HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 Wishing You peace and love and many new interesting vinyl finds 2026. Big Hugs/Erik

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

 Taking a break from posting over Christmas and New Year. Back again 2026. Unfortunately I couldn't find a season album interesting enough to post this year, but here's fifteen well worth re-checking  https://monolover.blogspot.com/search?q=(CX%C3%85*) .  Wishing You a Happy Holiday wherever You are. Kindly/Erik

                                                                                   

                                                                        

                                                                             

 

TRAPEZE FEATURING GLENN HUGHES/THE FINAL SWING 6.22122 (-74) GERMANY

 Compilation containing one track from the bands eponimous debute, three from their second "Medusa", three from the third "You Are The Music, We're Just The Band" plus two previously unreleased - "Good Love" and "Dats It" - both including Glenn Hughes, then already a member of Deep Purple. I find this band interesting as one of the forerunners of seventies and eighties hard rock, especially on their second album "Medusa". For more on that and the band please check  https://monolover.blogspot.com/2016/04/trapezemedusa-ths-4-70-uk.html . Since I already have their first three albums, this is a way for me to get the original setting complete with the two previously unreleased songs. Honestly non of them add much to what I knew before - "Good Love" a smooth well-sung ballad and "Dats It" a hard rock instrumental with some nice guitars. Good stuff, but nothing special. More important this is a good and much cheaper vinyl way to get to know the band than to try to find any of their original albums and therefore highly recommended to any student of early hard rock. And it is tickling, at least for me, that the original members of this just one combo came to be members of bands like Deep Purple, Whitesnake and Judas Priest. To my knowledge only issued in US (Threshold THS 11) and Germany. First German had label as shown here in a thin glossy cover. (GÖXÄ*)

                                                                                 

                                                                                  

                                                                                    

                                                                                   

 

MOTOWN CHARTBUSTERS VOL. 7 STML 11215 (-72) UK

 Number seven in the UK Motown Chartbusters serie, released between 1967-82, of which first two were named "British Motown Chartbusters"   https://monolover.blogspot.com/search?q=british+motown+chartbusters  . First nine reached top 15 on the UK list, whereof three #1 and one #2. This got to #9. Here I get a couple of sixties recordings - Gladys Night & The Pips "Just Walk In My Shoes", Mary Welles "My Guy" and San Remo Strings "Festival Times" - coupled with some early seventied stuff - three by Michael Jackson, three including The Supremes", two by The Temptations, two by Diana Ross and one each from Stevie Wonder, J.R. Walker & The All Stars and Martha Reeves & The Vandellas. So all high class Motown. The audio is smashing all through, well balanced and very good to the ears. I guess many label fans have all those songs already, but for me who don't collect 45:s and sometimes having a hard time finding the original albums compilations like this are crucial. Listening now as I write this, very happy. Favourite tracks would be Temptations "Take A Look Around" and "Diana Ross "Surrender" plus of course the oldies "My Guy" and "Walk In My Shoes". Also issued on vinyl in a clouple of Southeast Asian countries plus as UK 8-track and cassette. EU 2001 CD on Spectrum Music (554 294 2) came with the same tracking. First UK had label as shown here in a glossy flip/back cover.  (TÖMÖ*)  (SÄM*)

                                                                                    

                                                                               

                                                                                  

                                                                              

                                                                                    

 

CLIFF RICHARD/CLIFF'S HIT ALBUM 33SX 1512 (-64) UK MONO

 Here's one for us who still remember Cliff's early days, containing cuts recorded 1958-62, whereof four topping the UK list, eight reaching #2 and two more top 10. On all but two backed by The Shadows, on "Move It" and "Living Doll" while they were still named The Drifters. Even if he's been going strong and kept quality through the decades I do prefer his early days when there were more simple tunes with less studio meddling. Here I get a mix of early rock tunes like "Move It", "Please Don't Tease", "Nine Times Out Of Ten" and "Do You Wanna Dance", coupled with classic up-tempo ballads as "Living Doll". This is the Cliff for me, what I heard back then in the late fifties and early sixties as a very young lad in front of the valve radio. The audio here is just right, taking me back to times where everythíng worked out better both for me and the world. Originally also issued on vinyl in Canada, Scandinavia, South Africa, Israel, Downunder and Japan and as UK reel, cassette and 8-track. Japan 2007 CD on Odeon (TOCP-70175) came with six bonus tracks. This UK mono was re-released many times in the sixties and also showed up as stereo early seventies (SCX 1512). Not sure which of the mono variations was ablsolutely first, but as the label on this copy has both "Recording First..." and "Sold In UK..." it's probably from 1964. It came in a laminated flip/back cover. (CXÄ*)

