-= 7-FLOOR =-

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Paladin - Charge (1972)



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A good progressive/hard rock outfit, their first album was recorded live in the studio and their strength was really as a live act. Lou Stonebridge went on to play for McGuinness Flint. Joe Jammer also recorded as a solo artist.
Paladin may only have ever released two albums, but their second “Charge” is an absolute classic of early 70’s prog. There are many different styles and sounds on the album, yet the whole is nothing less than a coherent masterpiece.


The Roger Dean sleeve may not be an absolute guarantee of quality, but Paladin sit well with their peers such as Yes, Uriah Heep, Asia, etc., whom Dean graced with his artwork.
There are four feature tracks on the album. The opening “Give me your hand” sets the tone, with rich organ and guitar backing a strong vocal for a fine piece of melodic hard rock. “Good lord” is a slightly softer but still upbeat song with some excellent guitar work by Derek Foley. It leads into the album’s best track, the wonderfully atmospheric “Mix your mind with the moonbeams”. The multi-tracked vocals and trippy lyrics are pure early 70’s ("Let the cosmic light diffuse itself, in all its magic ways"). The track is awash in keyboard layers, and chiming guitars. This is PENDRAGON years before Pendragon existed! Also included is an all too rare Hammond organ solo, similar to the one on URIAH HEEP's “July Morning”.


The closing track “Watching the world pass by” has everything in about 9 minutes. It starts with some interesting keyboard moods, before breaking into an almost funky harmonica led wall of sound backed piece. About midway, we suddenly lurch into a barn dance, before a superb guitar solo of some length brings the album to its climactic conclusion.
The album is rounded out by three shorter tracks. “Well we might” is an almost SLADE (yes Slade!) like rocker with some great guitar and some very effective stop go interludes. “Anyway” is a melotron backed ballad which contrasts superbly with the generally upbeat nature of the album. This track appears to have been a late addition to the original LP, as it appears on a sticky label added to the track listing. "Get one together" is the only dip, being a pretty nondescript instrumental.


“Charge” is a truly superb album, very much of its time, but still highly enjoyable. The band were destined to split before recording any further albums, but at least they went out on a high.

(info by: CGR)

01.Give Me Your Hand
02.Well We Might
03.Get On Together
04.Anyway 05.Good Lord
06.Mix Your Mind with the Moonbeams
07.Watching the World Pass By
08.Give me Love to you (Bonus)
09.Sweet Sweet Music (Bonus)
10.Any Way (Variation - Bonus)
11.Sweet Sweet Music (Variation - Bonus)
12.Well we Might (Variation - Bonus)
13.Fill up your Heart (Instrumental - Bonus)
14.Bad Times (Instrumental - Bonus)


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Size: 138 Mb
Bitrate: 256 mp3
Artwork Included
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Saturday, October 27, 2007

Snakegrinder - And The Shredded Filed Mice (1977)


Real stunner from this rural rock outfit from Delaware whose only album was this 1977 private pressing on the Alligator Shoes label (Alligator Shoes 40004).


The album features seven original compositions combining acoustic, electric and pedal steel guitars augmented by some tasty keyboards. There’s loads of blistering, well-structured guitar jams, and a few Band-style rural funk vocals, with a of hippy psych interludes thrown in for good measure. The sound is unique, cool and beautifully played. The album rocks from start to finish, and is another one of those obscure rarities that should have enjoyed significant commercial success and those fortunate enough to have heard Snakegrinder are unanimous in their praise.
Absolutely nothing is known about the musicians who comprised Snakegrinder, which is extremely unfortunate as their sublime talents combine here to produce one of the finest rock albums it has been our pleasure to reissue.


(info by CGR)

1. Love Junkie
2. Freedonian Hat Dance (Jesus was a plumber)
3. On The Road (and off again)
4. Dogland
5. Better Late Than Frozen
6. Nothing’s Very Easy When Your Baby’s In The Lake
7. Moon Over The Delaware


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Size: 75.7 Mb
Bitrate: 256 mp3
Artwork Included
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Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Buffalo - Dead Forever (1972)



Hailing from Sydney, Australia, Buffalo's hard rock style from the 1970s would ironically earn them their greatest success in the late '80s in countries such as France and Germany, thanks to the band's recordings on the collectible Vertigo label.

