the Heat Warps Archive

The Archive

2010-12-09T11:22:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Heat Warps Archive. For current Heat Warps updates, visit our new home at theheatwarps.tumblr.com. We're still running the same sort of operation over at Tumblr, where the format is a bit more suited to brief but frequent transmissions.

There will be no new posts here at the Heat Warps Archive, though existing posts may be revised and broken links may be repaired. If you'd like a re-up, drop me a comment and I'll oblige.

-JR

Remember:

2010-05-11T13:41:00.001-07:00

I dropped by my local library a few days back and perused what few remaining LPs they had on the shelf. To my surprise, I ran across a copy of Tina Live in Europe that still bears the stamp that sparked the name of this page. There you have it folks. Always a good rule of thumb for record owners as we roll into summer.

McCartney Mystery

2010-05-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

Pardon the successive McCartney posts, but this one requires a little reader interaction. The following YouTube jam was posted without any information regarding its origin. I'm an unabashed fan of the Wild Life LP and this version of its title track absolutely kicks. The structure is tighter, the harmonies are superb and the Fender Rhodes beefs it up quite nicely. Given there's no crowd noise and mix is nicely balanced, I assume it's either a tour rehearsal or a television outtake. And the band seems to know the tune too well at this point for it to be a demo or alternate version from the Wild Life sessions. I'm stumped.

~~Anyone out there know where I can find this one? Bonus points if you share a download link for the entire collection.~~

Commenter/honored visitor GD tipped us off that this one is from Volume 1 of Macca's Unsurpassed Masters series. Head on over to 12 Bar Original to grab the complete set.

McCartney a la Captain

2010-04-08T11:59:00.001-07:00

Head on over to the always-impressive Captains Dead for a knockout 29-song collection of outtakes from McCartney's 1973 Red Rose Speedway LP. I can't find much in the way of information on this particular boot, but the fidelity, sequencing and selection of tunes is fantastic. A tip o' the hat to el Capitan.

Your Daily Dub: The Beatles

2010-03-02T11:01:00.000-08:00

Alright, so this Daily Dub isn't really a dub at all. More of a remix with dub-like effects, but a damn good remix however you slice it. In fact, considering most Beatles "re-imaginings" fall flat on their face, this Leftside Wobble mashup of Tomorrow Never Knows and Sgt. Pepper (reprise) is a triumph...though I could do without those extraneous synth squiggles. Nothing's perfect, I suppose. Thanks to the always incredible, Feel My Bicep for this one.

Tomorrow Never Knows (Leftside Wobble Edit)

Fela Kuti & Africa 70'

2010-02-22T12:05:00.000-08:00

Afrodisiac - 1973

I used to think that choosing a favorite Fela album was difficult, not because one stood out from the rest, but because in doing so you're indicating that the others weren't as good. Well, forget about all that. Afrodisiac is it. Better than Gentlemen, Expensive Shit, Zombie, He Miss Road. All of em. No political agenda here, no anger directed anywhere. Just classic hard, heavy Afro-funk, super tight horns, meticulous arrangements, completely indecipherable lyrics and some particularly impressive keyboard work. Fela at his best. Do you have a favorite? Let me know about it in the comments.

The Beatles

2010-02-13T16:01:00.000-08:00

The "Forgotten Abbey Road Sessions"

The title may be a bit generous, but as far as Beatlegs go, this is a fine one. Make dust over to the fine folks over at Big O Zine for one of their famous ROIOs. And they usually only leave their audio links live for a short time, so make it quick-like.

Roky Erickson

2010-02-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

Psych-rock warrior Roky Erickson has a full-length collaboration with Okkervil River coming out in April. I appreciate his story a little more than I actually enjoy his music with the 13th Floor Elevators, the Aliens, et. al, but you've gotta respect an artist who's paid dis dues like Roky has. Anyone who's seen the documentary You're Gonna Miss Me can attest. Here's a short promo of him clowning around the always awesome Toy Joy here in Austin with Okkervil's Will Sheff. It's great to see the dude looking and sounding healthier than he has in years. Cheers to you, Roky.

Allen Toussaint

2010-02-03T06:53:00.000-08:00

The Complete Warner Recordings - 1972-1978

Collecting 1972's Life, Love and Faith, 1975's Southern Nights and 1978's Motion, as well as a bonus disc of a complete 1975 concert, The Complete Warner Recordings is the rare compilation that serves as both highlight reel and in-depth tutorial. To call Allen Toussaint "underrated" is both fitting and a slight understatement, as though his recorded output over the past 50 years has been incredible (for those who've been keeping track), he's best known as the writer of other people's hits. Glenn Campbell made "Southern Nights" his own in his 1977 album of the same name, Bonnie Raitt used "What is Success" as the centerpiece to her 1974 Streetlights LP and just about everyone has their own version of "Working in the Coal Mine." Looking back on his string of LPs for Warner/Reprise in the mid 70s though, it's amazing Toussaint didn't hit it big in his own right. The first of the bunch, Live, Love and Faith, overflows with hits, touches on tripped out funk and, though bordering on genre exercise, manages to hold together quite nicely, but his second LP for the label, Southern Nights, is the true masterpiece. Held together by the title track, sections of which weave in and out of the LP in ghostly apparitions, Southern Nights is a classic fusion of southern soul and tasteful psychedelia in the hands of a true master - impeccably arranged from end to end and fascinating through a set of headphones. Its follow up, Motion, doesn't quite move me as do its predecessors, but I'm sure it will eventually, so it's great to have on deck. Highlights of the live set include "Last Train" and "Southern Nights," but really, it's incredible all the way through to Toussaint's closing statements. A massive collection and one I've been planning on posting here for a long time. Enjoy it all. Go Saints.

The Complete Warner Bros. Reco...

Your Daily Dub: Paul Simon

2010-01-28T07:07:00.001-08:00

Who am I kidding? We all know I'll never post daily updates, but I just like the idea of posting a one off dub mix every now and again. So here ya go, the first entry in the Heat Warps' Daily Dubs series.

Diamonds Dub (Tangoterje Edit)
(click the downward-facing arrow to the right of the waveform to download)

Heat Warps Shoutout: Needle Daddy

2010-01-26T08:13:00.000-08:00

I have absolutely no affiliation with the ebay seller known as Needle Daddy, and I will forever keep this page ad-free, but this I swear: if your turntable needs a new stylus, cartridge, whatever, this is your man. The needle on the turntable at the home of HeatWarp was embarrassingly out of shape, so I hit up Needle Daddy on Friday for a replacement. Not only was he selling them for half the price of everyone else, but shipping was free and I got it in 2 business days. Needle Daddy, you are a hero.

Miles Davis and the "Lost Quintet"

2010-01-25T08:10:00.000-08:00

REPOST! Now includes both sets from Salle Pleyel

Miles Davis' late 1969/early 1970 performances with the "Lost Quintet" (Miles Davis (tpt); Wayne Shorter (ss, ts); Chick Corea (el-p); Dave Holland (b, el-b); Jack DeJohnette (d)) are unquestionably some of the most exciting of this long career. Named for the fact that they never recorded as a five-man lineup in the studio, and up until the 2001 release of Live At Fillmore East (March 7, 1970): It's About That Time, had never been featured on an official release, the "Lost Quintet" played an overwhelmingly important role in bridging Miles' older, more familiar material with his new electric direction. This meant that sets saw the unlikely pairing of standards like "'Round Midnight" or "I Fall In Love Too Easily" with "Bitches Brew" and "Miles Run The Voodoo Down," often segueing into one another to create a singular suite, and all overflowing with incredible intensity. A monumental task that produced amazing results. Jack DeJohnette and Chick Corea are absolutely ferocious on both of these recordings.

July 25, 1969
La Pinède, Juan-les-Pins
1. Directions
2. Miles Runs the Voodoo Down
3. Milestones
4. Footprints
5. 'Round Midnight
6. It's About That Time
7. Sanctuary/The Theme

November 3, 1969
Salle Pleyel, Paris
(First Set)
1. Directions
2. Bitches Brew
3. Paraphanalia
4. Riot
5. I Fall In Love Too Easily
5. Sanctuary
6. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down/The Theme

(Second Set)
1. Introduction
2. Bitches Brew
3. Agitation
4. I Fall In Love Too Easily
5. Sanctuary
6. Masqualero
7. It's About That Time

Spoon - Live on KCRW 1.20.2010

2010-01-22T09:26:00.000-08:00

If you're yet to pick up a copy of Spoon's latest, Transference, get on down to your local shop and do just that. Much respect to the band for following up their most successful LP, 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, with a meticulously stripped and rebuilt, borderline-dub collection of tunes. A serious delight to the earholes.

Here's a 40 minute, live-in-studio set of the band running through some Transference highlights and a few classics.

Neil Young and the Ducks

2010-01-20T07:10:00.001-08:00

Live at the Catalyst, August 22, 1977

By the latter half of the 70s, Neil Young had put his ditch days behind him, had Zuma'd up and down the California coast with Crazy Horse, and seemed pretty damn content with recording a string of laid back, though pretty inoffensive country rock LPs. Young's short run with The Ducks in the late summer of 1977 was all at once strange anomaly, a high water mark and a signpost marking a change of course. Comprised of Young, Moby Grape vocalist Bob Mosely, "Hey Hey, My My" co-author Jeff Blackburn and sometime session man Johnny Craviotto, The Ducks were quite possibly the most popular townie bar band of all time, as Young's contractual obligations with Crazy Horse specified he could only tour with them, forcing The Ducks to play all of their 22 gigs within the Santa Cruz city limits. Loaded with songwriters, the band's setlists were comprised of original material, a few tunes from each member's back catalog and a handful of covers. The shows were tight, Young seemed to enjoy his supporting role, and, in the beginning, the crowds were enthusiastic if a little awed at their strange fortune. After a few weeks the hordes of out of towners hoping to hear some classic Neil Young tunes grew exponentially, and with its secret out, Young left the group less than two months after its first gig. And though a mobile recording rig was often spotted outside the club for most of the shows, this unofficial, surprisingly clear fan recording is the only aural evidence in circulation. I'm not sure why the cover says "Part 1," but this 215MB download includes the show in its entirety. Enjoy.

Bobby Charles (Repost, sadly)

2010-01-15T08:22:00.000-08:00

Bobby Charles - 1972

Sad news out of Louisiana as swamp rock master and author of the lovely "Walking to New Orleans," Bobby Charles has died at 71. It's been a couple of years since we wrote about his 1972 self-titled LP here at the Heat Warps, and if you're anything like me you'll want to give it a spin today. Grab yourself a copy in case you missed it the first time around.

Mirrors: MU, BD

Bobby Charles [w/Bonus Tracks]...

The Who

2010-01-11T07:38:00.000-08:00

My Generation (Deluxe) - 1965/2002

Known as The Who Sings My Generation here in the US and simply, boldly, My Generation on the band's home turf, it's damn near criminal how seldom the Who's '65 debut is listed among the all-time greats. A mere 3 of the album's 13 tracks are absolutely smoking R&B covers, a ratio which was still a rarity (take the Kinks' half and half ratio of their own debut for instance), while the remainder are classic Pete Townshend originals with such air-tight composition and delivered with such brutal potency it takes an immediate second spin to soak in what just slapped you across the face. Townshend famously said that Quadrophenia, the band's sprawling, unwieldy 1973 epic came as close to mirroring the Who's onstage ferocity as anything that came before it. I respectfully disagree. This 2002 Deluxe Edition ups the ante with a second disc of alternates, instrumentals, full-length and acapella (hey, why not) versions, but the real draw is the impeccable remastering of the original LP. Taken from the 3 track masters and offered here in true stereo for the first time, the album has noticeable variations from previous versions, including missing guitar overdubs and vocal harmonies which were added on top of the original mono mix. If you're a purist, go ahead and wrap your ears around the $1300 Brunswick first pressing you just scored on ebay. If you just want to hear a recording of the World's Greatest Rock & Roll band that sounds as if it were laid to tape last week, step right this way.

Further reading: The mighty Willard posted the Deluxe Edition of Live at Leeds over at "the Boat" last week. Pay him a visit if the best live album of all eternity isn't already part of your collection. Or, just pay him a visit for the hell of it. Mirrors: MU, RS

My Generation - The Who

Willie Nelson: 1974 Austin City Limits Pilot Episode

2010-01-04T14:24:00.000-08:00

Note: Looks like the folks at PBS have decided to keep this video up indefinitely, so I'm re-posting in case you missed out the first time around.

In celebration of the program's 35th anniversary, PBS is streaming the full Austin City Limits pilot episode from 1974 - an absolutely smoking set from Willie Nelson. Recorded the year before he'd unleash the iconic Red Headed Stranger LP, the hour-long program includes a good bit of material from the one-two punch he'd just released on the Atlantic label, Shotgun Willie and Phases and Stages, as well as much of the same band he travels with to this day - lean, mean and downright funky. The highlights are many and the song list air-tight, but I love seeing drummer Paul English decked out in a Dracula-style cape, lil' sister Bobbie on the keys, and the great intro with photos of early-70s Austin.

