Tuesday 27 December 2016

THE FEED-BACK






















RCA Italiana 1970

01. The Feed-Back
02. Quasars
03. Kumalo


This record has to be my find of the year (cheer, Al). Almost a Library music supergroup; percussion by Egisto Macchi, an uncredited Ennio Morricone on trumpet, some amazing guitar playing by Bruno Battisti D'Amario and some of the greatest drums I've ever heard by Renzo Restuccia.

Avant garde happenings with supreme beats. Fantastic.

Note: there was a nice 2014 re-issue on Schema.

SPACEMEN 3 - TRANSPARENT RADIATION





















Glass Records 1987

01. Transparent Radiation
02. Ecstasy Symphony
03. Transparent Radiation (Flashback)
04. Things'll Never be the Same
05. Starship


The second 'single' release by Spacemen 3 was a forty minute E.P., a companion to the album 'The Perfect Prescription' and their most ambitious project yet.

Recorded between January and July 1987 at VHF Studios in Rugby. The versions of 'Transparent Radiation' and 'Ecstasy Symphony' are exclusive to this release.









VARIOUS ARTISTS - IN THE LOST QUEENS EYES VOL.5





















01. Hedgehog Pie - Fishing Song
02. Midwinter - Sanctuary Stone
03. Unknown - Vaseh Del Bala Shodi
04. Samba Des Vampires - Sleeping Beauty
05. Ithica - Dreams: Story of Our Time/Beneath This Sky
06. Spirogyra - Love Is a Funny Thing
07. Trader Horne - Morning Way
08. Mark Fry - Dreaming With Alice
09. Ramases - Earth People
10. Extradition - A Love Song
11. Bobby Brown - I Must Be Born
12. Unknown - Unknown
13. Frogmorton - Judas & Mary
14. Can Am Des Puig - Who Can be Muddy
15. Kaleidoscope - The Sky Children

The final installment of the pytch folk series 'In the Lost Queen's Eyes'.

Thank you, Creepy Powers.

Next month, a new series.

Thursday 24 November 2016

SPACEMEN 3 - WALKIN' WITH JESUS





















Glass Records 1986

01. Walkin' with Jesus (Sound of Confusion)
02. Rollercoaster
03. Feel So Good


Okay, so the tracks here aren't rare. However, it's been a long time since the contemporaneous output of Spacemen 3 was presented in it's original form.

This is the debut single, released a few months after the first album.

'Walkin' with Jesus (Sound of Confusion)' was recorded for the debut album, but went unreleased. This is actually a remix of a demo recorded in Northampton the previous year. Other songs from that session make up the posthumous release 'Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs To'.

The two b-sides were recorded in that same studio, shortly after the recording of 'Sound of Confusion'. 'Rollercoaster' is a re-recording of that album track, with less overdubs but an extended length of over seventeen minutes. 'Feel So Good' was a new track, which would be re-recorded for 'The Perfect Prescription' the next year.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - IN THE LOST QUEENS EYES VOL.4






















01. Steeleye Span - Lovely On The Water
02. Agincourt - When I Awoke
03. Extradition - A Woman Song
04. Dharana - On Namo Buddhaya
05. Can Am Des Puig - Favours of the Muse
06. Selda - Gesi Baglari
07. Yoon Yoon Sun - Before You Go
08. Unknown - Devotion
09. Linda Perhacs - Dolphin
10. Unknown - Breuddwyd
11. Saffron - Vision Is a Lonely Word
12. Tim Buckley - Song To the Siren
13. Loudest Whisper - Children of The Dawn
14. Lal & Mike Waterson - Fine Horseman
15. Tony, Caro & John - Swirling Sphere
16. Malicorne - Le Luneux

GURU GURU - U.F.O.






















