VA - Legend of a Mind: The Underground Anthology (3 CD, 2003/FLAC)

 You sort of have to pity Decca Records after listening to this three-CD set -- the company, once the biggest label in England, started the 1950s with a technical leg up on all of its competition, jumped into skiffle and rock fast and early (and accidentally in the former case) with Lonnie Donegan, and was still going strong at the dawn of the '60s with the likes of Billy Fury on its roster. And then something went wrong, and even with the Rolling Stones, the Small Faces, and the Moody Blues recording for them, Decca began coming up a day late and a dollar short on a regular basis, beginning a slow fade in the mid-'60s that led to its eclipse in the 1970s. After hearing Legend of a Mind, you'll probably wonder why -- the three-CD set is devoted to Decca's "underground" side, which offered some prime psychedelic and progressive rock, along with some arena-style blues-rock. 

 

Cream - Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6, 2005 (DVDRIP video)

 

Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6, 2005 is a live album by the British rock band Cream, recorded at the Royal Albert Hall in 2005 during the band's reunion tour. As the title implies, the recording includes songs from their four reunion shows on 2, 3, 5, and 6 May 2005. 

•     Jack Bruce – vocals, bass guitar, harmonica
•     Eric Clapton – guitar, vocals
•     Ginger Baker – drums, cowbells, vocals

 

VA - The Casablanca Records Story (4 CD, 1994/FLAC)

Casablanca Records, Inc. was formed in 1973 by former Buddah Records executives Neil Bogart (who named the label as an homage to the classic film Casablanca), Cecil Holmes, Larry Harris and Buck Reingold.

Casablanca's first major signing was Kiss. Casablanca became most successful as a disco label, signing artists like Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, the Village People, Brooklyn Dreams, Patti Brooks and Lipps, Inc. (with lead vocalist Cynthia Johnson) as well as Four Tops, Cher, Irene Cara, Captain And Tennille, Dr. Hook, Mac Davis and George Clinton's great P-Funk band Parliament. 

America - Warner Bros Years 1971-1977 (8 CD, 2015/FLAC)

  

A practical, no-frills clamshell box set celebrating the soft rock/folk-pop hitmakers' '70s heyday, the Warner Bros. Years 1971-1977 rounds up seven complete studio albums and one live LP. Comprised of America (1971), Homecoming (1972), Hat Trick (1973), Holiday (1974), Hearts (1975), Hideaway (1976), Harbor (1977), and America Live (1977), all of which were remastered in 2014, the collection is aimed squarely at completists. Like their closest sonic contemporaries Seals & Crofts, the trio of Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek was an unstoppable FM/AM radio force for the era, securing future classic soft rock staples like "Horse with No Name," "Ventura Highway,' "Muskrat Love," "Tin Man," "Lonely People," and "Sister Golden Hair," many of which were impeccably produced by George Martin. Really the only thing missing here is the group's 1982 comeback hit "You Can Do Magic," which would make Rhino's excellent 2000 Highway: 30 Years of America the better choice for casual fans, but longtime America devotees will appreciate having the new studio masters all in one place, as well as the neatly arranged original album art and inserts.

Spirit - Rockpalast 78 - West Coast Legends Vol.3 [DVDRIP video, 2009 ]

 

Filmed on March 5th 1978 in Essen at the Grugahalle.

The appearance of the legendary rock group, Spirit, with guitarist Randy California and drummer Ed Cassidy at the Rockpalast-Festival on March 4th and 5th will be a notable event: is it the group's first concert in Europe after several years. For over ten years, the American group Spirit has been commonly recognized, on the whole, as one of the most influential and important rock groups. Their album 'Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus' is a rock classic. Formed in 1967, Spirit today represents the development of the music of the American west coast in all it's aspects.


A special highlight came towards the end of the show when Dickey Betts, who had appeared on stage with his band Great Southern before Spirit joined to band.

• Randy California - g/voc/Moog Taurus
• Ed Cassidy - dr
• Larry "Fuzzy" Knight - b