SURVIVOR (ABO#411)

SURVIVOR
TREE OF LIFE

What is commercial music? Is it still art when it's meant to be sold on huge scales? That question has been a debate among art (and music) lovers since...Forever!
Shame is, some bands with real tallent, such as Survivor, have been mocked because of their radio-friendly vision of (hard) rock. Still, the riffs are good, the melodies hook you on. Surely, bad music (art) cannot do this. Or can it?...
Anyway, here's an 18 tracks selection of a band primarly know for his participation in two "Rocky" pictures with "Eye of the Tiger" and "Burning Heart". Those were good songs and have been included here along with songs from each of their 8 studio albums.
Be curious, give Survivor a try. You might end up surprised by how good this music is.

RIYL:
Styx, Boston, Journey, Foreigner, Honeymoon Suite

NATURAL DISASTERS (VAC#049)

N.A.T.U.R.A.L
DISASTERS

Let me explain how the idea for this VAC (Various Artist Compilation) came. I was listening to Pendulum's album "In Silico" and just loved their Tempest song. I thought that it would fit nicely with some (mostly) recent songs from indie, sludge, prog and metal bands which happened to also have songs with a word in the title evoking... a Natural Disaster!
And so, with the exception of the first track (a classy, almost fusion, instrumental from Gary Moore's 1979 album, Back on the Streets) which is an obvious homage to the sadly departed northern-Irish axeman, all the songs featured here are pretty recent.
I hope you'll enjoy this selection and especially its final track witch I "remixed" myself.

THE BEATLES (ABO#409)

THE BEATLES
more!

When [GEMY] posted his "Green Beatles" a few weeks ago, I was amazed at his amazing artwork (& booklet!) but felt quite uneasy about certain songs being left aside.
And, as I've recently acquired the remastered Beatles in Mono boxset, I started making my own selection without ever thinking I was making a "baistophe".
When I finished my complementary selection I timed it and soon realized it was 46 songs and 135 minutes long compilation. Which also means that, while [GEMY] took the stereo option, my selection is mostly mono mixes.
I'm afraid my artwork is quite not as bombastic as [Gemy]'s, I hope you'll like it anyway.

My 5 favourite Beatles songs
1 - A Day in the Life
2 - Strawberry Fields Forever
3 - Come Together
4 - I Am the Walrus
5 - Eleonor Rigby

My 5 favourite Beatles albums
1 - Abbey Road
2 - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club band
3 - The Beatles (White Album)
4 - Revolver
5 - Magical Mystery Tour

riyl:
Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, George Harrison!

NO SAMPLE FOR THIS ONE, FELLOWS!

THE NAME OF THE BAND SHOULD SUFFICE.

GOV'T MULE (ABO#408b)

GOV'T MULE

COVERS

(1998-2010)

Here's The Little Surprise. At the beginning there was PAPS (formerly HotBear) who was thinking of making with me a great Mule compilation. I would have done the studio recording, with only self composed songs and a live one with only cover versions. Things went differently : When I finally began my Gov't Mule compilation, I've had no new from him for a long time a then decided to only make a single compilation with both studio and live recordings and also with covers. The result was ABO#408a.

Then, a few weeks ago, I recived a mail by PAPS who sent his BAISTOPHE. I couldn't refuse his hard work. The only solution was to rework my BAISTOPHE. But, finally, as no songs were on both two compilations, I finally decided two post both as is.

This one is PAPS' one and you'll have the chance to listen the Mule as if it were a complete two hours and a half live show with only cover songs.

wait if it's temporarily unavailable

GOV'T MULE (ABO#408a)

GOV'T MULE

FROM THE ARCHIVES

(1995-2010)

This project is a long awaited Baistophe on our list.

I have discovered Gov't Mule back in 1999 when a friend of mine, record seller told me of them. He sold me their Live with the little help from our friends CD and I was really impressed that that kind of music was still played at that time. I didn't even know Haynes was one of the major member of the Allman Brothers Band. I wasn't surprised to know that because the spirit of both bands are similar to each other. However, Mule's one is harder, heavier ... and maybe more soulful.

What is notable in Gov't Mule is their capacity to cover other songs but in their own language. You'll find some on that Baistophe but many many more exist. If are well-behaved, maybe you'll get a surprise soon. ;-)

The best album : Dose (1998) I think few people will disagree with me when I say that the best studio era for the Mule lasts until their 2003 Deepest End ablum. After that, the albums are not very worse but are less surprising when you know the band (excepted one album, see third column). In my opinion, Mule's best is Dose simply because it has got lots and lots of great tunes so that, compared with other albums, I had too much songs from it on my first choice list for this Baistophe.

The album that will make you admire them : Live, With The Little Help From Our Friends (1999) Recorded during a New Year's Eve show, in the same tradition of the Grateful Dead, this live album (4CDs !) will outblow you by the quality of the songs, the performance and covers chosen (Jimi Hendrix, Free, Neil Young, Frank Zappa, ...) If you don't like this show, no doubt you're not ready to assist any of the Mules'

The worst album Mighty High (2006) When I tolf on the first column that Gov't Mule did not really surprise anymore in the second part of theur carreer, I remembered that there was an album that contradicted this. With Mighty High, Gov't Mule went another way and made a reggae oriented album. That's not that I dislike reggae (even if ...) but this album is pretty boring. Gov't Mule has not really assimilated the reggae spirit. The only song I kept was the first one and is the only one that is not a reggae song. If you want a reggae album, try a real jamaican band first.

The best live album : Live At Roseland Ballroom (1996) That's not because it is their first live album that this is my favourite one. My choice was for this one because I found that the performance was more instinctive, more aventurous, more psychedelic maybe... The album opens with Trane which is a masterpiece and includes in this version, winks to bands like Jimi Hendrix Experience, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Grateful Dead... The album is short compared with its followers but is much more dense. I think it is the best way to blow your mind

wait if it's temporarily unavailable