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Sunday, November 30, 2014

Black Uhuru : Red


The most successful of the second-generation reggae bands, Black Uhuru maintained their high quality despite numerous personnel changes in their 40-plus-year history. The first reggae band to win a Grammy award, for their 1983 album Anthem, Black Uhuru was, according to Reggae: The Rough Guide, "The most dynamic and progressive reggae act of the 1970s and early '80s."


The group formed in the Waterhouse district of Kingston in 1972, initially called simply "Uhuru" (the Swahili word for freedom), with a line-up of Garth Dennis, Don Carlos, and Derrick "Duckie" Simpson. Their first release was a cover version of Curtis Mayfield's "Romancing to the Folk Song", which was followed by "Time is on Our Side"; Neither song was a success and they split up, with Carlos pursuing a solo career, as did Dennis, before joining The Wailing Souls.[2] Simpson also briefly worked with the Wailing Souls, before

With the addition of harmony singer Sandra "Puma" Jones, an Afro-American woman who held a master's degree from Columbia University and was a former member of the female group Mama Africa in 1981, Black Uhuru entered their most commercially successful period. In addition to recording a memorable studio album, Red, and an exciting live album, Tear It Up, the group reached its peak with the release of Anthem in 1983.

Red is an 1981 album by the Jamaican reggae band Black Uhuru. The line-up of the band changed many
forming a new version of Uhuru with Errol Nelson (of The Jayes) and Michael Rose, the group now taking the name Black Sounds Uhuru. Their Prince Jammy-produced debut album, Love Crisis, was released in 1977.
 They had their most successful period in the 1980s, with their album Anthem winning the first ever Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1985.
times during its 16 years and this is the second release for the lineup of Michael Rose, Sandra "Puma" Jones and Derek "Duckie" Simpson. Sly & Robbie were again in the production seat after having previously working with the band on the 1980 album Sinsemilla.

( The sophomore release from the third and most successful incarnation of Black Uhuru (singers Don Carlos, Erroll "Jay" Wilson, and Rudolph "Garth" Dennis had come before), Red spotlights the singing talents of then rising star Michael Rose, American-born Sandra "Puma" Jones, and original member Derrick "Duckie" Simpson. Backed by the tight and dancehall-era defining Sly & Robbie band, the trio reels off eight high-quality reggae cuts here, including classics like "Youth of Eglington" and "Sponji Reggae." Filled with Rose's astute lyrics, the album provides an engaging
blend of steppers rhythms and social commentary. Sly & Robbie's ingenious mix of sophisticated roots reggae and a variety of modern touches (synthesizers, electronic drums) not only brought Black Uhuru widespread fame but, along with Henry "Junjo" Lawes and Prince Jammy's contemporary productions, also helped define the slicked-up last stand of roots rhythms in the first half of the '80s, while foreshadowing reggae's coming digital age. A very enjoyable listen, recommended along with other fine offerings by the band like Chill Out and the Grammy-winning Anthem.    Review by Stephen Cook )



    Michael Rose - vocals
    Derrick "Duckie" Simpson - harmony vocals
    Puma Jones - harmony vocals
    Sly Dunbar - drums, syndrums
    Robbie Shakespeare - bass, piano
    Ranchie McLean - rhythm guitar, lead guitar
    Mikey Chung - rhythm guitar, lead guitar
    Radcliff "Dougie" Bryan - lead guitar
    Barry Reynolds - lead guitar
    Robert Lynn - piano
    Keith Sterling - piano
    Uziah "Sticky" Thompson - percussion


TRACKS

1.Youth of Eglington   5:00
2.Sponji Reggae        4:56
3.Sistren   Rose, Derrick "Duckie" Simpson 4:34
4.Journey       Simpson 5:21
5.Utterance         3:42
6.Puff She Puff   5:08
7.Rockstone  Rose, Simpson 4:38
8.Carbine       6:05


Sunday, November 23, 2014

The Strawberry Statement : O.S.T 1970


The Strawberry Statement is a 1970 cult film about the counterculture and student revolts of the 1960s, loosely based on the non-fiction book by James Simon Kunen about the Columbia University protests of 1968.


