VOLUMES 1 & 2 (Inlay)

A couple of days ago, a faithful blog reader called "Ann Onymous" wrote this: "The inlay covers of vol 1 & 2 seem to be incomplete though. No photos of the bands' CDs in the balloons. Is it normal?"

Actualy, when i started the series, i was a little bit lazy about the inlay covers, so it was normal. But as i was working on Vol 3, i had the idea to fill the clouds. So, today for the ones who'd like the revamped inlay covers, just click on the pix and save them from the new window opened.

THE ULTIMATE POWER POP GUIDE - VOLUME 4 (2008)

Fourth part (76->100) of the unauthorized best of the ultimate power pop guide. A couple of albums (The Secrets* and The Keys) are not available in CD format (try the links provided, if you don't have them). The Michael Guthrie Band LP will be reissued soon (see link). Apart from the aforementioned, nothing really scarce, except maybe the Wondermints and Jeffrey Foskett's albums.

FLAC / 609 mb

The List (76 -> 100)
Rank Band - Album (Song)

076 Candy - Whatever Happened To Fun (American Kix)
077 Cliff Hillis - Be Seeing You (Coming Out Alive)
078 Nick Heyward - The Apple Bed (Stars In Her Eyes)
079 Richard X. Heyman - Living Room (Wouldn't That Be A Riot)
080 Swag - Catchall (Eight)
081 The Secrets* - ...Secrets (I Need A Rock)
082 Cherry Twister - At Home With... (Sparkle)
083 Feel - Feel (Until They Closed The World)
084 P.Hux - Deluxe (Live Like A King)
085 The Posies - Dear 23 (Golden Blunders)
086 Receiver - Inspiration Overload (Faster)
087 Michael Guthrie Band - Direct Hits (Do What You're Doing)
088 Gigolo Aunts - Pacific Ocean Blues (Mr. Tomorrow)
089 Kyle Vincent - Kyle Vincent (In The Worst Way)
090 Jeffrey Foskett - Thru My Window (Thru My Window)
091 The Singles - Better Than Before (See You Again)
092 Redd Kross - Show World (Stoned)
093 Sparkle*Jets U.K. - Bamboo Lounge (She May Be Nice)
094 The Keys - The Keys Album (I Don't Wanna Cry)
095 Wonderboy - Napoleon Blown Apart (Taken)
096 Wondermints - Wondermints (Libbyland)
097 Doug Powell - Curiouser (Goodnight)
098 Chris Bell - I Am The Cosmos (You And Your Sister)
099 Idle Wilds - Dumb, Gifted And Beautiful (You're All Forgiven)
100 Brendan Benson - One Mississippi (Sittin' Pretty)

THE ULTIMATE POWER POP GUIDE - VOLUME 3 (2008)

Third part (51->75) of the unauthorized best of the ultimate power pop guide. Some of the albums featured here are quite hard to find. Two of them have never been reissued in CD format (LMNOP and Green). A few ones were available on CD but are now out of print (Squire, Bobby Sutliff, David Grahame, Flying Color and The Innocents). The Green album (expanded with bonus) is now available from online stores.

FLAC / 599 mb

 

The List (51 -> 75)
Rank Band - Album (Song)

51 Bobby Sutliff - Only Ghosts Remain (Couldn't Help Myself)
52 Pezband - Pezband (When I'm Down)
53 The dB's - Like This (Not Cool)
54 The Barracudas - Drop Out with ((I Wish It Could Be) 1965 Again)
55 The Romantics - The Romantics (Till I See You Again)
56 David Grahame - Toy Plane (Steady Thing)
57 Richard Lloyd - Alchemy (Alchemy)
58 Squeeze - Argybargy (Pulling Mussels (From The Shell))
59 Off Broadway - On (Bad Indication)
60 Teenage Fanclub - Grand Prix (Discolite)
61 Squire - Big Smashes (Does Stephanie Know)
62 The Windbreakers - Time Machine 1982-2002 (Girl From Washington)
63 Mockingbirds - Mockingbirds (Submarine)
64 Jellyfish - Spilt Milk (New Mistake)
65 Lolas - Something You Oughta Know (Something You Oughta Know)
66 Green - Green (Curry Your Favor)
67 The Shivvers - Lost Hits From... (No Reaction)
68 LMNOP - Elemen Opee Elpee (Comparative Analysis)
69 The Innocents - No Hits Wonder From Down Under (Come Tonight)
70 Flying Color - Flying Color (Farewell Song)
71 Sex Clark Five - Strum & Drum (Faith)
72 Rick Springfield - Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet (Just One Kiss)
73 The Beatifics - How I Learned To Stop Worrying (Happy To Be Sad)
74 Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything (Couldn't I Just Tell You)
75 Brad Jones - Gilt-Flake (Miss July)

