Thursday, March 31, 2011

W.O.C.K On Vinyl - Let It Rock (Skyhooks - 1975)

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Before things get too serious here at Rock On Vinyl, I thought it might be fun to post a song at the end of each month, that could be categorized as being either Weird, Obscure, Crazy or just plain Korny.
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On the final night for the Reefer Cabaret at the Pahran Town Hall, New Year's Eve 1975, the atmosphere grew tense as midnight crept closer. For at midnight a mystery act would appear and it was rumoured that this group was ................. well everybody picked a different group, but few guessed who it really was - Skyhooks. There was a certain amount of camaraderie shared between Skyhooks and the Reefer, for it was on the Reefers first night that Skyhooks made their first fully professional debut - and the incredible reaction to their scintillating performance, the likes of which had never been experienced in Melbourne before, also helped to establish the Reefer as the venue where the country's best musicians performed at their peak. As midnight neared, the mania grabbed the usually blase rock industry personnel who were present that night. Then, as Red, Bongo, Shirley, Fred and Greg arrived, people realised the identity of the mystery act and everyone crowded to the side of the stage to watch the reaction. And the reaction was phenomenal. Skyhooks proved to the audience that they were the most exciting act in the country at that time. Now, the reason for posting "Let It Rock" (recorded at this historic concert) as this months WOCK on Vinyl posting, is the bizarre inclusion of a 'coughing solo' by one of the quieter Hook members - Bongo Star - midway through the song!

It doesn't get any Crazier than this and the strange thing is that it actually works. "Let It Rock" was released in March, 1976 and reached #13 on the Australian Charts. Skyhooks were on their 'In The Heat Of The Night' National Tour when this 3 track Maxi-Single was recorded. All three tracks were recorded at this historical Reefer Caberet 1975 concert and have been riped to mp3 at 320kps. Full album artwork and label scans are included.
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Track Listing
01 - Let It Rock (featuring coughing solo)

02 - Revolution

03 - Saturday Night

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Skyhooks Link (24Mb) REPOST
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Monday, March 28, 2011

Weddings, Parties, Anything - Scorn Of The Women (1987) + Bonus Tracks

(Australian 1984 - 1998, 2006-Present)
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Weddings Parties Anything, often known as 'WPA' and 'Weddoes', were an Australian folk rock band formed in 1984 in Melbourne and continuing until 1998 (although they have reformed a number of times since to play the occasional festival or charity gig). Their name came from The Clash song ("Revolution Rock") and musicologist Billy Pinnell described their first album as the best Australian rock debut since Skyhooks' Living in the '70s.

Listed influences as Woody Guthrie, Tex Morton, and The Rolling Stones, one gets the idea that it is not easy to categorize this Australian band. And it isn't. One part rock, one part punk/alternative, one part country, and one part whatever strikes their fancy. With experience including solo performances, and playing in Australian "bush bands", principal writer (and leader of the band), Michael Thomas, formed W.P.A. in 1985, initially with drummer, Marcus Schintler, later recruiting accordionist Mark Wallace, guitarist Dave Steel, and bassist Janine Hall (formerly of the band The Saints). WPA initially gained a reputation as a hot new band through their constant touring in their early days, however they never really became a commercial success. They did however, form a fanatical supporter base, known as the “Wedheads” that continued to sustain the band for years. Renowned for their energetic live shows, WPA had a handful of live songs that were nearly always guaranteed to push the mosh pit into a frenzy, particularly “A Tale They Won’t Believe”, the story of cannibalism in the convict days of Tasmania. 


An independent E.P. released in 1985 by Suffering Tram Music (pictured below), and constant touring of Australia finally caught the attention of WEA Australia, who signed the band in 1987, and promptly released their debut album, 'Scorn Of The Women'. Janine Hall left the band following the release of the album, and was replaced by Peter Lawler. It was that line-up that produced 1988's Roaring Days. Dave Steel left the band following a tour of North America, citing exhaustion as the chief reason. He also noted in several interviews, at the time of his departure (1988), that he was feeling frustrated not getting a lot of his material on the W.P.A. albums. He released his debut solo album, through WEA in 1989. He was replaced by Richard Burgman for 1989's The Big Don't Argue, and accompanying tours. The band spent a great deal of time touring over the next three years, and managed to release only one EP in 1990, titled 'The Weddings Play Sports (and Falcons)', featuring cover versions of the bands The Sports, and the Falcons. The band resurfaced in 1992 with an EP featuring the popular track "One Perfect Day", originally released by 'Little Heroes', and a new CD with yet another guitarist, Paul Thomas, replacing the departing Richard Burgman. This line-up (Michael Thomas, Paul Thomas, Mark Wallace, Marcus Schintler, and Peter Lawler) remained in tack for another two years, producing one more CD, King Tide (1993).