Paul Simon

2010-01-04T10:48:00.000-08:00

Paul Simon - 1972

Sharing many of the same qualities as Paul McCartney's first couple of post-Beatles LPs, especially those of the particularly brilliant Ram, Paul Simon's 1972 solo record maintains its homemade subtlety and deceptive simplicity 38 years and a million plus shifted units later. He dips a toe into reggae and afro pop 14 years before he'd dive head-first into it on Graceland, and even pulls in a couple of Miles' boys (Airto Moreira and Ron Carter) on a number of tracks, but the album never feels like a genre exercise thanks to a songwriter at the peak of his career paired with production that makes the whole affair sound effortless, intimate and perfectly flawed. I've steered clear of Simon, Garfunkel and Simon and Garfunkel, territory my entire life. Who knows why I decided to change course this late in the game is beyond me, though I'm glad I did. This album features a couple of huge hits in "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" and "Mother and Child Reunion", though it's even better hearing them in context. It all fits.

Mirrors: MU, RS

Paul Simon - Paul Simon

Ladies and Gentlemen...

2009-10-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

...We Are (Once Again) Floating In SpaceNews has been floating around for months about the multi-disc reissue of one of my all-time favorite LPs, Spiritualized 1997 epic Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space. The set includes two extra discs full of demos, a cappella and alternate versions -- including a version of Cop Shoot Cop with the subtitle of "Dr. John's National Anthem", which I imagine will be worth the cost of admission alone. Re-mixed artwork (above) as well as a recreation of the album's original blister-pack design that features each track in easily digestible 3" compact discs almost has my interest piqued enough to re-purchase an album in an antiquated format. Here's hoping it eventually makes its way to vinyl.

Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Fl...

Numero 33: Light: On The South Side

2009-09-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

Friends, the inimitable Numero Group has done it again. Set for release this month, the heroes of lost and found treasures are taking pre-orders for Light: On the South Side, a massive 2 LP set of mid seventies Chicago south side soul/funk bundled with a 132 page book of B&W photos of the era. Considering this sweet hometown homage looks to be the most impressive entry in the Numero catalog - yes, even better than Belize City Boil Up and Don't Stop: Recording Tap, stone classics around the House of Heat Warp - my pre-order's already in the stack. What's more, it means I got to wrap my ears around an instant download of the whole affair while I bide my time for the box and book to arrive in a couple of weeks. This is how you run a label, folks. Check out the preview below.

Beach Boys

2009-09-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

Holland - 1973

While touring across Europe in the early 70s, the Beach Boys rolled in to their date in Holland several hours behind schedule. Arriving at dawn for a concert scheduled the previous evening, the band was amazed to discover not only that the entire crowd was still in attendance, but that they cheered louder for the band’s new material than their 60s hits. So when the time came to choose a destination other than California for recording their new LP, the choice was easy. Picking up where 1971’s Surf’s Up left off, Holland is a densely orchestrated and painstakingly recorded album by a band in the twilight of their career. Sadly, Brian Wilson’s impact here is limited -- his only contributions are the album’s opening and closing tracks, as well as the completely bizarre storybook EP Mt. Vernon and Fairway, included with first pressings of the LP and included here as bonus tracks. Thankfully, the rest of the band really steps up to make this a highlight of the band’s otherwise spotty mid 70s output. For those who've enjoyed Pacific Ocean Blue and Bamboo, Holland will be a real treat.

Carl And The Passions - So Tou...

Rolling Stones

2009-09-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

The Satanic Sessions, Volumes 1 & 2 - 1967

As time has worked to dull the pain of witnessing a band so desperately nipping at the heels of Sgt. Pepper, it has also allowed for a long overdue re-examination of the Rolling Stones' most misunderstood album. Aside from containing founding member Brian Jones' last worthwhile contributions as a Stone, Their Satanic Majesties Request also marked the last, and arguably the most significant shift for a band that would morph into the world's greatest over the course of its next three albums.

Far from the cohesive, back to basics Beggars Banquet that would follow, Satanic Majesties was wildly unfocused and plagued by general period-specific themes of outer space, togetherness and mind expansion. And through use of unconventional instruments, it has been extremely difficult to determine which member(s) of the band led the sessions. Thankfully, this 2-volume box alleviates these major flaws - the entirety of this 8-disc set is comprised of the basic instrumental tracks (not a drop of hippy drippy vocals), and the multiple takes and studio chatter illustrate the specific contributions of each member.

So what's revealed here? 1) Keith Richard's guitar riffs form the structure of the majority of the album, 2) Nicky Hopkins' virtuosic keyboards make him virtually a 6th member of the band, 3) Brian Jones' Mellotron is its main psychedelic ingredient, and 4) "Jigsaw Puzzle" was originally recorded during these sessions. But that's just scratching the surface. If you're unfamiliar with the album, this set will be like entering a conversation halfway through, so get your hands on the original first. If it's already on your list of favorites, take a listen. The results are fascinating, but not for everyone. Full track list in comments.

Faust

2009-05-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

Faust IV + Outtakes and Alternates- 1973

Because even one of the most adventurous albums of all time starts to sound "tame" after the 700th listen or so... Released as a companion disc to the 2006 reissue of Faust IV, this collection of Peel Sessions, alternate takes and full-length versions not only serves as revealing, if somewhat cockeyed look at the band's masterpiece, but holds its own against the actual album in terms of the way it still manages to sound light years ahead of its time. All told, this is hardly an odds n' sods collection. "Krautrock" is presented in its early Peel Sessions mix, which includes much of the same 7-minute psychedelic drone intro as the original but the ending features far more subdued drumming and percussion than the version that would appear on the album. The band's warped pop gems "Giggy Smile", "Sad Skinhead" and "Jennifer" are all given the "alt mix" treatment with the addition of a few stray textures that were trimmed before making it onto the LP. The unquestioned gem here however, is the unedited 10:32 version of "Just a Second (Starts Like That!)". An epic guitar head swirler which, in true Faust fashion, goes nowhere specific and everywhere else all at once. Even if you're not familiar with the original LP, this collection will turn you upside down and sideways.

Faust IV - Faust

Herbie Hancock

2009-04-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

Man-Child - 1975

If you've been following the goings on down here at The Heat Warps for any length of time, you've no doubt caught a whiff of our serious love of Herbie Hancock's 70s output. The man was simply unstoppable from 1969 on, dropping in on an occasional session with Miles, forming the backbone of what was essentially the house band for CTI in the early part of the decade and, of course, releasing a string of deep funk and daringly experimental LPs with not one, but two legendary combos. Whew. Just thinking about the man's schedule is taxing. And while 1973's Head Hunters was (and maybe still is) the greatest selling jazz LP of all time, to mark the year as any sort of creative peak is a serious misstep. Thrust, the immediate successor to Head Hunters, grooved even harder and tighter, while 1975's Man-Child piled on the guitars (3 to be exact) and went heavy on synths to merge heavy funk with Mwandishi-style headiness. Hell, even Stevie Wonder drops in to blow some harmonica on "Steppin' In It." It could be argued that, despite being overlooked in favor of its more popular an instantly accesable predecessors, Man-Child is the culmination of everything that made Hancock's 70s LPs so impressive. Intelligent songwriting, deep grooves, tasteful instrumentation and an unmatched cast of characters. There definitely a reason it's always finding its way back to the turntable.

Man-Child - Herbie Hancock

Cher w/Phil Spector

2009-04-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

A Woman's Story/Baby, I Love You - 1975 single

A. Side: Play. Repeat.

Baby Huey

2009-01-27T11:02:00.000-08:00

The Baby Huey Story: the Living Legegnd - 1971

God only knows why I passed up this record for so long. I urge you to not make the same mistake. James Ramey, or oddly "Baby Huey", was a giant at over 400 pounds. He was a young (26 at the time of this recording) heroin addict, a disciple of Curtis Mayfield and was dead before his only LP could be completed. Inspired by Sly Stone's psych-soul, Huey and the aptly-named Babysitters, forged a similar path in the late 60s Chicago club scene. But where Sly's pre-Riot funk could be uplifting, friendly even, Huey and the Babysitters' brew was a tad darker, more heady and without a doubt, some of the heaviest funk of the era. The band's live set grabbed the attention of Curtis Mayfield, who produced their debut and donated a few tracks of his own, "Mighty Mighty", "Runnin'" and the magnificent "Hard Times". At some point during the sessions, Huey suffered a fatal heart attack in a Chicago hotel, and though Mayfield and the band trudged on and finished the record, it failed to chart and was resigned to obscurity. Nearly 40 years on, The Living Legend remains an intensely vivid snapshot of a band and a singer with no rivals, flawlessly produced and tastefully dated. It's easy to dream how far out Huey and the band could've gone from here, but its hard to imagine they'd could ever top this.

The Baby Huey Story: The Livin...

The Beatles

2008-11-14T12:22:00.000-08:00

White Album No. 0000005

Just in time for its 40th anniversary next week, the luckiest Beatles fan in the world is auctioning off their copy of the White Album No. 0000005. Notable, of course, for the fact that the Beatles themselves own(ed) copies 0000001 - 0000004.

Notes from the auction:

Some years ago, this album was taken into the collectors shop named 'Vinyl Revival Records' in Newbury, Berkshire, England by a musician (they did not disclose who) who had visited John in the flat that he shared with Yoko in late 1968 (that was owned by Ringo) at 34 Montague Square, Marylebone, London W.1. The musician saw a pile of White Albums on a table and asked for one. John readily agreed, but said 'Don't take No.1 - I want that'. Instead he took No. 5'.

The album then passed into the hands of Beatles specialist dealer 'Good Humour' who then sold it to its current owner who has now commissioned me to sell it on his behalf.

Allen Toussaint

2008-10-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

What is Success: The Scepter and Bell Recordings - 1968-70

It's hard to fathom the meager success of Allen Toussaint when considering the incredible impact he's had on music over the past 40+ years. In fact, the title of this compilation might be more fitting with a question mark at the end, but that's just getting picky. Jokes aside, this collection of tracks from Toussaint's second LP (the first under his own name) and a few singles from his days on the Bell label is a stunning example of the man's ability to crank out classic after classic tune and one of the greatest single documents of Crescent City R&B every produced. And though he's looked upon fondly for his songwriting chops, Toussaint's fingerprints are all over records by Dr. John, the Meters, Lee Dorsey and famously, the Band's Rock of Ages LP, for which he arranged the horns. Just take a peek at the liner notes - he's everywhere. So hearing Toussaint's own records is like filling in a giant void, connecting the dots on your record collection and realizing there's a giant hole in it where his LPs should be sitting.

The Complete Warner Bros. Reco...

Herbie Hancock

2008-08-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

Flood (Live) - 1975

Herbie Hancock was all but unstoppable at the midway point of the 1970s. Following his tenure in Miles' great quintet through the latter half of the 1960s, working with the trumpeter to lay the groundwork for jazz-fusion at the turn of the decade, spacing out and stretching the groove beyond recognition with Mwandishi and pumping out some of the most refined, sophisticated funk of all time with Headhunters, Hancock was the master. It was all his turf. On Flood, the 1975 live album he recorded with the Headhunters lineup in (of all places) the Tokyo Sun Plaza, Hancock doesn't necessarily bring anything that he hasn't brought to record before, but featuring cuts from each of his previous three LPs - all of which are stone classics - the album serves as a Headhunters-era greatest hits that proves, yes, this band really was as good as it sounds on record. Chamelion and Watermelon Man, while great, lack the fire that only comes from having performed them a few too many times, so it's the tunes from Man Child and Thrust that really smoke here. Actual proof, indeed. This two-disc set runs a shade over 74 minutes, so burn it to a single, put it in the dash and enjoy those last few days of summer.

Flood - Herbie Hancock

Talking Heads

2008-08-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

Live at the Tokyo Sun Plaza, February 27, 1981

In celebration of the upcoming release of Everything that Happens Will Happen Today, and David Byrne's subsequent and sure to be mind-blowing supporting tour, now's the ideal time to revisit some live Talking Heads at the peak of their powers. Fans of The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads will recognize a lot of the material here, as that double disc set included a number of tracks from this remarkable FM broadcast. Still, it's amazing to hear the spectacle as it unfolded on this particular night. The lineup featured here is nearly identical to the one from the Stop Making Sense concert film, but thanks in large part to the wild lead guitar of Adrian Belew, this incarnation is slithery, less muscular and far more psychedelic than the one that would appear on screen a few years later. My favorites from this show are the selections from the then-recently released Remain In Light, but the reinterpretations of the band's earlier material are all pretty incredible as well. If there's been a better band in the past 30 years, it's certainly not on my radar.

The Beatles

2008-06-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

Get Back (Final Glyn Johns Mix) - 1969

With the mountains of praise heaped upon the fab four, is it actually possible for one of their greatest innovations to go largely unnoticed? Amazingly, yes. Linking off-the-cuff performances with studio dialog, in-jokes and count-ins to emulate the effect of the album being produced in one live-in-studio setting, the Beatles' Get Back album was intended to strip the band of studio sheen it had accumulated over the past few years, and return it to its bare-bones, Cavern Club glory. But alas, the Beatles split, the Get Back concept gathered dust and Phil Spector poured over the remaining studio tapes to produce Let It Be - an odd and oddly fitting epitaph. Thanks to the passing of time and the ingenuity of the vast Beatles bootleg empire, these original Glyn Johns Get Back mixes have slowly been unearthed to illustrate how great the band's swan song could have truly been. For years I've been privy to the most widely bootlegged of the bunch, Johns' infamous 3rd mix (included on The Beatles As Nature Intended, which was posted ages ago here at the Heat Warps), however the recently discovered 4th and "final" mix trumps them all. The edits are tighter, the mix is more refined, and the flow and feel are honed to perfection here to create a document that mirrors the tone of the accompanying Let It Be film, as well as an album that breaks the myth and pulls the curtain nearly as effectively as the last hurrah of Abbey Road.

