Monday, December 24, 2007

Wicked Lester - Wicked Lester (1971)

"Wicked Lester was a New York-based rock and roll group. The group was formed (as Rainbow) in 1970, and its most notable early members were bassist Gene Klein (later Gene Simmons) and rhythm guitarist Stanley Eisen (later Paul Stanley). In 1971 the band changed their name to Wicked Lester, and in the fall of that year they recorded an album for Epic Records, which was never released.
Wicked Lester's music featured elements of rock and roll, folk rock, and pop. Simmons and Stanley, feeling that the group lacked a unifying musical vision, began forming a second version of Wicked Lester in late 1972. This second Wicked Lester, with an emphasis on more straightforward rock and roll, as well as on theatrics, became Kiss in early 1973.
During their brief existence, Wicked Lester performed in public twice. The first show took place at the Rivoli Theatre in South Fallsburg, New York in April 1971. The second, during the summer of 1971, was at an Atlantic City, New Jersey hotel hosting a B'nai B'rith Youth Organization event. Not long after that show, the band suffered a major setback when they had all of their musical gear stolen.
After a chance meeting with Electric Lady Studios engineer Ron Johnsen, Wicked Lester was given the opportunity to record some demos in the fall of 1971. Johnsen, who produced the demo tape, shopped it to a few labels, with no success. Eventually the tape was screened by Epic Records, who purchased the masters and agreed to fund the recording of a full album.
The entire recording process, which adhered to a haphazard schedule, took nearly a year to complete. When the completed album was presented to Don Ellis, Epic's A&R director, he stated that he hated the album and was not going to release it. The next day, Wicked Lester manager Lew Linet requested and received the group's release from Epic Records.
It was at this time that Klein and Eisen (now using the stage names Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley) decided that one of the reasons for Wicked Lester's lack of success was their lack of a singular image and musical vision. They made the decision to start a new version of the group, and began auditioning for a drummer in the fall of 1972.
Whereas Wicked Lester's original sound was rooted in varied musical styles (folk and pop, for instance), when Simmons and Stanley decided to recruit new members, they also made the decision to focus on a more aggressive and simple style of rock and roll. The first new member added to Wicked Lester was drummer Peter Criss, who had placed an ad in Rolling Stone. The new Wicked Lester, without a recording contract, began a strict and regular regimen of rehearsals.
In November 1972, the group arranged a showcase with Don Ellis, the Epic Records executive who earlier had rejected Wicked Lester's album. While one Epic executive, Tom Werman, was impressed by the power and theatrics of this new incarnation of Wicked Lester, Ellis once again turned them down. As Ellis was leaving, Peter Criss's brother (who was drunk) vomited on his foot.
In early December, Paul Stanley placed an ad in The Village Voice stating, "LEAD GUITARIST WANTED with Flash and Ability. Album Out Shortly. No time wasters please," rather than the historically incorrect "with Flash and Balls." The ad ran for two issues (December 7, 1972 and December 14, 1972) and the band had to run several sessions of auditions. One early audition was by the strange Paul "Ace" Frehley who showed up wearing different colored shoes. Frehley was asked back for a second audition and was a member of the band by Christmas 1972. Within a few weeks, the group had changed its name to Kiss and played their first concert on January 30, 1973.
The proper recording sessions for Wicked Lester's album, which began in November 1971 at Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village, took place during multiple sessions and were finished in July 1972. The album was a mixture of original material and covers, showcasing the group's eclectic style. Three of the songs recorded for the Wicked Lester album would later resurface as Kiss songs, with varying degrees of similarity:
- "We Wanna Shout It Out Loud": A cover version of a song that was originally recorded by The Hollies in 1970. The chorus would serve as the inspiration for "Shout It Out Loud" from 1976's Destroyer, although the two songs are completely different in every other respect.
- "Love Her All I Can": Written by Paul Stanley, this would resurface on 1975's Dressed to Kill. Both versions feature similar arrangements.
- "She": Written by Gene Simmons and Steve Coronel prior to the formation of Wicked Lester, this was also re-recorded for the Dressed to Kill album. The melody and arrangement in the two versions are nearly identical, although the original had congas and a flute that the Kiss version did not.
The only part of Wicked Lester's album to actually be released, initially, was the cover art, which was used for The Laughing Dogs' debut album in 1979. CBS Records, who owned the rights to the album, remixed it and planned to release it in late 1976 to capitalize on Kiss's commercial popularity. Kiss and Neil Bogart, the president of Casablanca Records (Kiss's label), purchased the album from CBS for $137,500 and never released it. Eventually, Kiss bought Bogart's share outright. Three songs from the album ("Keep Me Waiting," "She," and "Love Her All I Can"), however, were released in 2001 as part of Kiss's five-disc box set.
Source: Wikipedia

Interesting facts:
- (We Want To) Shout It Out Loud was originally recorded by The Hollies and is not the same song as Shout It Out Loud from 1976's Destroyer album.
- Wicked Lester lead guitarist, Steven Coronel, was a mutual friend of Gene and Paul's and introduced the two of them.
- Neither Paul, nor Gene, EVER want these recordings released because they think they are horrible (Paul calls the Wicked Lester recordings "eclectic crap").
- Wicked Lester only played together twice before recording the album.
- Other songs recorded include Eskimo Sun (which later appeared in a vastly different form as Only You on Music From The Elder), Suitor, About Her, Long Road, and Stanley The Parrot (which became Strutter on KISS' first album).
- The Wicked Lester album was produced by Ron Johnsen who also produced Peter Criss' pre-KISS album, Chelsea in 1971.
- The proposed cover for the Wicked Lester album features an evil-looking young boy sitting on some steps with a dog. This cover would resurface in 1979 (CBS Records had placed it in storage) on an album for the group, The Laughing Dogs.
- Gene and Paul sang a commercial jingle for AMC trucks that got them the exposure needed to gain studio time with Eddie Kramer to record the demos for an album deal.
Source: Kiss Discography 1971-75

Tracklist: 1. Sweet Ophelia, 2. Keep Me Waiting, 3. Love Her All I Can, 4. Simple Types, 5. She, 6. Too Many Mondays, 7. What Happens In the Darkness, 8. When the Bell Rings, 9. Molly (Some Other Guy), 10. Shout It Out Loud, 11. Long, Long Road.
Download (46 Mb): MegaUpload / Rapidshare

MERRY X-MAS!

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Vio-Lence - Oppressing the Masses (1990)

For all you metal heads and Machine Head fans out there, here's a hard to find album by Vio-Lence featuring both Robb Flynn and Phil Demmel on guitars.
"Vio-Lence was a thrash metal band formed in 1985, that released a few demo tapes, one EP and 3 LPs between 1985 and 1993.
After establishing a secure line-up with Phil Demmel and Robb Flynn on guitars, Dean Dell on bass, Perry Strickland on drums and Sean Killian on vocals, they released a demo tape on Mechanic Records in 1986 .
Soon after releasing their demo tape they entered the studio to record their debut album, called Eternal Nightmare, a seven track album released in 1988. Eternal Nightmare suffered in lack of promotion despite being well accepted by the (thrash) audience and critics.
Together with the band Forbidden, they were labelled the new promises of bay area thrash and in 1989 they struck a deal with Megaforce Records to release their second album, titled Oppressing the Masses. Around that time, Perry Strickland substituted Tom Hunting of Exodus, yet only for a few shows, denying the possibility of staying permanently.
Finally in 1990, Oppressing the Masses was launched on Megaforce Records with better distribution and marketing than their debut, Eternal Nightmare. A video for the song "World in a World" has also been filmed.
In 1991 they released an EP bearing the name Torture Tactics, which included three studio songs (old songs from the demo era which were recorded during the Oppressing The Masses sessions) and one live track from the Oppressing The Masses tour.
Internal conflicts in 1992 resulted in Robb Flynn's departure from the band. He, along with Adam Duce, Logan Mader and Tony Constanza formed the seminal groove metal band Machine Head. Vio-Lence started to record their third and last studio album aptly titled Nothing to Gain, which was released in 1993 and was followed by Perry Strickland's departure, the result of the drummer's decision being the dissolution of the band.
Phil Demmel, Dean Dell, Ray Vega and Mark Hernandez formed a half-thrash band called Torque which disbanded after releasing a studio album and playing several live shows. Demmel then went to form Technocracy. Robb Flynn remains active in the metal community as the guitarist and singer of Machine Head. Phil Demmel is now in Machine Head and has been since before the release of Through the Ashes of Empires".
Source: Wikipedia

