PRIMITONS
PRIMITONS (1985) DON'T GO AWAY (1986) HAPPY ALL... (1987)

The two prime movers in Birmingham's Primitons are drummer/accordionist Leif Bondarenko and singer/guitarist/organist Mats Roden, a Swede who somehow wound up living in Alabama. Following a long stint in Jim Bob and the Leisure Suits (a promising but gimmicky local adaptation of new wave), the pair formed the all-pop Primitons with singer/guitarist Brad Dorset and non performing lyricist Stephanie Truelove Wright. Joined by a guest vocalist, the trio recorded a sturdy and attractive seven-song debut, produced with Mitch Easter. Primitons is a pop record, but with the same sort of gravity and lyrical depth as the Windbreakers. "All My Friends" offers a rich R.E.M.-influenced rush; "She Sleeps" puts a gothic tale of death and grieving to simple music strengthened by high, lonesome singing; "You'll Never Know" is an ominous whisper about nuclear destruction. Bassist Don Tinsley replaced Dorset; the trio (plus Wright) issued an ambitious and spectacular Anglo-pop 12-inch, "Don't Go Away," which covers the Left Banke's "Something on My Mind" as one of its two B-sides. Happy All the Time, which boasts "Don't Go Away" and other similarly well-executed numbers, is a winning collection and shows what a fine band the Primitons are. Layers of guitars and vocals are the main ingredients; subtlety and diversity are a bonus; talented songwriting and offbeat lyrics provide the solid foundation. Tim Lee (Windbreakers) and Tim Boykin (Carnival Season/Shame Idols/Lolas) guest. Trouser Press

Primitons

All My Friends / Five Lines / Seeing Is Believing / She Sleeps / You'll Never Know / Stars / City People

Don't Go Away
Don't Go Away / Something On My Mind / Come What May

Happy All The Time

On Or Off The Bus / Deception / Don't Go Away / Gabriel / Happy / Riddle / You Are Leaving / Pope / Little Wail

STARDUST SOUNDTRACK (1974)

In 1974 The Stray Cats and their lead singer Jim MacLaine were releasing their first album "Stardust". Yes, you read it right, the Stray Cats in 1974, seven years before the first Stray Cats album. The problem is we're not talking about the same Stray Cats even though Dave Edmunds was involved with both bands.
So, Dave Edmunds recorded several oldies covers for the 1974 rock movie Stardust; ironically, the fictional band in the film, to which six of his seven tracks on the soundtrack album are credited, was named the Stray Cats — an odd coincidence since Edmunds would produce the unrelated American trio in the '80s.
During 1974, Edmunds made a brief appearance in the film Stardust and helped assemble the soundtrack. Also that year, he produced the Brinsley's last record, New Favourites. During the recording, he struck up a friendship with bassist Nick Lowe (he can be seen in the movie), who over the next few years became his key collaborator. Lowe helped Edmunds move away from covers and into performing new songs, largely written by Lowe, that re-created the spirit of old rock & roll. Following the 1975 release of Subtle As a Flying Mallet — it produced two Top Ten U.K. hits with "Baby I Love You" and "Born to Be With You" and used two songs from the Stardust movie "Need A Shot of Rhythm & Blues" and "Let It Be Me" for his "Subtle as a Flying Mallet" album. At least, this is the message printed on the back cover of the "Subtle" album. But, if you play both versions of "Need a Shot Of Rhythm & Blues", they sound different, the Stardust version lasts 2'21 while the "Subtle" version last 2'41. So....
If The Stray Cats was the one and only Dave Edmunds, Jim MacLaine was David Essex, the singer who wanted to go solo and afterwards lost his soul. Stardust DVD has been reissued coupled with That'll Be The Day. The different US front sleeve was inspired from the Rolling Stone magazine.

Songs

When Will I Be Loved / Need A Shot Of Rhythm & Blues / Make Me Good / You Kept Me Waiting / Let It Be Me / Some Other Guy / Take It Away / C'mon Little Dixie / Americana Stray Cat Blues / Dea Sancta / Da Doo Ron Ron

All songs were produced, played and arranged by Dave Edmunds except Dea Sancta by David Essex. The Dave Edmunds & The Electricians track "Da Doo Ron Ron" is Dave Edmunds backed by Brinsley Schwarz. Tracks 5 & 8 were remastered in 2005 for the "Subtle As A Flying Mallet" reissue.

