Beth Hart – Bang Bang Boom Boom (2012)
Vinyl | LP Cover (1:1) | FLAC + cue | 32bit/192kHz | 2,05 Gb
Label: Provogue # PRD 7393 1 | Release: 2012 | 00:48:50| Genre: Blues Rock
Bang Bang Boom Boom is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Beth Hart.
.Beth Hart received a considerable boost from her collaboration with guitarist Joe Bonamassa, but her 2013 album, Bang Bang Boom Boom, finds the blues-rock belter returning to her comfort zone, working with producer Kevin Shirley and running through a selection of songs that are originals; songs that emphasize Hart’s range and power. In some ways, this is the purest record Hart has yet recorded; there is a real sense of what she can sing and how she lays back, waiting for the moment when her wailing would create the strongest disruption. That means Bang Bang Boom Boom feels familiar without being complacent: there is no surprise in style but rather in attack, how Hart waits for the precise moment to unleash her fury. Sometimes, it seems that Hart would be well-served by stretching herself just a bit, but Bang Bang Boom Boom isn’t an album that’s meant to surprise. It’s supposed to hit its mark with precision and minimal flair, and that’s exactly what it does. [The American edition contains a bonus track: the stellar live version of “I’d Rather Go Blind,” that Hart performed with Jeff Beck at the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors in tribute to Buddy Guy.] ~~ AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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Beth Hart – Better Than Home (2015)
Vinyl | LP Cover (1:1) | FLAC + cue | 32bit/192kHz | 2,57 Gb
Label: Provogue # PRD 7451 1 | Release: 2015 | 00:48:13 | Genre: Blues Rock
Better Than Home is the seventh solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Beth Hart. Hart’s husband and her manager convinced her to work with the production team of Rob Mathes and Michael Stevens, whom she had met when she performed at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2012. Hart had worked with Kevin Shirley for her last three albums, but she was persuaded to try a different team and go a different direction.The production team challenged Hart to leave behind the darker themes and to “write more about my joy and what I believe in and what my love is.”Hart was pushed to write songs that came from a different source, from when she was happy or having a good time.One song on the album, “Tell Her You Belong to Me”, took her a year and a half to write.
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Beth Hart – Fire on the Floor (2016)
Vinyl | LP Cover (1:1) | FLAC + cue | 24bit/192kHz | 00:48:27| 1,78 Gb
Label: Provogue (PRD75061-2) | Release: 2016 | Genre: Rock, Blues
Beth Hart is on fire. Right now, the Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter is riding a creative tidal wave, firing out acclaimed albums, hooking up with the biggest names in music and rocking the house each night with that celebrated burnt-honey voice. In 2016, the headline news is Beth’s latest album, Fire On The Floor (out 14 October on Provogue/Mascot Label Group): a release that even this fiercely self-critical artist describes as “pretty frickin’ good”. (more…)
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Beth Hart – My California (2010)
Vinyl | LP Cover (1:1) | FLAC + cue | 24bit/192kHz | 1,71 Gb
Label: Mascot Records (M 7329 1) | Release: 2014 | Genre: Blues Rock
My California is the fifth studio album by Beth Hart, released in 2010. Hart worked with Danish producer Rune Westberg, who had already worked on Beth’s previous albums 37 Days and Leave the Light On.Westberg challenged Hart not to “scream with animal savagery”,not to rely on the power of her voice but rather on the power of emotions. This makes My California a unique album in Hart’s discography, with a constancy throughout the tracks that the fans were not used to with the previous albums.
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Miles Davis – The Complete Blackhawk Sessions 1961 {2003 Mosaic Limited Edition} [24-96 6xLP BoxSet Vinyl]
Vinyl rip @ 24/96 | FLAC(tracks) -> 4.98 Gb | Full Scans -> 50 Mb | Label: Mosaic Records / Fontana
Genre: Jazz / Modal Jazz | RAR 5% | Rec. CAT # MQ6-220
MILES DAVIS QUINTET The Complete Blackhawk Sessions (Incredible 2003 US audiophile SIX LP limited edition boxed set, remastered & pressed on high quality 180gm virgin vinyl for the ultimate audio experience & featuring the classic sessionsrecorded live at the Blackhawk, San Francisco on April 21 & 22, 1961. The set is complete with an individually numbered 20-page illustrated booklet & housed in a superior textured picture box. (more…)
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the 100 Greatest Recordings of all time
THE FRANKLIN MINT RECORD SOCIETY
Each lp is pressed in special red vinyl with gold foil labels. Each set also has its own informative booklet that describes the composers & music. The album covers are bound similar to books & display beautifully.