These files come courtesy of the magnificent Beatles page, The Source. They've got an overwhelming array of aural delights, information and literature, but a relatively small server to store it all on, so be gentle with their bandwidth and do the ol' Right Click + Save As.

Manuel Göttsching

2008-06-18T13:00:00.000-07:00

E2-E4 - 1984

After stealthily recording his first solo LP Inventions for Electric Guitar a decade earlier under the name of his former band Ash Ra Tempel, Manuel Göttsching single-handedly created the movement defining E2-E4 in a single take, albeit a heavily overdubbed one. Gliding along on a steady chug of electronics that lean closer to Kraftwerk than the house genre it all but defined, the album slowly percolates in washes of synths and gentle polyrhythms for a steady 58 minutes, peaking with Göttsching's heavily delayed guitar in the latter quarter. It's undoubtedly the intersection of krautrock and dance, and one that sounds a tad dated a couple decades on, but even though it's surface concept has been beaten to death by the glowsticked masses, its naive sense of venturing into unknown territory still translates into an intriguing, joyous listen.

Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band

2008-04-14T14:08:00.000-07:00

Live at the Haunted House - May 18, 1968
Fresh news from the fine folks over at Soul Sides: Rhino Handmade has just released a limited run of 5000 copies of Live at the Haunted House (May 18, 1968), featuring the first incarnation of the Watts 103rd, as well as a limited edition set titled Puckey Puckey: Jams and Outtakes 1970-71. Both of these sound as savory as a plate of smoked brisket, and arrive just in time for summer. Head on over to Soul Sides for the complete lowdown and a taste of the Haunted House set.

Doug Sahm Hill

2008-04-10T10:56:00.001-07:00

This afternoon, the Austin City Council approved the naming of Doug Sahm Hill, situated a few blocks from the former site of the Armadillo World Headquarters. It's worth noting that the hill (captured in Google Street View above) is the highest point in the lovely new Town Lake Park. Awesome.

Spider John Koerner & Willie Murphy

2008-04-10T08:42:00.001-07:00

Running, Jumping, Standing Still - 1967

While Dylan and the Band were holed up in basement of Big Pink brewing up their response to the summer of psychedelia, Spider John Koerner was doing much of the same back in Minneapolis, and with arguably better results. Instead of eschewing any and all drippy hippie elements like his Woodstock counterparts, Spider John and barrelhouse pianist Willie Murphy carefully plucked and weaved curious harmonies, bizarre instrumentation, clever production and the finer elements of the technicolor scene into an LP that remained firmly rooted in the brilliant folk songwriting with which he'd made his name as one third of Koerner, Ray & Glover. Produced by the same Mohawk production team responsible for Dr. John's magnificent Gris-Gris LP, Running, Jumping, Standing Still is an absolute rarity; an album of incredible depth and ingenuity that has remained far enough off the radar to detract hordes of imitators, and in turn, has managed to age more elegantly than most anything of its time. Standouts include the title track and "Magazine Lady", a couple of the album's finer examples of the duo's penchant for loose grooves and patchwork time shifts, as well as the pillowy leadoff track "Good Night." An album as satisfying on its first spin as its twentieth.

Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band

2008-04-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

You're So Beautiful - 1971

Following the massive one-two punch of 1969's In the Jungle Babe and Express Yourself the following year, Charles Wright and his Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band understandably began to run out of gas when it came to constructing tight, heavily orchestrated mini funk masterpieces. By the time You're So Beautiful was released in 1971, the band was frayed and loose; their uplifting soul anthems replaced by slow loping jams that bordered on despair and a general unease that drifted in an out of the grooves like an instrument in itself. If the band wasn't in tatters, it was damn close, with a number of members jumping ship throughout 1969 and 70, making the band that recorded You're So Beautiful and altogether different animal than the one that cut its two predecessors. Its easy to draw parallels to what was going on at the same time with Sly and the Family Stone, and though it doesn't quite mirror the hauntingly stark funk that became There's a Riot Goin' On, You're So Beautiful is an album that benefits heavily from a band falling apart at the seams. Loose, wearily funky and at times directionless to the point of amusement, the charm of the LP is in how good the music sounds despite it all, and how far out Charles Wright took himself and his band in just a year's time. This was to be the Watts 103rd's final album, thought Wright would continue to record solo records throughout the early part of the decade.

You're So Beautiful - Charles ...

Paul McCartney

2008-03-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

Cold Cuts (Bootleg) - 1970-80

Originally planned as an official double LP comprised of one disc of hits and another of unreleased material, the Hot Hits and Cold Cuts package died on a number of occasions at the starting gate before eventually being scrapped altogether. Decades since it was initially dreamed up, the Cold Cuts portion of that project has become one of the most highly regarded and frequently traded McCartney bootlegs in existence - and for good reason. Rather than another chronologically ordered heap of poorly mixed outtakes and also-rans, Cold Cuts escapes the trappings of typical leftovers collections through thoughtful track selection and sequencing that was overseen by McCartney himself. The fact that this 12-track LP was mined from one of the most envied vaults in the history of rock music doesn't hurt either. Most of the songs here have shown up on other bootlegs throughout the years, but on Cold Cuts these misfits are presented in a way that makes them work as an album that stacks up with any in the McCartney canon. It's presented here at 192K, but it's a bootleg at the end of the day, so keep that in mind as you wrap your ears around these rare gems.

Track listing:
1. A Love for You - 1971 Ram Sessions
2. My Carnival - 1975 Venus and Mars Sessions
3. Waterspout - 1977 London Town Sessions
4. Mama's Little Girl - 1972 Red Rose Speedway Sessions
5. Night Out - 1972 Red Rose Speedway Sessions
6. Robber's Ball - 1980 Unreleased
7. Cage - 1977 Back to the Egg Sessions
8. Did We Meet Somewhere Before - 1977
9. Hey Diddle - 1970/1974 Ram/Nashville Sessions
10. Tragedy - 1972 Red Rose Speedway Sessions
11. Best Friend (live) - 1972 Intended for Red Rose Speedway
12. Same Time Next Year - 1978 Unreleased

The Faces

2008-03-20T11:19:00.000-07:00

Coast to Coast: Overture and Beginners - 1974

Though the band lost its spiritual core when bassist and founding member Ronnie Lane left in 1973 to form his own group, Slim Chance, the Faces remained one of the few bands in town able to challenge the Rolling Stones' title of World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band up until they disintegrated in 1975. With four magnificent studio LPs under their belt, the band only released one official album that showcased where their bread was buttered, Coast to Coast: Overture and Beginners, a live LP recorded at a pair of Los Angeles dates in 1973. The band is ragged and the tunes have a slower, almost molasses-thick drive to them, but all of these reckless elements are what coalesced to make this band the endearing and enduring live act that it always was. At this point in their evolution, not having Lane to share the mic and spotlight with brought Rod Stewart to full bloom, for better or for worse. The fact that so few high-quality live recordings exist of a band who staked their claim on the stage, makes this one all the better. The CD version of this classic is long out of print, but hopefully this means that a deluxe reissue is just around the corner. Best enjoyed with a bottle of Blue Nun, Rod's favorite.

David Byrne

2008-03-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

The Catherine Wheel - 1981

With his career as a solo artist nearing a third decade, it's incredible to hear David Byrne's first fully fledged solo effort sounding remarkably fresh and massively influential. Commissioned as the aural accompaniment to a Twyla Tharp Broadway production of the same name, The Catherine Wheel was recorded with a number of musicians from the Talking Heads' then-current touring band (Adrian Belew, Bernie Worrell, Steve Scales), features contributions from Eno, Jerry Harrison and percussionist Yogi Horton, and serves as a bridge between the brooding churn of Remain in Light and the dense funk of Speaking in Tongues. The Catherine Wheel isn't a light affair by any means, but the focus is less reliant on Byrne's lyrical prowess and directed more so on minimalist funk, spacious polyrhythms and creating an atmosphere of dark tension and general unease. The Talking Heads worked a few of the songs here into their live repertoire, including the magnificent "What a Day That Was" and "Big Business", which was often worked into a medley with "I Zimbra," and could've counted The Catherine Wheel as one of the finest additions to their catalog, had it bore their name along the top. The fact that it's a Byrne solo affair only heightens its impact. The version here includes the complete score.

The Complete Score From "The C...

Long Live Teo Macero

2008-02-22T11:27:00.000-08:00

Teo Macero, the legend behind the boards of Miles' greatest LPs and a true pioneer of studio wizardry has just passed away. Here's a look back at one of his unsung masterpieces; four days of Miles at the Fillmore in 1970, scrupulously edited down to four sides of vinyl. A true testament to Macero's unparalleled genius. Teo on the far right. Dapper as always at a Miles session in the mid 70s.

Sir Douglas Quintet

2008-02-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

Sir Douglas Quintet +2 = Honkey Blues - 1968

The consistency of the output of Doug Sahm and his Sir Douglas Quintet was worth betting the homestead on back in his heyday of the late 1960s and 70s, but it's only through the benefit of hindsight that one can appreciate the giant curve ball he threw with the release of the Quartet's first album. Sure, it's loaded with a heavy Tejano influence, an occasional shout out to the folks back in San Antonio, and his usual melange of styles and influences, but the overwhelmingly psychedelic nature of the album is the what makes Honkey Blues such a treat and a complete anomaly in the Doug Sahm canon. It's also worth noting that the LP is one of his few without the wheezing Vox Continental of longtime cohort Augie Meyers. The tunes here, as strong as any in Sahm's repertoire, are drenched in reverb, linked in reverse tape effects and patched together using such bizarre editing that the result is an album that is remarkable for inducing such an aural trip between the ears of its listener rather than one that sounds like the band were simply out of their heads when recording it. A tremendous listening experience and one of the great underappreciated psychedelic LPs of all time.

Bobby Charles

2008-02-07T11:04:00.000-08:00

Bobby Charles - 1972

Famously aided by Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel, Bobby Charles' 1972 self-titled LP has often been referred to as "the Band album that never was". Truthfully, it's much much more than that. Charles, a Louisiana native, creates an album here that bridges the geographical gap to a near physical extent, marrying his bayou swamp rock with the Band's northeastern backwoods mystique to land somewhere near the loose southern funk of a Muscle shoals production. Maybe its the addition of Dr. John's piano, organ and unique rhythm guitar that peppers the album with its charming eccentricities, or the pedal steel and Dobro work of Neil Young cohort Ben Keith, but seasoning and guest stars aside, it's really the strength and well-worn familiarity of Charles' originals that drive the proceedings. Despite the company he keeps, it's his show all the way. Among the ten originals is a handful of brilliance, and although the album itself fades in and out of print, it's standout "Small Town Talk" has lived on in various incarnations, most famously on the 1977 self-titled LP of the song's co-author, Rick Danko.

Bobby Charles [w/Bonus Tracks]...

Pacific Ocean Blue - Legacy Edition

2008-01-28T07:50:00.000-08:00

Man oh man! Last week, Billboard announced that longtime Heat Warps favorite Pacific Ocean Blue will at long last be reissued by Epic/Legacy to mark the album's 30th anniversary. Not only will the original LP be on CD for the first time since the early '90s, but the double disc edition is set to include a slew of outtakes and previously unreleased material from the album's ill-fated follow-up, Bamboo. The wonderful folks at Sundazed will be handling the album's vinyl release, but it's unclear as to whether this version will include all of the bonus material. I sure hope so. If you know of any further details, feel free to share them in comments.

Tony Allen & the Afro Messengers

2008-01-16T12:06:00.000-08:00

No Discrimination - 1980

By 1980 Tony Allen had not only vacated the role he'd held as Fela Kuti's band leader and drummer for well over a decade, but had begun taking afrobeat off in his own unique direction. Much like Allen's previous two solo LPs, 1975's Jealousy and '77's Progress, the results aren't completely removed from what Fela was up to around the same time, but the gap between the two masters was undoubtedly widened with No Discrimination. Comprised of many members of Fela's Africa 70, Allen's Afro Messengers forged ahead with a deconstructed, almost dub-like approach to afrobeat paired with a subtle underpinning of greasy synths and gentle polyrhythms - a genre Allen himself would appropriately term afrofunk. As the decade wore on, Allen began incorporating period electronics, rap and R&B into the mix, but No Discrimination captures the brief moment when his music was still firmly rooted in West African traditions, but his desire of a more expansive palette first started to emerge. There's not a tune under 8 minutes here, and while all four are outstanding, the delicately trippy "Ariya" is my personal favorite. The Evolver label re-released this album paired with 1979's No Accomodation for Lagos a few years back, so pick that one up if No Discrimination piques your interest.

David Bowie

2008-01-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

David Live - 1974

Along the David Bowie timeline, the era between the fall of Ziggy Stardust and the rise of the Thin White Duke is a bit hazy. A span of albums that included an attempt at a new alter ego, a half-baked musical adaptation of 1984, and a short lived blue-eyed soul fascination proved that while his frequent reinvention may have fallen short of genius, it was the continued strength of Bowie's songwriting which kept him at the top of the pop heap. Overlooked in the years following its 1974 release, David Live shakes the tunes from the constraints of their overbearing albums, and shifts the focus back to the songs themselves; making it a vital document in getting to the bottom of Bowie's transitional period. Although touring in support of the recently released Diamond Dogs, it’s the material from 1973's Aladdin Sane that brims with a road worn confidence and steals the show. "Jean Genie" and "Cracked Actors" could never strut and swell with as much bloated passion as they do here. Unfortunately, Bowie seems far less inspired in bringing the songs from his then current album to the stage. Stripped of its trademark opening guitar lick, "Rebel Rebel" is buoyed by backup vocals and horns, but never lives up the the studio version's swagger. And considering Bowie cut Young Americans at Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios in the middle of this tour, it's amazing that David Live contains none of the songs that made that album such a crossover success. That's not to say it doesn't hint at things to come. With lavish stage productions being half the reason to witness the man in the flesh, the high water mark set by the studio albums makes the live document almost unnecessary. The gorgeous packaging of this 2005 reissue, complete with fold out sleeve, a full list of 1974 tour dates plus extensive notes and photos, does make it a little easier to add an "inessential" to your collection.