SUMMERHILL - LOWDOWN (1988)

Formed from the ashes of Glaswegian folk-rockers The Snakes of Shake, and fronted by singer-songwriter Seori Burnett, they released Lowdown in October 1988 on Demon Records' Diabolo imprint. A mere eight tracks in length, Lowdown was a country-rock rebirth, a tonic for everyone who still pined for The Byrds and Burritos. This may not seem much of a manifesto for stardom these days, but one should remember that the mid-'80s saw an influx of country-influenced guitar bands like Green On Red and the Long Ryders, each of whom achieved some success. Under the guidance of Burnett, Lowdown was stuffed full with sparkling 12-strings and silken three-part harmonies, with guest star B J Cole adding pedal-steel flourishes here and there, notably on the beautifully kitsch ballad 'Hold Back The Heartache'. Elsewhere, they dip into full-on rock ('Knew I Would Return'), taking their cue from 'Eight Miles High'. However, for the most part the album is made up of Summerhill's stock-in-trade: life affirming country pop of the kind they just don't make anymore. Just listen to 'It's Gonna Be Alright' and try to believe it's not so. Burnett, though, was born to play country music, and a couple of years later he fielded a new Summerhill and released the self-financed 'No Matter What You Do' EP. The gigs, however, soon dried up, leaving Summerhill dormant. All of their recorded output is long deleted, but the diligent secondhand buyer is sure to turn up some treats. Story

Songs

Rosebud / I'll Keep You In Mind / Lately / Knew I Would Return / It's Gonna Be Alright / Hold Back The Heartache / I Can't Stay / Say Goodbye / Hidden Track

PETE STRIDE & JOHN PLAIN - NEW GUITARS IN TOWN (1980)

John Plain and Pete Stride. The Boys and the Lurkers. Powerpop and Punk. Both teamed up in 1979 for a side project involving musicians from both bands. An album released by The Lurkers' label. 8 originals and 3 covers , one (You Better Move On) of which was also recorded by The Boys for the "To Hell With The Boys" album. The successful single "New Guitar In Town" written by Stride & Plain was released under the Lurkers monicker but The Boys were playing it live but they never recorded it. Weirdly enough, the album was never reissued on CD.

Lossless: FLAC 8 (287 mb)

Songs

Laugh At Me / School Girls / Cold Old Night / He'll Have To Go / Just Like A Clown / Half The Time / New Guitar In Town / Cure For Love / Restless Kind / You Better Move On / Pick Me Up

HILLY MICHAELS - CALLING ALL GIRLS (1980)

Part of the New-York 70's music scene, he first came to my ears as a solo artist on the Big Sound Records' Phil Spector tribute "Bionic Gold" released in 1977 (an excellent cover of "Instant Karma"). Hilly Michaels' Calling All Girls video was all over MTV back in the days when MTV's programmers didn't have a lot to choose from and were occasionally forced to show decent material. The album, also called Calling All Girls, is a fun though lightweight mix of glam and power-pop played and produced by pros (it sounds like it should only be listened to on a car radio). There's Teenage Days and Shake It And Dance which sounds like one part Abba and one part Generation X's Dancing With Myself. (Or maybe Dancing With Myself sounds like this. The release dates are close.). Possibly one of the best track on the album is the last one: Something On Your Mind (as featured with a Paul Collins song, in the exhilarating motion picture "Caddy Shack" (1980). If you don't know Sparks, this may sound like Queen to you. If you do know the work of the Mael brothers, the source should be obvious (actually Hilly was a drummer for Sparks at one point).

ZS (271 mb)

Songs

Calling All Girls / Teenage Days / Shake It Dance / Gemini / U.S. Male / Without You / Turn Me On Your Radio / Close Encounters / Devotion / Something On Your Mind

THE EDGE - SQUARE 1 (1980)

If you know Jane Aire from Akron (Ohio), Jane Aire was accompanied by The Belvederes a sharp four-piece English band otherwise known as the Edge. The Edge (the group) came about when guitarist Lu Edmonds and drummer Jon Moss (formerly of punk slouches London) left a brief and unrecorded incarnation of the Damned in 1978. With the addition of keyboardist Gavin Povey (who had played with Lew Lewis) and bassist Glyn Havard (whose long career has included stints with the Yachts and, er, Jade Warrior), the Edge fell together. They played behind Jane Aire as the Belvederes on her LP and appeared, nearly intact, on Kirsty MacColl's first album. Subsequent to the Edge, Lu has worked in a number of bands, including Shriekback, the Spizzles and Public Image Ltd., while Jon Moss went on to temporary fame and fortune in Culture Club. Povey has done some additional recording with MacColl. In 1987, The Complete Works of The Edge (Square 1 + Singles) was released only on vinyl.
About the music on Square One . Never quite blending into any particular style, the Edge's eclectic, melodic rock has flashes of the Jam, Boomtown Rats, Deep Purple, Police and Stranglers, all united by the satirical outlook of amusing lyrics. Square 1 was produced too by Liam Sternberg (Trouser Press).

Songs

Edge Theme / Weekend Return / Wallflowers / Winning Streak / Isn't It Strange / Hanging Man / From The 17th / I Give Up / Let Go / Take Off / Here And Now / Next In Line / New World

ROBERT KIRKLAND - KICK THE FUTURE (1986)

If you know the North Carolina band called "Arrogance", then you know who Robert Kirkland is. Anf if you know "Arrogance " , you also know Don Dixon , their bass player. After Arrogance split, Robert Kirkland formed Kick The Future, and recorded one album. His album "Kick the Future" was released only in Europe, then he began to question whether music should be his career. Eventually, he went into the business of designing and selling kitchen cabinets. But the Arrogance sound would never die, think about a band called "Fastball", if you see what i mean...