Ohr 1970

01. Stone In
02. Girl Call
03. Next Time See You At The Dalai Lhama
04. Ufo
05. Der LSD-Marsch

I thought I'd post this classic. Forty minutes of acid drenched stoner space rock, the debut of krautrock heroes Guru Guru.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - IT'S LOST IT'S FOUND 100






















Disc One:

01. Egisto Macchi - Pensée
02. Kraftwerk - Ruckzuck
03. Mike Tingley - Monotony's Message
04. The Manson Family - Is There No One in Your World but You?
05. Bollmann, Zeman, Kappelhoff - Invocationes
06. Mellow Candle - Reverand Sisters
07. Agitation Free - You Play For Us Today?
08. Robbie Basho - Blue Crystal Fire
09. John Fahey - Sligo River Blues (1959)
10. The Children of Sunshine - The Children of Sunshine
11. Dark - Live for Today
12. L.S.D. A Documentary Report - Is this Trip really necessary?
13. Pärson Sound - 10 Minutes


Disc Two:

01. Robert Hermel - Industrie Spatiale
02. Pete Fine - Revelation/Prelude/For Sam
03. Lou Harrison - Pacifika Rondo - In Sequoia's Shade
04. Cold Sun - South Texas
05. Relatively Clean Rivers - Easy Ride
06. Clem Alford - Mirror Image
07.  Älgarnas Trädgård - Rings of Saturn
08. Nicholas Szczepanik - Candour of Night


To signify 100 posts on this blog (actually achieved a while ago), I made of compilation from the first hundred posts. Over two hours of music, on two discs.

Obviously, not every artist is represented, but it's a good sampler.

If you've been coming here a while, there's nothing new, but it makes a nice mixtape.





Monday 31 October 2016

AMON DÜÜL - PSYCHEDELIC UNDERGROUND






















Metronome 1969

01. Ein Wunderschönes Mädchen Träumt Von Sandosa
02. Kaskados Minnelied
03. Mama Düül Und Ihre Sauerkrautband Spielt Auf
04. Im Garten Sandosa
05. Der Garten Sandosa Im Morgentau
06. Bitterlings Verwandlung


Before Amon Düül II became leaders of the Krautrock scene, there was Amon Düül, sometimes referred to as Amon Düül I.

Born out of a political art commune in Munich, Amon Düül were regulars in the underground psychedelic happening scene. All but one of their five albums come from the same improvised session in 1968.

The more ambitious members formed their own group (Amon Düül II) and tried to steer a more traditional band. The albums they produced between 1969 and 1976 are excellent, but I miss the complete free form freakiness of the original commune based band.

Amon Düül II are quite well known now (and therefore have a bigger online presence), so I hope you enjoy this, right from the start of the German underground scene.

JAMES BLACKSHAW - APOLOGIA






















Self Released 2003


01. Grand Canyon Of The Yellowstone
02. Charlie Fang's Blues
03. Soul Sucked Dry
04. Memories Of The Fox Headed Boy
05. Night Time Vineyards
06. Red Rag
07. Apologia, Pt. 1 (For K.P.)


The debut album of James Blackshaw. First released as a handout cdr burned by the artist and given a posh looking reissue on Bladud Flies! in 2014.

Fans will be aware that James Blackshaw announced an "indefinite hiatus" from playing live and a performance in Hastings in August seems to have been his last.

Unfortunately, I never got to see this amazing artist live, but will continue to support his music. Any posts on this blog are out of print.




VARIOUS ARTISTS - IN THE LOST QUEENS EYES VOL.3























01. Tony, Caro & John - Murdoch
02. Dorothy Carter - Visiting Song
03. La La La - When I Walk in the Trees
04. Mark Fry - Roses for Columbus
05. Oberon - Nottanum Town
06. Fresh Maggots - Rosemary Hill
07. Stone Angel - The Bells of Dunwich
08. Catherine Ribeiro - Alpes 1
09. The Folklords - Forty Seconds River
10. Susan Christie - Rainy Day
11. Mellow Candle - Heaven Heath
12. Wooden Horse - Northern Beaches
13. Silver Birch - Flower and Young Man
14. Bridgitte Saint John - Back to Stay
15. Reet Hendrikson - Haanja Miis

