Sep 24, 2008

Eight-X (47)

Oops, it's Eight-X again, must be midweek.Well the re-upping went smoothly today, Wavetrain looks to be all live again by thursday even a slight makeover and extending here and there..Today we start with a band from the netherlands that got off to a good start with their debut album, ran into trouble with the recordcompanies with their second and when the third only garnered critical acclaim they threw in the towel, made on a next to nothing budget Just Can't Sleep brings across the nervous consequences that can bring and its clear the guys had been exposed like their peers to the jittery first two albums of the Talking Heads .....The Jam had eighteen consecutive Top 40 singles in the UK, from their debut in 1977 to their breakup in 1982, including four number one hits need i say more..this is a 02 compilation of their sound...that's entertainment.....The rain Parade looked to be going places but then when you're from LA it's hard to stick together with everything thats going on there, so in the end it was just three albums and the live album here..Beyond The Sunset though you'd hardly notice it was live, recorded in the land of the setting sun (obviously) ....

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The Tapes - You Just Can't Sleep (79 ^ 95)

Late 77 (ex-)students Fred Hermsen (voc), Rolf Hermsen (gitar), Michiel Brandes (gitar), Igor Roovers (bass) and Dick van der Vaart (drums) founded The Tapes. After it turns out Fred ain't a singer his brother Rolf takes over and Fred concentrates on the management and writing lyrics. they get labelled as the Dutch Talking Heads, but the bands musical interests extend well beyond to funk, jazzrock and pop. In 78 they record "You Just Can't Sleep" with a minimal budget on a 8-track recorder. Despite the demo quality the album is well recieved and sells well. This gets them noticed by major label Vertigo that take over the distribution from the Plurex label.

After the support tour Dick van der Vaart quits as drummer, and returns to studying medicine. Peter Meuris takes over. That summer (79) the follow-up album "Party" is recorded under guidance of the american producer Don Willard. The assumption was that the same deal as the last album would be made but Phonogram (Vertigo parent) but the major is nolonger interested. In the months that follow The tapes try to sell the ready made album to record companies home and abroad without result. Finally the american Passport label offers them a contract. Spring 1980 Party is finally released, the sound is obviously much better, the tracks have gained more depth. 

The third album, On A Clear Day, is recorded spring 81 and produced by John Leckie (Human League, XTC, Magazine) members of the Nits are in support. The album gets a worldwide release but the despite good reviews it sinks as first hour fans no longer recognise the Tapes from the previous albums and it fails to find a niche. The On A Clear Day promotion tour sees Mathilde Santing(Eleveld) as vocal support aswell as support show. 1982 sees the end for the Tapes as they've become desillusioned from the lack of success..in a reversal of fortune bandmembers become Mathilde Santing's backing band.
 
 

01 - A Little Trick We All Know (3:37)
02 - Live Girls / Dead Girls (3:56)
03 - Scars (3:18)
04 - At The Wheel (4:49)
05 - Voices Of Time (3:53)

06 - Call Me (4:02)
07 - Who's Responsible (3:27)
08 - Dancing On A Red Carpet (3:27)
09 -You Just Can't Sleep (5:11)
10 - The Best Of My Fate (3:52)

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The Jam - The Sound Of The Jam ( ^ 188mb))

The Jam formed in Surrey, England in 1972 in Woking. The line-ups were fluid at this stage, consisting of Weller on guitar and lead vocals together with various friends, the line-up began to solidify in the mid 1970s with Weller, Foxton, guitarist Steve Brookes and drummer Rick Buckler. In their early years, their sets consisted of early American rock and roll covers. They continued in this vein until Weller became fascinated with mod music and lifestyle. They went out and bought black suits and started playing Motown, Stax and Atlantic covers. Eventually Brookes left the band, and was not replaced, inviting Weller to develop a combined lead/rhythm guitar style. 

In the following two years, The Jam gained a small following around London, becoming one of the new lights on the nascent punk scene. Though they shared an "angry young men" outlook, short hair, crushing volume and lightning-fast tempos, The Jam wore neatly tailored suits where others wore ripped clothes, played professionally where others were defiantly amateurish. They really stood out from their punk peers. They were signed to Polydor Records by Chris Parry in early 1977. On 29 April 1977, Polydor released The Jam's debut single,"In the City", which charted in the Top 40 in England. In early May, the band released their epinomous debut album. Like those of The Clash and the Sex Pistols, the album featured fast, loud and pointed songs.

After the non-LP single "All Around the World" nearly reached the UK Top 10, The Jam, having achieved a notable following in such a short time, was pressed to produce more material quickly. Their second album, This Is the Modern World, was released later in 1977. Despite displaying more stylistic variety than before, including some ventures into introspective pop, This Is The Modern World was not widely praised. However, when John Peel first heard the album, he played it in its entirety on one show

In March 1978, the band released "News of the World", a non-album single that was both written and sung by Foxton. It charted at #27 in the UK, and was the band's second biggest hit to date. The Jam released their next single, the double A-side "David Watts" b/w "'A' Bomb In Wardour Street". "David Watts" was a cover of the bouncy Kinks classic; Weller and Foxton traded lead vocals throughout the song. It wasn't until their next single, "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight", that The Jam really regained their former critical acclaim. The song was a dramatic account of being mugged by thugs who "smelled of pubs and Wormwood Scrubs and too many right-wing meetings." Around this time, The Jam slimmed their team of two producers to one, Vic Coppersmith-Heaven, who helped develop the group's sound with harmonised guitars and acoustic textures. The Jam released their third LP, All Mod Cons in 1978.

