6682 - PETE SINFIELD - Stillusion (1993)

PETER SINFIELD
''STILLUSION''
1993
50:06

1 /Can You Forgive a Fool
Richard Brunton / Peter Sinfield/4:20
2 /The Night People
Richard Brunton / Mel Collins / Phil Jump / Peter Sinfield/7:56
3 /Will It Be You
Richard Brunton / Mel Collins / Phil Jump / Peter Sinfield/2:42
4 /Hanging Fire
Peter Sinfield/3:04
5 /A House of Hopes and Dreams
Peter Sinfield/3:57
6 /Wholefood Boogie
Richard Brunton / Mel Collins / Phil Jump / Peter Sinfield/3:40
7 /The Piper
Peter Sinfield/2:51
8 /Under the Sky
Ian McDonald / Peter Sinfield/4:24
9 /Envelopes of Yesterday
Peter Sinfield/6:19
10 /The Song of the Sea Goat
Phil Jump / Peter Sinfield / Antonio Vivaldi/6:08
11 /Still
Richard Brunton / Mel Collins / Phil Jump / Peter Sinfield/4:45

Greg Bowen /Trumpet
The Box /Guitar (Bass)
Richard Brunton /Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric)
Boz Burrell /Bass
Keith Christmas /Guitar
B.J. Cole /Guitar (Steel)
Brian Cole /Guitar, Guitar (Steel)
Mel Collin /Arranger, Brass, Celeste, Composer, Flute, Flute (Alto), Flute (Bass), Sax (Alto), Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor), Saxophone, Wind
Steve Dolan /Guitar (Bass)
Brian Flowers /Synthesizer
Tim Hinckley /Piano, Piano (Electric)
Don Honeywell /Sax (Baritone)
Phil Jump /Glockenspiel, Keyboards, Organ, Organ (Hammond), Piano, Piano (Electric), Synthesizer
Greg Lake /Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Robin Miller /Cor Anglais, Wind
Min /Drums, Percussion
Chris Pyne /Trombone
Stanley Roderick /Trumpet
Godfrey Salmon /Arranger
Peter Sinfield /Guitar, Guitar (12 String), Guitar (Acoustic), Synthesizer, Vocals
Snuffy /Guitar (Electric)
Keith Tippett /Guitar (Bass), Piano
W.G. Snuffy Walden /Guitar
Ian Wallace /Drums, Drums (Snare)
John Wetton /Bass, Drums, Fuzz Bass, Guitar (Bass), Percussion

REVIEW
By Bruce Eder
Originally entitled Still, this recording was essentially a sequel to the King Crimson album Islands, and makes an important addition to any serious Crimson collection. Sinfield takes one more bite of an orchestra-and-Mellotron-flavored apple that Crimson itself declined to try, and the results are close to the Islands-era band. Sinfield reveals himself a pleasant if breathy singer, and a capable guitarist, but the real center of this album are the lyrics ("I need to suck the breasts of time and freeze her milk in ink" beats out anything Keith Reid ever wrote for sheer surrealism) and the elegant arrangements. No Crimson album ever had room for an extended English horn solo like the one here. Greg Lake runs rings around Sinfield as a singer on "Wholefood Boogie." In addition to the previously unreleased opening track, "Can You Forgive A Fool," the highlights include the jazzy "Night People," the haunting country-flavored "Will It Be You," and the Vivaldi-derived "Song of the Sea Goat."

BIOGRAPHY
By Bruce Eder

Peter Sinfield is best known as the lyricist and a founding member of the original King Crimson and its immediate offshoots, up through the version of the band that recorded Islands in late 1971. He later took on a similar role, as lyricist for Emerson, Lake & Palmer and for the Italian progressive rock band PFM, at just about the same time that he recorded his one and only solo album, Still. As a lyricist, he has an approach to words as distinctive as any in rock, filled with surreal (and sometimes fiercely sexual) imagery, and a special facility with water images and ideas involving the sea. If he isn't as well known as Keith Reid of Procol Harum, it is only because King Crimson appealed to more eclectic tastes, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer's fans never cared as much about words as the band did.
Born in Putney, West London, to mixed English-Irish ancestry, Sinfield was raised largely by his mother's German housekeeper until the age of eight, after which he was sent off to a school called Danes Hill in Oxshott. It was there that Sinfield discovered a love of words and their use and meanings, with the guidance of John Mawson. He came to devour books of all kinds, especially poetry. He left school at 16, stooged around for a while, and worked for a computer company for six years, traveling around Europe when he could and hanging around with friends from the Chelsea Art School. Sinfield began writing poetry again in the mid-'60s, and made a living building and selling kites and lampshades. He spent a number of years drifting around Morocco and Spain before returning to England. Sometime in 1967, he started a band that didn't have any future -- but one of the members was Ian McDonald, who was impressed with Sinfield's talents as a lyricist, if not his abilities as a singer or guitarist.
In 1968, McDonald decided to join Giles, Giles and Fripp, a failed progressive pop trio consisting of Michael Giles, Peter Giles, and Robert Fripp, who were looking to do more with music than their three-man lineup could manage -- he let the others know that he was already working with someone who could write lyrics. In their primordial form, Giles, Giles & Fripp, augmented by McDonald and ex-Fairport Convention vocalist Judy Dyble, even recorded an early version of the McDonald-Sinfield song "I Talk to the Wind," which later became part of King Crimson's repertory.
Bassist Peter Giles exited the group at about this time, to be replaced by Greg Lake, and Sinfield came aboard just about then. In his own words, "I became their pet hippie, because I could tell them where to go to buy the funny clothes that they saw everyone wearing." Sinfield also came up with the name King Crimson.

