http://rapidshare.com/files/286855534/Flying_high_again_-_The_world_greatest_tribute_to_Ozzy_Osbourne.rarΤετάρτη 30 Σεπτεμβρίου 2009
FLEETWOOD MAC-JUMPING AT SHADOWS
Review by Richie Unterberger Recorded live in Boston in 1969, Jumping at Shadows finds the Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac at their best on seven lengthy but focused cuts. The album includes versions of "Black Magic Woman" and "Oh Well," along with a couple of straight blues covers and some Danny Kirwan material.
1
Oh Well Green
2
Like It This Way Kirwan
3
World in Harmony Green, Kirwan
4
Only You Kirwan
5
Black Magic Woman Green
6
Jumping at Shadows Bennett
7
Can't Hold On
http://rapidshare.com/files/286852261/Fleetwood_Mac_-_Jumping_At_Shadows__1970__U.K.rar
Τρίτη 18 Αυγούστου 2009
DIRE STRAITS-ON EVERY STREET
Review by William Ruhlmann
It took Mark Knopfler more than six years to craft a follow-up to Dire Straits' international chart-topper, Brothers in Arms, but although On Every Street sold in the expected multi-millions worldwide on the back of the band's renown and a year-long tour, it was a disappointment. Knopfler remained a gifted guitar player with tastes in folk ("Iron Hand"), blues ("Fade to Black"), and rockabilly ("The Bug"), among other styles, but much of the album was low-key to the point of being background music. The group had long since dwindled to original members Knopfler and bassist John Illsley, plus a collection of semi-permanent sidemen who provided support but no real musical chemistry. This was not the comeback it should have been.
1
Calling Elvis
2
On Every Street
3
When It Comes to You
4
Fade to Black
5
The Bug
6
You and Your Friend
7
Heavy Fuel
8
Iron Hand
9
Ticket to Heaven
10
My Parties
11
Planet of New Orleans
12
How Long
Σάββατο 8 Αυγούστου 2009
DIRE STRAITS-COMMUNIGUE
Review by William Ruhlmann
Rushed out less than nine months after the surprise success of Dire Straits' self-titled debut album, the group's sophomore effort, Communiqué, seemed little more than a carbon copy of its predecessor with less compelling material. Mark Knopfler and co. had established a sound (derived largely from J.J. Cale) of laid-back shuffles and intricate, bluesy guitar playing, and Communiqué provided more examples of it. But there was no track as focused as "Sultans of Swing," even if "Lady Writer" (a lesser singles chart entry on both sides of the Atlantic) nearly duplicated its sound. As a result, Communiqué sold immediately to Dire Straits' established audience, but no more, and it did not fare as well critically as its predecessor or its follow-up.
1
Once Upon a Time in the West
2
News
3
Where Do You Think You're Going?
4
Communiqué
5
Lady Writer
6
Angel of Mercy
7
Portobello Belle
8
Single-Handed Sailor
9
Follow Me Home
DIRE STRAITS-MAKING MOVIES
Review by Stephen Thomas ErlewineWithout second guitarist David Knopfler, Dire Straits began to move away from its roots rock origins into a jazzier variation of country-rock and singer/songwriter folk-rock. Naturally, this means that Mark Knopfler's ambitions as a songwriter are growing, as the storytelling pretensions of Making Movies indicate. Fortunately, his skills are increasing, as the lovely "Romeo and Juliet," "Tunnel of Love," and "Skateaway" indicate. And Making Movies is helped by a new wave-tinged pop production, which actually helps Knopfler's jazzy inclinations take hold. The record runs out of steam toward the end, closing with the borderline offensive "Les Boys," but the remainder of Making Movies ranks among the band's finest work.
1
Tunnel of Love
2
Romeo and Juliet
3
Skateaway
4
Expresso Love
5
Hand in Hand
6
Solid Rock
7
Les Boys
http://rapidshare.com/files/265237787/Dire_straits._1980__Making_Movies.rar
DIRE STRAITS-ALCHEMY (LIVE)
Review by William Ruhlmann There is an interesting contrast on this 94-minute double-disc live album (recorded at London's Hammersmith Odeon in July 1983) between the music, much of which is slow and moody, with Mark Knopfler's muttered vocals and large helpings of his fingerpicking on what sounds like an amplified Spanish guitar, and the audience response. The arena-size crowd cheers wildly, and claps and sings along when given half a chance, as though each song were an up-tempo rocker. When they do have a song of even medium speed, such as "Sultans of Swing" or "Solid Rock," they are in ecstasy. That Dire Straits' introspective music loses much of its detail in a live setting matters less than that it gains presence and a sense of anticipation. Alan Clark's keyboards help to fill out the sound and give Knopfler's spare melodies a certain majesty, but Dire Straits remains an overgrown bar band with a Bob Dylan fixation, and that's exactly how the crowd likes it. (The CD version of the album contains one extra track, "Expresso Love," which adds a needed change of pace to the otherwise slow-moving first disc).
