ZZ Top - Viva Las Vegas (2012)

Billy Gibbons had formed the band Moving Sidewalks in Houston in 1966 with Dan Mitchell on drums, Tom Moore on keyboards, and Don Summers on bass, earning the group local recognition when '99th Floor' single became a local hit. After opening for various popular groups such as the Doors, Jimi Hendrix, and the 13th Floor Elevators, Moving Sidewalks eventually released the album 'Flash' in 1969, but by this point both Moore and Summers had been drafted into the US Army to fight in the Vietnam War, and Gibbons and Mitchell subsequently recruited bassist-keyboardist Lanier Greig, thus forming the first incarnation of ZZ Top. With new manager by Bill Ham on board, the band released their first single, 'Salt Lick', in 1969, backed with 'Miller's Farm', both of which were credited to Gibbons as the composer. Shortly after the recording of 'Salt Lick', Greig was replaced by bassist Billy Ethridge, a bandmate of Stevie Ray Vaughan's, and Mitchell was replaced by Frank Beard of American Blues. Due to lack of interest from the major American record companies, ZZ Top accepted a record deal from London Records, the American affiliate of the British Decca Records label, but as he was unwilling to sign a recording contract, Ethridge quit the band and Dusty Hill, Frank Beard's American Blues bandmate, became his replacement in late 1969. With Gibbons assuming the role as the band's leader, their debut album 'ZZ Top's First Album' was released in 1971, consisting of "barrelhouse" rhythms, distorted guitars, double entendres, and innuendo, all reflecting the group blues influences. 

'Rio Grande Mud' followed in 1972, and their first charting single 'Francine' was extracted from it. In 1973 they released their third album 'Tres Hombres', which reached number eight on the Billboard 200 albums chart by early 1974, and which included the boogie-driven 'La Grange', written about the Chicken Ranch, a notorious brothel in La Grange, Texas, that also inspired the musical 'The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas'. On the subsequent tour, the band performed sold-out concerts in the U.S., during which they recorded the live tracks that would fill one side of their 1975 album, 'Fandango!', which also contained one side of new studio songs, and the single 'Tush' peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. 'Tejas' was recorded during a break in the tour and was released in November 1976, and was the final ZZ Top album under their contract with London Records. It was not as successful or as positively received as their previous two efforts, but still reached number 17 on the Billboard 200, although the singles taken from it both failed to crack the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1978, after almost seven years of touring and a string of successful albums, ZZ Top went on hiatus while Beard dealt with addiction problems. Gibbons travelled to Europe, Beard went to Jamaica, and Hill went to Mexico, later spending three months working at DFW Airport, saying he wanted to "feel normal" and "ground himself". 

In 1979, ZZ Top signed with Warner Bros. Records, and with Gibbons and Hill now sporting chest-length beards, they set about recording a new album, 'Degüello', which was released in late 1979. While 'Degüello' went platinum, it only reached number 24 on the Billboard chart, bit it did produce two popular singles in 'I Thank You', a cover of the Sam & Dave hit, and the band original 'Cheap Sunglasses'. In April 1980, ZZ Top made their first appearances in Europe, including sharing the bill with English electronic group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark on an episode of the UK music show The Old Grey Whistle Test, and inspired by OMD, ZZ Top introduced a jerky dancing style to their live show, and began to experiment with synthesizers, which featured prominently on the October 1981 album 'El Loco'. The album peaked at number 17 on the Billboard chart, and from this point on their music showed a more modern sound, with Gibbons pushing the band in this direction for their next album 'Eliminator', which appeared in March 1983. Featuring two top-40 singles in 'Gimme All Your Lovin'' and 'Legs', it became a critical and commercial success, selling more than 10 million copies and reaching number 9 in the U.S. Billboard pop charts. 'Eliminator' retained Gibbons' signature guitar style, while adding elements of new wave music, with the electronic band Depeche Mode being cited as an influence. 

Despite selling fewer copies than 'Eliminator', 1985's 'Afterburner' became ZZ Top's highest-charting album, reaching number four on the U.S. Billboard chart, and all of the singles from it were top-40 hits. 'Recycler' was released in 1990, and was the band's final studio album with Warner Records, and the last of a distinct sonic trilogy in their catalogue, marking a return towards a simpler guitar-driven blues sound with less synthesizer and pop bounce than their previous two albums, and this move did not entirely suit the fan base that 'Eliminator' and 'Afterburner' had built up, failing to match the sales of those albums. However, the single 'My Head's In Mississippi' reached number one on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart that year. In 1992, Warner released 'ZZ Top's Greatest Hits', including one new Rolling Stones-style cut, 'Gun Love', and an Elvis-inflected video for 'Viva Las Vegas'. In 1994, the band signed a $35 million deal with RCA Records, releasing the million-selling 'Antenna', and although subsequent RCA albums, 'Rhythmeen' in 1996 and 'XXX' in 1999, sold well, they never reached the levels enjoyed previously. 

In 2003, ZZ Top released a final RCA album, 'Mescalero', an album thick with harsh Gibbons guitar, and featuring as a hidden track a cover version of 'As Time Goes By'. After a long hiatus, ZZ Top released their next studio album, the Rick Rubin-produced 'La Futura', in 2012, with the first single, 'I Gotsta Get Paid', featuring in an advertising campaign for Jeremiah Weed Whiskey. In 2016 they released 'Tonite At Midnight: Live Greatest Hits From Around The World', which preceded their 2017 Tonnage Tour, but they had to cancel the last few dates due to Hill's declining health, and following a hip injury in July 2021, which forced him to leave the band's current tour, Hill died on 28 July, aged 72. At Hill's request, ZZ Top continued with Elwood Francis on bass, and in August Gibbons confirmed that Hill had recorded bass and vocals for the band's upcoming sixteenth studio album prior to his death. 'Raw' was released in July 2022, being the soundtrack for the band's 2019 documentary 'That Little Ol' Band From Texas', and they band then embarked on an extensive tour, which finally ended in November 2025. During their long career, ZZ Top didn't hold back much of their music for release on the b-sides of singles, but there are enough rare tracks to make up a single album of b-sides, hidden and bonus tracks, and rare singles from this much-loved band. 

