GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR!

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I have wanted to do a post on this band since i started the blog but as i was so concerned with rarities and putting things on here that were hard to find i never did get round to it but under my new blog rules of "Anything Goes!!" here we have it...Godspeed You Black Emperor are an anything up to 12 piece instrumental band revolving round a core of about 5 musicians utilizing guitars, drums, bass, percussion, violin, cello and many more instruments, found sounds and field recordings to create a sound that is stunningly beautiful, sometimes bleak and occasionally terrifying! I have been a fan since their first vinyl album back in 1997.

When I lived in Manchester I was lucky enough to have a local record shop in Withington called Pop Art run by a very friendly Cypriot fella called Nick whose knowledge of the most obscure fringes of music was unsurpassed. He stocked everything from the most obscure dub reggae re-issues to imported Japanese noise CD's with no English text on them whatsoever (A typical Pop Art Conversation with Nick would go like this,"Nick - whats this?" , "I dunno it's in Japanese but it's dead good!" ) and the vibe of the shop was such that anything you wanted to hear was no trouble at all and i used to spend hours in there checking stuff out, shooting the breeze and having endless cups of tea with Nick and listening to lots of crazy music! Anyway.. I had heard a lot of talk about this amazing new band from Canada and i was desperate to hear them but had no way of finding their album as it was very poorly distributed and it's original pressing was a really small number like 1000 copies maybe? but one day browsing the racks in Pop Art I came across the album pictured below it's hand made sleeve with a bleak black and white photo of a water tower along with the burgundy card used for the sleeve the hand embossed logo and no information or clues to it's contents had me intrigued i couldn't read the embossed text so i took it out of the plastic and read "Godspeed You..." (unsurprisingly Nick had just ordered it on a whim) with an excited gasp I handed over my money and practically ran home!

F#A#~ (GYBE Debut album on vinyl)

When i got home and excitedly placed the needle on the record and I have to say on first listen i was a bit disappointed with this album I had heard comparisons to Mogwai and other "post rock" type bands I was into and this was nothing like anything of that genre i had heard what disappointed me was the lack of drums/percussion throughout most of the album, but after repeated listens I began to like it a little more but was still not really convinced, but the story of this album does not end there.. a few months later Kranky records from Chicago one of my favorite labels at the time picked up the album for a beter distributed CD issue the original vinyl version had been taken back to the studio remastered and remixed some parts removed and a whole heap of new music added (To illustrate the difference the vinyl version clocks in at 39 minutes the CD version at 59 minutes) although the majority of the original vinyl version had been retained it had been put together with the new parts in such a way that it gave the album a completely new sound and feel it was at this point i "got it" the CD version of the album just floored me I played it to death for ages and still listen to it repeatedly to this day! (I have uploaded both the vinyl and CD versions so you can draw your own comparisons)

I don't wish to be a cop-out here but in the case of this band this really is music that is like a soundtrack for a lost movie the scope of the songs have a feel of wide open spaces and deserted highways like a road trip through some vast expanses of land such as you'd find in rural America or outback Australia. The Ennio Morricone style guitar work and achingly gorgeous strings entwined with the sparse percussion and various other instruments used to build the songs to bombastic conclusions over the longer pieces, linked together with the use of eerie effects, bowed guitars and general instrumental experimentation to create a sound that just envelops and capitvates you completely whilst it would seem the kind of music you would put on in the background the sheer heart breaking beauty of this music commands your full attention.

I honestly feel that the descriptions above really do cover anything else that i could say that would do this band justice I've been sat here listening to them whilst I type this and I feel that my opinion would be biased because I have a deep love of their music their independent ethos the fact they are a self contained unit and record and release their music themselves and design and (in the early days) HAND MAKE (!) their own releases and operate almost completely outside the music biz but have still managed to gain massive popularity and influence endear them to me a lot and also it's utterly impossible with my limited vocabulary to do the music justice in words. So here's some info you may need to know when downloading and some interesting facts...

The CD of the 1st album "F#A#∞" (Which is musical notation for Fades Into Infinity) contains a hidden track "J.L.H. Outro" which fades in some 20 minutes after the end of the 3rd piece but in my file here i have separated it from the last piece and added it as a separate track as I owned the CD for 6 months before i found out it was even on there (I read a magazine review of a live show and it said the opened with the hidden track from the first album and i thought "HEY! what hidden track?")

The vinyl version of the first album that i have presented here fades into a locked groove on the vinyl at the end of side 2 that repeats until you lift the needle so when i recorded it i let that run for a bit and then faded it out.

1999 EP "Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada" has 2 tracks but clocks in at near 30 minutes parts of both tracks have been used in various TV Programs and documentaries but most famously was used (along with parts of the first album) in apocalyptic "zombie" film "28 Days Later" and in my opinion is some of their finest work.

3rd album "Yanqui U.X.O." was a double album released in 2002 produced by Steve Albini and was the last thing they would release the band being on indefinite hiatus until 2012.

During the hiatus and whilst Godspeed were still going members were involved in various other projects their drummer did an album under the name of 1-Speed Bike where he cuts up and loops his own beats and creates some truly interesting music, various members were also involved in Exhaust a sorta Post Rock Drum'N'Bass type band, Guitarist Efrim Manuel Menuck has done a solo album which is really good but most well known of the projects is Silver Mt. Zion (and the many variations on that name) who have done a staggering 6 albums and 2 EP's if you like the music here i suggest you seek them out! However Godspeed returned in 2012 with a brand new album " Allelujah Don't bend Ascend!" Which after the success and long standing career of Silver Mt. Zion was such an unexpected and welcome return and an album that shows in their 9 year absence that no momentum has been lost and "Allelujah..." Is some of their finest work!

So onto the files I have uploaded the 4 albums and their EP  for you plus their John Peel Session and a split 7" with Fly Pan Am they did for Amazine magazine. what you need to know about these guys is on the first album and second albums that they do not split their music up into individual tracks, on the first album there are 3 movements consisting of individual pieces that all meld together within each movement into a cohesive whole, each movement has a title then several subtitles which is a bit confusing, on second album "Lift Your Skinny Fists..." which is a double vinyl and double CD there are 4 movements. on the 3rd and 4th albums and on the EP there are individual tracks. the John Peel Session is one long track exclusive to that session and on the split 7" obviously there is only one short track. I prefer to just disregard the track list altogether and just listen to the music however should you wish to check it out you'll get the full breakdown for 1st album "F#A#~" HERE and for 2nd album  "Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven" HERE I have put the track from the split 7" in the file with the John Peel Session to save on too many links as it's only a 5 min song. All the Albums and EP are ripped from my own CD's at 320kbps the Peel session and split 7" are from net downloads.

So here you have the near complete discography of one of the most unique, wonderful and utterly enthralling bands to ever grace this planet the influence of Godspeed You Black Emperor cannot be understated their unique style has influenced a whole generation of bands and completely changed the face of post rock music and underground music in general  since they appeared Think I'm overstating? check out bands such as Explosions In The Sky & Canyons Of Static The latter took their name from one of the pieces on Godspeed's "Lift Your Skinny Fists..." album! Also since Godspeed came along SO many bands have started introducing strings fashioned in the Godspeed style in all forms of underground music from crust to rock!

I can't say enough good things about this band if you have not heard them get going and d/l immediately because if this music does not move you you might as well give up your hearing or go watch x factor they are just beyond amazing! ENJOY...

F#A#~ (Vinyl) - Mediafire

F#A#~ (CD) - Mediafire

Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada EP - Mediafire

Lift Your Skinny FistsLike Antennas To Heaven  - Disc 1 - Mediafire

Lift Your Skinny FistsLike Antennas To Heaven  - Disc 2 - Mediafire

Yanqui U.X.O. - Mediafire

Peel Session & Split 7" - Mediafire

Allelujah Don't Bend Ascend - Mediafire

*UPDATE* Just responded to a comment on this post and realised I had Godspeed latest album uploaded to be added to this post so to save me having to write a big blurb about it I decided to just throw the link in here for you guys so that everything is on here so here you go folks Godspeed's 2015 album "Asunder,Sweet And Other Distress" It's a new GYBE! album you don't need me to tell you what it's like obviously it's GREAT! enjoy....

Asunder... - Mediafire

JOY DIVISION

So I haven't done a big discography post for quite a while so I thought this would be a good one.

