Diabolus - 1971 - High Tones

Genre: Prog Related
Country:UK
Size: 90,5 MB
Bitrate: 256mp3
Artwork Included
No password

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Little known UK group who recorded this rare and only album in Germany 1971. Dark Progressive With Flutes, Occasional Saxes Etc. A Bit In The Vein Of Gravytrain With Some Folky Tunes In Their Music As Well. Going for high prices in auctions Recommended!!
Their only LP, "High Tones", was recorded in 1971, in London, produced by Hugh Murphy and Shel Talmy (THE WHO); but never released because of 'comercial' reasons. An unauthorized edition was released in Germany by Bellaphon. When the members found out about this, in the mid 1990's, they legally fought back property and re-released the album with Sunrise Records, Europe). Music runs from folk tunes to excessive instrumentation, including flute, sax and chorus sang by three of the members of the band, passing through jazz-fusion and complex time composing. GENTLE GIANT's choruses run similarly to DIABOLUS'; flute sound takes them close to JETHRO TULL. Sax prefigures later PINK FLOYD sound, but while in PF sax is "invited" in DIABOLUS it comes as part of the whole. Some of the tunes approach electric jazz through the use of broken times and an open drumming, with moments of total free improvisation.

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Songs / Tracks Listing

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1. Lonely days (7:10)

2. Night Clouded moon (5:46)

3. 1002 Nights (4:48)

4. 3 pieces suite (7:05)

5. Lady of the moon (3:56)

6. Laura Sleeping (8:04)

7. Spontenuity (8:20)

8. Raven's call (6:18)

Total Time: 51:27

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Line-up / Musicians

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- John Hadfield / lead guitar & vocals

- Anthony Hadfied / bass, vocals

- Philip Howard / flute, keyboards, saxophone, organ, piano

- Ellwood Von Seibold / drums

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Enjoy!

Wishbone Ash - 1973 - Four

Genre: Prog Related
Country: United Kingdom
Format: Mp3 320 Kbps

Size : 79343 KB
No Password
Covers included
Released : 1973

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What could WA do after such a resounding success as Argus had been and not wanting to make a Son-of-Argus? Well they certainly had the courage to get back to basics and did probably out of pressure of their MCA label, but I believe because they probably felt incapable of furthering what they had achieved just before. So they went back to basics, but unfortunately started paying a price, as this album was also the breaking point of the original line-up as one of the twin-lead guitarist Ted Turner would leave after it, joining religion. Most likely out of frustration for taking such a step backwards!
Because a step backwards this album definitely is: all of the charm of Argus was simply washed away as if inexistent and very unfortunately that spirit will simply never be caught again in their discography even three decades later. Basic rockers sounding a bit as if they had become a more progressive Status Quo, this album does not even have real highlights or peaks, it is just flat down RnR with little inventivity. Best-known track is Persephone Jives, which still gets regular playing live nowadays but it is nothing worth writing home about and barely deserves a space on a compilation or best of. Lacklustre collection of song, this album is the blueprint for many WA albums to come, but at least this one still has the merit of having the original line-up.

Songs / Tracks Listing

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1. So Many Things To Say (5:00)

2. Ballad Of The Beacon (4:58)

3. No Easy Road (3:40)

4. Everybody Needs A Friend (8:27)

5. Doctor (5:48)

6. Sorrel (5:02)

7. Sing Out The Song (4:21)

8. Rock'n Roll Widow (5:41)

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Total Time: 42:57

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Line-up / Musicians

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- Martin Turner / vocals, bass

- Andy Powell / guitars, vocals

- Ted Turner / guitars, vocals

- Steve Upton / drums

Enjoy!

Beckett - 1974 - Beckett

Genre: Prog Related

Origin: United Kingdom

Covers included

Type Mp3 224 Kbps

No Password

Released 1974

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A progressive rock outfit from Newcastle, who formed in 1970. Ken Mountain was ex-Yellow. After their Little Girl flexi, Gibbons left to join Halfbreed and was replaced by Ian Murray (ex-Music, Goblin). After their album, which was produced by Roger Chapman of Family, Barton and Fisher left, being replaced by Arthur Ramm (ex-Les Humphries Singers) and Barry Black (ex-John Miles Set). Then Ian Murray departed, to be replaced by Jimmy Wiley (ex-Icarus). After the band split, Wilson-Slesser went on to Back Stree Crawler, Wiley and Barton ended up in Captain Whizzo (1976) and Black rejoined John Miles.

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The Band

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Arthur Ramm (guitar),

Frankie Gibbon (bass),

Terry Wilson-Slesser (vocals),

Kenny Mountain (guitar),

Keith Fisher (drums)

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Track List

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01 Once Upon A Time....The End

02 Rolling Thunder

03 Rainclouds

04 Life's Shadow

05 New Dawn Chorus

06 A Rainbow's Gold

07 Don't Tell Me I Wasn't Listening

08 Green Grass Green

09 My Lady

10 True Lite Story

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Enjoy!