1
Once upon a Time in the West
2
Expresso Love
3
Romeo and Juliet
4
Love Over Gold
5
Private Investigations
6
Sultans of Swing
7
Two Young Lovers Intro: The Carousel Waltz
8
Tunnel of Love
9
Telegraph Road
10
Solid Rock
11
Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero
http://rapidshare.com/files/265235757/Dire_straits._1984__Alchemy__Live_.rar
Κυριακή 28 Ιουνίου 2009
IRON MAIDEN-A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH
Review by James Christopher Monger 2003's Dance of Death marked the triumphant return of old-school Iron Maiden. Gone were the murky, over-produced set pieces that clogged 2000's Brave New World and in their place fell blistering slabs of Piece of Mind-era metal. That trend continues with their 14th full-length album, Matter of Life and Death, a more elaborate and meandering experience than Dance of Death, but a rewarding one for fans willing to indulge the group's occasional excess. At over 70 minutes, Matter of Life and Death is closer to 1988's woefully underrated Seventh Son of a Seventh Son than it is to Piece of Mind, but with far less keyboard tickling. Recorded live in the studio, epics like "Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg," "Brighter Than a Thousand Suns," and the brutal "Longest Day" -- the whole record is a loosely-knit song cycle with war at its core -- exhume prog rock complexity and discipline yet manage to bristle with the kind of small-club intensity usually reserved for acts half their age. At just over four minutes, opener "Different World" -- a near twin of Dance of Death's "Wildest Dreams" -- is the only cut that screams single, but it's also the most misplaced. On a record that positions beloved avatar Eddy on top of a tank with a machine gun leading a weary troop of skeletal soldiers to their doom, any act of brevity, no matter how expertly crafted, sticks out like a saxophone solo. [Matter of Life and Death is also available with a bonus DVD that includes videos, live performances, and rehearsal footage.]
1
Different World
2
These Colours Don't Run
3
Brighter Than a Thousand Suns
4
The Pilgrim
5
The Longest Day
6
Out of the Shadows
7
The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
8
For the Greater Good of God
9
Lord of Light
10
The Legacy
http://rapidshare.com/files/249544144/Iron-Maiden.A_Matter_of_Life_and_Death.rar
Πέμπτη 25 Ιουνίου 2009
IRON MAIDEN-DANCE OF DEATH
Review by James Christopher Monger
Drummer Nicko McBrain kicks off Iron Maiden's 13th studio record with an uncharacteristic one-two-three-four before launching into the rousing opener, "Wildest Dreams." This bar-band sensibility permeates Dance of Death's first three refreshing yet unremarkable tracks before shifting into the more familiar fantasy rock of previous releases. That shift begins with the remarkable "Montsegur," a brutal, melodic assault that recalls the group's glory days and showcases lead singer Bruce Dickinson at his venom-spitting best. The anthemic "New Frontier" is a musical sibling to the band's 1982 classic "Number of the Beast" and eclipses any doubt about the band's ability to keep up with the phantom specter of age. Despite the dark imagery and the ferocity of the performances, there's a looseness to the record that conveys a surreal sense of fun. They enjoy playing together, and that more than anything shines through on old-fashioned rockers like "No More Lies" and "Gates of Tomorrow." No Iron Maiden album would be complete without a Dungeons and Dragons-style epic, and they deliver on the hammy title track and the lush closer, "Journeyman." The group's innate ability to consistently cater to its fans' stubborn tastes, while maintaining a level of integrity that other veteran bands displace with unintentional Spinal Tap zeal, is a testament to its talent and experience. While the keyboard-heavy sound of their previous release, the excellent Brave New World, creeps into some of the more indulgent tracks, Dance of Death is a triumphant return to form for these heavy metal legends.
