GRANDADDY (ABO #048)

GRANDADDY

SUMMER HERE KIDS

Solar-powered space pop combo Grandaddy was formed in Modesto, CA, in 1992 by singer/guitarist/keyboardist Jason Lytle, bassist Kevin Garcia, and drummer Aaron Burtch; although a noisy, lo-fi approach characterized early recordings like 1994's Complex Party Come Along Theories, with the 1995 additions of guitarist Jim Fairchild and keyboardist Tim Dryden the group's sound expanded exponentially over the course of subsequent efforts including the unreleased Don't Sock the Tryer and the 1996 EP A Pretty Mess by This One Band. Originally issued on indie label Will Records, 1997's acclaimed full-length Under the Western Freeway proved Grandaddy's creative breakthrough, and the following year the album was reissued on major-label V2, with "Summer Here Kids" earning Single of the Week honors in the pages of the NME. The Broken Down Comforter Collection, a compilation of singles tracks, preceded the 1999 Signal to Snow Ratio EP, which heralded a movement toward the vintage electronic textures further in evidence on 2000's superb Sophtware Slump. In 2002, the group released another odds-n-sods collection, Concrete Dunes, which paved the way for a busy 2003: that spring, Grandaddy released the Floating Debris EP and their fourth full-length, Sumday, and spent the rest of the year touring, making appearances at festivals such as Glastonbury. In 2005, they resurfaced with the Excerpts from the Diary of Todd Zilla EP and a full-length album (Just Like the Fambly Cat) followed in 2006. (all music guide)

1. Taster

2. Gentle Spike Resort

3. A.M. 180

4. Collective Dreamwish Of Upper Elegance

5. Summer Here Kids

6. Under The Western Freeway

7. He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's The Pilot

8. Hewlett's Daughter

9. The Crystal Lake

10. Underneath The Weeping Willow

11. Miner At Dial-A-View

12. Now It's On

13. El caminos In The West

14. Saddest Vacant Lot In All The World

15. Pull The Curtains

16. At My Post

17. Elevate Myself

18. Summer... It's Gone

19. Shangri-La (outro)

THIN LIZZY (ABO #047)

THINest LIZZY

Thin Lizzy, Thin "fucking" Lizzy!!! Probably the greatest band to have come out of Ireland (don't even start me on how overrated a band U2 is). Phil Lynott, the soul and brains of the band, was not only a golden-voiced leader, he was also a fascinating character, a self-destructive one too as his sad death shows. Born of an Irish mother and a brasilian father, this big brown guy had everything to become a rock star: charisma, talent and skills... Luck wasn't on Thin Lizzy's side though and, if the band is now recognized as one of the great hard rock bands of the 70's, their success never was as big as they deserved... Together with talented guitarists and a faithful drummer, he completed a nearly perfect but way too short career... Here are 35 songs to prove my point! Enjoy THINest (pronounced TIN not FIN) LIZZY!

CD1
1. The Rise & Dear Demise of the Funky Nomadic Tribes
2. Call the Police
3. Mama Nature Said
4. The Rocker
5. Whiskey in a Jar
6. Randolph's Tango
7. Night Life

8. Still in Love With You
9. Philomena
10. Rosalie
11. Suicide
12. Jailbreak
13. The Boys Are Back in Town
14. Cowboy Song
15. Emerald
16. Don't Believe a Word
17. Massacre
18. Sitamoia

CD2
1. Bad Reputation
2. Dancing in the Moonlight (It's Caught Me in Its Spotlight)
3. That Woman's Gonna Break Your Heart
4. Do Anything You Want To
5. Waiting for an Alibi
6. Sarah
7. Got to Give It Up

8. Roisin Dubh (Black Rose)- A Rock Legend
9. Chinatown
10. Killer on the Loose
11. Angel of Death
12. Renegade
13. The Pressure Will Blow
14. Fats
15. Mexican Blood

16. The Sun Goes Down
17. Holy War

KATE BUSH (ABO#046)

KATE BUSH

A DEAL WITH GOD

(1978-2006)

I don't like cold music, I'm not very found of pop music, I hardly like female singers. But Kate Bush, who makes cold-pop, is one (if not "the") of my favourite female singers... What else ?
Kate emerged in the late 70s where music had already become a buisness. But even if she chose to remain in the pop-music style, she managed to bring it into a clever war by nice melodies, voices and arrangements... Finally, Bush's songs where much more than pop. Although she took a bit different way, she was settled in here epoque for good, even managing to chart the UK and US billboard ! For that reason, Kate Bush must be featured in our Baistophe collection. That's now done with this 46th issue !