Track listing

01 Salt Lick (single 1969)
02 Miller's Farm (b-side of 'Salt Lick')
03 Reverberation (Doubt) (from the Roky Erickson tribute 'Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye' 1990)
04 Viva Las Vegas (single 1992)
05 Gun Love (exclusive track from 'Greatest Hits' 1992)
06 Everything (bonus track from Japanese edition of 'Antenna' 1994)
07 Mary's (b-side of 'Breakaway' 1994)
08 Isn't Love Amazing (bonus track from Japanese edition of 'Rhythmeen' 1996)
09 Ninja Shack (bonus track from Japanese edition of 'XXX' 1999)
10 Sanctify (bonus track from Japanese edition of 'Mescalero' 2003)
11 As Time Goes By (bonus track from US edition of 'Mescalero' 2003)
12 Flyin' High (extended version from 'La Futura' pre-release promo 2011)
13 Threshold Of A Breakdown (bonus track from Russian edition of 'La Futura' 2012)
14 Drive By Love (bonus track from Russian edition of 'La Futura' 2012)

Raye - Do It Again (2018)

2018 was a very productive year for Raye, and as well as the two proposed albums that she wanted to release, in 'Dark Dance Songs' and 'Scorpio', she recorded many more songs just to get them down on tape, with no real plan of what to do with them. I've therefore taken a further sixteen of these recordings and compiled yet another album that she could have released in 2018, had her record company not been so stubborn in refusing to let her have a long-player under her own name. 

Track listing

01 Boom Boom
02 Forgive You
03 My Oh My
04 Kiss Me If U Can
05 Spoke To Keisha
06 Never Go Back
07 Just @ Me
08 Cared For Ya
09 Do It Again
10 Mister Mister
11 Talking
12 Meet My Mama
13 I Wish
14 Caramel Classic
15 Perform
16 Turn Off Your Phone

We Free Kings - Preacher's Songs (1991) **UPGRADE**

Thanks to Santaci for pointing out a glitch at the beginning of  'The Death Of The Wild Colonial Boy', which I had missed, despite listening to the album a few times. As the copy of the song that I used was the only one available online, I purchased a copy of the original single, which I can now add to my collection. I've ripped and tagged it to replace the original file, and so if you download the new version you will have the only perfect recording of the song online. 
We Free Kings were an Edinburgh-based folk/punk/rock act formed in the mid-1980's by Joe Kingman on vocals and guitar, Seb Holbrook on guitar, Phil Bull on cello, Colin Blakey on whistles and reeds, Pam Dobson on melodeon, Aidan Reilly on mandolin, Geoff Pagan on violin, and Kenny Welsh on drums. Blakey had been a member of The Green Telescope, who released a couple of singles in the mid 80’s, and one day he saw  a bunch of hooligans busking opposite the market, and he had his whistle with him and asked if he could join in. Before long he was gigging and recording them around Edinburgh, and a few weeks later he heard about an Irish tour that they had lined up, so he phoned Joe Kingman, and he was told that there was a seat on the bus for him.  They built up a sizeable Scottish following through energetic live dates with acts like The Waterboys, and Kingman used to share a flat with their singer Mike Scott. After a self-financed storming debut single in 1986 with ‘Death Of The Wild Colonial Boy’, they signed to D.D.T. and released their debut album, ‘Hell On Earth & Rosy Cross’ in 1988. The following year Blakey left to join The Waterboys in Ireland, and so Kingman, Holbrook, Pagan & Bull then regrouped with Mark Ritchie (guitar), Simon (bass) and Grangemouth drummer Greg Drysdale (ex-One Over The Eight), and this line-up released the 12” single ‘Howl’ for Avalanche Records in 1990. They were later thrown off a UK tour with The Waterboys by an insecure Mike Scott, and the band split almost immediately afterwards, with Drysdale joining The Diesel Kings, and Bull, Pagan, Holbrook, and Kingman joining The Clan. This post collects together their singles and EP’s plus a few previously unreleased demos, and highlights yet another overlooked band of the 1980’s.

 
Track listing
 
01 Love Is In The Air (single 1986)
02 Death Of The Wild Colonial Boy (b-side of ‘Love Is In The Air’)
03 Oceans (from the ‘Oceans’ EP 1987)
04 Wipe-Out Gang (from the ‘Oceans’ EP 1987)
05 Still Standing (from the ‘Still Standing’ EP 1987)
06 Run Run Run (from the ‘Still Standing’ EP 1987)
07 Unholy Ground (from the ‘Still Standing’ EP 1987)
08 This Train (from the ‘Still Standing’ EP 1987)
09 Easter Road (previously unreleased)
10 King Of Thieves (live on FSD 1987)
11 Preacher’s Song (previously unreleased)
12 Be So Cruel (from the ‘Howl’ EP 1988)
13 Silver Or Lead (previously unreleased)
14 Underwater (previously unreleased)

Billie Mahonie - For Our Friends (2001)