Franklin Mint 100 Greatest Recordings: ‘The 100 Greatest Recordings of all time’ from the Franklin Mint has been called the ultimate private library of fine recorded music. Every recording was selected by a distinguished panel of music authorities (Martin Bookspan, Schuyler G. Chapin, Franco Ferrara, Irving Kolodin, William Mann, R. Gallois Montbrun, Marcel Prawy, Andre Previn, William Schuman and H. H. Stuckenschmidt).
The library was first announced on the 100th anniversary of Thomas Edison’s invention of the phonograph. Each recorded treasure was pressed with a special vinyl formulation that enabled a clear, quiet playing surface on a more rigid LP disk. Every record was pressed in an atmosphere controlled “clean room.”
There are 50 library cases. Each library case houses two proof-quality long playing records, with each record resting, fully protected, within its own dust free compartment. The record is firmly supported within the closed compartment in such a way that the grooved playing surface never touches any part of the case. Each library case includes a specially written and illustrated commentary, by a respected music expert. The composers and their works are discussed in detail, and background information is provided on the orchestras, conductors, ensembles, and featured soloists. This is a truly unsurpassed private library of recorded music.
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Queen – The Studio Collection 15 LP
Vinyl | FLAC | 24bit/96kHz | Aprrox 14GB
2015 Limited Edition Vinyl Box Set covering all the Queen studio albums
ALL 15 HIT STUDIO ALBUMS SOURCED FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES
MASTERED BY BOB LUDWIG
HALF-SPEED LACQUERS CUT AT ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS
PRESSED ON HEAVYWEIGHT 180 GRAM COLORED VINYL WITH A LAVISHLY ILLUSTRATED 108 PAGE HARDBACK BOOK
LPs ALSO TO BE AVAILABLE INDIVIDUALLY ON 180 GRAM BLACK VINYL
15 albums? 18 discs? What s the story?
Queen always had a special fondness for vinyl, the medium in which they first began to create, around 1970. As a matter of principle, every Queen studio album was offered at the time of original release on vinyl, even well into the era when CD’s had taken over as the medium of choice for most of the public. However, the final two albums, ‘Innuendo’ and ‘Made In Heaven’ were actually formatted primarily with the CD in mind, with a longer running time, so the contents had to be edited down to fit them on to the two sides of a vinyl album. Now, specially for this edition, for the first time, these two albums have been cut at full length as double vinyl LP’s – four sides each making up a vinyl set that is complete in every way.
The box-set offers many other special features. Most noticeable is the colored vinyl: designed for collectors, each album has been given a different color, in keeping with its original artwork, giving a unique record-deck experience. The color discs have been custom-produced especially for this set, using new material technology which ensures the sound quality is uncompromised.
There are more surprises in the box set; ‘Queen II’ originally never had a designated ‘A side’ or ‘B side’ – but ‘Side White’ and ‘Side Black’. For this new edition, the album has been cut on two separate discs, black and white, each with a custom etching on the reverse side, a nice bonus for collectors.
The collection has been five years in the making. Throughout this time Queen’s production team has worked extensively on all stages of this painstaking mastering process. The first step was the tape research; locating and confirming the correct versions and best sources for all tracks. Most notably, Under Pressure, plus five tracks on the ‘Innuendo’ album, were improved hugely after the discovery of better sources during this period. Particular attention was paid to the original releases to ensure that nothing was lost or changed for the worse by reverting to earlier sources.
