The David Whitaker Songbook (Tricatel - 2002)

David Whitaker (1931 - 2012). R.I.P.

Download => The David Whitaker Songbook

Jean-Claude Vannier - L'Enfant Assassin Des Mouches (Suzelle - 1972)

In an april 1972 morning, Jean-Claude Vannier was listening with his friend Serge Gainsbourg the instrumental album he had just written and that still had no name. He had already used a track for a Yves Saint Laurent fashion show in 1971 but didn't really know what to do with the rest. He let the tapes to Gainsbourg for the night and in the morning Serge had imagined a fantastic story upon his music: L'Enfant Assassin Des Mouches, which can be translated as the flies murderer child. The project didn't go any further and, despite an LP was released in 1972, Jean-Claude Vannier fans had to wait 20 years to see those tracks at least get a proper release. It was really worth the wait: Jean-Claude Vannier composed 11 little trippy psychedelic masterpieces that easily stands next to his best collaborations with Serge gainsbourg (L'Histoire De Melody Nelson).

Download => Jean-Claude Vannier - L'Enfant Assassin Des Mouches

The Small Faces - Me You And Us Too - Best Of The Immediate Years (Repertoire - 2007)

Created in 1965 and signed to Decca, The Small Faces were at first just another Mods bands among other ones. In 1967, Andrew Loog Oldham, The Rolling Stones manager, created his own label, Immediate, and signed The Small Faces after the band got into several arguments with its label and its management. The band, led by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane, found in Immediate a place to express its creativity and signed its best songs, churning out hits after hits. If they were clearly influenced by the psychedelic air of the time, they are the best when they stay closed to what made their strength: raw pop clearly influenced by deep soul. In that sense, the last two instrumentals of this compilation, The War Of The Worlds and Wide Eyed Girl On The Wall are outstanding work.

The Small Faces were not an album band but a 7" band so this best of is the best way to discover and appreciate their music.

Download => The Small Faces - Me You And Us - Best Of The Immediate Years

Booker T. & The M.G.'s - McLemore Avenue (Stax - 1970)

Booker T liked so much The Beatles Abbey Road album that he decided to cover it entirely in Memphis with his M.G.'s pals (Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn and Al Jackson), giving to the resulting album the name of the street were Stax studios were, McLemore Avenue. Of course, those guys were so talented that they completely appropriated the Fab Four songs to make them their own, mixing them in a 3 instrumental funky as hell medleys and a single track, Something. Only a tight band like Booker T. & The M.G.'s could mix Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, Here Comes The Sun and Come Together in a single song without sounding strange. The other medleys gathers Because/You Never Give Me Your Money and Sun King/Mean Mr. Mustard/Polythene Pam/She Came In Through The Bathroom Window/I Want You (She's So Heavy) with the same success. It's deep funk going pop with major success. Even the record cover is a cool pastiche of the Abbey Road original cover.

Download => Booker T. & The M.G.'s - McLemore Avenue

Traffic Sound - Yellow Sea Years - Peruvian Psych-Rock-Soul 1968-71 (Vampisoul - 2005)

When you think about Peru, you don't necessarily associate that country musical scene with psychedelic rock. But there is no reason that can explain that this small country would have not been touched by the 70's psychedelic wave. Traffic Sound was at first a covers band created in 1968 by Manuel Sanguinetti (vocals), Freddy Rizo-Patrón (rhythm guitar), Jean Pierre Magnet (sax), Willy "Wilito" Barclay (lead guitar), Willy Thorne (bass) and Luis "Lucho" Nevares (drums). They recorded their first album, A Bailar Go Go, in 1968. They then recorded three more albums but this time with original material: Virgin in 1969, Traffic Sound in 1971 and Lux in 1971. Traffic Sound music easily suffer comparison with its American or European counterparts of the times. They are not an exotic fade but a  strong band with tight songs shaped for worlwide acceptance and success. Even if they used English in their songs, their latin roots can be heard all over their music but in a subtle way especially in the percussion work or the use of the Afro fused saxophone. There isn't any real psychedelic band without their drug hymn. For Traffic Sound, it's the infamous Meskhalina, released in 1969. Making the music of this band available was necessary and we can thank Vampisoul to have selected the best tracks of their albums for this wonderful compilation.

