John Mayall, British blues musician

Band: Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band
Label: Buddah Records
Release: 1967

1. “Sure ‘Nuff ‘N Yes I Do” – B+
2. “Zig Zag Wanderer” – B+
3. “Call On Me” – B+
4. “Dropout Boogie” – A-
5. “I’m Glad” – A-
6. “Electricity” – B
7. “Yellow Brick Road” – B+
8. “Abba Zaba” – B
9. “Plastic Factory” – A
10. “Where There’s A Woman” – B
11. “Grown So Ugly” – B+
12. “Autumn’s Child” – B+

Comments: This is a very encouraging album for me. It’s an exciting listen (as is most music from the 1960s), although I won’t go as far as to designate it as one of the best “classics” that I’ve heard. I wouldn’t say a lot of modern day garage/punk/psychedelic bands are necessarily derivative of Captain Beefheart, but influenced for sure. The best way I can describe this record is: saner than Bloodshot Bill. I guess my own real gripe is that most of these songs feel too archaic; this may be where the delta blues references are validated. My comments may be a bit skewed: most of the bands that I love play music that has several grand-daddies in a plethora of genres and styles. These guys, on the other-hand, could only draw upon a few primitive fathers such as the blues and early rock. I can’t wait to hear Trout Mask Replica, their magnum opus.

Grade: B+

Disc One
1. “Chi Ga” – 1:42
2. “This Is The Modern” – 2:32
3. “Son Of Dad” – 4:35
4. “Duel Of The Dynamite” – 3:38
5. “The Malevolence” – 4:01
6. “Popovic” – 5:03
7. “Hail The Sunny Days” – 3:54
8. “Cinderella” – 2:31
9. “Last Time Infected” – 3:15
10. “Carbon Place” – 3:57
11. “Sheepdog (Acoustic Version)” – 4:38
12. “Chet Baker” – 2:22
13. “Sweet Jesus” – 3:51
14. “A Picture Of ‘Em All” (2002 Digital Remaster) – 2:31
15. “And I Don’t Know” (2002 Digital Remaster) – 2:04
16. “With Or Without Love” – 3:40
17. “Good Morning,Herr Horst (RAC Mix)” – 2:23
18. “Spit On Your Love” – 3:29
19. “Telephone Song” – 4:01

Disc Two
1. “The Quarry” – 4:34
2. “How We Walk” – 4:07
3. “Searching For Owls” – 4:02
4. “San Fransisco Bay” – 3:01
5. “Your Lover’s Nerve” – 3:26
6. “Moonshine Fever” – 2:36
7. “India Love” – 3:01
8. “For The Tears” – 3:10
9. “Waves Of Fortune” – 4:24
10. “Deep Blue Sea” – 3:08
11. “She’s So” (2002 Digital Remaster) – 4:07
12. “Jeanette” – 4:06
13. “Long Before Rock’n'Roll (Live)” – 3:26
14. “We’re Hit” – 4:14
15. “Chi” – 4:10
16. “A Hard Day’s Night” – 3:00
17. “Little Boy Jr (Live)” – 3:24
18. “Paralyzed (Live)” – 4:38
19. “Sheepdog (Live)” – 4:00
20. “Driving Around” – 7:33

[RS: part 1, part 2] [MultUp: part 1, part 2]

Seja para encerrar a noite ou começar muito bem o dia, ou apenas aproveitar a tarde. Nada como um pouco de blues.

Track List:

01. Mercury Blues
02. Trouble Man
03. Detroit Iron
04. Sinner Street
05. Cool Guitars
06. It’s My Own Fault
07. Empty Arms Motel
08. Drive to Survive
09. Jump for Jerry
10. Dancing on Broken Glass
11. I’ll Come Running Back
12. Wild Night Out
13. Jimmy’s Detroit Boogie

Download Jimmy Thackery – The Essential Jimmy Thackery 2006 part 1:

Download Jimmy Thackery – The Essential Jimmy Thackery 2006 part 2:

Varios tamaños. Soporte rígido.

