You Can Twang Too!

Well now that you all have the complete Ventures collection graciously posted by Vinyl Offers before he left us, here is how you can play many of the fabulous tunes yourself. So dust off your old six string and get ready to Play Like The Ventures.

Get it

HERE

HERE

HERE

HERE

HERE

HERE

HERE

HERE

8 Files Total

It's A Guy Thing

Nice

My friend Jon's newest video. Damn, I wish I could play better.

Gone Up! Re-Up

Champion DJs From Studio One

2006

Review
by Jo-Ann Greene
When most people think of Studio One, it's the foundation label's phenomenal vocal groups and sensational solo singers that spring immediately to mind, along with the glorious melodies and sumptuous backings that accompanied them. The toasters that recorded for Coxsone Dodd are a definite afterthought. Champion DJs from Studio One is a valiant attempt to shift this way of thinking. And properly so, Dodd was quick to jump on the DJ bandwagon, as the tracks by King Stitt and Dennis Alcapone well prove. Across the '70s and into the early '80s, he oversaw recordings by some of the biggest DJs of the day: Dillinger, the Lone Ranger, Prince Jazzbo, Josey Wales, Brigadier Jerry and Ranking Joe among them. But beyond the originators, most of these toasters did their best work elsewhere. The exceptions, of course, were Michigan & Smiley, who helped revive Dodd's flagging fortune. It seems inexplicable that the studio responsible for the riddims that every other producer on the island was riding to fame was left at the starting gate. But one listen to this set tells you why. Every track here is cut on a classic riddim, the problem is, for years Dodd did little to create memorable versions; few featured more than overdubbed percussion and a new bassline. In fact, many seem to be cut on the original riddim.It wasn't until the late '70s that Dodd finally came to his senses and began turning things around.So, far from the hottest sounds of the day, this is more a reminder of Studio One's glorious past. That said, there are some excellent cuts here, including the much anthologized "Nice Up the Dance" and "Love Bump," alongside the exuberant "Rocking the President" from the now barely remembered Prince Francis, and Josey Wales' inevitably more laid-back but equally scintillating "Feel Like Skanking." There's also a clutch of fine cultural cuts including "Big Match," "Gun Court," "Every Man a Mi Brethren," and "Hamlock," which seems to be a retort to "Every Man a Mi Brethren," and delivered by the now forgotten Jim Nastic. The DJs may not have made Studio One's fortunes, but they're still an important part of the label's history, and this compilation is a welcome reminder of that.



1 Nice Up the Dance Papa Michigan
2 School Prince Jazzbo
3 Love Bump Lone Ranger
4 Riddle I This Dennis Alcapone
5 Bangarang Dillinger
6 Feel Like Skanking Josey Wales
7 Fever Carey Johnson

8 Pepper Rock Prince Jazzbo
9 Rocking the President Prince Francis
10 Every Man a Mi Brethren Brigadier Jerry
11 Big Match Lone Ranger
12 Hamlock Jim Nastic
13 Be a Man King Stitt
14 Home Home Dennis Alcapone
15 Gun Court Ranking Joe

Get it HERE

Watch Out, Their Loaded Re-Up

The Pistoleros

The Arrival Of The Pistoleros

2001

These Norwegian cats are some tough hombres.

The Pistoleros hail from Norway and announce their arrival in truly stunning style with their version of The Flames' 1963 single Dark Man. If you were checking this CD out before purchase then I guarantee you'd not bother to listen any further than this first track. One play of this richly delivered emotive melody from a talented guitar four-piece and you'd have no choice but to buy the CD, never mind what the rest sounded like! Fortunately there's plenty more where that came from. There are 20 tracks in total, and the quality and blend of material is remarkably strong. Nearly half are sixties covers from Norway and other North European countries, half come from the 1980s Euro RI revival, with '1961' and The Moonriders being major influences, and there's one original: the title track from guitarist Gustav Rosland. Gustav shares the lead duties with Jan Arve Bergane, they split the tracks 50:50 and switch to bass when not playing lead guitar. The sixties covers continue after Dark Man with the sprightly uptempo Domino from The Saunters. Another Norwegian single, this was a latecomer on the scene in 1965 but has all the hallmarks of a pre-beatgroup RI guitar number. Tracks 7 and 8 pair up two more Norwegian sixties singles with Manyana from The Quivers and The Pearls from The Zodiacs. The first is a galloping beater with a relaxing break midway while the second is an exotic flowing ballad with an effective strident break. Also from The Quivers' repertoire comes War Dance with its Apache drums and moody lead delivered with plenty of early Hank B. Marvin feel. The only mainstream sixties tracks are The Fentones' Mexican plus Rocket Man from The Spotnicks. The Eagles' Desperados gets a surprisingly rare airing here for such a great number, and all credit to The Pistoleros for digging it out. The strong list of 1980s covers includes no less than six tunes from Sweden's Clerwall brothers, Lennart and Hans. They're not the obvious titles that so many bands use, but they are just as classy. Take a listen to Rodriquez for example, it's a wonderful early Shadows pastiche that oozes echo and tremolo-inspired emotion. Originally released on a '1961' EP it's just one of many here that fans of '60s UK and Euro instrumentals will love. This is a very high quality CD, don't miss it. (Alan Taylor)