THE ULTIMATE POWER POP GUIDE - VOLUME 2 (2008)

Second part (26->50) of the unauthorized best of the ultimate power pop guide. A new bunch of 25 great powerpop albums. Most of them are available through Not Lame or any other online record store. Only a few of those albums ("Jimmy Silva", "Myracle Brah", and "The Late Show"...) are really hard to find. The Late Show has never been reissued on cd but was posted earlier on your favorite blog. The "Myracle Brah's first album" can be purchased from Jam Records (limited quantity). "Jimmy Silva's Heidi" is now an OOP "collector's item" (i guess i'll post it later).

FLAC / 603 mb 

The List (26 -> 50)

Rank Band - Album (Song)

26 Cotton Mather - Kon Tiki (Password)
27 The Knack - Get The Knack (Your Number Or Your Name)
28 The Scruffs - Wanna Meet The Scruffs (You’re No Fun)
29 Velvet Crush - Free Expression (Goin’ To My Head)
30 Eugene Edwards - My Favorite Revolution (Congratulations...)
31 Emitt Rhodes - Emitt Rhodes (With My Face On The Floor)
32 Utopia - Utopia (There Goes My Inspiration)
33 Chris Stamey - Fireworks (The Company Of Light)
34 The Records - Crashes (The Same Mistakes)
35 The Plimsouls - The Plimsouls...Plus (Everyday Things)
36 The Rubinoos - Paleophonic (Pursuit Of Happiness)
37 Bill Lloyd - Set To Pop (I Went Electric)
38 The Merrymakers - Bubblegun (I’m In...Love!)
39 Jimmy Silva & The Goats - Heidi (St Catherine’s Statue)
40 The Shazam - The Shazam (C’mon Girl)
41 The Heats - Smoke (Have An Idea)
42 The Greenberry Woods - Big Money Item (Super Geek)
43 Myracle Brah - Life On Planet Eartsnop (Whisper Softly)
44 Mark Johnson - 12 In A Room (Earn That Love)
45 Splitsville - The Complete Pet Soul (The Popular)
46 The Late Show - Portable Pop (Hey Sue)
47 Phil Seymour - Phil Seymour (I Found A Love)
48 Walter Clevenger & The Dairy Kings - Love Songs To Myself (Real)
49 Cheepskates - It Wings Above (Goodbye Princess)
50 XTC - Upsy Daisy Assortment (The Mayor Of Simpleton)

THE ULTIMATE POWER POP GUIDE - VOLUME 1 (2008)

If you're blogging around, now you know there's a list of the 200 most essential power pop recordings of the last +35 years. John M.Borack has put together the list for the excellent "Shake Some Action" book published by Bruce Brodeen and Not Lame. John Borack is one of the preeminent writers/reviewers covering the power pop/pure pop musical style we all know and love. You may or may not agree with the list (IMHO i do agree mostly with that list, even though mine would have been different) but i guess it would be interesting to post a complete "Best" of the ultimate power pop guide. So, i picked one song from each album selected by John Borack. My picks were totally subjective, so you won't get any "September Gurls", Rock'n'Roll Girl"', "Tomorrow Night" or other all-time classics. I tried (but not always) to not chose the songs you could already find on some famous power pop compilations ("Yellow Pills", "Poptopia" or the Rhino "DIY Series" and many others...). This is the 1st part of the unauthorized best of the ultimate power pop guide. Whenever available each album will be linked to an online record store.