The film does not take place in New York City, at Columbia University, but in Stockton, California, at a fictional university – which is based on San Francisco State College (later San Francisco State University). The original book's author, James Simon Kunen, has a cameo appearance in the film. Thunderclap
Newman's "Something in the Air" and numerous other rock songs are used on the soundtrack.
The song "The Circle Game" was written by Joni Mitchell, and was sung popularized by Buffy Saint-Marie.

The double-LP soundtrack to the film featuring Bruce Davison, Kim Darby, and James Coco is a coup for record executive Mike Curb, who composes the ultra-tacky liner notes, which contain the keyword "relevance." It's a compilation of songs by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Buffy Saint-Marie, and Thunderclap Newman, along with instrumentals by Ian Freebairn-Smith, a minor public-domain track by the Red Mountain Jug Band, and Karl Bohm & the Berlin Philharmonic to boot. Some copies of the album contain Graham Nash's "Our House" from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; on other copies the track was missing.
( My copy contains The track : " Our House " )

Each of the album's four sides contains a different theme to Strawberry Statement with different titles; these are the instrumental tracks from Ian Freebairn-Smith. The music in between is incidental; the meat and potatoes here are the Neil Young and Crosby, Stills & Nash titles, along with Buffy Saint-Marie's great rendition of the Joni Mitchell classic "The Circle Game" and Pete Townshend's ( The WHO )production of the exquisitely brilliant and timeless "Something in the Air" by Thunderclap Newman.


It all fits perfectly in an anti-war protest film based on the book by James Kunen and, along with companion albums to the film Easy Rider and other trendy flicks, brought the rock & roll music soundtrack to a level beyond the cheesy Psych Out and Wild in the Streets collections of the '60s.

You've heard most of this music before, but MGM and Curb found some luck by combining these powerful forces under one roof. (all music)

The Story


Simon is a student at a college in San Francisco. He is content to be on the rowing team and remain as just a casual observer to the on-campus unrest, demonstrations and protests. However, curiosity gets the best of him and he begins exploring the inner sanctum of the students who have invaded the dean's office. He soon
meets Linda and becomes a loyal member of the student revolution to meet girls. However, when he truly discovers the corruption and the madness that his comrades are protesting, his mindset also joins the movement. He becomes a revolutionary leader and prepares his comrades for a very violent climactic showdown with "the pigs" at a sit-in.
- Written by thustlebird

Cast

    Bruce Davison: Simon
    Kim Darby: Linda
    Bud Cort: Elliott
    Murray MacLeod: George
    Tom Foral: The coach
    Bob Balaban: Elliott


                                                                      TRACKS

RECORD  A


A1. The Circle Game : Buffy Sainte-Marie
A2. Our House : Crosby,Stills,Nash and Young
A3. Market Basket (Theme From The Strawberry Statement) : Ian Freebairn-Smith & The MGM Studio Orchestra
A4. Down by the River : Neil Young
A5. Long Time Gone : Crosby, Stills and Nash
A6. Cyclatron (Theme from The Strawberry Statement) : Ian Freebairn-Smith & The MGM Studio Orchestra
A7. Something in the Air : Thunderclap Newman

RECORD  B


B1. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spake Zarathustra) : Karl Bohm Conducting The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
B2. The Loner : Neil Young
B3. Coit Tower (Theme from The Strawberry Statement) : Ian Freebairn & The MGM Studio Orchestra
B4. Fishin' Blues : Red Mountain Jug Band
B5. Concerto in D Minor : Ian Freebairn & The MGM Studio Orchestra
B6. Helpless : Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
B7. Pocket Band (Theme from The Strawberry Statement) : Ian Freebairn-Smith & The MGM Studio Orchestra
B8. Give Peace a Chance : The Cast


