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Diana Express - Diana Express [1974] @192 (bulgarian rock)

comming soon!

Mikael Ramel - Till Dej [1972] @192 (swedish accoustic prog)

The recording of this album initially began in 1969, mostly in Mikaels own primitive studio , but was seriously delayed as Mikael was arrested and imprisoned for smoking hashish. While in jail he wrote the song 'Artificial Prana' which was featured on the album. Mikael does fantastic Swedish folky psych rock progressive music backed by members from legendary Swedish underground bands like Flasket Brinner, Kebnekajse and Turid. One of the best, most influential and appreciated recordings from the Swedish hippie underground. I heartly reccomend that album..i am sure all of you will like that..Cheers!

Langt in i naturen/Till Dej.........

Artifical Prana (English)/Till Dej...

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Ömer F. Tekbilek - Richard A. Hagopian - "Gypsy Fire" [1995] @224 (mid. eastern gypsy)

Hello All..here is a great album from middle-eastern scene. If you're involved in belly dancing -- whether as a performer or just an appreciative audience -- many of these tunes will be familiar to the point of banality: they're the old staples, like "Rompi Rompi," that dancers have been undulating to for the past half-century. But on this album they're transformed and refreshed by an outstanding group of musicians from various Middle Eastern countries (mostly Turkish and Armenian). The musicians' skill, energy, and heartfelt appreciation of the music result in an album that's listenable and danceable all the way through...this was one of a review from amazon..Dance Dance Dance!

Şişeler/Gypsy Fire ..........

Konyalı/Gypsy Fire .........

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deep thru mid-eastern gypsy music

this movieclip was taken from "Crossing the Bridge - The Sound of İstanbul"

Ache - "De Homine Urbano" [1970] @ 320 (Scandinavian Psych/Prog) Once again, thanks to Ole!

This disc contains two vintage Danish prog gems. The music features ripping organ with a burning rhythm section. De Homine Urbano is an early prog opera featuring two compositions almost 20 minutes long. This is great early prog.

Ache was one of the first progressive rock bands to come from Denmark. "De Homine Urbano" was their debut, and probably their best release. The album consisted of just two side-long suites. The title-track was, according to the band themselves, the world's first "rock ballet". The swirling organ of Peter Mellin and the smooth, melodic tone of guitarist Finn Olafsson dominated the sound. The track itself featured many fine melodies, and the suite was well constructed, with no unnecessary or redundant parts. The instrumental "Little Things" took up the second side of the album. This was an intense and impressive jam with lots of good themes and tight solo passages. Funnily enough, it goes into the riff of Led Zeppelin's "How Many More Times" for a few seconds at the end! This is not an album overflowing with originality, and the band's overall sound was similar to very many other bands of the same time, but the overall good songwriting makes "De Homine Urbano" a worthwhile album from the early 70's scene of Scandinavian progressive rock.

--review by Tommy Schönenberg @ http://www.vintageprog.com

Keep Listening!!!!

http://tinyurl.com/lhb4c

Danny O'Keefe - Breezy Stories [1973] @256 (American singer-songwriter)

The music business is littered with exceptional talent that never achieves due reconition. Years of graft just never pay off. Danny O'Keefe is one of these artists.

To be fair, he did have some success at the beginning of his career with"Goodtime Charlie's Got The Blues", a song covered by many at the turn of the '70's and had other songs covered by more mainstream artists. But it was fleeting and he became relegated to the ranks of those who put out constant flow of great albums to an ever diminishing level of interest.

However, he did have an advantage over many others in that he had major label support with Atco, Atlantic and Warner Bros. This reflects that those in the know did appreciate his talent.

In addition to being an excellent tunesmith, he also added his own incisive lyrics to the themes of love and relationships. In "Junkman" he directs his venom at the drug dealer, but for me the highpoint of this album is "Mad Ruth-The Babe". A song of love set againt the ball game and in particular, Babe Ruth. A truly great song.