Dark Man

Domino

Fort Knox

Farewell To Casablanca

Rocket Man

Dark Eyes

Manyana

The Pearls

Gotlandsk Sommarnatt

Rodriguez

New Material

Lonesome Moonride

Ambush At Buffalo Creek

The Mexican

War Dance

The Desperados

Mexican Bodega

The Arrival Of The Pistoleros

Just Before Dawn

Shades Of Green

Get it HERE

"If You Don't Stop That, Your Goin' To Hell!" Re-Up

Hellbound Hayride

Who Shot The Hole In My Sombrero?

2003

*

Playing at The Doll Hut in Anaheim, California all through the month of February. 2/7-2/14-2/21-2/28. Go get you some!

*

Hellbound Hayride's music fuses adrenaline rushing punk and twangin' country with the rhythm of blues, creating a musical experience unlike any other band.Their live performances are all-out, full throttle, get up and move shows.Their past gigs have included local OC venues such as; The Coach House, Galaxy Theater, Linda's Doll Hut.Hellbound has played venues as far north as San Francisco's famous Slim's, and as south as San Diego's Casbah.By far Hellbound's greatest thrill has been headlining 1999's Hootenany festival Blue Cafe stage, also featuring Mike Ness and The Reverend Horton Heat.Hellbound Hayride have shared bill with the likes of; X, Social Distortion, The Cramps, The Reverend Horton Heat, Brian Setzer, The Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Save Ferris, The Offspring, Merle Haggard and John Fogerty.

1 I Just Don't Fit In
2 Hot Rods to Hell
3 Five Feet of Snow
4 Relentless
5 Hootenanny on Mars
6 One Track Mind
7 Hellhounds on my Back
8 Sad Romance
9 Truck Drivin' Man
10 Hot Rod Soul
11 Folsom Prison Blues
12 Pit Stop Honey
13 Little Red Riding Hood
14 Six Days on the Road
15 Dragstrip Wildman
16 It's All Over Now
17 Boot Hill
18 Hootenanny on Mars (W/Los Creepers)
19 Hootenanny on Mars (Eddie Wilson W/Los Creepers)

*

Get It HERE

A Sad Day For Music Re-Up

First of several posts that I will update from the MegaUpload links.

Just read that Jeff Healey passed away today in Toronto at the age of 41. This marvelous guitar player, with the soulful voice always struck a chord with me. I am truly saddened.

Even though he was blind, I know he will See The Light

Thank you for your vision Jeff


The Jeff Healey Band
See The Light
1988



Biography
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Al Campbell
What makes Jeff Healey different from other blues-rockers is also what keeps some listeners from accepting him as anything other than a novelty — the fact that the blind guitarist plays his Fender Stratocaster on his lap, not standing up. With the guitar in his lap, Healey can make unique bends and hammer-ons, making his licks different and more elastic than most of the competition. Unfortunately, his material leans toward standard AOR blues-rock, which rarely lets him cut loose, but when he does, his instrumental prowess can be shocking.Healey lost his sight at the age of one, after developing eye cancer. He began playing guitar when he was three years old and began performing with his band Blues Direction at the age of 17. Healey formed the Jeff Healey Trio in 1985, adding bassist Joe Rockman and drummer Tom Stephen. The trio released one single on their own Forte record label, which led to a contract with Arista Records. The Jeff Healey Trio released their debut album, See the Light, in 1988 and the guitarist immediately developed a devoted following in blues-rock circles. Featuring the hit single "Angel Eyes," the record went platinum in the U.S. While the Jeff Healey Trio's subsequent records have been popular, none have been as successful as the debut.As the 21st century dawned, Healey began to change his direction. He taught himself to play the trumpet and began to lean to the kind of traditional 1920s and 1930s jazz that had always fascinated him. He released two classic jazz albums, 2002's Among Friends and 2004's Adventures in Jazzland, on his own HealeyOphonic label, and while he continued to do some shows in his old blues-rock style, he increasingly gigged with his jazz combo, the Jazz Wizards. His first album of jazz to see wide release was It's Tight Like That, which appeared on Stony Plain in 2006. Healey continued in the traditional jazz idiom for both Among Friends and Adventures in Jazzland, released in 2007 on HealeyOphonic.



