Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Drunken men in Scotland

Hello Heepsters

I'ts been a while since i've posted anything. so i thought i would post this quick note

Nige the bass from The Debt Collectors in the Isle of Man Saw Uriah Heep 2011  As a Heep live gig virgin met boulder the bass. Wow.......

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Balletto di Bronzo - 1971 - YS (English version)


TRACKLIST :

01 - Introduction (Introduzione) (11:34")
02 - Second Encounter (Secondo Incontro) (03:41")

Although for the past nine months I have my own blog dedicated to the Italian progressive rock, the good old Abominogjnr blog remains in my heart. This post is for all fans of the Balletto di Bronzo and especially for Mr. Abominogjnr, which, I remember, really liked the album original YS. A new friend of my blog, Myst, has kindly made ​​the upload of this album, released in 1992, which has an English version of two songs of the YS (the only surviving or perhaps the only recorded). Compared to the same songs on the original, these two versions in English are a bit more hard rock than the same songs in original.

IL BALLETTO DI BRONZO :

Gianni Leone - Keyboards and vocals
Lino Ajello - Guitars
Gianchi Stringa - Drums
Vito Manzari - Bass guitar

LINK

Monday, October 3, 2011

Uriah Heep - April 5th 1972 - Rhein Neckar Halle (Bootleg)

TRACKLIST - Disc 1
01 - Intro / Bird of prey
02 - I wanna be free
03 - Easy livin
04 - July morning
05 - Tears in my eyes
06 - Mick Box solo
07 - Band jam
08 - Rainbow demon
09 - The wizard
10 - Look at yourself

TRACKLIST - Disc 2
01 - Gipsy
02 - Lady in black
03 - Love Machine [Bonus Track]
04 - Magician's Birthday / Love Machine / Rock'n' Roll Medley [Bonus Track]

Good audience bootleg from 1972, registered during the "Demons and wizards Germany tour" with decent sound and enjoying tracklist (similar set list of "Uriah Heep 1972-06-03 Mehrzweckhalle Zofingen" bootleg, but here the wizard and lady in black are complete)

 new link Disc 1

 new link Disc 2

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Lucifer's Friend -1978/1980 - Good time warrior, Dortmund Live 78 & Sneak me in

TRACKLIST :

01 - Old Man Roller
02 - I’ll Meet you in LA
03 - My Love
04 - Good Times
05 - Little Dancer
06 - Sweet Little Lady
07 - Gamblin’ Man
08 - Warriors

TRACKLIST :

01 - Intro
02 - Moonshine Rider
03 - Sweet Little Lady
04 - Burning Ship
05 - Fugitive
06 - Warriors
07 - Good Times
08 - Ride the Sky
09 - Rock'n Roll Singer
10 - Natural Born Mover

TRACKLIST :

01 - Goodbye Girls
02 - Sneak Me In
03 - Foxy Lady
04 - Love Hymn (with problem)
05 - Stardancer
06 - Indian Summer
07 - Don't You Know What I Like
08 - Cosmic Crusader

In one post, all three the Lucifer's Friend albums without John Lawton (who at times was in Uriah Heep, naturally). At his place, the ex Colosseum II singer, mister Mike Starr. The second album is a mp3 version of a DVD of this rare live exhibition of this Band that was tipically a studio band...


The 1978/1980 LUCIFER'S FRIEND :

  • Peter Hesslein - Guitars & Vocals
  • Herbert Bornholdt - Drums & Percussion
  • Adrian Askew - Keyboards & Vocals
  • Dieter Horns - Bass & Vocals
  • Mike Starr (photo) - Lead Vocals
  • Peter Hecht - Keyboards

LINK Good time warrior

LINK Dortmund live 78

LINK Sneak me in

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Qango - 2000 - Live in the hood

TRACKLIST :