Vertical.

Despite their stunning, eclectic two-decade-old existence, only in recent times have I ‘discovered’ (and I use the term liberally) Clutch, and am yet to ‘discover’ a populace familiar with their works. That is unfortunate. Not merely because this Germantown, Maryland quartet has experimented with every modern (alongside some recent forays into more…conservative (and I use the term literally) avenues, nor because they completely redefined the claustrophobic template of monotony that Sleep’s Al Cisneros insisted on putting us through (Remember the disastrous

Somebody shoot me - El Bajista

 ‘Dopesmoker’?) that used to be the cognitive touchstone of Stoner Rock, and rendered it formless, free and flowing, transcending genre (funk, folk, bluegrass, blues, rock, metal and hard-core), nor because any band that Opeth claims as an influence, irrespective of how left-of-the-dial, is de facto respectable; but because the man (singer-lyricist-guitarist, Neil Fallon) who concocts a rant to the effect of, “Electric Hobo! So now you know not to clock the weeble-wobble-hot-rod-gang-revelator-big-bang!” has something to say that I want to listen to.“I always try to tell a story,” blurts Fallon, whilst acknowledging the free form lyrical approach that has come to distinguish Clutch. “I make up some kind of fiction and then act like I know what I’m talking about. I don’t really know about…UFOs or monster trucks, but I would rather tell a story instead of trying to sing about my life or how I feel.”

Clutch.....what a great name.

Consistent with their 1998-present turnaround-throwback to the blues-tinged-southern-rock-sensibilities, Strange Cousins from the West is…familiar, like whiskey stains and cigarette burns, yet, from a Clutch-centric perspective ground-breaking. The synthesis of the post-1998 southern-rock embrace with the lyrical randomness of Pure Rock Fury has finally arrived. So, on ‘Motherless Child’, expect aged-woman-slide guitar and a slight shuffle but no lyrical throwback (Essentially, nothing of the ilk of “I don’t have a mother, oh yeah, I don’t have a mother, oh yeah, I used to have one but she’s gone away”). Nonetheless, the content is much more personal than earlier works. “Sometimes I feel like a wandering dog.” Pause. Count. Cut to bridge. This, from the man whose erstwhile idea of a plausible refrain was, “Bang, bang, bang! Vamanos! Vamanos!” is a heart-wrenching confession. Follow-up, ‘50,000 Unstoppable Watts’ gets prima facie respect for being the heaviest, soggiest, deepest-pocket groove I’ve heard in the mainstream I 2009 (‘Minotaur’ off the record, comes a close second), and the pacing-shift is a mind-blowing memento to Pure Rock Fury. Funk lives, with ‘The Amazing Kresken’ and its Parliament-esque disco-funk bass-line. Two pieces off the record, although adequate, are evidently blatant attempts at appeasing old-school Clutch-lovers and seem incongruous with the generic palate that ‘Strange Cousins from the West’ mostly sets. ‘Abraham Lincoln’ (Classic R.C. vis-à-vis  ‘I Have The Body of John Wilkes Booth’) and the furious, fire-and-brimstone vocal frenzy of ‘Freakonomics’, over guitarist Tim Sult’s hopped-up rendition of what, at heart is a classic boogie-woogie rhythm.

So the riffs remain sludgy, the solos remain improvised and the lyrics are as yet, little more than intelligent salad. What is definitive about the album is the no-nonsense statement of comfort it evinces from Clutch, and the obvious shift in technical dynamics. Many of the pieces carry one lead line from Sult and Fallon each, and the structuring of each and every song seems tailor-made for on-stage improvisation. With this album, Clutch officially achieves near-jam-band status. Infinitely more importantly, precious little is better than an album that rolls on like a single unit, evoking one uniform echo throughout, leaving no doubt as to the collective awareness of Clutch that they, themselves, have finally arrived. Admittedly, in Strange Cousins from the West the echo is that of crickets in the night and batter-fried chicken crackling, but precisely like those metaphors, it lasts through the night, and there is a hint underneath it all that you’re not the only one on your backyard porch.