Sinfield loved working with the band and, in addition to writing the phantasmagorical lyrics that came to be part of King Crimson's trademark, he also ran the group's light show at their concerts. Apart from writing the lyrics and offering advice on artwork, album design, and other details of the band's releases, Sinfield's musical role in the band was limited for their first two albums. He wasn't a good enough singer to contribute to the band's vocals, and the presence of Robert Fripp made his guitar skills superfluous. It was during the recording of the Lizard album that his influence reached its peak, as Fripp became involved with other projects (most notably the Centipede orchestra), which left Sinfield with much of the responsibility for the final version and design of the album, including the uniquely ornate jacket. Even so, the relationship between Sinfield and Fripp had become increasingly strained as the band progressed. On the group's next album, Islands, Sinfield began exploring new lyrical territory, with more sexual imagery juxtaposed with the languidly surreal title track. On January 1, 1972, however, following a tour of the United States in the wake of the release of the Islands album, Sinfield exited the band and broke up his partnership with Fripp.
Sinfield remained associated with EG Management, which represented King Crimson and Roxy Music, and it was while producing a Roxy Music album that he decided to try his own hand at recording. The resulting album, Still, united numerous former (Greg Lake, Mel Collins, Ian Wallace) and future (John Wetton) Crimson alumni. Sinfield intended Still as the start of a solo career, but while working on it, he was approached by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, who needed a lyricist of Sinfield's caliber. Still was originally released on ELP's own Manticore label in 1973, but Sinfield found himself subsumed into Emerson, Lake & Palmer. His solo career was still-born, while he worked with the trio (and contributed lyrics to the English language albums of his Manticore labelmates PFM) for the next few years, giving their music more lyrical facility than ever before. He vanished from the popular music scene with the demise of ELP in the late '70s, amid the onslaught of punk rock.
In 1993, Sinfield returned to public musical life briefly to write notes for an expanded CD reissue of Still, entitled Stillusion.

6681 - RINGO STARR - Choose Love (2005)

RINGO STARR
''CHOOSE LOVE''
JUNE 7 2005
44:35

1 /Fading in Fading Out
Gary Burr / Mark Hudson / Ringo Starr/3:57
2 /Give Me Back the Beat
Gary Burr / Steve Dudas / Dean Grakal / Mark Hudson / Ringo Starr/3:54
3 /Oh My Lord
Gary Burr / Steve Dudas / Dean Grakal / Mark Hudson / Ringo Star/5:32
feat: Billy Preston
4 /Hard to Be True
Gary Burr / Mark Hudson / Ringo Starr/3:27
5 /Some People
Gary Burr / Mark Hudson / Ringo Starr/3:18
6 /Wrong All the Time
Gary Burr / Mark Hudson / Ringo Starr/3:39
7 /Don't Hang Up
Gary Burr / Mark Hudson / Ringo Starr/3:27
feat: Chrissie Hynde
8 /Choose Love
Gary Burr / Mark Hudson / Ringo Starr/3:07
9 /Me and You
Steve Dudas / Mark Hudson / Ringo Starr/2:15
10 /Satisfied
Mark Hudson / Ringo Starr/3:19
11 /The Turnaround
Gary Burr / Steve Dudas / Dean Grakal / Mark Hudson / Ringo Starr/3:54
12 /Free Drinks
Gary Burr / Steve Dudas / Dean Grakal / Mark Hudson / Ringo Starr/4:46

John Amato /Saxophone
Gary Burr /Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Harmonica, Slide Guitar, Vocals (Background)
Jim Cox /Arranger, Horn Arrangements, Piano
Steve Dudas /Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Harmonica, Vocals (Background)
Dean Grakal /Vocals (Background)
Gary Grant /Horn
Dan Higgins /Horn, Saxophone, Woodwind
Mark Hudson /Arranger, Bass, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Bass), Guitar (Electric), Harmonica, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals (Background)
Chrissie Hynde /Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Vocals
Mark Mirando /Guitar (Electric), Vocals (Background)
Billy Preston /Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Hammond B3, Organ (Hammond), Piano, Vocals (Background)
Robert Randolph /Guest Artist, Guitar
Rose Stone Choir /Vocals (Background)
Rose Stone Girls /Vocals (Background)
The Roundheads /Guest Artist
Barbara Starkey /Vocals, Voices
Ringo Starr /Drums, Loops, Organ, Percussion, Vocals
Rose Stone /Choir Arrangement