Wishbone Ash - 1971 - Pilgrimage (CD Release 1991)

Genre: Prog Related

Country: United Kingdom

Format: Mp3 VBR/320 Kbps

Size : 83365 KB

No Password

Covers included

Released : 1971

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On their second album, Wishbone Ash still haven’t figured out whether they’re a blues-based boogie-rock band (as witnessed on two of the album’s lengthier songs, “Jail Bait” and the live recorded “Where Were You Tomorrow”) or something else (the other songs), but it’s a fact that these guys were WAY too talented to be just another blooze & booze-band, and I’m not trying to be condescending towards bands like Grand Funk Railroad or Status Quo, who for the most part (no, not always) of their careers kept churning out songs based on the good old, familiar pattern, it’s just that these four musicians are so talented that I don’t get why they’re no longer (or rarely) praised anymore. Both Andy Powell and Ted Turner were guitar players with an awesome technique and capable of delivering some impossibly fluid soloing as well as bottom-heavy chords bashing, while bass player Martin Turner and drummer Steve Upton deserve to be placed among the great rhythm sections of classic rock (yes, that implies very near Moon/Entwistle, Baker/Bruce, etc), as they effortlessly incorporated elements from jazz and folk into their rock mould. The greatest example of their unique fusion is “The Pilgrim.” Even though it starts out as another folk-inflected tune, with a slow build-up and ‘mysterious’ atmosphere, it turns into an entirely different matter after three minutes, when angular guitar accents introduce the twisted rhythm that the bass and drums soon pick up. It’s stuff that hovers somewhere in between prog (awkward time signatures), hard rock, jazz and even folk, with the harmonizing of the musicians betraying their British roots. It’s during songs as this one, songs that are unfortunately the hardest to describe, that the band shows its uniqueness to full effect.
There’s nothing as unusual as this track on Pilgrimage, even though there’s plenty to enjoy. Album opener “Vas Dis,” which also boasts a jazzy rhythm and contrary accents is less spectacular than “The Pilgrim,” but the remarkable thing about it are the scat vocals that mimick the guitar parts. It’s something I’ve heard only a few bands do, but it usually cracks me up, and there’s some great soloing. “Alone” and “Lullaby” are short instrumentals (2:20 and 2:59, punk lengths!!) and while both are really pretty, especially “Lullaby”, because it lives up to its title, it’s hard not to consider them as a sort of ‘elevated filler’. Much better, and an essential album track, is “Valediction,” which shows how great their harmonies could be (and usually were). None of these guys was a particularly great vocalist, but they could create an imposing sense of melancholy by blending their voices. The song’s structure is quite predictable and it never offers any surprises, but it’s a winner by the sheer smoothness of the playing and the unreal atmosphere that’s kept up for more than six minutes. Then there’s the more conventional stuff: “Jail Bait” is a pretty straightforward boogie, featuring mainly a lot of soloing, and essentially the same is true for the 10-minute “Where Were You Tomorrow” which has a fierceness the studio track lacks. It’s performed with style, energy and skill to spare – you know how it goes: fierce rhythms, passionate solo, quiet moment, rise to climax, return to starting point, etc – but it’s just no match for the band’s best stuff, when they transcend the confines of conformity with genre-bending opuses that combine the best from several worlds. That’s also why the album isn’t a masterpiece: there’s some good stuff, but one third of it is standard (but excellently performed!) stuff, while another part is ranked in the vicinity of ‘enjoyable filler’. They’d go on to fully explore their capabilities though, and with great results. In the meantime, about half of Pilgrimage is recommended to anyone with a soft spot for jam-oriented ‘70’s rock. Yeah, I’m looking at you, pothead stoner boy.

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Line-up/Musicians

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- Martin Turner / vocals, bass

- Andy Powell / guitar, vocals

- Ted Turner / guitar, vocals

- Steve Upton / drums

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Track List

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1. Vas Dis (4:41)

2. The Pilgrim (8:30)

3. Jail Bait (4:41)

4. Alone (2:20)

5. Lullaby (2:59)

6. Valediction (6:17)

7.Where Were You Tomorrow (10:23)+Bonus [CD Release 1991]

8. Jail Bait [Live] (4:54)

Total Time: (45:13)

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Enjoy!

Ken Hensley - 1973 - Proud Words on a Dust Shelf

Genre : Prog Related
Country : UK
Format : MP3/320Kbps
Size : 61117 KB
Released: 1973
No password
Covers included

Hardly a coincidence that Ken Hensley came with a debut album in 1973. His creative peak, that was the time when URIAH HEEP reached their pinnacle, having released in 1972 fantastic double-shot of "Demons And Wizards" and "The Magician's Birthday" and being on the threshold of "Sweet Freedom", which was the reason why "Proud Words" didn't receive due appraisal. Recorded with support from HEEP's rhythm section, Gary Thain and Lee Kerslake, the album is both close to the band's output and as far removed from it, judging on the opening "When Evening Comes". Blues signals the guitar direction rather than keyboards-based one might expect from Hensley. Off romantic verses, intensity builds up to three guitar layers measuring the emotional depth on to liquid solo. Still, bar-room piano paves a way for a tad bleak "A King Without A Throne" Thain covers with his ornaments.





Players



Dave Paul & Gary Thain - bass guitars

Lee Kerslake - drums

Ken Hensley - all other instruments and vocals



Track List



• When Evening Comes 4.35

• From Time To Time 3.35

• King Without A Throne 3.51

• Rain 3.14

• Proud Words 3.10

• Fortune 5.22

• Black-Hearted Lady 3.36

• Go Down 3.10

• Cold Autumn Sunday 5.27

• The Last Time 2.48



Enjoy!