Review
by Thom Owens
Jeff Healey's debut album See the Light may be similar to Stevie Ray Vaughan's high-octane blues-rock, but in blues and blues-rock, it's often the little things that count, such as guitar styles, and there's no denying that Healey has a distinctive style. Healey plays his Stratocaster flat on his lap, allowing him to perform unusual long stretches that give his otherwise fairly predictable music real heart and unpredictability. Throughout the album, his guitar work keeps things interesting, even on slow ballads like "Angel Eyes" (one of two John Hiatt songs, by the way, along with the ripping "Confidence Man"). That's what keeps See the Light interesting, and it's what makes it an intriguing, promising debut. Unfortunately, Healey has never quite fulfilled that promise, but it's still exciting to hear the first flowerings of his talent.



1 Confidence Man
2 My Little Girl
3 River of No Return
4 Don't Let Your Chance Go By
5 Angel Eyes
6 Nice Problem to Have
7 Someday, Someway
8 I Need to Be Loved
9 Blue Jean Blues
10 That's What They Say
11 Hide Away
12 See the Light



Get it HERE

The Queen of Lover's Rock

Janet Kay

Capricorn Woman aka Silly Games

1979

Janet Kay, was born Janet Kay Bogle (the first of 6 children) in London to Jamaican parents, Clifton and Monica Bogle. Janet is a descendant of the Jamaican National Hero the Rt Excellent Deacon Paul Bogle.

As a sixties child, Janet was exposed to the singing greats, especially those from the Tamla Motown stable and as a result of the exposure and inspiration, Janet's love for singing was born.

In 1977, whilst in Secretarial College, Janet was invited by her school friend Sonia Ferguson (who recorded a cover version of Smokey Robinson's 'Oh Baby Baby' in the late 70's) to a band rehearsal. Destiny saw to it that band member Tony Gad heard Janet singing in the rehearsal room. He was so impressed with the sweetness of Janet's voice that he introduced her to the reggae legend, the Late Great Alton Ellis.

That meeting resulted in Janet recording a cover version of Minnie Ripperton's 'Loving You' (produced by Alton Ellis), which became a reggae smash hit spending many weeks at No. 1 in the reggae charts.

The following year, 1978, saw Janet record 2 more cover versions, 'I Do Love You' and 'That's What Friends Are For', again, both spending weeks at No. 1 in the reggae charts.

In 1979, Janet made history by becoming the first British born black female to have a reggae song at the top of the British charts. The song 'Silly Games', (produced by Dennis Bovell) was a hit not only in the UK but also in Europe. Janet's history making has been recorded in the Music Guiness Book of Records.

Janet's songwriting prowess became evident on the release of her first album 'Capricorn Woman'. The album was, and still is a best seller. All the songs except 2 were penned by Janet Kay.

By now, Janet had become known as the 'Queen of Lover's Rock'. In that same year Janet was presented with the awards for Best 7" Vinyl Single, Best 12" Vinyl Single and Best Female Vocalist 1979 by Black Echoes Music Newspaper.

Janet's voice was not exclusive to only reggae music and in the early 80's she also penned and sung the soulful 'Eternally Grateful' which became an underground hit.

The early 80's also saw the collaboration between Janet and reggae legend the Late Jackie Mitto with the Randy Crawford classic, 'You Bring The Sun Out'.

In 1980, after a chance meeting with actor/singer Victor Romero Evans, Janet was introduced to the theatre company 'Black Theatre Co-operative'. A successful audition saw the birth of Janet's theatrical career, in the play 'Mama Dragon' by Faroukh Dhondy's which toured England and Europe.

Janet has since appeared in several films and has also made numerous TV appearances, theatre plays, (touring the UK and Europe) and radio plays.

In 1981, Janet also starred in the 'Black Theatre Co-operative's' TV sitcom 'No Problem' (LWT/Channel 4), the first black TV show which was created and conceived by a black theatre company. The show became a cult classic.

The late 80's saw Janet's collaboration with the singer/producer Lloyd Charmers with the cover album 'Sweet Surrender'.