REVIEW
By Stephen Thomas Erlewine
There's nothing surprising, or even all that different, about Choose Love, Ringo Starr's 13th studio album: it's firmly in the tradition of his 1992 return to recording, Time Takes Time, which itself was an attempt to recreate the breezy, good-natured vibe of Starr's biggest and best album, 1973's Ringo. But where that album and the two records that followed it -- 1998's Vertical Man and 2003's Ringorama -- were star-studded affairs, the only guests here are Robert Randolph and Chrissie Hynde, who stops in for a duet on "Don't Hang Up." That means Ringo relies on his longtime collaborators Mark Hudson (who is also the record's co-producer), Gary Burr, and Steve Dudas, who form the core of his touring and recording band, as well as function as his co-writers, and by this point, they've been together nearly a decade. This is a relaxed, comfortable group, but that familiarity pays off here. Instead of sounding lazy, Starr sounds assured and confident, and he has a strong set of tunes that know how to make the best of his endearingly limited vocal range and lovable personality. The music here is well within his comfort zone -- partway between the amiable yet splashy Richard Perry productions of the early '70s and classic mid-period Beatles (the title track has plenty of direct allusions, from the "Taxman"-styled riff to a quote from "Dizzy Miss Lizzy") -- but it all works, largely because it never sounds like Ringo and the lads are straining to capture that vibe: it just seems to come naturally to them now. It also helps that Choose Love has a warm, rich sound that is far removed from the digital brightness of its two predecessors: it helps give the album a friendly aura that's hard to resist if you've ever loved Ringo. And if you've ever loved Ringo, take comfort that this album will be one of the few records of his that you can play without guilt and enjoy from start to finish. It's not just a good record for Ringo, it's just a flat-out good record.

BIOGRAPHY
By William Ruhlmann

Ringo Starr, born Richard Starkey, was the drummer in the Beatles from 1962 to 1970 and thus became one of the most famous musicians of the '60s. Though the least prominent member of the quartet, he distinguished himself as an occasional singer of good-natured material and as an actor. Upon the group's split, Starr went solo with two novelty projects: the first, an album called Sentimental Journey, found him covering pre-rock standards, and the second, Beaucoups of Blues, was a country music collection. Starr then scored Top Ten hits with two non-album singles, "It Don't Come Easy" in 1971 and "Back Off Boogaloo" in 1972. He paired with producer Richard Perry one year later and, with assistance from the three other ex-Beatles, made Ringo, which featured two number one hits, "Photograph" and "You're Sixteen." "Oh My My," a Top Ten hit, was also included, and those three singles helped push the album to platinum certification. Almost as successful was the 1974 follow-up, Goodnight Vienna, which featured the hits "Only You" and "No No Song."

Starr continued to issue widely released albums through 1981, though with diminishing success. His 1983 effort, Old Wave, did not find a U.S. distributor. Starr was also suffering from the excesses of his lifestyle, but by the late '80s he had cleaned up his act and put together a new lineup, the "All-Starr Band," which toured in 1989. Featuring a rotating lineup of high-profile musicians -- Joe Walsh, Nils Lofgren, and Levon Helm among them -- the "All-Starr Band" went on to tour multiple times during the following two decades. Ringo Starr never forgot about his solo career, however, and in 1992 he signed to Private Music and released a new studio album, Time Takes Time. He also made something of a comeback with 1998's Vertical Man -- his first album for Mercury -- which was released after the surprising success of the Beatles' Anthology project. The world had seemingly rediscovered its love for the Beatles, and Vertical Man cracked the charts in Europe and America, making it Ringo's most commercially successful record since the 1970s. A live album culled from his performance on the VH1 Storytellers series was also released in 1998.

Starr's first seasonal effort, I Wanna Be Santa Claus, appeared in 1999. Two studio records appeared during the early 2000s: Ringorama from 2003 and Choose Love from 2005, both of them released by the Koch label. In 2006 he made a guest appearance on Jerry Lee Lewis' album Last Man Standing and toured with another edition of his All-Starr Band, this time featuring Sheila E. and Edgar Winter. The 2007 release PBS Soundstage Live featured a show recorded two years earlier in Chicago. Also released in 2007 was the definitive Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr.

Ringo toured with his tenth All-Starr ensemble in 2008, populating the lineup with past participants (Colin Hay, Billy Squier, Hamish Stuart, and Edgar Winter) and new additions (keyboardist Gary Wright and drummer Gregg Bissonette). A Surround Sound collection of tracks from Ringorama and Choose Love, 5.1: The Surround Sound Collection, appeared in 2008, as did his 14th studio album, Liverpool 8. Two years later, he returned with Y Not, whose lead single found Ringo duetting with former bandmate Paul McCartney. Ringo 2012, his 17th solo album, appeared in 2012, and featured guest spots from Charlie Haden, Van Dyke Parks, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Dave Stewart, Benmont Tench, Joe Walsh, Don Was, and Edgar Winter, among others.

6680 - BILLY PRESTON FEATURING NOVECENTO - You And I (2001)

BILLY PRESTON FEATURING NOVECENTO
''YOU AND I''
2001
48:41

01 - Getting It On/5:22
02 - Lonely No More/5:07
03 - You Are So Beautifu/2:47
04 - Hold Me/5:27
05 - Supernatural Thang/4:39
06 - Right Now/5:10
07 - Dream Lover/4:48
08 - I'm In Love With You/4:16
09 - You And I/4:56
10 - Sweet Senseous Sesations/5:12

Billy Preston/Keyboards
Dora Nicolosi/Vocals
Lino Nicolosi/Guitar, Keyboards
Daniele Comoglio/Saxophone
Demo Morselli/Trumpet
Rossana Nicolosi/Bass Guitar
Mimmo Campanale/Drums
Angelo Pusceddu/Percussion

