Comus

Hey for your show I'm going to tune in and play it through the soundboard of my show, while reminding people they should go over there and listen to it. Just since it's the last show and all. That and I might get some ideas for my 1001 albums list

__________________
last.fm

TheCellarTapes

Very kind Comus, still not finalised a final list, its going to be a toughie

lucifer_sam

i just gave Tangerine Dream a spin and it was absolutely wonderful. it is rather polished but i didn't mind at all, a superb listen through and through. Sky Children is so beautiful.

__________________
first.am

sidewinder

There is some great stuff in here. I've gotten quite a bit into the 60s these last few years, including The Kinks, Small Faces, Pretty Things, Rolling Stones, and several others not mentioned here. I need to comb through this thread and explore those I haven't heard or heard of.

__________________
last.fm | my collection on RYM | vinyl instagram @allthatyouseeandhear
I'd love to see your signature/links too, but the huge and obnoxious ones have caused me to block all signatures.

TheCellarTapes

Tomorrow - Tomorrow
(1968)



Tracks

1 My White Bicycle 3:17
2 Colonel Brown 2:51
3 Claremont Lake 3:01
4 Real Life Permanent Dream 3:15
5 Shy Boy 2:26
6 Revolution 3:48
7 The Incredible Journey of Timothy Chase 3:17
8 Auntie Mary's Dress Shop 2:44
9 Strawberry Fields Forever 3:58
10 Three Jolly Little Dwarfs 2:26
11 Now Your Time Has Come 4:51
12 Hallucinations 2:37

Tomorrow were a London four piece formed in 1965, they have been mentioned in the Cellar before of course for their contribution towards the Mark Wirtz’s forgotten masterpiece, A Teenage Opera. Following similar lines as The Kaleidoscope, Tomorrow despite being an integral part of the London Psychedelic scene during the late 1960’s, are now largely forgotten.

When we talk about the seminal Psychedelic albums of the 67/68 period, people think of Piper at The Gates, Sgt Pepper and even Soft Machine’s Volume 1, all of which are heralded for their key contributions to the scene. Here in The Cellar however, we like to talk up albums like Tangerine Dream and S.F. Sorrow, giving them pride of place amongst these other landmark albums. But today I bring you another edition, Tomorrow with their self titled debut released in 1968 on Parlophone, produced by the great EMI magician Mark Wirtz.

The album begins with My White Bicycle, this was the first single for the band, it is also a track which fully utilises backward guitar phasing with wondrous results. It is a fine opener and is surprisingly accessible, creating a useful bridge between the sound coming from the UFO Club and the musical pallet of mainstream audiences.



There are a couple of songs which were recorded during Mark Wirtz’s Teenage Opera sessions. As that fine piece of work was shelved for 3 decades by EMI, these belting songs instead get their first airing on Tomorrow’s debut, some cracking songs like Colonel Brown and the beautifully decorative Auntie Mary’s Dress Shop, not to mention the superb Shy Boy.

The title of best track on this album I think must go to track four; Real-Life Permanent Dream has one of the best sitar riffs going, it is an amazingly trippy effort which is not alone on this LP for that particular vibe. The final track on the album for example is awfully trippy, Hallucinations, leaves London and instead has hints of the West Coast about it with its use of harmonies and lyrical content, joyous!

Tomorrow would see limited success with this album in 1968 and disbanded the same year. Lead guitarist Steve Howe would go on to join Yes, the drummer 'Twink' would join The Pretty Things, whilst singer Keith West had a decent solo career in the seventies. But Tomorrow in 1968 left us with an album which captures the mood of 1967/68 in London perfectly, in that it is ever so jolly and marvellously trippy. In time it must surely rank alongside the great British albums from the period, but there’s only one way to find out, Enjoy!

sidewinder

Hell yes, Tomorrow is a great band/album.

__________________
last.fm | my collection on RYM | vinyl instagram @allthatyouseeandhear
I'd love to see your signature/links too, but the huge and obnoxious ones have caused me to block all signatures.

TheCellarTapes

Gilberto Gil - Frevo Rasgado
(1968)



Tracks



Some call him the pure definition of World Music, others call him thee individual who drove the Tropicalia movement forward with his unrivalled fusion of Samba, Classical and Rock n Roll, whatever the case, there is no doubting the mans musical ability and more importantly the threat he posed with his talents to the powers that be in the Brazilian government.

Gilberto Gil made his musical beginnings in the fifties, but did not release a solo album until 1967, by this stage the Tropicalia movement was in its infancy but very much a happening thing. Men like Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil were really only just starting to push the boundaries of musical endeavour in 67, but by 68 the authorities could be left in little doubt that the noises coming from Brazilian youth were slightly disconcerting to say the least.