David Live - David Bowie

James Brown

2008-01-03T12:05:00.000-08:00

Live In Zaire - 1974

In the half-century career of James Brown there are multiple highlights, of which this 1974 show in Zaire as part of the buildup for the Rumble in the Jungle is unquestionably among the top few. Rightly christening himself The Minister of the New Super Heavy Funk somewhere around the recording of 1973's The Payback or Hell the following year, JB had pushed his grooves to the outer reaches and his cultural relevance to the brink. Frankly, with an output as overwhelming as his was around this time, releasing 45s and double LPs of new material on a seemingly weekly basis, JB was arguably spreading himself pretty thin. Professionally recorded (though never officially released) and arguably superior to any of his live LPs aside from Live at the Apollo (1963), this concert captures it all at its frothy peak just as the wave was about to break and the Godfather's career began its slow decline. This was a man on a mission to bring it all back to the Motherland at the peak of the Black Power movement, and he did not disappoint. Despite tremendous sound quality, the widely bootlegged version that appears here contains a mildly annoying gap between tracks and a few questionable edits that break the overall flow of the show. Other than that, this is the document of the master of funk at the peak of his powers.

Steely Dan

2008-01-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

Countdown to Ecstasy - 1973

Devoid of the sheen of perfection that encased their string of classic LPs, Countdown to Ecstasy is an album unlike any other in the Steely Dan canon. Recorded during a brief break from the road - back in the days before the Dan gave up touring for a couple of decades - Countdown utilizes the touring ensemble and much of the same "live" mentality of stretching out the outros, filling plenty of space with instrumental breaks and, in a highly uncharacteristic move, leaving in a few stray notes and production flubs in the name of spontaneity. In the album's liner notes, Walter Becker and Donald Fagan attribute the extended instrumental passages to the fact that none of the songs contained lyrics when they were written, so plenty of space was left for wherever they'd eventually fall into place. Whatever the reason, the elastic quality of the tunes is the perfect vehicle to casually show off the chops of the assembled crew and a pleasant alternative to the attempt at squeezing as much virtuosity per bar as possible that weighed down the band's LPs past this point. There's still plenty of technical wizardry to be found here, most notably in the four bar tape loop that forms the basis of "Show Biz Kids", but it comes off more like a band experimenting with the studio, rather than obsessing over it. Countdown is all the better for it.

Countdown To Ecstasy - Steely ...

Velvet Underground

2007-12-04T19:49:00.000-08:00

Bootleg Series Volume 1: The Quine Tapes

Recorded at the peak of Lou Reed's songwriting powers and the band's apex as a well oiled touring machine, The Quine Tapes are undeniably the best official record of the Velvet Underground in all its ear bending splendor. There are live documents of higher sound quality, namely the double LP set 1969: The Velvet Underground Live, but for what The Quine Tapes lack in quality (and in reality, they're not all that bad) they more than make up for in capturing the spirit of a group that was light years beyond its time. Famed for his guitar work throughout the mid 70s/80s, Robert Quine befriended the Velvets somewhere in the midst of the 1969 tour and with the band's permission, began recording all of the shows he'd attend on a personal tape recorder. The best of the best were transferred to reel-to-reel tapes and those that survived comprise this officially released collection. Mirroring the band's set on the 69 tour, each disc climaxes with a monster-sized version of Sister Ray (24, 38 and 28 minutes respectively), while the amount of material pulled from each of the band's four albums is represented in almost equal measure - including plenty of Loaded material roughly a year before it was released, and a bevy of tunes that would never appear on the band's LPs. The consistent quality across these discs proves that even on shows that were recorded up to six months apart as they are here, the Velvet Underground was a live band without equal. Words like transcendent, frothy, superbly melodic, orgasmic, et al come to mind, but they're really of no use in describing what we have here. Just click, wait and reward yourself with a good listen. It hardly gets better than this.

The Velvet Underground Bootleg...

Beach Boys

2007-12-04T19:45:00.000-08:00

Stack-O-Tracks - 1968

Considering the Beach Boys' status as America's foremost 'vocal' group of the 1960s, the release of this all instrumental LP in 1968 is among the most bizarre of all time. Then again, with the band's sales numbers in an all-out free fall since Pet Sounds, Capitol's desperate attempt to sell anything Beach Boys-related is pretty apparent here. That said, Stack-O-Tracks is an incredibly intriguing listen no matter what the circumstances were that brought it to the marketplace. Originally packaged with a pull-out booklet containing chord diagrams, complete lyrics and vocal charts (sadly missing from all reissued versions), Stack-O-Tracks collected the backing tracks to 15 of the band's biggest hits and brought Brian Wilson's brilliantly orchestrated production out from behind the wall of voices. This vocal-free treatment of tracks spanning a four-year period form a remarkably cohesive package, with unconventional instrumentation popping up surprisingly early in their career and the band's debt to the technique of Phil Spector laid out well before the recording of Pet Sounds began. One of the few Beach Boys LPs that failed to make the charts, Stack-O-Tracks remains a rare treat for those who've bothered to seek it out. The version here contains 3 bonus instrumentals and a short hidden track tucked into the end. Enjoy.

The Beach Boys' Party!/Stack-O...

Can

2007-11-16T09:36:00.000-08:00

Can Live: Music - 1971-1977

While their albums throughout the early and mid 1970s were landmarks of stylistic innovation and studio mastery, Can in the live setting was a band of startling, head wringing power. Most concerts would contain just a few tunes pulled from their various LPs, with the majority of the show left open to the whims of improvisation. Heady music in its most adventurous form. Songs would swell to double, at times triple the length of their studio counterparts, vocalization was sparse if it appeared at all and was treated as another instrument in the mix when it did, and the sheer volume and intensity of the music would reach cathartic levels. Originally part of the Can Box package, Can Live Music (1971-1977) collects material from the band's "golden period" and presents it here with tremendous fidelity. "You Doo Right" is incredible as usual, but here it emerges from the audience's rhythmic clapping as if being summoned from the depths. "Colchester Finale" is a massive 37+ minute jam that incorporates more than a few morsels from Tago Mago before falling in on itself in a swirl of chaos and stopping - quite miraculously - on a dime. Only nine tracks in all, but the majority of what's contained on this double live set is beyond compare, even when lined up to their studio output. This is the other side of the coin. Enjoy.

Bob Dylan

2007-11-16T09:19:00.000-08:00

Self Portrait - 1970

Writing about something as common as a Dylan album here at the Heat Warps goes somewhat against the grain. Fortunately, all bets are off when it comes to Self Portrait. Widely accepted as the most bizarre entry in his catalog since its release, the album is a mish-mash collection intended to either throw followers off his scent, one-up the bootleggers or gather up the various facets of his personality into a double album package. Whatever its intention, Self Portrait sold well upon its initial release but was ceremoniously torn apart by its critics. To their credit, there was an awful lot to wrap your head around here: multiple versions of the same song, brass-led instrumentals, choral numbers, weird cover versions, Dylan duetting with himself and a few ramshackle live cuts from the Isle of Wight thrown in for good measure. To quote Greil Marcus' opening line of his Rolling Stone review "What is this shit?" 36 years on it's still hard to answer that question, though one thing's for sure; whatever this shit is, it's pretty damn fascinating. An album of tremendous depth and ambition, Self Portrait is unfairly burdened by the formula Dylan laid out in the years preceding it. If this one isn't already in your collection, set aside some quality time to reap the rewards of a proper listen. My introduction to it was on a 16 hour road trip, nearly every mile of which was reserved for this album. My favorites have always been "Days of '49", "Living the Blues," "Wigwam" and the live version of "Quinn the Eskimo", notably for the squall of feedback that chases Robbie Robertson's guitar solo around like a pair of squirrels on a tree. More than any other Dylan record, listening to Self Portrait is an experience unique to every listener. Enjoy yours. Happy Thanksgiving.

Self Portrait - Bob Dylan

Little Richard

2007-10-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Southern Child - 1972 (unreleased)

Though looked upon fondly under 30 years of hindsight, Little Richard's string of albums for the Reprise label in the early 70s sold so poorly that his fourth and final album, 1972's Southern Child, never saw the light of day. And what a shame, since this final LP was the most diverse and arguably the finest of the lot he recorded for the label. Paired with a campy, albeit very fitting cover photo of Richard milking a cow in the backyard of his own home, Southern Child was a collection that successfully fused the gospel rock of his early days with the gentle country ballads and spacious funk he'd been experimenting with throughout his Reprise series. The result is a triumph - a stylistic breakthrough that had been hinted at across a string of three LPs, and finally rises to the top here. The songs, all originals, are performed elegantly throughout, and find Richard at last freeing his voice from the constraints of self parody to deliver some of the most gentle and emotive performances of his long career. So different is his delivery, that throughout much of the album his vocals are hardly recognizable as his own. All of the tracks here are tremendous and the continuity of Southern Child is supreme, but its brilliance is illustrated most effectively by the second track "If You Pick Her Too Hard (She Comes Out of Tune)". If this LP had seen a proper release it would be the one Little Richard album in everyone's collection, but even with Rhino having included it as part of its King of Rock n' Roll: The Complete Reprise Recordings, the set's limited run of 2500 ensures this LP will stay off the radar for the foreseeable future. If you dug The Rill Thing, this one might just blow your mind.

King Of Rock & Roll: The Compl...

Dr. John

2007-10-12T08:31:00.000-07:00

Babylon - 1969

Establishing himself as the high priest of psychedelic voodoo with his 1968 debut, Gris Gris, Dr. John tweaked his formula a bit, spaced things out even further and brewed up a far weirder, equally intoxicating follow up with Babylon. Here, the grooves are twitchy and loping, the instruments have more room to roam and the chorus of female voices serves as more of an instrument in and of itself rather than a counterpoint to the lead vocals. Oddly enough, Mac Rebennack's voice toes the line between a frothy Captain Beefheart and Van Morrison on a bad trip, while the music reaches Sun Ra levels of spacial intensity. Taken in album-length doses, Babylon is an incredible achievement that with such a varying palette of flavors and grooves laid out to soak up, rivals Gris Gris in depth and flat-out weirdness. Every track is a highlight, but the chorus of "Glowin'" is one of Dr. John's most beautifully emotive sections in his repertoire, while the electric-piano backbone of "Black Widow Spider" drives and whirls the album to a manic peak. Not easy to come by and sadly overshadowed by its predecessor and Dr. John's funkier, more accessible work with the Meters a few years later, Babylon is an enigma. If Gris Gris was a tidy pot of gumbo, Babylon was a cajun boil with all of its elements poured on the table to feast on and dissect. Delicious.

Ornette Coleman

2007-10-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

Body Meta - 1976

With legions of jazzers of the early-mid 1970s plugging in to Miles electric groove, it's no surprise that Ornette Coleman dove head first into a genre he'd been toying with for years. Leading a band he dubbed "Prime Time," Coleman pressed on through a series of albums of collective improvisation and loose, angular funk that began with 1975's Dancing in Your Head, but reached a frothy peak on Body Meta the following year. Although the album was pulled from tapes recorded during Dancing in Your Head, the two guitar, bass and drums lineup created an LP that was wholly unique to Coleman's discography - the furious grooves would boil up for a short while and disintegrate before they could set in; guitar tones are harsh throughout; and the alto sax erupts all over the proceedings - drawing surprisingly valid comparisons to Beefheart's late 60s output. 31 years on, this stuff sounds fresh enough to have come out last Tuesday. It's not an easy listen, this slightly skewed take on avant funk, but that seems to be the purpose here- just check out Coleman's original liner notes for proof:

Enter - Prime Time in forming a Harmolodic Band, where the needs of the composer and the players found challenging questions. Prime Time is not a jazz, classical, rock or blues ensemble. It is pure Harmolodic where all forms that can, or could exist yesterday, today, or tomorrow can exist in the now or the moment without a second.

The great Infinite Foolishness beat me to the punch by posting a slew of great Ornette Coleman albums, including Body Meta. Head on over to their turf to survey the cornucopia of awesomeness.

The Creation

2007-10-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

Our Music Is Red with Purple Flashes - 1998 comp.

Despite being one of the most artistically bold outfits of their time - guitarist Eddie Phillips bowed his guitar long before Jimmy Page while lead singer Kenny Pickett would paint gigantic canvases on-onstage and light them ablaze at the end of the performance - the Creation are simply grouped along with the Who, the Kinks and the Small Faces as the cream of the mod crop of the mid 1960s, and are best known for the spectacularly powerful guitar riffage of "Making Time." Setting them further apart from their contemporaries is the fact that the band's complete discography is comprised solely of Shel Talmy-produced singles and a lone album, 1967's We Are Paintermen, that simply rounds up their A and B sides in one unimaginative package. No Village Green Preservation Society, no S.F. Sorrow. Just "Biff Bang Pow", a brilliant flash of light, a giant puff of smoke and they were gone. In the 40 years since they disbanded there have been many compilations aiming to collect the band's greatest moments, but Our Music Is Red With Purple Flashes is undeniably the best of the lot - claiming to "contain the entirety of the band's recorded output from their original 60s incarnation." It's all here, from standard period covers like "Cool Jerk" and "Like A Rolling Stone" to their magnificent originals, including "Painter Man," "Making Time" and the criminally overlooked "How Does It Feel To Feel," presented in vastly different US and UK single versions. With unmatched power pop bravado that was entirely of its time, and fractured, arty guitar work that was about 10 years ahead of the curve, it frequently amazes me how the Creation has remained an "also-ran" for four decades. You'll likely feel the same way.

