Crosstalk: The Best of Moby Grape CD

Crosstalk: The Best of Moby Grape songs After working his way through loss and chaos on the brilliant TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT (recorded in 1973, but not released until 1975), Neil Young deftly exorcised any lingering demons with 1974's ON THE BEACH. The album opens with the saunter of the aptly titled "Walk On," followed by the utterly gorgeous, Wurlitzer-tinged "See the Sky about to Rain." The set also features a trio of scathing songs--"Revolution Blues," "Vampire Blues," and "Ambulance Blues"--that address issues important to Young, both social and personal. It is good to hear Young back with such bite and vitriol, especially after the broken desperation of TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT. But while ON THE BEACH is edgy and deeply felt, it also manages to sound liberating and relaxed, with glimmers of hope and humor peeking through the spare, evocative arrangements. Inexplicably unreleased on CD until 2003, ON THE BEACH is both unflinching and resilient, and easily stands as one of Young's finest albums. Recording information: Broken Arrow Studios, San Francisco, CA; Sunset Sound, Los Angeles, CA. Photographer: Bob Seidemann. Guests:Graham Nash/Rick Danko/ David Crosby/Levon Helm Personnel: Neil Young (vocals, guitar, banjo, harmonica, Wurlitzer organ); Neil Young (Wurlitzer piano); Ben Keith (vocals, guitar, slide guitar, steel guitar, dobro, Wurlitzer piano, organ, Wurlitzer organ, drums, background vocals); Graham Nash (vocals, Wurlitzer piano, Wurlitzer organ); Ralph Molina (vocals, drums, background vocals); Tim Drummond (bass instrument, drums, percussion); Rick Danko, Billy Talbot (bass instrument); David Crosby (vocals, guitar); Rusty Kershaw (guitar, slide guitar, violin, fiddle); George Whitsell (guitar); Joe Yankee (harp, tambourine); Levon Helm (drums). Liner Note Author: Rusty Kershaw.

Crosstalk: The Best of Moby Grape CD music THE LOW SPARK OF HIGH HEELED BOYS was a big change from the quiet, largely acoustic flavor of Traffic's reunion album JOHN BARLEYCORN MUST DIE. Although the gentle opening track, "Hidden Treasure," and the meandering, mellow closer, "Rainmaker," were in keeping with the pastoral vibe of the previous record, sandwiched in between those are several increasingly aggressive and lyrically sour songs about that evergreen topic--life in a rock & roll band. The venality of the business gets a workout in the 12-minute title track, a slow-building jazz-rock groove that starts with a sense of quiet menace and ends with a pealing, distorted guitar solo, with one of Steve Winwood's most impassioned and lengthy organ solos at the song's heart. "Rock & Roll Stew" and Jim Capaldi's sneering putdown "Light Up or Leave Me Alone" are even more forceful, with only the groovy ecological message of "Many a Mile to Freedom" lightening the mood. Even that song rocks harder than anything on JOHN BARLEYCORN MUST DIE, though, and that extra hint of power is likely what helped make THE LOW SPARK OF HIGH HEELED BOYS Traffic's most commercially successful album in the United States. Originally released on Island (9180). Additional Tracks Traffic: Rick Grech (bass instrument); Rebop Kwaku Baah, Jim Capaldi, Jim Gordon , Chris Wood , Steve Winwood. Personnel: Steve Winwood (vocals, guitar, piano, organ); Jim Capaldi (vocals, percussion); Rick Grech (violin); Chris Wood (flute, saxophone); Jim Gordon (drums); Rebop Kwaku Baah (percussion). Liner Note Author: John McDermott . Recording information: Island Studios, London, England (09/1971). Photographer: Richard Polak.

Crosstalk: The Best of Moby Grape buy CD music This newly remastered 2003 deluxe edition contains bonus tracks. Bitten by the '60s San Francisco bug of extended musical explorations, the Jefferson Airplane flew into song-suites on AFTER BATHING AT BAXTER'S. But rather than being an organic jam-fest, BAXTER'S took the Airplane's singular white R&B jams and bled them into one another. The "Streetmasse" suite, for instance, combines two typically electrifying Airplane performances--"The Ballad Of You & Me & Pooneil" and "Young Girl Sunday Blues," both of which give off the adrenaline of an Americanized early Who with female harmony vocals--through a warped pastiche of vocal and percussive noodling ("A Small Package Of Value Will Come To You, Shortly"). San Francisco's cultural evolution didn't just affect the structure of the songs on AFTER BATHING AT BAXTER'S. No longer hiding behind the metaphors of the first two albums, the Airplane were now openly voicing the thoughts of their constituency--"There is a new way of thinking," sings Paul Kantner on his "Wild Tyme," and the very title of the "Hymn To An Older Generation" suite speaks for itself. "Spare Chaynge" is a nearly ten-minute instrumental led by Jorma Kaukonen's spaced-out guitar, the closest the Airplane had yet come to the musical free-for-all of their San Francisco brethren. One of the most psychedelic albums ever made, sounding again like it should (i.e. *intense*)! Includes an unreleased Marty Balin acoustic demo; an unreleased alternate version of Grace's bizarre Two Heads ; an unreleased instrumental version of Young Girl Sunday Blues ; a live, long version of The Ballad of You, Me & Pooneil , and the mono single version of Martha . Recorded at RCA, Hollywood, California. Originally released on RCA (4545). Includes liner notes by Bill Thompson and Jeff Tamarkin. Recorded at RCA, Hollywood, California. Originally released on RCA (4545). Includes liner notes by Jeff Tamarkin. Liner Note Authors: Jeff Tamarkin; Jefferson Airplane; Bill Thompson. Recording information: RCA, Hollywood, CA (06/14/1967-10/31/1967). Photographers: Alan Pappé; Don Paulsen. Arranger: Jefferson Airplane. Jefferson Airplane: Paul Kantner, Jorma Kaukonen (vocals, guitar); Grace Slick (vocals, recorder, piano); Marty Balin (vocals); Jack Casady (bass); Spencer Dryden (drums).