FLAC / 599 mb
The List (1 -> 25) Rank Band - Album (Song)

1 Raspberries - Starting Over (Overnight Sensation)
2 Big Star - #1 Record/Radio City (Back Of A Car)
3 Shoes - Present Tense/Tongue Twister (Every Girl)
4 Cheap Trick - In Color (I Want You Want Me)
5 20/20 - 20/20 & Look Out (Remember The Lightning)
6 Chris Von Sneidern - Big White Lies (Mindreader)
7 Tommy Keene - Songs From The Film (Gold Town)
8 The Orange Humble Band - Assorted Creams (It Doesn't Matter)
9 Adam Schmitt - World So Bright (Can't Get You On My Mind)
10 The Beat - The Beat (U.S.A.)
11 DM3 - Road To Rome (Second Floor)
12 Badfinger - Wish You Were Here (Know One Knows)
13 The Toms - The Toms (You Must Have Crossed My Mind)
14 Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend (I've Been Waiting)
15 The Someloves - Something Or Other (Know You Know)
16 Game Theory - Big Shot Chronicles (Erica's Word)
17 Nick Lowe - 16 All-Time Lowes (American Squirm)
18 Marshall Crenshaw - Marshall Crenshaw (Cynical Girl)
19 Material Issue - Freak City Soundtrack (One Simple World)
20 Fountains Of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers (Stacy's Mom)
21 Dwight Twilley Band - Sincerely (You Were So Warm)
22 The Smithereens - Especially For You (Hand Of Glory)
23 Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action (I Can't Hide)
24 The Rooks - Encore Echoes (Reasons)
25 The Spongetones - Beat & Torn (Every Night Is A Holiday)

TOT TAYLOR - JUMBLE SOUL (1986)

If you remember Advertising, you know Tot Taylor. Tot is a Brit-popper who loves Tin Pan Alley. After EMI adjudged his band Advertising to be a non-starter, Taylor convinced another commercial powerhouse to take him on but, after three 45s, GTO decided it had been a big mistake. By then, he'd discovered Mari Wilson (who'd also signed to GTO) and Virna Lindt; when he and Mari were dumped, Taylor launched his own empire, the Compact Organization. Tot had recorded "Playtime" for GTO, and arranged to take all sixteen tracks of it with him. The usual rhythm section (including the odd bit of dribbly synth) is frequently augmented by horns and strings. What saves Taylor from seeming an insufferable twit for presuming to emulate Porter, Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart, Kern, etc. is his cleverly unassuming and self-parodic wordplay. Sometimes he spouts gloriously goofy rock ("I Wanna Play the Drums Tonight" — Kevin Ayers meets Sparks), but he also slips in observations on the grayness of the modern day-to-day — "Living in Legoland" — for effective commentary. "Jumble Soul" is a fourteen-cut best-of, collecting some of the first three LPs plus some unalbumized 45s (including the two non-LP GTO A-sides), and the title track of "The Girl with Everything" EP. Trouser Press

Songs
The Crimson Challenge / Offbeat / Living In Legoland / The Chocolate Song / The Man With The Gong / The Three Dots / Poptown / Don't Spy On Me / Spoil Her / Hotel Lux / On The Train With Tootsie / Australian / Richard Rodgers / The Girl With Everything

PHILIP CHEVRON - THE CAPTAINS & THE KINGS (1983)

Philip Chevron about the single: "I think Behan wrote the music or adapted it from a folk source. This, at least, is the assumption myself and Elvis made at the time, though I confess I do not actually know the tune from anywhere else. My version has a small string orchestra under the baton of David Bedford, who wrote the new orchestration especially for me. Behan claimed to have written the song in 5 minutes at the barrel of his publisher's gun! It is sung by the character Monsewer in the play THE HOSTAGE. This track and its B side "Faithful Departed" are also available individually on the CD's "Life In The Folk Lane Vols 1 & 2" though I couldn't say if these are still in catalogue or not. Elvis and I recorded these tracks in London in July 1983, so they pre-date his involvement with The Pogues as a band by some months.
Declanologists may want to know that as well as producing (with Colin Fairley) Elvis plays Hammond Organ, Spanish Guitar, Piano and Bass on "Faithful Departed". That is, he plays everything except rhythm acoustic and tambourine (both me). The Rainfall ("by Big G" as Elvis's sleeve credits claim) was real: I sang the song in one take under the studio's conservatory roof as a July rainstorm pounded down. The nature of the summer rain meant that there was only a small window of opportunity to get the take - that is, it had to be done in a single take, vocal repairs were not possible. This is very evident to me on at least one of the choruses when I slip into the key of Z Minor momentarily. But hey! I suffered for my art, why shouldn't you?"

