World Capsule

Following the release of his solo debut, Joy of a Toy, Kevin Ayers created the Whole World to take the album on the road. In retrospect, the band was a kind of Brit supergroup, comprised of young Mike Oldfield (bass/guitar), Lol Coxhill (sax), Mick Fincher (drums, occasionally subbed by Robert Wyatt), and David Bedford (keys/arrangements). Following the tour, the band found itself in the studio, and in October 1970 Ayers introduced the world to the Whole World with the release of his follow-up, Shooting at the Moon. A snapshot of the era, the album is saturated with original ideas, experimentation, and lunacy, all powered by the bottled grape. It is this very "headiness" that propels and simultaneously hinders the work, resulting in a project overflowing with potential, much of which remained underdeveloped…

Phil Ochs - Farewells & Fantasies (1964-1975) {3D Box Set Elektra-Rhino R2 73518 rel 1997}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 1.32 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 546 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 177 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1997 Elektra / A&M / Folkways / Rhino | R2 73518
Folk / Folk Rock / Political Folk / Psychedelic / Country / Singer-Songwriter / World

Among folk legends, the late Phil Ochs is nearly peerless. His dozen years as a ringing voice in the war against social and political injustice left the world with a wealth of music and lyrics that remain powerful and in some cases topical more than 30 years after he recorded them. Joined by the likes of Ry Cooder, Clydie King, Jack Elliott, Van Dyke Parks, Don Rich, and Tom Scott, Ochs created a legacy of words and music that continues to drive the spirit of social conscience in musicians like Billy Bragg, Natalie Merchant, and Ani DiFranco. This 3 CD set collects the work he did at Elektra, A&M, and Folkways between 1964 and 1975, as well as several previously unreleased tracks. It chronicles not just an era when music and politics often clashed, but also one spiritual man's sojourn from rebellion and activism to depression and despair.

On Hidden Orchestra's eagerly anticipated third album, producer and composer Joe Acheson conjures an intricate yet expansive world of sound, built around a collection of birdsong and other field recordings captured over many years in diverse locations around the UK and abroad. Rich in detail and character, these snapshots intertwine with bass, drums, percussion and eclectic instruments - including piano, electro-harp, zither, Turkish mey and cello - for an emotive and transporting listen that Acheson describes as “a kind of personal audio diary, time capsule or memoir”.

Gear Fab's excavation of the recorded history of Greenwich Village folkie Chris Wilson continued apace with this follow-up to The Grey Wizard Am I (itself reissued three years earlier by the archival label). You needn't be a total sci-fi/fantasy dork to enjoy that 1972-vintage album, though it certainly doesn't hurt. Those with less esoteric – okay, less geeky – tastes, on the other hand, probably felt the Tolkien-themed lyricism was more than a little bit twee and precious. Even more well-adjusted, down-to-earth listeners, however, might find themselves charmed by parts of The Tin Angel. Firstly, the music itself is more diverse and, consequently, has a far broader appeal. Secondly, there is nary a wizard hat or hobbit in sight.

This is a fun album that sees Elis taking herself a bit less seriously than would be the case in years to come. Beginning with the beautiful photo on the album cover, it’s sunshine all the way through. Recorded and released in 1970, it sits on a precipice of musical history sort of like the proverbial time capsule left for the extra-terrestrials to tell them about contemporary MPB. With consistently interesting and flawless arrangements from Erlon Chaves, Elis rips through a repertoire of songs that couldn’t get much better spanning Bossa Nova, Jovem Guarda, Brazilian Soul and Tropicália and spinning them into a weirdly unified whole.

Haitian American singer-songwriter Leyla McCalla (Our Native Daughters), who now calls New Orleans home, chronicles a vital part of Haitian history with a groundbreaking concept album made in partnership with Duke University. Breaking the Thermometer draws inspiration from the story of Radio Haiti, a now-defunct independent radio station that, in addition to playing Creole music and broadcasting primarily in Creole language in the French-dominated country, used its platform to challenge corruption in Haiti. McCalla spent time with Duke’s archive of Radio Haiti recordings and devised a multidisciplinary stage show around the material, the music from which makes up Breaking the Thermometer. Primarily performed in Creole, Breaking the Thermometer is part homage, part time capsule, part journalistic reporting, all anchored by McCalla’s dynamic voice, masterful banjo picking and deep connection to her roots. Highlights include “Fort Dimanche”, named for an infamous French-built former prison known for torturing inmates, and the jazzy, English-language “You Don’t Know Me”.