Tracklist: 1. I Profit, 2. Officer Nice, 3. Subterfuge, 4. Engulfed By Flames, 5. World In a World, 6. Mentally Afflicted, 7. Liquid Courage, 8. Oppressing the Masses.
Download (95 Mb): MegaUpload / Rapidshare

Vio-Lence Official Site / Vio-Lence @ Wikipedia

Sunday, December 9, 2007

The Runaways - School Days (1978)


The Runaways performing their hit song "School Days" live at a German TV show in 1978.

The Runaways - Forever Lost?: Live In NYC '76 & Oslo, Norway '78

Here's a little treat for all fans of the greatest all girl and ever - The Runaways. The vinyl only live bootleg "Lost Forever?" has 6 tracks recorded in New York City in 1976 on side A, and 7 tracks from Oslo, Norway on the B side.
The tracks from Norway with Joan Jett on vocals are nothing but amazing. The band really took a gigantic step forward when Jett became the singer. Too bad they only lasted a year after that - where's the reunion?

Tracklist: 1. California Paradise, 2. Cherry Bomb, 3. Take It Or Leave It, 4. Don't Use Me, 5. Johnny Guitar, 6. Dead End Justice (1-6 Live In NYC 1976), 7. Wasted, 8. School Days, 9. You're Too Possessive, 10. You Drive Me Wild, 11. Waiting For the Night, 12. Little Sister, 13. C'mon (7-13 Live In Oslo, Norway 1978).
Download (76 Mb): MegaUpload / Rapidshare

The Runaways.com / The Runaways.com @ MySpace / The Runaways @ MySpace / The Runaways @ Wikipedia

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Banjo & Sullivan - The Ultimate Collection 1972-1978 (2005)

"It's a tragic story - struggling musicians who finally experience success only in death, that which they could never achieve in life. Banjo & Sullivan disappeared amid a series of heinous homicides and were basically forgotten-–until now, that is.
Kentucky-born guitar ace Roy Sullivan was a Nashville session player in the '60s before teaming with Adam "Fingers" Banjo, a banjo picker from Mississippi. Their 1972 debut album, Two Silver Tongue Devils (Who Ain't Got a Clue), was followed by 1974's Wasted Banjos and Drunken Guitars. Sullivan then married Gloria Harrison, a respected studio singer, who joined the group on piano and backing vocals. In summer 1975, "I'm at Home Getting Hammered" hit #34 on the country chart and "She Didn't Like Me, but She Loved My Money" reached #23. In 1977, Banjo married backup singer Wendy Clark and she joined on backing vocals and tambourine.
The next year, while touring in support of the latest album Where the End Meets the Road and the single "Lord, Don't Let Me Die in a Cheap Motel," B&S checked into the Kahiki Palms Motel after a rousing run of gigs. While the exact details of the grisly crime are unknown, what is certain is that Gloria, Wendy, and roadie Jimmy Cracker were murdered there by a group later dubbed the Devil's Rejects. Roy and Adam were never found and were presumed dead".
Source: Amazon.com

"Banjo and Sullivan is a group of fictional characters created by Rob Zombie, appearing in his second feature film, The Devil's Rejects. They were a group of unlucky musicians who ran into Otis B. Driftwood and Baby Firefly at an old motel".
Source: Wikipedia

Tracklist: 1. Dick Soup, 2. I Don't Give a Truck, 3. Honeymoon Song, 4. I'm at Home Getting Hammered (While She's Out Getting Nailed), 5. Killer On the Lamb, 6. I'm Trying to Quit, But I Just Quit Trying, 7. She Didn't Like Me (But She Loved My Money), 8. Roy's Ramble, 9. Lord, Don't Let Me Die in a Cheap Motel, 10. Free Bird.
Download (69 Mb): MegaUpload / Rapidshare

Banjo & Sullivan @ MySpace

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Dismantling Henry Rollins, Episode 2

Episode two of Heidi May's hilarious documentary series "Dismantling Henry Rollins" was just made available over at HenryRollins.com - check it out HERE!

Henry Rollins.com / The Henry Rollins Show / Harmony In My Head / Rollins Archive / Henry Rollins @ IMDb / Henry Rollins @ Wikipedia

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Quiet Riot - Metal Health (1983)

Quiet Riot vocalist Kevin DuBrow passed away past Sunday at the age of 51.
"Kevin DuBrow (October 29, 1955 – November 25, 2007) was an American rock vocalist, best known as the lead singer of the heavy metal band Quiet Riot. During Quiet Riot's commercial heyday in the 1980s, Dubrow was known for his on-stage charisma, gravelly bluesy voice, and suspenders".
"Metal Health was the breakthrough album for the American heavy metal band Quiet Riot and their first record without deceased legendary guitarist Randy Rhoads. It was released on March 11, 1983, bolstered by a #5 hit single, "Cum On Feel the Noize," a Slade cover. Metal Health was the first heavy metal debut album to hit #1 on the Billboard Music Charts pop albums list. It knocked The Police's Synchronicity out of #1 in the U.S. The album went on to sell more than 6 million copies and is considered a classic among heavy metal fans to this day. However, some, such as the All Music Guide, perceive it as a one-hit wonder, owing to Quiet Riot's relative lack of critical and commercial success with following albums (and subsequent disintegration) towards the end of the 1980s.
Source: Wikipedia

Tracklist: 1. Metal Health, 2. Cum On Feel the Noize, 3. Don't Wanna Let You Go, 4. Slick Black Cadillac, 5. Love's a Bitch, 6. Breathless, 7. Run For Cover, 8. Battle Axe, 9. Let's Get Crazy, 10. Thunderbird.
Download (59 MB): MegaUpload / Rapidshare