Imposter IMP002
The Captains & The Kings / Faithful Departed

PHIL SEYMOUR
THE GREAT LOST SEYMOUR ALBUM (2008)

Here are the few infos available on the Seymour page: Still under the management of Denny Cordell, Phil went to England to begin sessions with guitarist Chris Spedding and members of Joe Cocker's Grease Band, three songs were recorded... "Who'll Be The Next In Line", "Baby's a Rock And Roller" and "Lookin' for The Magic". ("Lookin' For The Magic" can be found on the cd, "Precious To Me"). "In November of 1989 Phil had started writing songs again with two of his good friends, Bob Parker and Bob Martin. The songs Phil wrote with Bob Parker were "She's Gonna Be Fine", "Three Little Words", "Love Is So Contagious" and "Easily Distracted". They recorded little demos of these songs, just guitar and drum machine. In late September (or maybe October) Phil and Bob Parker went to L.A. to record "She's Gonna Be Fine" with Richard Podolor. They also did 12 track recordings of "Love Is So Contagious", "Easily Distracted" and "Sin City" with one of Phil's longtime friends, record producer Pride Hutchison. A Tulsa boy, Pride had been the drummer for the last band Phil had in L.A. before moving back 'home' on 1988. Phil had started writing songs with Bob Martin in November 1989, after much encouragement. One of the songs they wrote was "Love Letters". And there was "Dream Girl", "You've Got To Love Me" and "Haven't You Torn My Heart Apart" which Bob performs with his band The Rock and Roll Circus."

Special Note: I received 30 songs from a blog reader called Mark, i only removed one incomplete song. A few songs (different source, though) have been posted previously on the blog (see "Seymour 3" or "Rarities"), but they were included here. I went for posting the stuff with a "blog custom" artwork because the overall quality was pretty good. mp3 192.

Part 1

Remember The Nights / / You Don't Know What You're Missing / She's Trouble / Can't Control Myself / Trust / Haven't You Torn My Heart Apart / She's Gonna Be Fine / Three Little Words / Too Much To Do / Making Me Lonely / No Turning Back / Teachin' Me / I Need You (demo)

Part 2
Just Let Her Know / Telephone Line / The Best Is Yet To Come / Adjusted / Baby's A Rock 'n' Roller / Who'll Be The Next In Line / Looking For The Magic / (Love's Like An) Itchin' In My Heart / Save Me (#1) / Save Me (#2) / Jenny Walk Away / Miracle / Love Is So Contagious / You Got To Love Me / Love Letters

DWIGHT TWILLEY - SOMEBODY TO LOVE (1979) (12" mix)

On July 21, 1979, Dwight cut what would become a signature song for him, “Somebody To Love” (produced by Jack Nitzsche) with a hot version of Barrett Strong's “Money” on the flip side. Released in both 7" and the new 12" versions (with sleeve cropped from the front cover of the unreleased "Blueprint" album), the song very nearly became a major hit, garnering substantial airplay all over the country. The version of “Money” derived mostly from the Beatles' cover, found Twilley taking liberties with the original version by inverting the riff completely, and only playing it ‘right' in the instrumental. The song grew to be one of the most popular on stage numbers, and ironically, became an excuse for the audience to toss money up on stage, ones, fives, change. That era ended when they started bringing Monopoly money to the gigs. Twilley in the fade singing ‘MasterCharge' has always made the song for me. The "Money" 12" version has never been reissued on CD. Twilley

Arista (12" Promo SP 79)
Somebody To Love / Money (That's What I Want)

THE RINGS + TWINK (1977)

Following an injury sustained in a car crash, Twink worked as a vocalist with The Rings in early 1977, releasing one of the first Punk Rock singles "I Wanna Be Free". Other members included Alan Lee Shaw and Rod Latter. Twink coined the term Acid Punk to describe his music and went on to release an EP "Do It '77" in 1978 that included a song "Psychedelic Punkeroo" about Syd Barrett.