01 - Time Again (originally by Asia)
02 - Sole Survivor (originally by Asia)
03 - Bitches Crystal (originally by ELP)
04 - Dave Kilminster Solo
05 - All Along the Watchtower
06 - Last One Home
07 - John Young Solo
08 - Hoedown (version originally by ELP)
09 - Fanfare for the Common Man (version originally by ELP)
10 - Heat of the Moment (originally by Asia)

QANGO BIOGRAPHY (from Wikipedia)

"QANGO was a short-lived progressive rock band, a spin-off from Asia. In 1999, an attempt was made at a partial reunion of the progressive rock supergroup Asia involving John WETTON (bass, vocals), Carl PALMER (drums) and Geoff DOWNES (keys), with David KILMINSTER to be on guitar. However, Downes withdrew from plans, choosing to stick with John PAYNE in their Asia line-up. Wetton and Palmer instead formed Qango with Kilminster and John Young on keys (who had briefly replaced Downes in Asia in 1989). The band's live set was based on songs by Asia and Palmer's former band Emerson Lake and Palmer. The band did not attract the same commercial interest as an Asia reunion. Two shows were planned for November 1999, but were cancelled as Wetton required a wrist operation. Instead, the band played five UK dates in February 2000 (including a London show on 4 February when Keith Emerson jammed with the band) and six in April 2000. Subsequent touring plans and ideas to record a studio album were abandoned, with Wetton and Palmer soon returning to their solo activities. The band's second show (3 February 2000) was recorded for a live release, Live in the Hood, the band's only official output"

QANGO are :

Dave Kilminster - acoustic & electric guitars, backing vocals
John Young - keyboards, backing vocals
John Wetton - lead vocals, bass, bass pedals, acoustic guitar
Carl Palmer - drums, percussion

Friday, September 9, 2011

Pete York Percussion Band - 1972 - Same (Incomplete album))


TRACKLIST :

1. Keep On Running (Edwards) - 4:35
2. Nothing Yet (Munns) - 3:40
3. Cold Night In The City (Fearn) - 2:10
4. Sombrero Sam (Lloyd) - 10:40
5. Mel´s Blues (Thorpe) - Not included
6. Moleshawk (Coleman) - 4:05
7. Stroke (Coleman) - 4:00
8. The Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba (Händel) - Not included
9. Points (Munns) - Not included
10. It´s Over (Fearn) - 2:43

Pete York

I upload this album because is one of the most unknown album, with Gary Thain and his bass, before Heep. This is a very hard to find album, so i upload the only version that i can find: this is a good "youtube rip" version, with 3 songs not found: Mel´s Blues, The Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba, Points. If some friend has a better version of this album or, at last, some of missing songs, please do you knock at our door...


The Pete York Percussion Band :

Bill Coleman - Bass, piano
Steve Fearn - Guitar, vocals
Roger Munns - Keyboard, vocals
Mel Thorpe - Saxophone, flute, clarinet
Gordon Williams - Drums
Gary Thain - Bass
Pete York - Drums, percussions
Ian Paice - Drums Barry Sutton - Trumpet

Produced: by Pete York/Ian Paice/Derek Tompkins

The LINK

P.S. - A big thank you to original uploaders AshaSounds (For most of the tracks) and SoulOnYourSide (For song 10)

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Keef Hartley Band - 1971 - Overdog


TRACKLIST :

1 - You Can Choose (M. Anderson) - 5:30
2 - Plain Talkin' (M. Anderson) - 3:23
3 - Theme Song/En Route/Theme Song (reprise) (M. Anderson, K. Hartley, G. Thain) - 8:05
4 - Overdog (M. Anderson) - 4:20
5 - Roundabout (M. Anderson) - 6:07
6 - Imitations From Home (K. Hartley) - 3:35
7 - We Are All The Same (M. Anderson) - 4:42
8 - Roundabout (M. Anderson) - 2:55
9 - Roundabout Part 2 (M. Anderson) - 4:18

KEEF HARTLEY BAND :

