Friday, 25 December 2009
White Stripes - Merry Christmas from the White Stripes (7'') (2002) (@256)
Happy holidays to all of you.
download link: here (mirrorcreator) and here (rapidshare)
Thursday, 24 December 2009
Lou Reed - The Raven (2003) (@256)
It's for sure that we'll have more opportunities to deal with Edgar Allan Poe in the future, so I'll keep a number of related albums for a future tribute. For the time being, enjoy this Lou Reed tribute release to Poe to whom he seems to have found a kindred spirit. There are numerous famous participants here among which are Laurie Anderson, Antony, the Blind Boys Of Alabama, Ornette Coleman, Steve Buscemi and Willem Dafoe and Hal Willner as the producer, who was also responsible for the brilliand compilation of Closed on Account of Rabies: Poems and Tales of Edgar Allan Poe uploaded earlier in this blog. Finally, these are the liner notes Reed wrote for this album:
"THE RAVEN
For sure Edgar Allan Poe is that most classical of American writers—a writer more peculiarly attuned to our new century's heartbeat than he ever was to his own. Obsessions, paranoia, willful acts of self-destruction surround us constantly. Though we age we still hear the cries of those for whom the attraction to mournful chaos is monumental. I have reread and rewritten Poe to ask the very same questions again. Who am I? Why am I drawn to do what I should not? I have wrestled with this thought innumerable times: the impulse of destructive desire—the desire for self-mortification. To my mind Poe is father to William Burroughs and Hubert Selby. I am forever fitting their blood to my melodies. Why do we do what we should not? Why do we love what we cannot have? Why do we have a passion for exactly the wrong thing? What do we mean by "wrong"? I became enamored of Poe—once again—and when given the opportunity to bring him to life through words and music, text and dance, why I leapt at it. I surged towards it like a Rottweiler chasing a bloody bone. I read and then recited him out loud and for the first time understood "The Tell-Tale Heart." I dreamt and imagined and then saw the early performance come to life in the Thalia Theatre in Germany (who commissioned me to write this) where the thrill of its existence only made me hunger even more ardently for its American counterpart, its final rewrite, the yearning finally fulfilled by the mad presence of Willem Dafoe, Steve Buscemi, Fisher Stevens, the magnificent Elizabeth Ashley, the transcendental Amanda Plummer and castigating Katy Valk of [the Wooster Group, musicians magnificent galore—D. Bowie, the gospel glory of the Blind Boys of Alabama, the mind-tearing heart-rending sax playing of the incredible Ornette Coleman, the ethereal vocals of Antony, a descendent perhaps of Little Jimmy Scott, Jane Scarpantoni's passionate cello-loving arrangement by her of my guitar solo—strings, real strings—Rob Mathes taking my guitar line and building a universe with it, Steve Bernstein's power-melodic horns—all these pieces together forming for me a universe of sound I'd only dreamed of. My fellow artists...I thank them all from the bottom of my heart and reel with happiness at the CD's existence. My band—Mike, Tony and Fernando, the magnificent production of Hal Willner. I owe them all the greatest thanks.
This is a record made of love, - Lou Reed/NYC 2003"
review link: here
download link: here (cd1) and here (cd2 with liner notes & credits)
Monday, 21 December 2009
Rage Against The Machine IS Christmas Number One!!!
Celebrating Christmas with Rage Against The Machine at number one of the UK singles chart. Hats off to these guys.
Oh... and I stand opposed to those grumbling "You pay Sony either way" or "the Fuck You I Won't Do What You Tell Me is not what all those people that bought RATM did". RATM already told that part of the proceeds will go to charity. I don't think that it would be the same with the X-Factor shit, would it? As for the second argue, I'll quote a part of the lyrics of Which Side Are You On: "Poor folks ain’t got a chance, unless they organize"; all those people that bought RATM didn't go with the flow, but they organised to oppose it. After all, it's a victory of the music I love over the kind of music that nobody will remember next Christmas.
You can also check here for the same issue.
Now that the campaign has ended you can download a live clip (in avi format) of Killing In The Name performed live at Mexico City here.
