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The Five Americans - Progressions

Posted By : azorkamane | Date : 11 Jan 2010 17:27:17 | Comments : 0

The Five Americans - Progressions
Covers included
Rock | MP3 | 320 kbps | 76 MB | 2006

“The Five Americans' third album, Progressions, lives up to its title. The group, which had gained success with the pounding frat rocker "I Saw the Light" and the bubbly pop hit "Western Union," began to show some real artistic growth as they stretched out and explored new sounds. Some of the tracks sound like more assured versions of their earlier efforts — the bubblegummy "Zip Code" (the attempted follow-up to "Western Union"), the tender folk-rock of "(But Not) Today," the sparkling pop of "Stop-Light" — but they also incorporate some harder guitar rock on "Black Is White — Day Is Night," Kinks-y baroque pop psych on "Rain Maker," and blue-eyed soul on "Come on Up." They also ditched the at times too slick sound achieved by producer Dale Hawkins, took over the production chores themselves, and did a fine job of creating a full and rich sound with just enough experimentation to keep things unpredictable. Progressions is a substantial leap of quality for the group; with the right push, it could have been big. Instead it is a hidden gem that fans of fine '60s pop should seek out and savor.”
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Illusion - Enchanted

Posted By : azorkamane | Date : 06 Jan 2010 16:12:04 | Comments : 1

Illusion - Enchanted Caress
Covers included
Progressive Rock | MP3 192 kbps | 51 MB | 1979

“Illusion was sort of a "sequel" band to the original lineup of Renaissance. In 1977, the surviving original Renaissance members -- singer/songwriter/guitarist Jim McCarty, vocalist Jane Relf, keyboardist John Hawken, and bassist Louis Cennamo -- added lead guitarist John Knightsbridge and drummer Eddie MacNeil to form Illusion. The band recorded two excellent progressive rock albums, "Out of the Mist" and "Illusion" (now both on the CD "The Island Recordings"). Unfortunately, they ran headlong into the Punk and New Wave acts that were then sweeping through British rock, and they were let go by Island Records.

"Enchanted Caress" consists of demos, produced by Jim McCarty, which were used to try and get a new record contract for the group. After hearing them, it easy to understand why they weren't able to do so. While some progressive bands (like Yes and Renaissance) responded to New Wave pop by trying to adopt that sound, McCarty decided to try and give the group a sound that we would call adult contemporary/MOR today.

Illusion certainly recorded some attempts at commercial love songs on their two albums, but they were produced with the same full, rich arrangements (dominated by Hawken's lush keyboards)as the group's longer, more prog material. Here, we get three minute pop songs with bland playing and trite lyrics, like "Getting into Love Again", "You are the One" and "Nights in Paris". The fact that these are demos excuse, in part, the lack of any instrumental excitement (and rumor has it that Hawken may actually not be on these demos), but not totally. The obvious attempt at commercial songwriting precludes any instumental stretching. The biggest attraction for many people to Illusion was the beautiful alto vocals of Jane Relf, but even she can't elevate the mediocre material. The closest track here to the classic Illusion sound is "The Man Who Loved the Trees", with a fairly intricate piano part and an emotional Jane Relf vocal.

The other two most worthwhile tracks aren't even Illusion tracks, strictly speaking. John Knightsbridge turns in a hard rock arrangement of Richard Rodgers classic "Slaughter on 10th Ave." that is interesting (even if it may be patterned after Mick Ronson's version). And the CD concludes with the last recording of Renaissance founder Keith Relf, who died before Illusion formed. "All the Fallling Angels" is a haunting ballad which sounds oddly like a track from David Bowie's "Space Oddity" phase, and easily outclasses the rest of this material. 		”