On all his albums, O'Keefe lightens the mood with a few fun songs, usually to a rock 'n' roll beat or a bit of boogie. Here, "Steppin' Out Tonight" and"If Ya Can't Boogie, Woogie (You Sure Can't Rock And Roll)" fulfill this role. Great fun and titles the tell you exactly what the song is about.

One advantage of recording for a major is that you get to make well produced albums with top shelf musicians. No exception here, with a band that includes Donny Hathaway, drummer Burnard Purdie, percussionist Airto, jazz bassist Richard Davis, Dr John, the great guitarist David Bromberg and even the producer Arif Mardin.

This really is a terrific album showcasing O'Keefe's own idiosyncratic songwriting. Great tunes with meaningful lyrics make this a must get album. Its a pity that his career stalled after the wonderful"Global Blues" in 1979 and that he did not make another album until 1999's "Runnin' From The Devil". There is now a new album, "Don't Ask" about to be released.

Mad Ruth-The Babe

Keep listening !!!

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Opponer - Gårdslåtar [1974] @256 (swedish folkrock)

Hello Friends!! I am glad to share a rare and great band from Sweeden. Pity i could not find any review in english. also information in swedish is not telling the whole story of that band.Because of my bad english, i Try to tell some information of the band: As i learned from friends the lyrics are on political side..some lyrics written by workers..and some members of that band, is members of a political party called plakatpolituk. on some tracks of the album you can feel the melody is in front of lyrics..ahhh i cant succeed on telling that :)) Best way listen that album and write your comments for that..i add 2 tracks for listening before downloading.. you may visit here for a bit more information for the band..Keep on listening ;)

Jig-A-Reel a) Whelan's Jig b) Drowsy Maggie....

Det Kan Väll Hända....

Click here to download "Opponer - Gårdslåtar (1974)"

Neuschwanstein - "Battlement" [1979] @ 256 (German Progressive Rock) Thanks again to Ole for this one!

In progressive rock's glory days English and Italian, even American groups, garnered international attention for their contributions to the genre. Meanwhile, continental Europe boasted a number of fine bands, a very few well known, many who labored without the world's eye, and some who did not even make their mark on the scene until the very late 70s and into the early 1980s.

Neuschwanstein was such a band, the embryonic form of the band originally making their mark in a musical competition in Saarbrucken, Germany. The band won the competition with a progressive rock adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland in 1974. That same year Neuschwanstein took on two guitarist/singers from the French band Lykorn, and with that addition, the band that would record Battlement was in place. From 1974 to 1978 the band would make a name for themselves in the Saarland region of Germany and France, opening many shows for the likes of Novalis and Lucifer's Friend. By 1978 the band booked themselves into Scorpions producer Dieter Dierks studio, one of the finest in Germany. With the help of Scorpions drummer Hermann Rarebell, who played drums for the band on the track "Loafer Jack," the band recorded the material that would be released on Battlement. It was released in 1979 and sold a respectable 6000 copies, quite an accomplishment for an unsigned band on an independent label before the heyday of the internet.

Re-released on Musea in 1992, Battlement is a beautiful, lush work, and one of the best produced and sounding independently recorded releases I have heard in some time. The musicianship displayed on Battlement is absolutely top notch and vocalist/acoustic guitarist Frederic Joos will have many listeners swearing that Peter Gabriel himself provided the lead vocals for Neuschwanstien. The band's material is all stunning and well polished, reminiscent of Genesis during the time of Trick Of The Tail and Wind And Wuthering. Their music is well conceived and very well executed, with rich and melodious keyboards and guitar, beautiful flute breaks and very, very finely delivered vocals.

Every track on this re-issue is of good quality and a couple are almost good enough to qualify as what I call could call "masterpieces." "Intruders And The Punishment" is the highpoint of the album for me, with odd meter, rippling keyboards and lyrics that will perhaps remind the listener of the ordeals of Odysseus. Another wonderful moment is the track "Battlement," an almost unsettling number that features great vocals by bassist Rainer Zimmer. The final song on Battlement, "Zartlicher Abschied" is the only holdover from the band's original 1974 adaptation of Alice In Wonderand. It is a lovely instrumental track that lifts a well known theme from Genesis, and is, by the way, the only direct appropriation from the Charterhouse legends.