Following the world tour to promote that release, Peter Lawler, and Marcus Schintler left the band, for unknown reasons, although Peter Lawler pursued a solo career. . Thomas reformed the band, and by 1996, the new line-up of W.P.A were ready for their first release, the independently produced 'Donkey Serenade'. The band now included Jen Anderson (Violins; Mandolin) (formerly of the band, Black Sorrows); Michael Barclay (Drums); Stephen O'Prey (Bass), as well as Michael Thomas, Paul Thomas and Mark Wallace. The music style shifted somewhat from folk to a more alternative country sound. The band decided at this time to concentrate on the Australian market, and did less touring outside of their native Australia. W.P.A. finished 1997 with a new release, 'Riveresque' on a new label (Mushroom/Sony), and by 1998, the band decided to take a break and work on several solo projects, including Michael Thomas's musical Wide Open Road. A band with a unique mix of influences, and sounds, who have demonstrated the ability to grow, explore, and be creative with new additions, while maintaining their own style of music. [extract from mushroom music] .

Album Review
If Pete Seeger had been a member of the Clash, circa 1979, this is probably the sound they would have created. Mike Thomas, the principle writer for the band, wears his influences on his sleeve on this debut album, but he is still able to make his own distinct style of folk/alternative rock. Listen for Tex Morton, Pete Seeger, punk influences, and traditional folk songs all rolled into one beautiful sound. He also manages to cover a great many topics, such as infanticide ("The Infanticide of Marie Farrar"), women's rights ("Ladies Lounge"), and poverty ("Hungry Years"), all within a Marxist's perspective. Pretty impressive for a debut rock album. And, he is able to mould such diverse topics around some very accessible, if not downright addictive melodies. The band is tight, and this tightness helps shape the songs into intense, thought-provoking melodramas. Weddings, Parties, Anything were able, very early in their career, to carve out their own sound (typified by the wonderful harmonies of the piano accordion), which is a remarkable achievement for a young band. Overall, a great album that will reward the brave new listener. Highly recommended. .

This post was ripped from my 'mint' vinyl copy at 320kps and includes full album artwork for both vinyl and CD (thanks to Micko for CD artwork). I have also included the non-album B-Side track "Bourgeois Blues" (flip side of Away, Away) and two bonus live tracks, "Away, Away" from 1997 and "One Perfect Day" which was recorded in 2003. .

.Note: I have a close personal affiliation with this album for one special reason. I have lived at a number of addresses in my life, two of which are clearly depicted 'geographically' in maps that appear on the cover of this LP (see right) - the map of Geelong and the map of Melbourne. My suburbs are clearly labelled in each of these maps! I find myself asking the question was this an early version of Google Maps ? .
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Track Listing
01. Hungry Years - 4:23

02. Ladies Lounge - 2:53

03. Lost Boys (Dave Steel) - 3:57

04. The Infanticide of Marie Farrar - 3:27

05. She Works - 3:05
06. Scorn of the Women - 5:22

07. Away Away - 3:51

08. The River Is Wide - 3:51

09. Up For Air - 3:27

10. By Tomorrow - 3:42

11. Woman of Ireland - 2:45

12. Shotgun Wedding - 5:19

13. Bourgeois Blues (B-Side Single)
14. One Perfect Day (Bonus Live Acoustic Version 2003)

15. Away Away (Bonus Live Acoustic Version 1997)


Band Members:

Janine Hall (Bass guitar, vocals)

Marcus Schintler (Drums, vocals)

Dave Steel (Guitar, vocals)

Mick Thomas (Guitar, vocals)

Mark Wallace (Piano accordion, keyboards, vocals)

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Additional Musicians

Louis McManus - Guitar ("Ladies Lounge")

Jeff Raglus - Trumpet ("Scorn Of The Women")

Michael Barclay - Vocals ("Away Away")
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Weddings, Parties, Anything Link (140Mb)  New Link 06/02/2024
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Thursday, March 24, 2011

Budgie - Live At The Örebro Concert Hall, Sweden (1974)

(U.K 1967-1988, 1995-1996, 1999-2010)
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How Budgie Started 
Here's the latest extract from Jeff Collin's book entitled 'Rock Legends at Rockfield'.
 