Joy Division were undoubtedly one of THE most important bands of the 20th century I can't claim to be their longest standing fan but since their music came into my life I have been profoundly effected by it. I came to Joy Division in the late 90's after reading an interview with Neurosis preceding the release of their album "Times Of Grace" in it they listed the bands that were the most important to them in the forming of their band, their sound and the creation of their music and among those were Joy Division. Now I was not completely unaware of them I mean who hasn't heard "Love Will Tear Us Apart" ? But I had always put them down as being music for goths and in the same vein as The Mission or Sisters Of Mercy and left them there, but after the Neurosis piece I decided they bore some investigation and just so happened that I was working in an HMV store at the time and there were a TON of copies of their "Heart And Soul" 4CD boxset on sale dirt cheap (I think I ended up paying about £7 or £8 with my staff discount) so I thought in for a penny might as well get the whole works in one go! I got home put the first CD on and the opening track "Digital" started and my mind was blown that bass line those glacial guitars those rich deep and urgent vocals... I could spend a paragraph or more just describing the beauty of their music but if you're new to this band I will leave you to experience it for your self if you are not then YOU get it....From then on in I was a HUGE fan Subsequently I've done Joy Division covers in bands I have been in and they are most definitely one of my biggest musical influences and one of my favorite bands.

I have resisted doing a post on Joy Division because such a great and tragic story deserves better literary dexterity than I can muster plus their enduring popularity ensures that every inch of their recorded works has been explored to death however I wanted to this post for several reasons not only because they are a great band but also because I just really wanted to a Joy Division post of my own! However let's do a very quick potted history although I find it hard to believe that anyone coming to this blog would be unaware of this band and their story, however, stranger things have happened..

Joy Division began life in the Manchester area as Stiff Kittens briefly, before changing the name to Warsaw then assuming the Joy Division name in 1977, the line up was, from Stiff Kittens through to the end of Joy Division....

Ian Curtis - Vocals (And occasional guitar)
Stephen Morris - Drums & Percussion
Bernard Sumner - Guitar (and occasional keyboards)
Peter Hook - Bass

Warsaw recorded one demo in 1977 and it gets a little confusing here because Joy Division's vinyl debut "An Ideal For Living" EP was actually recorded 6 months before and wasn't released until 2 months after a full album was recorded for  RCA records at Arrow studios Manchester allegedly still under the name Warsaw, however the aborted RCA album never saw release officially except for a selection of tracks on the "Heart And Soul" box set and these RCA/ Arrow sessions have been credited to both Joy Division and Warsaw so for the sake of argument let's say that this RCA recording was the transitional period from Warsaw to Joy Division and leave it there! So Warsaw became Joy Division and in June 1978 self released the aforementioned "An Ideal For Living" EP using money borrowed from Ian & his wife Deborah's joint account for the recording and pressing of the EP (The 7" suffered from atrocious sound quality due to a bad pressing it was subsequently reissued as a 12" with a different sleeve on the insistence of Rob Gretton when he took over as their manager). After a famous incident of Ian confronting celebrity and TV Presenter Tony Wilson at a Factory Club night they made their debut TV appearance on North West Television's "Granada Reports" Wilson then subsequently signed them to his fledgling Factory records label and their first appearance for Factory was 2 tracks on the double 7" label compilation "A Factory Sample" the tracks contributed were "Digital"  and "Glass"


I had to stop myself there I had started to go into a very "dry" history of Joy Division's studio work there. Before i realized what I had started I was 4 paragraphs in! I decided to delete all that as whilst I could have continued with this it was not my intention with this post. There are many meticulously researched and documented Joy Division pages online if you are a bit of a trainspotter like me i recommend this one....

http://www.joydivisiondata.co.uk/joyd_home.html

It is absolutely ruthless in it's pursuit of pure facts and information about Joy Division and is a JD fans dream.There's also a great print version along with some great writings a complete set of lyrics and studio sessions, TV appearances etc contained in the large booklet that comes with the "Heart & Soul" box set, this is where a good portion of the material posted here is sourced from and though not a 100% complete works for the non-obsessive fan this set is everything you need and you can pick it up for a very reasonable price and less than the cost of buying everything separately at most online retailers.

So backing up a bit..Joy Division spent the remainder of their career with Rob Gretton as manager and Tony Wilson's Factory records they released a slew of excellent non album singles and 2 stunning albums "Unknown Pleasures" & "Closer" for the label. However Ian Curtis was diagnosed with severe epilepsy in January 1979 and as well as full Grand Mal seizures was suffering severe side effects  from his epilepsy medication, on the 18th of May 1980 2 months before the release of 2nd album "Closer" and on the eve of Joy Division's first American tour He chose to take his own life by hanging himself in the kitchen of the home he had shared with his estranged wife Deborah.The remaining 3 members of the band decided to carry on under the name New Order whose first single "Ceremony/In A Lonely Place" (1981) were songs originally written and performed as Joy Division, the rest is history.

I am not going to go into the tragedy of such a talented and young guy choosing suicide (Curtis was a mere 23 when he took his own life almost half my age!!) Nor am I going to go into any more history about the brief career of this band I shall let the links and the music within them do the talking. Aside from the website I mentioned if you want to know more about the band I recommend the book "Touching From A Distance" by his wife Deborah Curtis and the 2007 Documentary "Joy Division" which has great in depth interviews and anecdotes and a huge amount of extras from the remaining members and people who were around the band at the time.

So moving swiftly onward I shall now breakdown your links for you as that's what we are here for! Now first off I am not a collector of unofficial live recordings nor am i much into official live recordings but to my knowledge the ones I present here are the officially released ones, that aside I think this is, without sounding too conceited, an aficionado's Joy Division discography i have spent many hours poring over their discography and breaking it down so hopefully the way i have done this and what's presented that maybe the hardcore Joy Division fans won't burn me in the comments :-) I have added pictures of the various Joy Division releases below their artwork was in most cases done by Factorys in house artist Peter Saville and I feel the artwork especially in the case of their 2 albums is an essential part of the package.

So let's begin.....

Warsaw

This link contains the self titled bootleg (although it is not an official release it is available to buy on CD online at some retailers like amazon) This contains the 4 track Warsaw demo and as far as I can tell the full aborted RCA album session I mention above. The demo is fairly decent quality but this is when the band were still being heavily influenced by punk and had not yet formed the unique sound they are known for, The same can be said for the RCA session whilst not as raw and frenetic as the demo it still wears that punk influence squarely on it's shoulders though it was never released as a recording of band still finding their feet it easily stands up against any other punk/post punk album from the era and why it has never been officially released i don't know .All though many of these songs would later materialize as some of the Joy Division classics we know and love these versions are dramatically different. The sound quality of this recording is great and I am glad it has been released officially or not because although there was every chance this album may have been Joy Division's debut album had the RCA deal come to fruition I wonder if their career would have gone to the lofty heights it did or their legacy would be as powerful had it been their debut?

Joy Division

Singles etc.

Ok so first of the JD links I am not going to break down and describe each one here's what's in there....

"A Factory Sample" (Their 2 tracks from the Comp)

"An Ideal For Living" EP

"Genetic Records Demo" (4 of the 5 tracks the version of "Digital" from this session has yet to see release)

"Komakino" Flexi 7" (3 Tracks recorded during the "Closer" sessions and given away as a free flexi)

"Licht Und Blindheit" 7" (Contains both tracks from thew 7" plus a bonus track from the session "Ice Age" so this is the full recording session)

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" (This folder contains the 5 tracks from both sessions from Strawberry and Penine Studios including both versions of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" "She's Lost Control" (12" Version) plus "These Days" and "Sound Of Music")

"Transmission Sessions" (This contains 2 tracks from the first session at Central Sound Studio Manchester plus the 2 tracks from the 7" that were recorded at a 2nd session at Strawberry Studios Stockport The Central Sound Versions of "Transmission" & "Novelty" have never seen release)

"Final Songs" (These are rehearsal versions and the only known recorded versions of  "Ceremony" & "In A Lonely Place" (aside from a live version on the 2nd disc of "Still") performed by Joy Division these were the last songs written by Joy Division and the first recorded by New Order these were released on a 12" backed with the New Order versions for a Record Store Day)

Radio Sessions

This contains Both of their John Peel Sessions plus the 2 live tracks performed on the BBC program "Something Else" (these were all released together on the "Complete BBC Sessions" CD) plus four of the 5 tracks recorded for a Piccadilly Radio (Manchester) session in 1979 "Atrocity Exhibition" from this session has never been released)

Unknown Pleasures (Remastered & Expanded)

So i should not need to describe this album to anyone if you are not aware of this album then it is something you sorely need in your life while the band themselves say Martin Hannet's production gave the album an ambiance and a darkness that was not intended by the band but it's this very production that works hand in hand with their amazing music to give it it's well deserved iconic status and while both their albums are masterful in their own right this one is my personal pick and in my opinion the very definition of the band and their sound.
Some of you may know that in 2008 these albums were given the "Deluxe Edition" treatment remastered and bolstered with a second live disc however I was slightly disappointed as during the "Unknown Pleasures" session 15 tracks were recorded of which the band selected 10 for the album and of the remaining 5 out takes some saw release on the compilation "Still" and then all 5 were added to the "Unknown Pleasures" disc of the "Heart & Soul" box I thought with it being a deluxe edition it would have made sense to add the 5 tracks from the session to the album disc?? but then who would buy "Still" or "Heart & Soul"?? Pretty fuckin crude marketing if you ask me so to remedy this here I present you with the remastered deluxe edition to which I have added the other 5 tracks to the album making it the complete session plus you get a really good decent quality (tho slightly rough and distorted) Live set from the Factory Manchester on the 13 June 1979.

