Merry X-Mas everybody

Hello again and Merry Christmas to everybody around. Haven't posted anything for a while, I'm running out of time. But I got sooo many good albums during the last months I want to share with y'all, so stay tuned.

I won't waste much time for tonights posts, I chose 3 classic albums for ya. First, it's EGO ON THE ROCKS, a project formed by two former ELOY members. Originally planed as a trilogy, this is the only album ever recorded. A highly sought after collectors item these days.

Second, I picked a band called THE STERLING COOKE FORCE. An american three-piece that released this fine album on the british "Ebony" label in 1984. The label rose to fame releasing many classic NWOBHM bands such as GRIM REAPER. The album sounds quite a blending of such classic NWOBHM with Blues-Rock a la JIMI HENDRIX. Quite nice.

Last for tonight, it's HEAD EAST's debut "Flat as a pancake". Those of you that really enjoyed the SNAIL and O' BAND posts will love this album too. Especially the first track "Never been any reason" is a killer track. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!




Ego On The Rocks - Acid In Wounderland (1981)
Tracklist:
1. 7 to 7 or 999 to 99 Hope
2. Un(all)gemeine Bestürzung
3. Erected Error
4. Mystik +1+9+8+0
5. Asylum
6. Hazard
7. Godbluff
8. Civilization Song 1

Download here



The Sterling Cooke Force - Full Force (1984)
Tracklist:
1. Hit And Run
2. I Can't Stand It
3. She's Gonna Get You
4. Makin' My Way
5. Ain't Wastin' My Time
6. Got Enough Love
7. Don't Need You Anymore
8. Killing Time
9. Going Home

Download here



Head East - Flat As A Pancake (1975)
Tracklist:
1. Never Been Any Reason
2. One Against The Other
3. Love Me Tonight
4. City Of Gold
5. Fly By Night Lady
6. Jefftown Creek
7. Lovin' Me Along
8. Ticket Back To Georgia
9. Brother Jacob

Download here

That's all for tonight, folks. I'm tryin' the best I can to keep this blog alive, so people be patient and keep the posts coming.
BTW: pw is "evilsarchive" as always ;)

...

The O Band - The Knife (1977)
Tracklist:
1. Look To The Left, Look To The Right
2. Almost Saturday Night
3. I'm Gonna Leave You
4. Strange Lovin'
5. Back Alley Lightnin'
6. Time Seems To Fly
7. The Knife
8. Got To Run
9. Venus Avenue

I already introduced this british band to you a few months ago. To be honest: after listening to their "Look To The Left..." single, I really wanted to hear more. So I bought the band's last album, "The Knife", the one you can get hold of most easily. What can I tell you, my interest in this band was not disappointed. Very decent album, with the title track being my absolute favorite. Enjoy!
Download here

Still falls the April rain...

...and the valley's filled with pain. Howdy folks, it's me again, here's some more music for ya to get some colour back into this grey april. Hope you'll enjoy it...



Synergy - Audion (Electronic Compositions For The Post Modern Age) (1981)
Tracklist:
1. Orbit Five
2. Revolt At L-5
3. Terminal Hotel
4. Electric Blue
5. Ancestors
6. After The Earthquake
7. Falcons And Eagles
8. Flight Of The Looking Glass
9. Shibolet
10. An End To History

As Synergy, Larry Fast composed, recorded, and released Audion on Passport Records as a cassette and vinyl LP in 1981. It had a limited release as a CD in 1986. For digital remastering in 1998, Fast used the original tapes that preceded the original release. The quality of this reissue (1998) is superb. The quality of the music is also superb. This legendary e-musician has always been on the cutting edge of technology and artistry. His soundscape is full of dense, deep, dark, and deft sequences. To assure that there are no mistaken identities, Fast adds more sequences. To give the disc its artistic integrity, he adds some synth riffs with rock & roll textures and timbres. There are no guitars. For e-music fans, this disc is essential because of its techniques and historical importance. It will appeal to fans of Dweller at the Threshold, Radio Massacre International, Kubusschnitt, Jean Michel Jarre, and Tangerine Dream. Prog rock fans will also find it important.
Download here



Stormbringer - Stormbringer (1984)
Tracklist:
1. Feels Like The Real Thing
2. Searchin'
3. Rock'n'Roll Paradise
4. Tear In Your Eyes
5. Caught Me By Surprise
6. Lady Of The Sky
7. Prelude
8. Susi
9. Untitled