Wednesday 28 September 2016

VARIOUS ARTISTS - IN THE LOST QUEENS EYES VOL.2





















Creepy Powers 2011

01. Trader Horne - Jenny May
02. Leslie Duncan - Love Song
03.Third Ear Band -  Fleance
04. Ithica - Questions: Did You Know? / Will We Be Alive
05. Carol of Harvest - Somewhere At The End Of The Rainbow
06. Mellow Candle - Reverand Sisters
07. Pink Floyd - Julia Dream
08. Extradition - A Moon Song
09. Principal Edwards Magic Theatre - Asmoto Celebration
10. Yoon Youn Sun - Starting Tomorrow
11. Susan Christie - Paint a Lady
12. Jean Luc Roudiere - Sweet Caroline
13. Bridget Saint John - It Seems Very Strange

BRAINTICKET - PSYCHONAUT






















Durium 1971

01. From Another Planet
02. Radagacuca
03. One Morning
04. Watchin' You
05. Like A Place In The Sun
06. Feel The Wind Blow
07. Coc'O Mary

The second album from Brainticket. Originally released in Italy and then on the Bellaphon label the year after. Less straight ahead organ grooves and more space rock and ambience.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - SUMMER 2014























01. Krokodil - Stehaufmädchen 1
02. Black Uhuru - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
03. DJ Shadow - Bergschrund
04. Alessandro Alessandroni - Suor Omicidi (Killer Nun) Sequence 4
05. Junlinko - Spell
06. Muddy Waters - Tom Cat
07. The Sound of Feeling - Hurdy Gurdy Man
08. Velvet Crush - White Soul
09. Asteriadh - Paei Ki Auth Kuriakh
10. Macarbre - Be Forwarned
11. Alain Gorageur - Deshominisation (I)
12. PEACE!! - I Have Got No Money
13. Reload - Peschi
14. Bill Wells Octet Vs. Future Pi - No Funerals This Morning
15. Power Mystery - Folks Alone


I completed my summer mixtape last month, I thought I should post it before the Autumn kicks in.



Wednesday 31 August 2016

THE SOUND OF FEELING - SPLEEN





















Limelight 1968


01. Hurdy Gurdy Man
02. Hex
03. Up Into Silence
04. The Time Has Come For Silence
05. Along Came Sam
06. The Sound Of Silence
07. Spleen
08. Mixolydian Mode (From The Microcosmos, Book II)

I came to this intrigued to hear a version of Donovan's 'Hurdy Gurdy Man'. That didn't disappoint. What I wasn't prepared for was forty minutes of prime avant garde psychedelic jazz. A total trip.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - IN THE LOST QUEENS EYES VOL.1





















Creepy Powers 2011

01. The Folklords - Jennifer Lee
02. Steeleye Span - One Night As I Lay In My Bed
03. Asteriadh - Paei Ki Auth Kuriakh
04. Carol Kleyn - Street Song
05. Unknown - Reflections
06. These Trails - Of Broken Links
07. Breakout - Powiedzielismy Juz Wszystko
08. The Trees - Psalm 45
09. Comus - In the Lost Queen's Eyes
10. Tim Hollier - Evening Song
11. Aphrodites Child - The Wedding Of The Lamb
12. Aphrodites Child - The Capture Of The Beast
13. Adagio - All Around
14. Extradition - I Feel the Sun


With the Esoterica Britannica series coming to an end, we set off with another series. 'In the Lost Queens Eyes' is a five part various artists compilation, delving even further into the outer realms and lost woods of psych folk.

This series comes to us courtesy of Creepy Powers, a wonderful (although sadly on hiatus) music blog which has served me some excellent rare cuts and inspiration.

The series will see the year out, so sit back and and listen to the woods.

Psychfolk is a nine letter word!

BRAINTICKET - COTTONWOODHILL






















Hallejuah 1971

01. Black Sand
02. Places of Light
03. Brain Ticket (Part One)
04. Brain Ticket (Part One - Conclusion)
05. Brain Ticket (Part Two)

Dug this out recently...a few of you will know this, some will not. Early and obscure(ish) European mixed Krautrock. The band made a few decent albums, but the title tracks side long trip is the real deal. Check it out.