Le Baines Douches

A live offering from Fractured Music Archives though I believe it has band and label approval but i could be wrong, Tracks are selected from 3 shows Paris, Amsterdam And Eindhoven 1979 & 1980 during a European tour this album is much maligned for fans firstly because apparently the sound quality is unsatisfactory and secondly for selecting from 3 shows rather than giving the full live set from the Paris gig (which takes up the majority of the disc 9 tracks from Paris 3 from Amsterdam and 4 from Eindhoven) Whilst the Paris show is the best quality of the 3 the other 2 Dutch shows sounding like well polished audience recordings I find this to be an acceptable live disc though i do think that releasing the full Paris show would have been the best option as the whole concert was recorded for French radio and has (as legend tells) been broadcast in it's entirety on a few occasions so I'm sure a master tape and some bootlegs exist! It's a decent listen and above average live performance and worth having.

Live Preston 28/2/80 

Another live release from Fractured Music Archives and is intended as a companion disc to "Les Baines Douches" falling as it does only a few weeks after the Eindhoven tracks on that album and in my opinion this is a far superior set firstly because this time (as far as my research can tell) you get the full live set and it's a decent raw high energy set from these guys who i guess even though Ian would have been at the height of his illness this would have been Joy Division live at their peak with much live and studio work under their belt! It's a really enjoyable live set and everyone is in fine form (though the intro to "Disorder" is rather sloppy) all in all this as good a live set as you're gonna get.

Closer (Remastered & Expanded)

 Joy Divisions second and final album it's a masterpiece and shows some REAL progression as though they wrote many new and amazing songs on this album there was no real gems left in their back catlog to draw from and after a couple of years touring and honing their craft well I can't tell you how stunning this album is it's something you have to experience for yourself the sheer heights of drama and beauty this album produces over it's 9 tracks is beyond my powers of description.
So technical details.. Here we have the second of 3 Remastered deluxe editions this time I have not added anything myself as i did for "Unknown Pleasures" as though they recorded 12 tracks at this session the three remaining tracks not on the album were released as the "Komakino" flexi and that is presented in it's entirely in the Singles Etc. link.Again expanded with a bonus live disc containing a show from University Of London Union 8/2/80 which falls after the Paris and Dutch shows and precedes the Preston one and again it's as good a live recording as any of these though maybe a little better than the Paris show but not as full on as the Preston disc it is definitely a worthwhile addition with a great set list.

Still (Remastered & Expanded)

The 3rd and so far last expanded edition to be released here we have the compilation "Still" the first of many JD compilations....The studio portion of this album is a little redundant after the other stuff I have included here however I decide that if you like me are used to listening to an album for many years in it's original running order then to slice off 1/3 (of this set anyway) would be sacrilege! This remastered and expanded edition not only includes the Live set that was one half of the original album and what turned out to be Joy Divisions final show (High Hall, Birmingham University 2/5/80 a mere 5 weeks before Ian Curtis suicide) it is expanded with a further live set from The Town Hall, High Wycombe 20/2/80 both these sets are great quality and again worthy additions to the JD fans collection! While the first part of "Still" containing what at the time was unreleased studio material however there is one curiosity on there a live cover of Velvet Underground's "Sister Ray" recorded Live At The Moonlight Club, London 3/4/80 and is definitely worth hearing.
I have broken Still into 3 parts from it's 2 discs Part 1 is the studio stuff plus the live "Sister Ray" part 2 is the Birmingham show Part 3 the High Wycombe show hope that it makes sense to you I have done it this way and when you transfer the files to your choice of media player the album will still run in it's intended original order.

Martin Hannett's Personal Mixes

Well this unofficial (?) release contains some interesting curiosities I have added it here for the curious and the the completist's this is a selection of tracks, samples, alternative versions and mixes of various Joy Division tracks (mainly "The Eternal" and "Decades") apparently these are personal mixes done by Martin Hannett for his own pleasure along with snippets of his recording of the Lift famously sampled on "Unknown Pleasures" snippets of studio dialogue from Hannett and a short interview with Steven Morris and Ian Curtis closing out the disc. It's an interesting set of mixes if they were really done by Hannett it is pretty interesting to hear what he has done with these mixes though obviously the band did not agree, whilst there is a fair amount of guff on here the actual alternative mixes of songs rather than the bit's and pieces in between are definitely great listening I have not been living with their music as long as I'm sure many of you have and even i can see the big difference in these alternate versions and mixes.An enjoyable if not essential addendum to the back catalog.

So that's it that's my entire joy Division collection laid out for you here in what i feel is the best way! I'm sure there will be many who will take issue with how I've done it and yeah a lot of this is just me organizing the mess that is the "Heart And Soul" box set but a lot of it is not! There are a few omissions here obviously the missing tracks from various sessions i have already mentioned and I'm sure there are some obsessives out there sitting on them but in most cases these are just repeats of tracks that have been recorded several times so personally I'm happy with what I have here and i hope in my small way that I have managed to do this band justice, without them the face of alternative music and many other forms of music would be completely different, their influence is felt today and for a band with a mere 3 year career 2 albums and a handful of singles to still be exerting interest and influence some 36 years since they ended is testament to the strength and beauty of the music they created. I'm sure my comments and inbox will light up with many more long term and astute Joy Division obsessives correcting my no doubt many factual errors feel free to go ahead and pick this post apart I full expect it when I'm doing a post on a band held in such high reverence but i like to think that in my heavy handed and clumsy way that my sheer love of this music will be obvious and I have done my best to not cover old ground better covered elsewhere.

I hope some of you find enjoyment from reading this and downloading the music and I hope somewhere along the line this post may reach someone somewhere who have not heard this band and they can have the same profound experience i did upon discovering this band and the surprise that despite popular opinion they weren't actually a goth band after all!

WARSAW

Demo & RCA UNR. LP - Mediafire

JOY DIVISION

Singles Etc. - Mediafire

Radio Sessions - Mediafire

Unknown Pleasures (Remastered & Expanded) - Mediafire

Les Bains Douches (Live Paris & Eindhoven) - Mediafire

Live Preston - Mediafire

Closer (Remastered & Expanded) - Mediafire

Still (Remastered & Expanded) - Mediafire

Martin Hannett's Personal Mixes - Mediafire

PARCHMAN FARM

Parchman Farm I came across by virtue of  them featuring Eric Shea pre - Hot Lunch (See my post on them HERE ) and after Caning all the Hot Lunch stuff I was thirsting for more of the same, enter Parchman Farm. They were a short lived band they only released one self titled EP and then posthumously a second EP entitled "Lost Tapes" a total of 10 tracks and that's all she wrote.

I decided to do this post on this band because, firstly I found it ridiculously hard to find anything to download by this band to the point I ended up having to buy the EP and pay for an EXPENSIVE download of the "Lost Tapes" EP and secondly because this band were TOO good to languish in relative obscurity!
Now even though they have Eric Shea fronting them their pedigree does not end there members Carson Binks and Allyson Baker have played and do play in such great bands as Dirty Ghosts, Wild Eyes (S.F.) And Saviours to name but a few so as you can guess these guys are pretty talented and well schooled at rocking!

Obviously having a vocalist who has gone on to another band it's impossible to not draw comparisons especially as Parchman Farm are drawing from a similar musical palette as Hot Lunch, however what separates the 2 distinctly as while still having a warm and vintage sound these guys sound is drawing deep from the blues! Whilst still having plenty of rocking tunes there's a more laidback approach here which makes for a great listen peppered with harmonica and plenty of great guitar work! There's also some great vocals especially the dual vocals from Allyson Baker & Eric Shea in there that just reeks of those great 60's and 70's rock bands and there's sleazy riffing by the bucketload the kind that just makes you smile and screw up your face in approval! I can't see how anyone couldn't love these great tunes and it's a shame they didn't record more!

I'm sorry to say there's not a lot more I can tell you about this great but short lived band except that i rate them highly and you should check them out and I'm glad I can now put this on here for everyone rather than you having to spend hours and a wad of cash to obtain these outstanding tunes!