This is a true classic of continental progressive rock and is well deserving of the title.

Rating: 5/5

-- review by Tom Karr @ http://www.progressiveworld.net

Highly Recommended!

Track Listing:
1. Loafer Jack (4:42)
2. Ice With Dwale (7:34)
3. Intruders And The Punishment (7:34)
4. Beyond The Bugle (7:31)
5. Battlement (7:05)
6. Midsummer Day (7:42)
7. Zartlicher Abschied (5:52)

Musicians:
Thomas Neuroth (Keyboards)
Klaus Mayer (Flute, Synthesizer)
Roger Weiler (Guitars)
Frederic Joos (Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar)
Rainer Zimmer (Bass; Vocal on track 5)
Hans-Peter Schwarz (Drums on tracks 2-7)
Hermann Rarebell (Drums on track 1)

Keep Listening!!!!

http://rapidshare.de/files/23109965/Neuschwanstein.zip.html

Levi Smith's Clefs - Empty Monkey [1970] @192 (Aussie rock)

Firstly, a confession. This band comes from Adelaide, South Australia, my home city.

That out the way, what we have here is a brilliant slab of rock and Hammond driven blues topped off by the brilliant vocalist, Barrie McAskill, the only constant in the group's ever changing lineup. In trying to describe his vocal style, think of Chris Farlowe, circa Colosseum.

Many such bands of this era fell victim to making an album of 10 variations of the one tune, topped
with some drivel, known as filler, all rather wearing on the listener. No such problem here. All members of the and are excellent musicians, having honed their skills on the then thriving pub circuit.

Before this album was made the band had moved to Australia's biggest city, Sydney and had performed constantly at the notorious Whisky A Go Go club.

Its fair to say that live, Levi Smith's Clefs were awesome and not surprisingly, had a very strong live following. This observation, however, maybe affected by the years and my love of the band! (another disclaimer)

After opening with a truly excellent instrumental, the band gets into full swing with the original "Shotgun" before getting to the album's centrepiece, a rather surprising version of the Beatles "You Can Do That". I can assure you that at over 11 minutes, the Lennon McCartney tune is only recognizable at the beginning and end, when McAskill adds his raspy vocals, the middle is full of great solos and invention, no dull bits. Stunning.

More stabs at blues-rock follow before the album concludes with the rather jazzy, instrumental title track.

I'm sure virtually no-one out there knows of this band, which is a pity, but as they used to say here, "do yourself a favour" and get this album. Maybe due recognition starts here.

McAskill, Inez Amaya - vocals
Michael Carlos - organ
John Blake - drums
Mick Jurd - guitar
Richard Lockwood - flute sax
Robert Taylor - drums

Who Is That Shall Come

Keep listening!!!

http://rapidshare.de/files/23087326/Levi_Smith_s_Clefs_-_Empty_Monkey__1970.rar.html

BlackwatchPlaid's Playlist

I thought I would try this idea out and give people a glimpse into some of the stuff I like to listen to. As with nahavanda's playlist, most of the albums these tracks are from are quite recent and therefore not going to be posted for download in the future. If you happen to hear something you like, I encourage you to buy the album or else track them down yourself. Enjoy!

Progressive Rock

Chroma Key - You Go Now - Lunar..............................

Kevin Moore - Ghost Book - Cowbloke.........................

Progressive Metal

Ayreon - The Human Equation - Mystery.....................

Instrumental & Virtuoso

Mattias IA Eklundh - Freak Guitar: The Road Less Traveled - Ketchup Is A Vegetable....................................................................

Mattias IA Eklundh - Freak Guitar: The Road Less Traveled - Print This!...........................................................................

Mattias IA Eklundh - Freak Guitar - Midsummer Night in Hell.............................................................................

Talisma - Chromium - Inversion...................................

Brett Garsed - Uncle Moe's Space Ranch - SighBorg......

RIO/Avantgarde

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Grand Opening & Closing - Sleep Is Wrong..........................................................................

