**Rock and Roll Reminiscing - PPPP**

Tour2ma

Rock and Roll Reminiscing

27 April 2003 --- Letter Of The Week is “P”

For what this is about and some guidelines please click on the following link:

http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7234

Yes, it’s a long post, but please read, if you participate.

This week we are only discussing artists whose last name, and groups whose name begin with the letter “P”.

Note: The word “The” doesn’t count, so for example “The Allman Brothers Band” belongs in the "A's" discussion and not in the “T’s” (guideline #5).

When possible, please supply complete title, format, company, year and catalog number when posting recordings.

And so our 26-week odyssey continues…

Hope you come along for the ride…

dcarlson

Arguably the best band of all time Pink Floyd.

-Meddle
-Dark Side of the Moon
-Wish You Were Here
-Animals
-The Wall

Great albums.

Frank Z

Pink Floyd!!

Prehaps one of the greatest rock bands ever!

Lets start with the latest release of a classic;

Dark Side of the Moon - SACD
Capitol Records
Catalog #7243-S-5-82136-2 I-US

If ever there was an album that can showcase SACD multichannel recording, this is it! From the opening cut (Speak to Me) to the haunting finish (Eclipse), this CD is a masterpiece of music, vocals and engineering! I was a little disappointed when I found out that Alan Parsons was not involved with this re-issue but then again he worked his magic on the initial release, so as far as I'm concerned this new release was built on a very solid foundation. DSOTM makes great use of all of the channels and really sets a new standard for what can be done with old recordings. Sure there is is some tape hiss in spots but I didn't mind at all. As for comparing this version to the original vinyl ( yep I got that too, with the original posters inside!) SACD wins again. I know that there area lot of 2 channel guys that will disagree, that's cool. We all have our likes and dislikes, but don't be quick to judge this cd as being inferior to the original 2 Channel mix until you have heard it through a properly set-up and calibrated multichannel system, you might just change your mind about multichannel music!

"On the Run" is exceptional, with very clear footsteps circling your room. The clocks at the beginning of "Time" are enough to wake the dead, when played at the proper volume of course!:D "Us and Them' proves that not only were these boys ahead of their time with regards to concept albums, but it also proves that they could poor emotion into their work, and sound damn good in the process!

Bottom line - If you don't have this SACD yet, GET IT!! If you don't have an SACD player to play it on, buy one! It's that Good!!


Elivis Pressley
Elv1s (DVD-A)
RCA
Catalog #07863 65053-9

37 of his best! If you are talking Rock-n-Roll, you gotta pay homage to The King. Blue Suede Shoes, Teddy Bear, Return to Sender, Hound Dawg, Suspicious Minds, Burnin' Love, Crying in the Chapel, Devil in Disguise, Etc, Etc!! They're all there! I know a lot of people will think I'm nuts, or an Elvis Fanatic, but this man really did lay the ground work for EVERY rock artist that has ever wiggled his/her hips on stage! Props to Elvis, and a great DVD-a to bring it all back in glorious 5.1 sound!

dcarlson

Frank Z,

I just got the DSOTM 30th aniv. LP in the mail on friday. It has the original posters and stickers + a new poster and another huge sticker. Bidding on a turntable as we speak mainly to play some Floyd, can't wait. I have the SACD but don't have a player yet. I'm waiting until they come down in price plus I'll be getting a Musical Fidelity Integrated so that'll suck up come cash. I would really like to hear the SACD multichannel, nice to hear they did a good job.

Tour2ma

So has anyone heard of…

Shawn Phillips
Second Contribution – CD (1970/1988 A&M – CD 3128)
Another personal favorite from my college days... Shawn was pure hippie from his mid-back length hair to his veggie ways to his devotion to yoga. It was the later for which he attributed the amazing strength of his voice. Additionally he plays a nice acoustic guitar.

Second Contribution is his high water mark recording. It opens with the longest song title I’ve ever heard of, “She Was Waitin’ For Her Mother at the Station in Torino and You Know I Love You Baby but It’s Getting too Heavy to Laugh” and just keeps rolling from there. The first five tracks, side one of the vinyl, all blend into the succeeding track without break. A few of the lyrics are a tad on the dated side, but this music has stood time well, at least to my ears.

I have a couple of his other releases on tape, “Contribution” and “Collaboration”, but as I said “2nd C” is the one. Also, I saw Shawn once back in the mid seventies, just him, his voice, his guitar and a “beat box”. No show, just the man singing his songs and that was plenty.

