Ekseption - The First Five + Bonus CD (6 CD, 2019/FLAC)

In 1958 a school band The Jokers was formed in Haarlem. Members were Hans Alta (bass), Rein van den Broek (trumpet), Tim Griek (drums, he was the producer for the first Brainbox (3) album, he died in a car crash in 1988) and Huib van Kampen (guitar/saxophone). They played covers of well known songs. In 1965 the name was changed to Incrowd. In 1967 the name had already changed to Ekseption because there was another Dutch band with the name Incrowd.

The band was also joined by Rob Kruisman, who became the new bandleader. Later that year also Rick Van Der Linden (keyboards) joined the group. He was a classically trained musician who finished Conservatory and had played with several jazz- and popgroups, one of them was the Occasional Swing Combo. They met each other, because both bands played at the same gig. Van den Broek was impressed by the playing of Van der Linden and asked him to join Ekseption. In 1968 the band entered the Loosdrechtse Jazz Concours and won the first prize, a record deal with Phonogram.

At the end of the year the band was about to record their debut album with producer Tony Vos. By this time Alta and Griek were replaced by bass guitarist Cor Dekker (he died in 2005) and drummer Peter de Leeuwe. As the first single "Beethoven's The Fifth" was chosen and it became an instant hit for the band. The follow up singles "Rhapsody in Blue" and "Air" became big hits as well. Because of this chart success Van der Linden became the new bandleader. In 1969 Kruisman left the band because he was not happy with the new musical approach. Shortly after that also co-founder Van Kampen left the band (he dies in 2003). He left the music business, and became a music teacher. 

 

 

Pink Floyd - Meddle (High Resolution Remasters) (4 CD, 2018/FLAC)

Meddle is the sixth studio album by English rock band Pink Floyd, by Harvest Records. The album was produced between the band's touring commitments, from January to August 1971 at a series of locations around London, including Abbey Road Studios and Morgan Studios.

With no material to work with and no clear idea of the album's direction, the band devised a series of novel experiments which eventually inspired the album's signature track "Echoes". Although the band's later albums would be unified by a central theme with lyrics written entirely by Roger Waters, Meddle was a group effort with lyrical contributions from each member, and is considered a transitional album between the Syd Barrett-influenced group of the late 1960s and the emerging Pink Floyd. The cover has been explained by its creator Storm Thorgerson to be an ear underwater; as with several previous albums designed by Hipgnosis, though, Thorgerson was unhappy with the final result.

The album was well received by critics upon its release, and was commercially successful in the United Kingdom, but lacklustre publicity on the part of the band's American label Capitol Records led to poor sales there upon initial release. 

 

Grateful Dead - Dave's Picks Vol.44 - Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR June 23, 1990 (3 CD, 2022/FLAC)

Dave's Picks Volume 44 is a three-CD live album by the rock band the Grateful Dead. It contains the complete concert recorded at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon on June 23, 1990. Also included is a performance of "Cold Rain and Snow" from the band's December 26, 1969 concert, which was cut from the previous Dave's Picks release due to lack of space. It was released on October 28, 2022, in a limited edition of 25,000 copies.

This concert was the first of a two-night stand in Eugene. The opening act for both shows was Little Feat.

    Jerry Garcia – lead guitar, vocals

    Bob Weir – rhythm guitar, vocals

    Phil Lesh – bass, vocals

    Mickey Hart – drums, percussion

    Bill Kreutzmann – drums, percussion

    Brent Mydland – keyboards

 

 

Lou Reed - Transmission Impossible [3 CD, 2015/FLAC + 320]

After quitting the Velvet Underground in August 1970, Lou Reed took a job at his father's tax accounting firm. In 1971 he signed a recording contract with RCA Records and recorded his first solo album in London with top session musicians including Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman. The album, Lou Reed, contained smoothly produced versions of unreleased Velvet Underground songs, some of which had originally been recorded by the Velvets for Loaded but shelved.

 

Pearl Jam- Transmission Impossible [3 CD, 2015] (FLAC + 320)

 

Featuring three legendary live FM broadcasts, one each from 92, 93 & 94, originally transmitted from Chicago, Las Vegas and Atlanta respectively, this collection illustrates perfectly the extraordinary power of a live Pearl Jam performance even at this early stage of their career.