Stormbringer were a band hailing from Switzerland. The most remarkable thing about this band is their guitar player Angi Schiliro who is also known for his work with Paganini, Kingdom Come and Zero. What you will find here is some pretty decent melodic hard rock, better than many other AOR/hard rock bands of that time.
Download here



Le Roux - Up (1980)
Tracklist:
1. Let Me Be Your Fantasy
2. Get It Right The First Time
3. Mystery
4. Roll Away The Stone
5. It Could Be The Fever
6. I Know Trouble When I See It
7. Waiting For Your Love
8. Crying Inside
9. I Won't Be Staying

LE ROUX is a stylish melodic Rock outfit hailing from Baton Rouge, Louisana. The band's roots actually lay in the antecedent JEFF POLLARD BAND, this outfit comprising guitarists Tony Haselden and Bobby Campos, keyboard player Rod Roddy, drummer David Peters and bassist Leon Medica, a veteran of POTLIQUOR.

Going for a more Funky, Countryfied route the band took the LE ROUX title in 1976, according to a 1978 Capitol Records press release, to illustrate this blend of styles with a suitable allegory in a "Cajun French term for the thick and hearty gravy base that's used to make a gumbo". Under their guise as the JEFF POLLARD BAND, not only did the musicians build up a strong US following on the touring circuit, but due to an arrangement with the US State Department, the group also got to perform concerts in Africa. They had switched the band title to LOUISIANA'S LE ROUX, due to the existence of a LE ROUX gigging in San Francisco at the time. Producer Leon Medica scored the band a contract with Capitol Records and, still branded LOUISANA'S LE ROUX proceeded to score a significant impact with the first two albums, 1978's 'Louisiana's Le Roux', which featured guitarist Jim Odom, and 1979's 'Keep The Fire Burnin', this latter effort incorporating saxophone and trumpet.

Things changed dramatically for the recording of 1980's Jai Winding produced 'Up'. LE ROUX, having dropped the LOUISIANA prefix, came up with a powerful Melodic Rock sound that instantly won the group a host of admirers abroad upon the album's arrival into Europe on import. (Garry Sharpe-Young, Rockdetector)
Download here

Let's get back to the rock

The Ramblers - Strange life (1980)
Tracklist:
1. Strange World
2. Out Of Time
3. Do Anything You Want to Do
4. I Want You Tonight
5. Modern Times
6. Keep On Laughing
7. All Those Days
8. You Won't Hear Me Cry
9. Running
10. One Mile To Go

Let's start off wit THE RAMBLERS, a german wave/power pop group that was founded in 1976 near the german city Hagen. The band released three minor successful albums during their lifespan, with "Strange life" being their last album. You won't find much information about this band on the net, so enjoy this rare piece of music.
Download here



The Lookalikes - Daydreamin' At Night (1981)
Tracklist:
1. Just What You Got
2. Losing Control
3. Always Searching
4. Radio
5. I'll Never Forget You
6. Daydreaming At Night
7. Die Laughing
8. Pretty Boys
9. Bullet In His Back
10. Find Out
11. Shout

Singer, guitarist and songwriter Sean O'Connor was one of the founding members of The Lookalikes, undoubtedly the most popular Irish band playing around Dublin and the rest of Ireland during the early eighties. Along with drummer Mike Mesbur, bass player Eamonn Doyle and keyboard player Peter Keenan, The Lookalikes had a massive loyal following and broke attendance records in every major music venue in Dublin. On the strength of some early demo recordings written by Sean, it wasn't long before a steady stream of A&R personnel were making their way from London to Dublin to get the Lookalikes' signature for their respective labels. In all, the band were offered a staggering total of thirteen recording contracts!

