To read some pieces in collector magazines, you'd think this was one of the Holy Grails of British psychedelia. It's not; it's average at best mod-pop-psych that's a bit on the heavy rock side. The mixture of thick guitar chords, moderately distorted hard psychedelic guitar leads, vocal harmonies, and John Du Cann's resonant vocals faintly recalls some of Jack Bruce's poppiest efforts with Cream…

One has come to expect Steeplechase releases to be of such a uniformly and consistent high quality that it is easy to damn them with faint praise, as the saying goes. It seems as though the label has become a safe haven for worthy, journeyman talent rather than a place where cutting edge development thrives. If like me you have formed this impression, I have to say we are probably selling the label short and need to re-evaluate its contribution to the furtherance of the music. Vic Juris is without doubt a time served practitioner, a safe pair of hands, yet one who can adapt his considerable technique to serve diverse stylistic influences and this is amply demonstrated in the choice of pieces that make up this surprisingly varied recital of contemporary jazz…

This new compilation "Young Girl Sunday Jazz" makes Greetje Kauffeld's lost jazz songs from the 1960s available on CD and vinyl LP. Mainly included are recordings from the private vaults of the singer or from musicians' and collectors' archives, with music performed between 1960 and 1969 at concerts, in the studio or at sessions for radio and tv. Greetje in top form, accompanied by some of the most excellent Dutch and German jazz musicians! Moreover, all four tracks of her first and only jazz EP from 1960, entitled "Makin' Whoopee", are reissued here for the first time…

Price's first album (released in the U.K. only, although some tracks would come out in the U.S.) is a rather routine set of club R&B/soul. Fronting a six-piece that includes three horns, Price sticks mostly to covers of familiar American tunes like "Mercy Mercy," "Ain't That Peculiar," "I Can't Turn You Loose," and "Barefootin'" on this amiable, but hardly remarkable, set. Price's voice is appealing, but lacks power, and in all it sounds like a clump of covers ground out hurriedly to get an album on the market…

Damnation was the same Cleveland band previously known as the Damnation of Adam Blessing, who issued two albums on United Artists in 1969-1970. Why the name was shortened remains a mystery and has fouled up the consistency/accuracy of both Damnation and The Damnation of Adam Blessing discographies ever since.

James Last - Broadway-Melodie: Musical Welterfolge
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 309 MB | Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Polydor # 835 980-2 | Country/Year: Germany 198_, 1982
Genre: Pop, Stage & Screen | Style: Easy Listening, Instrumental, Musical

"James Last was a German big band leader with a large fan base in Europe, although he has never had a comparable following in the United States. Last's trademark was arranging pop hits in a big-band style; his series of "party albums" is equally well-known. Over the course of his career, he has sold well over 50 million albums." James Last died on 9 June 2015 in Florida at the age of 86.

“The Congregation”, the newest album by LEPROUS on InsideOutMusic, is expressive, dark and catchy in a way that crawls under skin and overcomes all the senses, so that I most certainly has to be a magnificent dessert for open-minded progressive music lovers. Deep lyrics that shade serious matters of a modern life are masterly threaded into sharp, clear and tremendous musical arrangements. Developed and advanced in comparison to any of the band’s previous releases, “The Congregation” still keeps the authentic identity and recognizability. Moments when LEPROUS surprise, experiment and freely explore within their music are the ones that build their strength, fuel their power and make them so special. They band never had any tendencies of imitating other artists, and more importantly, their latest release shows the courageous act and art of not even copying themselves. “The Congregation” has given a fresh, innovative and new tone to the musical sphere of LEPROUS.