In 1990 Janet collaborated with Beats International (Norman Cook aka Fat Boy Slim) on their track Burundi Blues. Following this collaboration, Janet was invited to feature on Lindy Layton's version of Silly Games.

In the early 90's Janet, along with fellow actresses Judith Jacob, Suzanne Packer, Suzette Llewellyn, Beverley Michaels, Josephine Melville and the Late Joanne Campbell formed the highly successful female theatre company the Bibi Crew. All the shows were written produced and directed by the Crew.

In 1991, the album 'Sweet Surrender' was renamed 'Lovin' You, Best of Janet Kay', (which included a newly recorded version of 'Lovin' You'), and was released in Japan. The track 'Lovin' You' propelled Janet to stardom in Japan. Janet subsequently signed to Sony Music (Japan) from 1993 - 2003.

Over the years Janet has collaborated with top producers, Drummie Zeb and Tony Gad (Aswad), Junior Giscombe ('Mama Used To Say'), Jeremy Meehan, Shinichi Osawa (Japan), Kodama & Gota (Japan), Omar and Sly and Robbie. Janet's albums have sold in excess of a million copies in Japan, 'Love You Always' selling over 400 thousand copies in its first year alone.

Janet has also co-written and composed songs for a Japanese TV series entitled 'La Dolce Vita', alongside the renowned Japanese composer Taro Iwashiro.

Janet has visited Japan at least once a year every year since 1990.In recent years Janet has visited Japan, performing at the exclusive Blue Note Night Club for 2 to 3 weeks at a time in Fukuoka, Osaka, Yokohama, Nagoya and Tokyo.

In 2006/7 Janet returned to theatre, where she appeared as the Fairy Godmother in Hackney Empire's Pantomime, 'Cinderella', which the Evening Standard rated the best 'Panto of the season'.

Janet works from time to time as a vocal coach for WAC a Performing Arts & Media College provides training in the arts for children and young people up to the age of twenty-five.

Janet has recently recorded some tracks with Jamaican producer Kemar 'Flava' McGregor, the first of which appears on the ‘Cool and Deadly’ album, available for download on iTunes, entitled ‘Where Do We Go From Here’.

Janet's creativity is not exclusive to singing and drama, but extends to the dexterous world of Arts and Crafts where she is an accomplished Machine Knitter/Hand Knitter/Designer and Lacemaker and her works have been published in craft editorials. Janet has also embraced the digital revolution, becoming highly skilled in web and graphic design (enabling her to build her own website as well as others), music technology (enabling her to record her own vocals on her last album), as well as 3D logo animation and video editing. Janet has co-edited a short feature film by Clive Gandison ('Evergreen Man'), starring Victor Romero Evans, which was nominated for an award by the BFM.

Janet has been voted one of Britain’s Top 100 Black Britains by the Evening Standard and she has also been presented with many awards over the years including, Silver Disc for Silly Games, Best Female Singer, Best 7” Vinyl Single and Best 12” Vinyl Single (1979), Memorial Disc to Commemorate the overall success of Janet Kay Albums in Japan, presented by Sony Music Japan (1995), Women of Merit by Darker than Blue in Association with Barclays (2002), Contribution to British Black Music Industry (2001) and Outstanding Contribution to British Reggae (2009) to name but a few...

Janet's sweet, heart warming vocals has and continues to win her many friends and fans around the world. Her songs, 'Silly Games' and 'Lovin' You', reaching anthemic heights, on this side and the other side of the globe

.

May the sweetness of Janet's vocals continue to warm the hearts of each and everyone!

Tracklist

Silly Games
Imagine That
Feel No Way
Rock The Rhythm
Closer To You
Do You Love Me
Can't Give Up
That Night
Capricorn Woman

Get it HERE

All Hail The King!

King Tubby

Dub From The Roots

1974

Biographyby Jo-Ann Greene

King Tubby is to this day synonymous with dub. He was a man who had a passion for fiddling with sound equipment, and turned that passion into a new musical genre and a veritable art form. He may have started his career as a repairman, but before he was done, his name was one of the most respected around the world. He worked with virtually every artist in Jamaica, and his name on a remix was like gold, a seal of quality that was never questioned.