The Jam released "The Eton Rifles" in advance of their new album. It became their first top 10, rising to #3 on the UK charts. November of 1979 saw the release of the Setting Sons album, another massive UK hit, and their first chart entry in the U.S. The album began life as a concept album about three childhood friends, though in the end many of the songs had political overtones.
The band's first single of 1980 was intended to be "Dreams of Children," due to a labelling error, however, the a- and b-sides of the single were reversed, resulting in the more conventional "Going Underground", the single's planned flipside, getting much more airplay and attention than "Dreams of Children". As a result, only "Going Underground" was initially listed on the charts, although the single was eventually officially recognised (and listed) as a double A-side by the time the release reached #1 in the UK.

Sound Affects was released in 1980. It was influenced by current post-punk bands such as Joy Division and Wire. Paul Weller said that he was influenced by The Beatles' Revolver and Michael Jackson's Off the Wall also. Weller allegedly wrote "That's Entertainment", in around 15 minutes upon returning (under the influence) from the pub. Despite being only available as an import single, it peaked at #21 on the UK charts, an unprecedented feat. It is now arguably The Jam's most celebrated song and despite the group's lack of commercial success in America, it even made Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. The album was a #2 hit in the UK and peaked at #72 on the US Billboard charts, their most successful American album. 

The 1982 release The Gift — the band's final LP — was a massive commercial success, peaking at #1 on the UK charts. It featured several soul, funk, and R&B-stylized songs; most notably the #1 hit "Town Called Malice," which boasts a Motown-style bassline somewhat reminiscent of The Supremes' "You Can't Hurry Love". The song included organ work by Steve Nichol, who later became well known as a member the R&B group Loose Ends. When "Town Called Malice" reached number one the group had the honour of performing both it and its double A-side, "Precious" on TOTP - the only other band to be accorded this honour being the Beatles. After the string-laden soul ballad "The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow)" peaked at #2, the band followed with their finale and another #1, "Beat Surrender". The Beat Surrender EP had success in the British charts, and both its graphic design and music resembles early Style Council releases. After a farewell tour of the UK Weller disbanded the group.

Weller, who felt he had done all he could with The Jam, then formed The Style Council with Mick Talbot of The Merton Parkas. After they split up in 1989, Weller went on to pursue a solo career.



The Jam - The Sound Of ( ^ 188mb)

01 - In The City (2:19)
02 - Away From The Numbers (4:03)
03 - The Modern World (2:31)
04 - David Watts (2:56)
05 - Down In The Tube Station At Midnight (4:01)
06 - It's Too Bad (2:37)
07 - To Be Someone (2:30)
08 - Mr. Clean (3:29)
09 - English Rose (2:50)
10 - The Butterfly Collector (3:09)
11 - The Eton Rifles (3:59)
12 - Private Hell (3:51)
13 - Thick As Thieves (3:40)
14 - Smithers-Jones (3:01)
15 - Saturdays Kids (2:53)
16 - Going Underground (2:56)
17 - Start! (2:31)
18 - Liza Radley (2:32)
19 - Pretty Green (2:37)
20 - Boy About Town (2:00)
21 - That's Entertainment (3:34)
22 - Tales From The Riverbank (3:26)
23 - Town Called Malice (2:54)
24 - Ghosts (2:10)
25 - Carnation (3:29)
26 - Beat Surrender (3:25)

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Rain Parade - Beyond The Sunset ( 85 ^ 87mb)

Among the L.A. groups dubbed Paisley Underground (Dream Syndicate, the Bangles, Three O'Clock), Rain Parade were the closest to being the real deal for their use of psychedelic flourishes thoroughout their first album. The band was founded by college roommates Matt Piucci (guitar, vocals) and David Roback (guitar, vocals) in 1981, originally as The Sidewalks. David's brother Steven Roback (bass, vocals) joined the band shortly thereafter. David and Steven had been in a band called The Unconscious with neighbor Susanna Hoffs ( Bangles.) The band soon added Will Glenn (keyboards and violin) and later Eddie Kalwa (drums). 

Their first single, "What She's Done to Your Mind," was a certifiable hit on college radio, and the band quickly followed with their debutalbum, Emergency Third Rail Power Trip. For 1984's Explosions in the Glass Palace, the band lost David Roback to Opal, but John Thoman took over and Mark Marcum filled in for the departed Eddie Kalwa. The re-formed band recorded the live album Beyond the Sunset (1985) and Crashing Dream ( 1985). This album was supported by a European tour, underwritten by Island Records, and garnered good support in smaller club venues, yet the band would disband in 86, with Piucci forming Gone Fishin' and later joining Crazy Horse. The band reformed in 1988 to finish off a double album they had started, but it was never released. The rest of the band formed Viva Saturn. After Rainy Day, David Roback formed Opal, and later Mazzy Star.

Recorded Live at Shibuya Hall, Tokio (12-16-84)



01 - Night Shade (2:49)
02 - Prisoners (3:32)
03 - This Can't Be Today (4:00)
04 - Blue (2:32)
05 - Eyes Closed (2:37)
06 - Ain't That Nothing (4:05)

07 - Don't Feel Bad (3:21)
08 - 1,5 Hours Ago (4:10)
09 - No Easy Way Down (6:27)
10 - Cheap Wine (5:03)

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All downloads are in * ogg-7 (224k) or ^ ogg-9(320k), artwork is included , if in need get the nifty ogg encoder/decoder here !

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