Missionaria Protectiva

        Keyboardist Brent Mydland's arrival allowed the  Grateful Dead  to pack the entire dictionary of rock 'n' roll into their repertoire – if ever so briefly.       Mydland, who joined in 1979 only to die suddenly on July 26, 1990, brought a classic soul and R&B sound that shook away the cobwebs, courtesy of a Hammond B3 organ with spinning Leslie speaker.       Before Brent Mydland joined the Grateful Dead in April 1979, he had been playing in a band called Silver, formed with John Batforf. Silver released one record for Arista in 1976, featuring the minor hit “Wham Bam.” Silver disbanded soon after, and Mydland joined Bob Weir’s solo band. That led directly to a spot in the Grateful Dead, after Keith and Donna Godchaux's departures. GRATEFUL DEAD Reckoning Arista, 1981 https://www.sendspace.com/file/qb5dof

  STEEL MILL  Green Eyed God  (Penny Farthing,1972) - Progressive rock       A memorable hard rocking prog album by an English outfit that had some success in Germany with their first single release, but didn't stand a chance in their homeland with their record label holding back the album release for a ridiculous amount of time. It's all very English and very pastoral, although don't think of pastoral in terms of Barclay James Harvest or Spring. This taps into something much more pagan and sinister. You can definitely see why metal label Rise Above chose it for reissue. There's some haunting flute work that sounds nothing like Ian Anderson despite what a lot of other reviewers seem to say, and some excellent sax which places this up there with early Black Widow and Ginhouse as one of the better atmospheric dark prog outfits. TRACKLIST : Blood Runs Deep                          Summers Child ...

  RAGNAROK  Nooks  (Polydor,1976) - Progressive rock       This album is a real symphonic gem from the mid-70s. Ragnarok were New Zealand's premier prog group, and this record stands up with the best. It reminds me a lot of Sebastian Hardie in its lush textures and excellent guitar playing. The vocals are good, but unobtrusive and perhaps a little lacking in excitement, but I'll take on-key over exciting any day. The band had two keyboard players, who are allowed to stretch out on a number of beautiful, pastoral ballads. There's even a brief section of boogie-rock a la Status Quo, which, oddly, doesn't feel out of place. Overall, it's hard to pinpoint why this album is so appealing, but it is undoubtedly a very melodic, peaceful and engaging listening experience. TRACKLIST : Five New Years                       Waterfall / Capt. Fogg                     ...

  EAST OF EDEN  Jig-a-Jig  (Deram,1971) - Progressive rock       Jig-A-Jig is a nine-track compilation from this wonderfully enthusiastic British band, spotlighting their jovial blend of folk-rock and jazz elements. With most of the material emerging from 1970's Snafu album, East of Eden's flighty, progressive atmosphere comes to life through the mixture of flute, saxophone, and, especially, electric violin. TRACKLIST : Jig-a-Jig                        Nymphenburger                        Medley                        Northern Hemisphere                        Gum Arabic                        Isadora                  ...

  SUPERSISTER  Pudding En Gisteren  (Polydor,1972) - Progressive rock       Pudding En Gisteren is brilliant essential canterbury prog album, that makes you wish you could destroy your piano lessons for good and hoping that you could do more of this stuff forever. It is superb, wild, insane, and all-in-all mad. So if you are in the Royal Ballet training to be a ballet dancer and give the finger to your teacher, or just piss off the music majors of insanity keyboard sounds of these fine dutchmen, Go for it and once again, PLAY IT FUCKING LOUD! TRACKLIST : Radio                     Supersisterretsisrepus                     Psychopath                     Judy Goes On Holiday                     Pudding En Gisteren (Music For Ballet) https://www.sendspace.com...