Tuesday 26 July 2016

EGISTO MACCHI - FUTURISSIMO




St Germain Des Pres 1971

01. Chambre Anachronique
02. Nouvelles Planètes
03. Appel Spatial
04. Moduule Lunaire
05. Capsule en Panne
06. Forme Planétaire
07. Gare Spatiale
08. Extra-Terrestre
09. Limite Extrême
10. Nébuleuses
11. Bande Radioactive

Its nice to see an artist get the reissue treatment they deserve. Cinedelic have recently released 'Biologia Animale E Vegetale'. Hopefully a series will reveal its self soon.

In the meantime, here's 'Futurissimo' from 1971. If you're unfamiliar, check out previous posts.

Otherwise go straight to the best avant garde, sound collage, improvised library music via comments.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - ESOTERICA BRITANNICA VOLUME 8























01. Trembling Bells - Killing Time in London Fields
02. The Gentle Waves - Hangman in the Shadow
03. Flying Saucer Attack - Sally Free and Easy
04. Cath & Phil Tyler - Wether's Skin
05. PJ Harvey - The Devil
06. Aphex Twin - Z Twig
07. Movietone - Sun Drawing
08. James Blackshaw - O True Believers
09. Portishead - Machine Gun
10. Bert Jansch - The Wheel
11. Richard Dawson - Judas Iscariot
12. Slowdive - When the Sun Hits
13. Michael Head & The Strands - Queen Matilda
14. Shirley Collins & Albion Country Band
15. Arab Strap - The First Big Weekend
16. Bill Fay - Omega Day
17. Anne Briggs - The Recruited Collier

The eighth and final volume of Esoterica Britannica, this time curated by Marc Gillen.

The series has proved to be surprisingly popular, thanks to everyone that listened or commented. There will be a new series next month.




THE NIGHTOWL SINGS - 1955






















Treehouse Orchestra Recordings TOR53. 2016.

01. You Can't Take It Back
02. No One Belongs Here More Than You
03. Down Terrace
04. Driven To Dust


The curator of the final Esoterica Britannica is Marc Gillen and this is the latest release by him. I engineered and play on the songs with other TOR members Jill and David helping out. My Wooden Houses partner Al mixed and produced.

I include it because it starts off loner downer folk with field recordings into downer psych. Taking in the Manson Family Jams, sound collage and psych folk. Heavy downer vibe with stoner leanings.

Recorded throughout June and July during sunny evenings.

Follow the Bandcamp link for a free download.






Monday 27 June 2016

CAN - ONLYOU






















Pure Freude 1982


01. Mister Schmidt
02. Machine Dance II
03. Comment: Brain
04. Alone
05. Comment: Commercial
06. Spanish Drive
07. Comment: Axe
08. End Of A Party
09. Comment: Influence
10. Under The Surface
11. Comment: Cheers
12. Only You One
13. Comment: Art
14. Comment: Finger
15. Shall I Get You More
16. Comment: God
17. A Radio Beam
18. Comment: Hands
19. Machine Dance I
20. Howdoyoudooright
21. Comment: Musician
22. The Can Telefon Jingle
23. Only You Two
24. The Master And The Needle
25. Rose
26. Comment: Next LP
27. Harry: The Thief

Shockingly rare Can now. Originally released in 1982 by Pure Freude on cassette and also as a limited edition tin can containing several tape reels. That was limited to 100 copies.

This was recorded at Inner Space in 1976, but it's not classic Can; this is avant garde collage. Studio chatter, noise, things being hit...the sound of Can pottering in their studio.

A nice re-issue appeared on the Sub Sonum label in 2007. That edition was also limited to 100 copies.

ESOTERICA BRITANNICA VOLUME SEVEN





















01. Current 93 - Red Hawthorne Tree
02. Richard Youngs - Soon it Will Be Fire
03. Mick Harris & Martyn Bates - The Cruel Mother
04. *AR - Wolfhou
05. Coil - Remote Viewing 5

Curated by Jeremy Bye.














--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And for those of you who wanted to know...

Esoterica Britannica Volume 5 - "They Are In The Room With Us Now"

Curated by David Thompson.

