...............................................album of the week

The Zombies - (1965) Begin Here

Review by Richie Unterberger (AMG)

The tragedy was that throughout 1965 and 1966, the Zombies released a string of equally fine, intricately arranged singles that flopped commercially, at a time in which chart success of 45s was a lot more important to sustain a band's livelihood than it would be a few years down the road. "Remember When I Loved Her," "I Want You Back Again," "Indication," "She's Coming Home," "Whenever You're Ready," "Gotta Get a Hold of Myself," "I Must Move," "Remember You," "Just out of Reach," "How We Were Before" -- all are lost classics, some relegated to B-sides that went virtually unheard, all showing the group eager to try new ideas and expand their approaches. What's worse, the lack of a big single denied the group opportunities to record albums -- only one LP, rushed out to capitalize on the success of "She's Not There," would appear before 1968.

Their failure to achieve more widespread success is a bit mystifying, perhaps explained by a few factors. While undeniably pop-based, their original compositions and arrangements were in some senses too adventurous for the radio. "Indication," for instance, winds down with a lengthy, torturous swirl of bitter organ solos and wordless, windblown vocals; "Remember When I Loved Her," despite its beautiful melody, has downbeat lyrics that are almost morbid; "I Want You Back Again" is arranged like a jazz waltz, with the sorts of sudden stops, tempo shifts, and lengthy minor organ solos found in a lot of their tunes. The group were also, perhaps unfairly, saddled with a somewhat square image; much was made of their formidable scholastic record, and they most definitely did not align themselves with the R&B-based school of British bands, preferring more subtle and tuneful territory.

· Track List:

01. Road Runner
02. Summertime
03. I Can't Make Up My Mind
04. The Way I Feel Inside
05. Work 'n' Play
06. You Really Got A Hold On Me/Bring It On Home To Me
07. She's Not There
08. Sticks And Stones
09. Can't Nobody Love You
10. Woman
11. I Don't Want To Know
12. I Remember When I Loved Her
13. What More Can I Do
14. I Got My Mojo Working
15. It's Alright With Me
16. Sometimes
17. Kind Of Girl
18. Tell Her No
19. Sticks And Stones (Alternate Take)
20. It's Alright With Me (Alternate Take)
21. I Know She Will
22. ll Keep Trying


· Personnel:

Colin Blunstone – vocals
Rod Argent – organ, piano, keyboards, vocals, Mellotron
Paul Atkinson – guitar
Chris White – bass
Hugh Grundy – drums


· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Zombies

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begin_Here


·Video:

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The Zombies - (1968) Odessey And Oracle

Review by Richie Unterberger (AMG)

Aside from the Beatles and perhaps the Beach Boys, no mid-'60s rock group wrote melodies as gorgeous as those of the Zombies. Dominated by Colin Blunstone's breathy vocals, choral backup harmonies, and Rod Argent's shining jazz- and classical-influenced organ and piano, the band sounded utterly unique for their era. Indeed, their material -- penned by either Argent or guitarist Chris White, with unexpected shifts from major to minor keys -- was perhaps too adventurous for the singles market. To this day, they're known primarily for their three big hit singles, "She's Not There" (1964), "Tell Her No" (1965), and "Time of the Season" (1969). Most listeners remain unaware that the group maintained a remarkably high quality of work for several years.

The Zombies formed in the London suburb of St. Albans in the early '60s, and didn't actually entertain serious professional ambitions until they won a local contest, the prize being an opportunity to record a demo for consideration at major labels. Argent's composition "She's Not There" got them a deal with Decca, and the song ended up being their debut release. It was a remarkably confident and original first-time effort, with a great minor melody and the organ, harmonies, and urgent, almost neurotic vocals that would typify much of their work. It did well enough in Britain (making the Top 20), but did even better in the States, where it went to number two.

In fact, throughout their career, the group would experience a lot more success across the waters than they did at home. In early 1965, another piece of classic British Invasion pop, "Tell Her No," went into the Top Ten. Yet that was as much Top 40 success as the group would have for several years.