Tour2ma

And for my second offering…

Robert Palmer
Sneekin’ Sally through the Alley – Vinyl/CD (1974 Island – 422-842 607-2)
Long before he was “Addicted to Love” and releasing all the other material (and those luscious, burned into your brain videos) you likely have on his compilation disc, Addictions Vol. 1, he did this little gem. I found this through a music review in Playboy many moons ago (like a couple hundred and a half ago).

Side 1 starts off with three tunes that run end to end without pause, a nice cover of Lowell George’s “Sailing Shoes”, his own “Hey Julia” and the title track, which was written by Allen Toussaint. Each of these three pick up the tempo from the previous one through some very nice bridges. Robert’s “Get Outside” and one he co-wrote with George, “Blackmail” round out the old side 1. While the last two tracks aren’t at the level of the first three, if you add them all up and you have a candidate for a top album side list. “Side 2” adds only three more tracks, one more Toussaint and two more Palmer including the closing, very strong, 12:17, “Through It All There’s You”.

This is Palmer like you’ve likely never heard him. It’s more Blues-like, spiced with a little southern fries boogie and even a funk line or two for good measure. Session credits are not given, but it sounds to me like Lowell George handled the keyboards. This is very good stuff.

Big surprise to me was while pulling the album to check for session credits, I found that I have four more Palmer albums pre-dating his “addicted” period. I’ve got me some vinyl to spin.

mhw58

Elvis Presley-Sun Sessions-Elvis finding his way with fantastic results.
Pink FLoyd-I'm a Floyd fanatic. I'll second all of dcarlson's
albums and add their first album Piper at the Gates of Dawn.
It's a different flavor with Syd Barett as the writer but it's
excellent.
The Police:I like all of their cd's but start with their greatest hits.
Great band.
Mike

avelanchefan

Ok My first submission is:

Porcupine Tree
Stars Die: The Delerium Years '91-'97 is a two disk compolation of their earlier work. This is some very good music fella's. It falls between the psychedelic work of Pink Floyd, and the hard rocking riffs of Led Zepplin...all of this combined in a very contemporary sound. Disk one is of their earliest years (91-93), and is just some very strange songs from "Radioactive Toys" to "Up the Downstairs". This disk takes a good ten listens to before you start to see the talent. Its not bad it's just weird in my book.

Now Disk 2 covers 94'-97'. This is where you see their musical genuis shine. Seriously...I heard about these guys 8 months ago, and wonder why they have never seen any mainstream accolades...well they are not mainstream...but they do deserve the recognition. So any way disk two starts off with "Stars Die" just a great song. This disk never lets go of you until the ending song of "Dark Matter". But in between is music that will leave you breathless. Anything from "Men of Wood", "Waiting", "Sound of No-one Listening", and "Sever".

In Absentia is their latest release. The first two songs on this CD are some of their best songs. "Blackest Eye's" talks about a serial killers mind. But it's so suttle that you find yourself singing to it. Then you come to song 2. "Trains" is so fantastic that words cannot describe it. Then you are thrown for a loop on song three with "Lips of Ashes". A great song that uses the steel guitar to perfection. It just goes on and on with The Sound Of Muzak, Gravity Eyelids, Wedding Nails, Prodigal, .3, The Creator Has A Mastertape, Heartattack In A Layby, Strip The Soul, and Collapse the Light Into Earth. This is a flawless album in my opinion. I recommend everyone here to give them a try. www.porcupinetree.com

Tour2ma

Damn Ave... the flash intro made me jump like one of those "surprise" sites Russ is always linking us to. But the "I have a place where my dreams are dead" seemed apropriate for an AveFan...

avelanchefan

LOL Thanks Tour.....Give them a try though. I don't think you will be dissapointed.

joe6pak

Tour.

Yes, I used to have Shawn Phillips's Second Contribution. I can't seen to find it here now. Guess it is one that got away.

Damn, so many p's, and so little time.

Pure Prairie League.

Great southern/country/rock. I like their 2nd album the best. Bustin' Out. It had the song Amie. Their 1st album titled Pure Prairie League is a keeper. 3rd one called Two Lane Highway is so so.

Tom Petty.

Everybody should listen to his album Full Moon Fever at least once. Tom is a good rock singer and writer. Wildflowers, Damn The Torpedoes and his other albums just seem to get it done. I always felt like he was a cross between the Stones and the Beatles, with a pinch of Lou Reed tossed in.

Anybody hear of a group called the Partridge Family?

joe

dcarlson

Pearl Jam

I was waiting for someone to post them. Every Pearl Jam album is good.