 - The Real Cock n’ Cola

There are no markings at all on the speaker of the 400-T.  It’s an odd choice of speaker given the size of the cabinet and I have to admit to never having seen an oval shaped one in a guitar amp before. It looks like something intended for a car stereo setup but I can’t argue with the results of the sound.

The tube setup is a bit unusual as well.  The 35W4 rectifier is coupled with the 50C5 output for what looks like a the classic old radio trio but instead of the usual preamp companion of a 12AV6, we have a 12AX7! The 12AX7 provides more bite here than is generally found in amps that feature the radio tune lineup.

AC/DC – For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) [Remastered] (1994, Atco Records)
Original Release: 1981, Atco Records

1. “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” … 5:44
2. “Put the Finger on You” … 3:26
3. “Let’s Get It Up” … 3:54
4. “Inject the Venom” … 3:31
5. “Snowballed” … 3:23
6. “Evil Walks” … 4:24
7. “C.O.D.” … 3:19
8. “Breaking the Rules” … 4:23
9. “Night of the Long Knives” … 3:26
10. “Spellbound” … 4:30

Band:
Brian Johnson – Lead Vocals
Angus Young – Lead Guitar
Malcolm Young – Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Cliff Williams – Bass, Backing Vocals
Phil Rudd – Drums, Percussion

Producer: Mutt Lange

I know the 2003 remastering is available at Walmart for $7 or $8, but besides having a digipak, I don’t really see what the difference would be from this 1994 remastering. I saved a few bucks at a used record store and picked this one up for $5!  I’ve had my eyes on this album for years. I’ve always thought the cover was very interesting as well as song titles like “Inject the Venom”, “Evil Walks” and “Night of the Long Knives”.

Though I burned myself out on AC/DC years ago, since the release of Black Ice I’m slowly coming around again and I’m interested in picking up their post-Back In Black offerings. Though I didn’t plan it this way, what better place to start than with this album, the follow up to Back In Black?

Though Back In Black will always and forever be viewed as AC/DC’s masterpiece, For Those About to Rock is more than up to the challenge of following that legendary release. This isn’t an album that stands in the shadow of the previous release, this is an album that casts its own shadow, in my opinion. I find it really funny not many critics at the time of this release agreed though. There are a few entertaining reviews floating around online (like the one from Rolling Stone) where this album is trashed as an uninspired effort. I just don’t see it that way at all!

It’s really hard for me to compare this album to Back In Black just because that album has lost all impact for me, but certainly the concert staple title track can compete with anything from that album. The rest doesn’t reach out and grab immediately, there’s a slower groove throughout the album, but it’s all still very satisfying. “I Put the Finger on You” is another one of my favorites from this album. Mutt Lange was back in the producer’s chair for this album (his last with the band) and it is not hard to imagine “I Put the Finger on You” or “Spellbound” as Def Leppard songs, with a few tweaks here and there.

Essential AC/DC and I’m glad I have some new (to me) AC/DC music to listen to!

Highlights: “For Those About to Rock We Salute You”, “Put the Finger on You”, “Let’s Get It Up”, “Inject the Venom”, “Evil Walks”, “Breaking the Rules”, “Spellbound”

www.acdc.com
www.myspace.com/acdc

1. “Rotten Apple” – 6:58
2. “Nutshell” – 4:19
3. “I Stay Away” – 4:14
4. “No Excuses” – 4:15
5. “Whale & Wasp” – 2:37
6. “Don’t Follow” – 4:22
7. “Swing on This” – 4:04

[RS] [MU]

Debut CD - Influenced

David Allen Slater released his Debut CD entitled Influenced on August 15th, 2009.  It contains fifteen well crafted original songs and instrumentals that have already been gaining the attention of a worldwide audience.

The title came from David finding his voice as a songwriter and talented musician after being influenced by the works of musical artists that cover a broad spectrum of genres.  It also comes from his personal influences in his life that helped to forge him into a powerful songwriter who happily wears his heart on his sleeve for all to see.