· Track List:

01. Care of Cell 44
02. A Rose for Emily
03. Maybe After He's Gone
04. Beechwood Park
05. Brief Candles
06. Hung Up on a Dream
07. Changes
08. I Want Her, She Wants Me
09. This Will Be Our Year
10. Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)
11. Friends of Mine
12. Time of the Season


· Personnel:

Colin Blunstone – vocals
Rod Argent – organ, piano, keyboards, vocals, Mellotron
Paul Atkinson – guitar
Chris White – bass
Hugh Grundy – drums


· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Zombies

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odessey_and_Oracle


·Video:

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The Kinks - (1965) The Kink Kontroversy

Stephen Thomas Erlewine (AMG)

Although they weren't as boldly innovative as the Beatles or as popular as the Rolling Stones or the Who, the Kinks were one of the most influential bands of the British Invasion. Like most bands of their era, the Kinks began as an R&B/blues outfit. Within four years, the band had become the most staunchly English of all their contemporaries, drawing heavily from British music hall and traditional pop, as well as incorporating elements of country, folk, and blues.

Throughout their long, varied career, the core of the Kinks remained Ray (born June 21, 1944) and Dave Davies (born February 3, 1947), who were born and raised in Muswell Hill, London. In their teens, the brothers began playing skiffle and rock & roll. Soon, the brothers recruited a schoolmate of Ray's, Peter Quaife, to play with them; like the Davies brothers, Quaife played guitar, but he switched to bass. By the summer of 1963, the group had decided to call itself the Ravens and had recruited a new drummer, Mickey Willet. Eventually, their demo tape reached Shel Talmy, an American record producer who was under contract to Pye Records. Talmy helped the band land a contract with Pye in 1964. Before signing to the label, the Ravens replaced drummer Willet with Mick Avory.

The Ravens recorded their debut single, a cover of Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally," in January 1964. Before the single was released, the group changed their name to the Kinks.

· Track List:

01. Milk Cow Blues
02. Ring the Bells
03. Gotta Get the First Plane Home
04. When I See That Girl of Mine
05. I Am Free
06. Till the End of the Day
07. The World Keeps Going Round
08. I'm on An Island
09. Where Have All the Good Times Gone
10. It's Too Late
11. What's in Store for Me
12. You Can't Win

Bonus Tracks:

13. Dedicated Follower of Fashion
14. Sittin' on My Sofa


· Personnel:

Ray Davies – vocals
Dave Davies – lead guitar
Mick Avory – drums
Pete Quaife – lead guitar


· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kinks


·Video:

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The Jimi Hendrix Experience - (1967) Are You Experienced?

Review by Richie Unterberger & Sean Wastergaard (AMG)

In his brief four-year reign as a superstar, Jimi Hendrix expanded the vocabulary of the electric rock guitar more than anyone before or since. Hendrix was a master at coaxing all manner of unforeseen sonics from his instrument, often with innovative amplification experiments that produced astral-quality feedback and roaring distortion. His frequent hurricane blasts of noise and dazzling showmanship -- he could and would play behind his back and with his teeth and set his guitar on fire -- has sometimes obscured his considerable gifts as a songwriter, singer, and master of a gamut of blues, R&B, and rock styles.

When Hendrix became an international superstar in 1967, it seemed as if he'd dropped out of a Martian spaceship, but in fact he'd served his apprenticeship the long, mundane way in numerous R&B acts on the chitlin circuit. During the early and mid-'60s, he worked with such R&B/soul greats as Little Richard, the Isley Brothers, and King Curtis as a backup guitarist. Occasionally he recorded as a session man.

· Track List:

01. Purple Haze
02. Manic Depression
03. Hey Joe
04. Love or Confusion
05. May This Be Love
06. I Don't Live Today
07. The Wind Cries Mary
08. Fire
09. Third Stone from the Sun
10. Foxey Lady
11. Are You Experienced?


· Personnel:

Jimi Hendrix – lead vocals, guitar
Noel Redding – bass, backing vocals
Mitch Mitchell – drums, tambourine


· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jimi_Hendrix_Experience

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimi_Hendrix


·Video:

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Hey Joe

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Purple Haze

...............................................album of the week

The Yardbirds - (1965) Having a Rave Up

Review by Bruce Eder (AMG)

The Yardbirds are mostly known to the casual rock fan as the starting point for three of the greatest British rock guitarists: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page. Undoubtedly, these three figures did much to shape the group's sound, but throughout their career, the Yardbirds were very much a unit, albeit a rather unstable one. And they were truly one of the great rock bands; one whose contributions went far beyond the scope of their half dozen or so mid-'60s hits ("For Your Love," "Heart Full of Soul," "Shapes of Things," "I'm a Man," "Over Under Sideways Down," "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago"). Not content to limit themselves to the R&B and blues covers they concentrated upon initially, they quickly branched out into moody, increasingly experimental pop/rock. The innovations of Clapton, Beck, and Page redefined the role of the guitar in rock music, breaking immense ground in the use of feedback, distortion, and amplification with finesse and breathtaking virtuosity. With the arguable exception of the Byrds, they did more than any other outfit to pioneer psychedelia, with an eclectic, risk-taking approach that laid the groundwork for much of the hard rock and progressive rock from the late '60s to the present.