Ten
Vs.
Vitalogy A friend of mine found a book titled Vitalogy that has absolutely nothing to do with the album. It has the same cover of the album, but it's a 1900s health guide that's really outdated. Wierd.
Yield
Binaural
Riot Act

avelanchefan

I was going to review TEN but ran out of time. That was Pearl Jams Swan Song/Album IMHO. Everything they have done since then has been good, but cannot stand in the same room as TEN. One of the top 5 albums of the 90's.

dcarlson

Ten's my favorite. Vs and Vitalogy have there own place as well. I think everything after No Code is all about the same sort stuff.

Billm57

Pink Floyd
Porcupine Tree (best group to come out since the music died in 1979)
Passport

Tour2ma

The Pretenders
Pretenders – Vinyl (1980 Sire – SRK 6083)
Learning to Crawl – gone missing???
Get Close – Vinyl (1986 Sire – 25488-1)
Last of the Independents – CD (1994 Sire/Warner Bros. – 15572-2)
Isle of View – CD (1995 Warner Bros. – 46085-2)

OK, Chrissie does tend to overdo the eye liner, but from the opening chords of “Brass in Pocket” I was hooked on this Ohioan (what else) led band. Pretenders was a great debut. With added tracks like “Precious” and “Private Life” it established the group as a premier Rock/ Punk crossover band. After Debbie Harry and Pat Benetar, but before there was Alannis Morrisette, there was Chrissie Hynde filling the Rock angry, bad girl role.

While their follow-up, Pretenders II, was a bit of a let down, their 3rd effort, Learning to Crawl, was an even stronger album than their debut. Sporting the tracks “Middle of the Road” (ya gotta love the line “ I’m standing in the middle of life with my pants behind me”), “Back on the Chain Gang” and “My City was Gone”. Maybe the fact that this was more of a 2nd debut by a reformed Pretenders following the death of one original member and the departure of a second was the secret of the group’s refound success.

What followed Learning to Crawl was pretty weak and the group did begin to fade. Get Close was a disappointment and ended my following the group for several years. Last of the Independents gathered some good reviews and is not bad. Isle of View is an “unplugged” like, small audience effort that is a nice addition to your collection if you are a fan. For a taste, I’d recommend their 1986 hits release, The Singles and if you want more you can go from there.

I saw Chrissie and the most recent version of the group a couple years ago sandwiched between the Royal Crown Review and The B-52’s, pretty eclectic line-up to say the least. I can say Chrissie's appeal and energy are still there. Just seems the creativity dried up somewhere long the line.

All right, where's shack-daddy this week? Another softball tournament?

avelanchefan

Billm57,

Glad to see another Porc Tree fan here!

joe6pak

David Peel & The Lower East Side.

Here is one probably few have heard of. This anti-establishment/hippie humor street musician, put out some pretty vile stuff. His 3rd album on Apple records and produced by John Lennon & Yoko was titled "The Pope Smokes Dope." Included on this album were "F Is Not a Dirty Word," "Everybody's Smoking Marijuana," "MacDonalds Farm," "The Pope Smokes Dope," and my fav "Hippie From New York City" the chorus was sung to the tune "Okie From Muskogee." These songs did not get much top 40 air play. Probably best listened to in a dark smoke filled garage attic or basement. I'm just guessing about that and deny any first hand knowledge of those kind of places.

John Prine

Keeping with the social protest theme, this folk/rock/country guy was really pretty good. His 1971 self titled album is dated on some songs but was a good one. Songs like "Illegal Smile" "Sam Stone" (about a down & out Viet Nam vet) "Flash Back Blues" and " Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" reflected the mood of a lot of America's youth at the time. He went on to make several more albums. My favorites are "Sweet Revenge" "Diamonds In The Rough" and "Common Sense." I got to see him in a club in Florida in 1980. Just John and his guitar. Nice show.

Hey Tour

Yes Chrissie does go heavy on the eye liner, but it seems to work for her.


joe

F1nut

Originally posted by joe6pak
Probably best listened to in a dark smoke filled garage attic or basement. I'm just guessing about that and deny any first hand knowledge of those kind of places.

Yeah, right.....;)

Billm57

Originally posted by avelanchefan
Billm57,

Glad to see another Porc Tree fan here!

yea too bad they are not getting the listener base they should have

abmarsh

What, no Pantera?

dcarlson

Hell ya, post a review.