British post-rock band Billy Mahonie formed in London in 1997, and consisted of Gavin Baker (guitar), Howard Monk (drums), Hywell Dinsdale (bass and guitar) and Kevin Penney (bass). Their first release was on the Fierce Panda record label, and was a split-single with Rothko, with their contribution being the track 'Hoon'. This was followed later the same year with their own single, 'Whistling Sam' / 'On The Brinck', on the Fierce Panda offshoot Livid Meerkat, and in 1999 by the 'Little Feet' EP on Gold Hole Recordings. At the start of 1999, the band signed with Too Pure, who released their debut album 'The Big Dig', produced by Head, and they also recorded the first of their two John Peel Sessions. The album was purely instrumental post-rock, and has been described as sonic wallpaper, but it gained the band a loyal following, helped by exposure on the John Peel shows, and their subsequent sessions for the DJ. In 2000 the band moved to Southern Records and recorded their second album with Toby Robinson, Harvey Birrell and Head producing, with the double album 'What Becomes Before' being released in 2001. This is regarded as much better than 'The Big Dig', with rhythm and feel being given more prominence, and even sounding funky at times. This was followed by a second European tour, after which the band took a few months off in 2002, but regrouped in the autumn with a new line up of Baker and Monk joined by Duncan Brown (bass) and Anthony Barratt (guitar). 

After a switch to new label Tritone Records, they released their third album, 'Dust', in 2004, and then in 2005 Oof! Records issued a collection of their early singles. Between 2004 and 2006 the band played shows with a mixture of line-ups, including all six members, after which they took a break from live work. A compilation of demos, out takes and singles entitled 'Exhale On Mare Street' came out on Unlabel Records in 2007 and was re-released in 2010, with a couple of extra tracks. In 2009 the band released their fourth album, 'BM', on another new label, Static Caravan, although the music was actually recorded by just Baker and Monk. The original line-up of Baker, Dinsdale, Monk and Penney played selected shows in 2009, as well as the Audioscope Festival in 2010, and The End Festival in 2014, before officially reuniting in 2017 for two shows, and to record new material. Their fifth studio album, 'Field Of Heads', arrived in early 2024, on their own newly-formed label, Whistling Sam Projects, and it featured the original line-up of Baker, Monk, Dinsdale and Penney, and was recorded over two long weekends either side of the Covid lockdowns. Throughout their career Billie Mahonie have released a number of split 7" singles with other bands, which featured non-album  tracks, as well as EPs and singles made up of exclusive material, and even their Peel sessions included previously unrecorded music. This post collects them all together in one place, to either introduce the band to a whole new raft of fans, or to fill some gaps in the collections of people who remember them fondly from their heyday in late 90's and early 2000's.   

 

Track listing

Disc I - 1998-1999
01 Hoon (split single with Rothko 1998)
02 Whistling Sam (single 1998)
03 On The Brinck (b-side of 'Whistling Sam')
04 The Evil Donor (from the 'Come On Billy Mahonie Give It Your Best Shot' 3CD set)  
05 No No No No No (from the 'Come On Billy Mahonie Give It Your Best Shot' 3CD set) 
06 Harmonics (from the 'Come On Billy Mahonie Give It Your Best Shot' 3CD set)
07 Man With The Woman Head (from 'Come On Billy Mahonie Give It Your Best Shot' 3CD set)
08 Rot Of The Stars (split single with Seafood 1999)
09 Little Feet (single 1999)
10 Are We Rolling (b-side of 'Little Feet')

Disc II - 1999-2001
01 World Inaction (split single with Jullander 1999)
02 Let Them Eat Shit (split single with Jullander 1999)
03 We Both Agreed That The Lemon Was The (John Peel session 1999)
04 Au Lac Contraire (b-side of 'Flume' 2000)
05 Be Delta (from the 'Tribute To Jet Johnson' EP 2001)
06 No Closer (from the 'Tribute To Jet Johnson' EP 2001)
07 As Sure As Eggs Is Eggs (from the 'Tribute To Jet Johnson' EP 2001)
08 Thirteen: Two (from the 'Tribute To Jet Johnson' EP 2001)
09 The Seven Percent Solution (from the 'Tribute To Jet Johnson' EP 2001)
10 The Snow Princess (from the 'Tribute To Jet Johnson' EP 2001)
11 Theme From E. B. Munsen (from the 'Tribute To Jet Johnson' EP 2001)
12 For Your Friends (from the 'Tribute To Jet Johnson' EP 2001)
13 The Band That's The Strongest (from the 'Tribute To Jet Johnson' EP 2001)
14 Not Right Timing (from the 'Tribute To Jet Johnson' EP 2001)

Honey And The Bees - Together Forever (1972)

Honey & The Bees started their career as The Yum Yums, a trio consisting of Gwendolyn (Oliver) Wesley, Cassandra Ann Wooten and Jean Davis Sanders, and as such they released 'Gonna Be  Big Thing'/'Looky Looky (What I Got)' on ABC Paramount in 1965. Jimmy Bishop was the founder of Arctic records, and also managed the group, and he added Nadine Felder White as lead singer and renamed the group Sugar & Spice, and then shortly after Honey & The Bees. With the new line up of Davis, Felder, Oliver and Wooten, they began their association with Arctic Records in 1966 and recorded a Kenny Gamble song, 'One Time is Forever'. It was two years before the follow-up appeared, with '(You Better) Go Now' being released in 1968, and this was followed by their busiest year yet, with 'Love Addict', 'Together Forever' and 'Baby, Do That Thing' all coming out in 1969. In 1970 their manager Jimmy Bishop moved them over to the Josie label, who issued their sole album 'Love', and the label also issued a few singles from it, closing the year with their Christmas single 'Jing Jing A Ling'/'Auld Lang Syne' on the Chess label. In 1971 they had a hit with 'It's Gonna Take A Miracle', but that was the last single for Josie, moving to Bell Records, where they recorded two more singles which were released on label, but they failed to make an impression, and the group disbanded. Wesley and Wooten later met Cheryl Mason Jacks and producer Richie Rome, who introduced them to Jacques Morali (creator of The Village People), and they formed The Ritchie Family.  However, their first album 'Brazil' in 1975 did not included the trio, as the tracks had already been recorded before a group was formed, using session singers The Sweethearts and various musicians, but when the title track of the record album produced a hit single, Oliver, Wooten and Mason-Jacks were recruited to go on the road and promote it. This post collects together all their non-album singles for the Arctic, Josie and Bell labels, leading up to their later success as The Ritchie Family. 