Format : Double Vinyl LP
Made in USA
Label : MGM Records
2 SE 14 ST MGS 2340
Year : 1970
Genre : Rock Soundtrack

Record A FLAC : Size : 168 MB                      

 

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Reiser : my Dad


Ένα κομιξάκι αφιερωμένο στο φίλο μου Λευτέρη Φωκάκιο και τα χρόνια μου πολλά για  τα γενέθλιά του .
Στο επόμενο ταξίδι μας με το LADA μέσα κι έξω από το Ellada θα πιούμε τα διπλάσια !!!
Να είσαι πάντα γερός και δυνατός φίλε μου .
Χρόνια Πολλά .
Δε μασάμε ρε  !!!

Ο καλλιτέχνης είναι ο υπέροχος ανατρεπτικός Γάλλος  κομίστας  " REISER " ο οποίος έχει φιλοξενηθεί αρκετές φορές σε αυτό το Blog .

Στην υγειά σου ρε Φωκάκιε !

 


ΑΛΛΟΣ ΠΙΝΕΙ ΑΠΟ ΧΑΡΑ
ΑΛΛΟΣ ΠΙΝΕΙ ΑΠΟ ΛΥΠΗ
... ΕΓΩ ΠΙΝΩ ΑΠΟ ΤΟ ΠΡΩΙ !!!



Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Uriah Heep : The Magician' s Birthday 1972


Uriah Heep's by-the-books progressive heavy metal made the British band one of the most popular hard rock groups of the early '70s. Formed by vocalist David Byron and guitarist Mick Box in the late '60s, the group went through an astonishing number of members over the next two decades -- nearly 30 different musicians passed through the band over the years. Byron and Box were members of the mid-'60s rock band called the Stalkers; once that band broke up, the duo formed another group called Spice. Spice would eventually turn into Uriah Heep in the late '60s, once Ken Hensley (guitar, keyboards, vocals) and bassist Paul Newton joined the pair. Former Spice drummer Alex Napier was the band's drummer for a brief time; he was quickly replaced by Nigel Olsson.


Very 'Eavy... Very 'Umble
Uriah Heep released their debut album Very 'eavy...Very 'umble (called Uriah Heep in the U.S.) in 1970. After its release, Keith Baker became the group's drummer; he recorded Salisbury, the group's second album, before deciding he couldn't keep up with the band's extensive touring and was replaced by Ian Clarke. Salisbury, featuring a 16-minute title track recorded with a 26-piece orchestra, showcased the band's more progressive tendencies. Later that year, Ian Clarke was replaced by Lee Kerslake and Mark Clarke replaced Newton; Mark Clarke quickly left the band and Gary Thain became the group's bassist. This lineup of Uriah Heep was its most stable and popular; beginning with 1972's Demons and Wizards, they released five albums between 1972 and 1975.

Different World
After 1975, the band's popularity began to slip. Byron left the band in 1977 and was replaced by John Lawton, yet the group's fortunes kept declining right into the early '80s. However, Uriah Heep soldiered on, continuing to release albums into the '90s and 2000s. The album roster included Different World (1994), Sea of Light (1995), Sonic Origami (1998), and Spellbinder (1999).

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

THE MAGICIAN'S BIRTHDAY

 
It starts dramatically with "Sunrise," a spooky power ballad that alternates quiet organ-led verses with an emotional chorus and guitar-fuelled instrumental breaks topped off by David Byron's operatic wail. The remainder of the album divides its time between punchy rockers and spacy balladry before climaxing with another prog-inflected epic. Highlights in the rock arena include "Blind Eye," an acoustic-flavored rocker whose galloping pace is firmly anchored by Gary Thain's melodic bassline, and "Sweet Lorraine," a stomping good-time rocker that adds extra texture to its guitar-driven sound with some spacy synthesizer lines.