BIOGRAPHY
By Bill Dahl
It's advantageous to get an early start on your chosen career, but Billy Preston took the concept to extremes. By age ten he was playing keyboards with gospel diva Mahalia Jackson, and two years later, in 1958, he was featured in Hollywood's film bio of W.C. Handy, St. Louis Blues, as young Handy himself. Preston was a prodigy on organ and piano, recording during the early '60s for Vee-Jay and touring with Little Richard. He was a loose-limbed regular on the mid-'60s ABC TV series Shindig, proving his talent as both vocalist and pianist, and he built an enviable reputation as a session musician, even backing the Beatles on their Let It Be album. That impressive Beatles connection led to Preston's big break as a solo artist with his own Apple album, but it was his early-'70s soul smashes "Outa-Space" and the high-flying vocal "Will It Go Round in Circles" for A&M that put Preston on the permanent musical map. Sporting a humongous Afro and an omnipresent gap-toothed grin, Preston showed that his enduring gospel roots were never far removed from his joyous approach. He continued to perform and record throughout the '80s, '90s, and 2000s, until he fell into a coma caused by pericarditis late in 2005; sadly, he never regained consciousness and passed away on June 6, 2006.

6679 - BILLY PRESTON - Billy's Back! (1995)

BILLY PRESTON
''BILLY'S BACK!''
1995
COMPILATION
40:11

01 - Billy's Bag/3:44
02 - Steady Gettin' It/2:47
03 - Let Me Know/2:03
04 - Soul Meeting/2:41
05 - The Octopus/2:08
06 - Slippin' And Slidin'/3:02
07 - Low Down/2:12
08 - I Am Coming Through/2:00
09 - My Girl/2:58
10 - Shot Gun/2:22
11 - Stop In The Name Of Love/2:18
12 - Can't You Hear My Heartbeat/1:58
13 - Down Town/2:38
14 - Eight Days A Week/2:10
15 - King Of The Road/2:16
16 - If I Had A Hammer/2:50

BIOGRAPHY
By Bill Dahl
It's advantageous to get an early start on your chosen career, but Billy Preston took the concept to extremes. By age ten he was playing keyboards with gospel diva Mahalia Jackson, and two years later, in 1958, he was featured in Hollywood's film bio of W.C. Handy, St. Louis Blues, as young Handy himself. Preston was a prodigy on organ and piano, recording during the early '60s for Vee-Jay and touring with Little Richard. He was a loose-limbed regular on the mid-'60s ABC TV series Shindig, proving his talent as both vocalist and pianist, and he built an enviable reputation as a session musician, even backing the Beatles on their Let It Be album. That impressive Beatles connection led to Preston's big break as a solo artist with his own Apple album, but it was his early-'70s soul smashes "Outa-Space" and the high-flying vocal "Will It Go Round in Circles" for A&M that put Preston on the permanent musical map. Sporting a humongous Afro and an omnipresent gap-toothed grin, Preston showed that his enduring gospel roots were never far removed from his joyous approach. He continued to perform and record throughout the '80s, '90s, and 2000s, until he fell into a coma caused by pericarditis late in 2005; sadly, he never regained consciousness and passed away on June 6, 2006.

6678 - STONE MACHINE - American Honey (2012) (REPOST)

STONE MACHINE
''AMERICAN HONEY''
2012
47:50

1. American Honey/3:28
2. Stone Cold/3:09
3. Rock N' Roll Queen/4:56
4. Long Road/3:22
5. Better Days/5:59
6. Corn Bread/3:42
7. Shake That Thang/1:50
8. Speed Demon/3:25
9. Midnight Gypsy/3:20
10. Bad Lovin'/3:50
11. May You Run Forever/4:50
12. Bye Baby Bye/6:15

Album Notes
by cdbaby
Way-kool 2nd studio disc by this bad-ass, killer riff-machine from West Virginia featuring the excellent musical talents of Dirk "Riff-Master" Blevins on guitar & Jason Mays on soul-powered vocals. Includes 12 tracks of mega-awesome, hard-hitting, no-frills, blues-based, classic, retro-70s heavy guitar rock mojo that will definitely kick your ass and rock your good jam:house into the next county.
Highly recommended to fans of Bad Company, Free, Humble Pie, Led Zeppelin, Montrose, James Gang, Foreigner, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Badlands & Cry Of Love.
Stone Machine is all about the rock and they deliver a real slice of pure, tasty, classic hard rock n' roll for your soul on the essential "American Honey" disc.

6677 - STONE MACHINE (2012) (REPOST)

STONE MACHINE
''STONE MACHINE''
2012
61:53

1. Dirty Sweet/5:55
2. Whiskey Queen/3:40
3. Down South Mama/5:51
4. White Horse/4:19
5. Baby Blue/6:17
6. Cheatin' Woman/6:09
7. Black Cat Bone/3:42
8. On the Run/2:58
9. L.A. Lady/5:06
10. West Virginia Blue/5:30
11. Pike County Woman/4:27
12. Queen Without a Crown (Bonus Track)/8:16

ALBUM NOTES
By CDBABY
Awesome debut studio disc by this killer retro rock band from the deep woods of West Virgina featuring bad-ass, blues-based, "old-school" heavy guitar riffage and outstanding soul-powered vox that land down hard @ the 70s Classic Rock jam:house. Includes 12 tracks of straight up, authentic, bluesy hard rock that is highly recommended to fans of Bad Company, Free, Humble Pie, Led Zeppelin,
Montrose, James Gang, Foreigner, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Badlands & Cry Of Love.
Grooveyard Records Re-issue of this way-kool essential guitar rock disc complete with an excellent unreleased, epic 8 minute bonus track.
Dig deep and smell the awesome Stone Machine rock mojo.