His strong,  gritty,  soul filled vocals are well suited to everything from Folk to Blues and Rock and he displays his vocal range well throughout the album.  He brings emotion and depth to the songs he sings and draws the listener into each one as he relates his message through his chosen art form so well.

On top of being a talented writer and vocalist, he is also a master of the fretboard putting his own unique touch on each song.  His personal style of playing comes from three decades of mastering his instrument.

This debut release was not only written and performed by DAS but also produced and engineered by him as well.  After teaching himself the art of recording in his home studio over the span of several years, he finally was able to bring to life what he had been  wanting to share with the world…..his own music!

These fifteen tracks have already been heard by fans around the world and found their place in the hearts of so many devoted fans.  Bringing together his experiences in life and the musical influences that helped him to find his own voice, Influenced is a not to missed debut by this promising new artist.

To find out more, please take a moment to visit David’s Official Website @ DAVIDALLENSLATER.COM

Greetings from KookAmongUs!

http://newsoulcowboys.com/ “Rebel Highway” – Anthony Gomes & New Soul Cowboys: Sounds Like : Southern Rock, Alt Country, Blues Rock, Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rebel Highway, New Soul Cowboys “Rebel Highway”

NewSoulCowboys.com

“Rebel Highway”

Saddle up with Anthony Gomes & New Soul Cowboys as the rowdy Nashville power trio has arrived to lay down the law; to serve and uphold the virtues of Rock ‘N’ Roll. Singer/guitarist Anthony Gomes, bassist David Karns and drummer Peter Lang have set out to leave their indelible mark on Southern Rock Music by forging a brand all their own. The trio’s soul sonic force delivers the rough and tumble swagger of rock while having the audacity to blend in the distinctive sounds of whiskey-soaked roadhouse Blues and southern-fried power Country. “If you haven’t heard,” Gomes proclaims, “there’s a new Sherriff in town.”

New Soul Cowboys describe their sound as Outlaw Rock ‘N’ Roll. “Anyone that is a musical badass has been an outlaw in their genre, living outside of conventional rules,” states Gomes. “We have created a sound that embodies the rebel spirit of musical outcasts like Led Zeppelin, Johnny Cash and Howlin’ Wolf. We’re here to take back Rock ‘N’ Roll,” the guitar-slinger boldly but unapologetically exclaims. “We are part of a new music revolution in rock. A place where bands know where the music came from, can really play their instruments, write their own songs and take no prisoners doing it. We couldn’t care less about American Idol, we’re here to take our music to the streets.”

“Nashville is really supercharged these days so it’s the perfect breeding ground for musical hybrids. Music is getting a shot in the arm from blending and blurring the lines of genres. We are an integral part of this uprising, and want to push it further,” says Gomes. This type of crossover is timely for a year that saw Kid Rock break into multiple formats, the unlikely duo of Robert Plant and Allison Krauss and the touring combinations of ZZ Top/Montgomery Gentry and Lynyrd Skynyrd/Hank Williams Jr.

In order to create this new sound, Gomes needed the right combination of bandmates. St. Louis natives Karns and Lang provided the necessary spark to set the band ablaze. “David and I had been touring internationally in different projects as well as doing session work in Nashville and St. Louis, but we wanted more from music. We wanted to be a part of a band that made a difference,” says Lang. From the band’s first rehearsal, the chemistry has been undeniable. “It’s been magic from note one. I knew I had found the brothers that I was meant to play with,” Karns remembers.

The band began recording their debut album in St. Louis during the fall of 2008, when a fan offered the band access to a free studio. The Cowboys got to work quickly and began developing and recording their signature sound. Key tracks from those sessions include, “Painted Horse,” with its tip of the hat to Hendrix and Cash, meeting at the crossroads of history to throw back a shot and a beer, the tasty, “Chicken Bone Cross” and wickedly crunchy, “Purple Whiskey Sack.” Also assembled were the thunderous, “Born to Ride” and radio ready, “What It’s All About;” both prime slices of catchy riffing Southern Rock. The upbeat “Carolina” and the poignant ballad, “You Are Amazing,” also both found their voices during this time. And “Rebel Highway,” with its feeling of Skynyrd meets Queen, is a rock anthem best served arena style.