Parchman Farm & Lost Tapes EP's - Mediafire

HOT LUNCH

*NOTE* Due to a polite and reasonable request from a member of the band I have removed the links for their s/t debut which you can pick up from iTunes and the free "House Of Whispers" EP (I have replaced it with a link to their bandcamp page) it has always been my blog policy to remove links when given a reasonable request to do so.if you like the Slappy Sunday EP which is still here for free the go BUY the debut and "House Of Whispers" and show them some support.


These guys were probably one of the best things I discovered last year though their debut album was originally released in 2013 I only bothered to check them out as I had discovered that i was liking a lot of stuff on Tee Pee records (Check them out their website HERE their history goes back to 1993 and pretty much all my favorite music in the last 2 years has been released by these guys) and they were among the last i checked out as i didn't like the sound of the description!! Time to kick myself these are one of the hottest rocking bands I have ever heard!

Taking their cues from all the best music and bands they love from the 60's and 70's they have elements of psych, stoner,70's rock and all built round a hot rockin' garage rock sound! top that with a vocalist who can utterly wail and is not afraid to let loose with a blood curdling scream now and again and has definitely been listening to some classic MC5! Every song on their debut is 100% essential they can be barreling along at a good pace and then drop you into a beautiful psychedelic passage for a couple of bars before heading into a blistering solo and back to the rocking and to say these guys can play is an understatement they have such a tight well practised sound and the production is just perfect warm analog and vintage sounding but sharp as a tack! It's not all four to the floor rocking take the centrepiece of the album the near 8 minute "Lady Of The Lake" equal parts Led Zep, Prog Rock, 60's Rock, building to a massive climax and ending with a spoken word piece over some deft bass plucking and building to another climax before closing along with the rest of this amazing album this song will just leave you stunned! One of the things these guys really have a grasp of how to build a song up and when to hit it hard and when to ease it back and they do thito perfection! Whilst these guys obviously look to the past for influence, I hear so many great artists of the 60's and 70's in their sound but whilst you go wow that sounds like.... it's the feel and the sound of the music rather than any kind of riff stealing I have never heard anything else like this band their combination of sounds and styles is completely and utterly compulsive I am actually listening to the album as i type and it is the first time in a few months because I was playing it to death for almost a whole year and had to stop myself from listening to it because I feared sickening myself of it! I want to get up and boogie every time i hear this album it's just SO fucking good!

Their recent "House Of Whispers" mini Album and their "Slappy Sundays" EP (which was given away free under the wing of Scion A/V who have championed a lot of this kind of music not bad for a car company!! Go check them out HERE a little rooting around will find you a ton of freebies) The 5 Track  "House Of Whispers" is also a killer listen whilst the guitars are a little more fuzzy and the production isn't as warm (not bad production as such just not quite as vintage sounding as the album and that is NO complaint) the songs are just as amazing and well written and the syncopated bridge of the "Ballad Of Heckler Hill" reminds me of "Pink Elephants On Parade" from the Dumbo movie and is so fucking COOL!  "Slappy Sundays" continues in the same HIGH standard as the rest and has killer tune after killer tune opener "Slappy Sunday" is an uptempo garage tribute to the skateboarding these guys obviously love so much! "Expectations" reeks of classic Who mixed with some great 60's pop melodies and it just continues from there!

I can't say enough good things about these guys they are infinitely talented in both their musicianship and their ability to create utterly amazing songs that memorable and just stunningly good yet they seem to be one of the best kept secrets in rock 'n' roll they have 5,558 likes on their facebook page which i think is ridiculous they should be playing venues to crowds that size never mind that being the majority of their fan base! i suppose that's the way of the world talentless bands who write derivative fucking mental baby food rocket to popularity whilst bands with serious chops and great songs languish in the underground! Here's hoping that this post might go some way to remedying that because these guys deserve to be heard by more than 5- 10,000 people they've obviously worked hard at what they do! Anyways one thing I've not said about this band is on top of all the other things I've said this is most definitely "Feel Good" music and conjures up sunny days and positive vibes so go get this album out and feel the involuntary response of a wide grin creep up on your face!

House Of Whispers - Bandcamp (Pay Download)

Slappy Sundays EP - Mediafire

Facebook Page - HERE

THE RUTS AND HENRY ROLLINS LIVE LONDON 2007

So some of you maybe familiar with The Ruts but i find it surprising how many times I mention this band to people with good taste in music and they say they know their biggest hit "Babylons Burning" but that's about it! The Ruts in my opinion were one of the finest bands from the original late 70's era of Punk and are easily the equal of their more famous contemporaries like The Clash, Pistols etc. The Ruts however did have some bad luck they fired their singer due to his drug addiction and he died soon after of a heroin overdose, they continued through the 80's and to this day as Ruts DC with a more dub orientated sound.

Henry Rollins has made no secret of his love for The Ruts and has talked about them often in his spoken word shows, so when guitarist Paul Fox was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 2007 and they decided to do one last benefit gig for Fox's family and cancer research and who else could they ask to step in on vocals but one Henry Rollins, their no 1 fan! So having got together to rehearse the set on 16th July 2007 they played a short set (Due to Fox's ill health) in Islington London which was documented on DVD but what I was surprised that there was no audio of this ever released so I took upon myself to find the video of the whole set and make an audio version, now it turned out OK however it's lacking a little in bottom end and Rollins vocals are a bit too high in the mix all in all it sounds like a VERY high end audience recording or a decent soundboard tape however this is a moment in music that can never be repeated and deserves documenting.

So I was going to do a longer write up, but on the subsequent spoken word tours Rollins did after this a portion of his set to talking about his love of The Ruts and also talk about the experience of this collaboration so rather than bore you with my words though it has never been officially released I have managed to get audio of Rollins talk on The Ruts and I have enclosed that this in the file.

So below you will find the full Ruts set with Rollins on vocals plus the whole section of spoken word that Rollins did about the experience all in one file so what I would suggest you do is kick back with a coffee or something listen to the spoken word part and then listen to the set, both are a GREAT listen because what better way to hear the story than from the man himself he was there after all and if you know Rollins you will know he is the MASTER of documentation and it's an  entertaining, funny and tragic tale well worth 40 minutes of your time! 

The Ruts were a phenomenal band dogged by tragedy and I feel they never really got their "shot" at success because of this they wrote great tunes had great musicians in the band and it really is an utter shame that a few studio recordings some singles and one album is all that they left as their legacy and I strongly recommend, if you have not already, that you check out their album "The Crack" it's a stone cold fucking classic! I'm really glad Paul Fox got one last chance to play with the band in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd and for his peers as well! So go enjoy an earful of Rollins and a set of great tunes from The Ruts with Hank singing because i doubt you will find this unique little package of music and words anywhere else! R.I.P. Paul Fox & Malcolm Owen.

ROLLINS & THE RUTS - Mediafire

BUY the DVD - HERE (All profits go to charity)

DJ SHADOW

*NOTE* an astute reader alerted me to the fact that "Entropy" was missing from the "B-Sides & Remixes" link I have no idea how that happened and as it's an essential piece of Shadow's work I have re-inserted "Entropy" and re uploaded the whole pack for you all so the new link is up below...."

I have wanted to do a post on this guy since the beginning of the blog and though I post a lot of punk/metal etc many of my favorite artists lie outside that small scene and to me just listening to one kind of music is like going to the worlds biggest buffet table and just eating Bread!

I first came across DJ Shadow in 1996 when I was working at a Virgin records store he had just released his debut album "Endtroducing" and I picked it up because this new scene of music known as "Trip Hop" was just starting to gain some traction and I had heard the recent Portishead and Massive Attack albums and heard something new in these bands I really liked a lot so when I read about this album I REALLY wanted to check it out Initially I didn't really like it, I had little experience of Instrumental music at that time and it just seemed a bit like background music without any lyrics/vocals to focus on, so I shelved it for a while.However some more astute friends when visiting would request it played and the more I heard it the more i realized this was a work of sheer genius and that was really the beginning of my infatuation with that mid 90's - early 00's Instrumental hip hop beats which i still love to this day!

DJ Shadow has not really been the most prolific of artists as far as albums are concerned having only done 4 actual albums in his over 25 year career however for the sake of this post I am mainly going to concentrate on the era from 1991 - 2000 although some of the recordings fall well outside of that date it's mainly this era we are dealing with as whilst I'm a fan of pretty much all the music he has done he has always progressed his music forward throughout the years and tried to main contemporary and unique whilst in most cases this is great I feel it's early sample based work that is rooted in hip hop and DJ culture and it's the stuff I like the best and wanted to share here.