Eventually they signed to Riva Records, who also had Rod Stewart and John Cougar on their books, and the band were offered the opportunity to tour the UK with Thin Lizzy, which they did with great success. The band released three singles on the Riva label but - due to "differences of musical opinion" - eventually parted ways, and released the album "Daydreamin at Night" for Warner Brothers in Ireland - the final recording by the band. After another tour with Thin Lizzy throughout Europe, the band eventually broke up shortly after their return to Ireland.
Download here

Various Artists - Pop Revolution From The Underground (1969)
Tracklist:
1. Mike Bloomfield & Al Kooper - The 59th Street Bridge Song
2. Blood, Sweat & Tears - More And More
3. Spirit - I Got A Line On You
4. John Kay - Twisted
5. Don Ellis - Scratt And Fluggs
6. The Electric Flag - Soul Searchin'
7. The Chambers Brothers - You Got The Power To Turn Me On
8. Al Kooper - I Stand Alone
9. Moby Grape - Hoochie
10. John Simon - Painting For Freakout

A quite rare collection of 60's underground music with some famous names like Bloomfield and Kooper, John Kay (of STEPPENWOLF) and some long forgotten names like John Simon. Artwork included.
Download here

Snail - Snail (1978)
Tracklist:
1. The Joker
2. Catch Me
3. Music Is My Mistress
4. Childhood Dreams
5. Try And Wonder
6. Keep On Livin'
7. You Gotta Run
8. Carry me
9. Freedom In The Country

One of my favorite albums of the last months is SNAIL's self titled album from 1978. Bought this one some years ago, but never listened to it until I ripped it fron vinyl. I was impressed! What you'll find here is some fine soft rockin' music. Although mainstream, with a slight country edge at times, this album offers very fascinating songs that you won't get out of your mind! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Download here



Prism - Beat Street (1983)
Tracklist:
1. Nightmare
2. Beat Street
3. Dirty Mind
4. Modern Times
5. Is He Better Than Me?
6. Blue Collar
7. Wired
8. State Of The Heart
9. I Don't Want You No More

Upon 1981's Small Change album, Prism fell apart. After the band brought in singer Henry Small to replace Ron Tabak, there were constant disagreements as to which route the group should take: a harder rock & roll one or one that was geared more toward radio pop. This led to a wholesale change within the lineup, and only Small was left when Beat Street was recorded in 1983. Even with Timothy B. Schmit helping out on vocals, Beat Street contains none of Prism's past arena rock charm or instrumental stamina. The tracks are watered-down attempts at playing pop/rock with lyrics that sound as if they've been written overnight. Without John Hall behind the keyboards or Tabak's singing, Prism just wasn't Prism anymore. Lackluster efforts like "Nightmare," "Wired," or "Dirty Mind" are muddled and stale; "Is He Better Than Me" tried to imitate the band's only Top 40 Billboard appearance of "Don't Let Him Know," but contains none of the hooks or the passion; and "Blue Collar" is a wannabe Bachman Turner Overdrive track. Beat Street was blatant evidence that Prism was on their last legs, and their breakup finally occurred after this album was released. Capitol released an Over 60 Minutes With Prism collection in 1988, but none of Beat Street's tracks made the cut. (Mike DeGagne, AMG)
Download here

Steel Pulse - Your House 12" (1982)
Tracklist:
1. Your House (Long Version)
2. Blues Dance Raid
3. A Who Responsible Dub

Nice song from this british Roots'n'Reggae band, taken off their '82 "True Democracy" album.
Download here



Sherbs - The Skill (1980)
Tracklist:
1. I Have The Skill
2. Back To Zero
3. Cindy Is Waiting
4. Crazy In The Night
5. I'll Be Faster
6. Never Surrender
7. No Turning Back
8. Love You To Death
9. Into The Heat
10. I'm OK
11. Juliet And Me
12. Parallel Bars

Except for first-class radio ringer "I Have the Skill," this record requires a modicum of work. But those who lock themselves inside the crystalline production recapture the lost prog of near-icons Gamma and Saga. This Aussie aggregate was once Sherbet, a '70s sensation down under, here striving for a more mature market, though a quirky pop sense still prevails, paving the way for Men at Work. On "Back to Zero," everyone's favorite null set gets delineated three years before saving the Fixx. "Crazy in the Night" could pass for Marillion (but can't touch the Kim Carnes dandy of the same name). The quintet works up a furor-driving "Into the Heat," and the pure positivity and confidence radiating throughout this professional offering are welcome relief in a genre too often dominated by negativity. Surprisingly preserved on CD with tasty bonus bits, this smashing sorbet deserved to be rescued. (Doug Stone, AMG)
Download here

pw: "evilsarchive"

No Panic on the Titanic

Howdy folks,
it's been awhile since my last post but I've been quite busy for the last weeks. So don't panic, I haven't given up. At least not yet. Nevertheless, I found some nice vintage releases that I thought would deserve to get a listen or two. No time to lose, no words to waste, here we go...