· Track List:

01. Mr. You're A Better Man Than I
02. Evil Hearted You
03. I'm A Man 04. Still I'm Sad
05. Heart Full Of Soul
06. Train Kept A Rollin'
07. Smokestack LIghtning
08. Respectable
09. I'm A Man
10. Here 'Tis

11. Shapes Of Things
12. New York City Blues
13. Jeff's Blues (Take 1)
14. Someone To Love (Part 1)
15. Someone To Love (Part 2)
16. Like Jimmy Reed Again
17. Chris' Number
18. What Do You Want
19. Here 'Tis
20. Here 'Tis (Version For RS)
21. Stroll On


· Personnel:

Jeff Beck – lead guitar
Eric Clapton – lead guitar
Chris Dreja – rhythm guitar
Jimmy Page – lead guitar
Jim McCarty – drums, backing vocals
Keith Relf – vocals, harmonica, acoustic guitar
Paul Samwell-Smith – bass, backing vocals, musical director


· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Yardbirds


·Video:

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The Byrds - (1967) Younger than Yesterday


Review by Richie Unterberger (AMG)

Although they only attained the huge success of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys for a short time in the mid-'60s, time has judged the Byrds to be nearly as influential as those groups in the long run. They were not solely responsible for devising folk-rock, but they were certainly more responsible than any other single act (Dylan included) for melding the innovations and energy of the British Invasion with the best lyrical and musical elements of contemporary folk music. The jangling, 12-string guitar sound of leader Roger McGuinn's Rickenbacker was permanently absorbed into the vocabulary of rock. They also played a vital role in pioneering psychedelic rock and country-rock, the unifying element being their angelic harmonies and restless eclecticism. Often described in their early days as a hybrid of Dylan and the Beatles, the Byrds in turn influenced Dylan and the Beatles almost as much as Bob and the Fab Four had influenced the Byrds. The Byrds' innovations have echoed nearly as strongly through subsequent generations, in the work of Tom Petty, R.E.M., and innumerable alternative bands of the post-punk era that feature those jangling guitars and dense harmonies.

· Track List:

01. So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star
02. Have You Seen Her Face
03. C.T.A.
04. Renaissance Fair
05. Time Between
06. Everybody's Been Burned
07. Thoughts and Words
08. Mind Gardens
09. My Back Pages
10. The Girl with No Name
11. Why


· Personnel:

Jim McGuinn – guitar, vocals
David Crosby – guitar, vocals
Chris Hillman – electric bass, vocals
Michael Clarke – drums


· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Byrds


·Video:

The Byrds - Chestnut Mare

...............................................album of the week

Can - (1971) Tago Mago


Review by Thomas Erlewine (AMG)

Always at least three steps ahead of contemporary popular music, Can were the leading avant-garde rock group of the '70s. From their very beginning, their music didn't conform to any commonly held notions about rock & roll -- not even those of the countercultures. Inspired more by 20th century classical music than Chuck Berry, their closest contemporaries were Frank Zappa or possibly the Velvet Underground. Yet their music was more serious and inaccessible than either of those artists. Instead of recording tight pop songs or satire, Can experimented with noise, synthesizers, nontraditional music, cut-and-paste techniques, and, most importantly, electronic music; each album marked a significant step forward from the previous album, investigating new territories that other rock bands weren't interested in exploring.

Throughout their career, Can's lineup was fluid, featuring several different vocalists over the years; the core bandmembers remained keyboardist Irmin Schmidt, drummer Jaki Leibezeit, guitarist Michael Karoli, and bassist Holger Czukay. During the '70s, they were extremely prolific, recording as many as three albums a year at the height of their career. Apart from a surprise U.K. Top 30 hit in 1978 -- "I Want More" -- they were never much more than a cult band; even critics had a hard time appreciating their music.