King Tubby was born under the more humble name of Osbourne Ruddock in Kingston, Jamaica, on January 28, 1941. Initially, the closest he got to the music scene was via the airwaves, as Ruddock spent his teens working as a radio repairman. In the mid-'50s, Jamaica was undergoing a revolution that saw the audiences move out of the dancehalls, which had once packed them in with live music provided by big bands, and onto the streets. There the sound systems ruled as traveling outfits set themselves up on a sociable street or corner and blasted records to crowds through a speaker. Initially they were small, but the sound systems quickly grew in size and legend; the competition extremely fierce and often violent. Speakers were the usual victims of these rivalries (sometimes along with the DJs, organizers, and even the audience). The people weren't the only ones who were damaged, which is why in the late '50s the operator of a Waterhouse sound system approached Ruddock for help. The repairman fixed that speaker, then another, and another, until he was providing first aid for a variety of sound systems around the city. A born tinkerer, Ruddock inevitably began coming up with ways to improve things as well. He spent years working on other people's sound systems, but by 1968, he was ready to open his own shop: the legendary Tubby's Home Town Hi Fi. The sound he provided there was nigh on perfect, which meant King Tubby himself was now beginning to look around for something new to fiddle with. Producer Duke Reid offered the perfect solution via a job at his Treasure Isle studio as a disc cutter. There, King Tubby began deconstructing and reconstructing music in the same way he had sound systems, but these early efforts were really remixes, an already old skill in Jamaica. The remix began as a "version" B-side, nothing more than an instrumental of a vocal track. Ruddy Redwood, a sound system MC and engineer at Treasure Isle, had taken the next logical step forward, physically remixing records in the rocksteady years to place the focus on the bass. King Tubby took this concept to a whole new level. He started stripping out not only the vocals, but cutting up instrumental parts, dropping them in and out of the tracks, adding new effects and sounds, while also making use of phasing, shifts, and echoes. Many of these experiments were pressed onto acetate dubplates and spun at his sound system. These stripped-down tracks were integral to the rise of the DJs, and King Tubby not only cut exclusive dubplates for his favorites, he also hired the best to perform at his sound system. U-Roy, I-Roy, and Big Youth were just some of the stars who made their mark toasting at Tubby's Hi Fi.

In 1971, King Tubby was ready to take another leap forward and opened his own studio. There, the experiments continued as the remixer turned engineer moved into the area of studio effects. The studio quickly became a favorite for the likes of Augustus Pablo, Lee Perry, Prince Tony Robinson, and Glen Brown. It was the latter man who history acclaims as the first to actually credit a King Tubby mix on record. The aptly titled "Tubby's at the Control" was a remix of "Merry Up" by God Sons (an alias for Tommy McCook and Rad Bryan). Robinson followed suit, releasing "Tubby's in Full Swing," on a song credited to Lloyd Robinson and Carey Johnson.

King Tubby began turning out remixes in prolific numbers. Bunny Lee kept him busy with a constant stream of singles to remix and a batch were bundled up in 1974 as the seminal Dub From the Roots album, and more were featured on the follow-up, King Tubby Meets the Aggrovators at Dub Station. Years later, the British Klik label reissued most of Roots as Shalom Dub, buttressed with bonus tracks. Another U.K. label, Attack, has also released the King Tubby-fueled Dub Jackpot, featuring rarer remixes and dubs of Lee productions. Blood & Fire's If Deejay Was Your Trade: The Dreads at King Tubby's 1974-1977 also boasts Tubby's takes on Lee's productions, this time focusing exclusively on DJs, as did the French label Culture Press' Bunny Lee, King Tubby & the Aggrovators. Tubby also worked with Vivian Jackson after meeting in 1971 when Jackson handed him a rhythm and the remixer went to work. The result was the hit "Go to Zion," credited to Brother Joe & the Rightful Brothers, an alias for Jackson, the Congos' Roydel Johnson, and the Gladiators' Albert Griffiths. Jackson and King Tubby's follow-up, "Conquering Lion," was another hit, and gave the artist/producer his nickname "Yabby You." Yabby You released his debut album, Conquering Lion, in 1975, and Tubby provided the dub companion, King Tubby's Prophecy of Dub, the following year. Yabby You's sophomore set, 1977's Wall of Jerusalem, boasted Tubby dubs across half the set. Augustus Pablo, the famed melodica player and producer, was also a client, and King Tubby remixed music for Pablo's Rockers label, much of which appeared on the songs' B-sides. The pair cemented their partnership with the seminal 1975 Ital Dub album, the outtakes from the sessions appearing 15 years later as El Rockers, a release from the British Pressure Drop label. However, Ital Dub was merely a warm-up for King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown, a record that established both King Tubby's and Pablo's undying reputations. Their follow-up, Rockers Meet King Tubby in a Firehouse, merely added to their glory.