01. The Advisory Circle - Logotone 1: Decisions
02. The Advisory Circle - Wheel of the Year
03. Belbury Poly - Green Grass Grows
04. The Focus Group - Fruminous Numinous
05. Pye Corner Audio - A Door in the Dry Ice
06. Belbury Poly - The Willows
07. The Focus Group - Hey Let Loose Your Love
08. The Advisory Circle - Sundial
09. Mount Vernon Arts Lab - The Black Drop
10. Belbury Poly - Rattler's Hey
11. Pye Corner Audio - Nostalgia Pills
12. The Focus Group - Through the Green Lens
13. Roj - Inhale, Exhale, Love!
14. Belbury Poly - Clockwork Horoscope
15. Mount Vernon Arts Lab - The Submariner's Song
16. Eric Zann - Threshold
17. Belbury Poly - The Moonlawn
18. The Focus Group - The Bohm Site
19. Pye Corner Audio - Chlorine
20. Belbury Poly - Swingalong
21. The Advisory Circle - Mind How You Go Now
22. The Focus Group - Popping Art
23. Roj - They are in the Room with Us Now
24. Belbury Poly - The Hidden Door

PINK FLOYD - THE BERNARD WHITE TAPES VOL.2





















01. Reaction in G
02. Pow R. Toc H
03. Scream Thy Last Scream
04. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
05. Interstellar Overdrive
       - Live in Rotterdam, 13th of November 1967.

06. See Emily Play - Acetate #1
07. Scream Thy Last Scream - Mono Single Mix
08. Vegetable Man - Mono Single Mix
09. Roger Waters Interview 10/09/67
10. Vegetable Man - Alternate Mix
11. Vegetable Man Jam
12. Beechwoods
13. Green Onions - From 'Tomorrow's World'
14. Improvisation - From 'Tomorrow's World'

Tuesday 31 May 2016

THE KINKS - FOUR MORE RESPECTED GENTLEMEN





















Unreleased 1968.


01. She's Got Everything
02. Monica
03. Mr. Songbird
04. Johnny Thunder
05. Polly
06. Days
07. Animal Farm
08. Berkeley Mews
09. Picture Book
10. Phenomenal Cat
11. Misty Water


The famous American album that was never released. Reprise; the Kinks label in the U.S., was growing concerned about the lack of output in 1968. They requested enough tracks from Pye to release a new album. Ray Davies blocked its release, he wanted enough time to finish what he knew was going to be an important album and have that same record released simultaneously at home and in the states.

'The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society' is a far superior album to 'Four More Respected Gentlemen', but it's a fun alternative.

For Kinks fans and alternate album mixtape makers.

WE ARE THE WOODEN HOUSES & LORÉN CLARE - (UNEXPECTED)





















Treehouse Orchestra Recordings 2016

01. Standing Still/Departure and Arrival
02. Spine Fin/The Carcass
03. The Brown G/Out of the Woods
04. Slow/Burn
05. Death and Horses/Ashes and Passion


It's been almost nine months since the last TOR release; the last few months have seen new methods, new sounds and new collaborations.

The first of these collaborations to be released is '(unexpected)' by We Are the Wooden Houses & Lorén Clare.

The beginnings of this set began last August. The first of three improvised sessions provided the bulk of the material; after discussing performing and recording, Lorén and I decided to improvise some music and put it to tape. Autoharp, Bass, Percussion and various effects were used and a date was set for further sonic explorations. The next session saw the recording of a performed sound collage and the final session more autoharp and percussion recordings.

The week after these sessions had been concluded, the next project began. 

Not wanting to postpone inspiration, the sessions with Lorén were put to one side as further recording began.

Al revisited these tracks a few weeks after the initial sessions and began re-sculpting and re-composing.

In January, Al and I decided to have a final improvised session for additional sounds. This was performed with shamisen, violin and effects.

The hazy sounds of the evening weave in and out of new ambient soundscapes created by Al from sounds on the recording, distorted and effected beyond recognition. The sound veers between live improvisation and drones created from the ambiance with some tracks being wholly created from heavily treated samples.