The group’s Outlaw Rock credentials are unquestionable. They’ve collaborated with Jim Peterik, chief songwriter for .38 Special, and Tom Hambridge who writes with Skynyrd and Van Zant. Gomes has shared the stage with Blues legends BB King and Buddy Guy, as well as Big and Rich, James Otto and Cowboy Troy. In fact, a Cowboy alumnus is none other than that Redneck Woman herself Gretchen Wilson, right out of Nashville’s “Music Mafia”. The group also tears it up live and has played shows with Lynyrd Skynyrd, .38 Special, the Doobie Brothers and Cross Canadian Ragweed.“Blues and Country music had a baby and they called it Rock ‘N’ Roll,” Gomes proclaims. “We are standing at the four corners of music with a Marshall stack amplifier cranked wide open and not asking for permission or begging for forgiveness.” The band’s scorched earth sound is fulfilling their mission statement to stand up and be counted. “It’s high noon and I’ve got my six string by my side. I’ve been baptized by the blues and saved by Rock ‘N’ Roll.”

For more information visit:
NewSoulCowboys.com

“Rebel Highway” – Southern Rock, Alt Country, Blues Rock, Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rebel Highway, New Soul Cowboys, Rebel Highway, New Soul Cowboys, Anthony Gomes

http://newsoulcowboys.com/ “Rebel Highway” – Anthony Gomes & New Soul Cowboys: Sounds Like : Southern Rock, Alt Country, Blues Rock, Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rebel Highway, New Soul Cowboys “Rebel Highway”

NewSoulCowboys.com

"Rebel Highway"

Saddle up with Anthony Gomes & New Soul Cowboys as the rowdy Nashville power trio has arrived to lay down the law; to serve and uphold the virtues of Rock ‘N’ Roll. Singer/guitarist Anthony Gomes, bassist David Karns and drummer Peter Lang have set out to leave their indelible mark on Southern Rock Music by forging a brand all their own. The trio’s soul sonic force delivers the rough and tumble swagger of rock while having the audacity to blend in the distinctive sounds of whiskey-soaked roadhouse Blues and southern-fried power Country. “If you haven’t heard,” Gomes proclaims, “there’s a new Sherriff in town.”

New Soul Cowboys describe their sound as Outlaw Rock ‘N’ Roll. “Anyone that is a musical badass has been an outlaw in their genre, living outside of conventional rules,” states Gomes. “We have created a sound that embodies the rebel spirit of musical outcasts like Led Zeppelin, Johnny Cash and Howlin’ Wolf. We’re here to take back Rock ‘N’ Roll,” the guitar-slinger boldly but unapologetically exclaims. “We are part of a new music revolution in rock. A place where bands know where the music came from, can really play their instruments, write their own songs and take no prisoners doing it. We couldn’t care less about American Idol, we’re here to take our music to the streets.”

“Nashville is really supercharged these days so it’s the perfect breeding ground for musical hybrids. Music is getting a shot in the arm from blending and blurring the lines of genres. We are an integral part of this uprising, and want to push it further,” says Gomes. This type of crossover is timely for a year that saw Kid Rock break into multiple formats, the unlikely duo of Robert Plant and Allison Krauss and the touring combinations of ZZ Top/Montgomery Gentry and Lynyrd Skynyrd/Hank Williams Jr.

In order to create this new sound, Gomes needed the right combination of bandmates. St. Louis natives Karns and Lang provided the necessary spark to set the band ablaze. “David and I had been touring internationally in different projects as well as doing session work in Nashville and St. Louis, but we wanted more from music. We wanted to be a part of a band that made a difference,” says Lang. From the band’s first rehearsal, the chemistry has been undeniable. “It’s been magic from note one. I knew I had found the brothers that I was meant to play with,” Karns remembers.