The Rings (7" Chiswick S 14)
I Wanna Be Free / Automobile

Twink & The Fairies (12" Chiswick SWT 26)
Do It '77 / Psychedelic Punkeroo / Enter The Diamonds

THE INMATES - CHORUS TV (1979)

On the strength of their first hit record "Dirty Water", included on the band's 1979 debut "First Offence", The Inmates performed live on the famous french TV show in 1979. The video was transferred from the master VHS tape to a XviD4 PAL video. Running Time 15'51

Special note: You need all parts to unrar the file (198mb)

Songs (RS + SB + SB)
The Walk / Mr. Unreliable / I Can't Sleep / Take Some Time Out / Love Got Me / Talkin' About You

ANY TROUBLE (1983-1984)

A couple of 12" singles lifted from "Any Trouble" (1983) and "Wrong End Of The Race" (1984), boasting four unreleased songs. Each single brings at least one unknown gem. Any similarity between "Does He call Your Name" and a beatle tune won't be really annoying, trust me...

I'll Be Your Man (12" EMI EA 163)
I'll Be Your Man / Human Heart / Step By Step

Baby Now That I've Found You (12" EMI EA 166)

Baby Now That I've Found You / Bricks And Mortar / Does He Call Your Name

NICK LOWE - RAGIN' EYES (1983) (12" edition)

Released in 1983, "Ragin' Eyes" was the best track of "The Abominable Showman". The 12" edition of the single is ranked #20 in the Top 30 of Nick Lowe Rarities. The B side brings two versions of "Cool Reaction", the "commercial" one has never been reissued on CD.
Note : A few months ago, I borrowed the artwork of this 12" for the Paradise Club concert.

F-Beat XX31T [12" Video Enhanced]
Ragin' Eyes / Cool Reaction (Commercial Version) / Cool Reaction (Non Commercial Version) / Ragin' Eyes (Promo Video XviD4 NTSC)

SQUEEZE - PACKET OF THREE (1977) (12" edition)

The first Squeeze's single was produced by John Cale. The 12" edition was released in a plain pink sleeve with the words “Limited Edition” printed in the top corner. According to Steve Tannett of Faulty Products (the distributors) in February 1980 “There were roughly 5000 twelve-inch "Packet of Three" pressed".

Deptford Fun City DFC 01 (12 inch)
Cat On A Wall / Night Ride / Back Track

THE HEARTBREAKERS - CHINESE ROCKS (1977) (12" mix)

The first Heartbreakers' single was released on 7" and 12". If you're familiar with the blog, you could remember a previous post of the original L.A.M.F. mix. According to many sources, it might be possible the problem of the "Track" mix was due to a really bad mastering and manufacturing of the original tapes. The 12" single of "Chinese Rocks/Born To Lose" sounds incredibly more powerful than the LP mix. Here's the opportunity to compare both versions.

Track 2094-135 (12 Inch Edition)
Chinese Rocks / Born To Lose

VARIOUS - MORE MONDO (1985)

A new bunch of bands from North Carolina, a sequel to the "Mondo Montage" compilation with Rick Rock, The Spongetones, The Connells, The Graphic, Don Dixon and many more.

Songs (parts RS & SB)
Rick Rock (Button) / The Graphic (I Flew Like A Bird) / Don Dixon (Praying Mantis) / UV Prom (Upper Room) / The Pressure Boys (Pete) / The Spongetones (This Kiss Is Mine Tonight) / Head For Tall Trees (Star By Star) / Fetchin' Bones (Plus Seven) / Safehouse (Magazine) / The Connells (Darker Days) / The Vanguard (Waiting Game) / Southern Culture On The Skids (Love In 4D) / The Bad Checks (17)

VARIOUS - MONDO MONTAGE (1983)

Three years before W.C. (Welcome to Comboland), this compilation of ten bands (14 songs) hailing from North Carolina was released on Dolphin Records and is now long deleted, "Mondo Montage" along "More Mondo" brought some NC legendary bands : "Let's Active", "Arrogance" and the famous "Rick Rock".

Special Note : The album rip is part of a "swapping deal" between a huge american powerpop fan and me. I made the artwork and worked a little on the original wav. files provided.