Crosstalk: The Best of Moby Grape album for sale PSYCHEDELIC SUNDAE... contains a Vanilla Fudge album and non-album singles discography as well as track annotations. Though the music of New York-based psychedelic rockers Vanilla Fudge has not remained part of the mainstream classic-rock pantheon, their late-1960s albums were huge influences on everything from prog rock to early heavy metal. The best of these recordings, featured here, find the quartet deconstructing pop hits of the day ("Ticket to Ride," "You Keep Me Hangin' On"), slowing them down and extending them with instrumental extemporization, dynamic shifts, and epic structures. As captured on PSYCHEDELIC SUNDAE, Vanilla Fudge's trademark heavy Hammond organ and distorted guitar tones create a larger-than-life sound full of power, ambition, and psychedelic wonder. Includes liner notes by Jeff Tamarkin. Compilation producer: David McL Personnel: Vince Martell (vocals, guitar); Mark Stein (vocals, keyboards); Carmine Appice (vocals, drums); Tim Bogert (vocals). Audio Remasterers: Ken Perry; Bill Inglot. Liner Note Author: Jeff Tamarkin. Director: George "Shadow" Morton. Vanilla Fudge: Mark Stein (vocals, keyboards); Vinnie Martell (guitar, vocals); Tim Bogert (bass, vocals); Carmine Appice (drums, vocals). Producers: Shadow Morton, Vanilla Fudge, Adrian Barber.

Crosstalk: The Best of Moby Grape CD music Moby Grape's self-titled 1967 debut album remains one of the most enduring works to have emerged from any band in the '60s. From the outset, however, the band was saddled with problems on every front. The album's release was confounded by record company over-hype and by inter-band, outer-band, business, and personal complications. Moby Grape was allotted a larger budget for its second album, WOW/GRAPE JAM, and the initial release featured two full albums shrink-wrapped together. WOW is the true sophomore release, with GRAPE JAM being 20 minutes of in-studio jamming by Grape members with Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield. Even with the band's widening divisions and track record of consistently bad decisons, all five members of the band contribute to WOW--with some absolutely stunning results. The album is filled with great songs that are sympathetically arranged and performed, among them the fragile "He," the bluesy "Murder In My Heart For The Judge," and the soulful "Bitter Wind." Moby Grape ends the album with a new version of "Naked, If I Want To"--a strutting, funky take on an acoustic track from their debut. 2 LPs on 1 CD. Moby Grape: Skip Spence, Peter Lewis, Jerry Miller (vocals, guitar); Bob Mosley (vocals, bass); Don Stevenson (drums). Unknown Contributor Roles: Don Stevenson; Jerry Miller; Peter Lewis; Skip Spence; Bob Mosley .

Crosstalk: The Best of Moby Grape buy CD music As the title implies, this disc captures the Bay Area-based It's a Beautiful Day in concert at the venerable New York City performance Mecca Carnegie Hall. Although the band was on the road supporting their third long-player, Choice Quality Stuff/Anytime, the track list contains only "The Grand Camel Suite" from that disc. So, rather than re-treading material, Live at Carnegie Hall includes several new tunes from the band, as well as a couple of classics and well-chosen covers. As with many of the San Francisco groups to gain prominence during the late '60s and early '70s, It's a Beautiful Day is best experienced in the interactive and reciprocal atmosphere of a live performance. The band uses their ability to stretch and reshape familiar works such as "A Hot Summer Day" or their incendiary reading of "Bombay Calling" -- the latter featuring some jaw-dropping contributions from future Frank Zappa bassist Tom Fowler. His counter melodies and fluid timekeeping add a fullness and an additional dimension to the rocking version of "White Bird" and the cover of Taj Mahal's "Give Your Woman What She Wants." Fowler's own composition, "Going to Another Party," highlights the amazing ensemble work of this incarnation of It's a Beautiful Day. Particularly inspired is the frenetic violin of David LaFlamme, who gives a workout to the new track "Good Lovin'" and the extended "Hot Summer Day." It is a shame that this platter has been out of print on CD since the early '90s, as it reveals an edgier side to the band, primarily known for their one hit, "White Bird." Live at Carnegie Hall is not only more representative of the group's true nature, but also the way they deserve to be heard and remembered. ~ Lindsay Planer As the title implies, this CD captures the Bay Area-based It's a Beautiful Day in concert at the venerable New York City performance Mecca Carnegie Hall in 1972. It's A Beautiful Day were one of the finest Psychedelic Folk-Rock acts to emerge from the fertile late '60s/early '70s San Francisco scene with two albums (It's A Beautiful Day and Marrying Maiden) still selling well as catalog titles nearly 40 years after their original release! The band was led by violin virtuoso David LaFlamme (who was an early member of Dan Hicks And His Hot Licks), and their recorded legacy and loyal fan base have kept the band's flag flying for four decades. Eight tracks including 'White Bird', 'Angels And Animals' and 'Bombay Calling'. Sony. 2005. Personnel: David LaFlamme (vocals, violin, flute); Fred Webb (vocals, piano, organ, keyboards); Val Fuentes (vocals, drums); Pattie Santos (vocals, percussion); Bill Gregory (guitar). Recording information: Carnegie Hall, New York, NY.