Kevin DuBrow @ Wikipedia / Quiet Riot @ Wikipedia / Metal Health @ Wikipedia

Sunday, November 25, 2007

The Rationals - Discography 1965-2001

"Of all the Michigan talent that flirted with stardom but never got invited to the party, there is probably no other band of the era so beloved and still so mourned as Ann Arbor's The Rationals. Certainly, here was a group that deserved fame and fortune but, incredibly, failed to get the notice and air-play that should have landed them among the best recording acts of all time. They were that good.
Blessed with a sterling vocalist, a brilliant guitarist who could more than hold his own as a singer, an inventive bass player and a propulsive drummer, The Rationals infused their stratified, garage-rock with rich vocalizing and harmonies, making local hit records out of a series of rhythm & blues nuggets such as "Leavin' Here", "Hold on Baby", and Otis Redding's "Respect" (their 45 pre-dating the Vagrants version and providing the inspiration for Aretha's) as well as an incredibly soulful take on Goffin-King's "I Need You" — which may be the finest version of that song ever waxed. The Rationals also had a fierce stage act that was the cornerstone of their fan following around Detroit and environs. One of the highlights of their live performances during the height of their popularity was a stunning soul-song medley built around Tony Clarke's "The Entertainer" that was truly a show-stopper, unleashing every element in their talent arsenal.
As local heroes, they are legend but The Rationals never caught that big break which would have let them cash in and grab the prominence of their contemporaries and friends like Bob Seger (who contributed singing and arranging on some of their singles) and the MC5. By most accounts, it appears that the same management that helped lead them from their early Kinks/Beatles influenced stylings ("Little Girls Cry", "Feelin' Lost") toward the harder rhythm and blues that became their trademark also, probably inadvertently, kept them just shy of the payoff: Instead of freeing the band to work with other producers, their manager Hugh "Jeep" Holland (A-Square Productions) apparently couldn't let go when the recording opportunities came and squandered several chances for the group to land a major label deal.
By the time they did break away from Holland and finally got an album to market via Bob Crewe's small label (with the help of local DJ Robin Seymour who often featured The Rationals on his television show) the group's depth had increased considerably. Their musical vocabulary had become expansive, reaching well beyond the tightly-arranged singles toward a newer sound that built on ever-maturing vocal and instrumental strengths. And, despite a protean effort in extending their reach with superb original compositions like "Guitar Army", the Corell/Morgan vocal tour-de-force "Ha-Ha" and the blazing "Sunset" as well as a cover of "Handbags & Gladrags" that simply destroys Rod Stewart's rendition, the album went nowhere (only for lack of good promotion and distribution) and The Rationals fans began moving on. Without the success of the long-awaited record to finally catapult them into the national spotlight, the band threw in the towel and by mid 1970 they had also gone the way of so many of the area's best groups.
If just barely missing the brass ring was their legacy, it's almost tragic that their recordings are yet to receive a properly produced modern day re-issue. Despite years of efforts by the band members and others interested in seeing this music released again, nothing in the way of an official (from the master tapes) nature has, thus far, materialized although bootleg CD's copped from old vinyl have filled some of the void. Their Cameo/Parkway releases remain captive to the rapacity of Allen Klein (except for "Respect" which did show up on the recent C/P box set) and for many years, their electrifying early work on A² Records created under the direction of Holland was withheld from re-release for reasons known only to Jeep. Holland's death in March 1998 only seems to have clouded the issue even further, compounding the coincidence that continues to deprive the world of the brilliance that was The Rationals".
Source: The Rationals @ Detroit area rock 'n' roll bands/musicians 1966-1972

The Rationals (1970)(35 Mb): MegaUpload / Rapidshare
Unreleased Tracks 1965-1968 (71 Mb): MegaUpload / Rapidshare
Temptation 'Bout to Get Me - Live (1995)(65 Mb): MegaUpload / Rapidshare
Singles (2001)(50 Mb): MegaUpload / Rapidshare

The Rationals - Official Page / Scott Morgan's history of The Rationals / The Rationals @ Wikipedia

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Henry Rollins - Moore Theatre, Seattle, Washington 31.10.2007

When I first start I'm hard to stop... Here's another new spoken word show by Henry Rollins! This time at the Moore Theatre in Seattle, Washington on Halloween, October 31st this year. This show has way better quality than the previous two, but the first 30 seconds are missing - no big deal. Enjoy!
A big thanks to Angela for pointing me in the direction of these new shows!

Download (171 Mb): MegaUpload

Henry Rollins.com / The Henry Rollins Show / Harmony In My Head / Rollins Archive / Henry Rollins @ IMDb / Henry Rollins @ Wikipedia

Monday, November 19, 2007

Henry Rollins - Keswick Theater, Glenside, Pennsylvania 06.10.2007

As a quick follow up to my Rollins post earlier today - here's a spoken word show from the Keswick Theater in Glenside, Pennsylvania on October 6th this year. This show is both longer and of better quality than the one posted earlier, but don't expect to be blown away by some high fidelity recording - I would rate it as a good C+. As I stated in my previous post Hank will be taking his Provoked tour overseas in 2008 - starting in Gothenburg, Sweden January 14th. You can see his tour plans HERE.

Download (161 Mb): MegaUpload

Henry Rollins.com / The Henry Rollins Show / Harmony In My Head / Rollins Archive / Henry Rollins @ IMDb / Henry Rollins @ Wikipedia

Waiting for Rock Band to arrive...

Our good friends over at Harmonix - the developers of Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero II and Rock Band - have put together a nice little list of things you can do while waiting for Rock Band to arrive:
"There's barely a week to go before you can get your hands on a copy of Rock Band, get your group together and start your rise to virtual superstardom. We like to think it will change your life just a little, or at least keep you off the streets for a long while. We understand there's a lot of anticipation building over the release, so as a public service we offer a list of ten things to do while you're waiting for Rock Band:
1: Polish your air-guitar technique. Remember how you jumped around your bedroom pretending to be in Aerosmith with the CD blasting, so it never mattered if you were in time or not? Now it will.
2: Canvas your friends for the best people to be in your Rock Band. See, it's just like forming a real band, but with one difference: You don't have to let someone you don't like play bass just because s/he owns the practice space.
3: Watch a film of your favorite band performing, even if that means sitting through “The Song Remains the Same” for the 100th time. Look for some great onstage moves to lift from your favorite performers. But no, you won't have any occasion to ask if anybody remembers laughter.
4: Get out of the house. It may be your last chance for a long while.
5: Brush up on your stock of drummer jokes. (What's the difference between a drummer and a savings bond?)
6: Get the new Radiohead album without paying for it. Hey, it was their idea, not ours.
7: Recite the entire lyrics of Nine Inch Nails' “Machine” to the next telemarketer who calls. This won't help you at all with Rock Band, but it's fun.
8: Search the web for that video clip of Van Halen turning “Jump” into a total trainwreck. Not only is it truly priceless, but it will make you feel better about your own playing. (HINT)
9: Familiarize yourself with the crazy drum fills in “Tom Sawyer” by Rush. This will help you later on—unless you know them already, in which case you're a terminal music geek with too much time on your hands (in other words, part of our target audience).
10: Put the lime in the coconut, and call us in the morning".

My copy shipped from Amazon yesterday, so hopefully I'll have it sometime next week!

Get all the songs from this amazing game in my previous post - located HERE!

Henry Rollins - The Canal Club, Richmond, Virginia 29.09.2007

It's been a looong time since I've posted any Rollins spoken word shows, but here's a new one from The Canal Club in Richmond, Virginia on September 29th 2007. His ongoing Provoked tour will also take him back over to us good folks in Europe early next year.
The sound quailty on this one is pretty bad, but it's absolutely listenable.

Download (141 Mb): MegaUpload

Henry Rollins.com / The Henry Rollins Show / Harmony In My Head / Rollins Archive / Henry Rollins @ IMDb / Henry Rollins @ Wikipedia

Bad Religion - New Dark Ages



The brand new video for "New Dark Ages", of Bad Religion's latest album "New Maps of Hell".
Download the AVI version HERE!

