Nick Moss & The Flip Tops 2003 Count Your Blessings

Genre: Blues
Rate: 192 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 01:17:16
Size: 106,04 MB



Following up on his 2001 release, 'Got A New Plan', wasn't going to be an easy move for Nick Moss and his band, The Flip Tops. The wide-ranging critical acclaim for his last disc landed in blues publications on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and as far away as Japan and Australia with the general consensus echoing the idea that Moss could well be the future of blues. With 'Count Your Blessings', the votes shouldn't sway a peg. Nick Moss & The Flip Tops still consist of harrowing guitar and booming vocals courtesy of Moss, plus the tried-and-tested rhythm section of Andy Lester and Greg Campbell, and there are plenty of guests this time around as well. Nick's recent bride, Kate, handles additional guitar chores and Barrelhouse Chuck has become a full-time member, but adding the talents of Anson Funderburgh, Sam Myers, Lynwood Slim, Curtis Salgado, Johnny Bradley, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, and Bob Stroger make the party an even bigger success than most should have expected.

If one thing is immediately evident it's that there's more of a flat-out Chicago feel present on this new release due in part to the material as well as the congregation gathered to spread the gospel. Curtis Salgado's harmonica work is ridiculously good, and while that should come as no big surprise to those familiar with his work, it might cause some to wonder why he doesn't play anywhere near as much on his own discs. Nick's guitar and voice play perfect foil to each other; while his vocals are projected smoothly with plenty of feel, his guitar playing has the dirt and grime of Chicago's tenement neighborhoods, and the inclusion of Barrelhouse Chuck's keyboard abilities complement the outcome with heavy doses of Otis Spann, Sunnyland Slim, and other fallen Windy City heroes. Highlights over the first half of the CD are far too numerous to list but Heavy On My Mind exudes more Chicago grit than a Southside gutter, Do You Know is astounding with an infectious push-and-pull groove, I'm Mad features broomdusting guitar and two-fisted piano, and Porchlight sports a distinct funkified approach. A little better than the first half of the disc is made up of sharp originals while the second half pulls together Leroy Carr's Barrelhouse Woman, Floyd Jones' Ain't Times Hard, Big Bill Broonzy's Hey, Hey, A.C. Reed's This Little Voice, Sonny Boy II's She Brought Life Back To The Dead, and more, but there's no discernable difference between the Moss-penned items and the golden gems chosen as covers.

Nick Moss & The Flip Tops are the real and raw deal, but don't take some reviewer's word for it, grab Count Your Blessings and find out for yourself! www.nickmoss.com has additional CDs, gigging schedules, t-shirts, gadgets, and all-around fun stuff. (Craig Ruskey)


Tracklist:

01 - Heavy On My Mind 06:03

02 - Count Your Blessings 03:50

03 - Gold Digger 04:42

04 - Do You Know 05:16

05 - Hip Toss 05:14

06 - Porchlight 04:12

07 - I'm Mad 05:59

08 - So Tired 05:43

09 - Panic Attack 05:33

10 - Break Bad 04:38

11 - W-A-S-T-E-D 03:00

12 - Barrelhouse Woman 02:58

13 - Ain't Times Hard 04:02

14 - Hey Hey (Bonus Track) 03:11

15 - This Little Voice (Bonus Track) 02:19

16 - I Chose To Sing The Blues (Bonus Track) 04:18

17 - She Brought Life Back To The Dead (Bonus Track) 02:49

18 - Lightnin' (Bonus Track) 03:29





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Dave Meniketti 1998 On The Blue Side

Genre: Blues-Rock
Rate: 320 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 01:03:47
Size: 146,12 MB



Review by Greg Prato

Despite being best known as the guitar slinger for Bay Area pop metallists Y&T, Dave Meniketti has always had a fondness for the blues, as heard throughout his first-ever solo album, 2000s On the Blue Side. Although it's not new for a metal guitarist to rediscover their blues roots (Gary Moore successfully reinvented himself as a bluesmen in the early '90s), Meniketti gets to show off his blues chops throughout.