The band began recording their debut album in St. Louis during the fall of 2008, when a fan offered the band access to a free studio. The Cowboys got to work quickly and began developing and recording their signature sound. Key tracks from those sessions include, “Painted Horse,” with its tip of the hat to Hendrix and Cash, meeting at the crossroads of history to throw back a shot and a beer, the tasty, “Chicken Bone Cross” and wickedly crunchy, “Purple Whiskey Sack.” Also assembled were the thunderous, “Born to Ride” and radio ready, “What It’s All About;” both prime slices of catchy riffing Southern Rock. The upbeat “Carolina” and the poignant ballad, “You Are Amazing,” also both found their voices during this time. And “Rebel Highway,” with its feeling of Skynyrd meets Queen, is a rock anthem best served arena style.

The group’s Outlaw Rock credentials are unquestionable. They’ve collaborated with Jim Peterik, chief songwriter for .38 Special, and Tom Hambridge who writes with Skynyrd and Van Zant. Gomes has shared the stage with Blues legends BB King and Buddy Guy, as well as Big and Rich, James Otto and Cowboy Troy. In fact, a Cowboy alumnus is none other than that Redneck Woman herself Gretchen Wilson, right out of Nashville’s “Music Mafia”. The group also tears it up live and has played shows with Lynyrd Skynyrd, .38 Special, the Doobie Brothers and Cross Canadian Ragweed.“Blues and Country music had a baby and they called it Rock ‘N’ Roll,” Gomes proclaims. “We are standing at the four corners of music with a Marshall stack amplifier cranked wide open and not asking for permission or begging for forgiveness.” The band’s scorched earth sound is fulfilling their mission statement to stand up and be counted. “It’s high noon and I’ve got my six string by my side. I’ve been baptized by the blues and saved by Rock ‘N’ Roll.”

For more information visit:
NewSoulCowboys.com

"Rebel Highway" – Southern Rock, Alt Country, Blues Rock, Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rebel Highway, New Soul Cowboys, Rebel Highway, New Soul Cowboys, Anthony Gomes

Joe Perry, guitarrista do Aerosmith, afirma que Steven Tyler não faz mais parte do grupo.

O guitarrista Joe Perry, em entrevista ao jornal americano Las Vegas Sun, confirmou a saída de Tyler da banda de Hard Rock americana. “Até onde eu posso dizer, Steven saiu da banda. Não sei muito mais do que isso”, revelou Perry.

A banda não sabe se vai substituir Steven Tyler

Boatos sobre a saída de Steven Tyler do Aerosmith já estavam  circulando há um certo tempo, ganharam mais intensidade quando Joe Perry disse que o cantor queria se dedicar a projetos alternativos.

De acordo com Joe Perry, Tyler não mantém contato com mais ninguém do Aerosmith e nem atende as ligações dos companheiros do grupo. “Eu vi na internet que Steven disse que ia sair da banda. Não sei por quanto tempo, se é indefinidamente ou qualquer outra coisa”, disse.

Joe também disse que a banda se esforçou para manter Tyler no grupo: “Nos últimos meses, tentei não balançar o barco e fazer com que ele cancelasse mais apresentações. Nós queríamos fazer estes últimos quatro shows, e por isso, tentamos não irritá-lo e deixamos a coisa fluir. Fizemos os shows, eu voltei para a casa e agora vejo isto na internet”. A banda cancelou uma série de concertos em agosto após o cantor ter caido do palco e quebrado o ombro.

Na entrevista do guitarrista base, Brad Whitford, à revista Classic Rock, ele comentou sobre a possibilidade de substituição de Steven Tyler.

“Eu não sei quão bom seria, isso dependerá muito de quando poderíamos começar e quem gostaria de participar. Será uma grande substituição. Ninguém pode substituir Steven ou imitá-lo – ele é único. Mas se alguém estiver disposto a fazê-lo e a química estiver correta, porque não?” declarou Whitford.