As for the quieter moments, "Rain" is a lovely piano ballad that makes surprising and impressive use of a xylophone in its sound and "Echoes in the Dark" is an eerie mid-tempo song that alternates stark piano-led verses with an emotional chorus cemented by Mick Box's searing guitar leads. There is also another multi-part epic in the title track, a prog-ish piece with fantasy themes.

It lacks a strong structure (it feels more like three songs grafted together than a true multi-part composition) and succumbs to a bit of aimless jamming in the middle, but it is redeemed by strong hooks in the opening and a spirited performance from the band on its space rock finale.


TRACKS   
01. Sunrise             4:04
02. Spider Woman     2:25
03. Blind Eye       3:33
04. Echoes in the Dark  4:48
05. Rain             3:59
06. Sweet Lorraine       4:13
07. Tales             4:09
08. The Magician's Birthday 10:21

The Magician's Birthday     Lyrics

Hensley/Box/Kerslake

In the magic garden
Some were singing some were dancing
While the midnight moon shone brightly overhead
The stars so gaily glistened
And the sphinx in silence listened
To the magician's tale of lives that he had led

Let the bells of freedom ring
Songs of love to friday's king
Let's all go to the magician's birthday
It's in the forest but not so far away
Much to do and so much to say
While we listened to the orchid orchestra play

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear magician
Happy birthday to you

Then at the dead of midnight
As we watched the dancing fire light
The air grew cold and seemed to dull the flame
The fire died the music faded
Filled with fear of death we waited
For now we knew some evil was to blame...

-I challenge you I challenge you all
For all you own and all you know
And by all the powers of darkness
I will steal what is mine

Surrender now or face my spite
I grant you it may be Friday night
But did you know this day
Also numbers thirteen


First I give you fire
-I turn your fire into a sleepy stream
-Yes but now I give you nightmares
-But from your horror I'll create a dream
-You cannot fight me for I have the sword of hate
-But one thing you can't see: my answer is simply
an impenetrable fortress of love - love

The fear went as quickly as it came
The air was clear the fire burned again
The flames leapt the organ played
The swan sang to greet the day
And then we knew that
Love will find love will find love ...

Thursday, November 06, 2014

Milo Manara - Hugo Pratt : Indian Summer


Creators




Writer : Milo Manara, Hugo Pratt
Artist : Milo Manara






Hugo Pratt is a gifted writer, a natural born story-teller. Milo Manara is an equally gifted and talented artist. Together they recreate true and accurate colonial history based on one small episode of conflict between Native Americans and the Puritan settlers.


The Native Americans become individuals, the settlers and townsfolk are vividly portrayed.




The friendships and the ultimate tragedy born of misunderstandings and human foibles (on both sides) unrolls before the readers eyes in an unforgettable manner.


This is gifted storytelling in a graphic novel format that provides insight as well as entertainment.




When the English settlers arrive in America, they bring their mores, their values, their prejudices and their troubles with them.


Only to find that the neighboring natives are already dealing with their prejudices, mores and values of their own.

So back to addressing the European Comic genre, what a better representative could’ve I picked than Milo Manara.




This Italian author has been doing comics for the better part of 40 years, albeit what really gave him an international name and got attention of the comic book industry was his amazing and masterful erotic art.



His renown is such that recently Marvel did something quite daring and brought Milo Manara into their universe, in a one shot book, called X-Women.



Although for the English speaking world  this graphic novel was titled Indian Summer, the original title is Tutto ricominciò con un’estate Indiana and the literal translation would be “Everything began with an Indian Summer”.



This hints at the type of narrative we will be reading here. A recollection, a melancholic recapping of events from long ago.




















Manara's art speaks for itself, so no need to go on and on about it. But the stories written by him are usually pointless sex tales. The difference with Indian Summer is that Pratt actually gave him a great story (the struggles of early settlers for survival, and their unpredictable relations with the native indians).

Manara expresses the emotions of his characters beautifully through his pencil.