· Track List:

01. Paperhouse
02. Mushroom
03. Oh Yeah
04. Halleluhwah 05. Aumgn
06. Peking O
07. Bring Me Coffee or Tea


· Personnel:

Holger Czukay – bass guitar, sound engineer, electronics (1968–1977)
Michael Karoli – guitar, vocals, violin (1968–1979)
Jaki Liebezeit – drums, percussion (1968–1979)
Irmin Schmidt – keyboards, vocals (1968–1979)
Damo Suzuki – vocals (1970–1973)


· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can_%28band%29


·Video:

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Led Zeppelin - (1969) II


Review by Thomas Erlewine (AMG)

Led Zeppelin was the definitive heavy metal band. It wasn't just their crushingly loud interpretation of the blues -- it was how they incorporated mythology, mysticism, and a variety of other genres (most notably world music and British folk) -- into their sound. Led Zeppelin had mystique. They rarely gave interviews, since the music press detested the band. Consequently, the only connection the audience had with the band was through the records and the concerts. More than any other band, Led Zeppelin established the concept of album-oriented rock, refusing to release popular songs from their albums as singles. In doing so, they established the dominant format for heavy metal, as well as the genre's actual sound.

Led Zeppelin formed out of the ashes of the Yardbirds. Jimmy Page had joined the band in its final days, playing a pivotal role on their final album, 1967's Little Games, which also featured string arrangements from John Paul Jones. During 1967, the Yardbirds were fairly inactive. While the Yardbirds decided their future, Page returned to session work in 1967. In the spring of 1968, he played on Jones' arrangement of Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man." During the sessions, Jones requested to be part of any future project Page would develop. Page would have to assemble a band sooner than he had planned. In the summer of 1968, the Yardbirds' Keith RelfJames McCarty left the band, leaving Page and bassist Chris Dreja with the rights to the name, as well as the obligation of fulfilling an upcoming fall tour. Page set out to find a replacement vocalist and drummer. Initially, he wanted to enlist singer Terry Reid and Procol Harum's drummer B.J. Wilson, but neither musician was able to join the group. Reid suggested that Page contact Robert Plant, who was singing with a band called Hobbstweedle. and

· Track List:

01. Whole Lotta Love
02. What Is and What Should Never Be
03. The Lemon Song
04. Thank You
05. Heartbreaker
06. Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman)
07. Ramble On
08. Moby Dick
09. Bring It On Home


· Personnel:

Robert Plant – lead vocals, harmonica
Jimmy Page – electric and acoustic guitar, backing vocals
John Paul Jones – bass guitar, organ, backing vocals
John Bonham – drums, tympani, backing vocals


· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Led_Zeppelin


·Video:

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The Doors - (1970) Morrison Hotel


Review by William Ruhlmann & Richie Unterberger (AMG)

The Doors, one of the most influential and controversial rock bands of the 1960s, were formed in Los Angeles in 1965 by UCLA film students Ray Manzarek, keyboards, and Jim Morrison, vocals; with drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger. The group never added a bass player, and their sound was dominated by Manzarek's electric organ work and Morrison's deep, sonorous voice, with which he sang and intoned his highly poetic lyrics. The group signed to Elektra Records in 1966 and released its first album, The Doors, featuring the hit "Light My Fire," in 1967. Like "Light My Fire," the debut album was a massive hit, and endures as one of the most exciting, groundbreaking recordings of the psychedelic era. Blending blues, classical, Eastern music, and pop into sinister but beguiling melodies, the band sounded like no other. With his rich, chilling vocals and somber poetic visions, Morrison explored the depths of the darkest and most thrilling aspects of the psychedelic experience. Their first effort was so stellar, in fact, that the Doors were hard-pressed to match it, and although their next few albums contained a wealth of first-rate material, the group also began running up against the limitations of their recklessly disturbing visions. By their third album, they had exhausted their initial reservoir of compositions, and some of the tracks they hurriedly devised to meet public demand were clearly inferior to, and imitative of, their best early work. On The Soft Parade, the group experimented with brass sections, with mixed results. Accused (without much merit) by much of the rock underground as pop sellouts, the group charged back hard with the final two albums they recorded with Morrison, on which they drew upon stone-cold blues for much of their inspiration, especially on 1971's L.A. Woman.