Lossless: FLAC 8 (337 mb)

Songs (parts RS & SB)

The Snap (Voice Of America) / States (Watching You) / Lise Uyanik & Mobile City (I Can Hear Music) / Moon Pie (Tore Up) / Rob Abernethy (White Lies) / Lise Uyanik & Mobile City (Love Is Fine) / Rick Rock (Buddha Buddha) / States (Don't Call My Name Anymore) / Arrogance (Perfect Light) / X-Teens (Heaven In Your Eyes) / The Snap ((She's A) Modern Girl) / Texas Toads (Drink You Off My Minds) / Rick Rock ((I'm Lookin' For A) Sputnik) / Let's Active (A Room With A View)

THE TRUTH - FIVE LIVE (1984)

Formed in the early '80s by former Nine Below Zero leader Dennis Greaves and second guitarist Mick Lister, the Truth's mixture of 60's rock and R&B veered away from the bluesy grind of Greaves' former band and embraced a more melodic pop sound. Emerging from the shadows just as The Jam broke up and Paul Weller formed the Style Council, the Truth filled in all the musical blank spaces in between. Not as "punky" as former or as smooth as the latter, the Truth's energetic pop & soul jive came at just the right time. AMG. More Truth can be found at digivinyltal

Songs
The Sweetest Feeling / Listen To What I Say / I Just Can't Seem To Stop / Everlasting Love / Second Time Lucly

PHIL SEYMOUR - PRECIOUS TO ME (Video 1981)

Phil Seymour's first album was released in 1980 (reissued in 2005). It has been ranked #47 in Shake Some Action - The Ultimate Power Pop Guide (2007). "Precious To Me" was released as a single in early 1981 and reached #22 on the charts. Here's the video which promoted the single. The video can also be watched in lo-res on youtube. File info: 39mb XviD4 NTSC.

THE BLAZERS - HOW TO ROCK (1980)

Rick Miller's recording career began with the 1980 release of The Blazers' "How To Rock", an album produced by Don Dixon for local label Moonlight Records. The Blazers were essentially a bar band led by a jittery Rolling Stones-loving frontman named Shakin' Sherman Tate. Rick Miller took the band in a new Brit Pop direction when he and his roommate/mentor/bassist Lee Gildersleeve joined the band. Miller penned six songs for the album. "How To Rock" was a local hit in the Chapel Hill-Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina and Miller's songs drew comparisons to work by The Beatles, Tom Petty and Dwight Twilley. Rick Miller left The Blazers to form The Dads. He then went to form Rick Rock who released "Buddha, Buddha", "One of the ten best records ever made in North Carolina". He's better known today as Parthenon Huxley (aka P.Hux).

 

HOW TO ROCK (211 mb)

Songs
Rock and Roll Must Be Right / Oh, Pretty Woman / I Can Love You / Country Girl / Blue and Velvet / Don't Worry 'Bout It Now / Top of My World / Cat Marbles / The Air Gets Colder / Rockin' Little Angel

NAKED PREY - 40 MILES FROM NOWHERE (1987)

Van Christian was at one time Green on Red's drummer; back home in Tucson, Arizona, he switched to vocals and guitar and formed Naked Prey. The quartet plays rough-edged country rock with similarities to Green on Red (as well as Dream Syndicate and others in the California/Arizona axis). On their third album (the US and UK releases were different), the band successfully covers Jagger/Richards' "Silver Train" and Webb's "Wichita Lineman". The album has never been reissued in cd format.

Songs
40 Miles From Nowhere / Ill. Central / Another Day / I'm Coming Home / Find My Way / Silver Train / Sweet Marie / The Carnival / Rodeo / Wichita Lineman

PRETENDERS - CHORUS TV (1980)

The "vintage" Pretenders on Chorus, recorded in 1980 for the legendary french TV show, hosted by Antoine de Caunes. The show got a rerun on the 10th of january 2008 around midnight on cable TV. It was compressed to XviD4 PAL from DV. Running time 16'15.

Songs
Stop your Sobbing / Tattooed Love Boys / Up The Neck / Mystery Achievement

Special note: You need all parts to unrar the file (214mb)

one - two - three

RAMONES - CHORUS TV (1980)

The Ramones on Chorus, recorded in february 1980 on the "End Of The Century" tour for the legendary french TV show hosted by Antoine de Caunes. The show got a rerun on the 10th of january 2008 around midnight on cable TV. It was compressed to XviD4 PAL from DV. Running time 21'44.