CD1 :

1. Moving
2. Kite
3. The Man With The Child In His Eyes
4. Wuthering Heights
5. Oh To Be In Love
6. Them Heavy People
7. In Search Of Peter Pan
8. Don't Push Your Foot To The Heartbrake

9. Oh England My Lionheart
10. Just Another Day (w/ Peter Gabriel)
11. Babooshka
12. All We Ever Look For
13. Egypt
14. Violin
15. Army Dreamers
16. Breathing
17. The Empty Bullring
18. December Will Be Magic Again
19. There Goes A Tenner
20. Houdini

CD2 :

1. Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)
2. Cloudbusting
3. And Dream Of Sheep
4. Jig Of Life
5. Burning Bridge
6. The Handsome Cabin Boy

7. The Sensual World
8. The Fog
9. Rocket's Tail
10. Moments Of Pleasure
11. The Red Shoes
12. You're The One
13. π
14. Sunset
15. Aerial

My Kate Bush TOP3 :
1. Babooshka (1980)
2. The Kick Inside (1978)
3. Hounds Of Love (1985)

My Kate Bush BOTTOM3 :
1. The Dreaming (1982)
2. The Red Shoes (1993)
3. The Sensual World (1989)

ICED EARTH (ABO #045)

ICED EARTH
TALES FROM THE DARK AGE

[FROM OUR SPECIAL COLLABORATOR DIDIER]

Here's a best of, or rather a compilation as many quality songs are left aside, of this North American band influenced by Judas Priest, Iron Maiden or early Metallica.
It would be pity to miss this great underrated band which has been able to demonstrate both compositional skills and melodic treasures from his very first album (the self titled 1991 release). Jon Schaffer, guitaris/composer/sole remaining founding member possesses his own sound which makes easy to recognize Iced Earth among his peers proof, it needed be, of the great value of this powerful and melodic heavy thrash formation, one that shoudn't be missed... Enjoy those nearly 80 minutes of pure metallic talent!

1. Iced Earth
2. Written On The Walls
3. Stormrider
4. Burnt Offerings
5. The Dark Saga
6. Violate

7. 1776 (instrumental)
8. Ghost Of Freedom
9. Declaration Day

10. The Reckoning (Don't Tread On Me)
11. The Devil To Pay
12. Something Wicked Part 1
13. Setian Massacre
14. A Charge To Keep
15. Ten Thousand Strong

MICHEL POLNAREFF (ABO #44)

ZE BAISTOPHE

MICHEL POLNAREFF

Known for his eccentric nature, French pop songwriter Michel Polnareff created a buzz for himself in the early to mid-'60s when his debut single, "La Poupée Qui Fait Non," rocketed to the top of the French charts, but it was his early-'70s release, Polnareff's, that cemented him a place as a legend in French pop.
For more than 40 years, this "lone beatle of French pop" crafted music unlike any other. The 43 songs contained in this compilation span his entire with all the hits and a few more goodies for your listening pleasure!

CD1
1. Le clochard des jumbos
2. Elle rit
3. Ame câline
4. Y'a qu'un ch'veu
5. La mouche

6. L'amour avec toi
7. Jour après jour
8. A minuit, à midi
9. Dans la rue
10. Kama-sutra
11. Il est gros
12. Une femme
13. Holding On To Smoke
14. Une histoire lamentable
15. Lettre à France

16. Né dans un Ice-Cream
17. Holidays
18. Ca n'arrive qu'aux autres
19. Nos mots d'amour
20. Je suis un homme
21. L'homme qui pleurait des larmes de verre
22. Tous les bateaux, tous les oiseaux
23. Ta-ta-ta-ta

CD2
24. Sous quelle étoile suis-je né ?
25. Le prince en otage
26. Hey You Woman

27. J'ai tellement de choses à dire
28. Radio
29. Goodbye Marylou
30. Qui a tué Grand' Maman ?
31.Tam-tam (l'homme préhisto)
32. Love me, please love me
33. Le roi des fourmis
34. Since I Saw You
35. Tout tout pour ma chérie
36. Une simple mélodie
37. Je t'aime
38. Viens te faire chahuter
39. Le bal des Laze

40. La vie m'a quitté
41. La poupée qui fait non
42. Histoire de coeur
43. On ira tous au paradis

FISH (ABO #043)

FISH
DARK STARS

(1989-2007)