6676 - NANDHA BLUES - Black Strawberry Mama (2013)

NANDHA BLUES
''BLACK STRAWBERRY MAMA''
2013
49:17

1. Nandha's Slave Blues/5:12
2. Still On My Feet/3:52
3. Can't Get You Offa My Mind/6:23
4. Grand Combin' Love Affair/6:02
5. Life Is for Learning/5:11
6. Playin' for Peanuts/4:20
7. Rollin' Alone/4:31
8. Back Where I Belong/4:53
9. Black Strawberry Mama/4:37
10. Mr. America/4:28

ALBUM NOTES
By CDBABY
Awesome debut studio disc by this excellent guitar rock power trio from Italy featuring 10 tracks of way-kool, dynamic, blues-based, retro-70s, heavy guitar rock mojo that lands down solid at the Southern Rock Jam Band crossroads.
Nandha Blues features Max Arrigo on guitar & lead vocals, a legit, authentic, "old-school" guitar slinger who plays a classic mix of killer six string slide & lead mojo that rocks the blues with truth & passion. Brother Arrigo digs deep on the guitar and jams out on this killer set of vintage, bluesy guitar rock excellence.
The Nandha Blues band also features Paolo Barbero on bass & backing vox and Giuliano Danieli on drums who are both first rate players that nail down & complete the Nandha Blues groove-induced rock n' roll for your soul theory.
The Nandha Blues: "Black Strawberry Mama" disc is an intoxicating three piece vintage guitar rockin' musical brew that is Highly recommended to fans of Warren Haynes & Gov't Mule, Derek Trucks Band and the Allman Brothers.

OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY
Nandha is the new power trio born at the foot of the Alps, namely in the capital of Valle d'Aosta following the meeting of musicians who share a love for the blues and in particular for the formation of three referring to the sound and spirit of great bands such as Cream of Clapton and the latest Gov't Mule of the first album. Aosta is a magical place surrounded by the highest mountains in Europe and is by them that the band takes the energy they deliver live. The guitarist Max Arrigo is joined by the drummer Giulio Danieli and Barbe on bass, rhythm section of steel that can transform every composition in an imaginary journey along roads south of the States by reaching the highest peaks.​​

6675 - PASSPORT - Iguaçu (1977)

PASSPORT
''IGUAÇU''
1977
40:47

1 /Bahia Do Sol/5:52
2 /Aguamarinha/4:11
3 /Bird of Paradise/5:38
4 /Sambukada/4:34
5 /Iguaçu/8:46
6 /Praia Leme/3:03
7 /Heavy Weight/4:32
8 /Guna Guna/4:33
All Tracks By Klaus Doldinger

Mats Bjorklund /Guitar
Curt Cress /Berimbau, Drums
Wilson Das Neves /Atabaque, Pandeiro
Klaus Doldinger /Flute, Keyboards, Moog Bass, Organ, Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)
Elmer Louis /Percussion
Roy Louis /Guitar
Roberto Pinheiro /Surdo
Noel Manuel Pinto /Cuica
Clélio Ribeiro /Berimbau
Marcelo Salazar /Percussion
Pedro Santos /Percussion, Whistle (Instrument)
Wolfgang Schmid /Guitar (Bass)
Kristian Schultze /Fender Rhodes, Organ, Piano

BIOGRAPHY
By Scott Yanov
Passport is the creation of saxophonist Klaus Doldinger, who has stated that Passport is not so much a set group but a label and a name for his many projects. Doldinger, who had started out playing Dixieland back in the 1950s, by the following decade was a modern tenor saxophonist who also worked in the studios. His mind has always remained quite open and in 1970 he formed Passport to explore the combination of advanced jazz improvising with rockish rhythms. Passport matches Doldinger's reeds (tenor, soprano, flute, and occasional keyboards) with an electric rhythm section. The group's first recording (1971's Passport) also included Olaf Kübler on second tenor and flute, organist Jimmy Jackson, electric bassist Lother Meid, and drummer Udo Lindenberg. Soon the group went through the first of many complete turnovers. The mid-'70s version usually teamed Doldinger with keyboardist Kristian Schultze, electric bassist Wolfgang Schmid, and drummer Curt Cress, and by 1978 the group had changed drastically again. However, no matter who was in the rhythm section, Klaus Doldinger's lead voice and his band's musical direction remained consistent through the years. Passport has released numerous albums, initially for Atlantic and subsequently via recordings and reissues for WEA and its subsidiaries and licensees, through into the 21st century, including 1996's Passport to Paradise, 1997's Passport Control (on Connoisseur), 1998's Move, 2000's Passport Live, and 2003's Back to Brazil.

