Screaming Lord Sutch - Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends/Hands of Jack the Ripper CD

Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends/Hands of Jack the Ripper songs Cream's set of reunion shows in May 2005 was a justly hot ticket. The legendary rock trio of Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, and Eric Clapton--two jazz musicians and a blues guitarist--was one of the most influential bands of the 1960s, even though they played together for less than three years. They brought their psychedelic fusion of blues and pop into the mainstream with albums like FRESH CREAM and WHEELS OF FIRE; Clapton, long regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, did some of his best work on those albums. London's Royal Albert Hall, the site of what was supposed to be Cream's final performance back in 1968, was also the venue for their reunion show. Sounding as if they'd been on vacation for a few weeks instead of disbanded for well over three decades, Cream brought the house down with a series of four shows, all of which are excerpted here. The band performs classics like "Spoonful," "Born Under a Bad Sign," "Sunshine of Your Love," and "White Room," among more than 20 others. Also featured are interviews with Baker, Bruce, and Clapton. The historic May 2/3/4/5/6, 2005 reunion of Rock 'n' Roll's first Supergroup: Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, on the same stage where, in 1968, they had completed what was thought to be their final performance. Includes a full set of 18 live performance tracks, along with 8 alternate takes and recent interviews with Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton. ...

Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends/Hands of Jack the Ripper buy CD music Alice Cooper's second release of 1971, KILLER, helped solidify the band's position as rock's most notorious, shocking, violent, sleazy, and theatrical band of the day. Cut from the same musical cloth as its predecessor, LOVE IT TO DEATH, KILLER replaces the space-rock of their earliest releases with blaring hard rock. Also, the band successfully broadened its palette on KILLER by adding orchestrated sounds and synthesizers to the mix. Several tracks would become Alice Cooper staples, such as the vicious "Desperado" (which uses acoustic guitar and a string section to great effect), and the anthemic leadoff track "Under My Wheels." Criticized and misconstrued at the time of the album's release, the eerie "Dead Babies" deals with child abuse--still disturbing stuff all these years later. One of Cooper's more progressive tunes, "Halo of Flies" is an eight-minute-plus highlight, consisting of several different sections, ditto the nearly-as-long closing title track. KILLER is classic Alice Cooper, and would go on to serve as an obvious touchstone for such future rockers as Kiss, White Zombie, and Marilyn Manson. Alice Cooper: Alice Cooper (vocals); Michael Bruce (guitar, keyboards); Glen Buxton (guitar); Dennis Dunaway (bass instrument); Neal Smith (drums).

Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends/Hands of Jack the Ripper album for sale Digitally remastered by Bill Szymczyk and Ted Jensen (Sterling Sound, New York, New York). The James Gang's debut LP, Yer' Album, was very much a first record and very much a record of its time. The heavy rock scene of the period was given to extensive jamming, and four tracks ran more than six minutes each. The group had written some material, but they were still something of a cover band, and the disc included their extended workouts on Buffalo Springfield's "Bluebird" and the Yardbirds' "Lost Woman," the latter a nine-minute version complete with lengthy guitar, bass, and drum solos. But in addition to the blues rock there were also touches of pop and progressive rock, mostly from Walsh who displayed a nascent sense of melody, not to mention some of the taste for being a cutup that he would display in his solo career. Walsh's "Take a Look Around" must have made an impression on Pete Townshend during the period before the album's release when the James Gang was opening for the Who since Townshend borrowed it for the music he was writing for the abortive Lifehouse follow-up to Tommy. If "Wrapcity (i.e., Rhapsody) in English," a minute-long piano and strings interlude, seems incongruous in retrospect, recall that this was an eclectic era. But the otherwise promising "Fred," which followed, broke down into a pedestrian jazz routine, suggesting that the band was trying to cram too many influences onto one record and sometimes into one song. Nevertheless, they were talented improvisers, as the open-ended album closer, Jerry Ragavoy and Mort Shuman's "Stop," made clear. After ten minutes, Szymczyk faded the track out, but Walsh was still going strong. Yer' Album contained much to suggest that the James Gang, in particular its guitarist, had a great future, even if it was more an album of performances than compositions. ~ William Ruhlmann Includes liner notes by Joe Walsh and Jim Fox. Personnel: Joe Walsh (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); Jim Fox (vocals, organ, keyboards, drums); Tom Kriss (flute, vibraphone); Bill Szymczyk (organ, maracas, tambourine). Liner Note Authors: Hideki Masubuchi; Joe Walsh . Photographer: Bill Szymczyk. Arrangers: James Gang; Bill Szymczyk. The James Gang: Joe Walsh (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); Jim Fox (vocals, guitar, piano, drums); Tom Kriss (flute, bass, background vocals). Additional personnel: Jerry Ragavoy (piano); Bill Szymczyk (organ, tambourine, maracas, background vocals); Marge, Linda, Ken, Jill, Barry, Crazy Jon (background vocals); The Seymour Barab Strings. Remastered

Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends/Hands of Jack the Ripper CD music Cleveland hard-rockers The James Gang were soon to kiss their golden age goodbye when their third album (helpfully titled THIRDS) was released; it would be their final studio recording with singer/guitarist Joe Walsh. From the soul/gospel inflections of "White Man/Black Man" to the string arrangements of "Again," and the country rock of "Dreamin' in the Country," THIRDS was the band's most diverse outing to date, but the centerpiece was the rocker "Walk Away," which remains one of the band's best-known tunes. Walsh would soon walk away himself, replaced by Domenic Troiano, and later by Tommy Bolin, so THIRDS is the last waltz for the classic version of the James Gang, whose popularity would soon begin to decrease even as Walsh' own star continued to rise, on his own and then with the Eagles. Recorded at the Record Plant, Los Angeles, California; Cleveland Recording, Cleveland, Ohio; Hit Factory, New York, New York. Includes liner notes by Dale Peters and Jim Fox. Producers: The James Gang, Bill Szymczyk. The James Gang: Joe Walsh (vocals, electric & pedal steel guitars, acoustic & electric pianos); Jim Fox (vocals, piano, organ, vibraphone, drums); Dale Peters (vocals, acoustic & electric basses). Additional personnel: Tom Baker (horns); The Sweet Inspirations, Bob, Mary Sterpka (background vocals). Remastered

Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends/Hands of Jack the Ripper buy CD music Although it still contained elements of their two preceding albums' heavy metal garage rock, Alice Cooper's 1972 release SCHOOL'S OUT expanded on the more progressive material of '71s KILLER (i.e., its title track and "Halo of Flies"). The majority of the songs were more sophisticated than the group's past work, with greater use of dynamics. The band was working under tight a deadline to complete the album, but it's certainly no half-hearted rush job--it was their third powerful release in a row, and their first top 10 hit (peaking at #2 on the U.S. album charts). The title song, a top ten single, is a great, fist-pumping rock & roll anthem. By merging one of the most identifiable and memorable guitar riffs ever (courtesy of the late Glen Buxton) with snide lyrics and a sing-along chorus, the song was a punk-metal masterpiece. While the album's remaining songs may not be as immediately familiar, many a gem can be found. "My Stars," "Luney Tune," "Alma Mater," and "Gutter Cat Vs. the Jets" are all underrated Cooper classics, the latter even containing snippets of musical themes from WEST SIDE STORY! Live Recording Recorded at the Record Plant, New York and at Alice Cooper Mansion, Connecticut. Alice Cooper: Vincent "Alice Cooper" Furnier (vocals); Michael Bruce (guitar, keyboards); Glen Buxton (guitar); Dennis Dunaway (bass); Neal Smith (drums).

Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends/Hands of Jack the Ripper songs This album starts out promisingly (and interestingly, and misleadingly) with a cool acoustic number, "Country Hat," before the amplification gets cranked up and a lot of subtlety goes out the window. Still, this is generally an exciting album, if not always an interesting one. The band plays hard enough on grinding, crunchy shouters like "Reap What I've Sowed" (which features a wondering, soaring solo by Peter Haycock, and a spellbinding performance by Derek Holt on bass), which also parallels Mountain's contemporary release "Mississippi Queen"; and they bring back in that oft-overlooked instrument, the saxophone (played by Colin Cooper), on "Brief Case." Much of the rest is on the bland side, " "Alright Blue?" being a tedious workout for the harmonica as lead instrument. A couple of Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters covers are more engaging than most of the originals that follow, until the pleasantly loose-limbed closer, "Cut You Loose." ~ Bruce Eder Import reissue of 1970 album includes one bonus track, 'Lovin' Machine'. Repertoire.