Monday, November 12, 2007

Bob Seger - Back In '72 (1973)

"With the single exception of "Smokin' O.P.'s", rereleased on compact disc by Capitol in 2005, all of Seger's albums prior to Beautiful Loser (1975) (the pre-Silver Bullet Band releases) have long remained out of print and command extremely high prices if offered for sale. As of March 2007, genuine prints of the brief 1993 Capitol CD release of Ramblin' Gamblin' Man are offered for over US$180 on various on-line marketplaces".
Source: Wikipedia

"Returning to independent status, Bob Seger recorded Back in '72, not only the finest of his early-'70s albums but one of the great lost hard rock albums of its era. Seger didn't limit himself to self-penned songs on this excursion; borrowing an idea from Smokin' O.P.'s, he covers quite a few tunes, providing a balance to his own tunes. He makes "Midnight Rider" sound as if it were a Motor City raver instead of a sultry, late-afternoon Southern rocker, while casually tossing off "Rosalie," an irresistible ode to a local DJ that turned into a hard rock anthem when Thin Lizzy decided to record it later in the decade. That's the brilliance of Back in '72 -- there's no separation between the original and cover, it's all united in a celebration of rock & roll. That's why "Turn the Page," perhaps the weariest travelogue ever written, never feels self-pitying -- that's just the facts, according to a first-rate Midwestern band that never got a break. All the same, Back in '72 is a testament to great rock & roll, thanks to Seger's phenomenal songwriting and impassioned playing".
Source: Allmusic.com

Tracklist: 1. Midnight Rider, 2. So I Wrote You a Song, 3. Stealer, 4. Rosalie, 5. Turn the Page, 6. Back In '72, 7. Neon Sky, 8. I've Been Working, 9. I've Got Time.
Download (34 MB): MegaUpload / Rapidshare

Thursday, November 8, 2007

South Park - Guitar Queer-O (Season 11 Episode 13, 2007)

As both a Guitar Hero and South Park fanatic this latest episode of SP really made my day.
"Obsessed with the Guitar Hero video game, Stan and Kyle make a great team and score record points when they play. Stan realizes he has the potential for enormous success if he plays with another partner. He and Kyle break up but, without his friend, Stan quickly folds under the pressure of being a rockstar".

Download (173 Mb): MegaUpload / Streaming: South Park X

South Park Studios / South Park @ Comedy Central / South Park @ IMDb / South Park @ Wikipedia / South Park X

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

HelloHenry.com

On one of my trips to the fabulous Rollins Archive I stumbled across a link to this weird but enjoyable new Henry Rollins tribute site - HelloHenry.com:
"A web blog dedicated to all the crazy funny things found online relating to Henry Rollins and his fans. Vids, pics, stories, comics, from the down right weird through to the moderately amusing. HelloHenry.com brings you a daily dose of Hank humor for your viewing and listening pleasure".

Hank's official site also has a new feature you don't wanna miss - the highly entertaining Clip of the Month, where Heidi May gives us her best shot at dismantling the aging alternative icon that is Henry Rollins.

Henry Rollins.com / The Henry Rollins Show / Harmony In My Head / Rollins Archive / Henry Rollins @ IMDb / Henry Rollins @ Wikipedia

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Saint Vitus - Born Too Late (1987)

"Saint Vitus is known as one of the first doom metal bands, starting out as early as the late 1970s. The band first used the name Tyrant, with Scott Reagers (vocals), Dave Chandler (guitar), Mark Adams (bass), and Armando Costa (drums), but soon changed their name to Saint Vitus. Their main influences were Black Sabbath and Pentagram.
Under this line-up Saint Vitus recorded 2 albums (Saint Vitus & Hallow's Victim) and an EP (The Walking Dead). After The Walking Dead Reagers left the band and was replaced by The Obsessed frontman Scott "Wino" Weinrich (at this time, The Obsessed had only released one 7"). Wino recorded three studio albums (Born Too Late, Mournful Cries & V), a live album (Live), and an EP (Thirsty and Miserable, featuring the Black Flag cover of the same name) with Vitus. He left the band in 1991 to reform The Obsessed after Vitus's label, Hellhound Records, released an album of older Obsessed recordings. Christian Lindersson (of Count Raven) left his band to fill in on vocals. He would record only one album, C.O.D. before being replaced by original Vitus vocalist, Scott Reagers. Reagers recorded vocals for the band's final album, Die Healing."
"Born Too Late is the third album by the American doom metal/stoner metal band Saint Vitus, which was released in 1987. This was the first Saint Vitus album featuring former Obsessed singer Scott "Wino" Weinrich. All the songs except "The War Starter" are featured on the compilation album Heavier Than Thou.
In 1990, SST released Born Too Late on CD and included the Thirsty and Miserable EP tracks. "Thirsty and Miserable" is a Black Flag cover."
Source: Wikipedia

Tracklist: 1. Born Too Late, 2. Clear Windowpane, 3. Dying Inside, 4. H.A.A.G., 5. The Lost Feeling, 6. The War Starter, 7. Thirsty and Miserable, 8. Look Behind You, 9. The End of the End.
Download (65 MB): MegaUpload / Rapidshare

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Equinox - Skrell EP, Nuh! EP & Live @ Blitz '89

Here's the rest of what I was able to dig up from the Norwegian thrash kings Equinox - the two EP's "Skrell" & "Nuh!", and a live recording from Blitz in Oslo, Norway, October 13th 1989. Don't miss the chance to get these legendary albums - they aren't available anywhere else! Huge thanks to NXP for helping me out with these!
"Equinox is a thrash metal band from Fredrikstad, Norway that started in 1987. The initial band members were Grim Stene (guitar/vocals), Ragnar 'Raggen' Westin (drums) and Skule Stene (bass) who were all ex-Rebellion members. In 1988 Tommy Skarning joined as a second guitarist".
Source: Wikipedia

Equinox - Skrell EP (1990)(21 MB): 1. Skrell, 2. Loven slår (Hærverk), 3. Too Drunk to Fuck (Dead Kennedys).
Download: MegaUpload / Rapidshare

Equinox - Nuh! EP (1992)(32 MB): 1. Nuh, 2. Let There Be Rock (AC/DC), 3. Drug Me (Dead Kennedys), 4. Succumb to the Law.
Download: MegaUpload / Rapidshare

Equinox - Live @ Blitz, Oslo 13.10.1989 (84 MB): 1. Lost Control, 2. Stop!, 3. Auf Wiedersehen, 4. Realm of Darkness, 5. Pharaoh Dance, 6. Dead By Dawn, 7. Too Drunk to Fuck, 8. Let There Be Rock, 9. House of Wonders, 10. The Floating Man, 11. Inner Self, 12. The King.
Download: MegaUpload / Rapidshare

Equinox @ Myspace

Sunday, October 14, 2007

VA - Pornosonic: Unreleased 70's Porno Music (1999)

This one's for all you old school porn lovers out there!
"Pornosonic was born in 1971 through a chance meeting between Ron Jeremy, a budding star, and Don Argott, a key L.A. session musician. Over the next 20 years Pornosonic wrote and performed some of the most creative and compelling music for the adult film world. In addition to many credited and uncredited tracks on well known films, there was a lost cache of songs just recently discovered. The compilation of those songs is being released in 2004 under the band’s name. Fortunately or otherwise, many of the band members went on to other musical endeavors and through mutual arrangements were forced to sign non-disclosure agreements about their work in Pornosonic. Thus, while several of the original members went on to become household names, and some gained great infamy for some stupid rock and roll pranks, the management of Pornosonic and the subsequent title holders to their catalogue are not allowed to mention these members by name".
Source: Wikipedia

Tracklist: 1. Dick Dagger's Theme, 2. Cramming for College, 3. Nice N' Sleazy Does It, 4. Spiderpussy, 5. Special Delivery, 6. Sex Starved Secretaries, 7. Prepare For Take Off, 8. Her Magic Carpet, 9. Laying Pipe, 10. Spiderpussy.
Download (44 MB): MegaUpload / Rapidshare

Pornosonic Website
Pornosonic @ Amazon.com

Friday, October 5, 2007

Equinox - Labyrinth (1994)