.With a similar sound to their Midland counterparts, Black Sabbath, Budgie recorded most of their albums at the Monmouth Studio. The following extract looks at Budgies big break when they had an audition at Rockfield with Sabbath producer Rodger Bain. After two years of gigging, and writing songs, the Budgie's big break was just around the corner.
One day in 1969 when they visited their agent to pay her, she told them about an audition taking place at Rockfield Studios - just down the road from Cardiff in Monmouth. A producer there, Rodger Bain, was looking to sign a rock band and was auditioning a few acts from across the UK. Singer and bass player Burke Shelley laughs, though, when he remembers the agent’s warning to them as they left her office that day. ‘Our agent, Mrs England, I think her was name, took on a very stern face and told us, “Don’t you dare play any of your own stuff !” He giggles at the memory. ‘You’ve got to laugh, haven’t you? We were playing a few well known tunes by other bands to get gigs, but half our set was our own material and although she warned us not to play that stuff - and I’d reassured her that we wouldn’t - as soon as we got outside I said to the guys “Forget that. We’re doing our own songs” and it worked.’ The band, armed with songs like "All Night Petrol", "Guts" and "Rape of The Locks", impressed the veteran music producer. He told them he was keen to sign them, despite the fact he’d already given a contract to one other budding young band. The group in question was Black Sabbath, a band that Budgie would frequently be compared to over the coming years.
Before that deal could happen, the band had to play another audition in London for representatives from some of the major record companies. Ray Phillips was baffled that they didn’t hold the second audition at Rockfield, but instead at a small recording studio in London. ‘As we set up our equipment, we noticed two guys there. One was from a company called Bell Records and the other was called, David Howells, from MCA Records. I’d always thought that if a record company heard us play, then they’d sign us straight away. Dave Howells was Welsh as well. He was Merthyr born and bred, so we had an affinity with each other. Anyway he loved us and we signed a major deal with MCA records just a few weeks later. I was quite proud of the fact that Budgie had only been playing for 4 or 5 years, before we signed a major worldwide deal. That was fast work, because most guys had been in bands for 10 years before they got a deal. But we’d practiced and rehearsed non-stop. We wanted to be the best.’ And they were !
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This concert was recorded at the Örebro Concert Hall, in Örebro, Sweden on September 12th, 1974.
The lineup consists of new drummer Pete Boot and the inclusion of a lengthy drum solo is probably an indication that Boot was a novelty at the time - but I'm sure this wore off pretty quickly as it is way too long. The track listing also indicates that the band was probably still testing out some of its new material from their up and coming album 'In For The Kill'.
The recording, although good for the era in which it was recorded, doesn't really do Shelley's vocals any real justice and his voice is lost somewhere in amongst a second rate PA system. What does make up for this short coming are Bourge's amazing guitar licks and ability to play rhythm at the same time. One disappointment is an annoying 5 second dropout in the middle of "Zoom Club". It is hard to know whether the taper actually stopped his tape on purpose (perhaps to flip the tape over) or whether there was a fault with the equipment. And the recording quality definitely improves throughout the concert.
The rip was taken from tape at 320kps and includes full album artwork. Some select photos of Budgie from the mid 70's are also included.

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Track Listing
01. Breadfan (7:45)
02. Living On Your Own (8:56)
03. Parents (10:25)
04. You're The Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk (8:32)
05. Zoom Club (10:50)
06. Rocking Man (9:12)
07. Drum Solo (9:47)
08. Running From My Soul (5:45)
 

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Budgie Are:
Burke Shelley - Vocals,Bass
 
Tony Bourge - Guitar
Pete Boot - Drums
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Budgie Link (136Mb) New Link 26/10/2015
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Sunday, March 20, 2011

Reckless Kelly - Soundtrack: Various Artists (1993)

(Australian 1993)
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Kelly is a bank robber, a pop-culture hero and video shop owner. This modern story tells how he is furious when a Japanese company wants to buy his... Kelly is a bank robber, a pop-culture hero and video shop owner. This modern story tells how he is furious when a Japanese company wants to buy his band's farm.
Yahoo Serious returns to the big screen in this moral tale and epic comedy adventure about Australia's greatest outlaw and only enduring hero, Ned Kelly.
He's a biker, a bank robber, a lover, a fly killer, a champion of multiculturalism, an environmentalist, and a video rental addict. Ned Kelly (Yahoo Serious - Young Einstein) is the last of the once great bank-robbing Kelly gang. But times have changed. These days Ned knocks off ATMs. Then demanding bank service at gunpoint he re-deposits the money into the bank accounts of the poor.