NOTE: The tremendous Lost-In-Tyme blog posted the We Are Paintermen LP a while back. Head on over and pay 'em a visit.

Leonard Cohen

2007-09-28T08:28:00.001-07:00

Death of a Ladies' Man - 1977

Toward the end of the 1970s, the careers of Leonard Cohen and Phil Spector were headed in opposite trajectories. Cohen rode high on a five album creative streak that had begun with his debut LP nine years previous, and Spector was spiraling down a well of drink, drugs, bizarre behavior and a string of albums that, while brilliant, were so polarizing that labels often had to be sweet talked into putting them out. Naturally, their great summit of 1977 was one that continues to divide, challenge and amaze. But as Spector put it, midway through their three-week songwriting binge that resulted in 15 new tracks, there's no denying that this is some "great fucking music." Discussing Cohen's contribution here is almost pointless, since the man's ability to craft a lyric and turn a phrase is sickeningly consistent - and aside from Spector's obvious influence on stripping a few layers of subtlety here and there and adding a touch of tasteful schmaltz to the choruses, Death of a Ladies' Man only continues the hot streak. It shouldn't be a surprise then, that the real magic of this record lies in Spector's typically over the top production. If his records of the classic era were Wall of Sound, the noise he creates here pours in through tunnels and waves, with his wrecking crew of the mid 60s reprising their role with some added syrupy 70s grandeur and a layer of echo so thick that it practically becomes an instrument in itself. It's worth noting that Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg drop by to lend their voices to the raucous "Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On" - a raveup that nearly disrupts the flow, but as a testament to the strength of this record, hardly creates a ripple. Unquestionably weird, but bruised and lovely all the same, this LP must be heard to be believed.

Death Of A Ladies' Man - Leona...

Paul McCartney

2007-09-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

Red Rose Speedway - 1973

After giving John all the attention with last month's Complete Lost Lennon Tapes series, I figured it was time to turn our attention to Beatle Paul and one of the wildly underrated gems in his vast catalogue, 1973's Red Rose Speedway. For years I'd ignored this LP whenever I saw it in the shops, most likely due to it's garish cover. Once I got wind that it contained a few unused tracks from 1971's magnificent Ram, one of my all-time favorites, I had to get my hands on it. Officially his second LP with Wings, Red Rose Speedway bridges the sound of the low-fi records McCartney made at the the start of his solo career with the grandiose, lavishly produced ones he would start knocking out with 74's Band on the Run. Of course that also means Red Rose Speedway marks the beginning of Paul's schmaltzy period, but thankfully this record only carries the weight of a couple such tunes - the worst of which, "My Love" sounds eerily similar to Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better", so really, it could be worse. The high points here, the ones that keep drawing me back to this record, are absolutely incredible. The trippy "Loup" (First Indian on the Moon)" could fit in easily on Pink Floyd's Meddle, "When the Night" is a slow burn that ends just as it starts to boil, while "Get On the Right Thing" and "Little Lamb Dragonfly" are excellent leftovers from the Ram sessions. With the addition of a few singles and B-sides from the era tacked onto the end of this remastered edition, you really can't go wrong. But don't take my word for it, have a listen yourself.

Red Rose Speedway - Wings

Lee "Scratch" Perry

2007-09-11T14:25:00.000-07:00

Upsetters 14 Dub Blackboard Jungle - 1973

Having been renamed, remixed and reorganized many times since its original release in 1973, the phenomenal Upsetters 14 Blackboard Jungle Dub has at long last been restored to its original incarnation and given the definitive remastering treatment it's deserved for decades. Arguably the first true dub LP, Blackboard Jungle is a landmark pairing of two of the greatest minds of the genre, Lee "Scratch" Perry and King Tubby, both of whom leave their unmistakable imprint all over this record. It's tough to pin down exactly who did what and where, but from the sound of things, the bulk of the tracks were arranged and recorded at Scratch's Black Ark Studio - wobbly guitars, grimy bass and percussion, distant horns and all - while King Tubby reigned over the mixing board and dubbed it blacker than dread. Thanks to Tubby's meticulous technique, Blackboard Jungle is unlike anything else to come out of the Black Ark, incredibly precise, elegantly psychedelic, even flirting with American soul at points, and every bit as thrilling as anything either man would accomplish at the height of their career. One of the greatest albums of all time. If you're looking to dip your toe into the murky waters of dub, dip it here.

For this LP and more of the same, head over to the incredible You and Me on a Jamboree. They've got enough dub, roots reggae and classics to make you sick.

14 Dub Blackboard Jungle - The...

Cannonball Adderley Quintet

2007-09-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! - 1966

It was on the phenomenal title track to this classic LP that most listeners first came to know the name Joe Zawinul. Brooding, funky and brimming with far more soul than you'd expect from a white Austrian immigrant in the mid-1960s, Zawinul's now-legendary Wurlitzer-based composition easily pinpoints the exact moment at which the fusion of jazz and R&B was brought to the masses. Cannonball's career was hardly the same from this point on, and Miles would dive headlong into the brew soon enough with Zawinul as his lead songwriter and keyboardist. The entire Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! LP is a Southern gospel-soaked goldmine from end to end, even if this "live" session was cut in front of a select studio audience with an open bar, but nothing here matches the deep, laid-back groove of that title track. It all started here. So long, Zawinul.

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy - Cannonba...

John Lennon, Part 3 of 3

2007-09-06T08:28:00.000-07:00

The Complete Lost Lennon Tapes, Volume 3 (discs 16-22)

Whew. After 15 exhaustive chapters, the Complete Lost Lennon Tapes rolls off into the sunset with a 3rd and final volume. For fans of Lennon's late 70s comeback period, this installment will be a real treat, as discs 17 and 21 are loaded with demos and studio alternates of material from the magnificent Double Fantasy. However, keeping with the collection's habit of eschewing any sort of chronological order, there's plenty of material from the entirety of his recorded career sprinkled throughout. The many highlights include an extremely early version of "Strawberry Fields Forever", featuring Lennon sketching out some chord changes and fooling around with a few different lyrics. It doesn't sound like he was even dreaming of Strawberry Fields at this point. "One Day at a Time" is represented on disc 16 in a bare bones studio run-through that suits the song even better than the lush treatment it received on the Mind Games LP. The real treat here is disc 22, which includes the complete soundtrack for Yoko's unreleased 1971 film "Clock" (an excellent quality home recording of John casually running through some new tunes and golden oldies), as well as a recording of the jam session at Lennon's 31st birthday party, featuring what sounds like a house full of guests (including a very "vocal" Phil Spector) doing campfire renditions of Beatles tracks, traditionals and even a couple of Paul and George's solo hits. A suitable ending. Now, take off those headphones and go take a nap. You're bound to be exhausted.

John Lennon, Part 2 of 3

2007-08-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

The Complete Lost Lennon Tapes, Volume 2 (discs 9-15)

The second volume of the Complete Lost Lennon Tapes picks up right where the first left off - which is easy enough since there's little rhyme or reason to the tracklisting. Nope, no tidy chronological order here, just seven more discs of outtakes, demos, alternate versions and comedy routines in startlingly high fidelity. Just like the first eight discs, the highlights here are innumerable, but I certainly have my favorites; the surprisingly fully formed acoustic demo of Abbey Road's "Because" and the work in progress takes of "Give Peace a Chance" on disc 14, a drum machine and acoustic guitar take on Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross" that rivals the version on Nilsson's Pussy Cats LP in terms of sheer beauty, and finally, the raw urgency lurking throughout the demo and studio versions of "Well Well Well" that bring disc 12 to a roaring boil. Head to the comments section for the seven discs (as well as the HTML and Autorun files) which comprise the second CD-ROM. The thrilling conclusion to this three-part series is just around the corner, so dew drop in next week.

John Lennon, Part 1 of 3

2007-08-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

The Complete Lost Lennon Tapes, Volume 1 (discs 1-8)

From the early days of the Beatles up to the last days of his life John Lennon made frequent use of his home tape machine; recording demos, oldies, comedy skits and love letters to Yoko, it seems the man was fascinated with preserving every step of the artistic process. It's no surprise then, that the amount of Lennon bootlegs is incredibly vast, while the quality of most of those, both aurally and aesthetically, leaves much to the imagination. The 1998 John Lennon Anthology was an enormous success in terms of getting a decent chunk of these home recordings, demos and studio outtakes to the public, and for many this four disc set covering his post-Beatle decade was a revelation in terms of the wealth of material collected and the high quality of the recordings. But for more savvy collectors, the infamous Lost Lennon Tapes radio series was the end all source of unreleased gems. Originally broadcast in 1988, this Westwood One program was hosted by Lennon's close friend Elliot Mintz, who over the course of the its 35 episode run had the good sense (or undying respect for his pal) to not talk over the intros or outros to any of the tunes, thus allowing home listeners to get the bootleg train rolling. After several incarnations from vinyl to cassette and CD, a 22 volume Complete Lost Lennon Tapes was compiled onto 3 CD-ROMs in 1999, and the sketchbook of one of modern music's most prodigious talents found a new media for a new century. Presented here (with links and tracklist in comments) are the eight volumes which comprise the first CD-ROM. The highlights are innumerable and the set is downright overwhelming, but in the best way possible. Volumes 9-22 will follow in the coming weeks, so don't be a stranger.

Update: Tracks 20-28 on Disc 8 were not contained in the original zip file. You can now download them here. My apologies for this oversight.

Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette

2007-08-13T14:37:00.000-07:00

Ruta and Daitya - 1971

In this midst of their tenure with Miles Davis' group, pianist Keith Jarrett and drummer Jack DeJohnette stole away a little time while in Los Angeles to create Ruta and Daitya. Alternating between avant-funk and minimalist classic jazz, the LP comprises a group of brilliant sketches that serve as a meditative counterpoint to what the duo were producing on stage and in the studio with Miles. Jarrett is undoubtedly the master of ceremonies here, improvising from end to end and effortlessly switching from woodwinds, acoustic and electric pianos, sometimes playing two at once, but always working within the confines of the two man ensemble as DeJohnette works the range of his kit and taps away on African percussion. I initially approached this album with the expectation that it would be similar to Miles' work around this same time. Although it's a logical extension from that, Ruta and Daitya is a different animal entirely. Enjoy.

Soft Machine

2007-08-13T14:27:00.000-07:00

Fourth - 1971

Although Robert Wyatt wouldn't leave Soft Machine until they began recording its follow up, Fourth is where his departure from the group truly began, as the LP included no original compositions or vocals from its founding member. Despite these shortcomings, Fourth is an incredible album of trippy, muscular jazz fusion performed by a band at the height of its powers. Wyatt's drumming is arguably the strongest of his career, but the major contributor here is bassist Hugh Hopper, writing five of the LP's seven songs, including, in true prog fasion, the four song suite that comprised its B side. The unquestionable highlight of this set is its opener "Teeth"; a schizophrenic epic that clocks in at over nine minutes and soars and battles through multiple time shifts, gentle passages and sections of frothy, pummeling rage. Carrying an intensity that may not match that which the band achieved on Third, Fourth is superior in recording quality and outright musicianship. Although better than the majority of their contemporaries for the remainder of the decade, it was all downhill from here for Soft Machine.

Fourth - Soft Machine

Nicky Hopkins

2007-08-02T09:40:00.002-07:00

The Tin Man Was a Dreamer - 1973

Any fan of British rock throughout the 1960s and 70s is inevitably a fan of Nicky Hopkins, as the keyboardist lent his talents to an astonishing number of LPs - the Who's My Generation, the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street, the Kinks' Village Green Preservation Society just to name a few. Unquestionably the session man of the classic rock era. It's no surprise then, that after adding his mark to countless albums by other artists, Hopkins would have a wealth of his own material and a tremendous album up his sleeve. Recorded with the help of many of his fellow session men of the period, including saxophonist Bobby Keys and bassist Klaus Voormann, as well as George Harrison (credited as George O'Hara) and the Rolling Stones' Mick Taylor, The Tin Man Was a Dreamer was Hopkins' second solo effort and one that holds its own next to the albums on which he contributed as a sideman. Every bit the album you'd expect from a musician whose work lay mostly in the shadows, Tin Man is full of subtle variations in style and lyrical context, shifting from semi classical solo numbers to smart, beautifully orchestrated pop tunes with timid, oddly charming lead vocals throughout. The highlights are numerous, but my hands-down favorite is "Waiting for the Band". Tight production with songwriting that wouldn't sound out of place if this LP were released today, Tin Man will undoubtedly take your appreciation of Hopkins to a whole new level.

The Tin Man Was A Dreamer - Ni...