Sunday, 20 December 2009
The Alan Parsons Project - Tales Of Mystery And Imagination + bonus material (1975/2007) (@256)
I was about to upload Tales of Mystery and Imagination, as a part of the Edgar Allan Poe tribute, when I read that Eric Woolfson, one of the two members of the Alan Parsons Project passed away on December, 2. Unfortunately, there are now two reasons for this upload. APP was the result of the collaboration of a talented songwriter (Woolfson) with a studio wizard (Parsons). Their first release, a concept album that retells horror stories and poetry of Poe, was an old idea of Woolfson which was abandoned since he realised that it would be impossible to materialise. He changed his mind when he met Parsons and realised the latter's mastery in production. The duo also hired some hundreds (!) of musicians among which were Terry Sylvester (singer of the Hollies after Graham Nash), John Miles and Arthur Brown. The result is a characteristic 70's grandiose concept album which gave "a pulsing beat of life into the body of Poe's work" as Orson Welles described in a relevant radio advertising spot.
Tracklisting:
A. Original album
01-A Dream Within A Dream (Instrumental)
02-The Raven
03-The Tell-Tale Heart
04-The Cask Of Amontillado
05-(The System Of) Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether
06-The Fall Of The House Of Usher (Instrumental) - Prelude
07-The Fall Of The House Of Usher (Instrumental) - Arrival
08-The Fall Of The House Of Usher (Instrumental) - Intermezzo
09-The Fall Of The House Of Usher (Instrumental) - Pavane
10-The Fall Of The House Of Usher (Instrumental) - Fall
11-To One In Paradise
B. Bonus material
A12-The Raven (original demo) - bonus material
A13-Edgar (demo of an unreleased track)
A14-Orson Welles Radio Spot
A15-Interview with Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson (1976)
B12-Eric's Guide Vocal Medley
B13-Orson Welles Dialogue
B14-Sea Lions In The Departure Lounge - Sound Effects And Experiments
B15-GBH Mix - Unreleased Experiments
review link: here
download link: here (original album) and here (bonus material with info, lyrics, credits etc.) (in mirrorcreator) or here (in rapidshare)
Sunday, 13 December 2009
Flowered Up - Weekender (12'') (1992) (@256)
Sometimes when you hear about an artist's death you feel that you've lost a close person of yours. It's when this artist's music has been utterly connected with a certain period of your life...
That's the way I felt when I heard about Liam Maher's death, at the age of 41. At the beginning of the 90's, with his group Flowered Up gave us some sparkling singles, a decent album (were Joe Strummer had participated) and... Weekender. A 13-minute single which, along with its video clip, marked the soundtrack of a whole generation by giving a precise documentation of the club culture. Suddenly, all the kids that were just spending their whole week through tedious, low-wage jobs just to become the heroes of themselves from Saturday 6pm to Sunday 6am had found their anthem. It's unbelievable that this masterpiece was the last moment in group's history (they didn't even manage to put it in an album), rather than the beginning of more such glorious moments. But, after all, such hedonistic culture was not meant to last for long. As Heavenly (their first and last label - London records was in between) boss Jeff Barrett said: "Liam and Flowered Up burned beautifully and brightly at exactly the right time. They had their moment and seized it by the bollocks"
RIP Liam. Go out, have a good time...
Weekender (amazingly its lyrics cannot be found anywhere in the web)
I see you everyday, you walk the same way
Weekender
You go to work, Friday is payday
Weekender
Give it up, give your wife up
Weekender
(Chorus)
Weekender – weekender
Go out, have a good time
Weekender – weekender
Go out have a good, good – good, good time
What you say weekender, we can work it out
We’ll work it all out
Don’t you hate, hate what you are
I’ll give it up, I’ll give it to you, you
Come on weekender, we’ll go out,
We’ll have a good, the best times
(chorus)
Right weekender, hows about we work it out
Weekender we could have such a good time
Show you, help you, a better way, a better day
A better way
A better life – weekender
Right, weekender we’re going out
You wash, blow dry your hair
New shoes, new suit
Oh, I say you look so super
Weekender you’re looking good
(chorus)
Don’t you hate, don’t you hate what you are
Weekender
Don’t you hate what you are I ask, I ask you
Weekender
Look around, don’t you feel a clown
Weekender, fuck off
Fuck off and die – I’m hating you
I hate you – goodbye
I’m slipping, weekender – weekender
Slipping down – down
Weekender weekender
Go out have a good time – the best time
Go away – away away away – sit back
Let it flow
Just like a little (have a good time)
Have a good time, have a good – good time
No work just party – party!