Vulgar Display of Power - Kicks ****.

jeff biggs

The Police -Reggatta de Blanc or Ghost in the Machine
The Psychedelic Furs -Talk Talk Talk
Two great bands that really helped push music into the modern era.

shack

Poco - if you like the original "Country" Rock sound of Poco then DELIVERIN' - 1971 - is a very nice album to have. Mostly new music instead of simply a live version of their first two studio albums (which were also very good). The country influence is very strong with this album. Richie Furay, Jim Messina and Timothy B. Schmit were well matched and produced some very good music both with Poco and other groups. I would have liked to hear this group with Randy Meisner, one of their original members that never recorded with them. I always liked his work as an Eagle and his solo stuff. No single track stands out above the rest IMO with "C'mon" being the best of the group. I have this one on vinyl.

I liked the direction the band took when they made my favorite Poco album. A Good Feelin' To Know - 1972 - This is another one of those albums that I like to listen to from start to finish (which I actually did twice tonight). I like all the tracks but my favorites are "And Settlin" Down", "I Can See Everything" (with the distinctive Timothy B. Schmit vocals), "Early Times", "A Good Feelin' To Know", "Restrain" and "Sweet Lovin' " (I think I just about listed all of the tracks - But then thats why I like this one so much!). A Good Feelin' To Know gets a little harder and edgier than their first efforts. Messina has left the group by this time. I have this one on vinyl but it was practically worn out so I replaced it with a CD.

Their next effort was also very good Crazy Eyes - 1972 - The sound and production gets farther away from their country roots but you don't lose it with cuts like "Fools Gold" with Chris Hillman's mandolin and a bunch of fiddle playing. That song along with the last three cuts of this album "Crazy Eyes", "Magnolia" and "Let's Dance Tonight" are the best of this album. CD for this one.

The early and later effors of Poco were quite good but these albums in the middle of their catalog stand out for me.


Procol Harum - Greatest Hits (remastered) - 1996 - I bought this one for "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and "Conquistador" however the rest of the music is pretty good too. Progressive blues rock. Well worth the cost of the CD. Robin Trower is a notable member of this group.

shack

I am a huge Police fan. The first three albums are raw with a lot of enery and reggae influences but my favorites seem to be Ghost In The Machine and Synchronicity. I am in the process of purchasing the Police catalog in SACD, having already started with the above mentioned albums and the multi-channel Every Breath You Take. The 2 channel SACDs are great and the jury is still out on the m-channel.

Speaking of multichannel SACD - Pink Floyd's DSOTM is fantastic and a m-channel I really like. I hope The Wall is soon to follow. Most don't care for A Momentary Lapse Of Reason, but I like the album...especially "Learning To Fly" and "On The Turning Away" I know...no Roger Waters...but I still like it.

Tour...I'm sorry...but I can't stand Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders...don't have a concrete reason why but I just don't like them.

Tom Petty I do like - he can't sing but he can rock. Damn The Torpedos, Into The Great Wide Open, Full Moon Fever and Wallflowers are all good albums.

joe6pak

shack.

It is good to see you back! I was thinking about you the past few days.

Poco was on my list. I have the Legend album on Mobile Fidelity vinyl. It is an o.k. album that really shines sound wise on this audiophile format. The albums you mentioned were better music.

Procol Harum.

Also on my list to mention. Good sounds for sure.

Interesting observations about Tom Petty. I will leave defending the Pretenders to Tour.

F1

You doubt my statement of innocence? Damn, I get no respect! I really don't think I was ever in those type of places. At least I don't remember being there. Come on guys, am I the only one who has heard David Peel?

How about Pinetop Perkins?

I only have one song by this blues/boogiewoogie singer/piano player. It is on a Telarc complication, called Telarc's got more blues. This song is off Pinetop's Telarc cd titled Back On Top. The song is Hi-Heel Sneakers. It rocks! I really was impressed with this song, but after several weeks of owning this cd I did a bit of reading about Pinetop and discovered that when he recorded this song, he was 86! I am going order the Telarc Back On Top cd for sure. For anybody that doesen't know, Telarc makes cds that are very high quality.

joe

F1nut

Originally posted by joe6pak
At least I don't remember being there.

Yep, proof that it does affect the gray matter.

How about Pinetop Perkins?

He could really boogie on the piano, played with almost everybody from Muddy Waters to The Band. I saw him play at a Blues tribute with B.B. King, great show.

dcarlson

I hope The Wall is soon to follow. Most don't care for A Momentary Lapse Of Reason, but I like the album...especially "Learning To Fly" and "On The Turning Away" I know...no Roger Waters...but I still like it.