5uu's - Regarding Purgatories - Meteroa........................

Goa Trance

Infected Mushroom - Converting Vegetarians - Elation Station...........................................................................

Infected Mushroom - B.P. Empire - Dancing With Kadafi..

Ambient & Electronic

Eivind Aarset - Connected - Connectic..............................

Orbital - In Sides (CD 2) - The Box (Untitled Version 1).....

Orbital - In Sides (CD 2) - The Box (Untitled Version 2).....

Steven Wilson - Unreleased Electronic Music Vol.1 - Dub Zero................................................................................

Crack - "Si Todo Hiciera" [1979] @ 192 (Excellent spanish symphonic prog) Thanks to Ole for this one

While in countries like England, Italy and the United States, the outlook for progressive rock by the late seventies was practically at its bleakest; Spain's scene was at its most prolific stage. While the rest of the world has really had little contact with progressive rock from this country - Spain's media also had little kindness for musicians - there really was an abundance of great music coming from Spain, and Crack was no exception. Probably one of Spain's finest examples of majestic and powerful symphonic progressive, Crack was maybe one of the most Anglo styled of the Spanish bands, although there are obvious cultural references that must not be ignored. With male and female vocals, flute; excellent use of guitars and synthesizers; and a warm and dreamy atmosphere; Crack show that they are an instant winner for symphonic rock fans.

Upon hearing Si Todo Hiciera Crack, it is clear that Crack was a classic symphonic progressive band of the highest order, probably heavily influenced by Italian greats like PFM or Locanda delle Fate. It is grandiose, orchestral, sweeping music with heavy classical flourishes, varied instrumentation and a dramatic flair. Although Si Todo Hiciera lacks the regional and ethnic influences of say, Mezquita, the band does mix what seems to be a Spanish folk feel from time to time. For the most part though, this is just phenomenal symphonic with a heavy emphasis on beautiful, romantic melodies and dramatic development of themes into mammoth climaxes. The band isn't afraid to rock out from time to time either, allowing electric guitar to fire away beneath the shimmering pianos and cascading keyboard and flute themes during the emotional peak of any given track.

Highlighted throughout is a generous helping of classic keys like mellotron and moog, along with some synthesizer and piano. Flute and guitar are both prominently emphasized throughout the album as well. The tracks are generally based around the vocals, which don't stand out in particular, but are at least acceptable as they have some gorgeous melodies to work with. The first two tracks here are monsters, pretty much as good as semi-pastoral, heavily melodic progressive gets. "Descenso en el Mahellstrong" is an instrumental of blistering power when it hits its stride, while "Amantes de le Irrealidad" is a powerful number that stands with the finest work from Quella Vecchia Locanda or PFM. The album doesn't retain the same level for its duration however, as the middle tracks are slightly more ballad-esque and based around the vocals. "Buenos Deseos" features some female vocals in duet with the male lead which are particularly cheesy. Still, these tracks don't significantly drag things down, they're just not at the same extremely high level as the first two.

The album kicks back into gear for the final three songs. Most impressive is the superb title track, which features heart wrenching keyboard and flute interplay. All in all, Crack plays symphonic progressive with a heavy emotional weight, and gorgeously complex melodic feel. Like an amalgamation of Yes and Locanda delle Fate, with a very slight ethnic feel.

Highly Recommended!

-- Taken from a review by Greg Northrup @ http://www.progweed.net

Tracklisting:
1. Descenso en el Mahellstrong
2. Amantes de le Irrealidad
3. Cobarde O Desertor
4. Buenos Deseos
5. Marchanda Una del Cid (Pt. 1, 2)
6. Si Todo Hiciera Crack
7. Epillogo

Line-Up:
Alex Cabral (bass)
Alberto Fontaneda (guitar, flute and vocals)
Mento Hevia (keys and vocals)
Manolo Jiménez (drums)
Rafael Rodríguez (guitar)

Keep Listening!!!!

http://rapidshare.de/files/22834436/Crack.zip.html

BlackwatchPlaid's Test

BlackwatchPlaid - The Pusher (Forced Stereo)