It took Al a few months, on and off, to conclude the reconstruction of these recordings, ensuring this spook folk, ambient, found sound and avant garde project made sense; to ensure this trip had the right trajectory.

The artwork also demanded patience and experimentation to get right. I had initially met with Lorén for a photo shoot, and some of the images from that day are featured in the artwork. An extremely limited box set edition is also accompanied by a set of ten prints of photographs taken by myself and Al throughout 2015 and 2016. In this special edition, the tracks are spread over three 3" compact discs and are housed in a wooden box. The regular edition comes in a jewel case with two randomly picked images from the set of ten.


As always, there is a free download and limited physical copies for purchase over at Bandcamp.




OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL - BLACK FOLIAGE: ANIMATION MUSIC VOLUME ONE






















Flydaddy Records 1999


1 Opening
2 A Familiar Noise Called "Train Director"
3 Combinations
4 Hideway
5 Black Foliage: Animation 1
6 Combinations
7 The Sky Is A Harpsichord Canvas
8 A Sleepy Company
9 Grass Canons
10 A New Day
11 Combinations
12 Black Foliage: Animation 2
13 I Have Been Floated
14 Paranormal Echoes
15 Black Foliage: Animation 3
16 A Place We Have Been To
17 Black Foliage (Itself)
18 The Sylvan Screen
19 The Bark And Below It
20 Black Foliage: Animation 4
21 California Demise 3
22 Looking For Quiet Seeds
23 Combinations
24 Mystery
25 Another Set Of Bees In The Museum
26 Black Foliage: Animation 5
27 Hilltop Procession (Momentum Gaining)


The second album from Olivia, 1999. This record is darker and more complex than the first.

P.S. For those missing Can and/or Esoterica Britannica, both will return next month.

Friday 29 April 2016

THE OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL - MUSIC FROM THE UNREALIZED FILM SCRIPT "DUSK AT CUBIST CASTLE"





















The Blue Rose Record Company 1996


01. The Opera House
02. Frosted Ambassador
03. Jumpng Fences
04. Define A Transparent Dream
05. No Growing (Exegesis)
06. Holiday Surprise 1, 2, 3
07. Courtyard
08. Memories Of Jacqueline 1906
09. Tropical Bells
10. Can You Come Down With Us?
11. Marking Time
12. Green Typewriters
13. Green Typewriters
14. Green Typewriters
15. Green Typewriters
16. Green Typewriters
17. Green Typewriters
18. Green Typewriters
19. Green Typewriters
20. Green Typewriters
21. Green Typewriters
22. Spring Succeeds
23. Theme For A Very Delicious Grand Piano
24. I Can Smell The Leaves
25. Dusk At Cubist Castle
26. The Gravity Car
27. NYC -25

I was recently discussing with a friend new posts for this blog. He suggested what we were listening to at that moment. He argued that at 20 years old, it still didn't get the recognition it deserved and was very rarely mentioned.

This really is one of my favourite albums; sunshine pop next to avant garde collage, psych next to field recordings. It's absolutely wonderful.

If you know and love this album, put it on again, if not enjoy, and explore the world of Elephant 6.

ESOTERICA BRITANNICA VOLUME SIX






















01. Plinth - St. Lucia's Day
02. Gravenhurst - Fog Around the Figurehead
03. One More Grain - Northern
04. Hood - Fading Hills
05. Piano Magic - I Am the Sub-Librarian
06. Jade - Fly On Strangewings
07. Spirogyra - Love is a Funny Thing
08. Bibio - Lovers' Carvings
09. Demdike Stare - Eulogy
10. Mordant Music - Another Uncompleted Drone
11. Third Eye Foundation - An Even Harder Shade of Dark
12. Chris Watson - Sumor


Volume Six was curated by Jeremy Bye.

CAN - RARE THREE



















01. Agilok & Blubbo
02. Paperhouse
03. Return
04. Malcolm's Blues
05. I'm So Green
06. Melting Away
07. I'm Hiding My Nightingale
08. Entropy
09. Silent Night


The third and final of my own rare Can compilations.

'Agilok & Blubbo' was the title track of a 1968 film and a 7" single. Credited to The Inner Space.

