Speed my Graduation

A vintage and influential vocal group formed in the 1950s, the Four Freshmen's harmonic-drenched vocal style would set the stage for the Beach Boys and many others in the decades that followed, and to hear the quartet in full flight backed by jazz horns and arrangements is indeed something special, particularly since the Freshmen stack their vocals like a horn chart anyway. It makes for fun stuff, and it's heartbreakingly gorgeous more often than not. Highlights here include the breezy opening track, "Laura," the stone cold classic "Graduation Day," and the closer, "Goodnight Sweetheart." These guys must have eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner with the angels, because angels are what they sound like.

For the past few years, Cherry Red imprint Morello Records has been reissuing the Epic Records catalog of county legend Tammy Wynette on a series of twofers (or more). With its latest release, out now, Morello is taking a look at the late 1960s and early 1970s with a 2-CD set featuring the four albums The Ways To Love a Man, Tammy's Touch, My Elusive Dreams and Inspiration.

Various Artists - The Golden Age Of American Popular Music 1956-1965 (2006) {Ace Records CDCDH 1111}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 327 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 152 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 75 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1956-65, 2006 Ace Records | CDCHD 1111
Pop / Transcended Rock'n'Roll / British Invasion

It was always going to be a dangerous mission. Trevor Churchill’s brainchild, THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICAN POP, had been in development for some time and the prototype was about to be launched into the fray with a bundle of seemingly undifferentiated repertoire. The potential embarrassment factor was high with risk of heavy flak on the way and snipers on the ground in the landing zone. Trevor was calling for volunteers. There was a lot of nervous shuffling among the ranks. Some of the lads took to studying their toecaps, while others took an inordinate interest in the state of their cuticles, or tried to look inconspicuous by melting into the background.

Johnnie Allan - Promised Land (2011) {Ace Records CDCHD380 rec 1961-1983}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 305 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 148 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 31 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1961-83, 2011 Ace Records | CDCHD 380
Swamp Pop / Cajun / Folk / World / Blues / North American Traditions

The best of Johnnie Allan’s swamp pop performances for Jin and Viking dating from the late 1950s through the 80s, featuring his all-time classic ‘The Promised Land’ and the local anthem ‘South To Louisiana’. A glance at the release number indicates that Johnnie Allan’s ‘Promised Land’ dates back to the early days of Ace’s CD releases, 1992 in fact. Remember, this was the time before full colour reproduction, even label scans. Some 20 years later, this set has been given a welcome facelift and generally freshened up; note the new cover design for a start.

Chris Isaak - Forever Blue (1995)
APE(Image + cue) + Log & mp3-320 | EAC Rip | Scans > 46 Mb | ~295 or 94 MB | 5% Recovery
Blues Rock/Southern Rock/Pop Rock | Reprise Records | Cat# 9362-45845-2 | 13 tracks

Without identifying who it was, Isaak made his mood clear with Forever Blue by including a farewell letter in the liner notes to the lover who had dumped him. Kicking things off with the snaky, almost guttural "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing," later made a theme song for Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut, Isaak lives up to the confused, fractured message in that letter, turning Forever Blue into his own exorcism…