Otis Redding

2007-08-02T09:40:00.001-07:00

Live In Europe - 1967

Recorded during the infamous Stax/Volt revue overseas tour in the Spring of 1967, the Live in Europe LP is a testament to the overwhelming power of soul music during this brief window in time, and the absolute rapture into which Otis Redding would send his audiences. It was coined "Beatlemania in Reverse" for good reason. Sadly, this was also the final LP Redding would see released before his death in December of that same year. As the Stax house band throughout much of the decade, Booker T and the MGs backed all of the artists on this European tour, and here do the same for Otis. Rather than the smoky, hypnotic grooves laid down by his usual touring group (as featured on his In Person at the Whiskey a Go Go LP), the MGs provide a tight, bouncy elegance that, aside from a few deviations and extended endings, keep the songs true to their studio counterparts. But as with any Otis Redding live document, his vocal prowess and ability to reinterpret his own tunes is nothing short of stunning. Now, forty years since it was recorded, the version of "Try a Little Tenderness" included here remains one of the most incredible performances of all time.

Live In Europe - Otis Redding

Stan Getz

2007-07-26T09:29:00.001-07:00

Captain Marvel - 1972

Having famously paired with Joao Gilberto for 1963's massive Getz/Gilberto bossa nova summit, it's no surprise that another equally successful collaboration was in the cards for Stan Getz. At the time he was forming his Return to Forever band, Chick Corea got wind that Getz was on the hunt for a band with which to tour and record new material. Putting his own project on temporary hiatus, Corea plucked Airto Moriera and Stanley Clarke from his fledgling group and enlisted fellow Miles alum, Tony Williams on drums. The resulting album is almost exactly what you'd expect this collection of greats to turn out, and every bit as incredible as Getz better known Gilberto collaboration. With Corea originals making up five of the album's six tunes and Airto's Brazillian percussion filling out the mix, Captain Marvel has a heavy Latin bend throughout, but the percussive plunk of Rhodes piano and controlled chaos of Williams behind the kit pulls it all so slightly into fusion territory. Unquestionably one of Getz' finest moments of the decade, and a fascinating glimpse as to how straight these Davis graduates could play it when they wanted to.

Captain Marvel - Stan Getz

Tony Allen

2007-07-26T09:21:00.001-07:00

Jealousy/Progress - 1975/77

Unofficial band director and drummer extraordinaire for Fela Kuti 's groups from 1968 through the late 70s, Tony Allen is arguably as important in the development of Afrobeat as Fela himself. A master of subtle precision and a purveyor of deep, classic funk, Allen released this pair of LPs in the mid 70s to step out of the shadow of his boss and pull his own contributions to the forefront. And while this is certainly the Tony Allen show, it's by no means a one man affair. It is, however, a massive attack of percussion. With Africa 70 providing backing and Fela contributing heavily on keys and saxophone on both albums, the sound isn't that different from any of the classic Fela LPs from this era - the drums are understandably pushed up in the mix, but the chant vocals, percussive guitars and plunky electric pianos pull everything toward a familiar core - but much like He Miss Road, the sound is less immediate, more atmospheric and spacious. All told, a magnificent pair of LPs that shed some long overdue sunshine on one the all-time greats. There's no way not to love this collection.

The Kinks

2007-07-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

Arthur - 1969

As the 1960s came to a close, the Kinks were in the midst of a creative period the likes of which few bands have enjoyed. Having reached new levels of sophistication with 1967's Something Else and Village Green Preservation Society the following year, Ray Davies' songwriting explored an entirely new depth with Arthur; perhaps the finest example of a concept LP in any era. Dissecting the various pressures of modern life through the eyes of its titular character, the album's topics ranged from the mundane (societal pressure, mortgage payments, fashion) to the overtly political (dead soldiers, wartime posturing), all delivered with Davies' biting wit and the Kinks newfound vigor for the straight-ahead rock n' roll upon which they'd built their name. Not only is Arthur one of the towering achievements of 1960s rock, but an album whose subject matter and musical brilliance remain as vital today as when they were recorded. Masterfully produced (just try to find the seams that hold together the various sections of "Shangri-La") and recorded with an emphasis on feel over perfection (listen for Dave Davies' yelps of excitement on the first track), the album contains some of the most brilliant songs the band recorded and all of the elements that make them so utterly unique. A treasure of an LP.

Fleetwood Mac

2007-07-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

Tusk (Outtakes & Alternates) - 1979

Following the overwhelming success of their self-titled 1975 LP and 1977's Rumours, Fleetwood Mac's chief songwriter Lindsey Buckingham began writing material with the intention of creating not only the band's most experimental LP of its career, but his own answer to the low-fi new wave movement that threatened to turn his beloved Mac into 70's rock dinosaurs. With a multi-million dollar budget in tow, Buckingham began creating quirky home demos that employed minimalist drumming, overdriven acoustic guitar, brisk tempos and uncharacteristically rushed, almost claustrophobic vocals with layers and layers of odd harmonies. For proof of the band's notorious amphetamine intake around this time, look no further. Many of these home demos sound strikingly similar to their album counterparts, and as such, are easily the high points in this collection of rarities. Stevie Nick's input, in contrast to her ex-partner's, was much in the same vein as the songs she contributed to the band's previous two albums, and "Sara", included here in a very extended take, remains one of their signature tunes. All told, the brilliance of the album has always been the way in which is revealed so many radically different sides of the band, yet remained anchored to Buckingham's slices of bizarre, heady pop. What's equally intriguing is how this collection of demos, outtakes and alternates reveals how this formula was in place from the beginning. A fine companion piece to the original album that was issued as the second disc of the 2004 remaster, and one that holds up very well on its own. If you're anything like me, you'll be slightly disappointed that an alternate version of the title track isn't included. A great set none the less.

For the Love of Harry!

2007-07-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

I proudly announce that the Heat Warps is donating all of its Harry Nilsson content to the fabulous new Nilsson-dedicated site, For the Love of Harry! Spearheaded by Willard, chief contributor over at Never Get Out of the Boat, For the Love of Harry will be all things Nilsson, all the time. So hesitate no longer, you're just a mouse click away from total Nilsson bliss!

Randy Holden

2007-07-10T08:49:00.001-07:00

Population II - 1969

While never attaining his rightful place in the pantheon of heavy rock guitar gods, Randy Holden will always be held in high regard for creating Population II - one of greatest high-volume displays of all time and an all-out monster of an album. Best known for his brief tenure in Blue Cheer that lasted long enough for him to appear on the second side of their New! Improved! LP, Holden signed an endorsement deal with Sunn amplifiers upon his departure and ordered twenty 200 watt speaker cabinets for use on his debut solo release. And he used them all. At once. Paired with Chris Lockheed, who handled drums and keyboards simultaneously, Holden took aim at laying down not only the loudest album in recorded history, but the first to successfully bridge the divide between psychedelic rock and heavy metal. The result, a heavily reverbed affair with piles of reverse effects, beautifully controlled feedback and sparse arrangements that allowed plenty of space for the volume to stretch out, was far beyond what Black Sabbath, the Stooges or Led Zeppelin were up to around the same time. Even more amazing is how for a guitar-centric album, Population II is completely devoid of clichés, superfluous guitar heroics or trite lyrics, yet oddly enough, this slice of heaven received only a limited release on the small Hobbit label and was quickly withdrawn by Holden's management under a veil of secrecy. Thankfully, it has been heavily bootlegged in great fidelity for nearly 40 years. It may not be your thing, but if you allow this one to sink in, you'll get completely lost in it.

Funkadelic

2007-07-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

Live: Meadowbrook, Rochester, Michigan - 1971

Recorded at one of the worst possible times for any band to make a live recording, Funkadelic limped into the Meadowbrook Arena in September of '71 with a rhythm section that had been hired the day before. And while the result was not too far removed from the junk funk of the magnificent Maggot Brain LP which they'd released just two months previous, the engineer who taped the show was so repulsed that he stuffed the reels on a shelf where they sat for over twenty years. Not surprisingly, they've aged like a fine wine. The Funkadelic captured on this night is nowhere near the Parliament/Funkadelic machine that would turn out the slick disco funk within a couple of years, but rather a troupe of acid drenched misfits with a penchant for searing guitars, violent synths and an overwhelming passion for the ladies. The concert's spoken introduction reads like this "...Let your minds be lather-like. George chief cokehead is gonna sprinkle funk from one end of this pavillion to the other.".. Eddie Hazel's heavy fuzzed out riffs kick in against the thunder of drums, deep pools of reverb slap back from the arena's shell, and it's on. A full on funk assault. Bernie Worrell cooly reigns in the proceedings from the banks of total chaos with his characteristically uncharacteristic synth leads, and the overall impact is a marriage of an ultra funky Band of Gypsies and Sun Ra in a playful mood. Wow! An incredible document of a band at the peak of their creative prowess.

Live - Funkadelic

Beach Boys

2007-07-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

Landlocked (Unreleased) - 1970

The Beach Boys' road to reinvention throughout the late 60s and early 70s was marked by a familiar hurdle - the rejected album - and one of the band's most well known among these was 1970's Landlocked. In many ways, this LP would be reincarnated as the magnificent Sunflower, however a number of these tunes would continue to be recycled (along with several cuts from their aborted Smile LP) and make their way onto the band's albums throughout the 70s. And while hearing these songs in their original context is fascinating, even more interesting is how much it reveals about the Beach Boys' inability to effectively sequence their own albums, and how correct Reprise was in sending the band back to the drawing board. To the Beach Boys’ credit, it's very likely that its track list was never quite finalized, but unlike the melancholy air of Surf's Up and Holland or the playful nature of Sunflower, Landlocked seems so bloated with great tunes that it doesn't know what to do with itself, and in turn, it does very little in terms of conveying an distinct emotion, feeling or overarching theme. “Til I Die” for instance, serves as a key player in the triad of epics that close Surf’s Up, but here it’s like a sitting duck between a couple of songs that wouldn’t be out of place on any of the band’s pre-Pet Sounds LPs. That said, Landlocked is a fantastic collection of tunes that led towards modern music's most successful reinvention; albeit one that illustrates why it took a few tries to leap over the threshold. The version here is in great fidelity and includes a number of outtakes and alternates from this period.

Beau Brummels

2007-06-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

Bradley's Barn - 1968

Although it was beat out by the Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo by a couple of months in being the first true country rock LP, Bradley's Barn is arguably the superior album in the breadth and depth of the original songs hidden inside its pastoral sleeve. Relatively unknown beyond their association with the mid 60s San Francisco psychedelic folk scene, the Beau Brummels’ first hit "Laugh, laugh" was recorded by Sly Stone (then Sly Stewart) in 1964, but thanks to poor marketing, promotion, and the fact that the Byrds basically did the same thing they were doing, only slightly better, the band toiled in relative obscurity until the release of their phenomenal Triangle LP in 67. It's follow up, Bradley's Barn, paired the band (now down to two original members, Sal Valentino and Ron Elliott) with a slew of Nashville hired guns to create a loose, richly layered collection of mostly original material that leads the way more towards the backwoods stuff The Band were laying down with Dylan around the very same time rather than the Bakersfield country rock mashup the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers were dishing out. Criminally overlooked since it was released, the LP is a testament to the astonishing writing and vocal prowess of Elliott and Velentino respectively, and the soaring heights they could reach when everything fell into place. It certainly did here.

Bradley's Barn - The Beau Brum.

Ron Wood

2007-06-27T10:49:00.000-07:00

I've Got My Own Album To Do - 1974

Ranking right up there with Harry Nilsson's Pussy Cats LP in terms of the greatest "buddy" album of all time, Ron Wood's first solo effort was one that simultaneously showcased his immense talent as a guitarist and songwriter, as well as his seemingly endless pool of kick ass rock star friends that were willing to lend him a hand. Considering his reputation as one of the all around nicest guys in rock music, it's no surprise that the list of guest musicians here includes not only the majority of the Rolling Stones, half of the the Faces and George Harrison but a wealth of contributors that remain uncredited (although I swear I hear the voice and drums of The Band's Levon Helm on a couple of tracks). Such an immense pool of musicians and the egos that they carry could have easily overwhelmed the proceedings here, but the sense of camaraderie and unabashed joy rules over this album, and the result is a tight collection of tunes that sounds exactly as you'd expect it to when considering the participants. Equal parts Stones and Faces, the LP features duets galore, most notably Jagger and Wood on the opening track, Keith Richards is all over the place here, obviously enjoying the brief step away from the spotlight, and the Faces' Ian McLagan is an absolute monster on the Wurlitzer piano. Hell, even Rod Stewart took a break from chasing supermodels to join in on the action. Easily one of the finest off-the-radar albums of the decade.

Nucleus

2007-06-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

Elastic Rock - 1970

By 1970, the influence of Miles Davis' electric directions ran as deep as could be imagined. Cannonball Adderley fused deep R&B grooves into his repertoire, Carlos Santana stretched into the realm of ambient jazz, and Weather Report built the entirety of their early career around the understated sonic explorations that Davis stretched to the breaking point with In a Silent Way. But across the Atlantic, Ian Carr and Nucleus took a more literal approach to absorbing Miles' influence - they simply copied the blueprint. But that's not to say that the results weren't spectacular in their own right. With a traditional jazz lineup plus the addition of electric guitar and electric piano (either a Wurlitzer or Hohner Pianet, as opposed to the Fender Rhodes that Miles favored), Elastic Rock harkens back to the electric explorations that lead up to Filles De Kilimanjaro rather than unwisely aping the Bitches Brew material that left so many groups reeling. The compositions are also extremely short by fusion standards, with many of its 14 tracks hanging around the two minute mark - making Elastic Rock come off as a collection of fragments, sketches and half-baked ideas on the surface, while in reality, its cohesiveness is stunning. Moody, thrilling, and unmistakably familiar, Nucleus’ first effort is a solid foundation for a band that would soon take the ideas explored here to the furthest reaches.

