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Chad & Jeremy - Distant Shores [1966]
2008-01-01 16:03:00
Musical styles were changing and threatening to leave Chad & Jeremy 's light, pleasant pop style behind. Distant Shores indicated that they were only beginning to come to grips with the situation: tracks like "The Way You Look Tonight," "Early Mornin' Rain," and "Homeward Bound" (done in an arrangement identical to Simon & Garfunkel's) suggested they were still content to cover pre-rock pop and folk music. But they did contribute three original songs, and manager James William Guercio brought in the title tune, which became their final Top 40 hit. As a result, Distant Shores had "transitional" written all over it, although it wasn't clear what Chad & Jeremy were making a transition to. [Allmusic.com]Track list;01 - Distant shores. 2:4702 - Ain't it nice. 3:1103 - When your love has gone. 2:4204 - Homeward bound. 2:3705 - The way you look tonight. 2:3606 - Morning. 2:5307 - You are she. 2:4008 - Everyone's gone to the moon. 2:3209 - I won't cry. 2:0910 - Early morni...
More About: 1966

Spencer Davis Group - I'm A Man [1967]
2008-01-01 16:00:00
Stevie Winwood and Muff Winwood had left the Spencer Davis Group just a few months before the summer 1967 release of their second US album, which nonetheless was entirely comprised of songs done by the original lineup. Like their first US album, Gimme Some Lovin', it was a more or less arbitrary assortment of songs that had been recorded by the band at various points in the mid-1960s. And again, the big hit, "I'm a Man," was a classic soul-rock group original that outclassed everything else on the record. Otherwise it was standard British R&B-rock that varied from average to very good. The standouts were their covers of John Lee Hooker's "Dimples" and the relatively little-known American soul tunes "I Can't Stand It" and "Look Away." The cooking Stevie Winwood-penned instrumental "On the Green Light" had dynamic organ and blues guitar. The 2001 CD reissue on Sundazed adds add bonus tracks from the same era, including some of their best efforts: the percolating cover of "Watc...

Creation - We Are Paintermen [1967]
2008-01-01 15:58:00
This was the only full-length album released during the brief life-span of the Creation , one of the few beat groups to rival the raw intensity of the Who. (Guitarist Eddie Phillips, who committed violin bow to guitar strings before Jimmy Page, was allegedly even courted by Pete Townshend to become the Who's second guitarist.) This album, released in 1967 on Hit-Ton, a label out of Germany, where the group enjoyed immense popularity (a situation not mirrored back home in the UK), consists of the singles and some uninspired choices of covers ("Cool Jerk," "Like a Rolling Stone," "Hey Joe"). The group's criminally under-appreciated sound is fueled by Phillips' clanging, melodic power chords and feedback-drenched squalls, which show up most prominently in the Creation's signature single, "Making Time." Other highlights on this essential album for fans of Mod and British Invasion include "Try and Stop Me," "If I Stay Too Long," "Biff Bang Pow," and "Painter Man." A 1999 Repertoire Re...

Wayne Fontana & Mindbenders - The Game Of Love [1965]
2008-01-01 15:55:00
Wayne Fontana took his name from the drummer D.J.Fontana and not his record label as is sometimes supposed. He and his group, the Mindbenders, were one of the many talented acts to come out of Manchester during the 1960s 'beat boom'. Wayne was an accomplished R&B singer and soon gained a useful following of female admirers in the north of England.The band had immediate chart success with their first single, but its lowly #46 position and the failure of its follows up were disappointing. However, their fifth and sixth releases made the top 5, though 'Game Of Love ' was held back from the top spot by 'I'll Never Find Another You' by the SeekersSadly, by the end of 1965, although the hits had continued, Fontana decided to go solo. This appears not to have done him too much harm because he managed to achieve four more hits without the aid of his former backing musicians. However, he faded from the scene rapidly after 1968 and although he continued on the club rounds he fell in...
More About: The Game , Wayne

Men At Work - Brazil [1998]
2007-12-27 14:00:00
Originally only available as an import in 1996 (titled Brazil 96), the slightly renamed Brazil was finally released stateside two years later. Recorded live during a sold-out Brazilian tour, the '96 version of Men at Work contained only two of its original members — singer/guitarist Colin Hay and saxophonist/flutist Greg Ham. But the new members sound almost identical to the originals, and with a stellar set list comprised almost entirely of classic material, it's near-impossible to hear the difference between the Men at Work lineups of 1996 and 1983. Positively electric versions of all their hits are here — "Who Can It Be Now?," "Overkill," "It's a Mistake," and "Down Under," as well as strong album tracks ("Touching the Untouchables," "Down By the Sea," "Catch a Star," etc.) and a couple of songs that were popular '80s videos ("Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive," "Be Good Johnny"). Also included is an all-new composition, the Greg Ham-penned "The Longest Night," recorded in March...

Men At Work - Business As Usual [1982]
2007-12-24 09:18:00
Business as Usual became a surprise international hit on the basis of "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Down Under," two excellent singles that merged straight-ahead pop/rock hooks with a quirky new wave production and an offbeat sense of humor. Colin Hay's keening vocals uncannily recall Sting, and the band's rhythmic pulse and phased guitars also bring to mind a bar band version of the Police. And that helps make the remainder of Business as Usual enjoyable. There's a fair amount of filler on the record, but "Be Good Johnny," "I Can See It in Your Eyes," and "Down by the Sea" are all fine new wave pop songs, making Business as Usual one of the more enjoyable mainstream-oriented efforts of the era. [Allmusic.com]Track list;01 - Who Can It Be Now-. 3:2602 - I Can See It In Your Eyes. 3:3303 - Down Under. 3:4504 - Underground. 3:0805 - Helpless Automation. 3:2406 - People Just Love To Play With Words. 3:3307 - Be Good Johnny. 3:4008 - Touching The Untouchables. 3:4209 - Catch A Star. 3:32...
More About: Business , Work , Business As Usual , Men at Work