6674 - PASSPORT - Infinity Machine (1976)

PASSPORT
''INFINITY MACHINE''
1976
37:53

1 /Ju Ju Man/10:07
2 /Morning Sun/5:48
3 /Blue Aura/3:04
4 /Infinity Machine/5:12
5 /Ostinato/7:37
6 /Contemplation/6:37
All Tracks By Klaus Doldinger

Klaus Doldinger/Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax, Moog, Voice, Keyboard
Kristian Schultze/Keyboards, Synthesizer
Wolfgang Schmid/Bass, Guitar, Harmonizer
Curt Cress/Drums, Percussion

BIOGRAPHY
By Scott Yanov
Passport is the creation of saxophonist Klaus Doldinger, who has stated that Passport is not so much a set group but a label and a name for his many projects. Doldinger, who had started out playing Dixieland back in the 1950s, by the following decade was a modern tenor saxophonist who also worked in the studios. His mind has always remained quite open and in 1970 he formed Passport to explore the combination of advanced jazz improvising with rockish rhythms. Passport matches Doldinger's reeds (tenor, soprano, flute, and occasional keyboards) with an electric rhythm section. The group's first recording (1971's Passport) also included Olaf Kübler on second tenor and flute, organist Jimmy Jackson, electric bassist Lother Meid, and drummer Udo Lindenberg. Soon the group went through the first of many complete turnovers. The mid-'70s version usually teamed Doldinger with keyboardist Kristian Schultze, electric bassist Wolfgang Schmid, and drummer Curt Cress, and by 1978 the group had changed drastically again. However, no matter who was in the rhythm section, Klaus Doldinger's lead voice and his band's musical direction remained consistent through the years. Passport has released numerous albums, initially for Atlantic and subsequently via recordings and reissues for WEA and its subsidiaries and licensees, through into the 21st century, including 1996's Passport to Paradise, 1997's Passport Control (on Connoisseur), 1998's Move, 2000's Passport Live, and 2003's Back to Brazil.

6667 - SNAKE HEAD RITUAL (2013)

SNAKE HEAD RITUAL
''SNAKE HEAD RITUAL''
SEPTEMBER 13 2013
50:20

1. Train/5:00
2. She's a Shaker/4:18
3. Lay Your Burden's Down/4:44
4. Tell Me/4:28
5. Give/4:32
6. Whiskey Woman/3:52
7. Smile/4:24
8. Heartless/3:51
9. Northern Boogie/4:32
10. Poor Robert's Lament/10:39

Kevin Chez/Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Bill McCullough/Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar
John ''Special K'' Keller/Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar
Chris Graham/Bass Guitar
Josh Laforge/Drums
Eric Oblander/Harp
Helsey Borkowshi/Piano, Wurlitzer

ALBUM NOTES
by cdbaby
Way-kool debut studio disc by this bad-ass, killer hard rock band from Toledo, Ohio
featuring 10 tracks of excellent, straight-up, powerful, blues-based, retro-fied, melodic Classic Rock mojo that will kick your ass & rip the roof off your good rock n' roll jam:house.
The Snake Head Ritual disc is an awesome slab of hard-driving, no-frills, ass-kickin', pure rock fury complete with strong, memorable songs full of depth, maturity & heavy rock mojo.
Snake Head Ritual are true Rock N' Roll saviors on a Mission to Keep the Rock alive.
Fronted by the outstanding, powerhouse vocals of Kevin Chez, an amazing, obscure
rock vocal god who sings his ass off with serious attitude and authority. Mr. Chez is a killer vocalist who definitely brings & delivers the hard rockin' S.H.R. musical message.
The awesome riffage + lead guitar mojo is supplied by Bill "Riff-Master" McCullough
and John Keller, who both graduated with high honors from the school of guitar rock.
Chris Graham lays down the low-end bottom kool and Josh LaForge rocks the bad-ass S.H.R. drum groove. All excellent players in their own rite who combine to create a truly classic memorable sound. Last but not least, Eric Oblander from Five Horse Johnson guests & lays down some bad-ass harmonica on several tracks that rock the blues.
In the immortal words of Daniel Jacks @ "Raised On Rock" Radio: "The year is 2013
and Snake Head Ritual are definitely Keeping the Rock alive with their outstanding
new breed of kick-ass Classic Rock mojo on this amazing Grooveyard Records disc".
A timeless, blues-based, retro-sonic, hard rock masterpiece of classic proportions.

6666 - TODD FARRELL JR. & THE DIRTY BIRDS - All Our Heroes Live In Vans (2013)

TODD FARRELL JR. & THE DIRTY BIRDS
''ALL OUR HEROES LIVE IN VANS''
OCTOBER 31 2013
33:58

1. Year in Review 04:05
2. Plastic Knives 03:22
3. Bobby & Chipper 03:27
4. Pawnshops 04:31
5. Liner Notes 02:53
6. Better Men 03:09
7. If It's Alright By You 03:40
8. Take it Slow 04:44
9. My Currency is Doubt 04:17
All songs written by Farrell except “If It’s Alright By You” written by
Farrell/Rhodes

Todd Farrell Jr. - Vocals, Guitar, Piano On 4
Eli Rhodes - Guitar, Harmonica On 9
Matt "Goose" Rewinski - Bass
Jack Whitis - Drums, Percussion, Programming On 5
Dan Fernandez - Steel Guitar On 7

REVIEW
By Chris Martin, Atlanta Live Music Examiner
With a die hard love of the Atlanta Braves that may only be surpassed by his passion for music, Todd Farrell Jr. has assembled the Dirty Birds and unleashed All Our Heroes Live In Vans (Heroes), an album loaded with guitar heavy southern tinged rock-n-roll music. Farrell wears his musical influences on his sleeve and when you hit play there is a lot familiar about his music and this familiarity is part of what makes the record so good.