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Illusion - Illusion

Posted By : azorkamane | Date : 06 Jan 2010 16:09:21 | Comments : 2

Illusion - Illusion
Progressive Rock | MP3 192 kbps | 30 MB | 1978

“Illusion was started in the mid-'70s by former-Yardbird/Renaissance member Jim McCarty, as well as fellow Renaissance contributors Jane Relf (vocals), Louis Cennamo (bass), and John Hawken (keyboards). They drafted guitarist John Knightsbridge and drummer Eddie McNeil into the band and began to make progressive rock when it was one of the hottest genres in England. A self-titled release arrived in 1976, followed the next year by Out of the Mist. A third album was scrapped when the band broke up over the usual creative disputes and the growing disdain for progressive rock among the growing punk scene. The demos from these sessions saw the light of day in the '90s, which are notable mostly for having the last recorded appearance of former-Yardbird Keith Relf. Island Years from 2003 collected the best of their first two albums onto one CD. ”
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Illusion - Out Of The Mist

Posted By : azorkamane | Date : 06 Jan 2010 15:37:49 | Comments : 1

Illusion - Out Of The Mist
Progressive Rock | MP3 320 kbps | 66 MB | 1977

“This group was formed by the most of Renaissance's original line-up. In 1976, when they had decided to regroup in order to perform the same Renaissance's music style and as they just couldn't return back to the original group, they formed Illusion.”

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Elvis Presley - Moody Blue - The Alternate Album

Posted By : azorkamane | Date : 06 Jan 2010 05:54:49 | Comments : 0

Elvis Presley - Moody Blue - The Alternate Album
Rock 'N' Roll | MP3 160 kbps | 81 MB | 1977

“Released on the Fans Only label is the CD 'Moody And Blue' featuring 20 alternate takes of the tracks from the 'Moody Blue' album. All taken from other official and bootleg releases.”
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Nelly Furtado - Undercover

Posted By : azorkamane | Date : 29 Dec 2009 05:36:45 | Comments : 0

Nelly Furtado - Undercover
Pop | MP3 320 kbps | 168 MB | 2009
Covers included

“This is the new album of Nelly Furtado”
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Dan Fogelberg - Love In Time

Posted By : azorkamane | Date : 28 Dec 2009 10:34:00 | Comments : 2

Dan Fogelberg - Love In Time
Folk/rock | MP3 V2 VBR 189 bkps | 59 MB | 2009
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Jane - Sign No. 9

Posted By : azorkamane | Date : 28 Dec 2009 09:23:36 | Comments : 2

Jane - Sign No. 9 (1979)
Progressive Rock | MP3 192 bkps | 60 MB | 1979

“If your familiar with Jane's output, this album will put a smile on your face.They really loosen-up and just play groovey rock and sing with attitude and of course the feeling and emotion they are known for. Not to say they were ever uptight because they always sounded loose and relaxed, but there is a plug it in and just crank these tunes out feeling about the material. No brain surgery just more Rock And Roll going on. Big drums and vocals from Peter Panka and good singin' and playin from Klaus Hess ..Roll on!”
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Usher - Raymond Vs Raymond

Posted By : azorkamane | Date : 23 Dec 2009 06:50:38 | Comments : 3

Usher - Raymond Vs Raymond
R&B | MP3 CBR 256 kbps | 137 MB | 2009

“Monster might as well be what Jive is hoping Usher's sixth album becomes on the charts, since his last album, 2008's Here I Stand was a disappointment since his prior album, Confessions, spawned a handful of singles that will stand among this decade's most played and was at Number 1 for half of a year, while Here I Stand nosedived off the charts after huge first week sales. Indications are pointing to Monster being a Confessions-like self-confessional as Usher is dealing with a divorce from his wife Tameka Foster, much like he was dealing with a high-profile break-up with Chilli of TLC pre-Confessions. Maybe dude got married solely to have artistic inspiration for a new album if things went south.”
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Cheap Trick - Sgt. Pepper Live

Posted By : azorkamane | Date : 21 Dec 2009 12:59:39 | Comments : 0

Cheap Trick - Sgt. Pepper Live
Rock | MP3 320 kbps | 109 MB | 2009
Covers included