Songs

Uh Oh / The Flight Is Starting / Nothing To Fear / Little Girls Seem Bigger / Money's On The Warpath / Perfect Light / Teach Somebody / Whole Lotta Reasons / Nigel's Mind / You Give It All Up / She's So Dirty

FLAMIN' GROOVIES

LIVE AT THE ROXY (1976)

LIVE AT THE WHISKEY A GO-GO (1979)

Here are two vintage Groovies' concerts. Live at The Roxy is one of the most famous "Shake Some Action" era concerts, never offcially released. It was released in a plain white cardboard sleeve with an insert. Maybe you know another unofficial Flamin' Groovies album with a similar track list, but it is a different performance to the "No Candy" album for instance.
In 1993, five songs from this set were picked for the "Collection of rare demos and live recordings" released on the Marilyn record label

 

Live at The Roxy (240 mb)

Live at The Whiskey A Go-Go (197 mb)

 

Live At The Roxy

She Said Yeah / Let The Boy Rock 'n' Roll / House Of Blue Lights / I'm A Lover Not A Fighter / Please Please Me / Please Please Girl / Ups And Downs / Shake Some Action / I Wanna Be Your Man / Don't Lie To Me /I Can't Hide / Miss Amanda Jones / Under My Thumb / Hey Hey Hey

Live At The Whiskey A Go-Go was recorded in 1979, this concert was only released (officially) a few years later on the french label Lolita. The Whiskey a Go-Go '79 concert serves to document a typical Groovies gig of the time with staples like "Shake Some Action", "Tell Me Again" and "First Plane Home", covers of "Feel A Whole Lot Better", Moby Grape's "Fall On You", the odd Beatles and even NRBQ's "I Want You Bad" - an excellent pop song the Groovies almost make their own. Sound quality not vastly better than the Live At The Roxy bootleg (1976).

Live At The Whiskey a Go-Go

House Of Blue Lights / Feel A Whole Lot Better / Fall On You / Please Please Me / From Me To You / Tell Me Again/ First Plane Home / Let It Rock / I Want You Bad / Big City / Shake Some Action

GAME THEORY
POINTED ACCOUNTS('83) DISTORTION ('84) DEAD CENTER ('84)

First, there was Alternate Learning, then Scott Miller formed Game Theory and released some of the best albums during the 80's. Here are both mini albums released in 1983 and 1984. The real first album called "Blaze Of Glory" was a promo only item limited edition of 500 given to press and college-radio people. Pointed Accounts Of People You Know (1983) and Distortion (1984) got a release in France in 1984 as "Dead Center" (Lolita), two songs from those mini albums were omitted and replaced by the eponymous "Dead Center" song and a cover of the Box Tops' hit "The Letter". Some of those songs, as well the Blaze Of Glory" LP surfaced again on the Distortion Of Glory CD (1982), but all of them were re-mixed. So, those mini-albums are the only way to listen to all of those lost gems.

Pointed Accounts Of People You Know (FLAC)

Penny, Things Won't / Metal and Glass Exact / Selfish Again / I Wanna Get Hit By A Car / Life In July / 37th Day

Distortion

Shark Pretty / Nine Lives to Rigel Five / The Red Baron / Kid Convenience / Too Late For Tears

Dead Center

Nine Lives to Rigel Five / Penny, Things Won't / Dead Center / The Red Baron / The Letter / Shark Pretty / Metal and Glass Exact / Selfish Again / Too Late For Tears / 37th Day

MYSTICS - DANDIES ARE BACK (1983)

The eleven songs presented here, including covers of "Bird Doggin'" and "I Can Only Give You Everything", are firmly in the Kingsnakes mold with strong Sean Tylaesque vocals from singer Leo Zouridis and tasteful 12 string from guitarist Frank Mulhauser; the other band members, Eric Grobel (guitar) and Albert Marclay (bass) are no slouches either. Groovies and Barracudas fans will be intrigued to learn that Chris Wilson, Robin Wills and Jeremy Gluck all appear on this album, furthermore one of the Mystics own songs "Wheel Of Fortune" gives mention to Cyril Jordan, The Groovies, The Kingsnakes, The Barracudas and The MC5 in the lyrics. How can these guys go wrong?? - Obviously their hearts are in the right place. Other recomnended tunes here are "Danger Danger", "Times Of Freedom" and "Valley Of Indecision". Released on the french label "Lolita", The Mystics were based in Switzerland. Produced mostly by Robin Wills (Barracudas). Two years later, The Mystics released a live mini album called 33-33.

Songs:

Valley Of Indecision / She went Away / Ain't No use / Tense Girl / I Can Only Give You Everything / Strange Kind Of Man / All Messed Up / Times Of Freedom / Wheel Of Fortune / Danger Danger / Bird Doggin'

THE EYES OF MIND - TALES OF THE TURQUOISE UMBRELLA (1984)

Let's go back to California. The Eyes Of Mind were a spinoff from L.A psychpunk geniuses Three O'Clock, this band had an even more fey, marvelously twee sound that was so reminiscent of British art pop circa 1967 that they were hooked up with original British production wizard Mark Wirtz (Tomorrow, etc...) who brought all his Abbey Road skills to bear in creating this endlessly wonderful album, the band's only surviving epitaph. Members included Jamie Phelan (guitar, lead vocals), Mark Kuhlman (Keyboards, harmony vocals), Rick Tracy (bass) and finally Troy Howell (drums) who had previously played with Michael Quercio in Salvation Army.