With a damn fine solo record, Where Fake Cowboys Go To Drink, already under his belt the music savvy Farrell has enlisted a group of fellow Nashvillians and formed the Dirty Birds (I am guessing a nod to his beloved Atlanta Falcons) for the latest record. Showcasing his lyrical attributes, Heroes was written by Farrell but when it came to putting it to music it was a Dirty Birds group effort. The record kicks off with the jangly guitars of “Year In Review” then rolls through a batch of tunes about music, women, relationships and life in general. Women are at the forefront in, “Plastic Knives” and “Better Man” as they offer up two different stories of women who do not realize what they have. Farrell’s lyrics on “If It’s Alright By You” paint a vivid picture of a long distance relationship and the sparse “My Currency Is Doubt” depicts a life consumed with self doubt. Two previously released tunes find their way on the record. Reflecting on younger days, “Bobby and Chipper” is about a man who sees his childhood idols hanging it up and “Take It Slow” tells a tale of making the same bad choices over and over and is ready for a change. Probably the best tune of the bunch is “Pawnshops”. If you have ever been in a pawnshop, most are littered with guitars and other music instruments. This song is kind of an ode to musicians as Farrell sings about pawnshops that have birthed and ended many a musician. As he says in the song, “I think that dreams are bought and sold in pawnshops/it’s where they start and where they stop”

Todd Farrell & the Dirty Birds have delivered one of those albums that you just want to play over and over again as all the songs are catchy and the lyrics hook the listener and keep them listening. Creating metaphors for life using pawnshops, liner notes and currency the songs are an original take on subject matter that is not. Instead of the same old sorry, lonesome me, heartbreak songs the listener is treated to something different. While the same old over produced crap continues to get shoved down the collective throat of music listeners, it is talented performers like Farrell and crew that never get the attention deserved. Treat yourself to same mighty fine tunes by turning off the radio and cranking up All OurHeroes Live In Vans.

6665 - JIM LAUDERDALE - Black Roses: Songs By Robert Hunter And Jim Lauderdale (2013)

JIM LAUDERDALE
''BLACK ROSES: SONGS BY ROBERT HUNTER AND JIM LAUDERDALE''
NOVEMBER 19 2013
48:31

01 - Throw My Bucket Down/2:40
02 - No Later Than Soon/2:55
03 - Ride On/3:17
04 - Clocks/3:36
05 - By The Horns/3:22
06 - When Jones Came Home/4:04
07 - Taking the Rap/4:31
08 - Madame Mary/4:20
09 - They Have a Saying/2:43
10 - By The Yard/2:35
11 - Tossing Pebbles At the Sky/5:06
12 - Chase Me/2:17
13 - Ebenezer/3:48
14 - Black Roses/3:03

Cody Dickinson /Drums
Luther Dickinson /Guitar, Producer
David Hood /Bass
Jim Lauderdale /Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals
Amy LaVere /Bass (Upright), Vocals
Dan Lavery /Vocals
Susan Marshall /Vocals
Ian McClagan /Piano
Shannon McNally /Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals
Spooner Oldham /Piano, Wurlitzer

BIOGRAPHY
by Steve Huey
Singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale helped lay out the blueprint for the Americana movement of the '90s, earning high critical marks for an eclectic series of albums that spanned hard country, slick pop, rootsy rock & roll, blues, folk, R&B, and bluegrass. He never sold that many records on his own, but his compositions were recorded -- often with considerable success -- by a number of contemporary country stars, including George Strait, Patty Loveless, Vince Gill, Mark Chesnutt, Kathy Mattea, and George Jones, among others. Lauderdale was born in Statesville, North Carolina, in 1957 and grew up loving country music; however, he was also drawn to the theater and later moved to New York, where he landed roles in two national touring productions. He subsequently settled in Los Angeles, where he began playing the now-legendary alt-country hot spot the Palomino Club. With Dwight Yoakam producer Pete Anderson behind the boards, he recorded a track for the seminal compilation A Town South of Bakersfield, which helped him -- briefly -- land a record deal with CBS. He completed an album in 1989, but the label declined to release it; it finally appeared over ten years later on an overseas label as Point of No Return.

Undaunted, Lauderdale signed with the Bluewater music publishing firm in Nashville, where his compositions found immediate success in the contemporary country world. Additionally, he sang backup on records by Yoakam, Lucinda Williams, and Rosie Flores and toured with everyone from Freedy Johnston, Nick Lowe, and Hootie & the Blowfish to Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard. He earned another shot with Reprise and issued his debut album, Planet of Love, in 1991, with production from Rodney Crowell and John Leventhal. The album was greeted with strong reviews by many critics, who hailed Lauderdale as a major new talent. Still, it would be three years before he would release another record; he returned in 1994, now on Atlantic, and issued two acclaimed albums over the next two years in Pretty Close to the Truth and Every Second Counts. In 1996, he moved over to roots label Rounder's Upstart subsidiary for Persimmons, yet another critical success.