Keef Hartley - Drums, Percussion
Miller Anderson - Guitars, Vocals,
Gary Thain - Bass
Mick Weaver - Keyboards
Dave Caswell - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Lyle Jenkins - Tenor Saxophone, Flute
Johnny Almond - Flute
Jon Hiseman - Drums, Percussion, Congas
Peter Dines - Keyboards
Mr. & Mrs. G.A. Orme (Preston) - Vocals
Ingrid Thomas - Backing Vocals
Joan Knighton - Backing Vocals
Valerie Charrington - Backing Vocals

LINK

Monday, July 25, 2011

Epitaph - 1971-74 - First three albums

EPITAPH - 1971 - Epitaph

TRACKLIST :

01 - Moving To the Country
02 - Visions
03 - Hopelessly
04 - Little Maggie
05 - Early Morning
06 - London Town Girl (Bonus track)
07 - Autumn 71 (Bonus track)
08 - Are You Ready (Bonus track)
09 - I'm Trying (Bonus track)
10 - Changing World (Bonus track)

EPITAPH - 1972 - Stop Look and Listen

TRACKLIST :

01 - Crossroads
02 - Nightingale
03 - Uptight
04 - Fly
05 - Stop look and listen
06 - Autumn 71 (Bonus track)
07 - Are you ready (Bonus track)
08 - We love you Alice (Bonus track)
09 - Paradise for sale (Bonus track)

EPITAPH - 1974 - Outside the Law

TRACKLIST :

01 - Reflexion
02 - Woman
03 - Big City
04 - In Your Eyes
05 - Outside the Law
06 - Tequila Shuffle
07 - Fresh Air

This post has apparently nothing to do with Uriah Heep, Epitaph is a glorious band from Germany of early seventies. I've downloaded all three albums or only the first, i don't remember, from the wonderful Chrisgoesrock blog, when it wasn't down, and the infos, from Chris, about first album are of some interest for Heep Fans:

"British progressive heavy rock bands like Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep and Led Zeppelin inspired many young bands in Germany. The Germans usually preferred to use English lyrics, and several bands, like Blackwater Park, 2066 & Then and Epitaph, had British vocalists!"
(And, of course, Lucifer's Friend with John Lawton, isn't it? - Note by me)
"Epitaph were founded in Dortmund in 1969, consisting of Cliff Jackson (vocals, guitar), Bernd Kolbe (bass, mellotron, vocals) and Jim McGillivray (drums). The first sessions for their debut album, released 1971 on Polydor, were recorded in an Essex studio in England. For unknown reasons, it was however finished in Windrose Studios, Hamburg, where a fourth member was added to the group: Klaus Walz (guitar, vocals). The five resulting tracks sounded similar to the groups mentioned above, and particularly the earliest incarnation of Uriah Heep. Epitaph's Cliff Jackson didn't attempt to copy Byron's operatic vocal style, though. There were both fast rock'n'roll numbers and slow ballads with mellotron textures, usually in the 'heavy progressive standard song length' - from 5 to 7 minutes"

In my opinion, those are three very good albums of hard prog, with some Heep influences, in particular in the first of the three, that are a joy for the listener. If you like the 70's prog rock and Uriah Heep, and you don't know Epitaph, make to you a gift, download the albums and enjoy....


The "EPITAPH" :

Cliff Jackson - Vocals, guitar
Klaus Walz - Guitar, vocals
Bernd Kolbe - Bass, mellotron, vocals
Jim McGillivray - Drums

LINK Album 1
LINK Album 2
LINK Album 3

PS : With this post, good holydays to all and we see next September... Roby

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Uriah Heep - Covers

This is a compilation of covers that has been put together by Corrado which he describes as a "work in progress" The tracks on this compilation are of wildly differing quality but nevertheless they show just how influential Heeps music was to so many different bands and genres


 If anyone out there has any other covers that they can contribute to the "Ultimate Heep cover collection"
They would be most welcome

LINKS



Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Lucifer's Friends - 1981 - Mean machine

This is the 1981 album of Lucifer's Friends with the return of John Lawton as lead singer.

