Saturday, September 19, 2009

The GUESS WHO (Canada)


IT'S TIME
-LP
1966 (Quality)


Re-Up!


"This album holds as one of the best ever garage albums because vocally and instrumentally the Guess Who were way ahead of the pack." - Jason


"Canadians are not waving a big flag about their own bands and how great they are, as does London, England. Everybody's looking for the latest thing in London, Seattle, or Athens, Georgia. That never happened with Canada. So when a Canadian band came out, it was pretty much a well kept secret." - Randy Bachman


"Before the Guess Who became one of the top album rock acts of the '70s, they were a darn good British Invasion-influenced garage band...Chad Allan and Randy Bachman wrote strong melodies, and the band usually sounds inspired and full of verve. They would have been a fun band to see live, sure to have the kids on the dancefloor...The third album, It's Time, is the most successful as the band welcomed Burton Cummings into the band and toughened up their sound considerably, drawing more from garage rock than the British Invasion. " - Tim Sendra



"There is no doubt that It’s Time was the best album from the early Guess Who. This 1966 LP was the first Guess Who record to feature the wild Burton Cummings. It’s Time was the third Guess Who album in 3 years, featuring mostly original/self-penned group compositions.

The album featured a nice balance of personalities: the original band leader Chad Allen, who favored a moody beat style tempered by a rough, hard edge Rolling Stones-influenced Burton Cummings (future band leader along with Randy Bachman and vocalist on American Woman). Special praise must go to Randy Bachman as well: he conjures a very dirty, fuzzy guitar tone throughout the record. Every song on this album is well-crafted and one can hear the clear influence of the Who, beat era Kinks, Rolling Stones, Zombies, and Byrds. Songs like "Clock On The Wall", "Believe Me" and "Don’t Act So Bad" are a long way from Guess Who radio classics These Eyes, Laughing, No Time, and Share The Land. "Clock On The Wall" is the killer undisputed classic on this record. At the time, Neil Young made special note of this single for it’s dramatic Cummings’ vocals and heavily reverbed guitars. "Believe Me" is also an excellent piece of Kinks-style garage grunge with some interesting keyboard work. Cummings’ vocals come thru again with the Animals-influenced "Seven Long Years" and the raunchy Pretty Things-like "Don’t Act So Bad". Chad Allen really shines on the acoustic beat downer "Guess I’ll Find A Place" while the Bachman-penned "And She’s Mine" has an appealing rural folk-rock Byrds feel. And while the album cannot hide its influences, It’s Time really is a classic piece of Canadian rock music." - Jason


Chad Allan (vocals, rhythm guitar)
Randy Bachman (lead guitar)
Burton Cummings (vocals,Keyboards)
Jim Kale (bass)
Gary Peterson (drums)



Tracklist:
1 Alright
2 And She's Mine
3 As
4 You Know He Did
5 Baby Feelin'
6 Clock On The Wall
7 Don't Act So Bad
8 Believe Me
9 Seven Long Years
10 One Day
11 Gonna Search
12 Guess I'll Find A Place

Download (192 kbs, 60 mb)

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

POPPERS Vol.2 (1976-78) - V/A


POPPERS Vol.2
(1976-1978)


2009 (bootleg)



Second volume in the 8 disc set, which is a direct response to the Borack 200 list of essential PowerPop albums.

The result is a mishmash, of obvious heavy hitters and no-hit wonders, from the days when it *all* was considered punk.



Tracklist:
01 Pointed Sticks - What Do You Want Me To Do?
02 The Saints - This Perfect Day
03 Tuff Darts - (Your Love Is Like) Nuclear Waste
04 The Real Kids - All Kindsa Girls
05 Jilted John - Jilted John
06 The Doll - Trash
07 Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action
08 Wreckless Eric - Whole Wide World
09 Iggy Pop - Lust For Life
10 The Numbers - Sunset Strip
11 The Boyfriends - I Don't Want Nobody
12 Johnny Thunders - You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory
13 The Depressions - Career Girl
14 Magazine - Shot by Both Sides
15 Blondie - X-Offender
16 Bizarros - Laser Boys
17 The Buzzcocks - I Don't Mind
18 Ramones - Swallow My Pride
19 Klark Kent - Don't Care
20 Richard Hell & The Voidoids - Betrayal Takes Two
21 The Flys - Can I Crash Here?


Download

The RAZORBACKS (Canada)

GO TO TOWN
-LP
1988 (Other People's Music)


Re-Up!