Hopping to BNA, Lauderdale released Whisper in 1998, then returned to the majors on RCA, issuing the somewhat slicker-sounding, more commercial Onward Through It All in 1999. That same year, Lauderdale also took a detour into traditional bluegrass, recording the collaborative album I Feel Like Singing Today with the legendary Ralph Stanley for Rebel. Lauderdale finally found a more permanent home on Dualtone and debuted with 2000's The Other Sessions, a return to hardcore country. Two projects arrived in 2002: another album with Stanley, called Lost in the Lonesome Pines, and a country record called The Hummingbirds. Ever prolific, Lauderdale released Wait Til Spring in 2003, Headed for the Hills in 2004, Bluegrass in 2006, and The Bluegrass Diaries in 2007. Honey Songs, credited to Jim Lauderdale & the Dream Players, was issued in 2008. Could We Get Any Closer? appeared in 2009. Moving to Sugar Hill Records, Lauderdale released Reason and Rhyme in 2011, this time teaming with lyricist and longtime collaborator Robert Hunter on a set of new bluegrass-themed songs. He next teamed with longtime friend and fellow country roots singer and songwriter Buddy Miller for 2012's Buddy and Jim, released by New West Records.

6664 - BLACK MOUNTAIN PROPHET - Notorious Sinner (2013)

BLACK MOUNTAIN PROPHET
''NOTORIOUS SINNER''
2013
50:48

1. Speed Freak/2:38
2. Smack Me Down/4:19
3. I'm Ready/4:20
4. Too Much of a Good Thing/3:22
5. Love My Woman/5:50
6. Notorious Sinner/4:40
7. Poor Ole Broken Heart/3:46
8. Baby's Gone/5:31
9. Deuteronomy/5:13
10. Second Son/4:26
11. Somethin' in the Water/7:08

Jarrod England - Vocals, Lead Guitars
Bob "Action Earl Watkins - Lead Guitars
Thomas "The Kid" Wingate - Bass
Riley Wingate - Drums

REVIEW
By Grooveyard Records
Killer debut studio disc by this way-kool blues-based guitar rock band from the backwoods of Kentucky & Tennessee featuring Jarrod England (Rufus Huff) on lead vocals & guitar and Bob Watkins (Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies) on guitar. Includes 10 tracks of excellent, dynamic, blues-based, vintage, retro-70s, hard rock mojo that will rock your good jam:house into the next county. The mighty Black Mountain Prophet have landed at Grooveyard Records on the "Notorious Sinner" disc & it's high time to worship at their soul-powered House Of Rock.

Black Mountain Prophet are Retro Sonic Preachers of the good old fashioned Rock N' Roll Gospel who have just added the 11th Commandment to the "Good Book": Thou Shalt Rock. With a musical nod towards Southern Rock territory and growing up on vast amounts of killer 70s rock, these boys know what time of day it is when it comes down to REAL rock n' roll mojo. Featuring the amazing, powerful, vocal talents of Jarrod England, the man is an authentic disciple of Steve Marriott and Robert Plant, singing his ass off, preaching the bad-ass rock vocal god gospel. Brother England also digs in & plays a mean 70s-inspired guitar reminiscent of Paul Kossoff jammin' at the big, electric FREE meets HUMBLE PIE six string boogie train. England is definitely a solid man of rock on a Mission to Keep the Rock alive. Mr. Bob Watkins also handles + shares the dual heavy guitar duties @ Black Mountain Prophet. A legendary "old-school" guitar cat axeslinger who brings & delivers vintage six string guitar mojo that definitely defines and represents the B.M.P. sound.

Produced and recorded by Brodie Hutcheson (Gov't Mule) at the legendary Thundershack Studios in Nashville, the Black Mountain Prophet - "Notorious Sinner" disc is a righteous slice of retro-sonic guitar rock riffage that is Highly recommended to fans of Humble Pie, Free, Cactus, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Warren Haynes, Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies, Rufus Huff and to people who dig serious rock mojo.

6663 - DEVIL'S HOLLOW Live At Brewster St., Corpus Christi, Texas, May 31, 2010 (2013)

DEVIL'S HOLLOW
''LIVE AT BREWSTER ST., CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS''
RECORDED MAY 31 2010
MARCH 20 2013
46:17

1. Demons Down/8:31
2. Into The Red/3:32
3. Woman Across The River (Freddie King)/7:38
4. Heinous/4:07
5. Time Will Tell/4:27
6. Ketchup's Boogie/4:45
7. This Way/8:09
8. Water To Wine/5:02

Justin Murray/Guitar, Vocals
Matt Cain/Keyboards, Vocals
Jimmy Hartman/Bass, Vocals
Nick Doe/Guitar
Winston Robinson/Drums
Mike Zeoli/Percussion

6662 - THOSE CROSSTOWN RIVALS - Kentucky Gentlemen (2012)

THOSE CROSSTOWN RIVALS
''KENTUCKY GENTLEMEN''
APRIL 2012
38:54

1. Bear's Den 04:00
2. Bury Me In Hay 03:43
3. Shotgun Guitar (feat Ned Hill) 02:53
4. Bad Nassty 02:55
5. Colleen 04:26
6. Trucker 03:39
7. Burning My Heart 03:38
8. Daddy's Getting Drunk 03:59
9. These Days 02:46
10. Nashville 03:36
11. No Friend of Mine 03:33

Those Crosstown Rivals, are a band from Kentucky that straddles the lines between Southern rock, cow punk, garage rock, blues, hard rock and Americana. This would seem an unlikely musical combination, but this is quite unique, and it works! Utilizing the above influences, they don't sound like most bands because of how they write their material, and can only be heard to be believed!
Those Crosstown Rivals make a very impressionable effort. Check this album out now to see why!
By Undergroundhero