Lossless: ZS1 + ZS2 (217 mb)

Songs.

Dream Life / Alice / With You Again / She Only Knows / Time / Yesterday's Gone / She's Got Stars / The Game / Train / This Place Before

THE POINT - MAGIC CIRCLE (1983)

The Point's story begins in 1979 in the Northern California town of Livermore (home of the United States' largest Nuclear Weapons Labotary).
They quickly moved to Los Angeles - the place to be - so Mike Alford (drums), Tom Alford (guitars, vocals) and Jon Stebbins left home to find their fame and fortune. That was in 1979 and , the Point played the club scene and prepared to make their vinyl debut. Like most young bands, The Point decided to start their own label, Rabdab, and cut a record. The result was a four song, ten-inch EP. All four tracks were pleasant enough but the band needed a producer to land a hand and help them get the sound they were striving for. Enter Vitus Matare, keyboard player, vocalist and writer for The Last (the band who probably started the whole Los Angeles garage/psych scene - though they never get credit for it). Anyone who has heard The Last's records realizes Matare and The Point would musically hit it off. The first collaboration was a song called "Pothead" done for The Warfrat Tales compilation of L.A bands. Vitus Matare enjoyed working with The Point so much that he demanded the group record their debut album. Matare and The Point, once again entered the studio and they left with Magic Circle. One of the stronger records to emerge from the Paisley movement. The album got a french release on the Lolita label but was never reissued on CD, though "All My Life" was picked for The Children Of Nuggets Rhino Box Set (Original Artyfacts From The Ssecond Psychedelic Era 1976-1995), and "Pothead" can be heard on the Warfrat Tales CD reissue along 12 other bands of the era, all produced by Vitus Matare. The band split around 1986, the leaders Jon Stebbins and Tom Alford went their separate ways. Tom Alford released in 1994 a mini album "Desire Caught By The Tail" and in 2003 "Second Foundation" (available at Not Lame) both produced by Earle Mankey, and very enjoyable. Complete History of The Point Here

Songs

Magic Circle / Strychnine / You're The Fix I Need / She's Gone Too Far / Pothead / All My Life / She's Only For Me / I Like Girls / Someday / Streets Of Warsaw / Itch

THE LAST
FADE TO BLACK (1982) PAINTING SMILES... (1983)

A few years after the L.A Explosion album (reissue expanded currently available), The Last were back in studio. During the first half of the year, the band recorded their second album, Look Again. According to Joe, Bomp didn't want to finance another LP due to their poor financial status at the time. Look Again was self-financed, thanks mainly to manager Randall Wixen, and produced by Jo Julian of Berlin. The band felt confident that they could get a major record deal with Look Again. It was never released. During the "Look Again" sessions , a new song "Fade To Black" was recorded. Vitus had written a song called "Eight After One" in March '79, and when in early 1980 The Last were approached to do a title song for the upcoming Dennis Christopher film "Fade To Black". They also were filmed for the movie. A movie to be seen, reissued on DVD (you even can hear the "Shoes" in the background). Unfortunately, they ditched the song, and cut "The Last" scene out, so the song languished till Bomp put it out as a 12 inch in '82. with three songs from the "Look Again" album. A detailed history can be read here.
"Painting Smiles on A Dead Man" LP was only released in France on Lolita in 1983. According to the Last official website, here's the story about this LP. In the wake of our "Summer of many fifth members" in '81, we realized we'd better do something before we were forgotten entirely. We began working on a demo tape in early Fall at Radio Tokyo studios (the "Red Demo" tape),
only to have brother David quit on October 24, after completing his bass tracks We finished the demo at the end of March 1982 (in the process sneaking down to Orange County Recorders in mid March to redo two "Look Again" songs - "Everybody Had It With You" and "Snake in the Grass" - with up and coming producer Randy Burns) and shopped it. No one wanted it. We subsequently took three songs from the full demo to release as the "Up In The Air" single in November of '82, went back to Radio Tokyo to record "It Had To Be You" for the studio's upcoming compilation, and in the process got Ethan to let us tape one more new song "Lightning Strikes". By this time Vitus had hooked up an 8 Track setup at the Venice garage we practiced in, and I had gotten word that Rhino was planning a "Best of Louie Louie" album.
A year or two later, after all hope was pretty much gone, a French label called "Lolita" expressed interest in releasing a new Last album. So we took the aforementioned mess and gave it to them. We pretty much knew we'd failed by this point, and it was only a matter of time before the band as it then existed began to dissolve. Knowing this, Vitus and I concocted some rather hilarious liner notes, chronicling the various member departures and band debacles that underscored the recordings on the record. Our manager at the time, Rhino's Gary Stewart, subsequently convinced album artist Don Brown to render the colors in such a way that the offensive liner notes would be unreadable. I have provided brother Dan with a "color corrected" version. The band would split later in 1985. To be reformed in 1988 with the SST label.