Monarchist and bank executive Sir John (Hugo Weaving - The
Matrix, Priscilla Queen of the Desert) hires English mercenary Wib (Alexei Sayle - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Gorky Park) to rid Australia of Ned. Sir John devises a brilliant economic rationalist scheme to sell off Australia's most beautiful national park. He plans to tow the sacred Aboriginal island (the Kelly Gang's hideout) to Tokyo Bay in Japan and develop it as a wilderness tourist attraction.
Vulnerable to Hollywood's publicity machine, naive Ned reasons his pin-up girl 'The Hollywood Outlaw' (actually a transvestite) could help him rob American banks and buy back his island. Ned ventures from the 'honest' Outback to the funny-flakey-fabulous world of Hollywood. Accidentally becoming a straight-to-video-B-grade movie star, Ned Kelly is an instant box office hit as the Shakespeare-reciting, bible-bashing, gun-loving Christian Cowboy. With "the biggest goddamn gun in Hollywood", the Christian Cowboy cleans up the sins of Las Vegas and falls in love with a beautiful sex-crazed nun, Robin Banks (Melora Hardin).
As Sir John bankrupts Ned's Hollywood studio and takes over his wilderness island, Wib sends fame-crazed fan Ernie (Martin Ferrero - Jurassic Park) to kill Ned.

Serious satire explodes as Ned 'Reckless' Kelly realises "guns are not the solution to anything, they're the problem". Heavily armoured but foolishly unarmed and in the face of 10,000 bullets, Ned must make his historic last stand at the 'Glenrowan Hotel and Video Rental'.
Can a gunless hero save his family's wilderness home, the girl he desires and the video store he loves? Yahoo gets into serious action in this Reckless Australian comedy about a nation's hero who unfortunately becomes a Hollywood movie star [extract from official yahoo serious website ]
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As mentioned in my Young Einsten post, this was Yahoo's follow up movie and I consider them to be very much a pigeon pair. So, although this album was never released on vinyl, I'm still posting this soundtrack as it contains some great Aussie Rock and the CD is no longer available.
There are some well known Australian artists here: INXS, Divinyls, Mental As Anything, Steve Kilbey, James Reyne and our very own indigenous band Yothu Yindi. However, it is the inclusion of some unknown bands from Sydney: The Dukes (featuring Sean Kelly and Geoffrey Stapleton), Single Gun Theory and Succotash which weakens this soundtrack somewhat.
Why didn't Yahoo use the Party Boys rendition of "I Fought The Law"? - a much more powerful take to The Dukes version in my opinion.
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.I really like the Divinyl's version of "Wild Thing" and their promotional video clip used for the single release, which features some great motorcycle excerpts from the movie. Likewise, INX's cover of "Born To Be Wild" starts off the album with all barrels firing and was also released on a Maxi Single CD called 'Please (You Got That)'

The one anomaly on this soundtrack is the track "Happy On My Way" by Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. The linear notes specifically state that all artists included in this soundtrack are Australian, however my research tells me that Doyle Lawson is very much an American Gospel Blue Grass singer. Not really my cup of tea I'm afraid.
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The rip was taken from CD at 320kps and includes full album artwork, including some great movie shots included in booklet form.
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Track Listing
01. Born To Be Wild (3:52) -
INXS
02. I Fought The Law (2:57) -
The Dukes
03. Wild Thing (4:15) -
Divinyls
04. AwabaKelly (1:18) -
Alan Dargin & Yahoo Serious
05. Djapana (Sunset Dreaming) (4:02) -
Yothu Yindi
06. Ride (3:17) -
Mental As Anything
07. Handle The Fame (2:32) -
Anthony Warlow
08. Happiness Is A Warm Gun (3:03) -
The Dukes
09. Reckless Angels (0:40) - Yahoo Serious
10. From A Million Miles (4:36) -
Single Gun Theory
11. Faith (3:20) -
The Dukes
12. As You Like It (4:27) -
Steve Kilbey
13. Bedazzled (3:52) -
Succotash
14. Reckless (6:06) -
James Reyne
15. Happy On My Way (1:59) - Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
16. Such Is Life (0:57) -
Yahoo Serious & The Victorian Philharmonic Orchestra
17. Handle The Fame (Finale) (0:26) -
Anthony Warlow