Track listing

01 Looky, Looky (What I Got) (single as The Yum Yums 1965) 
02 Gonna Be A Big Thing (b-side of 'Looky Looky (What I Got)')
03 I'm Confessin' (single 1966)
04 One Time Is Forever (b-side of 'I'm Confessin')
05 (You Better) Go Now (single 1968)
06 Why Do You Hurt The One Who Loves You (b-side of '(You Better) Go Now')
07 Together Forever (single 1969)
08 Dynamite Exploded (b-side of 'Together Forever')
09 Love Addict (single 1969)
10 I'll Be There (b-side of 'Love Addict')
11 Sunday Kind Of Love (single 1969)
12 Baby, Do That Thing (b-side of 'Sunday Kind Of Love')
13 Music (Makes You Wanna Dance) (previously unreleased 1969)
14 People Need Each Other (single 1970)
15 Love Can Turn To Hate (single 1970)
16 Come Get It (b-side of 'Love Can Turn To Hate')
17 Jing Jing A Ling (single 1970)
18 Auld Lang Syne (b-side of 'Jing Jing A Ling')
19 That's What Boys Are Made For (single 1972)
20 Has Somebody Taken My Place (b-side of 'That's What Boys Are Made For')
21 Song For Jim (single 1972)
22 Leave Me Alone (b-side of 'Song For Jim')

The Eagles - Soul Pole 3 (1977)

In the 1970's it was producer Bill Szymczyk's habit to put together a compilation of funny studio moments that he'd recorded through-out the year at various recording sessions that he'd overseen, and he'd send them out to friends and family as Christmas presents. This happened while he was producing The Eagles' 'One Of These Nights' albums, and the two-disc set has become something of a legendary item, as it was limited to just 50 copies and given to all participants as Christmas gifts on 12 December 1977. It includes outtakes/jam sessions, jokes, studio chatter, and recorded phone calls between band members, and there's a lot of vulgarities and some "mature content", so be warned. Cleaning up this battered vinyl copy became a labour of love for the owner of this copy, returning every so often with different software to remove more clicks and pops, until what we have here is probably the best sounding version of the album that you'll hear. 

Track listing 

Disc I
01 More Salt And Lemons
02 We're Under Arrest
03 New York Telephone - Spoof
04 What To Do At Hotels
05 Playing Around On The Piano
06 Mountains Of Cold
07 Intermission
08 Hot Leftovers
09 More Wate - Fake Weight Gain Commercial
10 Life Of Illusion - instrumental
11 Super Thins Reducer Tablets - Fake Weight Loss Commercial
12 A Flock Of Waa-Waa's
13 Sunrise > Them Moose Goosers
14 Ahhh, Varoom Noises
15 On Third Street - Spoof Of 'On Broadway'
16 You Are A Dreamer - Spoof Of 'Hotel California'
17 Rock Group > Be My Baby And chatter
18 Scuse Me While I Kiss This Guy - Spoof Of 'Purple Haze'
19 Pretty Maids Plus Chatter And Joking Around
20 'The Last Resort' With Joke Lyrics
21 'New Kid In Town' With King Arthur
22 The Ping Pong Game

Disc II
01 Phone Interview - Felder Plays A 'One Of These Nights' Guitar Solo To Frey And Henley
02 Music City Songcrafters - Fake Commercial
03 The Bounce Song Intro With The Star-Spangled Banner >
04 Hey Fish (Part One) > 
05 This Is An ALERT
06 Hey Fish (Part Two) >
07 Them Moose Goosers (By Mason Williams)
08 Crank Phone Call And A Constipation Discussion
09 The Math Song
10 'Calendar Girl' - Spoof
11 Hey Fish (Part Three)
12 Is This A Coke Rap Or A Freak Out?
13 Castles Made Of Sausage - Spoof Of 'Castles Made Of Sand'
14 The Bounce Song (Reprise)
15 John - Rehearsal
16 'Crazy About You' - Instrumental Jam
17 'Them Changes' - Instrumental Jam
18 'Who Took My Joint?' - Instrumental Jam
19 'I've Been A Fool For You Baby' - Rehearsal And Chatter
20 'Disco Scotsman' - Rehearsal And Chatter
21 'Go To Church And Don't Play Rock And Roll' - Instrumental Jam
22 That's A Wrap - Chatter

We Free Kings - Preacher's Songs (1988)

Following my recent post from The Green Telescope, a comment from santaci alerted me to a band that Telescope member Colin Blakey joined when he left them, and so after a bit of research we now have a post from We Free Kings.