The 18 vinyl LP box set comes with a lavishly illustrated 12 x 12 inch 108-page hardback book which features introductions to each album, quotes from Queen themselves, hand-written lyrics, rare photographs, memorabilia, and information on singles and videos – all made possible with unlimited access to Queen’s own archive plus the personal archives of Brian May, Roger Taylor and some generous fans. Thanks to all.
The Queen Studio Collection
Queen
Queen II *
Sheer Heart Attack
A Night at the Opera
A Day at the Races
News of the World
Jazz
The Game
Flash Gordon
Hot Space
The Works
A Kind of Magic
The Miracle
Innuendo
Made in Heaven
* 2 disc special edition exclusive to the box set. 1 disc standard edition available separately.
Man - Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day
Vinyl | LP Cover (1:1) | FLAC + cue | 24bit/96kHz | 746mb
Label: United Artists Records/29 417 I | Release: 1972 | Genre: Progressive-Rock
Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day is a bit of classic in the Man catalogue, not least because it contains the classics C’mon and Bananas which have been live favourites since this release in 1972. The album only contains four tracks so there’s ample opportunity for the band to stretch out on the Psychedelic west coast influenced jams much like they do live. This original version of C’mon sets a fine standard for the rest of the album to live up too. Less frantic than it usually is live it starts with a wonderful Micky Jones guitar riff familiar to all Man fans before settling into an easy groove courtesy of inventive drummer Terry Williams. Things are taken down a notch for the instrumental Organ dominated mid section before some of the bands trademark harmonies bring us back in to where we started. As testimony to the greatness of this track is it must have made more appearances on Man live albums than any other song by the band some of which are even better versions than this one here.
Keep On Crinting keeps the standard high with some lovely guitar picking and a great Williams shuffle on the drums. It’s an instrumental with Phil Ryan’s Keyboards (not always an instrument present in the band line up) given equal rein to the guitars of Jones and Clive John. (Yes, no Deke Leonard here who must have kicked himself for missing out on this one).
Bananas opens side 2 of the original vinyl version and as already mentioned was to become another Man classic with it’s jagged rhythmic structure, though a more steady groove prevails, at least in part for the excellent instrumental interplay of the mid section which builds up to a frantic pace before things calm down again to fade out with some spacey guitar work.
Life On The Road closes and is a bluesy shuffle propelled by Williams and bassist Phil Youatt. Once again between the vocal sections there’s space for instrumental workouts and although it’s probably the weakest of the four tracks it’s still an enjoyable listen not least for the guitar interplay between Jones and John.
This comes close to being the very best of Man studio albums but is just beaten by the brilliant Rhinos, Winos and Lunatics but due to the inclusion of the essential C’mon and Bananas makes it the perfect place to start your Man collection from.
Review by Nightfly, progarchives.com
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Mainhorse - Mainhorse
Vinyl | LP Cover (1:1) | FLAC + cue | 24bit/96kHz | 844mb
Label: Polydor/2383 049 | Release: 1971 | Genre: Progressive-Rock
I was 10 when I heard the song “More tea vicar” in an AM radio, by the way a melody I didn’t know his authorship and name. This melody has accompanied me throughout my life. My surprise was great when I knew it was a symphonic rock group called “Mainhorse” (many years later.)
The LP is wonderful from start to finish and is the only work of this group, which has distinguished the Swiss keyboardist Pratrick Moraz (Yes, Refugee, etc). I am pleased to leave this recording and you can enjoy this jewel of progressive rock.
Fran Solo, MMXV (more…)
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Led Zeppelin – Houses Of The Holy (1973)
Vinyl rip in 24 bit/96 kHz | 894 Mb, 3% RAR Recovery | FLAC tracks | Artwork
Atlantic – K 50014 (First UK, Porky Pecko, 1973) | Rock
Houses of the Holy follows the same basic pattern as Led Zeppelin IV, but the approach is looser and more relaxed. Jimmy Page’s riffs rely on ringing, folky hooks as much as they do on thundering blues-rock, giving the album a lighter, more open atmosphere. While the pseudo-reggae of “D’Yer Mak’er” and the affectionate James Brown send-up “The Crunge” suggest that the band was searching for material, they actually contribute to the musical diversity of the album. “The Rain Song” is one of Zep’s finest moments, featuring a soaring string arrangement and a gentle, aching melody. “The Ocean” is just as good, starting with a heavy, funky guitar groove before slamming into an a cappella section and ending with a swinging, doo wop-flavored rave-up. With the exception of the rampaging opening number, “The Song Remains the Same,” the rest of Houses of the Holy is fairly straightforward, ranging from the foreboding “No Quarter” and the strutting hard rock of “Dancing Days” to the epic folk/metal fusion “Over the Hills and Far Away.” Throughout the record, the band’s playing is excellent, making the eclecticism of Page and Robert Plant’s songwriting sound coherent and natural.