Songs
Rock'n'Roll High School / I Wanna Be Sedated / Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio? / She's The One / I'm Against It / Sheena Is A Punk Rocker / This Ain't Havana / Commando / I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend / Pinhead

Special note: You need all of the three parts to unrar the file (286mb)

one - two - three....sorry but no four today

STEVE FORBERT - LITTLE STEVIE ORBIT (1980)

Steve Forbert's third album was seen as a disappointment at the time of its release because it did not generate a hit single on the order of "Romeo's Tune," and thus failed to consolidate the commercial success Steve Forbert had achieved with his second album, "Jackrabbit Slim". In retrospect, however, it is a spirited, rollicking collection on which Forbert sounds increasingly comfortable fronting a rock band on a series of lighthearted songs such as "I'm an Automobile" and "If You've Gotta Ask You'll Never Know." It may not have made him a superstar, but "Little Stevie Orbit" provided some strong additions to Steve Forbert's concert repertoire for years to come. It has never been reissued in CD format. AMG

Songs
Get Well Soon / Cellophane City / Song for Carmelita / Laughter Lou (Who Needs You?) / Song for Katrina / One More Glass of Beer / Lucky / Rain / I'm an Automobile / Schoolgirl / If You've Gotta Ask You'll Never Know / Lonely Girl / A Visitor

TEENAGE HEADS - TORNADO (1983)

MCA picked up Teenage Head (see Son Of The Dolls) the next year and tried to market them to the American audience - biggest example was the adding of an 'S' to the band's name to appease those who were trying to clean up rock & roll. 1983's "Tornado" was a 6 track EP which made Head-fanatics cringe. Their previous image of 'party til you puke punks' now more closely resembled a group of Potsy Webbers - just not as cool. Featuring production work by David Bendeth, who'd filled in here and there in various capacities over the years, label execs tried to gear the rockabilly-twinged record to the college yuppies ... with mixed results. Back to their original name, the band signed with Ready Records after MCA lost faith that same year. canadianbands.com

Songs
Don't Cage Me In / (I'm Just) Too True / Dangerous Imagination / Tornado / Blood Boogie / Love For Sale

WELCOME...TO COMBOLAND (1986)

If you're familiar with this blog, you may have grabbed some of the finest music (The Spongetones, Arrogance, Robert Kirkland, Three Hits, X-Teens, The Flying Pigs...) all hailing from North Carolina.
Writer for North Carolina's "Spectator" newspaper, Godfrey Cheshire was producer of the "Comboland" package. The "Welcome To Comboland" album, released in England, compiles works from some of the best bands of the area. You might know or not know some of the bands featured here, but if you do know Mitch Easter or Don Dixon and his "arrogant" pals, you'll enjoy this. You can watch some of these bands featured on Return To Comboland.

Bands
The Othermothers (Rodeo) / The Connells (Brighter Worlds) / Right Profile (Cosmopolitan Lovesick Blues) / The Graphic (I Flew Like A Bird) / Rod Dash (Jimmy's Out Of Touch) / Southern Culture On The Skids (Love In 4D) / The Woods (Battleship Chains) / Fetchin' Bones (Plus 7) / The Spongetones (Torn Apart) / The Accelerators (Leave My Heart) / Scott Davison (Velvet Elvis) / Don Dixon (When A Man Loves A Woman

TRIBUTE TO THE FAB FOUR - SOCORRO! (2007)

Fifth part of the Fab Four Experience. This was their second motion picture. Fourteen songs, ten of which written by the dynamic duo, plus two songs penned by l'angelo mysterioso and two covers.

Special Note: Originally, I made this tribute for a now-defunct blog. I included the two different front covers (UK and USA).

ZS (84 mb)

THE SHIRTS - INNER SLEEVE (1980)

After Mike Thorne had the band all over the map on their second album, "Street Light Shine", the Shirts' third and final disc, "Inner Sleeve", finds Juice Newton/Jackie DeShannon producer John Palladino teamed up with Blood, Sweat & Tears/Steely Dan guitarist Georg Wadenius and they bring out the pop side of Annie Golden's band on these 11 tracks. The niche they've settled into here is the melodic short songtunes essential to the new wave, which, after all, was garage bands looking to find the most fun elements of '60s radio hits and exploit them to become rock stars. Golden had the talent to ride the charts along with Blondie, the Go Go's and, the Cars, and this album has the band headed in the right direction -- it's just too bad they quit after finding their groove here. "Inner Sleeve" is an inviting performance, especially for those who never encountered the other work by the truly underrated Shirts. AMG

Songs
I'm Not One Of Those / One Last Chance / Can't Get It Through My Head / I've Had It / I Don't Wanna Know / Pleasure Is The Pain / As Long As The Laughter Lasts / Too Much Trouble / Hanging Around / Small Talk / Time (Has Seen Me Lonely)