Derek William Dick, better known as Fish (born 25 April 1958, in Dalkeith, Midlothian), is a Scottish progressive rock singer, lyric writer and occasional actor.
Most of you might know him as former frontman for the British progressive rock act Marillion. He left the band, at the peak of its fame - one he and his ex-bandmates will later fail to recover, in 1988 due to musical and managerial disagreements. A year later, he released his debut solo single, "State of Mind", shortly followed by a first album, "Vigil In A Wildeness Of Mirrors".
7 albums followed this exquisite debut with mixed commercial successes but a pretty consistent artistic quality. This compilation is designed to sum up the big guy's solo career up to his latest, 13th Star (2007), one of his very best.
I hope you'll enjoy the subtle mix of theatrical progressive rock, celtic folk, glorious ballads and classic rock Fish has displayed over the years. In my humble opinion, he is one of the most underrated lyricist and melodist ever.

My FISH Top 3
1 - SUNSETS ON EMPIRE (1997)
2 - VIGIL IN A WILDERNESS OF MIRRORS (1990)
3 - 13TH STAR (2007)

My FISH Bottom 3
1 - SONGS FROM THE MIRROR (1993)
2 - FIELD OF CROWS (2003)
3 - FELLINI DAYS (2001)

HAPPINESS: THE UNPOP EDITION (VAC #002)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
HAPPINESS: THE UNPOP EDITION

Brought to you by our special collaborator, Acco, here's the volume two of our Happiness Series. While the first one was mostly dedicated to pop oriented music, this one goes in many various directions creating kind of the perfect rollercoaster uplifting compilation. You'll find tango, folk, instrumental metal, progressive music... and more! Astonishingly, it works and flows perfectly. So thanks to Acco and enjoy this 79 minutes and 59 seconds compilation!

1. Area - Luglio, Agosto, Settembre (Nero)

2. Danny Elfman - Oogie Boogie's Song

3. The Bad Plus - Physical Cities

4. A.C.T - Wake up (Attic)

5. Astor Piazzolla - Milonga Loca

6. Mr. Bungle - Sweet Charity

7. Nosfell - Mindala Jinka

8. Mattias IA Eklundh - Print This

9. Alamaailman Vasarat - Kyyhylly

10. The Mars Volta - L'Via L'Viaquez

11. Farmers Market - Tails of the Unexpected

12. Isildurs Bane - The Flight Onward

13. Secret Chiefs 3 - Combat for the Angel

14. Frank Zappa - Stairway to Heaven

MIRJLOVSKY IBEKSCLIVAKS (AF#01)

MIRJLOVSKY IBEKSCLIVAKS

ICE CREAM FOR ME KERGUELEN

(1931-2007)

Who can remember that grand master who was Mirjlovsky Ibeksclivaks ? Almost no one. Fortunately, some truly hardcore music addicted have discovered some of his songs.

Born in 1929 in Croatia, he immediately found his way in music. His father bought him a guitar and taought him how to play it. Very rapidly, his talents were recognised in his hometown. But as poor as he was, he couldn't live of it by recording a record. So his fater who was far from an idiot managed to build him a home studio. His first works, until the age of 14 were then recorded with that equipment. Until then he had already recorded half a dozen albums that had no - even local - success. But his talent was trully there. Just listen to his very first track and dare to say that Deep Purple, Iron Butterfly or even the Doors have invented everything ! Rubbish ! Everything has really come from Mirjlovsky. At the end of WWII, his home country had been destroyed almost entirely. So Mirjlovsky took his spared money to fly to USA to take his chance in the musical business. Too precocious, he didn't ever made his way there and retired back on the Kerguelen Islands to play to a public that would appreciate his symphony as well...

1. Trësh Mätëlpö Lkäh

2. Blues Serbo Croate

3. Gaüjÿirä Khlöod

4. Rändöhm

5. Ssätühr Aaaah ! Scion (closing section)

6. Graille N'Dkhaur Vs. TaïqNo ArdKhaur

7. çlipÿin Wÿizs Zö Döogh (radio edit)

8. The Mormon Project (The Discovery / french version)

9. Ta Täÿo Yokëhss Kyïah Soutöhn Grähnshäah Pöoh (w/ Diamanda Galas)

NINO FERRER (ABO#042)

NINO FERRER
ET MONTCUQ, C'EST DU POULET ?
(1965-1993)