Heat Warps Music Nerd Fast Fact: Nucleus drummer John Marshall and keyboardist Karl Jenkins left the group to join Soft Machine in 1976.

Pink Floyd

2007-06-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

The Complete Zabriskie Point Sessions - 1969

The six year span of Pink Floyd's career between Piper at the Gates of Dawn and Dark Side of the Moon is a meandering, often treacherous stretch of road. That's not to say that it didn't show some signs of promise, and here and there, occasional glimpses at the brilliance that was on the horizon. Commissioned to record ambient sections of soundtrack music for Michaelangelo Antonioni's film Zabriskie Point, the band took full advantage of their studio allowance to not only record a wealth of material that would signal a shift toward pastoral folk of Meddle and Obscured By Clouds, but to demo rough sketches of tunes that would turn up on Dark Side of the Moon a couple of years later. With the effects of their acid-drenched Syd Barrett period still lingering, it's not surprising that a few brief slices of self-indulgence pop up here and there, but overall The Complete Zabriskie Point Sessions is an exciting listen, if not a completely captivating one from end to end. Had the fat been trimmed and a few overdubs thrown on for good measure, these sessions would have resulted in their first great album of the post-Barrett Floyd. On it’s own terms, it’s still an essential document in tracing the evolution of one of psychedelic rock’s all-time greats.

Sun Ra

2007-06-15T12:27:00.001-07:00

Strange Celestial Road - 1979

Something was definitely in the air in the late 70s, as the end of the decade saw Sun Ra turning out some of the mellowest, and certainly the funkiest jams of his storied career. And although you can't really go wrong with any of the band's output during this period, there are a few albums that rise to the top. Lanquidity, featured some time ago here at the Heat Warps, is one of them. Strange Celestial Road is another. Riding the dark sludgy grooves that propelled Lanquidity to remarkable depths, Strange Celestial Road comes off like a dusty, inexplicably exuberant big band record from the future. Sun Ra's heavily effected electric piano is definitely the focal point here, and while he pulls miles of wild sounds from his machine (at times mimicking the whirr of a dentist's drill to extraordinary effect), none of the album's three tracks skitter off into mayhem as they so easily could. Rather, a skeletal groove threads throughout the proceedings, ultimately tightening the reins and pulling the players, as well as the listener, back to the slow churn of its funky core. A heady affair if there ever was one.

Strange Celestial Road - Sun R...

Talking Heads

2007-06-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

The Name of This Band is Talking Heads - 1982

Often overlooked in favor of the live concert film soundtrack Stop Making Sense, The Name of This Band is Talking Heads is a tremendous document that captures the band throughout the most interesting stages of an extremely varied career. Titled in response to the constant incorrect reference to the band as "The" Talking Heads, as well as a play on the way in which David Byrne would introduce the songs in the band's set "The name of this song is 'New Feeling'..." The Name of this Band... was released in 1982 as a stopgap leading up to 1983's Speaking in Tongues. The first disc features the familiar lineup of Byrne, Harrison, Weymouth and Frantz as it winds through the terrain of its first three albums. From wiry proto new wave to eerie skeletal psychedelics, the band's evolution, both sonically and structurally, is absolutely incredible. The second disc, culled from tapes of its 1980-81 tour, includes Adrian Belew and an expanded version of Talking Heads not unlike that featured on Stop Making Sense, albeit the one here leans much more towards the heady polyrhythmic excursions of Remain in Light. The sound is simply otherworldly. Unrestrained yet solidly structured. Originally released as a double LP set in 1982, The Name of This Band... didn’t see a CD release until 2004. That version (featured here) was brilliantly remastered and heavily expanded to include a hard to find live promo LP filling out the first disc, while a bevy of tracks were added to the second disc to replicate the band's full set on its 1980-81 tour. A tremendous collection and an all-time personal favorite.

The Name Of This Band Is Talki...

Nilsson

2007-06-06T07:26:00.001-07:00

The Point! - 1971

While the same could be said for any of his albums, The Point is easily a high water mark in the career of Harry Nilsson. Thematically brilliant, densely orchestrated and packed with more hooks than a meat locker, The Point! was commissioned as the soundtrack to an ABC television special in 1971 with a voice-over narration by Dustin Hoffman. In subsequent VHS and DVD reissues of the film, Ringo has taken the voice over reins, while Nilsson handles narration duties on the album itself. But even without the narrative, the album would hold up as a tremendous concept in the sharply focused lyrical and musical themes that pop up across the entire LP. Brief bits of one song will be reprised in another, the story's characters are referenced throughout and all of the songs share similar instrumentation, however every tune is a magnificently crafted pop gem in and of itself. Here, at the peak of his power as songwriter, lyricist and singer, not a soul in the world could match Nilsson's ability. The entire album is required listening, but "Me and My Arrow" is one of my all-time favorites and "Thing About Your Troubles" is absolute perfection.

"I was on acid and I looked at the trees and I realized that they all came to points, and the little branches came to points, and the houses came to point. I thought, 'Oh! Everything has a point, and if it doesn't, then there's a point to it." - Harry Nilsson

The Point! - Harry Nilss

John Phillips

2007-06-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

John, the Wolf King of LA - 1970

Known most prominently as the album whose cover Dylan aped for his Desire LP, John, The Wolf King of L.A. is that and much much more. The letting go of lofty hippy ideals. The L.A. burnout album. The first great album in arguably the best decade of modern music. Any way you slice it, Wolf King is a monument, or if not that, at least a very prominent signpost and one that has inexplicably drifted further off the radar as time marches on. Supported by a band comprised mostly of Elvis' touring group, Phillips arranged and performed with a majestic country tinge that was not entirely different at its core from the material he wrote with the Mamas and the Papas, however to overcome his shortcomings as a vocalist, he intentionally buried his vocals deep in the mix and allowed Buddy Emmons' pedal steel and the female backing vocals (including Darlene Love) to take much of the spotlight. Truth be told, Phillips' vocals are actually tremendous, and their frailty reveals a vulnerability that surrounds this album and overtakes the listener much in the same way pessimism rules Neil Young's On the Beach or junkie paranoia carries Sly's There's a Riot Goin' On. Elegant and deceptively simple, Wolf King may take a few listens to sink in, but once it does, it goes deep.

Harmonia

2007-06-05T09:23:00.000-07:00

Deluxe - 1975

The product of a veritable Krautrock supergroup comprising members of Neu! and Cluster, Harmonia's Deluxe was an LP that all but redefined a genre. But that's getting ahead of ourselves. The band's debut Music Von Harmonia was a triumph, if not necessarily a landmark. Ever present were the hypnotic overlapping grooves that had become commonplace within Cluster, while the whole set was moored in Michael Rother's subtly psychedelic flourishes of guitar and keys that float atop Neu!'s motoric pulse. But rather than illustrate the contributions of its members and the specific talents that each brought to the proceedings, Music Von Harmonia was a concentrated group effort. An exercise in the awesome power of subtlety. What makes Deluxe such a tremendous LP is not in the way that they followed this fomula, but in how they managed to amplify it. Understated, yet epic, Deluxe is simultaneously one of Krautrock's most grandiose statements and its most restrained. While the most immediate difference from its predecessor is its more prominent use of vocals, the greasy synths and soaring lines of guitar (often processed to sound like a synths themselves) elevate every track into a majestic statement - never as clean as Kraftwerk, not nearly as funky as Can, but dripping with an inexplicable level of human emotion and utter happiness that neither band could touch. A monumental achievement and a truly joyful listen.

Doug Sahm

2007-05-30T12:53:00.000-07:00

Doug Sahm and Band - 1973

Here in central Texas, Doug Sahm is a bona fide legend. But despite his rise in international popularity as the leader of the Sir Douglas Quintet in the '60s, his steady but off-the-radar solo career in the '70s and as a member of the Tex-Mex supergroup the Texas Tornadoes up until his death in 1999, Sahm has remained largely unnoticed outside of his home state. That aside, he was always been looked upon favorably by his fellow musicians, and his 1973 LP Doug Sahm and Band is undeniable proof. Supported by a band consisting of Bob Dylan (on guitar and backup vocals throughout), Dr John (piano), Sir Douglas hold-over Augie Meyers (Vox organ), David "Fathead" Newman (horns) and a slew of other early '70s giants, And Band is a tremendous album that despite being recorded in New York City, manages to maintain the freewheeling, southwestern flavor to which Sahm had staked his claim. And while the egos at this session could've easily overwhelmed the final product, the result is the most collaborative LP in the man's entire catalogue - only 3 of the 12 songs here are Sahm originals, and "Wildflower" was written by Dylan specifically for the album. Loose, fun, and magnificently executed by its all-star staff Doug Sahm And Band serves as a tiny reminder of all the fun everyone who wasn't listening to this back in 1973 was missing out on. For some more precious Doug Sahm gems, pay a visit to the fantastic That Was Then, This Is Now. They know what's going on.

The Genuine Texas Groover - Do...

Captain Beefheart

2007-05-30T11:25:00.000-07:00

Grow Fins Vol. 1 (Early Demos & Live) - 1966-68

Even the Captain had to start somewhere, and not surprisingly, his "somewhere" was pretty out there for most folks. Rounding up tracks and traces from the early days of the Magic Band, Grow Fins Vol. 1 (the vinyl-only compilation of the Just Got Back From the City and Electricity discs in the fantastic Grow Fins box set) is a fine collection of demos that would pre-date the Safe as Milk LP, a full-length television performance from 1968 and a smattering of demos and live versions. Through its many incarnations, the Magic Band in turn, had many primes. With slide virtuoso Ry Cooder as a full on member of the band on many of these cuts, and Van Vliet searching for and ultimately finding his voice over the course of this set, this compilation is undoubtedly one of them. Highlights here are numerous, but my favorites include the 1967 demo of "Sure Nuff n Yes I Do" and "Electricity", presented here in two extraordinary live incarnations. As they say, if you got ears, you gotta listen.

Herbie Hancock

2007-05-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

Thrust - 1974

Following a period of intense exploration throughout the early 1970s, Herbie Hancock felt it was time to cut the fuss and drop the funk. And drop it, he did. With his massively successful 1973 Headhunters LP all but solidifying the genre of jazz-funk, it's truly amazing how its follow up has been left in the shadows for so long - especially when considering that Thrust may be the better album! The most notable difference from its predecessor is in the tighter, more complex drumming of Mike Clark, who had recently replaced Harvey Mason in the band's lineup. If you've heard anything from Thrust, it's likely to be Clark's frequently-copped groove that opens the album. And with that, the tone is set. Hancock's keyboard work is typically incredible - taking the wah'd clavinet and the ARP synth to greater depths than on any of his early 70s LPs - while Bennie Maupin fills out the low end with the bass clarinet that is a cornerstone of fusion in its own right (just check out the man's discography for heaven's sake!). While Headhunters may contain "Chameleon", Thrust lays claim to everything else. A magnificent LP from end to end.

Thrust - Herbie Hancock

Jimmy Smith

2007-05-08T11:03:00.001-07:00

Root Down - 1972

As an undeniable master of the Hammond organ and one of the cornerstones of soul-jazz, Jimmy Smith's official output on the Blue Note and Verve labels is surprisingly tame - mildly funky at best. Root Down, recorded live in Los Angeles in February of '72, is the exception. Fronting a band of younger musicians with a clear bend on funk as opposed to the trad-jazz contemporaries that he had paired with throughout much of his career, Smith stretches the grooves to their limit throughout the LP and pulls the funk off in a much more earthy and soul dominant direction than JB, Sly or Funkadelic were taking it around the very same time. While most listeners will immediately recognize the title track as the impetus for the Beastie Boys song and EP of the same name, once this LP gets in your ears and under your skin, it's clearly runs deeper than a sample. The version here includes the full length tunes as they were recorded - as opposed to the truncated versions that made up the original LP. Get it good.

Root Down - Jimmy Smith

The Kinks

2007-05-08T11:02:00.001-07:00

Everybody's in Show-Biz - 1972

The first Kinks album on which Ray Davies dabbled in the eccentricities that began the band's spiral into vaudevillian camp, Everybody's in Show-Biz is also the last album to maintain the songwriting quality of their late '60s and early '70s LPs. Tales of domesticity and life on the road make up the majority of the first LP of this double set, and although it doesn't quite reach an Arthur... or Village Green... level in terms of a fully formed concept, the songs themselves are really tremendous. My favorites are numerous, but "Hot Potatoes" and "Here Comes Yet Another Day" are absolute classics. Having finally hit their stride as a touring act, the band devotes the second record to a compilation of live tracks - most of which are pulled from the previous year's Muswell Hillbillies album. Buoyed by a full horn section and John Gosling's keyboards, the tunes are executed incredibly well - at points even, more so than their studio counterparts - but Davies' performance as the front man fop steals the show. Sadly, "Lola" is represented here in spirit only, and includes only the crowd sing-along of the chorus. But in the end, its this combination of drunken weirdness and casual brilliance that makes the album so appealing. Not necessarily a great introduction to the Kinks, but once you’ve digested the hits, head here for dessert.