Reckless Kelly Link (102Mb) New Link 01/01/2024
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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

The Babys - Spoiled Brats (1977) Bootleg

(U.K 1976-1980)
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The Babys were a British rock/pop group best known for their songs "Isn't It Time" and "Everytime I Think of You". Both songs were composed by Jack Conrad and Ray Kennedy and reached #13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in the late 1970s.
The 1976-1978 Babys line-up consisted of vocalist/bassist John Waite, drummer Tony Brock, Keyboard player/guitarist Michael Corby, and guitarist Wally Stocker.
After Corby was sacked by Chrysalis in August 1978 a replacement was sought. The company brought in two musicians to replace the co-founder: Jonathan Cain on keyboards and Ricky Phillips to play bass. From 1979 until the final breakup in 1981 the Babys line-up consisted of vocalist Waite, drummer Brock, bassist Phillips, guitarist Stocker and keyboardist Cain.


Corby had been dismissed and the control of the name of the band was never relinquished by him, in effect making the 1979 band a breakaway group from the original contract and not entitled to use the name.
The Babys Archives states a very strong case against the name being used after Corby and Millar were sacked, the original contract clearly has Corby as a member and never lists Cain and Phillips. Corby commissioned The Babys Archives a number of years ago to correct a number of misconceptions about the origins of the group.

John Waite went on to produce a major solo hit, "Missing You", in 1984. Stocker and Brock worked with Rod Stewart and other mainstream artists including Elton John and Air Supply. Cain enjoyed major success with Journey and Phillips with Bad English. [extract from Wikipedia]
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This bootleg is another one of my prize possessions in my record collection, although the quality of the recording isn't quite up to the standard of some of my other bootlegs. There is some distortion and occasional drop outs during this recording but overall it isn't too bad - probably a B+ rating would be fair. As far as I can gather, this is the first time this bootleg has been posted. In fact, there is scant information about this recording, other than it was recorded at the Old Waldorf Theatre in San Francisco, sometime in 1977.
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The bootleg was released on the TAKRL label (The Amazing Kornyfone Record Label).
The Amazing Kornyfone Record Label (TAKRL) operated out of Anytown in the USA and was the brainchild of the late Dr. Terrence H. "Telly"fone, Art Gnuvo and Deek Kibard.
The sound quality of the recordings varied depending upon the origin of the source material. Some of the recordings were taken directly from other records, audience cassette tape recordings, FM radio broadcasts and television broadcasts. The quality was not really such an issue for the fans who were desperate to obtain any recording of their favourite artist. One of the most famous bootlegs of all times was an album of rare Bob Dylan recordings called The Great White Wonder. Some bootleg albums were so good they "forced" the legitimate record labels to officially release the material.
The album sleeves were usually two colour paper inserts that were slipped under the shrink wrap that enclosed the plain white cardboard album cover.
The Amazing Kornyfone Record Label was a legendary entity in the bootleg world. They never took themselves seriously however they always utilised high quality vinyl in the production of the records. You could usually obtain the records via various mail order outlets such as Toad Hall's Rare Records. [ extract from http://www.larkin.net.au/takrl/]
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This post contains 2 separate mp3 rips (Side A and Side B) taken from my vinyl copy, at 320kps. I chose not to segment the songs as they tended to run into one another, and I wanted to retain the natural flow of the concert and dialogue spoken between songs.
I have also included full scans of the LP covers and select photos of the band during their early years. The only short comings of this concert was the absence of their hit single "Isn't It Time" which is strange, as this was their biggest hit at the time; and the slightly boring drum solo in the last track "Do You Wanna". Highlights would definitely be "Rodeo" / "Wild Man" on Side A and "I'm Falling" and "If You Could See Me Fly" on the flip side. And what about the front cover - it says it all doesn't it ?
NB> The back cover track listing was slightly inaccurate with "Wild Man" missing after "Rodeo" and "Rescue Me" missing the letter 'c' (which I fixed many years ago using stencils !)
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Track Listing
01 - Looking For Love
02 - Rodeo

03 - Wild Man *

04 - Dying Man

05 - If You've Got The Time

06 - Rescue me

07 - I'm Falling

08 - If You Could See Me Fly

09 - Do You Wanna

* Not listed on back cover
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Band Members:
John Waite - (Bass, Lead Vocals)
Walter Stocker - (Lead Guitar)
Michael Corby - (Rhythm Guitar, Keyboards)
Tony Brock - (Drums, Vocals)
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The Babys Link (115 Mb) New Link 02/01/2024
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Sunday, March 13, 2011

