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| Walker Brothers - Portrait
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(Philips SBL.7732 UK-66 VG+ 350:-)
It's magnificent. From the opening heartbreak track, 'In My Room' to the final 'Mrs Murphy', you cannot fail to be mesmerised by the blend of John and Scott Walker's voices.
Scott has the mellow maturity of a much more experienced singer, handling complex lyrics and melodies easily. If you want purity, 'Summertime' which is incredibly fragile in its presentation, is the most perfect blend of two voices anyone could wish to listen to. The breakup of this trio and the fact Scott Walker no longer records is one of the great losses to the music world.
Comes with the portrait insert.
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| Van Halen - For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
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(Warner Bros 7599-26594-1 EU-91 VG+ 800:-)
Van Halen formed in Pasadena, California in 1974 by Dutch brothers Eddie and Alex Van Halen. From 1974 until 1985, the band consisted of the Van Halens (guitar and drums, respectively); vocalist David Lee Roth; and bassist/vocalist Michael Anthony. In 1985, Roth left the band to embark on a solo career and was replaced by former Montrose lead vocalist Sammy Hagar.
"For Unknown Carnal Knowledge" was the third release Sammy Hagar performed on. Fighting against censorship with the "subtle" acronym title, this in-your-face album spawned hits and marks a must-have moment in the lifespan of a great rock band.
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| Watt, Mike - Ball-Hog Or Tugboat?
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(Columbia C2-66464 US-95 VG+ 400:-)
Michael David Watt is an American bassist, singer and songwriter - co-founder of the rock bands Minutemen, Dos, and fIREHOSE.
This is a mid-90s classic. Those who are making it nowadays in rock and pop cannot match that eras experimentalism, creativity, quirkiness, humor, freshness. Cynicism, rage, and sensuality have now poisoned the hearts of youth. This is when rock was still fun.
US pressing on BLUE vinyl.
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| Velez, Martha - Friends & Angels
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(London SHK-8395 UK-69 VG+ 500:-)
Badass work from Martha Velez – a rock singer at the core, but one with some plenty soulful touches!
The album's a UK effort with help from a host of top-shelf talents at the time – but the groove is pretty gritty, and almost has that key rock/funk crossover mode that female singers were hitting in the US. The drums are nice and heavy on some cuts, and the album sports organ from Brian Auger, guitar from Eric Clapton, and heavy bass from Jack Bruce.
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| Velvet Underground - Pop History, vol XIX
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(Polydor 2625.019 Ger-72 VG+ 375:-)
The Velvet Underground were easily one of the greatest rock bands of the 1960s, though unlike the Beatles or the Stones they labored in relative obscurity. They weren't just ahead of the times, they helped create the future of rock music with their mix of primitive rock 'n' roll, complex avant-garde leanings, downtown narratives, and pure pop songcraft.
1972 German compilation, part of the "Pop History" series.
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| White & Gavin Bryars, John - Machine Music
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(Obscure OBS-8 UK-78 VG+ 500:-)
Not machine music, but instead some wonderful work from the early years of Brian Eno's Obscure Records label!
Side one features a variety of sounds from composer John White – one piece with four Jew's harps, one with five bottles, one with two pianos, and one with tuba, bassoon, bass, metronome, and percussion!
Side two features the long "The Squirrel & The Ricketty Racketty Bridge", a great early piece by Gavin Bryars, performed with Derek Bailey on steel acoustic guitar, Fried Frith on double-headed electric guitars, Bryars on concert guitars, and Brian Eno on electric guitars!
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| Who - Quadrophenia
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(Track MCA2-10004 US-73 VG+ 400:-)
"Quadrophenia" represents The Who at their peak from all perspectives – songwriting, performance, and even studio presence – as the album's got a sonic sensibility that few other albums of the time can match!
The set's a concept record – a story, like "Tommy" – yet it remains incredibly lean, without any overcluttered rock opera feel – so much so that most tunes stand mightily on their own, but also have a dense sense of texture when taken together as part of the double-length album.
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| Who - Sell Out
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(Track 613.002 UK-67 VG+ 1000:-)
An incredible album – and one of the most revolutionary rock albums of the late 60s!
The Who recorded this one as a tribute to mainstream radio at the time – linking together some solid stand alone tunes with shorter, wittier tracks that were recorded as commercials for products that included baked beans, acne cream, and deodorant – as well as cool announcer bits too! The end result is one of the most sonically complex records issued by a mainstream rock act of the time – sort of like The Who said "yeah, everyone's trying to copy Sgt Peppers with big arrangements, but we'll take this concept album thing in a whole new direction!". Brilliant all the way through!
No poster, though...
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| Wild Turkey - Turkey
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(Chrysalis CHR-1010 UK-72 VG+ 375:-)
After playing for Jethro Tull from 1967 to 1970, bassist Glenn Cornick left the band and formed Wild Turkey. Unhappy with Roger Bain's production on their first album, Cornick took over the reins for this one himself, and the result is a much brighter sound, and a series of tight and punchy songs rich in melodic ideas, thoughtful literate lyrics - and some great individual and collective performances.
Lead guitarist Alan 'Tweke' Lewis continues to astonish throughout, while Cornick's bass playing (and potential songwriting input) was evidently Tull's loss. Often lingering on themes of times lost, or remembered, there isn't a bad track on this album, and it stands head and shoulders above most of what was coming out of the rock genre in 1972.
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| Wray, Link - Link Wray
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(Polydor 24-4064 US-71 VG+ 800:-)
A weird and wild little record -- and one that came as quite a surprise to folks who'd previously known Link Wray as the king of the raunchy guitar instrumental in the 60s!
Here, Link sings as well as plays -- working in his legendary Three Track Shack, which was located in Maryland, but has a vibe that feels like it came right out of the Louisiana swamps! The style of the music follows suit -- almost as if Link saw folks like Tony Joe White, Bobby Charles, and some of their contemporaries -- and tried to find his unique take on the raunchy blend of roots rock, country, and maybe some occasional funky currents.
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| Wyatt, Robert - Ruth is Stranger than Richard
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(Virgin V-2034 UK-75 VG+ 500:-)
A great little record, and one of Robert Wyatt's best! The album was cut after his years with Soft Machine and Matching Mole, and is a perfect blend of Wyatt's earlier jazz-tinged work with his newer interest in electronics, spacey pop, and madly clever lyricism!
The record is at once thoroughly groundbreaking and endlessly charming – one of the best moments in the British experimental rock scene of the 70s – and still easily one of the greatest albums that Robert ever cut. Fred Frith co-wrote some of the tunes!
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