Across the early '70s, the remixer's experiments had swiftly evolved into pure dub, and his remixes were no longer a remix at all, but a total reinvention of the song. Another giant step forward had occurred in 1973 when King Tubby purchased a second four-track, which allowed him to record vocals. The new setup was inaugurated with Roy Shirley's "Stepping Razor" that same year. King Tubby had his first hit the following year with "Watergate Rock," a dub of Larry Marshall's "I Admire You." This inevitably led to Tubby taking on Marshall's entire I Admire You album. It was a busy year as Bunny Lee also released the aforementioned Dub From the Roots set while King Tubby also joined forces with Lee Perry for Blackboard Jungle Dub. He next worked with Niney "the Observer" Holness on 1975's Dubbing With the Observer, and the 1989 Trojan compilation King Tubby's Special 1973-1976 resurrected that album, then added shrewdly selected Bunny Lee productions for a monster 30-track set. After Tubby's work with Holness, producer Harry Mudie supplied him with material that couldn't quite compete, but Harry Mudie Meets King Tubby in Dub Conference, Vol. 1 was still sublime and the pair's partnership continued across another two volumes of music. King Tubby was also happy to provide mixes for Glen Brown, the man who first gave him his due. Trojan's Dubble Attack: The Original Pantomime Dee-Jay Collection 1972-74 features the island's greatest DJs, overseen by Brown, then reconstructed by Tubby. Blood & Fire concentrates on Brown's more roots-conscious work for the equally masterful Termination Dub. Another client was Glen Darby, whose productions recorded at Channel One by Jo Jo Hookim and Philip Smart were eventually compiled across Guava Jelly's two-CD set The Sound of Channel One: King Tubby Connection, which pairs the original vocal tracks with their dub companions.

By the end of the '70s, however, King Tubby had turned his attention to teaching and training a new generation of engineers and producers, including Prince Jammy (who would only take the crown once his mentor died, becoming at that point King Jammy), the equally innovative Scientist, and Prince Philip Smart, among others. King Tubby continued creating new mixes, but no longer at the previous rate. In the new decade, he and Jah Screw took on Ranking Joe and the Roots Radics for the excellent Dangerous Dub. It was to be one of the last full-length remixes Tubby would do. That same year, First, Second and Third Generations of Dub brought together the teacher, alumnus Prince Jammy, and the young graduate, Scientist, for an album that aptly illustrated the development of all three.Scientist and King Tubby united for two more albums released in 1996 by the U.K. label Burning Sounds, King Tubby's Meets Scientist in a World of Dub and King Tubby's Meets Scientist at Dub Station. Even as King Tubby's output dropped, he still remained an integral part of the music scene. He upgraded his studio again and also launched his own record labels -- Firehouse, Waterhouse, Kingston II, and Taurus. By the mid-'80s, King Tubby had shifted into production, and released a stream of seminal singles by the likes of Sugar Minott and Anthony Red Rose. He occasionally released albums and reunited with Bunny Lee for 1983's King Tubby the Dubmaster With the Waterhouse Posse and Sly & Robbie Meet King Tubby in 1985. Both sets disappointed, perhaps because Tubby had taken dub as far as it could go. His best work was now in the production field, working with young DJs and veteran vocalists. Pliers (of Chaka Demus fame), Ninjaman, Gregory Isaacs, and Johnny Clarke were just some of the talent who cut singles for him. King Tubbys Presents Soundclash Dubplate Style arrived in 1989, bundling up dubs of his dancehall hits. As the decade drew to a close, King Tubby seemed destined to continue stamping his imprint on Jamaica's scene, still in demand, and still a powerful musical force. Then, on February 6, 1989, his career came to a sudden end when he was shot and killed outside his home in Waterhouse. His murder remains unsolved, his death believed to have been the result of a street robbery. In the years since, King Tubby's renown has only grown. As time has passed, even more material has come to light and albums that saw only limited release are now easily available.

Tracklist

1 Dub from the Roots

2 Iyahta

3 Mine Field

4 Hijack the Barber

5 African Roots

6 Double Cross

7 East of (Arrows Hi Fi)

8 Invasion

9 Dub of a Woman

10 Dub on My Mind

11 Steeling

12 Dub Experience

13 Declaration of Dub

14 A Truthful Dub

Get it HERE

Good To The Last Drop

One of the many fine things about running this blog for the last five years has been the random acts of kindness exibited by the readers. While there has been little in the way of comments over the last year, the few that appear are always by someone willing to provide a little "give" for their "take". After a request for additional tunes by the Amino Acids I reposted the two CDs that I do have. I was pleasently suprised by a follow-up message containing the two additional CD's. Our friend in need turned into a friend in deed as the files are for Man... In The Universe? and their EP We Are Aliens. Submitted by the carp.