Shack,

I'm hoping for the same thing with The Wall. I can't see why they won't do something spectacular because DSOTM is just about in the same regard a The Wall in popularity.

As for Momentary Lapse, I totally agree and I'll add Division Bell. Not too many people like it but I like it and it's hard to believe it was recorded in 1994.

Derick.

F1nut

Tour - great call on RP, Sneekin' Sally.

I'll add a few more to the ROBERT PALMER list.

PRESSURE DROP - 1975 Island Records 7 90087-2 CD

The follow up to SSTTA, which had most of Little Feat playing on it. A combo that couldn't fail and doesn't. The music is great and the bare bottomed babe on the cover is a added bonus.


RIPTIDE - 1985 Island Records 7 90471-2 CD

Sans any Little Feat members, still a good cd. A bit of a disco touch with a heavy bass beat. Worth a listen.

HEAVY NOVA - 1988 EMI 7-48057-2 CD

He had lost something by this point, maybe all those babes had gone to his head (not sure which one ), but only two songs worth mentioning. Simply Irresistible and Early In The Morning.

I use to catch him around Baltimore opening for Little Feat and playing the clubs. He had the hottest babes around him ALL THE DAMN TIME, both on and off the stage!!!

shack

Originally posted by joe6pak
It is good to see you back! I was thinking about you the past few days.

Thanks Joe, I appreciate that.

Originally posted by joe6pak
Interesting observations about Tom Petty.

I meant this in a Bob Dylan sort of way. Maybe if he had a "better" voice the music wouldn't be as good.

Tour2ma

Shack,
I too am sorry for the loss of your friend. I’m sure Pink Floyd’s “Wishing You Were Here” has a new place in your listening library now. It’s one of my fav’s that was not mentioned in their repertoire above.
Anyway, it’s a pleasure to have you back, even if you aren’t a Pretenders fan. Well, I guess we had to disagree at some point about some group…:( … sniff sniff… If it wasn’t you with my Pretenders, it’d be me with your Police. Not that I dislike them, just not a big fan. I still laugh when I remember a local DJ’s line about Zenyatta Mondatta… “translated it means, there’s only one good song on this album.”
Nice Poco write-up.

F1,
I did not realize that Palmer was that closely tied to Lowell G. and Little Feat. That is so cool. Will listen to the other early albums of his in a whole new light.

My next “P” is a bit of a cheat as I have gone on about them in bass threads in the past, so I am going to copy parts of those write-ups.

Portishead
Dummy – CD (1994 London/ Polygram – 422-828 553-2)
Portishead – CD (1997 London/ Go Beat – 314-539-189-2)
Kind of weird to have your self-titled release come out 3 years after your debut, but it is in keeping with the unusual musical character of this group. For sustained bass (albeit some intentionally distorted) throughout an entire CD, I still know of nothing to match my beloved Portishead's Dummy.

Track 1, “Mysterions”, hits you pretty good right from the get-go. A slight respite comes your way on track 2, “Sour Times”, the track you may know from this group as it received some airplay. From its opening notes you’ll immediately recognize it, if you’ve ever heard it before. I mean, how many rock tracks can you name that employ a hammer dulcimer?
Then 3, “Strangers”, warms things back up for #4, "It Could Be Sweet". Even at moderate volume, “…Sweet” shakes the place, and no sub here (yet). Tracks 5, “Wandering Star”, and 6, “It’s a Fire”, back off a notch, then comes 7, “Numb”, back at ya (and you might be by then). Track 8, “Roads”, backs off again, but the opening is a great standing wave detector in the lo/mid bass range.
Then 9, “Pedestal”, is back at it again. “Biscuit”, track 10, gives a little break and 11, the last track, "Glory Box", lulls you back down to earth before giving you one last, little slam right between the ears at the 4:15 mark, just before fade-out.

It’s kinda Techno, but I think of it as modern avant-garde. Sampling is included in five tracks, but no rap here. Leads by Beth Gibbons are sometimes spoken, but mostly sung in a light, sweet, airy voice that leave you wondering HTH it stands up to the heavy background, but it does.

While Dummy grabbed me at first listening, Portishead did not. After one listen I have not revisited it, but may again soon. Dummy is the one to take for a test drive, and a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED one at that.

The “Q’s” are going to be a little on the thin side next week. Good time for all to add to prior LOTW’s and for me to compile a few more lists, which I am way behind doing. But in the mean time there are still a few “P’s” out there.