· Track List:

Side one: Hard Rock Cafe
01. Roadhouse Blues
02. Waiting for the Sun
03. You Make Me Real
04. Peace Frog
05. Blue Sunday
06. Ship of Fools

Side two: Morrison Hotel
01. Land Ho!
02. The Spy
03. Queen of the Highway
04. Indian Summer
05. Maggie M'Gill


· Personnel:

Jim Morrison – lead vocals
Robby Krieger – lead guitar, rhythm guitar
Ray Manzarek – organ, piano, keyboard bass, backing vocals
John Densmore – drums



· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Doors


·Video:

...............................................album of the week

Love - (1967) Forever Changes


Review by Mark Deming (AMG)

One of the best West Coast folk-rock/psychedelic bands, Love may have also been the first widely acclaimed cult/underground group. During their brief heyday -- lasting all of three albums -- they drew from Byrds-ish folk-rock, Stones-ish hard rock, blues, jazz, flamenco, and even light orchestral pop to create a heady stew of their own. They were also one of the first integrated rock groups, led by genius singer/songwriter Arthur Lee, one of the most idiosyncratic and enigmatic talents of the 1960s. Stars in their native Los Angeles and an early inspiration to the Doors, they perversely refused to tour until well past their peak. This ensured their failure to land a hit single or album, though in truth the band's vision may have been too elusive to attract mass success anyway. Love was formed by Lee in the mid-'60s in Los Angeles. Although only 20 at the time, Lee had already scuffled around the fringes of the rock and soul business for a couple of years. In addition to recording some flop singles with his own bands, he wrote and produced a single for Rosa Lee Brooks that Jimi Hendrix played on as session guitarist. Originally calling his outfit the Grass Roots, Lee changed the name to Love after another Los Angeles group called the Grass Roots began recording for Dunhill. Love's repertoire would be largely penned by Lee, with a few contributions by guitarist Bryan MacLean. Inspired by British Invasion bands and local peers the Byrds, Love built up a strong following in hip L.A. clubs.

· Track List:

01. Alone Again Or
02. A House is Not a Motel
03. Andmoreagain
04. The Daily Planet
05. Old Man
06. The Red Telephone
07. Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale
08. Live and Let Live
09. The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This
10. Bummer in the Summer
11. You Set the Scene


· Personnel:

Arthur Lee: lead vocals, guitar, arranger
Johnny Echols: lead guitar
Bryan MacLean: rhythm guitar, vocals, arranger
Ken Forssi: bass
Michael Stuart: drums, percussion, vocals


· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_%28band%29


·Video:

...............................................album of the week

Creedence Clearwater Revival - (1968) ST

Review by Richie Unterberger (AMG)

At a time when rock was evolving further and further away from the forces that had made the music possible in the first place, Creedence Clearwater Revival brought things back to their roots with their concise synthesis of rockabilly, swamp pop, R&B, and country. Though CCR was very much a group in their tight, punchy arrangements, their vision was very much singer, songwriter, guitarist, and leader John Fogerty's. Fogerty's classic compositions for Creedence both evoked enduring images of Americana and reflected burning social issues of the day. The band's genius was their ability to accomplish this with the economic, primal power of a classic rockabilly ensemble.

The key elements of Creedence had been woodshedding in bar bands for about a decade before their breakthrough to national success in the late '60s. John's older brother Tom formed the Blue Velvets in the late '50s in El Cerrito, CA, a tiny suburb across the bay from San Francisco. By the mid-'60s, with a few hopelessly obscure recordings under their belt, they'd signed to Fantasy, releasing several singles as the Golliwogs that went nowhere. In fact, there's little promise to be found on those early efforts, primarily because Tom, not John, was doing most of the singing. The group only found themselves when John took firm reigns over the band's direction, singing and writing virtually all of their material.

On their first album as Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1968, the group played it both ways, offering extended, quasi-psychedelic workouts of the '50s classics "I Put a Spell on You" and "Suzie Q." The latter song became their first big hit, but the band didn't really bloom until "Proud Mary," a number-two single in early 1969 that demonstrated John's talent at tapping into Southern roots music and imagery with a natural ease. It was the start of a torrent of classic hits from the gritty, Little Richard-inspired singer over the next two years, including "Bad Moon Rising," "Green River," "Down on the Corner," "Travelin' Band," "Who'll Stop the Rain," "Up Around the Bend," and "Lookin' Out My Back Door."