A string of landmark albums from Brazil came one after another between 67 and 69, we have already covered Os Mutantes’ debut in 68 and I am sure there will be yet more mentions in the coming months from the cellar of other efforts, but it is to Gilberto Gil’s second release, Frevo Rasgado, that we turn to today, arguably one of the best World music albums of all time and a serious contender for one of the greatest pieces of work ever released full stop.

Joyous, exciting, exuberant, raucous and boardering on the Psychedelic, this album begins with the title track; Frevo Rasgado I guarantee from the very first notes will instantly make you feel good about life. Its vibe is unquestionably Brazilian, but please have no fear, this is not over the top Rio carnival time, the Samba elements are hidden behind a very controlled Brass and Horn section, creating a rather excellent opener, which sets you up nicely for the rest of the album.



Backed by Os Mutantes on a couple of tracks, Gil injects these songs with an energy and life which is very difficult to compare with any artist on the planet at that time or since. For example Pega a Voga, Cabeludo and Domingo No Parque, these songs really do go places, indeed a triumph for the Tropicalia movement, they are so jolly and cheerful, marvellous stuff.

All that said, the elements going into Gil’s writing throughout this album is not unique to Brazil or even for that matter to Western music in the late sixties, but Gil’s major achievement with this release must surely be to have raised the bar for mixing classical elements into modern music, even dare I say it as a result giving George Martin a run for his money. An example of this is Track Four; Marginália II has so many elements going on with it that each individual listen of this song provides something new each time.

Ultimately Gil would find himself exiled for a few years by the Brazilian government in the late sixties, a victim of the power of his own music. But instead of being a bad thing, he found himself in England rubbing shoulders with the likes of Pink Floyd, opening the door for a whole new chapter in his musical development. And now after helping depose of a Government, he himself dabbles in politics, even becoming a Minister, all things considered, a truly remarkable man.

TheCellarTapes

Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
(1967)



Tracks

1 Astronomy Domine 4:12
2 Lucifer Sam 3:07
3 Matilda Mother 3:08
4 Flaming 2:46
5 Pow R. Toc H. 4:26
6 Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk 3:05
7 Interstellar Overdrive 9:41
8 The Gnome 2:13
9 Chapter 24 3:42
10 The Scarecrow 2:11
11 Bike 3:21

Pink Floyd were formed in London in 1965, the darlings of the UFO Club, they were at the forefront of the emerging Psychedelic movement coming out of England during the post Beat period. A group of talented musicians, they were led by a charismatic guitarist from Cambridge called Syd Barrett.

On the back of the success of the single, Arnold Layne, in 1967 the band cut their first LP, and as it turns out the only Pink Floyd album to fully include Syd Barrett in its conception and creation. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was released on EMI during that magical Summer of 1967 and is now heralded in the same bracket as Sgt Pepper as a game changer, an album that changed the nature of music forever, this despite the album appearing on paper to be not very accessible at all.

That said this album is obviously something special, mixing whimsical and fairytale like lyrics with the avant-garde and space rock, creating a sound quite clearly new and dynamic. The album begins with Astronomy Domine, surely one of the most fascinating songs to come out of 1967, it literally has everything you can ask for if you’re a connoisseur of space rock or Psychedelia in general.



Following this staggering opener, the album moves to Lucifer Sam, a surprising song for Pink Floyd. The descending riff is actually more akin to Swinging London than it is to Underground London, but Syd Barrett’s eerie voice takes the song back into the vibe of the album as a whole.

Track three on this album actually is my favourite song from the LP; Matilda Mother is a song performed by keyboardist Richard Wright. It is naturally a beautiful song, spooky and fairytale like and arranged flawlessly to create a masterpiece if ever there was one. Roger Waters has a chance to shine on this album too, taking the album from fairytale and the space age to the realms of West Coast, with Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk.

But this album at the end of the day is tilted in favour of the talents of Syd Barrett, songs like the marvelous The Gnome and the closer, the bizarre Bike, a song so silly and off the wall that there was really only one person on the planet in 67 who could have written it, sheer Barrett, sheer brilliance.



A remarkable album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is considered by many to be the holy grail of British Psychedelia, a staggering creation from a band on top form. In later years the band would lose their leader but still re-emerge as the figureheads of the Progressive Rock era. Barrett would go on to attempt to launch a solo career but sadly his demons would catch up with him in the end. But the fact remains, in 1967 Barrett and Pink Floyd created something quite wonderful, a must for us all.

TheCellarTapes

Q65 - Revolution
(1966)



Tracks



Formed in The Hague in 1965, Q65 were a five piece blues act like no other. For those of you not aware of the best band ever to come out of Holland, Q65 were basically the providers of the filthiest blues this side of the Atlantic in the sixties, England included. They could be described as the Dutch Yardbirds, but I think that description is such an injustice that I now refer to The Yardbirds as the English Q65 instead.