Included is an album-opening cover of James Brown's "Man's World," while Meniketti does a pretty darn impressive Billy Gibbons impersonation on "Angel on my Shoulder." He pays tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan on "Just Coastin'," and pours out his heart and soul on "Until Next Time." Those who have Meniketti pegged as merely a heavy metal guitarist will certainly change their tune after hearing On the Blue Side.



Tracklist:

01 - Man's World 04:47

02 - Angel On My Shoulder 05:25

03 - Can't Do Nothin' Right 04:28

04 - Loan Me A Dime 09:35

05 - Until The Next Time 04:59

06 - Just Coastin' 04:54

07 - Bad Feeling 05:48

08 - Say Goodbye 04:38

09 - Parchman Farm 02:36

10 - Take It Like A Man 06:22

11 - Baby Blues 04:39

12 - Mister Blister 05:36





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Lamont Cranston Band 1981 Shakedown

Genre: Blues
Rate: 128 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 00:37:57
Size: 34,77 MB



Artists:

Pat Hayes - Harps, vocals.
Larry Hayes - Guitars, vocals.
Bruce McCabe - Keyboards, vocals.
Charlie Bingham - Guitars.
Terry Grant - Bass.
Jim Novak - Drums.
Jim Greenwell - Saxophone.
Rick O'Dell - Saxophone.
Danny L. & The Brewerettes - background vocals on 'Upper Mississippi Shakedown', 'So Much' and 'What Love Will Do'.
Steve Kilbride - Organ on 'Moonlight On The Broken Glass' and Rhythm guitar on 'I'm So Shy'.
Tom Heinig - Bass on 'Streets Around Here', 'I'm So Shy', 'So Much' and 'Cold, Broke & Hungry'.
Dave Salisbury - Classical guitar solo on 'Moonlight On The Broken Glass'.
Mike Nelson - Trombone on 'Streets Around Here'.


Tracklist:

01 - Two Trains Runnin' 05:10

02 - Upper Mississippi Shakedown 03:51

03 - Seven 02:45

04 - Moonlight On The Broken Glass 04:27

05 - Streets Around Here 03:30

06 - I'm So Shy 03:51

07 - So Much 02:57

08 - Party Train 03:03

09 - Cold, Broke & Hungry 03:37

10 - What Love Will Do 04:46





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The Exkursions 1971 The Exkursions

Genre: Blues
Rate: 320 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 00:38:13
Size: 87,44 MB



Album Notes

High-octane power rock trio of Mike Johnson, Fyl Jonnzen and Leon Wilson, their custom album absolutely blitzing through eight tunes of heavy blues-influenced material in the vein of Hendrix and Cream. No muffled sounds here – the production is top-notch and the guitars shine forth loud and mean, heavily imbrued with ‘60s psych effects (originally released in 1971). Singer/lead guitarist Johnson gives an exceptional performance; he contributed a number of fine solo albums in the ‘70s, but none of them cook with near the intensity of this baby.

‘Third Eye’ is a good example; after starting with some bizarre psycho-babble, the piece breaks into a fierce minute-and-a-half electric guitar jam (recalling Stu Heiss’ opening solo in Rez Band’s ‘White Noise’). ‘Dry Ground’ is another standout, its fast-driving Hendrix groove outfitted with a killer searing guitar lead. ‘Baby You Lied,’ a love-gone-bad slow blues rocker sounds like one of those lengthy Derek & the Dominoes tracks, with wild stereo separation that I’m sure made many a hippie smile back then. Dual rhythm guitar and leads give the band a fuller sound than most trios. Wah-wah and fuzz effects abound, sometimes together as on the opening CCR-ish ‘Picture Woman.’ Good solid drum work throughout, too, including a solo opportunity at the beginning of the heavily fuzzed ‘Would You Believe,’ a smooth piece of soft jazz that Mike also included on his Velvet Prince album. Great psychedelic cover art to match. Says on the back they formed in Chicago in 1968, their sound “spawned out of Chicago’s own particular blend of jazz, blues and rock.” This one delivers in everyway!