Udo Lindenberg - No Panic On The Titanic (1976)
Tracklist:
1. The Conductor
2. Votan Wahnwitz
3. Nothing But a Vacuum
4. Daniel's Time Machine
5. It Was All So New
6. Rudi Ratlos
7. Elli Pyrelli
8. O Rhesus Negative
9. Look at It My Way
10.Johnny Controlletti
11.Jack

The project to take the best songs from Udo Lindenberg's German masterpiece trilogy Alles Klar auf der Andrea Doria, Ball Pompös, and Votan Wahnwitz, translate them to English, and try to conquer the Anglo-Saxon market was conceived in 1975 after the release of Votan Wahnwitz, but the actual record No Panic, the fruit of these attempts, was only released in 1977 in the U.S. and the U.K. Apart from the fact that it was a flop in both countries (Lindenberg's strength was his German lyrical backbone), it also divided his huge fan community in Germany. Some regarded this record as embarrassing and tasteless; others thought it was as exceptional and authentic as Lindenberg's other work. Be that as it may, this record is a quirky attempt to get a foot into a market Lindenberg wasn't destined for, and after decades it pays off to listen to these English songs and compare them with their German counterparts. Unlike the releases No Panic was based on, however, it is not a must-have in an album collection of German rock. For people interested in translation, it is definitely informative to see how Udo Lindenberg's relentlessly funny word games were transposed to English, and the record drew the attention of a limited English-speaking audience to this German rock icon. (Frank Eisenhuth, AMG)
Download here


The "O" Band - Look To The Left 12" (1977)
Tracklist:
1. Look To The Left, Look To The Right
2. A Smile Is Diamond
3. Fine White Wine

Here's the O-Band's last output, their '77 release "Look To The Left..". The O Band was rising out of the ashes of the "Parlour Band",releasing four albums during their heyday. The title track is a cover version from SPIRIT (well at least it is credited to be written by a certain Randy California) . The backside songs are ust as good as the first, with "A Smile Is Diamond" being the O Band's greatest success, making its way on the famous "Munich City Nights" Sampler series. Too bad the band called it quits shortly after the release of their fouth LP, "The Knife". Great songs, highly recommended!
Download here


Bob Seger - Smokin' O.P.s (1972)
Tracklist:

1. Bo Diddley

2. Love The One You're With

3. If I Were A Carpenter

4. Hummin' Bird

5. Let It Rock

6. Turn On Your Love Light

7. James, Jesse

8. Someday

9. Heavy Music

Bob Seger closed out his Capitol contract with Brand New Morning, a singer/songwriter album quite unlike anything he had yet released. Following its release he moved to the Detroit-based label Palladium and returned to hard-driving rock & roll with Smokin' O.P.'s, the polar opposite of Brand New Morning. According to legend, the title stands for "smoking other people's songs," which makes sense since this is a cover album that even covers Bob Seger & the Last Heard. In other words, it's nothing like the intimate, reflective, risky Brand New Morning, but that doesn't matter since it rocks so well and since it reveals that Seger isn't just a first-class bandleader and rock songwriter, but that he's a terrific interpreter of other writers' songs. Even well-worn tunes like "Bo Diddley" and "If I Were a Carpenter" get made fresh by internalizing the hooks, turning them into something fresh and original. That's also true of songs by such contemporaries as Stephen Stills ("Love the One You're With") and Leon Russell ("Humming Bird"), and he also breathes fire into blues and rock stalwarts like "Let It Rock," "Turn on Your Love Light," and "Jesse James." Smokin' O.P.'s closes out with two originals, one new (the fine, but not especially noteworthy "Someday") and one old (the perennial "Heavy Music"). Neither change the essential character of the album, which is just a really fun, hard-rocking record that bought Seger some time while reasserting the fact that he could really rock. He could -- and he could rock really well -- which is why Smokin' O.P.'s remains a lot of fun, even if it's a relatively minor work in Seger's canon. (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG)
Download here

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I have some other albums to post, but my time is running short, so I'll be posting these later this week (or next) so stay tuned. If you like what you find here, leave a message.
Have fun,

evil