                                                                                      

                                                                                  

                                                                                       

                                                                                     

DYNAMITE/20 ORIGINAL HITS 20 ORIGINAL STARS TE 298 (-74) US/UK

 Another of those K-tel issues that may seem too cheap for the more posh collector, but still brings a lot to enjoy for people who just love good music. Apart from Jeff Beck's 1967 "Hi Ho Silver Lining" all hits from 1972-73. As I've said before - even if I have many of the cuts on here already, compilations like this are a way for me to reacquaint with top numbers, or getting to know ones that escaped me back then. Here I get old favourites - like Wizzard "Angel Fingers", Faces "Pool Hall Richard", Nazareth "This Flight Tonight", Suzy Quattro "48 Crash" and Alice Cooper "School's Out" - coupled with stuff I knew but forgot about long time ago - as Mud "Dynamite", Steeleye Span "Gaudete" Mungo Jerry "Wild Love" or Geordie "Electric Lady". It's good to put it on the turntable, just relax in the listening chair and take in. With ten tracks on each side don't expect all over tophole power and separation, though it all comes out very good considering and all right to both ears and mind. Also issued on vinyl in Netherlands and Germany, as cassette in UK and Germany and 8-track in UK. Not sure if this was a UK release for some reason pressed in US, or a US release in an imported UK sleeve. In any case it came with label as shown here in a thin glossy cover. (SÄM*)  (YZÄ*) (KÄJT*)

                                                                                 

                                                                              

                                                                                  

                                                                             

                                                                              

 

BLUE CHEER/OUTSIDEINSIDE SBL 7860 (-68) UK

 Their debut LP "Vincebus Eruptum"  https://monolover.blogspot.com/2012/04/vincebus-eruptum-bl-7839.html   was among the toughest you could listen to back then and is today by many seen as the first of many modern hard rock genres. This follow-up offers more of the same. Hardcore garage rock with howling guitars, pumping bass and drums and high strung vocals. Two cover versions - Rolling Stones "Satisfaction" and Albert King's "The Hunter" - coupled with seven self-penned. Maybe missing the novelty of the debute and sounding somewhat more polished and mature, but still a very good garage rock record - honest and direct without any ameliorating circumstances. I especially like the cover versions, coming out a lot rawer than the originals. As the story goes they played so loud the studio couldn't take it so some of the cuts had to be recorded outside - hence the album title. Don't know if that's true, but the whole thing sure sounds loud and energetic enough for me. I find it strange that while the debute is considered a forerunner and almost legendary among hard rock lovers this is seldom mentioned on the same level, even if well as good. As a lover of right on garage rock I love it all and having a hard time to pick a favoutite track, but if I have to - "The Hunter". Originally also issued on vinyl in US and Canada (Philips PHS 600-278), Netherlands, Japan and Downunder. US 4-track, 8-track, cassette and Reel. US CD on Sundazed (SC 6304). Premiere UK had label as shown here in a laminted fold/out cover. 

                                                                              

                                                                             

                                                                                    

                                                                                     

 

WHAM! GLAM! THANK YOU MAM!/THE BEST OF GLITTER ROCK 1972-75 DIN-030 (??) AUSTRALIA

 Collection concentrating on the heyday of glamrock, bringing seventeen of the most celebrated hits from back then. To my taste the compiling is superb with many of the songs I dug most those days - two each from T.Rex and Sweet, then other killers by Slade, Wizzard, Alice Cooper, Suzy Quattro, Mott The Hoople and The Rubettes. I may not have had a very close relationship to the other artists represented, but it all fits for listening through in the same glittery mood. Just having the period classics "Metal Guru", "Ballroom Blitz", "Gudbuy To Jane", "See My Baby Jive", "All The Young Dudes", "48 Crash" and "Sugar Baby Love" on one vinyl is certainly good enough for me and I can also acqaint with a couple I haven't heard before, or just forgot about. Audio shifts a little between tracks though all comes out just fine providing good listen throughout. Would like to recommend this to all glam lovers, but as it was only issued in Australia (also on cassett DIN 030C) there may be limited access outside Downunder. Vinyl came with label as shown here in a fully laminated cover.  (SÄM*)  (DÖW*)