"I purchased this album originally in 1988, and loved it. I lost it for a time and rediscovered the album and the band and can't speak more highly of this album. From the first track to the last, it was what a good solid rockabilly album should be. Full of a strong beat, great guitar work, and lyrics that seem to speak to the listener and tell a great story. Whether that story is true or just a great rock and roll lie... who cares. The album is a must for fans of the Stray Cats, Buddy Holly, or any one who love pure rock and roll. Roll up your jeans, grease back your hair, grab you best girl and dance like mad, and the hold her real close for the slow songs. Have some fun...
Go To Town." - Mike Brown (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)


Tonny Kenny : vocals / guitars
Jail House Joe : bass
Don Decouchay : drums
Chris Spedding :guitars / piano

produced by : Chris Spedding


TRACKLIST:
It's Saturday Night
Well, I Knocked I And Knocked
Talk To You
Long Rolling Nights
Lower Beverly
I Can't Keep My Baby In Shoes
So Much Fun
All I Need
Calling My Name
Scariest Night Of My Life
Razorback Boogie


Download (128 kbs, 35 Mb)



Saturday, September 5, 2009

PRAE-KRAUT KINDERGARTEN - V/A

PRAE-KRAUT KINDERGARTEN

-Bootleg




"YOU COULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT IF YOU KNEW WHAT YOU WERE DOING."



Gritty, Old World 60's garagepunk, served up by reservatory !


Liner Notes:

THE STARFIGHTERS "I Like Trouble" should be the official compiler's anthem, 'cause that's what you'll get sooner or later. This one's a private pressing, probably by the same band that had the fine "Lost John" on Bellaphon.

THE SLAVES The mighty Slaves give us some of the most violent Bo Diddley ever. Paul and Hannes Fischer, Herbert Radakovic, Charlie Ratzer from Switzerland and Austria respectively and German-born Heinrich Behrends on bass. Their 3 singles, issued simultaneously in '66 by Philips in Switzerland and Austria, are among the all-time greats of European 60's R&B. They disappeared following a Swiss drug bust.

THE SKINS Loud, proud and primitive. In 1966 CBS recorded the "Beat Contest of the City of Frankfurt" and released one of the few real live LPs (most others had fake applause). If you've ever heard how The Skins shredded The Kinks' "I Need You" (in spite of the heavy riff, a love song after all) you'll know what a Rock'n'Roll suicide is. They probably took hostages. By the end of the year they had the LP "Beat Party Nr. 4" out on that label (actually a split LP with The Black Points). Among ultra heavy covers of songs you know from The Troggs, The Pretties and The Small Faces, we've found "What To Do", which seems to be an original and The Skins' idea of a ballad.

THE RHYTHM CHECKERS From the zonal fringeland of Alsace. Members of this truly European outfit hailed from Germany, France and Holland. "On Your Way Down The Drain" covers The King Bees from New York City.

THE RED DEVILS They may be the same outfit that recorded for a Swiss label. "Little By Little" is a cover, not the Stones number, but a nearly brutal interpretation of The Pickwicks' final effort.

THE RAGGED MEN This fuzzy stomper on the flip of a decent version of "Take This Hammer" is the finest moment of ... er... well, this single on the Patria label seems to be sole artifact of the Ragged Men. Philosophical views (peeps?) at topic No. 1 lead to the conclusion, "I want new lovers here of the careless kind". Yeah, man, those were the days before safer sex.

THE CANDIDATES While most of Germans bands, trying to keep up with every new trend, developed a strange variety of styles without ever finding their own, The Candidates were strictly R&B. Pretty good at that, but unfortunately a lazy bunch, they never tortured their brains writing original material. Good taste anyway, as the Pretty Things, Rolling Stones and the very popular (in Germany) Renegades obviously were their heroes. In '66 they recorded an LP for budget label Baccarola. "Bad Bad Baby", the continental B-side of the exiled UK-Renegades' greatest hit "Cadillac", gets a great face lift here. A cover version, admittedly, but one that doesn't show up on every second compilation.

THE BATS, another of the early Hamburg bands, came together in '61. They went through the usual Star Club routine, but recorded mainly for Polydor after a quarrel with the Club’s owner Weißleder. While most of their records don’t show the group’s true potential, their 7” on Wam, “Got A Girl”, is a German garage classic. Unlike other 2nd division entries, they stayed active, still gigging in the 90’s. In '81 they issued an LP of unreleased late 60’s/early 70’s recordings on their own Summer label LP.