The Amino Acids

Man... In The Universe?

2002

1. Intro

2. The Amino Acids VS The Space Bettys

3. Dick's Hostile Planet1:40

4. Return of the Astro Squid

5. We Are Alien?

6. Bowling In Roswell

7. Explosive Heads

8. Die Wand Des Tonen

9. Disintegrator Ray

10. Without Us, You Would Die!

11. Operation Man-High

12. Fear the Future

Get it HERE

The Amino Acids

We Are Alien ?

1999

Troop 666 Vesspa We Are Alien? Ejector Seat There Were Abducted By Us Track 6 Get it HERE

"Surf Was Rough Today!"

Buy My Medicine

Get Ready To Be Bowled Over

The Amino Acids

Humanity Will Fall Like Pins

2007

The new Amino Acids album "Humanity Will Fall Like Pins" could be called "music to ride an experimental test rocket bareback directly into the Sun through a dense meteor shower while beating back attacking robodemons with bare fists by." One might alternatively term it SciFi Surf Punk Masked-Man SuperVillain Metal. Previous albums might have fit the "Superhero Metal" genre but this is definitely more Brainiac and The Joker than Batman or Superman. (But it's still KINDA Superman and a whole lot of Batman.) "The Ennio Morricone of Surf Music!"

~Reverend Ivan Stang~

~Church of the Subgenius

*

1 Explosive Heads
2 Orbital Velocity =$!
3 D.N.A. Level-C
4 Band #4
5 Revereb 666
6 Behind The Shoe Nebula
7 Krel
8 Gamma-Ray Harryhausen
9 Tor Johnson's Remains
10 Rocket To The Chest
11 Band #11
12 Operation Moon-Thing
13 Abe's Chainsaw from Venus, Or Some Shit
14 Band #14
15 Terror Beyond A World Unknown
16 Good 4 U!
17 I Love It When A Planet Comes Together
18 Band #18
19 Conspiracy Petrol (s.o.s.)
20 Focusing Disintegrator Ray
21 Slak Removal Machine
22 End Credits

*

http://rapidshare.com/files/133991581/The_Amino_Acids_-_Humanity_Will_Fall_Like_Pins.rar

Prepare To Drop Some Acid

The Amino Acids

Destroy The Warming Sun!

2004

@320

Review

by Hal Horowitz

Combining aspects of Devo, Dick Dale, and los Straitjackets, this masked, predominantly instrumental quartet charges through 15 nitro-burning punkabilly surf rockers in less than 25 minutes. With the reverb and volume cranked to maximum, the band revs up and churns out tunes that barely give you time to inhale before the next one comes barging in. Truthfully though, at a whopping 11 seconds and 46 seconds, respectively, it's a stretch to call pieces such as "Destruct" and "Mars Needs Women" songs. They are more like hyperactive power riffs in search of a larger context that the band decided wasn't worth pursuing. Occasional spoken word introductions along with song titles such as "Return of the Attack of the Curse of the Son of the Astrosquid Part XIV Chapter Six" (all 55 seconds of it) and theramin bring out the trashy, '50s/'60s sci-fi aesthetic, as do the inside graphics. But the meaty guitars and frantic rhythms combine the best of '70s punk with the reverb-drenched guitar of acts such as the Mermen, the Aqua Velvets, and the primal power of Link Wray. Quentin Tarantino would probably approve. When things finally relax for a comparatively languid "Fear the Future," the group's spaghetti Western roots get a chance to come up for air. Those moments are few and far between, though, on this frenetic disc that whips you around like a roller coaster run amuck. The album's abbreviated length only adds to the intensity. Take a deep breath, strap in, hang on, and enjoy the ride.



1 Dunked in the Think Tank
2 Trafalger #42
3 Return of the Attack of the Curse of the Son of the Astrosquid, ...
4 The Lost Coordinate
5 Cycle's Pin
6 Man's Reach
7 Fear the Future
8 Destruct
9 Like Sheep to the Moon
10 13013
11 Vesspa
12 Mars Needs Women
13 Gas the Verig-Men
14 Bowling in Roswell
15 Destroy the Warming Sun

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http://rapidshare.com/files/119351904/The_Amino_Acids_-_Destroy_The_Warming_Sun.rar

Woman Knew How To Rock The Blues

Etta James

Rock The House

1964

Etta was released from the hospital yesterday, suffering from breathing problems and the effects from terminal leukemia and dementia. Say a little prayer. I di have the opportunity to see her live several years ago at a local venue. Needless to say the show was great.