And here's Equinox' fourth and final studio album!
"Equinox's fourth and last disc is a bit more experimental than any of their other discs, although no less heavy and menacing. To label this disc is almost criminal, but if I had to I would say it was progressive thrash metal. Because of this fact, and the fact that I enjoyed this disc so much on the very first listen, I thought I'd do one of those track by track descriptions. "Sandlove" starts things off in traditional Equinox fashion; a fast and brutally heavy thrash song. "Time Again" slows things down a bit, but only the tempo, not the intensity level. This song is a slow, heavy, doom metal track with a ton of muscle and bite! "But" picks things back up with yet another fast and heavy thrash track. "Angst" begins the more experimental tracks. This song experiments with mixing some smooth jazz like guitar playing with some heavier grooves. This track reminds me a bit of something Voivod might have written. A bizarre but cool song. The title track continues in the Voivod, experimental mode. 'Labyrinth' is dynamic and super technical with tons of rhythm changes. The intro to the song features some smokin' bass work from founder Skule Stene. The majority of this song is heavy but right in the middle of the song there is this cool flamenco-like acoustic guitar solo. "Lies" slows things down again, with some more experimentation with some mellower, clean guitar parts, some heavier mid-paced guitar riffing and an occasional fast mosh rhythm. "Hope Is Green" returns back to the more traditional Euquinox thrash-groove mode. This song has a killer riff that once again reminds me of something Voivod might do. "Poor Kelly" is a clean, almost ballad like song; although ballad is really the wrong word to describe this song as thoughts of Winger and Warrant may pop up. This song, however, has more of an atmospheric, jazzy quality with the vocals almost coming across as a tribal chant, rather than some sugary ballad. The lyrical theme on this song borders Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe" which is a pretty bizarre theme for a ballad. "Catharsis" is a speed metal instrumental that sounds a bit more like other Equinox discs. "Dedicated" is freaky! This song starts off as an acoustic song, yet it's a thrash song at the same time. Picture a Ventures riff played at full speed on an acoustic guitar and this will give you an idea of the opening few measures of this song. The song picks up into a full throttle metal number but returns to the acoustic part in some other parts. This song rules! Can't say that I have ever heard an acoustic guitar come across so heavy. "Millennium" resumes the roller coaster ride and returns to the heavier mid-to-fast paced groove, once again retaining a sort of Voivod-Dimension Hatross/Nothingface vibe. This song also features some fast double bass work by drummer Jorn Wangsholm. Lastly we are given an acoustic version of the first song off the band's debut 'Auf Weidershehen', which serves as sort of an album outro and a fitting end to the band's four album career. Overall, while this album is not the pure thrash assault that was "Auf Wiedersehen" or even "Xerox Success ," it's still an excellent CD, especially for those who enjoy more experimental metal bands like Voivod".
Source: No Life 'til Metal

Tracklist: 1. Sandlove, 2. Time Again, 3. But, 4. Angst, 5. Lies, 6. Labyrinth, 7. Hope Is Green, 8. Poor Kelly, 9. Catharsis, 10. Dedicated, 11. Millennium, 12. Stop!
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Equinox @ Myspace

Equinox - Xerox Success (1991)

"Equinox play a brand of thrash born and bred in bands like Testament, Metallica and Exodus. Despite the fact that they are from Norway, which is much closer to German bands like Kreator and Destruction, Equinox's roots are most assuredly in the American Bay Area thrash movement. This being the case, I was immediately hooked on this disc. I can't get enough of that style. The blend of heavy, fast riffing and catchy, hook laden song writing is undeniable. 'Xerox Success' was the band's third disc and undeniably should have sold like gangbusters in '91 when this style of music still was doing well. Obviously the band had poor marketing or poor label support because this cd is practically unheard of. Too bad 'cause songs like "Souls At Zero," "Lost Control," "Now!" and "My Sweet TV" are great technical thrash songs. There is one stinker on this disc, however, in the bizarre song "Jabbermouth." Perhaps this was suppose to be a joke song, but I don't get it. Mosh it up!"
Source: No Life 'til Metal

Tracklist: 1. Xerox Success, 2. Souls At Zero, 3. Lost Control, 4. Jabbermouth, 5. My Sweet TV, 6. Now!, 7. Slave to the Whim, 8. Nothing At All, 9. Damned, 10. Succumb to the Law.
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Equinox @ Myspace

Equinox - The Way to Go (1990)

"Equinox's sophomore release continues in the same aggressive thrash metal mode as their first album, only slightly more technical. "The Way To Go" is every bit as good as their first album, and as with that album I cannot understand why they didn't become underground metal heroes. The production is stepped up a bit from the debut as well, being a bit more clear, yet not losing a bit of the aggression. Unlike the band's debut, which was more concerned with speed and aggression, I think the songs begin to have a more immediate hook. Songs like "Godamadog", "Flower Power" and opener "Fine By Me" had me banging my head almost immediately".
Source: No Life 'til Metal

Tracklist: 1. Fine By Me, 2. Inner Self, 3. Skrell, 4. Godamadog, 5. Quest For Fire, 6. Conveyer of Truth, 7. Flower Power, 8. What It Is Worth.
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Equinox @ Myspace

Equinox - Auf Wiedersehen (1989)

My shortlived quest to get my hands on the complete discography of the Norwegian metal band Equinox (1988-94) has come to an end, and starting today with their 1989 debut "Auf Wiedersehen" I'll be sharing all my findings with you all. All of their albums are currently out of print and impossible to buy, and the record company (RCA/BMG) probably never will reissue these albums either. Huge thanks to NXP and TCH for helping me get these treasures!
"After making a very good performance in the Norwegian equivalent of Battle of the Bands in 1988, the band went ahead and played the length of norway for the next five years. Anyone interested in geography and a fair knowledge of Norwegian climate and winter roads will nod knowingly, and mutter "wow, that's impressive". For the rest of you, who couldnt care less, Norway is that long stretch of coastline fending of winter hurricanes for the Swedes, making Swedish climate relatively pleasent, and enabling swedish bands to survive long enough to enter the international arena.
After recording and releasing the latest album (Labyrinth) during the year of the Lillehammer Winter Olympics, surviving band members agreed to take some time off to pursue other, less strenous, interests and to convene at a later stage when climate and times were more relaxed.
The music draws influences form early Metallica, AC/DC, Motorhead, Led Zeppelin, Voivod without making it obvious. Music is written out of what the artist experiences and aquires from his surrounding. The band themselves were always reluctant to ever cathegorize its music, but the term "Progressive Thrash" was probably the most non-committent term that anyone could agree on."
Source: Norwegian Bandindex

"One of the hidden gems of thrash metal without a doubt. I can't imagine why these guys weren't much more well know than they are. In 1989 thrash was all the rage, and certainly "Auf Weidersehen" is a thrash metal assault that would have any denim and leather clad headbanger pumping his fist and moshing around in circles. After a short acoustic intro, from song one to song nine, the intensity never lets up. "Auf Weidersehen" is thrash metal in the purest sense of the word. While the songs are fast and furious, there is also careful attention paid to technical song craft, although not overly technical, and good production. Think on the lines of Believer's "Extraction From Mortality" or Kreator's "Terrible Certainty". The lyrics unfortunately seem to be a bit dark and cliché, although the vocals are sung in such a way that the actual words are not as important as the intensity of the delivery. Overall, as I said, Equinox are one of the hidden gems of the second wave of thrash metal. "Stop!", minus the acoustic intro, was re-recorded as an acoustic track for the band's final album "Labyrinth"."
Source: No Life 'til Metal

Tracklist: 1. Stop!, 2. Auf Wiedersehen, 3. The King, 4. Pharaoh Dance, 5. Violins, 6. The Floating Man, 7. House of Wonders, 8. Realm of Darkness, 9. Dead By Dawn.
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Equinox @ Myspace

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Request: Equinox - Auf Wiedersehen, The Way to Go & Skrell EP

When all other options fail I'm forced to make a request on my own blog; Does anyone out there own the albums Auf Wiedersehen, The Way to Go & Skrell EP by the Norwegian metal band Equinox?
I really need to get at least a digital copy of these! I thought I still had these albums on cassette, but they've gotten lost along the way. So if you have these - and maybe their other two albums - please contact me.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

It was 30 years ago today...

This is an high quality soundboard recording of Thin Lizzy from the Tower Theater in Philadelphia, USA - recorded on this day 30 years ago, September 26th 1977.
The band (Lynott, Gorham, Robertson & Downey) is übertight and the setlist is out of this world, it's like a live version of "Live & Dangerous".

