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Markley - A Group (1969) {Aurora AUCD5012 rel 2011}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 177 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 69 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 12 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1969, 2011 Forward Records / Aurora | AUCD5012
Rock / Psychedelic Rock / Psychedelia

The final West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band album didn't even feature the band's name (although for once all four bandmembers, including Michael Lloyd, were properly credited in the liner notes): Bob Markley had suggested that they change the band's name for this release, and the rest of the group consented, perhaps simply tired of dealing with Markley's legendary egomania. Surprisingly, this is actually not a bad record at all (certainly it's better than the last-gasp efforts of the group's former labelmates the Electric Prunes and the Beau Brummels, which came out around the same time), including both some excellent string parts by Lloyd and some of Danny Harris' best vocals.

Frank Zappa - Where The Shark Bubbles Blow (2018) {5CD Set Sandoz Digital Download rec 1968-1975}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44kHz - Official Digital Download (deezer.com) -> 1.79 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 766 Mb | Cover | 5% repair rar
© 1968-75, 2018 Sandoz | SNZCD2009
Rock / Jazz Rock / Experimental Rock / Art Rock

There have recently been a number of legitimate releases of radio shows, most of which have been available only as bootlegs. Some of these have been been poor audience recordings not intended for radio and so I bought this set with some trepidation. I was pleased to find that the sets seem to be genuine radio shows. The first (Wollman Ice Rink 1968) was quite hissy on bootleg recordings and the fourth (Vancouver 1975) criticised for very poor sound and fractured recordings. These recordings on the Sandoz label are curiously labelled as 'mastered at Studio J' and the sound quality is here very good.

Jimmy Bryant - Frettin' Fingers: The Lightning Guitar Of Jimmy Bryant (2003) {3CD Set Sundazed SC11134 rec 1950-1967}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 700 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 353 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 28 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1950-67, 2003 Sundazed Music / EMI Music | SC 11134
Country / Jazz / Americana / Western Swing / Guitar

Here's the kind of gargantuan production that only Bear Family in Germany has usually undertaken for vintage American country artists: a three-CD set, encompassing 75 songs and nearly three hours of music recorded by guitar great Jimmy Bryant from 1950-1967. This is on Sundazed, however, and it's good to see an American label taking a chance on a major archival collection on a not-too-famous performer that by its nature is going to rule out casual buyers. Many listeners will be sated with a single-disc compilation of Bryant's work (particularly the tracks on which he collaborated with pedal steel guitar master Speedy West), and the wholly instrumental format might make this hard to listen to in one sitting even for committed fans.

The Grandmothers Of Invention - Live In Bremen (2020) {2CD Set, On Stage Records rec 2014} (Frank Zappa related)
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44.1kHz - Digital Download -> 654 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 228 Mb | Cover | 5% repair rar
© 2014, 2020 Sireena Records / On Stage Records | SIR 2179
Rock / Experimental Rock / Fusion / Jazz Rock

The Grandmothers of Inventions are an opportunity for FZ fans to dive back into a memorable past that alas will never return. This live double in Bremen features a slightly different lineup from the one I witnessed in Florence in 2004 in which not only Don Preston excelled, but also Napoleon M. Brock and Roy Estrada (before the latter ran into serious legal problems in USA: bad story!). In this double CD appears again Don Preston who acts as Pygmalion of the group and Bunk Gardner (saxophonist and flutist of the first hour). The other elements are different from the previous ones of 2004, but no less for the technique of execution. The first CD stands out for "Pound for a Brown" and "I'm the Slime where Don Preston, Bunk Gardner and the rhythm section are very effective.

The Grandmothers - Zappa: A Grandmothers Night at the Gewandhaus (2003) {Warner 2564600682) (Frank Zappa related)
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 432 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 164 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 10 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2003 Warner Music Germany | 2564600682
Rock / Experimental Rock / Fusion / Jazz Rock

Zappa: A Grandmothers Night at the Gewandhaus is a live album recorded at the 2003 “Strings of Fire” Leipzig festival by The Grandmothers, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the death of Composer Frank Zappa, in 1993.
Three of the legendary founders of the Mothers of Invention, and respectively today’s Grandmothers, were in Leipzig: Don Preston, Bunk Gardner and Roy Estrada. The fourth was Napoleon M. Brock. Ken Rosser and Chris Garcia joined as new Grandmothers to make up an energetic sextet. The first half of the concert presented Grandmother’s classics and new compositions which were given their world premiere at the Leipzig Gewandhaus. The second half of the concert presented Zappa classics from the time of The Mothers of Invention which were performed with members from the original Mothers.