DJ Shadow began experimenting with beats and hip hop whilst still in high school using a 4 track recorder for these early experiments but his work would not see a vinyl release until 1991 (*NOTE* A self released cassette called "Hip Hop Reconstruction From The Ground Up" was his official first release and was released by Shadow in 1991 in order to gain some promotion for his work I do have a copy of this but it has more of the feel of a radio mix and the sound quality is a little tinny but anyone who would like it posting comment and I can upload it) His first appearance on vinyl was a remix of the track "Real Deal" by rap artists Lifers Group backed with his original composition "Lesson 4" and in 1992 he contributed production work and his unique scratching style to the album "Sleeping With The Enemy" By rapper Paris.However despite building a name and various production work and remixing it would not be until 1994 when Shadow came to the attention of James Lavelle the man behind UNKLE and the then fledgling jazz breaks/hip hop label Mo Wax Records that the ball would really start rolling for Shadow as an artist. His debut for the label "In/Flux" backed with "Hindsight" which would be credited to DJ Shadow & The Groove Robbers (The Groove Robbers being his nickname for his turntables at the time) This epic 12 min piece would basically lay the foundations for what would become known as "Trip Hop" forever, there were several more stunning 12"'s & EP releases leading up to the release of his debut album including a version of most famous track "Midnight In A Perfect World". During the time period being covered with this post there would also be a lot of collaborations with the Solesides label & artist collective who later became Quannum projects whose more well known exponents are Blackalicious, Latyrx & Gift Of the Gab.

DJ Shadow has a long and interesting history with hip hop & beat making and I know I've said this before there are many better more thoroughly researched articles online that you can read as well as http://djshadow.com/ which has vast archives and detailed discographies of his work as a producer and DJ as even though he has released only 4 albums of his own work he is not called DJ Shadow for nothing and he also has a long and lucrative career as a DJ and Beat Mixer with in excess of 20 DJ Mixes and collaborative efforts with other DJ's (Most predominantly Cut Chemist) released I could be here all day so I'm gonna check myself before i get into a history of beat based hip hop here as I feel woefully qualified to do such a thing! SO let's breakdown what there is here for you....

OK so not all of these links could be what you would consider "rare" as such however I have sourced the majority of this stuff from my own collection at the best quality available and in some cases I have bought whole albums just to get the Shadow produced track on there! So let's begin....

Your first Link is "Early Singles" the majority of these saw release on the Mo Wax label then were later compiled on the compilation "Pre-Emptive Strike" however a few did not appear on this compilation so this file contains all of his early singles taken from their original CDEP format and not the compilation CD so included in here are "In/Flux/Hindsight" EP , "Lost And Found (S.F.L.)" ( DJ Shadows side of a split 12"/CD with DJ Krush on Mo Wax) The "What Does Your Soul look Like" EP which is a 4 part 32 minute epic beats masterclass, The DJ Shadow side of his "Excursions" 12" on Mo Wax (Split with Chief Xcel) and the "High Noon" EP (with It's intro and Bonus Beats that were NOT featured on the "Pre-Emptive comp) I also mistakenly Put his debut release "Real Deal (Shadow Mix)/Lesson 4" in this pack which also appear on the B-sides and Remixes collection Which i shall get to in a moment

Next up we have the deluxe edition of his Debut album "Endtroducing" which is bolstered by a bonus disc of demo's and B-sides entitled "Excessive Ephemera" which also contains DJ Shadow's full debut live appearance in Oxford UK from 1997 closing out the bonus disc. I do not have the words to describe the fantastic piece of work that is "Endtroducing" Shadow manages to convey more emotion with a sampler and decks than most musicians can with a full band and a string quartet, it is a masterpiece and anything i would say would only detract from it's impact if you have never heard Shadow before then I suggest this is where you start. The bonus disc is an interesting glimpse into the process of the albums "becoming" however it is far from essential I put it in here for the curious or those not wanting to fork out an excessive amount of cash for the deluxe edition of the album! (Tho I have had a look you can apparently pick up a used copy of this deluxe edition for as little as £3 on amazon.co.uk I paid a LOT more for it!)

OK so none of the above are strictly speaking hard to find I'm sure there are plenty of places you could find these if you really tried but I have at least put them all together in one place ripped from their original formats at the highest quality possible however your final link this is the icing on the cake for the DJ Shadow fan... So I mentioned above that I am nuts for the early era of Shadow and being the obsessive I am I made it my mission over the course of maybe a year to gather on CD where possible and from MP3 and various other sources to gather Most if not all of Shadows B-sides and Productions from the beginning up to around 2000 and ALL of his released Remixes and this is what I have done here and what you will find in the B-sides & Remixes file I have Broken it down into 3 Parts but all 3 parts are inside the one folder making it a whopping 525 MB pack however this should take less than 20 mins to download from any reasonable internet connection!So I am now going to give you a tracklist for each part and maybe talk a bit about any tracks that you need to know anything about so here goes.....

Part 1 (Early Works)

1:The Wreckoning (Instrumental)
2:Entropy (Includes_ Intropy; The Third Decade, Our Move; Count & Estimate (With The Gift Of Gab); Back-To-Back Breaks; DJ Shadow's Theme; Endtropy)
3:Lesson 4
4:Count And Estimate (Gab Dub)
5:Hardcore (Instrumental) Hip Hop
6:DJ Shadow's Beat
7:Swan Lake (Instrumental)
8:Lady Don't Tek No (Instrumental)
9:Duality (Pt.. 2)
10:89.9 Megamix
11:Midnight in a Perfect World (Extended Vision)
12:Stem [Cops 'N' Robbers Mix]
13:Soup
14:Red Bus Needs to Leave!

1 - 8 : (Various DJ Shadow Tracks & Instrumental versions of Tracks for rap artists he did for for Solesides records I have not credited the original rapper/artist for each track because without the Rap these are 100% DJ Shadow instrumental tracks)

9 "Duality" is a 2 part song by DJ Krush from his "Meiso" album DJ Krush has the first Part which I removed and here is DJ Shadow's part only (Hence why I have Called it Duality Pt. 2) this is prob my fave Shadow tune

10 : From a split 12" with DJ Krush entitled "A Whim" Shadow does his megamix thing!)

11 - 14 : B-sides from "Endtroducing" Era Singles "Stem" & "Midnight In A Perfect World" some of these are repeats from the "Excessive Ephemera" Collection that comes as the Bonus Disc with "Endtroducing" above sorry!!)

Part 2 (Works 1998 - 2005)

1:UNKLE (Main Title Theme)
2:Guns Blazing (Drums Of Death Pt. 1) (Instrumental)
3:Rabbit In Your Headlights (Instrumental)
4:Nursery Rhyme (Instrumental)
5:Unreal
6:Storm Warning (Instrumental)
7:Divine Intervention (Instrumental)
8:Dark Days (Main Theme)
9:Dark Days (Spoken For Mix)
10:Giving Up The Ghost (Original Version)
11:Untitled Heavy Beat
12:Disavowed
13:Treach Battle Beat
14:100 Metre Dash
15:March Of Death (Feat. Zack De La Rocha)
16:Grand Ol' Party Crash (Instrumental)

 1-5 : In 1998 DJ Shadow teamed up with James Lavelle to make the UNKLE album "Psyence Fiction" DJ Shadow is almost SOLELY credited for all the music so "Psyence Fiction" is in essence a Shadow album. The album had only 2 Instrumental Tracks ("Unreal" however was originally an album instrumental and later released as a single with Ian Brown Singing on it and was re-titled "Be There") the rest of the tracks on "Psyence Fiction" were DJ Shadows music with a cast of "All Star" collaborators providing vocals however as well as the 2 instrumental tracks on the album there were some RARE promotional items and singles released which contained instrumental versions of the vocal album tracks so my reasoning being if you take away the vocals you are left with a Shadow Instrumental track so these 5 tracks are strictly speaking UNKLE tracks but in my opinion with no contribution from anyone else they are in fact DJ Shadow tracks)

6 & 7 : Instrumental versions of Vocal tracks from Shadow's time with Quannum projects hip hop label/artist collective as above these are tracks that were produced by Shadow for an artist to rap over however in my opinion they work better as instrumentals)

8 & 9 in 2000 Shadow provided some re-edited music from his "Endtroducing" album and a brand new track for the soundtrack to the documentary "Dark Days" (A film about homeless people who live in the subway tunnels under New York I suggest you find a copy to watch it is also on Netflix it's a harrowing & Moving documentary) the 2 versions of the theme were released as a VERY limited 2 track 7" & CD Single these are both tracks from the CD single

10 - 14 : B-sides and Album Bonus tracks from the Various singles from and versions of "The Private Press" his 2nd Album)

15 : DJ Shadow & Zach De La Rocha (Of Rage Against The Machine) were supposed to team up for a full album together, this collaboration never materialized and only 1 song was completed and released as an MP3 this is it!)