1
Wildest Dreams
2
Rainmaker
3
No More Lies
4
Montsegur
5
Dance of Death
6
Gates of Tomorrow
7
New Frontier
8
Paschendale
9
Face in the Sand
10
Age of Innocence
11
Journeyman
Πέμπτη 14 Μαΐου 2009
DIO-SACRED HEART
Review by Eduardo Rivadavia
Although relatively strong sales at the time of its release would appear to refute this claim, Dio's third album in three years, 1985's Sacred Heart, was a terribly divisive affair, and is largely viewed as a disappointment in retrospect. This is because, although many brand-new yet fickle-minded fans were attracted by the album's noticeably more commercial hard rock songwriting, almost as many of Dio's most loyal, long-serving supporters were turned off by this new direction — as well as the already stagnant clichés being recycled from prior triumphs. If only writer's block had been to blame, but the unnecessary live audience added to the album's obviously self-referencing opener, "King of Rock and Roll," seemed to point to a single-minded and egotistical leader instead. So when he wasn't putting his ever more despondent (and soon to be terminated) henchmen through the motions on rote metallic anthems like the title track, "Like the Beat of a Heart," and "Fallen Angels," singer Ronnie James Dio seemed intent on strangling every last creative spark out of them in a bid to score a pop-metal hit. Among the top candidates, the synth-drunk "Hungry for Heaven" and the deplorable "Shoot Shoot" proved especially forgettable and contrived, and even though "Rock 'n' Roll Children" succeeded in cropping up frequently on MTV at least, Ronnie's distinct lack of sex appeal (not to mention his 40-plus years of age!) killed any possibility of true crossover success in image-conscious America. In the end, selling out with Sacred Heart plunged Dio's career into a steep decline from which it would never entirely recover.
1
King of Rock and Roll
2
Sacred Heart
3
Another Lie
4
Rock 'n' Roll Children
5
Hungry for Heaven
6
Like the Beat of a Heart
7
Just Another Day
8
Fallen Angels
9
Shoot Shoot
Κυριακή 22 Μαρτίου 2009
SEPULTURA-MORBID VISIONS
Review by Ed Rivadavia
Sepultura's early work can be described as extremely raw, under-produced, and unspectacular death metal, hardly a harbinger of their groundbreaking early-'90s output. Thankfully, Roadrunner conveniently reissued the band's first album, 1986's Morbid Visions, and its 1985 EP Bestial Devastation on one CD. Recorded with minimal time and money, this material reveals a band still learning its craft; in fact, original lead guitarist Jairo T. is the only decent musician of the bunch. Still, Sepultura shows early flashes of death metal inspiration on "Warriors of Death," "Crucifixion," and "Show Me the Wrath," while "Troops of Doom" (later re-recorded) is the only obvious standout.
1
Morbid Visions
2
Mayhem
3
Troops of Doom
4
War
5
Crucifixion
6
Show Me the Wrath
7
Funeral Rites
8
Empire of the Damned
9
The Curse
10
Bestial Devastation
11
Antichrist
12
Necromancer
13
Warriors of Death
http://rapidshare.com/files/212211493/Sepultura_-1986-_Morbid_Visions.rar
IRON-MAIDEN-NO PRAYER FOR THE DYING
1
Tailgunner
2
Holy Smoke
3
No Prayer for the Dying
4
Public Enema Number One
5
Fates Warning
6
The Assassin
7
Run Silent Run Deep
8
Hooks in You
9
Bring Your Daughter...To the Slaughter
10
Mother Russia
IRON-MAIDEN-FEAR OF THE DARK
Review by Greg Prato
While 1992's Fear of the Dark was definitely more of a return to form for Iron Maiden, it still wasn't quite on par with their exceptional work from the '80s. Easily an improvement over 1990's lackluster No Prayer for the Dying (both musically and sonically), the album debuted on the U.K. charts at number one. The opening "Be Quick or Be Dead" proved Maiden could easily hold their own with younger thrash metal bands, "From Here to Eternity" contained lyrics that seem better fitted for Mötley Crüe, while the expected epic album-closing title track would become a concert staple (all three tracks were released as U.K. singles). While Maiden records of the past would contain an album's worth of first-rate material, Fear of the Dark is again weighed down with too many drab compositions — "Childhood's End," "Chains of Misery," "Judas Be My Guide," and more. The serene "Wasting Love" proves to be one of Maiden's better ballads of the '90s, while the rockers "Fear Is the Key" and "Afraid to Shoot Strangers" are also standouts. Fear of the Dark would be singer Bruce Dickinson's final studio album with the band (until their late-'90s reunion), as he publicly voiced that he felt the band had run its course.