The first Australian band to sign to Vertigo, Buffalo was one of the heaviest bands, along with Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs and Blackfeather. Their debut album, Dead Forever..., sold over 25,000 copies and was followed by Volcanic Rock in July 1973 and Only Want You for Your Body in June 1974. Their controversial album covers were in the best heavy metal tradition, as were some of their outlandish song titles (such as "I'm a Skirtlifter, Not a Shirt Raiser"). Slide guitarist Norm Roue joined in mid-1974, but when guitarist John Baxter was fired, the band began it's downward spiral. Karl Taylor joined the band and their next album, Mother's Choice, was released in March 1976: Phonogram had rejected their first two album title choices of Songs for the Frustrated Housewife (too sexual) and Thieves, Punks, Rip-offs and Liars (too controversial). By album's release, Roue and Taylor had left. Chris Turner then joined and Colin Stead made a short appearance. Bassist Peter Wells was next to leave and formed the highly successful Rose Tattoo. He was replaced by Ross Simms. Buffalo then supported Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow during their Australian tour in November 1976. By the time Buffalo's next album, Average Rock'n'Roller, was released in July 1977, they had disbanded.

(info by CGR)

1. Leader
2. Suzie Sunshine
3. Pay My Dues
4. I'm a Mover
5. Ballad of Irving Fink
6. Bean Stew
7. Forest Rain
8. Dead Forever




















Size: 91.7 Mb
Bitrate: 256 mp3
Artwork Included
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Sunday, October 14, 2007

Beck, Boggert, Appice - At Last Rainbow (1974)




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(No Info)

Size: 90.7 Mb
Bitrate: 224 mp3
Artwork Included
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Shiver - San Francisco's Shiver (1972)


The music on this cd represents the entire recorded output of this obscure early '70s acid-rock band. Shiver recorded this stuff live to two-track tape in the summer of 1972, and while they never released an album back in the day, it's clear that the world is ready for their heavy guitar jams now. Well, maybe not the world -- but certainly those of us, mostly too young to have "been there then", who aren't entirely satisfied with today's stoner metal and are always looking for the real deal, the lost stoner psych monster.Basically, Shiver were a bunch of hard-rocking hippie freaks, brought together by a Texas-bred drummer who moved to San Francisco to take up where his obvious heroes Blue Cheer left off. They soon had a rather rough, tough reputation, playing Haight street fairs and Hells Angels biker parties. At one point they even had a singer with an iron hook for a hand, which he could use as a slide for his guitar, or for more violent purposes. Shiver played "heavy psychedelic rock" at its most primal -- no overdubs, raw as hell.

Rising from the same scene of Texas freaks like The 13th Floor Elevators, Johnny Gee & The G Men, and a pre-ZZ Top, Warlocks, Shiver moved to SF and this CD documents their complete output of early 70s heavy psychedelic rock. In a city known for peace, love and flower power, Shiver was an over the top, in your face, balls to the wall 'gang' of musicians that felt at home with Hell´s Angels and Hippies alike. Free Love, Free Dope. Shiver played a lot of Street Fairs on Haight, Market and Castro streets, and got to jam with guys from Big Brother (Gurley & Albin) and other local heroes. These recordings were done on a twotrack machine at 2909 Mariposa in the Summer Of ´72 and feature no overdubs or studio 'wizardry'. What you hear on these tracks is Shiver in it´s raw, powerful glory."

(info by CGR)

1. Tough As Nails
2. Fixer
3. Bone Shaker
4. Interstellar Vision
5. Alpha Man
6. Rocky Road
7. Keep On Rocking
8. Up My Sleeve
9. Winter Time

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Size: 103 Mb
Bitrate: 256 mp3
Artwork Included
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Download part.2

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Luv Machine - Selftitled (1971)


The original LP of this four-piece band from NEW ZEALAND was released in 1971 and is so far one of the most expensive records on the collectors market. Most of the real collectors have never seen an original copy! By the way the band was banned from radio stations in Australia an New Zealand because the albums front cover was judged pornographic. Their music are really great-compact rock songs and if you need a band to compare with take KILLING FLOOR. Very rare heavy progressive rock band from New Zealand who's album was banned from many countries due to the artwork depicting open female legs protruding from a record player! ? Musically it's driving heavy progressive rock typical of New Zealand and Australia (like Human Instinct but a bit harder) In places the band have a Hendrix vibe wjilst at other times UK early '70's bands such as Human Beast come to mind. Overall this is a pretty good album!
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(info by CGR)