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John Wetton - King’s Road: 1972-1980
Vinyl | LP Cover (1:1) | FLAC + cue | 24bit/96kHz | 1,03 Gb
Label: EG/EGLP 70 | Release: 1987 | Genre: Progressive-Rock
This collection, marking the end of John Wetton’s association with E.G. Records, is a somewhat skewed compilation of his work in the seventies. Five songs by U.K., five from his first solo album, one track listed as coming from the one album from his seventy-nine one-off band Jack-Knife (the track isn’t listed on sites I can find for the album, so I presume it was left off of the LP), and, strangely, only two tracks by King Crimson (and only one of these was on the original LP version). For the most part, the sonds tend toward Wetton’s pop side, a direction he was heading in when U.K. was declining. At least the U.K. songs have a small amount of prog in them. The songs from “Caught In The Crossfire” are just a small hair better (for the most part) than the AOR drivel Wetton created in Asia.
The better songs are In The Dead Of Night, from U.K.’s debut, and Starless (the track not on the LP) dfrom King Crimson’s “Red”.
Eyesight To The Blind by Wetton’s Jack-Knife (which also included Richard Palmer-James) is worth hearing just because it’s so different from any other version I know of, but only adds slight value to this collection.
Review by Evolver, progarchives.com (more…)
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Jesus Jones – Liquidizer
Vinyl Rip | Size: 898 MB | 3% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: EMI Electrola # 7 93238 1 | Country/Year: Germany 1989
Genre: Electronica, Pop, Rock | Style: Breakbeat, Leftfield, Pop Rock, Downtempo
This is the first Jesus Jones Album and is a diary of the band conception to…This! “Liquidizer” was made under the influence of: Turntable Orchestra, The Byrds, Napalm Death, The Chamen, Neneh Cherry, Star Trek, Public Ennemy, Mel and Kim, Sonic Youth, Bomb The Bass, Tapeman, Todd Terry, Cookie Crew, Prince, Allen Konigsberg, S’Express, World Domination, Enterprise, Sonny Boy, Williamson, Jimi Hendrix, The Jungle Brothers, Them Mysterious Bulgarian Voices, Head Of David, For A Few Dollars More, A Guy Called Gerald, Malcolm Young, Leigh “Scratch” Fenlon, Dinosaur Jnr, Sweet T, Joe Smooth, Black Sabbath, De La Soul, Faith No More, Erik B + Takim, Apocalypse Now, The The, Big Black, The Evil Dead and the news and views of 1988 / 1989.
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Jean-Luc Ponty - Open Mind
Vinyl | LP Cover (1:1) | FLAC + cue | 24bit/96kHz | 847mb
Mastered At Future Disc Mastering
Label: Polydor/823581-1 | Release: 1984 | Genre: Jazz-Rock
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection.
Jean-Luc Ponty plays himself some really modern keyboards here, creating very atmospheric textures, rather urban, often flirting with a jazz-New Age style. To enhance the modern aspect of the music, Ponty plays a VERY “bottom” synth bass, which gives very much color, personality and depth to the music. Ponty is so much involved in the keyboards that it seems his electric violin almost becomes a secondary instrument here: his electric violin is however still very present, but it seems to be less monolithic and to merge more with the rest of the music: sometimes, it participates to the rhythm itself, or it is just simply played with less speed, focusing more on the sound or on the ambience itself. Chick Corea plays some good & nervous keyboards solos! The overall sound is very clean, fresh and modern. The complex keyboards exploration on “Orbital encounters” is absolutely impressive. The echoed atmosphere created with the violin sound on “Intuition” is really breathtaking! Every track is at least very good, so that this record is among his best ones.