ROCKS THE HOUSE is the only live recording from Etta James' Chess recording career (late 1950s to mid 1960s). This album rivals B.B. King Live At The Regal for best live blues album ever. Etta James sings so tough, so ballsy, I cannot think of another singer to compare her to. She almost makes even Wilson Pickett and James Brown sound like wimps. On a couple of songs, she does some scatting you have to hear to believe. Besides the incredible singing, the other thing that makes this album a joy is the audience. Their excitement is palpable. On a couple of songs, Etta gets a thrilling call and response going with them, and their energy seems to feed her. The album is the next best thing to Etta James in person.

Tracklist

01. Something's Got A Hold On Me
02. Baby What You Want Me To Do
03. What'd I Say
04. Money (That's What I Want)
05. Seven Day Fool
06. Sweet Little Angel
07. Ooh Poo Pah Doo
08. Woke Up This Morning
09. Ain't That Lovin' You Baby
10. All I Could Do Is Cry
11. I Just Want To Make Love To You

Get it HERE

Start Your Blues Teething On This One

Elmore James

Red Hot Blues

1993

Review by Erik Hage

This collection is a great starting point for the neophyte, starting with Elmore James' screaming slide on his signature electric version of Robert Johnson's "Dust My Broom" (aka "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom") and roaring through highlights of James' distinct brand of Chicago blues. James, an electronics whiz, would tinker with his amplifier in order to produce the jagged, raw sounds he was noted for -- and therein lay the roots of the rock guitar sound. On this collection, you can hear, in "The Sky Is Crying," what appealed to a young Jimi Hendrix. In "Dust My Broom" and "I Believe," you can hear the screeching guitar tone that must have crawled right up young Brian Jones' neck, dictating the direction for the Rolling Stones. The driving, ominous "Rollin' and Tumblin'" sounds about 40 years ahead of its time. (Listen closely, you can even hear the dark, tribalistic tones of future groups the Doors and the Velvet Underground in that one.) This is as strong a single-disc representation of James' canon as there is, and among these 12 tracks are essential performances and definitive versions.

Tracklist

1. Dust My Broom

2. Look On Yonder Wall

3. It Hurts Me Too

4. Coming Home

5. The Sky Is Crying

6. I Believe

7. Hand In Hand

8. Rollin’ And Tumblin’

9. Mean Mistreatin’ Mama

10. I Done Somebody Wrong

11. Pickin’ The Blues

12. Standing At The Crossroads

Get it HERE

Eva's Heart

Eva Cassidy

Eva By Heart

1997

Review

by Jose F. Promis

An album both haunting and inspiring, tragic and mesmerizing, Eva by Heart was the singer's only true studio album, and hints at the promise which was never to materialize due to her early demise from cancer. Five of the songs on this set ("I Know You by Heart," "Time Is a Healer," "Wayfaring Stranger," "Wade in the Water," and "Songbird") appear on her Songbird collection. The import version of Eva by Heart contains an extra track, "Dark End of the Street," which does not appear on the American version, or on any of her albums for that matter. The styles range from folksy (the sweet "I Know You by Heart"), to soulful ("Time Is a Healer"), to introspective ("Say Goodbye," "Waly Waly"), to downright rousing ("Wayfaring Stranger," "How Can I Keep From Singing?") and bluesy ("Blues in the Night."). Eva's voice always sounds crystalline, and her interpretive skills are unmatched (as evidenced on her lovely take of Christine McVie's "Songbird"). The woman had the power to transform a standard or a traditional into her own song, and she could belt out the blues just as good as anybody else (take one listen to "Blues in the Night" or her duet with Chuck Brown, "Need Your Love So Bad"). This disc, as with any of her works, and the posthumous fame she achieved but never sought, stand as testimony as to how true artistry, despite whatever circumstances, has the capacity to transcend, and her story should prove inspiring to any truly talented and struggling musician out in the world.

Tracklist

1 I Know You By Heart 3:57 2 Time Is a Healer 4:14 3 Wayfaring Stranger 4:26 4 Wade In The Water 4:00 5 Blues in the Night 4:05 6 Songbird 3:41 7 Need Your Love So Bad 4:36 8 Say Goodbye 3:55 9 Nightbird 5:27 10 Waly Waly 4:45 11 How Can I Keep From Singing? 4:24
Get it HERE