You got a new skirt, you got a new suit
Saved your life for a two day flirt boy
You pay the price coz Monday sure does hurt
Tell at work your weekend tale
Still need the pleasure of dirty sale
Monday’s back – what can you do?
(chorus)
Been away. Been away. You’ve seen a lot wow, wow
Weekender whatever you do - just make sure what
ya doing makes you happy
check also:
Liam Maher remembered by W.I.Z., the director of Weekender (NME)
"How Liam Maher from Flowered Up changed my life" by Robin Turner (Guardian)
download link: here (mirrorcreator) and here (rapidshare)
Monday, 7 December 2009
Muddy Waters - At Newport (1960) (@256)
It's a little bit dated, but I saw the film Cadillac Records during the weekend. It's a biopic that deals with Chess records, a Chicago-based label that established what is now considered as Chicago blues. Colossal artists such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley built their careers in the studios of Chess. It's a pity that such a great subject was not developed in a satisfactory way. As Lois Wilson writes in Mojo (issue 190, Sep. 09) "this Chess-inspired romp takes too many liberties with the truth". One could argue that such "liberties" could be justified in a film loosely based in real-life events, where the real names are not used; the film Dreamgirls is I guess a good example. Here is the whole review:
"JUST OVER half way through Cadillac Records, a very-worse-for-wear Etta James played by Beyonce Knowles, kisses her label boss, Chess records co-founder Leonard Chess, played by Adrien Brody. It's implied that they are about to embark on an affair, the action taking place some time in the '60s.
After he saw the film Leonard's son, Marshall Chess — who was consultant on this Darnell Martin-written and directed film based on the Chess label story — rang up Etta James (the real one). "Did you really have an affair with my father?" he asked her, hoping that Leonard hadn't copped off with his leading lady. Of course not, was Etta's reply and therein lies the main problem with Cadillac Records. Not content to just tell the story of the label founded in 1947 by Polish emigre brothers Leonard and Phil Chess (the latter is airbrushed out, presumably to keep the plot simpler), it feels a need to tell great big lies. Like the one wherein blues harpist Little Walter (Columbus Short) shoots a man who is using his name. Perhaps Martin got him muddled up with Sonny Boy Williamson, another important Chess recording artist, who doesn't appear in the film, didn't kill anyone, but did steal his name from a different bluesman called Sonny Boy Williamson after he was murdered. Another player missing from the tale astonishingly is Bo Diddley, who signed to the label in 1955 and whose guitar playing caused a musical revolution. Even those with just a fleeting interest in Chess would recognise how integral Bo is to the label's evolution. And, of course, Leonard Chess didn't really discover Etta James: that was Johnny Otis, who conceived and recorded Etta's 1955 debut The Wallflower, a Number 1 US R&B hit five years before she joined Chess.
So either Martin didn't do, or has ignored, her research to come up with a script so inaccurate
that there's little point running the tag, "based on a true story". Sadly, her bending of the truth hasn't made the screenplay any more enticing.
And yet, when Cadillac Records sticks to the making of the music it delivers some great moments: Eamonn Walker as Howlin' Wolf turns in a mighty fine rendition of Smokestack Lightnin', Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters, a convincing I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man, and Mos Def as the wild child Chuck Berry is compelling throughout.
The same can't be said for Adrien Brody, who is expressionless as the elder Chess brother, or Beyonce, who remakes every Etta James song into a hysterical modern R&B number. As such, there's very little to celebrate here. But should you want more, also included is a documentary on the making of the film, another one on the design and a director's commentary."
In any case, the film was a great opportunity to upload this Chess release, which is one of the greatest live recordings ever. And in order to cover the unreasonable absence of Bo Diddley from the film, I urge to discover another Chess release, uploaded earlier in this blog.
review link: here
download link: here
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