Tracklist: 1. Introduction, 2. Soldier of Fortune, 3. Jailbreak, 4. Johnny the Fox, 5. Warriors, 6. Dancing In the Moonlight, 7. Massacre, 8. Still In Love With You, 9. Cowboy Song, 10. The Boys Are Back In Town, 11. Opium Trail, 12. Don't Believe a Word, 13. Emerald, 14. Bad Reputation, 15. Baby Drives Me Crazy, 16. Me & The Boys, 17. Are You Ready?
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This is the 100th post here on Bruunski Beats - this little blog has come a long way since I started it in April... Enjoy the music!

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Beck - Beck Select, Vol. 3: Dirty Dirty (2007)

"Beck Select, Vol. 3: Dirty Dirty" collects most of the non-album stuff from Beck's Midnite Vultures era, forays into electronica and future disco, Hollywood Freaks style. The collection also includes a few earlier tracks that best fit with the party vibe of this material. An essential, albeit unofficial album for the Beck discography.

Tracklist: 1. Live Intro 15.08.1997 (Edit), 2. Mixed Bizzness (Frequency Lab Remix), 3. Arabian Nights, 4. Boyz, 5. Diamond Dogs, 6. Dirty Dirty, 7. Flavor Remix (Feat. Mike-D), 8. Refresh Myself (Live Interlude), 9. Salt In the Wound, 10. This Is My Crew, 11. Get Real Paid (Feat. The Flaming Lips/Live), 12. Midnite Vultures, 13. Zatyricon, 14. Diamond In the Sleaze, 15. L'Anamour (Feat. Jane Birkin/Live), 16. Vagabond (Feat. Air).

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Official Site / Fan Site / Beck @ MySpace / Beck @ Wikipedia

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - The Bottom Line, NYC, 27.12.1980

Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin on September 22, 1958) is an American rock guitarist, singer, producer and actress. She is best known for her hit single "I Love Rock N' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard charts from March 20 to May 8, 1982, as well as for her other popular recordings including "Crimson and Clover", "Do You Wanna Touch Me", "Light of Day", "I Hate Myself for Loving You", "Little Liar", and "Love is All Around". Jett has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Joan Jett was born in Philadelphia at Lankenau Hospital and grew up there and in Rockville, Maryland, before moving to Los Angeles at the age of 15.
At age 15 Jett ran away from home after receiving a call from her boyfriend, who was sleeping with her mother. She took only a picture of a jukebox with her boyfriend standing beside it. She then helped form The Runaways.
Kim Fowley and Sandy West called her hotel while on the road. Kari Krome (replaced by Micki Steele and later Jackie Fox), Lita Ford, and Cherie Currie completed the line-up. While Currie initially fronted the band, Jett also sang lead vocal, played rhythm guitar and wrote or co-wrote much of the band's material. The band recorded five LPs, with one becoming one of the biggest-selling imports in U.S. and U.K. history. The band toured around the world and some of their opening acts included Cheap Trick, Van Halen, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and The Vanden Dungen band (1977). They found massive success abroad, especially in Japan.
While the Runaways were popular in Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada and even South America, they could not garner the same success in the U.S. It seemed that the United States, and the music press especially, was not ready to take seriously the music of female teenagers who had run away. After Currie and Fox left the band (to be replaced by bassist Vicki Blue, who was then replaced by Laurie McAllister), the band released two more albums: Waitin' for the Night and And Now... The Runaways. Altogether they produced five albums from 1975 until 1979 and disbanded in 1979.
It was around this time that Jett produced The Germs' first and only album (GI).
In the spring of 1979, Jett was in England pursuing a solo career. While there, she cut three songs with ex-Sex Pistols Paul Cook and Steve Jones (one of which was an early version of a cover song called "I Love Rock N' Roll," originally written and performed by The Arrows). Later that year, she moved to Long Beach, New York, and ultimately, Los Angeles, where she reluctantly began fulfilling an obligation by the Runaways to complete a film loosely based on the band's career called We're All Crazee Now!, with three actresses standing in for her departed band members. The plug was pulled on the project halfway through shooting, but in 1984, after Jett had become a major star, producers were looking for a way to make use of the footage from the uncompleted film. Bits of the original movie ended up on the cutting room floor, only to be re-edited in a never commercially-released underground movie called DuBeat-Eo, produced by Alan Sacks. While working on the project, Jett met songwriter and producer Kenny Laguna. They became instant friends and decided to work together.
Jett and Laguna entered The Who’s Ramport Studios with the latter at the helm. Jett's self-titled solo debut was released in Europe. In the United States, the album was rejected by 28 major labels. Jett and Laguna released it independently on their own Blackheart Records label. Laguna remembers, "We couldn't think of anything else to do, but print up records ourselves, and that's how Blackheart Records started. It was more or less Joan's idea to do it ourselves. Jett inadvertently became the first female performer to start her own record label.
With Laguna's assistance, she formed the Blackhearts. Joan placed an ad in the L.A. Weekly "looking for three good men." John Doe of X sat in on bass for the auditions held at S.I.R. studios in Los Angeles. He mentioned a local bass player, Gary Ryan, that had recently been crashing on his couch. Ryan was part of the L.A. punk scene and had played bass with local artists Top Jimmy and Rik L. Rik. He had been a huge fan of the Runaways and Jett for years. Joan recognized him at the audition and he was in. Gary recommended guitarist Eric Ambel, who also at the time part of the Rik L. Rik band. The final addition to the original Blackhearts was drummer Danny "Furious" O'Brien, formerly of the infamous San Francisco band, The Avengers. This line-up played several gigs at the Golden Bear and Whiskey a Go-Go in Hollywood before embarking on their first European tour; which consisted of an extensive tour of Holland and a few key shows in England including the Marquee in London.
Upon returning to the states, Jett, Ryan, and Ambel moved to Long Beach, N.Y. O'Brien stayed behind in England to pursue other interests. Auditions were set up and Lee Crystal, formerly of The Boyfriends, became the new drummer. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts then toured throughout the states and built quite a following in their new "hometown" of New York. Jett and Laguna soon used their personal savings to press up copies of the Bad Reputation album and set up their own system of independent distribution, sometimes selling the albums out of the trunk of their car at the end of each concert. Laguna was unable to keep up with demand for her album. Eventually, old friend and founder of Casablanca Records, Neil Bogart, made a joint venture with Laguna and signed Jett to his new label, Boardwalk Records. After a year of touring and recording, The Blackhearts recorded a new album for the label. During the recording process, Ambel was replaced by local guitarist Ricky Byrd. Eric went on to a successful career as a founding member of the Del-Lords, and later worked as a producer of a wide variety of bands. He currently plays with his band, The Yayhoos, and is Steve Earle's guitar slinger.
With Byrd on guitar, Joan and the Blackhearts recorded their hit album. The new single was a re-recording of the title track, "I Love Rock N' Roll", which in the first half of 1982 was number one on the Billboard charts for seven weeks in a row. It is now Billboard’s #28 song of all time.
A string of Top 40 hits followed, as well as sellout tours with The Police, Queen, and Aerosmith, among others. Jett was the second American act of any kind to perform behind the Iron Curtain, the first one being Blood, Sweat & Tears in Romania in 1969. She was also the first English-speaking rock act to appear in Panama and the Dominican Republic.
After receiving her own MTV New Year's Eve special, Jett beat out a number of contenders to appear in the movie Light of Day with Michael J. Fox. Bruce Springsteen wrote the title song especially for her and her performance was critically acclaimed. It was about this time that Ryan and Crystal left the Blackhearts. They were soon replaced by the powerful rhythm section of Thommy Price and Kasim Sultan. Later that year, Jett released Good Music, which featured appearances by The Beach Boys, The Sugarhill Gang and singer Darlene Love.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts became the first rock band to perform a series of shows at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway, breaking the record at the time for the fastest ticket sell-out ever. Her next release, Up Your Alley, went multi-platinum and was followed by The Hit List, which was an international hit.
Source: Wikipedia

Here's the amazing and beautiful Joan Jett with her Blackhearts in a radio broadcast live from The Bottom Line, New York City , December 27th 1980.