Download => Traffic Sound - Yellow Sea Years

All Killer - Finders Keepers Records 1-20 Mixed By The Gaslamp Killer (Finders Keepers - 2009)

You've got rare groove records reedition labels and you've got Finders Keepers. Finders Keepers is Andy Votel creature and is specialized in the reedition of records so rare that probably nobody except Andy Votel and a handfull other talibans of hardcore crate digging have ever heard of. From Pakistanese movies soundtracks to turkish psychedelia, from Thai beats to primitive French electronica, the best of the rarest records ever produced on the surface on earth find a second life. Mixed by Flying Lotus little protégé The Gaslamp Killer, All Killer is a nice mix that gives you a pretty good inlook on Finders Keepers back catalogue. Trippy freaky shit. For you own information, Finders Keepers stock of records burned this summer during London riots.

The Dictators - Go Girl Crazy! (Epic - 1975)

I recently posted about New York funk (Auguste Darnell), New York punk funk (Liquid Liquid) so let's post this time about New York punk. I don't mean The Ramones or The Dead Boys, not even Blondie or Television, but a band among the originators of punk rock, The Dictators. Born in The Bronx and lead by Richard Blum (aka Handsome Dick Manitoba), members Ross "The Boss" Funicello, Scott "Top ten" Kempner, Adny Shernoff and Stu Boy King had a taste for 60's pop song covers (I Got You Babe, California Sun) and loud hard rock with a I don't give a fuck funny attitude. Those guys knew that all this rock'n'roll CBGB circus was just a joke and behaved accordingly. They never got the recognition they deserved and vanished in obscurity after 3 LP's. Their first one, Go Girl Crazy! is their best and they definitely have a first class seat in New York rock posterity.

Download => The Dictators - Go Girl Crazy!

Liquid Liquid - Liquid Liquid (GR2 Records - 2008)

No other band deserves more the title of seminal than Liquid Liquid. Much have been said about those 4 new-yorkers. Without Liquid Liquid there would have been no LCD Soundsystem, Battles, a famous scottish DJ duo and plenty of hip hop producers would still be sampling James Brown records in search of the perfect beat. Scott Hartley, Richard McGuire, Salvatore Principato and Dennis Young released only 3 EP's (Optimo in 1983, Successive Reflexes in 1982 and Liquid Liquid in 1981), a few 7" and that's all. They still come back nowadays from time to time for average live shows but they never recovered their original strength. Because the music of those guys is only rythms and percussions (no melody, a few madman lyrics but a massive bassline with drums, marimba, talking drum, and various percussions) it's not that easy to get into it. But if you get grabbed, it can change your life. Punk funk at its best. This compilation comes with the 3 above mentioned EP's and 4 live tracks recorded in Berkley Square in 1982.

Download => Liquid Liquid - Liquid Liquid

Kid Creole - Going Places - The August Darnell Years 1976-1983 (Strut - 2008)

Growing up in the 70's and 80's, I completely ignored August Darnell existed until I saw him in the news in the mid 80's. He was touring in the south of France with the Coconuts and that deserved him a two minutes story. I found his music sounded cheesy and his stage antics were just not funny at all. 20 years later, thanks largely to DFA and James Murphy, the punk funk revival allowed me to digg into Ze Records discography and I really discovered August Darnell work. That guy is just a genius: mixing up every New York street sounds (disco, punk, funk, jazz, salsa etc.) into a big shaker and making of it something unique, intelligent, funny and really really good.  He occupied different positions (artist or just producer) in bands or solo acts like Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band, Christina, Gichy Dan's but you can recognize his hand at the first seconds on each record. This Strut released compilation is a perfect introduction to his work.

Download =>  Kid Creole - Going Places - The August Darnell Years 1976-1983

ZE Sound Of N.Y.C (Les Inrockuptibles - 2011)

Sold with a special edition on NY rock scene of the French indie rock bible news magazine Les Inrockuptibles, this compilation is pure honey for the ears. Michel Esteban has chosen probably 14 of the best tracks of his ZE Records catalogue. If ZE Records artists have been numerous times compiled, especially on ZE own Mutant Disco serie, and are largely reedited, listening again those 14 arty no wave and punk funk missiles just makes you immediatly in a party mood. You'll even find three special edits: the Social Disco Club Edit of Gichy Dan's Beachwood #9's Cowboys & Gangsters, the Pilooski Edit of Don Armando's 2nd Ave. Rhumba Band's I'm An Indian Too and The Barking Dogs Edit of Arto Lindsay-Arto/Neto's Pini, Pini.