16 : Instrumental version of a track by rap artist Cage for which DJ Shadow provided the music again it's a case of without the Rap it's a Shadow Instrumental)

Part 3 - Remixes 

1:Lifers Group : Real Deal (Shadow Remix)
2:Zimbabwe Legit : Doin' Damage In My Native Language (Shadow's Legitimate Mix)
3:DJ Krush : Meiso (Instrumental Mix - DJ Shadow)
4:DJ Krush : Meiso (Klub Mix - DJ Shadow)
5:Dr Octagon : Waiting List (DJ Shadow & The Automator Remix)
6:Depeche Mode : Painkiller (Kill The Pain Mix)
7:DJ Shadow : Midnight in a Perfect World (Gab Mix)
8:DJ Shadow : The Number Song (Cut Chemist Party Mix)
9:DJ Shadow : Six Days (DJ Shadow Remix Feat. Mos Def)
10:DJ Shadow : GDMFSOB (UNKLE Uncensored Mix Feat. Roots Manuva)
11:Keane : We Might As Well Be Strangers (DJ Shadow Remix Instrumental)
12:Keane : We Might As Well Be Strangers (DJ Shadow Remix)
13:Radiohead : The Gloaming (DJ Shadow Remix)
14:Flobots : Handlebars (DJ Shadow Remix)
15:Klaus Badelt : Apocalypse Here And Now (DJ Shadow Remix)
16:Klaus Badelt : MotorStorm Apocalypse (DJ Shadow Remix)
17:Beastie Boys : Here's A Little Somethin For Ya (DJ Shadow Wet Remix)
18:Beastie Boys : Here's A Little Somethin For Ya (DJ Shadow Dry Remix)
19:Machinedreum : Eyesdontlie (DJ Shadow Remix)
20:Hybrid : Power Curve (DJ Shadow x Bleep-Bloop Remix)
21:Supersister : Dona Nobis Pacem (DJ Shadow Remix)
22:DJ Fresh : Closer (DJ Fresh Vs DJ Shadow)

Self explanatory! A collection of artists whose tracks were remixed by DJ Shadow from 1991 - 2014 not exactly a prolific remixer this set is an almost complete collection there may be a couple missing that were only on vinyl DJ promos and impossible to source without a lot of money and a record player. However In my opinion the remixes get weaker around track 11 whereas tracks 1 - 10 are PURE DJ Shadow and very indicative of his style (So Much so that some of these have seen re-release under his own name with the artist being credited as a secondary for example the Depeche Mode remix) with his early work he left little of the original track and put his stamp all over it the later remixes don't seem to follow that same pattern I have included them all here because as I said he hasn't done a great deal of remix work so you might as well have all of them and some of them they were REALLY hard to track down!

So there you go A fairly worthy collection of the (mostly) early works of one of the best beatmakers and most forward thinking artists in hip hop culture his style has been copied and influenced a whole generation of artists from instrumental beatmakers to hip hop artists and producers, In many cases some music does not date well but if you ever watch television (At least in the UK that is) you can still hear excerpts of "Midnight in A Perfect World" & " Stem/Long Stem" being used as incidental music for many "dramatic" promos for TV Programs and advertisements some 20 years after the albums release this is in itself a testament to the timeless nature of this work! I once read a quote somewhere however my memory is hazy whether it was Shadow himself or someone writing about him that said "You are either a fan of DJ Shadow or just a fan of "Endtroducing " I must admit that whilst I have followed Shadow's career since 1996 I think I mainly fall into the "Endtroducing" fan category that is the trouble with making such an important,groundbreaking and futureproof album...where do you go from there? You have to change and progress and whilst his 2nd album "The Private Press" is also a fantastic album, for me, the era covered here in this post will always be the one that means the most and effects me the most profoundly!

So I hope you enjoy this collection and it's not too far removed from the ethos of this blog (However I did get a LOT of positive feedback on the post i did on Portishead (See That HERE ) so here's hoping) and that my explanations about productions and instrumentals and versions didn't get too confusing? I am an utter fanatic for Shadow's work I have many more rarities and releases that fall outside this era so for those of you who are fans feel free to request more if you would like I can easily expand this post or do another! In the meantime download these kick back and enjoy some great music.CHEERS!


Early Singles - Mediafire

Endtroducing (Deluxe Edition) - Mediafire

B-Sides & Remixes - Mediafire

WINO ADDENDUM

If i remember correctly after my 4th (and supposedly FINAL) update of the "Wino Fucking Insanity" Post (See That HERE ) I thought I was done with Wino at least as far as the blog was concerned but i remember a while back before i got to the 4th update that apparently entire discographies of ALL the immense bands Wino has been in was not enough for some of you crazy readers and a couple of people had asked " Can you upload any of the Wino acoustic stuff" or something along those lines and to be honest I was barely aware of any of his solo material other than the "Punctuated Equilibrium" album and to be honest wasn't that interested in "acoustic" Wino either, it also pissed me off a little cos I thought "HEY! I just given you a TON of Wino (for the FOURTH TIME) and it's not enough??!!" but recently whilst checking out Southern Record's "Latitudes" Offshoot (A label where they release limited vinyl and CD's of bands and side projects in a more experimental style have a look at the discogs page for Latitudes HERE ) I stumbled across the Wino & Conny Ochs albums I really enjoyed them so I sought out the rest of Wino's acoustic releases and decided well I might as well get them on here for you guys!

I'm not gonna go into too much detail here as this is one man (or in the case of the Conny Ochs collaborations 2 men) and an acoustic guitar so there's not a lot to break down really but first up you have "Adrift" from 2010 this was Wino's second solo album and his first foray into the acoustic singer/songwriter territory and it is a thoroughly enjoyable album Wino is in great voice he seems a little more sedate and whilst his voice has a great timbre to it and is instantly recognizable as Wino he has pulled back a little from his trademark howl and his soft almost spoken delivery along with the gorgeous sound of his acoustic work well together to create a fantastic atmosphere and would be perfect for kicking back after a bowl or two and chilling out! However it's not all gentle strumming and sedate sound there's a great acoustic cover of one of my favorite Motörhead songs "Iron Horse/Born To Lose" and in many cases Wino creates some real drama and tension over the course of the album which is no mean feat for one man and his guitar and is a testament to how great a songwriter & how talented a player he is! I can't see how anyone who is a fan of his work could not fail to love this album.

WINO (Acoustic Solo)

Arift - Mediafire

In 2012 Wino started collaborating on his acoustic stuff with Conny Ochs someone who I know nothing about nor have I heard of any of the bands he has been in however i can tell you he is a singer/songwriter from Germany, quite how Wino came to collaborate with him well I shall leave you to do your own research I'm happy to listen to the astounding music they create together!

Whilst I said before that there's not much can be said about an acoustic sound as it's one man and their guitar however in this case it's 2 men and their guitars. Over the course of the three albums they have done there's some great interplay in both the guitar work and the vocals Conny Och's voice adding a great second layer of vocals there's also occasions where electric guitar is employed backing the acoustic (Who's playing which i don't know and i don't think it matters as it's a collaborative effort) and Conny's voice is at once a great melodic contrast to Wino's more roadworn bluesy style and it creates a sound that is not entirely unique but certainly works well and is thoroughly compelling, plus the addition of extra guitar and voice as opposed to Wino on his own on "Adrift" allows the songs to build better and soar higher and it really draws you in and keeps you interested, I find that sometimes solo acoustic outings from people better known for heavier musical output can fall on their face and be a bit well... boring however since aquiring this Wino acoustic stuff I have returned to it several times because it's just great and gorgeous to listen to and the albums with Conny Och's also reveal so many surprises on repeated listens!

All in all I have been pleasantly surprised by all of these Wino acoustic ventures and they are definitely a worthy addition to his already impressive discography that is not to downplay Conny Och's contributions an artist who's solo work I am definitely gonna be looking into! So below you will find links to both Wino & Conny Ochs albums from 2012 "Heavy Kingdom" & "Labor Of Love" and the latest one from 2015 "Freedom Conspiracy" all three are of a high standard and definitely worthy of your full attention I am sure once those great voices and fantastic guitarwork start winding their way round your ears you will be back for repeated listens! Enjoy....

WINO & CONNY OCHS

Heavy Kingdom - Mediafire

Labour Of Love - Mediafire

Freedom Conspiracy - Mediafire

ENTOMBED UPDATED

(Entombed 1989)

**NOTE** If you have been to this post already please scroll down to where it says UPDATE in yellow there you will find the new goodies I have added to this post if you have not been to this post before the please...Read On....