Tracklist: 1. DJ Intro, 2. Intro/Bad Reputation, 3. (I'm Gonna) Run Away, 4. You Don't Know What You've Got, 5. Wait For Me, 6. Too Bad On Your Birthday, 7. Teenage Sex Machine, 8. You're Too Possessive, 9. Wooly Bully, 10. Band Introductions, 11. Black Leather, 12. Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah), 13. Rebel Rebel, 14. Shout, 15. I Love Rock N' Roll, 16. I Love Playin' With Fire.

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Sunday, September 2, 2007

Beck - Beck Select, Vol. 2: Strange Invitation (2002)

"Beck Select, Vol. 2: Strange Invitation" gathers together most of the very best non-album sides from Beck's "Mellow Gold" and "Odelay" era recordings, that weird, grunge rock and folk-infused slacker hip hop so characteristic of the Beck sound. An essential, albeit unofficial album for the Beck discography.
There's one more volume in this series that I don't have - if someone has it please get in touch.

Tracklist: 1. In a Cold Ass Fashion, 2. Diskobox, 3. Clock, 4. Close to God, 5. Alcohol, 6. Thunderpeel, 7. Sleeping Bag, 8. Asskizz Powergrudge (Payback! '94), 9. Erase the Sun, 10. Electric Music & The Summer People, 11. SA-5, 12. Corvette Bummer, 13. Little Drum Machine Boy, 14. Deadweight, 15. Soul Suckin' Jerk (Reject), 16. Girl of My Dreams, 17. Feather In Your Cap, 18. Halo of Gold, 19. Strange Invitation, 20. Brother, 21. Runners Dial Zero.

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Official Site / Fan Site / Beck @ MySpace / Beck @ Wikipedia

Pete Townshend - Lifehouse Chronicles (2000)

The Lifehouse Chronicles is a 6 CD box set released in 2000 by Pete Townshend, and only made available through his website.
The set collects songs and other compositions relating to Lifehouse, a musical concept developed by Townshend in 1970 as a followup to The Who's highly successful rock opera, Tommy. Rooted heavily in the teachings of Townshend's spiritual mentor Meher Baba as well as in science fiction literature, Lifehouse was meant to explore the idea that music is the fundamental basis of all life - that every human being on Earth has a unique musical melody that "describes" them, and only them, perfectly. When the unique songs of enough people are played in unison, the result would be a single harmonic note - the One Note - akin to the quintessence sought by ancient alchemists. Lifehouse was to be a true multimedia project: a double LP rock opera, a motion picture, and an interactive concert experience.
The story was to take place in 21st century Britain, in an age where pollution has become such a drastic problem that most people never set foot outdoors in their life. This populace spends most of their time in "experience suits", devices not unlike those seen in the 1999 film The Matrix. These suits provide the people with artificial lives superior to any they could eke out in the real world, yet devoid somehow of spiritual fulfillment. One discontented soul, known only as "The Hacker", rediscovers 20th century rock and roll music, and breaks into the computer network controlling the suits to invite people to leave their suits and come together for a concert. Despite the best efforts of the fascist government, thousands of people gather at the Hacker's concert, with millions more watching through their suits, as the musicians and audience perform experimental songs like those described above. Just as the police storm in and shoot the Hacker, the audience and band manage to produce the One Note, and everyone participating in and watching the concert simply vanishes, presumably having departed for a higher plane of existence. The story is seen through the eyes of a middle-aged farmer named Ray, an "air-conditioned gypsy" from a remote unpolluted corner of Scotland, who travels south looking for his daughter who has run away to the concert.
A single-disc sampler of this box set, entitled "Lifehouse Elements", is available at most record stores.
Read more HERE

CD1 - Lifehouse Demos: 1. Teenage Wasteland, 2. Going Mobile, 3. Baba O'Riley, 4. Time is Passing, 5. Love Ain't For Keepin', 6. Bargain, 7. Too Much of Anything, 8. Music Must Change, 9. Greyhound Girl, 10. Mary, 11. Behind Blue Eyes, 12. Baba O'Riley (Instrumental), 13. Sister Disco.
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CD2 - Lifehouse Demos Cont.: 1. I Don't Even Know Myself, 2. Put the Money Down, 3. Pure and Easy, 4. Getting in Tune, 5. Let's See Action, 6. Slip Kid, 7. Relay, 8. Who Are You, 9. Join Together, 10. Won't Get Fooled Again, 11. The Song Is Over.
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CD3 - Lifehouse Themes & Experiments: 1. Baba M1 (O'Riley 2nd Movement 1971), 2. Who Are You (Gateway Remix - From Shepherds Bush Empire 1998), 3. Behind Blue Eyes (New version 1999), 4. Baba M2 (2nd Movement Part 1 1971), 5. Pure and Easy (Original Demo Reworked 1999), 6. Vivaldi (Baba M5 on Psychoderelict) with Hame 1999), 7. Who Are You (Live and Uncut at the Shepherds Bush Empire 1998), 8. Hinterland Rag (Piano Rag for Three Hands - Yamaha Disklavier 1999), 9. Pure & Easy (New Version 1999), 10. Can You Help the One You Really Love? (Demo 1999), 11. Won't Get Fooled Again (Live and Uncut at the Shepherd's Bush Empire 1998).
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Some PC users has been having problems with unzipping this file - check the comments for a solution to this issue. Mac users shouldn't have any problems - as usual.

CD4 - Lifehouse Arrangements & Orchestrations: 1. One Note - Prologue, 2. Fantasia Upon One Note [Quick Movement], 3. Baba O'Riley, 4. Sonata K-212, 5. Tragedy, 6. No. 4 Aria, 7. No. 2 Giga, 8. No. 6 In D Minor, 9. No. 3 Adagio and Allegro, 10. Hinterland Rag, 11. Sonata K-213, 12. Overture, 13. Allegro, 14. Air, 15. Rondeau Minnet, 16. Air, 17. Jig, 18. Chaconne, 19. Air, 20. Minuet, 21. Overture [Reprise], 22. Tragedy Explained, 23. One Note - Epilogue, 24. Fantasia Upon One Note.
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CD5 - Lifehouse Radio Play - Part 1: Track 1-10.
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CD6 - Lifehouse Radio Play - Part 2: Track 1-9.
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The Who - From Lifehouse to Leeds (1970)

Early versions recorded at the Record Plant, New York for the aborted Lifehouse project, which then became the material for "Who's Next". For those of you who might have wondered how Pete Townshend's lead style got so mean sounding on "Won't Get Fooled Again", that's Leslie West (Mountain) playing lead on this version. (See liner-notes included on re-release of "Who's Next")
Tracks 7 -10 on this CD were available in unedited form, though in "mediocre mono sound" years before the updated and expanded re-release of "Live At Leeds" which has them all in "pristine stereo". This one's a keeper!

Tracks 1-6: Studio Recordings from The Record Plant, New York.
Tracks 7-10: Soundboard recording from University Refectory, Leeds, UK, Saturday, February 14th 1970.