THE SHAGGYS Ah, the band that started it all! It was the irresistible charm of kindergarten bands like Rene & The 10 Less 5, Ric & The Skyliners, Magic Herbs and Wildcats that pushed us to share the results of our vinyl archaeology with the rest of the world. The Shaggys' first 7" was always top of the bill. Rumours of a second single gave us quite a hard time until we finally tracked it down. Like The Ragged Men's record, it came out on Patria, formerly known as the R&B label. (R&B stands for whatever you like, but definitely not Rhythm and Blues)."I'm Shy" features the immortal line, "You know it's hard to say, because I'm many shy". How can they say there's no German sense of humor?

THE PARTY BROTHERS "Our Love Is Gone" was the a-side of their sole 45, but listen to the sick croaking on "Every Night" and you see why we love the flip even more.

THE ROBOTS When Polydor dropped The Robots after one flopped single, they picked up the pieces, recorded the comparatively heavier "Soldier Beat" and released it on the totally unknown Ursus label, to the same result. And most likely that was it for The Robots, but as this second sign of life comes as a big surprise to those who thought they knew all about obscure 60's plastic (i.e. us)..., who knows?

TIME OUT Their claim to fame was a 7" for Hansa for which the company advertised them as "Gemany´s Youngest Beatband". Judging by the picture cover, they were about two years older than Percy & The Gaolbirds had been in ´66, but this was '69 and a bit too late to cause sensation with an old-fashioned term like Beat anyway. And the bungled, out of tune-guitar solo, as much as we like such trash today, was the commercial kiss of death. Time over for Time Out...

A damn rare record from the northern part of the country is THE PONTIACS´ 7" on Mash ('65), seemingly the only release on this very private label. Typical mid-60´s beat by a group of neat looking young gentlemen who hadn´t yet finished discussions about what kind of style they'd like to follow. Great mishmash of influences, and it´s nice to hear how a caveman on drums and a mean stringbender can spoil the ambitions of a crooner.

Although they also recorded a couple of Top Ten covers for Tempo,
THE VENTURE 5's only collectable opus is this 7" from '65 on Munich's Juke Box Records. The plug side is certainly "What's Your Name?", but the flip "Yes Pretty Baby" is a winner too. Exact city of origin unknown, but it wasn´t Munich. They were active between Augsburg, Regensburg, Landshut and Nürnberg, a lower Bavarian or Franconian provincial beatband obviously...

THE ROADRUNNERS Pure-bred Liverpudlians. In '63 and '64, long residencies at The Star Club led to various recordings released only in Germany. "Little Ruby" is the first of 2 non-LP 45's recorded on location. John Peacock on piano sounds under the spell of The Killer from Feriday, who caused spontaneous piano combustions at the Club in '64.

THE LOOSERS From 1966, a private pressing from Bad Oldesloe. Pimply and mysterious.


Tracklist:

01 THE STARFIGHTERS - I LIKE TROUBLE
02 THE SLAVES - SHUT UP
03 THE SKINS - IT'S TOO LATE
04 THE RHYTHM CHECKERS - THEME OF THE RHYTHM CHECKERS
05 THE RED DEVILS - LITTLE BY LITTLE
06 GESINE DARIEUX & THE CHOSEN FEW - CRAZY, CRAZY
07 THE SLAVES - GET OUT OF MY WAY
08 THE RAGGED MEN - LOVE IS A FIGHT
09 THE CANDIDATES - BAD BAD BABY
10 THE SLAVES - YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE
11 THE LOOSERS - UNDERSTAND
12 THE PRALINS - JUMPIN' RUN
13 THE WILDCATS - ALL RIGHT
14 THE BATS - GOT A GIRL
15 THE SHAGGYS - I'M SHY
16 THE PARTY BROTHERS - EVERY NIGHT
17 THE RETREADS - YOU YOU YOU
18 THE ROBOTS - SOLDIER BEAT
19 TIME OUT - BABE
20 THE SHAGGYS - I NEED YOU SO
21 THE SHAGGYS - ONLY AN HOUR
22 THE VENTURE 5 - YES PRETTY BABY
23 THE SLAVES - PANIC
24 THE SLAVES - SLAVES TIME
25 THE PARTY BROTHERS - OUR LOVE IS GONE
26 THE PONTIACS - YOU KNOW ME
27 THE VENTURE 5 - WHAT'S YOUR NAME?
28 THE ROBOTS - IT'S HARD TO SAY
29 THE SKINS - WHAT TO DO
30 THE ROADRUNNERS - LITTLE RUBY
31 THE RHYTHM CHECKERS - ON YOUR WAY DOWN THE DRAIN
32 THE LOOSERS - SENSITIVE


Download

The SQUIRRELS (USA)

SING THE HITS OF JOHNNY KIDD AND THE PIRATES/FIVE VIRGINS
-LP
1986 (Popllama)


Re-Up!