Tracklist:

01 - Picture Woman 05:36

02 - Dry Ground 03:47

03 - Baby You Lied 06:05

04 - What Happened To Me 02:44

05 - Third Eye 05:54

06 - You & Me 04:58

07 - It's Been Set Down 04:47

08 - Would You Believe 04:22





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Matt Thorpe 2003 All Blues Collection

Genre: Blues
Rate: 320 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 00:59:27
Size: 136,15 MB




Tracklist:

01 - Blues Won't Leave Me Tonight 05:10

02 - Hoggrill's End 05:46

03 - Road Side Blues 03:21

04 - Certain Blues (11 Min Version) 11:54

05 - Ramblin 04:00

06 - On The Edge Of The Blues 03:32

07 - Life Long Blues 06:30

08 - New Blues 06:57

09 - Shuffle In The Nineties 03:39

10 - Low And Then Some (Remix) 03:42

11 - Positively Charged 04:56





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Chris Farlowe & Roy Herrington 1986 Live In Berlin

Genre: Soul And R&B
Rate: 256 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 00:59:54
Size: 109,65 MB



Chris Farlowe voc
Roy Harrington g., voc

The Rhythm ' n ' Blues Train :

Martin Schulz keyboards, voc
Mickey Nehrer dr, voc
Bernd Rosenmeier g
Christoph Nehrer b



Tracklist:

01 - Born In West Yorkshire 09:04

02 - Crosscut Saw 06:14

03 - Thrill Is Gone 06:54

04 - Shakey Ground 04:04

05 - Chris' Shuffle 03:55

06 - Ain't No Love 07:28

07 - Closer To You 04:39

08 - Superstitious 04:29

09 - Stormy Monday 07:39

10 - Givin't Up For Your Love 05:28





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Siggi Schwarz & Michael Schenker 2006 Live Together 2004

Genre: Rock
Rate: 320 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 01:01:49
Size: 141,33 MB



Vintage hard rock & roll permeates Live Together 2004, as the great Michael Schenker teams up with Siggi Schwarz to run through a bunch of perennial favorites like "You Really Got Me" and a trio of numbers from the Free and Bad Company catalog, credible renditions of "The Stealer," "Wishing Well," and "Can't Get Enough" with bassist Martin Hesener doing his best Paul Rodgers. It's the guitars you came to this party for, though, and Markus Gröbel's live mix gives them plenty of space in the speakers to communicate this singular message. There are also three titles from UFO's 1974 Phenomenon opus, including "Built for Comfort," a 12-and-a-half-minute "Rock Bottom" (almost double the length of the version on the UFO album), and the obligatory rendition of Schenker's co-write with Phil Mogg, the classic "Doctor, Doctor," also a staple of the Michael Schenker Group. Schwarz's time in Mountain is evident as the Leslie West thunder resonates here on this very tight and crunchy set of performances. Bernd Elsenhans plays the drums with efficient blasts that are as perfectly timed as you'd expect, and for a collection of material fans have heard time and time again -- in a variety of mutations -- there's something quite electric and entertaining about Live Together 2004, maybe that the guitars are cranked to 11 and sound just fine. The quartet even dips into Mel London's "Messin' with the Kid," a staple of Buddy Guy and Junior Wells (and credited to Wells on this disc), showing some class along with the power riffs. At 62 minutes, this would be your typical double live classic from the '70s if it could be shipped back in a time machine to stand next to Live Bullet and Blow Your Face Out, and (perhaps) be the little brother to Frampton Comes Alive! -- not in terms of fame, of course, but in having the crisp playing of a bona fide guitar star like Michael Schenker letting it rip. (Joe Viglione)



Tracklist:

01 - You Really Got Me 03:25

02 - Wishing Well 04:08

03 - Only You Can Rock Me 04:18

04 - You Don't Love Me 04:48

05 - Built For Comfort 06:05

06 - The Steeler 03:39

07 - Cann't Get Enough 04:09

08 - Too Hot To Handle 04:10

09 - Doctor, Doctor 05:17

10 - Messin' With The Kid 05:30

11 - Rock Bottom 12:39

12 - Icecream Man 03:41





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Christianshavns Bluesband 2000 Christianshavns Bluesband

Genre: Blues
Rate: 256 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 01:34:58
Size: 148,17 MB



Christianhavns Bluesband (CBB) er et dansk bluesband dannet i København i 1987 af Lone Kellermann (sang), Franz Beckerlee (guitar), Sten Haxø (sang, guitar), Søren Berlev (trommer), Peter Mandorf (saxofon, tan) Krølle Erik (sang, guitar) og Pede Meyer (bas).