We Free Kings were an Edinburgh-based folk/punk/rock act formed in the mid-1980's by Joe Kingman on vocals and guitar, Seb Holbrook on guitar, Phil Bull on cello, Colin Blakey on whistles and reeds, Pam Dobson on melodeon, Aidan Reilly on mandolin, Geoff Pagan on violin, and Kenny Welsh on drums. Blakey had been a member of The Green Telescope, who released a couple of singles in the mid 80’s, and one day he saw  a bunch of hooligans busking opposite the market, and he had his whistle with him and asked if he could join in. Before long he was gigging and recording them around Edinburgh, and a few weeks later he heard about an Irish tour that they had lined up, so he phoned Joe Kingman, and he was told that there was a seat on the bus for him.  They built up a sizeable Scottish following through energetic live dates with acts like The Waterboys, and Kingman used to share a flat with their singer Mike Scott. After a self-financed storming debut single in 1986 with ‘Death Of The Wild Colonial Boy’, they signed to D.D.T. and released their debut album, ‘Hell On Earth & Rosy Cross’ in 1988. The following year Blakey left to join The Waterboys in Ireland, and so Kingman, Holbrook, Pagan & Bull then regrouped with Mark Ritchie (guitar), Simon (bass) and Grangemouth drummer Greg Drysdale (ex-One Over The Eight), and this line-up released the 12” single ‘Howl’ for Avalanche Records in 1990. They were later thrown off a UK tour with The Waterboys by an insecure Mike Scott, and the band split almost immediately afterwards, with Drysdale joining The Diesel Kings, and Bull, Pagan, Holbrook, and Kingman joining The Clan. This post collects together their singles and EP’s plus a few previously unreleased demos, and highlights yet another overlooked band of the 1980’s.

 
Track listing
 
01 Love Is In The Air (single 1986)
02 Death Of The Wild Colonial Boy (b-side of ‘Love Is In The Air’)
03 Oceans (from the ‘Oceans’ EP 1987)
04 Wipe-Out Gang (from the ‘Oceans’ EP 1987)
05 Still Standing (from the ‘Still Standing’ EP 1987)
06 Run Run Run (from the ‘Still Standing’ EP 1987)
07 Unholy Ground (from the ‘Still Standing’ EP 1987)
08 This Train (from the ‘Still Standing’ EP 1987)
09 Easter Road (previously unreleased)
10 King Of Thieves (live on FSD 1987)
11 Preacher’s Song (previously unreleased)
12 Be So Cruel (from the ‘Howl’ EP 1988)
13 Silver Or Lead (previously unreleased)
14 Underwater (previously unreleased)

Beulah - Burned By The Sun: The Best Of Beulah (2003)

Beulah was an American indie rock band from San Francisco, California, formed by Miles Kurosky and Bill Swan in 1996, while the pair were working in the same office. They discovered that they shared similar musical tastes and, disregarding some mutual dislike, decided to form a band. This early incarnation of Beulah recorded a song every six weeks for 16 months on their four-track recorder, and they eventually received attention from The Apples in Stereo frontman and Elephant 6 member Robert Schneider, who expressed interest on releasing what was to be their first single, 'A Small Cattle Drive In A Snow Storm', on Elephant 6 Records. Their first album, 'Handsome Western States', was released in the same year, also on Elephant 6 and mastered by Schneider, and the record soon sold out. This association with the collective has continued throughout their career, despite the fact that Beulah did not release anything more on the label. In order to tour in support of the album, the duo added Steve La Follette, Steve St. Cin and Pat Noel to the line-up, and they played their first shows in support of the Apples In Stereo. Their second album, 'When Your Heartstrings Break', followed two years later to critical acclaim, mainly because the sound of the band had changed to become a bit more polished, and they now incorporated several dozen instruments, using eighteen additional musicians, and with strings and horns now being heavily incorporated. Also at this time, the band added keyboardist Bill Evans to its line-up. As the band were picking up sales of their second album in the UK, Shifty Disco Records released two U.K.-only singles in 1999, 'Sunday Under Glass' and 'Score From Augusta', with 'Emma Blowgun's Last Stand' released the following year. 

These singles featured b-sides culled from 'Handsome Western States', which at the time was unreleased in the U.K., until 2000 further copies were made available by the band in 1999, with different artwork. The band continued to tour extensively throughout 1999, taking a break in 2000, after which Steve St. Cin left the band and was replaced by Danny Sullivan, best known from his days in Screeching Weasel. Kurosky went to Japan, staying with a friend for eight weeks, and wrote the songs that would eventually turn into Beulah's third album. He mailed demo tapes of the songs to each band member, who mailed back their own versions of, and additions to, the songs, with Kurosky turning these recordings into the basis of the band's new record, 'The Coast Is Never Clear'. During the recording process, however, Kurosky was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and took daily therapy sessions, which informed the lyrical mood of the record, making some of the incredibly downbeat lyrics very much at odds with the breezy, summery feel of the music. When recording was complete, Beulah encountered problems with the release of the album, as their record label Capricorn Records, which had signed them after 'When Your Heartstrings Break' was released, was bought out. In the end, the record was released on newly founded independent label Velocette Records in September 2001, and once again it gained a great degree of critical acclaim, with the band continuing to tour, despite having to cancel its European dates that winter. Shortly after the release of the record, Steve La Follette and Bill Evans left the band and were replaced by Eli Crews and Pat Abernathy. 2002 saw the then-out-of-print 'Handsome Western States' repressed for the third time, along with another U.S. tour, after which the band settled into rehearsing material for its next album. 

The period surrounding the conception of 'Yoko' was one of great personal strife for the band: Kurosky separated from his longtime girlfriend, and three of the six band members went through divorce. Amid this, the foundations of the group appeared to be shaking, with  rumours of a break-up being rife. The mood of the album was therefore much darker, and the band phased back much of its instrumentation, preferring to create more of a live sound than layering multiple overdubs atop the mix. The album took a much rockier direction than previous releases, but on its release in 2003 it attracted a similar lauding that had greeted their previous two records. At this time, Beulah appeared to be falling apart, with cryptic messages alluding to a break-up appearing on their website, and the band itself stated that if 'Yoko' did not achieve gold status, its members would split. Though it received the best reviews of the band's career, the record failed to achieve gold status, and so true to their word, the band split up after one final tour. Beulah were always one of my favourite power-pop groups of the early 2000's, when the genre seemed to be producing great new bands every few months, in particular the Elephant 6 collective mentioned earlier. This collection of some of their best work will introduce you to a band which quickly scaled the heights, only to cruelly fall apart and just be remembered by those few loyal fans that they picked up along the way.  