Fonte: CifraClub News

Meus pêsames, ao nosso autor Luca, cuja banda favorita é o próprio Aerosmith. Compreendo que nesse momento você deve estar se sentindo mal, tendo convulsões e ataques epilépticos (que não deixam de ser convulsões), mas seja forte! Sabemos o que você está passando, e não te deixaremos na mão! Aconteça o que acontecer, NÃO vá para luz!!

1. “California Queen” - 3:55
2. “New Moon Rising” - 3:46
3. “White Feather” – 3:04
4. “Sundial” – 3:48
5. “In the Morning” – 5:40
6. “10,000 Feet” – 4:09
7. “Cosmic Egg” – 4:04
8. “Far Away” – 4:00
9. “Pilgrim” – 4:50
10. “In the Castle” -  5:42
11. “Phoenix” – 4:45
12. “Violence of the Sun” - 6:02

[RS] [MU]

Bonnie Raitt, American singer

Supergroup Cream recorded their second album, Disraeli Gears at Atlantic Studios in New York during May 1967. Following a short but very successful U.S. tour during August, the band released the LP on November 2, 1967, and it immediately shot up to the Top 5 in both the U.S. and Britain. And for good reason. Disraeli Gears is a perfect blend of British psychedelic rock and American blues-rock, delivered by the leading power trio of the day, Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. Cream brought in Felix Pappalardi to produce Disraeli Gears, which tightened up their sound following loose collection of mostly blues covers from their debut, Fresh Cream (1966). Pappalardi would eventually go on the form Cream-influenced, power rock Mountain with Leslie West in the 70s, but his work with Clapton, Bruce and Baker resulted in a terrific collection of sometimes spacey, but always dead-on interpretations of blues-rock from a Brit’s viewpoint. Included on Disraeli Gears are some of Cream’s best known and enduring songs, “Sunshine Of Your Love” (#5 in the U.S. in early 1968), “Strange Brew” and “Tales of Brave Ulysses,” as well as the wailing, psych-rocker “Swablr.”

Disraeli Gears ranks #9 on my list of the Top 25 albums for 1967 and #112 on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It is available as download tracks from iTunes (click here) and as a CD from Amazon (click here).

Lynch Mob – Smoke and Mirrors (2009, Frontiers Records – German Import)

1. “21st Century Man” … 4:55
2. “Smoke and Mirrors” … 5:00
3. “Lucky Man” … 4:29
4. “My Kind of Healer” … 3:33
5. “Time Keepers” … 6:54
6. “Revolution Heroes” … 4:01
7. “Let The Music Be Your Master” … 6:19
8. “The Facist” … 4:10
9. “Where Do You Sleep At Night” … 3:50
10. “Madly Backwards” … 4:12
11. “We Will Remain” … 4:37
12. “Before I Close My Eyes” … 4:43
BONUS TRACK
13. “Mansions In The Sky” … 4:19

Band:
Oni Logan – Lead Vocals
George Lynch – Guitars
Marco Mendoza – Bass, Backing Vocals
Scot Coogan – Drums, Backing Vocals

Producer: Lynch Mob, Bob Kulick, Brett Chassen

After only hearing Lynch Mob’s debut Wicked Sensation and read so many negatives about the later experimental George Lynch/Lynch Mob albums, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one. I was thinking it would probably be a less rocking, more melodic affair, but I still expected to hear some fiery George Lynch solos.

Well, I can say that album is not as chest-thumping as Wicked Sensation (an album that was pretty much a full-force “hair metal” release), but it is no soft AOR album either. In fact, what the returning Lynch Mob brings us is a solid bluesy melodic hard rock album where George is decidedly a band member and not the band himself. Even Oni Logan’s voice has changed. Whether by choice or by time, he sounds richer and deeper and doesn’t wail as he did on the band’s debut. His voice definitely suits the bluesier sound of this album.