Download => ZE Sound Of N.Y.C

The Bombing - The Very Best Of Bost & Bim Reggae Remixes (Beats Mob Records - 2009)

If you like reggae remixes, here are the masters of the game, French Bost & Bim, even better than Taggy Matcher, Mato or Grant Phabao. Their mixtapes serie, Yankees A Yard is already a must have. But The Bombing, their compilation of their best pop ans soul classics reggae remixes, is a pure killer. They took absolute masterpieces (Let's Get It On, Superfreak, I Want You Back, Ain't No Mountain High Enough and so on...) and succeed to remix them without sounding corny. Play any one of those tracks and you'll make any dancefloor going crazy. I just wonder where they found the acapellas to make all their remixes...















Tracklisting:

1- Marvin Star - Let's Get It On
2- Supa James - Superfreak
3- Little Stevie - For Your Love
4- Diana Supreme: My World Is Empty
5- Fabulous Five - I Want You Back
6- Little Stevie - Uptight
7- Marvin & Tammi - Ain't No Mountain High Enough
8- The Thieves - Message In A Bottle
9- John & Paul - Girl
10- Smokey Miracle - Tracks Of My Tears
11- Sista Janis - Mercedes Benz
12- Marvin Star - Sexual Healing
13- Diana Supreme - Baby Love
14- John & Paul feat. Ras Pidow - Because

Download => The Bombing - The Very Best Of Bost & Bim Reggae Remixes

David Axelrod - Songs Of Exprience (Capitol - 1969)

David Axelrod - Songs Of Experience

Songs Of Experience is the second part of David's Axelrod homage to William Blake after Song Of Innocence, record I posted last week. Songs Of Experience is a little less dark and slightly more cinematographic, heavy on a rich psyche and sexy instrumentation and a bit less on breaks. It reminds me a lot of soundtracks Ennio Morricone made at the same time. This album stays as well as one of hip hop producers favorite samples mine, especially DJ Shadow who largely used parts of The Human Abstract to make his masterpiece, Midnight In A Perfect World.

David Axelrod - Song Of Innocence (Capitol - 1968)

David Axelrod - Song Of Innocence

What to say about this record? This is the kind of album that made me want to start this blog. Just to make it discover to someone that never heard of it. It is so good that it's hard to say which song is the better. Song Of Innocence is a pure breakbeat paradise. Each single track has been sampled a gazillion of times, especially Holy Thursday. Song Of Innocence was thought as an hommage to William Blake, the 18th century poet. But you will find no classical music here. It's an instrumental psychedelic funky jazzy trip. Strings and horns are used in a very cinematographic way, aswering to funky drums and a jazzy bassline with from time to time an electric guitar. Play it and you'll be hooked to the last single note.

Herman's Hermits - Both Sides Of Herman's Hermits (Columbia - 1965)

Herman's Hermits - Both Sides Of Herman's Hermits

Herman's Hermits have a shitty reputation. They haven't any psyche freakbeat, garage or proto punk scorcher to their palmares. Instead, despite their working class scousie origins, they drag a reputation of a commercial family friendly pop band, singing first degree love songs that wouln't scare or even offend Midwest and Bible Belt TV watchers. This is pretty unfair: those guys were maybe not the definition of rock'n'roll but they were in fact just doing the job the best they could. They had no personnality, no artistic vision, but clearly just wanted a decent living from their music. They didn't break any barrier but let behind them a handful of good songs. For Love is one my personnal favorite and you can find it on this album, Both Sides Of Herman's Hermits with a few B sides and cuts from their 1967 Columbia release, Herman's Hermits X 15.