Track listing

01 A Good Man Is Easy To Kill (from 'The Coast Is Never Clear' 2001)
02 Landslide Baby (from 'Yoko' 2003)
03 Shotgun Dedication (from 'Handsome Western States' 1997)
04 Matter vs. Space (from 'When Your Heartstrings Break' 1999)
05 You're Only King Once (from 'Yoko' 2003)
06 Gene Autry (from 'The Coast Is Never Clear' 2001)
07 I've Been Broken (I've Been Fixed) (from 'Handsome Western States' 1997)
08 Emma Blowgun's Last Stand (from 'When Your Heartstrings Break' 1999)
09 The Battle Cry Of The West (b-side of the 'Popular Mechanics For Lovers' single 2001)
10 My Side Of The City (from 'Yoko' 2003)
11 Burned By The Sun (from 'The Coast Is Never Clear' 2001)
12 If We Can Land A Man On The Moon, Surely I Can Win Your Heart (from 'When Your

                                                                                                           Heartstrings Break' 1999)
13 Dig The Subatomic Holdout #2 (from 'Handsome Western States' 1997)
14 Wipe Those Prints And Run (from 'Yoko' 2003)
15 Weight Of My Tears (b-side of the 'Popular Mechanics For Lovers' single 2001)
16 Gravity Is Bringing Us Down (from 'The Coast Is Never Clear' 2001)

Dyme - Diamonds In The Ruff (2000)

Twin sisters Idrissa & Aisha Hassan formed Dyme in Mount Vernon, New York, and their hardcore street style soon caught the attention of rapper DMX, who immediately signed them to his Bloodline Records via Arista Records, and added them to the line up on the Ruff Ryders/Hot Boyz tour back in 1999/2000. While signed to Bloodline Records, they recorded their debut album entitled 'Diamonds In The Ruff', which was scheduled for release sometime in 2000, and which featured collaborations with Lady Luck, Cuban Link of Terror Squad and DMX. It was led by multiple buzz singles dating back as early as 1999, including 'In The Cut', 'Diamonds In The Ruff', 'Spanish Fly', and 'Is It A Crime?', and a motion picture aptly titled 'Double Crossed' (named after one of the tracks off their shelved album), starring the twins themselves, was scheduled to coincide with the album's release However, this idea was ultimately canned when the album missed its deadline, and as its buzz singles were still failing to impact Billboard charts, both the film and the album were shelved. Following this disappointment, Dyme parted ways with DMX and his Bloodline record label, although before they left the label, they performed on remixes for Deborah Cox & Whitney Houston, and starred in the 1999 flick 'Love Goggles'. DMX obviously saw something in the duo, but the record-buying public did not share his enthusiasm, resulting in yet another perfectly good rap album being undeservedly consigned to the vaults. 

Track listing

01 Phone Talk (Skit #1) 
02 Niggaz Do Real Thangz (feat. Bobby Simmons & Smif-N-Wessun)
03 In The Cut 
04 What'chu Want (feat. Lady Luck) 
05 It Ain't A Game 
06 Phone Talk (Skit #2) 
07 3 Stories (feat. DMX) 
08 Another Story 2 Tell (feat. The Notorious B.I.G., Nas & Trina)
09 Ladies, Are U Wit Me?
10 Thug Glamour
11 Spanish Fly (feat. Cuban Link)
12 Diamonds In The Ruff
13 Is It A Crime?
14 Double Cross 
15 Million Dollar Chicks (Where They At?) 
16 Phone Talk (Skit #3)

Shriekback - Cloud Of Nails (1986)

Shriekback formed in 1981 as a loose association based around the trio of former Gang Of Four bassist Dave Allen, the keyboardist from XTC Barry Andrews, and ex-Out On Blue Six guitarist Carl Marsh. They quickly developed a trademark sound that had little to do with the members' previous credits, with the bedrock of the sound being Allen's muscular yet liquid bass playing. On top of this, they deployed creative and intricate drum programs, Andrews' multifaceted synthesizer shadings, strategically placed guitar from Marsh, and whispered vocals from Andrews along with Marsh's more melodic singing. The first Shriekback release was the six-song EP 'Tench', which appeared on the Y Records label in 1982, and this was followed the next year by their first album, 'Care', on the same label. This featured the quasi-hit 'Lined Up', which was the song that put Shriekback on the map for many people. 'Care' was picked up and released in the U.S. by Warner Bros., with an altered running order and two different tracks, including the polyrhythmic 'My Spine (Is the Bass Line)', but although it was critically acclaimed and garnered a fair amount of airplay from both college radio and modern rock radio, Warner Bros. declined to release any further material from the band. 1984's 'Jam Science' was therefore released everywhere except North America by Arista Records, and was slicker, less murky, and more focused on electronics than its predecessor, and included the dub-influenced single 'Hand On My Heart'. 