Tony Williams Lifetime

2007-05-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

Emergency! - 1969

As the first great fusion power trio, Tony Williams (drums), John McLaughlin (guitar) and Larry Young (organ) formed on the heels of Williams' departure as a longtime member of Miles Davis' band. Legend has it, that having already solidified the lineup for his group, Williams showed up for Miles' recording of In a Silent Way and was shocked to find that the bandleader had also booked McLaughlin for the session. In protest, Williams toned down his characteristically thunderous drumming for Davis' session and saved his venom for the recording of Emergency! a few months later. The resulting LP was supremely intense, even by Williams' standards - and despite being dismissed by purists upon its release, is now appreciated as the defining document of jazz/rock that it is...but then, don't ALL the great fusion records from this era share this story? The trio is on the edge of boiling over throughout this double LP, pulling the reins only to make room for Williams' sporadic stoned soliloquies (oddly fitting at points, mildly annoying at others), and plowing back into some ferocious jams just before the bottom drops out. A complete mess, but a focused and inspired one. Cream bassist Jack Bruce would join the band on their next LP Turn It Over, but the songs became shorter, tighter and more pop-oriented - proving further that they had it right the first time.

Emergency! - Tony Williams (Ja...

Miles Davis

2007-05-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

At Fillmore - 1971

The result of a four-night stand at the Fillmore East running from June 17-20, 1970, At Fillmore is among the finest, and undoubtedly the most controversial live album in Miles' official catalogue. In order to fit Miles' Wednesday-Saturday residency into a double LP package, producer Teo Macero pulled some of the finer moments from each night and stitched them together to form a medley that took up a single side of vinyl. Initially, some listeners derided Macero's efforts on the basis that several tunes were repeated throughout the album, while others bellyached that editing the songs in such a fashion removed the groove that propelled each night's set. More savvy listeners however, heard the album as a brilliant distillation of Miles' live performance and a compelling record of the band's ability to so drastically reinterpret the same material night after night. Aside from the addition of Keith Jarrett on a wah-wah'd combo organ, At Fillmore features the same personnel that produced the live Black Beauty LP only two months previous - yet the two albums are so different that they could have been recorded years apart. Whereas Black Beauty was loose, mean document, ferocious to the point of frightening, At Fillmore is ambient, funky, tightly wound and extremely focused. On Black Beauty, the music was in complete control. Here, the ensemble holds the reins. Listen close. The results are absolutely incredible.

Miles Davis At Fillmore: Live ...

Neil Young

2007-04-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

Rarities Volume 1: 1967-1974

As the release the first volume of Neil Young's long-awaited Archives project draws near, speculation over its contents has reached a fever pitch. Will it include the unreleased Homegrown album? Will it include the rarely screened biopic Journey Through the Past? Will I even be able to afford this massive box set? One thing is certain...this 8-CD, 2-DVD set will be well worth the wait. Fans and bootleggers have poured and salivated over the vast amounts of unreleased material in the Neil Young vaults, while hissy, muddied fidelity collections of outtakes and acetates have exchanged hands for decades. Having tired of listening to a 4th generation copies of worn out vinyl boots, fan and collector Braden Strickler took the initiative to compile and painstakingly remaster the cream of the unreleased crop and circulate them as an incredible 5 volume set. The results are truly remarkable, and serve as a fine appetizer for the official set scheduled for release in the fall. (Ed Note 3/24/09: Ha!)

Volume 1: 1967-1974

01. Mr. Soul (non-LP-version)
02. Down To The Wire (Buffalo Springfield outtake)
03. If I Could Have Her Tonight (original mix)
04. I've Been Waiting For You (original mix)
05. Here We Are In The Years (original mix)
06. What Did You Do To My Life (original mix - incomplete)
07. Mr. Soul (CSNY: woodstock rehearsal 1969)
08. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (alternate version)
09. Cinnamon Girl (edit version/different vocal)
10. Down By The River (edit - Australian greatest hits album)
11. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (KQED TV rehearsal 19-Feb-70)
12. Everybody's Alone (KQED TV rehearsal 19-Feb-70)
13. Dance Dance Dance (KQED TV rehearsal 19-Feb-70)
14. On The Way Home (KQED TV rehearsal 19-Feb-70)
15. Wonderin' (KQED TV rehearsal 19-Feb-70)
16. Sugar Mountain (KQED TV rehearsal 19-Feb-70)
17. Birds (non-LP-version)
18. I Believe In You (alternative studio track 1970)
19. Out On The Weekend (rehearsal)
20. War Song (single with Graham Nash)
21. Last Trip To Tulsa (live 18-Feb-73, single b-side)
22. Bad Fog Of Loneliness (Tonight's the Night acetate)
23. Traces (Tonight's the Night acetate)
24. Human Highway (CSNY outtake)
25. Pushed It Over The End (live 27-Aug-74, CSNY 12" Italian single)
26. Walk On (DJ mono mix)

Nilsson

2007-04-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

Aerial Pandemonium Ballet - 1971

With his star on the rise and his breakthrough LP Nilsson Schmilsson just around the corner, Harry Nilsson took it upon himself to introduce his newly acquired fan base to his earlier material, albeit in a wildly unconventional, but unmistakably Nilsson fashion. Rather than simply re-release his first two records, 1967's Pandemonium Shadow Show and '68's Aerial Ballet, Nilsson chopped, screwed, re-edited and in turn, created the world's first remix album from their contents. Those who hadn't heard the first two records wouldn't necessarily discover anything out of the ordinary, since both were stylistically very similar. But for the few who already had these two records in their collection, purchasing Aerial Pandemonium Ballet was still a no-brainer - even if there were no new songs on the album! Entire sections were slowed down, others were removed entirely, new vocals were added, songs were completely remixed and intros and outros were tacked on to create an entirely new beast, yet one that would remain faithful to the original. So far ahead of its time and an amazing record any way you look at it.

Aerial Pandemonium Ballet - Ha...

Willie Nelson

2007-04-18T08:19:00.000-07:00

Shotgun Willie 1973

"Shotgun Willie sits around in his underwear..." What a fantastic way to start an album! Following a brief retirement from the country music machine and the stranglehold that was the "Nashville Sound", Willie Nelson headed for Austin and began performing sporadic gigs for throngs of hippies at the (now legendary) Armadillo World Headquarters. While a few recognized him as the writer behind Patsy Cline's "Crazy" or Ray Price's "Night Life", the majority of the crowds knew of Willie Nelson as the man who famously ran back into his burning house to save his weed stash. That all changed with the release of Shotgun Willie. Led by the one-two punch of its title track and the anthemic "Whiskey River", the album was a potent brew of southern horns, Willie's laid back vocal delivery and a crack team of session players that included Doug Sahm and Augie Myers on guitar, James Clayton Day on a heavenly pedal steel and, of course, Willie's sister Bobbie Nelson on acoustic and electric pianos. Shotgun Willie simultaneously kicked off the "outlaw country movement", served as a towering monument to original, un-formulaic country music and was a giant middle finger aimed in the direction of Nashville, Tennessee. The version here is doubled in length by a wealth of outtakes and alternate versions. Much like Willie himself, it's every bit as incredible today as it was then.

The LP was reissued a few years back as part of the amazing Complete Atlantic Sessions box, which bundles his first couple of Atlantic albums with a live set from that period. Absolutely essential.

The Complete Atlantic Sessions...

Beach Boys

2007-04-18T08:15:00.000-07:00

Carl & The Passions - "So Tough!" - 1972

With nearly every one of their LPs throughout the decade being hailed as their "return to form" or "last great" album, it's very easy to dismiss a Beach Boys LP from the 1970s as an over-hyped dud. I know this, because I've done the very same thing, only discovering very recently that Carl & The Passions - "So Tough!" , while not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, is an album with a handful of extremely powerful songs, albeit one with an extremely lame title and cover art. Originally issued as a double LP with a reissued Pet Sounds (??), Carl & The Passions was the first album to feature the strong R&B influence of Blondie Chaplain, who was added to the band's rotating cast of lead vocalists, and helped to reinvigorate the Beach Boys both commercially and artistically throughout the decade. His contributions here are numerous, but his (and the album's) unquestionable high point is "Hold On Dear Brother", a magnificent pedal-steel doused country ballad with a gut-wrenching chorus and a thinly veiled plea to Brian Wilson, who was deep in the trenches of battling his own demons and contributes very little to this LP. The album's production is not quite as pristine as the band's other releases from this era, but the mixture of styles and incredibly strong contributions from all members makes this, if not one their most critically successful albums of the decade, certainly their most diplomatic. A fantastic LP.

Carl And The Passions - So Tou...

"We are put on this earth to fart around ...

2007-04-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

... don't let anyone tell you any different"

Little Richard

2007-04-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

The Rill Thing - 1971

Among the multiple "comebacks" of his long career, Little Richard's early 1970s recordings are far and away the most interesting and stylistically adventurous of the lot. His first in a series of records for the Reprise label, The Rill Thing, casually shifts from deeply southern swamp rock, country standards, a Beatles cover and even a ten-minute mild funk jam, features Little Richard on both electric and acoustic pianos and typifies the funky reckless abandon that makes this LP such a thrill. With The Rill Thing, he wasn't aiming to break new ground or retread on his golden period, only prove his validity to an audience that had all but forgotten about him. The fact that he went so far beyond that is truly remarkable. His trio of LPs from this era included The Rill Thing, The King of Rock n' Roll and The Second Coming, while a fourth, Southern Child remained unissued until Rhino released a limited edition set on their Handmade label that collected all of the material from the Reprise sessions. Enjoy the king in all his splendor, whooooo!!!

King Of Rock & Roll: The Compl.

Pharoah Sanders

2007-04-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

Deaf Dumb Blind - 1970

Preceded by a string of LPs that included Jewels of Thought and Karma (both from 1969), Deaf Dumb Blind (Summing Bukmun Umyun) combined the deeply spiritual tone of his previous LPs with tastefully funky R&B. And while Pharoah didn't necessarily morph into Sly Stone on this LP, the first of the album's two sides is a glorious landslide of polyrhythms African and Latin, pinned together by the piano of Lonnie Liston Smith (not to be confused with Hammond master, Dr. Lonnie Smith) and a massive five-piece horn section which included Gary Bartz (whose sax was all over Miles' Live-Evil and Cellar Door Sessions). An all-organic, funky affair. The second half of the LP is an entirely different animal. Inspired exercises in melodic phrasing and droning emotional climaxes, "Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord" is much more than a soothing comedown from the album's first half. From AllMusic:

This piece, and this album, is a joyful noise made in the direction of the divine, and we can feel it through the speakers, down in the place that scares us.

Amen.

Summun, Bukmun, Umyun - Pharoa...

Betty Davis

2007-04-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

They Say I'm Different - 1974

While her groundbreaking debut featured members of Sly and the Family Stone, Graham Central Station and Tower of Power, their absence on her second LP, They Say I'm Different, only helped to illuminate Betty Davis' talent as a songwriter, arranger and vocalist ... not to mention how it elevated her to the status of high priestess of funk. Continuing to explore the aggressive sexual lyrical themes of her first album, Davis' venom is even more potent the second time around, most notably the subject of her marriage to Miles in "He Was A Big Freak." He was a big freak/I used to beat him with a turquoise chain ... He was a big freak/Flim flam floosie fantasy ... etc. Outrageous lyrics aside, They Say I'm Different is tremendous on many fronts; the tunes have much more breathing room without an all-star cast of musicians propelling them, and in turn, stealing each other's thunder; the keyboards, and there are a whole army of them (Rhodes, Calvinets, Hammonds, et all), play against and off of one another with incredible fluidity; and the stop/start rhythm section rivals that of the might Larry Graham and Grec Errico, who made her debut LP such a heavy funk bonanza. A remastered version complete with bonus tracks was released a couple of years ago by the fantastic Light in the Attic.

They Say I'm Different - Betty...

Miles Davis

2007-04-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

The Lost Mid-70s Sessions - 1973-76

This scattershot collection has been compiled on numerous occasions and in many forms, most notably on the bootleg sets Unknown Sessions 1973-1976: Volume 1 and Unknown Sessions 1974-1976: Volume 2. As the title implies, the collection featured here includes the various studio jams in their un-editied forms that would appear on Davis' mid-70s LPs, as well as successful funk studio workouts the band would add to their live repertoire up until Miles "retirement" in '76. And while there are plenty of fine moments in this collection, including a couple of truly wicked takes on "Agharta Prelude Pt. 2," the overarching feel is that of a weary, unfocused and uninspired Miles Davis. When he attempts to solo here - over a band that is painfully beyond his control in comparison to the taught precision of his Jack DeJohnette-led ensembles at the turn of the decade - his horn is heavily processed and his tone is often aching and thin, but thankfully, and most interestingly, he resorts to playing the organ throughout the majority of this material. A six-disc Columbia box titled Beyond the Corner is rumored to be in the works, and will almost certainly pull from these sessions.

Art Ensemble of Chicago

2007-03-28T09:13:00.000-07:00

Les Stances a Sophie - 1970

Recorded as a soundtrack to a film of the same name, but for one reason or another, never actually used in the film, Les Stances a Sophie marked the crest of jazz fusion's first wave. As expatriates living in Paris, AEoC ingeniously paired with the vocal talents of trumpeter Lester Bowie's then-wife Fontella Bass, who had scored a massive hit of her own in "Rescue Me" four years earlier. The result is a genre-defying LP that seamlessly bridges their brand of avant-jazz and loose funk with heavy American soul. All of the tracks here are incredible, but the lead off "Theme de Yoyo" is a hands-down knockout -- tight, tough and all the while subtly feminine, it's easily one of the best under the radar tracks of the early 70s. There's no excuse to pass up this LP, ever.