Syndicate Of Sound - Little Girl (Bell - 1966)

Syndicate Of Sound - Little Girl

Syndicate Of Sound was created, according to bassist Bob Gonzales in the liner notes of this Sundazed CD edition, "to make money, have fun and meet girls", which is basically the aim of 99,9% of teenage bands in the world. Hailing from San Jose, California, Syndicate Of Sound vanished carbonized after only one album and one Top 10 hit single, Little Girl. If British Invasion influences can obviously be heard throughout the entire album, they are mixed with that raw energy and that minimalism only particular to US garage bands of the time. Definitely more than a curiosity.

Paul Revere & The Raiders - Greatest Hits (Columbia - 1967)

Paul Revere & The Raiders - Greatest Hits

Paul Revere & The Raiders were The Black Lips of the 60's: a band of clowns playing a perfect garage rock'n'roll that took no prisonners. The band, headed by Paul Revere (which was his real name and became later the name of a Beastie Boys song) and Mark Lindsay, liked its shit raw even if they were TV Shows regulars. Mark Lindsay voice sounded definitely punk while the band played well crafted songs with an unmatched and inflammatory spontaneity. This Greatest Hits album serves them very well: 11 songs, 4 bonus tracks and 40 minutes of unmatched rock'n'roll that never slows down.

Psychedelia At Abbey Road - 1965-1969 (EMI - 1998)

Psychedelia At Abbey Road - 1965-1969

This excellent compilation gathers 22 rare psyche gems all recorded at Abbey Road studios between 1965 and 1969. If you can find some usual suspects (Donovan, Pretty Things, Syd Barrett), I must admit I didn't know the majority of the bands featured, from The N'Betweens to The Koobas passing by The Mandrake Paddle Steamer. For a compilation released by a major, this one is really well documented, complete and very good. Break diggers will even find interesting things to sample, especially the soul infused 10.000 Years Behind My Mind by Focus 3, 10.000 Words In A Cardboard Box by Aquarian Age or the brilliant horns that take Mr Armegeddon of Locomotive into an unexpected stratospheric direction.

New Order - Movement (Factory - 1981)

New Order - Movement

I just watched French filmmaker Olivier Assayas fantastic film about 70's left wing terrorist Carlos and it made realised that New Order signed with Dreams Never End, largely used in the film, one of the best guitar and bass lines played crescendo as introduction to rock'n'roll song. I write that being not that much a big New Order fan. I definitely respect their legacy, the way they reinvented themselves and pop music after Joy Division, their open minded ears, what they brought to clubland with the Haçienda, all what made their legend. But I don't particularly find their albums that good from the start to the end. Movement is no exception. In fact the music and Martin Hannett production are innovative and annouce the best of the 10 years to come. But I find Peter Hook voice is a bit embarrasing. OK, it is a cold wave album, it's not that important but the guy actually can't sing!!!

Lula Côrtes E Zé Ramalho - Paebirù (Solar - 1975)

Lula Côrtes E Zé Ramalho - Paêbirù

If you didn't like my Robert Wyatt post, you'll hate this one too. "We travelled to the state of Paraiba where we could personnaly get to know this mystical, archeological site. We became fascinated with the power of the place and engrossed in the stories and legends, in the interpretation of dreams" explains Lula Côrtes in the inner notes about the Mr Bongo reedition. "It was the perfect subject to focus our musical quest upon, and thus the idea of the record was born. Legends, Indians, maybe even the presence of aliens...pure mystery". You have undestood that whatever those guys were on when they recorded Parbirù, it was some strong shit.

Robert Wyatt - The End Of An Ear (Columbia - 1970)

Robert Wyatt - The End Of An Ear

iTunes is a strange software: Robert Wyatt's The End Of An Ear is classified as Alternative & Punk. Well, it maybe is not that far from the truth. Alternative certainly: The End Of An Ear is a psychedelic piece of experimental music (think Teddy Riley), influenced by pop, free jazz and world music. The End Of An Ear is not the kind of record you play to serve like a nice surounding to tea time. You must listen to it from the beginning to the end to really get into it. And if you do, you just get snatched. It is certainly a punk record too. In an era where music business was absorbing rock and afro-american seditious power, Robert Wyatt just did his thing with an arty "I don't give a fuck" attitude. On the back cover, you can even read "out of work pop singer". Brilliant.