Towards the end of the 'Jam Science' sessions Shriekback became a quartet with the addition of drummer Martyn Barker, but they quickly became a trio again when Carl Marsh departed midway through the recording of their third album. Andrews took over as sole vocalist and the addition of Lu Edmonds on guitar brought a more aggressive sound to 'Oil And Gold', which was released in 1985. Songs like 'Malaria' and 'Nemesis' rocked harder than anything Shriekback had recorded before, bringing them a far wider audience than they had previously enjoyed. 'Oil And Gold' sold well upon its U.S. release on Island Records, which was the start of a relationship with the label which saw two more albums on the label. 1986's 'Big Night Music', featured a core trio of Allen, Andrews, and Barker augmented by hired hands like Mike Cozzi (guitar), Steve Halliwell (keyboards), and Wendy and Sarah Partridge (backing vocals), and continued 'Oil And Gold's move toward accessibility, with a more organic sound with an emphasis on live percussion. Shriekback seemed poised on the brink of unlikely stardom, but Allen departed before the recording of 1988's 'Go Bang!', which ended up much more radio-friendly than their previous releases. 

The band briefly disbanded at the end of the decade, and the compilation 'The Dancing Years', featuring re-recorded songs, kept the band's in the public gaze until Allen, Andrews, and Barker reunited in 1992 to record the excellent 'Sacred City', which essentially picked up where 'Big Night Music' left off, and included guitar playing by Karl Hyde of Underworld. There was another long silence after that, but in 2000 the band returned with newer members Simon Edwards and Mark Raudva, and released 'Naked Apes And Pond Life' on the Australian Mushroom label, kicking off a very busy decade, with a self-issued studio LP 'Having A Moment' appearing in 2003, following a few live efforts and compilations. In 2005 the band signed to Malicious Damage Records, and issued the 'Cormorant' album, followed in 2007 by 'Glory Bumps', and three years later by 'Life In The Loading Bay'. All of their subsequent output has been self-released, with the studio album 'Without Real String Or Fish' appearing in 2015, followed by several limited releases of demos, remixes, rarities, and live material. 'Why Anything? Why This?' was released in 2018, followed by 'Some Kinds Of Light' in late 2019, 'Bowlahoola' in 2022, and 'Monument' in 2025. During their first incarnation, before their late 80's split, they included a lot of new material on the flips of their singles, and this album collects the best of them from 1982 to 1986.  

Track listing

Disc I - 1982-1983
01 Despite Dense Weed (from the 'Birth Of The Y' compilation 1982)
02 My Spine (Is The Bassline) (single 1982)
03 Tiny Birds (b-side of 'My Spine (Is The Bassline)')
04 Feelers (b-side of 'My Spine (Is The Bassline)')
05 Speed Of Clocks (previous unreleased 1982)
06 Floral Police Van (previously unreleased 1982)
07 Working On The Ground (single 1983)
08 Closework (b-side of 'Working On The Ground')

Disc II - 1983-1986
01 Mothloop II (from the NME cassette 'Racket Packet' 1983)
02 Regret No Dogs (previously unreleased 1983)
03 Nerve (b-side of 'Hand On My Heart' 1984)
04 Cloud Of Nails (Pump Up A Storm) (b-side of 'Hand On My Heart' 1984)
05 Mistah Linn He Dead (from the 'Knowledge, Power, Truth And Sex' EP 1984)
06 Big Sharp Teeth ('Jam Science' outtake 1984)
07 Carrying Cameras ('Jam Science' outtake 1984)
08 Plunging Into Homes (previously unreleased 1984)
09 Gated Joy (b-side of 'Mercy Dash (Ready For This)')
10 Bricks And Whistles (b-side of 'Mercy Dash (Ready For This)')
11 Bludgeoned (b-side of 'Gunning For The Buddha' 1986)

King Sunny Ade & His Green Spot Band - The Master Guitarist Vols. 3 & 4 (1971)

The next post from Nigerian guitarist King Sunny Ade is a double, as the third volume of  'The Master Guitarist' series was only a 10" EP, consisting of just three tracks, totalling 13 minutes of music. I'm therefore adding the next full length album in the series, which is logically Vol. 4.

Track listing

01 Ogun (By Popular Request) / Chief Bolarinwa Abioro / Sunday Adeniyi

Track listing

01 Mr. Adenaike (Olulu)
02 John Ali
03 Egbe Board
04 Chief Lekan Salami
05 Prince Adesanya
06 A Ye Wa
07 Akure Nile
08 Major General Adebayo
09 Akanbi Ogun
10 Constant Star

Joe Jackson - Don't Ask Me (1982)

David Ian Jackson, known professionally as Joe Jackson, was born on 11 August 1954 in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, and was raised in the Paulsgrove area of Portsmouth, where he attended Portsmouth Technical High School. At age 11, he began learning to play the violin, but after a couple of years he switched to the piano, and convinced his father to purchase one for their Paulsgrove council house. He began playing piano in bars when he was 16, and at age 18 he won a scholarship to study musical composition at London's Royal Academy of Music. Jackson's first band, Edward Bear, later renamed themselves Arms and Legs, and released two unsuccessful singles, then dissolved in 1976. Still known as David Jackson during his time with the band, he picked up the nickname "Joe" based on his perceived resemblance to the British television puppet character Joe 90, and at age 20 he legally changed his first name to Joe. After spending some time performing on the cabaret circuit to make money, he recorded a demo in 1978, which was passed to a record producer who signed him to A&M Records. Putting together a band which consisted of Jackson on vocals, Gary Sanford on guitar, Graham Maby on bass, and David Houghton on drums, they released their debut album, 'Look Sharp!' in 1979. It was a mix of rock, melodic jazz, and new wave, and it mined a vein similar to contemporaries Elvis Costello and Graham Parker, and it enjoyed wide critical success, with 'Is She Really Going Out With Him' hitting the Top 30 singles chart on both sides of the Atlantic. The same year Jackson released his second record 'I'm The Man', which followed a similar musical pattern, and despite receiving good, though not as strong, reviews, it did produce Jackson's biggest hit singles in 'It's  Different for Girls', peaking at No. 5 in the UK. In 1980 The Joe Jackson Band released 'Beat Crazy', and the band toured extensively until it broke up at the end of 1980. After The Joe Jackson Band disbanded, Jackson embarked on a solo career with the release of a cover of the Jimmy Cliff classic 'The Harder They Come', backed with two new original tunes. However, instead of continuing this singer/songwriting style he went in a completely different direction, recording 'Jumpin' Jive', an album of old-style swing and blues tunes, including songs by Cab Calloway, Lester Young, Glenn Miller, and Louis Jordan. 