"If the staff of Mad Magazine — back when it was good — set out to make a fershlugginer indie-rock record, this would be it. Potrzebie! One side of the brilliant 1986 outing covers pre-Beatles classics (intentionally overlooking the best-known, "Shakin' All Over" and "Please Don't Touch") by Johnny Kidd and The Pirates. The flip, performed by a mixture of musicians dubbed the New Age Urban Squirrels, attacks representatives of the later '60s (e.g., "Hair" and "Spirit in the Sky"), which they devolve into cocktail lounge laxative sleaze." - Scott Schinder / Ira Robbins


"The Squirrels are as crazy as a one eyed tick on a rabid coondog! And Rob Morgan is a demented genius idiot savant charlatan jester if I ever saw one. MY KINDA BAND...could be the biggest thing outta Seattle since The Kingsmen, Jimi Hendrix, and Heart put TOGETHER!!!!!" - Mojo Nixon


"On a REEEEEALLY good night, The Squirrels are probably the most entertaining band on Earth for my money (but since I generally don't have to pay to see them, the point is moot). They're friends so I have to say this. I would anyway. They are a guilty pleasure and I thrive on guilt. What can I say?
THE SQUIRRELS IS GOD!" - Roy A. Loney


"Another group recognized by Spin magazine columnist Andrea Enthal from a list of 1,000 Best/Worst Band Names in 1986, the New Age Urban Squirrels had more names than members. Actually, every new group line up had a new name, all with Squirrels in them somewhere.
Led by certifiable maniac Rob Morgan, the Squirrels (in all of its permutations) read like a who's who of the Seattle scene in the mid to late 80's. The first recording had Rob backed up by the three guys who made up the Young Fresh Fellows, but later recordings had members of the Posies, the Tubes, Roy Loney, ReStyles and more." - Rich Webb


"TO MANY LONGTIME Seattle scenesters, Rob "Captain" Morgan is a local institution. Others would argue that he belongs in one...

Whether they call themselves New Age Urban Squirrels; Crosby, Squirrels & Nate; or just plain the Squirrels, Morgan's madcap collective are part of a glorious tradition of rock 'n' roll pranksters, from Alice to Zappa, taking memorable moments from our musical history and slapping them across the kisser with a healthy dose of surrealist high spirits...

Obsessed with rock's history but blessedly free of any semblance of reverence, Morgan and his merry band of Squirrels are a genuine rarity in these ironic, iconic times: dyed-in-the-wool rule-breaking originals. Long may they rave." - Michael Krugman


"Jumping into his sporadic album career with an entertaining bang, Morgan fully unleashed his hilariously talented vision on the world with this sort-of split release. Billed as two separate outfits -- Ernest Anyway and the Mighty (Mighty) Squirrels on the one hand, The New Age Urban Squirrels on the other -- Morgan and company showed how in the right hands humor and ability can recombine into something fantastic. As the title indicates, the first side consists of nothing but covers of songs from the legendary early British rockers; that Morgan knows his super boss rock is demonstrated by the fact that the Pirates' biggest hit, "Shakin' All Over," in fact isn't included. Instead it's six other cuts that get the treatment, including the wonderfully weird passion of "Hungry for Love" and fine choices like "I Hate Gettin' up in the Morning" and "Restless." Morgan's own delicious half-croon/half-rocker vocals are in full effect, while the Squirrels (here including Young Fresh Fellows like Tad Hutchison and Scott McCaughey) treat everything with the appropriate sass and fire, when not tripping out completely, as the quavery guitars and vocal yelps on "Growl" show. On the flip, Morgan leads another set of Squirrels, including longtime collaborators Eric Erickson and Joey Kline, though a ridiculously wonderful set of sixties covers hither and yon. Highlights are a devolved loungey version of "Spirit in the Sky" that throws in references to the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and the Beatles' "Taxman," a version of "Hair" that has to be heard to be believed, and a romp through the Jerry Reed trash-AM standby "Amos Moses" by way of Led Zeppelin. Kline contributes a nutty original himself, the country & western tragedy "Me and Roger (The Cowboy and the Kid)." Morgan's sense of parodic design is in full flower: the Mighty (Mighty) Squirrels appear in appropriate pirate garb, while the New Age Urban Squirrels grace the front cover à la the John Lennon/Yoko Ono effort Two Virgins, without a stitch on." - Ned Raggett


ERNEST ANYWAY & THE MIGHTY, MIGHTY SQUIRRELS

ROB MORGAN- Vocals
SCOTT McCAUGHEY- Bass, Vocals
TAD HUTCHISON- Drums
JIMBO SANGSTER- Lead Guitar
CHUCK CARROLL- Lead Guitar