Young Einstein - Soundtrack: Various Artists (1988) + Bonus Tracks

(Australian 1988)
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In 1988, Yahoo Serious became the first Australian to write, direct, produce and star in a feature film. Young Einstein was a national and international hit both critically and at the box office. Made on a shoestring budget which Yahoo pulled together by selling his car and borrowing cameras, Young Einstein went on to gross over $100 million and reach number one in many countries including Australia, Britain, France, Germany and Canada during 1989-90. In America Young Einstein was one of the most successful Australian movies ever released and became a cult classic. The movie's soundtrack, produced by Yahoo, went double platinum.
In February 1989 Yahoo was featured on the cover of TIME magazine. In the same year he was the cover of MAD magazine, made his own MTV show in New York and in a satire on TV reporting, he interviewed himself on 60 Minutes.
It was a strange encounter on a wild trip down the Amazon river which inspired Yahoo to create Young Einstein - the incredible untold story of Albert Einstein, the genius Tasmanian apple farmer. In 1905 he discovered Relativity, in 1906 he invented Rock and Roll.
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The Movie
On a remote Tasmanian apple farm, the young wild-haired genius, Albert Einstein, splits the atom to make the world's first bubbled beer...and all hell breaks loose!
Beneath the film's rich tapestry of comedy beats the heart of a young man who dares to think differently.
Albert treks the vast Australian continent, sails to Paris and falls in love with Marie Curie - the world's most intelligent girl. He formulates E=mc2, creates the world's first surfboard, invents the electric guitar and uses his greatest discovery - Rock and Roll, to save the planet from the atomic destruction that his revolutionary theories inadvertently caused.
The physics is illuminating, the collisions and fusions of music are revolutionary, writer/director/star Yahoo's eccentric Albert Einstein is charming. Young Einstein is an original comedy with a big brain, a warm heart and a celebration of a human spirit who dared to be different. [extracts from http://www.yahooserious.com/einstein.html]
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The Soundtrack
Being an Aussie, I can see why old Yahoo Serious appeals to us lot and not many others. Like Vegemite, he's an acquired taste. Young Einstein 'the movie' might have left a bad taste in some mouths, but the soundtrack should have your ears ringing in delight.
The soundtrack is 100% Australian and contains some mighty tracks from The Saints, Mental As Anything and Big Pig (whatever happened to them?) and even some choice pop hits from The Models, Paul Kelly and Icehouse.
Also included are some obscure tracks by The Stems and The Lime Spiders who were part of the garage band music scene in the 80's and hold their own amongst the more popular bands on this soundtrack.
What stands out in this film the most is 'the choice of songs and how they are used in the film', which is quite exceptional. My favorite being the Icehouse rock anthem tribute to the land down under, "Great Southern Land". The scene it plays in could very well be a rock video, a la Midnight Oil or something. Music really carries this film a great distance from a plot that's not quite so well developed as it should be.
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The rip was taken from my mint condition (and very pink) Vinyl LP at 320kps, and the bonus B-Side single tracks were also ripped from vinyl. I have also included full album artwork and artwork associated with the 3 singles that were taken from this soundtrack (The Saints, Mental As Anything and Big Pig). Choice photos from the movie are also included.
(Thanks to Deutros for The Saints B-Side single music and artwork)
Note: I also plan to post what I call the sequel to this album, the soundtrack to Yahoo's 'Reckless Kelly' movie which was released in 1993, so stay tuned. 

Track Listing
01. Roll and Rock Music - Yahoo Serious
02. Rock and Roll Music - Mental as Anything
03. Music Goes Round My Head - The Saints
04. Who Can You Trust (Main Title) - Yahoo and Lulu
05. Dumb Things - Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls
06. Hungry Town - Big Pig

07. Great Southern Land - Icehouse
08. Great Big Brain - The Song Company
09. Tasmanian - Yahoo Serious
10. I Hear Motion - The Models
11. Theory of Relativity - Yahoo Serious
12. At First Sight - The Stems
13. A Fist Full of Scientists - Yahoo Serious
14. Weirdo Libido - The Lime Spiders
15. Young Einstein Pacifist - Yahoo Serious
16. Tomorrow - The Saints (Bonus B-Side Single)
17. Apocalypso - Mental As Anything (Bonus B-Side Single Recorded live at World Expo 88')
18. Boy Wonder (Baby Mix) - Big Pig (Bonus B-Side Single)