After this alnum the band disbanded, even if this is a good hard rock album with some touch of heavy metal (Mean machine/Cool hand killer). Others very good songs are, in my opinion, Hey driver, Born to the city and Bye bye Sadie.



Friday, May 20, 2011

Uriah Heep - 1975 - De Montfort Hall - Leicester UK (Bootleg)


TRACKLIST:

01 - Devil's Daughter
02 - Stealin'
03 - Suicidial Man
04 - Shady Lady
05 - Prima Donna
06 - Rainbow Demon
07 - July Morning
08 - Return To Fantasy
09 - Easy Livin'
10 - Gipsy
11 - Mick Box Guitar Solo
12 - Sweet Lorraine (incl. John Wetton Bass Solo)


Good audience record from the Byron-Box-Hensley-Kerslake-Wetton line-up. Sound quality not very good but listenable.


Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Uriah Heep - Ternitz, Austria - 14.5.2011


Another bootleg from the current tour. Basically the same show as the previous one with the omission of I can see you 


Disc 1:
01 Intro (1:12)
02 I'm ready (4:44)
03 Return to Fantasy (4:40)
04 Stealin' (6:25)
05 Rainbow Demon (5:00)
06 Money Talk & Drum Solo (7:05)
07 Nail on the Head (5:15)
08 The Wizard (4:26)
09 Into the Wild (4:44)

Disc 2:
10 Gypsy (4:34)
11 Look at yourself (9:03)
12 Kiss of Freedom (6:27)
13 July Morning (12:22)
14 Lady in Black (6:13)
15 (Audience, Encore Break) (3:39)
16 Free 'n' easy (3:12) *
17 Bird of Prey (3:52)
18 Easy livin' (2:58)
19 Outro (1:20)
*recorded from the stage 




The Band

Mick Box
Trevor Bolder
Phil Lanzon
Bernie Shaw
Russel Gilbrook

Link

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Uriah Heep Aschaffenburg 26-04-2011


Set list

01 Intro
02 I'm Ready
03 I Can See You
04 Return To Fantasy 
05 Stealin'
06 Rainbow Demon
07 Money Talk
08 Drum Solo
09 Nail On The Head
10 The Wizard
11 Into The Wild
12 Gypsy
13 Look at Yourself
14 Kiss of Freedom
15 July Morning
16 Lady In Black
17 Encore Break
18 Free 'n' Easy
19 Bird of Prey
20 Easy Livin'
21 Outro 


The Band

Mick Box
Trevor Bolder
Phil Lanzon
Bernie Shaw
Russel Gilbrook 




Sunday, May 8, 2011

Uriah Heep - 1982 - Live at Monster of rock festival - Castle Donnington

Tracklist:

01 - Sell your soul
02 - Running all night with the lion
03 - Stealin
04 - Too scared to run
05 - The wizard/July morning
06 - That's the way it is
07 - Guitar solo
08 - Gipsy
09 - Easy livin'


Bootleg of the early Goalby era, Box-Kerslake-Goalby-Daisley-Sinclair line-up, registered at Monsters of rock festival in the 21 August 1982, sound not very good but listeanable


Sunday, May 1, 2011

Fuzzy Duck - Fuzzy Duck 1971


An excellent album that was released in 1971 and in many ways much better than a lot of the music that was released that year, yet this Album only had a limited release from their record company (500 copies apparently) and quickly fell into obscurity with the band closely following, which is a real shame as judging by the music on offer here this band could quite easily have gone on to much bigger and better things.
Featuring on Keyboards (predominantly the Hammond organ) one Roy Sharland who previous to his tenure in Fuzzy Duck played keyboards, (albeit briefly and probably as a hired session musician), with a Little known band called Spice