NEW AGE URBAN SQUIRRELS

ROB- Lead Vocals
TAD- Drums
ERIC ERICKSON- Lead Guitar, Vocals
JOEY KLINE- Guitar, Vocals
CRAIG FERGUSON- Bass, Vocals (the "Mystery Bassist")


"Sing The Hits" TRACKLIST:
01 I Hate Getting Up In The Morning
02 Hungry For Love
03 Growl
04 I'll Never Get Over You
05 Never Learn To Love
06 Restless

"Five Virgins" TRACKLIST:
01 Amos Moses
02 My Babe
03 Sweet Young Thing
04 Hair
05 Me & Roger
06 Spirit In The Sky


Download (256 k, 57 Mb)

Thursday, September 3, 2009

POPPERS Vol.1 (1976-1978) - V/A

POPPERS Vol.1
(1976-1978)


2009 (bootleg)




First volume in the 8 disc set, which is a direct response to the Borack 200 list of essential PowerPop albums.

I loaded in over 24,000 songs culled from these albums, the Yellow Pills and D.I.Y. series, Killed By Death, and the Bomp! comps etc. Tossed in a bunch from my own collection. Hit the shuffle button...

These are the tunes left standing at the end of it all, as filtered through Dgrador's own twisted pop sensibilities.

A few factors played a part in the final outcome:
I kept the lovey-dovey songs down to a dull roar.
1965-influenced stomps on Big Star-influenced.
Most, not all "major" product was discarded because it sounded too "rock".
And finally, a context of listenability re: track sequence, eliminating some obvious choices.

The result is a mishmash, of obvious heavy hitters and no-hit wonders, from the days when it *all* was considered punk.

Special thanks to PPC, PPL, PPO, PVAc, TZ, KBD, ModPopPunk, and all you bloggers that posted the impossible-to-find stuff that made the Borack list.

Tracklist:
01 - The Electric Chairs - Eddie & Sheena
02 - Richard Hell & The Voidoids - New Pleasure
03 - The Flys - Love and a molotov cocktail
04 - The Diodes - red rubber ball
05 - The Vibrators - No Heart
06 - The Heartbreakers - All By Myself
07 - The Quick - Pretty Please
08 - The Zeros - Siamese Tease
09 - Television - see no evil
10 - Cock Sparrer - We Love You
11 - The 101'ers (pre-Clash Joe Strummer) - Surf City
12 - Elvis Costello - Pump it Up
13 - The Dictators - Stay With Me
14 - The Rezillos - (My Baby Does) Good Sculptures
15 - Television Personalities - Where's Bill Grundy Now?
16 - 999 - Homicide
17 - The Boys (as The Yobs) - The Worm Song
18 - The Viletones - Possibilities
19 - Radio Stars - Nervous Wreck
20 - The Depressions - Don't Want Your Love
21 - Ramones - I Wanna Be Sedated


Download

WIG TORTURE (USA)

JUST SAY FLOW
-LP
1990 (Big-Rehab)


Re-Up!


"Fine Acid-Psych which reminds on early 70s Bands like Stray.
Try: Freak Flag Express. Recommended." - alie


"Bitchin tones for rolling Paca-lolo & chillin 2" - Hairholder


"Impossible to find private pressing by this US stoner rock outfit, cannabis tokin' acid rock power trio, who perform various tributes to the weed. 'Freak Flag Express' is stunning Hendrix-like blast!" - Freak Emporium


"This picture arrived with the following note:


As a graduate of Hillsdale High School (Hillsdale Knights) in San Mateo, class of '83, and as one of the few punk rockers, I can honestly tell you that you nailed every detail of being the odd man out in a public suburban high school. Me and my friends formed our first band in 1980 (the Dangling Genitals) before any of us played an instrument. We simply assigned who would play what. I was the last to pick and was elected to be on guitar. A few months later we were making noise in the garage and changed our name to Wig Torture. We played at lunch in the "great court" of Hillsdale in 1983 and the reaction from the normal people was as described in King Dork. Our lunchtime gig a year later at San Mateo High wasn't any better." - Dr. Frank


Wig Tortüre:

WALTER VARO: drums
AARON NUDELMAN: guitar
BENN GEDDES: bass


TRACKLIST:
a1. Mr. Hooper Is Dead
a2. Sisters and Brothers
a3. Yell Phucky Soup
a4. Freak Flag Express
a5. Ernie Fart
b1. Oz and Moses
b2. Psycho Zone
b3. Tokemaster
b4. Marijuana
b5. Mr. Sponge Man
b6. The Bastard

Download (256 k, 62 Mb)