· Track List:

01. I Put a Spell on You
02. The Working Man
03. Suzie Q
04. Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won't Do)
05. Get Down Woman
06. Porterville
07. Gloomy
08. Walk on the Water


· Personnel:

Doug Clifford - drums, bass
Stu Cook - bass, drums
John Fogerty - lead guitar, all lead vocals unless otherwise noted
Tom Fogerty - rhythm guitar, vocals


· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creedence


· Video:

...............................................album of the week

T. Rex - (1971) Electric Warrior

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine (AMG)

Initially a British folk-rock combo called Tyrannosaurus Rex, T. Rex was the primary force in glam rock, thanks to the creative direction of guitarist/vocalist Marc Bolan (born Marc Feld). Bolan created a deliberately trashy form of rock & roll that was proud of its own disposability. T. Rex's music borrowed the underlying sexuality of early rock & roll, adding dirty, simple grooves and fat distorted guitars, as well as an overarching folky/hippie spirituality that always came through the clearest on ballads. While most of his peers concentrated on making cohesive albums, Bolan kept the idea of a three-minute pop single alive in the early '70s. In Britain, he became a superstar, sparking a period of "T. Rextacy" among the pop audience with a series of Top Ten hits, including four number one singles. Over in America, the group only had one major hit -- the Top Ten "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" -- before disappearing from the charts in 1973. T. Rex's popularity in the U.K. didn't begin to waver until 1975, yet they retained a devoted following until Marc Bolan's death in 1977. Over the next two decades, Bolan emerged as a cult figure and the music of T. Rex has proven quite influential on hard rock, punk, new wave, and alternative rock.

Following a career as a teenage model, Marc Bolan began performing music professionally in 1965, releasing his first single, "The Wizard," on Decca Records. Bolan joined the psychedelic folk-rock combo John's Children in 1967, appearing on three unsuccessful singles before the group disbanded later that year. Following the breakup, he formed the folk duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with percussionist Steve Peregrine Took. The duo landed a record deal with a subsidiary of EMI in February 1968, recording their debut album with producer Tony Visconti. "Debora," the group's first single, peaked at number 34 in May of that year, and their debut album, My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair...But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brow, reached number 15 shortly afterward. The duo released their second album, Prophets, Seers & Sages, the Angels of the Ages, in November of 1968.

By this time, Tyrannosaurus Rex was building a sizable underground following, which helped Bolan's book of poetry, The Warlock of Love, enter the British best-seller charts. In the summer of 1969, the duo released their third album, Unicorn, as well as the single "King of the Rumbling Spires," the first Tyrannosaurus Rex song to feature an electric guitar. Following an unsuccessful American tour that fall, Took left the band and was replaced by Mickey Finn. The new duo's first single did not chart, yet their first album, 1970's A Beard of Stars, reached number 21.

The turning point in Bolan's career came in October of 1970, when he shortened the group's name to T. Rex and released "Ride a White Swan," a fuzz-drenched single driven by a rolling backbeat. "Ride a White Swan" became a major hit in the U.K., climbing all the way to number two. The band's next album, T. Rex, peaked at number 13 and stayed on the charts for six months. Encouraged by the results, Bolan expanded T. Rex to a full band, adding bassist Steve Currie and drummer Bill Legend (born Bill Fifield).

· Track List:

01. Mambo Sun
02. Cosmic Dancer
03. Jeepster
04. Monolith
05. Lean Woman Blues
06. Get It On
07. Planet Queen
08. Girl
09. The Motivator
10. Life's a Gas
11. Rip Off


· Personnel:

Marc Bolan – vocals, guitars
Mickey Finn – conga drums, bongos
Steve Currie – bass guitar
Bill Legend – drums
Howard Kaylan – backing vocals
Mark Volman – backing vocals
Rick Wakeman – keyboards on "Get It On"
Ian McDonald – saxophone
Burt Collins - Flugel Horn


· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._Rex_%28band%29


· Video:

...............................................album of the week

David Bowie - (1972) The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine (AMG)