I found this review on Prog Archives 


The members of Fuzzy Duck were certainly not novices by the time they banded together and released their only studio album. Bassist Mick Hawksworth had spent the latter sixties with future Atomic Rooster alumnus John Du Cann in the hard-core psych band The Five Day Week Straw People, with both of them later moving on to the semi-legendary psych band Andromeda where they were joined by Fuzzy vocalist/guitarist the late Grahame White. Drummer Paul Francis had played with both The End and Tucky Buzzard. And Roy Sharland had been a member of the pre-Uriah Heep lineup known as Spice. So from that curriculum vitae you would expect a sound that included psych and blues guitar, heavy Hammond organ riffs, and above all very well-structured rhythms. Plus this was recorded in 1970 so throw in poor production, muddy bass notes and unremarkable male vocals straining outside their natural limits.

Well I’m happy to report that the band does not disappoint, as the previous paragraph describes Fuzzy Duck to a ‘T’. Presumably named after the old drinking game of the same name, Fuzzy Duck were a brief flash in the pan that apparently served as little more than a vehicle for the various professionals in it to move on to other things. The band doesn’t seem to have stayed together for more than a year or two, but they clearly had enough in the form of individual reputation and connections to land a record deal on the fledgling but up-and-coming MAM Records label.

But keep in mind that blues-based psych rock with heavy bass, lots of Hammond and strained male vocals were standard fare in 1970, so I’m not sure this really qualifies as progressive music unless we’re assuming just about everything from Canned Heat to Blind Faith qualifies as prog rock. Probably not.

That’s not to say this is a throwaway album though, because there’s some pretty good music on it. It’s just not substantively different from early Uriah Heep, Steppenwolf, Grand Funk, Jody Grind, Wishbone Ash or any of dozens of bands like them. As long as you are okay with that, this is a pretty decent album.

The album kicks off with a heavy bass, lively Hammond rocker titled “Time Will Be Your Doctor”. This is pure hard rock but well played (“Country Boy” later on the album falls into this category as well). And while “Mrs. Prout” is quite similar there is a move toward more psych-leaning guitar and drawn-out keyboards ala Ray Manzarek. After this comes “Just Look around You”, which borders on being a heavy folk tune but is backed with the heavy organ and bass emphasis again.

But then back comes the psych, this time quite heavy and extended thanks to White’s guitar and vocals on “Afternoon Out” and “More Than I Am”. These both sound a bit improvisational and hearken back to the late sixties, showing without a doubt the recent influences of several band members.

The CD reissue (unfortunately not remastered though) includes a handful of singles recorded after White left the band and was briefly replaced by Garth Watt-Roy (Living Daylights, Greatest Show on Earth, East of Eden). The production on these is a bit better, and a couple (“Double Time Woman” and “One More Hour”) were released as singles, presumably with the other two bonus tracks occupying their backsides. These are much lighter on organ, virtually devoid of bass and include horns. The sound is decidedly more AOR than the original album, and I suppose these were only included because the CD version had a lot more whitespace than the original forty minute vinyl version had.

No matter, this is a decent album that is representative of the early seventies heavy rock sound. It’s not too deep in the prog department though, but almost qualifies as proto-prog based on the various musicians’ backgrounds and it’s timing at the very end of the late sixties blues/psych musical era. Three stars and recommended as an interesting curio and as a nostalgic piece, but not as serious prog music

The band

Grahame White – vocals; electric & acoustic guitars
Mick Hawksworth - vocals; bass & classical guitars; electric cello
Roy Sharland - organ ("ducking voices" - on track 6)
Paul Francis – drums & percussion
Garth Watt Roy - Guitar, vocals (only on bonus tracks)

The Tracks

1. Time will be your doctor (5:11)
2. Mrs Prouts (6:48)
3. Just look around you (4:24)
4. Afternoon out (4:59)
5. More than I am (5:33)
6. Country boy (6:04)
7. In out time (6:41)
8. A word from bid D (1:41)

Bonus tracks which were released as singles after the album
9. Double time woman (3:00)
10. Big brass band (2:58)
11. One more hour (3:59)
12. No name face (3:03)