Nino Ferrer sadly died in 1998 and let behind him a huge work almost anyone seems to want to remember. Indeed, when you talk about him to any french person, he or she will tell you about his very first songs, a bit comic as "Le Téléfon", "Mirza" or "Ho Hé Hein Bon". That's a bit reducing his work to that kind of "music". In fact Nino was a real music lover, admiring bluesmen and funkmen as he says in his early song "Je Veux Être Noir" (I Want To Be A Black). With his first real LP (Métronimie, 1972) Nino shows how talented he is. Some kind of jazzy-bluesy songs really ambitious and nice to be heard. His masterpiece. Until 1979 with the Blanat album he brang the same policy to his music travelling from one side of the music universe, to another... Finally really underground, he didn't made his place on the french media, wanting another "Téléfon". In the 80s, Ferrer's music became much more mainstream but still nice.

CD1 :
1. Les Cornichons
2. Ma Vie Pour Rien
3. Un Premier Jour Sans Toi
4. Métronimie
5. La Maison Près De La Fontaine
6. Freak
7. Pour Oublier Qu'On S'Est Aimé

8. Ouessant
9. Mashed Potatoes
10. L'Inexpressible
11. Sud Express
12. Moby Dick
13. La Révolution
14. Introduction
15. Bloody Flamenco

CD2:
1. L'Arbre Noir
2. Looking For You
3. Le Sud
4. Le Blues Des Chiens
5. Moon
6. Papagayo Frog

7. Carmencita
8. Prélude Et Mort De Mirza
9. Je Veux Être Noir
10. Claire
11. Ulysse
12. Est-Ce Que Mon Cheval Est Une Moto
13. Notre Chère Russie
14. L'Année Mozart (La Marche Turque)
15. La Marseillaise
16. Fratelli E Cosi' Sia (Allons Enfants)

My Nino Ferrer TOP 3 :
1. Métronimie (1972)
2. Blanat (1979)
3. Nino Ferrer & Leggs (1973)

My Nino Ferrer BOTTOM 3 :
1. La Désabusion (1993)
2. 13e Album (1986)
3. his first work in the 60s (on SP)

CHICAGO (ABO#041)

CHICAGO
∞
(1969-2006) but in fact (1969-1980)

Chicago was due to be ABO#002 but difficulties to find post 70s albums made me take it aside. In fact, after having listened to albums XIV-XXX, my playlist hasn't change much. So that's why this 1969-2006 best of is also a 1969-1980 one.
Chicago was a band formed in 1968 in ... Chicago (how funny). The band was so good live that CBS signed them a contract without laying any restriction to their demand. That's why the very first Chicago LP was a double LP, almost recorded in the live mood. At the time, the band's name was Chicago Transit Authority, the name of the train that most of the members used to take.
Let's be honest, Chicago has made one huge album, the first, and then after it all came wrong. If you are as tolerant as I am, you'll get a fine interest to the band until the VIIIth album. Thereafter, and mostly after Terry Kath's death in 1978, Chicago fell into such mediocrity that I can't understand why people can still have the will to give an hear to them. As I said, the major problem to post-1980 Chicago albums is Terry's absence. Peter Cetera was then the leader of the band and then turned them into a shitty love songs bog. Unless XXXth album is at least as listenable as X, XI or XIII, I won't look after any new band's production anymore.
So let's have a good hear to that not-so-bad period between 1969 and 1980 (albums I to XIV). This compilation is a double one where both CDs are chronological but in a different theme. The first brings together the pop side of the band, the second is a more experimental one which highlight is, imho, Liberation. So goooood !

CD1 - POP SIDE
1. Introduction
2. Beginnings
3. Listen
4. I'm A Man (Spencer Davis cover)

5. Someday (August 29, 1968)
6. In The Country
7. 25 Or 6 To 4
8. I Don't Want Your Money
9. Now That You're Gone
10. Dialogue (part 1 + 2)
11. Darlin' Dear
12. Feelin' Stronger Every Day
13. Wishing You Were Here
14. Takin' It On Uptown
15. Hold On

CD2 - JAM SIDE
1. Poem 58
2. South California Purples

3. Liberation
4. It Better End Soon
5. Elegy : The Approaching Storm
6. What's This World Coming To
7. Aire
8. Devil's Sweet
9. Hideaway
10. Oh, Thank You Great Spirit

My Chicago TOP 3 :

1. Chicago Transit Authority (1969)
2. Chicago II (1970)
3. Chicago V (1972)

My Chicago BOTTOM 3 :

1. Everything between XV and XXIX

2. XII (1977)

3. XIV (1980)