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Young Einstein Link (112Mb)
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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Phil Collins - Unauthorised Vol.2 (In The Air Tonight) 1983 Bootleg

(U.K 1968-Present)
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Phil Collins is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, keyboardist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for English progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist.
Collins sang the lead vocals on eight American chart-toppers between 1984 and 1989; seven as a solo artist and one with Genesis. His singles, often dealing with lost love, ranged from the drum-heavy "In the Air Tonight", to the dance pop of "Sussudio", to the political statements of his most successful song, "Another Day in Paradise".
His international popularity transformed Genesis from a progressive rock group to a regular on the pop charts and an early MTV mainstay.

Collins' professional career began as a drummer, first with obscure rock group Flaming Youth and then more famously with Genesis. In Genesis, Collins originally supplied backing vocals for front man Peter Gabriel, singing lead on only two songs: "For Absent Friends" from 1971's Nursery Rhyme album and "More Fool Me" from Selling England by the Pound, which was released in 1973. On Gabriel's departure in 1975, Collins became the group's lead singer. As the decade closed, Genesis' first international hit, "Follow You, Follow Me", demonstrated a drastic change from the band's early years.
His concurrent solo career, heavily influenced by his personal life, brought both him and Genesis commercial success. According to Atlantic Records, Collins' total worldwide sales as a solo artist, as of 2002, were 150 million. He has won seven Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and two Golden Globes for his solo work.

.Phil Collins stars in this live performance, recorded in California, USA in 1983 (venue unknown). Just to show how captivating his music is, I can still remember driving to my first job in 1983 and playing his first 2 solo albums in my car on my trusty tape deck - I haven't stopped listening to Collin's music since.
On his studio releases, his music is rocking, with his amazing drum and percussion ability, and his brilliant vocals. Live, Phil Collins' music is even better and that is what you get on this bootleg, the recording is excellent for a bootleg - definitely a soundboard recording.
If you're not into the loud drums and noisy live music there are still a couple of subtle tracks to keep you happy, along with the great tracks such as 'In The Air Tonight'.
Part 2 of the concert includes two of my favourite Phil Collins tracks, 'You Can't Hurry Love' and 'In The Air Tonight' which you have probably heard and I can guarantee are great renditions on this live bootleg. Other treats and highlights from the concert are the lengthy 'mostly instrumental' tracks "The West Side" and "Hand To Hand"
The only anomaly with this bootleg is the last track "Doesn't Anybody Stay Together Anymore", which is not listed on the 'Live In USA 1983' release of this concert (see Suppers By The Sea) from which this bootleg was probably lifted.
The track certainly sounds like it belongs (and sounds very much like an encore), starting with Collins telling the audience that 'they don't know anymore songs' and therefore implying that it would be their last for the night!
The remaining track listing matches the boot "Live in USA" and the recording date is the same, so I can only conclude that they are one and the same thing. I haven't been able to acquire Vol.1 of this Unauthorised release, but an eBay copy's 'track listing' of Vol.1 matches the first half of the 'Live In USA 1983' concert also.

The rip was taken from CD at 320kps and full album artwork is included, along with the front cover for the original 'Live In USA' release (see below). The sound quality of this bootleg is excellent.
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Track Listing
01 - Band Intros
02 - The West Side
03 - In The Air Tonight

04 - Medley:
..... Like China
.......Only You Know What I Know
.......You Can't Hurry Love
.......It Don't Matter To Me

05 - Hand In Hand
06 - And So To F*
07 - People Get Ready
08 - (Encore) Doesn't Anybody Stay Together Anymore?

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Band Members:
Phil Collins (Drums, Keyboards, Vocals)
Daryl Stuermer (Guitars)
John Giblin (Bass)
Don Myrick (Alto Sax)
Peter Robinson (Piano)
Th
e Phoenix Horns
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Phil Collins Link (109Mb) New Link 30/12/2023

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Bachman Turner Bachman - Brave Belt II (1972)

(Canadian 1971-72)
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Just prior to the recording of the 'Share The Land' album in 1970, Randy Bachman chose to leave what would arguably become known as Canada's greatest group ever, 'The Guess Who'. After his first solo effort 'Axe' later that year, he decided to return to the confines of a group setting. Hooking up with brother Robbie on drums and keyboardist Chad Allan, who was part of the original Guess Who in the early 60's under the guise of Chad Allen & The Expressions, they formed Brave Belt in January of 1971. As a trio, it fell upon Randy to handle the duties of laying down the bass tracks while they searched for someone to take over full-time.
They hired CF (Fred) Turner after their first album had all but been completed. Though his name appears on the jacket, Turner actually had nothing to do with the self-titled debut, which was released on Reprise Records that summer.