Fade To Black : FLAC (81 mb)

Fade To Black / That's Just Life / Obsession / Subway Song

Painting Smiles On A Dead Man : FLAC (270 mb)

Wrong Turn / It Had To Be You / Isn't Anybody There / Lightning Strikes / Louie Louie / December Song /Everybody Had It With You / Weekend Girl / Failing Heart / Leper Colony / What Is In There / Up In The Air

PAUL WARREN & EXPLORER - ONE OF THE KIDS (1980)

Explorer was on top of the L.A. club band scene around the time of the Knack's "My Sharona." Fronted by former Temptations session man Paul Warren, this power pop group was featured on Wolfman Jack's Midnite Special TV show before they got signed an RSO record deal. Produced by British Peter Coleman, who was the engineer with the Nick Gilder/Pat Benatar/Knack records for pop producer Mike Chapman. This cocksure all Detroit-L.A. based hot rocker band had a level of intensity to be reckoned with in comparison to a seemingly passive Hollywood scene.

ZS (261 mb)

Songs

One Of The Kids / Takin' Her Back / The Others / A And R Man / Suzanne / You Can't Touch Her / Kiss Me Chrissy / Faded Glory / For The Love Of A Girl / Hats Off To Winners.

ROY SUNDHOLM

THE CHINESE METHOD (1979) EAST TO WEST (1981)

At the beginning of the seventies, Roy Sundholm was playing with "The Ratbites From Hell & Over The Hill". The band formed in 1972, broke up at the start of 1973 and reformed, with the line-up that recorded Ratbite Fever, toward the end of 1973. Over The Hill was fronted by Ratbite Fever (a.k.a Robert Hunter - see Grateful Dead). The other members were: Peter Roe (lead guitar), John Perry went on to see considerable commercial succes, teaming up with vocalist Peter Perrett, drummer Mike Kellie and Alan Mair to form The Only Ones. Alan Platt joined Wilko Johnson's Solid Senders in 1978 and played on the first of Roy Sundholm's solo albums "The Chinese Method", released by Ensign in 1979; the second one was called "East To West" and appeared on the same label in 1981.
The Chinese Method has ten Roy Sundholm compositions and each of them bears the hallmark of a skilled and imaginative songwriter. The shadows of Dave Edmunds loom large, while the similarity to Graham Parker is so conspicuous in places it sounds like a tribute to the worthy. Guy Humphries (see Winkies) is playing guitar, while the Graham Parker's Rumour Brass and Rumour's keyboardist Bob Andrews are also guesting.

In early 1981, Roy Sundholm (also ex-Spencer Davis Group) had recorded a slightly disappointing new album "East To West", the guitarist in the band was non other than Simon Climie. Simon Climie was the lead singer of Climie Fisher. He is now more well known for his work as a collaborator with Eric Clapton. East To West was produced by Nigel Gray (Police, Siouxsie, Godley & Creme)

ZS (279 mb)

THE CHINESE METHOD

Back in the Neighbourhood / Robbed / Go Zero / The Way the Story Ended / A Place in the World / The Girls Are Out Now / Waiting for the Night / Did You Ever Have a Heart? / Every Minute / Should I Wait for You?

ZS (262 mb)

EAST TO WEST

The Bridge Across the River / East to West / Terminal / Me And My Mercedes / Doing What Comes Natural / Good Girls Don't Where White My Heart's On Fire / Don't Bring Me Down / I Can't Sleep at Night / Ain't Looking to Replace You

BIONIC GOLD (1977)

Bionic Gold is an album of cover versions of songs originally produced by Phil Spector. Each performer was signed to the Big Sound label and collectively they were backing on many of these tracks, credited as the "Big Sound Orchestra".
Bionic Gold reached cult status mostly cause of the acts playing on the album. Roger C.Reale and Hilly Michaels (from the band Rue Morgue), Philip Rambow (former leader in The Winkies) and Mick Farren.

The Big Sound Orchestra was:

Jon Tiven (electric & acoustic guitars, saxophones) / Roger C.Reale (bass guitar) / Doug Snyder (bass guitar & keyboards) / Doug Schlink (clavinet & piano) / Hilly Michaels (drums) / Marc Bell (drums on 13)

Songs

Robert Orsi - He Hit Me / Vince Whirlwind - Breakin' Up / The Scratch Band - Then He Kissed Me / Philip Rambow - Why Do Lovers Break Each Others / The Nelsen Adelard Band - Love Like Yours / Hilly Michaels - Instant Karma / The Scratch Band - Uptown / Fran Kowalski - I Can Hear Music / Vince Whirlwind - This Could Be the Night / Philip Rambow - All Grown Up / Roger C. Reale - Da Doo Ron Ron / The Nelson Adelard Band - Two of Us / Mick Farren - To Know Him Is To Love Him

PHILIP RAMBOW
SHOOTING GALLERY (1979) JUNGLE LAW (1981)