'Paperhouse' was recorded live for the 'Beat Club' television program.

'Return' was the B-Side of 1977 single 'Don't Say No'

'Malcolm's Blues' and 'Melting Away' are 1968 recordings from SchloB Norevnich.

'I'm So Green' was a 1972 single b/w 'Mushroom'.

'I'm Hiding My Nightingale' was from the 'Kamasutra' soundtrack and the B-Side to the title track for a 7" single in 1969.

'Entropy' was recorded live in Berlin, 1971.

'Silent Night' was a 1976 single.

Wednesday 30 March 2016

CAN - RARE TWO





















01. Tago Throwaway
02. Doko E

'Tako Throwaway' is exactly that; an unedited piece of tape from the 'Tago Mago' sessions, 1971.

'Doko E' is an unedited studio recording by 'Future Days' era Can, 1973.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - ESOTERICA BRITANNICA VOLUME 4: "O SLEEPER OF THE LAND OF SHADOWS, WAKE!"






















01. Anne Briggs - The Cuckoo
02. The Advisory Circle - And the Cuckoo Comes
03. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
04. Bread, Love & Dreams - Brother John
05. Pentangle - Lord Franklin
06. Brian Eno - Tal Coat
07. Julian Cope - O King of Chaos
08. Donovan - Sand and Foam
09. Sweeney's Men - The Pipe on the Hob
10. Tim Hart & Maddy Prior - False Knight on the Road
11. Albion Country Band - I Was a Young Man
12. Pye Corner Audio with The Advisory Circle - Cloud Control
13. Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Starmoonsun
14. Sallyangie - Midsummer Night's Happening
15. Syd Barrett - Dark Globe
16. Trembling Bells - I listed All of the Velvet Lessons
17. Focus Group - Hob's Rumble
18. Bridget St. John - Fly High
19. Damon Albarn - The Marvellous Dream
20. Bill Fay - Sing Us One of Your Songs Mate
21. The Incredible String Band - The Half Remarkable Question
22. The Advisory Circle - As the Crow Flies
23. The Beatles - Can You Take Me Back?


PINK FLOYD - THE BERNARD WHITE TAPES VOL.1





















01 Reaction In G
02. Arnold Layne
03. One in a Million
04. Matilda Mother
05. Scream Thy Last Scream
06. Astronomy Domine
       - Live in Copenhagen, September 1967

07. Let's Roll Another One - Rehearsal
08. Matilda Mother - Granada Television
09. Interstellar Overdrive - Granada Television
10. CBC Radio Interview

If you like Syd Barrett and/or early Pink Floyd, get this.

Monday 29 February 2016

CAN - RARE ONE





















01. Im Calcutta
02. Upduff's Birth
03. Shikako Maru Ten
04. Kamasutra
05. Little Star of Bethlehem
06. Turtles Have Short Legs
07. Theif'
08. Kamerasong

Recently I've been having a right faff around and sort out of music. The joy of going through Can bootlegs. I decided to compile down my favourite unreleased and obscure stuff. Can heads probably have it all, but it's nicely compiled. Taking my cue from 'The Lost Tapes', it's non chronological and mixes up the various vocalist and instrumental periods of Can.

This is the first of three volumes.

'Upduff's Birth' is the unedited version of 'Mother Upduff from 'Unlimited Edition'. Recorded May 1969.
.
'Shikako Maru Ten' was the b-side of the 'Spoon' 7", released in 1971.

'Kamasutra' was a 1969 single credited to The Inner Space. From the movie of the same name. 'Im Calcutta' is taken from the same sessions.

'Little Star of Bethlehem' is a 1971 Schloss Norvenich studio recording.

'Turtles Have Short Legs' was a 'Tago Mago' era single from 1971.

'Theif' is the same take as the version on 'Monster Movie', but a longer edit.

'Kamerasong' is the b-side to 'Agilok & Blubbo'. The A-side being the title song of a movie. Recorded in 1968, credited to The Inner Space & Rosy Rosy.