  BEGGARS OPERA  Act One  (Vertigo,1970) - Progressive rock       This stuff is beautifully played, with an overall optimistic feel. Fans of the Nice, ELP, Deep Purple and roller rinks are sure to dig it. TRACKLIST : Poet And Peasant                     Passacaglia                     Memory                     Raymond's Road                     Light Cavalry https://www.sendspace.com/file/8xevoq

  PENGUIN CAFE ORCHESTRA  Broadcasting From Home  (EG,1984) - Instrumental,Avant-pop       Recorded over two years and featuring much of the same cast as the first two albums,  Broadcasting  is clearly part and parcel of   Penguin Cafe Orchestra ‘s original vision: mixing serious and non-serious instruments together into short songs that sound like sunlight in your ears. Only it’s a dappled sunlight this time, interspersed with passing clouds. A song like “Air,” featuring heavy harmonium and made of mist and lost sailors’ souls, or the stationary “White Mischief” gives the album a stilted feel suited to an E.G. artist ( Brian Eno ,  Harold Budd ). TRACKLIST : Music For A Found Harmonium                        Prelude & Yodel                        More Milk                 ...

        Before joining Iron Maiden, McBrain honed his craft by playing in various bands and working as a session drummer. His diverse experience allowed him to develop a versatile style that seamlessly fuses technical skill with power and energy.       McBrain’s drumming is characterised by his impressive technical proficiency, remarkable stamina, and ability to utilise every inch of the drum kit. His thunderous snare hits and lightning-fast tom fills have become synonymous with the powerful sound of Iron Maiden. IRON MAIDEN A Real Dead One EMI,1993 https://www.sendspace.com/file/kje61g

  SAVOY BROWN  Boogie Brothers  (Decca,1974) - Blues rock       This group has changed members more than any other group in recent history, with guitarist founder Kim Simmonds the only constant. Somehow, however, they continue to remain commercial yet sincere in their renditions of British blues. This time, with vocals shared between Stan Webb and Miller Anderson and the two also teaming with Simmonds on guitar, they have a fine combination. The three guitars work particularly well on Bo Diddley's "You Don't Love Me" and the group's "Rock 'N' Roll Star" and "Highway Blues." TRACKLIST : Highway Blues                        Me And The Preacher                        My Love's Lying Down                        You Don't Love Me                 ...

  BOB SEGER  Smokin' O.P.'s  (Palladium/Reprise,1972) - Rock       Smokin' O.P.'s ( O.P.'s is Midwestern butt-bummers' slang for Other People's)  was a fine showcase for Seger's workmanlike rock & roll approach. "Heavy Music," an original, became a huge Detroit hit. Other highlights included Seger's versions of such standards as "Bo Diddley," "Let It Rock," and "Turn on Your Lovelight." TRACKLIST : Bo Diddley                        Love The One You're With                        If I Were A Carpenter                        Hummin' Bird                        Let It Rock                        Turn On Your Lovelight           ...

  WINGS  Wild Life  (Apple,1971) - Rock       Wild Life is a world apart from Paul’s previous band. In a fantastically rebellious move, he defied expectations by making Wings’ debut a raw, brilliantly sloppy and human album that sounds a lot like freedom. The sequencing is unapologetic, starting with the wild one-two of Mumbo and Bip Bop. You quickly realise the key to appreciating Wild Life is being on board with its feel and attitude from the off. Here’s a man lauded for his melodic suss communicating by way of grunts, groove, silly voices and feedback rather than exquisitely crafted hooks and arrangements. And it’s an absolute blast. TRACKLIST : Mumbo                           Bip Bop                           Love Is Strange                           Wild Life ...

  STEVE GIBBONS BAND  Street Parade  (Polydor,1980) - Rock       Craftsmanlike 50's rock and roll. Everything is highly listenable and some cuts are a ball. Better than anything another ex-Move, rock 'n roll admirer--Roy Woods--put out in this style. Funny that all these Birmingham boys could never shake their love for Chuck Berry and Gene Vincent. TRACKLIST : A To Z                     Human Race                     Graffiti Man                     Sonny Day And The Tropics                     Blue Lagoon                     I'm A Man                     British Rock'n'Roll                     New Romance   ...

  PETE TOWNSHEND & RONNIE LANE  Rough Mix  (Polydor,1977) - Rock       Rough Mix  is a sort of double solo album by Pete Townshend and former Face Ronnie Lane. Except on two cuts, where Lane and Townshend sing together, the LP shifts between Townshend’s high, almost preteen vocal sound, and Lane’s rougher, grainier singing: innocence and experience. The combination doesn’t quite come off, but the music’s utterly idiosyncratic insistence on its own validity has its charms. There are no commercial ambitions here; rather, Townshend and Lane seem to be trying to find their places in the scheme of things, casually fooling with rock and roll to make room for themselves. TRACKLIST : My Baby Gives It Away                           Nowhere To Run                           Rough Mix              ...