Philip Rambow left The Winkies around 1976 and went solo. He recorded a single for Chrysalis before going back to the States, there he recorded a couple of Phil Spector covers for the Bionic Gold album (1977), and one song for the Live at Max's Kansas City Vol2. In 1979, he released his first solo album "Shooting Gallery". Two years later, Jungle Law turns the heat up considerably, boasting sharper musicianship, memorable material and impassioned singing. The tunes seem drawn from life, especially "Snakes and Ladders" and "Beyond the Naked and the Dead." Phil Rambow may not be capable of matching the white-hot histrionics of Elvis Costello or Graham Parker, but Jungle Law proves he can make a direct, emotionally credible record. Jungle Law also features his version of a song written in 1976 "A Star In His own Right" and given to Nick Gilder. The albums flopped and it was the end of his solo career. Rambow resurfaced to perform at the Kirsty MacColl tribute concert in 2002, following the singer's accidental death. (AMG + Trouser Press)

Shooting Gallery

Strange Destinies / Fallen / Don't Call Me Tonto / Victim / Sound and the Fury / Rebel Kind / Priviledge / Young Lust / Deep River

Jungle Law

Don't Come / Jungle Law / Magnificent Obsession / Star / Jessica / Snakes and Ladders / Creature Comforts / Bike Boys / Beyond the Naked and the Dead / Mansion on the Hill / Love Is a Hard Time

SPITBALLS (1978)
Last minute info: the Spitballs album has been reissued on CD in 1988, so in order to have the pristine CD audio release, you can purchase it on Amazon Germany. Sorry about my mistake.

TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES
BLOG MASTERS VOLUME 1 BLOG MASTERS VOLUME 2

The Masters Volume One and Two were originally released in 1988. The Past Masters collect the 33 non-LP tracks that the Beatles released during the eight years of their career (not counting the singles that were released on Magical Mystery Tour). 33 songs as covered by "yesterday & today" bands.

ZS (103 mb)

ZS (117 mb)

POWERPOP TO THE PEOPLE VOL 1 (1970-1986)

 

ZS1 + ZS2 (564 mb)

ZS (187 mb)

Hello Powerpop criminals, here's an exclusive compilation specially made for all the bloggers. This is the first volume - i sincerely hope you'll like it, and i'm waiting for your comments about it if you want more. Most of the bands on the volume are rather well known but some newies have been incorporated.
Prettiest Girl (Club Wow) is the A side single of the Franck Secich 80's combo. Shaun Cassidy's cover of the Who was produced by Rundgren while Utopia is the backing band. 20/20's song was first released on the second edition of the Sex Trap album (the red one). Steve Burdick started off on drums with The Wind (still collaborating as Tan Sleeve], then went on to lead his own band, The Answer. The Tearaways were founded in 1980. and the band was re-formed in 1990 with Greg, Jesse and Perry after leaving The Volcanoes, they are still very active today. The Jeff Hill Band came together in September 1977 and released one single for Chiswick. Peter Holsapple single was released on the Car label. The Raspberries' demo song was intended to be on the Capitol "Best Of" which was never released. The Dwight Twilley Band single was released in France only, while the Phil Seymour song is a demo recorded with Chris Spedding. The Romantics side 2 of their first single was released on Spider Records. The Atlantics were from Boston and have a CD of rarities available through Not Lame. The Razz single, penned by Tommy Keene who was also playing guitar on it, was covered by the Slickee Boys on the Fashionably Late LP. Just Water sole LP was released before their Stiff single. Just Boys fronted by Terry Carolan came from Florida and only released this beautifully packaged single, their sound reminds me a lot of the Spinning Jennies, but 20 years earlier (you can listen to more Just Boys stuff here). Marc Thor is famous for his contribution to the Boston Rat album. Finally, DFX2 a San Diego quartet sound like the Del Fuegos. See comments for details

THE LAUGHING DOGS
THE LAUGHING DOGS (1979) MEET THEIR MAKERS (1980)










Both links have been removed, they have just been reissued on Collectors Choice. Click here.

Part of the New-York underground 70's music scene, the first Laughing Dogs recordings can be found on the famous 1976 "Live at CBGB's" compilation (cd re-released). Their melodious music and harmonious power pop attracted attention from the Columbia record company. Their sound, yet very commercial, filled with catchy hooks, harmonies, and real joyous energy should has granted them with worldwide hits. None of the members were new to the music scene, so each brought plenty of creative ideas and strong musicianship.
The title of the second and final LP album "Meet Their Makers" (1980) was based upon the fact that it would be the last Columbia album - you "meet your maker" when you die. Here the Dogs are meeting their "makers" (their mothers). "Our mothers sometimes came to gigs. They were proud of us. We were American boys from Brooklyn." - Jimmi.
The first LP was produced by Bruce Botnick who also produced the same year the legendary Paul Collins' Beat first album. The second LP was produced by Peter Ker who also worked with The Motors/Bram Tchaikovsky and the Bay City Rollers, hence the more commercial sound of the second LP.