1
Be Quick or Be Dead
2
From Here to Eternity
3
Afraid to Shoot Strangers
4
Fear Is the Key
5
Childhood's End
6
Wasting Love
7
The Fugitive
8
Chains of Misery
9
The Apparition
10
Judas Be My Guide
11
Weekend Warrior
12
Fear of the Dark
IRON-MAIDEN-SOMEWHERE IN TIME
1
Caught Somewhere in Time
2
Wasted Years
3
Sea of Madness
4
Heaven Can Wait
5
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
6
Stranger in a Strange Land
7
Déjà Vu
8
Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.)
Τρίτη 10 Μαρτίου 2009
Κυριακή 22 Φεβρουαρίου 2009
IGGY POP AND THE STOOGES-THE WEIRDNESS
Review by Mark Deming
The creative and interpersonal dynamics of a rock band are notoriously tricky, and when a band hasn't worked together for a few decades, simply getting the same people together in a recording studio doesn't guarantee lightning is going to strike again. In 2003, more than 30 years after the original lineup of the Stooges collapsed after the commercial failure of Fun House, Iggy Pop finally buried the hatchet with his former bandmates Ron Asheton and Scott Asheton, and they hit the road for a series of heroic reunion shows (with Mike Watt standing in on bass for the late Dave Alexander) in which they miraculously re-created the dinosaur-stomp sound and feel of their first two albums. After the riotous reception of the Stooges' reunion shows, Iggy and the Ashetons took the next logical step and recorded a new Stooges album, but while the reconstituted band sounded stunning on-stage (check out the Telluric Chaos CD or the Live in Detroit 2003 DVD for evidence), in the studio the Stooges reunion went horribly awry with 2007's The Weirdness. It would have been foolish to expect The Weirdness to sound just like The Stooges or Fun House, given how much water has flowed under the bridge, but what's startling is how little this album recalls the primal groove of their previous work (or the sound they recently delivered on-stage). While Ron Asheton's guitar howls as loud as ever, the pulsating wah-wah and ripsaw fuzz that were his aural trademarks are all but missing, and while his solos step back into the noisy id, they lack the coherence and internal logic of his brilliant work on Fun House. Similarly, Scott Asheton's drumming is muscular and his timing is superb, but while he created an unexpectedly sensuous groove out of stuff like "Down in the Street," "1969," and "Real Cool Time," here he stomps away with lots of gravity but little nuance, and like his brother, he's traded soul for jackhammer force (emphasized by Steve Albini's hard-edged recording). But surprisingly, the guy who really drops the ball on this set is Iggy. Pop's been in fine voice on his last few solo albums, but much of The Weirdness finds him singing a bit flat or sharp, and while he belts out these songs with commendable passion, this ranks with Beat Em Up as the dumbest set of lyrics the man has ever committed to tape. Instead of reaching into the Real O Mind for the cosmic simplicity of stuff like "TV Eye," "1970," or "I Wanna Be Your Dog," Iggy goes into inane blather mode from the jump-start, and if titles like "Greedy Awful People," "Free and Freaky," and "I'm Fried" don't tip off listeners that he's off his game, lines like "England and France, these cultures are old/The cheese is stinky and the beer isn't cold," "They drive those f*ckin' awful cars/And roll their lips in titty bars," and the deathless "My dick is turning into a tree" tell the rest of the story.
1
Trollin
2
You Can't Have Friends
3
ATM
4
My Idea of Fun
5
The Weirdness
6
Free & Freaky
7
Greedy Awful People
8
She Took My Money
9
The End of Christianity
10
Mexican Guy
11
Passing Cloud
12
I'm Fried
THE ANIMALS-BEFORE WE WERE INTERUPTED
1
Brother Bill (The Last Clean Shirt)
2
It's All Over Now
3
Fire on the Sun
4
As the Crow Flies
5
Please Send Me Someone to Love
6
Many Rivers to Cross
7
Just Want a Little Bit Bass
8
Riverside County
9
Lonely Avenue Pomus
10
The Fool Clark
Κυριακή 25 Ιανουαρίου 2009
THE ANIMALS-ANIMAL
Review by Bruce Eder
The Animals' second British album, recorded just before Alan Price exited the lineup, displays far more energy and confidence than its predecessor, and it's fascinating to speculate where they might've gone had the original lineup held together. There are a few lightweight tunes here, such as "Let the Good Times Roll" and the rollicking opener, "Mess Around," that capture the Animals loosening up and having fun, but much of Animal Tracks is pretty intense R&B-based rock. "How You've Changed" is a reflective, downbeat Chuck Berry number that Eric Burdon turns into a dark romantic confessional/inquisition, matched by Hilton Valentine's chopped out, crunchy lead work over the break, while Alan Price does his best to impersonate Johnnie Johnson. The group doesn't do as well with their cover of Billy Boy Arnold's "I Ain't Got You" as the Yardbirds did with the same number, treating it in a little too upbeat a fashion, and Hilton Valentine and Alan Price failing to add very much that's interesting to the break (especially in comparison to Eric Clapton's solo on the Yardbirds' version). "Roberta," by contrast, is a great rock & roll number, and their version of "Bright Lights, Big City," sparked by Burdon's surging, angry performance and Price's hard-driving organ solo. Price's playing opens what is easily the best blues cut on the album, "Worried Life Blues," where Hilton Valentine steps out in front for his most prominent guitar solo in the early history of the band, backed by Price's surging organ. Burdon and company also excel on a pair of Ray Charles covers, turning in a jauntily cheerful, euphoric performance of "Hallelujah I Love Her So," his jubilation matched by Price's ebullient organ work; and a slow, pain-racked performance by Burdon and company on the slow blues "I Believe to My Soul," arguably -- along with "Worried Life Blues" -- the singer's best performance on either of the group's EMI long-players, and matched by Price's quick-fingered yet equally ominous piano playing.