        Easily the most challenging album of Alice's "solo" era, DaDa features some serious art rock vibes just below the surface, and plenty to unpack over the long haul, even if the emphasis is on 'long'. TRACKLIST : DaDa                        Enough's Enough                        Former Lee Warmer                        No Man's Land                        Dyslexia                        Scarlet And Sheba                        I Love America                        Fresh Blood                     ...

        This musically gifted ballad singer, songwriter and violinist from Los Angeles was considered to be the female face of Motown when Mary Wells left the label in 1964. Holloway’s stay instead mixed equal elements of success and frustration into a brief Motown career, which included hits produced both in her hometown and in Detroit. Signed by Berry Gordy as a teenager, Holloway grew up fast at Hitsville, but with so many of her tracks left on the shelf, she departed after one fine album and a flurry of excellent singles that also made her a cult figure on the U.K.’s discerning Mod and Northern Soul circuits.       As a songwriter Holloway is best known for “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy,” a worldwide hit for Blood, Sweat & Tears that she originated at Motown in 1967. The Very Best Of... Tamla/Motown, 1999 https://www.sendspace.com/file/d34fco

  BOB DYLAN  Infidels  (Columbiaq,1983) - Rock       An album heralded as a return from  Bob Dylan's  born-again proselytizing, the  Mark Knopfler -produced  Infidels  began  Bob Dylan's  journey back toward mainstream music making — and it may have been even better except for some last-minute tinkering.       Luckily, the final track listing included the stand-out song "Jokerman," which found Dylan using themes both Biblical and secular to tear down political charlatans. Or was it a dark reflection on Judaism? A rumination on false messiahs? A cutting indictment of his own career missteps?       Such are the enduring mysteries of classic Dylan, the singer-songwriter’s wild card. In a way, that makes  Infidels ,  the earliest indication of the long-hoped-for bounce-back moment that would finally coalesce into the '90s. TRACKLIST : Jokerman       ...

  JONI MITCHELL  Ladies Of The Canyon  (A&M,1970) - Folk rock       Joni Mitchell writes some of the finest tunes around and matches their flowing hesitancy with her enduring epiphanies and modern parables. Her clever inner rhymes and stylized satire have been around for years—recall Tom Rush's "Circle Game" and Judy Collins' "Both Sides Now"? Ably matched here by "For Free," "Conversation" and the already CSNYed "Woodstock," not to mention the elusive "The Priest" or the incisive "Ladies of the Canyon" and seven other enigmatic, poetic word-journeys that move from taxis to windows to whiskey bars to boots of leather and racing cars. Plus the fact that Joni has now mastered the piano to the point where she employs it rather than guitar on nearly half the cuts—she plays it shrilly with a lot of echo and lingering notes, giving certain songs even more dimension and wideness. Other innovations this time out ...

  KIKI DEE  Kiki Dee  (Rocket,1977) - Pop,Soft rock       For me, Kiki’s best album, with a solid set of songs, top-notch production and excellent singing throughout. High point is the barn-storming album-closer “First Thing in the Morning,” another Bias Boshell composition which should have been a much bigger hit. Features a guest appearance from members of Electric Light Orchestra on her version of Robert Palmer’s “How Much Fun.” TRACKLIST: How Much Fun                    Sweet Creation                    Into Eternity                    Standing Room Only                    Bad Day Child                    Chicago                    Night Hours     ...

  MARILYN MARTIN This Is Serious  (Atlantic,1988) - Pop rock       She's famous for her 1985 duet with Phil Collins, but the singer has also worked with Stevie Nicks, Joe Walsh, Tom Petty, and Madonna before giving up show business to become a real estate agent. TRACKLIST : Possessive Love                          This Is Serious                          The Best Is Yet To Come                          Quiet Desperation                          Lay Me Down                          Love Takes No Prisoners                          Try Me             ...