Tracklist: 1. Pure & Easy, 2. Won't Get Fooled Again, 3. Love Ain't For Keeping, 4. Behind Blue Eyes, 5. Baby Don't Do It, 6. Getting In Tune, 7. Young Man Blues, 8. Happy Jack, 9. I'm a Boy, 10. Shakin' All Over With Spoonful.
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The Who @ Wikipedia / Lifehouse @ Wikipedia

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Ween-O-Rama! - Rarities 1986-2003

In a desperate attempt to make up for the lack of fresh posts, I officially declare today Ween-day here at Bruunski Beats!
Today I'm giving you not one, but all of Ween's four independent cassette releases + the hard to find live albums "All Requests Live" and "Live At Stubb's" - enjoy!
There is actually one more independent release called "Prime 5", but it's just a best of the four others.

From Wikipedia: Ween is an alternative rock group formed in 1984 in New Hope, Pennsylvania when Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo met in an eighth grade typing class. The pair became known as Gene and Dean Ween, respectively. Thousands of home recordings later, Ween collected a large underground fanbase despite being generally unknown in pop music.

The Crucial Squeegie Lip is the first recording by Ween. It was released in 1986 on Bird O' Prey Records. Almost nothing is known about this release, and an original version of the tape is almost impossible to find, considering the record label shut down years ago. Dean and Gene were both 16 at the time of the release of this tape. "You Fucked Up" later reappears as track one on their release GodWeenSatan: The Oneness.

The Crucial Squeegie Lip (1986):
1. Introview, 2. Talk to Me About Erica Glabb, 3. Intro/Nippy Wiffle, 4. Jelly (Part I), 5. Boobtalk, 6. Boobs (Part I), 7. Boobs (Part II), 8. Go!, 9. Stresstabs, 10. Drinktalk, 11. I Drink a Lot, 12. Jessica, 13. Red As Satan, 14. Murphy Flattens His Frustrations, 15. Cowbell, 16. Ingrown Mayo, 17. Duke of Denim, 18. Blow It Out Your Ass, 19. You Fucked Up, 20. TalkthinG, 21. I Drink a Lot (Nice Version), 22. Hey Bullfrog, 23. Smash My Head, 24. (You) Piss Me Off, 25. Justalking, 26. Blue Hair, 27. Sweetness (Parts I & II), 28. The Refrigerator That Wouldn't Close (Live from WTSR/Chris Hoecke vocals), 29. Mindfuck, 30. Livetalk, 31. Boognish, 32. Boobs (Part III), 33. Yolk, 34. Shnagenhausen, 35. We Seen Ween Bean, 36. Everyone’s a Lesbian, 37. Yeah, Sure, 38. Oik, 39. Jelly (Part II), 40. Outroview.
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Axis: Bold As Boognish is a name of a recording by Ween. It was released in 1987. The title is a parody of a Jimi Hendrix album Axis: Bold as Love. Almost nothing is known about this tape and the record label it was released on shut down years ago. The song "Bumblebee" was re-recorded and released on Ween's first real album, GodWeenSatan: The Oneness.

Axis: Bold as Boognish (1987):
1. I'm Killing It (Kill Everything), 2. Tweet Tweet, 3. On the Beach, 4. I Like You, 5. Bumblebee, 6. Emily, 7. David the Negro, 8. The Iron Whore, 9. Sittin' On My Ass (Wanton Nougat), 10. Smoke In My Brain, 11. Anne, 12. Aqua-Ween, 13. She Said, She Said, 14. The Journey Into Dinh, 15. Gene's Lament (Tree Love Theme), 16. Opus 51 Fugue Trilogy In A (Take Me to the Tree): A. Yurtle Swimming/B. The Tree/C. Bertha Gets the Mooshy Mooshy/D. The Kitty and the Squirrel/E. The Departure, 17. One Love For Boognish.
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Erica Peterson's Flaming Crib Death is a tape by Ween released in 1987. It features tracks previously released on Ween's other 2 tapes, and it also features new tracks. Hardly anything else is known about this album.

Erica Peterson's Flaming Crib Death (1987):
1. 1. Go, 2. Oik, 3. Nippy Wiffle, 4. Fat Albert, 5. I Drink a Lot, 6. Boognish, 7. Refrigerator (The Refrigerator That Wouldn't Close), 8. Duke of Denim, 9. Ingrown Mayo, 10. Boob, 11. Jelly, 12. Yolk, 13. Ana, 14. Disco Inferno, 15. Stress Tabs, 16. Shnagenhausen (Dody), 17. We Seen Ween Bean.
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The Live Brain Wedgie/WAD Exerpts is a recording by Ween. It was released in 1988. The first side of this album is a live show, the second is studio tracks. This is considered by some people to be Ween's first album, but it is not. It is their first actual record though. A majority of the records pressed are in possession of Dean Ween, although some copies were sold at concerts and given away to friends. On June 29th, 2007 Deaner placed 30 of the 500 original pressings on ebay, out of spite and "to buy 100 dollar bottles of Red Burgundy and veal cutlets". This is Ween's last known album on Bird O' Pray Records, as it is not known what label Prime 5 was on. Because it is less than 20 minutes long, it could be considered an EP.

The Live Brain Wedgie/WAD Exerpts (1988):
1. You Fucked Up, 2. Jelly, 3. The Refrigerator That Wouldn't Close, 4. I Like You, 5. I Drink a Lot, 6. Nippy Wiffle, 7. In The Node of Golgothia, 8. I Gots a Weasel, 9. Hippie Smell, 10. Stacey, 11. Gladiola Heartbreaker.
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Live at Stubb's, 07/2000 is a live album by the band Ween, released in 2003. It was recorded during two dates in July, 2000. There are three discs of material, including material from all seven studio albums the band had released at that point, three songs not officially released on a previous Ween album, and a Van Halen cover song. The third disc contains only the song "L.M.L.Y.P.".

Live at Stubb's, 07/2000 (2003):
Disc 1: 1. Buckingham Green, 2. Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down), 3. The Stallion Pt. 3, 4. Bananas and Blow, 5. Waving My Dick in the Wind, 6. Mister Richard Smoker, 7. Fat Lenny, 8. Even If You Don't, 9. Voodoo Lady, 10. The HIV Song, 11. Marble Tulip Juicy Tree, 12. Back to Basom, 13. Captain Fantasy, 14. Sketches of Winkle, 15. Mister, Would You Please Help My Pony?, 16. Ocean Man.
Disc 2: 1. Exactly Where I'm At, 2. Booze Me Up and Get Me High, 3. Stroker Ace, 4. A Tear for Eddie, 5. Big Jilm, 6. Little Birdy, 7. Squelch the Weasel, 8. Sorry Charlie, 9. Wayne's Pet Youngin', 10. Hot For Teacher, 11. Ice Castles, 12. She Wanted to Leave, 13. Put the Coke On My Dick, 14. Homo Rainbow.
Disc 3: 1. L.M.L.Y.P.
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All Request Live is the 4th Ween live album and the third to be released on their home record label Chocodog Records. It was released in 2003.
All Request Live features tracks performed live, in-studio by Ween and their touring band as part of a web radio broadcast, playing songs selected by fans on the band's message board. Among the tracks performed are all three officially released parts of "The Stallion" (along with the previously unreleased parts four and five), fan-favorites "Awesome Sound" and "Demon Sweat," a slightly expanded version of the drug-addled skit "Pollo Asado," and a nearly 6 minute long take on the band's infamous rejected Pizza Hut jingle "Where'd the Cheese Go?".

All Request Live (2003):
1. Happy Colored Marbles, 2. The Stallion, Pt. 1, 3. The Stallion, Pt. 2, 4. The Stallion, Pt. 3, 5. The Stallion, Pt. 4, 6. The Stallion, Pt. 5, 7. Demon Sweat, 8. Cover It With Gas and Set It On Fire, 9. Awesome Sound, 10. Cold Blows the Wind, 11. Pollo Asado, 12. Reggaejunkiejew, 13. Tried and True, 14. Mononucleosis, 15. Stay Forever, 16. Where'd the Cheese Go?
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