The cliché about David Bowie says he's a musical chameleon, adapting himself according to fashion and trends. While such a criticism is too glib, there's no denying that Bowie demonstrated remarkable skill for perceiving musical trends at his peak in the '70s. After spending several years in the late '60s as a mod and as an all-around music-hall entertainer, Bowie reinvented himself as a hippie singer/songwriter. Prior to his breakthrough in 1972, he recorded a proto-metal record and a pop/rock album, eventually redefining glam rock with his ambiguously sexy Ziggy Stardust persona. Ziggy made Bowie an international star, yet he wasn't content to continue to churn out glitter rock. By the mid-'70s, he developed an effete, sophisticated version of Philly soul that he dubbed "plastic soul," which eventually morphed into the eerie avant-pop of 1976's Station to Station. Shortly afterward, he relocated to Berlin, where he recorded three experimental electronic albums with Brian Eno. At the dawn of the '80s, Bowie was still at the height of his powers, yet following his blockbuster dance-pop album Let's Dance in 1983, he slowly sank into mediocrity before salvaging his career in the early '90s. Even when he was out of fashion in the '80s and '90s, it was clear that Bowie was one of the most influential musicians in rock, for better and for worse. Each one of his phases in the '70s sparked a number of subgenres, including punk, new wave, goth rock, the new romantics, and electronica. Few rockers ever had such lasting impact.

David Jones began performing music when he was 13 years old, learning the saxophone while he was at Bromley Technical High School; another pivotal event happened at the school, when his left pupil became permanently dilated in a schoolyard fight. Following his graduation at 16, he worked as a commercial artist while playing saxophone in a number of mod bands, including the King Bees, the Manish Boys (which also featured Jimmy Page as a session man), and Davey Jones & the Lower Third. All three of those bands released singles, which were generally ignored, yet he continued performing, changing his name to David Bowie in 1966 after the Monkees' Davy Jones became an international star. Over the course of 1966, he released three mod singles on Pye Records, which were all ignored. The following year, he signed with Deram, releasing the music hall, Anthony Newley-styled David Bowie that year. Upon completing the record, he spent several weeks in a Scottish Buddhist monastery. Once he left the monastery, he studied with Lindsay Kemp's mime troupe, forming his own mime company, the Feathers, in 1969. The Feathers were short-lived, and he formed the experimental art group Beckenham Arts Lab in 1969.

· Track List:

01. Five Years
02. Soul Love
03. Moonage Daydream
04. Starman
05. It Ain't Easy
06. Lady Stardust
07. Star
08. Hang on to Yourself
09. Ziggy Stardust
10. Suffragette City
11. Rock 'n' Roll Suicide


· Personnel:

David Bowie – vocals, acoustic guitar, saxophone, piano, harpsichord
Mick Ronson – guitars, piano, backing vocals, string arrangement
Trevor Bolder – bass
Mick Woodmansey – drums


· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bowie


· Video:

...............................................album of the week

The Stooges - (1970) Fun House

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Mark Deming (AMG)

During the psychedelic haze of the late '60s, the grimy, noisy and relentlessly bleak rock & roll of the Stooges was conspicuously out of time. Like the Velvet Underground, the Stooges revealed the underside of sex, drugs, and rock & roll, showing all of the grime beneath the myth. The Stooges, however, weren't nearly as cerebral as the Velvets. Taking their cue from the over-amplified pounding of British blues, the primal raunch of American garage rock, and the psychedelic rock (as well as the audience-baiting) of the Doors, the Stooges were raw, immediate, and vulgar. Iggy Pop became notorious for performing smeared in blood or peanut butter and diving into the audience. Ron and Scott Asheton formed a ridiculously primitive rhythm section, pounding out chords with no finesse -- in essence, the Stooges were the first rock & roll band completely stripped of the swinging beat that epitomized R&B and early rock & roll. During the late '60s and early '70s, the group was an underground sensation, yet the band was too weird, too dangerous to break into the mainstream. Following three albums, the Stooges disbanded, but the group's legacy grew over the next two decades, as legions of underground bands used their sludgy grind as a foundation for a variety of indie rock styles, and as Iggy Pop became a pop culture icon.

After playing in several local bands in Ann Arbor, MI, including the blues band the Prime Movers and the Iguanas, Iggy Pop (born James Osterberg) formed the Stooges in 1967 after witnessing a Doors concert in Chicago. Adopting the name Iggy Stooge, he rounded up brothers Ron and Scott Asheton (guitar and drums, respectively) and bassist Dave Alexander, and the group debuted at a Halloween concert at the University of Michigan student union in 1967. For the next year, the group played the Midwest relentlessly, earning a reputation for their wild, primitive performances, which were largely reviled. In particular, Iggy gained attention for his bizarre on-stage behavior. Performing shirtless, he would smear steaks and peanut butter on his body, cut himself with glass, and dive into the audience. The Stooges were infamous, not famous -- while they had a rabidly devoted core audience, even more people detested their shock tactics. Nevertheless, the group lucked into a major-label record contract in 1968 when an Elektra talent scout went to Detroit to see the MC5 and wound up signing their opening act, the Stooges, as well.