This band should need no introduction really if you are a follower of my blog you may remember me doing a Death metal top 10 a while back (If not it's HERE ) and i named Entombed's debut "Left Hand Path" as THE #1 definitive death metal album, which I definitely stand by however I am not going to repeat myself here go to that post and read what I had to say about the album there,

Entombed are one of my very favorite metal bands whilst they have had their ups and downs both personnel wise and musically they are the ONLY band from the late 80's heyday of Death Metal that i still truly love and don't just listen to for nostalgia purposes, coupled with the fact that the band almost always push their sound forward with each album whilst still remaining undeniably Entombed (Except for maybe the "Same Difference" album get to that shortly) So i decided that even though i had done this post before that it deserved to be re-done so you can get pretty much every scrap of Entombed available in one place!

Having had a fairly staggering 27 year career since their early years as Nihilist outstripping pretty much every original death metal band from the late 80's and the fact that they have remained great I could do a really massive blurb on this band however I do not intend to, I think that anyone coming across this post is no doubt going to be aware of this band already and anything I have to say would more than likely be repetition of far better written pieces on this awesome band so here's a breakdown of your links and some key points....

Nihilist Demos - OK so it shouldn't be new to anyone that Entombed did actually start life in 1987 as Nihilist they recorded 3 demos before another american band called Nihilist contacted them and asked them to change the name and they did to Entombed which is a far superior name anyway! and whatever happened to the american Nihilist? who the fuck knows! The Nihilist demos created quite a stir on the underground i for one caned them to death when i got my hands on them and as Nihilist these guys pretty much put Sweden on the map as one of the twin capitals of Death metal along with Florida! They did one further demo as Entombed "But Life Goes On" before re- recording almost all the demo tracks for their debut album however their label Threeman records re-released all 3 Nihilist and The Entombed demo plus unissued tracks from the demo sessions all on one handy CD which i have given you here, Left Hand Path -  See top 10 Death Metal albums post linked in 1st paragraph for a more in-depth look at why this is the greatest Death metal album of all time Clandestine - 2nd album and fairly disappointing LG had left the band at this point to be replaced on this album by Nicke Andersson (Drums) and Uffe Cedurlund (Guitar) stepping up to split the vocals between them even though Johnny Dordevic is credited and pictured on the sleeve he did not sing a word on this album! I felt the fucking scorching debut would be a hard act to follow and it was the majority of the album seems mid paced and a little like a band treading water definitely a difficult 2nd album that goes for the 2 EP's that came out with it "Crawl" and "Stranger Aeons" though of the 2 "Stranger Aeons" fares a little better with 2 scorching b-sides one being a re-done version of "Revel In Flesh" from "Left Hand Path"

In the interim between albums Earache released a live album and DVD entitled "Monkey Puss Live In London 1992" it's a pretty decent live set as well LG is back on vocals and the 10 tracks played are culled from the first two albums and it's pretty good to hear LG singing the "Clandestine" tracks however this release was one of those things where the band didn't really approve of it and it was done on a sort of like it or lump it kinda basis as live albums go it's good.

So that pretty much covers the primitive Death metal years next up was "Wolverine Blues" & the 6 Track "Hollowman" mini album all recorded at the same session and to my mind this and their next album were the ones that propelled Entombed from being a 1st division death metal band and into the collections of every metalhead worth their salt! LG was back fronting the band and "Wolverine Blues" was a beast of an album although opener "Eyemaster" is probably one of the fastest songs Entombed had ever done and would have had most people thinking that these guys were back with another album full of Death Metal you'd be sorely mistaken because "Eyemaster" is the only real death metal song on there the rest of the album is just chock full of supremely heavy mid paced songs with hooks that are extremely memorable and just fucking great! Take one listen to the opening riffs to the title track or "Demon" and you will be in no doubt that these guys are masters of their craft! LG is in fine voice as well sounded as brutal as ever but this time round dunno whether it's the pace of the songs or just a natural progression but you can easily understand the lyrics! It's around this time they got stuck with the "death'n'roll" tag which is one fucking dumbass thing to call a band but i can kinda get it because whilst they retain the heaviness and fire of death metal the pace and riffs and song structures were something completely new at this time! "To Ride Shoot Straight And Speak The Truth" follows a similar path however this time around these guys have firmly got their "new" sound nailed this is a seriously rocking album albeit still with that heavy Entombed sound and as i said this was really where the metal world started to take notice! However with the exception of a few i feel the songs while great are not as memorable this time around of course one listen to "Damn Deal Done" or "Like This With The devil" and you're unlikely to forget them! in 1998 however came what i consider to be the only real "blip" in an otherwise stellar career, after an amazingly successful album like "To Ride..." you'd think with the formula set these guys would continue along the same path? well this was not to be the case "Same Difference" is a pretty weak album peppered with "groove" whilst normally this wouldn't be a bad thing but when I say "Groove" i do not mean the kind of thing that gets your head nodding this album to me is a blatant attempt to dilute the sound and bring the band to a even wider audience and it fails badly LG attempts a sort of half shout/half sing sorta style that doesn't really suit him and there's all sorts of disjointed technicality to the music that whilst maybe shows that the band are talented it just doesn't work I have no idea what the fuck they were trying to do here, I hated this album when i heard it it just seemed like they were trying to fit in with a lot of the weaker more commercial nu metal of the time and it's a dismal fail, even after numerous revisits I still can't get my head round it after the ferocity and originality of the last 2 albums it just falls flat on it's face and is only included here for completions sake.

During 1999 Entombed sneaked out a 10" EP on home of all great stoner music Mans Ruin the "Black Ju-Ju" EP includes 3 covers and one original, this EP didn't really give a hint on whether the band had clawed back any of their previous greatness but it's a decent record and worth a listen So after the terrible "Same Difference" and 2 years since their last album and Nicke Andersson one of the bands primary songwriters had left the band to concentrate on Hellacopters there was rumour of a new album on the way and it was being hailed as "The best thing they had done since "Left Hand Path"  I was skeptical after the last album and losing Nicke I really didn't see how they could pull anything out of the bag and redeem themselves...I was VERY wrong 2000's "Uprising" was a shock to the system the slick overproduced grooviness of "Same Difference" was gone this was an album that was rawly produced loud and fucking nasty! I bought a promo of it from a local 2nd hand shop pre-release and when i got home i was immediately impressed by the sheer loudness of it, this is an album chock full of amps on 11 everything to full and in the red Rock 'n' Roll annihilation with a great grasp on the heavy and deathly this album has song after song of just sheer pummeling and is just bursting with energy THIS is the album that should have came after "To Ride..." Every song is memorable and energetic even the mournful; cover of Dead Horses "Scottish Hell" is a blistering listen, LG is back in fine form and sounds great here as well. What i find strange about this album is it's really like a more deathly version of Hellacopters whether this is what caused Nicke Andersson to leave or that this was like a bit of a fuck you to him or what i dunno but if this wasn't so heavy loud and raw it would just be like some of the modern garage rock type stuff that was around at the time! A thouroughly great listen and a SERIOUS return to form here totally essential! The version i present here is the US version with 3 bonus tracks as well. Post millennium these guys were pretty prolific so next up was "Morning Star" from 2001 and the death metal influences are back with a serious bang this time round the production is toned down and is less raw than "Uprising" but the songs are just as ferocious there's less of the garage rock sound and more deathly riffs as only Entombed can do Just take a listen to "Ensemble of the Restless" it's so fucking fast and intense reminding the crew of young death metal bands that had followed in their wake who did it first and best!!! There's plenty of fat double bass and chugging riffage and "Year One Now" is so much of a Master rip off it's almost funny if they didn't do it so well! Again another stellar album! So int the interim between "Morning Star" and the next new album we have "Sons Of Satan Praise The Lord" Entombed love a cover version and this double album has 27 of them culled from various B-sides/tribute albums etc along with some new covers recorded specifically for this album  but the choice of artists to cover is really a testament to their wide ranging influences from Roky Erikson to Stillborn to Twisted Sister, Jerry's Kids and Bob Dylan along with more expected stuff like great covers of Repulsion and S.O.D. it's a good and varied selection of tunes and is well worth a listen.Then we have live album "Unreal Estate" Live With the Royal Ballet At The Royal Opera House Stockholm 1/3/2002 this was a special performance these guys did and it does exactly what it says on the tin, I'm not a fan of live albums but it would seem this one is done with a bit of flair and involves a ballet! I will leave you to have a listen and make up your own mind however without the visual really it's just a straight up live album! So 2003 and studio album number 8 for Entombed "Inferno" (The version i present here is actually the limited 2 Disc "Inferno/Averno" with an extra disc with 3 bonus tracks and 2 video edits of previously released tracks) at this point i feel maybe Entombed were flagging a little, 3 studio albums in 3 years as well as a live album and a covers compilation I have to say i fell that this album is definitely a "Treading Water" type release whilst it's heavy and deathly the production is really flat and it feels like they used all their "A" material on the last 2 albums it's by no means a terrible album but after bursting out the gate with 2 brilliant albums in 2000 and 2001 maybe they should have taken a break instead of doing this album so soon? I would give it a listen for sure but of all the Entombed albums the 3 I listen to least are "Clandestine" , "Same Difference" and this one, maybe if the production was better it might have fared better but as it stands in all aspects it's just a bit..... Dull.