Q65 were Wim Bieler on grouchy vocals and brash harmonica, Frank Nuyens on guitar, Peter Vink on bass, Joop Roelofs on the other guitar and Jay Baar on drums, you must promise me that you will remember their names because in 1966 they released their debut on Decca; Revolution was nothing short of the best downtrodden and grimy Blues outing of the decade and quite possibly of all time.



This journey of proper music begins with The Life I Live, a number with a hint of vocals from the heart but still with the riffs coming out of the guitar that fit the bill for the rest of the album. Bieler really does tug on the heart strings with this song, you can hear the torment in his voice, yet strangely despite all these feelings brought on from the music, the whole song remains low key, a point I will come back to later.

The superbly titled I Got Nightmares follows the opener; this number differs slightly from the grimy blues more akin to the rest of the album as it actually borders on US Garage-Psyche more than anything else, and track four, Mr Pitiful, actually involves a Saxophone of all things, so this band is far from a one trick pony. But back to the blues, track five is a cover of I’m a Man; I don’t recall ever hearing a bad version of this classic number, and Q65 don’t let us down here either.

Also far from letting us down is track eight; Down in the Bottom is a brilliant song, like The Sonics, Q65 attack their songs with a good old fashioned shelling, however there is an air of subtlety about the Q65 sound, a bit like Skip James backed by a cannon, if that’s a good analogy. That said, there is nothing subtle about Spoonful, what a song and what a vocal, proper grit!



The album is rounded off nicely with a tremendous 13 minute cover of Sonny Boy Williamson's Bring It on Home, a stunning rampage of music. As with all these forgotten gems, it has been subject to a reissue over the years, with the latest offering providing 18 songs, not bad really.

Sadly this would prove to be the bands only album release in the 1960’s, the band was sent into a spiral after their lead singer was drafted into the Dutch army. But enough of the history lesson, what we have here is a proper hidden gem from the continent, pure unadulterated filth from a band who must surely deserve your attention sooner rather than later.

TheCellarTapes

Various Artists - A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector
(1963)



Tracks

1. White Christmas - Darlene Love
2. Frosty The Snowman - The Ronettes
3. The Bells of St. Mary's - Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans
4. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - The Crystals
5. Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes
6. Marshmallow World - Darlene Love
7. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - The Ronettes
8. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - The Crystals
9. Winter Wonderland - Darlene Love
10. Parade of the Wooden Soldiers - The Crystals
11. Christmas - Baby Please Come Home - Darlene Love
12. Here Comes Santa Claus - Bob B Soxx & The Blue Jeans
13. Silent Night - Phil Spector & Artists

Born Harvey Phillip Spector, in the Bronx area of New York, it could be said that Phil Spector has Christmas in his blood being born on the 26th of December an all. Released in November 1963 on the ABKCO record label, A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector quickly became the benchmark for what a Christmas album should all be about, being arguably the greatest Christmas record ever released. In the 45 years since its release, this title has never looked like being removed from this album further proving the genius of the man behind the record.

Phil Spector's musical legacy will always be The Wall of Sound. It has become a rather cliché term over the years, however it cannot be understated what Spector has brought to the table. His ability to put layer upon layer of sounds on top of each other in a seemingly flawless fashion, created a level of depth to music not heard until the age of digital and computer generated fakery, but with a Spector record we have the real thing.

And the real thing with this Record is the raw power of it, combined with the warmth of the glow that fills the room whenever it is played. Contained within are tracks by four of Spector's preferred artists from 1963. Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, The Ronettes, The Crystals and of course the great Darlene Love. All of the tracks are arranged and produced by Phil Spector.



Darlene Love's contribution are by far the strongest efforts on the album, her version of White Christmas is track one on this album, and what a start it is, her voice combined with the depth of the music proves to be irresistible. This way of creating powerful music is not exclusive to Darlene Love obviously; that spirit also runs from track 2 right through to Bob B Soxx's version of Here Comes Santa Claus on track 12. The final track features Phil Spector sharing his views of the album with a version of Silent Night playing in the background, despite my poor description of this song, this is actually rather sweet and nice, and is a fitting ending to an all round belting album.

Phil Spector's aim with this album was to attempt to redefine the Christmas song and he succeeded incredibly. His treatment of great classic songs, some of which over 50 years old at the time of recording, combined with four of the best acts from the US of the time, creates an instantly memorable album. These songs have define Christmas for every generation since, with each one being poppy, catchy but still beautifully maintaining a strong spirit of Christmas, which in my view makes it a must for any house and not just for December.

Merry Christmas fans of The Cellar Tapes and enjoy!