Total Time: 54:21




Friday, April 29, 2011

Channel 5 - 1986 - Painted nights

I post this pop rock- Aor album here because Mr. John Lawton is featured on it, at backing vocals, in almost all songs. The band is from Germany, but i haven't other informations about this Lawton's collaboration and about this band: if someone knows something about is very wellcome (the line-up too is probably incorrect)

Band members:


Jan Kreuger - Keyboards, lead vocals
Markus Krochmann - Guitars, vocals
Frank Winneberger - Bass guitar
Christian Blau - Drums
Christian Wilckens - Saxophone, vocals

John Lawton - Backing vocals


Friday, April 15, 2011

Uriah Heep - Into the Wild


Not quite sure where to start with this. 

I have been a Heep fan since 1980 (yes I was the one who bought Conquest), and the title of the blog should give you some indication of what I thought of the next album. 

I have eagerly waited for each new release like a child who is only allowed into a sweet shop every birthday, and over the years this feeling has never diminished. Ten years ago I really thought Heep had seen their day as recording artists, and we would never again see another studio album, as they seemed content just releasing live dvd's and touring. Then came Wake the Sleeper which I really thought was a great album, perhaps a bit repetitive in style but it was new Heep and all Heep is good Heep isn't it?.Well yes it is but is it good enough to stand the test of time, personally I don't think so, It was a great "comeback album" and there were a couple of tracks that I still play "What kind of God" and " Book of Lies" being a my favorites,but most of the album just leaves me cold now. so what of this new album? coming so close on the heels of Wake the Sleeper( in Heep terms anyway. 4 years is not bad)

will this album  
warm me 
or  
freeze me.

I  have had the album  now for 6 hours and am on the seventh or eighth play through and it just keeps getting better and better I don't believe there is one weak track on this . Sure some tracks are better than others but even the weakest track is far far superior to anything on the last album. This Sounds like modern Heep but they manage to capture their entire history on this. there are nods to the classic 70s line up as well as moments that could have quite easily have come off of Abominog or even Equator (listen to T- bird Angel and picture Goalby singing that one). In short this is a masterpiece and I only hope that the peers that be give them the recognition this album so deserves

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

John Lawton Band- 2000- Sympathy- Live On German TV 2000


Originally issued as "The UH live archive number 5", this is a very good audio version of a special for the German Tv with the early John Lawton Band (only one year before, they were Gunhill). The Band is very good and thr John's voice is at the top. The Highlight of this concert, in my opinion, si their version of Free Me, over fourteen minutes long, with a Santana's Jingo citation in the middle and a very beautiful bass solo by Steve Dunning. If you have not this live album, download it and enjoy yourself...


TRACKLIST:


01 - Sympathy
02 - Big Fat Money
03 - Can't get you out of my mind
04 - Tomorrow
05- Firefly
06 - Tonight
07 - Starlight Angel
08 - Still Payin' My Dues To The Blues
09 - Free Me
10 - Ride the sky


LINE-UP:

John Lawton - Lead vocals, guitar
Steve Dunning - Bass, vocals
Reuben Kane - Guitar, vocals
Justin Shefford - Drums
Roger Wilson - Keyboards


Thursday, April 7, 2011

Uriah heep - Nail on the Head

First full listen to one of the new tracks off the album "Into The Wild"

What do you think???





Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Lucifer's friend- 1973- I'm Just a Rock'N'Roll Singer


Tracklist:

01- Groovin stone
02- Closed curtains
03- Born on the run
04- Blind freedom
05- Rock'n'roll singer
06- Lonely city days
07- Mary's breakdown
08- Song for Louie


Line-up:

Peter Hecht- Keyboards
Dieter Horns- Bass, backing vocals
Peter Hesslein- Guitar, backing vocals
Joachim Reitenbach- Drums
Herbert Bornhold- Percussion
John Lawton- Lead vocals