1
Mess Around
2
How You've Changed
3
Hallelujah, I Love Her So
4
I Believe to My Soul
5
Worried Life Blues
6
Roberta Smith
7
I Ain't Got You
8
Bright Lights, Big City
9
Let the Good Times Roll
10
For Miss Caulker
11
Roadrunner
Κυριακή 11 Ιανουαρίου 2009
WHITESNAKE-SNAKEBITE
Review by Ed Rivadavia
Snakebite barely qualifies as a Whitesnake album. Vocalist David Coverdale had just assembled the band, and in fact, half of the songs contained here had been recorded by the singer nearly a year before for an abandoned solo outing. With this in mind, one can understand why most of the cuts either suffer from a lack of creative direction, the players' limited musical interaction, or both. Of the tracks credited to Whitesnake the band, the best results are achieved on the rollicking "Come On" and the bluesy "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City," the latter eventually being their first hit. And while more cohesive amongst themselves, the Coverdale solo tracks will hardly interest any but the most die-hard fanatics.
1
Come On
2
Bloody Mary
3
Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City
4
Steal Away
5
Keep on Giving Me Love
6
Queen of Hearts
7
Only My Soul
8
Breakdown
http://rapidshare.com/files/182054938/Whitesnake-1978_-_Snakebite.rar
WHITESNAKE-LIVE AT HAMMERSMITH
1
Come On
2
Might Just Take Your Life
3
Lie Down
4
Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City
5
Trouble
6
Mistreated
Κυριακή 30 Νοεμβρίου 2008
IGGY POP AND THE STOOGES-RAW POWER
Review by Mark Deming
In 1972, the Stooges were near the point of collapse when David Bowie's management team, MainMan, took a chance on the band at Bowie's behest. By this point, guitarist Ron Asheton and bassist Dave Alexander had been edged out of the picture, and James Williamson had signed on as Iggy's new guitar mangler; Asheton rejoined the band shortly before recording commenced on Raw Power, but was forced to play second fiddle to Williamson as bassist. By most accounts, tensions were high during the recording of Raw Power, and the album sounds like the work of a band on its last legs -- though rather than grinding to a halt, Iggy & the Stooges appeared ready to explode like an ammunition dump. From a technical standpoint, Williamson was a more gifted guitar player than Asheton (not that that was ever the point), but his sheets of metallic fuzz were still more basic (and punishing) than what anyone was used to in 1973, while Ron Asheton played his bass like a weapon of revenge, and his brother Scott Asheton remained a powerhouse behind the drums. But the most remarkable change came from the singer; Raw Power revealed Iggy as a howling, smirking, lunatic genius. Whether quietly brooding ("Gimme Danger") or inviting the apocalypse ("Search and Destroy"), Iggy had never sounded quite so focused as he did here, and his lyrics displayed an intensity that was more than a bit disquieting. In many ways, almost all Raw Power has in common with the two Stooges albums that preceded it is its primal sound, but while the Stooges once sounded like the wildest (and weirdest) gang in town, Raw Power found them heavily armed and ready to destroy the world -- that is, if they didn't destroy themselves first.
1
Search and Destroy
2
Gimme Danger
3
3
Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell
4
Penetration
5
5
Raw Power
6
I Need Somebody
7
Shake Appeal
8
8
Death Trip
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