger bedeutenden deutschen Liedern.
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NASHVILLE – Summer’s hottest artists will perform on “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” airing Tuesday, Aug. 4 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network and hosted for the third time by reigning CMA Vocal Group of the Year Little Big Town.
Filmed during CMA Music Festival in June, the special features many of today’s most exciting Country Music stars, including Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Lee Brice, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Brett Eldredge, Florida Georgia Line, Randy Houser, Sam Hunt, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae, Kip Moore, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker, Cole Swindell, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Chris Young, and Zac Brown Band as they hit the stage during the four-day party and celebration of America’s music.
“CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” first aired on ABC in 2005. This is the 11th time ABC is broadcasting the special – which invites the whole country to America’s largest Country Music celebration. The annual special will air on ABC through 2021.
In the weeks leading up to the Aug. 4 broadcast CMA will be releasing sneak peek videos giving fans an in-depth look at CMA Music Festival and the artists performing. Stay tuned to CMAfest.com and CMA social channels for the latest updates and news.
Airing Tuesday, Aug. 5 2014, “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” (8:00-11:00 PM/ET – 7.2 million and 1.8/6 in AD18-49), earned its second-highest numbers in five years in Viewers and Adults 18-49, while equaling an eight-year high in Adults 18-34. The broadcast ranked No. 1 on Tuesday across all key Adult demos: AD18-34 (1.4/6), AD18-49 (1.8/6) and AD25-54 (2.3/7-tie). In viewers and young adults, ABC delivered its strongest non-sports summer Tuesday since 2010 (Memorial Day-Labor Day) – since 6/1/10 and 8/31/10, respectively. Source: The Nielsen Company, Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings for 08/05/14.
“CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” is executive-produced by Robert Deaton.
http://www.cmaworld.com/cma-music-festival/ (more…)
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General:
Filename…….: Soilwork Live In The Heart of Helsinki 2015 1080p BluRay DTS x264
Format…….. : Matroska
Duration…….: 1h 55mn 58s 667ms
Size………..: 5.47 GiB
Video:
Codec……….: AVC [email protected]
Type………..: Progressive
Resolution…..: 1920×1080
Aspect Ratio…: 16:9
Bit rate…….: 5.11 Mbps
Frame rate…..: 24.000 Fps
Audio:
Format………: Dts Audio
Channels…….: 6 Channels
Bit rate…….: 1510 Kbps
Language…….: English
Tracklist:
1.This Momentary Bliss
2.Like The Average Stalker
3.Overload
4.Weapon Of Vanity
5.Spectrum Of Eternity
6.Follow The Hollow
7.Parasite Blues
8.Distortion Sleep
9.Bastard Chain
10.Let This River Flow
11.Long Live The Misanthrope
12.Tongue
13.Nerve
14.The Chainheart Machine
15.The Living Infinite I
16.Rise Above The Sentiment
17.Late For The Kill, Early For The Slaughter
18.Rejection Role
19.Black Star Deceiver
20.As The Sleeper Awakes
21.Sadistic Lullabye
22.As We Speak
23.Stabbing The Drama
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General:
Filename…….: Caspian Live At The Larcom 2014 1080p BluRay AC3 x264
Format…….. : Matroska
Duration…….: 1h 44mn 37s 355ms
Size………..: 2.15 GiB
Video:
Codec……….: AVC [email protected]
Type………..: Progressive
Resolution…..: 1920×1080
Aspect Ratio…: 16:9
Bit rate…….: 2.69 Mbps
Frame rate…..: 23.976 Fps
Audio:
Format………: AC3 Audio
Channels…….: 2 Channels
Bit rate…….: 192 Kbps
Language…….: English
Tracklist:
1.Cigarette
2.Quovis / Further Up / Further In
3.Moksha
4.The Dove / ASA
5.Ghost of The Garden City
6.Malacoda
7.Concrescence
8.Sycamore
9.Gone In Bloom and Bough
10.Halls of The Summer
11.Fire Made Flesh
12.Hymn For The Greatest Generation
Screenshots:
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