What Are You Listening To?

[SteveO]

AGALLOCH - MARROW OF THE SPIRIT

[Tiggi]

On the laptop.

Their 1970 debut.

For many years I've thought this might be worth checking out, and I've finally got there...

UK Prog band that never really made it. Musically not too bad, with some fairly hard rocking for Prog, but the vocals sound awfully dated now.

Think I can live without this one, but there's another later album of theirs that I'll check before abandoning them.

No place on the Buy List.


AllMusic 4/5 stars.

[SteveO]

OPETH - WATERSHED

[Tiggi]

Career-Spanning retrospective 5-disc box set, released in 1999.

This was my E-Bay purchase a couple of weeks ago. Mint condition, £40.

Covers the band's development, from their first studio demos, right through to a song from their last ever gig. Mostly live material, with a clutch of early demos, and some late-period rehearsal recordings. The booklet states that the compilers were specifically interested in the band interplay, which means that there are loads of live jams included, which is as it should be with the Grateful Dead.

I have loads of live Dead already, but the majority of their live sets concentrate on specific gigs, so this is a good alternative to those.

Brilliant box set. I've just put another bid on for a new, sealed Dead box set !!


AllMusic 4+/5 stars.

[mtthwibrahim]

On the laptop.

Their 1970 debut.

For many years I've thought this might be worth checking out, and I've finally got there...

UK Prog band that never really made it. Musically not too bad, with some fairly hard rocking for Prog, but the vocals sound awfully dated now.

Think I can live without this one, but there's another later album of theirs that I'll check before abandoning them.

No place on the Buy List.


AllMusic 4/5 stars.

If you want to get into that band, you should get "Octopus", "In a Glass House", and "Three Friends". I like the self-titled and all, but those are really some of the finest prog albums

[Tiggi]

^ Octopus is on my list, and will get a listening in due course. Thanx for the advice Matthew.

[Tiggi]

Her last album, from 2002.

What's a Shania album doing in here ? you may well ask...

This was her third collaboration with hubbie/producer Mutt Lange, and it feels like he was given license to make a Rockier album than previously, with plenty of Rock arrangements. There's still a hint of yee-haw (the royalty check is in the post, Ed) in Shania's voice, but this is a long way removed from her previous releases.

This is the International version of the album, which comes on two discs, featuring the main release (the red disc), plus the whole album remixed into a World version (blue disc). The world version was remixed in Mumbai with Indian musicians, and comes across as a Bollywood mix. It's actually quite good, and Mrs Tiggi preferred it to the red version.

There's also a third, Country mix version available for free download from Shania's website, apparently...

Good album.


AllMusic 4+/5 stars.

[Tiggi]

On the laptop.

San Francisco band's sixth album, released in 1969.

I only have their Surrealistic Pillow album, which is very good indeed, so didn't really know what to expect of this. It's a strong set of counter-cultural songs, with some great guitar from Jorma Kaukonen, and assistance from Nicky Hopkins' Piano on several songs.

Third track - The Farm - reminded me strongly of the New Riders of The Purple Sage album played recently, and bless me if Jerry Garcia doesn't play his Lap Steel on the song (not that surprising really, given the Frisco connection...).

Includes a cover of C,S & N's Wooden Ships.

This is Buy-List-Ready...


AllMusic 4/5 stars.

[mtthwibrahim]

The River-Bruce Springsteen

I've been listening to "Nebraska" alot recently. It's quickly worked it's way into my personal favorites, so I thought I should check this out. Two discs of pure American-made manliness is too much for wimpy me, but I guess the music is pretty great

[SteveO]

ROLLING STONES - BEGGARS BANQUET (1968)

For me this is the ultimate Rolling Stones album ! Raw, down to earth blues and rock ! Also the last completed album with Brian Jones. I love this album...shame they dropped JUmpin" Jack Flash and omly released it as a single. Goes along very nicely with Street Fightin' Man !
[TABLE="class: tracklist, width: 0"]
[TR]
[/TR]
[TR]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #fff"]
[TD]1.
[/TD]
[TD]"Sympathy for the Devil"
[/TD]
[TD]6:18
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #f7f7f7"]
[TD]2.
[/TD]
[TD]"No Expectations"
[/TD]
[TD]3:56
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #fff"]
[TD]3.
[/TD]
[TD]"Dear Doctor"
[/TD]
[TD]3:22
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #f7f7f7"]
[TD]4.
[/TD]
[TD]"Parachute Woman"
[/TD]
[TD]2:20
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #fff"]
[TD]5.
[/TD]
[TD]"Jig-Saw Puzzle"
[/TD]
[TD]6:06
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[B][TABLE="class: tracklist, width: 0"]
[TR]
[/TR]
[TR]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #f7f7f7"]
[TD]6.
[/TD]
[TD]"Street Fighting Man"
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #fff"]
[TD]7.
[/TD]
[TD]"Prodigal Son" (Robert Wilkins)
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #f7f7f7"]
[TD]8.
[/TD]
[TD]"Stray Cat Blues"
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #fff"]
[TD]9.
[/TD]
[TD]"Factory Girl"
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #f7f7f7"]
[TD]10.
[/TD]
[TD]"Salt of the Earth"

I love this album ! 5/5
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


Original white album cover (1968)



Reissue Album Cover (2002)

[/B]