The Laughing Dogs

Get 'im Outa / Lowlife / No Lies / Johnny Contender / Reason For Love / I Need A Million / It's Alright, It's OK / I'm Awake / Round And Round/ It's Just The Truth / Get Outa My Way

The Laughing Dogs Meet Their Makers

Zombies / Don't Bring Me Down / Formal Letter / Take My Chances / Not What I Used To Be / Stand Up / Don't Push It / Reach Out For Me / Melody Love / Reason For Wanting You / What Ya Doin' It For / Two Who Are Willing

SORROWS

TEENAGE HEARTBREAK (1980) LOVE TOO LATE (1981)

 

The Poppees released 2 singles for Bomp Records and then split up into two groups, giving way to the Boyfriends and Sorrows. The Sorrows recorded 2 albums, the first one was the excellent "Teenage Heartbreak" the second one was the almost as excellent "Love Too Late", and both albums contained on the whole enough hooks and melodies that could justify a 2-LPs-on-1-CD reissue, that qualifies as one the Top 50 essential US powerpop records. Here are both Sorrows LP's. They injected the Mersey beat and all the pop legacy that came of it to the same treatment that the Beatles themselves applied to that Shirelles, Tamla or Larry Williams’ repertoire, a treatment weighed down by a more pronounced binary beat and the electricity of guitars, but also influenced by the contemporary New York scene. From its jangly intro to its conquering final, the wonderful « Can't Go Back » is a sort of girl-group song ‘80s-revisited (picture a featherweight-class Cheap Trick). It’s great pop, and purely and simply a great moment of r’n’r. The swinging « All You Gotta Say » is reminiscent of the former Poppees, typical Beatpop bursting with echoed guitars. « Can't You Tell A Lie » is one of the best, reminding me that they were contemporary of the Nerves. Listening to « Lonely Girl » or even « I Don't Like It Like That », it seems clear that the Sorrows tried to bring in pop elements into the sound of the second great rock'n'roll era (that yielded the Dolls, Groovies, MC5, Ducks Deluxe etc)... Another highlight is Joey Cola's « I Want You Tonight », an underrated genuine powerpop classic. As the liner notes said, “it’s hard to believe this guy never composed or sung before the Sorrows”. Finally, this was the time for the urban folk-rocker « She comes and goes » that cornered sharply pop, as if the Ramones backed Jackie DeShannon ... or Ellie Greenwich, who actually appeared as guest star on background vocals... They fetched Shel Talmy (producer of the Kinks, Who and Easybeats) for their second LP « Love Too Late ». Although I admit that he didn’t bring anything special to the recordings (but an inevitable cover of « Tired Of Waiting For You »), his trademark can be heard in « Christabelle », a nicely crafted piece of powerpop, sounding like the Raspberries doing the Easybeats. Joey Cola again brought a couple of songs : the playful « Love Too Late » with its organ riff, handclaps and an easy chorus that worked fine, as well as a memorable Rubinoos-flavored slice of great pop « Rita », showing that they lived in the ‘80s. Although the songwriting was less satisfying creatively, there are on this LP enough pretty good songs that could smooth out imperfections on the first (if two was one as I would say). Like « It’s Not Love Anymore », the solid pop tune « Breaking My Heart (Over You) » or « So Much In Love » with a verse of pure Sorrows and a chorus more in a R&B vein. Thanx to Pierre G. for his help about the Sorrows notes.

Teenage Heartbreak (1980)

Teenage Heartbreak / I Don't Like It Like That / Bad Times / I Want You Tonight / Lonely Girl / She Comes And Goes / Can't Go Back / All You Gotta Say / I Want You So Bad / Can't Tell You A Lie / Second Chance / Television

ZS (88 mb)

  ZS (250 mb)

  Love Too Late (1981)

Christabelle / Love Too Late / Cryin' Time / Rita / Breakin' My Heart Over (You) / Tired Of Waiting / So Much Love / What I Used To Know / Play This Song (On The Radio) / It's Not Love Anymore

ZS (104 mb)

 

 

ZS (270 mb)

PRE-VELVET CRUSH
PAUL CHASTAIN (1985) - THE REVERBS (1984)

Among power-pop's truest believers, Ric Menck is a visionary and a scholar, a brilliant pilgrim on a lifetime quest to understand and master that inscrutable fusion of allure, insight and energy that yields the most sublime melodic devotionals to the grand wizards of the two-minute single: Brian Wilson, Alex Chilton, Roger McGuinn, Ray Davies, Pete Townshend, Phil Spector, etc. That he has sought to do so from behind a small drum kit rather than with a guitar or piano only heightens the intensity of the Illinois native's efforts, sharpens the clarity of his perspective. Where other auteurs have found easy creative satisfaction in the imitation of some obvious aspect of their icons' formulae, Menck — who can both sing and play guitar but rarely does either in public — demonstrates a keener, deeper obsession with the zen of pop.

Before joining forces, Menck and singer/bassist Paul Chastain pursued the pop muse separately in different parts of Illinois. Menck was half of the Reverbs; The Happy Forest (all seven tracks of it) is blandly produced and pedestrian mid-'80s power pop dominated by John Brabeck's vocals. Chastain reached 12-inch vinyl shortly thereafter, with a solo EP. The teasingly brief six-song Halo is a real charmer, tender and skillfully realized originals that brush against R.E.M. pep, Beatlesque wistfulness and modest approximations of studio grandiloquence, all buoyed by Chastain's sweet voice and confident aplomb.