· Track List:

01. Down on the Street
02. Loose
03. T.V. Eye
04. Dirt
05. 1970 (also known as "I Feel Alright")
06. Fun House
07. L.A. Blues


· Personnel:

Iggy Pop - vocals, mixer
Dave Alexander - bass
Ron Asheton - guitar
Scott Asheton - drums
Steve MacKay - saxophone
Don Gallucci - producer, organ overdubs


· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_stooges


· Video:

...............................................album of the week

Television - (1977) Marquee Moon


Review by Stephen Thomar Erlewine (AMG)

Television were one of the most creative bands to emerge from New York's punk scene of the mid-'70s, creating an influential new guitar vocabulary. While guitarists Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd liked to jam, they didn't follow the accepted rock structures for improvisation -- they removed the blues while retaining the raw energy of garage rock, adding complex, lyrical solo lines that recalled both jazz and rock. With its angular rhythms and fluid leads, Television's music always went in unconventional directions, laying the groundwork for many of the guitar-based post-punk pop groups of the late '70s and '80s.

In the early '70s, Television began as the Neon Boys, a group featuring guitarist/vocalist Tom Verlaine, drummer Billy Ficca, and bassist Richard Hell. At the end of 1973, the group reunited under the name Television, adding rhythm guitarist Richard Lloyd. The following year, the band made its live debut at New York's Townhouse theater and began to build up an underground following. Soon, their fan base was large enough that Verlaine was able to persuade CBGB's to begin featuring live bands on a regular basis; the club would become an important venue for punk and new wave bands. That year, Verlaine played guitar on Patti Smith's first single, "Hey Joe"/"Piss Factory," as well as wrote a book of poetry with the singer.

· Track List:

01. See No Evil
02. Venus
03. Friction
04. Marquee Moon
05. Elevation
06. Guiding Light
07. Prove It
08. Torn Curtain

· Personnel:

Tom Verlaine – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards
Richard Lloyd – guitar, vocals
Fred Smith – bass, vocals
Billy Ficca – drums


· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_(band)


· Video:

...............................................album of the week

The Velvet Underground - (1969) ST (Third)


Review by Mark Deming (AMG)

Few rock groups can claim to have broken so much new territory, and maintain such consistent brilliance on record, as the Velvet Underground during their brief lifespan. It was the group's lot to be ahead of, or at least out of step with, their time. The mid- to late '60s was an era of explosive growth and experimentation in rock, but the Velvets' innovations -- which blended the energy of rock with the sonic adventurism of the avant-garde, and introduced a new degree of social realism and sexual kinkiness into rock lyrics -- were too abrasive for the mainstream to handle. During their time, the group experienced little commercial success; though they were hugely appreciated by a cult audience and some critics, the larger public treated them with indifference or, occasionally, scorn. The Velvets' music was too important to languish in obscurity, though; their cult only grew larger and larger in the years following their demise, and continued to mushroom through the years. By the 1980s, they were acknowledged not just as one of the most important rock bands of the '60s, but one of the best of all time, and one whose immense significance cannot be measured by their relatively modest sales.

Historians often hail the group for their incalculable influence upon the punk and new wave of subsequent years, and while the Velvets were undoubtedly a key touchstone of the movements, to focus upon these elements of their vision is to only get part of the story. The group was uncompromising in their music and lyrics, to be sure, sometimes espousing a bleakness and primitivism that would inspire alienated singers and songwriters of future generations. But their colorful and oft-grim soundscapes were firmly grounded in strong, well-constructed songs that could be as humanistic and compassionate as they were outrageous and confrontational. The member most responsible for these qualities was guitarist, singer, and songwriter Lou Reed, whose sing-speak vocals and gripping narratives have come to define street-savvy rock & roll.

· Track List:

01. Candy Says
02. What Goes On
03. Some Kinda Love
04. Pale Blue Eyes
05. Jesus
06. Beginning to See the Light
07. I'm Set Free
08. That's the Story of My Life
09. The Murder Mystery
10. After Hours


· Personnel:

Lou Reed – lead and rhythm guitar, piano, lead vocals
Sterling Morrison – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals
Maureen Tucker – percussion, backing vocals
Doug Yule – bass guitar, organ, backing vocals


· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Velvet_Underground


· Video: