-= 7-FLOOR =-

Monday, June 22, 2009

Blackwater Park - Dirt Box (1971)






















Hard & heavy guitar rock from Berlin, 1971, with 'no-messin' attitude,
overloaded guitar, and english vocals. Includes a cover of the Beatles "For No One",
and a mini epic 8 min work-out "Rock Song".
Somehow we can't help thinking maybe UFO saw this lot & decided to nick their act..
Housed in a great digipak.

Another one of those German bands with a British vocalist.
The line-up was Richard Routledge (vocals, guitar), Michael Fechner (guitar),
Andreas Scholz (bass, he came from the recently disbanded Murphy Blend!)
and Norbert Kagelmann (drums). "Dirt Box" had a promisingly weird cover,
but the music was quite common for the period:
guitar-based hard blues-rock in the Anglo-American style.
The material written by Fechner and Scholz ("Mental Block",
"Rock Song" and "Indian Summer") was the best,
recalling the brilliance of Armaggedon.
Routledge's material tended towards boogie blues and sounded more like Free.
He also wrote all the lyrics.
The album also included a good cover version of the Beatles'
"For No One". This is one of many albums of which the original copies sell for
small fortunes today. To meet the increasing demand,
Second Battle re-released the album in 1990 in its original sleeve.
If you go for originals though, expect to part with 250 DM.

(info by: CGR)

1. Mental block
2. Roundabout
3. One´s life
4. Indian summer
5. Dirty face
6. Rock song
7. For noone






















Size: 67.7 Mb
Bitrate: 256 mp3
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Under Milkwood - Selftitled (1970)






















Reissue of a fantastic Californian psych-based only released in 1969 as test pressing
(was planned to be released on A&M label but never came out);
it had this real 'west coast' guitarsound like Jefferson Airplane,
Moby Grape, some folkrock passages ala Fairport Convention but also some exotic hippie
atmospheres ala Traffic Sound;
great alternate male/female vocals not unlike Balin/Slick but also crystal vocal passages
ala Sandy Denny. Underground masterpiece from this mystic folk band out of California.
Recorded in the early 70s, it's never been released & test pressings are collector's items.
The singer Clara Miles had a voice similar to Grace Slick,
especially on the acoustic tracks. Gatefold sleeve.

(info by: CGR)

1. Empty Room
2. Changing Seasons
3. Tell Me
4. Forgotten Bridge
5. Parade
6. Sandwiches Rock 'N' Roll
7. Lost Youth
8. Ballad Of The Spirit Of The World
9. Final Song






















Size: 75.6 Mb
Bitrate: 256 mp3
Artwork Included
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The Firebirds - Light My Fire (1969)






















An intriguing mystery outfit whose albums have become sought-after for their over-top heavy psych-blues-rock mayhem that owes much to Hendrix, Iron Butterfly and Blue Cheer's Vincebus Eruptum. The best place to start is Erik Lindgren's superb 1997 CD compilation, An Overdose Of Heavy Psych which contains six primordial chunks.

The Dance Party Time LP is lighter instrumental fare that sounds just like The Animated Egg but without the fuzz. Some tracks have a haunting quality because they've been recycled: Out Of Town is Dark by The Animated Egg; and Doors Time turns out to be a pedestrian version of the backing track to The Id's Boil The Kettle Mother.

The Associated Soul Group Contessa album below is listed purely as conjecture in the hope that someone may establish a connection other than that it shares the same cover as the Electric Firebirds and is on another exploitation California label. Who WERE these Godfathers of grunge?

(info from: internet)

















Size: 57.9 Mb
Bitrate: 256 mp3
Artwork Included
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Thursday, June 04, 2009

Stoned Circus - Revisited (1970)






















An outstanding piece of US psychedelia from this act founded in Kansas, 1968 and not to be confused with Stone Circus that recorded for the Mainstream label. The powerful sound with male and female vocals, great organ and heavy fuzzy guitars has a strong Jefferson Airplane/Big Brother feeling. This previously unreleased (on CD)
1970 material was found in the the archives of the Cavern Sound Studios where the Wizards from Kansas also recorded. Includes "Gotta find a way", "New World", a cover of Zeppelin's "Gonna leave You" and more. Now reissued from the original masters with a detailed biography and pictures, in collaboration with the band.

A fine hippie quintet with male-female vocals in the Jefferson Airplane mould. They recorded their only album, on 4th September 1970 at Cavern Sound Studios, Missouri and were originally from Independence (Harry Truman's birthplace). This is the same studio where The Wizards From Kansas and Burlington Express laid down their first tracks. The album, which remained unissued until 1994, contains an excellent cover version of the traditional Babe I'm Gonna Leave You.

(info by: CGR)

01 - Gotta Find A Way - 3.43
02 - Feel - 2.39
03 - Try Love - 4.19
04 - New World - 3.12
05 - Trust - 2.27
06 - Sweet Lovin´ - 2.49
07 - Instrumental - 5.07
08 - Gonna Leave You - 6.20
09 - Corina - 2.29
10 - Whole Lotta Love - 2.12

















Size: 67.6 Mb
Bitrate: 256 mp3
Artwork Included
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