Pop the Balloon with future solo artist and producer Adam Schmitt, Menck formed Choo Choo Train (and the side groups Bag O'Shells and the Springfields for good measure) with Chastain in the late '80 - Velvet Crush with Jeff Borchardt

Halo
Halo / Am I Right / Focused / Every Other Time / Comes Round / Outside Circle

The Happy Forest

Trusted Woods / Picture An Eye / Envision Seven Seeds / Mumble / Diana, Yes / Nevermore / Railroad Ties

SVT - EXTENDED PLAY (1980)

San Francisco based outfit fronted by ex- Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna bassist Jack Casady. Casady brought with him Nick Buck from Hot Tuna and added Brian Marnell and Bill Gibson from Airplay (ex Sound Hole). The band was formed early in 1978 as Jack Casady Band but evolved rapidly into SVT.
While the band became live favourites in the Bay Area they never managed to crack into the big money markets. Apart from their EP & LP, SVT had two 45s on 415 Records and a cut on the Ambition Records compilation "Declaration of Independence" (AMB 1) in 1980. Their debut single "Heart of Stone", became a hit on local FM station KSAN.
Bill Gibson, who had been a founding member of SVT, did not play on any of SVT's albums - only on the singles. Although, he is playing drums and singing backing vocals on two tracks that were added to the re-released and extended "No Regrets" album. Bill left SVT in 1979 to form what was to become Huey Lewis and the News. He was replaced by local drummer Paul Zahl (Yanks & Flamin' Groovies). With Zahl on drums, SVT recorded "Extended Play" in 1979 and after Nick Buck left SVT early in 1981, the remaining trio recorded "No Regrets". The later album disappeared very soon after its release because the band had difficulties to find a bigger audience - mostly due to the fact that the SF audience had problems with SVT's 'punk/new wave style'. They expected different things from Casady. Eventually the lack of success and changing lifestyles led to SVT's end in 1982. Marnell's death on August 19, 1983 would also end any reunion ideas - if they ever existed.

So what does SVT stand for? Long time fans thought it to be Supra Ventricular Tachycardia - excessive heart beat and pulse rate. That's a cool idea because SVT's music could cause that. In reality the name SVT was simply taken from Jack's bass amp rig - what a bummer :) bay-area-bands

The 1981 album "No Regrets" was reissued in 2005 as an Expanded Version (Rykodisc) and is widely available. Check Amazon

Songs

Price Of Sex / I Can See / Red Blue Jeans / Always Come Back / I Walk The Line / Modern Living / At The Beach

THE MOBERLYS - SEXTEEN (1984)

This french only release was never reissued on CD. Seattle power pop pioneer Jim Basnight led the Moberlys visibly in the late '70s and nearly out of sight for another decade; the original quartet was over by the time its first album of sparkling mid-tempo tunes was assembled and released.
In the winter of 1983, he called up Drewry again and formed the third and longest-standing Moberlys, along with bassist Toby Kiel and guitarist Glen Oyabe. They released a four-song 12" EP in mid-1984 under the guise Jim Basnight and the Moberlys and quickly became one of the most talked-about bands in Seattle. Needless to say, they were far too raw to appeal to slick commercial radio (although they did set the scene for the grunge bands that followed). The band recorded another batch of songs in early 1984 and those were collected with much of the rest of Basnight's previous output on the mid-1984 album, Sexteen. The album included some songs from the first album plus other earlier previously unreleased songs. For instance, the version of "I Need Your Love" is different from the 12" EP, or the "You Came & You Conquered" version is different from the one you can hear on the french CD "Seattle-New York-Los Angeles" released by Pop The Balloon (2000) - the one you can hear on the french LP is linked up with a cover of the Ron Davies classic "It's You Alone" and has a different intro. The same can be said about the song "Rest Up", (the earlier version which can be heard on the Pop The Balloon CD was produced by Peter Buck).
In the mid-'90s, while the singer/guitarist was recording and performing solo and with the Rockinghams, Basnight repackaged eight tracks from the first Moberlys' album with six others (ignoring the intervening EP) and issued them as First Album. Not surprisingly, the delightfully surf-boppin' "Live in the Sun" moves up to lead off the CD, which is a catchy and illustrative document of the Northwest's musical past. Weirdly enough, in 1995 a Sexteen CD was released but it was a completely different release from the original french LP. Expanded for German release, the 23-track Sexteen adds back two more from the old album and digs seven more out of the vaults to assemble the most complete Moberlys collection ever. Jim Basnight is still very active today and is someone you can trust power pop wise. He also was part of some very nice Tribute albums (Beatles, Who, Left Banke or Gene Clark)

ZS (276 mb)

Songs
I Want To Be Yours / Cinderella / You Came And You Conquered / It's You Alone / Alone With Her / I Love You So / Papa Loves Mama / I Need Your Love / Wherever You Take Me / Country Fair / Rest Up / We'll Always Be In Love / Sexteen / She Got Fxxxed