“Starting in 2007, Cheap Trick made it something of a habit to perform a full-length in-concert cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, celebrating the album's 40th Anniversary and getting them ever closer to their goal of actually being the Beatles. Orchestras were hired, guests invited, a splendid time was had by all, and now in 2009, the December 12, 2007 show is available as either a CD or DVD, mixed by Geoff Emerick himself, the engineer who worked with the Beatles on Pepper. This unabashed, unapologetic fan worship results in a record that sounds pretty much exactly like the original, only with a little more aggression in the rhythms and some funny accents in the vocals, including Joan Osborne sounding like Chrissie Hynde on "Lovely Rita." Everything, including the encore of Abbey Road's album-closing medley, is fun enough, but there's a big difference between seeing this live in concert and listening to it at home where you have the option to spin the Beatles instead.”
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Posted by :: Alex | Date :: Aug 20, 2008 19:05:00 | [ 34 comments ]


Maggie Bell And Midnight Flyer - Live Montreux July 1981

Posted By : azorkamane | Date : 18 Dec 2009 02:54:44 | Comments : 1

Maggie Bell And Midnight Flyer - Live Montreux July 1981
Rock | MP3 320 kbps | 170 MB | 1981
Covers included

“For Midnight Flyer, 1980 dawned bright. They recorded their superb self-titled debut album and then embarked on a European tour, opening for Bob Seger. Even the departure of keyboardist John Cook after the band left the studio hadn't slowed Midnight Flyer down. Chris Parren, the perfect replacement, was swiftly enlisted and took to the stage. As 1981 began, Flyer flew back to Europe to support AC/DC, and their album arrived in February while the band bounded back and forth across the Channel, now headlining their own shows. In the autumn, they reunited with the down under bad boys, opening for their U.S. tour. However, the highlight of the busy year came in mid-summer, as Flyer climbed onto the Montreux festival stage and ripped through one of the best shows of their all-too-brief career. Live Montreux July 1981 features the bulk of their show that day, as the band rips through its set, then is joined for two numbers by blues legend Taj Mahal and by the Telecaster master Albert Collins for a further pair. The album kicks off with a rampaging "Hey Boy," one of five songs from their studio album the band performed, the highlight arguably being their glorious take on "Rough Trade." Parren is on fire throughout the show, one-upping Ant Glynne at every conceivably turn, with the good-natured guitarist tossing flaming licks and riffs straight back at the keyboardist. The pair's dueling was a show in itself, anchored by Dave Dowle and Tony Stevens' solid rhythms, but Maggie Bell wasn't giving up the spotlight without a fight, demanding and getting the audience's nearly undivided attention with a performance determined to bring down the house — which it did. By the time the band swung into an electrifying take of "Penicillin Blues," a song Bell had been covering since her Stone the Crows days, the crowd was on its feet and shouting along. Taj Mahal joins Bell for showstopping versions of "Bring It on Home to Me" and "Chain Gang," with the album ending with a smoldering "Stormy Monday Blues," the bandmembers almost awestruck by Collins' stunning guitar skills, but quickly regaining their composure. It was a phenomenal show, the sound quality exceptional, and the band at its very, very best. Unforgettable.”
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Jane - Traces

Posted By : azorkamane | Date : 16 Dec 2009 01:09:12 | Comments : 1

Jane - Traces
Progressive Rock | MP3 V2 VBR 217 kbps | 75 MB | 2009

“This is Jane latest CD. Jane is a German Progressive Rock Krautrock band that was formed in October 1970 in Hanover, Germany.. ”
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Rhydian - O Fortuna