He followed this in 1982 with the 'Night And Day' album, which was his only studio album to chart in the UK and US Top 10. Two singles were released from the record, with both 'Steppin' Out' and 'Breaking Us In Two' becoming US top 20 hits. By 1984, New York had become Jackson's home base, and he recorded 'Body And Soul' there, which was heavily influenced by pop, jazz standards and salsa, and it included the US No. 15 hit single 'You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)'. In 1985, Jackson played piano on Joan Armatrading's album 'Secret Secrets', including the single 'Love by You', and in 1986 he collaborated with Suzanne Vega on the single 'Left Of Center' from the 'Pretty In Pink' soundtrack. His next album, 'Big World', was his first in more than five years that included all-new songs, and it was recorded live in front of an audience that was instructed to remain silent while music was playing. Released in 1986, it was a three-sided double record, with the fourth side consisted of a single centring groove and a label stating "there is no music on this side". The instrumental album 'Will Power' followed in 1987, with heavy classical and jazz influences, and it set the stage for things to come later, although before Jackson left pop behind completely he released two more albums, 'Blaze Of Glory' in 1989 and 'Laughter & Lust' in 1991. In the late 1990s, Jackson expanded into classical music, signing with Sony Classical in 1997, and he released 'Symphony No. 1' in 1999, for which he received a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album in 2001. Since then he has reformed the pop band for the recording of the 'Volume 4' album, and he continues to record and tour, but for me his best period has when he was writing those classic pop songs like 'It's Different For Girls', 'Sunday Papers' and 'Fools In Love', and even the jazz albums have their moments, so this compilation collects together all the non-album singles and b-sides from 1978 to 1982, plus a criminally neglected John Peel session from 1979, and a live cover of Ramones 'I Can't Give You Anything', that they played live after supporting the band on the Detroit leg of that band's 1979 US tour.    

Track listing

01 You Got The Fever (b-side of 'Is She Really Going Out With Him?' 1978)
02 Don't Ask Me (b-side of 'One More Time' 1979)
03 Come On (b-side of 'I'm The Man' 1979)
04 One More Time (John Peel session 1979)
05 Fools In Love (John Peel session 1979)
06 Got The Time (John Peel session 1979)
07 I'm The Man (John Peel session 1979)
08 I Can't Give You Anything (Ramones cover, live Santa Monica 1979)
09 The Harder They Come (single 1980)
10 Out Of Style (b-side of 'The Harder They Come')
11 Tilt (b-side of 'The Harder They Come')
12 Enough Is Not Enough (b-side of 'Mad At You' 1980)
13 Knock Me A Kiss (b-side of 'Jumpin' Jive' 1981)
14 El Blanco (b-side of 'Breaking Us In Two' 1982)

Dr. Phibes And The House Of Wax Equations - Fusion Confusion (1993)

Dr. Phibes And The House Of Wax Equations were formed in 1989 in Crewe, Cheshire, and were made up of vocalist and guitarist Lawrence Howard King Jr., bassist Lee Patrick Belsham and drummer Keith York. The band's name was linked to American actor Vincent Price, who starred in the movie 'House Of Wax' and the two 'Dr. Phibes' films, and they played a mix of heavy psychedelic songs and instrumentals. The band met whilst on a music course at South Cheshire College of Further Education in late 1989, and they released their first EP 'Sugarblast' in 1990 on the 50 Steel Street Records label, followed by their debut album 'Whirlpool' in 1991. A second EP, called 'Hazy Lazy Hologram, was released the same year, and all their records were greeted with both critical and public acclaim, leading to an appearance at the Glastonbury Festival in 1992. The band also recorded sessions for the Radio One DJ John Peel in 1991 and 1993, as well as some tracks for Mark Radcliffe's late night Radio 1 show. Also in 1991 they released a Promo-only CD in France, which included one of the tracks recorded for John Peel on the flip. Two more EPs followed in 1992 and 1993, and that year also saw the release of their second album 'Hypnotwister'. Dr. Phibes' final live performance was in Manchester in 1995, shortly after which the band folded. Although they were a fairly short-lived group, I loved everything that they recorded, and so this mopping up exercise of their non-album b-sides and Peel sessions is as much for me as it is for you.  

Track listing

01 Fusion Confusion (from the 'Hazy'EP 1991)
02 I Am Forever (from the 'Hazy'EP 1991)
03 Neon Sundial (from the 'Hazy'EP 1991)
04 L.A. Woman (from the 'Mr Phantasy' EP 1991)
05 Argonaut (from the 'Mr Phantasy' EP 1991)
06 Psycho Killer (b-side of 'Misdiagnosedive' 1992)
07 All The Way Through Eternity (b-side of 'Misdiagnosedive' 1992)
08 Transparent Hung Up (John Peel session 1993)
09 Wait For The Gripper (John Peel session 1993)

Shortly after posting this album I received an email from Niall Donnelly, saying:

I thought you might like to know that an official Phibes website is in the works - I'm developing it with drummer Keith York and the families of bassist Lee Belsham and singer-guitarist Howard King Jnr, who are sadly no longer with us.

As part of this process, we've set up a PhibesOfficial channel on YouTube and already have uploaded a selection of early songs that were never published, so these might be new to you, plus some high-quality live recordings.

Best regards

Niall