Ved opløsningen af Christianshavns Bluesband i januar 1994 var besætningen: Lone Kellerman, Jørgen Rygaard (guitar), Sten Haxø, Peter Mandorf, Jakob Hede (trommer), Morten Hall (bas, guitar) og Peter Bluestime (sang, guitar).

Christianshavns Bluesband spillede primært covernumre, og var i perioden fra 1991 til opløsningen i januar 1994 et af Danmarks hårdest turnerende rockorkestre med omkring 80 koncerter om året. I 2000 udkom dobbelt-cd'en Christianshavns Bluesband: We're Only in It for the Funny. Dobbelt-cd'en rummer dels en cd med numre optaget i Sweet Silence Studios og dels en cd med liveoptagelser fra blandt andet Skandeborg Festival. CBB var præget af en særdeles energisk sceneoptræden. (http://da.wikipedia.org)


Tracklist:


CD1:

01 - I Heard It Through The Grapevine 04:28

02 - She Loves My Automobile 02:36

03 - CC Rider 05:29

04 - Watching The River Flow 03:14

05 - All Night 03:52

06 - Rock Me Baby 03:07

07 - Don't Stop 03:34

08 - Purple Rain 05:52

09 - Hva' Er Det Du Vil (Whatever You Want) 03:36

10 - Gimme All Your Loving 04:10

11 - Bad Bad Man 03:56

12 - Love Me Tender 06:09


CD2:

01 - I'm Ready 03:56

02 - She's A Woman 04:02

03 - CC Rider 05:27

04 - Don't Let Go 03:11

05 - Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me 05:48

06 - Alabama Song 04:52

07 - We Still Can Have It All 05:14

08 - Born Under A Bad Sign 03:46

09 - Nobody Loves You (When You're Down And Out) 05:03

10 - Thing Called Love 03:36

11 - Missing Track (Purple Rain)





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Matt 'Guitar' Murphy 2000 Lucky Charm

Genre: Blues
Rate: 256 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 00:54:39
Size: 100,08 MB



Veteran blues star & guitarist for the Blues Brothers delivers an album full of electric blues, funky blues, jazz blues & acoustic blues. (http://www.cduniverse.com)



Tracklist:

01 - Boogie Overture 07:19

02 - What's Up With You Baby 03:19

03 - Who's Got The Puddy 04:19

04 - Good Luck Charm 03:59

05 - I Remember 04:41

06 - Got Me Carrying A Stick 06:41

07 - J.F.A. 06:07

08 - Willie Mae 06:03

09 - Oh No, I'm Falling In Love Again 04:51

10 - Time To Move On 04:46

11 - Headin' Northwest 02:34





Matt 'Guitar' Murphy here:



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The LeRoi Brothers 2000 Kings Of The Catnap

Genre: Rock
Rate: 320 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 00:46:29
Size: 106,34 MB



This CD is as real as it gets, and there isn't a dog on it! The sad part is, you'll never get to hear any of it on commercial radio, because it's too good. Within the first 5 seconds, I knew I'd love this CD. It has that urgency, rawness and edge that is lacking in so much commercial music nowadays, but don't mistake that for being sloppy or unrefined. These guys are true veterens, and know what they're doing. They are total groove masters. If your head ain't waggin' and your feet ain't tappin' during a tune like "Route 88," you're either dead, or you must have a hole in your soul! This album is 100% pure country/swamp groove. Really glad I got it!!! (amazon.com)



Tracklist:

01 - Scratchin' On Down The Line 03:13

02 - Route 88 03:27

03 - The Flake 03:21

04 - Dark Horse 03:02

05 - Someday 03:19

06 - She's Got Everything 04:25

07 - Devil Shake Woman 04:55

08 - On The Corner 03:54

09 - The First Time 02:28

10 - One More Last Chance 02:37

11 - Down The Road 03:32

12 - Fly Away Bad Dream 04:14

13 - Runnin' Ghost 04:02





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Caps And Hats 2006 One Way Out

Genre: Blues
Rate: 235 kbps VBR / 44100
Time: 00:47:32
Size: 81,29 MB



Tracklist:

01 - Between A Woman & A Man 02:42

02 - Motorhead Baby 04:11

03 - He's Got A Way With Women 03:39

04 - One Way Out 04:17

05 - Whiskey Blues 03:43

06 - Sinner's Prayer 03:40

07 - I Ain't Superstitious 05:29

08 - What Am I Doin' 03:03

09 - Dangerous Mood 05:16

10 - I'm Tore Down 03:14

11 - I Won't Let You Put Me Down 03:21

12 - Dancing Shoes 04:57





Caps & Hats here:

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Nick Moss & The Flip Tops 2001 Got A New Plan

Genre: Blues
Rate: 320 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 01:05:10
Size: 149,20 MB



Psst - here's a secret . . . reviewers read reviews too! Sometimes it's retroactive, to see if others agree with our assessment; sometimes it's in advance just to see if we too might like a given disc.

I'd read a couple of rave reviews of Nick Moss's sophomore effort, "Got A New Plan," before it arrived. So I approached it with pretty high expectations - expectations I'm happy to say were met or exceeded on almost all counts. This is one fine outing indeed; not perfect, mind, but its strengths far outweigh any weaknesses.

Nick's young by blues standards, yet he's already found time to tour with both the Legendary Blues Band and the late Jimmy Rogers. With a background like that it should come as no surprise he's learned a few lessons about classic Chicago blues, and that's just what one gets with "Got A New Plan, Nick's second outing under his own name.

There are a generous fourteen tracks here, with ten from Nick himself. And for the most part it's Nick's own compositions that work best. Firmly within tradition (circa 50's Chicago), they range from pure twelve-bar grinders fuelled by Nick's lean, tough guitar and Bill Lupkin's thick-toned harp, to soul-drenched numbers driven by Des Desormeaux's one-man brass orchestra. There's funk on Nick's own "Work Your Hips" and Donny Hathaway's "(Kind Of) Ghetto" (to me the disc's least successful track - it simply goes on too long). Nick shows he can go deep on "Katie Ann," an original that sounds as though it's straight off the plantation. And "Arrowmaker Pass" gets my vote for instrumental of the year, it's certainly the coolest riff I've heard in a long, long time.

Nick's vocals are honest enough but not his strongest point; it's particularly apparent on his cover of "My Love Strikes Like Lightening," which suffers in comparison to Muddy's original. On the plus side, he seems to know his limitations and doesn't allow his reach to exceed his abilities. And honesty's always been what counts anyway, right?

Production has a lot to do with the project's success; it sounds like a vintage outing from the fifties, lots of dirt and echo apparent throughout; credit producer Richard Duran, better known to most as Lynwood Slim, who also contributes harp to the aforementioned "Katie Ann."

When a relatively young band releases a disc so firmly in a traditional vein, it's inevitable that comparisons will be made with the masters of old. In Nick's case, everything holds up remarkably well, and the inclusion of so many strong originals shows much promise for the future. I look forward to hearing more from Nick.

Highly recommended, particularly to those who love 'old school!' (This review is copyright © 2003 by John Taylor, and Blues On Stage)


Tracklist:

01 - When It Rains It Really Pours 04:32

02 - Ain't Got That Time 03:51

03 - Playing By The Rules 03:16

04 - Arrowmaker Pass 04:25

05 - Let's Try This Again 06:50

06 - My Daddy Was Right 04:45

07 - Work Your Hips 04:44

08 - For You 03:35

09 - Boogie Man 03:21

10 - Poison Ivy 04:12

11 - Katie Ann 06:09

12 - My Love Strikes Like Lightning 03:04

13 - Two Fools With A Misunderstand 05:43

14 - (Kind Of) Ghetto 06:43





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