 Backed by the first single, "Rock & Roll Band", the album was met with relative indifference. While the band was on the road that fall, the second single hit the radio stations, but "Crazy Arms Crazy Eyes" didn't do much either.
By early '72, the band had migrated from Winnipeg to the west coast following their inaugural North American tour. They returned to Toronto's RCA Studios for the recording of the second album. With Randy again at the controls, the sessions were taking a heavier turn, with Turner contributing more, Randy Bachman, CF Turner, Chad Allen, Robbie Bachman writing 4 tracks on his own and co-writing "Put It In A Song" with Randy. At the same time Allen was contributing less - though he did co-write "Dunrobin's Gone", the group's biggest hit along with Bob Ericson, and penned "Waterloo Country" and helped the Bachmans with two other tracks. The band's only song written solely by an outsider was also present, with "Long Way Round" by Charles Charles. But by the time 'Brave Belt II' was released that summer, Allen's vision of the group, and the conflicts which arose from it, had led to his departure. He was replaced by a third Bachman, Tim and the group honed their chops touring pretty much non-stop in western Canada. Allen is not listed as a band member on the credits of Brave Belt II, although he writes and sings two of the songs, including Brave Belts only hit, the uber-folk "Dunrobin's Gone".
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Frustrated at what he perceived to be poor support from Reprise, Randy began shopping around for another label while the band wrote material for their next record, which was steadily taking a heavier, grittier tone. They landed a deal with Mercury Records before the end of the year, but management was insisting on a name change, and Bachman Turner Overdrive was born.
Following the instant success of BTO, Reprise re-released Brave Belt II in 1974, under the name 'Bachman-Turner-Bachman as Brave Belt', which is where this rip originates from (and was the reason why I purchased the LP at the time).
Bullseye Records in Canada struck a deal with Randy in 2001 to re-issue the 2 Brave Belt albums (I & II), and included two bonus tracks "Hands And Faces" and a version of "Shakin' All Over", the track that broke The Guess Who into the limelight 25 years earlier. This compilation re-issue is still available if you hunt around [extract from www.canadianbands.com ]
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Although Brave Belt is relatively unknown some 35+ years later, the importance of the band was summed up by Randy Bachman in a 2001 interview: "It was an innocent time of soul-searching. Nobody would play with me when I left The Guess Who. I was completely black-listed. I couldn't get a decent musician to play with me, except Chad Allan, who had also been in The Guess Who and left. He and I bonded together, and I might not have gotten started without him, even though he left sometime after that first album. Those [Brave Belt] albums are so important to me because, for the first time, I was making my own music, paying for it, finding strengths in it, and going through the process of finding the right music for the record. It led to me becoming a stronger producer for BTO. [extract from wikipedia]

.Brave Belt II has two or three decent songs, the very un-BTO "Dunrobin's Gone" being far and away the best song here. But there is no consistency, no momentum, and no showcase songs that would make you get excited about the album. "Waterloo Country" is probably my next favourite track and it exhibits some of those sparks that eventually ignited the band into becoming one of the biggest and most popular bands of the 70's - Bachman Turner Overdrive.
The re-issued cover is also a bonus in my opinion (compared with the leathery original - see right), as it is so indicative of that rough, country image that BTO portrayed during their heyday years.
This MP3 rip was taken from my vinyl copy (320kps) and includes full album artwork. Released by Warner on the Reprise label.
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Track Listing
01 -  Too Far Away 3:38
02 - Dunrobin's Gone 3:10

03 - Can You Feel It 2:36
04 - Put It In A Song 3:34
05 - Summer Soldier 3:23
06 - Goodbye, Soul Shy 3:45
07 - Never Comin' Home 3:40
08 - Be A Good Man 2:51
09 - Long Way 'Round 2:15
10 - Another Way Out 3:30
 

11 - Waterloo Country 5:10
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Band Members:
Randy Bachman (Guitars, Vocals)
Robbie Bachman (Drums)
Fred Turner (Bass, Vocals)
Chad Allan (Keyboards, Vocals)
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Brave Belt Link (81Mb) New Link 13/01/2023
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