Posted By : azorkamane | Date : 07 Dec 2009 09:48:57 | Comments : 2


Rhydian - O Fortuna
Classical | MP3 CBR 320 | 108 MB | 2009

“Rhydian Roberts, or ‘Ryd’ as he referred to himself on the first episode, was 2007 The X Factor’s runner-up. Fortunately Simon Cowell saw past the competition and signed him up. Trained in classical singing for seven years, the Wales-born tenor has gone past the stigma behind classical singers to come out with a powerful voice. His versatility through the show, singing the classic “The Phantom of the Opera”, then to pop singer Pink’s “Get the Party Started”, and the Village People’s “Go West”.
His first CD went platinum, becoming the highest selling album by a male chart newcomer in 2008. Now with his new CD ‘O Fortuna’, Rhydian gets back to his Welsh roots with “Myfanwy”, and the Welsh national anthem “Land of Our Fathers”. With John Denver’s “Annie’s Song” and much more, have a listen to the singer with peroxide blonde hair with the X-Factor.		”
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Steve Howell - My Mind Gets To Ramblin

Posted By : azorkamane | Date : 07 Dec 2009 04:56:17 | Comments : 0

Steve Howell - My Mind gets To Ramblin
Blues | MP3 VBR 158kbps | 55 MB | 2009
Covers included

“Even though Steve Howell was due to celebrate his 56th birthday three days after the release of My Mind Gets to Ramblin', it was only his second solo album. Howell is an accomplished fingerpicking guitarist and a musical scholar, and the disc is his treatment of country blues, including songs by and associated with Muddy Waters, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Bo Carter, Robert Johnson, Memphis Minnie, and Mance Lipscomb. Doubtless Howell himself would not claim that he and his talented band, including ace session bassist Joe Osborn, who co-produced the album, improved upon the performances of the originators of these songs. Their interpretations are spirited and exact, but never biting, starting with a version of Muddy Waters' "I Can't Be Satisfied" that somewhat belies the title. The emphasis is on getting the details right, and they do, even if the emotions underlying the music are more distilled than expressed. Still, their affection for the form, starting with the leader who sings in an agreeable wheeze, is obvious. If Howell hasn't recorded much, it's probably because he is better appreciated in a live setting than on an album that necessarily comes off as more tribute than competition to earlier performers of the material.”
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David Knopfler - The Anthology 1983-2008 (2009)

Posted By : azorkamane | Date : 04 Dec 2009 02:15:23 | Comments : 1

David Knopfler-The Anthology 1983-2008
Rock | MP3 192 kbps | 97 MB | 2009

“David Knopfler formed Dire Straits in 1977 with his brother Mark Knopfler and quit the band in 1980, shortly after the band finished recording the album Making Movies and five years before Brothers in Arms became a surprise international smash that made them one of the biggest musical success stories of the decade. It's tempting to say David Knopfler didn't make an especially good career decision by leaving Dire Straits, but a cursory look at his solo work makes it clear he wouldn't have been a good fit for what the band became. David Knopfler's songwriting style is more lushly romantic than that of his big brother, he's more interested in slick pop production, and there's a heart-on-the-sleeve quality to his tunes that's a bit too intimate to play well in big arenas. While David Knopfler released ten solo albums between 1983 and 2006, many were on small labels that either didn't have strong distribution in North America or didn't appear in the United States at all, so The Anthology: 1983-2008 offers a concise but well-chosen overview of his music, including a number of songs that may not be familiar to U.S. fans. Knopfler's voice bears a certain resemblance to his bother's, but he aims for a richer, more soulful tone, and these 16 tracks lean more to contemporary R&B and adult contemporary pop than anything else, and while "Soul Kissing" was a minor hit, it's not hard to imagine that "Lonely Is the Night" and "When We Kiss" could have enjoyed similar success if they'd had greater radio exposure. At the same time, "Southside Tenements" and "St. Swithun's Day" shows he can handle deeper and more personal material with a poet's touch and a sure hand. It's David Knopfler's fate to be a good songwriter and singer related to one with a great deal more acclaim (and better chops as a guitarist), but The Anthology demonstrates that he's an artist who has followed his own path on his own terms, and this is a fine summation of his body of work.”
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