So it would be 3 years before anything would be heard from these guys and they returned in 2006 now down to a 4 piece Uffe Cedurlund having jumped ship to Swedish heavyweight crust titans Disfear and now with only LG and Alex Hellid remaining from the original line up at this point with all the ups and downs and 3 years passing since the dull "Inferno" album that this would maybe now be a band well past it's sell by and maybe on it's last legs? NOPE! What do they do but only what Entombed could do a 5 track EP of slaying brutal death metal! The "When In Sodom" EP Is great, good production,great riffs and songs and sets up nicely for 2007's "Serpent Saints, The Ten Amendments" the last album from Entombed as we know them, as this write up has gotten a bit out of hand all I'm gonna say is is a great, heavy death metal album in the finest Entombed tradition and also "Masters Of Death" is a brilliant tribute to their influences!

So to quickly round up whats left I have also given you the 7" "When In Sodom Revisited" from 2012 with a redone version of "When In Sodom" a new track and a short outro, also you get "Entombed Vs Candlemass" split 7" which has Entombed doing Candlemass's "Black Dwarf" and Candlemass doing Entombed's  "To Ride..." And lastly as a special bonus some of you may be aware that Alex from Entombed is remastering and doing deluxe reissues of 3 Entombed albums however having pledged our money way back in September 2013 I am still waiting for my CD's they are in the works but nowhere near completion however as a thank you for our patience Alex posted up a 40 minute mix of some of the bonuses that will be on these re-issues so you get 40 mins of extras,mixes,alternate versions etc that is your "Pledgers Exclusive" sampler link below tracks are taken from "To Ride..." "Uprising" "Same Difference" Era i also tacked on one of the other extras he gave which is a version of "Clandestine" played with an orchestra so that's in there as well! So unless you pledged money to buy the reissues it's unlikely you will hear them as they are supposed to be exclusive to those reissues and the orchestral "Clandestine" is not slated for release at all so there's one for the diehards!

So there you go folks a comprehensive and as far as I know complete discography of Entombed to date! I don't know what the future holds for them as if you are a fan you may be aware that LG has taken most of the band and formed Entombed A.D. and Alex plans to keep Entombed going so who knows? the Entombed A.D. album "Back to the Front" is out soon so we shall see! In the meantime enjoy one of the best metal bands to grace the planet and certainly one of my favourites!

(Entombed 2006)

Nihilist Demos - Mediafire

Left Hand Path - Mediafire

Clandestine - Mediafire

Crawl EP - Mediafire

Stranger Aeons EP - Mediafire

Wolverine Blues - Mediafire

Hollowman Mini LP - Mediafire

Monkey Puss Live 1992 - Mediafire

To Ride Shoot Straight And Speak The Truth - Mediafire

Same Difference - Mediafire

Black Juju EP - Mediafire

Uprising (U.S. Edition 3 Bonus Tracks) - Mediafire

Morning Star - Mediafire

Sons Of Satan Praise The Lord - Mediafire

Unreal Estate (Live 2002) - Mediafire

Inferno/Averno - Mediafire

When In Sodom EP - Mediafire

Serpent Saints The Ten Amendments - Mediafire

Entombed/Candlemass Split - Mediafire

When In Sodom Revisited 7" - Mediafire

Pledgers Exclusive Sampler - Mediafire

**UPDATE**

So As Promised here's your update I apologise for taking so long!! So as I mentioned above  back in September 2013 Alex from Entombed launched a Pledge Campaign for Reissues of 3 Entombed Deluxe Packaged,Remastered Editions of "To Ride..." , "Same Difference" & "Uprising" all of which were to be exclusive to people who pledged ONLY and each album to be expanded with a bonus disc with demos,outtakes etc. This seemed like too good a thing to miss especially being a massive fan of Entombed as I am! However things did not go to plan and it took almost 18 months from when I pledged my money to seeing the actual CD's land on my doormat in early 2015! So as these were a pledgers exclusive and these CD's cannot be bought NEW elsewhere and to my knowledge sold out and it's almost a year since the finished products were released i figured I would share them with you! So below please find links to the 3 albums that were remastered and expanded now normally I would break these down for you however as i have a lot of posts to do today and I already talked about these albums in their original forms above I figured I'd make this short, so underneath each link to the albums you will find another link which will take you directly to the immense discogs page for each release where you will find ALL the details of what the bonus materials are where they were recorded and basically everything you need to know about the material. All of this below is taken straight from my discs at 320kbps and the digital bonus disc of "To Ride" is a straight copy of the 320kbps download so all is in sparkling quality, Here You Go, Enjoy....

UPDATED EXPANDED VERSIONS

To Ride..... 

(Deluxe Expanded Edition) - Mediafire

Tracklisting & Details - Discogs

(Note - this link will take you to the discogs page for the "To Ride..." 50 track digital version tracklist because it was released as a deluxe double disc set but due to the wealth of material from this era of Entombed a further digital "Disc" was given as a download to Pledgers. On this page tracks 1- 14 represent Disc 1 tracks 15 - 38 Represent Disc 2 and tracks 39 - 50 The Digital Bonus Disc)

Same Difference

(Deluxe Expanded Edition) - Mediafire

Tracklisting & Details - Discogs

Uprising (Remastered & Expanded) - Mediafire

Tracklisting & Details - Discogs

So as you may or may not know there has been some serious problems in the Entombed camp around 2013/14 They had an album in the can their first for some 6 years however there were some serious internal disputes and Alex Hellid the only remaining member of the band who had never left and been a mainstay since Nihilist left the band what remained of Entombed was L.G. and a bunch of guys who had played on NO Entombed recordings prior to 2006. You'd think that would be the final nail in the coffin if you lost your main songwriter and original guitarist and were left with a bunch of guys who are essentially bit players then you'd think it would be time to call it a day but nope L.G. is one stubborn S.O.B. Alex having retained the rights to the name Entombed, L.G. added A.D. to the name, all of Alex's contributions to the album were stripped away, and Entombed A.D. were born! So in 2014 the much anticipated new Entombed album now the debut for Entombed A.D. was released. Now personally if it was me after Alex left I would have gone back to the bunker with the band and I would not have left till I had an album of all Killer no Filler SEARING death metal that would firmly annihilate anyone who questioned that this band were carrying on Entombed's MIGHTY legacy, Unfortunately "Back To The Front" is definitely NOT that album! What you get are 11 songs of fairly pedestrian, mediocre, plodding Death Metal there's no spark, fire or even a decent fast pace to ANY of the songs presented here even when the songs speed up the pace is fairly slow for Death Metal there's not even any of the sorta "Death 'N' Roll" type thing going on here what you have is the sound of band on their last legs with no fresh ideas or anything really killer to offer! POersonally I think once they had trashed all of Alex's contributions they quickly put together some songs to make up this album! The sounds are there good gnarly guitar tone and L.G.'s vocals are up to their usual high standard but musically it's just boring and dull sorry E.A.D. but without a single remaining original member (that plays an Instrument) I'm afraid you're fucked! I could go on and maybe I'm being too hard on them? All I can tell you is i was REALLY excited for this album but it just fell flat on it's face so much so that I didn't buy it and I didn't even bother to try and source a 320kbps download (This one here is at 192) I have given it only for completions sake and for the curious as far as being part of Entombed's STELLAR back catlogue well I consider it a separate band! I'll leave you to make up your own mind...

Entombed A.D. - Mediafire

Well that's it I doubt I will have to Update this again unless Alex decides to do another pledge campaign for more remastered/deluxe Entombed albums!! I had heard rumours that Nicke Andersson, Uffe Cederlund and "Clandestine" era vocalist Johnny Dordevic were going to reform the REAL Entombed along with Alex but I have yet to hear anything further and maybe it was just rumour so in the meantime go ahead and Gorge yourself on the discography of in my opinion one of the best Death Metal bands that ever walked the Earth! Cheers