Review by greenback, progarchives.com (more…)
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Jean-Luc Ponty - Imaginary Voyage
Vinyl | LP Cover (1:1) | FLAC + cue | 24bit/96kHz | 830mb
Mastered By George Piros
Label: Atlantic/SD 19136 | Release: 1976 | This Issue: 1977 | Genre: Jazz-Rock
Jean-Luc Ponty reaches a musical peak by releasing this excellent fusion record. Looking at the new line-up here, the talent and reliability of the musicians is not questionable: Mark Craney (Jethro Tull’s “A”) plays very fast and EXTREMELY elaborated drums. Tom Fowler (Frank Zappa) plays a restless, complex and very melodic bass. Daryl Stuermer is absolutely majestic, playing a beautiful acoustic guitar in unison with Ponty’s VERY melodic electric violin. Stuermer shows here that he can also be a decent electric guitar player, as reveals his light wah-wah solo on “Tarantula”: however, we feel here his solo sound still not comparable to David Gilmour’s “Money” solo. However, he is an EXCELLENT acoustic guitar player, and he should stay in that department. Allan Zavod, on keyboards, does an honest job, although he rather stays in the background.
On side 2, the high-speed recordings in “Imaginary Voyage Part 1” are absolutely breathtaking: the comparison with Yes’ “Sound Chaser” is inevitable. The epic track “Imaginary Voyage” may be uninterruptedly listened without any problem, although Stuermer’s electric guitar solos have nothing really spectacular.
Review by greenback, progarchives.com (more…)
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Richard Clayderman – Vinyl Collection (15LP, 1978-1985)
Vinyl | LP Cover (1:1) | FLAC + cue | 24bit/192 kHz | 24.26 GB | Genre: Easy Listening, Instrumental, Piano
With his lush and sophisticated instrumental approach to pop music, Richard Clayderman (born Philippe Pagès) is, according to The Guinness Book of World Records, “the most successful pianist in the world.” Clayderman’s albums routinely sell millions of copies and his concerts are quickly sold out. In a review of his 1985 Carnegie Hall concert, Variety wrote, “(Clayderman’s) main appeal lies in his youth and boyish good looks…coupled with his gentlemanly charm and his thick French accent, they promise to rope in the romantically inclined middle-aged Yank ladies who cotton to this ilk of soothing entertainment.” Nancy Reagan referred to Clayderman as “the prince of romance.” Instructed in classical piano by his father, Clayderman enrolled in the Paris Conservatory of Music at the age of 12. Four years later, he placed first in a piano competition at the school. Despite his classical background, Clayderman opted for popular music when he launched his professional career. A tour as opening act for French rock musician Johnny Hallyday introduced him to an international following. Clayderman’s debut album, Ballade Pour Adeline, recorded at the urging of producers and composers Oliver Toussaint and Paul De Senneville in 1977, sold more than 20 million copies and was distributed in 38 countries. Clayderman, who took his stage name from his Swedish grandmother, has continued to tour throughout the world to enthusiastic audiences. A live concert broadcast on Chinese television in 1987 attracted more than 800 million viewers.
Romantique His vast discography of well over 200 albums, released on and licensed to many different labels worldwide, has seen him record everything from light classics to Andrew Lloyd Webber love songs, Bollywood movie soundtracks, and the folk music of Germany, Turkey, and Japan. While this willingness to turn his hand to anything fueled his worldwide popularity, it is the unthreatening homogeneity of his output that won him a loyal, late-middle-aged fanbase similar to that of another European titan of light classical music, André Rieu. In the early 2010s, Clayderman enjoyed an upsurge in mainstream popularity, perhaps partly as a kitsch nostalgia act, but also on the part of canny marketing men who positioned him as part of that era’s classical crossover explosion. His 2013 album for Decca, Romantique — arguably his highest-profile release ever — featured a mélange of film music, pop and light classical standards, and a re-recording of his best-known tune, “Ballade pour Adeline”.
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