1. 2:45 Witches Wand
2. 2:41 You´r surprised
3. 3:22 It´s Amazing
4. 3:08 Happy Children
5. 3:16 Everything
6. 4:19 Maybe Tomorrow
7. 2:52 Reminiscing
8. 2:57 Change your Mind
9. 3:47 Corrupt One
10. 3:06 Lost
11. 3:05 My Life Is Filled With Changes
12. 4:52 Portrait Of Disgust
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Size: 74.4 Mb
Bitrate: 256 mp3
Artwork Included

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Aguaturbia - Complete Tracks (1969-73)



Official CD issue of both albums their two LP's from 1969 and 1970, a 1973 7" and one solo track by the guitarist, 75 minutes playing time in total. This is Chilean psych-rock with powerful female vocals and scandalous LP covers, some very heavy jams, fuzzed Hendrixy guitar work, spaced out vocals and acid madness with a Jefferson airplane feel. Artwork includes original cover artwork from both albums and a booklet that features live pictures and a brief history of the band. Essential for psych freaks.. The second to last song here is an all-time mind-blowing classic of 60s rock. It's a fuzzed out catchy rocker with really raw female vocals (in English). The singing is almost caustic, almost punk, but wailing. I can't get enough of it.

The rest of the album is basically second-rate 60s hippy jam rock with a Jefferson Airplane cover or two and long guitar solos. Mostly long tracks. It's decent, but nothing essential unless you have a special fondness for that genre. It's not my preferred genre, though I'm hugely into 60s rock in general.

The group is from South America somewhere and the English vocals have an unmistakable accent. The last track, which is mellow and folky, has Spanish vocals, and the rest are in English.
According to the old Gibraltar EPR, Aguaturbia's music represents the "psych" with wild "wah-wah" guitar solos and great female vocals. While I agree with both the latter points absolutely, the band's stylistics has, in my view, a little to do with real psychedelic music. It is not easy to make out the elements of it there even through a "prism" of the album's specific title. At the Down of the Genre and Rock Music in general "psych", along with Progressive, was one of the main musical constituents of the great Pink Floyd, as well as Clear Blue Sky and Hawkwind (apart from such real psych-makers as early Amon Düül II, Can, etc). So, despite the fact that there are the elements of "psych" on the Psychedelic Drugstore album, on the whole I regard the music of Aguaturbia as one of the early manifestations of Progressive's Space Rock sub-genre: it is well known that the real Space Rock is, on the whole, quite heavy music. Not as progressive as the debut album of the Space Rock pioneers Clear Blue Sky Out of the Blue (1968), Aguaturbia's Psychedelic Drugstore is, nevertheless, not only one of the best Space Rock albums. Along with Out of the Blue, this is one of the most innovative and unique albums ever created within the frame of sub-genre.


(info by CGR)

01 - Baby (Aguaturbia 1969) - 3.03
02 - Erotica (Aguaturbia 1969) - 3.50
03 - Alguiem Para Amar (Aguaturbia 1969) - 3.01
04 - Ah Ah Ah Ay (Aguaturbia 1969) - 2.13
05 - Rollin And Tumblin (Aguaturbia 1969) - 3.08
06 - Uno De Estos Dias (Aguaturbia 1969) - 5.31
07 - Carmesi Y Trébol (Aguaturbia 1969) - 7.07
08 - Eres Tú (Aguaturbia 1969) - 2.50
09 - I Wonder Who (Volume 2 - 1970) - 2.58
10 - Heartbreaker (Volume 2 - 1970) - 4.33
11 - Blues On The West Side (Volume 2 - 1970) - 6.17
12 - Waterfall (Volume 2 - 1970) - 3.45
13 - Well All Right (Volume 2 - 1970) - 3.47
14 - Jailhouse Rock (Volume 2 - 1970) - 2.44
15 - E.V.O.L. (Volume 2 - 1970) - 8.45
16 - Aguaturbia (Volume 2 - 1970) - 2.24
17 - El Hombre De La Guittarra (Bonus 1973) - 3.34
18 - Hermoso Domingo (Bonus 1973) - 3.18
19 - Flaco (Bonus 1973) - 3.29

















Size: 143 Mb
Bitrate: 256 mp3
Artwork Included
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