ROBBIE BASHO - BOUQUET





















Basho Productions 1983 / Grass Tops Recordings 2016


01 The Golden Medallion
02 Kahlil Gibran
03 The White Swallow
04 The Polish Rider
05 El Cid
06 Lightning Thunder
07 Land of Our Fathers
08 Tears of Teresa
09 Blues from Lebanon
10 The Song of Leila
11 The White Princess

Bonus Tracks:

12 Lightning Thunder - Alternate Take
13 The White Swallow - Solo Vocal
14 Omar Khayyam Country
15 The White Princess - Alternate Take


This is a re-issue of one of my favourite Basho albums and I featured it in my first ever post (way back in June 2012). At the time, I only had a very distorted and wobbly cassette rip.

Grass Tops have been doing a wonderful job in the last couple of years re-issuing these albums. The sound, packaging and extra materials have all been excellent. The care, love and attention obviously coming from real fans. It's a shame to see that legal issues have got in the way of the physical release of their last two Basho projects.

Once it was announced that there was to be no release of this album, it was offered as a free download which has unfortunately also been removed.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - ESOTERICA BRITANNICA VOLUME 3: ON THE GROUND, SLEEP SOUND






















01. London Symphony Orchestra - On the Ground, Sleep Sound
02. Lindisfarne - Lady Eleanor
03. Magnet & Paul Giovanni - Willow's Song
04. Boards of Canada - Rue the Whirl
05. Eccentronic Research Council - Another Witch Is Dead
06. Gryphon - The Ploughboy's Dream
07. Julian Cope - Poet Is Priest
08. Paddy Kingsland - The Changes (Suite)
09. Kate Bush - Sat In Your Lap
10. The Free Design - An Elegy
11. Davy Graham - Sunset Eyes
12. Fotheringay - The Sea
13. The Jam - Tales from the Riverbank
14. Meic Stevens - Yorric
15. Cocteau Twins - Oomingmak
16. Focus Group - Salty Sun Tales
17. Comus - Song To Comus

Sunday 31 January 2016

VARIOUS ARTISTS - ESOTERICA BRITANNICA VOLUME 2: I KNOW A BANK WHERE THE WILD THYME GROWS






















01. XTC - River of Orchids
02. Kate Bush - Oh England My Lionheart
03. Genesis - I know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)
04. Aphex Twin - Xtal
05. Talk Talk - Runeii
06. Forest - Graveyard
07. Gorffenwyd - Y Cynllwyn (The Conspiracy)
08. Dr Strangely Strange - Dark Haired Lady
09. Water Into Wine Band - Harvest Time
10. Mark Fry - The Witch
11. C.O.B. - Music of the Ages
12. Robyn Hitchcock - Trams of Old London
13. Keith Christmas - Forest and the Shore
14. Nick Drake - Pink Moon
15. Dando Shaft - Coming Home to Me
16. Bill Fay - 'Til the Christ Come Back
17. Focus Group - We are All Pan's People
18. The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever


PINK FLOYD - 1965





















Parlophone 2015

01. Lucy Leave
02. Double O Bo
03. Remember Me
04. Walk With Me Sydney
05. Butterfly
06. I'm a King Bee

This is an official release from a couple of months back and it would appear its purpose is to keep these songs in copyright.

Limited to a double 7" of 1,050 copies, it's the first official release of these recordings. The band consists of Barrett, Mason, Waters and Wright with additional guitar by Rado Klose and back up vocals on 'Walk With Me Sydney' by Juliette Gale.

Even at this early stage, Syd sounds completely unique. The band haven't found their original, psychedelic sound yet, but they already stand out from their R 'n' B contemporaries in London.

HARVESTER - HEMÅT





















Decibel Records 1969

01. När Lingonen Mognar
02. Kristallen Den Fina
03. Kuk-Polska
04. Nepal Boogie
05. Everybody (Needs Someone To Love)
06. Bacon Tomorrow
07. Och Solen Går Upp

Bonus Track:

08. Hemåt


Following on from last months International Harvester post, here's 'Hemåt' by the abbreviated Harvester. More ace far out commune psych rock from Sweden. The 2001 re-issue on the Silence label added the excellent title track as a bonus.