I wasn’t immediately into this album, it’s a definite grower. Nothing jumped out and grabbed me like some songs on Wicked Sensation did and Smoke and Mirrors can’t compare to it, but this is still a very good release for fans of Lynch Mob and melodic rock in general. The opener “21st Century Man” is a great way to kick things off because it almost sounds like the Lynch Mob of old and “Smoke and Mirrors” is a really bluesy rocker that reminds me a lot of Bad Company (Logan especially sounds like he’s doing his best Paul Rodgers). Those two songs would be my favorites.

This is only Oni Logan’s seconding outing with Lynch Mob. After Wicked Sensation, he was replaced by Robert Mason (now in Big Cock and Warrant). While Marco Mendoza (Blue Murder/Whitesnake/Ted Nugent) and Scot Coogan (Brides of Destruction) are new to the group, the original Lynch Mob line-up tried to reunite a few years ago, but they didn’t get past the writing stage and Robert Mason stepped in again.

This album supposedly was released in the U.S., but I had to go through CDUniverse.com and order the German import (which was available on their site the day the U.S. version was released) for about $14. Everything is printed in English, but what’s really funny is when I put the CD into my computer to play, Windows Media Player lists the album and song titles in what I assume to be Japanese. I gotta keep the track list on hand for this one! There is no difference between any of the imports or the U.S. version. They all feature the same “bonus track” – “Mansions In The Sky”. So again, is it really a “bonus”?

Highlights: “21st Century Man”, “Smoke and Mirrors”, “My Kind of Healer”, “Time Keepers”, “The Facist”, “Where Do You Sleep At Night”, “Mansions In The Sky”

georgelynch.ning.com
www.myspace.com/lynchmobrocks

Si te gusta el rock y no conoces a Cream, tienes un problema. Cream fue una de las bandas que más aportaron en desarrollar la música que hoy conocemos como rock, y le abrieron el paso a otros gigantes como Led Zeppelin y Jimi Hendrix.

Cream nació el año 1966 en Inglaterra como el primer “supergrupo”: Eric Clapton en guitarra (que ya venía de una exitosa carrera en los Yarbirds), Jack Bruce en el bajo y Ginger Baker en batería, que habían tocado juntos en la Graham Bond Organisation.

¿Pero qué los hizo tan especiales y el grupo más popular de su época? La fórmula de Cream fue reinventar el rock and roll ya estandarizado por los Beatles, pero desde las profundas y oscuras raíces del blues. El resultado fue un blues frenético y electrificado, mezclado con un cóctel de psicotrópicos típicos de la época.

Antes me preguntaba por qué la gente adora tanto a Eric Clapton (“Clapton is God!”). Después me di cuenta que es por Cream, lejos la banda donde más desparramó su virtuosismo. La banda también le dio la confianza suficiente para empezar a cantar (antes simplemente no cantaba). Aunque Bruce era el vocalista principal, Clapton canta en varios temones del grupo, como “Strange Brew”, “Badge” y “White Room”.

Por su parte, Jack Bruce revolucionó la forma de tocar el bajo eléctrico, compitiendo y complementado cara a cara con la guitarra en Clapton en las furiosas improvisaciones en vivo. Y Baker es un baterista elegante, con la sonoridad y potencia de una big jazz band. La mezcla del power trío era dinamita, lo que se apreciaba especialmente en vivo.

La canción más conocida del grupo es “Sunshine of Your Love”, un tremendo riff muy recurrido cuando se quieren recrear los años de los hippies. Antes que la violenta enemistad de Bruce y Baker los disolviera, el grupo publicó cuatro discos: “Fresh Cream” (1966), “Disraeli Gears” (1967), “Wheels of Fire” (1968) y “Goodbye” (1969). Los cuatro son joyitas, por lo que recomiendo bajarlos todos.

Les dejo algunos temones para que vayan conociéndolos:

El clásico “Sunshine of Your Love”

La improvisación frenética de “Crossroads”, original de la leyenda del blues Robert Johnson

La oscura y psicodélica “White Room”

“Badge”, escrita por Clapton (una de sus mejores guitarras) y su amigo personal George Harrison

Alegría pura en “I Feel Free”